Easter cupcakes, the Easter Egg Hunt and chocolate!

Yesterday my two sisters took me out for afternoon tea and gave me belated birthday presents (I'm the reason why this was six weeks post my birthday - I'm still in denial about being 40 and haven't hosted any official party!) Kathryn gave me one of her fabulous paintings and Margaret's present was a very cool cupcake stand, complete with recipe. I already had plans for making gluten free cupcakes today for Easter Sunday so I altered the recipe:

Easter Gluten Free Cupcakes

200gm softened butter

3/4 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups gluten free flour

70gm ground almonds

2 heaped tsps baking powder

vanilla essence

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time. 
Add dry ingredients and vanilla. 

Fill paper cases 3/4 full (placed in muffin tins). Bake 15 - 20 mins.

Ice with white chocolate ganache and mini easter eggs

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I added some strawberry liqueur to the ganache which gives it a nice flavour. Louisa did the decorating, hence the coordinated egg trios. The eggs are Cadbury, with chocolate centres and candy shells. She decided not to spread all the icing as she wanted a 'nest' look to the cupcake.

Out of the kitchen this morning I also made chocolate muffins with caramel easter eggs in the centre.

Why would this lot be looking so pleased with themselves? Chocolate raid!!! As I write, Jack the youngest is devising an Easter Egg hunt for the others. I've had to call on the assistance of his eldest brother Peter (14) as Jack was putting the matching clue with each hiding spot. Now that wouldn't be much fun for anyone and I imagine very disappointing for the creator of the hunt!

And finally, Louisa has worked hard on this 'Woodland Folk' card so I thought I would share it - she loves this collection. This was made using the stamp set from Artfull Crafts and a lot of fussy cutting.

Here we go....

Well, this is the start of a road to supposed self discovery through blogging. If you find yourself reading this, it could be an interesting journey following the day to day goings on of my life. Some would say too many fingers in too many pies - I would take that quite literally with five children who seem to constantly need feeding and my pantry that is restocked on a daily basis!

So, as of at this moment I have the babies in bed and I am contemplating finishing one of three things: the christmas cards I was working on today at Artfull Crafts scrapping day; the christmas angel doll that I've been making to match my living room or decorate a tree....I know, you would think it is way too early to be thinking any sort of Christmas project but I plan to open my home for the public next month so time is of the essence. I think the tree will win out. I've done my favourite one already this week - the theme of the blog - my gingerbread tree.

Next on the agenda is the farmyard tree. It's a miniature tree and I got most the decorations at Harrods a few years ago. Love them! Tim (8) is dead keen to do it with me so will put a photo up when we are done.