Yum! Peanutbutter cupcakes

So today I tried this yummie new recipe for peanut butter cupcakes. They were absolutely yum and it wouldn't be very nice of me not to share with all you lovely people:)

Needed for 18 cupcakes
230 grams soft butter
230 grams granulated sugar
230 grams selfraising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs
260 grams chunky peanut butter

For the icing
130 grams chunky peanut butter
 115 grams soft butter
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
400 grams powdered sugar
2 teaspoons milk

Pre-heat the oven to 175 degrees and place 18 paper cupcake holders into the cupcake/muffin tray.
Beat the soft butter, sugar, flour and eggs in a big bowl with a mixer until you have a smooth mixture. Stir the peanut butter through the mixturecuntil everything is nicely mixed up.
Add the mixture to the paper cupcake holders and bake the cakes for approx. 20-22 minutes in the pre-heated oven.
When done take the tray out of the oven and leave to cool for 5 minute

After those delish cupcakes have cooled enough, take them out of the tray and leave them to cool completely.

To make the icing, mix the peanutbutter with the soft butter and vanilla in a mixing bowl until the texture is light and fluffy.
Beat the powdered sugar and the milk into the mixture and drop a nice big blob of icing onto those yummy cakes!

The crunchy peanutbutter adds that yummy crunch to the cupcakes but you can always use smooth peanut butter instead.
On top of the icing that goes onto the cakes I love adding just a drizzle of chocolate sprinkles on top to make it that more yummier!

Happy baking and thanks for letting me share!

Xox Elena

Lets talk food! Crispy chicken with spicy dip

This recipe I have to admit is my Mum's. And it is yum!

It's gorgeous for a warm day, sitting in the garden sipping on a nice cool beer. Or maybe I just always think of summer when I make this dish because we only ate it on hot summer days, who knows?
It's also easy to swap the chicken for turkey or fish for example, it will all taste good with the yummie saus! 

Ingredients for the sauce

150 ml sour cream

30 ml mayonaise

1 1/2 spring onions

1/2 teaspoon grinded cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon grinded red pepper

1 tablespoon tomato puree

1/2 teaspoon tabasco saus

For the chicken

50 grams flour

1 egg

225 grams chicken, cut into small pieces

Start with the saus because this element of the dish is at it's best when cool.

All you need to do is combine all of the ingredients for the saus together and give it all a good stir until all the ingredients are blended. If you like the saus extra spicy, at this point you can always add more cayenne or tobasco to the saus. Just make sure to taste regularly before you make it inedible! Place the saus in the fridge to let it chill enough.
For the chicken put the flour in a bowl and make a well in the centre. To the well add the egg yolk and 150 ml of water and stir well. Whisk the egg whites until they are stiff and fold them into the batter.
Heat a pan with oil, we use a chip pan but if you don't have a well ventilated room just use a normal pan with a good layer of oil in it. Otherwise you and the house will be smelling of chip oil for a few days after!
When the oil is hot enough, take the chicken, dip it into the batter and then into the frying pan they go!

When the chicken has a lovely goldenbrown colour take them out and let them drain on a plate with some kitchen paper.
When the chicken is cool enough thread them onto sticks to make the dipping easier.
And there you have it! Lovely goldenbrown chicken with a spicy dip! Serve it with salad and/or cold potatoes, a nice cold beer, all shared with friends and family. Your evening can not get better than that! 
Buon appetito!

Xox Elena

*Listening to Ellie Goulding, Halcyon Days

DIY Gold Vases

Weekend is here and I have another gold themed DIY for you all! It just brings that extra bit of bling into your house and looks super nice!

What I love about these kinds of DIY is that the items and colours you choose can be anything that suits your mood and house style. On top of that you use items that you probably already have lying around the house waiting to be recycled!

What you need for this DIY are:
- Glass vases, bottles and jars (for example an empty peanut butter jar or a empty cola bottle)
- Spray paint in your favourite colour(s)

Make sure to wash the jars and vases before you spray them to make sure the paint sticks properly.
Next you simply have to spray paint all the items you have.
Putting the items onto a brick for example gives them height and makes them easier to spray. This way you don't have to hold them while spraying and either get paint on your hands or fingerprints on the glass!

Once the paint has dried the new vases are ready for use!
You can choose to display each one in a different place in the house or choose to group them all together, it's totally up to you.
As you can see in the picture I grouped mine together. This makes them stand out more in the house and looks just so pretty with a single flower in one or some of the vases.

Currently I have no flowers in mine due to the fact that my cats kept eating them. So instead of moving the vases every time I just took the flowers out. Saves a lot of stress!

Happy DIY'ing and have a good weekend!

Xox Elena