Cup cakes

Always quick and easy to make! and you can add a range of extras to the mix ie: chocolate, banana, fruit anything you want really! I always make a 4x4x4 mix or in my case 8x8x8 as I always make double!!!!

Cake Mixture (makes approx 12 large cup cakes)
8oz Self raising flour
8oz Sugar (white)
8oz Butter or Marg
4  Beaten eggs
Pinch of salt
A few drops of vanilla essence
12 Muffin cases

Butter icing
3oz of butter
6oz of icing sugar
drop of lemon essence
Colouring of your choice
Sprinkles, silver balls, Strands, jellies, whaterver you want to decorate with

Cream the butter & sugar until pale. add the vanilla essence. Sift the flour and salt. Alternately add some beaten eggs to the creamed butter/sugar mix and then start adding the sieved flour. mix to a smooth creamy consistency. Fill the muffin cases in an Muffin tray and bake in the oven at 180c for approx 30-40mins. When ready cool on a baking rack. Mix together the icing sugar, butter, colouring & lemon essence. You can use a spoon or fork to cover the cup cake top with butter icing or a piping bag for some pretty designs. Finally add toppings of your choice, and there you have it! Fancy cupcakes!!!

Empire Biscuits

A big favorite in our family! I suppose all kids like anything with icing and cherries on top! I also think that they look like a lot of work goes into making them, but that's not true, they are in fact very easy to make.
Empire Biscuits

This recipe makes about 12 biscuits

Shortbread biscuit
12oz plain flour
4oz caster sugar
pinch of salt
8oz butter

For the filling - raspberry jam

For the top - 6 tbsp icing sugar, few drops of water, lemon essence, 6 glace cherries

Mix together the flour, salt & sugar. rub the butter into the dry mix, to a breadcrumb consistency. Mold into a soft dough. Flour a board and roll out the dough to approx 1cm thick. Use a round cutter or glass to make 24 rounds. Place on a baking sheet on a baking tray and bake at 150c/gas mark 2 for around 45-50 mins.

When ready place on a cooling rack. Once the biscuits are cool coat one biscuit with jam and place the other on top to make a sandwich. Mix up the icing sugar with a few drops of lemon essence & a few drops of water to make a smooth but thick paste. Spoon the icing on to the top biscuit and cover evenly. Cut the glace cherries in half and place one half in the middle of each biscuit. Leave to set.

Winnie the Poohs chocolate surprise pudding

This is an old favorite! Winnie the Pooh's chocolate surprise pud! :D We had this recipe book when we were kids, and this was my party piece! my Mum loved it!!!!
Now I'm all grown up (well sort of!) I make it for my family and they love it to!
Thought I'd better finish the month off with another home baked pic!

Due to popular request:

Winnie the Poohs chocolate surprise Pud!
cake mix
8oz Self raising Flour
8oz sugar
8oz butter or marg
1oz cocoa powder
4 eggs
pinch of salt

For the sauce
4 oz sugar
1oz cocoa powder
1 pint of boiling water

Beat together butter & sugar until pale in colour, then add one egg and a small amount of sieved flour & cocoa and mix together. Add the other eggs one at a time adding a little sieved flour and cocoa till all the ingredient are mixed together well. place mixture in to a greased deep bowl (pyrex glass mixing bowl should do the trick!)
Next pour a pint of boiling water into a separate jug with the 4oz of sugar & 1oz of cocoa, and mix till all the sugar has dissolved and there are no cocoa lumps left.
Gently pour the sauce over the cake mixture and place in the oven for approx 45 mins at 200c.

The surprise is the sauce sinks to the bottom while the cake is cooking and creates a gorgeously gooey sauce at the bottom, and a surprisingly moist cake. Sprinkle with icing sugar & serve with fresh cream or vanilla ice cream!