Joshua's First Birthday

It only seems like five minutes ago that I was knitting a teddy and making this canvas when Joshua was born!

This weekend just gone it was his First birthday !!!

I made these for his party.

Gingerbread men and gingerbread teddy bears. The recipe is from Rachel Allens' Rachel's Favourite Food. However if you click here and scroll down the page the recipe is on her website.



I used a tube of ready made icing for the eyes and buttons and to write a 'J' on the teddy bears.



Chocolate bars with personalised wrappers.





I'm no graphic designer but if you want to save an hour or so faffing around on your computer click here to download these wrappers which you can print out on a colour printer. They're great and can be used for anything. Everyone loves to get something with their name on :o) Click here for wrappers for a standard cadburys chocolate bar.

Finally Raspberry Buns/Muffins which are deeeeelish!



The recipe is here but I've also added it to my post because you've sooo got to make these! mmmm

Makes 16 regular muffins or 24 mini muffins

Ingredients

175g butter
75g ground almonds
1½ tbsp lemon rind
140g gluten-free icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp fine cornmeal, sifted
3 tbsp corn flour, sifted
5 egg whites, preferably free range
175g raspberries
1x bun tin lined with paper cases

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.
Melt the butter in a saucepan and cook until it is very light golden in colour. Mix the ground almonds, lemon rind, icing sugar and corn flour in a large bowl and pour in the melted butter.
Gently mix together. Lightly beat the egg whites in another clean bowl until they are slightly frothy, and fold into the mixture.
Pour the mixture into muffin paper cases (or use 24 petit four cases to make mini ones) and dot with raspberries.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes or until golden and springy to touch.
Cool on wire racks and sprinkle with extra gluten-free icing sugar before serving.

Finally, my little tip for all you keen bakers.

I was just so chuffed with myself when I did this, purely by accident. I wanted to dust my raspberry buns with icing sugar but had used the sieve for draining pasta so I opened the drawer and a tea strainer caught my eye. It's perfect! Even better it sits inside the jar so I never have to worry about the sieve being available anymore.

I just knew that tea strainer would come in useful some day ... even though I don't even drink tea.