Chilli Lime Cupcakes - National Cupcake Week Part 2

How is your National Cupcake Week going?  I hope you have managed to bake or eat at least one cupcake this week, if not you still have time to get baking.  On Monday I shared Salted Caramel Apple Cupcakes with you and showed you the nifty gadget from OXO Good Grips for coring cupcakes, today I invite you to get your teeth into these gloriously festive Chilli Lime Cupcakes.


These cupcakes are also cored and then filled with Chilli Lime and Ginger jam (mild) made by my friend Sheena at Galloway Chillies.  If you haven't tried Galloway Chillies Jams then you don't know what you are missing and you should get some ordered up immediately so you too can 'spread a little wildfire'.


As soon as I saw this flavoured icing sugar from Sugar and Crumbs I knew I had to have some and that it would pair perfectly with the Galloway Chillies jam.


Chilli Lime Cupcakes

For the cupcakes
125g caster sugar
125g soft butter
2 eggs
grated zest of a lime
2 tsp squeezed lime juice
150g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder

For the filling
1 tsp Galloway Chillies, Chilli Lime Ginger Jam (mild)

For the Icing
75g soft butter
150g Sugar and Crumbs Chilli Lime Icing Sugar
grated zest of  1/2 lime
1tbsp lime juice

To decorate
grated zest of 1/2 lime
Red cake sprinkles (or if you are really into chilli, finely chopped fresh chilli)

Using a stand mixer beat the sugar and butter together, then add the eggs one at a time, finally add the lime juice and beat the mixture for about 3 minutes until it is light and fluffy.  Sift the flour and baking powder into the butter mixture and beat until incorporated, fold in the grated lime zest.   Spoon the mixture into eight paper case.  Heat the oven to 180C, bake for 20 -25 minutes until golden and when pressed on the top they feel firm.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Once cooled, core the cupcakes and fill with a teaspoon of the Chilli Lime and Ginger Jam. Cut the core in half and replace in the hole to cover the jam.

For the Icing
Beat the butter for a few minutes until light and fluffy, sift in the icing sugar, add the lime juice and zest and beat for a further few minutes until the sugar and butter is combined.  Spread the icing over the top of the cupcakes.

Decorate with grated zest of lime and red sprinkles or finely chopped chilli.

These cupcakes are such a treat, the lime cuts through the sweetness of the jam and icing making the cupcakes taste really fresh and delicious.



I'm entering them for Treat Petite the baking challenge for individual sweet treats run by Mr Cakeyboi and The Baking Explorer - the theme is 'Anything Goes'.


I was provided with the cupcake corer and icing spatula by OXO Good Grips and the Flavoured Icing Sugar by Sugar and Crumbs.  I was not paid for this review and all opinions are my own.

Labels: chilli, cupcakes, lime, National Cupcake Week, OXO Good Grips, Sugar and Crumbs

posted by Janice @ 06:30 5 Comments

Baked Rum Bananas for No Waste Food Challenge

I'm hosting the No Waste Food Challenge this month.  This challenge is all about using every bit of food that you buy, it was started by Kate of Turquoise Lemons, and is now in the capable hands of Elizabeth at Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary.

You are free to share any recipe which uses up any ingredients which otherwise might have gone to waste. Tell us how you salvaged that stale bread, spotty mushy brown bananas, those softening vegetables in the bottom of the fridge.  Elizabeth has also set up a Pinterest board, to which all entries will be added.

I did have some of those spotty bananas, it doesn't happen often and usually I use them to make banana bread or muffins.  However, I didn't have time to do that, so I thought they would make a simple and delicious dessert.  I also had half a lime in the fridge and a small quantity of rum in the bottom of a miniature bottle.

Baked Rum Bananas
4 bananas
30g butter
2 tbsp soft light brown sugar
1 tbsp rum (or orange juice)
zest and juice of half a lime

1. Heat the oven to 220C/Gas 7.
2. Slice the bananas lengthways and place in an oven proof dish.
3. Sprinkle over the lime zest and pour over the rum and lime juice.
4. Dot the butter over the bananas and cover with the sugar.
5. Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until brown and bubbling.
6. Serve with greek yogurt, cream or icecream.

I'm not usually a huge fan of baked bananas as they are often too sweet for my liking, however the lime zest and juice really cuts through the sweetness and we all really enjoyed the Baked Rum Bananas.

Challenge Conditions:

What will you make for the No Waste Food Challenge?



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Labels: Baked, Bananas, lime, No Waste Food Challenge, rum

posted by Janice @ 20:55 3 Comments

Beef, Roasted Red Pepper and Lime Burgers - Review and Giveaway

The classic hamburger has gone from relatively humble beginnings to become an enduring symbol of fast food culture.  I remember when my Mum first visited the USA, Dad had been going on business since the late 60s, but it was the mid-70s before my Mum went and she came back having eaten homemade burgers, made only with beef and we never ate a manufactured burger again!

Burgers and sliders by Miranda Ballard is a slim volume packed with 30 gourmet recipes for full-on fat burgers and their mini cousins, the slider!

The Muddy Boots Story tells how Miranda and her husband set up their company making quality burgers using top cuts of the finest ethically farmed beef.

Making, Shaping and Cooking gives helpful hints on how to create and cook successful burgers.

Classic Beef includes The Ultimate restaurant burger, Italian burger with olives, sun dried tomatoes and pesto, Chilli Con Carne burger wrapped in grilled courgette slices, Beef, roasted red pepper & lime burger with creme fraiche and lambs lettuce (see recipe below), Beef and Black Bean Sliders and Spicy Beef and Pork Sliders with ginger and lime.

More Meat  includes Big Breakfast Burger with a portobello mushroom and a fried egg, Pork and Antipasti Burger with lemon mayo, Pork and Apple sliders with caramelised apple slices, Indian-style Lamb Sliders with Minted Yogurt & Mango Chutney.

Other Ideas includes Fish Pie Burger with Capers and Tartare Sauce, Cheesy Root Vegetable Burger with Mustard Mayo, Chicken Caesar Sliders, Christmas Canape sliders with cranberry sauce and Camembert.

Sauces and Sides including Homemade Fries, Mustard Mayo, Herb Mayo, Pesto Mayo, Homemade Tomato Ketchup and Classic and Sour Cream Coleslaw's.

These are a selection of the recipes in the book but  by no means all of them.

Beef, Roasted Red Pepper and Lime Burger
Makes 2
For the Burgers
1/2 red (bell) pepper, deseeded and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
200g/7oz lean minced ground beef
2 tsp paprika
freshly grated zest of 1/2 a lime
3 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 tbsp beaten egg
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve
2 seeded wholemeal/wholewheat bread rolls (optional)
a handful of lamb's lettuce/corn salad leaves, chopped
creme fraiche/sour cream
lime wedges, for squeezing

Pre-heat the grill/broiler to high.
Drizzle the pepper pieces with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Put them on a baking sheet and cook under the grill/broiler for 8-10 minutes, shaking regularly to brown evenly.  Remove form the grill/briler and set aside to cool.
Put the beef in a bowl with the paprika, lime zest, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic and salt and pepper.  Add the roasted pepper pieces and work together with your hands until evenly mixed.  Divide the beef mixture in half and shape into tow burger patties.  Press each burger down to make them nice and flat.
Put the burgers on a baking sheet and grill/broil for 5 minutes on each side until cooked through.
Slice the bread rolls in half, if using., and put a few lamb's lettuce/corn salad leaves on the bottom half of each bread roll.  Add the cooked burgers and top with a large spoonful of creme fraiche/sourcream.  Finish the burgers with the lids of the bread rolls, if using and serve with lime wedges, for squeezing.

The Verdict
The burgers had a really nice texture, they cooked through well, both under the grill, and also when fried.  They have a good flavour with the smokiness of the roasted peppers and paprika (I used smoked paprika) giving a barbequed flavour without a barbeque!

Who is it for?
Anyone who likes burgers and wants to try making their own, or who wants some inspiration as to how to make their burgers more exciting.  This is a go-to book for barbeques and family meals.  I think a lot of the mixtures would also make great meatballs.

Pros
Specialises in one type of dish, so you know what you are getting, nice big pictures (you know how much I like a good picture!) and the recipes are well laid out.

Cons
Not a lot of veggie options.

Worth Buying?
Yes, if you make a lot of burgers. Good to give as a gift to an adventurous BBQ King or Queen.


I have one copy of Burgers and Sliders by Miranda Ballard to giveaway to one lucky winner.  Just follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter widget below.  The giveaway ends on 31st August 2013.


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 Here is a second serving of the same burgers (I made extra burgers and froze half, then thawed overnight and fried up quickly for a mid-week supper).  This time I served them with some potato wedges and added some of the fabulous Sweet Cucumber Pickle I made at the weekend.  The recipe is an exclusive on Farmersgirl Kitchen Facebook page.  Like the page to access the recipe.
 
Burgers and Sliders by Miranda Ballard is published by Ryland Peters & Small at £9.99 and is available from www.rylandpeters.com

Labels: barbeque, BBQ, Burgers, giveaway, lime, Miranda Ballard, Muddy Boots, red pepper, Ryland Peters, Sliders, win

posted by Janice @ 07:00 16 Comments

Chocolate Lime Ice Cream

I used this excellent Trigger Ice Cream Scoop from Oxo Good Grips to serve up my ice cream.  I have three ice cream scoops, none of which have ever been terribly satisfactory, but this one scoops like a dream and the trigger action deposits the ice cream into your dish in a neat ball, it also goes in the dish washer which is a real bonus.
 The Chocolate Lime Curd ice cream was very creamy but the sharp lime flavour cut through the richness and the little nuggets of dark chocolate really did make it taste like those Chocolate Lime sweets from my childhood.


I'm adding this post to the Fab First Fridays linky at London Unattached, a blog event to share your favourite post of the month. 


Many thanks to Claire for the Mackays Lime Curd and to Cherelle and Oxo Good Grips for providing the Trigger Ice Cream Scoop for review.  I was not paid for this review and my opinions are my own.

Labels: chocolate, cream, ice cream, lime, Mackays, OXO Good Grips, Trigger Ice Cream Scoop, We should Cocoa

posted by Janice @ 20:37 17 Comments

Introducing Cocoa Boutique!

Do you like chocolate?  Daft question, I know, most of us like chocolate a little too much but often I find that boxes of chocolates are a little disappointing.  The chocolate is not always good quality and the centres are either very samey or sickly sweet.  So I was delighted when I was approached by Cocoa Boutique to review their luxury artisan chocolate selection.

All of the chocolates are hand made by award winning Master Chocolatiers such as; Barry Colenso, Pierre Ledent and Claire Hicklin to name but a few. Plus there’s a few hidden gems in each box from up and coming British chocolatiers to stretch your taste buds and give you a truly artisan experience.

Here is what Cocoa Boutique promise:

• No mass production - quality instead of quantity
• Super fresh - handpicked within days of delivery
• Fine ingredients - using high quality cocoa beans
• Signature creations - from Master Chocolatiers
• Handmade chocolates - in every single box

The Cocoa Boutique approach is to let world class chocolatiers create their own delicious signature chocolates for you. Creating a truly unique selection, not available anywhere else. 

So what are the chocolates like?

 They arrive perfectly packaged in a distinctive sturdy cardboard box which pops through your letterbox, underneath the white box is revealed.

Here you see The Pink Champagne Truffle (with the little bits of raspberry on white chocolate), fresh and deliciously light, these truffles almost float into your mouth. Behind it is the White Strawberry Cream, another creamy morsel, I found it a little bland but if you like white chocolate mousse it is certainly beautifully made with no artificial strawberry taste. On the left is Raspberry with a Hint of Orange which bursts with zesty fruity flavours.


Salted caramel is very 'on trend' and this selection includes three Cocoa Dusted Dark Chocolate Salted Caramels,  I found that they weren't too sweet although I think I would have liked a little more salt.  The pretty coloured chocs are called 'Pamela' and this was one of my favourites, crisp dark chocolate filled with cassis-pear ganache, subtle and not too sweet.  Possibly my favourite of all the chocolates was the Milk Chocolate Almond Praline.  I'm not usually a big fan of milk chocolate, but the almond praline was outstanding, really full of flavour, you can see them on the right of the photo above.

On the left is the Vanilla Irish Cream, pleasant but nothing to write home about.  In the centre, the Rum Cafe Cream, another lovely choc which is a mixture of dark and milk chocolate with a rum flavour.

Something for all the family, my grandson enjoyed one of these giant chocolate buttons and they are ideal for anyone who doesn't like truffles or filled chocolate.  The chocolate is good quality and melts in your mouth.

I liked the idea of these little nibbly treats.  Top to bottom, Dark Chocolate Coffee Beans, I cannot tell a lie, these were my absolute favourites, really intense flavours of crunchy roasted coffee bean covered in the darkest chocolate, love them.  In the centre, Milk Chocolate Honeycomb little nuggets of honeycomb covered in milk chocolate, very moreish.  Finally a section filled with little 70% Equador Dark Chocolate Buttons.  I've missed a couple of truffles, Dark Chocolate Brandy Truffles  (on the right of the dark choc buttons) and Milk Chocolate Truffle both of which were lovely and creamy. 

If you would like to taste Cocoa Boutique chocolates, they are offering the Best of the Best Introductory Selection for £34.95 with free postage and packaging.  Definitely worthwhile for a special occasion.

Labels: artisan, chocolate, Cocoa Boutique, dark chocolate, lime, luxury, milk chocolate, orange, raspberry, review, strawberry, white chocolate

posted by Janice @ 20:53 9 Comments

Delia's Key Lime Pie with an Easter twist!

I was looking through some cookbooks for a dessert suitable for Easter weekend, something that would be big enough to last for two to three days.  I chose this Key Lime Pie from Delia Smith's How to Cook Book Two. It was quick and easy to make and tasted great. It also turned out pretty much as illustrated in Delia's book.  She decorated hers with a twist of lime, I decorated mine with some Cadbury's mini eggs!


While that's happening, place the egg yolks and lime zest in a bowl and, using an electric hand mixer, whisk them for about 2 minutes, or until the egg has thickened, then add the condensed milk and whisk for another 4 minutes.  Finally , add the lime juice and give it another quick whisk, then pour the whole lot on to the baked crust and return it to the oven for another 20 minutes, or until it feels just set when you lightly press the centre with your little finger.  Now remove it from the oven and when it's completely cold, cover it with clingfilm and chill until needed.  Seve cut in slices with creme fraiche and twist of lime for decoration.

Labels: Delia Smith, dessert, lime

posted by Janice @ 19:30 5 Comments