Tried and Tested

Monte Carlos

2010-03-10T17:02:00.002+11:00

Sorry no fancy words today, just a recipe.

Monte Carlos

Recipe from Recipes+ May 2009

Ingredients

125g butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 cup self-raising flour

1/2 cup plain flour

1/3 cup custard powder

1/3 cup dessicated coconut

1/4 cup milk

Jam Filling

50g butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup icing sugar

2 tablespoons raspberry jam

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Using an electric mixture, beat butter, sugar and essence in a medium bowl until light and creamy.

2. Sift flours and custard powder into butter mixture. Add coconut and milk. Using a round-bladed knife, cut through mixture until well moistened and beginning to clump together. Press dough into ball.

3. Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls. Place on prepared trays, leaving room for spreading. Using a fork, press tops to flatten to 5cm rounds, then make a cross pattern. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on trays for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Jam Filling: Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in a small bowl until light and creamy. Add the jam, mix roughly.

Chocolate Pots de Creme

2010-02-01T21:44:00.004+11:00

This last weekend my very best friend came over for dinner. A few days before her visit I asked what she wanted for dessert. Her answer "something custard-y, gooey... chocolatey" My first thought was Pots de Creme. I had seen a recipe in the February copy of Recipes+ and was planning on making that one, but in my last minute rush I didn't have the 6 hours to let it set. A quick net search landed me with this great recipe from My Recipes. It was written for 8 but I halved it. It tasted great, and had a great texture, firm top with a lovely gooey custard beneth, just as requested by the honoured guest!

Chocolate Pots de Creme

recipe from My Recipes

Ingredients (Makes 4)

4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1/3 cups milk

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 large egg yolks

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Put 4 ramekins into a large roasting pan.

2. Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a pan over medium heat, warm cream, milk and 1/8 cup sugar, whisking often, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is just simmering. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and pour over chocolate. Let stand 3 minutes to melt chocolate; whisk until smooth.

3. In a second bowl, whisk remaining sugar and egg yolks until well combined and pale yellow. Whisking yolk mixture vigorously, slowly pour in about 1 cup chocolate mixture. Pour in remaining chocolate mixture, whisking well. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup.

4. Pour mixture from measuring cup evenly into ramekins. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Carefully transfer pan to oven and bake until custards are just set (they will jiggle slightly in centre), 25-25 mintes. Remove ramekins from water bath and let cool to room temperate on a wire rack. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill until cold, at least 1 hour.

Coconut and White Chocolate Cookies

2010-01-26T15:18:00.004+11:00

Happy Australia Day! The lamb roast is ready to go in the oven, lamingtons are in production and the cricket is on the TV, what a great way to celebrate being Australian. This year my celebrations are alot quieter than last. I'm spending the day at home alone, just relaxing. I've done a little cooking, but a whole lot more just sitting around in front of the cricket.

These cookies aren't particularly Australian, they were just the flavours I felt like at the time. Similar to the very common white chocolate and macadamia cookies, but a little cheaper (macadamias are so expensive!) They are just sweet enough with a lovely hint of coconut. Great for sharing, I took mine to the 20/20 cricket and snacked on throughout the week. And I got to use these very cute measuring cups I got for christmas. They are very easy to store and have 2/3 and 3/4 cup measurements too, how awesome is that.

Coconut and White Chocolate Cookies

recipe from Technicolor Kitchen

Ingredients

125g unsalted butter

1 cup+ 1 tablespoon caster sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 cup plain flour

1 cup self-raising flour

1 cup unsweetened dessicated coconut

2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.

2. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add the egg and beat well. At low speed, add the plain and self-raising flours and coconut and mix until a soft dough forms. If its too crumble add a little milk at a time. Add the chocolate and mix using a wooden spoon.

3. Mould 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough into balls. Place on prepared sheets, 5cm apart, and press down lightly. Bake for 15 minutes or until light golden on the bottom. Allow to cool on baking sheets.

Mayonnaise Chocolate Brownies

2010-01-19T15:04:00.008+11:00

Ever read a recipe that you just have to try straight away? I saw this in the current issue of Australian Good Food and made it almost straight away. I have tried Low Fat Brownies before that are nice but was very interested in this recipe. This one uses mayonnaise to help lower the fat content, something I have used before when I made Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake. That worked out really well so I was confident in these brownies. The texture is definitely more cakey then fudgy but that's the way I like my brownies and the use of a good quality dark chocolate makes them beautifully rich. I never revealed the reduced fat nature of these brownies to my testers and they were all satisfied, with no clue to the true ingredients, infact I've renamed them Mayonnaise Brownies instead of the Reduced-fat Chocolate Brownies title it has in the magazine. I have pretty strong brownie competition from a friend who makes the fudgiest, richest brownies you have ever tasted and these didn't measure up for many of my tasters but for a lower fat (they're not 'low fat' just less then a regular brownie) they are pretty darn good.

Here's how it went:

Grab all the ingredients, and plug in your ipod. The recipe called for 70% cocoa chocolate but 85% was all I could get, but whatever you choose make sure its good quality dark because you really taste it.

You might have some lunch as well. Multi-tasking give it a try.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a 20cm square cake tin. I'm sure a glass dish would also work.

Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of hot water on low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Look at that gorgeous gorgeous chocolate.

Meanwhile, sift flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda. Stir sugars into chocolate with coffee, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in warm water. Whisk in egg.

Stir in mayonnaise until smooth and glossy. I used low fat mayo because its what I had in the fridge, which means they're even lower fat, awesome. Gently fold through flour mixture until just combined.

Pour mixture into prepared pan and use a spatula to smooth surface, if you're neat that way. Stick it in the oven for 30 mintues and chill out in front of the TV while you wait. The brownies need to cool completely in the pan, so a little more patience is needed. Then outta the pan, cut up and taste test.

Reduced Fat Chocolate Brownies (Mayonnaise Brownies)

From Australian Good Food Jan/Feb 2010

Ingredients

85g dark chocolate with 70% cocoa solids, chopped into small pieces

1/2 cup plain flour

1/4 cup cocoa

1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp powdered instant coffee

2 tbsp buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp warm water

1 egg

1/3 cup mayonnaise

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a 20cm square cake tin.

2. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of hot water on low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

3. Meanwhile, sift flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda. Using a wooden spoon stir sugars into chocolate with coffee, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in warm water. Whisk in egg. Stir in Mayonnaise until smooth and glossy. Gently fold through flour mixture until just combined.

4. Pour mixture into prepared pan and use a spatula to smooth surface. Bake for 30 mintues, until a skewer inserted comes out with just a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Cool completely in pan. Cut into 12 pieces to serve.

The article said there are 658kJ and 6g total fat in each brownie, compared to 1351kJ and 18g fat of a regular brownie.

San Francisco

2010-01-17T14:38:00.009+11:00

San Francisco holds a very special place in my heart. During my last semester of university I studied abroad at San Francisco State University. I spent 5 beautiful months exploring this incredible city. It has so much to offer and every time I return it feels just like home.

On our first night we wandered down to Pier 39 and around Fisherman's Wharf. Touristy yes, but it is a great location. My brother was a little tired of burgers (Can you believe it!) and felt like fish. Now I'm sure your thinking, great, a lovely little seafood restaurant, maybe some lobster, and of course clam chowder. Well sorry you'll just have to visit for yourself to find out about that experience. Because we went to Joe's Crabshack. Now in defence, at the time of walking in we didn't know it was a huge chain, nor did we know they dance on the tables, but the food was good and just the change in menu we were looking for. I had the fish and chips, G. had the fish and shrimp and chips.

The next night we took it up a notch in chain restaurants and had dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. Up until this point we'd never ordered dessert after dinner because we were always too full from dinner, but we were determined to make it to dessert this time. It was definitely worth it. I had the most incredible Chocolate Fudge Brownie Sundae ever. It was three of the densest, fudgiest, chocolatiest (?? huh?!) brownie I'd ever had with ice cream, whipped cream and choc fudge. Amazing. Incredibly sweet and rich. I managed to eat one of the brownies and a scoop of ice cream and I was done, but the memory remains forever. In case you are wondering, I didn't have cheesecake because I don't like it, but my brother did and I think he thought the cheesecake was just as amazing as my brownie.

When we were planning this trip there was only one place my brother was determined to eat at and we had to wait until San Francisco to get our chance. In 'n' Out was on the cards for lunch today. I'd never eaten there before because I don't eat burgers and that's all they serve. This day I stuck with fries, and the thickest milkshake I've ever had. B had the double double cheese burger which he really enjoyed. I don't think it was his favourite burger ever but it lived up to the hype.

The Ferry Building. Oh the joys, the love of the ferry building. If you ever go to San Francisco go here. No seriously do it if you do nothing else. There is the fresh food, cheese, meat, bread, chocolate... on and on it goes. So pretty, so yummy. There is a small selection of restaurants as well. For dinner after In 'n' Out lunch, my bro was back on the burger wagon and we went to Taylor's Automatic Fresher in the Ferry Building for more burgers. This place is kinda a cross between a diner and fast food place. It looks like a diner, the menu is like a diner, but you order and pay at the counter. I had chicken tenders with fries and grilled cheese. G. had a burger (shock horror) fries and chicken tenders. He said it was the best burger he's had yet. That's a pretty big statement given the number of burgers he ate in two weeks. The chicken tenders and grilled cheese I had were pretty damn good too.

Our 13th and final full day was nice and relaxed. We slept in and then just wandered around this beautiful town. For lunch we stumbled into this really great little diner on Chestnut St, Bechelli's. It was probably the most authentic diner experience we've had all trip. I had grilled cheese with bacon, dripping with oil and delicious. G. had a burger (his 4th in a row, it really is getting disgusting at this point). Dinner was a not so authentic diner experience, Lori's Diner back in the city. Don't get me wrong, its a great menu, good food but well its a bit same same. I had chicken tenders. G. had his 5th burger in 3 days.

I have loved my brief trip to the USA. Lots of great food, and tons of shopping. I've bought a few cook books, some cookie cutters and a couple other bits and pieces. Check out the pic of my loot. The books I picked up were Baked, The Pioneer Woman Cooks, The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook and Big Fat Cookies. I also picked up the January copy of Food Network Magazine and an old copy for Everyday Food. Look out for some great posts about these in the future.

Las Vegas

2010-01-13T15:37:00.004+11:00

Las Vegas has certainly got to be one of the best culinary destinations in the USA. You can eat whatever you just about whenever you want. A huge range of cuisines to sample and arguable the best selection of US and World acclaimed chefs you'll find anywhere. But you won't be seeing any reviews for those restaurants here. As I've said before I'm a very fussy eater and my brother, who is joining me on this trip, is a simple burgers and bbq kinda guy. So thats what we ate, low cost everyday food. But that doesn't mean it wasn't good, it was great food, just the way we like it. This was not my first trip to Vegas, but I still managed to eat at a few new places, and if you've ever been to vegas you know that this place changes very often, so there is always something new.

You really can't avoid the Harley Davidson Cafe, its right on the strip with a huge sign and plenty of bikes out the front. My brother is a big fan of Hard Rock Cafe, but he thought this would be a better place on our first night, seeing as you can go to Hard Rock anywhere. We started off with an apetizer of chicken tenders coated in cornflake crumbs. G had a huge steak with a ton of sides. I had the fried chicken with fries, corn and biscuit. We also ordered a side of garlic bread, but with all this food our eyes really were bigger then our stomachs.

Vegas is all about buffets. I tend to avoid them in most places, but in Vegas it is just done so well (usually) and is an experience. We went to the Spice Market Buffet inside Plant Hollywood Casino (formally the Aladdin). It's considered the best buffet in Las Vegas and for good reason. Its divided into 6 stations of different cuisines, Seafood, Italian, Middle Easters, Asian, American and Mexican, plus soup and salad. We ate a fair amount from each station but it was really all about the dessert. There was a wide selection of cakes, pastries and pies as well as chocolate mousse and ice cream (with all the toppings!). I had three servings of dessert, more then what I ate of the mains. Amazingly good food, definitely how all buffets should be.

The next morning, despite still being full from the night before, I was determined to have a sit down breakfast. There was a Denny's across the road, and while not by any means gourmet food, I wanted my brother to have the Denny's experience. He ordered a Lumberjack Grand Slam (with extra bacon) while I stuck to some pancakes. It may be run of the mill, but it does keep you happy.

For dinner on our last night we went to Diablo's Cantina, situated next to the New York, New York casino (where we were staying). I love Mexican food and struggle to find decent Mexican back in Australia (there is one really great place near home, but it took me a long time to find it) so I was definitely determined to have some on this trip. My brother isn't a huge fan though so I knew it would only happen once or twice. We had walked past this place a couple times and liked the look of the menu and enjoyed the atmosphere. I had a Chicken Quesadilla and G had sizzling combination Fajitas which were both great dishes. G is definitely liking Mexican food more and more.

Next stop San Francisco

*and yes I realise its been a while between posts, I'm actually back in Australia already, just trying to find time between unpacking and cleaning to post. Plus having a cold doesn't help either*

New York City - Part 2

2010-01-06T15:36:00.007+11:00

Well I'm not in New York anymore but I will catch you up on my time there. We've had some more great meals (and some quite boring ones) and been to some great little food markets as well. The above picture is from Chelsea Market, an amazing collection of little food stores and restaurants. While I didn't purchase anything I had a very difficult time leaving. It's such a shame that I can't take any food back into Australia with me (besides chocolate and other processed, packaged food). There was also a kitchen supply store that couldn't resist. I love kitchen supplies about as much as I love cooking (maybe even more!), it's so tempting to get a second suitcase just for cake tins and utensils!

Our forth day in New York was freezing! Colder then any other day (I'm sure I said that everyday). We started the morning with a quick breakfast of hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls from Angela's Rock and Roll Deli, a tiny little place right near central park.

Lunch was even better. We had seen this place full of people the day before and when we ended up near it again at lunch time we had to go in. Silver Spurs Diner is a great local diner with huge character and huge meals. It seems like the burgers are their signature dish, G had the cheeseburger with bacon. I had a grilled cheese that was perfectly cooked with the just the right amount of cheese and butter. One of the best things about this place was the people. We were sitting next to two men, who judging by their very interesting conversation seemed to be medical researchers, perhaps professors at the local NYU. Such a New York moment.

The next day was New Years Eve, and not very foodie at all. This was the

morning I went to chelsea market but the rest of the day was pretty uneventful food wise. The evening however was an experience. Like true tourists we decided to do the Times Square thing. While I'm glad we did it, because I would have regretted it if we didn't, I don't recommend it. We stood in the freezing cold, rain and snow for 6 hours. From our location we could see the Times Square ball, but we couldn't see or hear any of the entertainment so it made for a boring evening really. But we survived and welcomed 2010 with about a million other people.

New Years day was a very late start. It was our last day in New York but we were too exhausted to really do much at all. We went to Heartland Brewery near Rockerfeller for dinner. I had been to a Heartland on a previous trip and thought my brother would enjoy it but it didn't measure up to my expectations. The service was not great and the food was pretty average. We ordered an appetizer which never arrived, and waited about 40 minutes for our mains. Not the best end to our time in New York, but I'm sure it was just a bad night for them.

Next stop is Las Vegas for 3 nights. I love Las Vegas for its shopping and endless choice of great places to eat. Stay tuned!

Good Bye 2009

2010-01-01T07:21:00.016+11:00

I am SO glad to get to the end of this year. It has been quite a year with a lot happening in my life behind this blog. It hasn't been the greatest year, so I'm looking forward to moving on and starting a bigger and better new year. It hasn't all been bad though this year, I've worked slowly on my blog and think its time to celebrate.

Thank you for visiting and please look out for even more bigger and better recipes in 2010. Happy New Year!

My Top Five Recipes

Lamingtons

Apple Custard Tea Cakes

Cloud Cupcakes

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Crispy Slice

Most Viewed Recipe

Chocolate Crunch Slice (Mars Bar Slice)

Post with the Most Comments

Apple Donut Muffins

Favourite Comment Recipe

Low-fat Chocolate Brownies

My favourite comment was actually an email from a lovely mother who wanted to thank me for providing recipes that her daughter, recovering from anorexia, had found and loved. I was so grateful to receive such a great email and hope I can continue to help.

Favourite Picture

Cloud Cupcakes

Best Unpublished Recipe

Tiramisu Cupcakes

So that is just some of what I did accomplish in 2009, but I really did fail with the goals I set myself last January. I didn't do any of them. So for 2010, I'm taking it as it comes. I'll bake and cook when I feel like it, no pressure. Let the new year begin

New York City

2009-12-30T12:51:00.008+11:00

Here I am coming live from New York which is just a little far from home. I am over here for a two week trip with my brother. We will be in New York for 6 days (including new years eve) and then move on to Las Vegas and San Francisco.

Since I won't be baking for a few weeks I thought instead I would share with you some of the meals, snacks and food related stores we encounter. Please don't expect lavish restaurants and exciting discoveries. We are simple (sometimes very fussy) eaters and are trying to experience as much 'american' food as we can . So that include chain restaurants, fast food and what many might see as a little boring and everyday. We also don't have a huge budget so 5 star restaurants are definitely out of the question. Another thing, because lighting is often so bad in restaurants, and mostly I'm too busy eating to take pictures, most of the photos posted will come form the establishments own website. Although that isn't authentic blogging, my aim is more to share the places we visit, rather then my personal photos.

So what are our food highlights from the last three days?

At the end of our first full day in NYC which I filled with shopping and my brother went to a giants game, we decided to check out the local restaurants near our hotel (The Pod Hotel). We decided on a nice local bar, The Pig and Whistle. I had Chicken Tenders and Fries (which will be a common choice for me) and my brother G had The Real McCoy Burger . It was great food, great atmosphere and what seemed very authentic. This was an experience quite different from the touristy times square.

By the time we had lunch on our second day we were starving! We ran into a deli-cafe downtown, just near Wall St. I have no idea what the place was called but I had an amazing Chicken Parmigana Panini. It was shredded chicken mixed with marinara sauce and basic, grilled with a slice of mozzarella. It was incredible.

The next night told a very different story. It was times square, and chain restaurant goodness at Dave and Busters. I had been to Dave and Busters in St Louis on a previous trip and knew it was a place my brother would love. You get what is expected here, menu favourites that are well made and taste good. I had The Mac and Cheese (with bacon and chicken!). G had the Island Grilled Trifecta, skewers of sirloin steak, chicken and shrimp with a variety of dipping sauces, served with rice.

On our walk back to the hotel I couldn't resist this GIANT black and white cookie from Hot and Crusty bakery in Grand Central Station. It took me two days to finish but was so very worth it. The cookie was soft and crumbly, the frosting just the right thickness, and it seriously was huge.

By the third day, the coldest yet, we were exhausted and needed an early night. We had pizza for dinner, I had cheese, G had pepperoni. We couldn't resist the garlic knots either. You really can't go wrong with pizza, the slices are huge, the prices are great. You can get good pizza just about anywhere in New York, we got ours from Red Stone Pizzeria Cafe near the hotel.

So far the food has been good, but I know it's only just begun. I can't wait to try out even more, check out some markets and food halls and then get back to Australia to cook it all for myself. But for now its into my nice warm bed out of this cold.

Christmas Cookies

2009-12-22T18:39:00.004+11:00

So the other week I blogged about how I would love to be able to give away some cookies and other baked good for christmas. I wasn't feeling too optimistic about it but miracles do happen. I finally got into the kitchen and made cookies, Chirstmas cookies!! then I wrapped, decorated, tagged and delivered this lovely little parcels of joy. I made two varieties, a basic butter cookie cut into stars (The recipe was from the cookie cutter box) and basic shortbread.

It wasn't all success though. As well as the little parcels, I also made a cookie christmas tree. Sure it all went together ok, and looks good. But fast forward a day to when it was supposed to be delivered and its not such a pretty store. It fell apart, and an emergency gift was needed instead. I'll just leave you with pretty pictures and spare you the future horror.

So I missed it....

2009-12-08T22:30:00.002+11:00

Well my blog anniversary came and went yesterday and I missed it. I do have an excuse, I've been out of town for the last 4 days, so I guess I kinda have a reason. If I was one of those super-bloggers I would have pre-planned and had a a post ready to go. But if you have looked at my blog, you should clearly know that I am not one of those super-bloggers! I might whip up a cake in the next few days, but honestly I wouldn't hold my breath! Anyway, thank you to those of you who have joined me even if just for a little while in the last year, and I hope I can continue to slowly slowly get better at this blogging thing, or at least better at baking. Please, keep coming back, and say hi as well!!

Simple Chocolate Slice

2009-12-01T16:14:00.003+11:00

Simple. Such a delightful word. Its what I strive for. Nothing complicated, easy to understand. But the annoying thing about keeping it simple, is that its not. Some things will always be complicated, no matter how hard we try to make it otherwise. Sometimes we make things more complicated then they are. But there is always something that makes it all better, for me anyway. Time spent in the kitchen is therapeutic, its my time to just be. And then you get the sweet rewards, there real is no better way to keep it real. And simple.

This slice really does live up to its name. Throw the ingredients into the bowl, mix and bake. Expect what the recipe looks like, its not a rich decadent slice, but a great one to have on hand for afternoon snacks.

Simple Chocolate Slice

http://au.food.yahoo.com/recipes/recipe/-/5708736/simple-chocolate-slices/

Ingredients

1 cup self-raising flour

395g condensed milk

1/2 cup choc chips

1/2 cup coconut

20g butter, melted

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease and line a 20 x 30cm baking pan. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, condensed milk, choco chips, coconut and butter.

2. Pour into pan, bake for 15-18 minutes. When cool, ice with chocolate icing.

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

2009-11-23T19:14:00.003+11:00

I have been thinking lately about how the art of baking is being lost. No one seems to give baked goods as gifts, there isn't an endless supply of home made cakes or biscuits on hand in the kitchen. Maybe it disappeared a long time ago, maybe it was never that prevalent in Australia. I read all the blogs from US bakers posting their favourite cookies and how to pack goods to send to loved ones. Why don't we do that here? Why don't I start?

This was my thinking before Saturday, I was starting to plan all the great recipes I could bake over the next few weeks to give away as gifts. Then I remembered. Its summer. That means its hot, really hot. On Saturday it was 43C, that's almost 110F for those of you in the North. Who is gonna turn the oven on in that heat?!!! So I might not do as much baking as I would like before Christmas, but I'm going to do as much as the weather lets me.

For those of you that are in cooler climates, try out this Double Chocolate Banana Bread I made a couple of weeks ago, you really can't go wrong with this one.

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

Recipe from dlynz.com

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon bicarb

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)

1 cup plain yoghurt (I used banana flavour)

2 medium bananas, cut into a medium dice

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Method

1. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl beat together egg, oil and yoghurt.

2. Combine egg mixture, banana and chocolate chips and dry ingredients.

3. Spread batter in greased loaf pan. Bake at 180C for 60-70 minutes.

Strawberry Jam Tarts

2009-10-25T17:21:00.003+11:00

Ahhh peace and quiet. I'm not sure what I did but I've finally found some quiet time. This weekend has been full of a whole lot of nothing and I'm loving it. Not only does it mean I have a clean house, and I've had time to just be calm it also means I can bake. Oh how great it is to bake without being rushed, no deadlines, no racing out the door before its cooled. I have been waiting for this opportunity to make these beautiful jam tarts. It also meant I got to pull out my mini muffin pan, and that always means good things. These did take me a little time, but only because I only have a 12-hole mini muffin pan, and this makes about 24-30 mini tarts. Otherwise its alot simpler then it looks. Great cookie dough base and simple jam filling. My mind is already full of other possible fillings. Stay tuned for that!!

Strawberry Jam Tarts

Recipe from http://www.evilshenanigans.com/2009/07/strawberry-jam-tarts/

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 cup salted butter (I think I used unsalted and added some salt)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup strawberry jam, seedless (I ended up using the whole jar)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C.

2. In the bowl of a food processor combine the flour, sugar, milk, vanilla and butter. Pulse until the mixture forms a ball.

3. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and form into a log. Divide the log in half and divide each half into 15 pieces.

4. Place a ball of dough in the cup of a mini muffin pan and using a dough tamper or your fingers, press down until the dough reaches the top of the cup.

5. Spoon about one tablespoon of jam into each tart shell, making sure the tart shells are not too full. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tarts are golden and jam is bubbling. Cool in pan for 30 minutes before removing to a rack to cool the rest of the way. You can dust with icing sugar before serving.

Favourite Chocolate Pudding

2009-10-16T10:29:00.002+11:00

There are some foods that always taste better when made by someone special. No matter how hard you try it just isn't as good when made by someone else. I think that its got nothing to do with taste or cooking skill, its just about the feeling you get knowing someone has made that special dish you love. This recipe falls into that category for my boyfriend. This is his mum's chocolate pudding recipe, his favourite dessert. Almost as soon as we started dating this recipe was on the list, but even though I did a great job its just wasn't as good as mums, as he continues to tell me! I guess I'll just have to settle for that and find another a special dish of my own. But this pudding certainly isn't disappearing from the menu.

So, next time its cold and rainy, and all you want to do is curl up under a blanket and watch movies, put this pudding in the oven and enjoy the comfort. A beautiful vanilla cake smothered in warm chocolate sauce, there is nothing better than that.

Favourite Chocolate Pudding

recipe from boyfriends mum

Ingredients

2oz butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup self raising flour

1/2 cup milk

tsp vanilla

2 spoons cocoa

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups boiling water

Method

1. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and stir in remaining ingredients. Mix until batter is smooth.

2. Pour mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle cocoa and sugar mixture over mixture. Pour boiling water over top and bake in moderate over (180C) for 35-40 minutes.

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

2009-09-30T23:05:00.003+10:00

This recipe has been sitting waiting to be posted for over two weeks. And just as I'm about to post it I realise I can't even remember where the recipe came from so I can't even write that up for you. This is exactly what my life has been like lately. Everything all over the place and rushed! With that in mind I have decided to stop posting my Sunday Baking links, and pushing myself to blog once a week. So I'm going back to the beginning, blogging when I make a great recipe, no pressure to get stuff up or worrying about my blog being quite. I love to bake, and I love to share my recipes, but sometimes life gets in the way, and that's OK. So please, continue to check out my blog, the recipes will continue just not consistently.

By the way the mayonnaise cake was amazing. Just google it and I'm sure you will find the recipes!

Apple Donut Muffins

2009-09-06T15:16:00.006+10:00

These are one of those recipes that you just don't know what to name them. They look like muffins, but the mix is more like a scone dough. They are covered in cinnamon and sugar which explains the donut part of the name. Whatever you call them they are great, especially straight from the oven. You can use any apple you like, but a sweet apple is best. Made them twice in one week and received with rave reviews.

I really do love peanut butter and chocolate. Check out Sugarlaws Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
My Recession Kitchen has a Mocha Tart
Not exactly baked but who doesn't love Ice Cream Cake. Check out this recipe at Zoe Bakes
Simple flavours with Technicolor Kitchens Vanilla Buttermilk Cake with Whipped Passionfruit Ganache
Annie's Eats always has great recipes, try these Brownie Cookies

Apple Donut Muffins

Recipe from Pinoy Cook

Ingredients

2 apples

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 3/4 tsp of baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground nutmeg

75g butter

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

Topping:

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Method:

1. Peel and roughly chop the apples.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and nutmeg. Add the butter to the flour mixture. Rub the butter against the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

3. Beat the egg. Pour in the milk and stir lightly. Add the chopped apple to the egg-milk mixture.

4. Pour the apple mixture to the flour mixture. Stir just until blended. Do not overmix.

5. Form the batter into loose balls and place in the holes of a muffin pan.

6. Bake at 180C for 25 minutes. While still warm roll in the sugar cinnamon mixture at let cool

Cut-out Cookies

2009-08-24T13:38:00.005+10:00

Yes more cookies. But I decided to make these because I wanted to try out the icing. You see I've been working on cake decorating with some of the girls at my church and this week we will be decorating cookies. I was planning on making royal icing but had no eggs (probably should have checked that before I started!) instead I used a simple glaze frosting instead. It turned out pretty good and will be the one I use this week with the girls. The last three weeks we have decorated cupcakes and mini-cakes, and I have learnt that simple is best, master cake decorators they aren't, but they sure are having fun! Next week will be out final week when they decorate their own masterpieces, can't wait to see what they come up with.

More great recipes this week:

Mint and chocolate has got to be one of my favourite flavour combinations. Try these Homemade Thin Mint Cookies from Bringing Home the Bakin'
Healthy Chocolate Cake? Well maybe with this Chocolate Carrot Cake from Mochachocolata Rita
Coconut and Lime has a great recipe for Homemade Sno-balls
At the Bakers Bench needs to be congratulated for the amazing effort put into this Real Coconut Cake. Well Done!
And who does love a surprise? Let's Get Stupid Together gives everyone a surprise with these Surprise Muffins

Cut-out Cookies

Recipe from taste.com.au

Ingredients

125g butter, room temperature

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour

1/2 cup custard powder

Frosting

1 cup icing sugar

1 tsp soft butter or margarine

1-2 tablespoon milk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper.

2. Use and electric beater to beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in milk and vanilla extract. Fold in the flour and custard powder.

3. Press the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 3o minutes to rest.

4. Divide the dough into manageable portions. Roll out one portion on a sheet of baking paper to about 1cm thick. Use cutters to cut shapes and place on trays.

5. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool for 5 minutes on the trays before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

Frosting: Mix ingredients together, slowly adding milk until a smooth spreadable consistency is reached.

Chocolate Glazed Donut Muffins

2009-08-17T17:54:00.005+10:00

Mmmmm donuts. I love donuts. There really is no better food (I'm sure I've said that before about other things though!) But making them from scratch? Aint going to happen! So when I saw this recipe I knew I had to give it a try just to see how realistic it was. Well I'm not sure about it being like a donut but it is pretty good. The flavour and heaviness of the cake is great and the glaze is amazing. Definitely one to make again.

Who doesn't need a simple chocolate cake recipe? Try this Pantry Chocolate Cake from Tortatebukura's Blog
Love Joy the Baker. It has been a while since I have highlighted one of her recipes but thought it was time about with these Chocolate Espresso Cookie Sandwiches
The Cooking Photographer shares Cake Mix Chai Spice Cookies
Anything mini has got to be good right? Check out Brioche Buttons from A Bowl of Mush
Simple is sometimes always best. The Repressed Pastry Chef has Coconut Cake with Pineapple Filling

Chocolate Glazed Donut Muffins

Recipe from Elle's New England Kitchen

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp mixed spice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 eggs

1/4 cup canola oil

60g butter, melted

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze

1/2 cup chocolate chips or melts

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon golden syrup

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Heat oven to 180C. Grease or line muffin pan.

2. Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

3. Mix in the eggs, oil, butter, milk and vanilla. Divide batter between muffin cups.

4. Bake for about 18 minutes or until tested comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool.

Chocolate Glaze: Melt the ingredients together over low heat or in the microwave, stirring often.

Pear and Raspberry Bread

2009-08-10T16:56:00.004+10:00

Feeling silent today, not sure what to share with you today other then this recipe. Easy to throw together, my only suggestion is that it was a little too moist, maybe reduce the puree pear amount slightly. Also my baking time was about 50 minutes not the 60 minutes called for in the recipe. It also sunk a little when cooling. Despite all that is still a good recipe.

Check out these recipes too.

Pete Bakes! has some Strawberry Cupcakes with real strawberries.
More raspberry with the Chocolate Raspberry Cake from Sweet Sensations
Still on the fruit theme Greedy Gormand has Orange Walnut Cake
This post is what food blogging is about, documenting the lessons learned. Check out the Chocolate Meringue Cake at
The Apartment Kitchen has quick and easy Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

Pear and Raspberry Bread

Recipe from Coles Magazine Winter 2009

Ingredients

825g can pear halves, drained, juice reserved

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour, sifted

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp bicarb soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup frozen raspberries

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 15cm x 25cm loaf pan and line with non-stick baking paper.

2. Puree half of the pears and chop remaining. Measure pear puree in a jug and make up to 1 cup with reserved juice.

3. Place dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add egg, oil, raspberries, pear puree mixture and chopped pears. Gently fold together, until just combined. Fill prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes, until cooked when tested. Cool bread in pan. Store in airtight container.

Chocolate Roll-out Cookies

2009-08-03T15:42:00.005+10:00

I made it back into the kitchen! And what a great time I had. I spent about 6 hours in the kitchen on Saturday and it was excellent. The huge pile of dishes that is still sitting there isn't so great, but worth it. I had a friend coming over for dinner that night so as per her request I made lasagne and her all-time favourite dessert, tiramisu. I also whipped up some cupcakes and these cookies. I recently 'borrowed' my mothers 40 year-old rolling pin and put it to good use with these cookies. My rolling skills need a little work but I'm ready to work on it if I keep getting stuff like this made! Simple chocolate cookies which I decorated with white, milk and dark chocolate as well as hundreds and thousands. The aim was that they would go to an ice hockey game I was going to (yes, ice hockey in Australia!) but they were being eaten before I got out of the house, so cupcakes went to the game instead (I'll try and get that recipe up sometime this week). The chocolate was easy to apply to the cookies, I dipped them in as well as spread with a spatula and both techniques worked well. Let your creativity run with these, and use up any leftover chocolate you might have.

A few recipes from other blogs to check out:

Who doesn't love brownies. Try Fudgy Mocha-Toffee Browies from La Cuisine de Helene
Picky Cook has Raspberry-topped Lemon Muffins
If its giant its got to be good right? Culinary Concoctions by Peabody has Giant Ginger Cookies
And Pecan Pie Cookies can be found at Elizabeth's Edible Experience

Chocolate Roll-Out Cookies

Recipe from Australian Women's Weekly Cookies

Ingredients

125g butter

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1/4 cup self-raising flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

chocolate and hundreds and thousands to decorate

Method

1. Beat butter, sugar and egg in small bowl with electric mixer until combined. Sift dry ingredients, in two batches.

2. Knead dough on floured surface until smooth; roll dough between sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and oven trays; line with baking paper.

4. Using 5cm round cutters, cut rounds from dough. Place on oven trays.

5. Bake for about 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

6. Spread tops of cookies with chocolate, sprinkle with hundreds and thousands. Set at room temperature.

No recipe today

2009-07-27T16:00:00.004+10:00

No recipe. No baking. But I wanted to post my usual links. No idea when I'll get back to the baking but the sooner the better!

It is pretty obvious by now that I love peanut butter and chocolate. Check out Kitchenbelle Better then Brownie Cookie Peanut Butter Sandwiches
Life's Ambrosia also has some sandwich cookies. This time Chocolate Chocolate Chip and Nutella Cream Sandwich Cookies
Just Food shows us Easy Yogurt Cornetti
Australia doesn't really have root beer but it does interest me. This Root Beer Float Cake at The Cutting Edge of Ordinary looks good
Love shortbread and these Prettied up Shortbread from Domestic Delight do look so good

Cookie Slice (aka Pioneer Woman's 'Spreads' Cookies)

2009-07-22T15:43:00.005+10:00

Yep late again. Maybe I should just make Wednesday posts permanent! A really quick recipe this week. I found this on Pioneer Woman and really wasn't sure what they would turn out like. They are a great snack to keep on hand, just like a regular cookie but much quicker to make because you don't have to worry about scooping individual cookies, just spread the dough to make a giant cookie and slice it up after spreading it with chocolate.

A quick list of recipes to check out. Sorry no descriptions this week but they all look great!

Gooey Chocolate Toffee Cookies from Delish
Crumpets from Pham Fatale
Apple Crumble Custard Creams from Katie Cakes
Apple Crumble Slice from Spicy Icecream
Banana Bread Cake Pops (Check these out!!) from Natalie's Killer Cuisine

Cookie Slice (Pioneer Women's 'Spreads' Cookies)

Recipe from Pioneer Women

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup margarine (I used butter)

1 egg

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 to 8 ounces chocolate chipis (I used choc melts)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C.

2. Mix together brown sugar and margarine. Add egg and mix together. Add flour, salt and vanilla and mix together well.

3. Spread dough onto cookie sheet to a thickness of 1/4 to 1/2-inch. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until slightly brown.

4. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top. Return to over for 1 minute. Remove and spread melted chips over the top. (I had a little trouble with this so just melted chocolate and poured and spread it over the cookies) Cut into squares.

Chewy Chocolate Slice

2009-07-15T10:51:00.005+10:00

Yes I know, its Wednesday not Sunday but I've been busy. Well that's not entirely true, I've been busy and lazy. Sure I've had stuff to do, but mostly that stuff has been going out for lunch and dinner, watching movies and just basically wandering around town. I have done some baking during the week including this chocolate slice. I made it to take to Cafe Church on Sunday night but well never got back home before church to pick it up, so I've been eating it myself. Tastes great warmed up and served with ice cream, just don't put it in the microwave too long or it will burn and catch fire! Charcoal does not make for a nice dessert. This slice is kind of like a brownie, but with coconut to give it some chewiness. Really easy to make and really easy to eat!

Some more great recipes this week. I don't think in a lifetime I'll ever get to make all the great recipes I bookmark!

Thibealt's Table has this delicious looking Chocolate Cream Cheese Loaf Cake. Just look at that swirl!
Great flavours to try in Purple Foodie's Black Forest Cookies
Taste and Tell shares some Chocolate Hazelnut Meringue Kisses
Keep the coconut theme of my slice going with these Coconut Bars at Dana Treat
Have you guessed I like Peanut Butter? Try Honey Peanut Butter Cookies from Bake Me More

Chewy Chocolate Slice

Recipe from AWW Bake

Ingredients

125g butter, melted

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup plain flour

1/4 cup self-raising flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 cup dessicated coconut

1 tablespoon shredded coconut

Chocolate Icing

1 cup icing sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 teaspoons butter

1 tablespoon hot water

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease 19cm x 29cm slice pan; line with baking paper; extending paper 2cm over long sides.

2. Combine butter, sugar, egg and extract in medium bowl. Stir in sifted flours and cocoa then dessicated coconut. Spread mixture over base of pan.

3. Bake about 25 minutes or until firm.

4. Meanwhile, make chocolate icing.

5. Spread hot slice with icing; sprinkle with shredded coconut, cool. Cut into 15 squares, cut squares into triangles.

Chocolate icing: Sift icing sugar and cocoa into small bowl; add butter and the water, stir until smooth.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-07-06T17:22:00.006+10:00

Cookies have never been my strong point. I mean these come out ok but I'm never quite happy with them. I think its because I like my cookies small and crunchy. I thought this recipe would be just what I was after, but not quite. Close though. I guess I'll just keep looking for the perfect recipe. This recipe is still worth trying if you are looking for a good soft cookie recipe with loads of choc chips.

Get the Chocolate Chip Overload Cookies recipe from Noble Pig

And some other great recipes to try out:

Let Her Bake Cake shares some Canadian Traditions and these Butter Tarts
A crumble top makes everything better. Try these Crumble Top Muffins from La Table de Nana
Coffee and Vanilla has a great looking and I'm sure great tasting Vanilla Buttercream and Lemon Cheese Layer Cake Infused with Lemon Grass Tea
Try this Chocolate Chiffon Cake at Little House
Ice cream sandwich cookies are the best! Try Vanilla Gelato with Chocolate Malt Cookies from Lisa is Cooking

Chocolate and Vanilla Marble Cake

2009-06-29T15:08:00.004+10:00

I'm digging into the un-posted archives today because I haven't done any baking all week. I can't exactly say that I've been flat out busy, I am still unemployed, but things just seem to get in the way. The weekend has been busy - football game, friends birthday celebrations, church, dinner, movies... but surely I could have baked something in amongst all that. Oh well, I'm sure I'll be back in the kitchen soon. Maybe I'll have to schedule it in! But this cake is good, simple to throw together and ends those chocolate v. vanilla debates.

I love using pumpkin in desserts. Try this Sour Cream Pumpkin Bundt Cake from Mommy? I'm Hungry
This looks amazing. Almond Banana Cake with Salted Butter Caramel Icing at Savour Fare
Mmmmm cookies. A Kiss and a Cupcake shares Cinnamon Cappucino Cookies
You can never have too many banana bread recipes especially if they involve chocolate like this Double Chocolate Banana Bread at Dlyn
And beautiful decadent Chocolate Raspberry Tarts at Delightful Desserts

Chocolate and Vanilla Marble Cake

Recipe from Taste.com.au

Ingredients

150g butter

1 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 1/2 cups self-raising flour

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 cup icing sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

20g butter, chopped

2 tablespoons boiling water

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 22cm bundt pan (I used a round cake pan). Beat 150g butter and caster sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

2. Fold in self-raising flour and milk. Divide mixture into 2 portions. Stir in 1 tablespoon cocoa to one portion. Alternatively spoon the mixtures into the pan.

3. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Set aside for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

4. Combine 1 cup icing sugar, cocoa powder, butter. Stir in boiling water. Pour over cake to serve.

Quick Mix Chocolate Muffins

2009-06-21T22:03:00.007+10:00

Muffins are the best. They are like mini cakes and very easy to put together. Which was helpful the other night when I had to whip up two batches after a very busy day. Just throw all the ingredients in a bowl, mix until combined and into the muffin pan. Done.

I love peanut butter. Try out these Coconut Peanut Squares from Angie's Recipes
Now here is Australia we don't really do the pb & j thing so its a new flavour to me. Might have to check out the Peanut Butter and Jam Bars at Our Best Bites
One Perfect Bite has some great looking Key Lime and White Chocolate Cake Squares
Who doesn't love brownies? Sugar Plum has Cinnamon-Hazelnut Brownies that look at amazing

Quick-mix Chocolate Muffins

Recipe from taste.com.au

Ingredients

Melted butter, for greasing

200mls milk

125g butter, cubed

100g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted

3 eggs, at room temperature, lightly whisked

2 cups self-raising flour

1 cup, lightly packed brown sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Brush a 12 medium muffin pans with the melted butter.

2. Place the milk, butter, chocolate and cocoa in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat for 5 minutes or until smooth.

3. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Add the eggs and use a fork to mix well.

4. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and stir in the sugar. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and usa a large metal spoon to fold in until just combined. Do not overmix.

5. Spoon the mixture evenly into the greased muffin pans (I had leftover batter and made some mini muffins as well) and bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until just cooked when tested with a skewer. Stand in pans for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

Whipped Cream Cake

2009-06-15T12:20:00.008+10:00

I hate winter. I really really do. Its cold and unpleasant. Now when I say cold, here in Sydney its been down to about 5C (that's about 40F) at its worst, which I guess for a lot of people isn't that bad, but its bad enough for me! And its not just the cold, I hate the rain and I hate that it gets dark so early. And I also hate that it's flu season. Yes, I have a cold or the flu, who knows, all that matters is that I aint feeling all that great. But this cake did make it a little better. The special thing about this cake is that it uses whipped cream instead of butter. It also uses brown sugar, giving it a really nice colour and flavour. The original recipe had a caramel frosting but I decided to use a fluffy frosting instead. I had some extra cake mixture so used it to make 6 cupcakes. I think next time I'll just make cupcakes. I filled them with cream and then topped them with a little frosting.

The unfrosted cupcakes

The unfrosted cake. I didn't get a photo of the completed cake because it was getting dark and then I had race out the door to get it to church on time. And it fell apart in the car, turns out my driving isn't very good for cakes.

I don't know why but I love Rainbow Cakes. I will have to try this one from Megan's cookin for the next birthday
Another great birthday cake would be this Chocolate Covered Coconut Cake from The Kitchen Sink Recipes
A Little Owl in the Kitchen has some beautiful Tiramisu Tartlets. A friend of mine is obsessed with tiramisu so this is definitely one I'm going to have to try
Grab Your Fork is a great Sydney based blog. This week sharing an Upside-down Pear and Macadamia Cake
I love this idea. Chocolate-orange Mini Icebox cakes from One Ordinary Day

Whipped Cream Cake

Recipe from AWW Bake

Ingredients

600ml thickened cream

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar

2 cups self raising flour

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease deep 22cm-round cake pan; line base with baking paper.

2. Beat half of the cream in small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form.

3. Beat eggs and extract in another small bowl with electric mixer until thick and creamy; gradually add sugar, beating until dissolved between additions. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Fold in a quarter of the whipped cream, then sifted flour, then remaining whipped cream. Spread mixture into pan.

4. Bake cake about 50 minutes. Stand cake in pan 5 minutes; turn, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool.

5. Meanwhile, beat remaining cream in small bowl with electric mixer until firm peaks form.

6. Split cold cake in half; sandwich layers with cream. Spread with frosting.

Fluffy Frosting

Ingredients

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/4 cup water

1 egg white

Method

Stir sugar and water in small saucepan over heat, without boiling until sugar is dissolved. Boil, uncovered, without stirring about 5 minutes, or until syrup reaches 116C/240F on a candy thermometer. Syrup should be thick but not coloured. Remove from heat, allow bubbles to subside. Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form. While mixer is operating, add hot syrup in thin stream, beat on high speed about 10 minutes or until mixture is thick and cool.

Chocolate Swiss Roll

2009-06-07T17:49:00.005+10:00

D: Hey Nat, thanks for bringing cake into the office, but I can't sit and chat. I'll just take a piece and head back to my desk.

Nat: Yeh thats cool.

D walks out of the kitchen

30 seconds later D walks back in

D: Oh wow, this cake is great!! Really, How did you do this?!

I love recipes that are simple but look complicated when presented. You get that 'wow' response when they are served up, with everyone asking how you did it. My response for this one was 'its easy, really not difficult at all'. Which is true. Swiss rolls (or jam rolls) are one of those cakes that many people find daunting, but if you follow the instructions there really isn't much to it. So please, give it a try. And once you have mastered the basics there are so many more variations to try. Add some jam, flavour the cream, change the cake... combinations are endless.

Another great week in the blog world, I had trouble narrowing down my five favourite recipes but here they are:

These Chocolate Ice Cream Cupcakes from Playing House are not what you expect, I'm very interested to see how they turn out and experiment a little.
Savory Sweet Life shows us how to make Fortune Cookies, personal messages are a great idea.
To celebrate national donut day Cook and Eat shares some Chocolate Filled Donuts. I really really love donuts.
Until I read this post at Smells Like Home I had no idea what a Boston Cream Pie was, but now I can't wait to try it.
And I'm working up the courage to work with yeast, this Sundried Tomato and Garlic Bread at Monsoon Spice might be a great start.

Chocolate Swiss Roll

Recipe from Everyday Food Autumn 2009 (the Australian Women's Day food magazine)

Ingredients

3 eggs

1/2 cup caster sugar, plus 1/4 cup extra

1/2 cup self-raising flour

2 tablespoons cocoa

2 tablespoons hot water

300ml cream, whipped

Method

1. Preheat oven to moderate, 180C. Lightly grease a 26 x 32cm swiss roll pan. Line with baking paper.

2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat eggs until frothy. Gradually add sugar, beating until thick and pale. Mixture should hold its shape.

3. Sift flour and cocoa together. Fold lightly into egg mixture, followed by water.

4. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until sponge springs back when lightly touched.

5. Line a clean towel with baking paper. Sprinkle with extra sugar. Turn out cake onto sugar and remove baking paper. Trim edges. Roll up from long end side, using the tea towel as a guide.

6. Cool completely on a wire rack. Unroll cake. Cover with half cream. Reroll without tea towel and transfer to a serving plate. Serve sliced with remaining cream and raspberries.

Mini Caramel Mud Cakes

2009-06-04T16:50:00.004+10:00

Bribery is an interesting thing. Well I like to call it incentive. I had been waiting for some photos from a friend and offered baked goods in return for getting them quickly. The fact that I would have baked anyway is not important, in the end all parties were happy. I got to back, got my photo and he got mud cake, win-win. Not sure why I chose this recipe, it just jumped of the page when I read it. They were eaten very quickly. Again I missed out but by all accounts they are a winner. I'm sure with more time and some creativity they can be dressed up nicely, I just dusted them with icing sugar as I was racing out the door.

Mini Caramel Mud Cakes

This recipe is from AWW Kitchen

Ingredients

125g butter, coarsely chopped

100g white eating chocolate, coarsely chopped

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup golden syrup

2/3 cup milk

1 cup plain flour

1/3 cup self-raising flour

1 egg

2 tablespoons icing sugar

Method
1. Preheat oven to 170C. Line 12-hole muffin pan with paper cases.

2. Stir butter, chocolate, sugar, syrup and milk in small saucepan over low heat, until smooth. Transfer mixture to medium bowl; cool 15 minutes.

3. Whisk sifted flours into chocolate mixture, then egg. Divide mixture among cases.

4. Bake about 30 minutes. Turn cakes onto wire rack to cool.

5. Serve, dusted with sifted icing sugar.

Peanut Butter Crispy Bars

2009-05-31T16:24:00.008+10:00

I live in a beautiful city. Yes, I wish I was already over in Missouri working my dream job, but if I can't be then I may as well make the most of where I live. Yesterday I went hiking with a friend and some of the youth from church. It was just a short walk around Sydney Harbour National Park. It rained and was freezing cold but with views like this you get over it pretty quickly.

When hiking you must have snacks and when I saw these Peanut Butter Crisp Bars on my Adopt-a-blogger's website I knew it was the recipe I had to try. I did play with the recipe a little though, making the rice krispy layer more like my mars bar slice then the original. But the peanut butter and dark chocolate layer on top was the perfect addition. They were eaten by all hikers very quickly, then finished off at church this morning by everyone else who was complaining about missing out!

Here are some more photos from my day. Enjoy!

Check out these recipes from the week.

Cafe Nilson shares a friends recipe for Almond Butter Horn Cookies
This Strawberry Cake with Egg White Base is a show piece. Recipe in english further down
Lets go savoury (and healthy!) with Whole Wheat Pizza Muffins from Latest Addictions
I have seen this Crepe Cake before and am waiting for the right occassion. Check out The Ceramic Canvas recipe
Now this recipe intrigues me. Don't know if I'd ever eat it but maybe someone is brave enough to try Raspberry Chipotle Swirl Cupcakes from Evil Shenanigans

Peanut Butter Crispy Bars

Recipe from HoneyB

Ingredients

Rice Krispy Layer

1 3/4 cups rice krispies (rice bubbles)

60g butter

2 mars bars (milky way bars - the ones with caramel)

Peanut Butter Layer

1 cup peanut butter

140g milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

Chocolate Layer

80g dark chocolate

2 tablespoons butter

Method

1. Line or grease a 8 inch square cake pan.

2. Melt butter and mars bars in small saucepan to make rice krispy layer. When smooth move to a large bowl and stir in rice krispies. Press the mixture into the base of pan and allow to cool while making the next layer.

3. In a heatproof bowl place the peanut butter and milk chocolate. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and melt, stirring with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan in the pan and stir for about 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the cooled crispy layer. Put the pan into the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until the layer hardens.

4. Make the Chocolate layer by melting dark chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Spread evenly over cooled peanut butter layer. Place in refrigerator until set.

White Chocolate, Raspberry and Yoghurt Muffins

2009-05-27T23:51:00.004+10:00

These are the other result of my baking frenzy on the weekend. I have made them before so knew they would be a winner. Again I missed out on my own baking and these ended up in the possession of friends (who are still arguing over them!). Expect more raspberry recipes in the future too, because I now have a box of frozen berries to get through.

White Chocolate, Raspberry and Yoghurt Muffins

Unfortunately I don't know where I got this recipe, sorry

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 cup low-fat yoghurt

1 cup frozen raspberries

100g white chocolate, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 eggs, lightly beaten

icing sugar, to dust

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease a 12-hole muffin pan, or line with paper cases.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Add remaining ingredients. Mix batter until just combined. Divide the batter until just combined. Divide the batter among pan holes. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

3. Allow to cool in pan 5 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Thumbprint Cookies

2009-05-24T20:35:00.004+10:00

I had my last day of work on Friday. I actually finished a few hours earlier then expected. So I baked cookies. I hadn't been shopping in a while so chose these cookies completely based on the ingredients. In fact I had to substitute the freckles for plain old chocolate melts and threw on some sprinkles. While they satisfied my baking needs, they did cause some fighting when people missed out! I had to promise to bake more cookies over the weekend to satisfy everyone. Just as well I was in the mood (even baked some muffins too!)

Check out these great recipes from the week

I'm not really sure what a Whoopie Pie is but they have intrigued me for a while. Check out these Boston Cream Whoopie Pies at Bitter Sweet
Cinnamon is one of my favourite flavours. A nice Cinnamon Sugar Scone is at Baked Perfection
What's Cooking in the Orange Kitchen? has some Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
I love this idea. So simple but looks great. Check out the Quick and Easy Birthday Cake at Chef Paige
I love pop-tarts. Australia doesn't have pop-tarts. Problem. Solution: Homemade Pop-tarts from The Curious Blogquat.

Thumbprint Cookies

Recipe from Taste.com.au

Ingredients

180g unsalted butter, softened

1 cup caster sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup self-raising flour

1 1/2 cups plain flour

Chocolate melts

sprinkles

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. Place the butter and sugar in a bowl and mix until pale and creamy. Add the egg and beat well.

3. Stir in the flours and mix to from a dough. Roll 1 tablespoon of the dough into a ball and flatten onto the baking tray. Press your thumb into the centre of the dough to make a hole. Repeat with the remaining dough.

4. Press the chocolate freckle into each hole and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

5. Set aside on wire rack to cool.

It's not about you, Its about the Dew... Cake (Mountain Dew Cake and Rainbow Cake)

2009-05-17T20:37:00.005+10:00

Today has been a day. And I'm sharing two recipes to help document it. Its been a big week actually. Due to some not so great news I have had to postpone, maybe indefinitely, my move to the US. But today was a much better day. After Church this morning we had a really nice lunch, and I made two cakes (with the help of some friends). These are two recipes I have seen and been wanting to try for a while. Now they use a box cake mix. I know, I know not traditional, and I don't usually like cake mixes, but the modifications make them spectacular. Two great cakes, given to some good friends.

The Mountain Dew Cake is the well known, cake mix plus a can of soda recipe. I'd been intrigued by it for a while and when I told a friend about it they thought about mountain dew straight away. You see we have some friends who are obsessed with Mountain Dew and live by the motto 'its not about you... its about the Dew' So really there was no other alternative when it came to this cake. The taste wasn't as Dew-y as desired but I'm so pleased it turned out at all. The glaze was supposed to have dew in it too, but it was all gone by the time I went to make it (addicts!)

The Rainbow Cake was for another friend's birthday. When I first saw this recipe I had wanted to make it with a from scratch recipe but I thought I'd try it with a box mix first to see how it went. It was great! I cannot wait to try it again with other colours, and cupcakes! Can you imagine!!

So thank you to my amazing friends. I hope you enjoyed the cakes.

And now...

The Cooking Photographer - WWII Caramel Refrigerator Cookies
Ezra Pound Cake - Edna Lewis' Busy-Day Cake
Good Things Catered - Chocolate Oreo Cake
Sugar Plus - Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever
Dunkin Cooking the Semi-homemade Way - Baklava

(Sorry for the lack of descriptions, its way past my bed time!)

Mountain Dew Cake - Buy a cake mix and instead of adding the wet ingredients just add a can of Mountain Dew (375mL). Bake following packet directions.

Rainbow Cake - http://justaddeggs.blogspot.com/2009/03/taste-and-create-rainbow-cake.html

Baked Lemon Cheesecake

2009-05-09T21:23:00.004+10:00

I tried to be a daring baker, I wanted to be a daring baker but I'm just not organised enough. This is my cheesecake from last months challenge. I wasn't able to post it in time because I have been away for the last week and half for work. And I can't tell you how it tasted. I left it for my mum to pick up and enjoy but, well she didn't make it to my place for a week, where she was greeted by stinky cheesecake that couldn't be eaten. As for more daring bakers challenges seeing as I'm moving in two weeks (crazy!!) I think I might have to take a break from daring bakers. But please check out all the other daring bakers cheesecakes

Keeping with the blog event theme its a special Sunday Baking feature. Here are some of the best and most popular blog events out there.

Daring Bakers has got to be one of the biggest, with previous recipes including Cheesecake, Lasagne, Chocolate valentino and Tuilles.
Tuesdays With Dorie is another big one. Bake one recipe a week from Dorie Greenspan Baking from my Home to Yours.
The Cake Slice Bakers are another group baking their way through a cookbook. The current book is Sky High by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne.
You want pies with that? bakes a pie every month based on a theme, then vote for the best pies
Bake your own bread is a new event this year where you do just that, bake your own bread!

Of course another great event is the Adopt-a-blogger started at Dine and Dish. I mentioned last week that my adopted blogger is HoneyB. If you haven't already check out the blog. I look forward to being part of this event in the next few (very busy!) months.

I'm sure there are plenty more events out there, if you have any favourites let me know by leaving a comment.

Light Chocolate Muffins

2009-04-26T21:34:00.006+10:00

Wow, what a week. I mean really. If anyone had told me a week ago what the week would have entailed I would never have believed them. I mean just crazy crazy stuff happening. In 4 weeks I am moving from my lovely comfortable life here in Australia, where I have lots of friends, a good job, great apartment and all my family, to the other side of the world. In 4 weeks I am starting a new job in Missouri. Yes, Missouri! I told you it was crazy. Why? you ask, well the last two northern summers I have worked at a beautiful summer camp in Rolla, MO. This place is my favourite place in the world, working there has been my greatest experience in life. This year I had resolved myself to not going back, it was too hard, I couldn't keep giving up my life here in Sydney to work for 3 months in the US. Then this week I got an email. The owner/director of the camp asked me if I would like to be the Assistant Director. All year. What?! Really?! This is my dream job, I've been wanting this for two years. I couldn't turn it down. But I have to be there the 25th May, that's 4 weeks away. 4 weeks!! It has been an emotional week, lots of thinking and decision making. Very mixed emotions, lots of excitement, but telling all my family and friends I'm moving across the world, for a long time, not exciting. The next few weeks and months will be interesting. As far as the baking and blogging are concerned, I don't know. In the short term there won't be much baking or blogging happening. After the summer I will have much more time for baking, but I don't know how good my kitchen and baking supplies will be. This blog may turn into a story of my journey, with some food and baking mixed in when I can. Only time will tell.

Onto this weeks recipe. It is one I baked a while ago. I can't say they were great, but still a nice snack. When judging these muffins keep in mind that they are a light muffin, so the texture and flavour is different from your regular muffin.

This weeks Sunday Baking round-up is back to basics. In light of my recent run of baking disasters I wanted to keep it simple.

It doesn't get any easier then no-bake Buckeye Cookies from Sugarlaws
Joe Pastry has been sharing us the history and baking secrets of Chocolate Chip Cookies. Try out Mrs Wakefields original Tollhouse Cookies
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake on the Hungry Mouse. Surely I can't mess that one up!
A recipe that has been tried on many blogs, Home-made Oreos, this week it was on Beantown Baker.
A recipe from Mom has got to be a winner. Try Mom's Banana Muffins from In Good Taste
This week I found out my Adopted Blogger as part of Adopt-a-blogger. So I add to this list The life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch who this week shared Yoghurt Brownies.

Light Chocolate Muffins

recipe from taste.com

Ingredients

1/4 cup (30g) cocoa powder

1/4 cup (30g) hot water

2 eggs, lightly whisked

1 egg white

1/2 cup (100g) caster sugar

200g skim milk natural yoghurt

140g apple fruit puree

1/3 cup (80ml) reduced fat milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

50g good quality dark chocolate, finely chopped

1 3/4 cups (265g) self raising flour

icing sugar, to dust

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Brush twelve capacity muffin pans with melted butter to lightly greased.

2. Combine cocoa and hot water in a bowl and stir until smooth. Add the egg, egg white, sugar, yogurt, apple puree, milk and vanilla, and whisk until well combined. Stir in the chocolate until combined.

3. Sift flour over the mixture and use a large metal spoon to mix until just combined. Spoon evenly among prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centres of the muffins comes out clean. Remove from oven. Set aside in the pans for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

4. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-04-19T20:41:00.006+10:00

I think I've lost my baking rhythm. I'm in a funk. Its been one disaster after another. These cookies, they look great and I'm sure they are. But when i made them, well I'm not sure what happened exactly. All i know is that the bottoms were burning, and the middle was raw. First of all I left out half of the flour mixture and the first batch in the oven were flat, very flat. Then I realised my mistake, added the rest of the flour, and still not a great success. Maybe someone can give it a try and let me know. As for me, I think I'm going back to baking basics til I have some more success.

I'm loving sweet potato at the moment so can't wait to try the Sweet Potato Bomboloni at Simplicious
Who doesn't love cinnamon rolls? Try the Fastest Cinnamon Rolls at Don't Forget Delicious
The Bitten Word (again why have I not highlighted these guys before?!) has the most amazing Tres Cocoas Leches Cake
Dirty Kitchen Secrets shares with us Gateau ZaZa
And a cake I have been wanting to try out, Coca Cola Cake at Brownies for Dinner

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipes from Taste and Tell

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour

1 3/4 cups rolled old-fashioned oats

1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

170g softened unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup mashed ripe banana

1 cup chocolate chips

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Sift the flour, oats, bicarb soda, cinnamon and salt together. In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.

3. Add half the flour mixture, mix, and then add the banana and mix. Add the rest of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Mix in chocolate chips.

4. Drop tablespoon-sized balls onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating halfway through.

Hot Cross Buns

2009-04-16T20:39:00.004+10:00

I think its important to document the disasters. Not that this was a huge disaster but its not the pretty picture I would like it to be. I haven't been doing this blog thing for very long but already I am caught up in the visual, the pretty, the popular. I sometimes forget that I started to blog to help me learn. And we can't learn without making mistakes. And we can't learn from others if we don't share those mistakes. So in an effort to share the ugly truth, here are my hot cross buns. They tasted good (or so i was told) but certainly don't look that great. The very squished hot cross 'cake' resulted from me using a pan that was smaller then the one called for. I tried to squash it all in, it didn't work. And the crosses, well I piped them too thick. So what did i learn? Use the pan the recipe calls for, and hot cross bun crosses spread when baking.

Hot Cross Buns

Recipe from AWW Bake

Ingredients

1 tablespoon (14g) dried yeast

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 1/2 cups warm milk

4 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

60g butter

1 egg

3/4 cup sultanas

Flour paste

1/2 cup plain flour

2 teaspoons caster sugar

1/3 cup water, approximately

Glaze

1 tablespoon caster sugar

1 teaspoon gelatine

1 tablespoon water

Method

1. Combine yeast, sugar and milk in small bowl or jug. Cover; stand in warm place about 10 minutes or until mixture is frothy.

2. Sift flour and spices into large bowl; rub in butter. Stir in yeast mixture, egg and sultanas; mix to a soft sticky dough. Cover, stand in warm place about 45 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.

3. Grease 23cm square slab cake pan or deep 23cm-square cake pan.

4. Turn dough onto floured surface; knead about 5 minutes or until smooth. Divide dough into 16 pieces, knead into balls. Place balls into pan; cover, stand in warm place about 10 minutes or until buns have risen to top of pan.

5. Meanwhile , preheat oven to 220C/430F.

6. Make flour paste for crosses; place in piping bag fitted with small plain tube, pipe crosses on buns.

7. Bake buns about 20 minutes. Turn buns, top-side up; onto wire rack.

8. Make glaze; brush hot buns with hot glaze. Cool on wire rack.

Flour paste: Combine flour and sugar in cup. Gradually blend in enough of the water to form a smooth firm place.

Glaze: Stir ingredients in small saucepan over hear, without boiling, until sugar and gelatine are dissolved.

Sunday Baking Recap

2009-04-12T15:52:00.019+10:00

Here is the complete list of my Sunday Baking round-ups

Last updated 12/4/09

Jan 4th 2009

Annies Eats - Pineapple Muffins

Canadian Baker - Dark and Dangerous Triple Chocolate Cookies

Sweet Pea Patisserie - Caramel, Cashew and Chocolate Coated Pretzels

Zoe Bakes - Chocolate, Candied Ginger and Grapefruit Biscotti

Baking Bites - Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Jan 11th 2009

Tartelette - Brioche des Rois

Ambers Delectable Delights - Honey Yeast Rolls

Amanda's Cookin - Fudge Puddles

Sweet Treats - Brownie Bites with Mocha Glaze

Baked Perfection - Personalised Cupcakes

Jan 18th 2009

Happy Home Baking - Wholemeal Banana Bread

Simply Daily Recipes - Banana Oat Cookies

Technicolor Kitchen - Banana and Hazelnut Coffee Cake

Evil Chef Mom - Banana Crunch Bread

How to Eat a Cupcake - Banana Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

Jan 25th 2009

Sunday Baker - Cheddar Snack Sticks

Bunny's Warm Oven - Raspberry Roulade

Confections of a Foodie Bride - Strawberry Cake

Joy the Baker - Lemon Souffle Pudding

Dine and Dish - Baked Alaska

Feb 1st

What's for Lunch Honey? - Roasted Pumpkin and Chocolate Bread Pudding

Food Blogga - Kiwi and Coconut Muffins

Coffee and Vanilla - Beetroot Brownies with Walnuts

Butter Sugar Flour - Coconut Macaroons with Raspberry Jam

Wolf's Den - Spiced Chai Cake

Feb 8th

Bakerella - Valentines Day Gift Box of Truffles and Cake

Erin Cooks - Heart Shaped Peppermint Patties

Nobel Pig - Italian Love Cake

Tartelette - Strawberry and Vanilla Floating Islands

Pinch my Salt - Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cafe Johnsonia - Chocolate-cinnamon Heart Cookies

Simply Recipes - Chocolate Truffles

Feb 15th

5 Second Rule - Nutella Filled Nutmeg Molasses Sandwich Cookies

Annies Eats - Dark and White Chocolate Layer Cake

Cream Puffs in Venice - Oven Crespella with Nutella Sauce

The Decorated Cookie - Dot Cookies

Picky Cook - Brownie Roll-out Cookies

Feb 22nd

Culinary Cory - Coconut Raspberry Cake

Ezra Pound Cake - Southern-style Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Good Things Catered - Lady Strawberry Cake

Culinary Concoctions of Peabody - Baileys Irish Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

Mindy's Mouthful - Cinnamon, Pean and Chocolate Galette

March 1st

Abbys Sweets - Lightened Strawberry Muffins

Dinner and Dessert - Apfelstrudel

Use Real Butter - Chocolate Hazelnut Torte

Tiny Banquet Committee - Cornmeal Cake with Honey Syrup

Two Spoons - Three Sugar Cake

March 8th

Anne Strawberry - Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mint Mini-cheesecake

At the Bakers Bench - Pineapple Stir Cake

Cafe Chocolade - Lika Pie

Pepsakoy - White Forest Cake

Taste Buddies - Chocolate Melting Moments

March 15th

Coconut and Lime - Chocolate Hamantashen

Recipe Girl - Chocolatey Cupcakes Dipped in Chocolate Ganache

Gluten Free Day - Princess Cake

Peanut Butter and Julie - Donut Cookies

The Repressed Pastry Chef - Apple Turnovers

Smitten Kitchen - Layer Cake Tips

March 22nd

Food Blogga - Mango Bread with Raisins and Cashews

Culinary Concoctions of Peabody - Peanut Butter and Jelly Shortbread Wedges

Picky Palette - Roasted Banana Bread Brownie Bites

Serious Eats - Cinnamon Breakfast Toasts

Technicolor Kitchen - Apple Cake with Toffee Crust

March 29th

Canelle et Vanille - Lemon Cream Cookies

Tracey's Culinary Adventures - Pumpkin Pie Muffins

Nobel Pig - Sweet Potato Spice Cookies

Chaos in the Kitchen - Perfect Yellow Cake

Confessions of a Tart - Honey Madeleines

April 5th

Elle's New England Kitchen - Chocolate Glazed Donut Muffins

Passionate About Baking - Apple Spice Cake

Pie of the Tiger - Rainbow Cookies

Ruth's Kitchen Experiments - Rainbow Cake

Bilateral Haze - Birthday Cupcake Bites

April 12th

Pioneer Woman Cooks - How to Decorate Cupcakes with Fondant

SammyW - Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting

The Gourmet Foodie Blog - Kahlua Cupcakes

Life's Ambrosia - Chocolate Egg Stuffed Cupcakes

Sweet and Saucy - Deathcakes

How to Eat a Cupcake - Milk Chocolate Malt Ball Cupcakes

April 19th

Simplicious - Sweet Potato Bomboloni

Don't Forget Delicious - Fastest Cinnamon Rolls

The Bitten Word - Tres Cocoas Leches Cake

Dirty Kitchen Secrets -Gateau ZaZa

Brownies for Dinner - Coca Cola Cake

April 26th

Sugarlaws - Buckeye Cookies

Joe Pastry - Wakefield's Original Recipe Cookies

The Hungry Mouse - Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake

Beantown Baker - Homemade Oreos

In Good Taste - Mom's Banana Muffins

The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch - Yoghurt Brownies

May 10th

Daring Bakers

Tuesday's with Dorie

The Cake Slice Bakers

You Want Pies with That

Bake Your Own Bread

May 17th

The Cooking Photographer - WWII Caramel Refrigerator Cookies

Ezra Pound Cake - Edna Lewis' Busy-Day Cake

Good Things Catered - Chocolate Oreo Cake

Sugar Plus - Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

Dunkin Cooking the Semi-Homemade Way - Baklava

May 24th

Bitter Sweet - Boston Cream Whoopie Pies

Baked Perfection - Cinnamon Sugar Scones

What's Cooking in the Orange Kitchen - Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Chef Paige - Quick and Easy Birthday Cake

The Curious Blogquat - Homemade Pop-tarts

May 31st

Cafe Nilson - Almond Butter Horn Cookies

Minjina Kuhinjica - Strawberry Cake with Egg White Base

Latest Addictions - Whole Wheat Pizza Muffins

The Ceramic Canvas - Crepe Cake with Chocolate Meringue Frosting

Evil Shenanigans - Raspberry Chipotle Swirl Cupcakes

June 7th

Playing House - Chocolate Ice Cream Cupcakes

Savory Sweet Life - Fortune Cookies

Cook and Eat - Chocolate Filled Donuts

Smells Like Home - Boston Cream Pie

Monsoon Spice - Sun-dried Tomato and Garlic Bread

June 14th

Megan's Cookin - Rainbow Cake

The Kitchen Sink Recipes - Dark Chocolate Covered Coconut Cake

A Little Owl in the Kitchen - Tiramisu Tartlets

Grab Your Fork - Upside-down Pear and Macadamia Cake

One Ordinary Day - Chocolate-orange Mini Icebox Cakes

June 21st

Angie's Recipes - Coconut Peanut Squares

Our Best Bites - Peanut Butter and Jam Bars

Our Perfect Biter - Key Lime and White Chocolate Cake Squares

Sugar Plum - Cinnamon-Hazelnut Brownies

June 28th

Mommy? I'm Hungry - Sour Cream Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Savour Fare - Almond Banana Cake with Salted Butter Caramel Icing

A Kiss and a Cupcake - Cinnamon Cappucino Cookies

Dlyn - Double Chocolate Banana Bread

Delightful Dessert - Chocolate Raspberry Tarts

July 5th

Let Her Bake Cake - Butter Tart

Le Table De Nana - Crumble Top Muffins

Coffee and Vanilla - Vanilla Buttercream and Lemon Cheese Triple Layer Cake Infused with Lemon Grass Tea

Little House - Chocolate Chiffon Cake

Lisa is Cooking - Vanilla Gelato with Chocolate Malt Cookies

July 12th

Thibeault's Table - Chocolate Cream Cheese Loaf Cake

Purple Foodie - Black Forest Cookies

Taste and Tell - Chocolate Hazelnut Meringue Kisses

Dana Treat - Coconut Bars

Bake Me More - Honey Peanut Butter Cookies

July 19th

Delish - Gooey Chocolate Toffee Cookies

Pham Fatalie - Crumpets

Katie Cakes - Apple Crumble Custard Creams

Spicy Icecream - Apple Crumble Slice

Natalie's Killer Cuisine - Banana Bread Cake Pops

July 26th

Kitchenbelle - Better then Brownie Cookie Peanut Butter Sandwiches

Just Food - Easy Yogurt Cornetti

Life's Ambrosia - Chocolate Chocolate Chip and Nutella Cream Sandwich Cookies

The Cutting Edge of Ordinary - Root Beer Float Cake

Domestic Delight - Prettied Up Shortbread

August 2nd

La Cuisine d'Helene - Fudgy Mocha-toffee Brownies

Picky Cook - Raspberry-topped Lemon Muffins

Culinary Concoctions by Peabody - Giant Ginger Cookies

Elizabeth's Edible Experience - Pecan Pie Cookies

August 9th

Pete Bakes - Strawberry Cupcakes

Sweet Sensations - Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Greedy Gourmand - Walnut Orange Cake

La Cerise - Chocolate Meringue Cake

The Apartment Kitchen - Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

August 16th

Tortatebukura's Blog - Pantry Chocolate Cake

Joy the Baker - Chocolate Espresso Sandwich Cookies

The Cooking Photographer - Cake Mix Chai Spice Cookies

A Bowl of Mush - Brioche Buttons

The Repressed Pastry Chef - Coconut Cake with Pineapple Filling

August 23rd

Bringing Home the Bakin' - Homemade Thin Mint Cookies

Mochachocolata Rita - Chocolate Carrot Cake

Coconut and Lime - Homemade Sno-balls

At the Bakers Bench - Real Coconut Cake

Lets Get Stupid Together - Surprise Muffins

September 6th

Sugarlaws - Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

My Recession Kitchen - Mocha Tart

Zoe Bakes - Ice Cream Cake

Technicolor Kitchen - Vanilla Buttermilk Cake with Whipped Passionfruit Ganache

Annie's Eats - Brownie Cookies

Cloud Cupcakes

2009-04-12T14:54:00.005+10:00

I've never really understood the fuss about cupcakes. Don't get me wrong, I think they're great and have made them before, but what's with all the extra fuss and hype? What makes them better than a normal cake, or brownies, or cookies? These answers I cannot find but feel free to enlighten me.

These cupcakes I made for a friends birthday. They are a simple vanilla cupcake with strawberry jam swirled through them. They are delicious. And the frosting? WOW! Its the first time I'd made frosting like this and had no idea what it would be like. AMAZING. They were applauded by all. I made the entire batch of frosting which was about twice as much as you really need.

I'm also highlighting cupcakes in this weeks Sunday Baking. Here are just some of the cupcakes seen around the blog world this week.

Pioneer Woman Cooks (can you believe I have featured this blog yet?!) finishes off her cupcake series showing us how to decorate cupcakes with fondant
Sammy W has some Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
The Gourmet Foodie Blog gives us Kahlua Cupcakes
And seeing as its Easter Sunday you can't leave out Chocolate Egg Stuffed Cupcakes from Life's Ambrosia
I'm not sure about the name but they do look good, check out Deathcakes from Sweet and Saucy
And what is a cupcake feature without How to Eat a Cupcake, this week sharing Milk Chocoalte Malt Ball Cupcakes

Cloud Cupcakes

From AWW Bake

Ingredients

90g butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

1 cup self-raising flour

2 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons strawberry jam

Fluffy frosting

1 cup caster sugar

1/3 cup water

2 egg whites

food colouring

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper cases.

2. Beat butter, extract, sugar, eggs, flour and milk in small bowl with electric mixer on low speed until ingredients are combined. Increase speed to medium; beat until mixture is changed to a light colour.

3. Divide mixture among cases; smooth surface. Divide jam over tops of cakes; using a skewer swirl jam into cakes.

4. Bake cakes about 20 minutes. Turn cakes, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool.

5. Make fluffy frosting. Spread frosting over cakes.

Fluffy Frosting

Stir sugar and water in a small saucepan over heat, without boiling, until sugar is dissolved. Boil, uncovered, without stirring about 5 minutes or until syrup reaches 116C /240F on a candy thermometre. Syrup should be thick but not coloured. Remove from heat, allow bubbles to subside. Beat egg whites in a small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form. While mixer is operating, add hot syrup in thin stream; beat on high speed about 10 minutes or until mixture is thick and cool.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

2009-04-05T21:22:00.006+10:00

You have to make this bread! Its beautifully moist and super easy to make. I whipped it up one afternoon in the very short time I have between finishing work and racing off to class. Took it into work the next day and it didn't last long. It was described as the 'best cake ever' but I think that was a bit of an exaggeration! Seriously though, try it, you won't be disappointed.

And back to Sunday Baking. I'm so glad I can share with you again my favourite recipes of the week.

Lets get started with Elle's New England Kitchen Chocolate Glazed Donut Muffins, whats not to love about chocolate, donuts and muffin all in one!
Try out the Apple Spice Cake at Passionate About Baking
Bilateral Haze has the cutest Birthday Cupcake Bites
I LOVE this rainbow cake from Ruth's Kitchen Experiments
And continue the rainbow cookies at Pie of the Tiger

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

found on all recipes

Ingredients

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 3/4 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

1 cup white sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175C/350F. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a small bowl, mix together 1/3 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon; set aside.

2. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and remaining 1 cup sugar. Combine egg, milk and oil; add to flour mixture. Stir until just moistened.

3. Pour half of the batter into pan. Sprinkle with half the reserved cinnamon/sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining batter and cinnamon/sugar mixture. Draw a knife through batter to marble.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into centre of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap in foil and let sit overnight before slicing.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

2009-04-04T15:16:00.004+11:00

Wow, I'm finally online using my own internet! Can you believe it has taken 6 WEEKS and 4 technicians to get my internet working. It has been a tough ride, with many frustrating conversations to call centers in India, New Zealand and across Australia. But I move past it and on to the blogging. Oh how I have missed it. So many recipes to share. I start with these lovely cookies.

I was in the mood for baking and this was one of the few recipes I had all the ingredients on hand. They are nice and crispy and crumbly with a hint of peanut butter taste alongside the chocolate. My co-workers and taste testers were impressed.

** Sunday Baking round-up will resume tomorrow and sometime this week I will post all the round-ups from the weeks I missed!**

Ingredients

Recipe from cadbury

125g butter

1/3 cup smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup plain flour

2 tablespoons cocoa

1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda (baking soda)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Cream butter, peanut butter and sugar together until light in colour.

2. Sift the dry ingredients and add. Mix well to form a dough.

3. Roll teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls. Place on greased or lined baking trays. Flatten each ball slightly with your hand or the back of a fork.

4. Bake for 20 minutes.

5. Dust the discuits with a little caster sugar on their removal from the oven. Cool for a few minutes before removing from the tray.

I'm still here!

2009-03-23T09:04:00.002+11:00

Just wanted to leave a quick note to let those of you that check out the blog (do you exist?!) that I'm still here and baking I just can't get online!! I STILL don't have internet at my new place (its been about a month already!) so am unable to post any of the recipes I've been trying out. Can't wait to resume my normal posting because I've got a few sweet treats to share.

Stay Tuned!

Basic Cupcakes

2009-03-02T17:29:00.008+11:00

I few months ago (probably more like 6 months!) I got all excited and was determined to buy a piping bag and a selection of tips. I raced out, looked at all the options and bought a nice little kit. Then I took it home and never used it. So this weekend I was determined to get it out. Which meant cupcakes! There isn't anything particularly special about the recipe I used, it was just quick and easy. It was the icing I wanted. I made a nice buttercream icing, coloured it pink and blue and began to play. I think I have alot to learn! I can't say they all looked perfect, or even good but in the end my taste testers weren't too concerned about looks! I think some research is in order and more practice. Any tips for perfect cupcake decorating are more then welcome!

I still haven't got internet connected at my new place so not only am I a day late but also a little behind on my blogs. But here is the best of what I did get to.

Start with some lightened Strawberry Muffins from Abby Sweets
Dinner and Dessert brings us Apfelstrudel
The required chocolate is at Use Real Butter with the Chocolate Hazelnut Torte
Cornmeal Cake with Honey Syrup can be found at Tiny Banquet Committee
A Simple Three Sugar Cake is shared with at at Two Spoons

Classic Cupcakes

Recipe from Taste.com

Ingredients

2 cups self-raising flour, sifted

3/4 cup caster sugar

3/4 cup milk

125g butter, melted, cooled

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method

Preheat oven to 200C/390F. Grease a 12 x 1/3-cup capacity muffin pan. Alternatively, lines holes with paper cases. Combine flour and caster sugar in a bowl. Make a well in the centre.

2. Add milk, butter, eggs and vanilla to flour mixture. Using a large metal spoon, stir gently to combine.

3. Spoon mixture into prepared muffin pan. Nale for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 12

Butter Cream Icing

125g unsalted butter

500g icing sugar

60ml milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

a few drops colouring

Beat butter and icing sugar together. Add milk and vanilla, beat until smooth. Add colouring and mix through.

Banana, Honey and Cinnamon Muffins

2009-02-22T19:33:00.009+11:00

Well I'm all moved in and loving the new place. I've got the kitchen sorted and was itching to get some baking done this weekend. I had one disaster (more about that next week) but these muffins put me back on track. And the best thing? The light in my new kitchen (and study) is great!! I took heaps of photos as usual, prepared to delete the rubbish ones but there were too many great ones, so I'm sharing them all with you. I can't wait to really experiment with my food photography as well as my food.

And now, Sunday Baking. I still do not have internet connection so have only been online twice this week. Which means I am way behind on my blogs. But I have seen some great recipes to share with you.

Try this great looking Coconut Raspberry Cake from Culinary Cory
Beautiful Southern-style Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes at Ezra Pound Cake
More strawberries at Good Things Catered with Lady Strawberry Cake
As usual I have to have at least some chocolate. Try Baileys Irish Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies at Culinary Concoctions of Peabody
And s little chocolate in Mindy's Mouthful Cinnamon, Pear and Chocolate Galette

Banana, Honey and Cinnamon Muffins

Recipe from taste.com

Ingredients

Melted butter, for greasing

1 cup flour

1 cup whole meal flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

pinch salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

75g butter, melted

1/2 cup (125mL) milk

2 tbs honey

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 eggs

1 cup mashed banana (about 2 bananas)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease 12 x 1/3 cup muffin pans with melted butter or line with paper cases.

2. Sift flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl. Stir in sugar.

3. Combine melted butter, milk, honey, vanilla, eggs and mashed banana in a large jug. Whisk until well combined.

4. Make a well in the centre of dry ingredients. Add egg mixture, stir until just combined. Spoon mixture into muffin pans. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through when tested with a skewer. Cool in pans for 5 minutes, turn onto a wire rack to cool.

Sunday Baking - without the baking

2009-02-15T19:26:00.002+11:00

No baking this weekend but for a good reason. I've been moving house, which means lots of craziness, things in boxes and no food in the house. Next will be back to normal and I hope to bring you even more recipes now that I have my own kitchen to use at will. Keep your eyes out!!

Here is some other great recipes shared through-out the week.

This week saw International Nutella Day. 5 second rule celebrated with Nutella filled Nutmeg Molasses Sandwich Cookies and Cream Puffs in Venice shared Oven Crespella with Nutella Sauce.
Annies Eats has a Dark and White Chocolate layer cake
Check out the beautiful Dot Cookies at The decorated Cookie
And some more chocolate at Picky Cook with Brownie Roll Out Cookies

Creme Caramel

2009-02-08T21:23:00.006+11:00

It has been way too hot this weekend to bake. I mean really really hot, about 40C (thats 105F). But I had already decided last week, before the forecast was revealed that I was going to make creme caramel. And I do suffer for my art! It was actually a lot easier to make then I expected. I was a little unsure about the caramel when I made it but it turned out great. A little tip though, doesn't use a plastic spatula to scrape the toffee out of the hot frying pan or you will be picking plastic out of your dessert! I was unable to get a good picture because of bad light but there is a little left over so might try again tomorrow.

And now to Sunday Baking round-up. Being Valentines Day next week I thought I'd highlight some sweet treats for your special someone. I've also included more then usual to give you more options. On to it...

Bakerella has an amazing Valentine Gift Box of Truffles and Red Velvet Cake
Erin Cooks has some Heart-shaped Peppermint Patties
A beautiful Italian Love Cake is over at Nobel Pig
The amazing Tartelette has spectacular Strawberry and Vanilla Floating Islands
Classic Red Velvet Cupcakes and Cream Cheese Frosting are found at Pinch My Salt
Check out Cafe Johnsonia who has some Chocolate-Cinnamon Heart Cookies as well as some other treats.
And last some Chocolate Truffles at Simply Recipes

Creme Caramel

Where else but AWW Bake!

Ingredients

¾ cup (165g) caster sugar

½ cup (125mL) water

300mL cream

1 ¾ cups (430mL) milk

6 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

⅓ cup (75g) caster sugar, extra

Method

Preheat oven to 160C/320F.

Stir sugar and the water in medium frying pan over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil; boil, uncovered, without stirring, until mixture is deep caramel in colour. Remove from heat; allow bubbles to subside. Pour toffee into deep 20cm round cake pan.

Meanwhile, bring cream and milk in medium saucepan to the boil. Whisk eggs, extract and extra sugar in large bowl; whisking constantly, pour hot milk mixture into egg mixture. Strain mixture into cake pan.

Place pan in medium baking dish; add enough boiling water to come half way up side of pan. Bake about 40 minutes or until firm. Remove custard from baking dish. Cover; Refrigerate overnight.

Gently ease creme caramel from side of pan; invert onto deep-sided serving plate.

Apple Custard Tea Cakes

2009-02-01T15:19:00.007+11:00

What a busy week! Well week and a half really. The Australia Day festivities meant alot of baking which all went over very well. I've actually done more baking then I've posted this week. It was nice to just get back to my regular Sunday baking today. There is so much less pressure when you know your cooking isn't going to someone else. I'm not sure if I'm too critical or a perfectionist but I always stress a little (not really much of a stresser) when I'm making things to take to parties and events. Of course noone else ever notices those little things that aren't quite right, but the cook always sees it! Just like these Apple Custard Tea Cakes. The apple slices weren't placed right and some of them came out a little bumpy. But they taste great so I guess it doesn't really matter!

Another great week in baking to highlight. Of course the January Daring Bakers challenge was revealed this week so please check out the Food Gawker and Blogroll for Daring Bakers to see all the great recipes.

I was intrigued by the Roasted Pumpkin and Chocolate Bread Pudding at What's for lunch Honey?
And equally intrigued by Beetroot Brownies with Walnuts at Coffee and Vanilla
Check out the quiz and Kiwi and Coconut Muffins at Food Blogga
Butter Sugar Flour has some Coconut Macaroons with Raspberry Jam I can't wait to try out
And a lovely Spiced Chai Cake can be seen at Wolf's Den

Apple Custard Tea Cakes

Another Australian Women's Weekly recipe that can be found in Bake and Kitchen

Ingredients

90g butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup self-raising flour

1/4 cup custard powder

2 tablespoons milk

1 large unpeeled apple, cored, sliced finely (I used a granny smith)

30g butter melted (I used alot less then this and still had leftover)

1 tablespoon caster sugar, extra

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Custard

1 tablespoon custard powder

1 tablespoon caster sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Make custard

2. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line 12-hole muffin pan with paper cases.

3. Beat butter, extract, sugar, eggs, flour, custard powder and milk in small bowl with electric mixer on low speed until ingredients are just combined. Increase speed to medium, beat until mixture is changed to a paler colour.

4. Divide half the mixture among cases. Top with custard, then remaining cake mixture; spread mixture to cover custard. Top with apple sliced, pressing slightly into cake.

5. Bake about 25-20 minutes. Brush hot cakes with extra butter, then sprinkle was combined extra sugar and cinnamon. Turn cake onto wire rack. Serve warm or cold.

Custard: Blend custard powder and sugar with milk and extract in small saucepan; stir over heat until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat; cover surface with plastic wrap; cool.

Daring Bakers January - Tuiles

2009-01-29T21:07:00.000+11:00

This was my first daring bakers challenge and I am so excited. And a challenge it was. I don't think I would have ever thought of making these if it wasn't on daring bakers. I'm not sure I mastered it but i tried! Mine were a little bit thicker and chewier then I think they are supposed to be, and I can't say that it was the most creative creation. But completed it is.

I made two similar creations. One was Cookie bowls with ice cream, the other was pink wafers to make an ice cream sandwich. Both lots of cookies with edged with chocolate.

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Baking Soda and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

Tuiles with banana split ice cream and strawberries

Ingredients

65 grams / ¼ cup / 2.3 ounces softened butter (not melted but soft)
60 grams / ½ cup / 2.1 ounces sifted confectioner’s sugar
dash of vanilla extract
2 large egg whites (slightly whisked with a fork)
65 grams / 1/2 cup / 2.3 ounces sifted all purpose flour
pink food
chocolate, melted to decorate

Method

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla to a paste. Keep stirring while you gradually add the egg whites. Continue to add the flour in small batches and stir to achieve a homogeneous and smooth batter/paste. Be careful to not overmix.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up.

Outline the desired shape on a piece of parchment paper. Use a spatula to spread the mixture into shape. Leave some room in between shapes. Mix a small amount of batter with the food coloring to make alternate coloured cookies.

Bake in preheated over (180C/350F) for about 5 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Immediately remove from baking sheet and shape or bend into desired shape. There have to be shaped when still warm.

Lamingtons

2009-01-27T22:07:00.003+11:00

I continue my Australia Day celebrations with one of the few recipes that can be claimed as Australian. Australia has great food but not very many dishes that are truly Australian. Our country is such a mix of different cultures and influences that we have no distinct flavour or cuisine. Lamingtons however belong to us! They are simply sponge cake squares dipped in chocolate and rolled in coconut. Traditionally made from stale (or day old) sponge so that it is easier to handle. They are simple yet amazing. I'm yet to meet someone who doesn't like lamingtons. Some variations also contain cream, or cream and jam. You can also get them as larger cakes or rolls (roulade). I've stuck with the traditional lamington of just plain ol' sponge.

They can be a little messy to make, but my tip is to use a fork to dip the sponge in the chocolate and coconut. The fork marks will be hidden by the chocolate that soaks into the sponge. If you are pressed for time you can use pre-made sponge.

Happy Australia Day!!

Lamingtons

recipe from AWW Bake

Ingredients

6 eggs

⅔ cup (150g) caster sugar

⅓ cup (50g) cornflour

½ cup (75g) plain flour

⅓ cup (50g) self-raising flour

2 cups (160g) desiccated coconut

Icing

4 cups (640g) icing sugar

½ cup (50g) cocoa powder

15g butter

1 cup (250mL) milk

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease 20cmx 30cm lamington pan; line base with baking paper, extending paper 5cm over long sides.

Beat eggs in medium bowl with electric mixer about 10 minutes or until think and creamy; gradually beat in sugar, dissolving between additions. Fold in triple-sifted flours. Spread mixture into pan.

Bake cake about 35 minutes. Turn cake onto baking-paper-covered wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, make icing. Cut cake into 16 piees; dip each square in icing, drain off excess. Toss squares in coconut. Place lamingtons onto wire rack to set.

Icing Sift icing suar and cocoa into medium heatproof bowl; stir in butter and milk. Set bowl over medium saucepan of simmering water; stir until icing is of a coating consistency.

ANZAC Biscuits

2009-01-25T18:56:00.010+11:00

Yesterday I was talking about traditions and how they get started. ANZAC biscuits are an Australian tradition with an interesting history. The most common theory as to their origin is that they were made by women in Australia during WW1 to send to the Australian soldiers overseas. They could survive the often long journey and are made from simple ingredients. They are a delicious biscuit made from oats, maple syrup, coconut and some other baking staples. Most are crunchy (like this recipe here) but chewy varieties are available.

An interesting fact too, is that they legally cannot be called ANZAC cookies. In fact Subway Restaurant over here in Australia removed their ANZAC 'cookies' from the menu after getting into some legal trouble with the Department of Veteran Affairs. Read more about ANZAC biscuits here and here

And now to Sunday Baking, my weekly round-up of baking in the blog world.

Sunday Baker as some great Cheddar Snack Sticks
There is a beautiful Raspberry Roulade at Bunny's Warm Oven
Confections of a Foodie Bride has a sweet looking Strawberry Cake
Joy the Baker shows us here Lemon Souffle Pudding
And lastly check out Baked Alaska at Dine and Dish

ANZAC Biscuits

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup desiccated coconut

125g butter, cubed

1/4 cup golden syrup (I'm told its similar to dark corn syrup)

1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda

Method

1. Preheat the oven to moderate 180C/350F. Line two baking trays with baking paper.

2. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add the sugar, oats and coconut and make a well in the centre.

3. Put the butter and golden syrup together in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat. Dissolve the bicarb in 1 tablespoon boiling water and add immediately to the butter mixture. It will foam up instantly. Pour into the well in the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.

4. Drop level tablespoons of mixture onto the trays, allowing room for spreading. Gently flatten each biscuit with your fingertips. Bake for 20 minutes, or until just browned, leave on the tray to cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Mars Bar Slice - or Chocolate Crunch Slice

2009-01-24T16:15:00.004+11:00

I'm not sure how traditions or family favourites start. Where does the recipe come from? Who made them first? How do they become so important? This recipe has been a staple at family gatherings since I was a kid. I'm not sure who first made it, or why its so popular but it is. Of course the taste has something to do with it. The carmel and chocolate of the mars bar mixed with the rice bubbles is amazing. Its not as popular as its close relative the chocolate crackle but in our family its king. It still appears at all family gatherings even though all the 'kids' are in there 20s and 30s. And we still get just as excited.

***sneak peak*** its a big baking weekend this weekend so keep an eye out for some great sweet treats over the coming days. Happy Australia Day!

Mars Bar Slice (Or Chocolate Crunch Slice)

I do mine from memory but I know the recipe can be found in AWW Cakes and Slices

Ingredients

3 65g Mars Bars, chopped (If you're in the USA this is similar to a milky way bar)

90g butter

3 cups Rice Bubbles (Rice Krispies)

Topping

200g milk chocolate, chopped

30g butter

Method

1. Grease a 19cmx 29cm lamington pan.

2. Combine Mars Bars and butter in a large saucepan, stir continuously over low heat without boiling until mixture is smooth; stir in rice bubbles.

3. Press mixture evenly into prepared pan, spread with topping. Refrigerate into set before cutting.

Jewelry Box

2009-01-18T20:50:00.006+11:00

I bought this box a long time ago always knowing what I wanted to do with it but never getting around to it. Well thanks to all that spare time over christmas/new year the plain old $5 box was transformed into this jewelry keeper.

Project Materials:

Wooden Storage box

PVA craft glue

Pattern paper

Acrylic paint

Mod Podge

Silver bird laser stickers

To make:

Remove the hinges and clasps from the box. Measure the inside compartments and cut out the individual pattern paper pieces. Glue down using PVA glue and seal with Mod Podge.

Paint the entire box with two coats of acrylic paint (I used antique white). When the paint is dry apply two coats of Mod Podge.

Apply the silver bird stickers to the glass window. Put the hinges and Clasp back onto the box to finish it off.

Low-fat Double Chocolate Brownies

2009-01-18T14:10:00.012+11:00

This has been on my to-cook list since I first saw it and I can't believe I've been missing out for so long! This is a great recipe. The brownies came out beautiful and moist. Not too sweet but very rich and chocolate-y. And can you believe its low fat!! (well *lower* fat) Definitely a keeper. I struggle alot with eating so much sugar and saturated fats when I do my baking, so to know that low-fat recipes are possible is great. Although those high-fat recipes will keep coming! Moderation is the key, remember.

Sunday Baking goes bananas this week! There was a bit of a banana theme running through some of the blogs this week so I decided to showcase all those uses for almost gone bananas.

Happy Home Baking as some very healthy wholemeal banana bread
Try some Banana Oat Cookies from Simply Daily Recipes
Banana and Hazelnut Coffee Cake can be found at technicolor kitchen
Evil Chef Mom shares a life lesson and a recipe for Banana Crunch Bread
And some more cookies over at How to Eat a Cupcake, with Banana Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

If you would like to submit a post for Sunday Baking email me at sundaybaking[at]hotmail[dot]com

Low-fat Double Chocolate Brownies

Recipes from Recipes+ October 2008

Ingredients

160g/6oz good quality dark eating chocolate, chopped (mine was mixture of dark and milk melts)

80g/1/3 cup reduced-fat margarine

1/3 cup caster sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup no-fat vanilla yogurt

3/4 cup plain flour

1/4 cup self-raising flour

1/4 cup white choc bits (I used dark choc bits)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees C/340F. Grease and line a shallow 20cm/8in square pan with baking paper.

2. Place chocolate and margarine in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until melted and combined. Remove from heat; stir in sugar. Cool slightly.

3. Stir in eggs until just combined. Stir in the yogurt, then flours. Spread the mixture in pan; smooth the surface. Sprinkle evenly with choc bits.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until top is firm. Cool to room temperature. Chill for 2 hours or until firm before cutting.

Rice Krispie Treats

2009-01-14T20:31:00.005+11:00

I seem to have a habit of cooking things completely different to what I intend. Perhaps its poor planning, or indecisiveness, or both. I have been wanting to make muesli (granola) bars for a few days now and today was going to the day. But an inspection of the pantry showed that there was no muesli. In an attempt to use up those things already in the house (read: couldn't be bothered going to buy anything) I decided to use up some marshmallows that had been no good for s'mores and some rice bubbles that had been around for awhile. Not as healthy as the muesli bars but they did the trick!

Rice Krispie Treats

Original recipe from kelloggs - adapted to make smaller quantity

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of butter

2 cups rice bubbles (krispies)

half packet of marshmallows

choc chips and sprinkles to decorate

Method

In a large saucepan melt butter and marshmallows. Stir in rice bubbles. Spread into greased pan. Decorate with chips and sprinkles. Allow to set in fridge.

Nice and Easy!!

Hummingbird Cake

2009-01-11T20:35:00.007+11:00

I am a picky eater. I mean a really really picky eater. I don't eat any vegetables (well potato but I don't think that counts) and apples are about the only fruit I'll eat on their own. But I will eat some fruit and tomatoes if they're mixed in with something, such as pasta sauce or cake. Which is why I have no problem with this hummingbird cake. Give me a banana on its own and I won't touch it. Mix it into a cake and I'll eat it all up. Same with pineapple, won't eat it on its own but in this cake I loved the flavour. I wasn't all that pleased with the chunky-ness of the pineapple but I'm sure less picky eaters will love it (as my taste-testers did!)

I found some great recipes in the blog world this week to highlight for Sunday Baking. Here is a small selection to inspire.

Tartelette shares a great tradition with her Brioche des Rois
Ambers Delectable Delights has some Honey Yeast Rolls to try
There are some irresistible Fudge Puddles over at Amanda's Cookin'. Also check out her son's Lemon Bars. We love seeing kids in the kitchen!
And a little more chocolate at Sweet treats with Brownie Bites with Mocha Glaze
Finally, some great personalized cupcake decorating at Baked Perfection

Hummingbird Cake

Another recipe from the Australian Women's Weekly Bake

Ingredients

450g (1lb) can pineapple in syrup

1 cup plain flour

1/2 cup self-raising flour

1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

1 cup mashed banana

2 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

Icing

2 cups icing (confectioners) sugar

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons pineapple syrup

Method

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C (375 F). Grease deep 23cm-square cake pan (9 inch); line base with baking paper.

Drain pineapple over medium bowl, pressing with spoon to extract as much syrup as possible. Reserve ¼ cup syrup.

Sift flours, soda, spices and sugar into large bowl. Stir in drained pineapple, reserved syrup, coconut, banana, eggs and oil. Pour mixture into pan.

Bake cake about 40 minutes. Stand cake in pan 5 minutes; turn, top-side, onto wire rack to cool.

Make frosting; spread cold cake with frosting.

Frosting: Sift icing sugar into a bowl, stir in vegetable oil and syrup.

Drop Scones

2009-01-09T22:48:00.004+11:00

Photo from http://www.readersdigest.com.au/global/AU/images/au/GB_pikelets.gif

Today was one of those days that I just wanted to get in the kitchen as soon as work finished. I had spent most of the day thinking about how I would perfect the chocolate fruit and nut I attempted yesterday, I think I've got it figured out. Put like usual, things didn't go to plan. When I grabbed the leftover fruit and nut I discovered the half-full bag I had left yesterday was now almost empty. My tip, don't leave food lying around the house for other people to eat.

I wasn't cooking dinner tonight (we share it around) so after dinner my kitchen craving was still there. Solution: simple drop scones. These are kinda like mini pancakes or pikelets but the mixed spice and nutmeg give them a lovely flavour. They are great accompanied with jam and cream or chocolate sauce. I smothered mine in Nutella. They were exactly what I needed!

Drop Scones

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 1/4 cups milk

1 egg

1 tablespoon honey

Method

1. Sift flour, mixed spice, nutmeg and bicarb into a bowl. Stir in sugar. Make a well in the centre.

2. In a jug, whisk together milk, egg and honey. Gradually beat into flour mixture until well combined

3. Heat a large frying pan on medium. Spray with oil. Drop tablespoonsful of the mixture into the pan. Cook in 5 batches for 1-2 minutes until bubbles form on the surface and begin to break and the underside is golden. Turn and cook the other side for 1 minute. Wrap cooked ones in a clean tea towel to keep warm while cooking the remainder.

Recipe Conversions

2009-01-07T19:03:00.009+11:00

So being over here in Australia with our strange ingredient names and metric system I thought a quick conversion guide might be handy.

Weight

Common Ingredient Measurements

Liquid Measurement

Ingredient names

Oven Temperatures

Cake Pans

Sources from taste.com.au