Lesleys Vanilla Cupcakes

These are the BEST base cupcakes ever :) These are actually what converted me to making cupcakes from scratch!

150gr butter - room temperature
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups SR flour
2 teaspoons lemon juice
dash of vanilla extract

Pre heat oven to 180 deg
Cream butter and sugar till pale, add eggs 1 at a time (mixing in each one)add lemon juice and vanilla
add half the flour and milk, mix in, add in the remaining flour and milk mix till pale
Bake

Muffin pans 20 mins
cupcake pans 15 mins
mini pans 10 mins

You don't want them over cooked......just cooked is best (golden not brown )

Lesley's frosting

250gr butter
1kg icing sugar

beat butter until smooth and then add icing sugar (give or take on the amount depends on how sweet you like it) .....beat until smooth and fluffy

You may need to add a few drops of milk if your frosting is a bit stiff.....only add a few drops at a time till you get the desired frosting

This makes enough for about 48 cupcakes but it can be stored in the fridge

Savoury Muffins

2 cups of SR flour

1/2 cup chopped ham

1/2 cup grated cheese

1/4 cup chopped mushrooms

1 chopped capsicum

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

125grams melted butter

1 cup milk

1 egg lightly beaten.

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees and grease muffin tin.

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl

Stir in butter, milk and eggs until just combined. DO NOT OVER MIX.

Bake in oven for 15 minutes until it's golden brown.

Serve warm with a little spread of butter, yummo!

Very Versatile Biscuits

400g condensed milk
5 cups SR flour
1 cup sugar
500g margarine

Combine condensed milk and marg until smooth
Add sugar and flour and mix well with a wooden spoon.
Roll into balls and place on a baking tray then flatten with a fork
Bake at 180 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

The best thing about these biscuits is you can add ANYTHING. Chocolate chips, M&Ms, peanuts, fruit, a dolop of jam, smarties, jubes, absolutely anything you want in a biscuit :)

Cheese Scones

3 cups of self raising flour
1/2 cup grated cheese
1 cup of milk - room temperature
80gm cubed butter - room temperature

Preheat oven AND tray to 220c

Add SRF and cheese to a large bowl, mix together with hands, add butter and rub with fingers until it goes like breadcrumbs.
Add milk in one go. Get a rounded knife and cut through till milk is mixed in well.
Use hands and kneed gently until smooth
Roll out about 2cm high and cut 5cm rounds out of it. Add a little more grated cheese to the top.
Place on hot oven tray.

Cook for 10 - 15 minutes until you can knock on the top of one and it sounds hollow.
Transfer onto a plate that has a tea towel draped over it
Wrap scones in teatowel. This keeps them warm and helps to make a nice crust.
Serve warm with butter.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I used coconut which I had coloured with a couple of drops of food colour for the decoration (if you can call it that).

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup butter, softened (170grams)

1½ cups castor sugar

¼ cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

2 Tbsp liquid red food color

2 tsp white vinegar

2 1/2 cups cake plain flour

Icing

2 bricks philly cream cheese, softened

½ cup butter, softened (113 grams)

1½ cups castor sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Whip up butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time and mix well, stir in the rest of the ingredients. Bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees

Whip up everything for the icing until fluffy, ice cakes when they have cooled.

Brownie Cupcakes

3/4 stick of butter (1/3 cup...85grams)

1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

85 grams Cadburys chocolate

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup Granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup Plain flour

1/4 Tsp Salt

Preheat oven to 160-180.

Melt the butter, and two types of chocolate together on a double boiler (I used a pot but you have to be VERY careful to continually stir over LOW heat).

Stir until smooth and lumpless.

Remove the top of the double boiler from heat, and whisk in both types of sugar

Whisk in the eggs one at a time.

Whisk in vanilla, flour & salt.

Divide into 12 wells in a paper-lined cupcake pan.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean with only moist crumbs. Mine took about 25 minutes.

Remove to wire rack to cool.

Chocolate Brownies

150 grams soft butter
1 firmly packed cup of brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup coca
1/2 cup plain four

Preheat oven to 150 degrees, grease and line a shallow tin (I use a square cake tin)
Beat butter with sugar until soft and fluffy
Add eggs, 1 at a time
Add coca and beat until mixed
Add flour and mix
Pour into tin and bake for 25-35 minutes depending on how gooey you like it.
Cool and slice... yummo!