Happy birthday to me, I’m turning 23!
Not quite sure where the time’s gone, to be honest. Didn’t I graduate just yesterday? Nope, that was last year. How is it August already, and the Fringe is almost over?
When she celebrated her last birthday, Liz Gilbert (author of Eat, Pray, Love) wrote on her Facebook why she loves birthdays so much. Most adults find it embarrassing to make a fuss about their birthday, she said, but if you think about it, you’re actually so lucky to celebrate your birthday for another year. You made it through another year — and maybe it was a really difficult one, so well done, you. You made it through 100% of your worst days, so you deserve to celebrate in style.
I graduated from my Masters degree with 1st Class Honours. I worked the best job ever at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, then had to take the first best available job that came. I did it for 6 long, difficult months. I scrimped and scraped what little money I earned. I moved to Edinburgh. My boyfriend moved in with me. He moved out barely 4 months later. I lost the man I thought I’d be with forever, and my best friend too. I started a new job that I love. I’m translating my ebook into French. I’m hustling so I can get a brand new kitchen and still go on holiday next year. I’m breathing. I’m still here, and I’m still breathing, and everything’s going to be alright.
This year, I’m celebrating surrounded by some of the finest, most intelligent, funniest and badass women I know. I wish I could have got all my ladies together, but we’re all busy leading incredible lives and making the most of our twenties, which really do seem to be flying by… And that’s totally fine, because years from now when we do manage to all get together, we’ll have some fantastic memories to reminisce over.
Here’s to cake, and butterscotch doughnuts, and one more year on this glorious planet. Cheers!
P.S. want to make these doughnuts gluten-free? I got ya covered. Just swap cardamom for cinnamon.
Spicy Cinnamon Butterscotch Doughnuts with GF Option
Ingredients:
For the doughnuts:
- 250g (1 + 2/3 cups) plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 100g (1/2 cup) brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 250ml (1 cup) almond milk
- 60ml (1/4 cup) coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the icing:
- 3 heaped tablespoons ginger coconut sugar
- 250g (1 cup) coconut cream
Instructions
For the doughnuts:
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Grease two six-cavity doughnut tins and set aside.
- Combine the dry ingredients (flour, ground flaxseed, ground cinnamon, sugar and baking powder) in a large mixing bowl.
- Gently heat the almond milk in a small saucepan or in the microwave so it’s warm, not boiling. Mixing melted coconut oil with cold milk will cause the oil to solidify, which would ruin the recipe, so this step is important.
- Combine the vanilla essence, warm milk and coconut oil in a small bowl, then fold into the dry ingredients. Whisk until no lumps remain.
- Spoon the batter into the greased doughnut pans, tidying up the sides and middles of each cavity with a cloth. Bake for 18 minutes. The tops should be firm and golden.
- Cool on a wire rack. To release the doughnuts, turn the pans upside down over a clean tray and give one of the sides of the pans a good thwack on the tray, the doughnuts should just pop out.
- When they are cooled, dip the doughnuts in the icing. Place in the fridge to set for a couple of hours.
For the icing:
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the coconut sugar and coconut cream. Let them melt into each other; stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. Keep a watchful eye over the cream as it bubbles up. Give it about 10-15 minutes, until it’s reduced by half. Set aside to cool.
- Once the butterscotch cream is cooled, place in the fridge to set.
- Once the doughnuts are baked and cooled, dip them in the icing.
And because doughnuts are not enough, I present to you … vegan cakes and treats that would be absolutely perfect for a birthday party, however small or big. Click on the photos to get the recipes.
What’s your best birthday memory?
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Love and cookies,
OMG that Gianduja cake, best cake I ever had in 52 years ……
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Happy birthday and thanks for those 23 years…Happy mum ….
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Happy Birthday!! It’s been great following your blog this past year, although I hadn’t realized every up and down. We all have them though and desserts like these definitely make the “downs” so much easier to deal with : )
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Thanks, Nicole! It’s been great having you as a regular reader and commenter 🙂 I didn’t want to bang on too much about the downs — especially those that involved people other than myself — but the response to my personal story has been really positive and frankly, it’s helped a lot. xx
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These all look amazing, especially the dougnuts and the cardamom pancake stack!
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Happiest Birthday to you Clem! I was flitting back through my photographs of Edinburgh today and imagining what a magical birthday you must have had in your enchanting city. Best wishes!
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Hey Lucia! Nice to hear from you! It was magical indeed, we went to a ceilidh in Lauriston Hall – what a shame you weren’t there, I bet you’d have loved it. Speak soon x
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Bonne anniversaire (albeit belated)! Goodness, I only wish I’d had it together half as much as you do when I was your age – you should indeed celebrate!
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