Jam Doughnut Cupcakes

Lovingly adapted from ‘Jam doughnut cupcakes’ in Cupcakes by Murdoch Books.

What’s better than a doughnut? A doughnut-cupcake of course! ‘Cus you can eat more when their not deep-fried right…?

Whilst these cupcakes aren’t of an authentic I-just-ate-a-doughnut taste, they are a pretty good substitute, without the time-investment which is required when making traditional doughnuts.

Ingredients

1¼ cups Self-raising Flour

½ cup Brown Sugar

½ cup Milk

2 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

½ tsp Dried Yeast

Raspberry Jam

20g Butter

1 tbs Sugar mixed with 1 tbs Cinnamon

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C and line 16 standard muffins wells with cupcake papers.

Whisk milk, eggs, vanilla and yeast in a small jug.

Place flour and sugar in a bowl, mix and create a well. Gradually whisk the milk mixture into the well until combined and smooth.

Divide half the mixture evenly between the lined-wells. Then add a teaspoon of jam into each, and then top with the remaining batter.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Brush tops with melted butter, and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar.

 

Notes

These would go great with a milkshake to cut through the sweetness of the jam-filled centres...

Happy baking.

Jelly Cakes

Lovingly adapted from a Coles brochure.

As you already know, I love all things faerie. Thus, I’m always looking for foods which would be appropriate to serve at a faerie-themed party…and these cute-as-a-button jelly cakes are just that. Delicate, pink and ultra-sweet. Nostalgic of those parties you attended when you were five, but more grown up than bread and butter with sprinkles…

Ingredients

1 Packet Raspberry Jelly Crystals

50g Butter

1 cup Icing Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Egg

½ cup Milk

3 cups Shredded Coconut

Method

Make jelly, per packet instructions and refrigerate until it is of an egg-white consistency, about 2½ hours.

 

Pre-heat oven at 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Line a 30cmx20cm baking tin with baking paper and cooking-oil spray.

Beat butter, sugar and vanilla with electric beaters, until creamy. Add the egg, then beat until combined.

Add milk, sift in flour and fold in until combined. Spread batter evenly in prepared tin.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Cool cake completely, then cut into 24 segments.

One at a time, dip a cake into the jelly, covering all surfaces, and allowing excess to drip off. Then coat the cake, by rolling it in a bowl of the coconut. Place cakes on a tray and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

Notes

I know that just thinking about these cakes makes you want to throw a faerie party, whilst you may not wish to openly admit it…It’s Christmas soon, and wouldn’t a ‘Sugar-plum faerie’ theme be just the modern twist you were looking for? I know you want to.

If you do, you’ll need some equally grown-up wings, to show that you've graduated from pantyhose stretched over coat-hangers…fancyfairy.com

Happy baking.

Mermaid Princess 'Azalea'

Whilst faeries will always have a special place in my heart, I also love mermaids.

There is just something magical about imagining what life is like down in the depths of the vast ocean. Some areas of which, mere humans can only dream of exploring...

When illustrating merfolk, I love giving them gill-like fins in place of ears and adorning them in shells and strands of pearls. This one has a rather simple tail, but if making the tail the focus, you could be as creative as you want with the vein design and the number of fins drawn.

Other ideas for inclusion in merfolk illustrations: Bejewelled crowns, intricate shell hairpieces, fallen human treasures, webbed fingers, blue-green complexion, sea-anenome hair, starfish headpiece, scales extending over the entire body...the creative options are endless!

This is my favourite mermaid illustration by Kei Acedera from Imaginism Studios:

I just love the cute cartoon style, the minimal colour palette and use of under-the-sea features.

Happy drawing.

Trollflings

I just love Amber Matthies work. 'Trollflings' are the cutest little creations, and whilst they all possess her signature look, each one is so unique. I admire how she is always using a new material, facial expression, or theme to continue developing and expanding her creations.

This is her latest gem:

Some of my favourites:

To see more of her adorable pieces follow her on facebook, or on her blog.

Now, I have all the inspiration I need to go and draw some faeries! I hope that you have found some inspiration to!

Happy creating.

High Fashion Princess Ariel

As soon as I saw the artwork accompanying the Disney Princess designer collection dolls, I fell in love with the 'fashion illustration' style.

Here is my own version of Princess Ariel...

             

Materials - 300gsm medium tooth A4 water-colour paper, 0.4mm fine-tip black ink pen, Derwent water-colour pencils, no. 4 paintbrush.

Happy drawing.

All-day Breakfast Loaf

Recipe lovingly adapted from ‘make-ahead breakfast loaf’ in Family, Food and Weekend Feasts by Janelle Bloom.

My mum has a strong dislike for all things fruitcake, due to an unfortunate over-fruit-caked childhood…but she loves it when I make all-day breakfast loaf.

It’s entitled ‘All-day’, because I could seriously eat this all day. It’s super scrumptious. Whilst your tastebuds will think this is cake, your waist will not be neglected, as it is with notorious café items, cleverly labelled “bread”, albeit being cake.

There are a lot of ingredients, but once you get everything out and prepared, it is relatively straightforward to create baking magic!

When making this I’m a little more generous with the amount of spice added, for who can resist the fragrant smell of cinnamon and nutmeg? And, perhaps a few extra fig or craisin manage to get themselves into the saucepan also…

Ingredients

200g roughly chopped dried figs

200g roughly chopped dried dates

100g Sultanas

50g Goji berries

50g Craisins (dried cranberries)

1 tsp Bi-carbonate Soda

1 tsp Ground Nutmeg

2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

2 Eggs

¼ cup Olive Oil

2 cups Self-raising Wholemeal Flour

¼ cup Ground Linseeds (flaxseeds)

30g Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) + Extra for top

30g Sunflower seeds + Extra for top

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C/170°C fan-forced.

Place dried fruits and 2 cups water into a saucepan on medium-high heat, and bring to the boil. Boil for approximately 4 minutes, until water is half absorbed, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile whisk eggs and oil in a small jug and set aside.

Place flour, linseed, pepitas and sunflower seeds in a large heat-safe bowl, mix together, and set aside.

Take fruit off the heat and cool for 5 minutes before adding the sifted soda and mixing well. After bubbling has subsided, mix in the spices. Once cooled for a further 10 minutes or so, thoroughly stir in the egg mixture.

Then, add this mixture to the flour, and mix until just combined. Place mixture into a 20cm x 20cm, lined and spray-oiled loaf pan. Spread evenly and sprinkle with a little (or a lot) of the extra seeds, and lightly press these into the mix using the back of the mixing spoon.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean (unless of course you hit a bit of juicy fig).

Notes

Enjoy for breakfast, morning-tea, lunch, afternoon-tea, dinner, supper, um…pre-breakfast, midnight munchies….?

I like mine with a cup a hot peppermint tea, and for a treat with a drizzle of maple syrup. Also, great to stop you craving chocolate before dinner-time comes around.

Happy baking.

To new beginnings...

I'm so very excited to be commencing this new venture!

This blog is a place for all those little things in life which are the icing on the cake...so if you ever find yourself saying "I'm bored", this is for you!

Because there are so many things which I find joy in, I can't settle with having a single purpose blog! My main posts will include: artworks, party-themes and recipes I make, and those idea-inspiring one's of others which I love!

Enjoy.