Apple Donut Muffins

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Peanut Butter Crispy Bars

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.

Thumbprint Cookies

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)

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

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.