Strawberry Cookies

I love cookies, whether they are chocolate chip, macadamia, oatmeal or many of the different varieties we can make or buy (I do prefer homemade, you just can't beat them)

Scroll down for The Recipe

And with a punnet of fresh strawberries on hand, I decided to make

Strawberry Cookies.

And they turned out wonderful, crispy around the outside, chewy in the middle, with the fresh burst of

Strawberry yumminess.

Strawberlicous!

I can't say whether the juice from the strawberries will soften the cookie on the second day

As in my home -- cookies NEVER last that long!

Go on... Bake some Strawberry Cookies.  You know you want to :)

I know they are the new favorite in our home, and what a better way to get my little girls

To eat fruit!

STRAWBERRY COOKIES

Adapted from, ButterBaking.com

Makes 24 cookies.

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 1/4 cup plain flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 punnet strawberries (250g, 9oz)
2 tbsp sugar

Preheat the oven to350 f and line 2 trays with baking paper.

Hull the strawberries and slice them. Mix them with the 2 tablespoons of sugar and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, white sugar and vanilla until smooth and combined.

Add the egg, beating well.

Turn the mixer off, add the flour, baking soda and salt, and beat on a low speed until just incorporated.

Pat the strawberries dry with paper towel and very gently, stir them into the mixture.

Drop tablespoons of the dough onto the baking trays, allowing room for spreading.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through baking, until the cookies are golden brown.

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Carrot Muffins With Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting.

Easter is only 2 days away!

And time to bake some carrot muffins.

The only thing that takes time making these are grating the carrots & chopping the walnuts!

 Unless you already have pre-grated carrots which cuts the time in half.

These are yummy and filling. 

And if you're like me, you'll be reaching for another dollop of cream cheese frosting

 To finish off that last bite or two of the muffin.

Here is what you will need to make Carrot Muffins. 

This is the original amount which makes 52.

Just half the amount of ingredients to make less.

(1 Cup = 8oz)

10 Cups Grated Carrots

1 1/2 Cups Coconut

1 Can Crushed Pineapple (250 grams)

1 Cup Chopped Walnuts

5 Cups Sugar

2 1/2 Cups Vegetable Oil

6 Eggs

2 Tablespoons Vanilla

2 Tablespoons Baking Soda (dissolved in 1 Tablespoon water)

10 Cups Flour

1 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt

Oven 350 - 375 deg ( 175 - 190 C)

HEAT THE OVEN.

Combine the grated carrots, chopped walnuts, coconut & pineapple

And mix well, set aside till later.

Mix the sugar and oil well, then add 1 egg at a time. 

Beating well in between each one. 

Mix the baking soda with the water 

Add the diluted baking soda & Vanilla Essence to the Sugar & oil mixture.

Beat well.

Next, add HALF of the flour, all of the cinnamon & salt.

Mix well

Now take the carrot mix and add the remaining FLOUR

AND

FOLD IN!

Don't over fold the flour in - Muffins are better if not mixed too much

After the flour has been added.

Divide the muffin mixture into your muffin or cupcake tins and bake for 20-25 minutes.

While the muffins are baking, you can make the,

 Cream Cheese Frosting.

2 packs of Cream Cheese (200 grams each)

3/4 Cup of Softened Butter

2 Teaspoons of Vanilla

Dash of All Spice

5 Cups of Powdered Sugar

1 1/2 Cups Marshmallow Fluff (which I forgot to take picture of)

Beat the butter till soft, then add the cream cheese

Beat well together.

Add the vanilla & all spice, and Beat again.

Add the powdered sugar slowly and mix well.

Now, add the marshmallow, beating well.

Till the frosting forms peaks.

Take out Muffins when they are cooked 

(Golden brown and toothpick comes out clean after being inserted into the muffin)

Leave to completely cool.

Once cooled, slice off the tops and cut the tops in half.

And set aside.

Fill the muffins with the cream cheese frosting.

Then pop back on the two halfs of the muffin slices and decorate with some Cadburys Mini Eggs 

And Easter sprinkles.

Enjoy!

CARROT MUFFINS

WITH 

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING.

See my Mini Sugar Cookie Nibbles

HERE

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Blackberry & Banana Cake

I picked up some large and juicy and delicious blackberries the other day. They sat on my counter begging to be used in something yummy, not that there already weren't yummy by themselves- because they were.

But, as you should know by now, I love to bake (my waistline groans in protest) LOL but I have to say, with me working out like a crazy mama and doing good with keeping my calories way- way under.

 So, those blackberries and some quite ripe banana's were going to be added into a cake. 

I used this recipe HERE although I omitted using the Cassis.

Here's what you will need:

Ingredients

Blackberry Filling

1 1/4  cups fresh blackberries (if frozen, thaw and drain well)

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

3 medium bananas (mashed)

1 cup sour cream

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Grease bottom and side of 10-inch tube cake pan with shortening and lightly flour.

In a small bowl, mix all the blackberry filling ingredients and set aside. 

Blend the Sugar and butter till smooth.

Then add 1 egg at a time and beat well.

Add the Spices and beat.

Until your mixture is soft, fluffy and creamy.

Add your mashed Bananas & mix. 

This next step you're going to add 1/3 flour, then 1/3 sour cream

 Until you finish with the flour lastly. Beat well.

I didn't have a bundt pan so I used a larger spring loaded pan.

I used half of the mixture in bottom.

Then add the Blackberry/ nut mixture over the mixture.

Then spoon over the remainder of the mixture. Pop in the oven for 50-60 minutes or until when a pick is inserted, comes out clean.

Leave to cool completely.

Once your cake has cooled you can make the glaze.

Go slow with the water till, you get the right consistency.

It will stick on the fork and still drizzle down

Drizzle all over the cake. Then, as i'm sure your tummy is grumbling with how yummy is looks and smells, cut yourself a slice and enjoy!

Blackberry & Banana Cake.

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