Hamburger cake and biscuit fries

Well another week has been gone by, time goes so quickly……

This week it was my youngest son Alex’s 9th birthday, I can’t believe my baby has turned 9. So exciting to watch them grow, but I wish I could slow it down just a little!!!!!! I remember when I had my first son Aden and so many people said to me, enjoy every second because it will be gone before you know it, man they weren’t kidding……………..

So of course birthday means, birthday cake. I love making the kids birthday cakes some years they pick what they want and other years I surprise them. This year it was a surprise for Alex, one of Alex’s favourite foods is hamburgers, and I have seen some great hamburger cakes on the internet, So it was a hamburger cake and biscuit fries for Alex this year.

The look on his face when he saw his cake was priceless, that look alone was enough for all the hours I spent baking and decorating. Big eyes, a big smile and a big hug what else could a mum possibly ask for.

I didn’t really follow a recipe to create this cake, I basically made two butter cakes and one chocolate cake, the chocolate cake being for the meat patty. I used plastic icing, red for the tomatoes cut into circles and yellow for the cheese, cut into squares. For the lettuce I used butter cream coloured green, which I piped on. I then covered the butter cake in a light brown icing to make the burger roll I had two shades of the brown butter cream to add some depth. once iced I sprinkled with sesame seeds.

To make the biscuit fries, I made a simple short bread which I rolled out into squares and then scored in some straight lines the width I wanted my fries to be. I brushed with egg white and sprinkled with raw sugar, then baked. Once cooled I cut along the score lines to create my fries.

Espresso cupcakes with Mocha cream cheese icing

Have you ever had one of those days? well yesterday was one of those days for me!!!!!!!!!

We were invited up to my sisters for dinner, and since we were away on her birthday I decided to take up some cupcakes for a belated Happy Birthday. Well the cupcake making went along fine, I was really happy with these espresso cupcakes, if you love coffee then you will definitely like these coffee flavoured cupcakes. The icing also went along smoothly, cream cheese mocha icing yum yum yum. I swear I could just sit up and eat a bowl of it on it’s own, sure I would probably feel sick and blah but my gosh this is a yummy icing.

Photograph time, now here is where it all begins to go to S#*#. The weather is pretty ordinary, the sky is grey the wind is blowing and all in all it’s pretty crap for an outside photo shoot, and I really wanted to take photos of these babies as they really are delish……..So I just had to suck it up and manage with the ordinary lighting situation inside. I set up inside to take my photos, I wasn’t very happy with them so I may or may not of started to get a little GRUMPY ( just a little). My oldest son Aden came over to give me a hand and started moving the cakes around saying you should photograph them like this mum and then SPLAT!!!!! two cakes take a dive from the table and land upside down S#*#!!!!! (I may have started yelling……). Then as I am picking up my SPLATTED cakes my backing board falls forward, falls where you might ask well of course it falls straight on top of my remaining cupcakes. I may or may not of swore?

Now you might think oh well thats not too bad, but the story doesn’t end there. Driving up to my sisters I’m carefully nursing the cupcakes on my knee, when hubby brakes it’s like a slow motion scene from the Matrix, cupcakes go catapulting everywhere…. there is now mocha cream cheese icing all over the dash board the gear stick, my jeans and of course upside down cupcakes sitting on my beautiful lime green handmade handbag. Laugh or cry????? I resurrected the cupcakes as best I could and continued holding them for the remainder of the trip.

But wait there is more, yes more…………. standing on the front porch at my sisters house I begin to tell her why her cupcakes are looking rather mangled and sad:-( when SPLAT another cupcake falls from the cake plate and lands upside down on her front porch…………I scrape up the cake, walk inside dump the cake plate which is holding what can only be explained as a cake massacre onto the kitchen bench, I then proceed to pour myself a generous glass of red wine. Now let us never speak of this again….

RECIPE: Cupcakes

• 100g butter, softened
• 1 cup (220g)caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 11/4 cups (190g) plain flour, sifted
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup (30g) hazelnut meal
• 11/2 tsp instant coffee, dissolved in 1 Tsp boiling water

METHOD:

1. preheat oven to 160ºC
2. place butter, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, hazelnut meal, and coffee mixture into a bowl
3. combine using an electric mixer on low speed, then increase speed to high until just smooth
4. spoon into muffin tray and bake for 25 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.

RECIPE Cream cheese mocha icing

• 250g block cream cheese, softened
• 100g unsalted butter, softened
• 150g icing sugar
• 1 Tsp instant coffee
• 2 Tsp cocoa powder
• 100g melted dark chocolate

METHOD:

1. combine butter and cream cheese in electric mixer until smooth and combined
2. add icing sugar,cocoa and coffee, mix to combine
3. stir in melted chocolate, then refrigerate until ready to use

Espresso cakes are a Donna Hay recipe from the cookbook, Donna Hay simple essentials chocolate

Mocha cream cheese icing is a In Proscuitto of perfection original recipe

Peanut butter chocolate slice

So I have had an amazing start to this week, and that is the reason it has been a little while since I have written a post. We are away on a family holiday and although I had great intentions of keeping up with my blogging, family and fun have just taken up all my time. We have been staying in Canberra catching up with family, the kids are having a great time with their cousins and I love seeing them all together it is so nice. We then all headed off to the snow and spent two nights in Jindabyne which is only a short drive to Perisher were the kids had a great time tobogganing.

   

But the title of this post is not My Family Holiday, its Peanut butter chocolate slice. I made this slice just before we left to go on holidays and to quote the kids “mum this is the best slice EVA”. Now I’m not sure if it is the best slice ‘EVA’ but it really is pretty darn good.

The bottom of the slice is very much like a chocolate brownie and the peanut butter topping is perfect. I will be honest and say that I didn’t quite know what to expect with this slice but the combination of the peanut butter icing sugar and lemon really works. It is not too peanut buttery, not too sweet its just right and the slice in all is perfectly balanced and yummy. I will definitely been making this slice again YUM YUM YUM…..:-)

RECIPE:

• 150g dark chocolate
• 100g unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• 150g caster sugar
• 1 cup plain flour
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups smooth peanut butter
• 1¼ cups icing mixture
• juice of ½ lemon
• 200g milk chocolate
• ¼ cup toasted peanuts, chopped

METHOD:

1 Preheat oven to 160°C. Combine the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until just melted. Add the eggs and sugar and beat until smooth. Sift in the cocoa and flour, then spoon into a lined 20cm square cake tin and bake fro 40 minutes, until just set. Cool in the tin.
2 Combine the peanut butter, icing mixture and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour over the cooled chocolate slice, then refrigerate for 2 hours, until set.
3 Melt the milk chocolate gently and spread over the peanut butter layer. Sprinkle with chopped peanut, refrigerate for 1 hour, then cut into bars and serve.

This is a Fast Ed recipe :http://www.fast-ed.com.au/peanut-butter-slice/

Chilli Chocolate Brownies

What is a Brownie, a Cake?, a Slice?, a Biscuit?

Well after a little research I discovered that the Brownie is a cross between a cake and a biscuit.

One of and the most popular myths to the creation of the Brownie is that a housewife did not have baking powder and improvised with this new treat. It was said that she was baking for guests and decided to serve these flattened cakes to them. This became our beloved treat of today.

Brownie [ˈbraʊnɪ

a square piece of dense, chewy cake, usu. chocolate with nuts.

If you read my post white chocolate and macadamia nut brownies I commented on how I don’t make Brownies often enough, well that has changed and playing around a little I came up with this recipe for Chilli Chocolate Brownies. I warmed these brownies up and served them for dessert with my Avocado ice-cream, the chilled creaminess of the avocado ice-cream work amazingly with hit of the chilli in these brownies.

I think that Chilli and chocolate are an amazing match, I love when you bite into a chilli/chocolate combination, at first you get that sweet, smooth creamy chocolate texture and then just as you are savouring this your tastes buds jump to attention with the explosion of the firey chilli ‘awesome’ :-). Now don’t be afraid you can control how much chilli hit you get by the amount and type added, so you can make to suit. So if you haven’t tried this go on give it a go its amazing.

Chilli-chocolate lovers swear it is the ultimate gastronomic experience! Quote from World of Chillies

RECIPE;

• 200g dark chocolate, chopped
• 2 Tsp water
• 100g buter, chopped
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup  plain flour, sifted
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp chilli powder (add more or less depending on your taste)
• 100g dark chill chocolate, roughly chopped ( I used a great brand from my local mexican supply shop called black widow but you can use any brand)

NB: you can add both chocolate ingredients or leave one out. You can use plain dark chocolate if you like with chilli powder or hold back with the chilli powder and just use chilli chocolate.

METHOD;

1. preheat oven to 160º
2. place butter and chocolate into a saucepan over low heat and stir until smooth
3. allow to cool slightly
4. place sugar, eggs, cocoa, flour and baking  powder in a bowl
5. add chocolate mixture, mix till combined
6. pour mixture into a greased and lined square baking tin
7. bake for 30-35 minutes, or until set
8. cool in tin

Double chocolate chunk cookies

CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE and more CHOCOLATE these cookies are chocolate heaven.

They really are to die for especially if your a chocolate lover , firm on the outside and just a little bit soft in the middle with big chunks of dark and white chocolate to bite into Mmmmmmmm…..

Perfect with a cup of coffee, tea or glass of milk. Or why not to make it a real treat and  sandwich two around some vanilla bean ice-cream for a yummy dessert.

RECIPE:

• 110g butter, softened
• 3/4 cup (130g) caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extact
• 1 cup (150g) plain flour, sifted
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted (I used dutch cocoa)
• 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
• 125g dark chocolate melted
• 140g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 140g white chocolate, roughly chopped

METHOD;

1. pre heat oven to 160ºC
2. place butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until light and creamy
3. add egg and vanilla and beat for a further 3-4 minutes
4. stir through sifted flour, cocoa, bicarbonate soda and melted chocolate
5. add chopped dark and white chocolate and stir to combine
6. roll tablespoons of mixture into rounds, place on baking trays lined with non stick paper , allowing room to spread, flatten slightly
7. bake for 12 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned,cool on trays

This recipe is adapted from the cookbook ‘Donna Hay simple chocolate essentials’

Caramel mud cupcakes and exciting news

I am going to start this post by saying WooHoo!!!!!!!! I have enrolled into a patisserie cert III course at tafe starting on the 22nd of July. I am both excited and nervous ( bloody scared actually) about this as I have been a full time mum now for the past fourteen years, so very much a big step out of my comfort zone………But the time has come for me to take the next step in this journey we call life.

It was a no brainer really in deciding what I was going to do, as I adore food, cooking and creating in the kitchen. In my past life (pre-children) I was an Office Administrator which was a good job but not really a passion, and having such a supportive and encouraging  husband I now have the opportunity to do something I love, and well who knows maybe one day I might own my coffee shop/patisserie :-).

So in celebration of my enrolment and the beginning of a new journey I am sharing with you one of my favourite cupcakes. These little babies are delicious and the caramel cream cheese icing YUM!, let me just say I could easily sit down to a bowl of this icing all on its own.

RECIPE:

CARAMEL MUD CAKE:

• 125g butter, chopped
• 100g white chocolate, roughly chopped
• 2/3 cup (150g) firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (90g) golden syrup
• 2/3 cup (160ml) milk
• 1 cup (150g) plain flour
• 1/3 cup (50g) self-raising-flour
• 1 egg

METHOD:

1. preheat oven to 170ºC
2. combine butter, chocolate, sugar, golden syrup and milk in a small saucepan, stir over low heat until smooth and melted
3. transfer to a medium bowl and allow to cool for 15 minutes
4. whisk sifted flours into chocolate mixture, then egg
5. divide mixture into cupcake papers and bake 30-40 minutes, cool on a wire rack

CARAMEL CREAM CHEESE ICING:

• 1kg cream cheese, softened
• 250g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1tsp vanilla essence
• 100g unsalted butter
• 2 Tsp cream
• 2 cups icing sugar

1. in a medium saucepan combine sugar, water and vanilla, cook over high heat until sugar is dissolved
2. reduce heat and cook for about 9 minutes or until a medium dark amber caramel forms
3. immediately stir in butter and cream
4. transfer caramel to mixer with whisk attachement fitted, whisk at low speed until caramel cools slightly, and comes together
5. with machine on beat in cream cheese adding one cube at a time, beating well between each addition
6. add sifted icing sugar and beat to combine
7. refrigerate mix until to firm enough to pipe or spread.

caramel icing recipe adapted from http://www.foodandwine.com

caramel mud cake recipe from cupcakes, cheesecakes, cookies recipe book ( Australian Women’s Weekly)

Chocolate slice

This week it was my hubbies turn to take in morning tea for work. So of course he asked me if I would mind baking for him, like I need an excuse to bake :-).

So I spent the most part of Tuesday in the kitchen baking away. I made white chocolate and macadamia nut brownies which I blogged about yesterday, Mango and white chocolate muffins and last but not least chocolate slice.

I haven’t made this particular chocolate slice recipe in years, but I had some apricot jam in the cupboard that I made last summer and I remembered that this particular chocolate slice recipe uses apricot jam, so out came my old recipe book.

I love being able to make and use my own ingredients, you just can’t get better then freshly picked in season apricots, then turning the excess you can’t eat into jam. Then in winter still continuing to enjoy your summer produce. There is just such a great feeling of satisfaction knowing you grew, harvested and produced your own ingredients/products.

Hubby came home from work that evening with two large empty Tupperware containers, all the goodies were gone and everyone enjoyed. It’s so nice cooking for people it gives me so much pleasure to know that I can make people happy with my food.

RECIPE:

• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cup self raising flour
• 2 Tsp cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup caster sugar
• 3/4 cup desiccated coconut
• 125g melted butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Topping

• 1Tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup apricot jam
• 45g unsalted butter
• 90g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 2 Tsp cream

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 180º, grease and line a shallow slice tin
2. sift flours and cocoa in medium bowl
3. add sugar and coconut
4. make a well in centre add butter, essence and egg, mix to combine
5. spoon into prepared tin and smooth surface
6. bake 20-25 minutes of until set, leave to cool in tin

To make topping

1. place lemon juice and jam in a small pan and stir over low heat, when bubbling pour over slice
2. spread evenly with a flat bladed knife and allow to set for 20 minutes
3. melt butter, chocolate and cream over low heat in a small pan stir until smooth
4. spread over slice and leave to set
5. cut slice into small squares or rectangles and decorate if desired

recipe adapted from Crazy for Chocolate ( family circle cookbook)

White Chocolate and Macadamia nut Brownies

I don’t make brownies very often, and when I do, I wonder why don’t I???? If you are in the need for a chocolate fix, (which I regularly am) then I find a chocolate brownie hits the spot and relieves that chocolate itch!!!!.

I particularly like these brownies with the addition of the macadamia nuts ( but really you could use any nuts you like), I like the crunch it adds to the soft texture of the brownie, and well as for the white chocolate, the more chocolate the better I think 🙂 plus white chocolate and macadamia nuts are a perfect match.

RECIPE:

• 200g dark chocolate
• 2 Tsp water
• 100g butter
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup plain flour
• 150g white chocolate, chopped into large chunks plus extra to decorate
• 2/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts plus extra to decorate

METHOD:

1. preheat oven to 180ºC
2. combine chocolate, water and butter into a medium pan, stir over low heat until chocolate and butter has melted and is smooth
3. stir in sugar, then remove from heat
4. stir in vanilla, eggs and flour mix until well combined
5. add in chocolate and nuts, stop storing as soon as chocolate begins to melt
6. spoon into prepared tin and bake for 35 minutes or until top is firm to touch
7. cool in tin, then cut into squares
8. melt extra white chocolate, stir until smooth then add vegetable oil to a make a smooth glossy mix
9. place into a piping bag with a small nozzle attached, pipe a little bit of chocolate on centre of square then a piece of macadamia nut, then pipe lines across the top to decorate

recipe adapted from; Crazy for chocolate ( family circle cookbook)

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Choc-orange macarons

I had quite a few left over egg whites after making some egg-custard. So I decided to make some macarons, a perfect use for egg whites, and a perfect excuse to make some delicate french treats (not that I really need an excuse :-)).

These chocolate orange macarons are delicious, and with my  first bite I instantly thought of Jaffa’s, those yummy choc-orange balls covered in a red candy, yum yum yum!.

I used Adriano Zumbos macaron recipe which is here in my “The Macaron Challenge” post, I added  some powdered orange food colouring to the sugar syrup mixture and sprinkled some dutch cocoa onto the piped out macarons before putting them in the oven. I have tried and tested this recipe many times now and it has never failed me: he is the Zumbaron King ;-).

CHOCOLATE ORANGE GANACHE:

• 150g cream
• finely grated zest of 2 oranges
• 200g dark chocolate ( Zumbo used milk chocolate but I just love dark chocolate)
• 60g unsalted butter, chopped and softened

1. place cream and orange zest in a small saucepan over medium heat, bring to the boil
2. put chocolate in a bowl
3. pour over hot cream, stir until chocolate has melted and is smooth
4. set aside until temperature is 50ºC, then using a stick blender blitz in butter until smooth
5. allow ganache to cool and become firm enough to pipe
6. fill a piping bag with a 7mm nozzle and pipe onto flat side of macaron then top with another shell
7. put assembled macarons in the fridge to set
8. bring to room temperature to serve

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Chocolate eclairs, Caramel eclairs, double chocolate eclairs…….etc etc

I have been thinking for a while now that I would really like to have a go a making some chocolate eclairs. I think they are yummy and look pretty.

I wasn’t quite sure why but I thought they would be much harder to make then they actually were. Bearing in mind that mine don’t look as perfect as those you buy in a patisserie, but they are home made and they are supposed to be humble and rustic….. well that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it :-).

I followed Adriano Zumbos recipe for choux pastry, which is delicious but also makes a lot, so I got a little carried away experimenting with different flavours. I made traditional chocolate eclairs with the vanilla creme patisserie then I made double chocolate, carmel, raspberry and chocolate (which were my favourite) and banana caramel.

The family and everyone else I gave them to loved them, they were a massive hit and I will definitely be making them again. To quote my youngest son Alex who is eight and gorgeous ( I know I’m probably a little bit biased, but he is gorgeous 🙂 ) ” they are so amazing mummy I can feel my eyes open wide when I eat one”.

RECIPE:

CHOUX PASTRY;

• 300g unsalted butter chopped
• 320g water ( I know this unusual I’ve only ever seen Adriano’s recipes ask for liquids in weight before)
• 16g caster sugar
• 400g milk
• 16g salt
• 400g plain flour, sifted
• 612g eggs ( appox 10 eggs depending on your egg size)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 210ºC
2. combine butter, water, sugar, milk, and salt in a heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil
3. remove from heat and quickly beat in the flour with a wooden spoon
4. return pan to heat and continue beating until mixture comes together and leaves the sides of pan, beat over low heat for another 1-2minutes to cook the flour, remove form heat and allow mixture to cool slightly
5. transfer to an electric mixer, begin beating on medium speed to release some of the heat, gradually add eggs one at a time beating well between each addition
6. beat mixture for several more minutes, or until thick and glossy
7. spoon mixture (working in batches) into a piping bag with a 12-15 mm plain nozzel
8. pipe 8cm length ropes on greased baking trays leaving room between for rising
9. bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until firm and hollow when tapped, transfer to wire racks to cool completely

CREME PATISSIERE 

• 1.5kg milk
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 375g egg yolks
• 375g caster sugar
• 150g cornflour
• 150g unsalted butter

this makes a large batch so if you want to use other filings as well halve it

Method

1. Heat milk and vanilla over medium heat until almost boiling
2. whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornflour in a electric mixer until pale and thick
3. gradually whisk in hot milk
4. return mixture to the pan and whisk continuously over medium heat until custard comes to the boil
5. boil for 1 minute
6. transfer to a bowl cover with plastic wrap, pressing it onto the surface ( this stops a skin forming)
7. cool to 50º then return to electric mixer with whisk attachment, whisk in butter until smooth
8. return to bowl cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool completely

CHOCOLATE CREME PATISSERIE:

• 2 cups milk
• 200g dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 1/3 cup corn flour

Method

1. Place milk, chocolate and vanilla in a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring to the boil
2. whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick
3. add corn flour whisk to combine
4. slowly add hot milk whisking continuously
5. pour mixture back into pan over medium-high heat simmer while whisking continuously for 5 minutes or until pale and thick
6. transfer to a clean bowl cover with plastic wrap pressing onto the surface, cool completely

CARAMEL CREME PATISSERIE:

• 220g caster sugar
• 450ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 5 egg yolks
• 45g cornflour
• 60ml thickened cream

Method

1. stir 150g sugar and 80ml water in a saucepan over medium heat-high heat until sugar dissolves, bring to the boil and cook, without stirring , until dark caramel
2. remove from heat, add milk being careful as it will spit and bubble
3. return to heat and whisk to combine ( the caramel will be quite hard but that is ok, as it reheats it will soften and combine)
4. whisk egg yolks and remaining sugar in electric mixer until pale and thickened, add cornflour whisk to combine
5. strain milk, then gradually add to egg mixture, whisking continuously
6. return to pan over medium heat whisking continuously until thick and smooth
7. transfer to a bowl cover with plastic wrap pushing onto surface, refrigerate until chilled
8. whisk until smooth, then fold in whipped cream

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