Give an example of how you deal with stress.
Job interview preparations. Love it. I spend hours by myself thinking of scenarios and examples because I know that if I don't, when crunch time hits my brain will suddenly become empty and I will probably come up with some very poor, weak example.
So while the proper answer is that I write down everything I have to do, prioritise and just work through it setting time goals, in reality the truth is far more calorific.
If the stress is emotional and irrational I tend to turn to my Kitchenaid mixer and a viber chat with Alix. At the same time of course.
Anything to distract me and Alix has a magical way of pulling you back down to Planet Normal. Oh and she's great to talk to if you want to complain about boys and how dumb they are and celebrate being on Team Single. Whoop.
So today whilst chatting away I churned through an entire packet of oreos in the process of making these magnificent creations.
I vowed that every Monday I would bring morning tea to our one fourth year class of the week. Since there are only like ten of us it is a very doable quest. So in practice for next Monday I decided to try out a half batch of these babies from my Home Sweet Home recipe book from the Hummingbird Bakery. My Dad bought be this book as part of a bet/deal we had going. If I get above 80% in a 50% exam I had earlier on in the year he would buy me this book. Between 70-79% I would pay half. Below that and he would disown me. Good deal eh.
Well thankfully I got 82% in that gem so this book was all mine!
But basically all this is just a chocolate cupcake recipe with a few crushed oreos shoved into each one. Preeeety simple. I decided to do an icing with a dollop of cream cheese thrown in there just to make it really lethal.
I'm really going with the messy cupcake look lately aren't I? I could't pipe these very well anyway, the oreo chunks would get stuck in the nozzle!
So next time you feel like making something that looks epic but is actually really easy, look no further than these babies.
Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
Adapted from the Hummingbird Bakery's Home Sweet Home
for the cupcake:
70g butter, softened
170g plain flour
250g caster sugar
50g cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
210ml whole milk
2 large eggs
12 oreos, broken into quarters
for the icing:
50g butter, softened
50g cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups icing sugar
couple of splashes of milk
6 oreos, crushed
6 oreos roughly broken to sprinkle over the top
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees on bake.
Mix together the flour, butter, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt until a sandy consistency is reached.
Add in half the milk and vanilla and beat until smoothish then add one of the eggs and beat until smooth. Repeat with the rest of the milk and second egg. Beat until all the lumps have gone.
Spoon into cupcake cases in a muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer come out just clean.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
To make the icing, cream the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth then mix in the icing sugar and a splash of mix to loosen it. Beat until fluffy and voluminous. Stir in the crushed oreo pieces. Spread over the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with a few extra oreo crumbs.
Prepare to see your friends weep with gratitude.
Enjoy!!!