Marzipan muffins anyone?????

Here is the recipe for the marzipan muffins I made the other night, totally addictive for those that love marzipan and there is a hidden layer of it half way through the muffin, complete indulgence I believe!!!! and oh so Christmassy! Will upload piccies at some point!

INGREDIENTS:
250g mixed dried fruits
grated zest and juice 1 medium orange
175g softened butter 175g golden caster sugar
3 eggs , beaten 300g self-raising flour
1 tsp mixed spice
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
5 tbsp milk
175g marzipan

Tip the fruit into a bowl, add the zest and juice and microwave on medium for 2 minutes (or leave to soak for 1 hour).

Line 12 deep muffin tins with paper muffin cases.

Preheat the oven to fan 180C/ 160C/gas 4.

Beat together the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, spices and milk until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes) - use a wooden spoon or hand held mixer. Stir the fruit in well.

Half fill the muffin cases with the mixture.

Divide the marzipan into 12 equal pieces, roll into balls, then flatten with your thumb to the size of the muffin cases. Put one into each muffin case and spoon the rest of the mixture over it.

Top each muffin with another peice of marzipan, I usually use a star cutter for this in then brush with beaten egg or milk.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until risen, golden and firm to the touch. Leave to cool.

I always find that these are best the next day!

And some more cards!

Even more snowman cards!

Two in one day...

posts that is, here are some of the Snowman cards that I have made, loved this decoupage set, have to say!

Yes they are slightly different!!!!

One of my fav's!

Have to have lots of him flying thats what makes him the snowman!

Doesn't he look daper!

Mmmmmmm I smell muffins.......

Had a baking session last night and the whole house was full of christmassy smells, from marzipan muffins to mincemeat muffins, note the xmas feel, im getting into the spirit already, thansk to the huge amounts of xmas songs being played on the radio at the mo! Who can fail to fall into the christmas spirit. Am disappointed though as last year I had a lovely recipe for mincemeat muffins and can i find it anywhere this year, the one I used last night isnt as nice, so might have to turn the house upside down till I find it I feel!

Will photograph them in a sec to make your mouths water!!!! Karen(one of my teamies over on UKS) has sent me a yummy scrummy recipe for jam doughnut muffins, will be trying that one out later this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is the recipe for mincemeat muffins if you want to have a go! I always add loads more mincemeat, but thats my personal taste!

Mincemeat Sultana Muffins
Makes 11-12 standard size
10oz (280g) plain flour
2 teaspoons (10ml) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) salt
3oz (85g) caster sugar ( use golden caster, for fairly dark coloured muffins)
1 egg
8fl oz (240ml) milk
12oz (350g) ready-made mincemeat
3oz (85g) butter, melted 3oz (85g) sultanas
Icing sugar for dusting the tops, optional

Prepare muffin tins (either grease or line with paper cases). Preheat oven to 190-200C or Gas Mark 5-6.

In a large bowl, sift together: flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar.

In a separate bowl, beat egg with a fork. Stir in milk, mincemeat and oil/melted butter.

Pour all of liquid ingredients into dry mixture. Stir until just combined, adding the sultanas in the final few strokes. The batter will be lumpy but no dry flour will be visible. Do not overstir.

Fill muffin cups three-quarters full. Bake for 20=25 minutes until tops are lightly browned and spring back when pressed gently. Allow muffins to cool for several minutes to make removal easier. Sieve icing sugar over the top.

Eat and enjoy!

Another year older...

at 9.50pm tonight Ill be another year older, Ive had some lovely pressies including some flowers from my very good friend Em, yellow and orange roses, mmmm and they smell lovely too!

Im now the proud owner of a new pair of boots, a lovely new necklace from my beautiful baby girl (she will always be my baby no matter how old she is), some lovely new ribbons as my stock has dwindled beyond belief, a lovely rubber stamp that isnt a cute bear or rabbit or penny black! and a very annoying satnav, I hate those voices on them! useful, but annoying!

I also have a lovely cake with butterflys on too, so im very lucky today! Anyway off to get myself dressed and ready to go to my nan's and give her, her cards and pressies as its her birthday too!

Here is my yummy scrummy birthday cake!

UKS CYBER CROP

The cc has started over on UKS, I don't think there has been much hype over this one, normally there is loads of excitment about them, but I haven't felt that this year, maybe Im too busy with other things to notice!

This was the first class that I completed last night - twister and shout, lots of rolling paper and trying to get it to stick, but I enjoyed it!

This was the first challenge that I did 'We're off to see the wizard' all about a journey you have taken, may want to take etc, we took a ride in a helicopter when we were in Florida, what a way to travel!

Here is the second class called over the rainbow, I liked this one as I wasnt quite sure how to scrap this pic that we took in Florida but now it has all come together.

Not sure whether I will get much more done this weekend as there are lots of other things to do, like get another year old tomorrow!!!!! You never know I might even get treated to lunch out!

I passed!!!!

Im in total shock at the moment, I have passed my Numeracy Skills Tests for QTS, I passed my Literacy and ICT during half term, which was fab, but I was soooooooo worried about the maths one, maths has to be my worst subject and I hardly have had time to revise!

I walked into the test centre and was about 1/2 hour early, I said to the lady at the desk, 'Im here to fail my maths QTS test' she looked at me and laughed, my reply was...'no, Im deadly serious, Im going to fail!'

Anyway they let me jump the queue of driving test takers and put me straight on to computer No7 - seven has now become my lucky number!!! I panicked and stressed all the way through the first 6/7 mental maths questions but finally got into the swing of them, (did help that the last few were easy, even by my standards!)

Then the normal q's which you had a reasonable time to go through and work out, Im so glad I revised percentages and a bit of data handling the night before as loads came up on those, I did spend lots of time playing around with those answers to make sure that they were right though!

Anyway, I came out convinced that because the mental maths was terrible, I had failed, she had my print out right there, on the side and wouldnt let me look until I had collected all my stuff my locker (you even have to take your watch off incase it has some kind of supery dupery computer in it to give you the answers!!!!) I just pulled everything out quick and chucked it on the floor beside me and went back over and said, 'ok everything sorted!' and there was this huge pile of coat, bag and umbrella just dumped in the middle of the floor and me thinking 'GIVE ME IT NOW!!!'

I opened up the paper and it said 'Dear Joanne, Congratulations you have passed your Numeracy Skills Test' My goodness my jaw dropped about 2 meters (which is impossible for those of you that have me me as im a shortarse!) Anyway I ran like crazy out of the test centre in case they had the worong person! No one is making me take that again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyhow here are some cards I have made for my bro's anniversary and his birthday, they arent fab but heyho!

Here is the card that I made for Rob's birthday, thanks Claire Im still using those little robot stamps!!!

Here is my latest project, stamping on candles, Im loving this, Ive made this one for Charleys teacher, for xmas and it cost a whole £1.39 including a glass base to stand it on, bargain in my opinion!!!! Have more to do now though!

Bad, bad, bad Blogger

Gosh when I look at last years posts and see how many there were I begin to realise how busy my life has gotten. Last week was half term, we did very little which is always the best way I feel. Lots of lunches out and a swimming trip made it an interesting week. I did no work for uni which now makes me worry because I really should have and over the weekend whilst I could have worked I chose to scrapbook!

I really do have my priorities sorted dont i! Well I have lessons to plan for tomorrow, but I can't get my head around them at all, prob best if I just leave them tonight and get on with the brignht and early in the morning!

Not much to tell really, I have ordered lots of new cropper hopper storage and some other stuff too to keep all my old scrapagogo kits in that are partially or not even used, I need to have a complete blitz at them and start using them, but as we secret stash strokers know, it isnt easy cutting into a lush sheet of paper, or use one of thos yummy prima petaloos!

I have signed up for the cybercrop over on UKS but doubt Ill get much done, inbetween lesson planning and evaluations its also my birthday that weekend, and yes I know everyone of my birthday pressies from my hubby and mum and not one is a scrappy one!!!!!! NOT ON!!!!