Tuesday 8 October 2013

Italian Banana Bread

Hey Guys! I have another banana bread recipe for you today (can you tell I really love it)! This recipe was requested by my husband as he has recently started a new job and he wanted this to have in his morning break! This recipe is the grown up version of my Nutella banana bread recipe. This bread would be perfect served at a brunch, breakfast or for a tasty midnight snack (it's slightly healthy too!). The recipe comes from one of my favourite recipe books Nigellisima! The woman is amazing, she produces truly fail-safe recipes full of yummy flavour! Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the bread, it usually doesn't last long enough to snap a picture.

Nigella's Italian Breakfast Banana Bread

150ml vegetable oil
3 ripe bananas
2tsps vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
2 eggs
150g caster sugar
175g plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 teaspoons instant espresso powder

Method

1. Preheat oven and baking sheet to 170 degrees Celsius. Lightly oil a loaf tin.

2. Blend bananas with vanilla extract and salt, then beat in the oil. Beat in the eggs one by one and then beat in sugar.

3. Mix flour, bicarb and espresso powder. Beat these into batter.

4.Put batter in loaf tin and put in oven for 50-60 mins or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

5. Try and leave it to cool before digging in, if you can wait that long :).

This is such a yummy recipe and the addition of the coffee gives it an almost chocolately taste. Yum Yum! I hope you give this a wee try and if you know of any other yummy Nigella baking recipes please let me know :). I will leave you today with another picture of my wedding (last one, I promise!). Can't believe it was a whole 2 months ago...
 
(This is me and my two sisters, this photo is courtesy of our lovely florist, Ma Fleur!)

Love Rachael xx.



Wednesday 2 October 2013

A Wee Update + Pimm's Cupcakes!

Hello friends! It has been such a long time since I visited my little blog but the past few months have been a whirlwind with so much happening, so as well as a lovely yummy recipe for Pimm's cupcakes today, I though I would give you an update on how much my life has changed in the last few months. First and Foremost, I am now married, aaah still can't really believe it, but i'm definitely loving married life :). Here's a wee photo of my lovely husband and I on our wedding day...
It was such a happy day and everything went smoothly and beautifully, I wish I could do it all over again!! (I will maybe do a blog post on my wedding with the details of the day, if you guys would like to see it??).

I also graduated from university during my spell away from the blog (woohooo finally!) and I even did very well and managed to come out of it still smiling with a good degree. Here's a photo of myself in my lovely Queen's robes....
 
 As well as these big things I have moved house and started living with Sean (my hubby!), been on honeymoon and baked a lot of yummy buns (recipes to follow). So i'm sorry for neglecting this space but I really haven't had time to breathe let alone type haha! But I'm back( hopefully for good this time) with recipes galore!
 
To kick things off I have a lovely cupcake recipe for you guys. I found this recipe in a recipe magazine called Recipes (haha orginal!)Here's a wee picture of how they should turn out...
 



 
Pimm's Cupcakes
 
For the cakes-115g salted butter
-160g caster sugar
-2 eggs
-grated zest of 2 oranges
-100ml of orange juice
-200g self-raising flour
-120ml buttermilk
 
For the Filling-200g strawberries
-1tbsp sugar
-3tbsp Pimm's
-1tbsp cornflour
 
For the icing- 250g cream cheese
-250ml whipping cream
-100g icing sugar
-1tsp vanilla paste
-Strawberries, orange slices, cucumber and mint leaves to decorate.
 
 
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a cupcake tray with paper cases.
 
2.Cream butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs, orange zest and juice. Gradually add the flour and buttermilk. Beating between each addition (careful not to overbeat).
 
3. Fill paper cases with batter, making sure they are all equal in size. Bake in oven for 30mins and allow to cool in the tin.
 
4. Make the filling. Blend and sieve the strawberries. Add the Pimm's, cornflour and sugar and heat gently. Keep stirring until it becomes a thick jelly-like liquid. Leave to cool in the fridge.
 
5. Then make the icing, beat the whipping cream, icing sugar and vanilla into the cream cheese until it is fluffy and will be easy to pipe unto the cupcakes.
 
6. Core a hole in the middle of each cake and fill with the strawberry Pimm's jelly (this is yummy stuff, lick the bowl once you are done).
 
7. Pipe the icing unto the cupcakes and decorate with strawberries, orange and cucumber. Then munch away!!
 
These are delicious cupcakes and the delicate taste of Pimm's is just wonderful in these! Give them a go and let me know what you think?? Happy Baking Guys!!
 
Love Mrs Rachael (haha!) xo