Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is 2 weeks away.
Put on your thinking caps.. What are you doing for it?
Even if your single, what are you doing with your friends to celebrate Single Awareness Day. It can be just as fun!!! (If not better!)

Recipe of The Week - Hazelnut De-Light Cupcakes

I made these for the February Cupcake Hero Challenge - Olive Oil! (I used extra virgin olive oil)

These are a hazelnut olive oil cupcake, with a chocolate olive oil mousse filling and topping. Maybe we'll call them something simpler.. Maybe Hazelnut De-Light Cupcakes?

**Please Note the mousse does contain RAW EGGS, so keep that in mind if you plan to make it, and can't eat it**

Here's how you can make them..

About 4 hours before (preferably the night before) start making your mousse.

You Will Need...
[Printable Recipe]

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water. Remember: Don't let the water into the chocolate or it will sieze up and you will have to start all over again.When the chocolate is melted, slowly stir in the olive oil.
Remove from heat. Place the egg yolks and half the sugar in a mixer beat until pale and thick. Then add the melted chocolate mixture & the frangelico. (if using it) Let sit.Whisk eggwhites until soft peaks form.Slowly add remainder of the sugar until nice and glossy.Gently fold eggwhites into chocolate mixture.Place in a bowl and cover with glad wrap.
Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours. (Preferably overnight)You won't need all of the mousse for the cupcakes, so why not place a little in a smaller bowl all for yourself... I did.

For the Cupcakes
[Printable Recipe]
You Will Need..The Frangelico is of course optional.

You can replace this with orange juice if you want and make a hazelnut & orange flavoured cupcake, also add a teaspoon of orange rind to the mixture.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a muffin tray with cupcake liners.

Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl and beat until creamy.Add the olive oil and the frangelico (orange juice if you don't want to use frangelico.. or leave it out completely)

Stir in the hazelnut meal, flour and baking soda.

Distribute mixture evenly among the cupcake cases.Place in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Allow cupcakes to cool in tray before turning out onto a wire rack.

Once completely cool, place the mousse into a piping bag, and insert into cupcake.

Gently squeeze to fill the cupcake, then pipe a swirl ontop.

Top with hazelnuts and drizzle with cream.

Don't forget to vote!!

Australia Day Special - Pavlova

It's Australia Day tomorrow. The 26th January. It's where we celebrate being Australian, and everything that our wonderful country has acheived...

There's also fireworks.. :)

If you're looking for something to take to your Australia Day bbq/party, this is something quick you can whip up last minute. Printable Here

You Will Need...

Plus:
Approximately 1/2 tablespoon cream (whipped or thickened) per pavlova nest - optional.

Your choice of fruit. I used kiwi fruit, strawberries and passionfruit.

Preheat your oven to 140 degrees celsius. Line a tray with baking paper.

Place your eggwhites into a clean, dry bowl and beat until they are fluffy.

Use your whisk attachement on your stand mixer, or your hand beaters are perfect.When the egg whites are nice and fluffy, add the sugar slowly. A little at a time. You want the sugar to be completely whisked in.

You know they're done when you rub a little meringue between your fingers and can't feel any sugar granules.

And you want it to look like this. Nice and glossy. Able to stand up by itself.Put your meringue mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large nozzle. Open, star, whatever really.Pipe 'nests' onto a tray lined with baking paper. Start with the base, and then add a second layer around the edge to create the nest. You don't want your fruit/cream to fall out!Place them in the oven for about an hour. Turn the oven off, and let them sit for 1-2 hours with the door slightly ajar.

Take them out of the oven, and put a dollop of cream in the middle of the nest. (This is optional, some people don't like cream, but they do like the meringue part!)

Top with your favourite fruit - kiwi fruit, strawberry, passionfruit.

Recipe of the Week - Lamingtons

Make these for Australia Day and everyone will be happy. Printable Here

You Will Need...

For the Cake

For the Icing

Use 1 1/2 cups at a time

Plus 2/3 cup boiling water

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius, and grease a square cake tin.

Beat the butter and the sugar until light & creamy.

Add vanilla.

Beat in eggs, one at a time.

Sift the flour and salt together and add alternately to the mixture with the milk.

Mix ingredients together lightly. (You don't want to overmix)

Spoon into cake tin and bake for approximately 30 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Leave to cool before turning out onto a cooling rack.

Make your icing.

Sift the icing sugar into a deep bowl. (You want to dip the cake into the bowl)

Blend cocoa with boiling water to make a smooth paste. (This shows you a full cup of boiling water, but I only used about 2/3 cup)

Mix the chocolate mixture into the icing sugar. Mix until there are no icing sugar lumps left.

The icing should be the consistency of pouring cream to make it easy for dipping.

Once the icing is ready, and the cake is cold, cut off any crunchy bits that may have appeared on the cake (You can eat them...)

Cut the cake into squares.

Set up an assembly line of... cake, icing, coconut, tray. (It's easier that way)

Dip your cake squares into the chocolate icing mixture.

Shake off any excess icing.

Put into the bowl of coconut.

Place on the rack to dry. (I've put a baking tray underneath to catch any drops)

When your coconut starts to look like this, just throw out, and use the other 1 1/2 cups.

Enjoy!