I have been cooking for visitors, lately - chicken salad, banana cake, cupcakes, patties, pomelo salad and more - and preparing treats for the children in the hot weather - frozen white grapes and frozen quartered oranges. However, I had the most fun preparing an afternoon tea party to celebrate my grand-daughter's birthday, using my collection of blue and white crockery.
I made berry syrup muffins:
raspberry muffins
cupcakes with royal icing:
cheesy puff-pastry rounds
sausage rolls:
the chocolate birthday cake:
chocolate dipped strawberries:
and berry and yoghurt icy poles ( yes, I bought the moulds).
We all ate far too much, laughed a lot, watched the children go crazy with excitement. A lovely day.
Raspberry muffins
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups self-raising flour
3 tablespoons caster sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 slightly beaten egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
i cup raspberries (frozen and slightly unthawed OR fresh)
Methods:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
Brush oil to bottom only of muffin tins (unoiled sides help them to rise and form rounded tops better)
Place flour sugar and baking powder in a bowl.
In another bowl, mix egg, milk, essence and butter.
Add liquids to dried ingredients and stir gently with fork until mixture is moist but still lumpy. fold in raspberries.
Scoop batter and theree quarter fill muffin cups.
Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
loosen muffins and place on rack to cool slightly. Better served warm, but can be frozen.
