Quick Vegetable Soup

I love home made soup and after getting soaked in the torrential rain on my way home from the shop, I decided to make this soup really quickly while my bath was running.

(You can use any frozen vegetables, but I'd just bought these so I thought i'd try them.)

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen vegetables

1 large onion

2 stock cubes (vegetable or chicken)

0.5tsp chilli powder

Salt and pepper

Water

1) Fill a kettle with water and boil.
2) Empty the bag of vegetables into a saucepan with one chopped onion and 2 crumbled stock cubes.
3) Cover with water and bring to the boil, then cover and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.
4) Once the vegetables are soft, you can blend with a hand blender.
5) Add the chilli and season to taste.

It's as simple as that!

Chocolate cupcakes with orange cream frosting

So here it is, eventually!

Ingredients:
100g plain flour
20g cocoa powder
140g caster sugar
1.5tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
40g unsalted butter (room temperature)
120ml whole milk
1 egg
0.25tsp vanilla extract
Zest and juice of 1 orange
300ml double cream
50g icing sugar

1) Preheat oven to gas mark 3

2) Put the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a bowl and beat until you get a sandy consistancy and everything is combined. It should look like this;

3) Whisk the egg, milk and vanilla together in a separate bowl, then slowly pour half into the flour mixture. Beat to combine and get rid of any lumps. Don't over mix.

4) Fill a muffin tray with paper cases.

5) Fill each one about two thirds full.

6) Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

7) Take another bowl and pour in the double cream. Whisk gently until it starts to thicken, then sift in the icing sugar, orange zest and 1 tablespoon of the orange juice. 

TIP: If you over-whip the cream, just add a drop more (or some milk) and mix it through gently.

8) Enjoy!