My red KitchenAid is one of my very favourite possessions. The Hungry Dad bought it as a gift for me many years ago, when I was just getting into baking. Talk about full-blown addition – now if I don’t bake at least once a day I feel all jittery until I can get a hit of the baking good stuff. Continue reading
This is a what I like to think of as a nana cake. I say this without malice, as I am a nana before my time. To wit: I love shopping baskets on wheels, cardigans, baking, and nana naps (not all at the same time). Continue reading
Our friends Brett and Sarah recently had a baby and I was busting to meet her. My immune system, however, had other ideas and decided to deal me a large helping of Evil Flu. Continue reading
![Chai bundt cake [The Hungry Mum]](https://thehungrymum.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/chai-bundt-cake-the-hungry-mum.jpg)
On a recent child-free weekend in Sydney the Hungry Dad and I explored the stunningly elegant Stand Arcade. We found the amazing Gewürzhaus, a teeny shop crammed with herbs, spices, salts and teas from all around the world.
After sampling some lovely mulled wine as we perused the boutique we ended up leaving with a heavy bag and lighter wallet. One of our purchases was a chai tea mix and let me tell you: this brew was the real deal. Full of orange peel, cardamom and other chunky bits of deliciousness it soon became a fav in the Hungry House. Continue reading
I love the reaction I get when I put out a platter of whoopie pies. As they aren’t that well known in Australia, people usually ask what they are (‘what do you call this, Darl?’). The usual reaction upon being told is one of mirth and general happiness, and everyone feels the need to repeat it (‘Whoopie pies!’) 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
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.
This Donna Hay cake is simple and impressive and can be jazzed up with the addition of a quick icing. It isn’t overly chocolaty which could be a good or a bad thing, depending on how you feel about chocolate or how early in the day it is – while choc addicts would argue that it is never too early in the day for a chocolate hit I would actually disagree (ducks for cover). This cake neatly straddles the issue though – there is just enough chocolate for any time of day. Continue reading
Apples, eh? Something that looks shiny and crisp at the markets can turn out to be a fraud when bitten into. Soft. Floury. Bruised. That was our experience after being swindled at a farmer’s market recently. Before I continue let me say that I adore farmer’s markets and the farmers that produce our food. I have no idea how fraudulent apple man managed to get a stand at these popular markets but he did. Money was exchanged. Apples were bought. Disappointment on one side of this transaction ensued.
So there we were – a fruit bowl full of dud apples that Misses 7 and 9 kept boomeranging back from school each day.
If you are a follower of this blog or know me in the real world you would know that my instant reaction was to turn these fraudulent apples into a cake. Continue reading
Have you seen the Great British Bake Off? I love it! An Australian version was short-lived but to be honest the British version really appealed to me. I love learning about the history of cakes and tarts – as a history and all-things-British nerd I find the back-story of the bakes fascinating. Continue reading
the hungry mum 