Garlic and Parmesan Pasta

National Garlic Day! And I really wanted butter pasta, so I made this!

Ingredients:

• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 cup pasta
• 4 garlic cloves (I should have used more...)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup Parmesan plus extra for the top

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 175C on broil.
2) Boil water for the pasta.
3) Add the pasta.









4) At this time, heat the oil in the pan.
5) Chop the garlic and put it in the pan.







6) Add the butter when there is about 2 minutes left on the pasta.







7) Strain the pasta and add it to the  pan with the garlic and butter.
8) Add the Parmesan cheese.
9) Put into an oven safe bowl and add more Parmesan cheese.
10) Place into the oven and cook for 2 minutes.

Chinese Almond Cookie

It's National Chinese Almond Cookie day!

Recipe from here

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp almond extract (sounds like a little, but is A LOT, the whole kitchen smelt like almonds)
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 tsp water

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 325F/162C
2) Mix butter and sugar.








3) Mix in egg and almond extract.









4) In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda and salt.









5) Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture.








6) Roll into small balls and place on a cooking sheet.
7) Flatten the balls.







8) Sprinkle the almonds on top.









9) Beat egg whites and water.








10) Brush the egg white mixture over the cookies.
11) Cook for 14-16 minutes or until the bottom and edges are brown.
12) Let cool for 2 minutes before removing from the sheet.

Coffee Cake Muffins

National Bake Week and National Coffee Cake Day is tomorrow...so yeah, I made these too.

Taken from here and slightly modified

Ingredients:

• Muffin
• 6 TBSP applesauce
• 2 TBSP butter, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Filling
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup almonds, sliced
• 1 TBSP cinnamon
• Topping (I cut this in half because I made larger muffins)
• 1 TBSP milk
• 3/4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350F/176C
2) Line the muffin tin with cupcake liners.
3) Mix the applesauce, butter, sugar and eggs.







4) Add the vanilla.
5) Add the flour, baking soda and baking powder and mix well.
6) Place batter in the bottom of the liners.






7) Make the filling by mixing all the ingredients listed.
8) Add the filling on top of the batter.
9) Add more batter till the liners are full to the point you want them.
10) Finish off with more of the 'filling'.
11) Bake for 12-15 minutes.
12) Let cool.



13)  Make the topping by mixing all the ingredients listed together.
14) Drizzle over the muffins.

Lemon, Coconut and, Blueberries Cupcakes

 National Bake Week! and it's Easter soon and I got cute cupcake wrappers and things to stick in the cupcakes.

Take from here

Ingredients:

• Cupcakes
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup vanilla yoghurt
• 3 TBSP lemon juice and zest
• 1 1/2 cup cake flour
• 1 cup - 2 TBSP all purpose flour + 2 TBSP corn starch
• 1/2 cup sweetened coconut
• 1 TBSP baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup of blueberries
• Frosting
• 1/2 cup butter, room temp
• 1/2 cup cream cheese, room temp
• 2 tsp grated lemon peel
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350F/176C.

2) Line muffin tins with cupcakes liners.

3) Mix eggs and sugar in a large bowl.

 

4) Add olive oil, yoghurt, lemon juice and zest and mix.

5) Add in cake flour, coconut, baking powder and salt and mix.

 

6) Add blueberries and mix.

 

7) Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full.

8) Bake for 20 minutes.

9) Let cool before icing.

 

10) Mix butter, cream cheese, grated peel and vanilla.

 

11) Add in powdered sugar and mix.

12) Spread over the cupcake.

Nutella, Coconut, and Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

Sunday last was National Oatmeal Cookie day, and I missed it because it was Paddys day the day before....fair enough.

Taken from here and coconut added.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup Nutella
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 cup old fashioned whole oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup dried fruit (I used raisins since Tesco does not have dried cherries)
• 2/3 cup flaked coconut

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 325F/163C.
2) Mix butter with brown sugar and sugar.








3) Mix in Nutella.









4) Mix in eggs and vanilla.








5) Mix in oats, baking soda and flour.










6) Add chocolate chips, dried fruit, and flaked coconut.








7) Place on baking sheet.
8) Bake for 10-12 minutes.










9) Let sit for 5 minutes before taking off the baking rack to harden.