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