Baking Oreo Cupcakes

A couple of weeks back, I baked these super easy and delicious Oreo cupcakes and took some pictures to share the recipe with you all, so here they are, hope you enjoy!

YOU WILL NEED:

* 1 cup of flour

* 1 cup of sugar

* 3 teaspoons of baking powder

* 3 eggs

* Half a cup of oil

* Half a cup of water

* 3 packets of Oreos

*  2 cups icing sugar (confectioners sugar)

* 125g butter

* Vanilla essence

* Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius/ 350 degrees Farenheit. 

So first thing to do is to sieve the flour, ordinary sugar and baking powder into a mixing bowl. 

Now add the oil, water and 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence. 

Next, you need to separate all three eggs. Put the whites into a fairy large bowl as we are going to whisk them just now. Toss the yolks into your flour-sugar-oil-water mixture and mix it all up with a whisk/spoon until the yolks are properly blended in. 

The egg whites need to be beaten now, and I highly suggest you use an electric whisk if you can! Beat them on high until they are stiff enough that they won't fall out the bowl if you tipped it upside down. When they are stiff, add another teaspoon of vanilla essence and mix that in. 

Fold the whites into the batter now, do so with a spatula and make sure you don't stir it any more than it needs. 

Take 3/4 of a packet of Oreos and use a food processor to make them into tiny little crumbs. You could rather do this by hand by popping them in a sandwich bag and hitting them with a rolling pin, but either way make sure they are very fine. Add the Oreo crumbs to the batter. 

They are almost ready to go into the oven. But first, put cupcake holders into your cupcake tins and at the bottom of each holder, place down a whole Oreo for a little treat at the bottom. 

Now pour the batter into the holders and put them in the oven for 15-25 minutes, it completely depends on your oven, but I'd start checking from about 15 minutes. To tell if they're done, just stick a knife or toothpick into them and they are done if it comes out clean (without any batter on it). 

When they are done, let them cool completely. Meanwhile, you can make the icing. To make this, let the butter soften (if you do this by putting it in the microwave, make sure it doesn't melt, just softens) and then combine it with the icing sugar (sifted), 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence and 3/4 of a pack of ground up Oreos again. If the Oreos make it too thick, just add a little cold water. And if it is too runny, add some more icing sugar. 

Now you can ice the cupcakes and for a little last decoration, add half an Oreo on top. 

And that's it! I hope you enjoy!

(This recipe was "inspired" by Tanya Burr's video on them, but the actual icing and cupcake recipes are mine :) ) 

Happy baking!

My 2013 Favourites

Let me get straight into it! These are my favourites for make-up, beauty and anything else that I loved last year!

MAKE-UP
I have absolutely loved the 'Essence Pureskin Anti-spot Compact Powder'. I just use it as a matte powder to put over base and/or concealer, and it always just leaves such a nice glow and makes the concealer last so much longer. My colour is 'sand 02' which I have found perfect because it works when I am pale and when I get a bit tanned. Also, Essence is a very cheap brand, so this was just such a bargain and very affordable. 

I have also really enjoyed the 'Yardley Oatmeal 2-in-1 Blemish Stick Concealer'. It is just so easy to use in a stick form like this and it also helps to heal the spots and stuff, so it is very good. My only complaint is that the coverage is quite weak, so when I am having a 'bad skin day' its a little light, but otherwise I have really liked it. 

My favourite 'eye product' from 2013, was undoubtedly the 'Maybelline, The Falsies Mascara' . I have just never come across a mascara that has made my lashes look as nice, and also one that lasts as long as this one. You're literally set for the whole day when you put it on in the morning. 

BEAUTY PRODUCTS
I had to really think about this one because I love to use beauty products like body scrubs, creams, bath bombs and all that, which all fall into this category. So I decided that my 2013 favourite beauty product is the Body Shop's new 'Honeymania Cream Body Scrub'. I got given a small tub of this before Christmas and I have just fallen in love with it, and am most certainly going back to buy the bigger version when this one runs out. What I like about it, is that it is a scrub, so it is super super good for your skin, and exfoliates it, but because its a cream scrub, its also very smooth and silky when you wash it off, and it just looks all buttery and amazing and moisturising. And then there's the smell. I can't even describe exactly how it smells (surprisingly, not really like honey) but its delicious and sweet but not fruity, I don't know, definitely go take a whiff next time you're at the Body Shop. 

It's so funny because I very very rarely go to The Body Shop anymore, and this year, the few times I've walked in, I have found amazing beauty products. I got a bit sick of them for a while, but I really forgot what good quality stuff they have! My second favourite beauty product is the 'Body Shop Hemp Lip Conditioner'. It is designed for very very dry lips, and it really does its job brilliantly. It never fails to help my lips when they are chapped and dry, especially in winter, and it lasts for a long time before you need to reapply it.

The other beauty products I've just loved this year are from Lush, but I'm not going to post pictures or products yet cause I am planning on posting about my huge Lush haul very soon!

SKIN PRODUCTS
There wasn't actually one specific skin product that I loved this year. I mixed and matched a lot of the time, and wasn't blown away by anything. Although, I have really been enjoying the 'Environ Original Pre-Cleanser' as an eye make-up remover, as it is super oily, so just wipes off all heavy eye make-up.

FRAGRANCE
To anyone who knows me, this will come as no surprise, as I have worn the same perfume since about 2011, but I just really love it. I also have pretty bad allergies and hay fever, etc... so I struggle to find a perfume that doesn't make me sneeze whenever I smell it, and this one doesn't. It's the 'Brittany Spears Fantasy Perfume in Pink'. It was given to me as a gift when I first got it and I was really sceptical of a perfume by Brittany Spears called Fanatsy, with a pretty kitch bottle, but the smell has really impressed me. Although, on that note, she released it in a pink and blue bottle, and I think the blue smells horrible (personally), and so that's a bit odd, but they smell very different, and I love the pink. I do want to try to look for a new fragrance this year though, just because I feel I'm being a bit boring. 

SHOPS
This year, I have absolutely loved an Australian clothing store that opened here called Cotton On, they just make really nice, yet every-day type clothes and are very good quality. Yeah, I have just found a lot of
pretty things there. Another shop that I've loved (it's actually a branch of Cotton On) is a stationary and 'bits-and-bobs' shop called Typo. They just have the coolest decor and little odds and ends to decorate your room with, as well as really nice diaries, note books, pens, that type of thing. The last shop that I really completely fell in love with last year is Lush.  I think it's originally British, but it opened here in 2012, and I properly discovered it last year and have practically tried every product. They make the best and most exciting bath products and everything just smells so so so amazing!



FASHION ITEM
I really loved high-waisted shorts. People only really started wearing them last year, so I bought myself a pair from Topshop, and have just absolutely loved them. They are so comfortable, but also very pretty with little crop tops, and I've just really liked them. 

MOVIE
I couldn't decide, because I saw so many good movies last year. But I think I can tie it down to either 'The Great Gatsby' or 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower'. They are both so different, but I loved both. For The Great Gatsby, it helped that I'd just read the book as well, but I loove Leo DiCaprio and paired with a great director, I just loved it. It was very showy but I just thought that it was so well done, and all the actor/resses did a truly amazing job. For The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the acting was also amazing! But it was the story line and plot that really caught me off-guard. I hadn't read the book and so I didn't know what happened before, and I just loved it and it was just a really different and inspirational movie. 


MUSIC

Oh where to begin? I definitely can't just narrow it down to one artist or one song, so here are some of my favourite artists from 2013 and in brackets, the songs I liked the most (although I've only included songs they released from 2013, there are loads of others I love form other years): Bastille (Daniel in the Den, Flaws, Oblivion, Things We Lost in the Fire, Laura Palmer, Icarus, These Streets, Pompeii), Glee did some amazing covers in 2013 too (Mine, Wide Awake, Seasons of Love, Make You Feel My Love, Here Comes The Sun, Whistle, Love Song), Matthew Mole (You and Your Crown, It's Simple Child, Take Yours Take Mine, Have I Told You), One Direction (The Story of My Life, Best Song Ever, One Way or Another), Alex and Sierra (They won XFactor USA, and all their covers are brilliant), MKTO (Classic, Goodbye Song, Thank You, Summer Paradise) and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (Thrift Shop and Same Love). 


BOOK

My favourite book last year was 'The Great Gatsby'. I must admit that I read very few books, if you saw my New Year's resolutions post, you'll see that I am going to try and read more this year, but yeah, The Great Gatsby is famous for a reason, it really is so so brilliantly written and makes a comment on The American Dream that, when it comes down to it, is so true. 

TV SHOWS
It would probably be easier just to refer you to my post on this that I did a few months back. But the shows I loved last year (brace yourself, these are my favourite, I'd pick a tv show over movies any day, so there are a lot) are New Girl, Hawaii Five-O, NCIS LA, America's Next Top Model, Australia's Next Top Model, The Big Bang Theory, Grey's Anatomy, Pretty Little Liars, Cougar Town, Glee, The Bachelor/The Bachelorette, Modern Family, The Mentalist, 90210 and there are more, but I've either forgotten them, or they aren't classified as my 'favourites'. 

HOLIDAY
My favourite holiday in 2013 was absolutely undoubtedly when my family and I went to Mauritius in June. It was the perfect beach holiday and I got to do amazing things like parasail, snorkel, swim with dolphins, waterski and just had a really relaxing time there. 

And so those are my 2013 favourites! If you'd like to do this tag, it's not mine, so feel free to do it on your own blog or Youtube channel, let me know in the comments if you do, I'd love to see what everyone else enjoyed last year. 

BEAUTY TAG

Hellooooo

So firstly, I have just posted on my music blog (click the Beautiful music page) to go there....so if you're keen, go check that out- its a post on One Direction and some of my favourite songs at the moment. I have also caught up on my "Little Things" blog, so check that out at http://headundercovers.blogspot.com)

Here it goes- this beauty tag is originally done by Zoella and Tanya Burr (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QevOnbgY1G4 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_642901&feature=iv&src_vid=QevOnbgY1G4&v=nDCfZz4tK4U) 

1. Would you rather only ever wear eye make up or skin makeup?

Um, I think skin makeup because even though I don't have terrible skin, I can't imagine never being able to cover up a break out or little flaws and blemishes. 

2. Would you rather cut off all your hair, or never cut it again?

Never cut it. Short hair doesn't look great on me, and for me it would be a lot more limiting.

Pretty yet messy bun

3. Would you rather wear your clothes too big or too small?

Too big. You can gather it with belts, etc and make it a bit more flattering but too tight, is just a problem all round. 

4. If you were given lots of money to spend, would you rather buy clothes or make up?

Clothes. I like makeup too, but I'm not a makeup product hoarder, so I only need one mascara at a time, etc whereas for clothes I can just buy anything that looks pretty and fits well.

5. Would you rather wear eyeliner as lipstick or lipstick as eyeliner?

Lipstick as eyeliner. Neither are great, but maybe lipstick could pass for eyeshadow, etc. rather than trying to get away with black lines around your mouth. 

6. Would you rather never be able to fill in your eyebrows or fill them in with a sharpie?

Never fill in my eyebrows. I actually very rarely do this anyway because I have dark, full eyebrows already, so I don't usually need to. 

7. Would you rather never pluck your eyebrows or never shave your legs? 

I would hate never to be able to shape my eyebrows, but the idea of never shaving my legs is terrible, I could never, so I would definitely rather never pluck my eyebrows. 

8. Would you rather wear one eye shadow colour or one lip colour for the rest of your life?

One lip colour, if I found a lipstick shade that I really liked and suited most makeup looks, that would be okay I guess. 

9. Would you rather wear you rather wear you nails dark or light all year round?

Bright, I am generally a fan of bright, vibrant colours. 

10. Would you rather give up your current lip product or eye product?

Lip product because I am currently using the most amazing eyeliner- Yardley retractable eye pencil (and also a pretty good mascara too - Maybelline waterproof volume express). 

11. Would you rather go out with messy hair and nice make-up or nice hair and no make-up?

Messy hair and nice makeup- because I quite like the look of messy buns and plaits, etc and even though I often do go days without wearing makeup if I haven't much on, I'd prefer to have nice makeup and messy hair. 

12. Would you rather dye your hair neon green or wear neon green lipstick for the rest of your life?

Neither sound very appealing but I guess dye my hair because it would eventually grow out and neon lipstick for the rest of your life is an awful commitment. The green hair you could disquise a bit with hats, etc. and pull up into a bun or topknot. 

13. Would you rather never take your make-up off (it would stay nice) or never wear it again?

Never take it off. Because even though I don't always wear it, I feel prettier and more confident when I put on make-up and so to never be able to wear it again would be horrible. Although I wouldn't enjoy sleeping with it on. I also think it would be really bad for my skin to always have make-up on, so I don't know. 

So that's my reprise of Zoella and Tanya Burr's beauty tag, adjusted a bit... Feel free to do this on your blog or YouTube channel but comment to let me know so I can check it out and please link my blog too :)