carrot cupcakes with cream cheese icing

dia dhuit,

ok no beating round the bush just go for it.

CARROT CUPCAKES
INGRDIENTS:
175g(6oz) light brown muscavado sugar
100g(4oz) wholemeal self raising flour
100g(4oz) self raising flour
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
2tsp mixed spice
zest of one orange
2 eggs
150ml(quarter of a pint) sunflower oil
200g(8oz) grated carrots

METHOD:
preheat the oven to 180degrees celcius and line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin cases.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugars, flours, bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice and orange zest.

whisk together the eggs and oil, then stir into the dry ingredients along with the grated carrot.

Divide the mixture between the cases.

Bake for 20-25mins until a skewer poked into them comes out clean(be carefull cooking these as they are dark in colour and it isn't always easy to tell when they may be done and you may overcook them, i've done it)

ICING
INGREDIENTS:
100g(4oz) butter, softened
300g(10oz) soft cheese
100g(4oz) icing sugar, sifted
1tsp vanilla extract

METHOD:
Beat the buttter until really soft

Beat in the cream cheese, icing suger and vanilla

Use a palette knife(or butter knife as I did) to apply the icing to the top of the cakes after they have gone completely cool.

NOTES:
when I made these I had no wholemeal self raising flour so i just used 150g of self raising flourand 50g of wholemeal.

Enjoy:)

new plan!!

ok, so I have just been trawling through some of the best food blogs I have seen so far. totally inspiring stuff.

But didn't it make me think. my blog is useless and needs to be a million times better.

I can't bake that much these days but I'm working on it. Friday I have to make a load of cupcakes and something else(haven't figured out what yet) for the party after the communion in the primary school. So yay!!!

but I still have problems with my blog.

As I have demonstrated, I am a disgraceful photographer...so that must be worked on!!...any tips?

I must also research more recipes, adapt them more and post them here....most of that will happen come the summer, I aopolgize.

I should discuss some of the wonderful food in my home town and in the city. I mean the english market is here for gods sake(rick stein did an entire programme on it:D) Ballymaloe is 10 mins down the road. Rachel Allen lives here(I see her all the time in town) darina allen lives here too. There is some amazing cookery shops dotted about the place. Some fantastic places to eat and experience food, and I mean really experience it in a way beyond taste. In a way that inspires and excites a person, that sparks a curiosity in a person.....i think you get it. so ya that must be done.

so...my to do list.
1. Learn to take half decent photos!
2. Dive into the world of recipes and baking with reckless abandon. try everything and change anything I want, just make sure I keep track of what I changed so I can tell anyone who eventually reads this.
3. Explore my home and area. Learn about whats on my doorstep, learn from whats on my doorstep and be inspired constantly by it(Because it is amazing when you think about it)
4. Learn how to use this blog, all the things other people have done with their blogs that I just can't figure out how to do. I need a bloody crash course, (but I'm keeping it a big secret from anyone who knows me on a personal level that i even have a blog,so shhhh;)). I'll just have to figure it out as I go, so please be patient and bear with me.

hmmmm.thats some list. It may not seem like much...but I haven't got a clue how to become good at taking photots or doing wonderous things to the appearance of my blog.....this should be interesting(and probably highly amusing) but I will not be defeated. I will make my blog great and worth the time and effort...it will serve it's purpose...eventually.

wish my luck:)

slan:)