Tuesday 23 October 2012

Another Lemon Slice



I really love lemon! I have to admit that I'm quite partial to a bit of lemon tang. I never feel quite so guilty after a lemon dessert as I do when I've just had a piece of chocolate, but that's just me.

I've included another lemon slice recipe as I just cant decide which one I like better, Tangy Lemon Squares or this Lemon Slice ...... try them for yourself and let me know.

Enjoy xxx
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Wednesday 17 October 2012

Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting




This easy and irresistible Cream Cheese Frosting is the perfect topper for everything from carrot cake to red velvet. It not only tastes delicious but is perfect for piping and decorating your cakes or just dolloping on. Depending on the weather in your area you can always add a little more sifted icing sugar to stiffen it up if necessary.


Enjoy xxx
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Monday 15 October 2012

How to make a fondant dog - tutorial



Last week I made a cake for a  lovely vet nurse from Brimbank Veterinary Clinic. Corrina's dog 'Spoodie' was turning 7 and Spoodie is lucky enough to have a bbq held in honour of his birthday each year. Corrina asked for a cake with a topper in Spoodie's likeness so I went straight to google to get some ideas. 



I came across a great You tube tutorial which gave me the basis to making this cute little dog which I will share with you. I had never tried modeling with fondant before so as this was my first attempt, I was very happy as was 'Spoodie".



Enjoy xxx
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Wednesday 10 October 2012

Yummy Banana Bread





Reasons to teach your son to cook:


  1. Helps develop intellect.Mathematics (as in measurements, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and fractions). English (as in vocabulary and reading comprehension, language development). Chemistry or science (as in cause and effect).

  2. Develops self confidence and self esteem. Just knowing that he can perform some tasks in the kitchen from the start to finish enables him to develop self  esteem and self confidence.

  3. Teaches the importance of following directions or instructions. 

  4. Teaches him to eat healthy foods and teaches him a sense of responsibility. When your child knows how to cook, he will eventually learn about the nutritional value and the health benefits that he gets from a particular food. 

  5. Teaching your child how to cook can develop his passion for cooking that can be financially rewarding for him in the future. 

My reason for teaching my son to cook......I'm teaching my son to cook because his father hasn't got a clue!

On Saturday I took my son and godson to the movies. Before I left I let my husband know that I had banana bread cooking in the oven and asked him to listen out for the oven timer beeping. I also told my daughter (5 years old) that when she hears the oven timer beep to get Daddy as the banana bread will be cooked.

During the movie I looked at the time. It was about 15 minutes after the banana bread should have been cooked.  So I sent my husband a text message asking him to tip the banana bread out of the pan and on to the wire rack I had left out on the bench.Later that night I met up with my husband and daughters for dinner and asked  him if he had taken my banana bread out of the oven. He replied, 'no, but I turned the oven off'. He didn't see the need to actually take the banana bread out of the oven , in his mind turning the oven off was sufficient. It didn't occur to him that it may continue to cook in a hot oven!  This is a man that runs his own very successful business but clearly he has no idea in the kitchen.

Anyway, I made another yummy banana bread on Sunday  morning.

Enjoy xxx

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Sunday 7 October 2012

Peanut Butter & Choc Chip Slice



School holidays are over here in Melbourne and the children are back at school Monday. While I love having my son home from school and I love not rushing to be at kinder by 8.15 in the morning, after 2 weeks I'm ready  to get back into a routine. Its hard work trying to 'enjoy' the school holidays. Between doing activities with the children, keeping up with the day to day jobs and work,(let alone blogging), I'm still tired. I did manage to get some baking done over the holidays I guess I had to feed the children something - boy can they eat!

Last weekend was the AFL grand final. Most people that are interested in football end up at a bbq or something similar to enjoy the game and catch up with family or friends. The children and I headed to a close friends house for lunch and a few drinks. Whilst my husband headed off to a work colleagues function. Never one to arrive empty handed I set about making some slices and a dessert to take along.

I am always trying new recipes as I get tired of making the same things. When I'm preparing a few things for friends or family I normally mix it up a bit, a few old favourites and one or two new things. I mention this because I just want to point out that I am not an expert cook but I can confidently say I cook decent and edible food. No cook is perfect and even professional chefs have their share of disasters and mishaps in the kitchen, and I am no exception. I also have visual proof for you!


For  once  in my life I actually followed a recipe and look what happened. It was late, (well after midnight) by the time I got around to doing the chocolate top on this slice. I even checked the recipe twice because I had a feeling there wasn't enough copha melted in to the chocolate. However I forged ahead anyway and the next morning when I went to cut the slice the top cracked. I definitely wasn't putting this slice on the platter but it still tasted good and was eaten by my family within 3 days. I will make this slice again, with some minor adjustments to make it presentable and pass it on to you. In the mean time though here's a recipe that actually works!

Enjoy xxx
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Monday 1 October 2012

How to make a chocolate shell for your giant cupcake



A popular cake at the moment is the giant cupcake. Several companies make the pans for this cake, I have seen Wilton, Ecko, Bakers Secret, Fox Run and a silicone moulds available in shops. I have been walking past this tin in the shops for some months now and finally gave in a bought a Wilton giant cupcake tin in early September. Eager to try out my new purchase I volunteered to make my sister-in-laws birthday cake (she turned 21 again this year, lucky girl!).

A favourite cake combination of mine is chocolate and peppermint. So what better way to suprise people then to cut through a white chocolate shell to find chocolate cake and then to take a bite and discover that your pink roses are peppermint flavoured. Delicious.

Enjoy xxx
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