Like most people I love a lazy Sunday morning – the type of day when you can sleep-in then stay in your jammies for hours. Like most people we are always go go GO so a lazy Sunday is a rare event. Last weekend we managed to sneak in a slow start. The cherry on top of a relaxed morning at home is a delicious breakfast that you would never usually have time for. Continue reading
I recently baked and blogged rich, dark chocolate brownies. These were a decadent treat and one for adults only.
This time it is sweetness and light in the shape of fresh strawberry and white chocolate blondies.
I made these as a thank you for a lovely friend, Maria, who was the first person to ‘like’ my brand spanking new Hungry Mum Facebook page! Feel free to like my Facebook page – and I’ll like yours back 🙂 Continue reading
In my home brownies are foods of the gods for the under-ten set. Whenever I make a batch I have little people clammering for a piece.
Step aside, kids.
This is a brownie with the caffeine level turned UP, making it a perfect choice for that 3pm slump when the need for something sweet and a decent coffee is overwhelming. Continue reading
Regular readers will know that while I love baking I don’t have an overly sweet tooth. Put a mud cake or cupcake in front of me and the response is usually, meh. Place a cheese board within a 5 kilometre radius of me and watch me run and attack it.
The cake I will always eat is a syrup cake. I know – they are usually pumped full of sugar which contradicts everything I just said. What I love about them is their moistness. Part of this is due to the fact that most syrup cakes are made with semolina, almond meal or polenta, which keeps cake soft. But drenching a hot cake in hot flavoured sugar water also goes a long way in ensuring a cake stays beautifully fresh and soft.
And as is often the way, every time I make a syrup cake and offer it to the Hungry Dad he reminds me of how much he doesn’t like syrup cake – in a nice way but still #grrrrr Continue reading
Red velvet anything is my favourite. I don’t have an overly sweet tooth but when I am in a bakery/cafe/ on Pinterest and see the magical words ‘red velvet’ I am hooked.
I thought I would mix up my red passion for black with this recipe for black velvet cupcakes. Fun fact for those who don’t know – black velvet is a cocktail made from Guinness and champagne. Interesting, huh? I’m absolutely #TeamChampagne (see my pink champagne recipe here https://thehungrymum.com/2015/06/04/pink-champagne-cake-from-scratch/) and The Hungry Dad is partial to a Guinness come the colder months but the two combined doesn’t float my boat. Having never tried it, however, maybe I shouldn’t be so harsh in my judgment.
In any case, when I saw a black velvet baking recipe on the BBC Good Food site I knew it would be a perfect recipe to make for Sydney’s cold weather. I transformed their recipe from puddings into big cupcakes. Continue reading
Oh yes. Cake drenched inside and out with champagne. What could be finer? I made this decadent cake, from a book called Booze Cakes, to take to a friend’s party recently. Word to the designated drivers – this cake packs a punch. A real, woah-Nelly-that’s-got-some-booze-in-it punch. Continue reading
I always thought pound cakes were heavy, rectangular-shaped items. I have long loved pound cake and have fond memories of eating frozen Sara Lee pound cake with sultanas at my nana’s house (nana wasn’t a baker, bless).
Then I saw my guru Donna Hay had made a pound cake in a circular shape and my mind.was.blown. #easilyImpressed Continue reading
Have you ever met a beekeeper? I have met several over the years in my day job as a journalist and I am here to tell you that people who dedicate their lives tending to bees, hives, and all the paraphernalia that comes with it, are amazing.
I recently interviewed a beekeeper who I have met several times now. She is passionate and knowledgeable about all aspects of beekeeping and at the end of the interview she gave me a jar of honey from her hives.
This honey is nothing like the stuff you buy at the shops. It is thick and unctuous and just begging to be via a spoon dipped in the jar. Mmmm, honey. As the hive is located a few suburbs away it is possible that the bees may have even visited my garden to alight on my lavender bush.
I was inspired by a recipe in Good Housekeeping’s The Baking Book for these cupcakes. I didn’t even notice how few ingredients it had until I was standing with the mixer going, and then I was happily amazed.
GATHER:
125 butter, softened and roughly diced
125g runny honey
2 eggs
125 grams self-raising flour, sifted
buds of two lavender blossoms, finely crumbled, plus extra for garnish – ensure they are chemical-free, ideally from a loved one’s garden. These are from The Hungry Nonna’s garden – thanks mum 😉
Whipping or thickened cream, for garnish.
LET’S GET TO IT:
Preheat oven to 170C and line 6 Texas-sized cupcake holes with wrappers.
In bowl of electric mixer beat honey and butter until combined.
Add eggs, one at a time, then beat. Mixture will look curdled, is fine.
Using a silver spoon stir in flour and mix until just combined. Scrape into wrappers and bake for 15-20 minutes / until a skwere comes out clean.
Remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile beat some thickened cream until soft peaks, then dollop on top of cakes. Garnish with extra lavender buds.
So, exciting news sports fans: Miss9’s soccer team will be playing at half-time of tonight’s Matilda’s game! For those that aren’t into soccer, the Matildas are the Australian national soccer team and they are playing Vietnam tonight at a stadium half an hour away. Miss9’s team will take to the field at half-time to play a short game. Yippee!
To keep energy levels up I have made these brown sugar cookies for the team (Miss9’s, not the Matildas!). I have made brown sugar bickies many times but they have never been as good as these. Continue reading
Hip hip hooray! It was recently the Hungry Mum’s mum’s birthday (or, the Hungry Nonna as she likes to be known. FYI she’s not Italian, just an Italian nonna wannabe!)
The extended Hungry family gathered for breakfast recently at a cafe near the Hungry Nonna’s home, and after eggs and toast and coffee and pancakes were consumed it was cake time!
Carrot cake has long been one of mum’s favourite cakes and everyone loves cream cheese frosting so this was the birthday cake. Continue reading
the hungry mum 