Cellophane and Cupcakes

For years I had never quit mastered the art of cutting wrapping and tying cellophane around cupcakes and during another marathon night of baking(why o why do I do it....crazy I guess), it came to me, the lightbulb literally went off and then reality sunk in, why had I not thought of it before - duh!

Step 1: Cut a square piece of cellophane leaving enough room to cover the cupcake with enough height to secure it with curling ribbon etc
Step 2: Place the cut cellophane on the top of a small bowl, slightly bigger than the cupcake (not too much bigger).
Step 3: Take the said cupcake and push down onto the cellophane so the edges stick up and secure with the ribbon

Birthday Boy

As it was my son's 16th birthday on Saturday I decided to make some cupcakes and had big plans of making a chocolate banana cake(for him), banana muffins(for the team) and caramel slice(for him again). All I can say to that is 2 out of 3 aint bad...really I couldn't be arrrssseeeddd...lol.

All the players and supporters loved them with loads of smiles from ear to ear. What is even funnier I brought a box of toy mobile phones(the kind that have the water game in the front screen). They were a huge hit with everyone - just goes to show there is a little kid in all us.

Baking Challenge 1 - Chocolate Caramel Slice

As it was my youngest and last child's birthday I wanted to bake him something he really likes to eat - caramel slice. I found a recipe in a magazine and gave it a go. It turn out near enough how it should not bad for my first attempt.

Review: If I was to make this recipe again I would change the base and not use crushed malt biscuits and melted butter - enough said I think ...but they look gooooooooooooooooood and very tasty but it needs to be eaten in small doses which is good for the figure.

Review 2: We didn't try it again until today(day2) and there even better, there is something to be said about the saying it always tastes better the day after or in this case the day after that. A friend of mine who makes it said "it surpassing mine" which is a very humbling and also very flattering. On the way home this arvo I brought more supplies - malt biscuits and condensed cream.

Update: Remember how I said my husband can be very generous with my baking, well he's done it again with the slice and his brother in law likes it very much, but at the same time he can't help making comments - please..bake it yourself next time..lol.

RECIPE:
250g malt biscuits
150g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
395g can of condensed milk
60g unsalted butter, chopped
1/4C brown sugar

Preheat oven 180C and prepare shallow tin 20x30cm (whatever you have on hand)
Crush malt biscuits using a food processor until fine and then add cooled melted butter, bake for 6mins. Set aside to cool
In a saucepan, combing, condensed milk, chopped butter and brown sugar. Stir over a low heat until the butter melts and sugar dissolves. Stir constantly for 12 - 15mins over a low heat or until golden brown and slightly thickened. Pour over the baked biscuit base, bake 10min. Allow to cool and spread over toppping before cutting
Chocolate Topping - 150g chocolate and 20g vege.shortening. Stir until smooth, pour over slice, chill until almost set.
* I took the 2 top layers of a king size bar of dairy milk chocolate and added a bit of canola oil and melted in the microwave and then poured it over the base.

Chocolate Banana Cake

mmmmm!!!! I have been wanting to make this cake for some time. Ever since a guy at work asked me whether I had made one and because I love a challenge I did my usual google search and found this cool website http://www.joyofbaking.com/. This recipe does have alot of sugar but before I can make any changes I have to follow the recipe to the letter first.

After I finish creaming and icing it hubby pipes up and says "when I ask for a chocolate cake I get nothing, when I don't ask for one I can't even eat it (too full from dinner). The morale of the story is to keep your mouth shut cause you never know what might come out of the oven.

Review: We'll suffice as to say - nothing left but crumbs. I ate the first piece and the last, Al ate as much as he could and gave away the rest....man he can be generous with my baking...lol.
You couldn't taste the banana but I wonder if it(banana) along with the oil replaced the butter which also made it ultra moist. I probably could have done without the 3/4's of a bottle of whipped cream OR the lashings of chocolate icing on the top, but come on cake just aint the same without them.

Here is where you can find this recipe - I use this site quite a bit for recipes
http://www.joyofbaking.com/ChocolateBananaCake.html

Halloween

Now my cupcakes aren't as georgeous looking as Miss Wendys ghosties and spidywebs but they still taste good, Edmonds Cook book has the best recipe in my opinion and easy to adapt to suit any occassion. Cannon's teacher liked the look of his one and jokingly placed an order.

Softball season 09

We kicked off the season with a win.

So proud

Cannon is a real star. Last night we went to watch him at the Starjam end of year concert held in town, all the workshops around Auckland and North of Auckland came along to show off what they had been doing during the year... Totally awesome. So many people told us how much of a blessing he is and how much they loovveed his dancing. When he got down to the knee spin the crowd went off....