My Holiday To-Do List.

Yay! I am finally on holidays!

After a long year at uni, it is so nice to be able to sit here and write, without having guilt creep into the back of my mind, telling me that I should be studying instead. This means that I will have so much time to bake and experiment with new recipes. This makes me so excited!

As some of you might know, I love being organised. I make lists for everything, and plan out events months in advance. So, of course, I have started to compile a list of yummy, bakeable treats (yes, I know bakeable isn't a word) that I am aiming to make over the summer, and I thought I might share it with you!


© Wagon Wheels

I have never attempted these scrummy biccies, but now that I can make my own marshmallow, I have decided to give them a go!

© Blueberry Galette

I absolutely adore anything blueberry, so after watching a program the other night which was all about galettes (a form of loose pastry with fruit in the centre), I am dying to try them out!

 

 

 

© Toasted Marshmallow Macarons

After reading through Adriano Zumbo's 'Zumbarons', I reallllllly want to try this flavour macaron out (Yes, I am semi-obsessed with marshmallows at the moment). His recipes are pretty complex, but I think I am up for this challenge!

 

 

 

© Tiramisu ice-cream
© Mango sorbet
© Vanilla gelato

For my 21st birthday, I was so lucky to get the Ice Cream bowl attachment for my KitchenAid. This summer, I am really keen to try out a heap of new flavours of ice-cream, gelato and sorbet.

 

 

© Raspberry Jam  

During summer, we grow an abundance of raspberries. Normally, we can't use them all up, so they go to waste. However, I would love to make my own jam, so that I can use it in my own sweet treats, rather than supermarket bought jam!

© Cream Buns

I absolutely love love love cream buns. They are just so tasty, and they look super cute too! I have been experimenting with different types of dough lately, so it will be interesting to see which dough suits this recipe best!


So that is it for now! No doubt I will add to this list, particularly with Christmas coming up. I adore Christmas baking, so keep your eyes peeled for a special Christmas baking post (or two!)

Until next time, happy baking.

xx

Turkish Delight Macarons.

Macarons...macaroons...who knows the correct spelling? Not me. But what I do know, is that these little, fancy sweets are deceivingly difficult but completely delectable at the same time!

But I must confess, I do tend to avoid these little treats for several reasons.

1) I am a perfectionist, and the few times I have tried to make them, they haven't turned out exactly how I wished they would.
2) They take a lot of time and precision.
3) Up until now, I hadn't found a decent recipe which worked for me!

However, after buying the lovely alice in bakingland book, I was inspired to try them out once more!

Initially, I planned to make a basic rose water shell. Rose water is such a pretty scent and flavour, and I don't get to use it often enough. So when I saw a recipe which suggested using it, I jumped at the chance! However, my normal filling for macarons is generally a white chocolate ganache. But after looking in the cupboard, and realising that we didn't have any white chocolate, I had to change my plans. It's so important to get the filling right, as it is this which binds the two flavours together. Rose water doesn't go with a lot of flavours, making this task a bit harder than usual. However, I soon realised that Turkish Delight is made up of rose water and milk chocolate, hence my Turkish Delight Macarons!

 

 

Turkish Delight Macarons

Ingredients

Rose water shell

© 60 g almond meal
© 100g icing sugar

© 50g egg whites

© 17g granulated sugar

© 1-2 drops of pink food colouring (depending how dark you want your macarons to be)

© 1 teaspoon of rose water

1) Put the almond meal and icing sugar in a food processor and grind until a powder forms (This is to ensure that your macarons aren't lumpy...a technique I am yet to perfect).
2) Using a stand mixer, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Slowly add in the granulated sugar until stiff peaks form. During this time, also add in food colouring and rose water.

3) Divide almond mixture into 3 portions. Add in one portion at a time to your egg mixture, folding in slowly and in a gentle manner. It is important that you do not over mix, as this will cause your macaron mixture to become too runny. The consistency of your mixture should be smooth and ribbon like, breaking off when lifted by a spatula.
4) Place mixture into a piping bag.
5) On a tray lined with baking paper, pipe on mixture. The macarons should be about the size of a 20c piece. They will spread marginally after piping.
6) Tap your tray onto the bench, as this removes any air bubbles from your macarons.
7) Leave your macarons sitting on the bench top for at least 20 minutes. A skin should form on the top of your shell. This helps with the development of the 'feet' on your macarons. During this time, preheat your oven to 140 degrees Celsius (I use a fan-forced oven).

8) Place macarons in the oven and allow to cook for around 12 minutes.
9) Take out of the oven and allow to cool completely. Don't rush this process, as your macarons will stick to your baking paper if they are not completely cold.

TPB TIP: When piping your macarons, if you get a little peak on top of each shell, wet your finger slightly and gently rub the peak till it is flat.  


Milk Chocolate Ganache

© 125 g milk chocolate
© 1/3 cup cream

1) Melt the chocolate in the microwave (I am so slack and refuse to stand by my stove just to melt chocolate. But this way works perfectly, and I am yet to fail at ganache!)
2) Quickly whisk in the cream and set aside until the mixture begins to firm. 
3) Pipe filling onto macaron shell and sandwich with another.
4) Drizzle any additional chocolate on top of your macarons to make them look extra pretty!

 

There you go! A delicious recipe for a favourite sweet treat of mine. I dare you to have a go!

Until next time, happy baking.

xx

Mini Meringues with Vanilla Bean Cream and Lemon Curd.

So I have been completely slack in the past four or so months! Due to my hectic schedule at Uni, I have sadly had little time to write up a blog post. This is not to say that I haven't found time to bake, as that is my trusty form of procrastination!

Here is a list of yummy treats I have been baking lately:

© Marshmallow sherbet cones
© Turkish delight macarons
© Coconut and raspberry slice
© Toblerone brownie bottom cheesecake
© Salted caramel brownie
© French toast with candied bacon cupcakes
© Nutella whoopie pies
© Mars bar cheesecake
© Choc-caramel shortbreads

And my latest baking treat...Mini meringues with vanilla bean cream and lemon curd.

It would have been my amazing Aunty's birthday this week. Her passion for cooking was such an inspiration to me, and I can only dream to be a fraction of the baker she was. When I was little, she taught me how to make meringues, so I thought it was fitting that I would give them a go myself.

Now because meringues use only egg whites, I found myself thinking about how I could put the leftover egg yolks to use. Did I want to make custard? Probably not. Meringues are sweet enough, that custard would only make the dessert super heavy. So lemon curd it was!


Mini Meringues with Vanilla Bean Cream and Lemon Curd

Ingredients

Meringue

© 3 egg whites
© 3/4 cup of sugar (I use caster sugar)

1) Preheat oven to 100 degrees Celsius.
2) Using a hand mixer or Mixmaster, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form.

3) Add in sugar very slowly. The mixture should begin to stiffen. You know the mixture is ready when the peaks stay stiff when lifted up using a spatula.
4) Add in any food colouring. You will only need a tiny bit! (I used pink. Surprise surprise!)
5) You can choose to either pipe your mixture on like I did, or plonk it on. Either way works, it just depends on the look you are going for!

 

 

6) Put meringues in oven for 1 hour. Once they are cooked, leave them in the oven with the door ajar for another 1-2 hours, so that they dry out and don't become stuck to the paper (trust me, that is not pleasant).

 

 

TPB TIP: When mixing your eggwhite and sugar, don't try any shortcuts. If the mixture isn't firm enough, your meringues will not hold their shape, and will become like flat pancakes (not attractive!)

While the meringues are in the oven, you can make your lemon curd!

Lemon curd

© 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
© 3 egg yolks
© 1/4 cup of lemon juice
© 90g butter (chilled and chopped up)
© 110g caster sugar

1) Using hand mixer, whisk the sugar and egg yolks until nice and creamy. Using a normal whisk will not work, as the mixture becomes stuck and is a nightmare to work with!
2) Add in lemon zest and lemon juice and mix till combined.
3) In a heat proof bowl, mix over a pot of simmering water for about 20 minutes, until the curd becomes nice and thick.
4) Take off heat and whisk in butter.
5) Place in the fridge until ready to use.

When ready to serve, place a nice dollop of cream and curd on top of the meringue. You can even pre-make these earlier in the day, to increase the gooiness of your meringue!

Delish!

Until next time, happy baking.

xx

Red...or should I say Pink Velvet Cupcakes.

Ahhh, the infamous red velvet cake. With the deliciously rich, dense cake topped with the creamy, delectable cream cheese frosting, who can deny that this combination is a match made in heaven!
Whilst many believe the reddish tinge comes from the reaction between the cocoa powder and the baking soda, this is not the case. Instead, the colour comes from a much more obvious source- the red food colouring.

I decided that I wanted to tackle this recipe once again, as the last time I did, there were foreign crunchy bits inside my mixture. Not very pleasant at all!

Because of my love for all things pink, I chose to use pink colouring instead of red, curious to see the result. If I am being completely honest with you, the result was no different to my red velvet cake. But I just love the thought of making pink cake! Silly, I know!

 

I researched a wide variety of recipes on the internet and in my cook books, and settled on a basic one found on taste.com.


Red (pink) Velvet Cupcakes (Taken from taste.com.au)

Ingredients

© 300g (2 cups) plain flour
© 30g (1/4 cup) cocoa powder
© 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
© 315g (1 1/2 cups) caster sugar
© 250ml (1 cup) buttermilk
© 200g unsalted butter, melted
© 2 eggs, lightly whisked
© 1 tbs white vinegar
© 1 tsp vanilla extract
© 1-2 tsp red food colouring (I chose pink instead)

1. Preheat oven to 170°C.

2. When I make cupcakes, I love to use the free-standing cupcake patty pans (See them below). They only require about a table spoon of mixture in each, making your cupcakes go a lot further! Also, you can bake as many as you want at a time, rather than being restricted by using a patty tin.

3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and bicarb soda into a bowl. Stir through the sugar

Now if anyone knows me, they would know that I am a lazy baker. I don't sift and I don't measure accurately. Whilst this normally works just fine for me, I have found with red (pink) velvet cakes, the dry ingredients do need sifting, otherwise the mixture becomes lumpy. Trust me, I learnt the hard way!

4. After this, add the buttermilk, butter, eggs, vinegar and vanilla into a bowl, and mix (I used my Kitchen Aid).

 

 

 

 

Now buttermilk isn't the easiest ingredient to find, as supermarkets are lazy and don't stock it often! If you don't have any, or can't be bothered making the trip to the shop, just add a tablespoon of lemon juice into a cup of milk (as low fat as possible). This just helps make the cake extra moist and yummy!

5. Add the dry ingredients into your milk mixture, and mix until combined. Add in your food colouring. Don't be scared to be generous! The more colour the merrier I say!

 

 

 

6. Bake for about 10-15 minutes. If you're not sure if they're ready to take out, put a bamboo skewer through the centre of a cupcake, and if it comes out cleanly, they're finished!

7. Cool on a wire rack.

 

 

Now, we get to the icing *sigh*. Normally, this is easy for me! I whip it up, slop it into my piping bag, and swirl it on. But today, that was not the case. Because of the lack of stock at the supermarket, the only cream cheese they had was one for cooking. That sounds fine right? Yeh, I thought so too. When adding it into my mixer, I just knew it'd be too runny. And yep, it was! My icing didn't set, and I was devastated! No matter how much icing sugar I added in, it remained as sloppy as ever. In the end, I took out a small portion of mixture, and added in extra icing sugar. This worked (to a degree), but wasn't as stiff as I had hoped. But this is all part of baking, and thinking on your feet is an important skill to have!

Cream cheese frosting

© 2 x 250g pkts cream cheese, at room temperature
© 300g (2 cups) pure icing sugar
© 120g butter, extra, at room temperature
© 1 tsp vanilla essence, extra

Mix your ingredients together, ensuring the mixture is smooth and lump free.

TPB TIP: Ensure that your butter is softened - not melted, but not hard either. This guarantees that your icing will not have yucky lumps of butter in it, but will also be firm enough to set.

 

 

Until next time, happy baking.

xx

 

My 21st Tea Party.

A couple of weeks I turned 21, and as I'm not a huge party girl, I decided to throw myself a High Tea for the occasion! I began planning months ago, as I knew uni would soon catch up to me! And alas, it did! However, not before I had everything ready to go!

Over the last few months, Mum and I have been visiting different op-shops, in the hope of finding some pretty tea cups, plates and tea stands. We found some beautiful treasures which fitted perfectly with my florally feminine theme.

Throughout this time, I was also making my own decorations. One super easy and pretty cute idea I found was bunting made out of paper doilies. All you need to do is find some string, and fold a doily half way and stick it there! Easy peasy!

I was inspired by a picture I had seen on the Internet, which showed jars filled with roses tied together, hanging on a wall. I just loved this idea, and decided to try it out myself. It worked out perfectly, and looked gorgeous on the day! My lovely friend Janelle also lent me her handmade bunting, and some super pretty table cloths to fit out my house.

One week before, I decided to make some shortbread for my guests to take home as a little gift. I used a cute teapot cookie cutter, which matched my theme perfectly. They turned out fairly well, however you need to be super careful when making shortbread. Firstly, you should only cook it for a fraction of the recommended time, as they don't look as nice when they're a shade of brown! Secondly, the consistency has to be spot on-not too crumbly, but definitely not too sticky and wet. Here is the recipe I used (Courtesy of Taste.com):

Traditional Shortbread

Ingredients

© 250g butter, at room temperature
© 100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
© 300g (2 cups) plain flour, sifted
© 90g (1/2 cup) rice flour, sifted

1. Preheat oven to 150°C. Brush 2 baking trays with melted butter to grease. Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy.
2. Gradually add the combined flour, beating on low speed until almost combined. Use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until smooth.
3. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Use your hands to shape 1 portion of dough into an 18cm-diameter disc. Transfer to 1 of the prepared trays. Use a flat-bladed knife to smooth the surface. Pinch the edges to create a fluted edge. Use a small sharp knife to score the disc into 8 wedges and use a fork to prick the dough all over. Repeat with the remaining dough to make a second disc.
4. Bake the shortbread in oven, swapping the trays halfway through cooking, for 40 minutes or until light golden. Set aside on the trays for 10 minutes to cool before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

As I wanted the food I served to be as fresh as possible, I waited till the Thursday before the Saturday before I started baking. I made over 80 tart cases, as well as Rose Water Meringues. Whilst my mixture looked beautiful, I didn't leave the meringues in the oven long enough to dry out, resulting in them sticking to the paper, and losing their gooey centre. I learnt my lesson, and the second batch turned out perfectly!

TPB Tip: When making meringues of any shape or form, make sure you leave them in the oven for at least an hour, ensuring that they don't stick to to the baking paper!

On the Friday, my beautiful Oma and Nan came up to help me prepare for the following day. We had so much to prepare, and together, we pulled it off! Our task list was as follows:

© Make lemon curd
© Make caramel filling
© Make cheesecake filling
© Make sponge cake
© Make chocolate and peanut butter cupcakes
© Make vanilla and cream cheese cupcakes
© Prepare wonton cases
© Make custard filling
© Wash all tea cups and plates
© Set out table

It was such a lovely day spending it with these two amazing women, and I am so thankful to have them in my life!!

My mum made an amazing spread of savoury food, including caramelised onion and brie tarts, pin wheels, chicken wonton cups and mini sausage rolls. My brother and dad served cider & long island iced teas to the guests, and did an awesome job might I add! I was so proud of each of them, and I am so so blessed to have them in my life ©

The day went perfectly, and I was totally spoilt by all of my lovely friends! I couldn't have done any of it without my family, and I love them to bits!

P.S. Sorry for the super long post!

Until next time, happy baking.

xx