Baileys cupcakes

I would like to share an awesome recipe with you guys that I made for my annual  halloween party. (there of the yellow foodcoloring, skip it if you’d like more ‘normal’ cupcakes!)
These are Baileys cupcakes, vanilla cupcake filled with Baileys cream and topped with Baileys buttercream. YUM, a real grownup treat! Even my mum loved these cupcakes

BAILEYS CUPCAKES
the cupcake
1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup cold milk

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
In a separate bowl, stir together all dry ingredients. Add to butter mixture; stir in milk.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a stick comes out clean! meanwhile they are in the oven, make the
bailey’s cream!

BEILEYS CREAM
100g  white chocolate
2 tbsp Baileys Irish cream
2 tbsp hot cream

METHOD
Heat the cream and Baileys together, break the white chocolate down in chunks and melt it into the mixture.
Let  cool and thicken up – this will take about 3hours.

When the cupcakes has cooled and the cream has thickened, insert a pipe into the cupcake and fill it with the cream.

Then top it of with the Baileys buttercream.

BAILEYS BUTTERCREAM
2 sticks of butter (150g), at room temperature
3 cups icing sugar
2 tbsp baileys ,  or more if you like

Cream the butter until soft, add the icing sugar a little at the time and then add the baileys to thin it out a bit.

ENJOY!

Peppermint red velvet

Hello everyone, I hope you all have not died during christmastime due to the food overload. I bearley survived, before the holidays
I stopped eating sugars and fats and other carbs (ironic since I have a food blog, isn’t it?) -and then: the holidays hit me.
Anyway I made an awesome cake for christmas! Peppermint red velvet, inspired by Southern Living‘s magazine.
I started out with a classic red velvet sponge and added peppermints to the frosting on one layer.

CLASSIC RED VELVET SPONGE 8″ pan, Serves 6-8.

the sponge
2 1/2 cup (250 grams) sifted flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2/3 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cup buttermilk *see note*
2-4 ounces liquid red food coloring (depending on desired amount of brightness)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

preheat oven to 350 F/ 175C

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, the sugar and stir it together. Add the canola oil, buttermilk, food coloring and slowly add the eggs – one at a time. Whisk, preferably with an electric hand mixer.Pour into an 8″ pan, and cook for 25-30 minutes or until a stick comes out clean.

Let cool, preferably over night.

TIP: For a clean cut layering and easier frosting, put the whole cake in the freezer for about 30-60 minutes before frosting

*NOTE* If you’re in Sweden and don’t have buttermilk, you can use a high-fat milk and add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the milk and let set for 15 minutes. Otherwise, use “filmjölk” or Soured Cream.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
4 sticks (300g) unsalted butter, at room temprature
3 cup icing sugar
16 ounces cream cheese !! refrigerated !!
2 handfuls of peppermint candies, ground into a powder
peppermint extract

Cream the butter until it’s soft, and slowly add icing sugar. Then add the cold cream cheese, little at the time. The Cream cheese frosting will stiffen up in the fridge later on.
Add 2 drops of peppermint extract and taste. It is VERY important that you taste, because peppermint extract is STRONG, and not in a good way.
When you’ve done that, take out  3/4 cup  of the icing and add the smashed peppermint candies. Put this icing of the bottomlayer as you frost the cake.

by the way, ther are GREAT as cupcakes too!

How to keep the calories down over the holidays

Hello everyone!
Today I will be going home to my mum in Northern Sweden to celebrate christmas! I will decorate the tree and bake a lot of candy, though it can be hard keeping the calories down during the holidays because you’re always surrounded by piles and piles of lovely calorie packed goodies I have some lovely tips I’d like to share with you while I’m on the train and have nothing else to do (4 1/2 hour train ride  ) , haha!  So here we go!

* Control the portion sizes. It can be very hard to overeat during the holidays, months of planning and struggle have gone down into the food and you finally get to feast on it. But let’s be honest, you do not need to throw yourself heads-first into the meals like you have been starving for months. Eat slow and stop when you feel the slightest feeling of fullness. And I can almost assure you; There will be leftovers that you can eat for like a week!
* Go easy on the sauce and carbs.  Take a little bit less of the sauce and carbs than you would like too, that’s where the calories come from.
 * Candy in moderation. It is okay to eat candy, with moderation. One piece of every sort, and you’re fine. You do not need to eat hundreds of each, and you know that. Even if it is christmas, your body will thank you.
* Drink LOTS of water. During the holidays, alcohol and soda are very popular drinks, but be sure to drink lots of water too, not only does it fill you up so that you eat less, but it prevents your body from dehydration when drinking alcohol and it makes your body really happy!
* Take long walks in the morning. Go out in the lovely christmas weather and take a walk with your friend, family or dog (or why not all of them?!). This will give you more energy and it’s a way of relaxing during the christmas stress and you will burn calories!!.

There’s some of my tips on how to keep the calories down, remember that it is christmas and you are allowed to cheat, but be careful not to over eat, you do not need it. And also, do not drink and drive.
Stay safe over the holidays!

Lots of love,
Cecilia

Lack of passion

I am sorry that I haven’t blogged for a while and that I am not going to either. I am crazy busy right now and lack a passion for blogging. And I don’t really cook something interesting right now when it’s so dark and the light for photography is really bad. But soon it’s Christmas! And next week I will be going home to northern Sweden and there I will bake a peppermint red velvet cake!

Spicy chorizo and prawn stew

 

IT’S ALMOST DECEMBER, WOAH!
What have happened? It feels like it was June yesterday. Time really does fly fast when you have fun and I can feel the Christmas spirit in the air. All my presents, except one, are neatly wrapped up and I just feel like sharing and old recipe with you guys to fire up your christmas spirit. It is really fast and takes only 15 minutes. Meanwhile the stew is cooking up, feel free to cook pasta or couscous to serve with.

PRAWN CHORIZO STEW
100g of de-shelled prawns
2 hot chorizo sausages
1 tin of crushed tomatoes (350g)
1 green bell pepper
1 red chili
1/2 onion
1 tsp cumin
salt & pepper to taste.

METHOD
Start off by chopping the onion and slicing the green bell pepper. Sweat the onion in a large saucepan with a knob of butter or olive oil for 5 minutes and then add the pepper and sweat for an additional 5 minutes. Meanwhile slice up the chorizo and chop the chili, then add it to the pan. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add the prawns, cumin and salt & pepper to taste. Let simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve with pasta or couscous.

November coldness.

 

Thanksgiving is approaching us in stormy steps, it’s frosty outside and it’s nearly a month left until christmas and I’ve almost finished one term of school! School is going great by the way, thanks to much focus on homework (this is what I study) and not blogging or too much exercising. Time goes fast when you have fun, don’t you think?  As you might know, me and my boyfriend started a new lifestyle two weeks ago. A healthy lifestyle. We’ve been eating very low calorie and low carb and I’m thinking about sharing it with you sugars!  I needed to loose weight ever since I stopped eating vegan and if I didn’t start now, I’d never start and I’d never loose weight! So it was certainly time to do something by eating lower calorie, exercise much more and smaller portions. Who doesn’t love to eat much of something that’s tasty? I have a feeling that I am not alone eating way too much. So I had to learn what a normal portion looks like. Anyway – I am on my way to weightloss and a healthy lifestyle, too bad thanksgiving is coming up though, that gravy- yum!

…Anywayyy, I’d like to share a delicious alcoholic beverage with you sugars, that you can make virgin! It’s a pumpkin martini, de-li-cious!

PUMPKIN MARTINI á la Cecilia
depending on how big your glass is, mine’s quite big, but a general rule:
1 part of vodka
1 part of Bailey’s Irish cream
1 part of half ‘n half
2 parts of pumpkin purée
1-2 teaspoons pumpkin spice *see note*
whipped cream and cinnamon to top

METHOD
In a shaker, fill up with ice and add vodka, Bailey’s, half ‘n half, spices and pumpkin purée. Shake until frosty and stream into a martiniglass rimmed with cinnamonsugar. Top with whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkle.

VIRGIN PUMPKIN MARTINI
1 part of simple syrup *see note*
2 parts of milk
2-3 parts of pumpkin purée
1-2 teaspoons pumpkin spice *see note*
whipped cream and cinnamon to top

METHOD
In a shaker, fill up with ice and add milk, syrup, pumpkin pirée and spices. Shake until frosty and fill up in a small glass rimmed with cinnamon sugar. Top with whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkle

note: to make your own pumpkin spice mix, mix 2 teaspoons of nutmeg, ground ginger and 4 teaspoons of cinnamon.
simple syrup, pour equal parts of water and sugar into a saucepan, bring to a boil and let cool, seal in an airtight container.

a Thanksgiving traditional

 

               a cup of tea at the station in Sundsvall, Sweden. Snow in the background!

What is the most traditional Thanksgiving feast except for the turkey? It has to be the Pumpkin pie. It’s not only a thanksgiving traditional – but also a Halloween traditional.
Two weeks ago I arrived to my mothers house back in Northern Sweden to celebrate Halloween up there. It was pretty nice and a lot of snow up there, it’s insane! When I arrived at the train station I had to change from my high heels to flat shoes not slip and break all my bones.  I also baked a traditional pumpkin pie that I’d love to share with you all! I served it with maple-cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon! Dare to make pumpkin pie from SCRATCH. Make this pie in the evening the day before it’s planned to feast on.

PUMPKIN PIE serves 8-12
for the crust
2 cups of AP flour
2 sticks of butter
2 tablespoons of cold water
——————————————————
for the filling
1 cup of pumkpin purée  = 1/2 medium pumpkin
1 cup of sugar
1 can (375g) of evaporated milk /OR  1 cup of full fat heavy cream
1 tablespoon of Maizena
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 nutmeg
2 eggs

METHOD
Set  the oven to 480f/250c.
Split a pumpkin in half, take out the guts and place it with skin side up on a baking tray lined with a baking sheet.

Meanwhile, make sure the butter is room-temperatured and add flour. Work it quickly and add ice cold water, form it quickly into a dough and wrap it with cling film and placing the dough in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes. At this point: Take a cup of coffee/ tea and relax.

After you’ve had you break, take out the dough and roll it to 1/8″ thick, and lining a baking thin.

The pumpkin should now be ready, take it out of the oven and place the baking thin with the crust in the owen and lowering the heat to 400f/200c. Pre-bake the dough for 10 minutes.    Meanwhile the dough is baking, scoop the flesh out of the pumpkin and purée it.

After 10 minutes, take the crust out. It should now be golden and a bit crispy, but not yet cooked trough.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar and beat in the pureé, spices, maizena and the evaporated milk.

Pour into the crust and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a stick comes out clean.

TIPS!
If you get too much purée, simply scoop it into a ice baking form and put it into the freezer. Great for pumpkin smoothies and milkshake (or even pumpkin martini!)

Healthy living

 

Oh boy! I have not blogged for nearly a month although I promised to do so. I feel terrible and I promise, promise, promise to post recipes soon. I’ve just been too busy.  BUT, my boyfriend and I made a promise to try to eat much more healthier and with a lower calorie reduction. So I figured I should share our Meal schedules online! This is a four day (tuesday-friday) schedule! wiee, hope you all get inspired.
texas salad,   avocado, tomatoes, beans, corn, spring onions and tabasco vinaigrette!

Dinner week 45
Tuesday:  Salmon w/ couscous salad made of couscous, pomegranate and apricots.
Wednesday: Chicken w/ texas salad
Thursday: Cauliflowermash w/ salmon and a big side salad.
Friday: Fish tacos in hard shells with spicy salsa, vegetables and sour cream.

10th of October, already!

It is sick, really sick, that it is OCTOBER already! Don’t you think? In less than two weeks I will be going home to my parents up in northern Sweden to celebrate halloween. Oh, how I love halloween! It is my favorite time of the year (except christmas). All the tree’s leaves are turning yellow, orange and red and the last sun is warming your face in the cold air and when I take my bicycle to school, my hand are frozen stiff! Perfect for taking a cup of tea when I arrive to school.
I am also truly sorry for the non-blogging. I really am, and I am sorry, again! But school is keeping my incredibly busy and since  I am re-doing last year now because I pretty much failed, I really have to keep it up there.  But I have not forgotten about you marzipans!
As I said earlier, Halloween is coming up! And of course, I am throwing a big halloween party, so there will be lots of food   - and the best thing, I am FREE from school for A WEEK. Which will give me time to blog!  Right now I am going to share some tips to you  all, especially students, on things that are good to have at home, and why!

on the picture: hot cocao with rum topped with whipped cream and cinnamon, a true fall favorite.

Flour: Regular AP flour is great to always have home. You can thicken sauces with this and also make homemade break (which is cheaper than store-bought), cakes etc.

Brown sugar: It’s great in coffee and is kind of more luxe than regular granulated sugar.  It has a slight caramel flavor to it and works great in sauces, baking and on fruit.

Baking soda/powder: Needed to most baking!

Canned crushed tomatoes: Cheap -and Great for pasta sauces, soup etc.

Canned beans: Kidney, chickpea, brown, white  - have them all! Great in salad, stew, as side dish or mashed for potato substitute.

Eggs: Cheap, tasty and usable! Make omelets, pancakes and high in protein.

Milk or milk substitute and other dairy products: You have to have it! My favorite milk is full-fat ones, and favorite substitute is soy all the way!
Other nice dairy products to have at home is cremé fraîche, sour cream and thick greek yogurt.

Onions: They keep 1-2 weeks in the fridge and are used for so much things. They are also very cheap!

Vegetables: Eat lots of vegetables. Peppers, eggplant, zucchini, salad, kale and tomatoes are really good and usable veggies!

Fruit: The only approved candy! Pears are my favorite right now!

Also, If you want to save money, eat seasonal. Right now carrots, kale and roots are seasonal. So whip up a carrot soup for dinner tonight!