Penny's Matcha Diary 7 and 8! It's been a week! Woo!

Day 7:

11am-Major lay-in as I had a rough nights sleep. I was really worried about a pastry assessment I have later in the day, so it took me ages to get to sleep. So feeling a little stressed out.

11:15am- Had my Matcha shot for the day.

12:30pm- Had lunch (while going over my recipes for my pastry assessment). Feeling a little more calmer. 

3:15pm- Going out to university for my pastry assessment.

4:30pm- Sat in a coffee shop without coffee. I must really look cool with my bottle of water and reading my assessment recipes. Keeping very calm which is not what I'm usally like on assessment day.   

5:30pm- I have 3 hours to complete a fruit fruit and creme caramels. But feeling very focused and am concentrating more.

8:45pm- Passed with merit! Woo! 
10pm- Home and thrown myself to bed!

Also ONE WEEK WITHOUT COFFEE! IT CAN BE DONE!!

Day 8:
6:30am-Woke up but not feeling 100% awake yet. I think it's Matcha time!
7:30am- Out the door to work and feeling a bit more awake but it's too early to tell.
8:30am-NEED BREAKFAST!! Starving!!
9:30am- Feeling a little more alert yet calm.
10:09am-Finally publish my Matcha Green tea and chocolate cupcakes! Yay!! 
11:40am-Went for a brief lunch break walk and had lunch.
12:40am- Had an apple for a snack (check me out with the healthy snack)
6pm-Got home and instantly went out to see my wonderful amazing  friend Naomi for sushi!!
10:30pm-Off to bed as I'm talking a load of rubbish as I'm so tired. 

Still fancy that 15% off tea at teapigs ? Put BLOGGERS12 into the checkout!

Bake and Drink on!

Matcha and Chocolate Cupcakes for Matcha May!

As mentioned in my previous posts I have been keeping a Matcha Diary and I promised to incorporate some teapigs matcha into a cupcake for Matcha May.

I feel that this combo really works, as the matcha is really understated. So if your a little unsure about matcha in a cupcake, the dark chocolate balances it out. These make a great snack to moonch on whilst at work, which I thought were really de-lish!  

Recipe: Makes 12 cupcakes (Recipe adapted from Making Cupcakes with Lola)

·       150g plain flour, sifted

·       2 ½ tablespoons of cocoa powder, sifted

·       1/4 teaspoon matcha powder

·       1 teaspoon baking powder

·       A pinch of salt

·       150g unsalted butter, at room temperature

·       265g caster sugar

·       120g dark chocolate, chopped

·       1 egg

·       150ml water

Buttercream

·       125g unsalted butter, at room temperature

·       1 tablespoon single cream, plus a little more if needed

·       ½ teaspoon matcha powder

·       500g icing sugar, sifted

Equipment:

·       Large saucepan

·       Bowl

·       Chopping board

·       Knife

·       Measuring Jug

·       Sieve

·       Tablespoon

·       Muffin tray lined with cupcake cases x 2

·       Whisk

·       Piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle or a palette knife to spread the buttercream

     1.  Pre-heat the oven to 180c/350f/Gas Mark 4 and line a 12 hole muffin tray with cupcake cases.

     2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, matcha powder, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

     3. Put the butter, sugar and chocolate in a medium saucepan over a low heat. Heat until pale and smooth.

     4. Add 150ml water and whisk until combined let cool for a few minutes.

     5. Add the egg to the saucepan and whisk in.

     6. Finally, whisk in the sifted dry ingredients and whisk in well.

     7. Carefully spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, filling them to about two-thirds full. Bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes until slightly raised. To check they are cooked, insert a skewer in the centre of one of the cakes-it should come out clean.

     8. Remove from the oven and leave the cakes in their tins for about 10 minutes before carefully placing on a wire rack to cool. Once they are completely cool, you can ice the cupcakes.

     9.  To make the buttercream, mix the cream and matcha powder to make a paste.

    10. Put the butter into a bowl and microwave for 20 seconds until soft. Sift half the sugar into the bowl, beating until incorporated.

    11. Add the second half of the icing sugar and beat on a low speed using an electric whisk.

    12.  Add the matcha and cream paste and mix really well. If the mixture is a little thick add a tablespoon of cream and then beat again until loose. 

    13.   Spread or pipe the buttercream on the cooled cakes.

    14.  To finish off dust the top of the cupcakes with cocoa powder.

These really hit the spot when it you need a little sweet pick me up. In the buttercream alone is one daily serving of matcha, and I've heard that dark chocolate is good for you in moderation. So what's not to love?

Bake On! 

Matcha Diary Days 5 and 6

Day 5:

10:30am-woke up and instantly had my first matcha with my shot glass. This is becoming a good habit. So far haven't felt any need for my morning coffee.
11am - had quick breakfast.
1:45pm - went out to finally get a new bag as my old one split. :( I did get a nice compliment saying I look "more trim". Is this the appetite reducing affects of the Matcha making itself known?
4:45pm-feeling hungry so had a sandwich but had no other snacks.
8pm- had dinner and have had no sweets or unhealthy snacks today.

Day 6:
10am-got up and went straight for the matcha without a second thought. As the days goes on it gets easier to take.
11:15am- had a poached egg and 2 bacon rashers (hairy biker recipe from this book)
12:45pm - Starting my journey back to London. My ferry to Portsmouth. No hunger pangs. I have had a hot chocolate on the way but I fancied something hot.
2pm- feeling focused and my mind is calm on my way home.
4pm- got home ok and had a sandwich for a snack.
6pm- just finished my pastry time plan for my assessment tomorrow. Time for dinner!

Still fancy that 15% off tea at teapigs ? Put BLOGGERS12 into the checkout!

Bake and Drink on!

Penny's Matcha Diary Day 3 and 4

Day 3:
6:30am-feeling really rough and runned down.
6:35am-noticed my skins looks clearer. Is that the Matcha?
7:45am- First Matcha of the day
8:30am- Munch on my porridge on my desk. Had no snacks all morning. 3rd day in a row.
10:30am-feeling more awake. 
11am-Starting to feel hungry!
12pm- stuffed myself with pasta for lunch and had a Matcha

Cupcake for a 'Fat Friday' snack. (Promise I will post the recipe soon.)

1:16pm-feeling loads more awake.
3:21pm-started my travels to the Isle of Wight. Starting to feel tired.
6pm- got to Portsmouth and had a sneaky nandos for dinner.
9pm-got to the island. What a long day!

Day 4:
12pm-had a lazy lay in. Still feel a little tired. Checked out my skin and still looking as clear as yesterday.
1pm-first matcha of the day
1:45pm-went out for shopping and feeling really energised. Managed to get a small measuring shot glass which will help me measure exactly how much water and matcha to have.

4:26pm only just having dinner but not feeling as hungry as I normally am without food for so long.
7:30pm-still feeling energetic and focused.

Dont forget to use that 15% off tea code at teapigs. BLOGGERS15 until the end of May.
Bake and Drink on!

Matcha May is Here! Matcha Diary Days 1 and 2 (with a discount deal as well)

It's a little unsettling when you see that your morning coffee has been replaced by a very luminous green liquid.

Let me explain, this odd looking drink is Matcha Green Tea. To celebrate all things matcha related, teapigs,who pioneer in all things tea related, they have coined the month of May as Matcha May. This year they have asked tea loving UK bloggers to review their matcha green tea.

In this tea loving bloggers case, for Matcha May I'm going to be using my matcha in some sort of baking, so watch this space! (UPDATE:Published Here )
Also I'm going to be investing in a box of matcha and having a teapigs shot, (which is 30ml of hot water whisked with 1/2 teaspoon of matcha and drunk straight) instead of my morning coffee for the next two weeks to see if any of the health benefit's work for me. I'll try and be posting my status everyday when possible in the form of diary, which I have nicknamed, Matcha Diary. So we'll be seeing how that works out!

Here are some answers to some questions you may be asking: (Remember that this information is taken from the teapig website, if you have any further questions about matcha or any of there tea products contact them, after all they are the experts on this stuff)

So Matcha huh? Whats that?
As mentioned before, it's a highly concentrated version of green tea which is 100%  natural and organic, originally from Japan and has been used for over 900 years by Buddhist monks to help them stay focused during mediation. teapigs matcha is grown in Nishio, Japan and only uses the leaf rather then the veins which can cause that funny bitter taste you can get in green tea.

Alright so it's a green tea?
A super green tea. Have you not seen its muscles? 

Erm ok... So what makes it different from normal green tea?
When you have a teabag of green tea you eventually throw the bag away, and with that you away all the goodness! Matcha is ground up so finely that it can be whisked into water/smoothie/fruit juice/insert yummy thing here, so all the nutrients are drunk up.

What are these health benefits then?
 I'm glad you mentioned that:

• Matcha can help towards healthy glowing skin
• It can improve concentration and learning performance
• Also matcha can be assist in weight loss which is just fab for the summer if you want to slim up.
• It's also been said that matcha can chill you out as well as energise you.
• Lastly, it contains 137 times the antioxidants of normal green tea! (for more info please click here)

Wow! No way! Where can I get this stuff?
Yes way! It can be difficult to find but recently health shops and cafes have been seeing more of a demand, so it's becoming more widely availible. But to get it directly from the lovely tea experts themselves, check out their website: teapigs and they are also on facebook and you can follow them on twitter under: @teapigs

And whats even better you can get 15%* off at the teapigs by using code: BLOGGERS12 . How awesome is that? (*Enter at the checkout /offer not valid on gifts or cheeky deals)

So if your a tea lover and fancy a discount, why not give matcha tea it a go? I'll be keeping you posted on the blog!
Bake and Drink on!

Penny's Matcha Diary 
Day 1:
6:30am- Got up and not so awake. Wishes that I can get back to bed.
8am- At work and had my morning Matcha for the day
9am- feeling more awake and alert
10:45am- feeling wide awake and buzzing 
12pm- Had lunch with no morning snacks.
3:15pm-still feeling energised.
4pm- Had a sneaky cupcake made by a lovely lady from my pastry class.
5pm- Home from work, started to make Matcha and Chocolate Cupcakes but energy is flagging.

Day 2:
6:30am-Wake up and it's pouring with rain boo!
7:15am- Had my Matcha shot for the day.
8am- Got to work and feeling a little more awake.
9:30am- Had a glass of water with no snacks at all.
10:30am- Starting to feel hungry.
1pm- Had lunch.
2:12pm (It's so exact because I saw it on a computer screen)- Feeling a little tired but still feeling focused.

Easy Strawberry Cupcakes with a Light Strawberry Icing

Thank goodness for the bank holiday weekend.

3 fab days of sunshine and just taking it easy. 

However the baking itch was too much to bare. I wanted to make something with minimal fuss but yummy too. Because, even for me, there are some days want you just want a lazy day. You know the ones where the dvd box set of Supernatural comes out and isn't switched off until you have watch every single episode, despite knowing them mostly off by heart.

So, going through my recipe books and papers I found the most insanely easy cupcake/old school fairy cake recipe ever. 

I mean it took an hour. For everything. Yups, I talking about getting the ingredients weighed and equipment, baking, etc. It really takes no time at all. 

I have come up with an impromptu runny fairy cake style icing to top the cupcakes with, but honestly the cupcakes are just as heavenly without it. The oil in mixed into the batter, makes the cake moist so don't replace with butter. I know it's a little odd, but just go with it. The theme of this blog post, is take it easy. 

Recipe: Makes 12 Cakes (Adapted from Bake Yourself Happy by Marian Keyes)

•        200g fresh strawberries
•        100ml olive oil
•        90g golden caster sugar
•        2 eggs
•        180g plain flour
•        ¾ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

      

      For the icing: (Optional- Original Recipe by Me )

•      240g icing sugar sieved
•      55g unsalted butter, room temperature
•      110g fresh strawberries

      Equipment: 

•    Masher
•    Sieve
•    Electric hand whisk
•    Muffin cases lined with 12 cupcake cases 
•    Chopping board
•    Sharp knife

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c/350f/Gas Mark 4 and line a 12 hole muffin tray with cupcake cases.

2. Wash and hull the strawberries and mash until they’re pulpy.

Step 3. Add the oil, sugar and eggs together..

Step 3. And whisk until caramel like.

3.  Beat the oil, sugar and eggs together for a few minutes until the mix starts to look caramelly. Add the pulped strawberries, sieve in the flour and bicarbonate of soda and fold through.

Step 3. All the cake batter with all the ingredients mixed through.

Step 4. Fill the cupcake cases until about 3/4 full 

4. Pour the thinnish batter into the cases and bake for about 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

      5.  While the cupcakes are cooling, make the icing by mashing up the strawberries in a bowl and set aside.

     6.  Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl and beat with the warm butter. Add the strawberries to make a runny icing and spoon onto the cupcakes for a traditional fairy-cake style cake. 

I hope that you've had a lovely long sunny weekend!

What I Did For My Birthday

Even though I thought on my birthday week that I could take it easy and not lift a single palette knife. Of course, I got drafted and I made two chocolate cola cakes. One for my cousins birthday, which was handed out at work.

and then I made another chocolate cola cake for my boyfriends parents and of course, 'my cake tester' boyfriend.

Oh doesn't that scream chocolately goodness? 

I wanted so badly to make my own birthday cake but I was strictly warned that that wasn't going to happen as I do so much baking all the time, so I needed a break from it. Instead my lovely nan had a cake made for me and my mums birthday.

How cool is that? My mums loves bingo, (she's at that age), so she got a bingo card and I got a cute little cupcake, of course!

I was greeted on my birthday morning with a bunch of awesome presents! 

 I wasn't thrilled with all of my presents... I got some anti-wrinkle eye cream...I'm twenty-something but I think someone was trying to give me a hint there.

 However, one of my coolest cards was a beautiful Snow White card from my friend Sofia, who I made a birthday cake for. I love Disney so this was the best card! My present was inside the card...and the surprise was when I opened the card...

 Yups I'm totally going on a Ghost Bus Tour! OMG!! Thank-you Sof!!!
One of my other passions is anything scary, anything horror and ghosty. So it's not just all about cakes. 

Another one of the most beautiful cards I got, nearly moved me to tears. It was from my friend Naomi, all the way in Dubai, who I miss terribly. (Check out the Good luck cupcakes I made for Naomi here!)

 It really shocked me to see my face plastered all over the card! It looks wonderful but what made me smile was the message:

 Even the back was personalised! Thank-you Naomi, this card moved me to tears. Please come back soon!! We all really miss you here!

I was also lucky enough to spend time with my family and my boyfriend. We went out for a meal and even went out for bingo! I didn't win however. But I had an excellent birthday. 

I would like to thank everyone for my gifts, cards and for the wonderful memories. Closing this post here's a picture of one of my favourite foods, which I had the day after my birthday: Crab on Fries from Ventnor Haven Fishery on the Isle of Wight. 

These are some amazingly tasty chips!
Bake On!