Friands

Friands are petit sweet almond cakes similar to muffins but alot more denser and sweeter and alot more yum! The picture shows raspberry friands lined with good old Mainland's butter wrapper. Use butter wrapper to line cake tins and cut them up to use for muffins etc... and it doesn't burn and more importantly it will reduce your carbon footprints....true genius!

In a bowl place 1 3/4 cups of sifted icing sugar, 3/4 cup of sifted plain flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and 1 cup of almond meal (almond powder). Mix with a spoon. Add 5 medium egg whites and mix until all mixed. In a sauce pan, place 125g butter and melt on a stove until boiling hot and slightly golden (be sure not to burn it). Add the hot melted butter to the dry mix and continue to mix with a spoon until mixed. Fill greased friand tins to 3/4 each and bake at 180C (or 160C fan forced) for 20 minutes. Once you have filled the tins, you can add berries on top of it, or try lemon zest and falked almond combination.

Something to remember about friands: Its a very sticky mix so use plenty of oil spray for the tins or better still line the tins with paper.

Easy Moist Lemon Cake . . .

Winter is here . . .and so are plenty of lemons . . .

A humble butter cake goes well with a cup of tea on a rainy day :)

This is a madeira cake but its a very moist cake with a quick drizzle of lemon icing.

Lemon Cake Recipe: Beat on high 175g softened butter with the rind and juice of 2 lemons and 3/4 cup of caster sugar. When the mix is pale and fluffy add 3 eggs one at a time and beat well in between. Fold in 3/4 cup plain flour, 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder and 2/3 cup of almond meal. Bake at 170C for 45 minutes. Cake batter is enough for a loaf tin.

Lemon Icing: Use the rind and juice of a lemon with 1/2 cup icing sugar, mix until smooth and pour over the cake. If the icing is too thick add few drops of water.

Plum and Almond Tart - Perfect for a high tea

Maybe not the easiest and fastest thing to bake but a very suffisticated dessert.

Pre-cook the pastry first! . . . you'l have to line a tart tin with sweet pastry either store bought or pre-made and rolled. Cover the inside of the tart tin with baking paper and put enough rice in the tin to cover the pastry. Bake at 180C for 10 minutes. Remove the paper after 10 minutes and bake for a further 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow the pastry to cool down.

For the filling . . . use this recipe as a guide and depending on the depth of your tart tin make enough filling for your tart. Place 1/4 cup caster sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, 90g butter in a bowl and microwave until butter melted. Add 1 egg, 1 egg yolk and 1 1/2 cups almond meal and mix with a mixer until its just mixed.

What to do with Plums? . . . Place drained canned balck doris plums in the pastry (as much as you like and whatever you like, you can use berries or apricot or maybe rhubarb . . .). Now pour the almond filling in the pastry shell. Sprinkle flaked almonds on top of it and bake at 150C for 20 minutes. It is properly baked when it is firm to touch (unfortunately, you cant test it with a skewer). Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving and maybe some cream on the side . . . perfect for a high tea.

Coconut Macaroons

These macaroons turned out slightly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Using an electric beater; beat 4 egg whites with 1 cup of icing sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla essence for around 10 minutes or until the mix will hold its shape (i.e it must hold its shape!). Add around 3 cups of dessicated coconut and mix, or you must add enough coconut so that you can form a round ball with it. The amount of cocont depends on the size of eggs. Place tablespoon drops of this mix on a lined or greased baking tray and bake at 150C for 15 minutes or when they are slightly golden.

Nothing can go wrong with macaroons, as long as there is not too much coconut to make them dry, they turn out absolutely beautiful.

Chocolate Brownie - Melt and Mix Recipe

Warm chocolate brownie with cream or ice cream . . . yum :)


This recipe is for a very rich chocolate brownie and keeps well in the fridge. Line a baking tin 30cm x 30cm and pre-heat the oven at 160C.

• Melt: Place 2 cups dark cooking chocolate, 250g butter, 1/3 cup cocoa powder and 1.5 cups soft brown sugar in a large bowl. Microwave for around 2 minutes or until everything is melted.

• Mix: Add 1 1/4 plain flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder and 4 eggs. Beat on high until just mixed, pour in the tin and bake at 160C for 40 minutes.

• Hint: It will turn out very cakey, if it is over mixed.

Two Step Moist Banana Cake

After many failed attempts of baking a moist banana cake, I managed to mix my carrot cake recipe with my banana cake recipes and came up with my two step banana cake, that will stay moist for upto 5 days! . . . too unbelivabubble? . . .maybe you should try it :)

Step 1: Beat on high, 1 cup soft brown sugar with 3/4 cup of cooking oil and 3 eggs until the mix becomes a little pale.

Step 2: Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1.5 cups plain fllour, 1.5 teaspoons baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda and 3 large mashed bananas. Mix with the beater until just mixed. Pour the mix in a 21 cm lined baking tin. Bake at 160C for 1hr.

For the icing; either use a passionfruit buttercream icing or for a smoother glossier one try cream cheese icing.

From dough to bags of goodies

Ginger Crunch

I am not a fan of this ever popular gingery cruchy sugary slice but this recipe is a real serious one!

For the base: You will need 200g softened butter, 1 cup soft brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of ginger powder, 2 cups of plain flour and 2 teaspoons of baking powder. Mix all ingredients and press the crumbly mix in a 20cm x 30cm tin, bake at 180C for 15minutes.

For the icing: You cannot go wrong with this one, its melt and mix all ingredients again. In a bowl, place 3 cups sifted icing sugar, 150g butter, 6 teaspoons ginger powder and 6 teaspoons of golden syrup. Microwave on high for 2 minutes or until the butter if fully melted. Add 2 tablespoons of hot water and mix with a beater. Pour the icing over the base, as shown in the photo and allow to set in the fridge. Slice and serve with a cup of tea . . . a real winter warmer.

Gingerbread Men

These are way too cute . . .

Afghans - Chocolate&Cornflake Cookie

Afghans . . . whether an Aussie thing or a New Zealand thing, they are very popular in NZ. These chunky thick cookies made from cornflakes and cocoa powder are chocolatey as! . . . and yet quite powdery and crunchy.

For a small batch, cream 200g softened butter with 3/4 cups soft brown sugar. Add 1 egg and beat well. Add in all dry ingredients: 1/2 cup dessicated coconut, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1 3/4 cups plain flour. Keep mixing with the beater until its all well mixed and you will end up with a soft dough, then using a big wooden spoon mix in 2 cups crushed cornflakes.

Form small round balls of the dough and press with a fork. As an indication a 1/4 cup of cookie dough will give you cookie that fits in your palm. Bake at 180C for 12 minutes in a fan-forced oven. Allow to cool and ice them with melted milk chocolate and place half a walnut in the centre (for extra elegenace).

Louise Cake . . . Totally Old Fashioned

Or it is known as Jam&Coconut Slice. The base is quite cakey and soft.

For the Base: Beat 125g softened butter with 3/4 cups caster sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence. Add 1 egg and beat well. Add in 1.5 plain flour and 1.5 teaspoons baking powder and beat well. Pour the mix in a paper lined baking tin (20cm x 30cm). Bake at 160C for 20 minutes.

Topping: Once the base is cool, spread it with raspberry jam. In a bowl, using an electric beater, beat 2 eggs with 1 cup caster sugar until white, then add 2.5 cups dessicated coconut and beat until well mixed. Sprinkle the coconut mix over the base. Bake at 180C for 10 minutes or until the macaroon topping is golden.

Melting Moments or Yo-Yos ?!?!?!

This recipe is for all of you who really want these cookies to melt in your mouth! ...and they make cute little gifts.

Take 350g softened butter add it to 1/2 icing sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla essence. Cream the ingredients with an electric egg beater until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 cup wheatened cornflour and 2 cups of plain flour, mix with the beater until just mixed. Pipe the mix with a pastry bag into rosettes and bake at 180C for 10 minutes. Make sure your oven is pre-heated and if it is not fan forced then bake at 200C. Once the cookies are cool, take two cookies; pipe butter icing on one cookie and make a sandwich.

When you look at the sandwiched cookies, it looks like a yo-yo; hence why they are called yo-yo!

Flavours: Use lemon juice in the icing or passionfruit or both. You can put a tablespoon of poppy seeds in the cookie mix and use lemon icing to make lemon&poppy seed ones.

Lemon Cupcakes

Lemon Cupcakes with Buttercream frosting :)

Gluten Free Rice Cookies

Allyson Gofton, in her recent book, turns these cookies into rose water scented melting moments and she gives an explanation of what Persian Berenji (Rice cookies) is. I used her recipe and baked a batch of her cookies to discover that her recipe is not the real deal. The traditional ones are not iced and don't crumble, it is more like a shortbread in texture

Here is the recipe ....Use an electric egg beater, cream 250g softened butter and 1 cup icing sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 medium egg (size 6) and beat well. Add 3 cups rice flour (use fine rice flour, not too coarse. I use Healtherie's Rice Flour found in any supermarket) and 2 teaspoons of baking powder. Beat on high until well mixed. The mixure is quite crumbly at this stage. You can roll the cookie dough into any size and shape you desire. Bake them at 180C fan forced oven until they rise slightly and start to turn golden. Make sure they are not over baked. Keep them in an air-tight container for a month.

If you want to make the Persian version of it...add a tablespoon of rose water to the mix. Sprinkle with poppy seeds and press a flower shaped cookie cutter on each cookie before baking them.

Here is the recipe for chocolate caramel slice:
For the base: Mix 125g melted butter, 1/2 cup soft brown sugar and 1/2 cup dessicated fine coconut, then add 1 1/4 cups plain flour and press in a 20cmx30cm baking tin. Bake at 180C fan forced oven for 10 minutes.
For caramel mix: Mix 150g chopped butter, 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk and 1/3 golden syrup. Cook on very low heat stirring continuesly until the butter is melted and it starts to thicken slightly. Pour over cooled base and bake at 180C for 10 minutes. It is ok if the caramel is bubbling and is very golden brown. Allow to cool.
For chocolate icing: Melt 1 cup dark cooking chocolate and stir in 60ml of cooking oil (any oil is good, as long as its not olive oil) Pour over the base and spread it. If you want to use white chocolate; follow the instructions for chocolate icing but use white chocolate.

Hint: to make a colourful chocolate marbel, you can use a drop of food colouring in white chocolate mix :)

Chocolate and Caramel Slice - Three Layers of Goodness

Choclate and Caramel is the best combination and with a crunchy base, its extra special. It keeps well in the fridge for a few weeks. To marble the chocolates, pour the dark chocolate over the caramel and before it sets pour white chocolate over it and with a knife marble it! To get a more traditional look, pour white chocolate in lines and then with a scewer stroke it alternatively left to right and right to left and allow to set.

Please see the next post for the recipe.

Cupcake . . .

These gorgeous cupcakes turned out light and fluffy and the icing is a simple butter icing. I manged to find a daisy fondant cutter the other day for $10! so now I can have fun making daisies. The recipe for the cupcake is a basic one which is found in most cookbooks and works well but overtime I have changed the basic recipe to 150g butter and 3/4 cups of caster sugar creamed to a light fluffy mix then added 3 size 6 eggs and mixed well. Then Added 1.5 cups plain flour and 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder and mixed well with an electric beater. At this stage I can add any flavours to the mix and I chose passionfruit this time. It bakes well in my trusty oven at 160C for 20 minutes.