It's been a very wet weather weekend and here's something fun to do with the kids and to keep them tamed, fed and happy!

We have recently stocked up on these awesome 'tulip' style cupcake cases and look fab with icing. And can be done up some more with sprinkles, flowers, mini hearts, possibilities are endless.

Here are our simple ones from this weekend with lashings of chocolate mousse - I can just imagine them as part of a kid's party. Rainbows  and unicorns, jumping castles, clowns and fairies.

I wrote about these a couple of years back. But its been awhile since I last made them. However, as the custard requires egg yolks, it is a good excuse to make a dozen of these to get rid of them! All the ingredients are pretty standard pantry ingredients so hard to go wrong here. The custard sets quite well and the chewy pastry once cooked has a genuine homemade touch. :)

Portuguese Tarts
Makes 12

You will need:
2 egg yolks
1 egg 1/3 C sugar
2 T cornflour
2 C milk
2 t vanilla
1 sheet puff pastry

Method:
1. Lightly grease a 12-hole muffin tray. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Place egg, yolks, sugar and cornflour in a pan and whisk until combined.
3. Over medium heat, gradually pour in milk and whisk until smooth.
4. Gently cook the mixture, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens and comes to the boil.
5. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
6. Cover and allow to cool.
7. Cut pastry in half length ways and place on top of each other.
8. Roll pastry up from short end.
9. Cut into 12 small discs about 1cm thick.
10. Flatten each disc over a lightly floured board until approx 10 cm in diameter.
11. Press the pastry rounds into the muffin tin. Spoon the cooled custard into the pastry cases and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry and custard are golden.
12. Leave the tarts in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Life has been hectic but it has slowed down recently! For those who are wondering, I (after 15 months, on and off) have finally moved on from my job in the city. No, I am not quitting to be a full time baker just yet! However, it has been a very long time coming...

So I am fortunate enough to have a couple of weeks off before starting my new job in Nth Sydney.   And even more fortunate to be jet-setting domestically with my first stop in Far North Tropical Queensland... Cairns!

It was more RnR for me - literally slept my days away, ate fresh seafood and walked on the beach, sampled their local produce and explored their markets. However, I did also spend some time with some pretty special family friends. And learnt how to make these little gems!

We joked about the name of these biscuits but I suppose it is along the lines of a brownie or a blondie. These are called Afghans! And they're pretty addictive. They're a cross between an adult version of "chocolate crackles" and an afternoon pick-me-up. YUM.

Afghans

Makes 30

Ingredients:

Biscuits

250 g butter, softened

½ C brown sugar

2 ¼ C plain flour

4 T cocoa

1 t baking powder

3 C cornflakes

Icing

3 T water

3 T sugar

50 g butter

1 ½ C icing sugar

30 walnut halves

Method

1.      Preheat oven to 150 degrees and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

2.      Cream the brown sugar and butter until fluffy.

3.      Sift in flour, cocoa and baking powder and mix until combined.

4.      Add in cornflakes and gently combine until a dough forms. Be careful not to crush all the cornflakes.

5.      Form heaped teaspoons of mixture into balls and flatten gently with your palm to look like a thick disc.

6.      Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown on the edges.

7.      To make the icing, melt the water, sugar and butter in a small saucepan until it thickens slightly.

8.      Sift icing sugar and cocoa into a clean bowl and add syrup whilst continually stirring. You should get a glossy icing mixture.

9.      Remove cookies from oven and dollop a teaspoon of icing on top of each whilst still warm. Finish with a walnut half on the top. Cool and serve.