Baking Powder, Buttercream and Brownies!

Hello to all of you reading this, wherever and whenever you are in the world. So, on this awfully warm day in England, when Thunder Bugs are literally everywhere and driving me insane, I have decided to snatch back the blog for a post. So-

Hey it's Abby! I am still alive!!

As you may have figured out from the title, this post is going to be food orientated - or more specifically baking orientated. Both Shanice and I love food, and especially baking, but it plays a slightly bigger part in my life. Baking is something I enjoy immensely, and have ever since I was a little girl, stood on a chair in the kitchen, wearing a tiger apron and baking gingerbread men with my mum. Now I am a 17 year old girl, and although my lion apron has been replaced by a slightly larger teddy bear one, and I don't need the chair, I still will often be found in the kitchen.  

And if I'm not baking then my mum is. In fact it is well known amongst my friends that Wednesday, in my house, is baking day - so you come on that day and scavenge food!
 (As one of her friends, I can confirm that is we go to Abby's house it will always be on a wednesday or thursday! She's just so darn good.)

Anyway, I'm rambling. For today's post I decided to post a few of my favourite recipes that I have found online. Don't get me wrong, I love an old worn cookery book, but that is more my mums forte.
I prefer to experiment with new recipes as I have the time to do so. 

So, here goes nothing...

studentrecipes.com - This is a site that was recommended to me by one of my close friends who also loves baking. The URL gives it all away really, they're just cheap, easy and quick recipes. The ingredients are generally things you have in your cupboard, and the best thing about it is that the website is so easy to navigate. You can write reviews and tell people how they turned out, or you can post your own recipes. That - if I'm honest - is one of the most important things for me. I believe that recipes should be shared, adapted, twisted and personalised. They should be passed down through generations of children until the recipe is completely perfected. 

My favourite recipe: Brownies (the recipe by 'Tim'), gooey, chocolate-y, yummy perfection 

bakingmad.com - This is probably one of the most well known baking blogs. They are well run, always providing new recipes which are really reliable, and their blog is well designed and easy to use. That is really important to me as I have spent a lot of my life looking at design. This website is one I found whilst hiking through the mass of baking blogs on the internet. 

My favourite recipes (because I couldn't choose!): Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes, a peanut butter flavoured cake filled with 'Jelly' (or Jam to us Brits) and covered in butter cream!
Sticky Toffee Cupcakes, these taste like mini sticky toffee pudding, they are gorgeous. I didn't, however, put the of toffee sauce on the top as I didn't have any. So please try them and tell me what they are like with it!

bakerella.com - First may we all take a moment to just admire the beauty of this URL? I love it, and in actual fact it was the reason I clicked on the link to her blog in the first place. Now this blog doesn't quite have the substantial content that the other two I have mentioned do. She has a decent amount on there, and is slowly increasing the amount, but the variety of what she has by far makes up for it. 

My favourite recipe - Mom Approved Lemony Lemonies, or in other words lemon brownies topped with lemon icing; tangy, sweet and simply special. 

Finally, this is my favourite cookie recipe. I haven't yet tried any of her other recipes, so I can't vouch for them. 

laureneasmith.blogspot.com - Just a simple baking blog!

My favourite recipe - Millies Cookie Recipe, I find cookies can often be a little time consuming and faffy to make, but these are so quick and easy - plus the mixture actually tastes like the cookie dough in Ben and Jerry's!! 

There are tonnes of other recipes that I love, Chocolate Slab Cake, Dried Fruit Loaf, Triple Chocolate Cookies, Bakewell Cake, Bakewell Buns... But these are some of my online favourite - and I am sure that Shanice will vouch for any she has tried ('Shanice' I do). I am now, however, about to find her on my doorstep forcing me to bake them all so she can try them...

What are your favourite recipes? I'm always on the lookout for some new ones to bake and Shanice to try, so drop us a comment and let us know.

-Shabs