Well, here we have the Pink Lady Cake.  

It should taste lovely if you like coconut and cream cheese.

The tip given to ensure this cake is soft and light, was to beat the butter and sugar for at least 15 minutes in your cake mixer.  The texture will be very white and light and fluffy.  Then to add the coconut, after beating in the eggs, very quickly, then fold in the flour taking care not to over mix.

I will be taking this cake to friends this afternoon, where my two best cake critics will try it.

I hope they enjoy eating this cake, as much as I enjoyed making it for them. xx  

Back in the Blog!

Hi there, I am back.  I notice my last blog was 30 April last year!
That doesn't mean I havn't been baking, it just means I havn't been bragging about it.
I have been watching with interest, along with my friend Annette, Nestle NZ's Hottest Home Baker.  I have been expecting to be impressed with all the wonderful mouth watering cakes they so cleverly create.  But I have been very disappointed.  They don't appear to be good bakers at all, making really basic errors.  I know what your thinking, that I should go on the show and see how many errors I make!!! ha.  No thanks.
Instead, I have been following a blog called 'Heartbreak Pie'.  It is really entertaining. The writer is a 20-something lady from Wellington called Delaney.  She has some wonderful recipes and she goes through what she bakes giving little hints along the way.  Last week she made Ray McVinnies Pink Lady cake that he published in the Sunday Star Times.  So I am giving it a go this weekend to take to friends on Sunday night.  Will share how it goes.
We are heading off on a cycling trip to France this week and I thought I would write my diary on this blog.  Hopefully you will find it interesting.  We start in Avignon and end up in Geneva two weeks later.  We are to climb every mountain on our bikes (and we are calling it a holiday!).  My view on the holiday will be very different from everyone elses, as the riding does not come as naturally these days, to me as it does to others, so a few laughs are assured.

Goodbye to our friend Gunna

What a sad weekend it is for our family.

Our great canine friend Gunna, has passed away and the gap he has left behind, is huge.

Gunna was only 7 and a half years old. We discovered he had a cancerous tumour in his chest and numerous others appeared too. After several doses of chemotherapy, his kidneys failed, sealing his demise. While under the wonderful care of the staff at Vetspecs, he made more friends. They are a great bunch of caring people and so this week I have the need to bake for them.

So I found a recipe in the Treasury of NZ Baking book from Alexa Johnston called Dream Kisses.

This has a lovely soft brown sugar buttery base with a walnut and coconut moist topping.

I also threw together a double batch of chocolate chippie cookies that never go astray and that everyone seems to love.

So morning tea at Vetspecs tomorrow morning in on me to show my appreciation for their wonderful care and love for our Gunna.

Back in the Groove...

Well it has been a while since I last blogged, or even baked for that matter! I have been spurred on by the fact that the weather has turned chilly on us and the days are shorter, also because my daughter and number 1 food critic is about to head away for a while, leaving me as the sole food preparer in our ever decreasing household of eaters! (I am sure that is bad grammar, but this is a foody blog not an english lesson!)

With the southerly wind lashing the kitchen window, I donned the apron, took the butter out of the fridge and grabbed the Treasury of NZ Baking book and scoured the recipes for some comfort food to bake. It is our good friends' birthday today and what better gift than some homemade biccies. I made some afghans and chocolate chips, then attempted a lemon shortbread......it was a big fail as it spread all over the baking tray. The self-raising flour and baking powder was all just a bit much I think. Never mind, two out of the three looked presentable for delivery to his workplace at lunch time.

But it didn't stop there. Tomorrow a bunch of us girls are getting together for a yarn and a coffee so that calls for a Capuccino Date Slice from the same book. It is lovely and light and a thin delicate layer of coffee icing on top. It is a Jo Seagar recipe so it should go down a treat.

So, I hope you enjoy reading this very brief and trivial blog in your busy day. You can look forward to many baking stories as I bury myself amongst the butter and sugar as my dear girl travels the globe. Hubby and son will need to step it up as chief baking tasters.

Luxury

the cook and the baker

Sensational Recipes from Mark McDonough and Dean Brettschneider. Mark is the Cook, he can be found at Zarbo Deli and Cafe in Newmarket Auckland. Dean is the Baker, known all around the world as the Global Baker and known locally as one of the judges on televisions Nestle New Zealands Hottest Home Baker.

I gave this book to Emma for Christmas and it is full of delicious recipes that are just that little bit different with the odd difficult twist that makes everything taste so much nicer.

I am making the Luxury milo fruit and nut slice this week.

Starting with a baked shortcrust base, the dried fruit and nuts give the topping a little kick and the ganache and toasted-coconut icing provides contrast. Its a very rich slice ideal for serving with coffee.

I was not going to bother with the shortcrust base, but I think that would be the most challenging part as I don't normally 'do' pastry!

Also, my history on ganache making is rough, so will see how this one goes.

Well, it is made and maturing in the fridge. The proof will be in the slicing and tasting.

Family should all arrive home from various parts of the country tonight so I am looking forward to sharing it with them all.

Naiomi Bars

I am sampling this weeks baking as I write this and the laptop is now smothered in sticky chocolatey muck! It is absolutely delicious and I just know it is not going to last long in the fridge.

The weekend was a busy one and a hot one. Yesterday nothing was done around the place as the mercury reached 35 in the shade. So the plan today, was to attack the mountain of ironing and washing that was neglected over the weekend. This hasn't been done yet and its 4pm. It has been raining very hard today so it is the perfect conditions for baking.

Brother-in-law Eddy reaches my age today so I thought I would put together a large lunch box of baking for him. I made the usual choc chip biscuits and a yummy fudge with cranberries and walnuts. Then I saw a recipe for a slice called Nainoma Bars, sometimes referred to as Continental Fudge. It is a custard flavoured, chocolate covered, malt biscuit based, fudge.

The book I found the recipe in is the Ladies, A Plate , on page 47. The recipe is from Bev Burgess back in 1963.

I will be giving this away. It is far too delicious to have in my house!

Happy Birthday John

It is that time of year again when hubby gets another year older.

Which means that I will attempt a sponge for the second time in my life......will let you know how that goes!

In the meantime I thought I would make him some cornflake cookies, a recipe that Richard Till put in the Sunday paper this weekend just gone. They look really cute and the mixture is quite firm, but there is absolutely no taste to them at all. Bland boring biscuits!! ha ha

So I made some fudge as well only to realise that John really is not a fudge fan! Oh well, more for any visitors that may come by this week.

A chilly day today as the wind blows in from the South, so a good day to fill the house with baking smells.

Biscuits and Rhubarb

We have had a few days in Melbourne at the tennis and while we were away, my brother in law turned another year older. So what does one give the man with nearly everything, for his birthday? Why biscuits of course!

His favourite biscuit is cookie time cookies that come out at Christmas time in a large red bucket. So I made him some good old chocolate chippies from a recipe I hadn't made before. Just to make the present a little more exciting, I threw together a rocky road made with Kremelta and marshmellows, cranberries and pistachios. No good at all for his waist line or heart, but he assured me he would share.

I think that if I made a different biscuit each week that I would bore you all to tears as they are not the most exciting things to blog and read about.

So, with much thought, I am going to make a different 'something' each week. Could be a casserole, slice, dessert, jam or preserves etc. Options are Yuge!

2011...Cookies are made of butter and love...Norwegian proverb

This year, 2011, will be the year I make biscuits. Every week a 'new' biscuit. The plan is to try and make a different, unusual, slightly challenging biscuit. Instead of the good ol faithfuls (sante biscuits, peanut brownies and afghans) I thought that maybe I could take a little time and make something never produced in this Greers Rd kitchen before.

I have a million recipe books brimming with biscuit recipes, but if you have a favourite, then please feel free to forward the recipe on.

The first one to try is the first one in the Allyson Gofton book 'BAKE'. Lemon Biscuits. Tart, sweet and luscious - all in one delicious mouthful!

They don't sound at all exotic or challenging, but at least its new to this kitchen and will give them a go.

Allyson always throws in the odd tip and this tip is to keep coconut in the freezer as like other nuts it will go rancid if kept in a warm kitchen cupboard. Bet you didn't know that!

There is the photo of the biscuits. Made about 42 of them so plenty to share!

60th Post.....Year of the Cake is finished

Well what a year of cake making, 2010 was.

It has been a very enjoyable challenge, making a different cake each week of 2010 and writing a blog about its successes and failures. So much so, that I am looking for a new challenge.

It has been suggested I watch a different movie (at the movies) each week and share my opinions of it.

It has been suggested I make a different 'pie' each week, savoury or sweet. But I think I would gain even more weight sampling them all.

I thought maybe I could bake a different biscuit each week. I like this one so far.

Have you any ideas? I would love to hear them.

The New Year was a real treat, receiving text messages from all of my Christmas cake recipients as they cut into their cake. I have had a 99 percent success rate with only one person not enjoying their cake.......I am happy with that score and I really appreciated everyones honesty.

The mixture of reactions to being given a cake during the year has been rewarding. The pleasure people receive in being handed a cake for birthday, anniversary or just because, was immense. Just about as much as the pleasure in baking and giving.

Thank you to you all for taking an interest in my blog during the past year. I hope it provided you with a little laugh and light relief.

Watch this space for this years idea on what to make. I look forward to any ideas you have.

Cheers Mother Maderia

Tis the Week of Christmas.....

After a hot and busy social weekend, I have left the baking of this weeks cake to the cooler temperature of last evening.

Nigella in her 'Nigella Christmas' book, makes a stunning looking cake for Christmas that looks like a bunch of Christmas trees lightly covered in fresh powdered snow. The secret is the fir tree shaped bundt cake tin she uses. I have scoured the countries kitchen shops looking for a tin like this, I even emailed her supplier in England and they are currently out of stock! So I popped down to the Homestore in Merivale and found a bundt tin that looks more like a cathedral dome than a bunch of trees!

The cake is a spruced up vanilla cake. It is rich in ingredients.....quite a bit of butter, 6 eggs, and a good cup of yoghurt go together to make a lovely light textured cake.

I will take it with me this morning to Look Good Feel Better and shout for the Cancer society staff.

Over the past three months, I have been making a variety of Christmas cakes that I have given to friends for Christmas. I will blog about them next and let you know how they turned out and how they tasted.

So Merry Christmas, relax and stay cool in these days leading to the big day. Remember to take 5 minutes among the hecticness of these days to breathe, and reflect on the reason for this fun festive season.

Friends Christmas Dinner

It happens once a year...the Friends Family Christmas Dinner...this year was our turn to host, and it was a lot of fun. The home that hosts, provides the Carnivorous bits, another brings nibbles, another veges and another the desserts. Even though I was on the meat side of the dinner, I just had to make a cake.

Enter 'Nigellas Christmas', a fabulous book we bought a couple of years ago and it is full of Christmas recipes according the domestic goddess, Nigella Lawson. I spied a recipe titled Incredibly Easy Chocolate Fruit Cake. It has the most delicious of ingredients, including 350g of prunes (!) muscovado sugar, Tia Maria, ground almonds, to name just a few. Cooking time was just under 2 hours and she suggested to sit it wrapped tightly in foil for four days before eating. That was handy, as I made it last Wednesday so it was all matured and ready to go yesterday.

Everyone was pretty much satiated by the time the cake made an appearance, so we have plenty to share with work collegues and friends popping in.

So, until next week, stay cool, take time to relax amongst the hecticness that can just happen without intention, and leave room in your tum for cake.

Its Beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2nd Sunday of Advent means only three weeks until Christmas. This weeks blog should really be about Christmas cakes. My lovely friend Carole, had a family Christmas at her place this weekend so I gave her a Christmas cake to share with her family.

Way back in October, I started to make a collection of Christmas cakes using all different recipes from many of my favourite cake recipe books. The one I chose for Carole was a cake from The Wooden Cakebox Co. Established in 2001 A.D in New Zealand. The cake is made in a wooden box made from Kahikatea (white pine). Apparently the original wooden cakebox was made over 50 years ago and is still in use today!

The recipe is wonderful. The usual spices, fruit, alcohol, eggs and nuts ( and a surprise ingredient of curry powder!) combine to produce a lovely smell in the kitchen, and it cooks for 4 hours. I really hope it tastes good and the recipients of the cakes at Christmas enjoy them.

It was also my youngest fans' birthday in the weekend. Georgia turned 19 and has been whisked away for a weekend of fun and frivolity and returns tonight. Her request was for a carrot cake, so I threw one together yesterday and smothered it in cream cheese icing this morning and will be at her house today awaiting her return.

P.S Had a text from Carole last night re the Christmas cake tasting!!! I quote..."Well have just had some of your cake and must tell you that it was absolutely delicious!!! Moist and truly flavoursome! I think I can even taste that hint of curry powder! Thank you very much.."

Phew! What a relief that it tasted ok, otherwise what is one to do with 6 failed Christmas cakes..ha ha

Anyone for Tennis???

Every year about this time, our friends the Clymas have a tennis tournament. This year the theme was the U.S Tennis Open. We all rocked up in our stars and stripes, there was a gridiron player with his own chairleader, a U.S Marshall, McEnroe made an appearance and Uncle Sam with his patriotic better half. Mickey and Minnie Mouse came too and the U.S flag was wrapped around our newly single female. We all adopted American names, there was a Randy and Chip, Patty and Betty, Candy and Chuck, Larry and Nancy, to name a few.

There were hotdogs, hamburgers, deep fried donuts, lots of barbequed meat and salads, and cake.

The cake was a 'tennis cake' straight out of the Edmonds cook book.

It was really quite nice, with a dash of vanilla and almond essence, raisins and glace cherries.

Nice finish to a fun filled, sunny, great day.

Thank you to Crispin and his lady Di. ( or should I say Mack and Betty )

Happy Birthday Julie

Another birthday is upon us again this week. I am making the weekly cake a few days early as our friend Julie turns 50 tomorrow. After receiving the invitation for bubbles tonight, I thought that a cake could go down well with her throng of visitors.

Her Hubby recommended I make a moist chocolate type mud cake. So I consulted the Treasure of New Zealand Baking (again!) and found one I hadn't made yet called Vanna's Chocolate Cake. 'A family recipe that has been made by boys, girls, men and women, good cooks and novice bakers. It is quite sticky and keeps well.' says Kate Fraser. Sounds perfect.

I find with a lot of these cakes, their seems to be some strange ingredient that you can't always taste, but without it the cake wouldn't be quite right. In this cake we have a tablespoon of marmalade. Ground almonds too, so the taste will be interesting.

The icing is always a difficult one to get right. I have always iced my cakes with icing sugar, cocoa and small amount of butter mixed with just the right amount of hot water. This cake icing is melted chocolate, water, cream and butter......resulting in a runny texture that will fall off the cake. As I write this, I am watching the icing in the bowl and hoping it will miraculously thicken before my eyes! May have to help it along with either more chocolate or some icing sugar.

So, I contacted my cooking friend who I just knew would have the right advise and she suggested I melt more chocolate and add it to the runny mixture and then wait until it cools, as it will thicken upon cooling.

All fixed, the cake looks good and heres hoping it tastes good too.

Well what a weekend it has been already and its only mid Sunday!

Hubby and daughter joined forces with friend and commonwealth swim champion from a few years ago, Mel, to do the South Island Half Marathon in Lake Hood on Saturday. They did extremely well coming in second in the mixed team category, calling themselves 'Two girls and a cyclist'. Our other male friends, Ant, Greg, Clarky, Marty and Richie also did the event as individuals and they were just awesome, achieving individual life goals.

Today, we are meeting up with a family cousin from America. Hubbys father Cor, is calling her, his cousin, but we are not so sure....we think it could be his cousins daughter.....what do you call your cousins daughter? We have decided that she should be called just that. Cousins daughter.

Anyway, we are all having dinner at sister-in-laws place tonight and I thought that we should really have a kiwi type of cake on offer for dessert. Enter, the Treasury of New Zealand Baking again and on page 118 a recipe by Lauraine Jacobs, Hazelnut Meringue Cake with Kiwifruit.

The cake is very similar to a pavalova but no soft marshmellow. It crumbles when cut but the taste is exquisite with a lovely hazelnut crunch.

Barbara the 'cousins daughter', absolutely loved the dinner and dessert and she is off on the Trans Alpine to Greymouth today and the Trans scenic to Picton and beyond, tomorrow.

This is the type of dessert that is so easy and quick to make and bake. Will certainly be made again!

Show Weekend 2010

Show Day on Friday and the day after, has been the best weather that I can remember for a Show weekend in a long time. The pool got a wonderful work out, looking lovely and clean and at a temperature of 27 degrees!!! The BBQ was thrashed on both evenings as we entertained our nearest and dearest friends. Ping pong competition and sitting around the outside gas fire till the early hours. It is lovely to have an overcast Sunday to relax and bake a cake.

Sunday is our friend David's birthday. He is on his way home from the Sounds as his birthday cake cooks. Dave normal requests banana cake but I have no ripe bananas so I am making him something very different.

In the Foodtown magazine, they have a section called 'you asked for it'. Readers write in and ask for the recipes of their favourite food they have at cafe's around the country. The Old Vicarage shared their Citrus Slice, Cafe Metro in Kilmore St shared their Chocolate Cookies. I chose to make the Grindz Cafe's Coffee, Apple and Walnut Cake. Grindz Cafe is in Tauranga, owners Steve and Lindsay Graham. (there is a bit of useless information for you!)

This really does sound like a very delicious cake. Sour cream and the grated apple adds plenty of moisture and the coffee and walnuts will add lovely flavour and texture.

(Warning David, this cake contains nuts, so don't share it with Nick!)

Recipe reckons it serves 10, so it is a good size.

Happy Birthday Dave, now you have a cake to share at work tomorrow.

Dawn French in todays Sunday Star times said this about cake.....

'Its not really just the cake. Its all about the warmth of it, the smell of it and the fact that everyone comes together to eat it. Its a very useful tool, cake.'

I have to agree with her.

The Nest is Full Again.

Adam arrived home this morning from his 6 months of adventure in many countries around the world. He arrived looking very tanned and hairy and craving all of the comforts of home, including cake.

The washing machine has been working hard today, as his pack that he has been living out of for the past half year was upturned and the contents washed in nappysan and Amway SA8.

We have been entertained with many an interesting story and it really was quite fantastic to have all of us sit around the dinner table tonight enjoying Adams favourite meal of fillet steak, and catching up on all the happenings of late.

Dessert time and enter my cake of the week......

Since this is all about Adam, his request was for a chocolate jelly cake with pineapple lumps!

Well the chocolate cake was the easy part. Then I decided it would be nice to have the jelly in the centre and on the top. Jelly doesnt stay on the top of the cake. It all cascaded down the sides and the pineapple lumps also subsided down the sides and so it looks very ugly and lumpy! ha ha, but it tastes very lovely and sweet and has gone down a treat.

Welcome Home Adam, the nest is full again, the ironing pile is huge, the fridge is full for the moment, the television is on the sport channel every moment of the day, another car up the drive, wet towels on the floor, and I am loving it.

Orange and Chocolate = Jaffa Cake

My daughter came home from work one night armed with Cake recipes from her work collegues. This week I decided to make one of them. I love Jaffas and so I chose to make the Jaffa cake.

The recipe said to mush up an orange, skin and all, in a food processor until it resembles pulp and then add the pulp to the butter, egg and sugar mixture. No problem there for someone who doesn't like and use food processors (too many bits to clean, I find them a nuisance in the kitchen, not a necessity like many people!), out came the magic bullet....great invention. Pulped that orange in an instant.

Then once the mixture is in the tin, the recipe said to poke chocolate pieces into the mixture....gosh what a good idea...means the chocolate stays in chunks and is decadent to eat.

45 minutes later and the cake was complete, smelling very lovely and orangey.

Emma went to work yesterday morning with morning tea for all. I heard it went down very well accompanied by yoghurt and a coffee from nearby cafe, Ng.

I also shared the cake with my cycling buddy of the day and a friend popped in for a taste at lunch time.

This is what this cake making is all about. Sharing, enjoying something a little naughty in the nutrition department (although, nothing wrong with oranges!) putting on smile on someones face and a chance to sit and chat over coffee and cake.

The prodigal son returns next Monday from his adventures, so will be a chance to kill the fatted calf and also make him a welcome home cake! I think he would prefer a corona and fillet steak actually.

Ben's Birthday Cake

Well, as I mentioned last week, this Monday, Labour Day, is Ben's 19th Birthday.

I have always been big on birthdays. I think I enjoy them just as much, if not more than, my kids.

Ben has chosen the good old faithful chocolate cake that I have been making for the last 23 or so years!

This cake recipe was found back in the early days of the microwave. It was in the womans weekly and is called The Best Microwave Cake Yet. I have made this cake millions of times and it is so easy, also it is an absolutely no fail cake.

Always very moist and easy to ice and it tastes very light and lovely.

This week I have also started making Christmas Cakes. I have decided to make them for my nearest and dearest for Christmas. I read through all of my favourite cake recipe books for Christmas cake recipes and found 6 really good ones. The first I tried was from the Treasure of NZ Baking and the recipe was by Lauraine Jacobs. The recipe was originally from her grandmother and handed down through generations past and future. It is a huge cake, as most Christmas cakes are and it has a drop of black rum poured over the finished product. The ingredient that is unique to the cake is blackcurrant jam. So it is wrapped in paper and sitting in a Christmas cake tin ready to be given away come Christmas.

I made another one today from the latest issue of Foodtown Magazine. The fruit in this cake is stunning....saltanas, currents, figs, apricots, raisins and cherries, orange, lemons and chopped almonds. Bit of brandy in there too. This was a slightly smaller cake but it will still feed the millions.

That is about it for now. Ben's birthday cake will be served with whipped cream, probably sometime in the afternoon. See you then.....