Favourite Things

1. Make-up Brush lovin'. I am not a make-up girl and I never will be but when you get a tool that makes your easy make-up look just that bit better with minimal effort I am there. I love brushes, excluding the odd feeling that I am in fact, painting my face. Seen above is a mix of the Body Shop, Forever21 and the infamous Real Techniques core collection. I find the face brushes my biggest savior, it really makes my foundation last longer and saves that streaky tide mark, which, I ashamedly have had more than once. I actually love the Forever21 ones, they were awfully cheap and it gives me the tools to mess around with eye make-up- aka practice my panda/ Taylor momsen black eyes.

 2. Casual bird watching. My garden, it is bird free. Full of 5 killer cats though. However, Stuart lives with two pups that the birds seem indifferent about so I actually get to see wildlife. Here's a blue tit... ahhh, tit... funny.

3. Made some twee cupcakes. I love my new piping nozzle that makes this grass effect, it was originally purchased to make a cake for my granddad's birthday- he likes bowls, grass piping nozzle seemed logical. Anyway, before I ruined an 80th birthday cake figured I should try it out. Made chocolate cake soil too- commitment to twee! Also, surprise:

Tony couldn't leave me alone for a minute. Creeper going to creep! (And kill birds)

 Happy Sunday everyone!

With love from,

Emma x

Peanut Butter cupcakes

Adapted from this recipe from Sally's baking addiction.

Chocolate cupcakes:

• 4 ounces of unsalted butter
• 5 ounces of light brown sugar
• 4 ounces cup cocoa powder
• splash of vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3.5 ounces plain flour
• Some chunky peanut butter

Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Line muffin tin with paper cups.

Step 1: Cream the butter and the sugar together in a bowl then whisk with an electric whisk to make the mixture light.

Step 2: In one bowl mix the two eggs with the vanilla extract, in another sift the flour, coco, salt and baking powder.

Step 3: to the sugar and butter alternate between the wet and dry mixture until all the ingredients are incorporated.

Step 4: Fill the cupcake cases 3/4 full and cook for 10 minutes, check they are fully cooked by inserting a knife into the centre of the cupcakes, if it comes out clean remove from the oven. Leave the cakes in the tray for a few minutes until slightly cooler then turn out onto a cooling rack.

Step 5: once cooled use an apple corer to cut a chunk out of the center and put the excess in a bowl (after trying a little bit to make sure it isn't horrible). Then add chunky peanut butter in the hole. It is important for the cupcakes to be cool otherwise they will melt the butter in the peanut butter. 

Step 6:Break up the excess cupcake to crumbs.

Step 7: Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle over the cake crumb to finish. A nice added extra would be chocolate covered peanuts, add two to the top.

Peanut Butter Frosting:

• 8 ounces of smooth peanut butter
• 4.5 ounces confectioners sugar
• 2.5 ounces of unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• some milk to add if frosting is too stiff

Step 1: mix together the peanut butter with the unsalted butter with a electric whisk.

Step 2: Add the sugar, fold in slowly by hand and once roughly incorporated whisk again with the electric whisk.

Step 3: Add some vanilla extract and if the frosting is stiff and isn't smooth when stirred add some milk gradually until smooth, just a splash at a time as you don't want make your frosting too wet.

Step 4: refrigerate if slightly on the wet side and pipe on cool cupcakes.

Tip- I advise not using reusable fabric piping bags as when used for icing it sometimes pushes the butter out of the bag which makes the bag really greasy and hard to control. Buy some disposable piping bags as the plastic prevents this and saves on the washing up.

If anyone makes them send me a photo! I'd love to see them! And if you have any questions just ask away!


With love from,

Emma x