Mike's Baking on Channel 4

Check me out on Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard!

Muffin Mondays

Check out all the yummy Muffin Monday recipes.

Take the challenge: Live Below The Line

I am taking the challenge and going to Live Below The Line from May 7th - 11th. Join me!

CAKE!

Check out the yummy cake recipes!

Cupcakes!

Check out all the yummy cupcakes!

New Addition to the Family: Mickey

Here is the newest addition to our family, Mickey!! We have had him for about a month now and he is settling in very well. I want to make some pupcakes for the pups and found this recipe. It sounds pretty good for them but wanted to see if anyone out there has a recipe that they have tried out or could recommend.


Mickey showing off!

Test Kitchen: Frosting Part 2

I originally posted some different styles of frosting back in July. Here are 2 new ones I tried the other day.
Which one do you like?

National Cupcake Week: Very Chocolatey Cupcakes with Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting

So, I finally got a chance to make some cupcakes this week. Wish I could have made some everyday for National Cupcake Week but I have been too busy! My friend from work, Becca, is moving to Australia and she had a leaving party last night. I wanted to make some cupcakes for her so I quickly whipped up 24 very chocolatey cupcakes with marshmallow buttercream frosting. I used the Hummingbird Bakery basic chocolate cupcake recipe but the batteries died on my scale as I was measuring the cocoa powder, so I have no idea how much cocoa I actually put in the cupcakes! It was more then the recipe called for, hence the new name very chocolatey cupcakes. I also tweaked the buttercream frosting recipe. The cupcake recipe can be found in the Hummingbird Bakery: Cake Days book, it is full of lovely and tasty recipes! Here is my recipe for the marshmallow buttercream frosting.

Recipe
Inspired by Hummingbird Bakery
Ingredients:
500g icing sugar
160g unsalted butter
2Tbs whole milk
1Tbs marshmallow syrup
1/2tsp vanilla extract

Steps:
  1. Put all ingredients into a large mixing bowl except the icing sugar. 
  2. Slowly add in the icing sugar in 3 batches, mix in very well! 
  3. Ready to frost 12 cupcakes.








Blueberry Muffins with Yoghurt Icing


I was sent a lovely package from www.mybakes.co.uk a few weeks ago and I have been wanting to try out the items ever since. Today, I decided to bake Blueberry Muffins and use the Simply Melt Yoghurt Buttons sent to me. On the back of the package was a recipe for Blueberry Muffins and I thought I would try that out too. So, are you wondering what I thought of the yoghurt buttons?! They made a lovely icing for the muffins, great flavour and a nice addition to blueberry muffins. The recipe for the blueberry muffins was very good as well. I will definitely be using this recipe and the yoghurt buttons again, just need to find a place that sells them! I think they might just have to send me some more, until I can find them locally. If you see them in your local shop, you should definitely give them a try. Or in the mean time, if anyone has a yummy yoghurt icing recipe to send me, I would love to try it out.
Recipe 
Inspired by mybakes.co.uk 
Ingredients:
2 eggs
240ml milk
120ml sunflower oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200g granulated sugar
375g plain flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
175g blueberries
1 x Renshaw Yoghurt Simply Melt
Decorate with a few extra blueberries


Steps:
  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F
  2. Place the eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla extract and milk in a large mixing bowl and quickly beat together.
  3. In another bowl, thoroughly mix the flour, salt and baking powder.
  4. Add the dry ingredient mix to the liquid, and roughly mix it in - it does not have to be absolutely smooth.
  5. Stir in the blueberries.
  6. Fill a muffin tray with paper muffin cases, and then fill each case to near the top with the muffin mixture.
  7. Bake the muffins for 25 minutes.
  8. Allow the muffins to cool before decorating.
  9. Melt Yoghurt Simply Melt following the guide lines on the packet and drizzle over the cooled muffins.
This completes number 32 of My 100 list!

Steak Slice with Broccolini

This is my second favorite way to have steak and I wanted to share the recipe with you. It's nice and quick and the only way I will make mine. My favorite steaks are grilled by my Dad and I'm not even going to attempt that as they will be no where near as good as his grilling. Since I don't have a nice fancy grill like him, I use a grilling pan for my stove top and this recipe produces great steaks. This is my take on a Nigella Lawson recipe.

Recipe
Inspired by Nigella Express
Ingredients:
650g of 2.5cm thick Rump Steak
100ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Zest and Juice of 1 Lime
2 Cloves of Garlic, chopped
Good Handful of Coriander, chopped
2 Spring Onions, chopped
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
Salt and Pepper to your liking
200g Broccolini

Steps:
1. HEAT your grill pan to a very high heat. While it heats, cut away any fat from around the edge of the steak.

2. PREPARE the marinade for the steak, mix together the EVOO, lime zest/juice, garlic, and coriander  in a wide swallow dish.

3. GRILL the steak for two minutes on each side. Then place in the marinade for five minutes on each side. Juice the lemon into hot grill pan and let it bubble with the meat juices then pour over the marinating steaks. Season the steak with salt and pepper. Once you have marinated the steak, slice into thin strips.

4. STEAM the Broccolini for about 5-7 minutes. Once steamed, arrange on plate and put slice steak on top.

Yum!!

Rice BlogHop: Tiramisu Rice Pudding

Last month, I entered my Cake in a Mug to be part of a bloghop focused on cakes! My cake got quite a lot of "likes" and is now the most popular post on my blog. I was then emailed shortly after asking if I would like to participate co-hosting in the next bloghop, focused on rice. I wasn't sure to begin with as I had no idea what I would make with rice but with emails of encouragement from fellow bloggers and a good search on the net, I found a recipe! There are so many things you can make with rice, but I wanted to make something unique and that I have never heard of or had before. I came across a site with loads of all different rice recipes. I wanted to make a dessert so I had a browse and then I saw it... Tiramisu Rice Pudding! I had to make it. It is a really easy recipe to make and very yummy, quite a filling dessert and could easily serve 8 people. Enjoy with lots of whipped cream!



Recipe
Inspired by Riceland
Ingredients:
1 US cup uncooked long grain rice
2 1/2 US cups milk
1 Tbsp. instant coffee granules
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 US cups fresh whipping cream
2 Tbsp. icing sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 US cup marscarpone cheese
1/2 US cup sugar
2 Tbsp. coffee liqueur
Unsweetened cocoa powder




Steps:
  1. COMBINE in a medium sauce pan, the rice, milk, instant coffee, and salt. Stir occasionally until mixture has come to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Move to a large bowl, cover and refrigerate until chilled.
  2. WHIP 1 1/4 US cup of cream together with 1 tbsp icing sugar and 1/2 tsp almond extract, set aside. In another bowl, whip 1 1/4 US cup of cream together with 1 tbsp icing sugar and 1/2 vanilla extract, set aside.
  3. MIX together the chilled rice, almond whipped cream, marscarpone cheese, sugar, and coffee liqueur in a large serving bowl. Once thoroughly mixed together, cover with vanilla whipped cream. Sprinkle with cocoa powder. Cover and chill for at least an hour then serve.





Please join in on the #ricelove fun by linking up any rice recipe from the month of September.  Don't forget to link back to this post, so that your readers know to come stop by the #ricelove event. The twitter hashtag is #ricelove. Co-Hosted by: Baker Street, Bloc de Recetas, Bon a Croquer, Cafe Terra, Chef Pandita, The Daily Palette, Elephant Eats, Food Wanderings, Hobby and More, Knitstamatic, Mis Pensamientos, Simply Reem, The Professional Palate, The Queen's Notebook, The Spicy Rd.