Egg Free Cookie Cups and Top Tips

I'm going to be honest these cookie cups are pretty much what you could call semi-homemade. I used a mix for the cookie part--insert shock and horror--but the buttercream is from scratch. The mix I had didn't require eggs so I didn't have to worry about making it egg-free so it worked. So really this post is more about useful tips than recipes I guess!

To make the cookie cups you make whatever your favourite chocolate chip cookie dough recipe is and then put one scoop of dough into a lined or greased muffin tin. Tip number one is to use a cookie scoop so all the cups will be uniform in size. It is really just a small sized ice-cream scoop I got super cheap but works just the same. I noticed the contestants on Cupcake Wars (don't judge my tv habits) using them and thought I'd give it a try and it worked!

Bake the cookies at the same temperature but for rougly 3-5 minutes longer than you would if making them as cookies. When they are golden brown on top take them out of the oven. To turn them into cookie cups all you need is a clean shot glass.

For tip number two slowly and firmly depress the shot glass into the warm cookie and twist before pulling it back up. Crazy easy right? You don't need special molds or pans just a shot glass! I don't know about you but I have tons of shot glasses so I was glad I happened upon Daisy Chubb's recipe and didn't buy some special pan.

Let the cookie cups cool and then pipe in your favourite buttercream. I saw this third and final tip on Our Best Bits and it seriously rocked my world. I hate cleaning out piping bags--it is always messy and never fun.  Make up your butercream (I used a basic buttercream recipe but added a few drops of pure strawberry extract and pink food colouring) and then pile it into a log on a piece of cling-film/sarran wrap. Twist up both ends tightly and you can tie one end if you like.

Put the log-o-frosting into the piping bag and carefully thread the open twisted end through your frosting tip. Pull it out as far as you possibly can before snipping off the tail sticking out of the tip.

Then pipe the frosting as normal. Why do this? This is why.

When you are done pull out the leftover frosting and your piping bag is virtually clean! So you could then stick in a different coloured log-o-frosting (what else would you call it?) and continue on to make a multi-coloured masterpiece. Pretty cool right? I'm a fan of anything that makes clean up easier!

Then just eat your cookie cups and enjoy! Or make a cookie cup pyramid and discover just HOW rubbish you are at taking photos of food. Anyone have any tips for me on how to photograph food better?

Top Tips

If you've never read magazines in the UK you probably don't know about top tips; basically readers write in with their best tips and tricks--except most of the time they feature maxi pads as slippers and are just hilarious. If you haven't checked out the Tumblr Life! Death! Top Tips! you should-- it is hilarious.

I'm going to share some of my own top tips but hopefully ones that are actually useful. These are all things I actually do and recommend to friends; I think they are common sense but whenever I tell friends they've not heard them before so here it goes:

Rinse your hair with cold water at the end of your shower. Someone once asked if I was trying to trick them with this tip but cold water smooths the cuticle down so your hair is less frizzy and shinier. Trust me it works. I just lean my head as far back as possible to get just my hair freezing but you can always just dunk your head in the sink too. I may or may have not done that at a hotel when the shower wouldn't get cold enough for my liking.

Vaseline is an great make-up remover. It is gentle on your skin, conditions lashes and takes off even the most stubborn liquid eye liner. It can be bog standard Vaseline or I've been known to use the lip therapy before as well. I don't advise using it while your contacts are in but if you are taking off your make-up chances are they are out already. In a pinch Blondie Boy's eczema ointment Epaderm works well, too.

I'm always shocked that there are people who wear mascara but don't own eyelash curlers. To me they are a mandatory part of my make-up bag; they gently curl your lashes which makes apply mascara easier and makes your eyes look larger and lashes longer.  Blondie Boy is particularly fond of using mine to do his "eyesies" (don't worry he just put it up to his eyes he doesn't actually properly use them). If you've never used one before get yourself to the Drugstore and buy one NOW.

If you are like me when you paint your nails just as much polish winds up on your skin as the nails. Give yourself a pedicure about an hour before you take a bath. After the bath any excess polish on your skin around your toes will peel off easily because the skin underneath is softened from the bath. Much quicker and easier than trying to paint them perfectly!

Do you have any tried and tested beauty tips that you swear by? If you have one that involves sanitary products I reserve the right to be totally disgusted :)