And The Baby Turned Three...

Can't believe my baby turned three, coming up to three weeks ago.  My parents were still visiting which was nice as they got to spend the day with her, on her birth day, something that had not ever happened before, as we were living in Abu Dhabi.  

One thing Lily wanted to do was visit the local zoo.  So we did.  With Monet at school and MrL at work, the remaining four of us went.  

For some reason or another, Lily has decided that she really likes Dingos.  She was rapt to see them animated at the zoo, giving their howls.  I can only imagine how it must sound across the desert in the outback in the evening.  *scary*

And the birthday girl wanted to feed the kangaroos.  It was a pity they weren't really hungry on our visit.

But all the walking around made our three year old hungry so a bowl of hot fries, washed down with some chocolate milk from the cafe, did the trick.

Later in the afternoon, after school pick up, we popped on our party hats and began celebrating...

There is a few things my girl loves.  Besides Dora The Explorer.  She loves Cheese and Bacon Balls, Chicken nuggets, cocktail frankfurts, teddy bears, balloons, Barbie Dolls and skirts, made by me.  =)

She also is still very partial to sucking on her dummy (urgh!) and sticking her hand down my top! Or up my sleeve!  And if it isn't her hand it is her foot!  (I kid you not.)  And when I am unavailable, she comforts herself by doing the below pose...

A hand down her own top!  Nepolian.  =)  She is still very much a Mummy's girl, who loves to give hugs and kisses and cuddles.  It is very sweet.  She's so funny and has a real little personality of her own.  She was a joyous two year old and I am pretty sure she will continue being a joyous three year old.

And of course, every three year old Dora fan MUST have a Dora Birthday Cake.  *heehee*

I'm a Sucker for Advertising. (Banana Muffin recipe)

I've always said that Advertising works and yesterday those words rang in my ears again as I took Lily to the local news agency to purchase something we had seen on the telly.  The new Dora 'Little Cook Collection'.  How could I resist the $2.99 price tag for the two year old who is Dora mad (just like her big sister once was).   Of course the first issue sucks you in with a low price tag and then the future issues jump up to $7.99, then $12.99!

Miss Lily insisted we make the muffin recipe inside the magazine straight after walking back in the front door.  So, being the obliging mother I can be at times, we did.  A very simple Banana Muffin recipe with easy to follow instructions and the result?  Delicious.

Here's the recipe - it only makes 4, but I didn't mind that as I know that none would go to waste and they were very simple, easy and took no time to make....

You need...
1 large banana
40g soft brown sugar
2 tablespoons rapeseed oil (I used olive oil!)
1 small egg
65ml milk
100g self-raising flour

1.  Peel and mash the banana in a bowl using the back of a fork.  Mix in the sugar and the oil.

2.  Crack the egg into the bowl.  Pour in the milk and stir.

3.  Sieve the flour into the mixing bowl.

4.  Gently stir in the flour into the rest of the ingredients.

5.  Spoon the mixture into four muffin cases.  Fill each case almost up to the top.

6.  Place in a 190 degree C oven for 15-20 minutes.  Take them out and leave to cool.

As Dora would say, "Delicioso!"

Strawberry and Cinnamon Torte

Yum.  Easy.  How could you resist not making it??

*Taken from a Good Food Magazine '101 Tempting Desserts', pg 160, published 2006*

Ingredients

175g/6oz ground almonds

175g/6oz butter, softened

175g/6oz golden caster sugar

175g/6oz self-raising flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk

450g/1lb strawberries, hulled and sliced

icing sugar, for dusting

whipped cream mixed with greek yoghurt, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan-forced).  Butter and line the base of a loose-bottomed 23cm cake tin.  In a food processor, mix the ground almonds, butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon, egg and egg yold until evenly mixed.

Tip half the mixture in the tin and smooth.  Spread with the strawberries on top.  Top with the remaining cake mixture.  Spread smooth.

Bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 5 mins.  Check after 40 minutes - if the torte is getting too brown, cover loosely with foil.  When cooked, the torte should be slightly risen and dark golden brown.

Cool slightly, then remove from the tin.  Slide onto plate and dust with icing sugar.  Serve warm, in wedges, with spoonfuls of cream and yoghurt.

Serves 6-8

Easy Sponge Cake with Strawberries and Cream

When I first made this I thought, nahh won't make that again, due to it sinking a little and part of it fell apart.  But after decorating it and then finally eating it, I can say that I would make it again.  It is delicious!!!

*Taken from Murdoch Books 'Australian Family Favourites', pg 366, published 2007*

Ingredients

30g butter, melted

60g plain (all-purpose) flour

60g cornflour (cornstarch)

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

4 eggs

170g caster sugar

2 tablespoons hot milk

300ml whipping (pouring) cream

1 tablespoon icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

2 tablespoons strawberry jam

500g strawberries, hulled and sliced in half

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C.  Grease two 20cm round cake tins with the melted butter and line the bases with baking paper.  Dust the sides of the tins with a little flour, shaking out any excess.

Sift the flour, cornflour, cream of tartar and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl, then repeat the sifting twice more.

Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large bowl for 5 minutes, or until pale and think.  Using a large metal spoon, carefully fold in the sifted flour mixture and the hot milk until they are just incorporated; take care not to overmix.  Divide the mixture evenly between the two tins, then bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the cakes are golden and have shrunk slightly from the side of the tins.  Leave in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Combine the cream and icing sugar in a bowl, then whip until soft peaks form.  Place one sponge cake on a serving plate and spread with jam.  Top with half the cream and half of the sliced strawberries.  Cover with the second sponge cake.  Spread the remaining cream over the top and top with the remaining strawberries.  Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.

Lemon Yoghurt Cake

I found this recipe on the side of a 'You'll Love Coles' SR Flour packet.  The result was a perfect lemon cake and very easy too...

Ingredients

125g Butter, softened

1 cup Caster Sugar

Finely grated rind of 1 lemon

3 Extra Large Eggs

1 tbs lemon juice

1 1/2 cups Self Raising Flour, sifted

1/2 cup Greek-style Yoghurt

Icing Sugar, for serving

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180C/160C fan forced.  Grease and line base of a 20cm cake tin.  (I used a loaf pan.)

Beat butter, sugar and lemon rind in a bowl until light and creamy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Fold in the lemon juice then flour, alternately with the yoghurt until combined.  Spoon into the pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 15 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool.  Dust with sifted incing sugar and serve with berries and cream if desired. 

Banana Cake

I'm always on the hunt for goood Banana Cake recipes, as I've *always* got excess bananas in my freezer department of my refridgerator. The toasted coconut on the top was a nice addition. The recipe states to bake for an hour, but that was far too long (in my oven at leaast). I baked mine for 40 minutes, so make sure you keep a close on the the time.

*Taken from Murdoch Books, 'Australian Family Favourites', pg 401, published 2007*

Ingredients
125g butter
125g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp natural vanilla extract (I used 2tsp vanilla essence)
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
125ml (1/2 cup) milk
250g (2 cups) Self Raising Flour

Butter frosting Ingredients
125g butter
90g (3/4 cup) icing sugar
1 tbs lemon juice
15g (1/4 cup) flaked coconut, toasted (I used shredded coconut)

Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Brush a 20cm round cake tin with oil or melted butter and line the base with baking paper.

Using electric beaters, beat butter and sugar in a small bowl until light and creamy. Add the eggs gradually, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add the extract and mashed banana and beat until combined.

Transfer the mixture into a large bowl. Dissolved the soda in the milk. Using a metal spoon, fold in the sifted flour alternately with the milk. Stir until all the ingredients are just combined and the mixture is smooth. Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake. Leave in the tin for 10 minsutes before turing onto a wire rack to cool.

To make the frosting, using electric beaters, beat the butter, icing sugar and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Spread onto the cooled cake, sprinkle with toasted cococnut flakes.

Baked Banana Cheesecake

I made this, a first for me. A baked cheesecake. Pretty easy to make and full of flavour. I made it on the occasion of my father's birthday...

*Taken from 'The Australian Women's Weekly All Time Favourites' published 1997*

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour
1/4 cup (40g) icing sugar mixture
90g butter
2 egg yolks
1 tbs water, approximately

Banana Filling
2 x 250g packets cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
1 1/2 cups mashed banana (approx 3 large bananas)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbs vanilla essence
1 tbs rum, optional

Method
Grease 22cm springform tin.

Sift dry ingredients together; rub in butter, add egg yolks and enough water to make the ingredients cling together. Press mixture into a ball; knead on floured surface until smooth. Cover with plastic; refrigerate 30 minutes.

Press pastry evenly into prepared tin to cover base and sides, trim edge, lightly prick base with fork. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes.

Cover pastry with baking paper, fill with dried beans or rice. bake in moderately hot oven 10 minutes; remove paper and beans, bake 15 minutes or until browned lightly. Cool.

Pour filling into pastry case. Bake in moderate oven about 1 1/4 hours or until set; cool. Cover cheesecake; refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

Banana Filling Method
Beat cheese and sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer until smooth; add remaining ingredients, beat until smooth.

Serves 8-10

Strawberries and Cream Meringue Cake

I was a little unsure how this would turn out but I need not have worried. It was delicious - just like out of a cafe display case. Pretty posh and very yummy.

The recipe calls for 'golden caster sugar', I just used ordinary caster sugar so the cake turned out a little paler than the piccie they had in the book...

*Taken from BBC Books 'Good Food Magazine 101 Tempting Desserts' published 2006* - a UK mini cookbook

Ingredients
-for the cake-
100g butter, at room temperature
plus extra for greasing
100g golden caster sugar
1 large egg, plus 2 egg yolks (keep the whites for the meringue)
85g self-raising flour
25g shelled pistachios, finely ground
2 tbs milk

-for the meringue-
2 large egg whites
100g golden caster sugar

-for the topping-
284ml carton double cream, softly whipped
200g strawberries hulled, sliced or left whole

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan forced. For the cake, butter and lime the bottom of a 20cm/8in round, loose bottomed sandwich tin with greaseproof paper. Beat the butter and sugar together for 3-4 minutes until pale and creamy. Beat in the egg and egg yolks. Gently stir in the flour and ground nuts alternately with the milk. Spoon into the tin and level it smooth.

Make the meringue. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Whisk in the sugar, a couple of spoonfuls at a time, until smooth and glossy. Spoon into the tin and spread it. Bake for 45 minutes until the meringue feels crisp.

Leave in the tin to cool, then loosen the edges with a knife and remove. Peel off the paper and leave until cold. Spoon the cream over the meringue, then the strawberries.

Serves 8

Banana Cake

I'm always on the hunt for quick, easy and simple Banana Cake recipes. And I think I may have found one. I always have bananas 'hanging' around our place, but as you know, they tend to turn brown pretty quickly if not eaten on time. What I tend to do is place the browning bananas in the freezer, complete with skins. They aren't good for eating once you do that but boy, are they god for baking!! When I want to use them, I take them out the freezer about an hour before hand.

In this recipe I used 4 small-medium sized bananas.

I used my mix master for this recipe, only stirring in the mashed bananas by hand.

The recipe stated to cook in a 'little hotter moderate oven' for an hour, but I found my cake, cooked in a small square tin, baked in around 25 minutes. you've been warned!

*Taken from the CWA's (Victorian division) 'Cookery Book', published 2003*

Ingredients
125g butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups SR flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
pinch salt
2 tbs milk
1 tsp bicarb of soda
3 ripe mashed bananas

Method
Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, and then sifted dry ingredients.

Add the soda, which has been dissolved in the milk. Lastly fold in the bananas.

Bake for 1 hour (!!) in a little hotter than moderate oven.

When cold, ice with lemon icing.

Birthday Custard Sponge

This was really nice though I thought the cake seemed a little too 'egg-y' for my liking. Next time I make this recipe I will do away with the Buttercream Filling and use whipped cream instead. I have to say the Chocolate Icing was delicious. I used quality Milk chocolate (instead of dark) and the result reminded me a lot of the icing you get on chocolate jam donuts here in Australia.

*Taken from Nigella Lawson's 'Feast' published 2004*

Ingredients
-for custard sponge-
200g plain flour
3 tbs custard powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 eggs
225g soft butter
200g caster sugar
2-3 tbs milk

-for the Buttercream Filling-
125g icing sugar
4 tsp custard powder
75g soft unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp boiling water

-for the Chocolate Icing-
60ml water
2 tbs golden syrup
125g caster sugar (or use 50g if using milk choc)
175g dark chocolate
Hundreds and Thousands

Method
-for the cake-
Make sure everything you need is at room temperature before you start. Preheat the oven to 180C and butter and line two 20cm sandwich tins.

Put all the ingredients except the milk, into a food processor. process to a smooth batter, and then add the milk a tablespoon at a time to make a soft dropping consistency. Divide between the two cake tins and bake for 20 minutes. The cakes will have risen and feel spookily puffy; this is because of the cornflour in the custard powder.

Let the tins sit on a cooling rack for 5 minutes and then turn them out on to the rack, peeling away the paper.

-for the Buttercream Filling-
Process the icing sugar and custard powder to get rid of any lumps, and then add the butter, processing again to make the buttercream come together. Feed the boiling water down the funnel with the motor running to make the filling easier to spread. Then sandwich the cooled sponges with the custardy buttercream.

-for the Chocolate Icing-
Combine the water, syrup and sugar in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve over a low heat. Let it come to the boil and then take it off the heat.

Break up the chocolate into small pieces if you are not using chocolate buttons, and then add to the pan, swirling it around to cover in the hot liquid. Leave to melt for a few minutes, and then whisk the icing to make it smooth and shiny. Pout over the buttercream filled cake, letting it drip down the sides, and then sprinkle generously with the hundreds and thousands before the icing sets.

Cupcakes

This recipe is probably one of the most simplest recipes to make and the result is usually pretty tasty too. Nigella uses a food processor, but because I (currently) don't have one, I use the mix master. I have actually made this recipe by hand too and works just as well, just a bit more muscle power is needed. I simply ice these cakes using a butter icing...

*Taken from Nigella Lawson's "How to be a Domestic Goddess", published 2000*

Ingredients

125g unsalted butter, softened

125g caster sugar (3/4 cup)

2 large eggs

125g self raising flour (1 cup)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 tbs milk

Method

Preheat the oven to 200c.

Put all the ingredients except the milk in the food processor and then blitz till smooth. Pulse while adding milk down the funnel, to make for a soft, dropping consistency. Spoon and scrape the mixture into muffin tin lined with papers, trying to fill each one equally.

Put into oven and bake for 15-20 minutes (only about 10 mins needed for mini cupcakes) or until the cakes are cooked and golden on top.

Cool on wire rack and decorate as wanted.

Makes approx 24 small cupcakes or 12 muffin size cupcakes

Lumberjack Cake

If you ever want to taste just a divine homemade slice of deliciousness, this is the cake. It seriously felt like I was sitting at some fancy cafe eating a slice of cake, rather than in my home environment. It was soooo good!! The element in my fan-force oven has died so I had to bake this the 'conventional' way so it burnt a little on top, but it still tasted that good. Lovely and dense and moist. Everything a good cake should be.

*Taken from 'The Essential Baking Cookbook' a Murdoch Publication, 2000*

Ingredients

200g fresh dates, pitted and chopped

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

125g unsalted butter, softened

1 cup caster sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, grated

1 cup plain flour

1/2 cup self-raising flour

icing sugar, optional, to dust

Topping

75g unsalted butter

1/2 cup soft brown sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 cup shredded coconut

Method

Grease a 20cm round springform cake tin and line the base with baking paper. Preheat the oven to moderate 180C.

Put the dates in a small saucepan with 1 cup water and bring to the boil. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda, then remove from the heat. Set aside until just warm.

Cream the butter and sugar in a small bowl with electric beaters until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Stir in the date mixture and the apple, then fold in the sifted flours until just combined and almost smooth. Spoon into the tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine all the topping ingredients in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until the butter is melted and the ingredients well combined. Remove the cake from the oven and carefully spread the topping over the cake. Return the cake to the oven for another 20-30 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the cake is cooked through.

Remove from the oven and leave the cake in the tin to cool completely, then turn out and place on a serving plate. The cake can be dusted with icing sugar just before serving.

Jam Donut Muffins

These are rather yummy, a cross between a jam donut, a cinnamon donut and a plain sweet muffin! I made mini-muffins which I found to be the right size for these little treats, because you really only need a mouthful or two, otherwise I could imagine them being a little 'too-much', if you know what I mean. I usually freeze my baked goods (muffins/cookies) and each night we nibble on a muffin (or cookie) with our 9pm cup of tea. (Lyndon and I are like a couple of old folks!) These jam donut muffins are perfect for freezing and perfect for eating with a 9pm cup of tea.

*Taken from Red Dirt Mummy's blog*

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups self-raising flour

pinch of salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup caster sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

raspberry jam

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease a mini muffin tray.

Sift the flour, salt and cinnamon together into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the oil, caster sugar, egg and milk together. Add to the flour and stir until just combined.

Half fill the prepared muffin tins with the batter. Add 1/4 tsp jam to each muffin, then cover with more batter.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until risen and golden. Remove from oven.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter. In a small bowl, mix together 3 tablespoons caster sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. While the muffins are still hot, dip their tops into the melted butter and then into the sugar and cinnamon mix. (I actually brushed the melted butter over the tops when the muffins were still in their tins just as they exited the oven. I then sprinkled the tops with the sugar and cinnamon mix.)

Place on a rack to cool.

Makes 24

Banana Bread

This recipe was so (so) simple, that I am not lying to you when I say that Monet practically made it by herself! Sure I measured out the ingredients but she used the sifter, mixed and help add the wet ingredients. The only thing she really didn't do was put it in the oven and she most definitely liked the bowl!! I will no doubt, be making this recipe again. It was easy and the result was delicious...

*Taken from the Australian website 'Taste'*

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups Self Raising Flour

1/4 cup plain flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2/3 cup firmly packed, brown sugar

1/2 cup skim milk

2 eggs, lightly whisked

50g butter, melted, cooled

2 bananas, mashed

Method

Heat oven to 180C. Grease a loaf tin with melted butter then line with baking paper, draping the paper over the sides.

Sift together the SR flour, plain flour and cinnamon into a large bowl. Mix in brown sugar. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, eggs, butter and bananas. Combine this with the flour and sugar mixture. Mix until well combined.

Pour into prepared tin and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Enjoy!

The Best Sweet Muffins

I took this recipe from the Australian Dairy website. And how lovely they are... Mmmm... As I used a mini muffin pan, I ended up making about 60 from this one mixture. Muffins always freeze well so most of them are tucked away in the freezer for now. I actually divided the mixture up into two bowls. In one I added frozen raspberries and choc chips. In the other I added one mashed ripe banana and chopped up jersey caramels. Deeeellllliccciiousssss....

Ingredients
3 cups Self Raising Flour
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
170g butter, melted

Raspberry and Choc Chip Variety
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup choc chips (white or milk)

Banana and Carmel Variety
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup chopped Jersey Caramels

Apple and Cinnamon
1 tsp cinnamon
1 apple, peeled and chopped

Method
Sift the flour into a bowl and stir in the caster sugar. Whisk together the eggs, milk and melted butter. Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Add any variants.

Spoon mixture into buttered muffin pans.

Bake for 200C for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Allow to cool.

Makes 12 Muffins or 48 mini Muffins or 6 Texas Muffins

Basic Butter Cake

My sister will laugh when she sees this recipe posted... We used to make this cake allllll the time when we were old enough to be let loose in our mother's kitchen, usually after our weekly Saturday game of Netball. I have great memories of the colourful cakes we used to make and she reminded me of this a few weeks ago... I decided to make a rainbow cake with Monet's help late this morning, though Monet got all grumpy when I divided the mixture up and went loose with the food colouring... She didn't seem grumpy when I dished her up a slice though, later on!

To make this Basic Butter Cake into the 'rainbow', after all ingredients are mixed, simply divide into the required number of bowls and go for it with the food colouring. When all of the mixture is coloured, simply place heaped spoonfuls into the prepared pan...

*Taken from the Australian Women's Weekly 'Cake & Slices Cookbook'*

Ingredients

125g butter

1 tsp vanilla essence

3/4 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour

1/2 cup milk

Method

Preheat oven to 180C.

Cream butter, essence and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy; beat in eggs one at a time, beat until combined. Stir in half the sifted flour and half the milk, then stir in remaining flour and milk. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

Bake for 40 minutes or until cooked through.

Leave in pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto wire to cool. Ice as desired. (I iced mine using a thick butter icing).

Keeping time: 2 days

Banana Sour Cream Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

The original recipe had a chocolate frosting, but I have omitted the chocolate and added extra icing sugar... Yummy. A delicious and easy recipe without the use of nuts (how come most banana cake recipes have nuts in them??)

*Taken from Australian Women's Weekly's 'Cakes & Slices Cookbook'*

Ingredients
125g butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 ripe bananas)
1/3 cup sour cream
2 cups self-raising flour
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

-for frosting-
125g packet cream cheese
30g butter
2 cups icing sugar (you may need more)

Method
Grease a deep 20cm round cake tin, line base with paper; grease paper.

Cream butter, essence and sugar in a small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy, add eggs one at a time; beat until combined. Stir in half the banana with half the sour cream and half the sifted dry ingredients, then stir in the remaining banana, sour cream and dry ingredients. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Bake in a moderate oven for about 1 1/4 hours. Stand 5 minutes before turning on to wire rack to cool. Spread cold cake with frosting.

Frosting
Beat cream cheese and butter in small bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Gradually beat in the sifted icing sugar. Beat until thick.

Keeping Time: 2 days

Lamington Slice

Since tomorrow is Australia Day, I thought I'd make something in celebration of this great country. And what could be more Australian than the humble Lamington. This recipe is really easy and it pretty tasty, with it being a little different from the norm as it is presented as a slice, rather than a cake as such...

*Taken from a Donna Hay newspaper cutting*

Ingredients
125g unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup plain flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded coconut
chocolate icing
3/4 cup icing sugar
2 tbs coco powder
1/3 cup boiling water
20g unsalted butter, melted

Method
Preheat oven to 180C.

To make the chocolate icing, place the icing sugar, cocoa, water and butter in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Place the butter, sugar and vanilla into an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy. Gradually add the egg and beat well. Sift the flour and baking powder together over the butter mixture and mix until well combined. Stir in the milk. Spoon the mixture into lightly greased 20cm x 30cm slice tin lined with non-stick baking paper and bake for 20 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

While still warm, cut the slice into squares and carefully pour over the chocolate icing. Top with shredded coconut.

Makes 18

White Chocolate & Strawberry Cupcakes

These cupcakes are just too irresistible to knock back... Just ask Monet and myself for that matter!!
I actually halved the recipe as otherwise I would have had cupcakes coming out of my ears. To make the original recipe, double my stated ingredients...

*Taken from Fergal Connolly's '500 Cupcakes'*

Ingredients
-for the cupcakes-
110g (4 oz) unsalted butter, softened
110g (4 oz) caster sugar
110g (4 oz) self-raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 tsp strawberry essence
50 g (2 oz) white chocolate chips

-for the icing-
100g (3 1/2 oz) cream cheese, softened
90g (3 oz) icing sugar, sieved
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/2 tbs unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 tbs chopped fresh strawberries

Method
Preheat the oven to 175C / 350F / Gas mark 4. Line muffin tins. (I made 21 mini cupcakes)

Combine the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs and essence in a bowl. Beat with an electric beater until light and creamy, about 2 - 3 minutes. Stir in the choc chips. Spoon the batter into the cases. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before removing the cupcakes onto a rack to cool.

To make the icing, beat the cream cheese, icing sugar, essence and butter until smooth and creamy. Stir in the chopped strawberries. Spread on top of the cooled cupcakes.