Some Birthday Cake?

I’ve been wanting to make Lamingtons, for quite some time now but when my son said he wanted a chocolate cake with coconut for MY BIRTHDAY…then that worked for me!  I’m just really happy we like the same sweet things lol!

A massive chunky, glossy ganache covered chocolate fudge cake topped off with naturally crunchy sweet coconut! Ummmm loved it! We all did!

I had to share some cake with you all…I hope you enjoy it, as much as we did!  Have a beautiful day friends! See you soon! Much love, D x

Click on the blue link below for the recipe…

My favourite chocolate fudge cake recipe…just top with extra coconut!

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Orange glazed star cookies

Twinkle, twinkle orange star, how I wonder where you are? Being made by my mummy, being baked, ready for my tummy. Twinkle, twinkle little star, please mummy make lots more , fill my big cookie jar!

Crumbly soft orange glazed sugar cookies, really good for the kids and a great dunking cookie for us with a nice cup of tea!

INGREDIENTS

3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of one orange

Icing glaze
4-6 tbsp icing sugar
juice of ½ a fresh orange

METHOD

• Cream the butter and sugar together, stir in the egg, mix in the vanilla and orange zest

• Slowly add in the flour and baking powder to form a soft crumbly dough. Knead gently until smooth then roll into a ball. Cling film/plastic wrap it and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes

• Preheat the oven to 180°c/350°f/gas mark 4

• Take some dough and roll out onto a clean surface that has been dusted with flour. Roll out to 5-7 mm thickness and then use a star biscuit cutter to form the star cookies.

• Place the stars onto a baking tray pre lined with parchment paper and place the tray into the freezer for 5 minutes this will help retain the cookies shape

• Bake in the oven for 7-8 minutes or until just slightly golden brown in colour. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Cool the cookies on a wire rack

To make the icing ~
• Slowly add the orange juice to the icing sugar until you have a sticky icing glaze which is slightly runny but will set

• Drizzle the glaze onto each star cookie and leave to set

Store in an airtight container and they will keep for a few days

Recipe adapted from Make Bake Celebrate

Marbled Fruit & Nut Chocolate Bark

I love Marbling! I love the concept! Especially when I was young and you got to marble and dye white t shirts in school! I find it fascinating when you cut through a marble cake where all the vanilla and chocolate sponge is entwined into one another.

So I used this marbling technique to make some chocolate bark for Diwali and the new year we celebrate. I couldn’t go without making something sweet like this for my first diwali post.

My little one was extremely eagar to help me?!! I wonder why? He sat on the work surface and watched tentatively at the whole bark making process. The only thing he had his eye on, was the shiny silver spoon smothered in melted chocolate! I gave in and he enjoyed licking the spoon clean!

Ps ~ If he wasn’t there I would have done the same lol!

INGREDIENTS

200g plain chocolate
200g white chocolate
⅓ tsp almond extract
Raisins
Flaked almonds

METHOD

Break the white chocolate into pieces and place on a bain marie. Melt the chocolate gently. Once melted turn off the heat but still leave the chocolate over the water

Simultaneously melt the plain chocolate over another bain marie

Line a rectangular dish with some silicone paper. Once both types of chocolate are melted, pour the plain chocolate into the dish

and then the white chocolate on top. Add the almond extract gently

Get a fork and swirl the two types of chocolate into one another and spread it gently as you go along into a rectangular shape

Take a handful of raisins and place them onto the chocolate and then sprinkle the flaked almonds into the gaps

Set aside for a few hours in a cool place. Not in the fridge as this will discolour the chocolate

Once set, break into shards so that the bark looks rustic…gift it quickly if you want to, as you’ll end up eating it faster than you think!

Choc Coconut ice lollies

Even though I have been baking alot I’m still trying to lose a little baby weight! For that reason I have no chocolate or cocoa products in our home, and yesterday I had a major craving!

I saw my 2½ year old playing with some ice lolly moulds and pretending he was eating ice cream. That’s when the bulb in my head lit up! Lol

I now fancied chocolate ice cream and my number one choice of gelato has to be sweet tender creamy coconut, so this is how these lollies were conceived!

I’ve made the recipe in proportion to the my ice lolly moulds, which are quite small. If your moulds are larger please adjust accordingly and remember to taste before freezing them to give you the desired sweetness before it is frozen

Once again you can alter the amount of sugar and cocoa if you are making these yummy lollies for your children!

INGREDIENTS

300ml milk full fat
50g caster sugar
1½ tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
1 tbsp cornflour
½ tsp vanilla extract
8g butter
Extra desiccated coconut

METHOD

• In a small saucepan heat the milk, sugar, cornflour and cocoa powder

Simmer on a low heat and stir with a whisk until velvety thick. Keep whisking for a couple more minutes

• The chocolate mix will start to resemble a thick chocolate pudding sauce

• Take off the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract

• Transfer over to a heat proof bowl, chill the chocolate mix in the fridge for 10 minutes

• Mix in the 2 tablespoons of desiccated coconut and combine well

• Put 1 teaspoon in the bottom of each moulds with a few drops of water, next spoon in the chocolate coconut mix

• Put the sticks in and place the lollies in the freezer for a few hours. Over night is better!

Victorious Victoria Sponge!

The Victoria sponge was named after Queen Victoria who favoured a slice of cake with her afternoon tea. A British classic! Simply delightful and effortless to make, a delicate soft airy sponge cake recipe that you can adapt by adding other ingredients to make it more extravagant!

One of my family’s favourites. Especially my Dad! Who loves eating the sponge warm! Treat yourself this weekend with a Victoria sponge, enjoy! Much love D xxxx

INGREDIENTS

220g self raising flour
175g caster sugar
175g butter or butter spread
3 large eggs
2 level tsp baking powder
½ tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp milk
4 tbsp warmed strawberry/raspberry seedless jam
Icing sugar for dusting

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 180°c/350°f. Grease and line two 20cm diameter sandwich tins.

• Add all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl or mixer. Stir well until all the ingredients are combined. The batter should have a easy slip off the spoon consistency. If not then add a little more milk

• Divide the batter between the two tins

and bake on the same shelf for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and the sponge springs back to the touch

• Remove sponges carefully and place on a cooling rack

• Once cool spread the jam on one of the cakes and then sandwich together

Finish off with a dusting of icing sugar

Fig, walnut & orange muffins

To celebrate my 101st post! Yay!!! I thought I would make a new fig muffin recipe. Figs and me never really mixed when I was young, though my Mum has always loved them. I first got introduced to figs by the fig rolls they sell in the supermarket. It was nice to feel the little balls crunch in between my teeth incased in a golden biscuit and then I moved on to the hard stuff the dried figs and then very recently fresh figs!

Now I quite enjoy them and it was for this reason that I made them and also to introduce them to my 2 toddlers so that they get a flavour for them from now!
The muffins came up fluffy and sweet! The walnuts and orange zest compliment the figs and taste a little Christmassy! I know it’s early but with these dark nights drawing in, Christmas is something I’m really looking forward to x

INGREDIENTS

150g butter softened
175g self raising flour
150g dried figs chopped
zest of 1 orange
30g walnuts chopped
75g caster sugar
25g soft brown sugar
3 large free range eggs beaten
½ tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 180°c/gas mark 4. Grease a muffin pan of 12 and set aside

• Put all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix, slowly add the beaten egg and fold through

• Spoon the muffin batter into the muffin pan holes directly

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean

• Gently ease out the muffins with a tablespoon and cool on a wiring rack. Then make yourself a cup of tea, grab a muffin and put your feet up! You deserve it x