Shabby Chic Raspberry Chocolates

 

I've had an idea for a while that I would like a pretty garden tea party with the kids, we used to do it all the time but lately we seem to be too busy.

So this week we are slowing down.

Taking the time to take deep breaths.

Enjoying each other and simple fun things.

and not spending too long writing long blog posts.

Enjoy these pictures and know that although they look fantastic these little sweets take next to no time to make.

I found the little papers at a discount store they were $2 for 150 even plain papers would work, once you fill them and pop a pretty flower on top. Oh or polka dot papers would be cute too.

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Raspberry Cream Chocolates makes around 18 mini cups

 200 g (7oz) white chocolate
30g (approx 1oz) cream
1/2 tsp raspberry flavour
pink (or colour of choice the pink I used is Sugarflair dusky pink)
Optional - sugar flowers for decorating

  I use this raspberry essence oil

Place mini cupcake liners onto a flat baking tray.

Place white chocolate and cream in an microwave safe bowl, swirl around so the cream coats the chocolate. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Use a fork or whisk to gently mix until combined and free of lumps. Add the raspberry flavour and any food colour. Spoon evenly into mini cupcake papers. Once all the mixture is in the papers lift and give the tray a few raps on the workbench to help even the tops and reduce any air bubbles.

If you are decorating with sugar flowers place them on now before the mixture has time to set.

EDIT - I now have a tutorial on how to make your own sugar blossoms - CLICK HERE for link

Allow to set before serving. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Remove from fridge 20 minutes prior to serving.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores:

Link to Amazon:

Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go! 

Or at Fishpond (free shipping Australia)

 

 Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go!

Chocolate Raspberry Macaron 'eclairs'

I've been seeing a bit of a trend for long eclair type macarons going around so I thought I might give them a try.

I whipped up a batch of macaron batter piped them into a long oval shape, baked and filled them with ganache.

When I was almost finished and had only a few long macarons to fill I realised I had some raspberries in the fridge. Of course I had to add them.

The raspberry filled version ended up being the most delicious macarons I have had for quite a while, oh my goodness they were so yummy. So seriously yummy that I'm going to call it and say there were superdooperscrummy.

Yup that yummy indeed.

In truth I was not the biggest fan of the long thin macarons that were not filled with the raspberries. To my tastes they had more shell and less of the soft macaron filling as a result of the shape. I am not saying they were not good, we ate every single last crumb, but I guess the traditional round shape is popular for a reason. Others may think differently :)

I was not confident enough to leave the raspberry macarons in the fridge for too long, usually with a regular macaron I would make them and leave for a day or so before eating, Raspberries seem to be highly perishable in these parts so I erred on the side of caution and ate them 6 hours after making them.

Or maybe that was as long as I could wait, my memory is a bit fuzzy about the reasoning behind the timing.

To make the shells I used my regular macaron mixture coloured brown CLICK HERE for recipe.

For an actual chocolate macaron recipe CLICK HERE - however I was using dark chocolate ganache so I did not feel the need for chocolate shells as well. Truthfully I find my recipe for chocolate shells a tad temperamental if I do not source the exact same chocolate each time. I have been experimenting on a new recipe - maybe I will put together a blooper/failure post sometime so you can all have a giggle.

Anyhoo, after you have made up your macaron batter, pipe into long oval shapes around 2cm (3/4") by 7cm (2 3/4") which after baking seemed to fit 3 raspberries nicely. If you like you can draw up templates to pipe to try and ensure your shapes are even, or I just did it by hand. Also I do not use a piping tip, I just cut the end of a disposable piping bag.

Follow the directions on the macaron recipe post for leaving to set for 30 minutes and baking, then allow to cool.

Mix up a batch of ganache using around 400g (14oz) dark chocolate (bittersweet chocolate) with 200g (7oz) cream and heat in microwave for 2 minutes on high. Whisk until silky smooth and then allow to sit at room temperature until set enough to pipe.

To assemble pipe on ganache, press raspberries in place and then pipe a very thin line of ganache onto another macaron and press it onto the raspberry filled macaron using a tiny amount of pressure to push into place, but not so much you will crush the delicate shell.

Refrigerate in an airtight container, allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores:

Link to Amazon:

Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go! 

Or at Fishpond (free shipping Australia)

 

 Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go!

DIY mini brown paper and doily snack bags

So it seems lots of people thought the little handmade brown paper bags that I popped my sugar spiced pecan cranberry popcorn mix in were a bit cute so I'm doing up a tutorial on how to make them below.

I'm not actually big on craft and do it more out of.....uh saying necessity would be wrong, perhaps lack of forward planning and cheapness might be more accurate. The idea for these bags came about something like this.

Hmmmm I've made up this yummy pecan nut mix and it is REALLY good but just photographing a pile of sticky looking pecans might not convey just how good so how can I make it look better in the photo's. I've just had a look in my 'prop' cupboards and nothing is really cutting it.

Oh-oh it's 6 o'clock now and the kids will be up soon, I better hurry. Think...think. Brown paper bags,yes you serve nuts in bags. But I only have big ones or these kinda cool envelopes that tie up with string, oh I like those and forgot I had them, nice! (Tie up and untie little envelopes)....focus I need little bags. Doh why don't I just cut my big ones down.

Double oh-oh one of the kids is awake. Sure sweetie we can make blueberry pancakes. 

So I did it - well both of the it's. In between making pancakes I cut down my savings brand brown paper bags and used some double sided tape to stick the the bags back together on the sides that needed sticking.

They still looked a little boring so I thought I would add some paper doiles and tie them up with a little paper twine I had saved.......and the end result looked pretty good in my picture with the nuts spilling out if I do say so myself ;) Well definitely better than a pile of sticky looking nuts.

Pretty swish for something I whipped up during breakfast. I've given really simple instructions on how I made the bags down below.

Yummy Sugar Spice Cranberry Pecan Popcorn Mix - Recipe HERE

Jo Totes Camera Bag Giveaway

Quick reminder if you want a chance to win a Jo Totes Camera Bag the giveaway finished Friday 31st (Australian EST) - CLICK HERE for link

DIY mini Brown Paper Doily Bags
Finished bag are approx 10cm (4") X 13cm (5")

You'll need:
Regular sized paper bags
scissors
double sided tape
oval doilies (mine were 22cm (8 3/4"0x 14.5cm (5 3/4")
twine or paper string
(optional hot glue for adhering string to back of bag)

Make up your own mini brown paper bags by cutting a regular bag into quarters.

Trim off a half a cm (1/4") from the bottom and side of the top 2 bags and then trim the corners (see picture below bottom left) so that you can fold together to make a neat bag. Use double sided sticky tape (I cut my double sided tape in half lengthways as it was a little too wide) and then fold the sides over to secure, Press down with a ruler to make the folds/edges sharp and neat. Make sure you have trimmed a triangle off the top corner so that the shape and opening of the top look the same as the original regular size bag.

For the bottom 2 quarters you will need to trim half a cm (1/4") from the one long open side and use the tape down that one side and fold it over to make a mini bag. I then cute half a cm (1/4") from one side of the top of the bag and a little triangle at each side of the top to make the shape and opening of the top look the same as the original regular size bag.

Adhere a lace doily to the mini brown paper bag.

Trim doily to size - mine were large oval doilies I picked up at a discount store so I cut them in half. Use double sided tape to adhere the doily to the bag, making sure you fold the edges neatly (use a ruler to press flat if you need) over and stick the back edges in place.

Finish by tying some twine, paper string or jute around the bag. Use a little glue on the back or tape to stick it in place.

There you have it super cute little bags that can make anything from M&M's to sugared nuts look even better.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores:

Link to Amazon:

Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go! 

Or at Fishpond (free shipping Australia)

 

 Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go!

Sugar spice cranberry pecan and popcorn mix

Quick- must Pin or Bookmark this! It makes fabulous gifts for Father's day or Christmas ;)

The weather has turned and it's cold all of a sudden. Plus windy and rainy....brrrrr.

I'm not a cold loving person unlike Mr Sweet who spent a good deal of his youth in Canada. Although he does love the beach he grumbles his way through hot summer nights, more often than not turning on the air-conditioning while I huddle for warmth under the covers.

In fact the first time I was snowed on as a teenager, even though it was ever so lightly, I cried from the cold. Of course I have toughened up now and worked out that tears do not actually help warm you up. Also there is much to be said for warming up next to a fireplace and drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows. Every (snow)storm has it's silver lining.

Another benefit of cold weather is that the wonderfully frangrant smell resulting from baking anything with spices seems doubly enticing. Add some rainy weather and it might just quadruple.

Anyhoo snow is unheard of around here but it certainly has been wet and windy which made baking this late night experiment even more fun.

Mr Sweet's mother has been gifting us with an almost endless supply of dried cranberries and for some reason when I received the last batch I thought they would be a fabulous addition to sugar and spice pecan nuts.

So off to the shop I popped to buy the pecans which oh my goodness were so expensive. With 3 kids sometimes I have to be economical so I decided to replace half of my old recipe with popcorn :)

Anyhoo the finished produce was quite delicious with the lightly tart cranberries a lovely contrast to the sweet and sugary spiced nuts. (recipe below).

Win A Camera Bag 

Don't forget I have a super competition for Australian and New Zealand residents to win a gorgeous Jo Totes Camera bag from Cambags (CLICK HERE to hop over to the competition post).

Cranberry spice pecan popcorn
Makes around 3 cups. If you like you can use omit the popcorn and cranberries and just make regular sugar spiced nuts.

1 1/2 cups pecan nut halves already shelled
1 1/2 cups popcorn already popped (mine was microwaved buttered)
1/2 cup dried (sweetened) cranberries
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 175C (350 F). Line a tray with baking paper (parchment paper).

In a large bowl mix together the pecans, popcorn and cranberries.

In a small bowl whisk the egg white with a fork until a little frothy, add the vanilla and whisk for another 15 or so seconds until well combined and frothy.

Pour over nut mixture and mix quickly until evenly distributed, add the sugar and cinnamon and mix well.

Spoon the mixture onto the prepared baking tray and pop in oven for 22 - 28 minutes mixing with a gentle folding method every 5 or so minutes.

Allow to cool before eating (well in theory I might not always do that). Can be stored for a week in an airtight container at room temperature.

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I'm Lovin' it @ Tidy Mom

Easiest Layered Pannacotta Ever

This is the easiest layered pannacotta you will ever make. Seriously, EVER!

Plus to make it even easier I am making my You Tube debut, and to keep it interesting as well as easy try and count how many times I say Okay.

Okay now where was I, yup easy, pretty much you just heat up a couple of ingredients, mix stuff together, strain it, pour it into containers and it sorts itself into layers.

I told you it was easy. It was a happy accident when I messed around with a recipe a few years back. The original recipe was not layering but my version was super layering awesomeness.

I've fancied them up by using mini square cups and popping a macaron shell and a bit of whipped up ganache onto the top. It's a perfect way to serve pannacotta for a buffet or dessert table.

Otherwise you can make it like a regular pannacotta and pour the mixture into dariole molds to turn out, or even just serve in ramkins or glasses.

Coffee Pannacotta makes 16 small serves (like in the picture) or 6 regular serves, recipe can be doubled or halved. Important notes included at bottom of recipe re cream and gelatin. I used low fat milk, you can use full fat if you like.

55g caster sugar (1 7/8 ounce)
20g (3/4 ounce) freshly ground coffee (mine was ground for espresso machine)
270gm (9 1/2 ounce) milk
2 and a half leaves gelatin
270gm (9 1/2 ounce) unthickened pouring cream

Place gelatine into a bowl and cover with cold water whilst you heat the milk (I usually ripe the sheets into 2 or 3 pieces so they are smaller and fit into a small bowl).

Pop sugar, milk and coffee into a saucepan and bring to a simmer stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, remove from heat.

Squeeze excess water from gelatin, discard the water and add the leaves to the milk mixture and stir to dissolve all gelatin.

Add cream and stir well.

Get a large jug with a handle and place a sieve over the top lined with 4 layers of muslin. If you do not have muslin you may use clean unused dishcloths or even a coffee filter or paper towels. Pass the coffee mixture through the lined sieve into the jug. Ensure as much of the mixture as possible gets through, you may need to replace the top layer if it becomes clogged.

Pour mixture into molds to achieve the separate layers I allowed the smaller containers to sit at room temperature for around 10 minutes or so until the layers are evident.

Allow to set in the fridge overnight covered with plastic or in an airtight container.


Serve in container or if you are turning out run a knife carefully around the edge and then gently warm the top with a dishcloth soaked in warm water before placing the plate on top of the mold and then turning both over. The pannacotta should slip out perfectly.

Cute chalkboard flags from Ah-Tissue

Notes for recipe - the weights for the liquids are actually weights on a set of electric scales.

Use unthickened cream - in Australia Thickened cream has added gelatin so you are changing the ratios and may end up with a panna cotta that is harder and more set than you intend. I use the Pauls brand of Pure cream in the blue carton it is 36.5% fat. In the US try whipping or heavy cream.

The gelatin brand I used says on the front Rheingold schnell-losliche Blatt-Gelatine it is light blue on the front and white with lots of darker blue writing on the back. I believe it is a normal strength gelatin sheet.  If you use a different strength gelatin it will have an impact on how the panna cotta sets but not the taste.

If your searching for the small square cups I suggest searching under disposable square cups or square verrine cups.

Dariole molds are available in kitchen and baking stores. The ones I normally use are small single plastic molds, so pretty much it is a fancy way of saying little plastic cups.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores:

Link to Amazon:

Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go! 

Or at Fishpond (free shipping Australia)

 

 Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go!