So Vanilla... Extract

I've spoken before of my loathing for vanilla. Unfortunately vanilla goes into pretty much everything I make.

Behold Nielsen Massey Vanilla Extract.

This little bottle holds just under 24 teaspoons of precious vanilla extract and costs about £5.00

I was browsing the fabulous Joy The Baker website a couple of months ago when I stumbled across this: http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/06/how-to-make-vanilla-extract/
So I decided to give it a try.

You will need a 70cl bottle of vodka or brandy and 10 vanilla pods that have been purchased on ebay for not much money.

Split open the vanilla pods by cutting almost to the top with a sharp knife. Feed vanilla pods into bottle of vodka. Leave for 3-4 months shaking it occasionally.

Vanilla extract 6 months on. I made two bottles and filled up my old empty Nielsen Massey bottles and gave them away for Christmas.

Happy Mother's Day

Just a quick post of Mother's Day cupcakes.
They're chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting in pink, purple and cream colour. The cupcake in the centre is topped with a handmade chocolate hat from Slattery's Patissier and Chocolatier, in Prestwich.

Oreo Cupcakes

I haven't posted for a while. I've baked some stuff but I've been a bit lazy with the taking pictures and blogging!

I'll make it up to you with a rare recipe!

Oreo Cupcakes

80z Stork margarine or similar
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
10 crushed Oreo cookies

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4

Cream butter and sugar together.
Beat in eggs fully one at a time adding the vanilla extract in with the first egg.
Fold in the flour and the baking powder.
Stir in the crushed Oreo cookies.
Fill the cupcake cases two thirds full, you should get 16.
Bake for 17 minutes until lightly golden on top.

Oreo frosting
4oz unsalted butter
2 cups icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
10 crushed Oreo cookies
1 - 3 tsp of milk

Beat the butter until soft and then beat in the icing sugar. Beat in the vanilla extract and some milk one teaspoon at a time if needed.
Stir in the crushed Oreo cookies. Spread on top of the cooled cupcakes.

Alternatively make up the frosting without the crushed Oreo cookies and pipe on the frosting. Dip tops of cupcakes into the Crushed Oreo cookies

The First #Teawitter Party

Just a warning that this post will be picture heavy!


On Sunday the 28th February we held a tea party at Madlab (Manchester Digital Laboratory) http://madlab.org.uk/content/teawitter/

it was lovely afternoon of awesome food and awesome people. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. All pictures are described from the top clockwise.

Hamataschen, choc/vanilla fairy cakes, choc/vanilla cupcakes and oreo cupcakes, apple pie, lemon drizzle cake and double choc cookies.

You can just about see the two massive platters of sandwiches at the back of this picture. Sandwiches, choc/vanilla fairy cakes, choc/vanilla cupcakes and oreo cupcakes, hamataschen, chocolate orange pinwheels and double choc cookies.

Ginger biscuits, pear, pistachio and amaretto drizzle cake, spicy apple muffins, chocolate brownies, hammataschen and lemon drizzle cake.

Fresh crumpets.

Spicy apple muffins, pear, pistachio and amaretto cake, LadyMcScamp cupcake, choc/vanilla cupcakes, oreo cupcakes, double choc cookies, chocolate, fruit and nut cake, chocolate brownies.

Lemon drizzle cake, hamataschen, chocolate brownies, spicy apple muffins, chocolate, fruit and nut cake, double choc cookies, choc/vanilla fairy cakes, choc/vanilla cupcakes and oreo cupcakes.

Spicy apple muffins, chocolate, fruit and nut cake, chocolate brownies, hamataschen, lemon drizzle, pear, pistachio and amaretto, LadyMcScamp cupcakes, choc/vanilla cupcakes and oreo cupcakes

LadyMcScamp cupcakes, choc/vanilla cupcakes, oreo cupcakes, double choc cookies, chocolate chilli bites and spicy apple muffins.

I'd just like to say a big thank you to all the people who baked something and also those that stayed to tidy up at the end. There was so much cake left over that everyone ended up taking a box home with them.

Latest order.

This week I have had two orders. To be honest this post is more about the pictures of cupcakes.

One was for a friend who was taking them down to Norfolk to a party.

Chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream topped with a chocolate heart.

The good old Mrs G - chocolate cake with peanut butter buttercream and topped with Reese's Pieces

The cookies and cream deluxe - Cookies and cream cake, with an oreo at the bottom. Topped with vanilla buttercream, an oreo, more buttercream and an M & M. The one in the middle is a cookies and cream deluxe +1, which has a chocolate covered oreo and hides a layer of chocolate buttercream too.

Rocky Road - chocolate cake with chocolate frosting topped with marshmallows, brazil nuts, malteasers and chocolate bar bits then drizzled with chocolate.
The second order was a surprise tweet that asked if I could do some animal cupcakes. It was my first attempt at animals although I have done Sesame street characters. I was really impressed with the dog more than the others. I think I need to work on the panda.

Competition Time (part 2)

I have wanted to make iced vanilla sugar cookies for ages. It seems everyone is going on about them. I've noticed them even cropping up in a few select bakeries in the UK too. There are some gorgeous examples out there of beautifully decorated biscuits. These are my first attempt and while they're not gorgeous, I certainly think they're cute. Just for the record, I did cheat. I didn't ice them in the traditional way, I just coloured some fondant and fixed the cut outs to the cookies. The pink ribbon cookies are a present for someone.

Little vanilla cookies

Medium vanilla cookies

Medium and large vanilla cookies
Small, medium and large vanilla cookies

The recipe was quite simple but the dough was really difficult to work with. I'm not going to post the recipe because I'm going to try and find a better one and do them again.

So competition time then.
Well I made far too many so the prize is the big sugar co0kie, four medium cookies and five small cookies. I've wrapped them in cellophane to keep them fresh.
The winner will be chosen at random on Thursday evening so that I can deliver them on Friday in time for Valentine's day.

I would like you to leave a comment on the blog telling me what your favourite flavour of sugar cookie would be. I personally dislike vanilla so I was considering making them almond flavoured.

Please note that we'll need to meet in Manchester sometime on Friday to pick these up.

Competition Time (part 1)

Would you like to win cake? Of course you would.


This is the cupcake for two. Either as a cake to share or just more cake for one person. To win one all you have to do is leave a comment telling me who you would share the cupcake with.

Please include your email address at the end of the comment so that I can contact you. Winners will be chosen randomly by the end of the 6th February.

I'm really sorry but the competition will be only open to people who live in easy deliverable distance of Manchester city centre, United Kingdom.

Good luck. Part 2 will be on the 8th February.

**EDIT**
I really enjoyed reading the comments on who you would like to share your cupcake with. I'll use a random number generator to select the TWO winners (www.random.org)

Comment 7 - Godders1210

Comment 4 - Chris

I seriously want you all to have cupcakes. This is why I had to up it to two winners. But as promised there will be other competitions coming up!