Orange Shortbread Biscuits

Wednesday evening saw a friend come round for dinner and some baking! 4 different types of baked goods in all (recipes for Peanut Chip and Chocolate Cookies, Triple-Chocolate Cookies and Nutty White Chocolate Brownies coming soon).

 Orange Shortbread Biscuits

Pre-heat your oven to 190°C/gas 5 and grease and line a baking tray. Cream together 100g butter with 50g caster sugar. Stir in the grated zest of 1 orange. Add 175g plain flour and ½ tsp baking powder. Stir until combined and then bring together with your hands. Divide the mixture into 10 balls and place spread apart on your baking tray (you may need 2 as you don't want them too close together). Bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes until golden, leave to cool on the tray for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Simple as that, for citrus yummy-ness!

Adapted from 'Crisp Orange Shortbread' in the BBC Baking magazine (Spring 2011).

Christmas Cupcakes

For the last few Christmases I have succeeded in stressing myself out making chocolate logs (the weighing scales didn't work, the sponge splits when I rolls it, the chocolate doesn't melt...) so I decided this year I would make stress-free cupcakes!

I assembled Christmas-themed cupcake cases, giant chocolate stars, silver balls and holly. I made several small cupcake mixes using a standard recipe for each (2oz butter, 2oz sugar, 1 egg, 2oz flour and 1 tsp baking powder) and added different flavours.