Ultimate Brownie Points

One of the 'joys' of this pregnancy has been an absolute inability to consume chocolate without being violently ill.  That is, until now.  Thirty-two weeks pregnant and I can now safely eat, and enjoy, chocolate.  I think this little bit of background must give you a slight insight into the pure elation that was exploding from my kitchen (and heart) as I created this recipe!

I often cook brownies (using a range of different recipes) and dislike the eggy taste that the majority of them have.  Last week, I was very generously given a vintage cookbook from the beautiful mother of a close friend who knew that I would truly appreciate it!  This cookbook contained a recipe for brownies that intrigued me - it contained no actual chocolate, just cocoa.  I doubted that it would be the brownie of my dreams but gave it a go anyway.  And do you know, it wasn't that bad. In fact, it was pretty darn good. 

So the recipe that I share with you contains the elements of this darling 'vintage' brownie with elements of other brownie recipes (read: chocolate!) that I love.  Given that my husband has just made himself sick, eating three: I'm thinking it's pretty good!

Ultimate Chocolate Fudge Brownies

300g good quality dark chocolate, chopped

150g unsalted butter, chopped

330g dark brown sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

110g plain flour, sifted

140g white chocolate melts, chopped in half

120g sour cream

110g walnuts, roughly chopped

1 tbsp cocoa powder, for dusting

Preheat your oven to 170 degrees celsius and line a 25cm x 25cm slice or cake tin.  Melt chocolate and butter, either in the microwave or over a low heat on the stove.  Once melted, incorporate the brown sugar and vanilla.  Transfer into a mixing bowl and allow to cool for 10 minutes.  Add the eggs, mixing well after each addition.  Then stir in plain flour before adding sour cream.  Fold the white chocolate and walnuts through the batter.  Pour into your lined tray and use a spatula to spread and level.  Bake for 50 minutes.

Chocolate heaven,

F. x

Cupcake Craziness

This week has been a week of meetings, cupcakes, work, cupcakes, fete, AND cupcakes! I simply adore cupcakes but this has been a little much and I will be happy not to make another late-night or early-morning cupcake for a few weeks.  My little ladybug has also taken to skipping around the house singing the word "cake" so you can see how much cake has featured in our lives, this week!

Thursday afternoon marked our annual school fete.  As is now 'tradition' (or my personal tradition, at least),  my class was responsible for the cake stall.  Even though I knew this was going to be THE craziest week at work, I just couldn't help but get excited about planning my baking.  So I used A moment on the lips... as my recipe book and here's what happened...

Whole Orange Cupcakes with Zesty Cream Cheese Frosting

I used my Orange Cake recipe and baked the cupcakes for 20 minutes.  They turned out perfectly.  Take care not to overcook, however, as they'll get dry very quickly.  The sharpness of the frosting cuts through the sweet orange beautifully.

Sticky Date Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream and a Salted Caramel Drizzle

Sticky Date is my all time favourite dessert and these cupcakes completely did it justice.  Again, I used my Sticky Date Cake recipe and baked for 20 minutes.  They were light and spongy like a steamed pudding - beyond amazing! This is the buttercream recipe and I used the caramel sauce that I drizzle over the top of my Salted Caramel Cheesecake.

Chocolate Sponge with Chocolate Whipped Cream and Sprinkles

The only Chocolate Cake recipe I ever use is my Mum's because it's the best.  The batter is ridiculous and you have to make sure that you employ some self control so that you manage to get some cake into the oven!  These were topped with chocolate whipped cream and sprinkle because they make me smile.  

White Chocolate Mud Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

This is such a lovely recipe that works every time and is absolute heaven for white chocolate lovers....mmmm.  The cupcakes take a lot longer to bake than the others (45 minutes) but would still be worth it if they took 45 hours!  Cupcakes like this make people happy.

They looked amazing all packaged up and the rush was on to get in quickly enough to purchase a box of loveliness!

I urge you to try at least one of these wonderful recipes and let me know all about your beautiful baking adventures!

F. x

Winter + White Chocolate

Think about it...
It's a cold winter evening and you're snuggled on the couch with a lovely knitted blanket over your knees.  What could make this a better picture?  Only biting into a warm white chocolate chunk cookie!

Heaven!  You see, white chocolate and I...well, we have a bit of a 'thing'.  But please don't allow this to hold you back from experimenting with this recipe!  Instead of white chocolate, you could use ANY type of chocolate, chocolate bar, nut or dried fruit.  This is the wonderful cookie recipe of my childhood and you really can do anything with it.

White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

250g butter, unsalted

70g caster sugar

70g brown sugar

1/2 can condensed milk

2 tsp vanilla essence

350g S/R flour

80g plain flour

200g good quality white chocolate, chopped roughly

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.  Cream the butter and sugars until well combined and lightened in colour.  Mix in the condensed milk and vanilla before adding your flours. When your mixture has come together, add the chocolate.  Roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls and place onto baking trays, allowing room for spreading. Bake for 15 minutes or until lovely and golden.

This recipe makes a whole lot of cookies so you could halve the mixture but what would be the fun in that?

F. x

A very happy birthday.

Yesterday marked one of my good friend's milestone 30th birthday.  So many of her family and friends celebrated with her last night and for the occasion, I created a darling lilac celebration cake with matching cupcakes.

I must admit to being a little in love with this cake - ok, a lot in love with this cake.  The colour is divine and the cake was absolutely perfect.  This really is a fail safe recipe.  I used my white chocolate mud recipe and baked the cupcakes for forty-five minutes and the large round cakes for an hour and fifteen minutes.  Decorating the cake and cupcakes required four batches of lilac vanilla buttercream and one batch of white buttercream for between the layers.  The cake was topped with Rafaello chocolates which was a very easy and elegant touch.

White Chocolate Mud Cake

250g unsalted butter

150g good quality white chocolate, chopped

2 cups caster sugar

1 cup milk

1/2 cup SR flour

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs, beaten lightly

Preheat over to 140 degrees. Melt butter, chocolate, sugar and milk together over a low heat. Continue stirring, without boiling, until smooth. Pour mixture into your mixing bowl and leave to cool. Whisk in sifted flours before mixing in vanilla and eggs. Bake a 23cm round cake for 75 minutes and cupcakes for 45 minutes. A skewer will not come out completely clean with these cakes but the top of the cake should be springy to touch.  Allow cakes to cool completely before decorating with vanilla buttercream.

Vanilla Buttercream

150g unsalted butter

400g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk

Beat butter for 4-5 mins until very light in colour. Stir through the vanilla before adding icing sugar and milk. Once icing sugar is incorporated, beat on a high speed for 2-3 minutes. Colour as desired.

Happy 30th Birthday, Jem!

F. x

Blondes have more fun.

In Blackwater, this week, the weather has been a tad bleak.  It's been cold and overcast and wet.  While this weather doesn't suit itself to outdoor pursuits, it is perfection for baking.  In fact, I have woken up each day this week and thought "pastry weather" and so, am devastated that I haven't found the time to create the particularly stunning chocolate tart that I've been giving the eye.  But you know me, I don't wallow for long and I found myself the perfect baking opportunity last night.  The inclement weather called for comfort food and there, in my pile of recipe clippings, I found it. It was exactly what I was looking for and didn't even know it.  A blondie.

White chocolate is, and has always been, a particular favourite of mine - on its own and as an ingredient in any baked good or dessert.  Pair it with fruit and you have a match made in heaven.   I was in a wonderful world of my own...just me, the kitchen and melting chocolate.  The only thing better was what came out of the oven forty minutes later.

Black Cherry Blondies

100g unsalted butter, chopped

180g white chocolate, broken into squares

3/4 caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup SR flour

3/4 cup plain flour

1 cup tinned, pitted black cherries

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and prepare a 19x29cm (or thereabouts) slice tin. Melt butter and chocolate together in a saucepan over a low heat. Allow to cool slightly before stirring in sugar, vanilla and eggs. Sift in flours and combine using a folding motion. Pour the thick batter into the tin, top with the cherries and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Edges should crisp and golden. You can (should) allow to cool before you slice but we can never leave this alone that long!

This is beautiful served warm with icecream or cooled for morning tea.  We sliced it and enjoyed steaming hot with a sweet cup of strong tea. 

F. x

Tea & Friends

Today, my living room was filled to capacity with lovely mummas and their beautiful babies.  I whole-heartedly believe that homemade goodness is always better shared with wonderful friends alongside tea and energetic banter, and such was the case today.  These gorgeous white chocolate mud cupcakes went down a treat, with a few little people stealing nibbles and ending up with more than a little buttercream over their chubby chops!

Served alongside raspberry-jewelled dark chocolate brownies, my mud cupcakes are morning tea perfection. Creamy, luscious bites: these darlings will not disappoint and are worth every little bit of care and attention that goes into them.  Definitely for sharing with some special people.

White Chocolate Mud Cupcakes

250g unsalted butter

150g good quality white chocolate, chopped

2 cups caster sugar

1 cup milk

1/2 cup SR flour

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs, beaten lightly

Preheat over to 140 degrees. Melt butter, chocolate, sugar and milk together over a low heat. Continue stirring, without boiling, until smooth. Pour mixture into your mixing bowl and leave to cool. Whisk in sifted flours before mixing in vanilla and eggs. Share mixture into cupcake papers and bake for 45 mins or until springy when touched. A skewer will not come out clean with these cakes.

Allow to cool before frosting with White Chocolate Vanilla Buttercream.

White Chocolate Vanilla Buttercream

125g unsalted butter, softened

90g good quality white chocolate

1/2 tsp vanilla bean seeds (or extract)

1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted

Melted white chocolate in the microwave (use intervals of 40 seconds, stirring in between). Set aside to cool. Beat butter for 4-5 mins until very light in colour. Fold in cooled white chocolate so well combined. Stir through the vanilla before adding icing sugar. Once icing sugar is incorporated, beat on a high speed for 2-3 minutes.

F. x

Quiet time

Baking is the ultimate stress reliever.  No matter how sleep deprived, busy or cranky I am, I always have time for cooking up sweet treats.  There is truly nothing better than the mechanics of baking - the chopping, stirring, folding, melting, beating - to slow the mind.  This recipe is perfect for this.  The initial chopping of the chocolate, cranberries and pistachios calms you as you focus on the beautiful constrasting colours - creamy white, deep ruby red and jade green.  The best part, though? The almost instant aroma of baked goods filling the house.  Pair one of these monsters with a tall iced coffee and some quiet time shared between you and a good book...heavenly.

Jewelled Jumbo Cookies

250g unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups demerara sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

3 1/2 cups SR flour

1/2 cup white chocolate, roughly chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped

1/2 cup pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.  Beat together butter, sugar and vanilla.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well in between.  Sift in flour and combine to form a crumbly dough mixture.  Fold through the chocolate, cranberries and nuts.  Use 1/3 cup to scoop out cookie dough.  Push together in hands and form into a thick disc.  Space cookies 5cm apart on lined baking trays and bake for 15 minutes.  Makes 15 cookies.

F. x

Cookie Dough-oh-oh

My lovely bun is now baked and out of the oven.  Anna Mae arrived on the 15 December 2012 at 10:20pm and has been making my life sweeter ever since! Now that my mini muffin has vacated her lodgings of the past nine months, my sweet tooth (and energy) have well and truly returned.  And so, my lovelies, here is my first post of 2013. 

It is well known that pregnancy places certain limitations on ones ability to consume particular delicacies...one of which is raw batter.  This has been (not over-reacting) quite devastating for moi, and today, I suddenly realised, "if I want cookie dough, I can eat cookie dough!" Hallejulah moment, right here!  And eat cookie dough I did.  I even saved enough to put in the oven to have cookies at the end of it...just.  It was a beautiful moment of guilt-free batter consumption that I just had to share with you.  As always, though, I must also share this gorgeous recipe with you.  It just wouldn't be fair otherwise. 

White Chocolate and Macadamia Cookies

125g unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup caster sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1/2 baking soda

3/4 cup macadamia nuts

180g white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Cream butter and sugars.  Add egg and vanilla.  Sift in flour and baking soda and mix well to combine ingredients into a dough.  Roughly chop the macadamias before adding to the batter with chocolate chips.  Stir well to distribute.  Space tablespoon-sized dollops of the batter on baking trays and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

These are definitely worth the restraint required for them to make it into the oven!

Bliss in a biscuit.

F. x



Sweet Perfection

Well, hasn't it been a while between posts?  Unfortunately, I have been a touch under the weather.  Fortunately, I have a very good reason for feeling so.  It's not that I've been completely off the baking bandwagon - just a little cooking here and there.  And I have missed it!

I thought that I simply must share this fabulous dessert with you.  It's been a favourite of mine for quite a few years but I made it most recently, last week.  The event was the lovely baby shower of one of my gorgeous teaching partners.  Mel's little "wombat" is due on the first of August and I just cannot wait to squeeze (his) cubby cheeks!  This wonderful gathering required a pregnancy friendly dessert and so I chose this beautiful White Chocolate and Strawberry Tart. 

This tart is perfect in it's simplicity.  Essentially, it is a sweet shortcrust, filled with a white chocolate custard, which is baked and topped with fresh strawberries.  It is perfection on a plate.  The filling is light, smooth and creamy all at once.  Needless to say, I took a clean cake stand home at the conclusion of the shower!  I have also made this when strawberries were out of season and made a sweet, fresh raspberry coulis to serve.  It was just as delightful.  I'm sure there is so much more you could do to modify this recipe but I haven't looked too much into it.  It's pretty darn good as it is!

Sweet Shortcrust

1 3/4 cups plain flour

1/4 cup icing sugar

125g cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 egg, lightly beaten

Place flour, sugar and butter into the food processor.  Pulse until the mixture has a fine crumb consistency.  Add the egg and process again in short bursts until the mixture starts to come together.  Turn the mixture onto a work surface and press dough together into a thick disk.  Wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for thirty minutes.

Roll dough out between two sheets of baking paper.  Line your greased flan tin, easing (not stretching) the dough into the corners.  Refrigerate for another thirty minutes and preheat oven to 180 degrees.  Blind bake the pastry case with weights for 15 minutes, then remove weights and bake for a further 15 minutes or until golden.  Allow the case to cool completely.

White Chocolate Custard

225g white chocolate, chopped

375mL pouring (single) cream

3 egg yolks

Place chocolate and cream into a saucepan and stir over a low heat until melted together and smooth.  Remove from heat and whisk through the egg yolks.  Pour mixture into the pastry case and bake for 35-40 minutes.  It should be just set.  Allow to cool in tin and then refrigerate.

The Tart

To assemble the tart, top the filling with 500g of hulled strawberries and dust with icing sugar.

Too lovely!

F. x