Tripple chocolate cookies

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate…these triple chocolate cookies taste so heavenly they must be sinful! 

My first ever experience of the yummy delights of these divine triple chocolate cookies was last February on St Valentines Day. My boyfriend and I hadn't been together long then and both felt valentines day was a bit much pressure so we decided to stay in, wear onesies and bake! (Which, as you may have guessed, just happens to be the way to my heart). 

These are from a BBC Good Food recipe and I'm not sure I would change a thing. We made these as well as some brownies and we were so corrupted by the angelic, melt in your mouth chewiness that we nearly ate both batches that same evening! (There may have been cookies for breakfast with freshly melted warm white chocolate the next day). http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/408617/triple-chocolate-cookies

Make these for your loved ones and they will know how much you care…if you don't eat the whole batch yourself of course!

Cake Love, Fayerie Faye x

Carrot Cake in a Cup with Bex

I went to visit my super cute friend, Bex, for afternoon tea and homemade scones last week and we just couldn't resist coming up with a Carrot Cake in a Mug recipe. 

You will love this! 

 Recipe (makes 1; serves 2-3)
4 1/2 tbsp self-raising flour
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 medium egg, whisked

4 tbsp milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp greek yogurt
juice half orange
1 small carrot, grated
2 tbsp raisins

Method

1.      Throughly mix the flour, sugars and cinnamon together and stir in the egg.

2.      Add the milk, oil, yogurt, orange juice, carrot and raisins. Mix well.

3.      Pop in the microwave for 4 mins (800 watts). You may need to adjust timings for different microwaves.

Happy afternoon tea to you all! Have a lovely time with your friends (or just when you get a cheeky cake craving).

Cake Love, Fayerie Faye x

Honey almond (and raisin) oat biscuits. As versatile as they are moorish.

I'm totally addicted to both honey and almonds so when I was left home alone on Friday evening this was bound to happen! In fact, I don't think I even made a decision to bake...I'm sure I only got up to make a cup of tea.

I was so pleased with these honey almond oat biscuits I made as a Friday night treat that I made them again with raisins on Saturday morning to take to a children's birthday party! 

One versatile recipe coming up...

 Recipe (makes 6 biscuits - perfect for a Friday evening binge)
40g almonds (whole with skins - whole for now anyway…muhahaha)
40g plain flour
25g oats
45g caster sugar

35g Stork (buta as I call it)
1 tbsp honey (lick the spoon after - you will be filled with happiness)

1/4 tsp bicarbonate soda
2 tsp boiling water

Method

1.      As always, the necessarily practical part first: baking paper on a tray. Oven set to 150C fan (160C if not assisted). Sorted.

2.      Pop your almonds inside a food bag and place on a chopping board. Hold the opening of the bag closed to avoid mess (don't tie it shut or you may cause your food bag to explode!) Gently but with purpose hit / chop the almonds with a heavy knife. This should miraculously chop the almonds and leave the bag reasonable intact! Mess free: the way I like my kitchen.

3.      While you are still tripping from the magic of cutting the almonds without cutting the plastic bag, pop them in a large bowl on your scales so you can add and mix in your oats, sugar and sifted flour.

4.      On the hob very gently melt your butter and honey into each other. Beautiful!

5.      Drop in your bicarbonate of soda and boiling water into your honey-butter mix (you may want to giggle at this point because the frothy fizzing is all very exciting), stir it in and then pour this immediately into your dry ingredient mixture and combine well.

6.      Get yourself a little messy rolling the mixture into inch diameter balls and give them a squish down on your parchment. Keep in mind they will spread because of the honey yumminess so don't put them too close together or you will end up with one massive tray bake (but if you don't want to share then go ahead!)

(Note: This is a picture of the raisin version and is a stickier mixture)

7.      Bung 'em in the oven fur tweny mins. 

8.      Leave them on the tray for 5 mins when you get them out of the oven (they will be a little gooey until they have some cooling time).

Transfer to a cooling tray using a fish slice to finish cooling. 

9.      Eat entire batch in one sitting. Joke!

These are so yummy! I just made them on auto-pilot but they were such a success. If you want to make 2 dozen instead just times up the recipe by 4. 

And if you don't like almonds (in the first instance try them again because they are amazing) or, if like me you just don't want to risk triggering a nut allergy at a children's party, then you might like to try them with raisins. Just use raisins instead of almonds and keep in mind that it will make a stickier mixture. 

Next time I am going to make them with honey, almonds AND raisins. I know. I spoil myself. 

I hope you go Nuts for these almond biscuits!

Cake Love, Fayerie Faye x

Cake in a Mug! YES!

Yes, you read that right. Cake in a Mug is a THING - how wonderful is the world to live in?

Cheers to my gorgeous boyfriend for this delicious, 3 mins in the microwave, Cake in a Mug.

Just look at this thing of beauty!

I won't write anymore because I'm sure you are dashing out of the house to go buy one of these right now! (This one is from Lakeland). I can see lots of variations on this recipe in my future.

Cake Love, Fayerie Faye x

Banana Bread News: This just in!

Very quick update!

As promised, I tried my banana bread recipe with dark brown sugar and everyone went even more banana bread bonkers! 

Served here with a dollop of greek yogurt, sliced banana and blueberries

I used a slightly smaller loaf tin for my main banana bread so I had mixture left over to trial half a dozen muffin buns with walnuts in and these were really good. 

Served here with mashed strawberries, kiwi and flaked almonds with a little strawberry and honey drizzle. Yum!

I thought the walnut complimented the banana bread well but if you really love a strong banana flavour then I wouldn't add the walnuts as their flavour really comes through. Enjoy!

Cake Love, Fayerie Faye x

Nummy Nana Banana Bread

Nummy Nana Banana Bread - say that three times fast!

Who wants to make some Nummy Nana Banana Bread with me? And who wants to eat it?! Yer, you do!

Had some lovely friends over for tea, scones and nummy nana banana bread - now try saying that with a mouthful! It was so nummy that we couldn't stop eating it, so it was all gone in no time! I am going to have to make another batch very soon...but here is the recipe for you now.

Recipe

110g / 4oz butter (I'm still swearing by Stork on this one), plus a little for your favourite loaf tin

225g / 8oz caster sugar (I'm trying it with golden or a chunky granulated grown next time as an experiment so I'll let you know how that goes)

2 free-range eggs (let those chickens live the life a little)

4 ripe bananas, mashed (fork of potato masher - choose your own weapon)

85ml milk soured with 1 n' 1/2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla essence (love this stuff)

285g / 10oz plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method

1.      Flick the oven to 180C (a smidge higher if you aren't fan assisted). And butter your 20cm x 12.5 cm / 8in x 5in loaf tin while your'e at it, then the functional bits are over with and you can get on with the fun of baking banana bread.

2.      Grab a jug, measure out your milk and pop in the lemon juice to curdle it a little. (Wee bit healthier than buttermilk) Stand this aside to do its thing while you are busy with the next step.

3.      In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until silky smooth. (I use a good old wooden spoon like Grandma taught me but the electric mixer does the same job quicker - unless you have built up your cake making muscles of course).

4.      In another bowl - mash up those bananas! Use a fork, masher or just mash it plain bare-handed if you like. Baking is meant to be as fun as it is delicious!

5.      Thoroughly stir in the eggs, mashed banana, milk mixture and vanilla extract.

6.      Sift and fold in the flour and bicarbonate of soda. Easy. 

Looks yummy already.

7.      Pour your cake mix in the tin, level with a spoon and tap the tin on the counter top to help it settle (Grandma's old trick). Then it is time to wash up because your banana bread will take about an hour. Yesterday I popped mine out to check the centre with a knife at 50 minutes and it was still a little guey, so it had exactly an hour fan assisted at 180C.

And it looked like this! Nummy!

I ate mine with a little greek yogurt but it was lovely and moist already. Nummy! Right, I think I am going to have to go make some more...

Cake Love, Fayerie Faye x

Fayerie Fairy Cakes

 Fancy dusting some fairy magic over these delicious fairy buns today?

A fairy cake blog just wouldn't be complete without some light as a butterflies wing fairy buns! 

I have lovely memories of being sat on the kitchen counter by my Grandma so I could reach to dust some fairy magic over my first batch of these magical buns. Family and baking - I couldn't wish for a happier childhood memory!

Recipe

230g / 8oz butter (room temperature or Stork because it is honestly made of yummy cake making magic)

230g / 8oz golden caster sugar (I'm convinced it is yummier than plain caster)

230g / 8oz self-raising flour

4 eggs (only free-range will do - or befriend someone who keeps chickens!)

2 level tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Icing/ Filling

75g / 2.7oz unsalted butter (room temperature or good old Stork again)

175g / 6.2oz icing sugar

Strawberry Jam

Extras: Milk, a few drops vanilla essence

Method: Sponge

Option A (traditional): 
1.      Beat butter and sugar together with wooden spoon.
2.      Alternate cracking and stirring in an egg with sieving in a 4th of the flour and baking powder.
-> Add the vanilla essence for a little flavouring.

            Option B: Throw it all in the bowl and zap it with a  hand mixer. (The traditional wooden spoon wielding way makes me think of my Grandma, but sometimes if I want a quick spell in the kitchen then the magical hand mixer is the way forward).

             3.       Fill bun cases to between 1/2 and 2/3 full.

            4.       Bake in oven for 10 mins (ish) at 175C (165/170C for fan assisted fairy cake makers).

Cakes are done when the top is lightly golden and springy to the touch.

            5.      Cool on a cooling rack while you make magical fairy icing!

           Method: Icing/ Filling

Mix the butter and icing sugar together with a trusty fork and use the milk very sparingly to thin the mixture if you are having real trouble stirring or if you have refrigerated the icing mixture and need to revive it.

-> You might like to add a few drops vanilla essence to flavour. (Be sparing though! It'll taste magical enough without).

            6.       Once cakes are cooled - cut a circular hole in the top of each bun with the knife angled diagonally to remove some of the cakes centre. Cut these circles in half (these will be the pretty little wings).

            7.       Fill each cake with a tea spoon of strawberry jam.

            8.      Cover the jam centre with a blob of icing and place the wings on top of the buns. 

            9.      Finally, it is time for some fairy dust! - place some icing sugar into a sieve and shake it gently over the cakes to add some fairy magic to their appearance.

You might like to pop them in a tin so you can keep them fresh, take them to share at a party or even to make co-workers smile! (It never hurts to weave a little enchantment in the office). I wouldn't recommend eating them all yourself at any rate - I haven't quite worked out a spell for removing all the calories just yet! 

Clean up! You will have made a massive mess if you have done it right! You can't go leaving the fairies to tidy up for you when you've already borrowed their cake making magic. 

Cake Love, Fayerie Faye x

Simply Scrumptious Fruit Scones

I LOVE SCONES!

I LOVE how they can either make the perfect desert or be a LOVELY lunch meal all on their own. Plus, they are nice and light for sunny weather and great in winter too! 

They are just so easy to make and only take a few minutes really. I've found myself in the house at lunch time with pretty much bare cupboards and close to despair over how to fill my grumbly tummy. Happily, less than 20 minutes later I've been tucking into a lovely fruit scone for lunch because they are made from ingredients found in pretty much any kitchen. Win!

Recipe
350g / 12oz self-raising flour (you'll want more for your hands and the table top)
85g / 3oz butter (in my opinion Stork is the yummiest option for baking)
45g / 1.5oz caster sugar (I prefer golden)
50g / 2oz dried fruit (raisins, sultanas and cherries are my faves)
175ml milk
1tsp vanilla extract
A squeeze of lemon juice (slightly sours milk for a scone raising boost)
A beaten egg (for gorgeous golden scone tops)

Method
1.      Firstly, you want to flick the oven on to 220C (dial it down to 200C if you're fan assisted). Throw a piece of baking sheet on an oven tray so it's ready to go. Dust the work surface with some flour while you're at it (makes life easier when you've got batter covered hands later).

2.      Microwave your milk for 30 seconds (warm, not bubbling) and bob in the squeeze of lemon and vanilla extract. Set this aside while you do the fun part...

3.      Sieve the flour into your nice big bowl and get your hands in to rub in the butter - you want a fine breadcrumb consistency. (I love the messy bits!).

4.      Gently stir in the sugar and dried fruit of your choice.

5.      Make a well in your mixture and pour in your milky mix, combining quickly with a butter knife.

6.      Chuck a bit of flour on your hands (reduces sticking) and plop your scone batter on your dusted work top. Fold a couple of times and pat down to 4cm ish with no cracks on top. Use a 5cm cutter and put them on your tray. (Your last one might require self-assembly by hand and if you don't have a cutter then try careful use of a straight sided glass tumbler).

7.      Last bit! Brush the beaten egg on your scone tops (no brush? Well...excuse fingers!) Pop them in the oven for 10-15 mins - you want them gorgeously golden. Cool for at least 5 minutes on a cooling rack.

To Serve
Option 1: If you are feeling like an indulgence, then serve with your favourite strawberry jam and a dollop of cream.

Option 2: If you are trying to be good or you want a really light bite then I will share my little discovery with you. I recently made a full batch of delicious scones and got to my fridge to find someone (you know who you are) had eaten I all the jam and cream! Well, not to be deterred where scones are concerned, I stole some strawberries from my dad's garden (making us even) and mashed them with a fork and stirred in a half teaspoon of honey (honey is such a great sugar substitute). Little did I know at the time but fresh fruit spread on scones with a teaspoon of Greek yogurt on top is something close to the divine! I may never go back to jam and cream. Seriously, you want to try this!

Thanks for reading. You better go tidy up now though, you've got flour all over the counter!

Cake love, Fayerie Faye x