Chocolate Ripple Cake

January 21, 2015 in Sweets / Desserts

Chocolate Ripple Cake is one of those very simple classic recipes that has been served at BBQs for many a year and remains a hit with young and old.

Try Chocolate Ripple Cake at your next party for a yummy but simple dessert.

Enjoy.

Recipe:

Ingredients

1 packet of Chocolate Ripple biscuits
600 ml container of thickened cream
1 teaspoon caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Raspberries or your choice of fruit to serve

Method

Beat the cream with the sugar and vanilla until thick and peaks form.
Place a 1/4 of the cream on the serving plate to form the base of the cake.
For the cake pictured, I sandwiched 5 Chocolate Ripple biscuits and cream together for the first row and then repeated the process until the biscuits were all used.
Cover the entire cake with the remaining cream.
refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
When set, garnish with raspberries and serve.
Slice and enjoy

Tequila Lick, Sip, Suck

January 12, 2015 in drinks

Mexican Dinner Parties have to be one of my favourites. They are very bright and vibrant and the cooking is not overwhelming. One of the many key elements of a Mexican dinner Party has to be tequila, and at my parties tequila is served in many ways. They form the basis of the classic Lime Margarita and for the first time in quite a while I also served tequila straight via the other classic lic, sip, suck.

For those of you not familiar with this drink, all you need is a good Tequila, salt rimmed shot glass's and some lime wedges. You lick the salt, down the tequila and suck the lime.

Our full dinner party will soon be posted, but I could not resist sharing some Tequila shots.

Enjoy.

All that Glitter - Christmas Bauble

December 22, 2014 in christmas

To compliment my Gold and White Christmas Table Setting I've found an exquisite gold ribbon bauble. These baubles are made by Emily, from All that Glitter . The baubles come in a variety of colours and they can be personalised with a beaded name and year charm. They look great on the tree and would make a great Christmas gift option.

I know I'll be ordering more next year - enjoy.

Christmas Table traditional Gold and White Design

December 21, 2014 in christmas, free printable

This year I've created a traditional Gold and White Christmas Table. This colour combination delivers a very sophisicated look but also lets you inject fun elements for the children. To create this look start with a good quality white table cloth and then add design elements in various hues of gold and different heights and sizes.

This year we created free printable blank name place tents and napkin wraps, they are available for download here.

Enjoy

**Christmas Table Gold and White design**

The place settings have been created using gold chargers and gold cutlery, I've added gold bon bon's in a couple of patterns and a wonderful vintage gold christmas ornaments.

**Christmas place setting, gold and white design**

The larger elements on the Christmas table have been semetrically set to provide a more traditional look to the table. Candle sticks, deers and mini gold Christmas trees grace each end with a wonderful tall gold christmas tree as a centre piece.

**Christmas Table, traditional gold and white design**

Once the larger elements are in place, use tinsel and a good combination of smaller gold christmas ornaments to add texture and interest to the table. I've included gold glitter battery tea lights running through the centre of the table, these look wonderful as evening approaches.

To complement our Gold and White Christmas Table we've created printable blank name tents and napkin rings as a free download.

**Christmas Gold and White free printables**

Use small gold baubles and wire wine glass circles to decorate your stem ware.

I really like the use of deers at Christmas time and you will usually find one of two on my Christmas table.

Run gold beaded string around the table in continuous loops to link in the place settings.

Christmas Table - Traditional Gold and White

**Traditional Gold and White Christmas Table**

Extend the gold string to all four corners and connect gold baubles. I've used the same bauble placed at each dinner setting.

The sideboard is also very gold and white. I placed lots of gold baubles in a cake dome which has provided a lot if interest on the sideboard.

**Christmas cake dome with bauble decorations**

Christmas Bauble Cookies

December 18, 2014 in christmas, cookies

At this time of year I'm always looking for Christmas themed snacks to take to class parties and other Christmas events. This year I've make Christmas Bauble Cookies, iced them with bright colours and added decorations using a mixture of gel icing and cachous balls. The children all loved these Christmas Bauble Cookies.

Add Christmas Bauble Cookies to your Christmas recipe box.

Enjoy

Recipe: Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

250g butter, at room temprature
1 1/4 cups caster sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups plain flour, sifted

Method

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. I use an electric mixer for these cookies with a paddle attachment.
Add the egg and continue beating.
Add the Vanilla, salt and about 1/2 a cup of flour at a time and mix until a ball of dough has formed.
Pat the dough into a disc shape, cover with cling wrap and place in the fridge for approx 1 hour.
Preheat over to 180c and line two baking trays with baking paper
On a floured surface, roll about a 1/4 of the dough at a time into a circle about 5 ml thick.
Use cookie cutters to cut into the desired shape.
Place on the baking paper and bake for 10 - 15 minutes until the edges are slightly brown.
Transfer to a wire rack to completely cool before icing.

Recipe: Royal icing

Ingredients

500g pure icing sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup water
food colouring

Method

Mix the icing sugar and lemon juice in a bowl with a half of the water.
Continue to add water until the icing is well combined but not too runny.
Divide the icing into smaller bowls and add food colour a drop at a time until you reach your desired colour
Ice and decorate your cookies
Enjoy

Cherry Slice

November 30, 2014 in slices

Now that Cherries are back in season it's time to make Cherry Slice. Cherry slice is another fabulously simple slice, that is really quite delicious and while the slice does not use fresh cherries, fresh cherries are great served with this slice.

Another good, quick recipe to keep in the recipe file.

enjoy.

Recipe:

Ingredients

1 packet morning coffee biscuits
100 g chopped glace cherries
3 1/2 cups desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 can (395g) condensed milk
125 g copha
pink food colouring
200 g cooking chocolate

Method

Line the base and sides of a 20 cm x 30 cm slice pan.
Arrange the biscuits over the base of the pan
Combine the condensed milk, vanilla essence, melted copha in a large bowl and mix well.
Add the coconut and cherries and continue to mix.
Add a small amount of pink food colour and mix, adding more food colour until you reach the desired colour.
Place the mixture over the biscuit base and press to cover evenly
Melt the chocolate and pour over the top of the slice.
Stand for one hour until set, in warmer weather place in the refrigerator.
Cut into small square and serve.
Enjoy.

Coconut Ice

November 15, 2014 in Treats for Children

As Christmas approach's I always think about making another batch of coconut ice, this may be because the weather heats up at this time of year and Coconut ice can be served chilled on a hot day, or it is the smell of coconut reminds me of many summer days covered in reef oil in a beach Either way a great simple slice to have in the recipe draw.

Enjoy

Recipe:

Ingredients

Cooking oil spray or Bakels spray
2 cups pure icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tatar
395g can condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 cups desiccated coconut
pink food colouring

Method

Spray a 20cm square tin with cooking oil or Bakels spray.
Shift the icing sugar with the cream of tatar into a large bowl.
Add condensed milk and vanilla essence and mix until well combined.
Add the coconut and mix well.
Divide into two equal amounts. Add a small amount of pink food colour to half the mixture and mix well, adding more pink food colour if desired.
Press the pink mixture evenly over the base of the tin and top with the white mixture.
Place in the fridge to set, approxamilty 2 hours.
Cut into small square and serve
Enjoy.

Sponge Cake with fresh cream and Berries

November 05, 2014 in Sweets / Desserts

This sponge cake recipe belonged to my Grandmother, it must be well over 60 years old and was the standard birthday cake for me as a child. Sponge cakes are easy to prepare and when covered with fresh cream and fresh berries they make a very attractive cake for any occasion.

This recipe is so old, it asks you to shift the flour not once, not twice but three times, it has to be a classic sponge cake recipe.

Enjoy

Recipe:

Ingredients

8 eggs separated
pinch of salt
1 cup caster sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons hot water
2 cups plain flour
4 teaspoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
300 ml thickened cream, whipped (add sugar if required)
Strawberry Jam
Strawberries and blueberries
icing sugar to dust

Method

Peheat the oven to 180 C or 160 C fan forced.
Grease and flour two 18 cm sponge baking pans.
Separate the eggs and reserve the yolks.
Beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff peaks form.
gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time until the mixture is thick and glossy.
beat in the egg yolks one at a time.
sift the flour and baking powder together 3 times.
heat water and butter together until butter has melted (I use the microwave for this)
fold the flour into the batter and then quickly add the butter mixture, add the vanilla.
divide the mixture between the two pans and bake for 20 - 25 minutes
when baked, leave in the pan for 2 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
when cold, spread jam and cream on one cake and place the other on top.
dress with fresh fruit and dust with icing sugar.
Enjoy.

Halloween Cauldron Cake Pops Stand Tutorial

October 14, 2014 in halloween, Tutorial

This tutorial is not so much about how to make Halloween Cake Pops, but on how to display Halloween Cake Pops using individual cauldrons. These look great and make a great display when grouped together on a Halloween dessert table.

Enjoy.

Materials Required:

Small Cauldrons
sytrofoam balls of equal size to the cauldron (1 ball covers two cauldrons)
Black and River pebbles
Nerds

**Materials to create a Cauldron cake pop stand**

Step 1

Cut the Styrofoam ball in half and place in the cauldron with the rounded side up.

Step 2

Insert the already made cake Pop, I find it easier to pierce a hole in the styrofoam using a metal skewer.

Step 3

Place both black rocks and river rocks over the Styrofoam, check that the Cake Pop sits without toppling over

Step 4

Place a small amount of nerds among the rocks to add colour

Step 5

Position in a bunch, I added mini bunting to the cake pops for added impact.

For this Party I did make three types of Cake pops. The first was an eyeball made with a blue or green candy melt, red gel for veins and black Gel for the pupil.

The Pumpkin Cake Pop was made with orange candy melts, and an orange gel pen to create lines and green icing Pen for the pumpkin leaves

My favourite Cake Pop this year has to be the cauldron, these were made my allowing the cake pop to rest upside down to form a flat top, I then used a brown gel pen and green nerds for the cauldron contents and a combination of red and orange gel pens for the flames.

Halloween Graveyard Tutorial

October 09, 2014 in Halloween, Tutorial

This Halloween we created a tabletop Graveyard for our Party, this was a great party and the graveyard was a huge success. To complement the party I've created a tutorial with lots of ideas so you can create your own graveyard at home. This graveyard looked great in candlelight, select the link to see this Halloween Graveyard party in action.

Materials Required:

Shallow cardboard box as a base, or art carvas
Back and white paint and brush
Duble sided tape
White and coloured stones (I used black green and purple)
Blu Tack
Skeletons (glitter and plain)
Halloween jewellery with bones and skulls
Small skulls
Halloween kits with fences, tombstones and monuments
Grim Reaper
Battery operated tea lights

This is not difficult to make but does take a few hours to complete.

Enjoy

Materials

I've included photo's of the materials used to construct the graveyard. I found the tombstone kits at on-line party shops and the jewellery and skeletons at discount stores and supermarkets.

**Coloured rocks - Halloween Graveyard Tutorial**

**Halloween Jewellery - Halloween Graveyard tutorial**

**Graveyard Monuments both Large and Small**

**Glitter Skeletons - Halloween Graveyard Tutorial**

Step 1

Paint a path and circle for the monument in white paint (Make sure you check the size of the monument and pencil the shape). Use black paint to cover the remainer of the box, including the sides.

Step 2

Using double sided tape, attach the fence the the edge of the box

Step 3

Cover the path with small white stones, use a colour stone to create an edge to the path

**Step Three - halloween Graveyard Tutorial**

Step 4

Place the monument in the circle and surround with skulls. Continue with the white and colour stones used on the path. I placed battery operated tea lights inside the monument which looked great at night.

Step 5

Mark out the graves and secure the Tombstones to the board using Blu Tack. Use White stones with a colour border to mark the graves.

Step 6

Place the skeletons on the graves using different poses. I used a combination of standing, sitting and crawling.

Step 7

Stand some Skeletons up at the front fence, rear and side fences. Use Blu Tack to secure if required.

Step 8

I created two monuments either side of the path which I attached with Blu Tack. I used a combination of rocks, skulls and bones at the base of the monument. I also found a small Grim Reaper that I placed on the path.

Step 9

I used more skulls to define the graveyard gate and placed another skeleton on the path trying to escape.

Step 10

The final touches. When the day arrives for you to move your Halloween Graveyard into place I added more skeletons and spiders on the table just outside the gate and added cobwebs to the fence.

This looked great with tall vintage candles either side of the graveyard with cobwebs linking them together.