No more posts

Not sure if anyone will read this, but if someone gets something "anything" out of what I have put up here, that's good.
I won't be putting up anymore posts as of now.
I think there is probably far too many baking sites, and so sadly due to lack of interest I am leaving this one as is,  and not putting anything else up.

I am not the greatest cook in the world, but I love it.
In my own way, I really just wanted to do something for 'me' but it ain't so enjoyable if you're just writing to yourself ya know?
I work 2 jobs and have a grown family and a little girl, I gave up my photography hobby a few years ago due to non-support. So I really wanted just something for me, to define me, to have something to do and to share outside working.
It is not to be though.

Wishing everyone the best.
Take care
xxx

Chocolate transfers

Chocolate Transfers, transfering images onto chocolate.

I was and still am, fascinated with chocolate transfers.
It's a great way to make chocolate that much more special (is that even possible??), you can even wrap a cake in it if you have enough transfer paper.
The steps are easy, the transfer paper has a rough side and a smooth side, make sure your rough side is up.
This time I decided to use white chocolate for a change. The steps are below :)

 Temper your chocolate so that it stays nice and shiny and doesn't get white splodges on it. Maybe I shouldn't have used white for the photograph....but you can sort of see I have melted white chocolate and spread it out onto the transfer sheet.

When the chocolate is half set you can use cookie cutters to make shapes.

 

Peel the chocolate from the paper, like magic you have a pattern on your chocolate shape!

Trim it up, I have cut each disc in half.

I have used these white ones on the Crazy Cakes. The other side is of a spot pattern on dark chocolate on one of my daughters birthday cakes with shards and hearts.

It's easy and fun. Enjoy!

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Crazy Cake (Wacky Cake)

The crazy cake, also known as the wacky cake uses no butter, eggs or milk...You don’t even use a mixing bowl or an electric mixer. You mix it in a tray with a fork or wooden spoon.
The cake was created during the depression when things like eggs, butter and milk were scarce. It’s a beautifully moist, rich cake and it freezes very well too.


3 cups plain flour

2 cups of white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

 2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups cold water

Sift all the dry ingredients together into a tray or really large bowl that has some length.

Make three wells.

Pour oil into one well, vinegar into second, and vanilla into third well.

Pour cold water over all, and stir the mixture until it's all combined.

The cake batter is naturally a little more runny than some cakes.

Pour your batter into cupcake cases or bake as a whole cake, moderate oven until the top springs back when touched.

Ice when cooled. I have used rainbow icing on the cupcakes and chocolate transfer shapes. Both of which I will be putting up shortly.

So these cupcakes will be featured  3 times, for cake, the rainbow cream and the chocolate art:)

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Filled chocolates

I thought making chocolates at home would be quite difficult, but it's not and I've made them quite a few times now.

You must temper your chocolate to get that nice shiny finish, I don't do it over a double boiler (I cheat). I melt the chocolate in the microwave on the melt setting, then add some whole chocolate to the melted chocolate.

If chocolate isn't tempered, it may not stay hard at room temperature, it can also get white splodges on it, not attractive, so tempering is a good thing.

I have put the instructions up in photographs.

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Apple Cinnamon Buttermilk Muffins

Apple Cinnamon Buttermilk Muffins are light, made with fresh grated apple.

This is what you will need.

1 Cup SR Flour
3/4  Cup plain flour
1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
1/4 cup Caster Sugar
60g Melted Butter
1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk
1 Egg (lightly beaten)
1 Tsp Vanilla

2 Green Apples peeled and grated
2 Tsp brown sugar
1Tsp cinnamon (I use real cinnamon from www.aussiespices.com)

 

Method

Combine both flours, oats and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add butter, buttermilk, egg and vanilla. Mix until just combined. Fold in apple. Don’t mix it all too much because it will make tough muffins.

Use cupcake cases (or muffin cases) and spoon the mixture into them evenly

Sprinkle the combined brown sugar & Cinnamon on the top before baking.

 Bake until golden and firm to touch, I used a cupcake baker rather than the oven

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Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding

I love this recipe!
It's so easy and quick and tastes totally divine.

You can double or triple the recipe without any problems, it reheats very well and everyone will want more!
Written recipe is below and photo steps are below the recipe. Sometimes it's nice to see how things look before doing it!

Self saucing puddings are a bit like magic, they go in looking a watery mess and come out with sauce on the bottom and pudding cake on the top:)

Chocolate self saucing pudding.

60g butter

½ cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup SR flour

1 Tablespoon cocoa

½ cup milk

½ Tsp vanilla

Sauce:

½ cup sugar

1 tablespoon cocoa

1 ½ cups hot water

Cream the butter, sugar and egg, when light and fluffy

 

Add the flour and cocoa, milk and vanilla.

Beat until it’s light in color, creamy and thick. Remember it looks light but it bakes dark.

Spread the pudding batter in an un-greased dish, it needs to be a big dish if you double or triple the recipe like I do or you will have a very

Messy overflow!

Then mix together the extra sugar and cocoa.

Pour that over the top, you don’t have to be too fussy, but spread it out a bit when you are pouring.

Lastly, pour over your hot water. Looks a mess now doesn’t it!!

Bake it in an oven about 180c for around half an hour or until the cake part is on top and the sauce is on the bottom.

Test the cake part just like a normal cake, with touch (if it springs back it’s ready) or poke a skewer into it, if it comes out

Clean, the cake is ready.

 Serve with cream, ice-cream or both! Enjoy!

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Thank You from Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus & Michelle Knight

Ohio kidnapping update

When I first heard the story of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight, their escape and what they had endured, my heart broke for them. I often wondered how they were doing, how can anyone survive what they had been through.
Held captive by Ariel Castro for 10 long years, they endured such hell. I especially felt for Michelle Knight.It just goes to show what strong and special young women they are, yesterday the three girls released a statement and a thank you.
It's great to know they are doing so well.

Thick Beef Casserole for cold Winter nights

Thick Beef Casserole

Perfect for cold Winter nights!

I love to cook desserts! But as I work 2 jobs, I often don't have time to make a dessert daily. Sometimes getting a hearty meal on the table is a rush!

Everyone likes a casserole don't they? We like them thick rather than runny, and it's sure to warm anyone up on a cold Winters night.
Although this recipe is not unique, it's humble and it's nourishing.

You will need: 

Approx 1kg of diced beef.

4 largish Potato’s
3 Carrots
1 large Sweet potato
1 packet of French onion soup
1 beef stock cube
1 tin of diced or crushed tomatoes
½ teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups of water
3 tablespoons of instant gravy
1/2 cup of pea's

I put everything except for the pea's in a casserole dish, and cook on approx 150C for about 4 hours, add the pea's the last half hour before serving.

Serve it with fresh buttered bread! 

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How to mess with a phone scammer

This is my son, messing with the head of an Indian phone scammer names "Paul"

Mrs Wood's Spaghetti

  My Grandmother made this dish as did her mother
before her, this humble dish is named after whomever makes it, so when I make it, I call it Mrs Wood's Spaghetti, My Grandmother called it Mrs Chapmans Spaghetti and her mother Mrs Dennis's Spaghetti.

This dish is made and enjoyed by friends and realitves through the years, It doesn't matter if you are a Mrs, Miss, Ms or a Mr, the name is always changed.

I have not put quantities in this recipe, as it's done to taste. This dish does have Oysters in it, the tinned kind in oil. Even if you are like me, and don't actually like Oysters, they put a lovely taste throughout this dish, just pick the Oysters out if you don't like to eat them.
I have tried Oyster oil out of a bottle, but it doesn't taste as good.

You will need.

Tinned Tomatoes
Chopped Onion
Chopped Capsicum
Bok Choy (or Spinach)
Cocktail Frankfurts (Cheerio's)
Tinned Oysters in Oil
Pasta (I use Fettuccine)
Grated Cheese

Cook your pasta, chop all other the other items.



















Fry up the bacon, onion, capsicum, bok choy in the oil from the tin of 
 Oysters!











When the Pasta is cooked, add the cooked bacon mixture and the chopped cocktail frankfurts with the tin tomatoes and whole oysters.









Cover well with grated cheese. Make sure you cover it well to stop any pasta getting hard.

YUM!!

Dedicated to my Nana, the best cook I have ever known x

  

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Polka Dot Cake

The Polka Dot Cake!

This is a fun cake I have wanted to make for a while, you will need a pop cake pan to make the spots.

I just made a vanilla cake batter and separated the mixture into different bowls and colored them with food coloring.
Use LOTS of food coloring because the spots will loose some color when they cook.

Make sure you grease or use non-stick spray on the top of the pop cake pan, as they tend to raise through the holes in the top and if you have greased it, they will just pull off easily.

Whilst your colored balls are cooling, make up a cake batter, I used Vanilla cake.

• 80g butter, at room temperature, cubed
• 80g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 egg, lightly whisked
• 115g (3/4 cup) self-raising flour, sifted
• 60ml (1/4 cup) milk

Beat the butter, sugar, vanilla until it's light and fluffy, then add the egg.
Fold through the flour alternatively with milk.
Remember to always start with the flour and end with the flour.

Here is the fun part. Put a little cake batter into the bottom of your cake tin. Then spread the little colored balls around in the pan.

When they are in place, pour the remainder of your cake batter over the top.
Pop it into the oven until cooked, this is quite a large cake! So it takes about 40 minutes in a moderate oven.

After the cake had cooled, I was really anxious to see if it turned out, so I cut it, dusted with icing sugar and piped on a little icing. I realise now it would look better if there was 2 cakes that was sandwiched together with cream, doing that would give many more color variations, too late now though because I cut mine!

 

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