Leprechauns and Pots of Gold

Just some fun cupcakes for St Patricks Day, on the 17th March!!

Recipe of The Week - Dulche De Leche Apple Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for the March Cupcake Hero Challenge. You can see more entires here after the 15th of March. I'll let you know when voting begins!
(Also... Sorry this one doesn't have many photos... I failed at charging my camera battery this weekend)

You Will Need...
1 Cup Self Raising Flour
90 Grams Butter
1/2 Cup Caster Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
2 Eggs
2 Tablespoons Milk
2 Green (or red) Apples - Peeled & Grated
1 Can Condensed Milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt (preferrably sea salt)

For the Dulche De Leche.
A lot of Dulche De Leche recipes say to just put the can of condensed milk into a saucepan of simmering water. This scared me way too much! I did not want a can of condensed milk exploding all over the kitchen. I have a hard enough time as it is cleaning it to mum's standards. (They're higher standards then most normal folk)

Pour your condensed milk into a glass (oven proof) bowl/pie dish/something.
Sprinkle the salt and brown sugar over the top and mix in.
Cover with alfoil and place in a deep baking dish.
You want to then pour water into the baking dish, so that your condensed milk is sitting in a bath of water. Pour it in until it is 1/2 way up the glass bowl.
Place in the oven at 220 degrees for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Take out of the oven (be very careful because the water will be SUPER hot, as will everything else)
Leave it to cool.
Once completely cool, whisk the condensed milk (which should now be a darker colour, and should be dulche de leche) until smooth.
Refrigerate in a sealed jar until you need it. (Or eat it all there straight from the bowl, and make a second batch later.. I won't tell anyone if you don't!)

For the Cupcakes...
Place the flour, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla essence, milk & apple in a bowl and beat until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Spoon mixture evenly into prepared cupcake cases.
Place in the oven at 180 degrees celsius for 15 minutes, or until skewer inserted into one comes out clean.
Leave to cool completely.

Once cupcakes are completely cool, cut a hole in the top and spoon in some of your dulche de leche.
Replace the bit that you just cut out, and place a slice of apple on top.
Drizzle dulche de leche on top.

Update - After posting this, I completely forgot to send an email to CB at Iheartcuppycakes. So I didn't enter March... But you should still go and vote for your favourite!!

Some of My First Cupcakes..

I've been looking back at some photos that I had completely forgotten about recently. There are some funny photos in some of those folders!!!I found some photos of the cupcakes I made for my friend's 21st in December 2008. They were some of the first that I made.

Just making sure they're doing it right... (I'm a bit of a perfectionist!)

Yes, we did use packet mixes.. (but don't anymore!!)

They're doing good! I have some new apprentices...

Vanilla Cupcakes, with vanilla buttercream.

She loved them at the time, but I bet she now wishes that her 21st was this year. Especially now that I've been practicing my decorating skills...

Bronte's Christening

This is Bronte...

She's my cousin's daughter and yesterday was her christening.
I had the lovely pleasure of making the cake for the party afterwards.

I also had the pleasure of driving 300 plus kilometres to where they live - all the while stressing that I was going to do something to ruin the cake.. Luckily I didn't!
Although, some of the icing did melt a little, even with the air con on freezing.

At the Church.

With Grandma.

This is her older sister, Mackenzie. I'm one of her godmothers. :)

 Do you think we look the same?

 With Pop back at home.

A stubby holder! They're might be beer in there!

I can almost reach...

Damn! No beer!

mmmmm.. cake!

Recipe of the Week - Apple Walnut Muffins

You Will Need... The vanilla was an afterthought..

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius, and grease a muffin tray. (I used cooking spray - it's magical.)Put flour, baking powder, sugar and spices into a bowl.In a seperate bowl, whisk the milk, apple and egg.Mix the apple mixture into the dry ingredients until combined.Add the butter. (You would also add the vanilla essence here with the butter, but I added it after because I thought it needed something else.. You don't want to be over mixing your mixture.)Add the vanilla essence.Divide the mixture evenly among your muffin tray.Sprinkle the chopped walnuts on top.

Bake for about 20 mins or until well risen and golden in colour.

These are amazing if you warm them up, and spread a little butter on them.

Also amazing if you dip the tops into a little melted butter and sprinkled some sugar/mixed spice over the top. Keep in an air tight container.

You've Got Mail!!!

As you may or may not already know.. My cupcake hero prizes arrived last week!!!
I was so excited to get home and see a parcel sitting at the front door - addressed to me!!

Here's what I got. Thanks again CB! (And of course the very talented people who amazingly made everything that I received!!)

The following is a re-enactment.... :)

A parcel? Who could that be from?

Why it's from CB of IHEARTCUPPYCAKES!! It must be my prizes!! EEEEEEEEEeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!

Quick make room on the bench!

Mmmmmmm smells like chocolate. ooohhh an oven mitt!!

ooohhhh TWO oven mitts!! SO cute. You can get one here.

How cute is this!! I always need note paper to jot down thoughts/measurments. You can find them here.

Whatever could be wrapped up in this tissue paper?

TEA TOWELS!!! Now I don't need to use mums. Or worry about brothers using them as mops. YAY! AND they're Christmas olours! Amazing!! Made by this very talented person.

How CUTE is this!! My Ipod definately needed a cover. I normally just throw it back into my bag.. But now my ipod is definately happier and a lot less scratched. Get them here.

Lipbalm. Chocolate and Buttercream. YUM!!
(This is what made the entire bag smell like chocolate) Amazing!!! Buy some here.

Don't these look good enough to eat. Too bad you can't eat them! They're MAGNETS!!!

I love the cute cupcake cases the one on the right is in! It has frogs and says "kiss me." Too Cute. 

Obama definately agrees that cupcakes are the way to go. Get some cuteness for your fridge here.

This box intrigued me. So I of course saved it for last!

Aren't they just the best!!! Check them out here. I love the rings they have!

I was all ready to pack up and throw out the tissue paper, when I saw this.. A note? For me?

A cute little note from CB, thanking ME for entering cupcake hero. CB you're the one who needs thanking.

And thankyou sponsors!!