All blog posts tagged with recipe
Nutella & Banana Cupcakes
So I have made some Nutella & Banana cupcakes for my baby’s first day of school today. She is my baby because she is my last little one to toddle off to big school. Her siblings all started last week, but kindy at our school starts a week later.
So will it be a sad day? No, I don’t think so... I did cry when the first three started school, but I think I will be alright for this one. She is still only four, but she has a huge personality and well past the pre-schoolers, so I think this is just what she needs.
But I digress, back to the cupcakes! You may well wonder why I didn’t add frosting to this little treat? My reason is twofold, firstly my little girl is a messy eater, she loves her food with passion and unbridled zealous, and the frosting would surely end up on her hands face and uniform. Secondly, my baby has a sweet tooth, so undoubtedly the icing would be eaten from the top and the rest of the cake discarded.
Putting frosting on the top of a cake is a trap for young players. My cakes are filled for convenience and cleanliness. It is also much easier for little hands to manage too.
This is another simple mix and bake recipe so it is great as a last minute lunch box filler.
Ingredients:
2 Banana’s
1 Egg
½ cup natural yoghurt
80gm butter
1 t/s ground ginger
1 t/s ground cinnamon
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup SR Flour
½ t/s bicarb soda
½ cup chocolate chips
Method:
Preheat the oven to 160 degree, and place cupcake papers in tin.
In a bowl add the banana, egg, yoghurt, butter and spices. Use a stick blender to puree the ingredients. Add the sugar and blend until combined.
Using a spoon, fold through the flour, bicarb soda and chocolate chips.
Spoon mixture into the papers to half fill.
Add a teaspoon of Nutella to each of the papers, take care that the Nutella is centred. Add more cake batter to cover the chocolate.
Bake the cakes for 15 -20 minutes.
Dust with icing sugar.
So there we have it, a simple and tasty cupcake for school
lunchboxes. These are really light and fluffy, unlike a banana loaf.
So are you waving a little one off to school? Did you cry when you left your kids at big school for the first time?
Retro Green Tomato Pickles
What did the roast beef and cheese sandwich say to the green
tomato pickles? You complete me... or maybe that's just a line from a bad Tom
Cruise movie. Anyway these pickles are so delicious. I have just finished
smothering a bread roll in this spicy spread and devouring it, and believe me it
really does make the sandwich complete!
There are so many traditional recipes that I remember my grandparents making when I was small. I have noticed they just don’t seem to get made anymore! When I was younger everyone was making, and giving away, chutneys, pickles, relishes and jams. This recipe is a real blast from the past. My taste buds instantly remembered this flavour from my childhood. It took me back to eating roast beef and cheese sandwiches at nan's, with heaps of pickles and chunks of real butter.
So how did I come to be sharing a recipe for Green Tomato Pickles. I had just made my Tomato Chilli Chutney from the excess tomatoes in my garden. A friend commented that his mother made the best Green Tomato Pickles. After talking about the pickles for a while Craig decided that it was time he should learn how to make it. He was going to engage the assistance of his mother Maureen to make his own batch of the famous recipe.
As it turns out, finding 6kgs of green tomatoes isn’t that easy, but after a trip to Ricardo’s Tomatoes in Port Macquarie the vital ingredient was secured. The pickle making is a two day process so Craig’s mother kindly offered to dedicate two days to the pickling and teaching of her recipe. The result would be three batches of pickles or about 18 jars!
I have given the recipe for a single batch which is about six jars.
Ingredients:
1.9kgs Green Tomatoes
400gms Onion
9 Tbs salt
900gm sugar
750ml vinegar
¾ cup flour
3 Tbs Curry powder
1 Tbs Ground Turmeric
One of the really cute things about this recipe is that it was typed on nice little indexed cards in pounds! We had to convert the recipe to metric as we went.
Method:
Day 1
Wash the tomatoes, remove any stalks and dry them thoroughly.
Chop the tomatoes and onions into a similar sized dice. In a large saucepan add a layer of 1/3 of the tomatoes and 1/3 of the onions, add 1/3 of the salt evenly over the layer.
Continue this process until you have three layers. Cover the saucepan and leave to stand overnight. This will draw out any moisture.
Day 2
Drain off all the liquid from the tomato mixture.
Boil a jug with hot water and pour over the tomato mixture and drain again. Do this twice to remove all the salt.
Put the tomatoes on the stove and add 450ml of white vinegar. Bring the mixture to the boil cover and then cook for ten minutes using a timer.
In the meantime in a bowl combine the flour, turmeric, and curry powder with the remaining 300mls vinegar until it becomes a paste. Reserve for later use.
Once the tomato has boiled for ten minutes add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
Turn off the heat and add the paste slowly to the tomato mixture while stirring. Avoid lumps by adding the paste slowly and continuing to stir.
Once the paste has been fully combined, place the pickles over a low heat and simmer gently. Pickles should be cooked for another 10 minutes, or until the mixture has reached the desired consistency.
Remove from the heat and allow it to cool slightly before bottling in sterilized jars.
Maureen (Craig’s mum) warned us that she would be the quality controller for this recipe. Unless the batches all past the taste test they wouldn’t be allowed out of her kitchen. We have obviously learned well under her watchful eye, because although there were differences in the spiciness of each pickle, they were all delicious.
So thank you so much Maureen for sharing the recipe and your time with me. These pickles are just the way my nana used to make them so I bought a jar out to my mum and my nan.
Both loved them!
So readers, are you like me and have food memories, once you taste something it instantly triggers a time in your life?
Kangaroo Pie for Australia Day
As the rain comes bucketing down and even our “Plan B” for Australia Day celebrations are cancelled I comfort myself with the knowledge that this means I can happily lie in bed all day and not feel the least bit guilty.
As we speak it is now 10.25am and I have my computer in bed with me and no intention of moving. My dear husband has bought me my usual breakfast in bed, of a cappuccino, and I have settled in for the day.
Our Australia Day plans have been cancelled for the second time as my friends have been flooded in, their home was to be the venue for our celebrations. Thankfully their home is high and dry, but the access road into the property is underwater.
So alas, all I can do is share pictures of what we are now eating on our own, for a very quiet solo Australia Day.
I love our native Australian flavours so I prepared a Kangaroo Pie with Riberry. The flavour of the pie is rich and meaty, with a fresh, sweet Eucalyptus after taste from the Riberry. The inclusion of a cup of wine gives the pie depth of flavour and the potato layer adds a real comfort food feel. It is perfect for this miserable weather.
Ingredients:
Filling:
1kg Kangaroo Mince
1 cup red wine
1 cup Riberry
1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic grated
2 Tbs sugar
1 cup water
3 t/s cornflour
Mash:
4 medium potatoes
50gm butter
½ cup milk
1 sheet shortcrust pastry
1 sheet puff pastry
Method:
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees
In a large saucepan cook the mince, wine, onion and garlic. Break up any larger pieces of mince as you stir.
Continue to cook until the meat is done. Add the riberries and sugar, cook further until the wine is mostly absorbed.
In a cup make a watery paste with the cornflour and water. Add the liquid to the mince and stir until the mixture thickens slightly and the liquid becomes a gravy. Leave to cool.
Line a pie dish with the shortcrust pastry. Bake the pie shell blind for 20mins or until just golden. Remove the baking beads and cook the base for another 10 minutes taking care not to colour the sides of the pie too much. Remove from the oven and reserve for later use.
Boil the chopped up potatoes. Drain the water and add the milk and butter. Mash until smooth.
To assemble the pie, pour the minced meat into the pie shell and smooth over evenly. Add the layer of mashed potatoes and again smooth the potato over the meat base.
Place the sheet of puff pastry over the pie and trim to size. Add a slit in the centre for the heat to escape.
Bake for 10-15 minutes on 200 degrees until golden.
Serve!
Happy Australia Day everyone, I hope your plans weren’t ruined by the weather.
Australia Day Cake Pop Ups
I don’t know about you but all my original plans for Australia Day have gone out the window. The weather is playing games, and camping on the beach no longer seems like a really good option.
Even with the lousy weather I am always up for an Australia Day BBQ with friends. So the Australia Day celebration has now been relocated to a friend’s hinterland property just outside Coffs Harbour.
Given the weather I have also changed my mind on the menu for the day. I will keep the main event a secret until tomorrow but here is what I thought I would make for the kiddies.
Australia Day White Chocolate Cake Pop Ups! How cool are these!!! Kids can eat them, there is no mess, and they are really easy and fun to make.
You could use any cake recipe for this treat. I like the white chocolate because it is a dense cake and holds together well while you cut it and put it into the cake pop holders.
Ingredients:
250gm butter
190gm white chocolate
2 cups caster sugar
1 cup milk
1 ½ cups plain flour
½ cup SR flour
1 t/s vanilla
2 eggs
Red colouring
Blue colouring
1 ½ tins Betty Croker Vanilla Frosting
Lollies to decorate
Method:
Cover a large baking tray with baking paper.
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.
In a saucepan melt the butter, sugar and chocolate over a very low heat until just melted.
Remove from the heat and add flour and milk stir until combined and then add the eggs and vanilla.
Divide the mixture in half and separate into to bowls. Add blue colour to one and red to the other. Pour the red mixture into one side of the baking pan and the blue into the other.
Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until cooked.
Remove the cake from the pan and allow to cool.
Use the cyclinder of a cake pop up to cut circles from the mixture.
Press the cake into the cake pops. Layer the two colours of the cake with a heaped spoonful of frosting in between the colours. Add more frosting and lollies to the top to decorate.
These are so delicious! There is the perfect amount of frosting to cake. I kept mine in the freezer and the coolness of the treat was even better. Plus it travel better as a lunch box treat.
This recipe makes about 20 cake pops
On another note, have you ever been let down by a supplier?
The lollies that I have decorated the cake pops with were originally bought for Christmas. I had a story planned and I was also going to add the red and white ones to gifts I was making. The lollies were ordered and paid for the lollies at the beginning of December. After numerous emails they were finally I received on the 29th December. Naturally at this time they were totally useless to me. I now have three kilograms of jelly beans that I am eating my way through. NOT HAPPY!
The cake pop up cylinders are a similar story. This time the package arrived promptly but one item was missing. I have now been emailing backwards and forwards for over a week with the company not prepared to admit that a mistake may have been made. All this for a $4 item! Seriously, would I lie about something so trivial. I just want to have the item I selected for a story.
Have you had a similar incident? Should I name the companies? I always like to write positive things so I won’t name names, but come on people, customer service please!
Happy Chinese New Year - Roast Chinese Duck
Happy Chinese New Year!
We are now in the year of the Dragon according to the Chinese calendar. This is the most powerful of the Chinese signs, and symbolises strength and good fortune. Chinese New Year is a time of celebration and feasting. Our family is very fortunate to be hosting a Chinese student by the name of Jing Yuan Chun. Chun has prepared a special celebration dish for us which her family usually eat on special occasions.
Chun says that she has never prepared this dish before but she has seen it being made. Like most Chinese families they will usually eat this meal in a restaurant, as Chinese households do not usually have an oven.
For dinner tonight we have our family, my mum and Jiang chao (kaka), Chun’s boyfriend all joining us for dinner so we have be prepared two ducks for the meal. Chun has been demonstrating the technique on the first duck; I have been diligently taking notes and preparing the second duck as per her instructions.
Ingredients:
1 Duck
1 T/s salt
1 tsp Szechuan pepper (sweet)
3 star anise
½ t/s ground cinnamon
¾ ts ground ginger
1 green shallot sliced length ways
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup light soy sauce
1/3 cup Chinese rice wine
Basting Sauce:
¼ cup white vinegar
½ cup honey
Serving Suggestions:
5 potatoes sliced
Cucumber
Kechup Manis
Soft Burrito
Method:
Dry the duck with a paper towel. Rub salt all over the duck.
In a mortar a pestle, pound the star anise and szechuan pepper roughly, set aside.
Mix the soy sauce and rice wine in a bowl and add all the spices include the star anise mixture. Add the sliced shallot.
Place the duck in a bowl and pour the marinade over.
Ensure all the duck is covered with the marinade. Cover the duck with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, turn the duck periodically.
Next day prior to cooking, remove the duck from the marinade. Dispose of the marinade and allow the duck to air dry.
To make the basting liquid combine the honey and vinegar and allow to stand.
Once the duck is completely dry baste the bird in the sauce.
Ensure that all areas are completely covered in the sauce. Continue to sit the duck on the bench so that the basting liquid will dry.
Once the basting liquid has dried on the duck wrap the drumstick and wings in foil to prevent burning.
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.
Slice the potato into ¾ cm thick rounds and place in a layer on a covered baking tray. Add the duck to the potato layer.
Cook the duck for 1 hour. Half way through the cooking time remove the duck from the oven and repeat the basting process. The duck must again be completely dry prior to entering the oven.
Once the second 30 minutes cooking period has elapsed remove the duck and baste again using the same drying process. Increase the oven temperature to 220 degrees and cook for a further 15minutes to crisp the skin.
I can't tell you how amazing the kitchen smelled whilst the duck was cooking. The aroma was of a rich star anise and sweet honey sauce.
The duck was served with sliced crunchy cucumber from my garden a sweet soy sauce and potato which had been roasted with the duck. These fillings combined with the duck in a warmed flat bread as a delicious rich sweet parcel.
The duck itself had a sweet and salty crisp skin with the delicious after taste on Star Anise and Ginger. The duck flesh was very moist, sweet and succulent. Chun explained that because duck is a sweet meat the accompaniments should always be sweet to compliment the flavour.
It was such an amazing meal, I am so grateful to Chun for sharing this feast with us and giving us the opportunity to learn more about the food she enjoys in China and how she celebrate the important days in her culture.
I was surprised to learn that because Chun and her boyfriend were both born in the year of the Dragon that the coming year was supposed to be fraught with danger and obstacles which would need to be overcome. Chuns father is very concerned that she is out of the country for this inauspicious year. KaKa explained that the repeated year can be very difficult.
I am looking forward to sharing our Australia day with Chun and Kaka. Although China having a history which span over 5000 years old, kind of makes Australia look like an infant by comparison :)
So tell me readers do you join in celebrations from other cultures such as Bastille Day for the French, thanksgiving for the Americans or perhaps St Patrick's Day?
Chilli Jam
Some like it hot – and - some - sweat when the heat is on....
Oh how I am showing my age now! Robert Palmer straight out of the 80’s!
So keeping with the retro theme, I have a retro recipe, and old fashioned Chilli Jam.
With all this rain and humidity, lately my garden has been producing vast quantities of both tomatoes and chilli. I tend to eat about a punnet per day of cherry tomatoes and I am not even coming close to making a dent in the stock of tomatoes I have in the fridge. I decided that if was going to make use of all this abundant fruit I would need to do some preserving. Mr GG is not a fan of tomatoes at all so I didn’t tell him this chilli jam was made with tomatoes, lucky because he loves it! He has been adding it to his sandwiches everyday!
The recipe does have a bit of warmth to it, but the extra medium heat chillies just give a depth of flavour to the chilli without adding any more heat.
You could also use this chilli for your next BBQ on a nice rare steak. YUMMY!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this recipe, it is one just like nana would make J. If you have anymore suggestions of ways to use up tomatoes I would love to hear them all.
Ingredients:
1 lg onion (sliced)
1 habanero chilli
3 or 4 med heat chilli’s
24 cherry tomatoes
1 tbs olive oil
3 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Method:
Heat the oil in a saucepan, and add the onion along with the sugar.
Cook on a low heat for 10 minutes until starting to soften.
Finely chop the chilli’s, and add to the pan along with the balsamic vinegar.
Cook for a further 5 minutes over the same low heat.
Cut the tomatoes in half and add to the pan along with the salt.
Stir, cover and cook gently, on a low heat, for about 20 minutes.
When the tomatoes start to collapse use a stick blender to roughly chop the jam mixture.
The jam can be served hot or cold.
The recipe will make about 4 jars of chilli jam and it will keep in the fridge for about a month.
So tell me readers, do you have a favourite family recipe for a relish, chutney, jam or marmalade? Are you like me and love having these tasty spreads in the fridge to liven up a meal or sandwich?
I have given a jar of my chilli jam to a friend so I will be waiting for her feedback on the site.
Christmas Cookies for a Cookie Swap
I am such a lucky girl!
I was matched up with Traci from "Cookie Queen Kitsch'n" for my "Cookie Swap."
As it turns out Traci is a professional cookie maker and she sent me the most gorgeous iced gingerbread cookies. Traci makes personalised cookies for birthdays, weddings, christenings and party favours and the cookies she sent me were just gorgeous!
I can't explain the joy it gave me to receive this cookie swap. There is something very special about a total stranger going to the trouble of hand baking such a beautiful treat for someone they won't even meet. As much as I wanted to rip open the gorgeous packaging and bite into a cookie immediately I decided they looked just too cute and they needed a special occasion. I decided that I will take them to my mothers house and they will be the centrepiece at our family Christmas lunch tomorrow.
Thank you so much Traci!
Readers can go to Traci's site and check out more of her amazing creations. She has even included the recipe and a step by step instructional showing how to make the Snow Globes.
Look at this cute little pressy Traci included in her package, it is the most gorgeous little cupcake. I have a little niece that may be the final recipient of this gift. Although... I am awfully tempted to eat it myself and say nothing ;)
Merry Christmas wonderful people!!
The Great Cookie Swap - Dutch Speculaas
As soon as I heard about the Cookie swap I knew I wanted to be involved. It seemed like such a great idea. I love blogging about food but this was so much more interactive. I would have the opportunity to send my food to two total strangers, and in turn have two dozen biscuits turn up on my doorstep. What is not to like about that!
I have had a bit of a procedural fail however. I had to go away for a few days right when I suspect the biscuits would have turned up, so I still haven’t seen my surprise packages. I will of course share some yummy pictures of the cookies and a link to the creator when I have them.
So what did I make for my mystery benefactors? First of all I found I would be cooking for Wandering Spice and the Cookie Queen Kitschn, I chose to make a Dutch spiced cookie which is eaten at Christmas time. The cookie is usually shaped using a traditional wooden mold but I wanted to start a bit of festive cheer so I used regular Christmas cookie cutters.
The cookie itself tastes so similar to the commercially purchased Speculaas! I decorated using royal icing for something a little different, but other than that the recipe came straight from issue 4 of SBS’s “Feast" Magazine. It has a delicious spiciness and rich sweet flavour, I have fallen instantly in love!
Ingredients:
250gm plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
150gm firmly packed brown sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground cloves
150gm butter
1 Tbs iced water
Method:
Preheat oven to 170 degrees and line a baking tray with paper.
Add all the ingredients to a food processor except the water. Process until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water and process until a dough forms.
Wrap the dough in cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough out on a lightly flour dusted surface.
Use a cookie cutter to shape cookies.
Bake for 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Royal Icing Ingredients:
1egg white
1 ½ cups pure icing sugar
Method:
Beat eggs in a mixer to soft peaks.
Add the icing sugar one tablespoon at a time to the egg. Allow the icing sugar to become fully incorporated before adding the next spoonful.
Place mixture into a piping bag, decorate the cookies as desired. I have shown three different ways of decorating the cookies but you could also use sweets or coloured royal icing.
This was a new recipe for me but it is so quick and easy, and I love the flavour of these gorgeous cookies so I know I will be using it again in the future! I hope the recipients of these cookies enjoy them as much as I have been! I can’t wait to see what delicious cookies are coming my way.
For the cookie swap I needed to make three dozen cookies... one dozen for me and two to give away. Tell me readers, would you try out a new recipe in this circumstance or would you prefer to stick with a family favourite?
Alfresco Friday - Peach Sangria
Welcome to another glorious Friday!
I hope the sun is shining and you have the most wonderful plans for your weekend. Alfresco Friday is my celebration of the weekend. Usually our family will take advantage of the beautiful mild weather this time of year and have a picnic or BBQ at the beach, a park or a friend’s house. In the spirit of celebrating the weekend I have made a Peach Sangria to share with my lovely readers.
Oh and a quick tip, the wine you use doesn't need to be expensive but it does need to be one that you like. The flavour will come through in the punch so you want a pleasant drinkable wine, not an expensive one. At Woolworths they have cleanskin dry whites available for under $3, this is what I used, and it was delicious.
Ingredients:
2 peaches sliced
2 nectarines sliced
750ml bottle of dry white wine
200ml Bacardi Rum
400ml apricot nectar
400ml lemonade (diet)
Method:
Place the slice fruit into a glass bowl with the Bacardi, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for between 2 and 12 hours. This is a good job to do before work.
To make the sangria you will need two jugs. Place half the fruit in each jug. Add half of the remaining ingredients to each jug and top with ice. Check the flavour and add more apricot nectar or lemonade to taste.
I could have give the recipe for 1 jug of sangria but that
really wouldn’t be as much fun, and I do try and look after my readers. Feel free to halve the recipe if you are limiting your alcohol intake.
Have a happy weekend.
White Chocolate Mousse & A Giveaway
What can I make as an elegant dessert for eight people, with only five minutes to spare, and an empty fridge?
Hmm, luckily I had a tub of PHILLY Cream for dessert in the fridge from my day cooking with Suzanne Gibb and Margaret Fulton. One of the great things about the PHILLY cream for desserts is the long fridge life of the product. So many times I buy regular cream expecting to make something, only to throw it out a week later when it has past the due date.
Although my fridge is bare I always have the basics, eggs, sugar and chocolate. Thanks to my goodie bag from PHILLY I also had a carton of Cream for Desserts. This looked like the makings of a delicious dessert and I had just the recipe up my sleeve.
But before I go any further I would like to announce a giveaway!
The lovely people at Kraft Foods Australia, makers of PHILLY products have given me five PHILLY gift packs to giveaway. The prize packs will include a copy of the “Simply Heaven Vol.2 Cookbook” and a Coles gift card to the value of $7.00. The gift card will buy two Philly products so readers can choose to make this recipe I am about to share or another from their new PHILLY cookbook. The total value of the prize is $42.
To be in the draw all readers need to do is tell me in the comments section below, what PHILLY dessert they are currently craving. The best five answers will have their PHILLY craving satisfied. This competition will also be announced on the Gourmet Getaways facebook page. Please leave the statement “I have entered the PHILLY Dessert competition” on the Facebook competition thread. Winners will be announced on the 29th November via Facebook, so please make sure you are a friend of Gourmet Getaways so that you receive your notification. Good luck to all!
Now back to my last minute dessert. These four ingredients equal a luscious White Chocolate Mousse. I shared this recipe to Belly Rumbles for the Philly Masterclass in Sydney last month, so you can also find this dish on her site. I had intended to substitute the praline layer for something a little different like blueberries reduced in maple syrup, but unfortunately the pantry is also bare and all I had was nuts and sugar.
I hope you enjoy having this quick recipe up your sleeve for a last minute dessert.
Ingredients:
250gm white chocolate (melted)
250gm PHILLY “Cream for Desserts”
1 egg white
1 Tbs caster sugar
Praline layer:
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
¼ cup of any unsalted nuts
Method:
Stir the Philly “cream” through the melted chocolate until combined.
Beat egg white in a mixer until the start of soft peaks; add sugar very slowly at the start making sugar the sugar is completely dissolved before adding more. Continue to beat the egg white on the highest mixer setting until all the sugar is incorporated.
Carefully fold ¼ of the meringue through the chocolate cream mixture. Continue mixing the remaining meringue a quarter at a time until all the mixture has been folded through.
Using a dessert spoon, place two large spoonfuls of the mixture into the bottom of eight serving dishes. Add a layer of filling to the mousse.
Place the final scoop of mousse on top of the filling and
you are done. The dessert can actually be served immediately as it is a thick luscious custard or refrigerated and served as a set mousse.
I have given the direction below for the praline filling although you could have anything you desire as the contrasting layer. I chose praline as there is nothing else in the house!
Praline Method:
Place nuts on a tray with baking paper under the oven grill to toast. Remove from the heat once they are golden and set aside.
Dissolve sugar and water in a saucepan over a low heat.
Once dissolved increase the heat and allow to boil until the toffee changes to a golden colour. Remove from the heat and pour over the nuts.
Cool the praline at room temperature and break into pieces with a meat mallet or food processor.
So there we have it, a quick and easy dessert which is mouth wateringly delicious.
Now lovely Gourmet Getaways readers, what delicious dessert are you craving at the moment. Thanks to Kraft Australia, the makers of PHILLY "Cream for Desserts" five lucky readers will receive a PHILLY prize pack valued at $42. For a chance to win all you have to do is let me know what dessert you are craving in the comments section below. The competition ends at midnight on the 29th of November, 2011. Winners will be announced on the Gourmet Getaways Facebook page. The competition is open to anyone within Australia.
Coconut Slice
For me this is the ultimate childhood retro slice! It was one of my favourites as a child, and mums seemed to make it for school lunches, fetes and any “bring a plate” occasions. Unfortunately it wasn’t a slice my mother ever made, which meant I didn’t have it very often. Luckily I stumbled across the recipe in a circa 1970 cookbook. I promise this will bring back food memories for most 1970’s & 80’s babies. It’s also a simple and delicious recipe to make for your own children’s lunch boxes, even if you didn’t experience the slice as a child yourself.
I have given the recipe a small revamp and modernised it a little. I will outline the changes so you can choose the traditional or revamped recipe.
I substitution the traditional;
Desiccated coconut for Shredded coconut
Cocoa powder for Dutch cocoa powder as it is stronger in flavour and colour
Vanilla essence became vanilla bean paste
So here we go with the recipe, it is short and sweet.
Ingredients:
2 cups plain flour
1 cup sugar
2 cups shredded coconut
2 Tbs Dutch Cocoa Powder
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
170gm melted butter
Icing:
1 ½ cups Icing Sugar
2 Tbs Dutch cocoa
40gm butter melted
2 Tbs hot water
1 Tbs Shredded Coconut
Method:
Pre heat the oven to 170 degrees fan forced.
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together by hand.
Press into a lamington tray and bake for 20 mins.
Allow to cool in the tray.
Once the slice has cooled, place the icing sugar cocoa, butter and water in a bowl and mix until smooth and glossy. Pour the icing over the cooled slice and decorate with extra coconut.
Cut the slice into bars once the icing has set.
So please tell me readers, do you remember this slice? Do you have a favourite food memory from childhood? If you do make this slice please let me know if it triggers a memory for you. For me it reminds me of being about four years old, in a little country town. We were at the local tennis club, and I was playing with all the other pre – school age children while mum played tennis. This was one of the delicious dishes on the morning tea table.
This time I have made the slice especially for my baby girls first day at big school orientation. Goodluck Miss A at big school xx.
Chinese Braised Pork Belly
Regular readers may know that from time to time students from other countries join our family for a “homestay”. For the last ten weeks Niki, from China has been a part of our family. She has taught me to cook a lot of Chinese dishes and I was able to get her to teach me how to make that I originally experienced while we had a student by the name of Christie stay with us.
The dish is a sweet braised pork belly and it so melt in the mouth delicious. It has a rich deep caramelized spice that is amazing.
Niki explained that this Braised Pork dish was the first leader of the Peoples Republic of China’s favourite dish. Niki described Mao Zedong as the leader responsible for organizing the Chinese people. Some of the good things which Chairman Mao has been credited for is the increase in school attendance, providing housing to all, abolishing unemployment and inflation, and facilitating an increase in health care which led to a dramatic increase in life expectancy. The Chariman was considered by the Chinese to have been a very smart man, because this was his favourite dish they also feel that by eating this dish it will lead to greater intelligence.
I am not sure that I will become smarter but I know why the chairman loved this dish. As you can probably tell by the images, I tried to skimp on calories and used a lean pork. DON’T DO THIS! It was a mistake, the luscious fatty pork belly is what you want for this dish.
Ingredients
3 Tbs oil
700gm diced pork belly
2 Tbs oil
¼ cup sugar
1 Tbs dried Chilli
1 ½ Tbs sugar
1 t/s shezwaun peppercorn
2 cloves garlic chopped
10cm sliced ginger
3 star anise
5 bay leaves
1 chopped shallot
¼ cup Chinese rice wine
½ cup soy sauce
Add enough water to cover the meat
Method:
Dice the pork into cubes.
Fry the meat in 3 Tbs oil until cooked. Remove the pork from the wok and set aside. Wash wok add more oil and dissolve the sugar in the oil. Once it has turned golden add the pork and stir until well coated and golden.
Add the pepper, garlic, ginger, star anise and shallot and briefly stir fry. Add the rice wine and soy sauce, stir until combine then add the water.
Ensure the pork is covered in the liquid. Place a lid over the wok and allow it to simmer for 40mins.
Remove the lid and cook off sauce until thick and sticky.
Serve with steamed rice and Chinese greens.
The Great Cookie Swap - Chocolate Fudge Cookies
I am currently sorting through all my recipes trying to find a favourite cookie. The reason for this sudden interest in cookies is I have signed up for the first ever “Annual Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap” It is being hosted my Julie from “The Little Kitchen" and Lindsay from "Love and Olive Oil".
The idea behind the game is you sign up to participate. On the November you receive 3 food blogger addresses (who live in the same country as yourself). On the 5th December you send each of the 3 bloggers one dozen of your favourite homemade cookies. You in turn receive a dozen scrumptious cookies from three different food bloggers.
I can’t wait to try all the gorgeous home baked cookies. Food bloggers are such wonderful cooks, I love the sense of community this swap has too!
On the 12th of December each participant will blog the recipe for the cookies they sent out. There will be a round up of all the participants and their recipes. So readers will be able to see all the glorious cookies that went wizzing around the world.
So would you like to play along? If so check out the official post for all the details, and prepare to try some new cookies.
In the spirit of sharing the cookie love I have prepared a delicious cookie recipe for you lovely readers. It is absolutely divine, and not too sweet. This is not going to be my Cookie Swap. My cookie swap will remain a secret, but I thought if we are talking about biscuits I should put you in the mood by sharing a recipe.
Cookie Ingredients:
130gm Butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 cup plain flour
5 t/s cornflour
2 Tbs Cocoa powder
2 egg yolks
Filling:
170gm dark chocolate
165ml pouring cream
Method:
Put all the cookie ingredients in a food processor and process until the mixture comes together in a ball.
Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
preheat oven to 180 degrees and line a baking tray with paper.
Roll a small amount of dough (teaspoon sized) into a ball and flatten onto the baking tray. The mixture will not spread.
Bake for 7 minutes or until cooked. Remove the tray from the oven but allow the biscuits to cool for five minutes before moving them onto a wire rack.
Meanwhile make the ganache fudge filling by heating the cream for one minute in the microwave. Stir through the chocolate until the mixture is smooth. Heat in the microwave for a further 30 seconds if necessary to get a smooth mixture.
Allow the ganache to completely cool. Use a stick blender to beat the mixture until it is a little thicker. Refrigerate for five to ten minutes to cool the ganache further. Once a spreadable consistency has been achieved fill the cookies. Match the tops and bottom of the cookies and dust with icing sugar prior to serving.
Cookies are best stored in the fridge.
So what do you think? Would you like three dozen randomly flavoured cookies turning up on your doorstep?
Alfresco Friday - Japanese Oysters
For this week’s edition of Alfresco Friday we have packed up a picnic and taken to the beach for a lazy evening on the sand watching the sunset. To keep things simple each of my friends have bought a variety of cheese platters and crackers to ensure our hunger remains at bay while the kids played beach cricket and made sandcastles.
Once we started to feel like something a little more substantial we moved on to our entree of delicious Japanese style oysters and a main of fresh cooked king prawns shelled on the beach and doused down with white wine and beer. Being the Alfresco Friday experts we all remembered the lemon and lime wedges for the prawns and beer.
When the last remnants of food and sun had disappeared we made our way home to ponder what a great start to the weekend e had just experienced.
Ingredients:
12 oysters natural and shucked
3 t/s Japanese pickled ginger
12 small dollops of Japanese mayonnaise (optional)
Method:
Distribute the ginger evenly amongst the oysters as desired. Add a small dollop of Japanese mayonnaise to the top if using it.
Tell me readers, what is your favourite food to eat on the beach.
Have a good weekend everyone!
Philly Cream for Desserts - Fruit Kebabs w Caramel Sauce
Can you see this dripping delicious caramel sauce? It is made using the new Philadelphia “Cream for Desserts” which means it tastes just like double cream but with only half the calories! I am sure this means I can eat twice as much!
A few days ago I attended a “Cream for Dessert” Masterclass courtesy of the lovely people at Kraft foods. Three other bloggers and myself spent the day cooking luscious desserts with Suzanne Gibbs and finished the day having afternoon tea with Margaret Fulton.
We were told we would have the opportunity to cook our own dessert using the “Cream for Desserts” and a “mystery Ingredient”. I use the full range of PHILLY products regularly so I had so many ideas for a dessert but I was a little nervous as I had no idea what the mystery ingredient may be.
On the day we had a choice of four mystery ingredients and the regular pantry supplies to be used with the PHILLY Cream for Desserts. I chose the strawberries but there were also oranges, cinnamon, walnuts, white chocolate, dark chocolate & vanilla.
Although I chose the strawberries I was really craving caramel so I decided to make two types of tarts. The first was a caramel tart to stave off my cravings, and the second a strawberry tart for the challenge. Both were really simple using the PHILLY Cream, and I would definitely make them again as a quick and easy dessert.
You could use store bought shells for convenience and simply add the sauce to the shells and refrigerate until serving. I have made Caramel Tarts previously on this website and given my crisp sweet pastry recipe so I won’t repeat it now. Instead I have an alternative idea for the same caramel sauce, fruit kebabs!
These fruit kebabs with caramel sauce are a delicious dessert idea to share with friends at the end
of a meal, much like a reinvention of the 1960's classic fondue.
Ingredients:
250gm PHILLY “Cream for Desserts”
1 cup brown sugar
60gm butter
3 bananas
½ rockmelon
2 punnets strawberries
Method:
In a saucepan melt the butter and add sugar and Philly cream.
Allow the mixture to boil whilst stirring until it has thickened slightly to the desired consistency.
Pour into the serving bowl and chill.
Slice fruit and thread onto small skewers.
Serve the fruit kebabs with the caramel sauce.
This is such a quick and simple dessert which will have everybody eating their 2-3 daily fruit serves.
Now back to my afternoon tea with Suzanne Gibbs & Margaret Fulton. Here are some of the delicious dessert images from my fellow bloggers.
Sara from Belly Rumbles made my favourite dessert of the day a “White Chocolate Mousse” with Walnut Praline Layers.
Sarah from A Beach Cottage tried to tell us she wasn’t a cook but I don’t think she had anyone fooled. Her delicious “Chocolate Butterfly Cakes” got the official nod of approval from Margaret Fulton herself.
The most complicated dish of the day in terms of technique came from and Sandra from 120 dollar food challenge. She produced some delicious “Orange Shortcakes” Firstly making the most delicious shortcakes, then an orange crème patisserie from orange syrup and finally giving a dusting of icing sugar for a beautiful presentation.
Here are a few images showing my strawberry & caramel tarts.
It was a fun day in the kitchen, here is a collection of images showing us all busy at work.
Thank you to Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese for hosting the event and providing product for the day. I will be using my lovely “take home gift” to produce many more creamy desserts.
Philadelphia Cream for Desserts & meeting MARGARET FULTON
“I enjoy cooking, but I love my blog!” this is an “almost” quote from Sara of Belly Rumbles, she was referring to all the wonderful things our blog’s allows us to participate in.
We had just finished a wonderful day cooking with Suzanne Gibbs, daughter to the great Margaret Fulton. I had been content just hearing stories about the earlier days of food styling and being shown personal images of Margaret & Suzanne working together.
Then we were told we would be serving afternoon tea to the idol herself, Margaret Fulton. This was all made possible by the lovely people at Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese has just released a new product “Cream for Desserts” it has only half the fat of regular double cream but the same thick creamy consistency. Sara from Belly Rumbles, Sarah from A Beach Cottage, Sandra from 120 dollar food challenge and myself were all invited to the home of Suzanne Gibbs, the ambassador from Philly products to attend a dessert Masterclass using this fantastic new product.
Left to right: Sarah, Sandra, Margaret, Me, Suzanne & Sara
On arrival we are told that Suzanne would be teaching us to make a Chocolate Roulade with “Cream for Desserts” and Mixed Berries. She explains that this is a dish the family will often share for birthdays and other special meals. Suzanne previously cooked this masterpiece at a Cordon Bleu Restaurant in London. We are shown a recipe card that Philly has printed and the dessert looks gorgeous. It is definitely one of those impressive desserts which would enable the cook to get lots of praise from guests. I have had mixed success with roulades, so I am looking forward to standing back and watching Suzanne show us the finer points of this dish.
We had also been pre warned that each of us would be put into a “pressure test” with a mystery ingredient, and asked to create our own dessert using the cream.
This aspect of the day had been playing on my mind... what would the mystery ingredient be? What would I make? What if I failed cooking for the lady who taught me to cook? Well maybe she didn’t actually teach me to cook, but I grew up with my mum’s copy of the “The Margaret Fulton” Hardcover Cookbook, and with the step by steps photo’s, over the course of my childhood I made almost every sweet dish in there and a lot of the savoury dishes too.
I had taken so much excitement from seeing Margaret on MasterChef last season, that I could scarcely believe we would be meeting the great women herself. In my defense, I don’t think I was the only gushing blogger in the room.
Margaret would be visiting for afternoon tea where
she would sample all our creations.
On with the Roulade, this recipe is available on the Philadelphia Site and has been reproduced on my website verbatim. Please visit the delicious dessert pages for more great ideas. I have tried quite a number of the recipes, they are absolutely luscious, and so much lower in fat when using the Philadelphia Cream for Desserts.
Ingredients
- 3 eggs, separated
- ½ cup (110g) caster sugar
- 2 tablespoons sifted cocoa (Suzanne uses Dutch Cocoa)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 250ml PHILADELPHIA Cream for Desserts, a double cream alternative
- 1 punnet strawberries, blueberries or raspberries (optional, or a mixture)
- Icing sugar, for dusting
Method
SET oven temperature at 180oC non-fan. Line a 30cm x 25cm swiss roll pan with baking paper.
BEAT egg yolks with a whisk or electric beater until thick and creamy. Gradually beat in sugar.
Fold cocoa and vanilla into egg yolk mixture.
BEAT egg whites until soft peaks form.
Gently fold the cocoa mixture into the egg whites.
Pour at once into prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes, until cake has drawn away from sides and springs back when gently touched in the middle.
HAVE ready a tea towel liberally sprinkled with caster sugar. Turn cake out onto towel, carefully peel away paper and while still warm, roll up, including towel, and leave on a wire rack to cool.
WHEN completely cold, very gently unroll and spread with PHILLY Cream for Desserts. Scatter over sliced strawberries, raspberries or blueberries if using. Roll cake up and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Just before serving dust roulade with icing sugar and cut into thick slices to serve.
Naturally we all sampled this light as a feather dessert. Suzanne has made it all look so easy that I will have to try and make it for the family. The flavour of the chocolate was just magic, and I don’t know where the calories from the cream have gone, but there was no compromise on flavour. The dessert was just as rich and decadent as ever and the lovely sweet fruits finished it perfectly.
I checked the pricing online and found that the PHILLY “Cream for Desserts” retails at $3.97 per 250ml carton and the brand of double cream I usually purchase is $4.88 for 300ml. Given that I prefer my desserts to be lower in fat, I would now choose this product before traditional double cream for health reasons. The taste is the same, the price is very similar, and any reduction in saturated fat is a good reduction.
We were all given a wonderful Philadelphia Cooler bag full of delicious Kraft products to take home, and a "Simply Heaven" Cookbook for further inspiration. Naturally I will be sharing my creamy creations with readers. Suzanne & Margaret generously agreed to autograph my copy of the Simply Heaven Cookbook! I
wonder if I am too old to be a groupie?
So prepare to see some more luscious PHILLY "Cream for Dessert" recipes in the days to follow. I will also be sharing my "Pressure Test" experience with a "mystery ingredient". Thankfully it was a very relaxed pressure test. Whew!! I met and shared a kitchen with some lovely bloggers, and two absolute idols, what an awesome day. Don’t forget to take a look at the other bloggers websites.
Gourmet Getaways attended this event courtesy of Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
Ghastly Ghoulish Black Velvet Cupcakes
Halloween is so much more fun as an adult! I am having such a great time planning our party and everyone’s costumes.
I am going to be a witch (in fish nets and heals of course). My dear 6”6’ (skinny) husband is going as a Skelton, hehe, who says I don’t have a sense of humour. Little Miss A (4 yrs) will be my little witch apprentice. She has a deep purple and black costume, with a broomstick, although she was a little disappointed when I told her the broom wouldn’t fly. Master 6 is going as the Grim Reaper... he isn’t quite sure what it means but he is happy because the Grim Reaper has a cool mask and a great “weapon” “The soon to have L Plates son” is going as a Zombie, he has ensured a plentiful supply of blood and is looking forward to terrifying the neighbours trick or treating.
The party food needs to be ghastly too of course, but I am running out of time (as always) so I have taken a few short cuts. These Black Cupcakes are made gross but tasty with the addition of black food colouring and liquorice essence. I have then added some Halloween lollies to the top as decoration. I think they are suitably scary!
Ingredients:
3 cups plain flour
6 t/s baking powder
½ cup melted butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup cream
1 tsp black colouring
2 tsp liquorice essence
Method:
Preheat oven to 160 degrees and line 2 baking trays with black Halloween paper.
In a mixer add all the dry ingredients and then the liquid ingredients.
Mix the batter together.
Bake for 10-12 mins or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Butter Cream Ingredients:
2 cups icing sugar
150gm butter softened
2 tsp liquorice essence
1 Tbs milk if required
1 tsp black colouring
Lollies to decorate
Method:
Beat butter in a mixer until soft and icing, colour and flavour. If the mixture is too thick to pipe add milk until the desired consistency is reached.
Decorate with ghoulish lollies.
Tell me readers, do you get into the Halloween spirit? What are your plans for this frightful evening?
Snake Infested Skullhead anyone?
Would anyone like a snake infested skull head for dessert? Surely someone would like to try this gruesome treat?
I have created a tasty spooky army of skull heads, and I
love the way it looks like there is an army of the undead marching silently
forward in these images. I think it would be enough to give me nightmares. Is it just me or are they multiplying!!!
So the name of the game here is quick last minute Halloween
treats. For those that haven't got time for anything elaborate... ie most of us with children ;)
Ingredients:
2 pkts Strawberry Jelly
500gm Philadelphia Cream Cheese
450 ml boiling water
450ml cold water
Snake lollies
Method:
Mix the jelly and hot water together in a bowl until dissolved.
With a stick blender or mixer combine the cold water and the Philly.
Once smooth pour into moulds and refrigerate.
I bought theses little skulls from a discount store, ($2 for 6) and filled them with dessert and a snake for good measure.
I think they are very effective!
After 2 hours add the snakes and place back in the fridge.
Serve once the dessert has set.
Eat quick or they just might eat you!!!
Slow Cooked Balinese Style Duck
I have been very spoilt recently. It seems that every function I attend on the North Coast is featuring the delicious produce from Gaian Poultry & Game in Kundabung near Port Macquarie. Not only have I been privileged to enjoy their sumptuous duck, but I have also eaten gorgeous suckling pig which just melts in your mouth from the same producer. I have never experienced such moist, flavoursome meats and have found myself craving more.
With “Tastings of the Hastings” drawing to a close I had arranged to catch up with Beth at the “THE MAIN EVENT:” The Holiday Coast Credit Union Tastings of the Hastings Market Day. Gaian Poultry & Game were featured in the Paddock to Plate Arena and I had made arrangements to collect a very fat hand raised duck (2 kilos) from Beth at her Gaian Poultry stand.
The event was held on Sunday 23rd October at Port Macquarie racecourse and it turned out to be a fantastic day, well worth the drive from Coffs Harbour. We tried so many delicious foods and were able to meet the producers and chefs behind the dishes. There will be a story on this event to follow.
In the meantime there is one last “Tastings of the Hastings” event left, if readers want to try this delicious product for themselves. The Annual Tastings of the Hastings Dinner at Pier One, Port Panthers on the 28th October 2011.
Today I am preparing a dish I learned how to make in Bali. I have simplified the process a little as it’s the famous 8 hour slow cooked “Smoked Duck” usually prepared for celebration purposes outdoors!
I always knew I would need to re –invent this dish slightly, and now with the perfect duck available it seemed like a good time to ponder the logistics of the meal. The duck is usually cooked after being wrapped in banana leaves and then coconut bark husks and placed in the equivalent of a wheelbarrow load full of rice husks. It smoulders in an open field or open kitchen for 8 hours until the duck is cooked. Hmmm... I am sure you can see where my problems lie.
I was preparing to slow cook it in a cover baking tray with a layer of smouldering paper bark, but I found a much easier solution. My Slow Cooker! I have used the cooker for roast meats in the past and the effect is amazing, soft, luscious, melt in your mouth meat, exactly what I was after.
As it turns out it is the perfect evening for the slow cookers as we have a “meeting” at the school tonight! Hopefully mummy & daddy won’t be placed on the naughty seat by the principal??
Without further ado, I give you my cheats recipe for “Slow Cooked Balinese Style Duck”
Ingredients:
1 Gaian Poultry Duck (see bottom of story for stockist)
Spice mix
3 t/s shrimp paste
1 Tbs sea salt
3 t/s kecap manis
5 Kaffir lime leaves
1 cup water
8 small escallops
1 ½ bulbs garlic
4 large chilli (not hot)
5 birds eye chilli (hot)
6 macadamia nuts
3 Tbs fresh ginger knob
2 Tbs fresh turmeric knob
3 t/s tamarind
2 Tbs Palm Sugar
Juice from 1 lime
Method:
You could use a mortar and pestle to pound the spices to a paste and then add the liquids.
But we all know I am a lazy cook so I threw the lot in the food processor and processed with the cup of water until smooth.
Place the bird into the slow cooker and cover in the sauce mix thoroughly. Ensure that the cavity is also filled with the liquid.
Cook the duck on setting two for 5 hours. Start the duck cooking on the breast for 2 1/2 hours and then turn twice through out the cooking time. The meat on the leg should be almost falling from the bone.
To serve place the duck on a platter and pour the cooking liquid into a saucepan. (Take care to tip off the oil from the liquid first.) Boil the remaining liquid until it has reduced by half and thickened. Pour Jus over the duck to serve.
*Funny note: I asked Beth how the duck supplies are going as she seems to be supplying everyone with so much product. She laughed and said, "let’s just say we are counting every leg at the moment."
I wonder if these little legs have been counted yet!
Gaian Poultry & Game- Baby Animal Petting Zoo
Stockist of Gaian Poultry & Game
Essential Ingredient
1/1 Harbour Dr
Coffs Harbour NSW 2450
(02) 6651 1770
Gourmand Ingredients
3/ 41 Short St
Port Macquarie NSW 2444
(02) 6584 6268
www.gourmandingredients.com.au
Bellingen Butcher
72 Hyde Street
Bellingen NSW 2454
(02) 6655 1132
Port Forshore Market on the 2nd Saturday of month
Wauchope Farmer's Market on the 4th Saturday of month.
Swansea Butcher
6/206 Pacific Highway
Swansea
(02) 4971 4799
Gresford Meats
44 Park Street
East Gresford
(02) 4938 9710
Hudson Meats
410 Crown Street
Surry Hills
(02) 9332 4454
Grass Roots Urban Butcher
101 New South Head Road
Vaucluse NSW 2030
(02) 9337 3063
Pink Whoopie Pie for a "Girls Night In"
When I was a kid I used to love pink milk!
I remember I first had this delicious sweet drink at my grandmother’s place. Milk took on a whole new meaning. My sister and I used to sneak into the kitchen and eat the pink sugar by the spoonful when grandma wasn’t looking.
Moving on a few years, I am attending a “girls night in” hosted by the lovely Elyan from "My Sisters Wardrobe". The night is a fun way to raise funds for cancer research and I wanted to bring a pink dessert. I was mentally going through a list of all things pink, of course there is champagne and strawberries, raspberries, milkshakes and macarons but I wanted something different.
I have been going to make whoopie pie for a while but really didn’t have a direction or flavour in mind so the exercise kept getting shelved. Oh, and I had a chocolate whoopie pie fail so I wasn’t really in the mood for more whoopie for quite a while.
Slowly, slowly, the idea of a pink milk whoopie pie with jam soaked strawberries and marshmallow filling started to grow on me.
I have to say at every stage these little things were ugly ducklings, and I have cursed them more than I would usually curse a dessert. At no point did they look like they would end up being a photogenic treat. I even ate half a dozen of the more ugly ones before they were filled. I actually couldn’t stop eating them because the cake was so soft and sweet, so even some of the not so ugly ones were eaten.
Ingredients:
3 cups plain flour
6 t/s baking powder
½ cup melted butter
1 cup nestle quik
½ cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup cream
Method:
Preheat oven to 160 degrees and line 2 baking trays with paper
In a bowl add all the dry ingredients.
In a jug combine all the liquid ingredients.
Mix the batter together.
Using an ice-cream scoop, place even mounds of batter on the baking tray. Leave space between the batter.
Bake for 10-12 mins or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Leave on the tray to cool for 5 mins then remove from the
paper and cool on a wire rack. Whoopie pies can be stored at this stage but always keep baking paper between the layers as they have a tendency to stick.
Filling:
250gm marshmallow
½ cup strawberry jam
1 punnet strawberries quartered with leaves removed
Method
Warm the jam in a saucepan stir until the mixture is smooth.
Remove the jam from the heat and add chopped strawberries, stir to combine, set aside.
Place marshmallow in a glass container and microwave for one minute. In the meantime oil a spatula and prepare a piping bag with a thin smear of oil. This will stop the marshmallow from sticking and allow easy piping of the mixture.
In the meantime lay out the whoopie pie “bottoms” on a serving tray ready for the filling.
Stir the marshmallow until smooth. Allow it to cool slightly. Place the marshmallow into the piping bag. If the marshmallow will hold a structure pipe a circle around the bottoms of the whoopi pie. Leave a gap for the strawberry mixture.
Once the marshmallow is almost set take a spoonful of the cool jam mixture and place into the centre of the whoopie pie. Place the lid on top and dust with icing sugar.
I was too quick to pipe the marshmallow so I had some spillage. Do not put the lid on until you are sure the marshmallow is basically set.
Whew!! This was a little messy!
Nevermind, now it is time to change into my pink pyjama’s for the party .
Would you wear pyjama’s to a party??? A friend of mine had to go and buy a pair especially... should I wear a robe too... who knows? Oh and what do you wear on your feet!
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Have Your Say
What a lucky little girl to have you as her mother Julie.
Oh my goodness! What an amazing place. I have always wondered what it was like there! :)
Awww what a lovely way to spend quality time together! I love love love all the different types of bananas you got to try! Yayy for fun holidays!
Miss J I wish I could have been there for you today, just know in my heart I was thinking of you. I shed a tear for you and K when I read your post and I can't wait to give you big hugs tomorrow. Xxoo
big hugs to you and your family. memories are meant to be kept and some in drawers and brought out at times. stay strong.
Beautiful post Julie and it brought tears to my eyes because I know from talking to you how much she meant to you. This post just brought it to words beautifully.
What a beautiful way to remember your gorgeous girl! Just reading yours and her story bought back the small number of memories I have about Kaela, the one that is forefront in my mind and always hovers there is the complete and utter joy I saw her showing on your wedding day. I think it was Manny whizzing her round and round in her chair on the sand and she was smiling and laughing so much! Loved it!!
Julie you are an amazing mum, the love you have for all your children is to be admired and emulated by others.
Our thoughts and love to you and yours today and always xx
Dear Julie,
I think that this post is such a beautiful way to remember the life of your daughter. Reading this brought a tear to my eye. I want to go over and give you a big fat hug right now.
NOTHING in this world can ever, ever compare to a Mother's love for her child, just as you've shown Kaela and your other children. I'm sure Kaela was very happy to have YOU as her mother and that in many ways, she was able to show love to others because she was first shown love from you, too. Her life is a true testament of courage and strength and I'm sure each day with her felt like the biggest blessing of all. You should be proud to say that your beautiful daughter, Kaela, has touched more people in her 16 years of life than most of us ever could in our whole lives, even till this day.
I have so much respect for you and other mothers out there who's had the same experience. I've never read such an honest, heartfelt and emotionally raw post and I applaud your courage to share this. I don't think it's fair to say that I understand your pain but I hope you know that your post has really touched me and many others out there right now. Cheers to many more celebrations to commemorate the wonderful life that Kaela has led on earth. It's painful but it's a joyous thing. Take care.
Love,
Winston.
Hey little sister..
Wow, for someone who always has so much to say, I find myself at a lose for words, and wanting to be very quiet.. Lisa and I are both crying on the bed, and I find myself thinking..
Wow has it been so long.. 1991.. Such a bright little star she was..
I remember sitting on your couch holding her, playing with a squeakily toy frog, cause she seemed to like that at Sir Thomas Michelle Rd.
Or Singing her Metallica when she was crying, okay perhaps it was not as effective as Tori, but.. We work with what we have.
Love you very much Little Sister..
That is about all I can say little one, Love you very much..!
T & L
Kaela Elisa is looking down at us as we speak, she was strong and she would like to see her family strong and continue to celebrate the beautiful times you spent with her. We all miss her.
Thanks Donna,
You are a fantastic mum and aunty. I hope you liked my tribute to K
Thank you so much for your thoughts and kind words.
It means so much to be coming from three mums.
You never know exactly how much you are opening your heart up when you choose to have a child.
Even healthy children give mum's so much to worry about, as you would all know!
I am pleased I wrote the story, it was really nice to share :)
...but I would not have had it any other way :)
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