Happy Birthday Sister

Siblings are the best! 

Growing up, having a sister was like having a slumber party with your bestie every single day. 

We shared a room for many years, and that room was our castle when we were princesses, our jungle when we were wild horses, a hospital when we were doctors, classroom when we were teachers, a stage when we were pop stars, an intricate obstacle course when we had hamsters, a barbie and ken luxury resort, a church when we were priests, a restaurant when we were mud chefs, a tent when we were camping, and so many more fun adventures!

Today my younger sister turns a year older.
You've been my best friend and partner in crime since the day you were born, so here's to so many more years of fun and adventure together!!

 

If you like it then you shoulda put a bow on it...

Because everything looks better wrapped in a ribbon...

Dress: Ideals, Cardigan: Mr Price, Ring: Asos, Belt: Gifted, Bracelets: Gifted

 

Sunday Night Blues? Not anymore...

Last night as the Sunday night blues started to creep in, The Boyfriend and I, both unwilling to accept our weekend was coming to an end, decided a batch of freshly baked choc-chip cookies were just what we needed! 

And boy were we right! 

These cookies took no more than 20 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to bake and are absolutely delicious!

A pot of tea and choc chip cookies, coupled with the Sunday night movie was just the right way to ease into another busy working week…

Ingredients

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large egg whites

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

• Preheat oven to 180°C.
• Combine sugars and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg whites; beat 1 minute.
• Add flour, flour, baking soda, and salt and mix.
• Add choc chips; beat until blended.
• Drop dough by level tablespoons onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Remember to leave enough space between cookies as they do swell.
• Bake at 180°C for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on pans for 2 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
• Makes approximately 32 cookies.

 

@tipsytart is now also on instagram. Be sure to follow for real time updates of baking & adventures!
 

Kisses...

waking up in winter is always difficult, but it's also always worth it.

Life has kept me pretty busy lately,and unfortunately my blogging had to take a quick break. To make up for my quiet, heres a few pics of what I've been up to lately...

Also, I am now on instagram and updating that regularly, so follow me @tipsytart for more pics and fun from my day to day adventures...

Behind the scenes on our latest shoot. Working in the advertising industry sure does have its perks, like planning and shooting for the upcoming spring season... definitely my favourite part of the job.

Just some of my mani's lately..

We may be in the middle of winter, but the weather has been so warm lately that beach days and sundowners are still on the agenda.
 

My sister came up from Cape town recently so we squeezed in lots of family time. Chilling with my siblings is always good fun...

Bijoux my little baby. Because I now live in an apartment I can't have any pets, but recently I was feeling horribly ill so went home (nothing's quite as good and Doctor Dad and Nurse Mum) and had this little treasure
spend all day cuddled in bed with me...

Sorry I've been so quiet.. kisses!

Salted Peanut Butter Caramel Cupcakes

A friend from work recently sent me a recipe she saw in a magazine for Salted Peanut Butter Caramel cupcakes and asked me if I’d try bake up a batch. Of course I said yes. I love baking. And I love discovering new recipes. And this one just sounds amazing.

The recipe however, was pretty average -  BUT I could see how it could be easily upgraded and improved, so below, my enhanced version of the salted peanut butter and caramel cupcakes.

Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

Recipe by Glorious Treats

Yields- 15-16 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups cake flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup buttermilk

Method

• Preheat oven to 180 C
• In a medium bowl, add cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir together with whisk, and set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, add eggs and beat 10-20 seconds.  Add sugar and continue to beat on medium speed about 30 seconds.  Add vanilla and oil, beat.
• Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add about half of the flour mixture.  Add half of the milk, then the rest of the flour and the rest of the milk.  Beat until just combined.
• The batter will be thin.  Pour batter into a muffin pan prepared with paper liners.  Fill liners about 2/3 full.
• Bake cupcakes in pre-heated oven for 12-14 minutes.
• Cool in pan 1-2 minutes, then remove cupcakes from pan (carefully) and finish cooling on a wire rack.

Icing

Ingredients

230g Cream cheese (1 tub)

50g - 100g icing Sugar

1tbsp full-cream milk

100g peanut butter

100g tinned caramel

Sea salt

Method

• Mix the cream cheese and icing sugar together in a bowl until smooth
• Mix in the milk and peanut butter
• If texture is too runny add a little more icing sugar ( I find in humid areas the cream cheese is a lot softer and a little extra icing sugar helps

Icing the cupcakes

• First pipe on your peanut butter icing.
• Next, using a very small tip, pipe a little caramel on top of the peanut butter. I tried doing dual piping but it was getting messy so just simplified it to two separate moves.
• Lastly sprinkle with a little sea salt. 

Original, not so good, recipe