Archive for the 'Food' Category

Yummy Lemon Cupcakes

Posted by Simone on Jun 14 2008 | Blogroll, Food

lemon cupcakesI made these scrummy cupcakes awhile back. Thought I might share the recipe. I made them in different sizes, some muffin, some cupcake. But next time i’d keep them all cupcake size. They are sweet lemony morsels that way. A massive muffin takes a while to get through!

Lemon Cupcakes

Found at dianas desserts.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 18 minutes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks/8 oz/226g) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 (8-ounce) cartons dairy sour cream
2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel

Lemon Frosting:

3 tablespoons (1 1/2 oz/42g) butter, softened
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
Milk (2 to 3 teaspoons if necessary)
1 teaspoon shredded lemon peel

Garnish (optional)
Grated lemon or orange zest Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F (180 C). Line thirty 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar and vanilla; beat until well mixed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and sour cream alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. (The batter will be thick.) Stir in lemon peel.

3. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the batter into each prepared muffin cup *(See Tip Below). Bake in preheated oven about 18 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before frsoting and topping cupcakes with lemon or orange zest (optional).

Makes 30 cupcakes.

To Make Lemon Frosting:
In a medium bowl, beat butter with 1 cup powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually beat in lemon juice and vanilla. Gradually beat in additional 1-1/4 cups powdered sugar. If necessary, beat in enough additional milk (2 to 3 teaspoons) to make of spreading consistency. Stir in shredded lemon peel.

*Tip:
If all of the cupcakes do not fit in the oven at one time, refrigerate the remaining cupcakes while the first ones bake.

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Photographing Food and Preserves

Posted by Simone on Apr 11 2008 | Blogroll, Food, Life in general, Photography

Last weekend I went into photo and video with Kylie to buy him a new lens. He got one, then the salesman showed me a few lenses I would have fun with on my camera. OOoo and am I. (Lets just say spare cash from selling car is bad… it stayed in savings account for about aaaaa… 2 weeks)

The play starts with photographing our preserves making epic/s. LOTS of apples. I also found a cool tutorial on photographing food from photojojo, nice and easy to read full of easily implementable suggestions…. fun! I kinda enjoy the light and coziness of photos that are yellowed by interior lights tho, helps one remember that they were up til’ 11pm, jarring those apples…

Boil, boil...
Applesclean jars waitingDutch Apple Preserve
Preserve jars
(kylies photo)

The recipe found for the cinnamon looking preserve (can you say Apple turnover, apple pastry aaand apple… yum yum) the original is here, but for your pleasure its also here: (with changes) we doubled the recipe to fill 3x 500ml Jars.

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Dutch Apple Preserves

1 kg Granny Smith or cooking Apples (that’s 1kg after peeling & coring!)
1 cup sultanas
3 cups water
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 cup light brown sugar

To prepare:

1. Pour water and lemon juice into a large pot.

2. Wash then peel and core apples, then slice them into small pieces. Cast the apple into the pot as you go.

3. Add the sultanas and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a good simmer.

4. Add remaining ingredients and continue to simmer with the lid of the pot off.

5. Simmer for at least half an hour. Stir regularly!

6. Wash 3 500ml preserving jars, place on oven tray and bake in oven at 120 - 140 degrees Celcius for 20 minutes. Whilst they are baking (to sterilise them) wash and dry the screw bands and set aside. Wash and prepare lids according to manufacturers directions.

7. When all is ready. Quickly ladle preserves into clean jars. Wipe jar rims and threads with dry clothe.

8. Cover with two-piece lids. Allow to cool completely before checking seals. Label and date.

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Stay tuned because its autumn (my favorite season) I am all amped to take lots of pretty piccies!

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Craft night, new old teaset and cupcakes!

Posted by Simone on Jan 10 2008 | Blogroll, Food, Life in general, craft

New old Teaset and Cupcakes

A “thrifted” or “score from trademe” teaset that makes me grin with much satisfaction, yummy cupcakes and a gathering of lovely ladies that has left me so inspired that I’m not going to bed because that it would mean the night would be over. That or I ate too many cakes and drank lots of tea and there is no-one here to make me go to bed.

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Christmas is coming

Posted by Simone on Dec 10 2007 | Blogroll, Christmas, Food

gingerbreadman.jpg

Yesterday my man and I went on the hunt for gingerbread man cookie cutters. Needless to say two malls later and some nervous twitching (malls and I do not go together) we found some and finished the trial batch. We kinda fought over who iced :)

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Lovely Lovely Artichokes

Posted by Simone on Dec 05 2007 | Blogroll, Food, The Garden

home-garden07-7.jpgI was introduced to the Artichoke by a past boy friends mother. We sat around a huge wooden table with fresh vege and meat pilled into the middle. One of the white ceramic bowls was filled with some big flower looking things. No-one was surprised by this (it looked a little odd to me) but everyone grabbed one and started peeling off the petals one by one, sucking them, scraping them with their teeth then discarding the rest. I was shown how to do this and dutifully gave it a go. I didn’t really have an opinion at first, it was all rather tasteless, but as I went on I became a pleasantly engaged in the taste. It was fresh, more-ish, and quite pleasant, especially when I got to the heart. When I moved into the house I am in now, the previous tenants had planted artichoke plants. Yay!

The only way I ever knew how to cook them was chucking the whole flower plus some stalk, in a pot of boiling water with some extra virgin olive oil, rosemary, sage, thyme and a clove of garlic. Boy are they YUM. We had some tonight my “house mate” and I. She was very impressed, quite skeptical at first, but towards the end when she bit into the heart.. she said “mmmmm… thankyou.” All sounds very carnivorous (heart), but there you go.

But thats not the only way to cook or eat artichoke. Since I have some in the garden I must begin experimenting! I have found a link on how to prepare them at Becks and Posh with some LOVELY photos (by Sam Breach..thankyou!), next I will find some recipes.

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