Perfect Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe

This is one of my all time favorite recipes.  I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this fudge and be-warned, once you make this there is no going back, you will forever be a slave to the salty, sweet scrumptiousness that is peanut butter fudge.

Candy making is, for me at least, the height of kitchen alchemy and although some people may be a little wary of making confectionery, it really is very simple.  The only risk here is burning the fudge, so follow the instructions to the letter and don't let the temperature reach 115C.  I always take my fudge of the heat around 110C  and never trust my candy thermometer totally, they lie, so keep checking to see if the mixture has reached soft ball stage, around 112C (235F).

Hope & Greenwood's Life is Sweet is a glorious little book and I highly recommend it, I've put an amazon link below.  The authors funny little comments have me in stitches, the photographs are stunning and the recipes, utterly unbelievable.  The raspberry marshmallows will have you liking your fingers clean and with other scrumptious recipes like strawberry shortcake truffles, sticky toffee truffles, buttered Brazil's and pecan pie chunks, you will be in sweetie heaven.

I'm using this fudge as my advent calendar candy but I've set some aside for some peanut butter fudge cupcakes later in the week, it is Christmas after all.

Peanut Butter Fudge - Hope and Greenwood - Life is Sweet

'I love peanut butter; I can't get enough of it.  It is exceptional in a bacon sandwich or as a face mask, and is beyond my wildest nut fantasies when added to this creamy fudge.  I am informed that my American chums eat 3 pounds of peanut butter per person every year; apparently that's enough to cover the floor of the Grand Canyon.  Now that would make your wellies sticky'.

Makes about 25-30

squares of salty joy

Takes 30 minutes to make;

 a couple of hours to set.

500g caster sugar

340ml evaporated milk

2 tbsp double cream

100g butter

2 large rounded tbsp of

crunchy peanut butter

• Line a 20cm (8in) square baking tin, 4cm (11/2in) deep, with baking parchment.
• Place the sugar, evaporated milk, double cream and butter into a deep, heavy bottomed pan over a gentle heat.  Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved - this takes about 5 minutes.
• Turn up the heat to medium, place your sugar thermometer in the pan and bring the mixture to the boil - it will double in size, so put the cat in a safe place.
• Bring the mixture up to 100C (215 F), stirring occasionally, then lower the heat to a gentle boil.  Boil for a further 10 minutes, but take care when the thermometer reaches 115 C (240F), as at this point the mixture burns easily.  Remove from the heat.  (I always take mine of the heat at 110C, you can drop a little of the mixture in cold water, if it forms a soft ball it's ready to beat).
• Using an electric hand whisk or food processor, or indeed a wooden spoon, beat the mixture for 10 minutes and then add the peanut butter.  Beat for a further 15 minutes or until the mixture looses its shine, thickens up and starts to appear grainy.  Pour into the prepared tin.
• Set aside to cool.  After about 1 hour, score the surface into rough squares with a knife.  Once cold and firm, break into squares.

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Perfect Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe

Buttercream Bakery Christmas Teddy Bear Cupcakes

Christmas is officially around the corner, the Christmas baking starts tomorrow with Peanut Butter Fudge, a Fudge so unbelievably delicious I only allow myself to make it during the holidays, this is mainly because I'd happily eat a whole batch and then make some more for afters.

I delivered these gorgeous little Christmas teddy bear cupcakes yesterday, I made what I would call mini and medium sized bears in teddy bear brown and gave them all pink Santa hats.  When I make bears I always try to make sure each one is a little different, this isn't difficult I find it much harder to make toppers utterly identical, I like it when each little bear or character has a personality all of their very own.

I've been so busy recently, I even missed this months Mac Tweet and I was really looking forward to the fall theme.  I'm determined to enjoy December no matter how manic it may be, even if I have to make Fudge at midnight I'm still making it!

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Buttercream Bakery Christmas Teddy Bear Cupcakes

Buttercream Bakery - Toy Story 3 Lots-O-Huggin' Strawberry Bear Cupcakes

For those of you who don't know Lots-O-Huggin' bear or Lotso is a new character in the latest Toy Story movie, Toy Story 3 I believe.  I haven't had the pleasure of seeing the film but I've done my research and I hear Lotso is a strawberry scented show stopper, who becomes mean and evil if he is not given enough love and attention.

This is Lotso...

Ain't he cute?  I love a grumpy bear and the kids are crazy about him so I knew I'd be making Lotso Cuppies some time soon.

 Evil Lotso is awesome and I think the whole concept is pretty hysterical, I absolutely loved making these guys.

 These toppers came out really well, I thought about doing a shaggy look but in the end decided to keep the bears smooth, I love his evil little eyebrows and mean smirk.

 

They're made entirely out of fondant and as always I haven't used any supports, nobody wants a piece of dry spaghetti with their cupcake.

Have an amazing weekend and you'd better remember to cuddle your teddy bears or else they might turn against you...

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Buttercream Bakery - Toy Story 3 Lots-O-Huggin' Strawberry Bear Cupcakes

Magnolia Bakery Autumnal Maple Layer Cake With Fluffy Maple Frosting Recipe

I hope you all had an absolutely wonderful Thanksgiving, I did and this cake was one of the highlights, it's warming, sweet and deliciously flavourful, the cake is quite dense but not at all heavy and I'm really pleased I decided to make this beauty.

This glorious cake not only features in The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook but also in Nigella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess.  Magnolia call it a maple walnut layer cake with fluffy maple frosting, Nigella calls it an autumnal birthday cake and uses pecans to decorate instead of walnuts.  I omitted the nuts completely as not everyone was a fan.

The only difference between Nigella's version and Magnolia's version, is that Magnolia add a little ground ginger.  It took me forever to decide whether to include it or not but in the end I went with Magnolia, the ginger added a subtle warmth that I adored.  It slightly irritated me that Nigella claimed this as an adapted recipe as leaving out the ginger was her only adaptation, I love Nigella but I think it's a little naughty.

This cake tasted as unbelievable as it looks, the maple flavour is utterly sublime and I adored this marshmallowy, melt in the mouth fluffy frosting.  As this was one of my Thanksgiving desserts I decided to add the pumpkins at the last minute, I think they look adorable.

Maple Layer Cake With Fluffy Maple Frosting - The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

3 3/4 cups self-rising flour

1/2 teaspoon ginger

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup

3/4 cup hot water

Frosting:

2 egg whites

1/2 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon maple extract

Garnish:

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and lightly flour two 9x2-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.

To make the cake: In a large bowl, sift together the flour and the ginger and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and the sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until well combined. Beat in the maple syrup gradually. Add the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the water, beating after each addition until smooth. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean.

Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.

To make the frosting: In the top of a double boiler, combine first five ingredients. Cook over boiling water, beating constantly on the medium-high speed of an electric mixer, until mixture stands in peaks (about 5-7 minutes). Remove the pot from heat. Add the vanilla and the maple extracts and continue beating 1 minute more until thick enough to spread.

When cake has cooled, ice between the layers. Sprinkle about 1/3 cup chopped walnuts over the frosting. Then ice top and sides of cake, sprinkling the top with the remaining chopped walnuts.

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Magnolia Bakery Autumnal Maple Layer Cake With Fluffy Maple Frosting Recipe

Buttercream Bakery Leather Bound Book Cupcakes

These little fondant books were so simple to make but I think they're brilliant, my sister, who is an obsessive reader, would utterly adore them.

The cupcakes are Devil's Food Cake with Vanilla Buttercream piped in fat round swirls, I think the colours of the little book toppers are spot on and they really do have a leathery quality.

That's it for cupcakes for now, this week I'm making macarons, pie, crumble and of course cake.

x x x

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Buttercream Bakery Leather Bound Book Cupcakes

Buttercream Bakery Cupcakes, Cupcakes & More Cupcakes

It's time for another rather large cupcake post, these cupcakes are a random selection of last weekends bespoke batches.  I love the chocolate puppy above, he is a cutie and I love how he sits atop the cupcake.

The above and below cupcakes are both Vanilla Vanilla and I love the simplicity of both.  I do like to top a cupcake with another cupcake and both the red and pink heart shaped sprinkles look lovely, we use tons of them all year round.

I made blue race car toppers a couple of weeks ago and said at the time I wanted to make them in red, these were slightly smaller than the previous ones which I prefer.

I do love a teddy bear topper and I love the padded pink paws of this one, I have a habit of making rather pudgy teddy bears but this one is rather slender.

We've had cookie monster and now it's Elmo's turn, I have to say I adore cookie monster and always will but laughing Elmo is adorable too. 

Who is your favourite?

x x x

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Buttercream Bakery Cupcakes, Cupcakes & More Cupcakes

Delicious French Toast Cupcake Recipe

I love these French Toast Cupcakes, they smell and taste mouthwateringly delicious, they're cinnamony, eggy, buttery bites of heaven and I can't recommend them enough.  These delicious cupcakes are perfect if you have family over this week, they're sure to be a hit with both adults and children.  They're not overly sweet but perfectly so, even with the luscious frosting, they are warming and homely and perfect for this time of year.

This recipe is from another gorgeous cupcake book Eat Me!: The Stupendous, Self-Raising World of Cupcakes and Bakes According to Cookie Girl.  The cupcakes and cookies in this book look gorgeous and if this recipe is anything to go by they will taste gorgeous too. 

I can't wait to try the strawberry crumb cupcakes, chocolate frosted toffee cupcakes, toffee apple cupcakes, pumpkin marshmallow cookies and the white Christmas cupcakes.

The book is whimsical and beautiful, although the photographs of the author dressed as various fairytale princess may slightly irritate some, no one can deny this book makes home baking look delightfully magical and makes you want to plan a fairytale tea party immediately.

French Toast Cupcakes

Recipe from - Eat Me!: The Stupendous, Self-Raising World of Cupcakes and Bakes According to Cookie Girl

Makes 12.

170 g/6 oz plain flour

1 & 1⁄2 tsp baking powder

1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon

1⁄4 tsp salt

110 g/4 oz unsalted butter

225 g/8 oz granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp maple syrup

50 ml/2 fl oz milk

For the icing

110 g/4 oz unsalted butter, room temperature

110 g/4 oz cream cheese, room temperature

450 g/1 lb icing sugar, sifted 1⁄4 tsp cinnamon brown food colouring

(optional) sprinkles to decorate

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F/Gas 4. Line a 12-hole non- stick muffin tray with paper cases.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into a bowl. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs together, then add the melted butter. Mix the vanilla, maple syrup and milk in a separate bowl or jug.

4. Now stir the flour mixture into the sugar, eggs and butter, followed by the milk mixture. Beat until everything is well combined.

5. Divide the mixture between the paper cases so that each is about three-quarters full. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Check with a skewer – it should come out clean if the cakes are cooked. Remove the cakes from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool.

6. Meanwhile, make the icing. Using an electric whisk, mix the butter and cream cheese. Add the icing sugar, a third at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add the cinnamon with the last of the icing sugar. Add a dot or two of food colouring if you like.

7. Using a piping bag with a straight- edged nozzle, pipe icing onto the cakes, working from the outside into a peak in the centre. Decorate with sprinkles – I like to use gingerbread men.

 

Enjoy! And yes, it is totally acceptable to eat three of these for breakfast, it is the holidays after all. x



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Delicious French Toast Cupcake Recipe

Adorable Thanksgiving Cupcakes

The menu is planned, the table setting has been decided, Thanksgiving cooking and baking starts on Monday and I can't wait.  In my house ever occasion calls for cupcakes and these adorable mini fondant dessert topped cupcakes are a simple yet adorable idea for Thanksgiving.

I've topped the cupcakes with pumpkin pie slices, chocolate cream pie slices and slices of chocolate cake, all of which are modelled out of fondant.  I have also used chocolate sprinkles and mini gingerbread men sprinkles which I adore.

Has anyone else realised how close Christmas is? I need to get making the advent calendar candy sharpish and I can't wait to pull out the decorations next week!

Hope you all have a simply perfect weekend.

x x x

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Adorable Thanksgiving Cupcakes

Buttercream Bakery Gun & Grenade Cupcakes

When I first set up the bakery I knew I didn't want to make the same twee, cutesy cupcakes that were readily available locally.  Don't get me wrong, I love a pretty cupcake as much as the next girl but thanks to my unique and creative clients I have been able to make some of the most badass and amazingly unique cupcakes I could ever have imagined. 

These gun and grenade topped cupcakes definitely fall into the badass cupcake category and they are almost certainly my favourite cupcakes of the week.

I make more cupcakes for girls than guys so it makes a nice change to make something with a more masculine design.  Although both very detailed, the guns and grenade toppers were relatively simple to make, I think I prefer the rough and ready look of the chocolate cupcakes to the neater, piped vanilla.

Have a lovely weekend everyone and remember boys love cupcakes too.

x x x

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Buttercream Bakery Gun & Grenade Cupcakes

Buttercream Bakery 'Love Sprinkles' Cupcakes

My love of sprinkles is no secret and these 'love sprinkles' cupcakes are a dream come true for an addict like me. Shame I didn't even get one!

Note to self: When making sprinkle dipped cupcakes, make extras.



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Buttercream Bakery 'Love Sprinkles' Cupcakes

Buttercream Bakery Ice Cream Sundae Cupcakes

These Ice Cream Sundae style cupcakes just scream scrumptious.

 I love the drizzled chocolate look and although glace cherries may be seen (by some), as a little 70s and outdated I still have a huge soft spot for them because they remind me of being little and eating ice cream sundaes of course.

Crushed nuts would be a lovely addition to these cupcakes. 

Yum Yum Yum

x x x

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Buttercream Bakery Ice Cream Sundae Cupcakes

Love Bakery Greek Yogurt & Honey Cupcake Recipe

The Love Bakery cupcake book is a new addition to my collection, it's a lovely book, packed full of pictures and recipes for both traditional cupcake flavours like vanilla, chocolate and mocha and some more unusual cupcake recipes, like raspberry and coconut, rhubarb and custard and toffee apple.

I was drawn to this recipe for Greek Yogurt & Honey Cupcakes immediately, the actual cake was perfect, utterly delicious with a gorgeous texture and lovely honey flavour, although not like a traditional honey cake which is much stickier.  This cake wipes the floor with anything and everything from the Hummingbird Bakery book which I know is a favourite of many peoples.  I can't wait to try out some more recipes, the cuptails (cocktail cupcakes) are calling to me.

My icing however was not perfect, the more icing sugar I added the soupier it got and I new this couldn't be right as the recipe suggests you may want to pipe the frosting onto the cakes.  I put the frosting in the fridge for about an hour and it came to a somewhat spreadable, or dollop-able consistency.  Maybe it was the yogurt I used, (thick, strained Greek yogurt)?

The frosting was still very nice but much sweeter than expected and lacked the yogurt flavour I was hoping for, I think the sugar killed it...I'm going to work on my own Greek yogurt frosting because I love the idea.

Greek Yogurt & Honey Cupcakes - Love Bakery, Cupcakes from the Heart

 by Samantha Blears

Makes 12

For the Cakes:

125g unsalted butter, at room temperature

125g caster sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp clear honey

2 eggs, at room temperature

125g self-raising flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp semi-skimmed milk

To make the cakes:

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and line the holes of your muffin tin with muffin cases.

Add the butter, caster sugar, vanilla extract and honey to the bowl of an electric mixer and cream together for 7 minutes, or until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time and mix for two minutes.

Mix the flour and baking powder together in a separate bowl, then add to the mixer and mix until incorporated.  Add the milk and mix for a further minute.

Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cases.  Bake for 25 minutes.

Remove the baked cupcakes from the oven and immediately transfer to a wire rack.  Leave to cool.

For the Frosting:

50g unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 tbsp Greek Yogurt

1 tsp lemon juice

380g icing sugar, sifted

To make the frosting:

Cream the butter, yogurt and lemon juice together in the mixer for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add the icing sugar, a tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition until completely smooth.  Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For the Love:

85g best quality strawberry jam

To add the love:

Top the cupcakes with frosting, either by piping or spreading with a palette knife and then add a teaspoonful of jam to each.

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Love Bakery Greek Yogurt & Honey Cupcake Recipe

Buttercream Bakery Musical Cupcakes

Another day and another cupcake post.

The toppers are dark chocolate and are handmade using chocolate transfers, which I love, they always look fantastic, they're simple and subtle, they don't distract from the cake itself and I always think they're terribly grown up and sophisticated.

Nest post will be a recipe I promise, although it is a cupcake recipe...hee hee : )

x x x

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Buttercream Bakery Musical Cupcakes

Buttercream Bakery Tuxedo Cupcakes

I love these cupcakes, they're terribly chic and I adore the simple colour combination which works perfectly.  These toppers were really simple to make too so I may do a tuxedo topper tutorial for you lovely lot soon.

I do keep meaning to do more tutorials so if there is anything in particular you would like me to cover I would be more than happy to help so just ask.  Christmas cake toppers maybe?

I think I'm going to make lots of mini Xmas cakes rather than one large one, that way I can make lots of different designs.  I can't decide whether to make a Gingerbread House this year, I missed Gingerbread House Day on the 13th November as I was just too busy, but if I can would like to fit one in.  Maybe just a mini one...

x x x

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Buttercream Bakery Tuxedo Cupcakes

Buttercream Bakery Christmas Cupcakes

It's no secret that I'm crazy for Christmas and I love making Christmas themed cupcakes more than any other cupcake, they just make me happy.  The fact that I start planning my Christmas cupcake designs a few months in advance means that I'm full of Christmas spirit the second Halloween finishes, which I know for some can be more than a little irritating.  I am however totally unapologetic and am adamant that we must all try and prolong this joyous time of year as much as possible.

Every year I try desperately to persuade hubby to let me put the decorations up a bit earlier but he's having none of it and insists the tree goes up on the 1st December and not a second before.  Such a meanie!

Last week I've made Rudolf cupcakes, Christmas Tree cupcakes and these adorable winter hedgehogs and penguins.  I think the penguins were my favourites, I love her little rosie cheeks and pink Santa hat.

x x x

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Buttercream Bakery Christmas Cupcakes

Buttercream Bakery Donut Teddy Cupcakes

These were some of my favourite cupcakes of the week, I got the idea for this batch from an amazing Hello Kitty cake I saw online.  Donut Teddy is 100% fondant with no internal supports and I was really pleased with how he came out, the rest of the batch were topped with jumbo sprinkles and fondant donuts.

I love jumbo sprinkles!

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Buttercream Bakery Donut Teddy Cupcakes

Buttercream Bakery Creatures, Characters & Animals

It's cupcake time again and there have been some cuties this week, this is the first of a few posts but how could I not start with these random little creatures, characters & animals?

I love the little googly eyed creature above, he has become a Buttercream Bakery mascot of sorts and always makes me smile.  I make him often and even brought one home to live in my kitchen.

Chocolate Fondant Puppy

Sock Monkey Cupcake

Sock Monkey is super cute and I can't wait to make a girl sock monkey with a red bow and eyelashes.  I love how this little guy looks like he's laughing so hard he has to clutch his belly.

Chocolate Fondant Elephants

The elephants are proving really popular and I'd love to make some little baby pink or baby blue ones for a baby shower batch.

x x x

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Buttercream Bakery Creatures, Characters & Animals