Princess of the kitchen

November 2008 Daring Baker's Challenge

2008-11-28T22:21:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, due to time constraints with uni and so forth i have not been able to partici[ate in the last two daring Baker's challenges. This month, however, with uni finished i eagerly participated in the event. This month'c challnge was hosted by along with the help of Alex (Brownie of the Blondie and Brownie duo), Jenny of Foray into Food and Natalie of Gluten-a-Go-Go and comes from a recipe by Shuna Fish Lydon of Eggbeater for Caramel Cake with Caramelised butter frosting. I for one, loved this cake, especially the frosting. Thanks for the wonderful challenge guys- I sure enjoyed every last mouthful of it and so did my brother and sister in law for whom i made the cake. To view all the other wonderful Daring Bakers' challenges go to the blogroll. Enjoy!

August 2008 Daring Baker's challenge

2008-09-09T16:56:00.001-07:00

This month our assigned task was to create Chocolate Eclairs by Pierre Herme from the book Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé, by Dorie Greenspoon. I don't actualy like chocolate myself, but i bake with it anyway becaus everyone likes it and it is a great excse to bake and not feel like you want to eat what you bake. Everyone seemed to enjoy them, although i was dissapointed with the choux pastry- it didn't turn out as well as other recipes i had used previously. Another problem i encountered was the addition of extra butter to the chocolate glaze. Chocolate has so much oil as it is and adding extra is just ludicrous really as it isn't necessary. It didn't so much effect the creme patissier, but some of the oil seperated in the glaze. It was just as well i had extra sauce to cover it up, as it was slightly unsightly.

Anyway, they were enjoyed by all and thanks goes to Meeta of What's for Lunch and Tony of Olive Juice for the challenge. If you;d like to see the other wonderful daring baker's challnges, go to the blogroll and click on their names

June Daring bakers challenge- late but completed

2008-08-14T04:11:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I know it has been a long time since i posted, but i was overseas in Japan for a while. I did complete the June challenge beofre i left but was unable to post it. I didn't, however, get a chance to do the July challenge. I thought i would post the june one now so you don't think i don't care anymore, cos i do. I look forward to completing the August challenge now, but for the meanwhile, enjoy these photos of the June challenge, a danish braid, which i filled with apple in one half and cherries in the other. Enjoy!

May 2008 Daring bakers challenge

2008-05-30T16:41:00.001-07:00

Firstly, i must apologise for the lateness of this post. The truth is i had done the cake already, but with all these assignments and exams i have at the moment, i forgot to post it on the posting date, and suddnely just thought of it then. So, this month we had to make an opera cake, which is a cake with layers of jaconde, syrup, buttercream, mousse and glaze. Usually these cakes are made with coffee and choc flavours, but seeing as it is spring time in the us, Lisa and Ivonne, decided to opt for light colours to reflect the season. It ain't spring here though! But the light colours made me feel as though it were.

I flavoured my buttercream and syrup with rosewater, which gave it a nice turkish delight kinda taste. I then added some amaretto to the white choc mousse, which did little to overtake the strength of the white choc and i left the white choc glaze (ganache really) as was.

I was happy with the way the cake turned out, although if i did it another time i think i would take the time to trim the layers of jaconde cake and make them even. The only one thin i didn';t like about the cake was that the buttercream after being refridgeratedwas too firm. I tried some of it before i spread it on to the cake layers and it was delicious. The refrigeration spoils it, and you would really have to leave it out in the open for a long time to soften it to the core.

Thanks to Lisa and Ivonne for the challenge. To visit other people's blogs and see their creations visit the daring baker's blogroll

Daring Bakers challenge- Cheesecake pops

2008-04-26T17:05:00.000-07:00

Unfortunatley i just didn't have time to particiapte in the challenge this month. I have a heap of assignments due for uni. Thanks to Elle – Feeding My Enthusiasms and Deborah – Taste and Tell for the challenge. Sorry i couldn't complete it. Check out the blogroll to see the wonderful cheeseckae pops that the other daring bakers posted.

Homemade Crumpets

2008-04-17T04:53:00.000-07:00

Thursday mornings are my sleep in mornings, because i don't have to start uni to 1. So, this morning i woke up and decided that i would have a go at making some crumpets. I had never had homemade crumpets before, infact never seen them before, and i have never been a huge fan of crumpets, because the supermarket ones are pretty awful. Let me tell you, these are nothing of the sort. Soft and fluffy and moorish and just altogether fantastic. You must all try them! You'll never want a storebought crumpet again. These are so different, yet so much more satisfying. Try them and you'll see why. For recipe visit the BBC food website.

Apfelstrudel- More apples to use

2008-04-12T23:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, seeing as i still have an enormous quantity of cooking apples, i decided to challenge myself with an Apfelstrudel . The thing is, it really wasn't that much of a challenge. I have rarely heard of people making strudel from scratch, instead opting for filo pastry, but now that i have ndone it, i wonder why on earth not. It has to be rolled out thin, yes, but it isn't hard. Infact it was rather a breeze. I found the recipe from aboutaustria.org although, i wouldn't pay attention to the time and temp indication, because mine was a little more browned than i would have lioked and it was at a significantly lower temp for only about 40 mins. Here is the recipe and some photos. Do check out the site though, they have some other great austrian fare there too.

Apfelstrudel

IngredientsPastry
300 grams bread flour
pinch of salt
30 ml vegetable oil
0,2 l water (lukewarm)
Filling
2 kg apples (Golden Delicious)
150 grams granulated sugar
30ml dark rum
150 grams raisins
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 lemons (juice and peel)
Buttered breadcrumbs
300 grams butter (unsalted)
300 grams bread crumbs
RecipeKnead flour, salt, oil and water into a medium-firm dough. Divide into 3 small round loaves, brush each loaf with melted butter and let sit for 1 hour. Peel, core and slice apples. Mix in granulated sugar, raisins, grated lemon peel, lemon juice, rum, cinnamon.Roast butter and bread crumbs.Roll the dough loaves with a rolling pin, then stretch rolled dough on a strudel sheet with the backs of your hands. Coat 2/3 of dough sheet with buttered breadcrumbs, spread apple filling over remaining 1/3 of dough. Tear off edges, shape strudel into roll by lifting strudel sheet. Place strudel on a buttered baking sheet and brush with melted butter.Bake strudel for 60 to 90 minutes in a 400 degrees F to 425 degrees F (200 to 220 degrees Celsius) oven.

Roast Rack of Lamb with Rosemary and Parmesan crust and Semolina crusted roast Potatoes and Pumpkin

2008-04-12T23:13:00.000-07:00

I don't get the opportunity to make the meals very often becaus i am too busy with uni, but yesterday i cooked the racks of lam that Dad bought and the end reslut looked so nice, i thought i would take a photo or two. Here they are.

Nigella's Double apple Pie

2008-04-12T22:57:00.000-07:00

Last weekend i went to the Southern Hig;lands in NSW with my family. We ended up picking up two huge bags of home grown cooking apples on the side of the road for just $2 a bag. Bargain! Well, the apples, whilst they look imperfect on the outside have been brilliant. I decided to try the beautifuol Double apple Pie in Nigella Lawson's How to be a domestic goddess. The pie was absolutely spectacular. It is cooked in a sprinform tin, so it is nice and high and is a really sliceable pie. Best eaten cool. The pastry, unusally has Cheddar cheese in it, but it was absolutley fabulous. It reaslly complemented the spices and the apple. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy.

I saw Nigella Lawson- Yay!

2008-04-03T00:11:00.000-07:00

Oh, I just have to share this with you all. I was so excited two days ago, because i met Nigella Lawson. I am a huge fan- she is my no. 1 cooking idol and she was in Sydney signing at the ABC store in the Queen Victoria building. She signed two boks for me, and she said a few words extra to me than all the other hundreds of people there, because i bought a beautifully wrapped box of handmade chocs. I think she liked them. Very cool experience. She is just as pretty, vivacious and charismatic in real life as she is on tv.

March Daring Baker's Challenge- Dorie's Perfect Party cake

2008-03-31T02:07:00.000-07:00

This month Morven challenged us to create a PERFECT PARTY CAKE Courtesy of Dorie Greenspan’s Baking from My Home to Yours. I am sorry to say that i could not find any link to our host's own page, but you should all visit the daring bakers blog roll and check out everyone else's gorgeous cakes, becasue it is a great recipe. I decided to fill my cake with home made lemon curd, which i am so glad i did, because the lemon buttercream alone wouldn't have been lemony enough.
The cakes weren't as high as i would have imagined they would turn out, but i think that that was a good thing, because the 4 layers created by cuttin each cake in half made a rather high cake as it was, and i think any hhigher might have caused a tower of pisa effect.
Here are some photos documenting my journey of creating the cake and the recipe. Enjoy!

PERFECT PARTY CAKE Courtesy of Dorie Greenspan’s Baking from My Home to Yours (page 250).Posting date Sunday 30 March.IMPORTANT NOTICE - RECIPE EDITED MARCH 10TH (sorry I'm still a bit of a blogger "dummy" so don't know how to highlight in red). For those of you who don't read all the comments or don't have Dorie's book, there were a couple of omissions which some diligent Daring Bakers picked up. If these contributed to a "floppity flops" - my sincere apologies. Please note the changes in bold below - one is the reference to a 1/4 cup of lemon juice and the second is in relation to whisking together the egg whites and milk in the 2nd line of making the cake. I've also expanded on the Update on Playing Around. Introduction from MorvenI wanted to pick something that had potential for putting your personal stamp on. Although this is essentially a white cake I know there are some lemon haters among us so feel free to use your imagination. If you inner chef tells you that you need to make a chocolate layer cake then by all means do so. See Dorie’s words on playing around below for some flavour combination ideas.Update on playing around. Yes you can do what ever you want with this cake as long as you promise to use the basic cake recipe and the basic buttercream recipe (if you are doing the buttercream that is) . The filling/frosting flavours are completely up to you. If you don't feel like using Dorie's buttercream recipe (flavoured as you wish) she says whipped cream will do for the filling and finishing and I say... go for it. If you want to use fondant or something else - it's your cake. Bake a square one, a heart shaped one or any other shape you like but please make it a layer cake.I can't wait to see what combinations people come up with. You can leave out the lemon, put different flavours of preserves in the middle, leave off the coconut - have some fun with it.Words from DorieStick a bright-coloured Post-it to this page, so you’ll always know where to turn for a just-right cake for any celebration. The original recipe was given to me by my great dear friend Nick Malgieri, of baking fame, and since getting it, I’ve found endless opportunities to make it – you will too. The cake is snow white, with an elegant tight crumb and an easygoing nature: it always bakes up perfectly; it is delicate on the tongue but sturdy in the kitchen – no fussing when it comes to slicing the layers in half or cutting tall, beautiful wedges for serving; and, it tastes just as you’d want a party cake to taste – special. The base recipe is for a cake flavoured with lemon, layered with a little raspberry jam and filled and frosted with a classic (and so simple) pure white lemony hot-meringue buttercream but, because the elements are so fundamental, they lend themselves to variation (see Playing Around), making the cake not just perfect, but also versatile.For the Cake2 1/4 cups cake flour (updated 25 March)1 tablespoon baking powder½ teaspoon salt1 ¼ cups whole milk or buttermilk (I prefer buttermilk with the lemon)4 large egg whites1 ½ cups sugar2 teaspoons grated lemon zest1 stick (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature½ teaspoon pure lemon extractFor the Buttercream1 cup sugar4 large egg whites3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)1 teaspoon pure vanilla extractFor Finishing2/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves stirred vigorously or warmed gently until spreadableAbout 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconutGetting ReadyCentre a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.To Make the CakeSift together the flour, baking powder and salt.Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light.Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out cleanTransfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unfold them and peel off the paper liners.Invert and cool to room temperature, right side up (the cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months).To Make the ButtercreamPut the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a plan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream.Remove the bowl from the heat.Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes.Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth.Once all the butter is in, beat in the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes.During this time the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again.On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla. You should have a shiny smooth, velvety, pristine white buttercream. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and set aside briefly.To Assemble the CakeUsing a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half. Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper.Spread it with one third of the preserves.Cover the jam evenly with about one quarter of the buttercream.Top with another layer, spread with preserves and buttercream and then do the same with a third layer (you’ll have used all the jam and have buttercream leftover).Place the last layer cut side down on top of the cake and use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top. Press the coconut into the frosting, patting it gently all over the sides and top.ServingThe cake is ready to serve as soon as it is assembled, but I think it’s best to let it sit and set for a couple of hours in a cool room – not the refrigerator. Whether you wait or slice and enjoy it immediately, the cake should be served at room temperature; it loses all its subtlety when it’s cold. Depending on your audience you can serve the cake with just about anything from milk to sweet or bubbly wine.StoringThe cake is best the day it is made, but you can refrigerate it, well covered, for up to two days. Bring it to room temperature before serving. If you want to freeze the cake, slide it into the freezer to set, then wrap it really well – it will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer; defrost it, still wrapped overnight in the refrigerator.Playing AroundSince lemon is such a friendly flavour, feel free to make changes in the preserves: other red preserves – cherry or strawberry – look especially nice, but you can even use plum or blueberry jam.Fresh Berry CakeIf you will be serving the cake the day it is made, cover each layer of buttercream with fresh berries – use whole raspberries, sliced or halved strawberries or whole blackberries, and match the preserves to the fruit. You can replace the coconut on top of the cake with a crown of berries, or use both coconut and berries. You can also replace the buttercream between the layers with fairly firmly whipped sweetened cream and then either frost the cake with buttercream (the contrast between the lighter whipped cream and the firmer buttercream is nice) or finish it with more whipped cream. If you use whipped cream, you’ll have to store the cake the in the refrigerator – let it sit for about 20 minutes at room temperature before serving.

February challenge- French Bread

2008-03-01T02:59:00.000-08:00

This month the wonderful Mary (Breadchick) and Sara choose a recipe for French Bread or Pain Francais From Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Volume Two by Julia Child and Simone Beck. I am sorry to be a little late in posting- i've had a hectic weekend so far with baby showers and various other things to cook for. I made beautiful fruit tarts actually- they were just exquisite and i am so cross i didn't take photos to post on my blog. Next time maybe. i also must apologise for not posting anything since last challenge- i was away for a few weeks, but i still should have posted. Anyway, back to the french bread. I really liked this recipe. It did take an awfully long time, but it was mostly just waiting time, so if it is a rainy day and you've no where to go, i would definetely make this again.

I kneaded the dough by hand, which wasn't at all painful and i find it a much more rewarding experience than machine kneading. Apart from that, if you are devoting a whole day toward making bread, you may as well spend a few minutes longer kneading it by hand- a totally self gratifying process. I couldn't find the camera until the bread just came out of the oven, hence there are no photos of the kneading and rising and baking etc. I do however, hope that you enjoy these few photos that i took of the final result. A must try recipe for the baking enthusiast. Thanks Mary and Sara

January challenge- Lemon meringue pie

2008-01-27T17:02:00.000-08:00

I feel so terrible that i haven't posted anything up on my blog since the last challenge. It isn't that there hasn't been any baking, just no documenting and no time. Anyway, this month we were hosted by the wonderful Jen, aka Canadian Baker, and the challenge for the month was a Lemon meringue pie from Wanda’s Pie in the Sky by Wanda Beaver, 2002. It was quite a straight forward recipe, athough it did take a while, but that was mostly cooling time. Everybody in my family were very happy with the results. I only had a bite, cause i am on a diet after christmas, but it tasted wonderful and nic and lemony. I am sure it will be a welcome dish at any occasion in my house. So, here is the recipe, and if you have time, do visit the wonderful blogs of my fellow daring bakers, and be sure to visit the host's page Canadian baker.

Thanks Jen for the great recipe. Here are some photos of my venture.

Lemon Meringue Pie
Makes one 10-inch (25 cm) pie
For the Crust:
¾ cup (180 mL) cold butter; cut into ½-inch (1.2 cm) pieces
2 cups (475 mL) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
¼ tsp (1.2 mL) salt
⅓ cup (80 mL) ice water
For the Filling:
2 cups (475 mL) water
1 cup (240 mL) granulated sugar
½ cup (120 mL) cornstarch
5 egg yolks, beaten
¼ cup (60 mL) butter
¾ cup (180 mL) fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon zest
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
For the Meringue:
5 egg whites, room temperature
½ tsp (2.5 mL) cream of tartar
¼ tsp (1.2 mL) salt
½ tsp (2.5 mL) vanilla extract
¾ cup (180 mL) granulated sugar
For the Crust: Make sure all ingredients are as cold as possible. Using a food processor or pastry cutter and a large bowl, combine the butter, flour, sugar and salt. Process or cut in until the mixture resembles coarse meal and begins to clump together. Sprinkle with water, let rest 30 seconds and then either process very briefly or cut in with about 15 strokes of the pastry cutter, just until the dough begins to stick together and come away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and press together to form a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes.
Allow the dough to warm slightly to room temperature if it is too hard to roll. On a lightly floured board (or countertop) roll the disk to a thickness of ⅛ inch (.3 cm). Cut a circle about 2 inches (5 cm) larger than the pie plate and transfer the pastry into the plate by folding it in half or by rolling it onto the rolling pin. Turn the pastry under, leaving an edge that hangs over the plate about ½ inch (1.2 cm). Flute decoratively. Chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the crust with foil and fill with metal pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely before filling.
For the Filling: Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan. Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Add the mixture gradually to the hot water, whisking until completely incorporated.
Return to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. The mixture will be very thick. Add about 1 cup (240 mL) of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks, whisking until smooth. Whisking vigorously, add the warmed yolks to the pot and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in butter until incorporated. Add the lemon juice, zest and vanilla, stirring until combined. Pour into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the surface, and cool to room temperature.
For the Meringue: Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, beating until it forms stiff, glossy peaks. Pile onto the cooled pie, bringing the meringue all the way over to the edge of the crust to seal it completely. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack. Serve within 6 hours to avoid a soggy crust.

December Daring baker's challenge- Yule log

2007-12-21T15:19:00.000-08:00

This month we were lucky enough to be hosted by the founders of our group Lisa from La mia cucina and Ivonne from Cream puffs in Venice. They choose a terrific and very festive recipe for the moth of december and something which i had never made beofe- a yule log. For those of you who don't know, a yule log, or buche de noel, is a rolled cake that is iced and slice to create the look of a real log, which symbolises the reasl yule log that was traditionally burnt by the vikings during the winter solstice for the whole 12 days of christmas. This yule log is a symbol of light as around this time in the far north it is dark 24/7 so the log was their light for this period.

I didn't really have any troubles with the recipe at all, which was a relief after hearing terrible stories of curdled butter creams and rubbery genoise. One thing i did do was change the flavour of the buttercream to a non alcoholic chocolate one. This was because there were a whole lot of kids over for dinner and they wouldn't eat an alcoholic coffee cream. To make the chocolate buttercream, i melted about 2/3 cup dark 70% cocoa chocolate, stirred it over some cold water to cool it and then i beat it into the buttercream.

Here is the recipe and some photos. I hope you enjoy looking at it as much as i enjoyed making it. It is great fun, i recommend you have a go!

Did i forget to mention that the recipe is one of Nick Malgieri's in his book Perfect cakes. Here it is.:

Perfect Cakes by Nick Malgieri and The Williams-Sonoma Collection: DessertServes 12Cake should be stored in a cool, dry place.

Plain Genoise:

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

pinch of salt

¾ cup of sugar

½ cup cake flour - spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off (also known as cake & pastry flour)

¼ cup cornstarch

one 10 x 15 inch jelly-roll pan that has been buttered and lined with parchment paper and then buttered again

1.Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

2.Half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat so the water is simmering.

3.Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, salt and sugar together in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Place over the pan of simmering water and whisk gently until the mixture is just lukewarm, about 100 degrees if you have a thermometer (or test with your finger - it should be warm to the touch).

4.Attach the bowl to the mixer and, with the whisk attachment, whip on medium-high speed until the egg mixture is cooled (touch the outside of the bowl to tell) and tripled in volume. The egg foam will be thick and will form a slowly dissolving ribbon falling back onto the bowl of whipped eggs when the whisk is lifted.

5.While the eggs are whipping, stir together the flour and cornstarch.

6.Sift one-third of the flour mixture over the beaten eggs. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour mixture, making sure to scrape all the way to the bottom of the bowl on every pass through the batter to prevent the flour mixture from accumulating there and making lumps. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture and finally with the remainder.

7.Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

8.Bake the genoise for about 10 to 12 minutes. Make sure the cake doesn’t overbake and become too dry or it will not roll properly.

9.While the cake is baking, begin making the buttercream.

10.Once the cake is done (a tester will come out clean and if you press the cake lightly it will spring back), remove it from the oven and let it cool on a rack.

Coffee Buttercream:

4 large egg whites

1 cup sugar

24 tablespoons (3 sticks or 1-1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons instant espresso powder

2 tablespoons rum or brandy

1.Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Set the bowl over simmering water and whisk gently until the sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are hot. 2.Attach the bowl to the mixer and whip with the whisk on medium speed until cooled. Switch to the paddle and beat in the softened butter and continue beating until the buttercream is smooth. Dissolve the instant coffee in the liquor and beat into the buttercream.

Filling and frosting the log:

1.Run a sharp knife around the edges of the genoise to loosen it from the pan.

2.Turn the genoise layer over (unmolding it from the sheet pan onto a flat surface) and peel away the paper.

3.Carefully invert your genoise onto a fresh piece of parchment paper.

4.Spread with half the coffee buttercream (or whatever filling you’re using).

5.Use the parchment paper to help you roll the cake into a tight cylinder.

6.Transfer back to the baking sheet and refrigerate for several hours.

7.Unwrap the cake. Trim the ends on the diagonal, starting the cuts about 2 inches away from each end.

8.Position the larger cut piece on each log about 2/3 across the top.

9.Cover the log with the reserved buttercream, making sure to curve around the protruding stump.

10.Streak the buttercream with a fork or decorating comb to resemble bark.

11.Transfer the log to a platter and decorate with your mushrooms and whatever other decorations you’ve chosen.

Meringue Mushrooms:

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

½ cup (3-1/2 ounces/105 g.) granulated sugar

1/3 cup (1-1/3 ounces/40 g.) icing sugar

Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

1.Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Have ready a pastry bag fitted with a small (no. 6) plain tip. In a bowl, using a mixer on medium-low speed, beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar until very foamy. Slowly add the granulated sugar while beating. Increase the speed to high and beat until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted. Continue until the whites hold stiff, shiny peaks. Sift the icing sugar over the whites and, using a rubber spatula, fold in until well blended.2.Scoop the mixture into the bag. On one baking sheet, pipe 48 stems, each ½ inch (12 mm.) wide at the base and tapering off to a point at the top, ¾ inch (2 cm.) tall, and spaced about ½ inch (12 mm.) apart. On the other sheet, pipe 48 mounds for the tops, each about 1-1/4 inches (3 cm.) wide and ¾ inch (2 cm.) high, also spaced ½ inch (12 mm.) apart. With a damp fingertip, gently smooth any pointy tips. Dust with cocoa. Reserve the remaining meringue.3.Bake until dry and firm enough to lift off the paper, 50-55 minutes. Set the pans on the counter and turn the mounds flat side up. With the tip of a knife, carefully make a small hole in the flat side of each mound. Pipe small dabs of the remaining meringue into the holes and insert the stems tip first. Return to the oven until completely dry, about 15 minutes longer. Let cool completely on the sheets.4.Garnish your Yule Log with the mushrooms.

Nigella's Chestnut Cheesecake

2007-12-21T14:55:00.001-08:00

The other day i decided to make a chestnut cheesecake from Nigella Lawson's book "Feast". This was because i had a half can of Sweetened chestnut pureee left over from the christmas cake i made earlier and seeing as it costs about $10 a can i didn't want to waste a thing.

This cheesecake was truly one of the best i have ever had. The chestnut adds such a warming and inviting flavour to the soft cream cheese filling.

I really recommend that you try this out. It's a winner! (Sorry the photo sucks. I forgot to take one before my family hacked into it.)

Recipe 'Chestnut Cheesecake' p. 84 "feast" by Nigella Lawson, Chatto and Windus London

For the base:

250 g Digestive bicuits

50g soft butter

1 heaped tablespoon sweetened chestnut puree ( i left this out, as i didn't have enough chestnut puree)

For the cheesecake:

500g Cream cheese

125 caster (granulated) sugar

3 eggs

3 egg yolks

175ml sour cream

1 teaspoon lime (i substiuted with lemon juice)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 tablespoons rum ( i left this out, cause i don't like it)

350g sweetened chestnut puree

For the syrup (i didn't bother making this, as the cheesecake is good enough as it is)

80ml water

60 ml rum

1 tablespoon sweetened chestnut puree

50g caster sugar

15g butter

Method:

Preheat oven to gas mark 4/180 degrees celcius and put the kettle on to boil.

Meanwhile process bicuits, butter and puree for base until fine crumbs are formed. Press mix into base of a 23cm sprinform tin and place in the fridge.

Beat the cream cheese until smooth and add sugar. Add eggs and egg yolks one ata a time. Pour in the sour cream, lime juice, vanilla and rum and beat till smooth and creamy, Then, flod in sweetened chestnut puree. Line the outside of the springform tin with a layer of clingfilm, then a layer of al foil making sure all of the base and side is covered. Stand the covered tin in a roasting tray, pour in the cheesecake batter into the tin and then, fill the roasting tray with the eater from the kettle to come 3cm up the side of the springform tin.

Place in the oven for one hour, until set on top and slightly wobbly underneath.

Remove the tine from the roasting tray and leave to cool before placing in the fridge. Unmould a while before you want to serve it and allow it to reach room temperature.

For the syrup put all ingredients in saucepan and melt, then let boil for 10 mins. Coll to warm temperature and then drizzle on top of cheesecake before serving.

Gingerbread House challenge

2007-12-17T21:38:00.000-08:00

This month i decided to take part in Yum sugar's Gingerbread house challenge. I had never made a gingerbread house before, except for a premade piece it together kit that my mum bought me last year, so it was a very exciting venture for me.

Yesterday i set about making the gingerbread. I made a double batch of a gingerbread men recipe that i had in a commonsense cookbook at home. Then, i got out a drwaing pad and designed a very simple little cottage and cut out the templates. I shaped and baked the dough and then later in the afternoon i constructed the house with a royal icing made of eggwhites and icing sugar.

I left the decoration till today to allow the icing to really set as i didn't want it to all fall down as happened to my sis in law last year. I bought a huge stack of lollies and spend this afternoon glue them on with more royal icing to make my house. Here are some photos, i hope you enjoy. Thanks to Yum Sugar for arranging this compettion. It has been great fun. Truly!

Ps. Keep posted for the December daring bakers challenge post on 22nd december and the after christmas i will also post some photos of my Christmas pudding and Christmas cake and various other things i have concocted for the day. Merry Christmas!

Potato Bread

2007-12-03T15:32:00.000-08:00

Well, it wasn't till yesterday that i finally got around to defrosting my loaf of potato bread. We had it with dinner and it was, if i do say so myself, pretty darn good! Everyone seemed to like it, including my dad who is a real bread man and loves a good slice of bread. He is fussy though, but he loved this and hopes i will make it again. I plan to!

mmmmmm..........Sticky buns!!!!!!

2007-11-28T17:00:00.000-08:00

Today I made Schnecken (snails in Danish, i think) from Nigella Lawson's "How to be a domestic Goddess". They are fantastic! I used a half batch of Danish pastry that I made the other day and froze from the same book. Otherwise you can just use the regular dough. The other variation I made was to use flaked almonds instead of pecans, but that is because that is what we had in the house. I made half with the almonds and half just plain. So, here are some photos of these deliciously sticky and sinfully sweet buns.If you are at all interested in having this recipe, just let me know and I'll be glad to give it to you.

Delicious croque en bouche

2007-11-27T23:33:00.000-08:00

Well, i decided to wait until after the daring bakers post day to put up some pictures of the cake i made for my brother's fiance's birthday. I decied to make a croque en bouche which is basically a pyramid of profiteroles or cream puffs filled with creme patissier (custard) and then held together by toffee, or sometimes chocolate.

I used a Niglla Lawson recipe for the croque en bouche from "Feast" and the creme patissier was actually toffee flavoured on account of my stirring in molten hot sticky toffee to the custard mixture. They were really nice from what i tasted, although io didn't get any of the final cake cos my brother took it over to her house; how mean!

Anyway, here is a photo of the creation. If you would like a recipe feel free to leave a comment and i will send the recipe to you. Enjoy!

First daring Baker's challenge

2007-11-25T14:46:00.000-08:00

About a week ago i completed my first daring baker's challenge and having be waiting impatiently until today to post my results on my blog. As i have mentioned before, the daring bakers is an international group that takes part in monthly challenges in which everyone has to bake something using the exact same recipe. That recipe is until the date of posting a complete secret. So, it gives me pleasure to unveil the novemeber daring bakers challenge.....................................Tender Potato Bread!!!! A big thank you to the wonderful Tanna for hosting this months challenge; a recipe from Home Baking: The Artful Mix of Flour & Tradition Around the World by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. I adored the recipe even though i had been a bit sceptical because i had never seen potato bread in Australia, but it was truly delicious.

On the daring bakers private blog i heard comments of the dough being incredibly sticky. I didn't in all honestly find it too sticky; it stick a bit, but i have worked with stickier doughs before for buns.

I would say that i used roughly 7 and a half cups

of unbleached all purpose flour, but it is hard
to say exactly cause i just poured out a little more
every time it was required. Hence, i didn't measure it accurately. The dough rose unbelievably high and literally was overflowing from the bowl like a mushroom.

I made one large plain loaf which i just sprinkled with flour and a dozen vintage cheddar and dijon mustard buns(see below. )The buns were delicious and went very quickly. The loaf was frozen and wil be eaten tonight. I kept it for today as my sister has just arrived from out of town and it has been a while since we have seen her, so i thought it would be nice to have some good bread.

The one thing that i forgot to do was to slash the loaf three times beofre i put it into the oven. I suppose that is why mine mushroomed over the top of the tin, but i liked the effect of that anyway so i am not dissapointed in hvaing forgotten. I am so thrilled to be a member of the daring bakers and i want to thank Lis and Ivonne for allowing me to join and also Tanna for the great challenge. Can't wait to see everyone else's

challenge and i am eager to start with the next challenge for November.

To see the other Daring baker's challenges click here and to see the recipe for potato bread visit Tanna's blog My Kitchen in Half Cups

Grace Kelly's Birthday

2007-11-12T02:29:00.000-08:00

Today Grace Kelly would have turned 78, had she still been around. I took the time today to remember her; to remember all that she did and all that she was to so many people. She still means alot to me, despite thee fact that i wasn't even on this earth while she was around. Infact., it was 25 years ago this year that dear Gracie past away and i am only 20. It is wonderful to know that Grace ;ives on in the hearts and souls of so many, and she remains very much a part of our world through the legace she left in this world of her films. I feel so blessed to be able to watch her in her films, to see how she was as a living, breathing person, not just a photograph. She continues to live on in her films and it is so wonderful to see that. I made a cake today to commemorate the day of her birth. I want you to know Grace, that you shall never be forgotten, that you will forever be admired and loved and forever remebered for the remarkable human being that you were. You did so much for Monaco and for the world! Happy Birthday Gracie and God Bless!

November Cupcake hero

2007-11-08T16:26:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

As i have said, i am a newcomer to the daring

bakers, and whilst navigating the sites of the

various members, i happened to come across

a post for "The cupcake hero" challenge, run

by the wonderful Quirky cupcake. Seeing as

my nephews were staying over at our house, i

thought i would make them some morning tea

to take to school. So, i was going to bake anyway,

so why not take a shot at the november cupcake

hero challenge of "Cranberry".

Cranberries aren't really in season in Australia, so i used Cranberry jelly and some beautiful dried berries in stead. The berries were a mix of Dried blackberries, cherries and cranberries. I shall call my Cupcakes "Cranberry cupcakes with dried berries and lindt chocolate, topped with Cranberry buttercream and grated lindt chocolate."

They tasted really great! I just kinda improvised alot of it, but everyone seemed to enjoy them. Here is the recipe for your use if you'd like, and some photos taken along the way. Enjoy!!!

Cranberry Cupcakes with Dried berries and lidt chocolate topped with Cranberry buttercream and Grated Lindt

Ingredients:

125g Unsalted butter, softened

125 g Caster sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tspoon vanilla bean paste/ extract

125 g self raising flour

1 tspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons Cranberry jelly

3 tablespoons Dried berries (rough indication, honestly i just added as much as i thought was good, i didn't measure

50g Lindt (or other) 70% cocoa dark chocolate

2-3 Tablespoons milk

Method:

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add vanilla extract and blend.

Beat in eggs one at a time,

adding a spoonful of flour between each egg.

Fold in the rest of the flour and the cinammon

a spoonful at a time. Fold in Cranberry Jelly,
dried berries and chocolate chopped up in
small pieces.

Divide mixture evenly amongst 12 cupcake cases.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees celcius
(that's hot- i'm sorry, i don't know the fahrenheit
conversion, but i think around 400) for 15-20 mins.

Once cooked, remove from tin and leave to cool
entirely on cooling rack before making buttercream.

Ingredients for Cranberry buttercream

3/4 cup Icing sugar sieved

100g butter

2 tablespoons cranberry jelly

small piece Lindt 70% cocoa dark chocolate

* Beat Icing sugar and butter in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add Cranberry jelly and continue to beat for a further 2 minutes. Spread liberally on Cupcakes and garnish with Finely grated dark chocolate. Fell free to add other decoration. If i'd have had cranberries at my disposal, a few fresh cranberries on top would have been nice, but i only had dried, and they aren't that pretty!

Exciting- first daring bakers challenge

2007-11-03T21:55:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
Well, i have just received my first challenge with the daring bakers group and i am very excited. Of course, the challenge is completely secret until the 26th November, at which time make sure you come and visit my blog to see my results for the 1st challenge. Fingers crossed all goes well!

YouTube - 'La bohème'- A Tribute to Grace Kelly.

2007-10-26T06:04:00.000-07:00

YouTube - 'La bohème'- A Tribute to Grace Kelly.

The Daring Bakers

2007-10-26T00:49:00.000-07:00

I am very excited about my new member ship with The Daring Bakers. I will get kick started next month and I can't wait. I have no idea what i might have to bake, it should be great. So, keep an eye out for my blog next month to see what i whip up for the Daring Bakers challenge.

Grace Kelly

2007-10-22T05:26:00.000-07:00

As you can probably tell, I am a huge fan of Grace Kelly. She is my idol. When i get more time, which should be soon as holidays are approaching, I will try and add some more photos and maybe some info about her. I want everyone to know about Grace, to know how wonderful she was. Grace tragically past away 25 years ago on September 14, yet she is still remembered and very much loved. I plan to make sure her memory will continue to live on for many years to come.

2007-10-22T04:31:00.001-07:00