Cinderella #2

This is my 1st ever cake I have made for someone (other than my kids) for a party. My friend asked me to make her a Cinderella cake for her daughter's 1st birthday.

Lotso-from Toy Story 3

                           My girls insisted I made their Daddy a Lotso cake for his 50th birthday!

Belle-Beauty and the Beast

                      I made this for my friends 30th birthday. She loves Belle in Beauty and the Beast.

Snow white

 For my twins 4th birthday.

Noah's Ark

                                                       I made this for my Son's 1st birthday.

Cinderella #1

                          This is my 1st Cinderella cake made for my eldest daughter's 6th birthday.

Tweety Bird

        For my twins 3rd birthday.

Fairy Cake

                                        This was made for my eldest daughter's 5th birthday.

Princess Dora Castle

                                                      This was for my Twins 2nd Birthday.

Under the Sea

                                                  This was my twin girls 1st birthday cake.

Fairy Garden

This was made for my eldest daughters 4th birthday.

Ginger Semifreddo

Ingredients:

60g glace ginger, finely chopped
 1/3 cup ginger marmalade

2 Tbs icing sugar, sifted
2 eggs yolks
3 egg whites
1  1/2 cups thickened cream
1/4 tsp natural ginger essence

Method:

Beat the egg whites with an electric beater until firm peaks form.
Gradually beat in the sifted icing sugar and continue beating until thick and glossy.

Beat the cream and essence with electric beater until soft peaks form.

Beat the egg yolks together with the marmalade and glace ginger.
Fold through the cream into the egg whites, then fold through the egg yolk, marmalade mixture.
Pour mixture into 22cm x 12cm loaf pan which had been lined with glad wrap (to make for easier removal).
Place in freezer overnight or until firm.
To serve remove from pan and cut into slices.


Serves 8



 

Cassata

Ingredients:

1st LAYER:
1 egg, separated
1/4 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup cream
1/8 tsp almond essence

2nd LAYER:

1 egg, separated
1/4 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup cream
60g good quality dark eating chocolate, melted & cooled a little
2 tsp cocoa powder
3 tsp boiling water

3rd LAYER:

1/2 cup cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg white
2 Tbs icing sugar
4 red glace cherries, finely chopped
4 green glace cherries, finely chopped
1 glace apricot, finely chopped
1 glace pineapple ring, finely chopped
20g toasted, flaked almonds
5 squares, good quality dark eating chocolate, finely chopped

Method:
1st LAYER:
Beat egg white with electric mixer until firm peaks form.
Slowly beat in the sifted icing sugar and beat until glossy.
Beat cream and almond essence with electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Fold in the egg yolk then the cream into the egg white.
Pour mixture into a 17cm springform tin.
Place in freezer until firm.

2nd LAYER:

Beat egg white with electric mixer until firm peaks form.
Slowly beat in the sifted icing sugar and beat until glossy.
Beat cream with electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Mix together the cocoa and boiling water to a paste.
Mix together the melted chocolate and egg yolk then mix in the cocoa paste.
Fold the cream into the egg white then fold in the chocolate mixture.
Pour on top of the 1st layer and place in freezer until firm.

3rd LAYER:

Beat egg white with electric mixer until firm peaks form.
Slowly beat in the sifted icing sugar and beat until glossy.
Beat cream and vanilla extract with electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Fold cream into egg white mixture then fold through the fruit, nuts and chocolate.
Pour on top of the 2nd layer and place in freezer until firm.

Rub a warm cloth around the outside of the springform pan then loosen.

Invert on a plate and serve.

Serves 8

Jewish Honey Cake

My Mum used to buy this delicious Honey cake when I was a child. Its a dry cake and is devine if you spread a little butter on it. Had searched high and low for a recipe and I adapted this one from a few different recipe books and Googling. I love it and can't get enough of it-maybe because it reminds me of my childhood!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup plain flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup canola oil
1 cup good honey
1/4 cup espresso, cold
flaked almonds to decorate

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 175 degrees and grease and line a 28cm x 18cm slice pan.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
In a seperate bowl beat the eggs and sugar until combined then beat in the oil, honey and espresso.
Mix in the wet ingredients into the dry ones and pour into prepared pan.
Sprinkle with flaked almonds.
Bake in oven for 45mins or until cooked.


Its tastier with lots of almonds on top.                                     But prettier with them as flowers!

  

Fish Cakes

A girlfriend gave me a Snapper at it was HUGE, I mean, at least 3kg! Her husband caught it on one of his many fishing trips. I cooked it as part of an Asian dinner for 5 people but still, we only ate only half the Snapper. So I decided to create some fish cakes with them. I came up with this recipe for my children and a Thai one for my husband and I (but one of my 4yo twin girls loved it too!)


Ingredients:
500g potatoes, cooked, mashed and cooled
450g cooked Snapper (or any other left over fish, even canned tuna)
1 small onion, finely chopped and fried until translucent, cool
1 tsp lemon rind
1 Tbs lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup grated tasty cheese

1/2 cup plain flour

1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbs milk
2 cups breadcrumbs
Canola oil for frying

Method:

Mix together the potato, fish, onion, lemon rind and juice, salt, pepper, parsley and cheese.
Shape into patties (I pressed the mixture into egg rings then removed the ring) then allow to firm up in fridge for an hour.
Whisk the egg and milk until combined.
Dip the patties into the flour, then the egg mixture then the breadcrumbs.
Fry until nice and golden.

Serve with a salad.

Also a great kids lunch box idea!

Makes about 15

Thai Fish Cakes

Ingredients:
500g cooked Snapper
1/2 cup coriander, chopped
1/4 cup rice flour (or cornflour)
2 Tbs fish sauce
2 Tbs Thai sweet chilli sauce
2 Tbs lime juice
1 fresh chilli, finely chopped
1 egg
4 spring onions, finely sliced
1 small-medium zucchini, finely chopped

1/2 cup plain flour
1 egg
1 Tbs milk
2 cups breadcrumbs
canola oil for frying

Method:
Mix together all ingredients from the fish to the zucchini until nicely combined and sticking together.
Shape into patties and allow to firm up in fridge for 2-3 hours.
Mix together egg and milk.
Dip patties into the flour, then the egg mixture then the breadcrumbs.
Fry until golden.

Serve with salad.

Makes about 12 patties

Leek and Asparagus Tart (Quiche)

OK I have to admit it, I have a bit of a thing for Quiche-I just love it. Its a quick, easy and healthy meal.

 

Ingredients:

2 sheets frozen ready made shortcrust pastry
1 bunch asparagus spears
1 large leek
1 Tbs butter
3 eggs
2Tbs plain flour
1/2 cup cream
salt to taste
50g feta

Method:
Blind bake the pastry in a 36 x 13cm rectangular pie tin for 15mins at 180 degrees then remove and bake un-blind for a further 5-7mins.
Snap the hard bottoms off the asparagus and cook in salted water for about 3mins or until tender.
Fry the leek in the butter until softened, spread the cooked leek over the base of the cooked pastry.

Lay the cooked asparagus spears over the leek.

Mix together the eggs, flour, cream and salt then pour this mixture over the asparagus.
Top with small squares of the feta.
Bake in oven 180 degrees for approx 30 mins or until just set.

Serve with a nice garden salad and tomato salad.

Serves 4