Gingermen!

Christmas is just not the same without gingermen!!

I used the recipe that I have posted before. http://kfoodbook.blogspot.com.au/2009/12/run-run-as-fast-as-you-can.html?m=1. Since then I have added a rolling pin with height guides to our baking basics and it is super handy in helping to roll your biscuit dough out at a regular height!!

Hummingbird cake

A surplus of bananas meant some baking was called for. I opted for a hummingbird cake as something a bit different than the usual banana and chocolate muffins.

The recipe that I used was from my favourite AWW Cafe Cakes book with a few tweaks

- substitute wholemeal plain flour for the white plain flour

- bake for 40 minutes at 160C

- mix dry and wet ingredients separately then combine together until just mixed

It was very moist and very tasty!

440g tin crushed pineapple

1 cup wholemeal plain flour

1/2 cup self raising flour

1/2 teaspoon bicarb

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1:2 teaspoon ground gunger

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup dessicated coconut

4 ripe bananas

3/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup pineapple juice (drained from the crushed pineapple)

2 eggs

Drain the pineapple and reserve juice

Sift together dry ingredients and mix well

Mash bananas and mix in oil, pineapple, 1/4 cup juice and eggs

Combine wet ingredients into dry until just combined.

Bake at 160C (fan forced) as follows:

23cm square cake for 40 minutes

15g mini cupcake 11 minutes

70g cupcake 20 minutes

60g cream cheese

30g butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups icing sugar

Beat cream cheese, butter and extract until fluffy.

Gradually add in icing sugar, mixing well

Spread over cake.

Try again...

I tried posting photos and a recipe from the iPhone blogger app but it seems I need to do some more  work on the post on my laptop... Hopefully this post will not need any more editing!

Christmas pudding

Nice to follow at least one of the traditions.

Pudding with a bit of gold sparkle!

Chocolate chocolate cupcakes

It has been a while since I have posted, for a few reasons but lately I have been baking yummy treats that I want to share and record!

My father is partial to chocolate so to celebrate his birthday I thought that Chocolate cupcakes with a chocolate icing would be a good way to go. Topping them off with more colourful chocolate seemed ideal and a hit with the kids.

I didn't want to reinvent any wheels so used the chocolate cupcake recipe that I have <a href="http://kfoodbook.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/short-black-cupcakes-2.html?m=1">used before</a>, and searched for a simple chocolate icing that I could pipe. I settled on <a href="http://www.browneyedbaker.com/best-chocolate-buttercream-cupcakes/?m">this recipe</a> with adjustments for metric (and half of a block of butter) as follows:<p>

<i>Chocolate Buttercream Icing</i><p>

172g pure icing sugar<p>

125g unsalted butter <p>

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract<p>

62g dark chocolate, melted and cooled<p>

Cream butter and gradually add icing sugar. Mix well. Beat in vanilla. Beat in chocolate. Simple and yummy!

Short Black Cupcakes #2

My mixer survived... a set of replacement beaters and it was good to go again! I had mixed feelings about this. On the one hand I think it's great to have such a vintage piece of kitchen equipment, and on the other hand I was wanting to to get myself an up to date machine with all sorts of optional extras.

Cupcakes are my current baking staple, and today I thought to revisit the Short Black Cupcakes.
I (roughly) followed the Donna Hay version again, with the following tweaks.

125g butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup natural yoghurt
100g dark chocolate, melted

Preheat the oven to 160C.
Cream butter and gradually add sugar.
Add eggs one at a time. Beat well.
Sift flour, cocoa and baking powder.
Add to butter mix and combine well.
Mix in the milk, yoghurt and chocolate.
Spoon 70g of mixture into cupcake papers and place in a muffin tray.
Bake for 18 minutes.
Cool on wire racks.

I had another bash at the icing, and tried different proportions this time around.

125g butter
1 1/2 cups pure icing sugar
30mL cup milk
1 teaspoons instant coffee

Cream butter and gradually add sugar.
Dissolve coffee into milk.
Gradually add coffee mix into the butter and sugar, beat until well combined.

I was very happy with this recipe and combination and will definitely make it again!

I think it is terminal...

My mixmaster hiding on the right
I was trying to make butter cream icing today and I was having problems getting my beaters to click into my mixmaster. It worked okay last night when I made the cupcakes but for some reason today was not my day.

I wrestled a few times, getting more and more frustrated and eventually decided that they just were not going to click in! I finished off the icing on one beater but it was nowhere near as fluffy or full as usual and I ran out of icing - usually I have too much!

The mixmaster was inherited from a family member. I think it belonged to my grandmother but possibly it was my Aunt's. It has seen a good innings and if C cannot fix it then I shall have to replace it with something new and shiny and that will hopefully last just as long!