Easter just around the corner

I forgot how excited the kiddies get when I pull out the decorations for Easter, they just love it and I have to admit I get a little bit anxious to get them up, cant wait, so today they went up during the week, still have a few more to go, but most are done ready for the Easter Bunny to hop in and leave some scrumptious chocolate for the family to consume.

Worked out a few things to bake for Easter and have a bit up my sleeve to do this week which I am loving, especially if this drissly weather keeps up.

                                                                      

Pear, Almond and Cinnamon Tea Cake

I think one of the yummiest things is a great Tea Cake, you can make your take on so many, with just a basic Tea Cake recipe and put whatever toppings you like on top or just have plain Cinnamon Sugar which is just divine in itself.

When I am extremely lazy and want something quick I use a normal Tea cake packet mixture or you could use Butter cake mixture, and when it states add milk I substitute for Buttermilk and add a bit of oil for extra softness, works fabulously and also then add to the topping, some days stewed apples and Cinnamon, Pears, other fruit and of course sprinkle with Cinnamon, I also love to sprinkle with a bit of brown sugar, just for that extra hit of goodness..

So nothing better than a nice cup of Tea with a slice of freshly baked cake..

Heavenly.

                                                                      

                                                                               

Strawberry Whoopie's

Here is a few pictures of the Strawberry Whoopies we made yesterday, they are honestly just divine to eat and easy peasy to make.

Recipe as follows

300g white flour
1/2 teaspoon of bicarb soda
pinch of salt
1 egg
200g white sugar
115g butter
1 1/2 white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
125mil buttermilk

Preheat oven to 180c line tray with baking paper

Beat butter and sugar til creamy with hand held mixer, then beat in egg.

Add sifted flour, bicarb, and salt and mix together.

Mix buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla and then combine with mixture.

Use an ice cream scoop to scoop mixture onto lined tray (you can use a spoon, but scoop works the best)

Bake for 10-15min til firm to touch.

Once cool you can use a butter cream in the middle or you can simply mix butter and cream cheese and some icing sugar with strawberry flavouring or strawberry jam to create the center filling.
Then I just made a simple glaze mixture of Pure Icing Sugar, a little hot water and colouring to get the desired texture and colour.

Bake away...

                                                                   

Any good reason for makin' Whoopie

It seems everyone is making Whoopie Pies now, and for good reason they are just divine, I stumbled across this recipe a few years back and loved them, but never made them too much as my husband is not a big sweet treat person and is more savoury (which my other post is just for his tastes), they have been around for decades and did not appear in publication until the 1970's.

Food historians believe that it was the Amish women living in the Pennsylvania region in the USA who created the Whoopie. Whoopies are certainly a part of culture for them and are sold at all Amish markets, and farmers markets etc. One view is that the origins of the Whoopie lie in medieval Germany, and when the Amish settled in Pennsylvania in the nineteenth century, they brought the Whoopie with them. Another unproven notion is that the Amish women baked leftover cake mixture and put the resulting pies in their husbands and children's lunch boxes, on later opening their lunches and finding the goodies, the latter shouted
"Whoopie" for joy.  - Susanna Tee

There is a big thing happening with stores opening now selling purely Whoopie Pies of all colours, flavours and shapes and sizes, and you can literally come up with any one you like they are that easy.

Stayed tuned for the pictures of todays Strawberry Whoopies and the recipe...