Cranberry Bliss Bar

It's been a busy couple of weeks and I have not had much time to bake. Although with the holiday season right around the corner, I am starting to crave some of my favorite holiday treats! One thing that always signals the start of the holiday season, for me, is the those famous red cups filled with rich, spicy coffee delight from Starbucks! I probably should not post this... you should go get the real thing from Starbucks, but unfortunately, they are no longer offered here at Starbucks in Australia! This leaves me no choice but to make it my self to get my Cranberry Bliss Bar fix!

Enjoy!




Cranberry Bliss Bar

· 1 cup butter, softened
· 1 ¼ cup of brown sugar
· 3 eggs
· 3 TBS ground ginger
· 2 tsp cinnamon
· 2 tsp vanilla
· ½ tsp salt
· 1 ½ cup flour
· 1 cup cranberries, chopped
· ½ cup of white chocolate, chopped
· ½ cup candied ginger, chopped

· 4oz package of cream cheese
· 1 ½ cups icing sugar
· 2 TBS butter, softened
· 1 TBS vanilla

· Preheat oven to 180 (160 for fan oven)

· Grease (I prefer to line it with baking paper!) a 9x13 pan

· Beat brown sugar, butter , eggs and vanilla

· In a separate bowl, sift flour, ginger, cinnamon & salt

· Combine both mixtures and add white chocolate, ½ cup cranberries & candied ginger. Don’t over mix,stir until all ingredients are just combined.

· Press mixture in to lined pan

· Bake for 20-25 mins or until golden brown and then cool completely on a cooling rack.

· For frosting, combine cream cheese, icing sugar, butter and vanilla, mix for about 2 mins.
Spread cream cheese frosting over the base and then sprinkle with remaining cranberries

Cherry Crumb Cake

Holey moley! It's been over 2 months since I have posted a recipe on here. I do apologize for those of you who follow it! I have been baking, I just didn't get around to photographing and uploading my creations, most of which have been cakes and cupcakes. There were 4 sets of Birthday cupcakes, 2 Birthday cakes and a wedding cake... am I forgetting something? I keep meaning to post my chocolate cake/cupcake recipe on here. I get so many requests for it. Watch this space! (Note to self: post devils food cake recipe next!)


While the Northern part of the world is heading in to my favourite time of the year, fall, we here in Australia seem to have skipped spring and gone straight to summer! With that in mind, fresh fruit is on the agenda . Heat or no heat, I will continue to use my oven to bake... I know... CRAZY, but that's what air conditioners are for! I had a craving for cherries, but after visiting 3 different places trying to find them and discovering they aren't quite in season yet, I had to settle for a jar of cherries. It turned out pretty darn tasty, but I will for sure be trying it again with fresh cherries when they are in season. Maybe even a strawberry and peach version!


ENJOY!

Cherry Crumb Cake

For the crumble

• 1/2 cup ground almond meal
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 Tbs melted butter

For the cake

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup ground almond meal
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8 Tbs butter, room temp
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 Tbs almond extract
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups cherries

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C.) Line a 9 inch square baking pan with parchment/baking paper.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, almond meal, baking soda and salt. In another larger bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Beat in eggs, then add vanilla and almond extract. Mix well.
3. In alternating steps, add flour mixture and buttermilk to the sugar/butter mixture, starting and ending with flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Make sure you do not over mix, mix until just combined.
4. Spread the batter into the bottom of the lined baking pan. sprinkle the cherries evenly over the batter and gently press in to the batter with your palm. Set aside.
5. To make crumble, mix melted butter, flour, almond meal, sugar and salt together to create large crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over cherries.
6. Bake for 50 mins or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. Cool on a cooling rack before removing from pan and cutting in to 9-12 squares.
   

Coconut Cream Pie

It was completely unintentional that the last two recipes that I have posted have been coconut creations. I am constantly browsing websites and cookbooks for recipes that I want to try. I keep a file of bookmarked recipes that I intend to try someday. While looking through it the other day, I came across this coconut cream pie recipe. I've never been a huge fan of cream pies, but how could anyone say no to anything with a buttery graham cracker crust, a rich coconut custard and a light and fluffy meringue on top? "Don't mind if do!"
ENJOY!

Coconut Cream Pie

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• ¼ cup coconut
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted

filling:

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
• 3/4 cup light coconut milk
• 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Meringue:

• 3 large egg whites
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon flaked sweetened coconut, toasted

To make crust:

1. Mix graham cracker crumbs, coconut, sugar and melted butter until well blended . Press mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate.
2. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 7 minutes. Cool completely.

To make filling:

1. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and eggs in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Heat milk and coconut milk over medium-high heat in a small, heavy saucepan until tiny bubbles form around edge (do not boil). Gradually add hot milk mixture to sugar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Place mixture in pan; cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
2. Spoon custard into a bowl; place bowl in a large ice-filled bowl for 10 minutes or until custard comes to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Remove bowl from ice. Stir in extracts; spoon mixture into prepared crust. Cover and chill 8 hours or until firm.

To make meringue:

1. Preheat broiler. Place egg whites in bowl of an electric mixer; beat on high speed until soft peaks form. Combine 2/3 cup sugar and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until candy thermometer registers 225 F (115 C). Pour hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over egg whites, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form.
2. Spread meringue over chilled pie, and sprinkle with coconut. Broil for 1 minute or until meringue is lightly browned; cool 5 minutes on a wire rack. Serve immediately.

Black-Bottom Coconut Bars

It's no secret, I want to be just like Martha Stewart! Any time I am in need of any creative inspiration, a quick brows of her website, her magazine or one of her books does the trick! So Martha gets all the credit for this recipe, however I did change it just a little bit to incorporate a bit more chocolate! This yummy creation is a cross between a brownie and a chewy coconut macaroon. Thanks Martha!
ENJOY!

Black-Bottom Coconut Bars

FOR CHOCOLATE BASE

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup flour

FOR COCONUT TOPPING

• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 2 cups shredded coconut, plus 1/4 cup reserved for sprinkling
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

For chocolate base:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with baking or parchment paper, butter bottom and sides. (I used a non-stick cooking spray and it worked just as well.) Place butter in a large microwave-safe bowl; melt in microwave. Add sugar and salt; whisk to combine. Whisk in egg, then cocoa and flour until smooth. Spread batter in prepared pan.
2. Bake just until sides begin to pull away from edges of pan, 10 to 15 minutes (do not overbake). Let cool slightly while preparing coconut topping. Keep oven on for topping.

For coconut layer:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with sugar and vanilla. Gently mix in flour and coconut (except 1/4 cup reserved for sprinkling).
2. Drop mounds of mixture over chocolate base; spread and pat in gently and evenly with moistened fingers. sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top and press gently in to the coconut mixture. Sprinkle remaining coconut evenly over the top.
3. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan, then remove and cut into bars.

Cinnamon Rolls

I sware, if these were not so time consuming to make, I would make them every day just so my house could smell like did when these were baking! Home made cinnamon rolls... does it get any better?
I made these twice in one week, but I had a very good reason. The first batch was for a breakfast/coffee tasting at work early in the week. But seeing how I didn't photograph them, I was forced to bake them a second time on Sunday! Now, I will be forced to eat them for a second time too!
They were given rave reviews by all who were lucky enough to enjoy. I, however, am quite picky when it comes to cinnamon rolls. They have to be moist. There's nothing worse than a dry, over baked cinnamon roll. It also needs to have plenty of cinnamon it. A cream cheese based icing slathered over the top doesn't hurt either. These met all of my expectations and will no doubt meet yours too!
ENJOY!

Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:

• 2 packages (3 tsp) dry, active yeast
• 1 cup warm water (43 C or 110 F)
• Tbs + 2/3 cup sugar, divided
• 1 cup warm milk
• 2/3 cup butter, melted but not hot
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 8 cups flour, sifted

Filling:

• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 Tbs cinnamon
• (optionally, you can add 2/3 cup pecans, chopped or 2/3 cup raisins)

Icing:

• 250g (3oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 icing sugar (or powdered sugar if you are in the US!)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp salt

1. To make the dough: (if you have a bread maker, you can do steps 1-2 in your bread maker on the dough setting) In a small bowl mix together the 1 Tbs sugar, warm water and yeast. Set aside for 10 mins. In a large bowl, mix milk, remaining sugar, melted butter, salt and eggs. Stir well and then add yeast mixture. Add half the flour and mix until smooth. Add the rest of the flour and mix by hand to combine. It will be sticky.
2. Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and kneed for 8-10 mins. Spray a larger bowl with nonstick cooking spray or lightly butter. Place dough in bowl, cover with cling wrap and put bowl in a warm place that is free from drafts. Let dough rise until it doubles in size, about an hour to an hour and a half.
3. Once dough has doubled, punch it down and let rest in bowl for another 5 mins. Roll out on to a lightly floured surface. Create a rectangle that is about 15 x 20 inches.
4. Spread softened butter evenly over the dough. In a bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon. Measure out 1/4 cup and set aside. Sprinkle evenly over bettered dough. If you are adding nuts or raisins, evenly spread them over the top of the cinnamon and sugar.
5. Roll dough as tightly as possible in to a lengthwise roll, sealing the ends together. Cut in to 12 to 15 slices.
6. Butter a 13x9 baking dish and sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar mixture into the bottom of the dish. Place cinnamon rolls closely together in the baking dish. Cover with cling wrap and put dish in a warm place to continue to rise for another 30-40 mins.
7. While the rolls are rising, preheat oven to 175 C (350 F.) Bake 25 mins or until golden brown.
8. To make icing, place cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until fluffy. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Add icing sugar and beat on low until combine, then increase speed to high and beat for 2 mins. Spread evenly over cinnamon rolls and ENJOY!

Bittersweet Chocolate & Caramel tart

I am a sucker for anything with caramel in it, so when I came across this recipe in the current issue of Family Circle (Australia,) I knew it needed to be featured in my blog! I have changed a few things slightly, but that's what's fun about baking... .right? I had a conversation with my sister recently about this. My sister doesn't spend a lot of time in the kitchen, but would like to. She said that she avoids cookbooks and recipes because she feels like she has to go buy a whole bunch of things when she doesn't have some ingredients. I told her not to be afraid to experiment and substitute things that she does not have. I have accidentally created some of my favourite recipes by making substitutions in recipes! For example, this tart, if you don't want to go to the effort of making the base from scratch, you could smash up chocolate cookies and mix with sugar and melted butter and get a very similar crust. Don't be afraid to experiment! Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. As long as you have fun in the kitchen, who cares?


Enjoy!

Bittersweet Chocolate & Caramel tart

For the base:

• 125 g (1/2 cup) butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flour, sifted

For the filling:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup corn syrup (or golden syrup if you are in Australia)
• 1/2 cup cream-for caramel filling
• 125 g (1/2 cup) butter, chopped
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbs vanilla
• 200g (7oz) good quality dark chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup cream-for chocolate topping

1. Preheat oven to 180 C (355 F.) Lightly grease sides of a 25cm fluted tart tin with butter.


2. To make the base of the tart, put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high until fluffy. Add cocoa and beat on low until combined. Add egg yolk and vanilla and mix until just combined. Remove bowl from mixer and and add flour, mixing by hand until dough comes together. Press the dough firmly into the bottom and sides of the tin. Prick the bottom with a fork evenly around the base and centre. Refrigerate for 10 mins or until firm.


3. Bake in the oven for 20 mins or until firm to the touch. Set aside and cool for at least 30 mins.


4. To make the caramel filling, put the sugar, water and corn syrup in a medium sauce pan. Do not stir. Cook over medium-high heat, swirling the the pan often for 15 mins or until the syrup is a deep golden color. Remove from heat. In a second sauce pan, add cream, butter, vanilla and salt. Bring to a boil and remove immediately. Add cream mixture to syrup mixture. Return to medium-high heat for 5 mins, stirring. Set aside and cool for 30 mins. then pour in to tart shell. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until caramel is set.


5. Put chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring 3/4 cup cream to a boil in a small sauce pan and immediately pour over chocolate. Do not stir. Let stand for 5 mins, then stir until smooth. Carefully pour evenly over tart and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Cut in to wedges and enjoy!

Soft Pretzels

I've had a craving for big soft pretzels recently! Now, if I were in America, I could walk in to any shopping mall and get my fix. Not so easy here in Australia! Come to think of it, I don't know if I have ever seen them here. Anyone who follows my blog may have caught on by now that some of my favorite things to bake are things that remind me of home and are harder to find here. As I write this blog entry, I am happily munching on a big soft, freshly baked pretzel with yellow mustard on it! Craving needs met! These were so much fun to make and I will defiantly make they again.
ENJOY!

Soft Pretzels

• 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• 5 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 Tablespoon of water
• 1/4 cup of coarse

• 3/4 cup baking soda
• 10 cups hot water

1. Combine the water, sugar and yeast in a bowl . Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam.
2. Sift flour and salt in to a large bowl and form a well in the center. Add oil and yeast mixture and mix together until dough forms together. (If the dough seems too dry, you can add 2 or 3 tablespoons of water.) Knead by hand for 7-8 mins (I used my stand up mixer with the hook attachment for about 5 mins and this was fine.)
3. In a large bowl, lightly coat with oil. Put dough in oiled bowl and cover completely with cling wrap. Place bowl in a warm place for about an hour or until dough has doubled in size.
4. Preheat the oven to 230 C (450 F). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly brush with oil (I found that cooking spray worked fine.)
5. Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a boil in an 8 quart pan or roasting pan.
6. Turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface (you want to avoid adding any more flour to the dough.) Divide into 8-12 pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment lined baking sheet.
7. Place the pretzels into the boiling water for 60 seconds each. Remove them from water using a large flat spatula. Return to the baking sheet.
8. Once all pretzels have been boiled, brush the top of each with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown, approximately 10 to 12 minutes.
9. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

White Chocolate Raspberry Brownies

Traditionally, a brownie with no chocolate in it is called a "Blondie," and they don't always have white chocolate in them. Some would also argue that white chocolate isn't really chocolate (although there is no cocoa in it, there is cocoa butter!) Regardless... I wanted a white chocolate brownie! There are not a lost of recipes out there for them, so this is my attempt at them. They turned out great ,nice and fudgy, just how I like my brownies. Although, next time I think I will try it with dark chocolate chips rather than the raspberries.

ENJOY!

White Chocolate Raspberry Brownies

• 6 Tablespoons (3 oz) unsalted butter
• 1 cup (8 oz) white chocolate chopped in to chunks
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup of raspberries (or dark chocolate chips)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C.) Grease and flour, or line a 9 in. pan with parchment paper.


2. Melt half of the white chocolate (1/2 cup) and butter in a double boiler over hot water on the stove. Stir until both start to melt, then remove from heat. Continue to stir until smooth, and then set aside to cook for 5 mins.


3. Beat eggs and sugar together until thick and light in color. Add melted white chocolate mixture, vanilla and flour, mix until smooth. Mix in the other 1/2 cup of white chocolate chunks by hand being careful not to over mix.


4. Spread 1/2 of the mixture in to the bottom of baking pan. Arrange raspberries evenly over the top, then spread the rest of the brownie mixture over the top.


5. Bake for 30 mins or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting in to squares.

Pear & Ginger upside-down cake

My poor little blog has been so neglected over the past month! I knew that I would have little time to bake in the month of May. Well, it's now June and I am back in to it! The weather here in Australia has continued to cool down and winter is in full swing. This means warm spiced food, slow cooker meals and comfort food! I thought I'd kick off this month with a recipe featuring my new flavour combination obsession: Pear and Ginger. How have I not discovered this sooner? These two flavours were just meant to be! This was recipe attempt number 3 with this combo. The first was a Pear, ginger and pistachio loaf. It was ok, but the loaf was not "gingery" enough. The second was a Pear and ginger muffin, but I still felt that it was missing something. This one hit the nail on the head. It's a beautiful, moist gingerbread like cake, with caramelized pears and ginger in the upside-down part. Very tasty!

Enjoy!

Pear & Ginger Upside-down cake.

• 1/2 cup butter, plus 2 Tablespoons, room temperatur
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
• 2 firm pears
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup dark molasses/treacle
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 175 C (350 F.) Line a 9-inch round cake tin with removable rim at least 2 1/2 inches tall. Line pan with a 10-inch round of cooking parchment, pressing into bottom and about 1/2 inch up sides.

2.Cut 2 tablespoons butter into chunks and drop evenly over parchment in pan bottom. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 cup brown sugar and the crystallized ginger.

3. Peel pears and cut in half lengthwise, then, slicing parallel to cut edge, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. With a small knife, cut core from each slice. Arrange slices flat, in a single layer, over sugar mixture in pan, trimming pieces as needed to fit.
4. In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves.

5. In another bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat remaining 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup brown sugar until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to medium-low and beat in molasses. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, beating until incorporated, then beat on high speed just until well blended. Pour batter over pears.

6. Bake 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on a rack about 20 minutes. Remove pan sides. Invert a platter over cake, then, holding the two together, invert again. Carefully remove pan bottom and parchment. Serve warm.

Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

I have been a bit of a slacker this week! It's been a whole week since I've done any blog baking projects. I have to apologize ahead of time for the lack of posts in the month of May. I am looking at my May calendar, and 3 days in to the month, I feel like the whole month is gone already! I have such a busy month ahead of me, including a week long trip to Sumatra! Although this is a work trip, it is an adventure at the same time... I can't wait!

It's continuing to cool down here in the mornings and evenings. I have been craving something a bit more hearty, like oatmeal. Oatmeal cookies are great because you can throw just about anything in there with them! I chose dried cranberries and white chocolate for these ones, but sometimes I will add cinnamon, chocolate, anything you want!

enjoy!

Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cup white chocolate chips
• 1 ½ cup dried cranberries
  

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with baking paper

2. In a bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, salt, white chocolate and cranberries. Stir creamed mixture into flour mixture.

3. Roll the dough into balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie with a large fork .

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Salted Caramels

I would like to introduce you to my new love... salted caramel! Now I know this is a thing that's been doing the rounds on food blogs for a while, but I am only just now jumping on the band wagon. "Salted caramel, where have you been all my life?" Caramel has always been a favorite flavour of mine, but when combined with sea salt, it takes on a whole new dimension. The perfect balance of sweet and salty!


I made two batches. The first, plain caramels cut in to 1 inch squares. The second batch, I put in to chocolate cups with pecans. Either way, these are Soooo yummy!!!
The recipe listed below is for the caramels in the chocolate cups.
Enjoy!

Salted Caramels

Ingredients

• 2 cups chocolate (use the good stuff, not baking chocolate!)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2 teaspoons sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling on top.
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup or golden syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup whole pecans

Directions

1. In a double boiler, melt 1 cup of chocolate. Carefully coat the inside of 24 patty pans, or mini cupcake papers with melted chocolate. I like to put a spoonful in the patty pan and just carefully turn it until coated. Place them in a mini cupcake tin as you go in the fridge so they harden.


2. Bring the cream, butter and sea salt to a boil in a small saucepan; remove from heat and set aside.


3. Boil the sugar, corn syrup/golden syrup, and water in a heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, without stirring but gently swirling pan; then cook without stirring until the mixture reaches 248°F (120°C


4. Carefully stir in the cream mixture—the mixture will bubble up. Simmer, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. The temperature should not go higher than 250°F(121°C)


5. Carefully spoon caramel into prepared chocolate cups, filling about 1/4 full.


6. place 1 whole pecan on top of caramel and then spoon a little more caramel over the pecan, making sure that you do not fill the caramel above the edge of the chocolate cup.


7. Melt the remainder of the chocolate and when smooth, top the caramel cups with chocolate. Gently wiggle baking tray to smooth out the top.


8. Top each cup with a small pinch of sea salt.


9. Refrigerate to harden and set the chocolate. Once set, store at room temperature.

Apple Pie

"As American as apple pie." What does that mean? I guess it really is a very "American" desert. Australian's idea of pie usually includes some type of meat, not fruit. It's been a long time since I've had apple pie. What better way to remedy my homesickness than this classic American desert?
Enjoy!


Apple Pie

Crust:

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, cut into 1 inch cubes and chilled
• 1/4 cup shortening
• chilled6-8 tbsp ice water
  

Filling:

• 6-8 apples, peeled, cored and sliced (I like a tart apple like Granny smith.)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 2 Tablespoons butter, melted

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Cut in butter and shortening with a pastry cutter until mixture is coarse and no chunks larger than a big pea remain. Add water and press dough into a ball with the palms of your hands.Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour and spices. Add apples and toss until apples are coated. Pour melted butter over the top of apples and stir until well combined. Set aside until pie crust is ready.

Divide dough in half. Place one piece between two large pieces of baking or parchment paper. This is different than the old school way of doing it where you would roll it out on a floured surface. Adding more flour to the dough may create a tougher crust and prevent it from being light and flaky. Keep rolling until the dough circle is about 1 1/2-inches wider in diameter than the rim of the pie dish (hold dish over flat crust to check size). Dough for top crust doesn't need to be quite as large, only 1/2-1 inch larger than the pie dish. Gently lay the bottom crust into the dish. Fill pie dish with apple filling. Roll the second piece of dough out like the first, but use a small cookie cutter to cut a small, simple shape out of the middle to let air escape while baking. Lay top crust on top of filling and pinch edges to seal. Bake pie at 425 F (220 C) for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F (175 C) and bake for a further 30-35 mins, or until juices are oozing from the pie’s vent. Let pie cool for at least 1 1/2 hours before slicing to allow juices to thicken and pie filling to set.

Chocolate "French" Macarons

First of all, let me start by saying I am in no way an expert on the subject of french macarons. I have never made them before and I have never even been to France. (Although it is on my list of dream destinations.) I do however have a love for baking and cooking and love a challenge in the kitchen! Rumor has it, these little suckers are hard to make and there is a science to making them. Every recipe and website has different tips and tricks for perfecting them. I took a chance and tried a simple recipe for a chocolate macaron with an espresso ganache. Now like I said before, I've never had a real one, but I have an image in my head as to what they should look and taste like, and these came pretty close to what I'd imagined! Two little pillows of crunchy, melt in your mouth meringue, with a rich dark chocolate and espresso ganache sandwiched in between. Until I make it to France to taste the real thing, this will have to do.

ENJOY! Chocolate Macarons

Macarons:

• 1 cup icing (powdered) sugar
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 3 Tablespoons coco powder
• 2 egg whites, room temperature
• 1/3 cup white sugar

Ganache:

• 1/8 cup cream
• 1 cup dark chocolate
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso

1. In a large bowl, sift together icing sugar, coco and almond meal.
2. In a separate bowl, or electric mixer, whisk egg whites until thick. Add white sugar in 2 separate parts, whisking in between each. On high, continue to whisk until very stiff peaks form.
3. Fold egg whites in to almond mixture until just combined. It's important not to over mix.
4. Fill a pastry bag with mixture. Pipe on to baking tray lined with baking paper. Form small flat circles, about 1 teaspoon, about an inch apart. Rap baking tray on the counter top a few times to flatten the macarons out slightly.
5. Bake for 12-15 mins. Remove and place on cooling racks completely.
6. To make ganache, put cream and espresso in a small pot on the stove. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add chocolate and let sit for 2 mins. Stir with a whisk until smooth.
7. Place a small amount of ganache between 2 macaroons making sure not to squish out the sides. Let set on cooling rack for at least an hour to set.

*From what I know of french macarons, these turned out ok in some ways and not in others. They tasted great and the texture was fantastic. They had the "foot" on the bottom of the macaron and did not crack during baking. They did not however have the smooth shiny finish across the top as they should have. It think this may be because I did not ground the almond meal as most recipes suggest, so that is is fine like flour rather than sand. I may have also over mixed it a bit. They also raised a bit more than they should have. I think this is because I used icing "mixture" rather than pure icing sugar. The mixture contains cornflour and may have caused it to rise a bit.

Coconut Cupcakes

I have a confession:
I LOVE CUPCAKES!

The cupcake defiantly seems to have made a comeback in recent years. From humble vanilla, to rich chocolate, the flavour possibilities are endless! I have made many cupcakes in the past few years, but this one has got to be one of my favourites!
ENJOY!

COCONUT CUPCAKES with meringue topping

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup packed sweetened shredded coconut
• 6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs plus 2 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups large-flake unsweetened coconut

Meringue topping

• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 Tablespoon coconut flavour
  

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk dry ingredients and coconut in a large bowl. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.

2 .Reduce speed to low. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with wet ingredients and ending with dry. Scrape sides of bowl. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.

3. Bake cupcakes until testers inserted into centers come out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool on cooling racks completely before topping.

4. To make meringue, whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add caster sugar and continue to whisk until shiny. Spoon meringue on top of cupcakes and use s small spatula to form peaks, or fill pastry bag fitted with a large tip to top meringue.

5. Place cupcakes in oven bake until meringues until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I have been very hesitant about posting a chocolate chip cookie recipe on my blog. I mean, anyone can make a chocolate chip cookie... right? So I went on the hunt for the world's best chocolate chip cookie recipe. I mean if I am going to post a recipe for this universally loved cookie, it's gotta be something AMAZING! I found a recipe on allrecipes.com and adapted my recipe from that. The secret ingredient, instant vanilla pudding or vanilla custard powder, keeps them moist and gives them an extra kick of vanilla. The verdict's still out for me. Sure, they were good, but not sure if I would call them "World's best." However I was told by a few people when I took them in to work that they were the best they had ever had. You try them and be the judge!
ENJOY!

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients
· 2 1/4 cup flour
· 1 teaspoons baking soda
· 1 teaspoons baking powder
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 1 cups butter, softened
· 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
· 1/4 cup white sugar
· 1 package of vanilla pudding mix or 1/3 cup vanilla custard powder
· 2 eggs
· 1 tablespoons vanilla
· 2 cups milk chocolate, chopped (I like cadbury dairy milk bar and used 2 whole blocks)

Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C.)
Line baking trays with baking paper.
Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
In another bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and sugar.
Mix in instant pudding or custard powder until blended.
Stir in eggs and vanilla.
Blend in flour and then chocolate chips.Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough on to a baking tray and bake for 10-12 mins

Vanilla bean Panna Cotta

If you haven't ever tried panna cotta before and have no idea what it is, imagine if Jello and vanilla ice cream got together and had babies! It's wiggles like Jello, but melts in your mouth like creamy vanilla ice cream.
You can splurge and split a real vanilla bean, or you can use vanilla bean paste... my newest and greatest find! It's all of the thousands of tiny little seeds already scraped out of the vanilla pod. One little teaspoon is equivalent to one whole vanilla bean!
ENJOY!*** Note *** although this turned out soooo yummy, for some reason all of the vanilla seeds sunk to the bottom. Does anyone know why this happened or how to prevent it? Maybe something to do with using skim milk rather than whole?

Vanilla bean panna cotta

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 1 1/2 cups (375ml) cream


• 1 1/2 cups (375ml) milk


• 1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste


• 1/2 cup (115g) caster sugar


• 2 1/2 tsp gelatin powder


• fresh berries to serve

Place the cream and milk in a saucepan. Use a small sharp knife to split the vanilla bean lengthwise, then scrape the seeds from inside the bean. Add the seeds and bean to the saucepan. (or 1 tsp of vanilla bean paste) Slowly bring to the boil over a medium heat. Remove from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes.
Discard bean from cream mixture. Add sugar and return to a low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until sugar dissolves.
Place 2 tbs of boiling water in a small heatproof bowl. Sprinkle over gelatin. Bring a small saucepan of water to boil. Remove from heat. Sit the bowl of gelatin in the water and stir until dissolved. Cool slightly, then stir into the cream mixture.
Lightly oil 6 x 1/2 cup (125ml) panna cotta moulds or ramekins. Place on a tray and pour in cream mixture. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
To serve, break the seal by inserting a small knife between the panna cotta and the mould. Turn onto a serving plate and shake to release. Serve dish with fresh berries.

Baileys fudge

Fudge... mmm... Baileys... mmm... BAILEYS FUDGE...MMM!!! I haven't had a lot of experience making candy, but I have had a wee bit of experience eating it! I came across this recipe in Marie Claire magazine and couldn't resist!
ENJOY!Baileys Fudge

• 150ml (3/4 cup) Baileys
• 50ml (3 Tablespoons) milk
• 30g (2 Tablespoons) butter
• 350g (1 1/2 cup) sugar
• 300g (1 1/3 cup) white chocolate
• Butter for greasing
  

Grease a cake tin with butter or line with baking paper. Chop white chocolate into small pieces.
Measure out 125ml of Baileys and pour into a saucepan. Add the milk, butter and sugar, and put the pan over a low heat. Stir occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved and the butter melted.
Turn up the heat to medium and let the mixture gently simmer while stirring constantly. Leave the mixture to bubble slightly for 10 minutes. This is important because it it does not reach 238 F (114C) the fudge may not set.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in chopped-up chocolate and last 25ml of Baileys. Keep stirring until the chocolate has melted and you have a smooth consistency.
Transfer to the tin and chill in the fridge for at least two hours, or until it has set completely.
Remove from the fridge, cut into pieces and enjoy!

Snickerdoodle Cookies

This is an oldie, but a goodie! Snickerdoodle cookies were the very first ever thing I have memory of baking. Junior high school home ec. class! Simple, yet tasty... with a fun name!


ENJOY!

SNICKERDOODLE COOKIE

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.
3. Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
4. Bake 6 to 8 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets and cool on cooling racks.

Sticky date muffins

I'll admit, until a few years ago, dates made me think of old people... I don't know, something about dried up little pieces of fruit. As a kid, the only time I would see dates were at Christmas in dried fruit baskets that no one wanted to eat. Then a few years ago I was introduced to the wonderfulness that is STICKY DATE PUDDING! Not the pudding I grew up eating (like custard here in this part of the world,) but a soft, sort of dense cake, with a sticky caramel sauce over the top! Mmmm... I sort of played with the idea of creating a muffin version of this, one of my favourite deserts. I wasn't quite sure how this would turn out, but was pleasantly surprised how fast the dozen disappeared! I will definitely be making these again!

ENJOY!

Sticky date muffins

Ingredients:

• 250 grams (2 cups) pitted dates, chopped
• 1 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 80 grams (1/3 cup) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups flour, sifted

caramel glaze

• 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/4 cup cream
• 80 grams (1/3 cup) butter
• 1/2 cup icing (powdered) sugar

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F.) Place 12 large paper muffin liners in muffin tray. In a medium bowl, dissolve baking soda in boiling water then add chopped dates. Let sit until room temperature.

Mix butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and mix well. Stir in cinnamon, vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Fold in butter/sugar mixture and dates.

Pour in to muffin liners and bake for 2o mins of until golden brown on top.

To make caramel glaze, put all ingredients in a small sauce pan and simmer while stirring for 3 to 4 minuets. Drizzle over muffins and let cool.

Blueberry crumb bar

Ok, I have a confession... This was the first time I have ever baked with Blueberries! After tasting these, I can tell you that I will for sure be using them again in the future!

Enjoy!

Ingredients

base and crumble:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup cold butter (2 sticks)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:

• Juice of one lemon
• 4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoon cornstarch (cornflour)

Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan or baking dish.
In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, salt and baking powder. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Press half of dough into baking dish, firmly with hands.
In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Spread blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the top or blueberries.
Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Pear Crumble

Autumn is knocking on our door here in Australia! Mornings and evenings are getting a little chilly. This fueled my need for a warm treat. I bought these cute little ramekins this week and could not wait to do little cobblers, crisps and crumbles in them! At the market, these big beautiful pears caught my eye and I knew that was it! This is the easiest recipe, and even if you can't bake ofrcook, you can do this. And even better yet, it only takes about 20 mins from start to finish!

ENJOY!

Pear crumble

Ingredients

filling:

• 6 large pears (it's ok if they are firmer than you would eat them raw)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup of brown sugar

Crumble topping:

• 2 Tablespoons cold butter
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup oats (optional)

Preheat oven to 200 C (390 F). Peel and core pears, then slice in to small wedges. Melt butter in large pot on stove, then add pears. Put brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla over the top of the pears and cover with out stirring. Reduce heat to medium and leave covered for 2 mins, then stir and recover. Leave on stove for 10-15 mins (until pears are soft and tender) , stirring occasionally to mix caramelized mixture into pears. Divide pears evenly into 6 small ramekins or one 9 inch baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine cold butter, flour, brown sugar and oats. With a pastry cutter of fork, chop at it until crumble mixture is the size of peas. Sprinkle over the top of the pears. Bake for 10 mins or until crumble turns golden brown.

This recipe is sooooo easy... and fast! Top it in with some vanilla ice cream and you're good to go!

Spiced Almond Biscotti

I guess you could say I have a slight "thing" for coffee. I've worked for a major, globally known coffee company for the last 10 years. So in looking for my next baking project, I set out for something to go with my favourite coffee. What better accompaniment is there to go with a steaming cup of joe than a nice crisp piece of biccotti. Biscotti are twice baked, Italian cookies that have warm, rich flavours in them that compliment coffee well. This particular biscotti is spicy, nutty and not too sweet. Perfect for dipping!


ENJOY!

Spiced almond biscotti

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup molasses (or treacle if you are in Aus)
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup almonds, chopped
• 1 cup white chocolate for drizzling

Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C) degrees. Beat together butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs. When combined, blend in the molasses. In a large bowl, sift together flour and all. Add butter and sugar mixture to flour mixture along with nuts and mix until combined well. Divide the dough in half and turn onto a lightly greased baking sheet. With greased hands, shape each half into a log approximately 3 or 4 inches wide and 1 inch high. Make sure the logs are at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven. Reduce heat to 300 F (150 C) degrees. Cool Biscotti for 10 minutes then remove them from the pan and place them on a cutting board.Carefully cut each log into 1/2 inch slices. Place the slices back on the baking sheet, cut side down.Place the baking sheet back in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.Remove the pan from the oven, turn the biscotti over and bake for an additional 10 minutes on the other side.Remove from oven and let cool.When the cookies are cool, melt white chocolate. When the chocolate is smooth place it in a ziploc sandwich bag and seal the bag shut. Squeeze the chocolate into a lower corner and snip 1/8 - 1/4 inch from the corner of the bag. Squeeze the chocolate out onto the cookies in a zigzag motion for decoration.

Coconut Macaroons

I will never be able to think of coconuts without comical images of my Dad, ever again! Last year when he came to visit us in Australia, we took a side trip up to Carins. The excitement and determination on his face while trying to open this coconut with a rock on the beach was hilarious! He was soooo proud of himself when he finally got it open. We all gnawed on a piece of it while while strolling down the beach that afternoon. I'll always remember that trip and that coconut!

ENJOY!

Coconut macaroons

• 3 cups shredded coconut


• 4 egg whites, room temperature


• 1/4 tsp salt


• 1 cup caster (superfine) sugar


• 2 tsp vanilla essence


• ½ tsp cream of tartar
• 1 /2 cup dark chocolate
  

Macaroons:

1. Preheat oven to 170°C (335°F). Line 3 large baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Spread the coconut over 2 of the trays and cook in preheated oven, tossing occasionally, for 3-4 minutes or until lightly toasted.

2. Use electric beaters or mixer to whisk the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt together in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Add the sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking after each addition. Whisk for a further 2 minutes or until mixture is thick and glossy.

3. Add the vanilla essence and whisk to combine. Add the toasted coconut and use a large spatula or spoon to fold in until just combined.

4. Spoon tablespoonful of mixture onto lined trays, leaving about 2cm between each. Bake in preheated oven, swapping trays halfway through cooking, for 12-15 minutes or until light golden and firm. Set aside for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

5. Fill a pan half way with water and bring to a boil. In a heat proof bowl, set over boiling water and turn off heat. Let stand for 2 mins and stir until smooth. with a spoon, dip in chocolate and drizzle back and forth over macaroons.