Merry Cherry Mistletoe Cakes

Merry Cherry Mistletoe Cakes are delicious Christmas treats to share with family and friends.

Muffin-sized cherry cakes
Iced with delectable creamy cream cheese icing.

Mistletoe leaves are made from ready-rolled and coloured icing.

 I used an icing punch, but you could just make small handmade leaves.

 These icing punches are found in Cake icing stores, online, or sometimes at the dollar store

Place the icing leaves onto each cake.

 Then use a red sweet for the berry.
I used Jaffas, but you can use any other red berry-shaped sweet.
However, a red M&M would also be an option.

Merry Cherry Mistletoe Cakes

· 2 cups all-purpose flour

· 2 teaspoons baking powder

· 1/4 teaspoon salt

· 1/2 cup butter, softened

· 1 cup fine caster sugar

· 2 large eggs, room temperature

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

· 1/2 cup milk

· 1/3 cup finely diced cherries (fresh or canned)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line muffin tins with cupcake liners.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla extract.

5. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk. Then add the diced cherries.

6. Place mixture into cupcake liners.

(I put the liners into muffin tin holes to support the mixture as it bakes.)

7. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

8. Let the cakes cool before frosting them.

Cream Cheese  Icing:

1 Tablespoon of soft butter

2 cups of powdered icing sugar

1 Tablespoon of lemon juice

1 cup of cream cheese

Readymade green icing

Red sweets

Beat together until pale and creamy.

Decorate the tops of the iced cakes with holly leaves cut from ready-made green icing and a red sweet for a berry.

A printable recipe can be found HERE.

Here's a little bonus gift for you: 

TWO FREE SNOWMAN PRINTABLES.

Use for homemade Christmas Cards, scrapbooking or upsize to frame as a gift or for your Christmas decor.

For more printables visit HERE.

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you can join for free HERE.

 #homebaking #christmas #christmasbaking

Craft A Resin Beach Memory Shell

Let's craft a beach memory shell using resin.

This is a great craft for the older children with adult supervision.

It's a fabulous memento of a day trip or holiday to the beach.

If you don't live near a beach and like this beachy idea, shells are available online and at dollar stores.

I prefer to use the Norski 2 Part Epoxy brand of resin because it produces no fumes.

No chemical fumes means it's safer to use.

You Will Need:

A half large shell, such as a scallop, oyster, or clam.

Sand (optional)

Clear spray varnish.

A crab shell, a smaller fan shell or a small driftwood stick.

You could even use a small plastic crab or a sea horse toy.

(I used an intact small crab casing that I found on a beach walk).

A paint brush and acrylic paint in your choice of colours.

Resin

To Create:

Wet some sand and place on the shell in various places.

Spray a coat of varnish clear over it.

Dry with a hairdryer.

                             Dab paint onto the shell as shown.

Dry with a hairdryer.

Note that paler paint colours will fade at the resin stage, so if you want a bright end result, use brighter coloured paint.

Place your focal item on the shell.

In my project, the little crab.

Wearing gloves, mix the resin as per the instructions on the container.

Mine was a two-part resin-to-one-part hardener mix.

Prop the shell between skewers to level it.

Carefully pour the resin in.

Leave for 24 hours to harden.

DO NOT be tempted to touch the surface of the resin before the hardening time is complete, or you will leave a mark!

These pretty shells make great homemade gifts to give.

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Simple Fluffy Pikelets

Soft, fluffy and delicious!

What more could you want in a pikelet?

Pikelets exist all over the world. 

They are simply called different names in various countries, such as drop scones, Scotch pancakes, silver dollar pancakes, mini hotcakes, or mini pancakes.

This recipe is my firm favourite!

It is a one-bowl mix!

 Dollop with jam of your choice, and a swirl of whipped cream.

Add some berries for added pizazz!     

I LOVE blueberries...
What's your favourite berry? 

Blueberries seem to be the perfect complement to pikelets, jam and cream!

• Fluffy Pikelets
• Ingredients: 
• 1 large egg
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  2 tablespoons fine white sugar 
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  3/4 cup of milk
• ▢
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  1 ½ cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

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¼ teaspoon bicarbonate soda (baking soda) 

• ▢
• ▢
  3 tablespoons melted butter 
• Method:
• Whisk the egg and sugar together.
• Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, and baking powder over the bowl of egg sugar mixture. Add the milk, and whisk gently together.
• Lastly, add melted butter and stir gently through.
• Grease a frying pan or girdle sparingly and heat over low-medium heat – but don't have too hot.
• Spoon tablespoonfuls of batter onto the frying pan. Turn when bubbles appear and flip to cook on the other side until a light golden colour.
• Yield: 14 pikelets.

1. 

Perfect with tea,

and a sure-fire way to please visitors and family alike.

Find the printable recipe here.

TIPS: 

A Tablespoon drop of batter makes a nice size pikelet. 

The batter should be the consistency of thick honey.

Don't overmix the batter! It will make the pikelets tough.

Have the lightly buttered frypan on a low to medium heat.

Don't flip the pikelets until bubbles appear.

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by joining for free HERE.

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