Unicorn Popcorn Recipe

This popcorn recipe was a quick after school experiment for me and I am so happy with the way it turned out. It was inspired by a friend of mine who made up a story about a unicorn who loved strawberries and started telling it to me as she was writing it.  Unfortunately the bell rang before she could finish it, so I had to take it further myself. While her talent is writing, mine is baking, so of course I made some unicorn sweetness.

This popcorn has the crunchiest texture and a delicious flavoured sweetness to it. Also, it has beautiful bright colours. I’m positive that the bowl will be finished before I’m done typing the recipe, so here it is.

Ingredients

·         1-2 tbsp oil

·         60g popcorn kernels

·         1 ½ cups powdered sugar

·         6-7 tbsp hot water

·         1 tsp flavouring/essence (I used tutti frutti)

·         Pink, blue and purple food dye

*Recipe makes 2 portions

Method

1. Add the oil to a large pot and place on medium to high heat.

2. Allow it to warm up for about a minute.

3. Once warmed, add the popcorn kernels and spread them out evenly.

4. Add the lid and wait for the kernels to pop.

5. The popcorn is done when the pops are 2 to 3 seconds apart.

6. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

7. Add the powdered sugar to a mixing bowl.

8. Add the hot water 1 tbsp at a time, mixing well each time. The mixture  should be very runny.

9. Add the flavouring and mix in well.

10. Pour the mixture equally into 3 cups/small mixing bowls.

11. Add a different food dye to each one and mix well.

12. Separate the popcorn equally into 3 different bowls.

13. Pour one colour icing over one bowl of popcorn and mix it thoroughly, ensuring that all the popcorn is well covered.

14. Repeat this with the other two colours.

15. Spread the popcorn out evenly on a greased baking plate.

16. Bake at 150°C/ 300°F for about 5 mins. 

Brownie Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Cookies:

1 cup softened butter

¾ cup brown sugar

¼ cup white sugar

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp golden syrup

1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp milk

1¾ cup flour

¼ tsp baking soda

Pinch of salt

½ cup chocolate chips

Brownie Filling:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 egg white

2 tbsp cocoa

1/3 cup flour

Method:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:

1.   Add all the dry ingredients together and set aside.

2.   Cream together the butter and the brown and white sugars.

3.   Add the egg yolk, golden syrup, vanilla and milk and mix until well combined.

4.   Fold in half the dry ingredients and mix until well combined, then add the rest of the dry ingredients. Add more milk or flour if the mixture is too dry or too wet.

5.   Once the mixture has formed into a dough, fold in the chocolate chips (set some aside for garnishing.)

6.   Cover the dough with cling wrap and place in the fridge.

Brownie filling:

1.   Mix together the powdered sugar and egg whites until a paste forms.

2.   Add the cocoa powder and mix in  well.

3.   Add in the flour and continue mixing.

4.   The dough will be very sticky, do not add more flour.

5.   Make sure that the bowl is scraped down well, but don’t worry if some dough remains stuck to the bowl.

6.   Set aside at room temperature.

Stuffed Cookies:

1.   Cover a surface with flour and roll out the chocolate chip dough.

2.   Cut into circles using a round cookie cutter.

3.   Place half the circles on a greased baking plate and set the other half aside.

4.   Cover the surface in slightly more flour and roll out the brownie dough.

5.   Note that because of the stickiness of the dough, only roll out about ¼ of it at a time, this will prevent it from sticking to the surface.

6.   Use a slightly smaller cookie cutter than previously and cut the dough into circles.

7.   Place the brownie circles on the chocolate chip circles in the baking plate.

8.   Take the extra chocolate chip circles and place them on top of the brownie layers as if making a sandwich.

9.   Use your fingers to gently press down on the perimeter of the cookies and then press down slightly in the middle.

10.   Gently press the extra chocolate chips onto the tops of the cookies.

11.   Bake at 180°C/350°F for 18-20 mins.

Green Smoothie Bowl Recipe

When I need a quick, healthy snack, my go to is smoothies and smoothie bowls. I love these delicious mixtures of goodness and especially how you can hide the not so yummy, but good for you stuff in them. The typical green smoothie is probably the one that contains the most of those ingredients and I have yet to taste one I don't like. So of course I had to make my own! Here’s my green smoothie bowl recipe.

Ingredients

1 small pineapple/ half a large pineapple

1 small avocado

1 cup raw spinach leaves1 tbsp desiccated coconut

1 tsp chia seeds

2 tbsp plain yogurt

1 tsp honey

2 tbsp coconut milk

Method

Blend all the ingredients together and check the thickness. Add more coconut milk if the mixture is too thick for you.

Enjoy!

The Three C's Pasta Recipe: Cheese, Cranberries and Coconut

I know pasta isn't the healthiest food choice ever, but sometimes you just need a quick and easy bowl of deliciousness. For me, that bowl of deliciousness is pasta. Combine that with my favourite ingredients and I'm in foodie heaven.

Now, when it comes to cheese, there's no way I'm only including one type, hence this recipe contains both cottage and cheddar cheese. However, it doesn't only enhance the flavour. The cottage cheese makes for a thicker pasta sauce while the cheddar maintains that stringy cheese texture between the pasta bits.

As for the coconut, except for its many health benefits that help to overshadow some of the unhealthy parts of a pasta dish, the tinge of coconut taste it brings with it, makes for the perfect flavour combination.

Now, I can imagine what you were thinking when you read cranberries, probably something like eew, why, interesting, uhhm... These were the thoughts going through my mind when someone told me how good they were on pizza. But I tried it nonetheless and never again did I make pizza without it. There's just something about its sweetness mixing with the savoury cheese that lead your taste buds into happy dancing. I just had to incorporate this taste into pasta, so here it is!

Ingredients

400g pasta

1 tbsp vegetable oil

250g bacon bits

1 medium avocado

1 cup coconut milk

300g cottage cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp Italian herbs

1 tbsp dried oregano/origanum 

1 cup dried cranberries

150g cheddar cheese

Recipe makes 4-6 servings.

Method

1. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packaging.

2. While the pasta is cooking, place the oil in a small frying pan over high heat and add the bacon once its hot. Cook until slightly browned and remove from heat.

 

3. Make the pasta sauce by blending together the avocado, coconut milk, cottage cheese, salt, Italian herbs and oregano/origanum.

4. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and then add the bacon and cranberries.

5. Place the pasta back on low heat to allow the cranberries to soften a bit.

6. After about 2 mins, add the pasta sauce and mix it in well.

7. Add in the cheddar and keep mixing on low heat until it is completely melted.

8. Serve hot and enjoy!

Easy To Use, No Mess Marshmallow Fondant Recipe

Ingredients

80g mini marshmallows
1 tbsp cold water
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp glucose/corn syrup
Food colouring (optional)
3 1/2 cups icing/powdered sugar
2 tbsp corn flour/corn starch
200g satin fondant (optional)

*Makes about 650g of fondant without the added 200g.

Disclaimer

Depending on what you want to use this fondant for, you can decide on whether you want to add the last ingredient or not. I know that the whole point of making your own fondant is so that you don't have to use store bought fondant, that and it tastes much better. However, when you want to use your fondant to cover cakes, marshmallow fondant is a bit tricky as it hardens very quickly. For smaller things like covering cupcakes or making toppers, this fondant recipe is completely sufficient. However, if you want to cover cakes I will highly recommend adding a bit of store bought fondant. This will give it more elasticity, making it easier to work with, but will also still eliminate the taste of store bought fondant.

Method

1. Place the marshmallows in a microwave safe mixing bowl and add the water. Give it a quick stir.

2. Place the marshmallows in the microwave for 20 secs. Remove it from the microwave and stir it again. Keep it outside for at least 30 secs before placing it back in the microwave for another 20 secs.

3. Remove from microwave and stir in the butter. Microwave it for another 10 secs.

4. Remove your mixture from the microwave and stir it again to ensure that the butter is incorporated well. Check that the marshmallows are completely melted and that the mixture is smooth. If there are lumps, try to stir them out or microwave the mixture again for about 8 secs at a time until the lumps disappear.

5. Transfer the mixture to your electric mixer's bowl and attach the flat beater.

Left- flat beater. Right- dough hook.

6. Add the glucose/corn syrup and mix on medium speed until incorporated. Note that if you are using a very thick form of glucose you may need to add it in during step 3 so that it can melt with the butter.

7. Add food colouring to your mixture and mix until incorporated. 

8. Add the icing/ powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and continue mixing.

9. When your mixture starts coming together, switch your mixer attachment to a dough hook. At this stage you can also add another 1/4 cup of icing/powdered sugar if your mixture is still sticking completely to the bowl.

Mixture coming together.

10. Knead your mixture for about 5 mins and then add the corn flour/corn starch.

11. Knead in the store bought fondant if you wish to add it.

Store bought fondant.

12. Continue kneading until your fondant forms and is no longer sticky to the touch. Add more corn flour/corn starch if your fondant remains too sticky.

13. To work with this fondant, dust a surface with corn flour/corn starch and begin the creating. When the fondant hardens place it in the microwave for about 10 secs to soften it up again.

14. You can store this in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just allow it to defrost and then place it in the microwave to soften it again.

Notes

• In the ingredients list, I added '/' many times, these ingredients are all exactly the same thing, they just have different names here in South Africa than they have in some other countries.
• Same thing with the measurements, South Africa uses a different system, but if you'd like to know, 650g=23oz and 200g=7 oz.
• See the picture above: Roses- without added store bought fondant. Cake- with added store bought fondant.
• If you are curious as to how I made the above cake look like a chalkboard, I simply melted some white chocolate onto a spoon and once it hardened I used it to draw on the fondant.

Feel free to leave any questions in the comments below or send me an email and I'll get back to you! :)

Tips for gourmet tasting cupcakes using premixes

If you’re someone who loves a cupcake that both looks and tastes great, but more than that you’re all about convenience, then cupcake premixes are probably your go-to. This can also apply if baking is simply just not for you and the easier the method the better. Well, I’m here to tell you that you can have the best of both worlds. Here are some tips on how to turn your premix cupcakes into gourmet tasting beauties.

For this method, you can also use muffin premixes instead of cupcake premixes. I like to use Golden Cloud’s vanilla muffin mix. This makes the cupcakes a little less sweet and allows for more frosting. However a cupcake premix will work perfectly as well.

The substitutes

Your first step will be to empty your premix into a large mixing bowl. Then you want to look at the mixing instructions on the packaging. Muffin mixes often times require water to be added, while cupcake mixes require milk. If your recipe requires water, substitute it with the same amount of milk.

The additions

Firstly, you want to look at the amount of eggs your recipe requires and then double this amount when you make your cupcakes. More eggs leads to a richer and creamier taste.

Your second addition is greek yogurt or plain yogurt, either one works. This adds moisture to your cupcakes. Look at the amount of cupcakes your premix makes (it should be stated on the packaging). For 12 cupcakes I like to add 1 tbsp of yogurt, if you have a larger premix that makes 24 cupcakes you can add 2 tbsp.

Please note that because you are adding a lot of liquids, your mixture is likely to be more runny than usual. This is completely fine.

The method

Once you have all your substitutes and additions together, you can follow the rest of the recipe exactly as it is (usually your only other ingredient to add is oil). The only adjustment to the method is the baking temperature and time. I like to bake my cupcakes at 20℃/70 ℉ lower than the temperature on the premix instructions. This will usually be at about 160 ℃/320 ℉. Due to the lower temperature you will also want to adjust your baking time, it shouldn’t take more that about 8 minutes longer, but it’s best to test your cupcakes with a skewer or a toothpick after the original baking time has passed. Doing this will prevent the cupcakes from browning too much and the tops from cracking.

Summary

1. Replace the water with the same amount of milk.
2. Double the amount of eggs.
3. Add in 1 tbsp of greek/plain yogurt per 12 cupcakes.
4. Lower the baking temperature with 20℃/70 ℉.
5. Add about 8 minutes to the baking time.               

I hope you find these tips useful, feel free to leave any questions in the comments below and I’ll answer them as soon as I can.

Introduction: About me and about Mia Makes.

About me

I am an 18 year old self-taught baker who loves Jesus, country music, my family and of course being in the kitchen. I have always loved both cooking and baking, but the creativity that baking allows me has always pulled me more towards it.

Where Mia Makes started

As I've mentioned, I am a self-taught baker, this requires experimentation and I did a lot of it. My family couldn't eat everything I made fast enough and therefore encouraged me to start selling. Mia Makes was born in June 2017 as a small business with only a Facebook and an Instagram page. 

My vision for the Mia Makes Blog

My main reason for starting this blog is to give back to everyone who has supported me and to release some more of my creativity. My focus will be on cheap and easy baking tips and hacks as well sharing a few of my own recipes. You can look forward to learning the secrets to beautiful baking with limited resources and easy methods. Please sign on for this journey with me.