Gluten Free Cinnamon Cupcakes

I originally did this just before Christmas as I love cinnamon and it just feels so christmassy to me. I've done slight variations like cinnamon and ginger so feel free to add some ginger as well but I thought I'd just give you the basic recipe. I have stated these as gluten free but it's not difficult to change that to normal flour if you don't want to make them gluten free. Decorate as you wish but I tend to use a cinnamon or ginger (or both!) butter cream.

Ingredients:

180g Gluten-free Self-raising Flour
180g Butter or Margarine
180g Demerara Sugar
4 Eggs
1 tsp of Cinnamon (and or 1 tsp of ginger)
1 tsp of Gluten-free baking powder

For the icing:
100g Butter
200g Icing Sugar
1 tsp of Cinnamon (or 1tsp of ginger)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°c or Gas Mark 5.
2. Cream the butter and the sugar together, it won't be as using caster sugar but the brown sugar caramelises well with the cinnamon.
4. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl and mix really well because gluten free needs help to rise. (I sometimes even separate the eggs and whisk them, the egg whites really help it to rise.)
5. Weigh the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir together.
6. Then about a quarter of the eggs to the butter and sugar. Beat together and add some flour if the mixture starts to curdle. Keep doing this until all the egg is combined with the butter and sugar.
7. Slowly add the flour and fold in with a large metal spoon so not to overwork the gluten, this will help your cupcakes rise.
8. Spoon the mixture into cupcake cases, try and get them all level.
9. Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes depending on how hot your oven gets and how big your cases are.
10. Leave to cool before decorating.

11. For the icing beat the ingredients together until smooth then either spread or pipe the icing on to your cakes.

- Emma xxx

Cupcakes

This is a simple recipe for one of my favourite things to bake (and eat!) I love to decorate them and I always think they look really pretty. Anyway, this is just a simple but full-proof recipe for cupcakes. Either vanilla or chocolate ones. Really easy to bake and then you can have lots of fun decorating them, they work for birthdays, holidays or just because. Makes 12 -18 depending on how big your muffin cases are.

Ingredients:

200g Butter or Margarine
200g Caster (Golden) Sugar
200g Self-raising flour
4 eggs
Pinch of Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Vanilla extract

For the chocolate version have 180g of self-raising flour and between 20-40g of cocoa powder depending on how chocolatey you want them.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°c or Gas Mark 5.
2. Cream butter and sugar together.
3. Whisk eggs in a separate bowl to get lots of air in.
4. Weigh all the dry ingredients in another bowl and mix together.
5. Add the vanilla extract to the butter and sugar then about a quarter of the eggs. Beat together and add some flour if the mixture starts to curdle. Keep doing this until all the egg is combined with the butter and sugar.
6. Slowly add the flour and fold in with a large metal spoon so not to overwork the gluten, this will help your cupcakes rise.
7. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, a little over half way to account for rising. Try and make sure they're all level so you can achieve a nice effect when they're displayed.
8. Bake for between 15 - 20 minutes depending on how big your cupcakes are.
9. Leave to cool completely before decorating otherwise your hard work will just melt!

Display your cupcakes in a fun way, my favourite is a stand that my mum got us and they just look fantastic.

- Emma xxx

Shortbread

This is a recipe for simple shortbread. This mix usually makes 2 ten inch rounds of shortbread. Add anything you like but I like it plain.

However! (My new favourite ingredient) Chocolate Phillidelphia is lovely spread on the top.

Ingredients:

100g Caster Sugar
200g Cold Butter
300g Plain Flour

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160°c or Gas Mark 4.
2. Dice the butter and place in a bowl.
3. Rub the flour into the butter with your fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs.
4. Stir in the caster sugar but don't overwork it and don't squish it together, let it resemble crumbs.
5. Add any other ingredients at this point like currants or chocolate chips.
6. Put half the mixture in each round tin (or whatever you want to use) Don't pat down too much but smooth it out. Then pat down around the edges.
7. Sprinkle some extra caster sugar on top of each round before putting in the oven.
8. Bake in the oven for about 30-35 minutes until it just starts to brown.
9. Remove from the oven and leave to cool before cutting up.

- Emma xxx