Difficulty 
(2)
Easy Make
These delicious little treats are not really pies at all but more of a sponge biscuit. They originate from America and were allegedly baked by Amish women. When their husbands and children found these little cakes in their lunch boxes it is said they shouted ’Whoopie’.
Whatever their origins they are very easy to make and although they are best eaten on the day they are made, they will keep for two or three days without the filling.
(Click on pictures to enlarge)
Ingredients (Cakes)
(Makes 10)
100 grams (4oz) Butter (melted)
100 grams (4oz) Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
225 grams (8oz) Self Raising Flour (sieved)
150 ml (Quarter Pint) Natural Yoghurt
5 ml (1 teaspoon) Vanilla Extract
2 Baking trays lined with baking parchment
Set oven to 180 deg C (Gas Mark 4)
Put the Eggs and Caster Sugar into a large bowl and whisk until light and airy.
Whisk in the melted butter, yoghurt and vanilla extract.
Gently fold in the sifted flour.
Spoon 20 mounds of mixture onto the lined baking trays.
Bake for approx 15 minutes until golden brown.
Leave on trays for 5 minutes before lifting onto wire racks to cool.
Filling
125 grams (4oz) Butter (softened)
100 grams (4oz) Marshmallows
45 mls (3 tablespoons) Milk
A few drops of pink food colouring
5 mls (1 teaspoon) Rose water (optional)
Put the marshmallows and milk into a small saucepan and melt over a gentle heat until smooth.
Leave to cool.
Beat butter until light and creamy and add food colouring and rose water.
Gradually add cooled marshmallow mixture to butter, beating well.
Icing
150 grams (5oz) Icing Sugar (Sieved)
Water
Decorations – I used Asda Micro Marshmallows and Asda Little Princess Treasures
Put the sieved icing sugar into a bowl and stir in just enough water to give a stiff icing.
Spread icing onto the top of each pie.
To Assesmble
Sandwich cakes together with the pink marshmallow cream to create 5 ‘pies’.
Sprinkle with decorations.
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Difficulty 
(2)
Easy Make
Cupcakes are a larger version of the English favourite ‘Fairy Cakes’. They are very easy to make, being a basic Victoria Sponge recipe. The baked cupcakes can then be decorated in any way you wish. However having been inspired by a feature in a magazine, I decided to try out these ‘99’ Ice Cream Cupcakes.
The recipe will make 12 Cupcakes
Ingredients (For the Cakes)
150 grams (5oz) butter or margarine
150 grams (5oz) caster sugar
150 grams (5oz) self-raising flour (sieved)
3 eggs (beaten)
30 mls milk
Half teaspoon of vanilla extract
Paper Cupcake cases
12 hole muffin tin
Turn the oven on to 190? (Gas mark 5)
Put paper cupcake cases into the muffin tin
Put butter and caster sugar into a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until creamy and very light in colour. Alternatively mix with an electric mixer.
Slowly add the beaten eggs, beating well after each addition.
Using a metal spoon add the sifted flour and gently fold into the mixture. Do not beat as the air will be removed and the cakes will have a solid texture.
Add the milk and vanilla extract and gently fold in.
Spoon the mixture into the paper cases.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 15 – 20 minutes.
To tell if the cakes are cooked, press gently in the centre. The cake should feel firm.
When cooked, remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Ingredients (Butter Cream Decoration)
150 grams (5oz) butter – softened
300 grms (10oz) Icing Sugar – sieved
Half teaspoon of vanilla extract
Icing Bag and large ‘cream’ nozzle
6 Chocolate flakes (Cadbury’s are best) – cut in half
Coloured Sugar Strands or Hundreds and Thousands
Beat the softened butter in a large bowl until very light and creamy.
Slowly beat in the icing sugar.
Mix in the vanilla extract.
Put the butter cream into the icing bag with the large nozzle.
Starting from the outside to the middle of each cake, create a swirl and finish with a little peak.
Push in half a chocolate flake.
Sprinkle with the sugar strands.
These cakes will keep fresh for 3 – 4 days – although they will probably vanish long before then.
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Difficulty 
(1)
Super easy make
Click on any picture to enlarge
If you love peanuts then I am sure you will love this very simple no bake squares.
Ingredients
56 grams (2oz) Butter
28 grams (1oz) Caster Sugar
1-2 tablespoons Golden Syrup
85 grams (3oz) Crunchy Peanut Butter
170 grams (6oz) Digestive Biscuits
100 grams (3.5 oz) chocolate suitable for cooking
18 cm (7”) Square cake tin – greased
Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin and set aside.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat or in the microwave.
Add the caster sugar and golden syrup.
Stir over a low heat until the sugar is dissolved then bring to the boil.
Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter.
Add the biscuits mixing well.
Spoon into prepared cake tin and press down.
Leave until cold and set (in the fridge in hot weather).
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water or in the microwave and spread over the cold biscuit mixture.
Leave to set before cutting into squares.
Makes approx 16
These squares are very rich but moorish, so you may want to hide them if you do not want them eaten all in one go.
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