Cupcakes cupcakes cupcakes! They just never fail to impress, no matter how many different types I make. These blackberry vanilla cupcakes were no different and only lasted a couple of hours in the house.
I had my little cousin Maisy (AKA the cupcake queen!) helping out, she totally enjoyed it and didn't complain once, despite me dragging her around the cliffs blackberry picking for 3 hours beforehand! I actually made the frosting a little too runny in an attempt to use up the coulis, but I kind of like the dramatic effect it gave the pics. Yup that was my sad attempt to cover up a mistake! But you'll let me away with it right?
Blackberry Vanilla Cupcakes
(Recipe adapted from Coconut & Lime) This recipe makes delicious, light and moist cupcakes with a fruity taste.
Makes 12 cupcakes For the cupcakes: 1 cup flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup blackberry coulis
For the frosting: 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted 2 tablespoons blackberry coulis Blackberries for decoration
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 180c. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions.
In another bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk and blackberry coulis. Add half of the dry ingredients to the bowl of the mixer and mix on low speed until just combined. Mix in the blackberry coulis/milk mixture. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated. Do not over-mix.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared paper liners. Bake 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar and blackberry coulis in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth and well blended. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired and garnish with fresh blackberries.
I spotted these amazing cupcakes in Leila's book when I first scanned through it, they really pop out! They would be absolutely perfect for kids parties as I am sure they would get a great reaction. In fact there is a whole chapter in "A Piece Of Cake" dedicated to Leila's fab cupcake creations, including flavours like, raspberry, lemon and poppy seed, banana fudge, blueberry corn, and carrot, ginger and walnut!
I know I have been talking about Leila all week but as I said I am a little bit in love! :) I hope you have been enjoying learning a bit about her and some of her recipes. Tomorrow I have a really exciting competition for you to win a copy of the book, so make sure you stop by to enter!
Leila Lindholm's High Hat Cupcakes These fantastic-looking cupcakes should be served cold. You can keep them in the fridge for about three days, but cover them carefully in clingfilm to keep them fresh. They are the yummiest of cupcakes.
Makes 12 cupcakes 3 organic eggs 225g caster sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar 50g unsalted butter 100ml sour cream 2 tablespoons baking powder 2 tablespoons cold coffee 210g plain flour 4 tablespoons good quality cocoa powder 1 pinch of salt 100g good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
For the meringue topping 6 organic egg whites 850g caster sugar Juice of 1 lemon 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
For the chocolate coating 350g good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Prepare the cupcakes according to the basic recipe. Preheat the oven to 175oC/350oF/Gas Mark 4. Beat together the eggs, butter and vanilla sugar until pale and fluffy. Mellt the butter, add the sour cream and coffee and blend with the egg mixture. Mix together the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt and carefully fold into the mixture. Chop the chocolate coarsely and melt it in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Add the the mixture. Put paper cases in a muffin tin and pour in the mixture until the cases are two-thirds full. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for about 15 minutes. Leave to cool.
In a stainless steel bowl mix together the egg whites, caster sugar and lemon juice. Beat by hand for about 1 minute until fluffy. Rest the bowl over a pan of boiling water. Beat until the sugar crystals have dissolved and the mixture has a consistency as fluffy as meringue. You should see the trail from the whisk to them foam. Remove the bowl from the pan and beat the vanilla sugar into the foam. Use a hand-held electric beater to mix the meringue for a few minutes until it is thick and cool. Put the meringue in a piping bag with a round nozzle and pipe the meringue on top of the cupcakes in spirals. Leave about 1cm around the edges. Leave to set in the fridge.
Make the chocolate coating. Chop the chocolate and melt it with the vegetable oil in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Pour the chocolate into a small bowl and leave to cool. Take the cupcakes out of the fridge and dip each peak in the chocolate. Brush on additional chocolate if there are any gaps. Leave to set on a plate in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
After all the excitment over the weekend and the last few days on tour with JLS, I am just about back in the land of the living! It's these days, after the big highs, which are always the hardest, it becomes really important to pick yourself straight up and keep going, otherwise you don't know what to be doing with yourself! I can see the addictive side to performing in front of crowds that size, and with 10,000 people screaming for you it is extremely easy to see why, the problem then becomes that you expect that sort of addulation when you leave your house to go to the car, but unfotrunately nothing really comes close. While my band is not quite on the scale of JLS we have had an amazing journey so far which has provided us with more than a bit of a taster. But I am very glad I have another passion in my life, which of course is cooking, it keeps me distracted and after the big high, there is nothing better than getting back into the kitchen to refocus! In my case the answer is cupcakes!
Mega Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes (Recipe adapted from BBC Good Food and food styling by Erica Ryan) This batter makes really delicious and moist cupcakes which will give you more reason to have just one more! The batter is a lot more runny than normal cupcakes batters, but will rise so just make sure not to overfill the cases, halfway up is just perfect.
Makes about 16 175g Self raising flour 2 tablespoon of cocoa powder 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate soda 150g caster sugar 2 eggs beaten 150 ml (1/4 pint) sunflower oil 150 ml (1/4 pint) semi skimmed milk 2 tablespoon of golden syrup
For the frosting 75g unsalted butter 175g icing Sugar 3 tablespoon cocoa powder Drop of Milk
Pre-heat oven to 180ºC/350F/Gas Mark 4. Line a muffin tray with cupcake cases. Sieve the flour, cocoa and Bicarbonate of Soda into a bowl. Add the sugar and mix well. Make a well in the centre and add the syrup, eggs, oil and milk. Beat well with electric whisk until smooth. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases about halfway up and bake for about 20 minutes or until they have risen and are firm to the touch. Remove from oven, leave to cool before turning out onto a cooling rack. To make your butter icing, place the butter in a bowl and beat until soft. Gradually sift and beat in the icing sugar and cocoa powder then add enough milk to make the icing fluffy and spreadable. Top the cooled cupcakes with delicious frosting and enjoy!
Growing up I was never a fan of traditional christmas cake which was, in my house, laced with alcohol. The solution for me was these cupcakes. They are perfect for a spot of christmas baking with kids, you can get them involved by rolling out the ready to roll icing and allowing them to cut out the holly leaves and rolling the balls for the berries! Endless hours of fun!
This is the recipe I sent in to KISS magazine for their December issue!
Christmas Cupcake Recipe
These cool Christmas cupcakes knock the socks of Christmas pudding any day! This recipe also works super for normal cupcakes too! Makes approximately 8 cupcakes. 175g of self raising flour 110g of caster sugar 1 teaspoon of baking powder 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder 110g of soft margarine or butter 2 large eggs 50ml of water/milk
To decorate: Ready to roll icing 6 heaped tablespoons of icing sugar 1-2 teaspoons of water Red and Green Food Colouring A holly leaf cookie cutter
Preheat the oven to 180oC and line a cupcake tray with paper cases. In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the bowl and break in the 2 eggs and add the butter in small pieces. Using an electric hand mixer beat all the ingredients together until combined. Add in half the milk/water and beat again until combined. You are looking for the batter to be light and creamy. Add the rest of the liquid if you need it- you may not. Divide the batter evenly into the paper cases and place in an oven for 15-20 minutes or until firm and light brown on top. Allow to cool on a wire rack before applying the frosting. Combine the icing sugar and water until you get a thick icing, you may need to add more sugar or water depending if it's too thick or too thin! Spoon a little amount on the top of each cupcakes and allow to set while you get on with the holly and berries! Make sure to leave a little aside to attach the rest of the decorations. Knead a small amount of the green food colouring into a little of the ready to roll icing until you get a nicely coloured dough. Repeat this with the red food colouring. Roll out the green icing and with a holly cookie cutter cut out two leaves for each cupcake. Dusting the worksurface with icing sugar will prevent any sticking. With the red icing dough, roll out little balls. With a spoon add a little dollop of the icing to the bottom of the holly and the berries and place on top of the cupcakes. Allow the icing to set before eating, if you can wait that long!
I have never seen a better reaction from one item of food in all the time I have been cooking. When a plate of cupcakes enter a room, eyes light up, people make strange noises, and adults are quickly reduced to children when they have to make their selection!
If the Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies and Cream Cupcakes were a bit too rich and heavy for you, you may be more interested in these regular cupcakes. This is the recipe we used and is really easy to throw together.
Basic Cupcake Recipe This recipe again comes from aunt Erica, and is adapted from her fairy cake recipe. If you are making these to decorate with kids, and want to limit the time it takes to put everything together, it may be easier to make the cupcakes ahead of time.
Makes approximately 8 cupcakes. 175g of self raising flour. 110g of caster sugar. 1 teaspoon of baking powder. 110g of soft margarine or butter.
2 large eggs. 50ml of water/milk.
For the butter cream frosting: 170g of softened butter. 225g of icing sugar.
Preheat the oven to 180oC and line a cupcake tray with paper cases. In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the bowl and break in the 2 eggs and add the butter in small pieces. Using an electric hand mixer beat all the ingredients together until combined. Add in half the milk/water and beat again until combined. You are looking for the batter to be light and creamy. Add the rest of the liquid if you need it- you may not. Divide the batter evenly into the paper cases and place in an oven for 15-20 minutes or until firm and light brown on top. Allow to cool on a wire rack before applying the frosting. In a bowl beat the butter and add the icing sugar bit by bit until it is all incorporated. At this point you can separate the frosting into a few different bowls and stir through different food colourings. Spoon the frosting into an icing bag and ice away! Let your imagination go wild!
I have mentioned Leila Lindholm on this blog quite a few times at this stage, she is my baking hero, plus I think I might have a little bit of a crush on her! Leila is from Sweden and I was given a present of her book "A Piece Of Cake" in Swedish last year by Sofie's dad. I have been hooked on her delicious recipes ever since. She has been in the kitchen since the age of three helping her grandmother and still remembers the first batch of muffins she ever cooked. I love hearing about those sort of stories when you read other cooks books, it gives a much more interesting sense of where the recipes come from.
Leila is extremely successful in her native Sweden and has released 3 cookbooks there, including my favourite "A Piece Of Cake". I speak a good bit of Swedish, enough to read a cookbook, and having worked over there in a restaurant, my Swedish food vocab is pretty up to scratch, so I have worked my way through a good few recipes in the book. However I recently got sent a copy of her book in English, as it has just been released in the UK and it has rekindled my love for her recipes. The ones without pictures, which I may have skipped over in Swedish, I am now salivating over and reading properly! It's all very exciting, so I have decided this is going to be Leila Lindholm week here on the blog, featuring a recipe everyday from her fab book "A Piece Of Cake". The first recipe I have chosen for today is these fantastic Peanut Butter Cupcakes". As you might have noticed I have a bit of a weakness for cupcakes and I have been meaning to try these ones in particular for so long! Enjoy!
Leila Lindholm's Peanut Butter Cupcakes There are loads of delicious frostings you can use to ice your cupcakes, and there are no limits to how you decorate them. This frosting is as tasty as it is simple to make.
Makes 12 cakes 3 organic eggs 225g caster sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar 50g unsalted butter 100ml sour cream 2 tablespoons baking powder 2 tablespoons cold coffee 210g plain flour 4 tablespoons good quality cocoa powder 1 pinch of salt 100g good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) 150g salted peanuts and extra for decoration
For the peanut butter frosting: 100g soft peanut butter 240g icing sugar 4 tablespoons good quality cocoa powder 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar 150g cream cheese 1 tablespoon warm coffee
Preheat the oven to 175oC/350oF/Gas Mark 4. Beat together the eggs, butter and vanilla sugar until pale and fluffy. Mellt the butter, add the sour cream and coffee and blend with the egg mixture. Mix together the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt and carefully fold into the mixture. Chop the chocolate coarsely and melt it in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Add the the mixture. Put paper cases in a muffin tin. Chop the peanuts and add them to the paper cases, layering them with the cake batter until two-thirds full. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for about 15 minutes. Leave to cool. Stir the peanut butter, icing sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla sugar and cream cheese until creamy. Stir in the coffee. Spread the frosting on top of the cakes and decorate with extra peanuts.
Happy Easter everyone! Do you dig my chicks? They're just hatched, so if the one in the back looks like it hit the beers last night, give him a break!
Unfortunately my planned posts didn't exactly happen this week, I've been travelling quite a bit so trying to find time and a good internet connection ultimately worked against me. But I do have these cheery colourful Easter cupcakes for you today.
Simple Fondant Technique
This is more of a technique post so if you're looking for a basic cupcake recipe click here.
You will need: A large rolling pin. A fine sieve. Icing sugar. Ready to roll icing. A variety of food colouring. Butter cream frosting.
Slice a chunk of the ready to roll icing, which can easily be found in most supermarkets, and add a drop of food colouring.
Using your hands knead the colouring into the icing until you get a nice even colour.
Repeat until you have a variety of coloured icing.
Sieve a little icing sugar over a work surface and the rolling pin.
Roll out the icing to about 1/4cm in thickness.
Using a glass or cookie cutter about the same size as the surface of the cupcakes, make circular cutouts from the icing.
Spread an even layer of butter cream frosting over the top of the cupcakes.
Place a circle of the icing in your hand, turn the cupcake upside down and place on the center of the icing.
Turn the cupcake up the right way and using your fingers gently smooth the icing all the way around, until you have a nice even surface.
To get rid of any excess icing sugar and to achieve and nice even finish on the icing brush with a little water.
Et voila! These are just simple plain fondant cupcakes, think what you could do when you let your imagination run wild- Head over to Bakerella for more cupcake inspiration!
With all the doom and gloom in the media at the moment, what better time to indulge in a little luxury. After a lovely Valentines Day breakfast on Saturday, Sofie and I headed over to my aunts house to do some baking with my little cousin Maisy. Although cupcakes aren't exactly what I would class as "Good Mood Food", they certainly put a smile on the faces of those who got the chance to sample a few- No sample isn't the word, I think scoff would be far more appropriate!
We made a basic cupcake mix and then a chocolate chip cupcake mix for the yummy oreo style cupcakes. It's amazing and suprising how theraputic decorating cakes can be, I think I may have found a new hobby. You don't really realise how stunning the little cakes look until you see them altogether. It's easy to see how they have become so popular in recent years.
If you want to try your hand at some decorating my best advice is to pick up a great assortment of food dyes or gels which can all be bought online. My aunt picked up some great edible spray food colouring which creates some really cool effects. We used a butter frosting for the cupcakes, mixed with a few handmade flowers made from ready to roll icing and a sweetened whipped cream for the oreo cupcakes. Stay tuned recipe coming up in the next post!
I had spotted these on tastespotting.com a few months ago and have been craving them ever since. My brother and I were a little bit obsessed with Oreo cookies when we were kids. They only arrived on Ireland's green shores in the late 90's commercially, so they quickly became the coolest thing to have in your school lunchbox at the time! We were banned from eating them when my mother realised we were addicted after catching us devouring a whole box in one go. When she couldn't see our teeth because of the black biscuit she never bought them again!
Cookies and Cream Chocolate Chip Oreo Cupcakes
This is my aunt Erica's cupcake recipe and it could not be easier to make. You can easily adapt this recipe to make a regular plain cupcake mixture also, simply remove the cocao powder and chocolate chips from the ingredient list.
Makes approximately 8 cupcakes. 175g of self raising flour. 110g of soft margarine or butter. 110g of caster sugar. 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. 1 teaspoon of baking powder. 2 large eggs. 50g of good quality chocolate chips. 50ml of water/milk.
For the Oreo Cream frosting: 250ml of fresh cream. 25g of icing sugar. 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. 8 oreo cookies, crushed.
Preheat the oven to 180oC and line a cupcake tray with paper cases. In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients except for the chocolate chips. Make a well in the center of the bowl and break in the 2 eggs. Using an electric hand mixer beat all the ingedients together until combined. Add in half the milk/water and beat again until combined. You are looking for the batter to be light and creamy. Add the rest of the liquid if you need it you may not. Divide the batter evenly into the paper cases and place in an oven for 15-20 minutes or until firm and light brown on top. Allow to cool on a wire rack before applying the oreo cream.
For the Oreo frosting, simply beat the cream, vanilla extract, and icing sugar until it becomes thick. Gently fold in the oreo cookie crumbles and spoon the mixture into an icing bag with a large round nozzle. Squeeze the oreo cream onto the cupcakes and top with broken cookies.
I thought I would start a little round up of recipes every week, and also start giving you a sneak peak of what recipes I have planned for next week!
So to start out this week, I posted Homemade Paprika Roast Potato Chips, Soft Boiled Egg with Home Fries, and Swedish Saffron Pancake, check them out in the posts below:
Now on to the fun stuff, next week in The Good Mood Food kitchen we have the following recipes, Red Onion and Garlic Focaccia, Simple Singapore Noodles, and Simple Iced Cupcakes, here is a sneak peak:
I am in Stockholm at the moment and I can report that the weather is great! Have an amazing weekend and see you back here on Monday!
Now when it comes to cakes and desserts, I am proud to say that cupcakes are my forte, I have been making them way before they became cool, back in the day when they were known merely as fairy cakes or buns and a little drizzle of icing would cut it as decoration. However, in the fast paced foodie world in which I roll, it was really only a matter of time before the cupcake title, as one of the most talked about bakery items, was to be challenged.
Let me introduce you to the whoopie pie; Not exactly a new idea, much like the beloved cupcake, whoopie pies have been around for years. Originally a native dessert of Maine, New England, the pies were baked by the wives of farmers, for a lunchtime treat, where upon finding one in their lunch box, the farmers are said to have cried out "Whoopie!", so hence their name. The pies are like mini chocolate cake sandwiches which ooze a delicious, creamy, frosting filling, and if foodies in the know are to be believed, these babies are going to be the next big thing!
Whoopie Pies I was sent this recipe by a reader of my blog, who's mother in law, Mrs Linda Daunt has lived all her life in Maine, New England and is a fantastic cook. She bakes these pies for special occasions, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, birthdays, weddings, funerals and occasionally by special request when one of her daughters feels nostalgic for their childhood. Mrs. Daunt's special touch is to add buttermilk instead of regular milk, to give the pies a richer taste.
Makes 16 whoopie pies 120g butter 190g sugar 2 eggs 270g of flour 5 tablespoons of good quality cocoa powder 1 teaspoon of baking powder 1/2 teaspoon of salt 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 250ml of buttermilk
Filling: 250g icing sugar 170g butter 2 egg whites 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract A pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4 and line two baking sheets. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, using an electric whisk, cream the sugar and the butter until pale and fluffy. Add in the egg, mixing again to combine. Slowly add the buttermilk and vanilla extract and dry ingredients to the bowl, in batches, mixing until everything is combined and you are left with a thick batter. Spoon rounded teaspoons of the batter onto lined baking sheets, allowing space for them to spread while cooking. Place in the oven for approximately 15 minutes or until the tops have puffed up and spring back when lightly pressed. While the mini pies halves are baking, prepare the filling by beating together all the ingredients until you are left with a nice smooth mix. When they are cooked, remove the mini pie halves from the baking sheets with a metal spatula and place on wire rack to cool. When the mini pies halves have cooled, spread a rounded teaspoon of the creamy filling on the flat side and sandwich together with another. Et voila, whoopie pies!
I do have to apologise for having two mince pie related posts within the last few days but today is the day for posting our "Great Big Pie Bake Off" recipes and I baked these fab mini pies over the weekend!
I managed to book some time with my little cousin Maisie who has become very busy since the release of the book- she features in the dessert section with her fab cupcakes! She is also playing the angel in the Howth church nativity play so as you can imagine her schedule is fairly hectic for a 9 year old! :)
You can check out more details about "The Great Big Pie Bake Off" over here. Make sure to check out everyone else's fab Christmas themed pies! Plus keep checking back there, we'll be announcing the next pie theme very soon!
Mini Mince Pies
Mince pies are a traditionally British festive sweet pastry which are very delicious. They are pretty popular here in Ireland but I'm not sure if they are seen in many other countries across the world, maybe you can tell me! The "mince meat" consists of apples, raisins, sultanas, currants, mixed peel and a mix of Christmas spices, so as you can see there is no real meat involved! Makes 20 mini mince pies 170g flour 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 100g cold butter, cut into small chunks 1 tablespoon of caster sugar 1 egg yolk 2 tablespoons of water 420g jar of mince meat 1 egg fluted circular cookie cutter star cookie cutter
Place the flour and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub in using your finger tips until you have a rough breadcrumb like mixture. Don't worry it will come together! Add the sugar and the egg yolk and mix through with a spoon. Add the water slowly until a dough comes together. Form a ball with your hands, cover in cling film and place in the fridge to chill for at least 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180oC/Gas Mark 5. Roll the pastry dough out to about half a centimetre in thickness and cut out 20 circles and 20 stars. You may need to gather the scraps and re roll the pastry to get enough cases. Oil a mini muffin tray and fill with the pastry circles. Fill each mini pie with the mincemeat and top with the pastry stars. Whisk the egg and brush each mini pie with it. Bake in the oven for approximately 15 minutes or until the pastry turns golden brown. Serve straight away or save some for Santa, word has it there his favourite snack!
Apologies for the delay in this post, I am still try to get over all the excitement. The launch of the cook book took place on Wednesday evening and it really got a great turnout, I was so thrilled! So now it's official the book is finally launched! I have to say a huge thank you to everyone who came along on the night, it was so lovely to meet regular readers of the blog, and of course all my fellow Twits who attended too!
With the help my lovely aunt, we provided the nibbles, inspired by recipes in the book. We had Lemon and Poppyseed Cupcakes, Swedish Cinnamon Buns, and Roast Vegetables and Feta Crostini!
Niamh Hatton from Mercier Press spoke briefly about the book and the other books they had coming up in the next few months, she was followed by Eoin Purcell who commissioned the book way back at the start of 2008 and spoke about working on the book! Normally I prefer to speak off the cuff at these sort of events but there was so many people I had to thank, that I knew I had to write it all down! Thanks to everyone who turned up, hope you like the pics taken by the lovely Aoife Nathan!
I hope you have been encouraged to get your hands on this book after all the fab recipes, I have been posting this week. If you are looking for a great baking book this is it! It's filled with delicious recipes for everything from biscuits, pastries and cakes to breads, crisp breads and accompanying jams and sauces. Leila explores new exciting flavor combinations, such as chocolate cupcakes and toffee and pecan pie which are featured alongside classics like muffins, meringues and cheesecake as well as nine different flavorings for basic sponge cakes. Recipes for brioche, fougasse from Provence, sourdough baguette and nine types of scones are mixed with healthy rolls, Danish rye bread, Leila's delicious lingonberry loaf and a whole range of tempting little cakes. Are you convinced yet? :)
Well the exciting news is I have 3 copies to giveaway! You can enter over on twitter by tweeting your favourite thing to bake followed by the hash tag #iloveleila and on "The Good Mood Food Blog" facebook page by telling me your favourite thing to bake! To be in with a chance of getting your hands on this fantastic prize here on the blog, all you gotta do is answer this simple question.
Where is Leila Lindholm from? A: Sweden B: Norway C: Denmark
Please note that by entering this competition, you will be signing up for The Good Mood Food Blog newsletter, but if you don't wish to subscribe, please put "NS" after your answer. The competition will close on Monday evening (1st of March) at 9.30pm. Only one entry per person please!
A quick run down of a few of the best food related sites I visited this week:
Ever seen the movie "Waitress"? If you haven't seen it, you have to check it out, it's especially appealing for foodies, as the lead actress concocts her own pie recipes naming them with quirky title's such as "I Don't Want Earl's Baby Pie" and "Baby Screamin’ Its Head Off In The Middle of the Night & Ruinin’ My Life Pie"- Recipes here!
Donna Hay, one of my ultimate food heroes has a fab recipe section on her website featuring some of what I would consider the best food photography out there. Check it out!
Evil evil evil desserts...
I keep forgetting to bookmark this site but it's a pleasure to have to catch up on- Nigel Slater in the Guardian
Speaking of Nigel fancy winning a copy of his new book?
Via @BrettMirl an interesting piece about Bento lunch boxes on the New York Times site!
Lemon Cheesecake Cupcakes- Now these look so delicious- Definitely on my to-do list!
The weekend we went blackberry picking I sacrificed making blackberry jam so that we could make this coulis. Unfortunately there just wasn't enough to make both and the thing about coulis is that it can be used in more than one recipe, it's essential for the blackberry cupcakes I'll be posting tomorrow and perfect for the delicious blackberry mess which I submitted as my recipe for the November edition of Irish Tatler. After a long walk over Howth hill the other day, it seems like there is still a huge amount of berries still ripe for the picking. I may just have to go and get some to make some jam during the week.
Blackberry Coulis
(Recipe from BBC Good Food) Blackberry coulis is a wonderfully versatile fruity sauce which is perfect for a wide variety of desserts. The coulis also freezes extremely well and should last for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Makes about 150ml/¼ pint 250g blackberries 50g golden caster sugar ½ tsp vanilla extract
Put the blackberries and sugar into a small pan with 100ml/31⁄2fl oz water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 mins until the fruit is soft. Stir in the vanilla, remove and cool a little. Tip the contents of the pan into a blender or food processor, and whizz to a purée, then strain through a sieve, rubbing it through with the back of a ladle or spoon. Serve warm or chilled. Keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
To celebrate the official launch of my very first cookbook "Good Mood Food" last week, I have a signed copy up for grabs! The book is now available in all good Irish bookshops and online for international visitors, via Amazon UK, Amazon US, and Play.com EU.
Good Mood Food is a cookbook that I hope will change your attitude to food, offering over 100 delicious simple, healthy home-cooked recipes. Good Mood Food such as Broad Bean, Pancetta and Pea Shoot Salad, Cookies and Cream Chocolate Chip Oreo Cupcakes, Blueberry and Banana Muffins, and a tasty Aromatic Duck Salad.
In order to get your hands on an exclusive signed copy, simply fill in your details below and submit the answer to the following question:
What month did I first start posting on this blog? A: January B: June C: July
2009 has been a fairly spectacular year indeed, between the band, the book, and lots and lots of cooking I have never been so busy in my life, but it has been totally worth it! Here's my run down of 2009 highlights!
- Started the year flying high as Peter Pan in the Tivoli theatre's panto. - Putting together plans for a mixed pop group. - Forming Industry with Lee Hutton, Michele McGrath, and Morgan Deane! Favourite Recipe: Roast Garlic Potatoes
- Going to Stockholm to record Industry's first single, "My Baby's Waiting". - Received first draft of Good Mood Food, the book. - Pancake season! - Went to Stockholm to support my Swedish superstar buddy sing at the Swedish Eurovision selection. - A name was finally chosen for Industry, thankfully 4DB was thrown out the window. - Going to Stockholm again to record very first music video, for "In Your Arms". - Doing first photoshoot as a band- very glamorous. Favourite Recipe: Chocolate Chip Oreo Cupcakes
- Was busy working on what I thought were the final drafts of the book. - Planned my very first attempt at a vegetable garden. - Planted Dill, Fennel, Pak Choi, Broad Beans, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Red Cabbage, Cabbage, Cos Lettuce, Rosemary. - Submitted last photos for the book. - Made first public outing as Industry on the red carpet at the Meteor Irish Music Awards. - Went for a walk on the cliffs every morning this month. - Blog got 10,000 unique visitors in one day, was very excited. Favourite Recipe: Bacon Avocado and Sundried Tomato Sandwich
- Got my very first blog/book press. - Back to Stockholm to record more tracks with Industry. - Flew to Spain to record music video for Industry's "My Baby's Waiting". - Took a little break in Gothenberg with Sofie. - Submitted what I thought was the last draft of the book. - Fell in love with dried Mango... mmmm... mango. Favourite Recipe: Red Onion and Garlic Focaccia
- Got the BBQ out early for Mays mini heat wave. - Back to Stockholm again to record more tracks with Industry. - Shot the final cover for the book with the help of Erica and Sofie. - Performed with Industry at our press launch at The Sugar Club in Dublin. - Industry's single got it's very first airplay on 2fm. - Got a blackberry phone. - Sang Kate Bush wuthering heights in falsetto on radio, not pleasant but very funny. - Discovered Flahavans porridge pots which kept me alive and well on the road. Favourite Recipe: BBQ Cajun Spatchcock Chicken
- Got to finally visit Cork's English Market. - Went to Ireland's Eye with Morgan and Lee for my birthday. - Found a brill table to shoot food on. - My annoying but hilarious fight with the birds and the strawberries. - Lee buying male Ugg boots. - Got introduced to Dave Peelo, the toughest fitness trainer you ever did see. - Industry's first single "My Baby's Waiting" went straight in at number one in the Irish charts. - Performed at the Ms. Universe competition. Favourite Recipe: Warm Chorizo, Red Onion and Baby Potato Salad
- Went to LA with James, Morgan and Sofie. - Got upgraded on the flight over but had to slum it on the way back. - Saw the massive amount of tributes to Michael Jackson at his house and his Hollywood star. - Went surfing with my Uncle Niall on Santa Monica beach. - Did a photo shoot for VIP magazine, blue steel was out in force. - Went to outdoor yoga in Stephens Green in Dublin. - Supported the Pussycat Dolls at the Killarney Summerfest. - Sent off the final final final edits of the book. - Visited the republics very first Ikea store. - Recorded music video for Industry's second single "Burn" at the amazing Grouse Lodge studios. Favourite Recipe: Sticky Mustard Chicken Drumsticks
- Went on a romantic little bank holiday break in a cottage near Carlingford. - Co-hosted the South East Radio breakfast show with the brill Tony Scott and Industry. - Became a regular contributor with Irish Tatler. - Industry's second single "Burn" went to number one. - Supported Tynchi Stryder in Tralee, as you do. - Had a brill getaway anniversary weekend in Castle Leslie, massages all round. Favourite Recipe: Asian Teriyaki Chicken Salad
- Started tweeting 140 character recipes on my twitter. - Appeared on RTE's Ice with Industry. - Performed at the Barretstown Charity Bandana launch. - Went blackberry picking with Maisie the cupcake queen. - Picked up my copy of Good Mood Food! - Recorded 3 new tracks with Industry at the amazing Grouse Lodge recording studios. Favourite Recipe: Oriental Steak Salad
- Picked up my brand new camera, the Canon 5d Mark ii. - Saw the book in shops for the first time, rearranged the shelves. - Appeared on the front page of the Irish Examiner. - Did lots and lots of radio interviews about the book. - Went mushroom hunting with Aoife. - Went back to school to do a cupcake demonstration at my old school. - Interview on Tubridy with Ryan Tubridy about the book. - Got a text from Michele to tell me she nearly fell over when she saw a giant poster of me in the window of Dubray Books on Grafton Street in Dublin! - Did the official launch of the book in Dubray Books on Grafton street in Dublin. - Appeared on RTE's The Cafe with Industry. - Went to Gothenburg and visited a Swedish bakery. - Interview with Ian Dempsey on Today FM. Favourite Recipe: Blackberry Vanilla Cupcakes
- Upgraded my old desk, for a new fancy one from IKEA. - Wrote my very first food column for the Irish Independent Weekend Magazine. - Finally made a vision board. - Became obsessed with one of the kitchens in IKEA. - Heard that The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten has a copy of Good Mood Food. - Did a cookery demonstration at an all girls school. - Assistant food stylist on a Christmas food shoot. Favourite Recipe: Crispy Hasselback Potatoes
- All the brill Christmas food press. - Feature in the lovefood magazine with fellow Irish food bloggers, Italian Foodies, Cheap Eats, and Daily Spud. - Visit to a free range turkey farm. - Massive Christmas baking session with Erica and Maisie. - Getting a video of the book launch from Darragh. - Visit to Sheridans cheese, I am now hooked on cheese. - Skiing with Sofie in Gothenburg. - Jul pa Liseberg. - Christmas in Sweden Favourite Recipe: Avocado, Parmesan and Rocket Pasta
Thanks so much to all who read this blog for all the support, comments and emails this year, and I hope I'll be keeping you cooking all through 2010!
.jpg)
.jpg)