Wedding White Chocolate Cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients


125g Butter

80g white chocolate

1C Caster Sugar

125ml (1/2C) milk

75g (1/2 C) Plain Flour

75g selfraising flour

1/2tsp coconut essense

1 egg

White Chocolate Ganache ingredients

60ml Cream

185g White Chocolate

Directions

Combine butter, white chocolate, sugar and milk in saucepan, stir over low heat until smooth, cool for 15min.

Whisk in sifted flours, then essense, then egg. Divide into muffin cases and smooth. Bake 25-30min @ 170 or 150 if fan.

Whipped white choc ganache directions

60ml cream, 185g white choc, 1Tbsp coco liquer (malibu) - Bream cream to a boil, pour over choc and liquer in an eletric mixer bowl and stir until smooth. Cover and refrige for 30mins, then beat in a eletric mixer until thick and fluffy mmmm

Wedding Mudcake

Chocolate Mud Cake


1.350 grams dark chocolate pieces

2.225 grams butter

3.600 ml water

4.3 eggs

5.400 grams castor sugar

6.400 grams self raising flour

7.Grease and line a 23cm/9" round cake tin. Preheat oven to 170C/325F.

8.In a saucepan over low heat, heat chocolate, butter and water. Stir frequently until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

9.In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs. Gradually beat cooled chocolate mixture into eggs.

10.Whisk sugar and flour into chocolate mixture, continue beating until smooth and well blended.

11.Pour mixture into cake tin. Bake for 45 minutes or until skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out clean.

12.Turn cake onto wire rack to cool.

*Please note: This mixture is quite runny, use a solid cake tin not a springform tin.

*Tip: Line tin with baking paper, this will make the cake easier to remove from the tin, no sticking to the sides.


Filling - Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache (optional)

200gm Dark Chocolate

200gm Cream

1. Heat cream to just before boiling

2. Pour over chocolate

3. Mix until smooth and leave to cool slightly, this will stiffen the mix

4. Whip when thickened, Chocolate mix will lighten slightly and be more like a dense cream
Chocolate Glaze

•225 grams dark chocolate pieces

•165 ml double or whipping cream

1.In a saucepan over low heat, heat chocolate and cream, stirring frequently until melted and smooth. Keep warm.

Tips

•This cake is firm enough to cover with rolled fondant if using as a wedding or special occasion cake.

•To appreciate the full, rich flavour that this cake offers it is best eaten at room temperature.

•This cake is suitable for freezing.

Enjoy!

Here are some more alternatives using the same recipe

White Chocolate Mud Cake

•Replace dark chocolate with white chocolate

Orange Mud Cake

•Can be made using either white or dark chocolate

•Replace water with freshly squeezed orange juice

Hazelnut Mud Cake

•Omit 50-100 grams flour and replace with ground hazelnuts (depending on how nutty you like your cake)

•Also add in 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

Lemon Poppy Seed Mud Cake

•Replace dark chocolate with white chocolate

•Use 400 ml water and 200 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

•Add a few drops of lemon essence and 1/4 cup poppy seeds

•You may add some grated lemon zest if you like a bit of extra tang

Caramel Mud Cake

•Replace dark chocolate with white chocolate

•Replace castor sugar with brown sugar

Caramel & Cinnamon Brioche

1/2 C Milk (warmed slightly)


2 Tbsp Sugar

2 tsp Yeast (i used active dried yeast)

3 egg yolks (lightly beaten)

250g flour

1/4 tsp salt

75g Butter slightly softened

Filling

2 Tbsp Mutter - melted

1/2 Brown Sugar

2tsp ground cinnamon

1. Combine Milk and sugar in small bowl and sprinkle over yeast and stir in. Leave to stand for 5 mins until frothy. Stir egg yolks into the mix.

2. In mixer with dough hook, add liquid ingredients into the bowl and then add the flour and salt, turn the mixer on slow and leave for 15mins, the dough will make a slapping sound in the bowl when done (and will be elastic and shiny)

3. Add softened butter bit by bit into the mixer while mixing until its all plended in.

4. Transfer mix to a oiled bowl, cover with glad wrap and put in the hot water cupcboard (or somewhere warm) - leave to rise for 2 hrs

5. Turn out onto floured board and knead slightly (its a sticky mix so you max need a lil flour to make it workable) Roll out to a rectangle about 20 * 30cm, I just rolled to my chopping board size.

6. Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Brush melted butter over the dough and sprinkly sugar mix all over the dough. Roll up from the long side into a scroll.

7. Cut into 4cm long rounds and place 'swirl' side up into oiled muffin pan, leave to rest for about 20mins

8. Bake at 180 for 15-20 mins

Lemon Crunch Muffins

2C Self Raising Flour

3/4 C Sugar
grated rind of 2 lemons
75gms Butter
1 egg
1 C Milk

Topping - 1/4C lemon juice & 1/4C Sugar (I often double this for more flavour)

preheat to 200 C

Mix together the Self R flour and Sugar in a big bowl

add in the grated rind

In a medium sized bowl melt butter, add the milk and then the egg and mix until the egg is combined

Put 1/4 C of mix in each muffin case, you may have a bit left over to spread evenly.

Bake for 10-12min

When hot, spoon over combined lemon juice and sugar, after about 10mins remove from muffin tin, some of the left over juice will be in the bottom over the muffin tin and you can brush over each muffin.

Banoffee Cheesecake - AMAZING

Banoffee Cheesecake

■2 cups digestive biscuit crumbs
■6 tablespoons soft butter
■1 tablespoon golden syrup For the cake:
■4 large bananas to make 2 cups when mashed
■1/4 cup lemon juice
■3x250g pkts cream cheese, at room temperature
■6 large eggs
■1/2 cup white sugar
■1/4 cup brown sugar For the toffee sauce:
■4 tablespoons butter
■1/2 cup golden syrup
■1/3 cup brown sugar
■1/3 cup cream.

In a food processor, combine biscuit crumbs, butter and syrup; process to blend. Press into bottom of a 24cm springform pan to make a smooth base. Place in refrigerator.

Heat oven to 160C.

Fill a jug with water and bring to a boil. In a bowl, mash bananas with a fork and add lemon juice.

Wash bowl of food processor and in it combine the cream cheese, eggs, white sugar and brown sugar. Process until smooth. Add mashed banana mixture, processing until very smooth.

Cover outside of springform pan with a protective layer of plastic wrap covered with a double layer of foil. Fill with cake batter, and place in a roasting pan. Pour boiling water into roasting pan to come about halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake until cake is set but not firm (center should still wobble), about 1 hour 10 minutes.

Remove cheesecake from water bath and place on a rack. Remove foil and wrap from pan and allow to cool completely. Refrigerate at least a few hours, preferably overnight. Remove cheesecake from refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving.

While cheesecake bakes, prepare toffee sauce: In a small saucepan over low heat, combine butter, syrup and sugar. When sugar has melted and mixture is bubbling, stir in the cream. Allow to come to a simmer, then transfer to a small jug and allow to cool. Store at room temperature until serving.

To remove cake from pan, slide a knife around inside edge of pan, then release the sides. Place cheesecake on a platter and serve, passing toffee sauce separately.

Mochacino Cupcakes

165g Butter - chopped
100g dark choc
1 & 1/3 C (290g) caster Sugar
2/3C (170ml) water
1/4C (60ml) Kahlua
2 TBSP Instant Coffee
1 C (150g) Flour
2 TBSP Self Raising Flour
2 Tbsp Cocoa powder
1 egg

■Preheat oven to 150C

■Combine butter, choc, sugar, water, liquer & cifee in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until it has melted and it smooth

■Put mixture into a new bowl and set aside to cool

■Whisk in sifted dry ingredients and then the egg

■Pour batter into cases - this mix does rise much so fill more than you would a standard cupcake.

When I did these cupcakes at work I only half filled the cases with batter, did one layer of ganache and one of choc mousse (store bought for quickness...)

I firstly iced with ganache -heated 140g cream in a saucepan until simmering (dont let boil) and then pour it over 70g dark chocolate, stir to combine and then spoon over cooled cupcake. the spooned over mousse and dusted with cocoa.

If I was to do it again Id probably make cupcakes to 3/4 size and do twice as much ganache, leave too cool so it thickens and pipe swirls over the top. YUM!

Country Chicken and Mushroom Pies (Thanks Maggie Beer)

Softened Butter

6 Chicken Thighs

sea salt & pepper

450ml reduced chicken stock

7 large mushrooms

1/4 C flour

200ml cream

2Tbsp chopped herbs
1egg
1/4C milk
(Addition to orginal recipe - 1/2C - 1C of frozen mixed veg

PASTRY

200g COLD butter

250g plain flour
125ml sour cream

Preheat oven to 220C

1. Butter a baking dish then add chicken seasoned with salt and pepper, roast for 20mins then rest andchop roughly.

2. Make Pastry - dice butter, pulse in food processor with flour until its like breadcrumbs, add sour cream and pulse until dough starts to come together. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least 20mins.

3. Make mix - Heat stock & in frypan Fry Mushrooms in 50g butter, sprinkle flour over and stir to coat evenly. Add stock & cream to mushrooms bit by bit (to lessen lumps) and simmer until thickened - stir through chicken meat and also veg if you are using.

4. Assemble pies - Roll out pastry to 5mm thick and cut round to line pie dish and also round to top the pies. Line pie dish, fill with pie mixture,. Whisk egg and brush over the lip of the pastry. Place lid on and then use a fork to seal edges, trim pies.

5. Refrigerate pies for as long as required but at least 20mins. Brush tops of pies with egg wash and bake for 20mins, reduce heat to 180 and bake for another 20mins. MMMMM

Coconut Rice pudding with Caramelised Bananas and sauce

Coconut Rice Pudding


500ml Milk
1 can coconut cream
225gm Arborio Rice (do not wash the rice!)
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract (the stuff with the lil vanilla seeds, or you could use essence)
3 Tbsp Caster sugar

Preheat oven to 160C
Mix all of the above together and chuck in an oven proof dish covered with foil for 2 hours.

Caramellised Bananas

1.Bananas sliced lengthwise
2.50gms butter
3.Brown sugar, give or take half a cup

Chuck butter in frying pan over medium heat and melt, place bananas in the band and fry for 5 minutes softening each side
Crumble over brown sugar and agitate until brown sugar disolves and creates a caramel sauce
Serve over the ride pudding mmmm

Tarte Tatin

300gms flour

250gms butter
Waters - 1 Tbsp give or take
Sugar
3-4 apples peeled and quartered

1. Make pastry by processing butter and flour until breadcrumb texture

Add water bit by bit and pulse until pastry comes together, bring together and chuck in fridge in baking paper

2. Make caramel by covering pan in sugar so the base is fully covered by a few layers, an heating on a medium heat until caramel colour, I added about 30gm butter a few splashes of masala and water.

3. Place apples on top (rounded side down...I accidentally did up) and then cover with the rolled out pastry and tuck in.

Cook in oven on 180 for 40 odd mins

Curried pumpkin soup & Coriander pesto

Curried Pumpkin Soup

1 butternut - peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes
2 kumara as above
2 Tbsp butter
2 onions
3 cloves garlic
1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4tsp ground cardamom
1.5tsp salt
2 C chicken stock
2 C water
1 can coconut cream
1 tsp mustard seeds

In a large saucepan, sweat onion in butter and add garlic and ginger to fry off for a few mins
Add coriander, cumin & cardamom and cook out for a min
Add all other ingredients except mustard seeds
Cook for 2-3 hours uncovered in a medium heat.
Fry off onion seeds in sep small fry pap for a min or until seeds start to pop and add to soup.
Blend in batches until smooth, taste and salt
Serve up with a swirl of olive oil and a dollop of coriander pesto or fresh coriander leaves

Coriander Pesto
1 large bunch of coriander leaves (about a compressed cup)
1tsp lemon juice
1/2 small Chilli finely chopped
60 gms grated parmesan
3/4c cashew nuts
1/2c Ev olive oil
1/4c olive oil
Salt & pepper
Blend all except s&p and oils
Add oil to mix while blending to make smooth paste or to preferred consistency

Sticky Date Pudding

Ingredients

250g chopped dates
1tsp baking Soda
1.5 C Boiling Water
125g softened butter
1C Brown Sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 & 3/4 C Self raising flour

Caramel sauce
1 C Brown Sugar
300ml cream
.5 tsp vanilla
60gms butter

1.Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base of a 7cm deep, 22cm (base) cake pan.

2.Place dates and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Pour over boiling water. Allow to stand for 20 minutes.

3.Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Using a large metal spoon, fold through date mixture and flour until well combined.

4.Spoon mixture into prepared cake pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn onto a plate.

5.Make sauce Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until sauce comes to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 2 minutes.

6.Pierce pudding all over with a skewer. Pour 1/2 cup of warm sauce over warm pudding. Stand for 10 minutes. Cut into wedges. Serve with remaining sauce.

Mushroom Soup (with chicken if you want...)

75gms Butter

2 garlic cloves
1 onion (finely diced)
600gms mushrooms sliced (you can use less I just used this much as it was what i had in fridge)
3 Tbsp Flour
1Tbsp Thyme
1L chicken stock (& 4 chicken thighs or 2 breasts if wanted)
1/2 C cream
2Tbsp Sherry

S & P to taste

Melt 25g Butter in large frying pan and saute onion and garlic until translucent and starting to brown

add mushroom and saute until cooked.

While the mushrooms are cooking start stock boiling and poach chicken in stock if using until cooked and then remove to shred.

Take mushroom mix out of frying pan and add to pot with stock in it, and in frying pan add remaining butter and flour and start making a roux by cooking off the flour and butter and then gradually adding the stock mix (just liquid) to the frying pan until you have a thick sauce.


Add this thickened sauce to the stock pot, add cream, sherry, thyme and S&P to taste.

Process in a food processor in 2 batches (Make sure not to full cover as the mix is hot) and then when smooth (with some chunk bits of mushroom) add back to pot and keep on heat until required.When servicing place shredded shicken into the soup mix in using.

Serve with crusty bread - YUM!


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Cranberry & White chocolate cookies

1/2C Butter (113gms)

1/2 brown sugar
1/2 white sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp vanilla essence
1 & 1/2 C flour
1/2tsp Baking soda
1 C dried cranberries
1 C white chocolate drops/buttons/chips
1.Preheat overn to 190C
2.Cream butter & Sugars
3.Add egg and vanilla essence and beat well
4.Sift Baking Soda & Flour over top and then add in the cranberries and chocolate & mix till combined
5.Drop balls of dough onto the pan (I just used a small icecream scoop as the dough is quite soft)

6.Bake for 8-10mins, when they are still quite light means they will be soft and chewy and YUM!

MMMM beef and redwine casserole

1. 1KG gravy beef - diced into 1.5cm cubes
2. Flour to dust beef in
3. 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
4. 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
5. 2 carrots - thickly sliced (4mm)
6. 2 small potatoes - diced
7. 1 butter nut - diced
8. 2 onions - sliced
9. 1/2bottle red wine 
10. 300 ml beef stock
11. a few splashes or worcestor sauce
12. Rosemary stalk, bay leaf, thyme stalks & a few sage leaves
13. The marveous S&P to taste
14. A dash of HP sauce if you like it slightly sweeter

Dust the beef in flour, salt and pepper and then brown off in batches, add the onion to brown.

 

Add the wine to deglaze the pan and stir, add the tomato paste, beef stock and all the remaining ingredients.

 

Bring up to the Boil and then turn down the heat and leave for 3-4 hours, taste at the end and add more seasoning, will need a bit of salt and pepper and I also added a little bit of HP sauce to sweeten it up...i ate it after 2 cos im naughty and hungry, and it was super yummy!

 

I served it with Garlic bread and it was serious AMAZE!!

 

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Its Pesto time!

With summer finally here - Basil is starting to flourish! I am very very proud of this Pesto recipe - I load it full of garlic so you may want to go a little easier on the garlic if your not super keen!

1C Basil Leaves - Packed Cup
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
60gms Pine Nuts
2-4 Cloves of Crushed Garlic (Make to taste, I use 2 very large gloves of 4 if they are smaller)
1 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil (you may want normal olive oil depending on taste preference)
50gms Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper

Blend first 4 Ingredients until chopped finely (I like mine more like a paste to spread on bread)
Pour oil in gradually while blender is on
when combined add Parmesan and blend until you have desired consistency.
Add salt and pepper to taste - I wouldnt suggest putting too much salt in as the Parmesan is already quite salty.

I love this spread on top of Sliced Ciabatta, which has been chucked on the grill to lightly toast..Always great with a few slices of tomato on top!

Coconut and Jam Muffins

This was kinda an experiment but turned out surpringly well!

1.5C Flour

2tsp Baking Powder

1/2 White Sugar

100gms Butter

1Dspn Golder Syrup

1 Egg

1/2 C Milk

Cocunut

Jam



Preheat over to 190 degrees

Melt butter and Golden Syrup together - I just did this in the microwave

Sift flour, Baking Powder and Sugar together in a bowl

Add Butter and GS mix

Fold together to lightly mix

put 1 Dspn of batter in each muffin cup and then add 1tsp of Jam in the centre - try not to let this touch the edges, top with another Dspn of batter. Sprinkly Cocnut on top.

Bake for 15-20mins, watch until muffin springs back when touched.

Mini Pikelets - Easy peasy! Serve with Jam and Mascarpone

I made Pikelets this morning and thought I should post up my recipe!
1C Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
2 Tbsp Caster Sugar
3/4 C Milk
1 Egg

Heat non stick frypan to a medium heat
Sift Dry Ingredients
Seperately whisk together Milk and Egg
Mix all together
Drop teaspoon size amounts onto fry pan - as soon as bubbles appear, flip them over. About 40secs each side.

I have served mine with a Mascarpone & Jam - Mix 1C Mascarpone with 1/4 C Caster Sugar and 1tsp Vanilla essence, spread on piklets and top with Jam - YUM!

Most Dangerour choc cake ever! As found on zm!

The Most Dangerous Cake In The World
http://www.zmonline.com/WhosOn/MorningCrew/Highlights/Detail.aspx?id=10287#
Hey Guys, they talked about this on the radio so i HAD to try it and oh my gosh - all in the microwave in less than 5 mins a gorgeous moist choccie cake!
With easy to find cupboard ingredients! Naughty!


INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
1-2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.
Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous). And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Mmmmm melting Moments

Another of the boyfriends favs that his dad used to make him.
It took me quite a bit of trial and error to work this one out. And to find a decent recipe to base it off.
A friend who own a cafe had the same troubles...but luckily while we were chatting over wines I shared my experiences and we swapped my melting moments for her lolly cake ;-)
I initially used a hand mixer for all of this recipe but it was a nightmare - I always ended up covered in flour/IS/CF, So I now have the Boyfriends late grandmothers rather old but very effective Kenwood Mixer - this made the whole process basically mess free!
Ingredients:
200gms Butter
3/4 C Icing Sugar
1C Cornflour
1C Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
Method:
Preheat over to 180 Deg Celcius.
Cream the butter and Icing Sugar
Add Cornflour - Half cup at a time - this will look a little like breadcrumbs to begin with, just keep going and it will all come together
Add Flour and Baking Powder - Half cup at a time again
This will make a Light dough.
Roll into small balls - about a teaspoon at a time
Squash VERY lightly with a fork, not to squash as much as to put the lovely fork imprint.
Place in the oven for about 10/15 minutes - but keep watching as you dont want these to brown - let them go only slightly golden - still quite pale, nearly looks uncooked.
Pull out and let cool
ICE ONLY WHEN COOL...with the below
Mix 100gms Butter (Softened)
2C Icing Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence
Mix all together for a thick butter icing.
Sandwich the icing between 2 biscuits
YUM!

Muffin Monster...3 Yummy muffin recipes!

Banana Choc Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 Eggs
• 2 Banana-Mashed
• 1/4 C Oil
• 1 C Milk
• 3/4 C Brown Sugar
• 2 & 1/2 C Flour
• 4 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 C Choc chips

Preheat oven to 200 C

Beat first 5 Ingredients together

Mix in flour, BP & Choc chips - Dont over mix (general rule with muffins)

Place into Muffin pans/Cups normally 3/4 fill.

Bakes for 10-15 mins Until golden and risen.

Crunchy Lemon Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 C Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 3/4 C Sugar
• 75g Butter-Melted in bowl
• 1 C Milk
• 1 Egg
• Grated rind of 2 Lemons
• 1/4 C Lemon Juice
• 1/4 C Sugar

Preheat oven to 200 C

Place Flour, BP & Sugar in bowl and mix

Mix Milk, Butter, Egg and Lemon Rind together

Add wet mixture to the dry and lightly mix (Once again be careful only to wet dry ingredients and dont over mix)

Add into muffin pan, only fix max 3/4 as you will want the syrup to catch on the sides.

Bake for 10 mins or until golden.

Once out of the over and still hot pour mixed lemon juice and sugar (Syrup) over each muffin (I use a pastry brush to try and distribute evenly)

Leave for 5mins then taken muffins out of pan for easy removal, otherwise it gets sticky!

Bran Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 C Bran
• 1/2 C Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 C Golden Syrup
• 1 Egg
• 1 C Milk

Preheat over to 200 C

Sift Flour, BP & BS into bowl, Add Bran and mix together

Warm golden syrup and add milk and egg and mix

Combine both mixtures (you know the rule)

Place in Muffin pan to about 3/4 C Full.

Bake for 10-15 mins