Spring has sprung

We're now the second week into April and finally we're seeing some signs of spring.

I'm not sure what it is, maybe it's the longer evenings that now mean I can have lovely long walks around the park, or if that rare and simple glimpse of sunshine is it, or it might just be that i'm heading home tomorrow for some Irish counrtyside air and looking forward to seeing daffodils everywhere and baby calves in the fields. Whatever reason it is, i finally feel like winter is over (even if the weather forecast says that there may be snow again).

The above picture is of my Easter buns. Usually Easter is a lovely bright morning and fresh, this year it snowed!! Regardless of that fact i went ahead and made some pastel coloured buns, and they were yummy.

The recipe is from a little book called "Cupcakes" by Susanna Tee.
It calls for:

4 oz butter/ margarine
4 oz caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 oz self-raising flour
1 oz cocoa.

Its pretty much the same as any recipe for buns with butter and sugar beaten together 'till light and fluffy, then gradually add the eggs and sift in the flour and cocoa powder together. Fold the flour cocoa mixture in and then spoon into cases.
A nice little trick my Mum has taught me is to use plain flour and baking powder instead of self-raising, that way you only ever need one flour in the cupboard. For every 8 oz of flour, 1 tsp of baking powder.

The icing is butter icing and calls for:
3 oz butter
6oz icing sugar
1 tbsp milk
2-3 drops vanilla
mini eggs

While mixing the icing mixture i realised i didn't have a piping bag, the last one i had riped. I made a makeshift bag which i have to say worked pretty well. I'll put a post on how to make it later on.
These are such quick little buns to make and tasty too.

I hope you're enjoying spring x