chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting – the boy brought these to work on a saturday.

oreo cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

strawberry cheesecake for the boy’s aunt – we decided to humour her a little.

chocolate cupcakes with fudge frosting – for one of my favourite classes.

i have been wanting to recreate a coconut raisin cookie one of my friends baked for me a couple of years back but she can’t remember which recipe she used. i had to use up the packet of sweetened flaked coconut i got weeks back so i decided on a simple recipe.

the coconut taste came through sufficiently – it was not overpowering. the cookie also had a nice crisp.

5 oz butter, softened
3 oz caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
5 oz self-raising flour
2.5 oz sweetened flaked coconut (Baker’s brand)
glace cherries, quartered

1. cream butter, sugar and vanilla essence till light and fluffy.

2. add flour and stir with a wooden spoon. add coconut and mix until combined.

3. prepare ungreased baking sheets. roll into small balls and flatten slightly by pressing the cherry quarters in. bake for about 15 mins or slightly brown on the edges. leave to cool on sheets for about 10 minutes before transferring onto wire racks.

yes, alonso is no longer in liverpool but because he is the birthday boy’s favourite player, i had to include his name. this was a fun set to do – thanks to daddy who helped me with the logo, balls and boots!

i was slapped with one week worth of medical leave since last thursday because i was having the flu. it’s the sixth day today and i was so bored that i decided to bake. i’m up and about now; what’s left is a niggling itchy throat that still makes me cough periodically.

i’ve been wanting to make something with streusel for the longest time and i’m glad i did. this cake is a breeze to make and it’s wonderful eaten warm from the oven.

it is sufficiently moist and the crunch of the streusel definitely won me over.

recipe here.

order from a secondary school friend for her son – chocolate cake layered filled with strawberry slices and covered with chocolate ganache,

mum’s birthday peach baby-heartcakes with buttercream,

for a friend’s birthday – raspberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting,

for two other friends’ birthdays – lemon cupcakes with cream cheese frosting,

and an order – peach cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

these were made for a best friend’s birthday earlier this month. i love how the chocolate, peanut butter and marshmallow-y rice krispies melded; such sinful pleasure.

recipe from here.