Strictly Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes!

Having enjoyed Russel Grant more than anyone else in this year's Strictly, (he will always be my winner) - I want to celebrate the final of Strictly Come Dancing and share my recipe for Chilli Chocolate Cha Chas. This fairy cake recipe is from the 'Strictly Collection,' as made by Stella, the heroine of 'Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes' and is a sparkly little titbit to be enjoyed while watching Chelsee Pasha, Harry & Aliona and Jason & Kristina dance under the glitter ball at Blackpool Tower on Saturday night. So as they Rumba, Salsa, Tango and Jive their way through  the evening, put your feet up, pour a large glass of wine and enjoy your own kind of cha cha!  

So here it is - put on your dancing shoes - get in the kitchen and create a slice of strictly with this little twinkle-toed-tit-bit from Stella’s recipe collection.

 Chocolate Chilli Fairy Cha Chas with Spangly Frills

These simple-to-make cheeky little fairies are lively, sweet and just a little bit spicy. The heat is in the buttercream, so if you are baking for children or don’t like chilli, just bake the cakes as directed and leave the chilli out of the buttercream... they are still cha chas, just a little more restrained.

Now before you begin just let your hips sway very slowly, feel that music and just let those Latin rhythms pulse through the body as you cha cha round the kitchen collecting the ingredients.  Makes about 12 cha chas!

 N.B The recipe is in the back of Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes – so if you haven’t quite finished reading it stay ‘strictly’ with the recipes – and no peeking to see what happens at the end!

Ingredients

 2 free range eggs

110g or 4oz caster(?) sugar

110g or 4oz self raising flour

110g or 4oz butter melted

½ tablespoon cocoa powder

12 red metallic paper cases (they remind me of strappy scarlet dancing shoes).

Chilli Buttercream

70g or 2 ½ oz butter, softened

140g or 5oz icing sugar

25g or 1oz cocoa

1-2 tablespoons milk

¼ level teaspoon chilli (or to taste)

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ tablespoon milk

Red sparkly bits and edible red glitter

Method
Cha cha over to the oven and turn it to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and fill cake tins with paper cases.
Now whisk the eggs and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy – all the time swaying those hips and taking little cha cha steps (it improves the texture, trust me). Slow down the tempo now and fold in the flour, cocoa and melted butter.

 Spoon mixture into scarlet stilettos (or shiny red paper cases)and bake for 20-25 minutes until springy to the touch.

 For the frosting

When the cakes have chilled out on their wire rack – they will be ready for their dancing dresses.

Beat the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add half of the icing sugar and beat until smooth.

 Add the remaining icing sugar, chilli and cinnamon and the milk and beat the mixture until creamy and smooth. Check the taste and add a little more chilli if you fancy something hot, hot, hot and beat in extra milk, if necessary, to loosen the mixture.

 Now top those cha cha fairies and throw on some red sparkles and bling, take a big chocolate chilli bite and dance the night away.

This recipe along with many others – including the outrageously Christmassy, ‘Inebriated Christmas Tarts,’ and ‘Cranberry and White Chocolate Christmas Fairies,’ can be found in ‘Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes.’ The book is available in paperback and kindle from Amazon, all good online booksellers and in some Waterstone’s stores.

http://www.fatgirlsandfairycakes.co.uk/

The Chocolate Chilli Cha Cha in her spangly red frills.

Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes Goes Live!

Well it's about to happen -  Fat Girls and fairy cakes is out on Thursday and the ebook is available now. I'm excited and delighted and worried that no-one will buy it and if they do they might not like it and..... oh all those things a new writer (probably any writer) goes through before a book comes out.
Anyway I'm very lucky - I have had a ton of support from everyone. Thanks to Rickshaw Publishing who have nurtured my writing and given me my own happy ending by realising my dream. I have also had lots of encouragement and cake from all my family and friends - not to mention my lovely literary tweeps at Love a Happy Ending. And a big thank you to all the magazines who have provided such lovely reviews this week - Take a Break, Closer, Now, Bella and Candis have all said wonderful things about Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes.
I'll be doing signings at Waterstone's stores around the country in the next couple of months and once I've finalised my 'Fat Girls on Tour' schedule I'll post it here in the hope that someone who reads my blog will come and say hello!

Hope you buy the book.....hope you like it! x

A sparky, Funny debut novelthat combines a cute chick-lit tale with cake recipes. What's not to like about that? Bella

Don't read this on an empty stomach! Book of the Week in Now

You'll want to devour this smart and fabulously funny read in one go! Closer ****


Sue Watson’s debut novel is as every bit delicious as the cakes she describes. With an obnoxious boss and a demanding family life, you’ll be rooting for the fabulous heroine right up until the last pages. Treat yourself to this engaging read, and make sure you’ve got a glass of wine and a sugary treat to hand – you’ll feel very hungry otherwise!”Take a Break

“Laugh out loud funny ...this is a thoroughly enjoyable debut novel that will have you reading bits of it to anyone within earshot." Candis Magazine

Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes ... the reviews so far!

I haven't blogged this week -  in the light of all the riots and fear I felt my twittering on about cake and books would probably be a little shallow even for me. Now the riots have died down however, I can reach new depths of superficiality in this latest blog - all about ME. Yes forget about war-torn Britain, the Global Economy and who's actually going to be in Celebrity Big Brother (though I'll admit that one's got me going).
The biggest thing that's about to happen is less than a month away - the publication of my chicklit tome Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes!
On 8th September my  tale of love, loss, friendship and cake will finally hit the shelves online and off and I may be visiting a Waterstones near you - so watch this space!
Meanwhile, to whet your appetite I thought you might like to know what some lovely magazines have already said about my life's work;

"You'll want to devour this smart and fabulously funny read in one go!"

Closer Magazine

“Sue Watson’s debut novel is as every bit delicious as the cakes she describes. With an obnoxious boss and a demanding family life, you’ll be rooting for the fabulous heroine right up until the last pages. Treat yourself to this engaging read, and make sure you’ve got a glass of wine and a sugary treat to hand – you’ll feel very hungry otherwise!”

Take a Break

“Laugh out loud funny ...this is a thoroughly enjoyable debut
novel that will have you reading bits of it to anyone within earshot."

Candis Magazine

Pink Champagne and Fairy Cakes

My friend and writing teacher Sue Johnson launches her novel Fable's Fortune today. A contemporary romance built on a fairytale structure – with a touch of new age magic, it's available from Amazon and a fabulous read. Sue is currently celebrating her book launch with a fountain of champagne and cheeks-full of cherry liquers (yum). This has made me think of my own book launch (have I already mentioned that Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes is out on 8th Sept... I think I might have?) Anyway, I'm thinking bathfulls of champers and acres of fairy cakes. I'm also planning a Fairy Cake cocktail recipe which I will reveal nearer the time.

Sex, Cake and Videotape - or My Thursday Afternoons Locked in a Hotel Room with Sir Terry Wogan

"I remember Sue Watson with great affection as an excellent,good humoured and ever "flexible" producer. Thank Heaven she has kept what really happened at Cliveden to herself, otherwise it might have been super-injunction time! Wish her blockbusting success with her book. I'll be reading..."
Terry.
(Sir Terry Wogan) 

 One of my favourite memories while working at the BBC was renting a hotel room by the hour with Sir Terry Wogan. Every Thursday afternoon we would meet in the hallowed portals of Lady Astor’s former home, Cliveden and as the twinkling eyed Sir Terry entered the bedroom I would greet him from the four poster bed, ready and waiting for our time together.

Sparkling Toyboys and Free Books!

The 'new writing' website loveahappyending launches on 29th June and here at 'The Fairycake Penthouse Apartment,' there will be much excitement and popping of champagne corks before the watershed. I for one will be enjoying a jacuzzi full of champers and strawberries along with the apartment's resident toyboys (same old Weekday morning then?) But before you hate me - it's not all sparkling wines and seasonal berries - oh no - because I am a featured author on loveahappyending and will be hard at it with those keen, firm young men.