Domestic Goddess

This week has been farrr too long (despite only three actual days of sixth form..) and to celebrate making it through the last week, a friend is having us all round... In a gesture of New Years goodwill & inspired by my trip to Primrose Bakery this week (and because it meant putting off my history essay for even longer), I decided to bake some cupcakes for everyone. It's well known I'm not a fab cook, but today I think I may have turned a corner! While I never really follow a recipe in full (which may be why the outcome varies...), I like to adapt them and just chuck in whatever looks appealing! Here's the two recipes I made up today, I accept no responsibility for any cases of food poisoning linked to these...

Hug in a Bowl

This was my really lazy lunch which surprisingly turned out really delicious! 

Ingredients: Chunk of courgette, third of a red pepper, half a red onion, peas, handful of mushrooms, a few pieces of bacon, handful of brown pasta, stock cube, spices.

To Do: Just cut up all the veggies and chuck it all in a frying pan with some olive oil. We have a magical pot called "Thai 7 spice" which I added with pepper. When they're getting nice & brown, throw in the bacon (already cut up). Cook the pasta & peas. When the bacon's cooked, put half a stock cube in a bowl, and add some boiling water. Veg goes in the next, and finally add the pasta & peas. It's like an odd minestrone, but sooo tasty, & pretty healthy I'd imagine!

Honey, Vanilla & Orange Cupcakes

These are a sugar overdose but sooooo tasty.

Ingredients: 2 Eggs, 100g plain flour, 120g self raising flour, 150g Caster sugar, 75g brown sugar, honey, an orange, orange juice, vanilla extract, 120g butter, 125ml milk.

To Do: Beat sugar & butter together really well. Add an egg at a time, mixing well after each. Mix the flours together in a seperate bowl, then add a third to the butter mix, with a third of the milk. Mix it all, then add another third; repeat until all milk/flour is gone. Then add about 2 tablespoons of honey, 50ml orange juice, 1&a half teaspoons of vanilla. Mix, divide between cake cases, and bake on 180 (160 fan) for 25 minutes. Mix a syrup of vanilla, orange juice, and honey. When the cakes are out, prick the surface with a cocktail stick and drizzle some of the syrup through the middle of each cake. 

To Ice: Beat together 100g butter and 500g icing sugar. Add the orange rind and a little juice, as well as a tad of honey. Then spoon on & cover each cake. Completeoooo :-) 

Nigella Lawson, eat your heart out.