Marshmallow Cupcakes

I got this recipe from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook and it's the first time I've made it. I love a cupcake but I have to say even I found these ones very sweet. However if you do have a sweet tooth then they could be the ones for you. My frosting didn't turn out as normal either today - I'm just maybe not having a good baking day to be honest! I was going to abandon this effort altogether but was happy that I'd used some Pasmak on the cakes. I received a packet of Pashmak as a gift - it is 'persian fairy floss' and the flavour I have is Rose. It is like a refined version of seaside candy floss. The make of my packet is Pariya - it's worth trying just for the unusual texture - it's a bit like fibreglass! As the cupcakes were already very sweet I thought I'd gild the lily just a bit more by adding a little finish of pasmak on the top.

The recipe can be found here.

Welsh Rarebit Muffins

These savoury muffins are from one of my favourite Nigella books, Nigella Eats. I wanted to make something for breakfast this morning and I love Welsh Rarebit. Apparently Welsh Rarebit, or Rabbit as it was originally known, goes back to 1725. It is thought that Welsh Rabbit was an ironic term used when the Welsh were notoriously poor: only better-off people could afford butcher's meat, and while in England rabbit was the poor man's meat, in Wales it was cheese. Apparently there was an English Rabbit, an Irish and a Scotch Rabbit - I'm not sure what they were but I'm going to try and find out.

These muffins contain the cheese and Worcestershire sauce of the original recipe but not the ale. We ate them with some really crispy bacon - delicious. I think a few pieces of chopped up bacon might be quite a nice addition to the top in hindsight.

The recipe can be found here.

Chocolate & Pecan Brownies

While typing this I'm eating the most amazing Date & Banana Cake from the lovely Blackbird Bakery. It's one of those cakes that tastes quite healthy even though you know it really isn't at all. The Blackbird sells the most delicious homemade breads, cakes and tarts - everywhere should have one. Anyway, back to my recipe....

Although I love baking I've never made brownies which is a bit odd considering how many I've eaten over the years. So I thought it was about time I did make some! This recipe comes from a magazine - I've no idea which one - I tore it out years ago and its been sat in my 'recipes to make' pile since. The original recipe is for chocolate only brownies but I've added the pecans as they're my favourite nuts.

I've linked this recipe to the Sweets for Saturday challenge hosted by Lisa at Sweet As Sugar Cookies.

The Recipe

200g plain chocolate (I used Lindt 70% cocoa)

200g unsalted butter

4 eggs, beaten

300g light muscovado sugar

100g plain flour

small bag pecan nuts, broken

1. Preheat oven to 170c/gas mark 3. Line a 20cm sq shallow cake tin with baking parchment.

2. Break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl, then add the butter. Set over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring from time to time until melted.

3. Stir in the eggs and sugar, then sift over the flour and fold in followed by the pecans. Spoon the mixture into the tin.

4. Bake for 30 mins until just set. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins, then cut into rectangles.

Roast Baby Potato, Spring Onion & Bacon Tarlets

I got this recipe from a weekend supplement ages ago and have never got round to making it until this weekend. The original doesn't have bacon in - I thought it would make a nice addition. I think it originates from Popina Book of Baking. I thought they'd be really fiddly to make but they were actually quite straightforward. I love the spelt pastry this recipe uses - it is so tasty - I think it is actually more of a pizza dough.

The Recipe

Spelt Pastry

220g wholemeal spelt flour

1 tsp dried instant yeast

2 tbsp olive oil

1 egg

1. Grease six 10cm loose-based fluted tartlet tins. Preheat the oven to 200c/gas mark 6.

2. Mix the flour, yeast and a large pinch of salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the oil, egg and 60ml of warm water.

3. Draw everything together with your hands until you get a soft dough. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky (add more flour if it is too sticky). Roll out until 3mm thick. Keep on one side until needed.

Tartlets

500g baby new potatoes, halved

4 tbsp olive oil

bunch of spring onions, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

70g cheddar, grated

170ml double cream

4 rashers good quality bacon, cut into small pieces

1 egg

1. Put the potatoes and oil in a roasting tin and season well. Toss the potatoes until evenly coated. Cover the tray with tin foil and roast in the preheated oven for 20 mins. Remove and leave to cool for 10 mins.

2. Reduce oven temp to 170c/gas mark 3. Stir the spring onions, garlic and cheese into the potatoes and mix well. Fry the bacon until cooked and add to the mixture.

3. Line the tartlet tins with the spelt pastry.

4. Mix together the cream and the egg in a bowl, then divide half among the tartlet shells. Spread the vegetable/bacon mixture over the tartlets, then pour in the remaining cream and egg mixture.

5. Bake for 25 mins or until the filling looks golden. Leave to cool for 5 mins, then serve warm.