Yes I like baking

Mr. Bossy is a right Nerd. Not only does he look like a geek (which I love I may add) he really is one. He get's all glossy eyed around computers and anything related. I suppose that's not unusual at all. But he also gets a kick out of cleaning products. Yes I mean cleaning products. And cleaning utensils. Each to their own I guess because I do have my very own geeky spleen.

And that's baking.

Yes I love baking. It's relaxing, it's so much fun and please let's not forget the yummy treats to eat after you have whipped up some cakey delicousness!

But I suppose the geeky bit is that I myself get a kick out of kitchen utensils - especially if they are baking related. It just happens to be all so pretty!

Baking accessories and polka dots seem to be a match made in heaven - and obviously I am loving it!

I like to bake all kinds of things, anything that feeds my sweet tooth is good enough for the Bossy household.

But my heart belongs to cupcakes!

I have a whole array of baking books but these are just devoted to cupcakes.
All lovely presents for various occassions by Mr. Bossy or his family.

My birthday in October and Christmas just gone had a clear theme. Mr. Bossy and his lovely mother showered me with beautiful baking related gifts. The great thing - they did not know this of each other and neither for my birthday nor for Christmas I had one thing double! All different great things.

By far not all pictured here (I guess you know how for example a baking tray looks but it is muuuuuuuuuuuuch bigger than the old one)

Birthday and Christmas gifts together make a beautifully mismatched tea party set!
My dear mother-in-law gave me the strawberry milk jug and cake stand in October, Mr. Bossy the red tea pot also for my birthday, the sugar pot I got myself with a Birthday voucher from his grandparents and the tea set was a great Christmas gift from Mr. Bossys sister and her fiancee.

Not to forget the cupcake stand which Mr. Bossy also gave me for my birthday. And notice the golden starred cake cases? Also a birthday gift but I thought it's my last injection of Christmas today, they do look christmasy!

Lovely they are, aren't they? Various other presents included a cake decorating set, lots and lots of polka dotted cake cases, more baking tins and trays and and and.....

.... and this cake tin (2 more inside!) and new oven glove :-)

And in spite of all these lovely books I always fall back to my most favourite cupcake/muffin recipe. After all this talking about baking I might aswell share it. 

It is taken from Nigella Lawsons (who I adore by the way) "Nigella Express" book (Birthday present 3 years ago) and the original recipe calls for:

3 very ripe bananas
125ml vegetable oil
2 eggs
250g flour
100g caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
150g butterscotch (or chocolate) morsels

I have never used butterscotch morsels but once used white chocolate chips instead. That was the only time I ever stuck to the recipe and yes they turned out great but this is my basic cupcake/muffin recipe and so adaptable. I usually use brown sugar or muscovado sugar and if it's for kids I cut down on the sugar (especially with the sweet bananas that much sugar is not neccessary). I also substitute the bananas with whatever is in the house - I have used all kinds of veg or fruit: courgettes, carrots, beetroot, pumpkin, apples, pears - whatever I find. Sometimes I add vanilla or cinnamon or - whatever. I have also used wholewheat flour, white flour or spelt flour (yummy in conjunction with bananas).

If it's too thick I add some milk or soya milk to stay dairy free, if it's too runny I add more flour. Easy peasy, always yummy.

Today I added some vanilla sugar (too much for my liking actually, should have cut down on the sugar instead) and apples instead of the bananas. I also added some all spice (cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg, ginger). And yes they are a bit burned, you may have noticed :-).

Mix dry ingredients in a big bowl, mix oil and eggs in a separate jug, stir all together, stir in the fruit/veg. Put in cupcake cases, the big ones bake for about 17-20 minutes at about 220 degree. But you have to adjust accordingly and keep an eye on it - banana seems to bake longer than apples, they burn faster. I also like to make mini mini cakes for the kiddos and they - obviously - need less baking time!