Gingerbread Crumb Cake

recipe ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 cup chilled stick margarine or butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 Tbsp. molasses
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp. water






recipe directions
Preheat oven to 350*F.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife.
Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (flour through cloves), and cut in margarine with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Reserve 1/2 cup flour mixture; set aside.
Combine the remaining flour mixture, baking powder, and baking soda, and add the buttermilk, molasses, and egg.
Beat at medium speed of a mixer until blended.
Spoon into an 8-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray.
Combine reserved 1/2 cup flour mixture and water; stir with a fork. Sprinkle over batter. Bake 30 minutes or till done. Cool on a wire rack.

Regards,
eleena

BASIC FONDANT RECIPE

Ingredients:
5 cups sugar

1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. flavoring (optional)
1 cup nuts, chopped (optional)


Method:
Combine all ingredients (except last 2) in large saucepan.
Stir until sugar is moistened.
Place over high heat-bring to a boil, then gradually lower candy thermometer into boiling syrup.
Cook without stirring, lowering heat slightly as mixture thickens.
Cook to 236 degrees; pour onto marble slab and cool to lukewarm. Work fondant back and forth with spatula until fondant turns creamy white.
Then knead with hands until it is very smooth adding nuts and flavoring if desired. Form into a ball, let rest, form into 3/4 inch balls.
Dip into chocolate. To store fondant, wrap tightly in waxed paper or plastic wrap, place in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth.
One pound of chocolate will cover 50 centers.

xoxo,
eleena

Rose Cupcakes Recipe

Rose cupcakes make a flowery treat and are perfect for weddings or summer parties.
These cupcakes not only taste good, they are pretty as well. When decorated they are perfect for garden parties or other entertaining. The cakes are light and fluffy and delicately flavoured.

The Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup plain flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tsp baking powder
1/4 cup room temperature butter (should be soft but not melted to liquid)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 Tsp rose water (do not add too much or else your cakes will taste like soap)
1 egg (preferably room temperature)
2/3 cup whole milk (skim milk can be substituted to make it lower fat)
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).
Either butter and flour cupcake pan (individual silicone cupcake holders look pretty), or line muffin tin with paper liners. You can also experiment with baking in an oven-proof mugs or ramekins.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. (Yes, you should actually sift it as this will make your cupcakes lighter and they will rise better).
3. Add the rest of the ingredients. Using an electric mixer, mix until it is well blended and the batter is smooth.
4. Fill cupcakes about 2/3 full (for normal size cupcakes this takes about 1/3 cup of batter)
5. Bake for about 20 minutes in the middle of the oven. When they are done they should be risen and, if poked, the knife should come out clean. While the cupcakes are baking, you can prepare the decorations.

The Icing
Ingredients:
½ cup butter (room temperature)
1 ½ cup powdered/confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
About 6 drops red food colouring
Instructions:
1. Put the butter in a large mixing bowl and blend for about 20 seconds with an electric mixer to make it nice and soft and malleable.
2. Add the other ingredients. Blend with an electric mixer for about a minute, then mix by hand with a spoon to make it creamy.
3. If you want it pinker, add a little more food colouring. If you want the icing to be softer or easier to spread, add ½ tsp of milk.

Frosted Rose Petals
Ingredients:
1 egg white
One rose, preferably a small pink one
Caster sugar
Instructions:
1. Take the rose petals off of the rose.
2. Beat the egg white until it seems to increase slightly in size, but not so much that it froths, turns white, or becomes stiff. It doesn't need a beating so much as a stirring with a whisk.
3. Using a pastry brush (a clean paint brush works if you don’t have a pastry brush), coat the rose petals with egg white. Shake off any excess liquid so that they are just barely coated.
4. Dip the rose petals into the caster sugar, or sprinkle caster sugar over both sides until they are coated. Shake off any clumps.
5. Allow to fully dry.
Decorating:
1. When the cupcakes are fully cooled, ice them. For best results, use a piping bag.
2. If desired, add some small sprinkles.
3. Top each cupcake with a rose petal.
4. Serve & enjoy!




xoxo,
eleena

Try something easily available around us....

Honey Banana Bread
This recipe is from Trisha Gagne of Cambridge, Ontario, who writes, "This banana bread was in a very old recipe book published by the women in a tiny church in Southern Ontario. It has a really unique flavor thanks to the honey. The maple syrup version is also delicious served with butter. This is the only banana bread I ever make, and every crumb vanishes quickly." Trisha adds that she lines the pan with aluminum foil, which makes it super easy to clean up, and the loaf never sticks.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter, softened 1 egg 1 cup honey or maple syrup 1 cup mashed banana 2 cups all purpose flour 3 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Directions:
With a mixer, beat together the butter, egg, honey and banana. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the creamed mixture and stir until moistened. Fold in pecans if using. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 25 minutes. Turn the oven down to 300 and continue baking for around 30 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly pressed.