Chocolate Caramel Banana Cupcakes

This is a simple yet very tasty cupcake recipe. Salted caramel and chocolate is one of my favourite combinations; and I love the addition of the banana in these cupcakes.

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
100g Brown sugar
200g Unsalted butter, melted
3 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla essence
175g Cream Flour
2 tbs Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Salt
2 Bananas, mashed

For the caramel icing:
125g Unsalted butter, softened
200g Brown sugar
80ml Cream / Buttermilk
1 tsp Salt
300g Icing sugar

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas Mark 4). Line a muffin tray with 12 paper cupcake cases.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla.
• Fold the dry ingredients into the mixture. Slowly stir in the bananas.
• Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• While the cupcakes are cooling, make the icing.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add brown sugar and cream / buttermilk and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
• Add salt and allow to simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
• Slowly mix in the icing sugar until smooth. Pipe the icing onto the cooled cupcakes and enjoy.

I made the cupcakes in the picture with a very light brown sugar. However, I strongly suggest using a dark brown sugar as it adds more of a caramel flavour.

Homemade Oreos

Oreos, the world's favourite cookie. Found in over 100 countries, every day more than 20.5 million oreos are sold worldwide. So, quite a popular cookie! These homemade versions are just as tasty, if not more so. These oreos make great gifts, and will have people begging you to make them again and again.

Ingredients:
For the chocolate biscuits:
275g (10oz) All-purpose flour
50g (2oz) Cocoa powder
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1/4 teaspoon Baking powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
300g (10.5oz) Sugar
150g (5oz) Unsalted butter, softened
1 egg

For the filling:
100g (3.5oz) Unsalted butter, softened
250g (9oz) Icing sugar, sifted

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Grease and line two biscuit trays.
• In a bowl of an electric mixer, mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While mixing on a low speed, add the butter, and then the egg.
• Continue mixing until the dough comes together
• Take rounded teaspoons of the dough and roll them out. Using a cookie cutter roughly the same size as an oreo, cut out the cookies until all the dough has been used up.
• Place the cookies 2-3 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until the tops are just cracking.
• To make the filling, place the butter in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy
• To assemble the cookies, spread some filling on top of a cookie. Place another cookie, about the same size on top.
• Lightly press, to work the filling evenly towards the outside of the cookie. Enjoy with a large glass of milk!

Banana Nut Brownies

These nutty, banana brownies can cure any chocolate craving, perfect for those days when you really need brownie. Each fudgy bite will have you asking 'how can these brownies be both oil and butter free?'

Ingredients:
175g (6oz) Flour
150g (5oz) Sugar
50g (2oz) Cocoa powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
50ml (1.5fl.oz) Maple syrup
150ml (5fl.oz) Milk
1 Banana, mashed
3 tbs Peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
2 tsp vanilla essence
100g (3.5oz) milk chocolate, melted

Method:

•  Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas mark 4). Grease and line a 20cm (8") square cake tin.
• Place the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Slowly add the maple syrup, milk and the banana.
• Gradually mix in the peanut butter, vanilla essence and melted chocolate.
• Pour the mix into a cake tin and cook for 20 - 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the brownies comes out clean.
• Take out of the oven and place on a wire rack tray to cool. Once cool, cut up into squares and enjoy.

Chocolate, Halzelnut Dacquoise

Dacquoise is an impressive meringue dessert from France commonly eaten at Easter time. However, I strongly believe dacquoise should be eaten all year round; it consists of hazelnut meringue, chocolate ganache and a creamy filling. Dacquoise is perfect for any celebration.

Ingredients:

For the Meringue:

 250g (9oz) Hazelnuts

300g (10.5oz) Caster sugar

2 tbs Cornflour

6 Egg Whites

For the Ganache:

150g (5oz) Dark chocolate

100ml (3.5floz) Cream

For the Filling:

2 Egg yolks

65g (2oz) Caster sugar

300ml (10floz) Milk

2 tbs Cornflour

300ml (10floz) Whipping cream

Method:

•  For the Meringue, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas mark 4)
•  Put the hazelnuts into a food processor and pulse until ground. Spread the nuts on a roasting tin and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 - 3 minutes until golden brown.
• Transfer into a medium sized bowl and add 100g caster sugar and the cornflour.
• Reduce oven temperature to 150°C (300°F, Gas Mark 2). Grease and line 3 baking trays. Draw a 20cm (8") diameter circle on each tray. Set aside.
• To make the meringue, pour the egg whites into a clean bowl. Add salt and whisk until it is white and frothy. Start to add the 200g (7oz) caster sugar, a little bit at a time. Whisk until stiff peaks are formed when the whisk is taken out of the mixture. Gently fold the hazelnuts into the meringue.
• Spoon the meringue into a piping bag with a 1.5cm (0.6") nozzle. Start piping the meringue in the centre of the circle drawn on the baking tray and slowly spiral outwards.
• Bake for one hour, rotating the top and bottom trays after 30 minutes. After 50 minutes, check to make sure the meringues do not darken too quickly. Turn the oven off, open the door and leave the meringues to cool for 50 minutes to an hour.
• For the filling, whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar, while gradually adding the cornflour. Bring the milk to the boil over a low heat. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the milk and continue whisking until it boils. Reduce heat and simmer, while continuing to whisk for 3 minutes. Take off the heat and leave to cool for an hour.
• For the ganache, place the chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan until it is gently simmering. Pour the cream into the bowl with the chocolate. Stir the cream and chocolate until smooth. Set aside until cool, place in the fridge to thicken.
• Take the filling out of the fridge. Whisk the whipping cream until it reaches the 'soft peak' stage. Fold the cream and filling together.
• Take one meringue and spread some of the filling on top. Take another meringue and place it on top. Spread some of the ganache that meringue. Place the final meringue on top.
• Mix the remaining filling and ganache together. Spread this on the top of the final meringue.
• Decorate with hazelnuts and enjoy.

Millionaire's Shortbread

As you can guess from the name, Millionaire's Shortbread is a very rich dessert. It is one of my personal favourites and perfect for almost every occasion. The middle, caramel layer is the longest to cook. If you don't have two hours to spare, it is possible to find it already cooked in some supermarkets with the name Dulce De Leche.

Ingredients:
300g (11oz) Digestive biscuits or graham crackers
3 tbs Butter
1kg (35oz) Condensed milk
250g (9oz) Dark chocolate
50g (2oz) White Chocolate

Method:

• Place the can of condensed milk, unopened, in a saucepan of simmering water. Leave for 2 hours, checking occasionally to make sure the pan does not boil dry.
• Place the biscuits into a plastic bag, place that plastic bag into another plastic bag.
• Smash with a rolling pin until the biscuits resemble breadcrumbs.
• Place the butter in a saucepan on a medium heat. Once the butter is melted stir in the biscuits. Take the pan off the heat.
• Press the biscuit mixture into a large rectangular baking dish with a spoon. Place in the fridge.
• In a heatproof bowl, over a pan of simmering water, stir the dark chocolate until melted. Do the same with the white chocolate in a different bowl.
• Take the dish out of the fridge. Open the can of condensed milk and pour over the top of the biscuits.
• Pour the dark chocolate on top of the condensed milk and drizzle the white chocolate on top.
• Place in the fridge until the chocolate has hardened.
• Cut up into squares and enjoy.

Last Minute St. Patrick's Day Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

What's your favourite cupcake flavour? Mine has always been and I think will always be mint chocolate. I love the vibrant green icing of these cupcakes, adorned with a little green sweet, these are some of the cutest St. Patricks Day cupcakes, but to be honest I think these can and should be eaten all year round. Warning these cupcakes are not for the faint hearted, only try these if you are a true chocaholic!

Ingredients:
For the cakes:
200g Flour
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate soda
5 tbs Cocoa powder
250g Maple Syrup
175ml Milk
4 tbs Yogurt or buttermilk
1 Small avocado, mashed
2 tsp Peppermint extract

For the Icing:
175g Butter, softened
275g Icing sugar
Drop of milk
1 tsp Peppermint extract
Drop of Green food colouring

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F,Gas mark 4). Line a muffin tray with 12 paper cupcake cases.
• Combine all cake ingredients and mix until smooth.
• Spoon the mixture into cupcake cases and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Leave to cool for at least half an hour.
• While the cakes are cooling make the icing.
• Mix the butter and sugar, add the milk as needed to soften the mixture. Add the peppermint and food colouring as desired.
• Once completely cool, ice the chocolate cakes and adorn with a chocolate sweet if desired.

Mocha Buns

These beautiful chocolate cakes with just a hint of coffee are a personal favourite of my Aunty Claire. The butterfly wings although slightly tricky to make are a cute touch to these buns.

Ingredients:
For the buns:

• 100g (4oz) softened butter
• 100g (4oz) golden caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 75g (3oz) self raising flour
• 25g (1oz) cocoa powder
• 1 tbs of strong hot coffee

For the buttercream:

• 50g (2oz) softened butter
• 100g  (4oz) icing sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas mark 4). Line a muffin tray with 12 paper cupcake cases.
• Cream the butter and the sugar. Add the eggs 1 at a time, pour in the coffee and mix well.
• Sift the flour and cocoa powder and fold them in.
• Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases and bake for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
• Take the buns out of the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack tray. Meanwhile make the buttercream.
• Sift the icing sugar into a bowl add the butter and vanilla essence, beat till smooth.
• Using a sharp knife carefully cut a circle from the top of each cake. Cut each circle in half through the middle.
• Spread some buttercream in the hole in each cake and gently push the half circles in to form wings.

If you want you can double the recipe and make a big mocha cake, just bake for slightly longer.