Hazelnut muffins

This is my last experiment at home :) One day I was starving for something sweet but not only sweet. Something not bought from the market, without any artificial colors and flavor. Immediately I found the fridge and the cupboards in the kitchen. I checked what I have and what I want to eat right now. And look at what I have mixed:

• hazelnuts
• dried cranberries
• dried blueberries
• granola
• golden flax meal
• organic buckwheat flour
• water
• xanthan gum
• egg
• cocoanut oil

Probably, you have noticed that I didn't use any sugar. Yes, that's right. The only sweerness came from the dried fruit. That's was enough for me. Of course, you can always add some sugar or honey or agave. 

Unfortunately, I can't give you the right proportions because it was my creation for less than 2 minutes.  You can make your own experiment with what you have at home and of course what you like. 

The muffin mixture I baked for about  20 min. in preheated oven 350F (180C)

I adore muffins with dried fruit and nuts. If they are more, it's better. That's why for me this recipe is perfect.

Halloween cookies

Today I will share with you the cookies that I made for my kids. These were the most difficult cookies...While I was spreading the sprinkles around the cookies my kids entered the kitchen and immediately they occupied the whole space. They started fighting who would be the first to eat more sugar and more decorations. They just waited for me to turn my back and spread the hands over the table....Honestly I couldn't manage to decorate the cookies, to save them from my kids and to shout at them to stop eating my decorations :)

I used wafer paper images, different color sugar sprinkles and skull candies.

I hope I have given you today an idea how to decorate your Halloween cookies.

Angry birds cake

This cake is for Nicolas's 5th birthday. He is the son of one of my friends here.When she asked me to make a cake for her son's birthday there was no doubt. Right now Nicolas is interested very much in Angry birds. This is not my first cake based on this theme. I remember once I made "Angry birds" cake for my son and I know how impatient can be the kid, the whole happiness and the thrill.

The cake is made out vanilla layers mixed with tiny colorful bits. The filling is fluffy vanilla frosting and all the decorations are made out of fondant.

Happy birthday, dear Nicolas! I wish you very happy childhood and good success at school!

 

 

Autumn cupcakes

Unfortunately the summer is over....Even the astronomical fall started some days ago...Although I adore the fall colors - the yellow, orange and red, I miss the summer, the warm sun and the green lawns...But there is always a hope that soon the other summer will come :)

These cupcakes I made for my son's friend Stephen. The two boys are at one the same class and they are very good friends. I'm so happy of that fact because I really like Stephen - very good and intelligent boy. Yesterday my son spent the afternoon (even the evening :) ) with his friend and with his family. I was extremely happy. I hope that the guys had incredible good time together and they amused themselves.

The cupcakes are vanilla, covered with thin layer of fluffy vanilla frosting and I spread some fall sprinkles on the top. On some of them you can see the tiny pumpkins that I put on.

Happy birthday Tedi!

This Pony cake is for Tedi's 6th birthday. Happy birthday, dear girl!!!

Tedi's mother ordered the cake and I knew from her that her daughter was wondering what kind of cake to pick up for her birthday. At the very beginning the cute girl wanted a cake based on the movie Frozen. After that she saw one of my last cakes with Tinker Bell and she changed her mind. Later on I posted a cake with 2 ponies and Tedi changed again her mind. Finally she decided that the most wanted cake for her birthday is "The Pony cake" . Even once while I was speaking with her mother I told her joking, of course, that I'll stop posting any cake until Tedi pick up something and in that way I won't confuse her any more :)

Tedi's mother chose the pony. This one on my pictures is mine and I just put it to make the photo session. On the birthday party they used their own.

 

Make-up cake

Happy birthday, Daniela!

 

Although I have never met Daniela I met her sister and she is a wonderful person, very charming and very smiling. She wanted to surprise Daniela for her 25th birthday with this cake.

 

 

I hope Daniela was pleasantly surprised.

Silvia is the name of the charming sister who ordered the cake. She sent me a picture of a similar cake found in the net and she asked me to make the same cake for her sister's birthday. Of course, I changed it a little bit but I kept the theme - "make-up". Silvia also sent me a picture of a dress that her sister bought for the special occasion. It was blue like this one on the cake. Unfortunately, when Silvia came to pick up the cake she told me that Daniela changed the dress but it was to late to change the cake :)))

 

The cake is vanilla with coffee flavor and the cream filling is "Raffaello" - the same as the candies. This cream is delicious but I find it very sweet. But who can resist to Raffaello's cocoanut flavor?!?! It's good for cake filling and I use it when I make Raffaello candies.

 

Lion cubs cookies

 

These are the lion cubs cookies that I have promised to my Sophia...I ordered the edible images from the net and unfortunately they didn't come before 17th for her special day. I didn't want to disappoint my daughter and that's why I made the lion cake for her. Some days ago I received the mail and the edible images. Immediately I started making the cookies. I was very happy that I could surprise my daughter again. These time I surprised my three kids and my husband. The cookies disappeared like winking. Even I hadn't chance to try them but I presume they were delicious :)

 

 

 

Gluten-free recipes

 

Today I'll share with you another two gluten-free recipes that I have tried last days. First, I'll start with this - Do NOT expect anything fancy... Deliberately, I didn't decorated these muffins. I just want to show you the way how the real gluten-free muffins look like. Definitely, the are not these big, fluffy desserts that you can buy from all patisseries. But they are real, without any artificial ingredients and the most important they are not bad for your body. I'll share with you the recipes that I used and which ingredients I replaced.

 

I hope you enjoy the gluten-free baking.

 

 

Sour cream apricot muffins

Makes 12 muffins

 

1 cup chick-pea flour

1/2 cup cocoanut flour

1/2 cup granola

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 salt

12 tsp xanthan gum

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup cocoanut oil

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk (I used cocoanut milk)

1 cup dried apricot

 

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and bake the muffins for 20-25min. After that enjoy them. I adore them!

And now the second recipe...

 

Dried apricot muffins

Makes 12 muffins

 

1 3/4 cups brown rice flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup softened butter (I used cocoanut oil)

1 egg

3/4 cup milk ( I used cocoanut milk)

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup dried apricots

 

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and bake them 25-28min.

 

 

Bon appetit!

Cake "Sunny day"

 

 

This cake I made a long time ago but I couldn't find the time to post it in my blog....It was a decadent chocolate cake with filling that I adore - mascarpone and wild berries. There are some other ingredients in the filling but these are the basic ones. This filling is amazing - it's very light, not too sweet, it's pleasure to swallow it and to feel the real berries. It reminds me always the summer.

The people that tried this cake are very close friends. My girl-friend bought the cake for her family and the guests that they had.

I wish you, dear friends, always to have sunny days in your everyday life!

Happy birthday Gulfer!

Today is another special day - it's my friend Gulfer's birthday...

I wish you, my friend, love, health and good luck in everything!

 

Today I have surprised my friend with this cake. It was really a surprise. Gulfer hadn't any idea that I'll stop by her office and I'll bring her a cake. It was such a pleasure to me to make my friend happy, to bring more smiles on her face. She is very charming and attractive girl but the most important is that she has a big heart. She is always ready to help you. Thanks, Gulfer, for everything!

 

The cake is made out of lemon layers with chocolate cream with tiny almond bits. I covered it with very pale pink fondant and on all decorations I used pearl dust. I wanted to make it very posh and stylish...

Lion cake for my Sophia

Днес първо ще започна моя пост с поздрав към всички празнуващи на 17 септември - Вяра,Надежда, Любов и тяхната майка София. Да са Ви живи и здрави имената и вие с тях!!!! Желая Ви истинска любов, разбирателство, вяра и неугастваща надежда. Весел празник на всички!!!!

 

А сега за днешната торта. Моята голяма дъшеря носи прекрасното име София и днес тя също празнува. За този ден говориме отдавна, защото това си е един от нейните празници и не бива да се изпуска. За огромна моя изненада тази година София не пожела подарък. Мисли, мисли и нищо не измисли :) Помолиме само да й направя 2 гривнички, торта и да се почерпиме на ресторант :). Но играчка - липсва, което мен ме радва, тъй като сме се заринали от играчки на всякаква тематика...

 

Тортата също бе изненада за мен. Дълго време планувахме да е отново  на темата Frozen, но тъй като и рождения ден беше на същата тематика, изведнъж София най-изненадващо ми съобщи , че иска торта-лъв, тъй като тя е зодия Лъв.

 

Мислех, че ще си промени желанието,но до последния момент настояваше да е торта-лъв. И ето го "звярът".

 

Тортата е мъничка - 15см диаметър, шоколадова, с домашен ванилов крем. Само лицето на лъва е от фондан. Гривата е от шоколадов фростинг. Най-голям проблем срещнах с мустаците :) Нямах нищо под ръка и точно в последния момент намерих тези декоративни телчета, които свършиха прекрасна работа :)

 

Още веднъж, весел празник на всички! Ние отиваме да се веселиме :)