Confetti Biscuits

I love to bring a home made treat when I take the girls on a play date - and these Confetti biscuits are incredibly easy, cute and delicious too. Definitely give them a try if you are looking for a quick and easy biccy to make.

Confetti Biscuits
175g unsalted butter, chilled and chopped
2/3 cup caster sugar
2 cups plain flour
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
180g white chocolate, melted
190g 100's and 1000's, to decorate

1. Process the butter, sugar and flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add egg and extract. Process until mixture comes together. 
2. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently. Divide mixture into 2 halves. Shape into 2 discs. Wrap both portions in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 170 C. Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
4. Roll dough between 2 sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick. Then cut shapes, re-roll and cut scraps. Place the shapes 2cm apart on the trays and cook for 8 - 10 minutes, or until biscuits are golden and firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
5. Spread the tops of the biscuits with chocolate, then sprinkle with 100's and 1000's and set aside for 1 hour to cool.

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - #14: Death by Chocolate Cupcakes

Before we talk baking I have to say thank you everyone for your kind words and support in regards to my post on post natal depression. It has been so wonderful reading through all of your lovely comments, knowing that I am not alone in this and that the blogging community is always there to give me big virtual hugs. It is funny, since I wrote that post I have actually started to feel a lot better in general - like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. So thank you everyone for listening and not judging.

Now on to the cupcakes. First of all - why is it that each week the sweet that I want to win the poll never makes it. I was really hoping to make a Cherry Ripe cupcake! Sheesh! But seriously I was kind of hoping that Death by Chocolate wouldn't win because I'm not actually that big a fan of chocolate. So of course it did win - Murphy's law!

These cupcakes are quite devilish - a moist chocolate buttermilk cake filled and topped with dark chocolate ganache, then a swirl of white chocolate swiss meringue buttercream and finally drizzled with milk and white chocolate. Wowsers - that is a lot of chocolate! I had quite a few taste testers for these cupcakes because I brought them to a dinner party - and they were definitely a hit. So if you or someone you know are a chocolate lover you should definitely give these cupcakes a try.


Chocolate Buttermilk Cake (from The Australian Women's Weekly - Classic Cakes)
Makes 24 cupcakes

180g unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
330g caster sugar
4 eggs, separated
110g self-raising flour
35g cocoa powder
180ml buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line 2 12-hole muffin trays with cupcake papers.
2. Beat butter, extract and sugar in a small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. 
3. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, until just combined.
4. Transfer mixture to large bowl, stir in sifted dry ingredients and buttermilk.
5. Beat egg whites in clean small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form, fold into cake mixture in two batches.
6. Divide mixture into cupcake papers and bake for approximately 20 minutes (or until a skewer comes out clean). Note: my oven is not tip-top so your cupcakes make bake quicker/slower.
7. Allow to cool slightly in muffin trays and then move to a wire rack to cool.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

226g dark chocolate, in small pieces
2/3 cup thickened cream

1. Place chocolate into a bowl.
2. Bring cream to boil in a small saucepan, remove from heat immediately and pour over chocolate.
3. Stir until chocolate melts.
4. Place ganache in fridge and stir every 10 minutes until you reach a good piping consistency.

White Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Follow the directions for Almond Swiss Meringue Buttercream, but omit the vanilla extract and almond essence, and instead add 200g of melted white chocolate that has been slightly cooled.

Assembling the Cupcake

1. Cut out a well in each cupcake (eat the cut out piece :D).
2. Fill the well with dark chocolate ganache (I piped in the ganache).
3. Smear a layer of dark chocolate ganache on the top of the cupcake.
4. Pipe a swirl of white chocolate swiss meringue buttercream on top.
5. Melt 200g of milk chocolate, cool slightly and then coat the buttercream on each cupcake.
6. Melt 100g of white chocolate, cool slightly, place in a piping bag and swirl onto the milk chocolate on top of each cupcake.

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - #5: Double-Choc Marble Swirl Brownies

This is officially the second time that I have baked brownies and I must admit that I was a little bit scared. The first time I made them I baked them for far too long and they were dry nasty little things, but this time I am happy to report that I have a success. I think my first time baking brownies I just wasn't used to the generally sticky dense consistency that a brownie has so I thought that they hadn't baked for long enough. This time though I had learned from my mistake and baked them to perfection (even if it did take my oven double the time to bake them, seriously something must be wrong with my thermostat).

I love having more than one flavour in the one brownie, and the swirled/marbled effect looks quite pretty. I think this recipe would definitely be a hit with the kiddies and would even be a good one to bake with the kids since it is relatively simple to make. So no excuses people, if you want a tasty and easy to make brownie then this is the recipe for you.

Double-Choc Marble Swirl Brownies (from Good Taste - July 2010)
Makes 15

250g unsalted butter
2 cups caster sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp vanilla essence
100g dark choc chips
1/3 cup cocoa
100g white choc chips
icing sugar, to dust

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 20 x 30cm slab pan with non-stick baking paper.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and stir until mixture is thick and glossy.
3. Sift the flour over the egg mixture. Stir until well combined. Stir in vanilla. Divide the mixture between 2 bowls.
4. Add the dark choc chips and sift the cocoa into 1 portion. Stir until well combined. Stir the white choc chips into the remaining portion. Spoon the dark and white chocolate mixtures alternately over the base of the pan. Use a flat-bladed knife to create a swirled effect.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside in the pan to cool completely. Cut into pieces and dust with icing sugar.

On the eleventh day of Christmas (Chocolate Puddings)

Sorry for being absent of late! if I haven't told you already Emma (my beautiful big sister) has come back to Australia for Christmas, all the way from New York. So as you can imagine there has been a lot of catch up going on - especially since Em hadn't yet met Zoe, not that you could tell that now - since Zoe and Em are now best friends - lots of hugs and kisses are going on in this household. And I love it. So things are going to be a bit quiet on the blogging front for the next month - but I will try post at least a few times a week. And of course I have to finish my '12 Baking Days of Christmas' project.

I think the eleventh day of Christmas may in fact be the most awesome day - these chocolate pudding truffles are sooo delicious, they look incredibly cute and they are super easy to make! So give these a go, they make great gifts for friends and family - as long as you don't eat them all yourself first!


Chocolate Puddings (from Recipes+ - December 2008)
Makes 12 (I made mine smaller to get 24 instead)

1 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup raisins
2 tbsp orange juice (I omitted this)
375g dark chocolate, melted
3 cups plain cake crumbs (I used light fruit cake instead and 500g of it)
80g white chocolate, melted
1/3 cup red glace cherries, chopped (I just halved mine instead)

1. Process apricots, raisins and orange juice until finely chopped.
2. In a large bowl combine the fruit mixture, cake crumbs and half the melted dark chocolate. Shape mixture into 24 balls.
3. Coat each ball in the remaining dark chocolate and leave to set.
4. Drizzle the top of each ball with white chocolate and top with glace cherry. Leave to set.
   

And for something different you can instead coat each ball in white chocolate and then sprinkle with Christmas sprinkles, very festive...


Rating?
5 out of 5 reindeers!

Cake Slice - White Chocolate Cake or should I say cupcakes!

This month The Cake Slice Bakers decided to make a white chocolate layer cake, which is just perfect for Christmas in my opinion. The recipe calls for either 3 x 8" cake tins or 2 x 9" cake tins, and guess what? I only have 2 cake tins and they are both 6". So I headed out to the local supply store to get some 8" tins only to discover that they were $12 each!!! Ouch! Way too much money for me at the moment, so I decided to make cupcakes instead.

I have to say this cake was not what I expected. The cake was moist and light in texture, but I could barely taste the white chocolate. The icing on the other hand was great a delicious combination of cream cheese and white chocolate.


White Chocolate Cupcakes (adapted from Nancie McDermott)
Makes 30 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

2 ½ cups cake flour, sifted
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped
½ cup boiling water
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups caster sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

For the frosting:

6 ounces white chocolate, chopped
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
¾ tsp vanilla extract
3 cups icing sugar

Method for the cupcakes:

1. Heat the oven to 180C and line 3 12-hole muffin trays with cupcake cases.
   
2. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl, and stir with a fork to mix them well.
3. Bring 3 inches of water to an active simmer in the bottom of a double boiler or a saucepan that will accommodate a medium heat proof bowl so that it sits snugly over the water. Melt the white chocolate in the top of the double boiler or in the bowl over the simmering water. Stir often, and then pour in the ½ cup of boiling water and stir to mix well. Remove from the heat.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the butter and the sugar and beat with a mixed at medium speed to mix them together well. Add the egg yolks, one by one, beating each time to keep the mixture smooth. Add the white chocolate and the vanilla, and stir well to mix.
5. Add about a third of the flour mixture, and then about half of the buttermilk, beating with a mixer at low speed just long enough after each addition to make the flour or buttermilk disappear. Mix in another third of the flour, remaining buttermilk and then the last of the flour.
6. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites at medium speed until they are foamy and opaque. Continue beating at high speed until they swell into thick, pillowy mounds and hold peaks that are stiff, but not fry. Add one third of the egg white mixture to the bowl of batter, and fold it in gently using a spatula. Add the remaining egg whites and continue to fold with a light touch, until the egg whites are blended in well, with only a few streaks showing.
7. Transfer the batter to the cupcake cases and bake for approximately 20 minutes until the cupcakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
   
8. Allow the cupcakes to cool.

Method for the White Chocolate Frosting:

1. In the top of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl, melt the white chocolate over hot, not simmering, water, stirring often. Remove from the heat once melted and let cool to lukewarm.
   
2. Transfer the melted white chocolate to a large bowl, and add the cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Beat together at medium speed until you have a smooth sauce.
   
3. Add the confectioners sugar and beat until smooth.

On the eighth day of Christmas (White Rocky Road)

Okay so apologies in advance, there is a total lack of photos for this recipe - but it couldn't be helped! For one thing it was a very gray day so the lighting was not so good. Then Zoe didn't exactly want me to do any baking (picture tears, tantrums and a whole lot of carry on), so it was all very rushed. But hey I made it and it is delicious! Sweet white chocolate, chewy marshmallows, tasty almond nougat and crunchy almonds = awesome!

This is another treat that would be perfect to package up and give as a gift at Christmas time (or any time really). It will keep for up to 2 weeks in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

So you know what to do, get in the kitchen and get baking :)



White Rocky Road (from Better Homes and Gardens - December 2007)
Makes about 20 pieces

2/3 cup slivered almonds
1 cup white marshmallows, roughly chopped
1/2 cup shredded coconut
150g vanilla almond nougat, roughly chopped
375g white chocolate, melted

1. Line bottom and sides of 2 bar tins with baking paper.
2. Combine almonds, marshmallows, coconut and nougat.
3. Add the melted chocolate and stir to combine.
4. Spoon mixture into prepared tins, cover with glad wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until firm.
5. Turn out rocky road and cut each bar into pieces.
   

Rating?
5 out of 5 reindeers!

On the seventh day of Christmas (Peppermint Bark)

Can I just say that peppermint bark totally rocks my world!

How can something so simple taste so good?

Yummy white chocolate together with crunchy peppermint candy canes makes for an awesome Christmas treat. Also peppermint bark is a great sweet to give as gifts, easy to make and easy to love. Just pop a few pieces in a little plastic bag and then tie with some pretty Christmas ribbon - voila! You can also keep the peppermint bark in an air-tight container in the refrigerator if you want to make it in advance.

So what are you waiting for get yourself into the kitchen and make some now!


Peppermint Bark

500g white chocolate, melted
8 peppermint candy canes, crushed (just place the candy canes in a plastic bag and smack them around with a rolling pin - lots of fun!)

1. Mix together the chocolate and candy canes.
2. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
3. Spread out the chocolate mixture on the baking trays. Allow to set.
4. Break up the bark into whatever size pieces you want.
   

Yummy crushed candy canes...


Melted white chocolate...


Put the candy canes and chocolate together...


Mix it all up...


Spread it all out...


Let it set, and then break it up...



Rating?
5 out of 5 reindeers!

Choc Chip Cookies

You may find this hard to believe but sometimes I actually bake something that is not a cupcake. I mean cupcakes are great and all, but a girl needs some variation in her life. So a while back I baked some yummy chocolate chip cookies. To me these cookies were perfection - soft texture, slightly chewy, lots of chocolate chips and some walnuts for a bit of crunch. So if that sounds like your idea of a good choc chip cookie then read on...

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies (Bringing Home the Baking by Quincella C. Geiger)
Makes 48 - 72 cookies depending on scoop size

2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp bi-carb soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dark chocolate chips (I replaced this with more milk/white chocolate chips)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I used walnuts)

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Combine flour, bi-carb and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; mix on low speed until well blended. Stir in chips and walnuts.
4. Measure dough with a cookie/ice-cream scoop and place on baking paper lined baking trays. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Leave cookies on trays until completely cooled.

Baking Mondays - U is for Uncupcake - or Cupcake Pops!

If you like to bake and you like to blog then there is no doubt that you have heard about Bakerella. Bakerella makes the cutest baked goods in the history of sweet things and she is especially renowned for her cupcake pops. It has always been on my list of things to do and I thought the 'U'ncupcake week would be perfect for it, since really it isn't a cupcake is it?

So here is what you need...

A box of cake mix (I used chocolate cake)
Enough frosting to make a mushy cake truffle mixture
180g milk chocolate
180g white chocolate
sprinkles
mini m&ms

Okay, so first you need to bake your box cake according to the directions on the box. Then once the cake has completely cooled you crumble it up and add enough frosting until it brings all the cake crumbs together. I used the frosting that came with the cake mix and then I quickly made up some more buttercream (65g of unsalted butter, 250g of icing sugar and a splash of milk).


Once you have the frosting/cake mixture ready you need to roll it into balls (about 1.5" wide). Place each ball on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Then once they are all rolled, cover the tray with cling wrap and place them in the freezer for about 20 minutes to firm up. To shape them I rolled them into a cylinder then squished the bottom half to make the stub of the cupcake, then flattened out the top to make the top of the cupcake.

See, like this...


Now pop them back into the freezer for another 20 minutes. Next melt your milk chocolate either using a double boiler or the microwave.


Now dip the bottom of each cupcake pop into the melted chocolate and place it back on to the baking tray. Once they are all dipped pop them into the fridge while you prepare for the next step.


Now melt your white chocolate either in a double boiler or in the microwave.


While you are at it get your sprinkles and m&ms ready.


Now dip the top of each cupcake pop in the white chocolate, place a mini m&m on the top and then sprinkle with sprinkles. Leave to set and then place in mini cupcake paper cases.


Now have a bite, you definitely deserve it after all that work

The ratings?

Me - 10/10 - yum, yum, yum - and cute overload!
Mat - 10/10 - absolutely perfect!

R is for Raspberry White Chocolate Cupcakes...

White chocolate mud cake with raspberry swirled through, topped with whipped cream and raspberry jam.

Now before we start can I first say sorry in advance, these cupcakes were a disaster! I was so excited about this weeks cupcakes. The plan was to make white chocolate mud cupcakes with raspberry swirled through it, top it with raspberry swiss meringue buttercream and then some white chocolate curls. Doesn't that sound good? Yeah I thought so too.

I taught myself a valuable lesson with these cupcakes, if you add too much liquid to cupcake batter you will end up of with horribly misshaped volcano looking thingys that can not leave the household unless you want to bring great shame upon your name. I should have added a few whole raspberries to each cupcake, but I didn't. Instead I thought it would be cool to mush up the raspberries and add a large tablespoon to each cupcake - this is not a good idea, don't do it. The cupcakes were so bad that I didn't even make my SMBC. Instead I picked out the best looking one, topped it with some whipped cream and raspberry jam and took my photo to record my disaster. The rest of the cupcakes were broken up put into a large bowl with some custard, strawberry jelly and whipped cream, and was made into a divine trifle. May I suggest you do this if you have any baking disasters - it was fabulous! Anyway I will now give you the recipe - proceed with caution...

White Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberries (adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly - Cupcakes)
Makes 16 cupcakes

250g unsalted butter, chopped
160g white chocolate
440g caster sugar
250ml milk
150g plain flour
150g self-raising flour
2 eggs
300g frozen raspberries, thawed

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees celsius and line 2 12-hole muffin trays with cupcake cases.
2. Combine butter, chocolate, sugar and milk in small saucepan; stir over low heat until smooth. Transfer mixture to medium bowl; cool 15 minutes.
3. Whisk in sifted flours, then eggs. Divide mixture among cases.
4. Add 2 or 3 raspberries to each case - DON'T mush up the raspberries and swirl through like I did.
5. Bake for 30 minutes.
6. Top with whipped cream and raspberry jam, if desired.

The ratings?

1/10 - they tasted alright, but everything else about them was a complete disaster :(

Dinner with friends, chicken paella and berry meringue smash

Tonight we had a couple of very good friends and their baby over for dinner. It was great to talk about motherhood, parenting and general baby topics, and know that you are not boring the pants off of your guests. It is extremely funny how much one can talk about poop at the dinner table and not be disgusted and put off of their meal, ah the joys of being a parent.

Unfortunately I did not get the chance to take any photos of our dinner, but suffice to say it was quite delicious. We had a chicken paella and simple garden salad for dinner, and then a berry and meringue dessert. Here are the recipes for anyone that is interested.

Chicken Paella (from Super Food Ideas - May 2007)

Serves 6

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp turmeric

6 chicken thighs on bones

2 tbsp olive oil

2 large chorizo sausages, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups arborio rice

400g can diced tomatoes

1 cup frozen peas

1. Combine paprika and 1 teaspoon of turmeric in a bowl. Coat the pieces of chicken in the spices and set aside.
   
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chorizo, onion and garlic. Cook for 4 minutes or until chorizo is light golden. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Add remaining oil to the pan. Cook chicken on one side for 4 minutes or until golden. Turn over and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of stock to the pan and reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook for 8 minutes. Remove the lid. Boil gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until almost all liquid has evaporated.
4. Combine 2 cups of remaining stock and remaining turmeric in a jug. Add rice, tomatoes and stock mixture to pan. Stir to combine. Return to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until almost all liquid is absorbed.
5. Add peas, chorizo mixture and remaining stock. Simmer for 5 minutes or until stock is just absorbed. Season with salt and pepper.

Berry Meringue Smash

Serves 4

300ml thickened cream

100g meringue

500g frozen mixed berries, thawed

100g white chocolate, chopped

1. Whip cream until soft peaks form.
2. Crumble meringue with fingers into the cream and stir to combine.
3. Gently mash the berries with a fork.
4. Add the berries and white chocolate, and stir to combine.
5. Enjoy!

Mmmmm Brownies and Christmas

Christmas has come and gone with a wink of the eye. Our little family had an alright day, unfortunately though Little Z was quite unsettled at christmas lunch with the extended family. She got so worked up that she wouldn't feed or sleep - but in the end she settled down and was her happy little self again. Oh well - I'm sure next christmas will be a whole different story.

Mat and I got quite spoilt this year - we received $400 from our parents, which we will be spending on nappies from baby beehinds. We also got $400 worth of Cole Myers vouchers and Mat wants me to spend on it some new clothes and shoes for my wardrobe - awwww! I got Mat a digital scale for his beer home brewing and he got me a lovely dress from Midwest Trader, we may have to return it for a two-piece outfit though since it is almost impossible to wear a dress while you are breastfeeding. We gave Little Z a collection of books, I really want to build up her library so that we have a great assortment of books to choose from. I think that is about it - so pretty spoilt really.

Now time for another recipe...

White & Dark Chocolate Walnut Brownies
Keep up to 5 days, or freeze up to 1 month (thaw in fridge)

Serves 12

Melted butter, to grease
300g dark chocolate, finely chopped
125g butter, chopped
2/3 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly whisked
1 cup plain flour
200g white chocolate, chopped
100g walnut halves, chopped

Preheat oven to 180. Brush a square 19cm cake pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Line base and 2 opposite sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing it to overhang.

Place dark chocolate and chopped butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, until chocolate melts and mixture combines. Stir in sugar and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until well combined.

Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Stir in eggs and flour. Add white chocolate and walnuts and stir until combined. Spoon into prepared pan and smooth the surface with the back of the spoon.

Bake in oven for 25 minutes (skewer should come out slightly sticky). Remove from oven and set aside for 3 hours to cool completely. Cut into squares to serve.