Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

Great fun to make, and with a surprise strawberry and cheesecake filling on the inside! Makes 12 large cupcakes.

Ingredients

For the Cake

350g Plain Flour

1.5tbsp Baking Powder

140g Caster Sugar

Finely Grated Rind of Two Oranges

1/2tsp Salt

2 Eggs

250ml Milk

85g Butter, Melted

For the Filling

175g Reduced Fat Cream Cheese

3 tbsp Sugar

6 Strawberries, Halved

For the Icing

100g Reduced Fat Cream Cheese

10g Butter, Softened

300-500g Icing Sugar

Freeze-Dried Strawberries (optional)

Method

1. Grease or line a muffin tin and preheat oven to 200C/Gas 6/fan 180C. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl, and stir in the orange rind and salt. 

2. Beat the eggs and milk in a small jug, and stir in the butter. Add to the dry ingredients gradually to make a loose and slightly lumpy mixture. 

3. For the filling, mix the cream cheese and sugar together. Half fill each hole in your tin with cake mix, then push in half a strawberry, and top with a teaspoon of filling. Then add a spoon of cake mix on top to cover the strawberry and filling. 

4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean, and leave to cool completely.

5. Meanwhile, prepare the icing by beating the sugar and cheese together until fluffy, and then gradually adding the icing sugar until you get a thick paste consistency that is still spreadable.

6. To finish, using a small palette knife, spread the top of each cupcake with icing, and sprinkle on some freeze-dried strawberry pieces.

Enjoy :)

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Italy-Inspired Three Flavour Focaccia

Soft and moist on the inside and topped with some great flavours, this bread is so easy, yet tastes so good and looks like the italian flag! Makes 2 18x27cm loaves. 

 Ingredients

For the Focaccia

400g Strong White Flour

100g Fine-Ground Semolina

7g Instant Yeast

1/2tbsp Salt

1/2tbsp Golden Caster Sugar

300ml Lukewarm Water

For the Olive Topping

Two handfuls of pitted Green Olives

Salt 

For the Feta Topping

Approx. 50g Feta, cubed

20g Parmesan, Grated

Salt

For the Tomato Topping

Two handfuls of Cherry Tomatoes

A handful of Sun Dried Tomatoes

Olive Oil

Salt

Splash of White Wine Vinegar

Large Handful of Rosemary

Olive Oil

Handful of Basil, Roughly Cut

Method

1. Add the yeast and sugar to the water, and set aside. Mix the flour, semolina and salt together in a large mixing bowl, and create a well in the middle.

2. Once the yeast has started to foam, gradually add the water-yeast mixture to the flour, stirring with a fork as you go, and then using your hands, bring together to form a ball of dough, picking up as much flour from the bowl as possible.

3. Place onto worktop, and knead for about five minutes, or until you get a smooth, springy dough. Lightly grease your bowl with olive oil, and place dough inside and cover with a damp towel. Place in a warm area, and leave to rise until doubled in size, or about half an hour.

4. In the mean time, prepare the tomato topping. Quarter the cherry tomatoes, and chop the sun dried tomatoes. Place in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, and a splash of white wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Once the dough has risen, punch the air out of it, and split it into half if you want to make two loafs. Stretch each out in separate lightly olive-oiled 18x27cm baking tins, and place the olives on one third of each loaf, the feta and parmesan in the middle, and the tomato topping on the last third. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and sprinkle on some roughly cut basil and rosemary leaves.

6. Preheat the oven to 220C, and leave loafs to prove in a warm place for about 20 mins. Bake for 20 mins, or until golden on the outside, and leave to cool for a few minutes before taking out of the tins.

Enjoy :)