Nutella Strawberry Shortcake

This is another great idea to celebrate Valentine's Day. As my family doesn't like cake decorated with whipped cream a lot. I choose to ice the cake with nutella and serve it with ice-cream. It could be one of the last minute dessert that looks like a lot of work has been done!

Nutella Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients:
60g butter
2 tablespoons caster sugar
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup Lighthouse low-protein self-raising flour
1/3 cup milk
1 punnet strawberry
nutella
icing sugar for dusting

Method:

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add egg yolks and beat well.  Add in sifted raising flour and milk until well mixed.
2. Press dough into a lightly greased 20cm sandwich tin, bake in 180c for 15-20 minutes.
3. Remove cake from tin and cool slightly. Spread with nutella and decorate with strawberries. Serve with cream or ice-cream.

Oreo Cream Cheese Slices for Valentine's Day

There was a plan before making these yummy slices as Oreo usually doesn't last long in my pantry.  I bought two packets and hid them in a special corner until they were really to be used.  As you may know, none of my family like cheesecake and I am taking the risk of eating them all by myself.  But I have found my lovely son to be my Valentine to share them with me. What a joy!

Happy Valentine's Day! XO

Oreo Cream Cheese Slices

Ingredients:

For the base:
200g oreo cream biscuits
50g-60g butter, melted

For the filling:
150g oreo cream biscuits
250g cream cheese
65g sugar
300ml thickened cream, whipped
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 teaspoons gelatine

2 tablespoons of boiling water

For the decoration:
12 mini oreo cream biscuits
Method:

1. Prepare a slice pan and lined with baking paper.
2. Put the biscuits into the blender and blend till crumble. Add in butter and mix till moist. Press and spread the biscuits crumb into the pan and put into the fridge for at least half an hour.
3. Dissolve gelatine with boiling water. Beat cream cheese with sugar, then add the vanilla essence, gelatine solution and whipped cream. Fold till all ingredients mixed well. Finally add the coarsely blended biscuits.
4. Spread the filling over the base and chill for 3 hours before cutting into slices and decorated with mini oreo.

Strawberry Smoothie and Raw Cacao Hot Chocolate (Dairy Free)

These are the cold and warm beverages that I make up using almond butter from my previous post. My daughter is the advocate to try out my new beverage recipes.  I have been giving this strawberry smoothie to her every morning during her exam period to boost up her immune system.  While my husband and my son both get sick from the cold, she has been strong sailing through her study.

I love the raw cacao hot chocolate during cold winter days.  The almond butter has given it an extra creamy texture. I prefer to add raw sugar than honey as raw sugar make it tastes closer to the traditional hot chocolate.  After traveling to France and drinking hot chocolate from a soup bowl, my daughter prefers the traditional hot chocolate than the raw cacao one.  Surely, I understand the reason, it is very hard to beat the taste of traditional hot chocolate!

Spring is already arrived and school holiday is commencing, life is good!

Strawberry Smoothie
(serve 1)

10 small or 5 large strawberries
1 heap teaspoon chia seeds
1 small banana
1 cup sweetened almond milk
1 heap teaspoon almond butter

Put all ingredients into the blender and blend till smooth. Enjoy!

Note: You can add half of a mango and a small handful of blueberries to enhance the flavour

Raw Cacao Hot Chocolate
(serve 1)

1 cup sweetened almond milk
1 heap teaspoon raw cacao powder
1 teaspoon raw sugar or honey
1 heap teaspoon almond butter
a little cold water

Put the cacao powder, sugar and almond butter into a glass, make a smooth paste with a little water.  Heat up milk in a saucepan and pour over the mixture.

Alternatively, you can froth the milk and pour over the mixture. Enjoy!

Happy Father's Day - Espresso Brownie Cupcakes

This is the second time I make these cupcakes, my family likes the strong flavour of these cakes. My husband reckons anyone like coffee would like them. It's very muddy and bitterly kind if chocolate taste so I would recommend to serve it with some fresh cream or/and ice-cream with strawberries.

This Sunday is Father's Day in Australia, why not show your appreciation to bake your dad a sweet treat instead of buying him a box of chocolate? It's also the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival) on Monday, this is a great weekend to have a family gathering.

Happy Father's Day!

Espresso Brownie Cupcakes
(make 12)

180g dark cooking chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons instant coffee powder
1 tablespoon hot water
1/4 cup milk
3 eggs
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons caster sugar

Chocolate ganache:
100g dark cooking chocolate
1/2 cup thicken cream
1 teaspoon Kahlua (optional)

Decoration:
white chocolate, melted
thickened cream, whipped + sweetened with a little icing sugar
strawberries
ice-cream

Method:

1. Melt chocolate with a double boiler with hot water. Leave cool a little.
2. Mix the coffee powder with hot water then mix all the wet ingredients into a mixing bowl and shift the dry ingredients into another mixing bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold till the mixture is incorporated.
3. Spoon the batter into a paper lined 12 holds muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 160c.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the ganache, melt chocolate in a double boiler with hot water then stir in the cream and liquor. Put the ganache into the fridge until it is spreadable. Spread over to the cool cupcakes.
5. Decoration: grease a foil with a little old, put the melted white chocolate into a zip bag. Cut a little corner and pipe the chocolate into the foil with a desirable pattern.  Cool into fridge before peeling it out.
6. Take the paper out from the cupcake. Put a halved strawberry over the cake with a white chocolate swirl, serve with more strawberries, whipped cream and ice-cream.

White Chocolate & Raspberry Blondies

After my guest post of white chocolate & raspberries muffins, it reminds me that this blondies recipe has been bookmarked for a long time and it's about time to review it.

Blondies is the white version of brownies, my favourite is the nutella chocolate brownies. Unlike a lot of people, I prefer my brownies using less oil and well cooked rather than the fudgy one.

This blondies is rich in butter taste and I like the raspberries puree which is much better than just putting in whole raspberries into the mixture so the blondies don't get too soggy.

What's your favourite brownies or blondies?

White Chocolate & Raspberry Blondies

60g raspberries
1/2 cup caster sugar
150g butter, chopped
250g white chocolate, chopped
3 eggs, beaten
1 2/3 cup plain flour ( I use 1 cup plain flour and 2/3 cup self raising)
1 teaspoon baking powder

Method:

1. Pre heat oven at 180c. Combine raspberries with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a saucepan over low heat. Leave cool a little and blend till puree formed.
2. Place butter and 200g chocolate and melt in a double boiler. Leave cool.
3. Whisk eggs and remaining sugar into a mixing bowl. Sift in flour and baking powder.  Stir in chocolate mixture and 50g white chocolate. Spoon into a lamington pan (I put into a square pan)
4. Drizzle over the puree and make a swirl with a skewer or knife.
5. I bake it for 35 minutes.  The recipe stated for 20 minutes and cool in fridge, please check the source from down below if required.
6. Cool in pan before cutting into pieces.

Source: adopted and modified from Delicious magazine through taste.com http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/28629/raspberry+white+chocolate+blondies

Guest post to celebrate 4 years of blogging and reaching 200 posts - the Best Raspberry & White Chocolate Muffins

My dear friends, I am so happy that this blog has reached its milestones of 4 years with 200 posts.  This blog helps me to recover from my illness and I feel so grateful to be able to enjoy everyday of my life with great food, great love and great laugh!

These raspberry & white choc muffins were baked by my friend, Andi during the school holiday while our boys were making lots of noise playing their ukuleles at her place. Andi has such a crafty talent and her cooking is packed with flavour. She introduces me to the roasted capsicum and pumpkin soup that is truly a great winter warmer. There are so many raspberry & white choc muffins recipes and this recipe is by far the best, the muffins are so moist and dense with flavour. So if she is making more next time, I'll bring a container to take some home before they disappeared!

Here is Andi's thought sharing her muffins and I hope you enjoy reading this blog and have a wonderful day!

A friend of mine has popular coffee shop and bakes fresh batches of muffins each morning upon opening.  The smell as they're baking is amazing, customers flock for these yummy muffins!  Her basic muffin recipe is fool-proof and you add a handful of fruit and a handful of chocolate.  Our family favourite is the Raspberry and White Chocolate muffins and they soon disappear after coming out of the oven!  You can also do a blueberry and dark chocolate muffin which is pretty good too.  If you're quick you maybe able to stash some in the freezer for school or work- they make a wonderful treat.  My son especially enjoys them!  The balance of the sweet chocolate against the tart raspberries is just divine.  Just a hint not to break up the chocolate too small, it'll melt and disappear.  Lindt chocolate or a quality chocolate is also recommended.  It holds it's shape better and who can argue with the taste!  Please enjoy and I'm sure these will become a family favourite.

Raspberry & White Chocolate Muffins
(makes 6 extra large and 12 smaller muffins)

Ingredients:
300g self raising flour
125g castor sugar
300ml buttermilk
200ml oil
2 beaten eggs
1 block of white chocolate, broken up
handful of fresh/frozen raspberries

White chocolate butter icing:
100g softened unsalted butter
100g white chocolate
dash milk
100-150g icing sugar

Method:

1. Combine dry ingredients in bowl and make a well.
2. Add all other wet ingredients and stir until combined.
3. Add chocolate and raspberries (be gentle)
4. Put into lined muffin tray.
5. Bake 18-20 minutes at 180c oven until springback or skewer comes out clean.
6. For the icing: melt white chocolate with dash of milk until just melted. Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add icing sugar and melted chocolate. Spread or pipe onto cooled muffins.

Chocolate Bliss Balls

These bliss balls are packed with nutritions and I can pop three or four into my mouth without guilt.  And yet, they are so easy to make, just blend everything and roll it into the coconut.  It keeps very well for a few days.

Chocolate Bliss Balls
(make about 18-20)

Ingredients:

1 cup medjool dates, pitted
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup organic cacao powder
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon organic extra virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon goji berries
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
desiccated coconut for coating

1. Blend almonds and walnuts until starting to become paste, add chopped date, cacao power, chai seeds, salt and coconut oil.  
2. Blend until it becomes sticky to shape.  Put into a bowl, add goji berries. 
3. Use hand to shape into ball shape, roll into coconut.

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Red Kidney Beans

The first question my kids asked after seeing this cake is, "Mum, what's that? It's so dark!" I just told them that it was a chocolate cake. I'd probably told them half of the truth and it's only my "not so liked bean's son" had the dare to try it even he knew it wasn't an ordinary chocolate cake. After taking one piece of it, he went straight for something else in the pantry and never touch the cake again!

However, my husband thinks this is a really nice cake, so moist and soft.  He urges me to share it so there you are, a flourless chocolate cake with red kidney beans.  Before I bake it, I don't know what to expect as I rarely bake cake without flour but I am pleased with the texture of the cake, and the taste of beans mixed with the cocoa powder, it's a bit liked those Japanese cake made with aduki beans. Maybe next time, I will ice it with some maccha (green tea) flavoured cream and that may make the cake more presentable!

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Red Kidney Beans

Ingredients:

1 can (410g) of Red Kidney Beans
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
100g butter, soften
150g caster sugar
60g cocoa powder
2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda bicarbonate
4 eggs

Method:

1. Preheat oven at 170c. Line a round cake tin with baking paper.
2. Drain and rinse the beans. Process the beans with water, vanilla and 1 egg in a blender until smooth. Set aside.
3. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy, add eggs and bean mixture. Stir well. then finally add the sifted dry ingredients.
4. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the skewer come out clean after inserting into the cake.

Easter treats with Choc-Peanut Tartlets and Salted Caramel Tart

How can you celebrate Easter without chocolate? Here are two very simple and easy tartlets and tart that may make the preparation of Easter much easier for you.  

This year my daughter will be having Easter in France and I'm going to miss her very much. My son may feel happy that he can get all the Easter eggs but she reckons she would get better chocolate eggs in France. My little girl is growing up as a young lady, learning to drive, to be independent, to achieve her best in life.  I'm missing the fun time when the kids believed in Easter Bunny and got so excited on Easter Sunday for the Easter eggs hunt!  However, the big kids still love Easter eggs and chocolate treats for Easter!

Have a happy Easter and enjoy a great time with your family! 

Choc-Peanut Tartlets

Ingredients:
frozen tartlet cases
peanut butter
dark cooking chocolate and white chocolate
100 & 1000 sprinkles and Easter eggs

Methods:
Bake the tartlet cases followed by the instruction of the package.  Spoon in peanut butter into the cases and then toped with melted chocolate, decorated with sprinkles or Easter eggs.

Salted Caramel Tart

Ingredients:
1 frozen tart case
1/4 cup caster sugar
25ml water + extra 2 tablespoons water
25g butter
1/2 can of 397ml condensed milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
almond flakes for decoration
melted chocolate for decoration

Method:

1. Bake the tart case followed by the instruction of the package.
2. Meanwhile, place sugar and 25ml water into a small saucepan, boil till sugar dissolved.
3. Bring to boil till dark golden colour, remove from heat and add the extra 2 tablespoons. The mixture is very hot, watch out for spit!
4. Then add butter to the caramel followed by condensed milk and salt. Return to heat till boil. Let cool before fill into the case.
5. Decoration the cake with melted chocolate and almond.

Chocolate Chia Seeds Cupcake (Gluten Free)

Chia seeds has been regarded as a superfood with its nutrients value.  It was introduced by one of my friend and she asked me to put it into drinking water and consume it daily for well being.  I have been trying to find out more use with this little seeds by adding it to smoothies, salad and cereal. Last week I celebrated with my girl friends for finishing my chemo and I ordered a chocolate chia seeds cake which was quite delicious! When I got home, I got onto the computer to search for a recipe straight away.  These days I don't bake very often for trying to cut down sweet food and have more veggie and fruit for good health. But sweet food makes you happy and it is OK to have a once in a while!

These cupcakes taste quite different with the cinnamon added to the chocolate.  If you have had many chocolate cake and prefer something special, you may like this recipe. The cake is moist and strong in chocolate taste and not too sweet.  This is my first baking for gluten free cake and I'm very please with the result!

Chocolate Chai Seeds Cupcake
(make 10)

Ingredients:
5 eggs
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup raw sugar (3/4 cup if you want it sweeter)
2 heaps tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons chia seeds
pinch of salt

Chocolate frosting:
1/2 cup dark choc chips
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon coconut oil
few drops of vanilla essence
2 heaps tablespoons icing sugar

Methods:

1. Soak chia seeds with 1 cup of water for 15 minutes then drain.
2. Beaten eggs with oil, sugar and honey in a mixing bowl until well mixed.  Sift in almond meal, cocoa powder, bicarbonate soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir well, then add the soaked chia seeds. Mix sell.
3. Divide the mixture into a muffin pan, lined with muffin case. Fill the unused muffin holes with water to ensure even heating for baking. Bake for 20 minutes at 180c.
4. For the frosting: microwave the choc chips, milk and coconut oil in medium heat at 20 seconds, then 30 seconds until the chocolate melted. Add in vanilla essence and sifted icing sugar. Mix well, then place into the fridge to harden the frosting until it is spreadable.

Chocolate & Salted Caramel Heart-shaped Tart and a Speedy Recovery

My dear friend, I will be starting my 6 months of chemo treatment in 2 days time.  After the surgery, the doctor told me that I had cancer and instantly my body kept shaking even my mind was very clear, thinking how should I deal with this trauma again.  Having had two cancers within three years were not easy to handle. The doctor had been telling us good news all the way until the pathology report had been given.  Those two weeks before and after the surgery were so stressful, worrying that I could be sick again.  I did not know how to tell my husband as I knew he would be very disappointed as he said to me, "Aren't you suffering enough?" I was liked a child telling the doctor that I'd been good all these years and wonder if I could live till 50 years old seeing my kids become adult.  It was a comfort that he said he'd seen a lot of patient like me and they were all well.  I'm grateful that out of this bad luck, my survival chance is still very high. Just because I care of my health and I find this cancer early to save myself.  So here I'm, ready for another battle and learn to be a healthier and happier person.

During the recovery time, many people came to visit me, giving me flowers and leaving comments at this blog.  I could see the love and care from those kind-hearted people. (especially to you, Delynne if you're reading, my friend) I became a more relaxed person and what I really enjoy was to have a good family time watching TV together, waiting my husband came home from work and sat besides him for dinner.  I don't dream about holidays or luxury things as I treasure every moment I'd with my family and live the way as simple as I can.  I hope this type of stress free lifestyle could make me cancer free. I went to see a doctor last week and my blood test show that my health is at it best for years, so thanks for the good diet and stress-free mind!

I made this chocolate tart before I had the surgery.  I decided to have sweet food only for birthdays to maintain a healthier lifestyle. I leave the baking to my children if they want to have some cakes or cookies.  Now I meditate, read books, pray and exercise.

It's a six years of promise for me to make something chocolate out of the BBC magazine for my husband.  He probably has forget about it but I haven't!  When I tidy up my pile of food magazines, this little chocolate recipes book catches my attention and I decide it's time to make my promise!

I haven't made pastry for a while and winter is the best time to make it as the cold weather helps to keep the pastry in shape.  It needs a bit of patience to make the salted caramel as it takes a full attention to keep stirring and waiting for it to thicken. I use less salt for the caramel as I have been using salted butter for the pastry and the chocolate filling. The pastry is crispy and the chocolate custard filling is not too sweet, not over powering the sweetness from the caramel.  It gets too sweet if you add loads of ice-cream as my family do, I prefer to have it with just a little bit of ice-cream or some fresh cream.

I guess it's not too late to make my promise after six years of waiting! And thanks again for those supportive comments and the new likes at my facebook page!

Chocolate & Salted Caramel Tart
(make 6 small or 1x 20cm tart)

Ingredients:

For the pastry:
1 1/3 cups plain flour
2 tablespoons caster sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
100g unsalted butter, cubed (I use salted)
3 egg yolks
2 drops of vanilla extract

For the salt caramel base:
1 cup caster sugar
125g salted butter
1/3 cup thicken cream
1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes (I use 1/3)

For the chocolate filling:
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
100g milk chocolate button
75g unsalted butter (I use salted)

Methods:

1. Place the flour, sugar and cocoa in a food processor and process until combined.
2. Add butter, eggs and vanilla into the dry ingredients and process in a pulse motion until the mixture form a dough.  Shape the dough into a ball and flatten into a disc shape.  Wrap with cling wrap and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.
3. Meanwhile, make the salted caramel.  Boil sugar and water in a pan on low heat until sugar dissolves.  Stir in butter, turn on heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes, (it takes me longer than that, about double of the time) stirring occasionally until it turns to caramel colour.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in half of the cream.  When the mixture stops bubbling, stir in remaining cream and sea salt. Let it cool.
5. Take the dough out from the fridge.  Divide into 6 equal portions.  Roll out pastry and press onto the tart tins. Chill for another 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, make the chocolate filling. beat the sugar, egg and egg yolk in a mixing bowl until thick and pale. Melt the chocolate and butter in microwave at medium heat for 30 seconds, then another 20 seconds until they are melted, stir to smooth out the mixture.
7. Preheat the oven at 200c (180c fan-forced), line pastry with baking paper filled with ceramic beans.  Baked blind for 12 minutes.
8. Spread 1 tablespoon of caramel sauce over each pastry base, spoon about 3-4 tablespoons of chocolate mixture evenly on top. (I only use half of the caramel and use the other half for ice-cream topping) Bake for another 12 minutes or until the chocolate topping is set, firm to touch. (It takes me longer than 12 minutes) Let cool, remove from the tins and serve with ice-cream and extra caramel sauce.    

Adopted and modified from BBC Australian Good Food Chocolate Classics, August 2009.

An Unexpected Health Issue and 3 Years of Blogging - Devil's Food Cake II

My dear friend, I'm afraid I have to leave you for a while as I am going to have an unexpected surgery tomorrow that require a period of resting.  It had been 3 years since I had my last surgery.  I am afraid to go to the hospital again but it is important for me to maintain good health to live in this beautiful world.  Let's hope everything goes well!

I am excited that I'm reaching my 3rd year of blogging at the end of July! I have never stay in a hobby for that long and you can see how much I love spending my time in the kitchen. I am pleased that I've learned from you, not only about food, it's all about sharing love and experiences.

I made the strawberry devils food cake for my son's birthday last year.  Then I find this recipe at the back of the flour packet with the name as "indulgent chocolate fudge cake" which is very similar to the recipe of devil's food cake using bicarbonate soda and milk.  It's the best ever rich chocolate cake so far judged by my husband, he actually ate two big slices in one go, very naughty! I guess we should act like a devil sometimes!

For the left-over cake, simply heat up in the microwave, the ganache melted to be a fudge topping, serve with some ice-cream will be a great winter dessert. I'll recommend using Lighthouse's self-raising flour and Cadbury's cocoa for the recipe, they work well together and the cake is moist and soft!

See you soon, good health to you all!

Devil's Food Cake II

Ingredients:
1 cup Lighthouse cake & biscuit self raising flour
1 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup Cadbury Bournville cocoa
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
120g dark chocolate
200 butter, diced
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk

Chocolate Ganache:
150g milk chocolate
25g dark chocolate
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon thicken cream

Methods:

1. Preheat oven to 170c (150c fan-forced), line a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa and bicarbonate soda into a mixing bowl until mixed through. 
3. Melted butter and chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water.  Let cool slightly.
4. Add the eggs, milk and chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir till well combined.  Pour the cake batter into the cake tin and bake for 40 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean after inserting into the cake.  Let the cake cool for a few minutes in the tin before transferring to a wire rack.
5. To make the ganache: add chocolate and cream in a double boiler over simmering water until smooth.  Cool the chocolate mixture into the fridge until it becomes thick and spreadable.
6. Decorate the chocolate cake with the ganache.

Easter Bunny Popsticks

There is only a week away from Easter, this year I'm making chocolate bunny to give to people instead of store brought Easter eggs.  I found this "Make your own Easter Gifts" pack from IGA supermarket at $10.  It includes all the things you needed to make 12 chocolate bunnies.  I buy more chocolate melts and have been making many bunnies (I do lost count how many I've made as I eat some along the way...)

I have been experiment different flavour, and I like the Hundred & Thousand Bunny and Milk top bunny the most.  The pure white choc bunny takes longer time to set and it doesn't keep well at room temperature.  It would be great to have more mould so it would take me faster to do the job.  I found that reheating the melted chocolate is not good, so I put the extra chocolate into other chocolate mould to make something else rather than washing if off.  In my first lot of chocolate, I forget to press medium on the microwave and burn my chocolate so please be careful and never overheat the chocolate!

Aren't those bunnies adorable?  They're so easy to make and you should try it!

Happy Easter!

Easter Bunny Popsticks
(make 4 each)

For the milk chocolate bunny:
120g milk chocolate
Hundred & Thousand sprinkles

For the milk top bunny:
30g white chocolate
90g milk chocolate

Method:

1. Wipe the mould clean with paper. 
2. Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl on medium heat for 1 minute, then 30 second on medium heat until the chocolate is all melted. 
3. Use a spoon to spoon chocolate into each mould until half full.  Place a popstick into each mould, then tap onto the table to ease the air.  Fill with more chocolate and tap again.  Don't over fill and top with hundred & thousand sprinkles.  Wipe clean and put into fridge for 15 minutes or until set.  
4. For the milk top bunny: melt white chocolate on medium heat until melted.  Spoon chocolate into mould, tap off air and then put into fridge to set.  Meanwhile, melt the milk chocolate on medium heat and lay a popstick into each mould.  Spoon the milk chocolate over the milk chocolate and keep in the fridge for about an hour or until set.

White Chocolate Fairy Cupcakes

Princesses and fairies, didn't we grown up from these lovely imagination?  When my daughter was little, she would wear her princess dress and crown to the shopping centre.  Everyone would waved at my little SnowWhite.  Her dress up box were filled with costumes, fairy wands and wings.  When her little friends came over for a play, they all dress up and became princesses or fairies from the far far away land.

I also become the fairy, the tooth fairy when my kids lose their baby teeth.  Kids wake up in the morning would find their teeth replaced by gold coins.  One time, my daughter lost her tooth into the drain while brushing her teeth. We wrote a little note to the tooth fairy to explain everything and luckily she found it and a gold coin was rewarded.  I often told them to brush their teeth probably because bad teeth would be taken by goblins.  I would soon retired from being the tooth fairy as my daughter had grown up and my son only has a few teeth to lose.  However,  I probably will be the Easter buddy and Mrs Santa for a long  time.

This white chocolate fairy cupcake had brought back many sweet memories to me..... and I made them for one of our staff's birthday because she had been a sweetheart to us.


White Chocolate Fairy Cupcakes
(make 12)

125g butter, softened
125g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
125g self-raising flour
75g white choc chips
1 tablespoon milk

Topping and filling:
strawberry jam
thickened cream, whipped
strawberries, halves
edible glitter
mini sugared love hearts

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190c. Place paper cases into a 12 hole muffin tin.
2. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add beaten eggs and vanilla essence until well mix.
3. Add in sifted flour and fold it into the mixture, stir in white choc chips. Add a tablespoon of milk or a little more to make a soft, dropping mixture.
4. Spoon the mixture into muffin cases until 2/3 full.  Bake for 15 minutes or until a light golden brown.
5. Cool in wire-rack.  When the cake is completely cooled, use a knife to cut along the top of the cake, take the top out and fill the inside with strawberry jam and cover the top.
6. Pipe the cream onto the cake starting from the side of the cake, topped with strawberries or love hearts, then sprinkle with glitter. Magic may be coming on its way!

Strawberry Devil's Food Cake

It has been two years since I decide to bake birthday cake for my family.  I really regret that I do not make cakes for my kids' first birthday and all these years relying on buying cakes from the store.  Cakes from the bakery may taste better or look nicer, however home bake cake is always special that you make it with your heart! Don't you agree!

I have been longed to make Devil's food cake so I take the chance to make it for my son's birthday as chocolate is his favourite! He also love strawberries and it is such a good match to the chocolate.

The name of angle food cake comes from the white colour from the egg white while devil's food cake comes from the dark colour from the chocolate.  It is interchangeable with rich chocolate cake, the only different is that it is made with soda bicarbonate and water (my recipe used soda bicarbonate and milk) Originally it is made with grated beetroot to get the red colour so some recipes would add in red colouring as well.  So it is quite liked the red velvet cake with dark frosting!

My kids has started the summer holiday and we'll be going to Sydney for a wedding next week!  I'm so looking forward for a break!!


Strawberry Devil's Food Cake

90g dark cooking chocolate
115g unsalted butter
90g dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup
175g plain flour
25g cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
90ml milk

For the icing:
150ml milk
100g caster sugar
60g dark chocolate
60g butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
fresh strawberries and chocolate flakes

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170c and paper-lined a 20cm round cake pan.
2. Melt butter, chocolate, sugar and syrup in pan, let it cool aside.
3. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl, then add the chocolate mixture, stir in beaten eggs, vanilla essence and milk.  Mix well.
4. Bake 30-35 mins or until the skewer comes out clean after inserting. Cool cake at the cake wire.
5. For the icing: boil milk and sugar until syrupy, it will look like thinned condensed milk.  Do not stir once the sugar is dissolved. Remove from pan and stir in chocolate, butter and vanilla essence.  Beat until thick, keep the icing mixture into the fridge until spreadable.
6. To Deco the cake: cool cake completely, spilt the cake into half horizontally. Spread 1/3 of the icing on the top of the first layer, then lay around with sliced strawberry.  Top with another layer and spread the rest of the icing on the top and side of the cake.  Sprinkle some chocolate flakes over and deco with some fresh strawberries in the middle.  Keep cake in fridge till the icing is settled.

Source: Adopted and modified from the cookbook "Easy Baking - Cakes, biscuits, pies & bread" from Linda Collister

To celebrate my blogiversary with the Cafe au Lait Choc Cake and an Award

So I have made it, my 2nd year of blogging.  For the past few months, I have been trying to seek for other interests besides blogging.  But I find that blogging has become a part of my life, it is such an easy way to share recipes with my family and friends, and meeting like-minded people.  It is your comments that keep me going, it is your inspiring recipes that keep me logging in...so I'm still here to share what I cooked in my kitchen, what I feed my family and what makes me happy.  I may not be able to read and comment your posts all the time but I do enjoy it when I have the chance.  If you want to connect with me at facebook, please click a like at my page here.

I baked this cake for my daughter's birthday as she loves everything french.  It is a lovely cake for celebration and only if I have some cachous (little silver balls) could make this cake even more beautiful!  I hope you like it!

I received this award from Andrea at Get Your Feast On just before my blogiversary.  Andrea has the interests in cooking and fashion and she has combined both of these elements in her blog.  I started blogging when I stayed home to recover from illness, so every blogiversary also mean another year of good health to me.  When I received my first award, I feel the satisfaction of the hard work I've done.  Therefore, I decide to give this award to any blogger(s) that has not received an award yet.  Simply grab it, pass it on and follow the rules below if possible and enjoy blogging delicious food!

The rules are: 

• Thank the person who nominated you and link them back. 
• Share a little bit about why you started blogging.

• Copy and paste the award onto your blog. 

• Nominate up to 10 other bloggers you think are addictive enough to deserve the award.

Thanks again for your friendship to accompany my journey of cooking!

Cafe au Lait Choc Cake


1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup strong coffee (I use 2 teaspoons instant coffee powder mixed with 1 cup hot water)
2 1/4 cup cake flour
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/3 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence

For the coffee cream:
300ml thickened cream
icing sugar
1-2 teaspoons instant coffee powder mixed with 1 tbsp hot water

For the chocolate leaves and decoration:
white chocolate
dark chocolate
rose leave
rose petal
a rose

Method

1. Beat butter with sugar until creamy and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time and mix well. 
2. Add coffee to the butter mixture. Stir in sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and vanilla essence.
3. Pour mixture into a paper lined 23cm round tin and bake 25-30 minutes at 180c.
4. Spilt cake into half, filled and decorate with coffee cream and chocolate leaves. Decorate the side of the cake with chocolate rose petals and topped the cake with a rose.
5. For the coffee cream, whip the cream till thicken then add in few tablespoon of icing sugar.  Then mix well with the coffee mixture.
6. For the chocolate leave and rose petal: melt chocolate in microwave at medium heat until smooth.  Use a paint brush to brush some chocolate onto the leaves or paint 1/2 of the rose petals.  Leave the chocolate to harden in the fridge if needed.  Then peel off the leaves and decorate as you wish. Don't need to peel for the rose petals.

Source: adopted and modified from the cookbook, "Great Cake" published by the Country Living.

Two kinds of Chocolate Muffins

Triple Choc Muffins

Choc-chip Jaffa Muffin

I would rate muffin "top in my baking" as it is quick to make and it generally use less oil or butter.  It also has less sugar if you omit the icing.  When I don't want to make anything too fancy, I would make muffins to feed my hungry kids.  These two kinds of chocolate muffins are so easy and simple to make.   I have been falling in love using buttermilk in my baking lately as it gives the cake such a soft and moist texture.  Am I biting into the cloud? Oh, it must be the chocolate cloud, LOL!
    
1. Triple Choc Muffins
(make 12)

1 3/4 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup dark Choc Bits
1/2 cup white Choc Bits
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk OR 1 cup milk mixed with 1 tablespoon vinegar
2/3 cup vegetable oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200c.  Line 12-hole muffin pan with paper cases.
2. Sift flour and cocoa into the mixing bowl, stir in the sugar and Choc Bits.  Then stir in beaten eggs, buttermilk and oil.  Do not over mix, mixture should be lumpy.
3. Divide the misture into paper cases and bake for 20-25 minutes or when the skewer comes out clean when insert into the cake.
4. Stand cake in pan 5 mintes before turning, cool the cake onto the wire rack.

2. Choc-Chip Jaffa Muffin

(make 12 large or 16 small muffins)

2 1/2 cup self-raising flour

100g cold butter, chopped finely

155g caster sugar (1 little more than 2/3 cup)

1 1/4 cup buttermilk OR 1 1/4 cup milk mixed with 1 1/4 tablespoon vinegar

3/4 cup dark Choc Bits

2 teaspoons grated orange rind

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200c. 
2. Rub butter with flour in a mixing bowl until resemble crumbs.  Stir in sugar, buttermilk and egg.  Don't overmix as mixture should be lumpy.  Stir in Choc Bits and rind.
3. Divide the mixture into muffin cases and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean when insert into the cake.
4. Cool cake at the wire rack.

Source: Adopted and modified from the cookbook "Easy baking", published by The Australian Women's Weekly.

Easter Cake

I had been searching the photo of this cake for a while and I nearly thought that I had lost it.  It was the photo of the cake baked by my daughter for Easter four years ago when she was ten.  I bought her a cooking book for the kids and this was the first thing she made from the book.  Her cooking skills has improved over the years and she can make very nice cookies.  This is a nice recipe to get the kids to help at the kitchen and enjoy some holiday fun together! Happy Easter to you all!

Easter Cake


150g butter, soften
150g plain flour
3 eggs
150g caster sugar
1 1/2 baking powder

For the icing and decoration:
Nutella
M&M's
Almond flakes
coloured sprinkles or flowers

Method:

1. Preheat the oven at 180c. Line two of the sandwich tins with baking paper.
2. Beat the butter and sugar till creamy and fluffy, add in the eggs and stir until it is smooth.  
3. Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture and mix well. Pour half of the cake mixture into each sandwich tin and smooth it level.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Cool the cake onto a wire rack before icing.
4. Spread nutella between the layer and the top of the cake.  Then put the M&M around the edge and make a chicken pattern with the beak and tail decorated by almonds.  Sprinkle with some coloured sprinkle if you wish.

Source: Adopted and modified from Kids' First Cookbook, A life-size guide to making fun things to eat published by Dorling Kindersley 

Red Velvet Cake

I told my daughter that I was very excited making a red velvet cake for my own birthday.  I've been longed to bake one but miss all the chances until my turn to choose what I want for my birthday!  This 4 layer rich dark chocolate cake has been a classic which is a originated served at New York City's Waldorf-Astoria hotel.  Traditionally its red colour come from grated beetroot.  When a guest asked for the recipe, she was billed with a large amount that she decided to spread the recipe via a chain letter.

So when I first looked at the recipe, I thought I was going to prepare a scientific experiment with all this baking soda, vinegar and colouring.  I don't really like to put artificial colouring in my baking and 3 tablespoons are HUGE for me but I follow the recipe anyway.  (Thinking my kids may get hypo jumping up and down after overdose with food colouring) Then when it comes to the cooked vanilla icing part, I fail it!  I couldn't bring the magic to make white, whipped cream looking vanilla icing.  I can't afford to have a fail for my own birthday cake and my husband tells me whipped cream would be good as he just can't wait to eat it!

After all we enjoy the cake, it's red, moist and just right for me.  My daughter thinks it a bit too plain as she prefers coffee favoured cake. I decorate the cake with some sugared rose petal to add some romance!  If I'm making it again, I would cut down some colouring, use natural colouring if I can find it or use grated beetroot instead.  The cake is best served after decoration as the red colouring from the crumbs start to sip through the cream affecting the look of the cake.

Red Velvet Cake


1/2 cup butter
1 1/3 cups sugar
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 tablespoons red food colouring
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cup sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon white vinegar

For the icing:
600ml thickened cream
1/2 cup icing sugar

For the decoration:
rose petal
egg white
white sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180c and line two 9-inch cake pan with baking paper.  
2. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl till light and fluffy, add in egg yolks and continue to beat for 1 minute.  Stir in cocoa powder, food colouring and vanilla to the mixture.  Combine the buttermilk and salt in another bowl, stir in to the mixture alternating with the cake flour.  Mix the baking soda with the vinegar in a bowl and blend into the batter and stir till well combined.
3. Divide the batter into the two pans or in my case, I bake the 1st half and then bake the 2nd half later.  Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.  Left the cake to cool for few minutes then loosen the cake layers to cool completely at the cake rack.
4. Meanwhile, wipe the cream till thicken with the icing sugar.  Split each layer into 2 and spread some cream in between.  Spread some cream over the top and side.  Garnish the cake with some rose petals.
5. Sugared rose petals: use a brush to brush some egg white over both side of the petal then cover the petal with white sugar.  Lay the petal onto a plate to dry.

Source:  modified and adopted from the cookbook, Great Cakes by Country Living

Oreo Whoopies

When my son took this whoopie from his lunch box, his friends were saying "that's a giant oreo cookie."  Nobody knows what a whoopie is but they all said it looked yummy!  In fact, I didn't know much about it until I found the "Whoopie Cakes" cookbook from the library.  My son was the only person know about it as he remembered it was cooked in a TV cooking show once.

Food historians believe that whoopie was originated from the medieval Germany and the Amish brought along with them when they settled in Pennsylvania in the 19th century.  Whoopies were sold at places such as farmers' market and road-side stands.  An unproved notion stated that the name of Whoopie came from the shout for joy "Whoopie" from the husband and kids when the Amish women baked leftover cake mixture into pie shape and place them into their lunch boxes.  Mainers and Boston also claim to be the birthplace of Whoopie.  The tradition whoopie is chocolate with marshmallow filling.  Eating a whoopie is quite different to a cup cake.  It is soft and thin with the shape of a cookie and there is no dry bit as you sometimes get from the cake.  After eating one and sure you'll know why it's called "Whoopie"!    


Oreo Whoopies
(make 10-12)

100g milk cooking chocolate
115g butter, softened
165g castor sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
180g plain flour
25g cocoa powder
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
225ml milk

For the filling:
3 oreo cookies
55g butter, softened
115g cream cheese
250g icing sugar

Method:

1. Finely grated the chocolate and set aside.  Beat butter, sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg.  
2. Sift in flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into the mixing bowl with the butter mixture.  Add in chocolate and milk and stir until just combined.
3. Use an 2 inch ice-cream scoop to scoop up the mixture onto 4 baking paper lined trays with 6 in each tray.  
4. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 190c (170c fan) for 10-12 minuted or until firm to touch.  transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool before filling with icing.
5. For the icing: Put the cookies into a zip bag. and crush with a rolling pin to form fine crumbs.  Beat butter and cream cheese till light and fluffy.  Sift in icing sugar and add in crumbs.
6. Fill the whoopies by piping the icing onto the cake or spread with a knife to form a sandwich.  Store the whoopies with a layer of baking paper in between to prevent sticking.  

Source: adopted and modified from the cookbook :Whoopie Cake" - the cakey cookie taking the world by storm by Susanna Tee.