Champagne Cupcakes with Champagne Buttercream and Strawberry Champagne Sauce

Yesterday was my Mum's birthday and we celebrated in style by indulging in some banana bread for breakfast, going to see The Great Gatsby (in 3D) and enjoying lunch on the waterfront at one of Mum's favourite restaurants.

It was the first time Mum and Dad had been to a 3D movie and unfortunately Dad was given a dodgy pair of glasses with one lense blacked out....and even more unfortunately, he didn't know that they were not supposed to be like that so sat through the whole movie thinking that this whole 3D caper is not all it's cracked up to be.....

Those of us that could see the entire movie thought it was brilliant. Those of us that missed out on all of the 3D effects, also thought it was pretty good.....

We stopped at a restaurant called Blue Skies for lunch. When I was younger, Mum, Dad and I used to go there all the time and share a bowl of chips on a Sunday afternoon so it was really nice to go back and share a few different plates of food while we soaked up the sun.

The day got even better later in the afternoon when Mr B started talking about his 'PMS'......he had meant to say 'ESP' and needless to say the rest of us were laughing so hard we were in tears

And last but not least, it was home for presents and cake. This year when Dad suggested maybe we do cupcakes instead of a cake, I knew just the thing. Well Ok I didn't know exactly, but I was thinking champagne, champagne and more champagne. After loads of research I decided on a Champagne Cupcake with Champagne Buttercream and, after initially leaning towards a Champagne Pastry Creme filling, at the last minute decided to go with a Strawberry Champagne Sauce instead.

I was only after a couple of cupcakes seeing as they were just for the 4 of us to share so I halved the original recipe and still got 8 out of this! That's totally fine though because they were amazing and a lovely decadent birthday treat for my Mum. 

Champagne Cupcakes with Champagne Buttercream and Strawberry Champagne Sauce

For the Champagne Cupcakes
55g butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 tspn vanilla
.85 cup of plain flour
1/4 tspn baking soda
1/8 tspn baking powder
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup champagne

Pre-heat oven to 180C and grease and line a cupcake pan.

Cream the butter and sugar using an electric mixer.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.

Add the remaining ingredients and beat until just combined and smooth.

Spoon mixture into prepared cupcake liners and bake for 15-20 mins or until they bounce back when touched.

For the Champagne Buttercream
1/2 cup champagne + 1 tbspn extra
220g butter at room temperature
1 1/4 cups icing sugar
1/2 tspn vanilla essence

Heat 1/2 cup of champagne in a saucepan over medium high heat until it has reduced to roughly 1 tbspn. Set aside to cool.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until pale and creamy.

Add the icing sugar and vanilla and beat until combined.

Add the reduced champagne and 1 tbspn extra champagne and beat until light and fluffy. Pipe onto your cupcakes....or eat straight out of the bowl.

For the Strawberry Champagne Sauce
200ml champagne
500g strawberries (hulled and halved)
2 heaped tbspns caster sugar
1 tbspn corn flour

In a medium pot over high heat combine champagne, sugar and strawberries.

Bring to the boil.

Allow the strawberries to simmer, stirring occasionally for about 7-10 mins. You want them to be really broken down.

Place two tbspns of the sauce into a jug and add the cornflour. Mix well to remove any lumps and so that it is all combined.

Pour the cornflour mixture back into the pot and continue to simmer and stir for a further 3-5 mins or until mixture thickens slightly. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before placing in the fridge.

Spoon over cupcakes to serve.

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Blackberry Fool

Mr B and I arrived at Mum and Dad's for dinner on Tuesday night and as usual we were ushered out of the kitchen to our spots at the dining room table. Having a night where I don't have to cook tea is lovely so I take the opportunity to sit and read the paper and catch up with Mum and Dad whilse Mr B spends his time trying to figure out what is in the pots bubbling on the stove and how to get at the secret desserts hidden in the fridge....

This is the vegetarian butter chicken we had for dinner (with spinach, mushrooms, potatoes and soy meat in place of chicken), topped with fried paneer and served with polenta and cheese toasties! I have never thought of frying the paneer before putting it in a curry before and it just added a whole new layer of texture that I just loved. And I think the paneer toasties are a brilliant idea - think cheese sandwiched between two slices of polenta....and then grilled till it was nice and golden and toasty - to me that sounds perfect to have with a big bowl of steaming winter soup or stew...or in this case - curry!

And this is the magical creation Mum and Dad whipped up for dessert - Blackberry Fool. The tartness of the blackberries paired with the sweetness of the creamy vanilla yoghurt is a match made in heaven.

We rarely have blackberries and that is definitely something I plan to fix because they were awesome and I have so many ideas for things I'd love to bake with them!

For the Blackberry Fool you will need:

300g thawed frozen blackberries
1/4 cup caster sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup water
300 ml thickened cream
1.5 cups vanilla yoghurt
Whipped Cream and Chocolate and Vanilla Wafers to serve

In a saucepan over low heat, combine the blackberries, sugar, lemon zest and water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes or until berries are soft. Allow to cool and then blend until smooth. Place in the fridge to chill for 30 mins.

Beat the cream using an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold through the vanilla yoghurt.

Gently fold 2-3 tbspns of the blackberry puree through the yoghurt mixture to create swirls.

In a glass, layer the yoghurt mixture with the remaining blackberry puree. Top with whipped cream and garnish with chocolate wafers.

Serves 4 - and enjoy!

Next Friday I'm off to hospital for a small procedure and whilst it may be classified as 'minor day surgery,' to me it still very much involves the word surgery and is still very scary. I mean if it was so 'minor' why have they given me 7-10 days off work to recover? And yes, a week off work will be lovely and peaceful in theory, but it's the reality of it that bothers me.....will I be in pain? will I be bored? will the surgery go Ok? Is this just the beginning?

In case you didn't know, I think too much.

Because my Dad will be at a conference interstate next week and we won't be doing our weekly dinner, Mum and Dad presented me with a 'going to hospital' pack to get me through that week at home. It included 3 of my favourite magazines, some coffee, some milk and honey brioche to dunk in said coffee, my favourite lollies and a Panda Bear heat pack. I was obsessed with Pandas when I was younger and this lil guy is just adorable - perfect to keep me company while I lie on the couch, reading magazines, drinking coffee, eating brioche and eyeing off the lollies.

I never would have thought of giving someone a pack like this but it meant the world to me last night and I just think it is the loveliest idea. I am very lucky to be surrounded by such caring and thoughtful people and I think it's that that makes me think everything is going to be Ok.

Mrs B xx

Finding the Middle Ground....

Sometimes in life you just have to find the middle ground.

Like when there's only one Tim Tam left in the packet so you and your partner have to go halves, but he takes 3/4 of it in one bite....

Or like when you planned a romantic day out, but there happens to be a big Car Show your husband wants to go to on the same day so you end up spending the day looking under car bonnets, but together nonetheless.....

Yes it involves a little give and take, but sometimes that's half the fun!

You see Mum knows that a steak smothered in mushroom sauce is high on Mr B's list of favourite meals.

And Mr B knows that the chances of a steak being cooked in Mum and Dad's home are slim to none.

So they met in the middle and Mum did the next best thing which was to make an amazing Mushroom Sauce and serve it with a Quorn Vegetarian Cheese and Spinach Schnitzel (with a side of Mr B's favourite potato bake!)

The sauce was delicious, packed full of mushrooms and bursting with flavour from the mustard, plus it was the perfect match for the Cheese and Spinach Schnitzels.

Mum's Mushroom Sauce

375g button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 tbspn butter
1 tbspn wholegrain mustard
300ml thickened cream

Melt butter in a fry pan over medium heat.

Add mushrooms and onion and cook for 5-7 mins, stirring often, until mushrooms are golden and soft.

Add the mustard and cream and stir well to combine.

Allow the mixture to simmer for 5-7 mins until thickened slightly.

Serve over vegetarian schnitzels.....or if you prefer, beef, lamb, pork or chicken.

And then there was dessert.....

Do you remember last week when I said Dad and Mr B had entered into this all out dessert war?

Mr B and I thought we had delivered the first attack pretty well, but as it turns out, Mum and Dad had a plan.

A sneaky plan that involved their super awesome Trifle.

Nothing says temporary defeat like an empty serving bowl, four full to the point of overflowing dessert bowls and the conversation around the table revolving around childhood memories of Dad and I making this ready for when Mum got home from work.....

As I'm getting older, sentimental value is more important to me then ever before. When it comes to food it's not about how fancy the meal looks or how expensive the ingredients were, it's about the memories it generates and this Trifle is one of those dishes that is incredible, both taste wise and warm and fuzzy memory wise. Now I have another happy trifle memory to add to my repertoire!

Trifling Trifle....

1x 250g jam sponge roll, sliced 2cm thick
1 x pkt of prepared port wine jelly
400g tin of fruit salad, drained with the juice reserved
2 cups of custard (banana if you can find it, but vanilla will also work)
300ml thickened cream, whipped
2 x 30g Cadbury Flake Bars, crushed

Prepare the jelly as per packet directions and allow to set in the fridge overnight. Before assembling your trifle, remove the jelly from the fridge and roughly chop.

To assemble your trifle start by placing the jam roll slices over the base and up the sides of a glass serving bowl.

Pour the reserved juice from the fruit salad over the sponge roll and top with the jelly.

Top with the fruit salad.

Pour over the custard and top with whipped cream. Finish off your trifle by sprinkling with the crushed Flake bars.

Place the trifle back in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Mrs B xx

Tropical Fruit Salad Butter Cake

This recipe has been in the back of my mind for awhile now and a few weeks ago I finally had the opportunity to bring it back to life. I was so pleased when it tasted exactly how I remembered it because my Mum and I used to make this cake all the time when I was younger. Even though I haven't made it or eaten it in well over 10 years, it's amazing how one bite can bring a world of memories flooding back and I knew I had to make it again so that my Mum and Dad and Mr B could experience it as well.

This is a really simple cake, but it is so moist and light and bursting with fruit that you can serve it hot or cold, for dessert or afternoon tea, but always with a generous dollop of cream.

Tropical Fruit Salad Butter Cake

You will need:

1 pkt of Butter Cake Mix
425g tin of super well drained tropical fruit salad mix (the one I use is a mix of pineapple, peach, banana and passionfruit, but I pick the seeds out!)

Pre-heat oven to 180C and grease your desired size cake tin. If I'm making it for dessert I make it in one large round cake tin or if I'm making it for afternoon tea I make it as two cakes so I can sandwich them together with whipped cream.

Prepare the butter cake mix as per the packet directions.

Stir through the drained fruit salad.

Pour the mixture into your cake tin and bake for 40-50 mins for one large cake or 30-40 mins for 2 smaller ones. The cake is done when golden in colour and bounces back when touched.

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

The Not So Mythical Lemon Cheesecake

As long as I have known Mr B he has been obsessed with my Mum's lemon cheesecake.

Not bad seeing as he had never tried it.

I'm not sure how it came up in conversation, but one night Mum mentioned her Famous Lemon Cheesecake and I have to say it was met with lots of puzzled looks around the table. I'm now 27 and I don't remember ever trying it.....Dad has a vague memory of it.....but for Mum it's still there at the forefront of her mind, she included it in a book she made for me of all of her favourite and most popular recipes and even still knows the recipe off by heart!

Needless to say, over the years Mum has copped a lot of flack about the 'mythical' cheesecake. Mr B is not one to let up on anything....especially when it comes to cheesecake.

So last night when we went to Mum and Dad's for tea....our very first dinner cooked in their brand new kitchen...and after a little bit more furniture moving and a delicious frittata made in Mum's brand new oven-proof fry pan...Mum presented Mr B with her homemade (and non-mythical) lemon cheesecake! Mr B is actually lucky he didn't end up wearing it because Mum banned him from looking in the fridge all night, to the point where Dad stood guard in front of it to stop any sneaky looks, not that it stopped him from trying...or from stirring Mum up about what was actually in there.

I love this series of photos, look how excited Mr B is and how proud my Mum is....

All that was left to do now was top it the cheesecake with whipped cream and a light sprinkling of nutmeg and dig in!

Is there anything better than a big slice of cheesecake with a gorgeous buttery biscuit base, light as air filling and fluffy whipped cream?? Oh that's right there is....sharing it with your nearest and dearest. And I think it was the perfect way to christen Mum and Dad's new kitchen.

Here is a sneak peek at the kitchen in Mum and Dad's new house (and my Mum pottering around in it!).....isn't it amazing? It's so bright and there's so much space to move around and don't even get me started on the storage space. I just love it.

Now back to the Famous Lemon Cheesecake

You will need:

375g plain sweet biscuits
115g butter
1 tspn mixed spice
225g cream cheese
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 pkt of lemon jelly crystals
1 cup boiling water
Juice and ring of 2 lemons
1 tin (375ml) of Carnation evaporated milk
Whipped cream and nutmeg to serve

Place the biscuits in the bowl of a food processor and process until fine crumbs.

Add the butter and mix spice. Process to combine.

Lightly grease a round 25cm diameter springform tin with butter. Press the biscuit mixture firmly into the base and up the sides of the tin. Try and get as close to the top as you can around the sides. Place in the fridge to chill.

In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the cream cheese and sugar. Beat well.

Meanwhile, combine the jelly crystals and boiling water with the lemon juice and lemon rind. Set aside to cool.

In a clean bowl, beat the evaporated milk until stiff.

Gently fold the evaporated milk into the cream cheese mixture.

Add the jelly mixture to the cream cheese mixture and beat on low speed until all ingredients are combined and mixture is smooth.

Pour the filling into the prepared biscuit case. Place in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours to set.

Serve topped with freshly whipped cream and a sprinkling of nutmeg.

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Crunchy Noodle Salad

Tonight's blog post is kind of a mental health post.

For the past 2.5 days Mr B and I have been watching and waiting as a bushfire rages out of control in the bushland around us. It is one of the most frustrating and scary things I have ever experienced as just when you think it's calming down and things are looking good, the wind changes and it all flares up again. I have this constant knot of tension in my stomach and I just don't know how people face these things.....well actually I do - you just keep going. You put one foot in front of the other, you keep yourself busy and you just wait for it to get better because honestly, what else can you do? I would love to pick our house, land and lambies up and move it to the middle of a big city, I would love to jump in my car and just leave, but more than anything I would love to just look out the window and for it to all be gone and if I never hear another helicopter fly over head ever again, it will be too soon. I'm sure I'm going to develop some sort of helicopter related nervous twitch from this whole thing.

I have the utmost respect for firefighters who face these things every day and for the work they have done and will continue to do in defending the properties and the communities here.

So in an effort to stop myself going completely mad, I have baked, I've cleaned, I've packed our cars full to the brim with everything we hold dear and now I'm writing to you. Last Tuesday night Mr B and I went to Mum and Dad's for quite possibly the very last dinner in the caravan before they move into their brand new home. As usual they had whipped up a feast consisting of Mushroom Pies, Greek Salad AND Crunchy Noodle Salad! Mum had been keen to try this Crunchy Noodle Salad recipe off the Chang's Fried Noodle packet for a long time and I had also heard lots of good things about it so I was really excited to try it. Let me just say WOW - the textures, the flavours, the crunch of the noodles...did I say WOW?  The dressing in this salad is just amazing and quite refreshing.

This makes enough to serve 4 people as a side dish, but if you toss through 300g shredded BBQ chicken along with the noodles you will easily have enough to serve 4 people as a main.

You will need:

1/2 - 1 Chinese Cabbage (or Savoy Cabbage)
6 green onions, finely chopped
100g lightly roasted almonds or pinenuts
1 pkt Chang's Fried Noodles

And for the dressing:

1/4 white wine vinegar
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 tbspn soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil

Mix all the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well.

Place in a small saucepan and place over low heat, stirring for 2-3 mins until sugar is dissolved.

Combine the cabbage, green onions and almonds or pinenuts in a salad bowl. Add the dressing and mix well.

Just before serving add the noodles and toss thoroughly.

Thank you for the distraction - but for now, it's back to fire watching duty....

Mrs B xx

You don't need a kitchen to cook a great meal!

As most of you know, at the moment my parents are in the middle of building their dream home. Whilst the building process takes place they are living on site in a caravan, which is lovely for a holiday, but a bit rough in the long term. All things considered they are coping surprisingly well. Goodness knows how Mr B and I would survive living in such close quarters for such a long time. One thing I know I definitely could not cope with is the kitchen, or lack thereof. Obviously in summer, the bbq was a huge saviour, but now that winter is upon us, Dad is not so keen on standing outside at the bbq, and Mum is not so keen on Dad bringing the bbq into the caravan! Mum has a gas stove and microwave that is shoved up in an akward spot above head height and that's about it, don't even think about asking where the bench space is because there is not even room to store your electric mixer, let alone use it. It's giving me a slight twitch just thinking about it! The moral of the story is that despite being in the caravan with the non-existent kitchen and the seemingly limited menu options, Mum is persevering / powering ahead with the cooking, whereas many would have pulled into the McDonalds drive-thru or picked up the phone and called for pizza long ago!

Last night when we rocked up at Mum and Dad's for tea and I think it's safe to say that everyone, even Mum, were surprised with what was dished up.

Mum made Veggie Burgers with Avocado Tzatziki, Haloumi and Brown Rice Salad and holy moses, did it blow the room away! There were earlier concerns that maybe this meal was slightly (read as waaayyy) too adventurous for the little caravan kitchen, but I think it's fair to say that not only did Mum show just how little you need in the way of kitchen space / appliances to put up a delicious and good looking meal, but she knocked it out of the ball park!

So let's get down to business...this is roughly how she did it....

Veggie Burgers with Avocado Tzatziki, Haloumi and Brown Rice Salad

You will need:

4 x veggie burgers
200g haloumi
200g european style yoghurt
1 cucumber peeled and chopped
1 avocado chopped
10ml lemon juice
3 cups of cooked brown rice (we used 2 pkts of the 90 second brown rice you find in the rice section of the supermarket)
1 capsicum diced
1 red onion diced
10 medium sized sun dried tomatoes finely sliced
1 cup diced celery
3 tbspn red wine vinegar
200g baby spinach
1 tbspn basil paste
1 tspn crushed garlic

For the Avocado Tzatziki

Combine the yoghurt, lemon juice, avocado and cucumber together in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.

For the Brown Rice Salad

Cook rice according to packet directions.

Meanwhile in a fry pan over medium heat, cook the onion, capsicum and celery for 5-7 mins or until softened.

Add the sun dried tomatoes, rice, red wine vinegar, spinach, garlic and basil. Mix well and cook for a further 5-7 mins or until spinach is wilted.

For the Haloumi and Veggie Burgers

Cook burgers as per packet directions - either oven bake or cook in a fry pan.

Once the burgers are cooked, cut them into 3.

Slice the haloumi into 8 pieces and cook in a lightly greased fry pan, turning frequently until golden.

To Assemble

Start by dividing your brown rice salad between four plates.

Top with a generous dollop of the avocado tzatziki.

Follow with the veggie burger and finish with the strips of fried haloumi and drizzle with lemon juice.

Now sit down, relax and enjoy your master piece!

Mrs B xx

Happy International Mothers Day!

Mothers Day?
In April?
Yes.
No I am not going crazy.
No I have not lost my calendar.
But I will be out of the country on Mothers Day this year and I feel incredibly guilty about it. These days are HUGE in our family. It's like our own little public holiday just for us to celebrate our family.

So when Mr B and I were planning our holiday for this time of year, I made it very clear I wanted to be home for my Mum's Birthday in June, but that meant we would miss Mothers Day. Fudge. I was none to pleased about this either, but we just couldn't do anything about it. So there was only one thing for it. We had to move Mothers Day to today. End of story.

Mum, Dad, Mr B and I went to a beautiful property just out of Hobart called Villa Howden. The Villa offers boutique accomodation with views out over the North West Bay and is set in the midst of the most beautiful picturesque garden.


Previously you could only enter the grounds of the Villa if you were fortunate enough to be staying there, so when Dad heard they were throwing open the gates and having High Tea there of a Sunday, he knew we had to go as him and Mum had admired the property from a far for quite some time.

When we arrived today we had a lovely sticky beak around the gardens and of course Mr B left unattended for 2 minutes managed to find the croquet set....


Then we went inside for the High Tea. Inside the Villa is just as stunning as the outside, with every little detail seen too. We had only just taken our seats and already there were pots of tea on the table and 2 tiers of food on the table. Mum and I decided to start off with the mini scones, jam and cream....


...and then we alternated between cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches and the dessert plate which included a mini custard tart, mini mudcake, mini lemon muffin and some exquisite (oh yes I said exquisite) creme brulee. We left there very full, but very impressed with the whole package. If ever there was a property perfectly suited for luxury, for relaxing, for appreciating and for spoiling, it is this one.


We had a really nice day today, but it did confirm something I have been feeling more and more the last few weeks. That dull twist in my stomach is turning into a tight knotting ball....and do you know why? I am going to miss my Mum and Dad incredibly whilst we are away. I don't think I have ever been away from them for this long.....and already I am looking forward to coming home and seeing them.


Happy Internation Mothers Day Mother B xx

Love Mrs B xx

Mum's Tomato Chutney

It's that time of year again....home made tomato chutney time!!!

Now I have never made tomato chutney before, my Mum always makes it and she makes enough to last her and Dad and Mr B and I all year round. It's like having your own chutney exchange station, we take our empty jars to Mums and she sends us home with full ones. But alas, this year Mum and Dad had to forfeit their chutney making duties due to living in a caravan while they wait for their new house to be built.

That left only one option....it was time to step up to the plate and accept the chutney making challenge!

Upon reading Mum's old recipe....I decided I didn't like it, no one wants to buy 8kgs of tomatos, boil them and peel them....so I tweaked it a bit...and because I didn't know how it was going to turn out I decided to make a half batch, but then I discovered I had an abnormally small pot so it kind of turned into a third batch!


What you will need is....

2.4 kgs of tomatoes, skins removed (cheat note - you could use 3 x 800g tins of peeled italian tomatoes for this....)
750g diced onion (also as a cheat, feel free to use frozen onion)
2 tbspns curry powder
2 tbspns mustard powder
1 tbspn salt
1/2 bottle Ezy Sauce
1 kg sugar
1/2 cup plain flour

Begin by combining the tomatoes, onion, salt and sugar in a large heavy based saucepan. Bring to the boil.

Combine the mustard powder and curry powder with a small amount of water to form a thin paste and add to the tomato mixture.

Pour in the Ezy Sauce and stir to combine.

Allow the mixture to simmer covered for around 2 hours, stirring fairly regularly or it will stick to the bottom and burn!

About 10 mins before the end of the cooking time, combine the flour and a small amount of water to form a thin paste and stir through the chutney. If you don't combine the flour with the water first, you will end up with white floury lumps through your chutney - trust me I know!!

Our house has been filled with the delicious smell of chutney ever since and believe me there is nothing quite like home made chutney on toast with melted cheese...or a fresh ham salad roll with home made chutney or hot zucchini pancakes with home made chutney....basically anything is better with home made chutney...did I mention scrambled eggs with home made chutney?!?! Oh my god!!!

Using the above recipe I got 7 standard sized jars which should last us a little while, and at least using tinned tomatoes I can have fresh home made tomato chutney all year round!!

Mrs B xx

Mum's Bishops Cake

When I was younger I remember my Mum baking up a storm at Christmas time - there were puddings and cakes and mini truffles and all sorts of goodies. One of the things I remember most is this Bishops Cake. Mum always used to make a heap of them and then cut them in half and give them away as gifts to people. I used to think it was a bit rough giving people half a cake, but now i understand why....they look so pretty when they are cut and I believe the name comes from the fact that they look like a stained glass window when cut - to be honest when I was little I thought it was because the nuts in the top looked like a Bishops Hat...hey, it's totally plausible!

Anyway, this year I wanted to make something to give a few of the special people in my life and this was the first thing that came to mind - it's delicious, it's pretty and it's easy, ticks all the boxes!!

Now this recipe makes 1 tall loaf or I actually doubled the recipe and baked it in a sheet pan which gave me 8 decent sized squares...they weren't as tall as the ones I remember Mum making, but still looked great!

All you need is:

250g brazil nuts
250g macadamia nuts
12 pitted dates
2 glace pineapple circles cut into chunks
6 glace apricots sliced
1 cup red and green glace cherries
3/4 cup plain flour
1/2 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 tspn vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 150C

Grease a 21x11cm loaf tin or a large sheet cake pan and line the base and sides with baking paper.

Place the nuts and fruit in a bowl.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt over the fruit.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until nice and thick. Pour over the fruit and nut mixture and stir to combine.

Spoon the mixture into prepared tin - try to arrange it so you get a good mix of everything.

Bake for around 45 - 60mins. I recommend checking it at 45mins with a skewer, if the cake is golden and the skewer is clean then it's done, if not, give it another 10-15mins.

Allow the cake to cool before removing from pan and peeling off the baking paper.


Now like I said before, if you are giving this away and you make a single loaf, then cut it in half or if you make a sheet cake, cut into nice squares. I recommend using an electric knife to cut it as it looks really pretty with a nice straight edge. I have wrapped all my pieces in two layers of cling wrap and then in some cellophane and they make really nice gifts to give to people, plus you get the added bonus of a home made pressie :)

And Mum tells me this cake is best served sliced very thin (with your electric knife) with a nice tasty cheese!

Em x

Mum's Crowd Pleaser Pumpkin Muffins

My Mum is one of those people who is naturally gorgeous, she doesn't wear make up (except for lippy!) and her job as a nurse doesn't allow her to wear nail polish, but with the wedding fast approaching and Mum and Dad flying out for 10 days in the sun at Port Douglas tomorrow, it was the perfect opportunity to have a test run with our nails. Things didn't quite go as planned though, Mum got lost and was then running late, none of the colours available in the shellac really matched what she wanted and I knew she was generally uncomfortable about the whole thing....but you know what, she settled on a colour, she relaxed, she gave it a go, the result was gorgeous and I was very proud of her for stepping outside her comfort zone and letting someone pamper her for a change!

So this year when I started planning the list of pumpkin / apple / pecan / halloween and autumn inspired baking, I knew I had to make my Mum's pumpkin muffins. Mum has made these muffins for as long as I can remember. She normally only makes 1 batch a year so they are always a special treat to be savoured...and believe me, a warm pumpkin muffin with a smidgen of melty butter and a hot cuppa is pure heaven on a plate.

And to cater for differing tastes (aka fussy taste buds as I got older) Mum started making half the batch with sultanas and half without as some years I was all for sultanas in my muffins and some years I was adamant they were just not meant to be there! These days I think I prefer them without, but I still like the idea of making half and half especially if you are serving them at a morning tea or sharing them with friends :)


Mum's Crowd Pleaser Pumpkin Muffins

60g butter (melted)
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 1/3 cups plain flour
2 tspns baking powder
1/2 tspn salt
1 tspn mixed spice
1/4 cup sultanas

Pre-heat oven to 200C and grease a 12 hole muffin tin.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar.

Add the milk, egg and pumpkin puree and beat to combine.

Add the plain flour, baking powder, salt and mixed spice. Beat until mixture is just combined. (it won't be mega smooth because of the pumpkin, but just so you don't have big lumps of flour!)

Now what I do at this stage is divide half the mixture between 6 muffin cups....then I stir 1/4 cup of sultanas through the remaining mixture and divide that between the remaining muffin cups.

Bake for around 20 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clear.

Em x

Rustic Lamb and Sweet Potato Pie

I am a big believer that we partially eat with our eyes and I totally understand the need to make dishes look appealing and appetizing, but sometimes I think a rustic homestyle dish can look so much more impressive and appealing then a mega styled restaurant dish....

Take this pie for example....


It looks rustic....it looks home made...just by looking at it you know it was made with love by someone who wanted YOU to enjoy it...

This pie is actually very very easy and delicious to boot...not to mention once you've got the basics down, it's also very versatile! I think I just seriously over used the word 'very' but you see my point!

Lamb and Sweet Potato Pie
1.5 cups plain flour
125g Flora Ultra Light Margarine (I know it's traditional to use butter in pastry, but in an effort to conserve calories I tried this and it worked!)
2 tbspns cold water
1 small zucchini (grated or finely diced)
1 small sweet potato (grated or finely diced)
1 small onion finely diced
1 tspn paprika
1 tspn allspice
1/4 cup mixed herbs such as rosemary, thyme and garlic
350g lean lamb mince
1 tbspn extra margarine (melted)
Salt and Pepper
Natural Yoghurt to serve

Pre-heat oven to 200C fan forced.

Using an electric mixer with dough hooks or a food processor, process the flour and butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the water and process until the mixture just comes together....you may need to add slightly more flour or water or butter here to get the right consistency, just be brave and use your judgement. If you are using an electric mixer, mix the dough until it reaches a smooth consistency. Refigerate the dough for 15-20 mins while you complete the next step.

In a bowl combine the zucchini, sweet potato, herbs, onion, paprika, allspice and mince. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove the dough from the fridge and press into the base and sides of a large greased baking dish. Spoon the lamb mixture over the dough but don't be too fussy about going all the way to the edges. Fold the sides down over the filling to form sort of an open top pie. Brush the pastry with melted butter and bake for 45 mins or until pastry is golden. Serve pie with a dollop of yoghurt.

The only change I would make is a) have the camera battery charged so you can get a photo of the whole pie fresh out of the oven when it looks it's most specky....and b) scatter say 50-80g of crumbled fetta over the top of the pie before baking...mmmm gooey melty fetta!!

And last night OH and I went to Mum and Dad's for tea. As soon as we got out of the car we were greeted with the smell of Mum's chow mein and once that scent hit our nostrils we were up the drive and inside quick smart! Mum had decided to walk on the wild side and try adding tofu to her chow mein rather then chicken or tuna....not only was this a major step in itself, but it was also the first time Mum and Dad had cooked with tofu. Mum had picked up some sesame tofu nuggets at the supermarket and I must say the sesame seeds and the tofu itself added a layer of flavour and texture to the chow mein that just took it to a whole new level....the tried and tested family favourite has just had a tofu make over!!


Doesn't it make your mouth water just looking at it?

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Em x

Happy Birthday to Us!!

For those of you who don't know, today is Love, Shoes and Cupcakes first birthday, yep one whole year. It doesn't feel like that long hey! Things have certainly changed in that time though...
- My shoe collection has increased ten-fold (and evolved into a love of tights too)
- Both OH and I have started new jobs and made significant changes in our lives
- We were getting married, then two weeks before the big day we decided to postpone which was one of the hardest things we have ever done, but now we are six months out from our wedding date and you know what, this time it just feels right, it's really going to happen and I couldn't be more excited, we even booked our mini-moon last night and we are about to book our honeymoon to Europe!
- As for the cooking, it's grown from a love of cupcakes and basic baking to a love of all things cooking, I've made things I never thought I could and I still love nothing more then an afternoon in the kitchen :)

So in honour of this milestone last night, Mum and Dad came up for dinner and this is how we celebrated...

Roast Tomato and Lentil Soup with Homemade Foccacia....


This foccacia recipe has been haunting me for ages! I have desperately wanted to try it, but just wasn't sure if I could pull it off, but well last night was the night and it was better then I expected. The herbs and sea salt on the top gave it so much flavour and it was crispy on the outside, but light and fluffy in the middle, just perfect :) Wanna try it for yourself? Here's how...

Foccacia

2 cups plain flour
7g dried yeast
2tbspns of olive oil
2 tspns rock salt
2 tbspns parmesan
2 tspns pizza herbs

Grease a 20cm x 30cm slice tin.

Combine the flour, yeast, parmesan and half of the salt in a bowl.

Make a well in the centre and add 1 cup of warm water and oil. Stir until a soft sticky dough forms.

Knead the dough (in the bowl should be fine) for around 5-7 mins or until the dough springs back when pressed.

Press the dough into the prepared pan and cover with cling wrap. Set aside in a warm place for 1 hour.

Waiting waiting waiting.....pre-heat your oven to 180C....wait some more...

Remove the plastic wrap from dough. Drizzle with some balsamic vinegar or olive oil. Sprinkle with remaining sea salt and herbs.

Bake for 15 mins then reduce temperature to 160C. Bake for a further 10 -15 mins or until top is golden and sounds hollow when tapped.

And for dessert, we had the grand finale (I even had a candle!!) The Double Decker Icecream Pudding!!


Now what to make for this occasion has been a point of contention for me for some time, it had to be something special, something celebratory, something different, something I hadn't made before, something easy yet impressive....this long list of criteria led to me sitting on the floor last Friday, surrounded by every recipe book I own....and after much page turning, huffing, puffing, foot stamping and general tantrum throwing, I settled on a combination of several recipes with my own twists thrown in. (I have to give OH a big shout out here for putting up with me during the decision making process!!)


And you know what? It was so easy!!

Double Decker Icecream Pudding

1.25L of light vanilla icecream
1 cup of store brought or homemade vanilla custard (I made some at home)
10-15 mini vanilla meringues (crushed)
16 choc ripple biscuits (leave 8 whole and roughly crush the remaining 8)
Peppermint essence
Green and pink food colouring
250g of fresh strawberries (hulled and diced)
2 tbspns strawberry jam
Ice Magic

Line a large mixing bowl (with steep sides) or a large pudding steamer with cling wrap.

In a large bowl, combine the vanilla icecream with the custard, meringues and crushed biscuits.

Place half of the mixture in a seperate bowl.

Add 2 drops peppermint essence and 2-3 drops green food colouring to one bowl. Combine. Spoon the mixture into your prepared bowl and place in the freezer.

Cook the strawberries and the jam in the microwave or on the stove top for 4-5 mins or until they have cooked down. You want them to be mushy, but you still want some strawberry chunks too!

Stir the strawberries and 2 drops of pink food colouring through the remaining icecream. Place the bowl in the freezer.

After 2-3 hours the mint layer should be set enough to pour your strawberry mixture over the top. Place back in the freezer for an hour.

Layer your remaining chocolate biscuits over the strawberry icecream to form a 'base' for your pudding. Place back in the freezer overnight.

When you are ready to serve the pudding, place a large plate over the bowl and flip upside down. The pudding should come out of the bowl easy enough. Remove the bowl and peel the cling wrap from the pudding.

Pour ice magic over the top and leave for a minute or two to set.

Serve and enjoy!!


I was really happy with the way this came out, it looked fantastic, it tasted great and I couldn't think of a better way to end our first twelve months!

So thank you to OH, Mum and Dad for putting up with my cooking madness and thank you to all of you for sharing the ride - I can't wait to see what the next year has in store!!

Em x

The cupcakes have returned!!

Yep, it's that time of year again, RSPCA Cupcake Day is fast approaching and this will be my 4th year baking my lil heart out (hold on, don't I do that all the time anyway?!) for those cute lil critters! This year I am doing pretty much the same as last year, every donation of $10 or more receives a batch of cupcakes as thanks and there will be a Cupcake Morning Tea at my work on August 15th as well. I am very excited because it’s only Day 5 and I’ve already raised $85.

If you are interested in donating then you can do so via my fundraising page http://www.fundraise.rspcacupcakeday.com.au/emily_balmforth_4


This was the first batch to go out this year, some decadent Double Chocolate Cupcakes and some heavenly Sticky Date Cupcakes.

And here is how it's done :)

Sticky Date Cupcakes (This made 18 normal sized cupcakes)

You will need:

250g pitted dates
1 cup water
1 tspn bicarb
60g butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1.5 cups self raising flour

Pre-heat oven to 180C and line your cupcake pans.

Place the water and dates in a deep dish (believe me you will thank me for this later) in the microwave on medium high for around 4-5 mins. They should be nice and mushy by the time you get them out.

Add the bicarb and stir to combine (see aren’t you glad you used the deep dish?!)

Melt the butter and sugar together in the microwave (or on the stove if you prefer) and stir into the mixture. Add eggs and flour. Stir to combine.

Now you may want to sit down and eat the whole bowl of mixture right now....believe me I know...but be strong and spoon it into your cupcake pans and bake for 15-18 mins (for normal size ones) or 12-15 mins (for cute lil mini ones)

For the frosting I used some pre-made vanilla frosting and mixed some maple syrup through it. I was contemplating making some toffee shards or something to go with them as well but I kind of believe that if you get too fancy and start adding too many layers on then it can take away from the cupcake itself. Fair enough if you have a plain vanilla or plain chocolate cake, layer it up with all you like, but when it comes to something like a sticky date cupcake, I think a hint of maple in the frosting is all you need to set the flavours off because a) I think the less is more approach is the way to go when it comes to cupcake decorating and b)there is nothing worse than going to a cupcake shop and they look so delicious but underneath that tower of creamy frosting is a very average cake, it should be about the two coming together to make something spectacular you know?! Ok rant over, moving on!

Chocolate Cupcakes (I got 9 normal size + 14 mini cupcakes out of this recipe so I’d say 15 normal sized?)

This recipe is from a book my Mum gave me and the first time I made it I was very hesitant as the mixture is quite thick, but my god does it make some good cupcakes!!

You will need:

125g butter
2/3 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1.25 cups self raising flour
1/3 cup milk
3 tbspns cocoa

Pre-heat oven to 160C and line your cupcake trays.

Melt the butter and sugar together in the microwave.

Using an electric mixer, add eggs, milk and cocoa and beat until well combined.

Add flour and beat for 2-3 mins until everything is mixed in.

The mixture looks a bit like mousse at this stage :) which actually makes it a hell of alot easier to spoon into your cupcake pans! Fill the pans about ¾ and bake for around 15 mins or until cupcakes bounce back when poked.

I frosted these ones with a pre-made chocolate frosting and topped them with a mini oreo just to make them look cute.

And while we are on a cupcake theme, check out my new Cupcake Locket!


And look at all those gorgeous people in it :)



And did I mention I have something very special in the works for you on Thursday?? Stay tuned!!

Happy Baking everyone xx

Em

Spoilt Much?

After my little stint in hospital the other day I was seriously craving vegetables and grains and just real food in general.

God knows how I would survive if I ever fell down a well (highly unlikely I know...) or got lost in the bush (quite possible....) or just generally became too poor to eat well (this one definetly has potential...) because before I had even begun the low residue diet I was planning my 'welcome back' meal! I thought long and hard about it and decided that for my first real meal at home in 4 days, I wanted nothing more then OH's chicken parmy :)

Have I told you about OH's chicken parmy before? No? I'm sorry....some things are just too good to share...but I think it's time you knew that my OH makes a mean chicken parmy, not your ordinary crumbed and fried schnitzel pub version, oh no...he browns the chicken breast in the fry pan, lightly seasons them, then tops them with some tomato paste, fresh cut tomatoes and some cheese and oven bakes them till they are cooked to perfection. He used to make this for me when we first met using a cajun sauce we could buy at Target but unfortunately you can't buy it anymore, but it doesn't matter, they are still delicious! And he even cooked up a potato, mushroom, tomato and onion fry up to go with it!


He does spoil me :)

And I got extra spoilt because when we went to Mum and Dad's for dinner on Wednesday night (Day 2 of normal food) Mum knew I would be craving some vegetables so she cooked up this little feast


We had roast carrot, parsnip and potatoes done in a SchlemmerTopf (which is a glazed clay roasting dish), cauliflower cheese, brussel sprouts with garlic and parmesan and creamy mashed pumpkin :) Mmmmmm vegie goodness

Now more on the SchlemmerTopf. I remember Mum using this when I was little and it makes the best roast spuds!! But you can do meat in it aswell if you are that way inclined :) And as an added bonus it's a healthy way to cook as it doesn't require you to use any fats or oils. The dish retains all the liquids, flavor, taste, nutrients and vitamins allowing the food to cook in their own juices.

Oh and before I go, here is a photo of Mum and Dad....Dad is very excited about the prospect of tea!


Hope you all have a fantastic weekend :)

Em x

Let's Talk About The Weekend :)

How was your weekend?

My weekend was filled with some highly un-exciting things like spring cleaning (something I have never done before and will never do again!) and grocery shopping and washing :(

But it was also filled with some fantastic things like...


The new Rekorderlig winter cider with cinnamon and vanilla - the only cider I actually like and did I mention you can drink it hot or cold - perfect for a cold winter's night :)

Parfait! Everybody likes parfait!! Especially when it's as easy as beating 2 blocks of cream cheese with a tub of yoghurt, some icing sugar and then swirling through some fresh raspberries when it's all done!


And last but not least - on Friday night I made my first zucchini slice - now this may not seem like a big deal, but my Mum is the Queen of savoury slices, she throws in whatever is in the fridge wether it be dips, cheeses, vegies, absolutely anything and they always turn out delicious - so I was a touch nervous but luckily it came out and it looked good, it smelt good and most importantly it was packed full of flavour :) We even had baby pumpkins out of our vegie patch with it and whilst they may have been small, they were tasty!



Zucchini Slice
4 eggs
1 cup self raising flour
80g baby spinach
2 zucchini grated
1 cup grated cheese
3 tbspns melted butter + 1 extra
200g rindless bacon diced
1 onion diced

Pre-heat oven to 170C.

Combine the eggs, flour, zucchini, 3 tbspns of melted butter and grated cheese in a bowl.

In a fry pan over medium heat, melt 1 tbspn of the butter. Add onion and bacon and cook for 7-10 mins or until done. Add spinach and cook for a further 2 mins or until wilted.

Add onion mix to the batter and stir to combine.

Pour into a greased pyrex dish and place in the oven for 30-40 mins or until golden.

Serve with salad and vegies :)

I actually had the leftover slice cold for tea last night and I would go as far as to say it was nicer cold or even just warmed through. Also a good one for lunch boxes!

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend :)

Em x

Baked Ricotta

Happy Wednesday!!

I actually can't take any credit whatsoever for this one. This is one of Mum and Dad's Tuesday night specials, they have been experimenting with Baked Ricotta a fair bit lately, but OH and I were yet to try it. So Mum thought it only fitting that she enlightened us :) We had some ricotta combined with spinach, garlic, mushrooms and semi dried tomatoes topped with fresh tomatoes and cheese baked in individual ramekins and served with a beautiful sour dough. We also had some tomatoes, potato and some 'store brought' baked ricotta as well. Doesn't it look delicious?? The ramekin of freshly baked ricotta was just begging for you to dive in there with your bread time and time again and do I even need to mention how good it is running a piece of fresh bread around a bowl / ramekin and mopping up all the juices?!? I didn't think so....


It was such a delicious meal, and so many things you can do with it, you could simply add some spices, or you could add grated carrot and zucchini and maybe even a few sultanas, the possibilities are endless!

Now I think the general gist of baked ricotta is get your ricotta and add your chosen combination of mix ins. Stir it all up, spoon into a ramekin(s) and bake for about 20-30 mins at 180C or until it looks set.

How easy is that!!

So go on, start planning a gorgeous brunch / lunch for your loved ones this weekend, sit down with them, chat, take turns diving crusty bread into the baked ricotta, they will love you for it :)

Em x

Mum's Pasta Surprise

This is a recipe my Mum makes all the time and when I was little the sight of tinned pumpkin soup in the cupboard could only mean one thing - Mum's Pasta Surprise! It earnt the name Pasta Surprise because the vegetables in it usually depended on what was in the fridge at the time! Some of you may remember that for Christmas last year my Mum gave me a book with all her recipes written in it. This was one of them and I decided it would be the perfect winter treat for OH and I to have this week :)

You will need:

200g dry pasta
2 x 540g cans of Campbell's Butternut Pumpkin Soup
125g of bacon (or similarly you could use some sliced sanitarium vegetarian sausages)
2 x celery stalks diced
1 x onion diced
1 x capsicum diced
150g mushrooms diced
(Or similarly you could use a mix of peas, corn, capsicum and carrot)
1 cup grated cheese

Cook the pasta in a microwave dish or on the stove top.

Meanwhile fry the onion and bacon in a frypan over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook for 8-10 mins or until softened. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine the vegetables, pumpkin soup and pasta in an oven proof dish.

Top with grated cheese and cracked pepper. Bake at 180C for 20 mins or until golden.


This is a delicious and hearty winter dish that is very versatile. I think the pumpkin soup also makes a nice change from other pasta bake sauces.

Enjoy :)

Em x

I'm back!!!

Did you miss me??

We got back late last night and I am still exhausted so let me give you the run down in pictures!

We went to Melbourne because it was my gorgeous Mother's BDay


So we started the day with a quick trip to the Lindt Cafe....


Then Dad, OH and I took Mum to the Observatory Cafe at The Botanical Gardens for brekkie and not only was the food beautiful but the setting was too. Then we went to the Tutankhamun Exhibit which was amazing and very interesting too :) Mum and I shopped up a storm in Myer and brought some very cool tights (more on those another day...) and we found our new favourite chocolate cafe called Chokolait where we sampled truffles, iced chocolates fruit smoothies, icecream sundaes with bananas and belgium chocolate, chocolate mousse cakes and so much more...to the point where we had to return the following day to try the chocolate mousse with strawberries and the chocolate pavlova roll too! I highly recommend this place, the service was friendly and the food was to die for...



That night we went to a bar called The Long Room because Mum loves Tapas and this place had received some good write ups. Mum and Dad shared 4 or 5 plates including deep fried camembert with honey vinegrette, tempura vegetables, sagnaki and potatoes with a gorgonzola sauce and OH and I did the same, our dishes included soft shell crab, eggplant stuffed with basil, mozarella and pinenuts and a goats cheese, potato and pancette pizza. Every single dish was a winner. Then we took a short stroll across the road to see Love Never Dies, the sequel to Phantom of the Opera. It was OH's first opera so I was worried about how he would go, but he survived. The show was brilliant, even if you didn't know or didn't like the story, the stage show was just mind blowing.

On the Friday we went out to Werribee Open Range Zoo which was a really different experience seeing all the animals out in the open like that. That night OH and I took Mum and Dad to come of our favourite places, first we hit up Grill'd for some burgers then it was onto Rockstar Bowling for some 8 Ball - we all love that place, the decor, the music, the atmosphere, we thought Dad was going to settle in for the night! - and then for the walk back to the hotel, Harajuku Crepes - these lil babies are brilliant, a crepe filled with your choice of fillings, ranging from fruit to cheesecake to tiramisu to brownies topped with ice cream and cream and then folded into a cone shape so you can walk and nibble at the same time :)

Mum and Dad flew home early Sat morning, but OH and I didn't fly out till late Sat night so we decided to take a walk out to Prahran to visit Misty's Diner. The place is fantastic, decked out like a true old 50's diner complete with mini juke box in the booths, Cap'n Crunch cereal on the menu and waitresses names Peggy Sue. The menu is quite extensive and after much deliberation we decided on a Bloomin' Onion for starters and then OH had a Bite Me Burger with Curly Fries and I had a Vegetarian Chilli Dog with Con Queso Fries washed down with a pink lemonade :) The meals were huge! The Bloomin' Onion was a whole onion, fanned out, crumbed and fried and served with ranch dipping sauce. OH's burger consisted of not only a beef pattie but a chicken schnitzel aswell and my hot dog was a delicious vegetarian hot dog topped with vegetarian chilli con carne. The fries were also off the charts (as you can see from the pic of me scoffing them!) and the meals were just huge I mean this photo is just of mine! We were so very full when we left, but OH brought himself a Twinkie for the road, I was glad we had the long walk back to the CBD to try and stretch our stomachs out a bit!


So all in all it was a fantastic trip, there was laughter,


there were drinks....


there was dancing....


even some happy feet....


but most importantly there was family....



Happy Birthday Mum!

Em x