Ladybeetle love bug cupcake toppers

OK, I'm totally in love with these little lady beetle love bugs I made today. Ever since I saw them in a new book I bought I've just been itching to try them out.

Now I'm not the best with figurines but the ones in the pics were my first attempt using the easy instructions in Debbie Brown's new Gorgeous and Gruesome cakes for Children.

Who wouldn't love this little fella and his misshapen eye...


and I thought I would try my hand at making the concept into a bee, it needs a bit of work but those lady beetles love, love, love them.

I used the instructions in the new Gorgeous and Gruesome cakes for Children by Debbie Brown...mostly.... just a little tweaking, Debbie's look way cuter of course, but I did replace the little feelers with fondant just because I have little kids and I like everything to be edible where possible.



Gorgeous and Gruesome Cakes for Children

Sorry my posts have been a bit sparse lately, I have been a little bit busy with real life. But don't worry soon I promise I'll have a tutorial for these super cute and super sweet Bubble and Sweet original Lollipop Cake Pops I made last week.

Triple Chocolate Cookie recipe - my fav chocolate cookie eva

Well today was supposed to be a Daring Bakers Challenge post, but that's not happening.

Instead I'm going to share the recipe for those rich looking cookies from Robert's birthday party, my favourite Triple Chocolate Cookie recipe.


It's based on an old Family Circle recipe with a little tweaking. Make sure you use Large eggs, not Extra Large as it will make a difference.

Try to use nice quality chocolate and cocoa I used a good Belgium brand, but whatever you like eating will probably work.

Sometimes I replace some of the dark choc chips with Macadamia nuts and they become oh so yummy triple chocolate macadamia cookies.

However you make them I hope you enjoy them they have been a favourite of mine for years.

Triple Chocolate Cookies - makes about 25 large cookies

1   1/2 cups plain (all purpose) flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1   1/2 cups soft brown sugar
180g (6 and 3/8 ounce) unsalted butter
150g  (5 1/4 ounce) dark chocolate, chopped
3 large eggs lightly beaten
3/4 cup dark choc chips
3/4 cup white choc chips

Preheat oven to 180 C (375 F), line a couple of trays with baking paper.

Sift flour, cocoa and brown sugar into a mixing bowl.

Combine butter and chocolate in a bowl and melt in microwave on short bursts at med/low mixing well between each session.

Add butter mixture and eggs to dry ingredients and mix until combined, do not overbeat.

Stir in choc bits.

Drop about 2 tablespoon for each cookie onto tray, flatten slightly and bake for 12 mins.

Cool for 5 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Pink Ribbon Chocolate Dipped Macaron Pops for Pinktober

This month for Pinktober the online macaron group mac attack decided to do Pinkarons, which I have to say wasn't much of a challenge for me because I'm such a girly girl I make pink macarons at least once a month.

In Australia, the National Breast Cancer Foundation symbol is a pink ribbon, and women across the nation are having "A Girls Night In".

So instead of cheating and using pics I already had, I decided to create a macaron that would be perfect for a girls night in swish soiree with your family and friends.

Pink Ribbon white chocolate dipped macarons on a pop.

Didn't wait long enough before taking this bit, the choc was not quite set but it was oh so delicious

I've been a naughty blogger lately and haven't been taking many pictures of the process so I'll just have to give you some steps.

1. Make your macarons - this is my favorite recipe: Pink Macarons

2. Make your ganache  the recipe is included in the above link for macarons.


3. At the filling stage pop in a Wilton 6" lollipop stick or some other food safe type pop/stick

4. Stick in fridge to set

5. Make pink ribbons by rolling out fondant with a small rolling pin and cutting thin strips with a clean pizza cutter, you can use a knife if you like but the pizza cutter is super easy and leaves as mooth edge. Shape into ribbons.

6. Melt white chocolate with a little copha (copha is a white hard vegetable shortening, like crisco but harder you could substitute a little less crisco), around 15g copha to 120g chocolate or so.

7. Carefully dip macaron pops into chocolate.

8. Allow extra chocolate to drip off whilst holding upside down, shake a little, when you think all the excess has dripped off keep on waiting, there will be more.

9. Pop into styrofoam or similar stand upright to allow to dry, just before the chocolate is set pop the fondant ribbon onto the front of the macaron pop.

If you like you can omit the pink fondant ribbon and just do a plain pop tied with a pink ribbon like these ones below.

Swish and Delish what more could you ask for?


Anyway I can't wait for later in the month for the full line up of the  Mac Attack #12 Pinkarons,


there have been some cute and funny posts so far, they're a fun baking bunch, yup Lora especially you.