Gluten-free Macadamia nut & Raisin Muffins - Recipe

1 cup soya bran
1 cup finely ground, roasted macadamia nuts
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tbsp. butter, melted and cooled
4 tbsp. vegetable/olive oil
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup raisins
4 tbsp. roughly chopped macadamia nuts (if desired)

Preheat the oven to 375F. In a medium bowl mix the bran, nuts, sugar and baking powder with a whisk. In a large bowl beat the eggs, oil, butter and milk on medium speed. Add in the soya bran mixture slowly while beating until nearly combined. Fold in the raisins and roasted macadamia nuts with a large spoon or spatula. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each well of a muffin tin lined with baking cups. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the tops with chopped macadamia nuts. Return to oven and bake for an additional 9-11 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes.

To turn these muffins into cupcakes, try topping them off with rum raisin or macadamia nut frosting.

Makes approximately 12 muffins

*If you have dogs and you like to share some of your snacks with them, like I do, be sure that you DO NOT share this one with them. Both macadamia nuts and raisins are toxic to dogs! For this tasty, and healthy snack, save it for the fur-less members of your family.*

Glazed Blackberry & Orange Cupcakes - Recipe

For the cupcakes:
1/2 cup margarine, softened
*(substitute for vegan margarine for baking)*
1 cup confectioners/icing sugar
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup fat-free milk
*(substitute for almond or soy milk)*
2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup fresh blackberries
1 tbsp. grated orange zest

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine the margarine and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft and creamy. Add the eggs slowly and mix well. Beat in the vanilla and milk. Sift the flour and baking powder and stir into the batter until just combined. Gently fold in blackberries and orange zest with a large spoon or spatula. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each well of a muffin tin lined with baking cups. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes.

For the glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners/icing sugar
2 tbsp. grated orange zest
3 tbsp. orange juice
2 tbsp. boiling water

2. Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cool slightly and spoon over cooled cupcakes.

Makes approximately 18 cupcakes

Strawberry Lime Cupcakes - Recipe

For the cupcakes:
1/2 cup margarine, softened (Earth Balance vegan margarine for baking is great for lactose free diets)
1 cup confectioners/icing sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup fat-free milk (Almond Breeze or Silk milk are great lactose free alternatives)
2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup fresh, chopped strawberries
1 tbsp. grated lime zest

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine the margarine and sugar in a large bowl, and beat with an electric mixer on med-high speed until soft and creamy. Add the eggs slowly, and mix well. Beat in the vanilla and milk. Sift the flour and baking powder and stir with a whisk until the batter is just combined. Fold in the chopped strawberries using a large spoon or spatula. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each well of a muffin tin lined with baking cups *(bright red solid, red with polkadots or red gingham look amazing with these cupcakes)*. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes.

For the lactose free glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners/icing sugar
2 tbsp. grated lime zest
3 tbsp. lime juice
2 tbsp. boiling water
additional chopped strawberries if desired

2(a). Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool slightly and spoon over the cupcakes. Top with additional chopped strawberries (if desired).

For the whipped cream frosting:
1 cup whipping cream (not whipped cream)
1/4 cup confectioners/icing sugar
1 tsp. lime juice
additional chopped strawberries, if desired

2(b). In a small-medium bowl beat cream with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks are just starting to form. Add in icing sugar and lime juice. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Spoon on to cupcakes just before serving. Top with additional chopped strawberries, if desired. Store frosting covered in the fridge until ready to use.

Makes approximately 18 cupcakes

Try using the whipped cream recipe next time you're in the mood to dip strawberries in whipped cream. It's a delicious snack, and adds a fun twist to regular whipped cream. I love having this as a fun and easy dessert or treat in the summer time!

Blueberry Lime Cupcakes - Recipe

For the cupcakes:
1/2 cup vegan margarine (Earth Balance), softened
1 cup icing/confectioners sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup fat-free milk
*(substitute for almond or soy milk)*
2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tbsp. grated lime zest

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine the margarine and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs slowly and beat on medium speed. Beat in the vanilla and milk until well combined. Sift in the flour and baking powder and stir with a whisk (do not beat) until the batter is just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries and lime zest with a large spoon or spatula. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each well of a muffin tin lined with baking cups. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes.

For the glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners/icing sugar
2 tbsp. grated lime zest
3 tbsp. lime juice
2 tbsp. boiling water

2. Mix the sugar, lime zest, lime juice and boiling water in a small saucepan. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. Continue to simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool slightly, and spoon over the cooled cupcakes.

Makes approximately 18 cupcakes

Key Lime Cupcakes - Recipe

For the cupcakes:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup confectioners/icing sugar

2 cups self-rising flour

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low-medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each well of a muffin tin lined with baking cups. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove from oven and cool while completing the next step. (Do not turn off the oven, you will need it again for the meringue). 

For the filling:

1/3 cup key lime juice

14 oz. can condensed milk

2. Combine the juice and condensed milk in a small bowl and stir with a whisk until well combined. Make a small hole in the center of each cupcake using an apple corer or fit a piping bag with a bismark tip. Fill the center of each cupcake with the juice and milk mixture. 

For the meringue:

3 egg whites

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

3. Beat the eggs and cream of tartar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add a third of the sugar and beat for 1 minute. Repeat this step until all of the sugar has been added. Increase the oven temperature to 450F. Spoon or pipe the meringue on top of the cupcakes. Bake for 5 minutes or until golden. 

Makes approximately 18 cupcakes

Bitter Chocolate & Lavender Cupcakes - Recipe

For the cupcakes:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners/icing sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup bitter/semi sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Combine all ingredients (except for chocolate chips) in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low-medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Gently fold in chocolate chips with a large spoon or spatula until evenly dispersed. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each well of a muffin tin lined with baking cups. *(The baking cups shown come in silver and gold. They are a little more expensive than the average baking cup, but the shiny effect is worth the extra cost for a special event or to make an impact)* Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 30 minutes.

For the frosting:
1 cup cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners/icing sugar
1/3 cup honey (if you can find lavender honey, this will enhance the flavor even more)
red and blue food colouring (mix to make purple) if desired
2 tbsp. dried lavender flowers

2. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and icing sugar on medium speed until smooth, light, and creamy. Beat in the honey and a few drops of each red and blue food colouring. Stir in 1 tablespoon of dried lavender flowers. Frost each cupcake with a spatula or piping bag. Sprinkle some of the reserved lavender flowers on top of each cupcake.

Makes approximately 18 cupcakes

Family Fun

Hello there my creative confidantes!

Depending on where you live...tomorrow may or may not be a holiday. For me, here in Canada, tomorrow is FAMILY DAY!!! It's always the 3rd Monday every February, and it's meant to be a day that basically everyone gets off to spend with their family. No grocery shopping, no soccer or piano lessons, just a whole day of fun for the whole family YAY!

Since many things will be closed tomorrow I wanted to give you some fun and creative ideas for what you can do with the whole family in the comfort of your home, tomorrow. So why not get everyone together for a cupcake decorating party?! 

Decorating cupcakes is truly fun for the whole family. We'll say this idea is just for the kids, but you know mom and dad, grandma and grandpa, aunts and uncles alike will have a blast. Decorating cupcakes is fun for really young kids who will love to load up each cupcake with as many candies and sprinkles as they can manage, and a creative challenge for older kids and parents who want to try something a little more sophisticated. Boys will love to make crazy cupcake monsters and girls will be proud to show off their beautiful cupcake chrysanthemums. So, are you ready to have some fun?!

Here's what you'll need:

Cupcakes of course! 

You can decide if you'd like standard cupcakes, or mini cupcakes, or a mix of both. You can buy some, unfrosted from the grocery store, or better yet, bake them yourself...baking yummy cupcakes can be just as fun as decorating them *(and a little side note on learning...baking taught me how to grasp the concept of fractions as a tween; BONUS, haha)* The colourful benefit of baking the cupcakes yourself, is you can use all sorts of different baking cups. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to use fun colours and patterns when baking my cupcakes. You can find a good variety at your local grocery store, BUT if you can get into a store like Bulk Barn or Michaels...oh man can you ever go to town!

Try out one of my cupcake of the day recipes, or try a few different ones and let everyone pick their own flavor and baking cup. Of course you'll need icing. You can use any of the tubs of icing you find at the grocery store, make your own, or use some of the wilton icing tubes. They come in every colour of the rainbow. It does help to grab a coupler and a few round piping tips to attach to these tubes...but you can also use them on their own, a little like toothpaste.

You can also get gel icing tubes that have a really pretty shimmery sparkle to them. I love working with them. They are a little goupy, but even if you put a dollop and spread it around to add a shimmery shiny finish to your cupcakes, its a fun touch. Of course, they also come in a ton of colours.

So again, a store like Bulk Barn is great for getting decorating bits for the young or impatient. They have tubs upon tubs of every candy and snack food you can imagine. You can buy as little or as much as you want at a time. Grab some candy coated chocolates, gum drops, gummies, licorice, teddy grahams, mini cookies, and lolipops... anything you and your family would want to eat...and play with.

Here are three fun cupcake ideas for boys and girls to try out that don't require any fancy tools, but give great results.
For anyone who loves a beach day, why not try making some 'teddies at the beach'!

These cupcakes are super simple, and so cute. All you need is teddy grahams, jelly beans, fruit by the foot or fruit roll ups, gummy rings and drink umbrellas. For the ocean cupcakes frost the cupcakes and squirt some blue sparkle gel on top to get the shiny water look (if you don't want to use sparkle gel you can tint your icing blue with food colouring). Put a teddy graham into the center of a gummy ring and push the legs into the top of the cupcake. You can also roll up some fruit by the foot and put it in the water to look like a pool noodle. For the beach cupcakes put some teddy grahams in a ziplock bag, squeeze out all the air and seal. Take something hard like a jar and smash up the cookies into crumbs to look like sand. Dip a frosted cupcake in the graham crumbs to coat the top. Place a drink umbrella in the 'sand'. Cut a small piece of fruit by the foot for a towel, and cut some jelly beans in half and pipe foot straps to look like flip flops. Simple and delicious!

For the boys in the house, you can try some monster cupcakes. These are from the book "What's New Cupcake?"

For these cupcakes you'll need some coloured icing (either in freezer ziplock bags, or from the icing tubes), lolipops, gummy rings, and candy coated chocolates (such as m&m or smarties).
Here is a link to a great video tutorial by the creators of Hello Cupcake and What's New Cupcake, showing you how to make two different kinds of cupcake monsters!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KP8yHKjUAo

For the girls in the house, try your hand at these gorgeous marshmallow flowers. These are also from "What's New Cupcake". Both of the cupcake books by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson are incredible. They show you how to make crazy cupcakes using really simple and common ingredients...no cake decorating skills necessary! 

For these cupcakes you'll need some shimmering sugars (like these),

 mini marshmallows and some small candy coated chocolates. Here is the link to another great video tutorial showing you how simple it is to make these stunning flowers. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_jDlSp4lAo

For these and many more great ideas, pick up a copy of What's New Cupcake, or Hello Cupcake...they have some super fun ideas like spaghetti and meatballs cupcakes, puppy dogs and this AMAZING family tree. 

What a great idea for Family Day...let each member of your family decorate a cupcake to look like themselves...see if everyone else can guess who is who! 

This Family Day, spend some time together, be creative, get a little messy, and don't forget to have fun together, after all, that's what this day is all about! 

Until next time,

Happy baking, caking and tasting!

Love and sprinkles xoxo

>>What are your plans for family day? Have you had a cupcake decorating party before? How did it go? Have any questions about products I used or where to purchase them? If you try out this idea for with your family this Family Day, tell me how it turned out, and of course share your pictures!<<