B is for Brown #AtoZChallenge

Posted April 2, 2015 in A-Z Challenge / 16 Comments

Today I’m continuing with the A-Z Blogging Challenge. This year I’m doing an A-Z of Colours. I’ll be doing a variety of posts, including haikus and poems, arts and crafts, fashion and beauty, recipes and more!    

For the letter ‘B’ I have chosen the colour Brown. Brown is a rich, earthy colour that I associate it with comfort, animals and nature.

This Pinterest board shows some beautiful examples of different shades of brown.

Keep reading to discover the symbolism behind this colour, see some of my Polyvore creations and take a look at my chocolate cupcake recipes.

Symbolism

Brown is associated with dirt, earth, nature and wholesomeness. It also represents steadfastness, simplicity, friendliness and dependability, as well as practicality and hard work. It is often thought to be a ‘masculine’ colour.

Complementary colours: blue/green

Plants and flowers: Peruvian lily, kangaroo paw, painter’s palette, scorpion orchid, milkweed, spider orchid, hardy mums, mexican aster, st.john’s wort, safari sunset, coneflowers.

Animals: Most mammals (eg. bears, horses, dogs, cats), many snakes and birds.

Foods: coffee, nuts, chocolate, brown sugar, bread, cooked meat, brown rice, cookies, brownies, fudge.

My Brown Polyvore Creations

Brother BearHot Chocolate

Chocolate Cupcake Recipes

Basic Cupcake Recipe (makes 12)
  • 125g soft margarine
  • 125g caster sugar
  • 100g self raising flour
  • 50g instant hot chocolate powder
  • 2 large eggs
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Put 12 paper or silicon cases onto a baking tray. Put the margarine, sugar, flour and hot chocolate powder in a large bowl and beat together with an electric whisk until smooth. Spoon into your cupcake cases until they’re about three-quarters full. Bake for 15 minutes in total then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Basic Topping Recipe
  • 85g softened butter
  • 175g icing sugar
  • 25g plain melted chocolate
Put the butter in the bowl and beat until fluffy. Sift in the icing sugar and beat together until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and continue to beat until well mixed. When the cupcakes are cold, add the topping with a spoon or piping nozzle.
Reece’s Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Follow the basic cupcake recipe, but use only 40g soft margarine and add 85g peanut butter into the mix. For the topping use 25g peanut butter instead of melted chocolate and finish with a Reece’s peanut butter cup.
Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes  
Follow the basic cupcake recipe, but after cooking for about 10 minutes (or until the cupcakes are taking shape but still gooey), remove from the oven and push a chocolate into the centre of each cupcake. Rolos or Thornton’s Viennese truffles work well. Bake for a further 5 minutes.
Chocolate ‘Cake Cups’
Same as the surprise cupcakes, but use plain flower and one sachet of baking powder instead of self raising. Once cooled, the cupcakes should naturally form a concave shape resembling a doughnut. You can then add your topping of choice (eg. buttercream, caramel or cream) to the inside. 

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16 responses to “B is for Brown #AtoZChallenge

  1. Annalisa Crawford

    Chocolate!!!! Hmm yes, brown is a great colour 🙂 Those cupcakes look delicious.

  2. Rachel Pattinson

    I’ve never really liked brown as a colour, but that Pinterest board was lovely! I’m definitely going to be trying out that Reese’s Peanut Butter Cupcakes recipe – yum!

    • Me neither, Rachel. I used to think it was quite a boring colour, but I love the rich chocolate and warm chestnut tones on that Pinterest board too. Glad you enjoyed the recipe.

  3. I've never really liked brown as a colour, but that Pinterest board was lovely! I'm definitely going to be trying out that Reese's Peanut Butter Cupcakes recipe – yum!

  4. Me neither, Rachel. I used to think it was quite a boring colour, but I love the rich chocolate and warm chestnut tones on that Pinterest board too. Glad you enjoyed the recipe.

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