sumptuous summer snacks: baby squid, chorizo & feta salad ♥

without even realising, "sumptuous summer snacks" is becoming a regular post :) it's mostly because summer is around the corner, and with the humidity increasing everyday so is the need for light, fresh food.

sunday afternoon was a day of severe proprortions and all we needed a little snack as the air was cooling, so this was it:

just fry off the chorizo until cripsy, throw in your scored and bite sized pieces of baby squid for a minute or so on quite a high heat. remember the "tender-tough-tender" rule when cooking calamari/squid. a minute will allow it to stay tender and fresh, there's literally miniscule seconds between that and it becoming tough. cooking it for much longer will enable it to go past the tough stage into the tender stage again.

remove, toss through some crumbled feta, a few basil leaves and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and this is a great summer starter or a larger portion would make an amazing summer lunch or dinner with some crusty bread and a glass of white wine :)

peace & love friends

xo

masterchef australia

so the final week of masterchef australia is here! i'm more anxious than i have ever been in my life about this sort of competition and i think part of it is because over these weeks we've really began to get to know these contestants and for a food lover like me, it was like a journey of my own. the other part of it is that in a few weeks the winner of masterchef australia will be here at our good food and wine show!

 

i have to admit that before this show, i was pretty against australians in general. and it pretty much stems from growing up with cricket in my blood and they were kind of our arch enemies in the 90s! but this show has really made me look at australians differently, and even wanting to seriously visit there. it was an eye opener and really quite enlightening.

 

so the finalists are:

 

 

justine (i am sooo glad she's back!)

julie (love her to death!)

poh :)

julia

chris

lucas

 

i have to admit, i'm kind of over chris and i actually don't know why. maybe it was this slight arrogance i got from him at times. i don't believe he's like that but something about him has put me off over this last week. i have to say i am in love with poh. i think she's a genius and so dedicated and forward thinking! and julie (i think i just found something out when i googled her and i'm rather upset right now but i shall block it out) well julie has grown sooo much over these weeks and has really shown the inner strength she has and i am just rooting for her because of her humility, her honesty and just the love she exudes. she has amazing character! i'll just be ecstatic if one of the girls win :)

 

let's see how this pans out (no pun intended lol)

 

xo

sumptuous summer snacks: chicken skewers ♥

the heat has finally returned to durban town and how we missed it! sunny skies and humidity all round, it's reminded me why i love this city so dearly (we know we're gonna be quite over it in the next few weeks, mind you, and i will probably regret these positve words, ha!) but it's just after 3pm and it is this time of day that i really love about summer nearing -  the sun peering down at us relishing the few hours left, the air cooling slightly, and the sky as blue and clear the Mediterranean sea. it makes me think of the months to come and of course, the food and wine we're going to enjoy!

yesterday was a day just like today and i made heavenly chicken skewers: here's my recipe -

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large chicken breasts, cubed.
• bacon sausages (optional) - sliced on the angle.
• onions, cut roughly in quarters.

you're gonna wanna dry marinate your chicken breasts because they're gonna go onto a griddle pan and you don't want them to stick. so a good dry rub is:

• salt
• lemon pepper
• black pepper
• peri peri spice / paprika
• ground cumin
• dried mixed herbs
• brown sugar

adding brown sugar to the dry rub is not just going to add another level of flavour to the chicken but is going to help caramelise the chicken when it hits the griddle pan. it is absolutely fantastic!

just skewer your chicken, onion and bacon sausage alternatively and you're ready to go. i made some skewers with just chicken and onion because my mom is not a fan of bacon sausages.

(tip: remember to soak your skewers [if they're wooden or bamboo skewers] because this will stop them from burning when they hit griddle pan. also a good tip to know for putting skewers on the braai!)

serve it in a roll with a bit of tomato relish or on it's own with a dipping sauce, either way it's just a beautiful summer dish on the go, outside in the sunshine, or by the poolside on the humid durban day :)

new look:)

i was feeling for a bit of a change today, and just couldn't put my finger on it. eventually i figured out that a change in the look of my blog was what i needed and so i did it. i stuck to my usual colours, but i'm loving the fresh new look i've given it - a lighter background has brought a calmer, more delicate palette and it's making me feel renewed :)

i hope you all like it too!

my dear friend, sadhana sahaye (fellow blogger and friendo of coming on 10 years - to go to her blog click here) made me an amazing logo, but unfortunately i just haven't found the right place to add it just yet. it will come to me. but lots of thanks to her and will be putting it up in the next few days after a bit of pondering! keep an eye out for that!

peace & love friends

xo

my take on the traditional vegetarian breyani (v)

a good breyani is like the crowning of a queen - momentus. and today i made my first one! i have to admit, i was quite nervous (not as nervous as my first mutton curry but nervous nonetheless) but my mum had faith in me and that gave me courage (lol). it's a soya breyani made with vegeteen chunks from woolworths (since it's monday). i figured that most people my age don't make breyanis - it's the type of dish left to the mums, grans, aunts of the family but it's necessary we learn to make it because one day the day will come when they are no longer around and we will need our kids to experience the wonder of a delicious, traditional breyani.

everyone makes a breyani differently and if you ask your mom or grandma, she'll tell you her way to make it. in my opinion, it's all in the hand, the love you make it with and doing it the way you want. so i did it, and here's my recipe:

(ps: it's not uber traditional, but easy for us young ones to follow. it's also a little healthier with minimal use of oil but still as flavoursome)

INGREDIENTS:

• one packet vegeteen chunks from woolworths
• 2 onions
• chillis
• 2 stems curry leaf
• breyani mix (1 stick cinammon, 2 cloves, cumin seeds, cardomom pods etc) - this can be bought everywhere.
• masala of your choice
• tumeric powder
• ginger and garlic
• yellow food colouring
• any mixed vegetables you'd like to use - i used carrots, peas, mushrooms.
• salt
• 1 cup basmati rice

METHOD:

• first you will need to rehydrate the chunks by covering them in boiling water and leaving it to soak for 5-10 minutes. when that is done, drain and squeeze out the excess water and marinate with some breyani mix (crush it in your pestel and mottar) and masala. this needs to be done because the vegeteen chunks don't really have a distinctive flavour.
• put your rice on to boil, this should take 15-20 minutes. put a teaspoon of tumeric in the water to give in a yellow colour. when the rice is cooked, drain and drop in a teaspoon of food colouring and this will give the rice a really marbled yellow colour that adds character to the dish.
• in a pot saute one of your onions in oil with your breyani spices until golden with a touch of tumeric. throw in some stem of curry leaf at this point. take your time - this is going to add serious depth of flavour to the dish. add in your ginger and garlic and cook off the rawness before adding in your marinated chunks.

• add in about a tablespoon of masala and a teaspoon of salt and mix well. turn to a low heat, add in some water at this point to merge the flavours and soften the chunks even more. leave this to simmer  for a good 15 minutes. when it's done remove from the heat.

• saute your vegetables in oil with cumin, star anise and cinammon and remove from the heat.

• fry the remaining onion in oil with a touch of tumeric and the remaining curry leaf stem.
• fry some potatoes until golden (tip: i microwave cook my potatoes and then fry them)
• layer the rice and vegeteen chunks in a pot with the vegetables. place your fried potatoes and onions on top and cover with foil and place in the oven for 20 minutes at 180 degrees.
• garnish with dhania (coriander) and serve immediately.

so that's my take on the tradional breyani, eek so proud of myself :)

peace and love friends :)

xo

flapjacks with strawberries, cream and bar one sauce

i'm not a lover of dessert which you might have noiced if you are a regular reader of this blog. but yesterday, i really was feeling for some dessert. so i popped into woolies with mekarl (the boyfriend hehe) and got me some supplies!

strawberries, whipped cream, flapjacks, and bar one chocolate. can you say yummo?

literally melted the bar one chocolate on the stove with some butter and half a bar of dark chocolate, on goes the whipped cream and strawberries with shavings of dark chocolate on top and the bar one sauce.

decadence!!!

spicy chorizo and smoked chicken spaghetti with tomato and basil

as i mentioned in my previous post, yesterday i went shopping at mr. mozzies and bought some delicious stuff to cook with including some amazing chorizo sausage and smoked chicken breasts. chorizo is a spicy, spanish sausage made from pork and has a distinctive red colouring which comes from red peppers and paprika which is included in the recipe. when pan fried it gives off a spicy, fragrant, flame red oil and therefore flavours everything else in the dish.

today's recipe is so simple and easy, as are most of the dishes on my blog, and will just be another way to brighten up your day :)

INGREDIENTS:

• chorizo sausage
• one smoked chicken breast
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 chopped tomatoes
• salt
• pepper
• basil
• parsely
• wholewheat spaghetti (250g)

METHOD:

• slice up the chorizo and an fry in a pan for a few seconds on each side til crispy and then remove.
• in the remaining oil from the chorizo, saute your garlic and add the tomatoes and cook down until soft and saucy. add some cream if you like at this point. add the chorizo back in.
• slice up your smoked chicken breast thinly and add to the sauce. throw in some basil and chopped parsely.
• add your spaghetti and toss, and it's ready to serve.

deliciousness on a plate friends, please do try it if you have the time :)

xo

i love mozzies

so yesterday i went to mr. mozzies with my dad on argyle road, and as we walked in, it was like the heaven's opened up! the smells, the look, the amount of delicious produce we could pick from and i was in my element! i'd been to mr. mozzies before but never to the one on argyle road, and i had been told by my boyfriend that it is the best store for cured and smoked meats amongst other things.

i am a huge fan of cold cuts and smoked and cured meats, and i get this from my dad. as a little girl, i have fond memories of buffet breakfasts at hotels with my parents, and one thing my dad ALWAYS did was start off breakfast with a plate of cold cuts with different types of cheeses and fresh melon and as the years have gone by, i've started doing this too. it's just the most delicious breakfast option and oh so satisfying!

this morning i was feeling a bit blue - it was the last day of lectures and my last official day as a full time student. campus will be a memory from tomorrow and it made me a little down. i am, however, taking comfort in the fact that i have amazing memories to keep my company for the rest of my life! so, i aided my bittersweet morning with food (of course i did haha) and yesterday we bought the most delicious kaizer ham, sliced right in front of me and so perfectly cured. this morning i could not resist a bit of buttery toast with shavings of this delicious ham and some extra matured cheddar cheese. such a brilliant start to my gloomy morning and here's a picture... :)

...and oh how i love breakfast ♥

xo

chicken stir-fried rice with a twist :)

as we all know, stir-fries, although being packed with vegetables, sometimes can be really oily and greasy, especially stir-fried rice dishes. this one, however, is not so! check it out ...

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 skinless chicken breasts, cut in halves length ways and sliced thinly
• finely chopped spinach (1 cup)
• mushrooms (1 punnet)
• mixed vegetables (1 cup)
• garlic (4 cloves)
• 1 egg
• brown rice (1 cup)
• parsely
• coriander

For the chicken marinade:

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• robinson's peri peri spice
• robinson's steak & chops spice
• lemon pepper

METHOD:

• put the rice onto boil, this will take a good twenty five minutes to cook. marinate the chicken and set aside until needed.
• in a wok, stir fry the mushrooms with the garlic for a few minutes, add in the spinach and half the mixed vegetables. beat your egg and add to the wok and stir fry until the egg is cooked through. season with salt and a splash of peri-peri or cayenne pepper if you like at this point. before removing from the wok, add in the chopped coriander. give it all a good toss and then remove.
• in the same wok, add in the marinated chicken and stir fry until the chicken is sealed. remove from wok and add in the remaining mixed veg. stri fry for a few minutes and then add the chicken back into the wok, throw in some parsely and you're done.
• when the rice is cooked, drain and add in the mushroom/mixed veg mix and toss and you're ready to serve :)

this easy and healthy stir fry option will become a regular on your lunch or dinner menu once you try it, trust me - give it a go :)

'til next time

peace & love friends

xo

eat healthy, live happy

this week, following up from the last post on "eat healthy, live happy", i'm gonna show you an amazing lunch dish that is not only healthy but delicious! if you ask dietician, pasta salads are great for lunch meals, and this one is no exception :)

INGREDIENTS:

• half a cup of spinach wilted with garlic and a little olive oil
• sliced cucumber
• julienned carrot
• a few slices of lean ham/chicken
• basil leaves
• low fat salad spread by nola (1 teaspoon)
• a handful of cooked wholewheat pasta - any type you like
• salt and pepper

this is the easiest thing to make on the go or the night before work or school as it's a salad and doesn't have to be eaten warm. throw in everything together and give it a toss. the nola salad spread gives it an amazing tang and has a lot of pickled vegetables in it, and is low fat so it's better than using mayonnaise. also, try any other veggies that you like, it will work just as well!

give it a go, you'll be surprised at how your perspective on healthy eating will change :)

xo

good food and wine show 2010 and revelations

before i go full blown on an update on the show....

devastated that justine schofield was voted out of masterchef australia 2 weeks ago, i have had to rearrange my thoughts on who i want to win (100%) and who i'd like to see at the food & wine show. i have to say that i still love chris and looking at the food he has produced recently, has made me really believe he could be the first masterchef. i think he has a clear vision and it would be amazing to meet him in person! i have literally been rooting for him from the beginning, but julia (who got fast tracked to the final after beating a celebrity chef) is in a class of her own! so i wouldn't mind seeing her here in south africa at the show either...

anyway, the good food and wine show is less than a month away and excitement is building! i have planned out my post-exams celebration right to the tee and i know that this year's event is going to be unlike any other - mainly because my passion for food and the direction it seems my life is taking is leading me more and more into the direction of becoming a chef. i have gotten to the point where i have told my family and friends i am only going to practise law so that i can retire early with a cafe. it is the thing i know i was meant to do.

this year's show, as i mentioned in a previous post, will include a get fresh with bbc lifestyle workshop which is the piece de resistance of today's post:)

this AMAZING workshop will enable people to cook with the bbc lifestyle celebrity chefs i mentioned (atul kocchar, reza mahamed, toby pattock, the winner of masterchef australia) as well as a number of south african chefs like justin bonello (from cooked - i would die if i cooked with him!) amongst others. the workshop will show us how to use the freshest produce and cooking up deliciously fresh food!

i cannot wait :)

bangers & mash deluxe with onion gravy

this AMAZING recipe is the best comfort food for a dull day such as this. it's not suuuper healthy BUT it's not exactly bad for you:)

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 lamb mint sausages
• 2 large potatoes
• butter, milk, salt & pepper

For the onion gravy:

• half a large onion (sliced)
• a small knob of butter
• half a glass of red wine
• 250g thick onion soup (i bought the packet type and added 450g boiling water and simmered)
• 10ml vegetable stock powder dissolved in 150ml boiling water
• salt & pepper
• thyme

METHOD:

• fry off sausages in a large frying pan, remove and set aside.
• while frying, put on your potatoes to boil (remember that root vegetables that grow under the ground must be placed in cold water and brought up to the boil not placed in boiling water.)
• with the left over yumminess from the sausages in the pan, add your knob of butter and sliced onion. saute until soft and then add your red wine and reduce on a low heat.
• combine the onion soup with the vegetable stock and add to the pan. simmer and add thyme and seasoning.
• mash your potatoes with seasoning, warm milk and butter and that's ready to serve.
• after 10 minutes your onion gravy should be thick and ready to serve.

i served this scrumptious meal with sauted spinach with garlic :)

do try it - it will make your day just like it made mine!

xo

eat healthy, live happy

living healthy can be extremely difficult in the society we live in at present. with so many fast food outlets at our disposal, it's so much easier to give in to the deliberately enticing smells of the local burger, bunnie or pizza place. we think it'll be easier and less time consuming to order take-out than to "slave" away in the kitchen. i don't think this is true.

from gamespot.com

next time you're ordering food from a take out, ask them how long your order will take to prepare. in all possibilty it will probably take 20 minutes for you to pick up the order or for it to be delivered. i'm going to prove over the next couple weeks that these 20 minutes would be better spent preparing something even more delicious and way healthier than your local take-out spot.

first stop: breakfast

now you may think "aah breakfast is easy, who even eats take out for breakfast?" well let me tell you - a lot of people. and it's usually something really bad for you. a lot of people won't tell you but i know for a fact that some people either DON'T have breakfast in the morning or grab a packet of chips, a pie from the gas station or some other convenient food option before school varsity or work.

uhhm no.

it takes 5 minutes to make this amazing breakfast option that will not only keep you nice and full til tea time or even lunch time, but will also kick start your metabolism.

INGREDIENTS:

• half a cup of oats (i use jungle oats - either the normal type you make in a pot or the instant type)
• water from a recently boiled kettle
• dried cranberries
• one banana
• sliced almonds
• one teaspoon brown sugar or honey
• milk

all you need to do is boil your oats or pour the water into your instant oats, slice up a banana, throw in a handful of dried cranberries and almonds and drizzle the sugar or honey on top with a splash of milk and you're ready to go! alternatively you can use banana chips or any other dried/fresh fruit that you like.

not only is the dried fruit option really easy to store (it lasts a good amount of time in the fridge), it also saves you time and money in the long run.

so don't think that breakfast has to be boring or time consuming - it can actually be a lot of fun!

til next time:)

peace and love
x

good food and wine show 2010

this is the first of a number of posts that will be dedicated to my favourite food event of the year - the good food and wine show :) every year it is hosted at the durban exhibition centre and this year it is no exception.

i am beside myself with excitement and so the count down begins!

this year, it will between the 25th and 28th of November which suits me perfectly as my examinations are finished on the 22nd! this year the line up includes:

• a bbc lifestyle workshop sponsored by dstv (how exciting!)
• cocktails and flair championships
• wines from around the world
• chefs in action theatre (sponsored by the mercury, top billing and sabc 3 amongst others)

the chefs in action theatre is BEYOND AMAZING! in 2008 i got to see reza mohamed live in action and i almost lost my mind in excitement!

this is james martin live in action last

year - courtesy of the gourmetsa website

the most exciting thing about the good food and wine show is the free tasting of everything from crocodile meat to gourmet cannopes, not forgetting the free glasses of wine - my favourite! it's truly an amazing collaboration of proudly south african produce and international standards.

we also get to have an array of celebrity chefs that come down, cook in the live action theatre and meet and greet psycho foodie fans such as me. i am the type however that gets incredibly star struck and lost for words when i meet them and i end up looking like a complete loser!

this years line up of celebrity chefs include:

• atul kocchar - michelin star chef of london restaurant "benaras". amazing chef that i personally CANNOT wait to see!

• reza mohammed - star of india chef in london and bbc lifestyle celebrity chef.

• tobie puttock - jamie oliver's head chef at his melbourne based restaurant "fifteeen"

• katy ashworth - cbeebies kiddies chef :) - this is such a cute show, at 22 i watch it!

• frenchman eric lanlard - two time winner of the prestigious "patissiere award". i absolutely love this guy on tv i could die for his desserts!

and the chef i am most excited for - the winner of masterchef australia! i have no idea who it's gonna be but i'm rooting for chris or justine!

• chris badenoch - beer merchant and amazing cook - love him!

• justine schofield - isn't this girl such a beauty? she's also a master in the kitchen and lost the celebrity chef challenge by only one point!

well this is the first of many updates in the food food and wine show and i am seriously psyched about it. i really hope that i get to see jamie oliver, nigella lawson or rick stein live in action one day though!

keep watching this space friends :)

peace & love

x

Related articles

• Best Celebrity Chef Cookware (thekitchn.com)

eat healthy, live happy

this is the first of many posts that will be featured on maysmorsels under the name "eat healthy, live happy". this regular post will be aimed at tips for living a more healthy, happy and positive life through eating better food.

after weeks of family disaster relating to health, i've decided to dedicate time and energy to living a more healthy life! we have no idea how the quality of food we eat affects our moods and general positivity. it's so important to make a concerted effort into staying on the positive path because we all know "misery loves company" and it is SO easy to get sucked into negative energy that affects not just your life but the ones around you too.

a way i decided to live healthier was to grow my own herbs and soon vegetables too. not only will it save my family money, but it is incredibly therapeutic and a sure way to make sure what you;re eating is organic. when i was younger i used to watch my mum in the garden all the time, planting and preening and relaxing. i never for one second thought that i would one day want to get into the garden and get my hands dirty. i have always been so particular about getting my hands dirty, but it was such an amazing experience!

i bought a coriander (dhania) plant and a basil plant, as well as a parsely plant. it was my first time planting anything so i was a bit nervous but i took to it immediately!

that's me planting my very first plant! so fun!

my dhania plant all done:)

basil (above) and parsely (below)

just an easy and simple way to make sure what you're eating is beautifully healthy and good for your mind, body and soul :)

delicious middle-eastern/mediterranean fusion style pizza (v)

this amazingly healthy and tasty take on the pizza is so easy and simple to make - and THE most delicious alternative to the greasy pizza that we all can't seem to get enough of. yes it's not the same, but instead of that, just once try this delicious recipe that will be so good for your heart and soul :)

INGREDIENTS:

• one large naan (i bought mine at woolies and put it in the oven to crisp up)
• hummus
• falafal
• fresh coriander (roughly chopped)
• half a shallot (diced)
• half a small tomato (diced)
• one carrot (julienned)
• feta cheese
• good extra virgin olive oil

i literally got my naan, hummus and falafal pre-packed from woolworths (my favourite store in the world) but it's really very simple to make all of the above. literally after popping the naan in the oven to crisp, i covered it generously with hummus and the piled on the diced tomato and onion and carrot, coriander and feta cheese to my liking. after drizzling generously with some extra virgin olive oil you are ready to tuck in and oh.my.word you won't be sorry :)

try it out guys - once u start this, it will be a regular on your menu!

another blog update!

yes i am back! i haven't blogged in about two weeks - but it's felt like forever! my posts were getting more and more sparce and it's just unacceptable!

so as a consolation i am going to give you the line up for the next few weeks! :)

• a weekly update on the up and coming food and wine show - a count down if you will! because i am absolutely over my head in excitement! it's my favourite event of the year!
• a new regular post called "eat healthy, live happy" - good, healthy food tips and recipes
• loads of new vegetarian recipes!

peace and love friends!

sunday brunch steak stack

one thing i've loved with every inch of me is a good breakfast or brunch on a sunday morning. as a little girl, it was my dad's "thing" on a sunday to make us a nice yummy breakfast! it always included fried eggs, bacon, sausages, baked beans curry, toast and possibly a tin fish curry or a mince curry. my dad loves his breakfast and because of this, i love myself a good breakfast.

as we all got older, sunday brunch was more suited due to late saturday nights and sleep-ins on a sunday morning, and in my opinion - sunday brunch is so much cooler! what's better than a bit of lunch and breakfast mixed together?

so today as usual, my dad woke me up and i helped him out with a bit of brunch. my mum made the tin fish curry and fried up some lamb sausages, and my dad and i made a delicious steak stack!

it was stir-fried steak and mushrooms with caramerlised onion on toast with a fried egg on top! cannot explain the deliciousness! literally stir fried the steak in a wok with a bit of salt and lemon pepper, lime, coriander and steak spice. stir fried the mushrooms separately and then added in the onions with a bit of sugar and worstershire sauce. added everything back in and gave it a toss and that was it :)
fried up an egg and slapped in on top and there you have a deliciously simple and yummy brunch idea!

crumbed chicken

nothing beats a bite of crispy fried crumbed chicken and all its unhealthiness! even if you are super against greasy food everyone knows the smell and taste is unexplainable and sort of hits a spot. truth? indeed!

so my grandmother made us some crumbed chicken on thursday for our spring day celebration and how yummo that was!

my gran literally steams the chicken with salt and pepper and dried thyme, but when i do it i always steam it with a bit of lemon and peri peri spice as well. thereafter it's egged, floured and crumbed to be fried in hot oil for comforting deliciousness...

tip: i like to add lemon pepper to the crumbs and it gives it a really distinct flavour.

unfortunately all the crumbed chicken was gone before i could take any pictures but you know how that turned out :)

cupcakes and more cupcakes :)

so the last two days have been spent making cupcakes. over the last two days i have made 6 dozen cupcakes - i kid you not! the family have literally been eating them as they came out of the oven, i hadn't even finished icing some of them!

i have to admit, my mum's cupcake recipe has been in our family for a while and it is to die for! now i can't tell you all the secret, but i can give you the simple recipe because i'm not stingy like that:)

here it is!

INGREDIENTS:

• 100ml butter
• 225ml sugar
• 500ml flour
• 15ml baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 5ml vanilla essence
• 2 eggs
• 200ml milk (add more of the consistency is not right for you)

METHOD:

• cream the butter and sugar together until light and creamy
• add in the eggs one by one and vanilla essence and beat until smooth.
• then sift in the dry ingredients alternatively with the milk
• spoon into cupcake holders and bake at 180 degrees for approximately 20 minutes

for the icing, i am really one for easiness and simplicity. in other words, i am lazy and like to do things quickly :)

for some i used nestle's caramel treat with chocolate bobbles and candy hearts and for the others i used melted apricot jam topped with double thick cream and candy hearts! please try the latter icing as i actually cannot tell you how unexpectedly delicious it tastes a top the cupcakes. it's like a scone topping but better because technically you have a mini sponge cake in your hand!

so hope my cupcake recipe and pictures made all of you happy and hungry! now get into your kitchen and bake friends!!

x