Cupcakes for Hillness

I am lucky enough to have remained friends with my high school girlfriends, we have been friends for over a decade now, and are still really close.

Now Hillness is a strange name you might think... but having two Jessica's in a group of friends is a little confusing , in an effort to make things a little less complicated, I was nicknamed B, and her Hillness.

Hillness - Such a gorgeous girl!

Hillness was the first of us who made the big leap and bought a house! We are all so proud of her, and perhaps secretly a little envious hehe. After much nagging, Hillness finally threw a housewarming party, and a fun one it was too! I offered to make cupcakes for the occasion, and Hillness chose the flavours...

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes, which I change a little to
Chocolate Cookie & Raspberry Cupcakes

Orange Blueberry Cupcakes, a slight variation on the
Lemon Blueberry recipe I posted

And finally I made a third batch, vanilla rainbow cupcakes
because every time I see rainbows, I think of Hillness!

The Chocolate Cookies & Raspberry cupcakes were adapted from a recipe in 'Crazy About Cupcakes' (Fittingly a gift to me from Hillness a couple of Birthdays ago!). They were quite tasty, so I would like to share the recipe with you:


Choc Cookie & Raspberry Cupcakes - adapted from 'Crazy About Cupcakes'
(the original recipe had a misprint in the method which I have corrected)

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
2/3 cup chocolate cookies, lightly crushed
1/3 cup fresh or frozen raspberries (thawed on paper towel then lightly dusted with flour)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.
2. In a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to butter mixture. Mix until integrated. Stir in the milk. With an electric mixer on low speed, beat for 30 sec­onds. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add the egg whites. Beat for 2 more minutes. Carefully fold in the crushed cookies and raspberries, don't over mix.
5. Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full. Bake for about 20 min­utes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan.

For the frosting I made a butter cream and added more raspberries to it, then topped the cupcakes with more crushed chocolate cookies.


So I just wanted to finish up by thanking everyone that visited my Mad Tea Party, and left such kind and sweet comments, and especially welcome my new followers, I truely appreciate your support! Also, thank you to my sister Caitlin for kindly lending me her new camera to play with lately!

I finally have an entire week off of work, and plan to sew my little heart out! I'll keep you updated! <3

☼ A Mad Tea Party! ☼

"What day of the month is it?"

" The 27th of June!?!"

Then it is time for a tea party I say!

An exceptionally MAD tea party! (2nd annual of course!)

With plenty of pretty dainty tea cups...

And deliciously decadent sweets!

The table was set - and a Mad Hatter, a White Rabbit, a rather Evil Queen and perpetually surprised looking girl attended!

Such luscious colour and whimsy!

Much tea and tomfoolery was had!

Everything was made with the very BEST butter.

It was a perfect sunshiny day, a magical miracle really, for the middle of...gasp! Winter!

The Queen was rather fond of ordering executions! "Off with her head!!!"

"How dreadfully savage!"

And the slumberous Dormouse was quite comfortable stuffed in his tea pot...

"Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!
How I wonder what you're at!"

You know the song perhaps?

"I want a clean cup! Let us all move one place on!"

"Off with her head too..."

"Take some more tea...?"

Be sure to click on the photos to see all the little details!

♥

Many thanks to Vanessa from A Fanciful Twist for hosting this wondrous and fun event! She very much inspired this photo shoot.



Of course, many special thanks to my magnificent friends for helping me bring this idea to life...

Kelly - from Aetas in Vitae


Rose - from Roses r Red


And Rose's boyfriend Michael, who played an excellent Mad Hatter!


I would also like to give a special thank you to my Grandparents, who let me borrow my Great Great Grandfathers striking silk top hat from 1949...

In the hat box there was this inspiring inscription...

The tricky to read word is 'flowers'

Love you Grandma and Grandpa

♥

Favorite Photo

A little while ago I was tagged by Alicia from The Red Deer to do this:

It's really simple. I love how every photo tells a story. Some short stories, some long tales. I want to know what is your favourite photo of yourself. Everyone has one. The photo they look at and smile. It reminds them of something, some time, some place. A moment in time.

So share the photo, share the story and then tag three other people. I want to see photos and stories all around the blogosphere.

So I had a tough time choosing a photo...but this one definitely stood out in my mind as a favourite:

This is my partner Darren and I dressed up for my Dad's wedding several years ago. The day was full of mixed emotions for me, a really long story, but I definitely very much enjoyed getting into a pretty dress for the occasion, and Darren just looked SO darn good in a suit!

Now, to tag three people:
Butterflyfood
Strumpet's Crumpets
The Diary of an Indy Grrrl

My First Cupcake Order! :)

A couple of weeks ago, a lovely girl who had found my blog contacted me, asking if I would take an order for some cupcakes. At first I was a bit nervous, I have never made cupcakes to sell (other than for charity) before. But I said yes, and an order for half a dozen passion fruit cupcakes with cream cheese frosting was placed! So I made them today, I got the recipe from this blog here. I really hope they were enjoyed!

I loved making the cupcakes to sell, but I don't think I want to open a store or anything, I have a feeling I would loose the passion for making cupcakes if I had to make large orders all the time! That being said I think small orders from local Adelaidians would be welcome though! I am going to add my email address to my side bar for any enquiries!

Passion fruit Cupcakes - Recipe originally posted on cupcaketastic's blog
Makes 6 cupcakes

Ingredients

30g butter, softened
1/2 cup (110g) castor sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
1/4 cup (60ml) passion fruit pulp

Method

Preheat oven to moderate (180C/160C fan-forced). Line standard muffin pan with paper cases.
Beat butter, sugar, eggs and flour in small bowl with electric mixer on low speed until ingredients are just combined. Increase speed to medium, beat until mixture is changed to a paler colour. Stir in passion fruit pulp.
Divide mixture among cases, smooth surface.Bake cakes about 20 minutes. Turn cakes onto wire rack to cool.

I used a hospital syringe to 'inject' the cupcakes with passion fruit pulp, then frosted the cupcakes with my usual 'throw it all in the bowl' cream cheese frosting...with added passion fruit pulp and yellow colouring. I topped the cupcakes with a hand made fondant flower!

I said brrrr it's cold in here!

It really truly is winter here in Australia now, the nights are unbearably cold, my toes and fingers are so difficult to warm up, I know I shouldn't complain...it's not like its snowing here! We have had glorious amounts of rain, and every ones lawns are back to lush and green, I love it.

The two things I enjoy so much about winter firstly is the comfort food, and secondly the interesting aromas outside.
I love the food we cook in winter, big hearty soups, casseroles, and piping hot meals. The desserts are awesome too, there is nothing better than warm puddings in winter, there are a few recipes I have taken a liking to and will be trying soon from Marie's blog 'Marie Cooks Britain'. The aromas outside are just so rich, the crisp smell of rain, and the homely cosy smell of our neighbours wood fires, oh the wafting smell of roasts, so good.

So stuck inside, and lacking the internet over the weekend, I got quite a bit of sewing done. I've been working on Mum's B'day tote bag, way overdue. Also I complete two hand embroidered felt cupcake magnets for a swap on Swap-bot. I hope my partners don't visit...I'm about to spoil the surprise! I took these photos before they were finished, they were neatened up around the edges!

I also recently sent off a polka dot swap....
Manda if you are reading this before you have received my package STOP! hehe

I made this matching kitty coin purse and compact mirror set for Manda, who loves all animals so much. I really enjoyed making this set, it was definitely hard to part with, but I know they were going to a very good loving home!

I have been super lucky recently, as I have won not one, but TWO blog giveaways! The first one I won was a buttonhead and sonnyboy bag from Jettas Nest, eee so cute! I love her style, and the little painted faces are just gorgeous, so much personality!

The second give away I won was via Lovely Little Dear - Bec interviewed Jody aka Applenoggin, who is an awesome crafter, very inspiring entrepreneur! Go check out her Etsy shop. I won this adorable little strawberry ice cream plushy brooch!

So the postman is going to begin to think I have the hots for him... as I'll be watching him eagerly as there is so many exciting things arriving soon! I'll let you in on a secret...I will be sporting a new wig soon... shhh! Oh and I finally ordered a cute new watch, nursing without a watch for the last 3 months hasn't been easy!!

Ok, that's it from me for now, hope you all have a lovely week! <3

French Toast Cupcakes

Today was a lovely day.

I had my beautiful friend Kim over, we put on pretty aprons and and then we baked cupcakes! It was perfect winter overcast weather for staying inside and cooking, chatting and drinking tea.

We made 'french toast cupcakes'. I figured it was the cinnamon and maple syrup that made them "french toasty", I got the recipe from 'How to Eat a Cupcake's' blog. We injected the cupcakes with some melted cinnamon honey, and frosted them with cinnamon cream cheese frosting, playing with a couple of different tips from my new set.

I think the cupcakes tasted lovely, the cinnamon was the main flavour, perhaps they were a fraction on sweet side, but I think they went really well with a cup of Twinings 'simply tea', which is my current favorite everyday tea.

French Toast Cupcakes - recipe from 'How to Eat a Cupcake'

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used self raising flour and omitted the next two ingredients)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and then cooled
2 eggs
2 tsp maple extract
1/2 cup milk

Method

Preheat oven to 350'F, or 180C and line baking pan with paper liners.
Mix together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl.
In a large bowl, whisk together butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. Make sure the butter is cool or you’ll have scrambled eggs.
Whisk in maple extract and then alternate between whisking in flour mixture and milk. Make three additions of flour mix and two of milk. Beat until smooth.
Scoop batter into prepared pan and bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown and tops spring back when lightly touched.
Cool the cupcakes on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely.

I then injected them with the cinnamon honey using a syringe and then frosted the cupcakes when cool with cream cheese frosting, then dusted them with cinnamon.

Ruby, I ♥ you!

I finished house/doggy sitting today. I adore looking after Ruby, she is just the best dog in the world. When it comes time to leave I get a heavy heart, cause I just get so attached to her! I always come home hoping that I will own a lovely natured dog like Ruby one day.

We went on some really nice walks together each day, I love walking through this particular suburb, its full of huge houses, old trees and perfect gardens. It's so funny when Ruby sees a cat or a bird, and even though they run or fly off, she keeps searching for them for ages!

I got a new toy recently, and I am already addicted to it! Yep, Darren and I took the plunge and got iPhones! I am still new to it all, and writing a message seems to take aeons! I would love to know if anyone has any applications they would recommend? I need some games!

I attended a wonderful afternoon tea on Saturday, with a sweet group of lolita girls! It was organised by my gorgeous friend Kelly. We dined at a place called Saldechin, it used to be a huge old bank, which has been transformed into an Asian themed tea room! I had pork buns, rich mousse cake and iced tea!

I wore my green wig for the occasion, sadly I don't own any lolita clothing, I was the only one without a pretty frilly skirt, but Kelly is soon to help me rectify this! Lolita fashion is totally fascinating to me, and I am looking forward to learning more about it!