Yield 1 x 10-inch round

Ingredients
Brownie
125 g butter
125 g dark chocolate, chopped
1 C flour, sifted
3/4 C sugar
2 eggs
1/4 C milk

Cheesecake
500 g cream cheese
1/2 C sugar
3 eggs
115 g natural yoghurt
1 t vanilla

Method
1. Grease and line baking tin with baking paper. Preheat oven to 160 degrees.
2. Melt butter and chocolate over a double boiler until the mixture is smooth.
3. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Add eggs and milk, beating well after each addition.
4. Fold in flour until just combined.
5. Pour into prepared tin and bake for 20-22 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 110 degrees.
6. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until sugar dissolves.
7. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add yoghurt and vanilla and beat until just combined.
8. Pour oven brownie base and bake for a further 40-45 minutes or until the centre is almost set.
9. Turn oven off and leave door ajar until cake cools to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight before decorating and serving.

it rhymes!

Makes 24

Ingredients
1 1/2 C S.R. flour
1 1/4 C flour
250 g butter, softened
1 1/2 C sugar
4 eggs
1 C milk
1 T vanilla

Method
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees and line 2 muffin trays with patties.
2. Cream butter whilst slowly adding sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in eggs one at a time.
4. Add milk and vanilla.
5. Sift in dry ingredients and combine until just incorporated.
6. Spoon batter into patties filling each until about two thirds full.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 18-25 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean.

Makes 12

Ingredients:
125 g butter, melted
3/4 C sugar
2 C S.R. flour
1 C coconut
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
100 g dark choc chips

Method
1. Preheat oven to 165 degrees and line muffin pan.
2. Sift flour into a large bowl and add coconut and choc chips.
3. Combine butter, sugar, eggs, mashed banana and vanilla until well incorporated. Slowly add to flour mixture.
3. Divide mixture into 12 patties and bake for 15-20 minutes or skewer comes out clean.

Yield 1 x 10-inch round

Ingredients:
1/2 C cocoa
1/2 C hot water
1 1/2 C brown sugar
220 g butter, chopped
200 g dark chocolate
150 g hazelnut meal
6 eggs, beaten lightly

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees. Grease and line baking tin with baking paper.
2. Blend cocoa and hot water over a saucepan on medium heat until smooth. Add sugar, butter and chocolate. Remove from heat. Cool for 15 minutes.
3. Stir in meal and eggs until just combined.
4. Pour into tin and bake for 90 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.
5. When cake is cooled, cover with ganache and decorate as desired.

Makes 12

Ingredients:
1 T poppyseeds
3/4 C milk
2 1/2 C S.R. flour
3/4 sugar
125 g butter, melted
2 eggs
2 t orange rind, grated
1/4 C orange juice

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees and line muffin tray with muffin cases.
2. Combine milk and poppy seeds in a jug.
3. Mix flour and sugar in a large bowl. Add poppy seed mixture as well as remaining milk, butter, eggs, rind and juice. Stir until just combined.
4. Divide among cases and bake for 20-25 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.

Serves 6

Ingredients
Pudding
250 g dried dates, pitted
1 C water
1 t bicarb soda
100 g butter
1 C brown sugar
1 t vanilla
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 C S.R. flour
3/4 C macadamias (or other nuts such as pecans or walnuts)

Caramel Sauce
300 mL thickened cream
1 C brown sugar
1 t vanilla
60 g butter

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease and line an square baking dish.
2. Soak dates in 1 C boiling water until most of the water is absorbed. This may need to be done over a saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in bicarb soda.
3. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Whisk in eggs. Add dates and fold in flour and nuts.
4. Pour over baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes.
5. Prepare caramel sauce by heating all ingredients in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to boil before reducing heat to simmer and thicken (about 5 minutes).
6. Drizzle over pudding before serving.

Makes 18

Ingredients:
Scroll
2 x 7g sachets dried yeast
1/4 C warm water
3/4 C milk
125g unsalted butter, cubed
4 C flour
1/4 C sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 C sultanas (optional)
80g unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Filling
2 t cinnamon
1/2 C sugar
2 T butter

Glaze
1 C icing sugar
1 T warm water
1/2 t vanilla

Method
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Heat milk until hot and melt butter in milk. Combine with yeast mixture.
3. Sift flour with a pinch of salt into a large bowl. Add sugar.
4. Make a well in the centre and add egg and milk mixture.
6. Knead dough until smooth (at least 5 minutes).
7. Allow dough to rest and double in size in a bowl covered in a damp tea towel. Repeat this process if time permits (punch air out of dough first).
8. Rough dough into a rectangular shape on a floured surface.
9. Mix together cinnamon, sugar and butter. Spread evenly on rolled out dough.
10. Roll dough to form a log. Pinch sides down and cut into 2 cm slices. Top scrolls with sultanas if desired.
11. Place on a tray approximately 2 cm apart. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.
12. Prepare icing by combining icing sugar, water and vanilla. Add water if consistency is too thick.
13. Drizzle on top of scrolls when cooled.

My first ever attempt at marshmallow fondant. It turned out okay. not great. this is a pass is my books.. and italian buttercream wasn't the buttercream fluffiness i was after.. =X =X

so i'm gonna say to everyone tomorrow "look, eat at ur own risk.". LOL. jks. (i think)

Anyway, to Grandma and Mum and the aunties tomoz, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Ingredients:
8 C icing sugar
500 g marshmallows
Food colouring, as needed
Canola oil spray, as needed

Method
1. Melt marshmallows in 2-3 T water in a microwave (2-3 minutes) or over a double boiler.
2. Gradually sift in icing sugar and add flavouring into melted mixture and stir to combine.
3. Spray hands and work surface with canola oil and knead fondant until smooth.
4. Spray with thin layer of oil and refrigerate in an airtight container if not using immediately. Stores well in the fridge.

Yield 1x10-inch round

Ingredients:
1 T gelatin
1/2 C glucose
1 T glycerine
2 T shortening (Copha)
6 C icing sugar
food colouring, as needed

Method
1. Soak gelatin in 1/4 C cold water until thick.
2. Over a double-boiler, dissolve gelatin, glucose, glycerine. Stir in shortening until just melted. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cook until it is lukewarm.
3. Sift 4 C icing sugar into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in gelatin mixture and work into a dough-like consistency.
4. Knead until the fondant is smooth whilst adding sugar as necessary. Add food colouring and flavourings as necessary.
5. Use fondant immediately or store in airtight container in the frige. Knead fondant when at room temperature until smooth if using from the fridge.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 C sugar
1/2 C water
3 T glucose

Method:
1. Melt ingredients over low heat until it reaches the soft ball stage (110 degrees C).
2. Pour mixture into a blender and blend until the mixture changes from clear to opaque.
3. Add flavoring and colouring as needed.
4. Store in an airtight container

Ingredients:
250 g butter, softened
4 C icing sugar
1/2 C milk
1 t vanilla

Method:
1. Beat all ingredients on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

Ingredients:
1 C plus 2 T sugar
1/3 C water
4 eggs separated, room temperature
1/2 t cream of tartar
250 g butter, cubed

Method:
1. Place 1/2 C sugar and the water in a saucepan. Stir to wet the sugar and bring to boil over medium heat and wash the sides of the pan. Boil sugar syrup to soft ball stage.
2. Place the whites in a grease-free mixing bowl and whip until frothy. Add in the cream of tartar and continue to whip until soft peaks form. Add the remaining sugar. Continue whipping until stiff, glossy peaks form.
3. Beat butter and yolks until pale and fluffy.
4. When the syrup is ready, reduce mixing speed of the whites to medium and slowly pour in the hot syrup into the egg whites. Continue to whip until cooled, which may take up to 15 minutes. Gradually add in butter and whip until combined, smooth and the butter is incorporated.

Amazing what the difference two years can be eh? I'm really please with the one i made this year. I hope you're happy with it too. Now the major problem is how am i gonna transport it??? =S =S

hahahaha. i guess we'll overcome that hurdle when we get it to.

happy birthday!

♥ wynwyn

My first ever attempt at hot cross buns. I think they turned out alright. But i probably need to find a slighly bigger pan so that the buns can rise a little more. And i think they need more spice.

Makes 16

Ingredients:
1 1/4 C warm milk
2 t (7g) dried yeast
1/2 C sugar
60g butter, melted
1 egg
4 ¼ C baker’s flour
¼ C cocoa
1 t salt
3 t mixed spice
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
250 g dark chocolate chips
½ C apricot jam

Method
1. Combine the milk, yeast and 1 T of sugar and sit mixture in a warm place for 10 minutes or until frothy.
2. In a large bowl, sift 3 ¾ C flour, salt, mixed spice and sugar and add sultanas, currants and mixed peel. Make a well in the centre and add milk mixture, butter and egg. Stir until just combined.
3. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a damp tea towel and place in a warm, draught-free place for 1 hour or until dough doubles in size.
4. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a 23cm square cake pan. Punch the dough down with your fist. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Divide dough into 16 even pieces and shape each portion into a ball. Arrange dough portions, side by side, in the prepared pan. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 30 minutes or until dough has risen 2cm.
5. Meanwhile, mix the remaining flour and 1/3 C water together in a small bowl until a smooth paste forms. Place in a small plastic bag and snip off the end. Pipe a continuous line down the centre of each row of buns, lengthways and width ways, to form crosses. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 180°C and bake for a further 15 minutes or until golden and cooked through (buns are ready when they sound hollow when tapped on the base).
6. Turn onto a wire rack. Place the jam in a small saucepan over high heat. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until jam melts. Strain through a fine sieve. Brush hot jam over the buns. Serve warm with butter, or toasted.

Makes 16

Ingredients:
1 1/4 C warm milk
2 t (7g) dried yeast
3/4 C sugar
60g butter, melted
1 egg
4 1/2 C baker’s flour
1/4 C cocoa
1 t salt
3 t mixed spice
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1 C sultanas
¼ C currants
¼ C mixed peel
½ C apricot jam

Method
1. Combine the milk, yeast and 1 T of sugar and sit mixture in a warm place for 10 minutes or until frothy.
2. In a large bowl, sift 4 C flour, salt, mixed spice and sugar and add sultanas, currants and mixed peel. Make a well in the centre and add milk mixture, butter and egg. Stir until just combined.
3. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a damp tea towel and place in a warm, draught-free place for 1 hour or until dough doubles in size.
4. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a 23cm square cake pan. Punch the dough down with your fist. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Divide dough into 16 even pieces and shape each portion into a ball. Arrange dough portions, side by side, in the prepared pan. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 30 minutes or until dough has risen 2cm.
5. Meanwhile, mix the remaining flour and 1/3 C water together in a small bowl until a smooth paste forms. Place in a small plastic bag and snip off the end. Pipe a continuous line down the centre of each row of buns, lengthways and width ways, to form crosses. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 180°C and bake for a further 15 minutes or until golden and cooked through (buns are ready when they sound hollow when tapped on the base).
6. Turn onto a wire rack. Place the jam in a small saucepan over high heat. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until jam melts. Strain through a fine sieve. Brush hot jam over the buns. Serve warm with butter, or toasted.

Donna, this one is for you.

Yield 1 x 8-inch round

Ingredients:
2 C flour
2 C sugar
3/4 C cocoa
1 C sunflower oil
300 g sour cream
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 t baking soda
2 T white vinegar
1 t salt

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. Grease and line a 8-inch cake pan with baking paper.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add the oil and sour cream and beat until combined.
3. Gradually beat in 1½ C water, vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Pour into prepared cake pan.
3. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pan for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks and let cool completely.

Peanut Butter Frosting

500 g cream cheese
250 g butter
5 C icing sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter


Method
1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ganache
250 g dark chocolate
3 T smooth peanut butter
300 mL thickened cream

Yield 1 x 10-inch round

Ingredients:
5 eggs
1 C flour
1 C icing sugar
2 T cornflour
1 t baking powder
1 t vanilla
1 t coffee essence
2 T instant coffee, dissolved
pinch of salt

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line cake tin with baking paper.
2. Sift flours, baking powder and salt at least 3 times.
3. Beat eggs and sugar until very thick and increase in volume, about 5-10 minutes.
4. Add vanilla, coffee and coffee essence and beat until combined.
5. Gently fold in sifted flours so as not to let air escapte.
6. Pour mixture into tin and bake 30-40 minutes until skewer comes out clean.
7. Cool in tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Cut into 3-4 layers.

Filling:
600 mL thickened cream
1 t coffee essence
1-2 t instant coffee, dissolved
1/4 C icing sugar

Method
1. Beat sugar and cream until whipped.
2. Beat in coffee essence and instant coffee until combined.
3. Spread over layers and decorate.

Yield 1 x 10-inch round

Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 C icing sugar
3/4 C flour
3 T cocoa
2 T cornflour
1 t baking powder
1 t vanila
pinch of salt

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line cake tin with baking paper.
2. Sift flours, baking powder and icing sugar at least 3 times.
3. Beat eggs on high speed until very thick (stiff ripples in bowl) and increased in volume (at least 5 minutes). Beat in vanilla.
4. Gently sift in dry ingredients and combine.
5. Pour mixture into cake tin.
6. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool in tin for 10 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Filling:
600mL thickened cream
1/4 C icing sugar
1 C maraschino cherries (or canned cherries), juices reserved
2 T lime juice
2 T sugar

Method
1. To make the syrup, combined sugar, lime and cherry juice in a small saucepan and simmer until thick. Remove from heat.
2. Put aside some cherries for garnish and chop remaining cherries.
3. Beat cream and icing sugar until whipped.
4. Assemble cake by brushing bottom layer with syrup followed by a layer of whipped cream and chopped cherries. Repeat on remaining layers.
5. Dress cake with remaining cream and garnish.

Yield 1 x 10-inch

Ingredients:

3/4 C flour
3 T cornflour
3 t baking powder
1/2 C icing sugar
1/4 C oil
1/4 C water
2 T orange juice
4 eggs, separated
zest of 1 orange
pinch of salt

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line a 10-inch tin with baking paper.
2. Sift flour, cornflour, icing sugar, baking powder and salt at least 3 times until light and airy.
3. Combine oil, water, juice and yolks in a clean bowl. Slowly sift in dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
4. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
5. Gently fold egg whites into yolk mixture until just combined.
6. Pour mixture into prepared cake tin and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cake should be done when it springs back lightly when touched.
7. Allow to cook in tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
8. When cooled completely, cut into 3 layers.

Filling:
600 mL thickened
1/2 C ground almonds
1/4 C icing sugar

Method
1. Whip cream and sugar.
2. Fold in almonds.
3. Spread on layers to sandwich cake together.
4. Dress cake as desired.*

*A dark chocolate ganache topping compliments the orange flavours perfectly.

Yield 1 x 9-inch round

Ingredients
1/3 C flour
1/3 C S.R. flour
2 T cornflour
3/4 C sugar
6 eggs, room temperature, separated
1/2 t cream of tartar
2 T butter, melted

Method

1. Grease cake tin and line base with baking paper. Sift flours at least three times. Preheat oven to 170 degrees.
2. Beat egg yolks and 1/2 C sugar until thick and glossy. Gently blend in butter to mix thoroughly.
3. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites whilst gradually adding remaining 1/2 C sugar and cream of tartar until peaks form.
4. Gradually sift flour mixture over egg yolk mixture until combined well.
5. Gently fold in egg whites into egg yolk mixture until incorporated thoroughly.
6. Pour the batter into cake tin and bake for 30-40 minutes. Cake should spring back lightly when touched.
7. Let cool in open with door ajar for 15 minutes before cooling completely and cut into 2 or 3 layers.

Consider baking this cake in two separate tins.

Yield 1 x 10-inch round

Ingredients:

3 C S.R. flour
1 C flour
2 C sugar
300 g butter, room temperature
1 1/4 C milk
6 eggs, room temperature
3 t vanilla

Method

1. Preheat oven to 140°C. Brush cake pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Line base and sides with non-stick baking paper.
2. Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric beater to beat on low speed for 30 seconds or until just combined. Increase the speed to high and beat for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture is thick and all the butter is incorporated. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 75-90 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack for 2 hours or until completely cool.