You guys, I bought a whoopie pie pan! I swore I wouldn’t coz my baking paraphernalia has taken over the kitchen. When we visited San Fran last year we went to my mecca – the three-storey Williams-Sonoma kitchenware store. I went twice in two days and lugged soooo much stuff back to Sydney [via Hawaii – my poor suitcases] but decided against buying the whoopie pie pan. Continue reading
So, this is a very basic recipe and the only reason I’m even posting it is that I often have a surplus of two egg whites when I’m baking or making the Hungry Dad’s favouritest ever sweet, custard. I was stashing the whites in the freezer but decided to actually bake with them recently.
This recipe is sooo simple that my kids [even Miss6] could make this without any supervision. The choc bottom takes them from meh to marvellous.
Gather:
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 egg whites
2 cups desiccated coconut
150g dark chocolate, melted
Let’s get to it:
Preheat oven to 180C and place non-stick baking paper on a baking tray.
Mix everything except chocolate in bowl using a silver spoon.
Place golf ball size mounds on the trays, leaving space to spread.
Bake for between 10-13 minutes, until pale gold.
Cool completely before using a butter knife to swipe the melted chocolate across their bottoms.
Allow chocolate to set before eating.
Yes, my cinnamon addiction is showing again. Many moons ago I blogged cinnamon donuts but since buying a mini donut pan on our trip to San Fran last year I’ve been going baked donut crazy!
I found a wonderful recipe on Tidy Mom’s site and reduced the sugar and upped the maple syrup. If you can’t get your hands on maple syrup I’d suggest switching it for something else – maybe golden syrup. Imitation anything – yet especially syrup – is grim and pointless. Continue reading
Oh Donna, let me the count the ways in which your baking recipes make my heart flutter… Actually, that would take far too long because Ms Hay’s cakes, tarts and muffin recipes always work. Devotees would note that I am Donna hay’s biggest cheerleader and this super simple recipe is yet another winner. Continue reading
This weather is driving me crazy! Last year was officially the hottest on record for Australia and one can only assume it is going to get hotter. For a creature the colour of milk, such as myself, this is not good. My skin says I should be living in Scandinavia but here I am, Sydney born and bred.
We have had a reprieve for the past few days but it will soon be hot again. This is cold comfort for my friends in the northern hemisphere currently experiencing snow, storms and freezing temperatures. Stay safe everyone.
In the meantime, here is a super easy treat, perfect for long hot summer days. Misses 6 & 8 made these pops themselves and couldn’t wait to try them. Two thumbs up 🙂 Continue reading
Pikelets, as Miss7 informed me, as just smaller versions of pancakes. I disagree – pikelets are the chubbier, cuter, more rustic cousins to their elegant pancakey counterparts. Continue reading
How I love a country getaway! When an escape to the country is also a girl’s weekend away it is close to perfection. Continue reading
A confession before we continue: I did not make this luscious looking creation. Rather, The Hungry Dad and Miss7 whipped it up for a family lunch at my mum’s house recently. I’m lucky – I married a man who is a great cook and our first born also loves cooking (especially desserts!).
They chose this recipe from my ever-present copy of Australian Women’s Weekly ‘Bake.’
It is no exaggeration to say this pie was the hit of the lunch – everyone was full of compliments for my hubby and daughter. So proud!
GATHER:
½ cup cornflour
1 cup caster sugar
½ cup lemon juice
1 ¼ cups water
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
60g butter, diced
3 eggs, separated
½ cup caster sugar, extra
pastry
1 ½ cups plain flour
1 tablespoon icing sugar
140g cold butter, diced
1 egg yolk
Approx 2 tablespoons iced water
LET’S GET TO IT:
Make pastry:
Process flour, icing sugar and butter until crumbly. Add yolk and enough iced water to process until it all comes together. Knead dough on floured surface until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and put in fridge for 30 mins.
Tart:
Grease 24cm round loose-bottomed fluted flan tin. Roll out pastry between sheets of baking paper until large enough to line tin. Carefully ease into pan, using rolling pin as guide. Gently press into base and sides, trim edges, then place in fridge for 30 mins.
Preheat oven to 220C.
Place dough-lined tin on oven tray and line with baking paper, fill with baking weights and bake for 10 minutes. Remove weights and paper and bake another 10 minutes. Cool, turn oven off.
Combine cornflour and sugar in medium pan and slowly stir in juice and water until smooth. Cook, stirring, over high heat until mixture boils and thickens.
Reduce heat and simmer while stirring for one minute.
Remove from heat and stir in rind, butter and yolks. Allow to cool.
Spread filling into case and bake preheat oven to 220C.
Beat egg whites in bowl of electric mixer until soft peaks form and gradually add extra sugar, beating until sugar dissolves (it shouldn’t feel grainy).
Spread meringue mixture on top of tart and bake for 2 minutes / until golden.
Serve cold with cream or ice cream.
Blogging has provided me with lots of fun opportunities and I was lucky enough to recently participate in the inaugural Sweet Swap – an Australian event where food bloggers make sweet treats for other bloggers.
The event was created by the uber lovely Sara from Belly Rumbles and Amanda from Chew Town, bloggers who really know their stuff. They had the tricky task of pairing up each blogger with three matches each and ensuring everyone had their goodies made and sent by the designated date.
Coming home to parcels of delicious goodies from people you may not have even met yet is such a wonderful feeling. Eating said items is event better. If you ever get the chance to get involved in such an event you simply must do it!
I received delicious banana oat bars from Bite Me Show Me [bitemeshowme.wordpress.com], sachertortington [a cross between a sacher torte and a lamington and yes! It was as scrumptious as it sounds] from The Hangry Bitch [thehangrybitch.wordpress.com] and ‘pop goes the brownie’ – a choc brownie by Flick Your Food [ flickyourfood.com] complete with popping candy.
Everything was delicious and packed so beautifully that it was simply delightful. Loved the whole event and am crossing my fingers that it will be an annual event.
For my three matches [hi VegeTARAian http://vegetaraian.com, http://apricottart.blogspot.com.au/ and DiamondInteriors.com.au] I ummed and ahhed over what to make before finding a delicious recipe on food.com. The original post was called rosemary fleur de sel almond toffee and you can see it here http://www.food.com/recipe/rosemary-fleur-de-sel-almond-toffee-rsc-487210
I tweaked and renamed it rosemary salted chocolate toffee.
I hadn’t made toffee before so was somewhat apprehensive. Would it work? Would it taste good? Would it hold up in the post? I guess you’ll have to ask my recipients what they thought but when I sampled the messy edges I was hooked. I’m not an overly big sweet eater [oh, the irony…] but I enjoyed this mouthful of sweet, salty and savoury.
I see this rosemary salted chocolate toffee being made at Christmas and probably Easter.
See all the delicious sweet creations at http://new.inlinkz.com//luwpview.php?id=293837
GATHER:
3 x 120g packets slivered almonds
4 teaspoons fresh rosemary, snipped very finely with scissors [mine came from my garden!]
Glug good olive oil
3 ½ cups caster sugar
1 ½ cups butter
¼ cup honey
¾ cup of water
½ teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt [or fleur de sel – do not use table salt] plus another ½ teaspoon for garnish
200g good quality dark chocolate
LET’S GET TO IT:
Preheat oven to 180C and line a baking tray with foil.
Combine almonds with 2 teaspoons of the rosemary, ½ teaspoon of salt and glug of olive oil. Spread onto pan and roast for between 8-10 minutes, stirring every so often, until golden.
Cool before tipping onto a foil-lined 10×15 inch lamington / baking pan.
In a large deep saucepan over medium-low heat stir sugar, butter, honey, salt and ¾ cup of water until sugar is melted and sugar dissolved. Increase heat and cook, stirring, until mix is caramel colour [the original recipe said until it reaches 300 degrees on a candy thermometer but mine never reached this heat, no matter what I did]. This will take 15 or so minutes – do not take your eyes off it for second!
When it reaches that lovely dark deep golden colour carefully pour it over the almonds in the tray. Allow to cool and set [this will take around an hour].
Meanwhile melt chocolate until smooth and glossy and pour over cooled toffee [I allowed a couple of hours between cooling the toffee and adding the melted chocolate]. Spread evenly using a spatula.
Mix remaining rosemary and salt together before sprinkling over the choc.
Allow to stand for 30 minutes before cutting into small squares and placing in airtight container.
It will come as no surprise to Hungry Mum devotees that I adore bundts. In fact you may be heartily sick of me posting about these cakes but I just can’t get enough of their buttery goodness. Continue reading
the hungry mum 