Baking | Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

Happy Autumn everyone! Autumn is my absolute favourite time of the year and I'm so excited to start bringing you guys lots and lots of Autumn-related posts! So, I'm going to start things off with this amazing recipe for pumpkin doughnut muffins! I've made about five batches of these within the last two weeks, they are that great! And they are perfect warmed up and eaten for breakfast or with a cup of  tea at the end of the day.

The recipe comes from Framed Cooks and it is really easy to follow. It is a bit time consuming and messy, especially when you have to brush the muffins with butter and roll in cinnamon sugar. If you don't have the patience and don't want to make as big of a mess you could always bake these in cupcake liners and only cover the tops with the sugar mixture. They still come out great and really taste like doughnuts. If you don't serve them right away, I really suggest popping them in the microwave for about ten to fifteen seconds before eating, it really makes all the difference. 

I also recommend doubling the batch, or even tripling. The recipe yields twelve muffins but in my experience, that is not nearly enough to satisfy me and my family. So keep that in mind! Any left over pumpkin puree you have you can just pop into a Ziploc bag and store in the freezer to use at a later date.

The final result is a soft, tender muffin with spicy, pumpkin flavour. The cinnamon sugar coating is an absolute must and really takes these muffins to the next level. When eaten warm the flavour is comparable to cinnamon sugar doughnuts (the best taste in the world!!). 

Let me know if you are planning to whip up a batch of these guys or tell me some of your favourite Autumn recipes! Thank you for reading and look forward to some more Autumn related posts coming soon! xx

Beauty | CoverGirl Flamed Out Shadow Pencil in Ginger Flame

Whenever I'm in a rush to get out the door and I only have time to apply minimal makeup this shadow pencil is one of the few things that I grab. The CoverGirl Flamed Out Shadow Pencils come in ten different shades. The colour I picked up was #340 Ginger Flame. Here is a short statement from the CoverGirl Website:

Two versatile products in one brilliant pencil! With Flamed Out Shadow Pencil, you get vivid, creamy color plus the definition of eyeliner for the bold eye looks you crave.

When I first picked this up in store I just assumed this would be a twist-up pencil type thing, but too my disappointment it is a wooden pencil that needs to be sharpened (sigh). So keep that in mind if you're interested in buying! 

Like the CoverGirl website said, this pencil can be used as both an eyeliner or an all over the lid shadow. The consistency is smooth and creamy and not at all greasy. It is very easy and quick to apply and there is no dragging or tugging of the skin. When applied the product is easy to blend with a brush or even just your fingers but after a few minutes it will set up and not budge at all. I have not used this product with a primer yet, but I can say that the lasting power is pretty good. Towards the end of the day it is mostly gone but I'm sure with the help of a good eyeshadow primer it will last throughout the evenings as well.

I have also noticed that after application there is a slight cooling feeling. I'm not too sure how to explain it apart from saying that my eyelids felt a bit cold after (lol) but it isn't bothersome in anyway just a bit strange. 

Ginger Flame is an almost frosty, rose-gold colour with some shimmer to it. I find that it really helps to brighten up the look of my (very sleepy) eyes on early mornings. The pigmentation is great and doesn't really fade much after blending which is quite nice. You can build up the shadow to a more vivid and intense colour, or you can use it simply as a base for other eyeshadows and products. I will usually use this in the corners of my eyes or it's used to line my upper and lower lash lines. 

I really do like this product and I'm tempted to go buy a few more. There are nine other shades on the CoverGirl website, I have my eye on Melted Caramel Flame (even the name sounds so delicious)!

Have you tried the Flamed Out Shadow Pencils? Let me know your thoughts below! Thanks for reading! x

Baking | Raspberry Filled Cupcakes + White Chocolate Buttercream

About a week ago my sister asked me if I would bake her some cupcakes for her and her friends for a get together. I happily agreed and immediately started searching on interest for something sweet to bake. I knew I wanted to use some sort of fruit filling for the cupcakes, so I decided on raspberries. Since I love the combination of white chocolate and raspberries, I thought a white chocolate buttercream would go great on top.

For the cupcake itself I used this white cake recipe from Add a Pinch. I really liked how the cupcakes turned out and they tasted very delicious. The cake was moist and really tender. This is definitely my go-to white cake recipe now. 

Raspberry Filling -

Ingredients:

2 Cups Chopped Raspberries

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar

2 Tbsp Cornstarch

Instructions:

1 - Add your raspberries to a small sauce pan over medium heat. Continuously stir until the raspberries begin to soften and juices are released.

2 - Add in both your sugar and cornstarch. This will cause the raspberries to thicken. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.

3 - Remove from heat and let the mixture cool before you begin to fill your cupcakes.

White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting -

Ingredients:

1 Cup Room Temperature Butter

3 Cups Icing Sugar

6 oz White Chocolate (Not Chips), melted

2 Tbsp Milk

2 Tsp Vanilla

Instructions:

1 - Place all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about three minutes.

The cupcakes are sweet, but not overly so. These were quite easy to make, just a bit time consuming. I think another great idea would be to use a strawberry filling with milk chocolate buttercream on top. It would be a great idea come Valentine's Day!

Thank you for reading! xx

Wish List | Two

o1. TNA Banff Shirt - I love flannel shirts during the Autumn and Winter months. They are so cozy and great for layering. TNA also offers a similar version of this shirt but with a hood which you can find here. 

o2. AMALIA Lace Up Brogues - Not really practical for Canadian winters, but I could definitely see myself wearing these during the Summer and throughout Autumn. Topshop also offers the same boots but in black leather which you can buy here.

o3. Wilfred Tartine Dress - I saw this dress while shopping in Wilfred last week and I immediately fell for it. It is the perfect Autumn and Winter dress and be both casual or dressed up. It would be so cute to wear for Thanksgiving or to parties during the holiday season! The only downside is that I believe it is dry-clean only ~ sigh. I probably won't buy this, but I'll be on the hunt for something similar. 

o4. Rhodium Metal Trim Heels - I know these heels are not really practical for Autumn/Winter BUT when I saw the beautiful Eleanor Calder wearing them at the London Premiere of 1D: This is Us (yes, I did watch the live stream of the One Direction movie premiere and no, I am not ashamed) I knew I had to have them. I just love the look of the gold metal hardware paired with black leather. I guess I could always wear these with a pair of tights. Maybe?

o5. Knitted Zip Stripe Jumper - Sweaters are like my favourite thing in the world and the main reason why I love Autumn weather so much. Stripes have been pretty popular this year and until last week I didn't own anything striped. Now I'm sort of obsessed.

o6. Zara Mini Skort - I haven't worn a skort since probably second grade but this Zara one is way too cute to ignore. It would be great with black tights, boot and a warm and cozy sweater!

What items are you wishing for this upcoming season? x