I have written before of my love for individual desserts. I think they look chic, there is less mess when serving to guests, and as they are small you can have more than one #forTheWin Continue reading
I have written before of my love for individual desserts. I think they look chic, there is less mess when serving to guests, and as they are small you can have more than one #forTheWin Continue reading
It was my BFF’s birthday recently and a celebratory picnic was in order. Families and kids were rounded up, cheese was purchased, Pimms organised, rugs placed in cars. And a cake was baked. Continue reading
When I was a teenager, many millennium ago, tequila was the go to drink for party people. Never me, of course – I drank nothing but water on nights out with friends #Ummmm
Anyway, the image of tequila as a cheap and cheerful beverage was only recently extinguished for me when the Hungry Dad brought home a fancy bottle of tequila. Clue number one that it was nothing like the drink of days gone by: the bottle stopper wasn’t a mini sombrero. Clue number two: it wasn’t a ginormous bottle and it cost more than I care to admit. Continue reading
I want to be Donna Hay when I grow up. I love her recipes, her style, her gorgeous boutique in Sydney – everything. If the woman made Donna Hay label toilet paper I would buy it. Her ‘Modern Classics Book 2’ is on high rotation in my kitchen and like all of her recipes they never let you down. Continue reading
There is no getting away from the fact that these biscuits are not what you call pretty. They aren’t even plain – they are lock-them-away-in-the-tower unattractive and they aren’t the type of sweet treat you’d see in upmarket eateries. But, if you squint or close your eyes as you take a bite you will understand that they are everything that a biscuit should be: sweet, chocolate-y, satisfying. So let’s remember that old cliche of looks not being important, shall we? This recipe is from Australian Good Taste but as usual, I tweaked it…
GATHER:
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup caster sugar
150g cubed butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cup self raising flour
1 egg
150g good chocolate [they use chopped up choc, I grabbed buttons and they worked fine]
2 tablespoons sifted cocoa powder
Dash best vanilla extract [if you only have vanilla essence – skip it! That stuff is evil and a poor imitation].
LET’S GET TO IT:
Preheat oven to 170C and line two large trays with baking powder.
Place both sugars, vanilla and butter in bowl of electric mixer and beat until creamy and changed colour.
Beat in the egg until combined then add flour and cocoa. Keep beating until everything is combined.
Stir in chocolate using a spoon.
Shape into golf ball size blobs and gently flatten.
Bake 12-ish minutes [you may need a fw more minutes depending on your oven].
Cool on wire racks.
Chocolate marsala cake, listed in the book ’50 Fabulous Chooclate Cakes’ as ‘never fail chocolate cake’ is my go recipe that I have made countless times. Each year I make it for my daughter’s birthdays, I’ve made it it for friends grieving and for friends celebrating. Continue reading