17. A Cake To Celebrate!!

January 8, 2012 0 Comments

So last year i put on a huge hulla-ba-loo for my daughters first birthday where i made about a bajillion different sweets and went a little pink crazy! So when my step sons birthday rolled around i thought to myself, i better get my act into gear and make him a little something special…

I know he loves chocolate so the flavour of the cake was easy, but when it came to what on earth i should make the cake into i had NO idea… I mean 11 year old boys right? What on earth do i know about 11 year old boys?

ANYWHO…

I asked him.

And guess what 11 year old boys want their cakes to look like?

Lamborghini (yes i had to do a spell check on that one…)

Now when he first told me i thought to myself, a car, easy, not too hard…. OH MY was i wrong…

Do you people know what a Lamborghini looks like?

Let me show you….

My heart started pounding, you know that kind of anxious pounding you get when you start thinking you have gotton yourself in too deep?

So then my step son found this image for me to use…

And i began thinking, yeah i could maybe manage some sort of version…

So it began…

The Cake – Chocolate of Course

Stuff You’ll Need (recipe taken from “Gifts From the Kitchen” by Annie Rigg)

300grams dark chocolate (i used 70%)
200grams unsalted butter
6 large eggs, seperated
200grams castor sugar
150grams almond meal
1tbls plain flour
pinch of salt

How i did it

Preheat the oven to 170 deg cel, grease and line a tin of your choice. As i was making a car cake i used a wide square loaf tin. You may just have to adjust the cooking time depending on what tin you use.

Break the chocolate up and place in a heat proof bowl with the butter. Place in the microwave and zap for short bursts stirring in between to melt. Set aside to cool.

Place the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and mix with a hand mixer on high until thick and pale. Slowly add the cooled chocolate mixture and mix until smooth. Fold in the almond meal and flour.

In a separate clean bowl whisk the egg whites with the salt until thick and hold stiff peaks. Slowly add the whites to the chocolate / flour mixture making sure not too loose any air.

Place in the tin and into the oven for about 50-60 minutes depending of course on the size tin you have used. Make sure you check in on it every so often and if the top is browning too much be sure to cover it.

Once cooked remove from the oven wrap and freeze.

Now to the carving and the icing of the car cake…

I didnt actually manage to get many images of the creation as i was totally in a zone and really really focused on getting it right. My husband managed to find me a model car to work off and i created a template on paper to sort of guide me on the shape.

Basically like with making any shape cake i got the basic details down pat and left the rest to the icing.

and yes, yes i am a VERY messy cook!

Anywho…

I am not sure if i actually did this right as i have never used marzipan before, but i gave it a shot and it sort of worked…. There is always a next time to figure it out better!

I used premade marzipan and bought some dyes. I kneaded the marzipan out and added the colour, using icing powder to dust the bench.

I rolled the marzipan out and used some warmed jam as glue on the cake before placing the sheet of marzipan over the cake…. Umm does that make sense?

The marzipan is rather like play dough and i was able to, more easliy than expected, form the shapes i required for the car, stick them on and smooth the joins over.

I am sure most of you have done this sort of thing before but to be honest i was quite impressed with myself for my first real attempt at creating a ‘designer’ cake! Anywho, here it is… Let me know what you think!!

Oh and FYI the cake is DIVINE! Very heavy, kind of like fudge very easy to mould / carve!

and here is just how much fun we had with all the family eating the very very rich cake!!

Filed Under: 2. Make 30 recipes chosen by 30 people, 30 before 30, Cooking, Fifteen to Eighteen Months, My Miracles Life Begins, Sweet

16. What to serve with marmalade?

December 30, 2011 0 Comments

Now as part of my 30 before 30 quest i thought i would make my friend from the gym some white chocolate bread to go with all the condiments i made for her as a gift for chirstmas. She loves white chocolate and what better way to enjoy marmalade, nut butter and lemon curd then to place it on top of chocolate bread?!

I didnt have a recipe i simply thought i would give this combination a shot and see how it went… The reports back were fantastic and as far as i am concerned that means it is a winner worthy of the blog ;o) oh and worthy of being number 16 on my list!!

White Chocolate Bread

Stuff you’ll need

300 grams of white chocolate (you could sub in milk or dark chocolate if you prefer)
3 cups bread flour
2 tsp yeast
1 cup milk
1 tbls sugar
pinch of salt

How i did it

Chucked it all in the bread machine and put it on normal white bread setting.

Filed Under: 2. Make 30 recipes chosen by 30 people, 30 before 30, Cooking, Fifteen to Eighteen Months, My Miracles Life Begins, Sweet

15. Christmas Has Come!

December 25, 2011 0 Comments

I know i should be sleeping but i am just so excited about this recipe i could burst!

I love my niece to bits and when she suggested a gingerbread cupcake village for christmas eve i almost fell of my chair! How on earth was i going to achieve that – i mean i am a good baker, not so much a good decorator! But i was set for the challenge and with this shocking image on board i, or should i say WE set to work

As i am not really a wheat girl anymore i decided to get creative and have a crack at a wheat free ginger bread cupcake recipe. I loosely based the recipe on this one here and added a cream cheese icing to finish. Now if i was to make it for myself i think i would scrap the icing and put a honey or date something or other on top or on the side… But as it stands they were yummy none the less! (and you need to remember my sweetness tooth isnt as sweet as it once was!)

Ok now back to the actual recipe… Now i believe that i have now fallen in love with coconut flour and i am thinking i will have to do some researching and buy in bulk cause that stuff is UH-Mazing!

Stuff You’ll Need (just for the ginger bread cake, i reckon you could figure out the rest so long as you have a variety of lollies and use your imagination!)

10 eggs
1/2 cup treacle
1 cup honey
200 grams naked ginger ( not raw but the stuff you find in the cooking isle)
1 cup sunflower oil (olive may work the same, havent tried it though)
1 tbls vanilla
1 tbls ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup coconut four

How i did it

I am a guniess… Thats all i am going to say…

No just jokes, here is how i did it

Preheat the oven to 170 deg cel, grease and line mini cake tins – you could use normal ones but you will have to adjust the cooking time.

Attach the chopping blade to your food processor and process the ginger on high until it becomes a paste. Remove the blade attachement and swap it for a whisk attachment. I guess if you dont have one of those a stand mixer will have to do, but this attachment is seriously my new boyfriend (sorry jayjay) it is the best thing on earth!

Anywho…

Attach the whisk attachment and add 10 eggs to the ginger. Whisk until smooth and the eggs have about doubled in size. Slowly then as the whisk is still spinning add the treacle, then the honey then ever so slowly the oil. Then again while the mixer is still going add the vanilla ginger baking soda then last of all the coconut flour. Spin for another minute or so until the mixture is thick smooth consistancy. It will be runny but moderalty thick – if that makes sense?

Pout the batter into your pans and cook for about 20-25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Cool and ice…

Or eat warm.

Or stick it in the freezer and enjoy another day – but if i were you i would just eat it straight from the oven and deal with the calories the next day… I run perhaps? Or you could just remember that it has no wheat or gluten or processed sugar so you could just pretend that the calories dont count and that your bum wont be screaming at you when your jeans dont fit… Not that that matters once you have a peice of this cake in your mouth… Speaking of which if you promise not to tell ill let you in on a little secret…. I have a piece for breakfast… Shhh dont tell my trainer!

Anyway enjoy!

Filed Under: 2. Make 30 recipes chosen by 30 people, 30 before 30, Fifteen to Eighteen Months, My Miracles Life Begins

14. Chocolate, nut and fig christmas cake

December 22, 2011 0 Comments

YUM is all i can say.

And i will say it again…

YA-UH-MMMM!

This one was just divine I made it for our Christmas celebrations with my side of the family (hence why it is number 14 on my list… While it wasnt specific to one person it was baked especially for “The Bowens” and i cant tell you just how much we all enjoyed it! So much better than the traditional Christmas cake – and so SO much richer!

Stuff you’ll need

125g dried figs
3-4 tablespoons of rum (or enough to cover the figs)
100g almonds
100g walnuts
50g plain flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
350g dark chocolate (70% coco)
150g butter
5 eggs, separated
75g caster sugar
4 tbls honey

How i did it

I followed the recipe! ( as found here in this book)

Chop the figs and soak them over night in the rum.

Preheat the oven to 150 deg cel. Grease and line a spring form tin – 23cm.

Toast the nuts in the preheated oven until pale golden. Let cool then roughly chop. Place in a bowl with the flour cinnamon and salt and mix to combine.

Place the diced butter and chocolate in a microwave proof bowl and give a zap stirring every 20-30 seconds to ensure you dont burn the choclate, set aside to cool.

Whisk the egg yolks, castor sugar and honey together until thick and pale – i used an electric mixer for this. Add the chocolate mixture, the dry mixture plus the fig and rum mix. Fold in together until smooth.

In a clean dry bowl place the egg whites and a pinch of salt, whisk until stiff. Slowly fold the egg whites into the choclate mixture being careful not to loose to much air.

Place the mixture in the baking tin and into the oven it goes for about an hour. Keep an eye on the top and if it is browning too much be sure to cover it with foil.

Once cooked – check using a squewer that comes out clean, allow to cool in the tin then remove and wrap in foil and glad wrap. You can store this in the cupboard but i prefer to keep these sort of things in the fridge!

You can serve with a nice chocolate gnache as i did, sprinkle with icing sugar or if you like to decorate use marzipan and make it more like a traditional Christmas Cake!

Whatever you choose be sure only to cut a thin slice as this one is deadly!!

Filed Under: 2. Make 30 recipes chosen by 30 people, 30 before 30, Cooking, Fifteen to Eighteen Months, My Miracles Life Begins, Sweet

13. Baby Bread….

December 1, 2011 0 Comments

Even if i have to say so myself, i am a Guinness!

NO really i am….

Why you may ask? Simple really…

How do you get vegies and protien into a baby that wont eat anything? Make it into bread….

Yup, i just invented (ok so maybe not invented but came up with a recipe that works) tuna and vegie bread – WHA? You think that sounds discuasting? Well i dare you to try it and have some… Cause the bit i had was delicious, and geroge, well she gobbled it down in an instant!

Stuff you’ll need

3 3/4 cup bread flour
1 cup of cottage cheese
some frozen vegies (you know the ones in a bag that a pre cut and really cheap)
a tin of tuna
1 tsp bi carb soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbls sugar
2 tsp dried yeast

How i did it

Chucked it all in the bread machine and pressed go…. WamBamThankYouMam 3 hours later…. Bread….

& ok so maybe this one wasnt chosen by george but it was specifically made for her – so i am going to count it as number 13 on the 30 recipes chosen by 30 people!

Filed Under: 2. Make 30 recipes chosen by 30 people, 30 before 30, Fifteen to Eighteen Months, My Miracles Life Begins

12. All Natural Granola

November 21, 2011 0 Comments

If there is one thing i remember about my father it is that when we were young he would spend about 1/2 an hour every month or so making up a combination of muesli and cereals to create the “perfect” breakfast cereal for him…. Now at the time my sister and i thought this combination was the most disgusting thing known to man, but as i grew older i came to like it and now i myself (when i do have cereal) like to do the combo thing, i mean when there is nothing you like – make it right?

Anywho over the weekend i made some granola for my father and while he didnt ask me to make this for him i am counting it as one of my 30 before 30 anyway as i know that if he were to suggest a recipe this would in fact be something he would choose oh and it was so awesome i am making it again for the next time i head down there!

All Natural Granola taken from Gifts from the Kitchen by Annie Rigg

Stuff you’ll need

50g whole almonds
50g pecans
200g rolled oats
50g pumpkin seeds
25g sesame seeds
50g sunflower seeds
50g desicated coconut
125g dates
100g apricots
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
175g honey

How i did it

Super easy! Preheat the oven to 180 deg cel.

Roughly chop the almonds and pecans as well as the dates and apricots. Place them in a large bowl along with the other ingredients. In a small saucepan slightly warm the honey and oil so that the honey is really runny but not boiling. Pour the honey mix over the nut and fruit mix and stir so that all the ingredients are coated evenly. Place in an oven dish and into the oven. Cook for about 30-45 minutes or until golden, stiring every 5-10 minutes so you get an even roast.

Enjoy with yoghurt…. NomNomNOMMY!!

Filed Under: 2. Make 30 recipes chosen by 30 people, Cooking, My Miracles Life Begins, Sweet, Twelve to Fifteen Months

11. Cauliflower & Caramelized Onion Tart

November 20, 2011 0 Comments

We have just come back from an amazing weekend away at my fathers house down the coast… The sun shone the whole time and this morning i even kept up with the old long legged man and ran 6km in 32 minutes! Very chuffed with myself… And another thing i am chuffed with myself over this weekend is the tart i made for my step mothers birthday… Even though her birthday was over a month ago now!

Anywho back to the recipe.

It was actually much easier to make than i fist expected and because i could prepare all the sections a day in advance it made the perfect dish to prepare and bring down for a wonderful summers dinner.

The original recipe came from here, however i didnt use anything do do with truffles (as if i have THAT lying around in my pantry! *giggles*) and when i saw the amount of fat in mascapone cheese i fainted in the middle of the shopping isle and when i came too i decided to use low fat ricotta instead! And to be honest i would never have been able to tell the difference anyway… Oh and i got rave reviews from my stepmom and dad

Stuff you’ll need

1 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, diced
1 egg

1 small head of cauliflower
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, halved lenghth wise and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 large eggs
200 grams low fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup buttermilk (or milk whatever is in the fridge)
1/4 teaspoon ground white or black pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

How i did it

Pretty much exactly how the recipe says…

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch and one-fourth teaspoon salt. Cut the butter in with a pastry blender, fork or two knives until it is in very tiny bits. Add one egg and mix with a fork until a dough forms. If this does not happen easily, toss it out onto a counter and knead it together. This dough is rather tough but with a little elbow grease, it does come together nicely.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 12-inch circle. Place the dough in a 9-inch pie plate or tart pan and press to remove any air bubbles. Crimp the edges, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. No parbaking required.

And the pie…

Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 200 deg cel. Toss cauliflower with 2 tablespoons olive oil in large bowl. Spread on rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast 15 minutes before turning florets over and roasting until brown and tender, it took a total of 40 minutes in my oven.

Heat remaining 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until onion is a deep golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Use a knife or brush to spread the bottom and sides of crust with mustard. Spread onion over crust. Arrange cauliflower over the onion. Set the tart on a rimmed baking sheet (to protect against leaks). Whisk eggs, ricotta, milk and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in Gruyère. Pour mixture over filling in tart pan, sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until tart is golden and center is set, about 40 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool 15 minutes before serving.

ENJOY! This was a wonderful tart enjoyed with a small side salad… I look forward to making this one again, especially the pastry!

Filed Under: 2. Make 30 recipes chosen by 30 people, 30 before 30, Cooking, My Miracles Life Begins, Savory, Twelve to Fifteen Months

10. Prawn Nachoes for My Man

November 15, 2011 0 Comments

Its a long story, but the reality is i made this recipe on kind of a bet….

If you dont have five minutes, just skip the story and know that i won the bet! Oh and make sure you have a crack at the recipe because apparently is was – and i quote – yum, on both boys count!

*not the real prawn nachoes... I got so excited about the boys tasting them i forgot to take a picture!!

So the story behind the prawn nachoes is that a few weeks ago my husband, my step son, geroge and i went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner and to be brutally honest it was crap… There are harsher words for it, but ill keep it pg rated and just say that it was not worth the effort that we went to so that we could eat out. Anywho while we were, ok ok while i was whining about the food and telling my husband that i could cook better he challenged me. My dear sweet husband bet me that i couldnt make the dish better for under $15…

BUT I DID! And yes, yes they BOTH said that the nachoes i made were better than the crap they ate at the restaurant

So here it is, prawn nachoes for under $15 that are BETTER than what you would get at a restaurant

Stuff you’ll need

10 prawns (i used green)
6 gourmet tomatoes
Garlic & onion
Basil
Vinegar & sugar
Chilli
Corn Chips
Cheese
Avocado
Sour cream

How i did it

Firstly i had my husband peel the prawns, this is a husbandly duty as there is no way you would catch me peeling those little slimy creatures of the deep blue sea! Once you (he) has peeled the prawns place then in a bowl with the chilli and garlic finely chopped with a splash of olive oil. Place in the fridge for an hour or so.

In a pan fry off your onion and a little more garlic. Chop your tomatoes and place in the pan, cover and let the tomatoes cook through and all the juices come out. Add some salt and pepper, the basil, a splash of vinegar and a sprinkle of sugar, if you like uber hot tomatoes based sauces add some more chilli or chilli sauce here. Bring to the bubble then reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened and the flavours developed.

Heat a seperate plan and when smoking hot place the prawns chilli garlic oil mixture in and fry until the prawns are JUST cooked. Place in the tomato sauce and turn the heat off.

Mash the avocado.

Place the corn chips on a plate and grate some cheese on top. Place in the microwwave for 30 seconds / until the cheese is melted. Place the tomato and prawn sauce on top, another sprinkle of cheese, a spoon of the avocado and a spoon of sour cream…. And voilà! Prawn nachoes!

And from the reports it was BETTER than the eat out version

Filed Under: 2. Make 30 recipes chosen by 30 people, 30 before 30, Cooking, My Miracles Life Begins, Savory, Twelve to Fifteen Months

9. Macadamia, white chocolate and mixed berry muffins for the birthday man

November 5, 2011 0 Comments

So i believe i am up to number 9 now, the problem is time is ticking away too fast and i only have about 11 months to create 21 more recipes for others! EKKK… Better get cracking! By my calculations that is two each month from now on! Hmmmm… Anyone for cake – HELP!!

Ok so even though i havent tasted these ones i am told that they are SCRUMPTIOUS and that i somehow nailed the gnash on top… I am trying to remember but you may just have to bare with my dollop and blob qty’s as i kinda just made that one up as i went along!

The origional recipe was taken from here, and apart from changing it to mixed berries i pritty much just followed it to the tea… And as you are all aware as my oven is broken i even took a trip to my wonderful mother in laws just to bake them! LOL that must be birthday love

Stuff you’ll need

100g white chocolate buds
3/4 cup (155g) caster sugar
2 cups (300g) self-raising flour
1/2 cup (80g) coarsely chopped macadamias
1 cup (125g) frozen mixed berries
1 egg, lightly whisked
1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable oil
3/4 cup (185ml) buttermilk

100g white chocolate buds
dollop of butter
swish of cream
12 macadamias
12 left over berries

How i did it

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line six 3/4-cup (185ml) capacity Texas muffin pans with paper cases.

Combine the white chocolate, sugar, flour and macadamias in a large bowl. Add all the berries to the mixture. Stir to combine. Make a well in the centre. Whisk the egg, oil and buttermilk in a jug. Pour into the flour mixture. Gently stir until just combined. Spoon evenly among the pans. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Remove from oven, set aside to cool. Remove from tins and cool completely before icing.

Place some cream and butter in a saucepan and bring just to the bubble. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, stir viciously until combined and smooth. Place a little of the gnash on top of each muffin with a nut and berry to decorate. Place in the fridge to set.

Filed Under: 2. Make 30 recipes chosen by 30 people, 30 before 30, Cooking, My Miracles Life Begins, Sweet, Twelve to Fifteen Months

8. Double Choc for the X man!

October 29, 2011 0 Comments

I am only 4 and a half months late but none the less today i took my little nephew to the movies for his birthday… And what happens when you take an 8 year old to the movies? You need snacks of course!! So after researching some awesome recipes for him, the x man decided that he wanted peanut butter cookies by smitten kitchen – BUT – with extra choc chips. No worries right?

Except when your oven breaks of course!

For some reason half way through baking the oven stopped heating, who knows why, all i know is that it is going to cost me a fortune and that i simply can not live without my oven! Its only been about 24 hours now and already i am feeling the crunch. I mean for goodness sake i had to think of a wheat free snack that requires NO baking…. Butttttt thats another recipe for tomorrow maybe

Anywho back to the choc chip peanut butter slice… I can only assume that it was delightful as the little man ate a whole bag of them PLUS wanted more!! So if your feeling like a little ( a lot of ) chocolate then give this one a burl!

Stuff you’ll need

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup crunchy peanut butter at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250 gram block of 75% cocoa dark chocolate chopped
250 gram block of white chocolate (i told you there was a lot of chocolate!) chopped

How i did it

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the chocolate chips. Place in a lined tin and squish down. I did attempt to form cookies out of them but there were so many choc chips the batter wouldnt stick together! Now if you are me you will bake for 1/2 an hour, your oven will break so you will stick it covered under the grill for another half an hour, then have a genis idea that you would for some reason un cover it and leave it under the grill to burn. You will then freak out, get depressed, wipe a tear from your eye, then scrap the burnt layer off the top wrap it in cling wrap and shove it in the fridge only to discover in the morning that it actually worked! But if your not me i would recommend baking for 3/4 of an hour in a 180 deg cel fan forced oven… Keep your eye on it and make sure you dont over bake it…

But you know, my way is totally cool!

This is us dazed and confused after the movies and my beautiful nephew about a number 8 on the puke scale! (he did consume almost half of the entire slice by himself!)