Goldilocks porridge - vegetable porridge that's just right

Please don't stop reading my blog after you see these pictures....
 

In winter we have this Goldilocks vegetable porridge at least once a week if not more and I start those days with the satisfaction of knowing that I don't really care who eats all their vegetables at dinner that night.

I came up with this idea one day while looking at a carrot cake recipe and it's been a hit in our household ever since.

Pretty much it's porridge made on skim milk with some carrot, zucchini and blueberries added. Nearly every food group covered all in one go. I let the kids add some maple syrup and cinnamon sugar (obviously we are not adverse to a bit of sugar in this household), but I still figure it's less than they are getting in the commercial cereals.

If you have super fussy children who won't eat green vegetables peel the green skin of the zucchini before grating so they cant see the green bits and probably hold the carrot and blueberries. 

Vegetable Porridge (Serves 2 or served me, a 5 year old, 3 year old and nearly 2 year old)

2/3 cup oats (not instant)

1 1/2 cups skim milk (can use water if you have allergies)
1/2 carrot finely grated
1/2 zucchini grated
1/2 cup approx frozen or fresh blueberries

In medium saucepan stir oats, milk, carrot and zucchini over medium heat until simmering and mixture is the consistency you require, generally should be quite thick. If using frozen blueberries add and stir for a minute until thawed, remove from heat and serve. If using fresh blueberries, remove from heat, ladle into dishes and sprinkle over blueberries.

Serve with maple syrup and cinnamon sugar.

If you mix in frozen blueberries it'll look like the blue string goo from Bridgette Jones diary but it will still taste good

If your serious about cupcakes you should seriously check this out

I heart my cupcake courier. Well I should say couriers plural because I have a few now, and have just added to my collection, couldn't help myself when my friend emailed me about the Modern Mum gift pack.

As you can see I use my couriers all the time. Best way ever to cart cupcakes around without squishing all your decorations. The couriers hold 36 cupcakes and have a handle at the top to make carrying easier.Also if you take out the inserts you can use it to easily and safely store or transport a decorated cake.

 

At the moment The Cupcake Courier's Modern Mum gift pack has a yellow courier plus 2 packs of cupcake wrappers and 2 packs of Marie Shion sugars for $40, plus postage.

I know....that's pretty great value, just had to share it with everyone.

Click here for the link   Cupcake Courier Modern Mum

While you are there you should check out the other stuff available, they have a great range of Jessie Steele Designer Aprons which come in adult and kids sizes.

and I couldn't help but pick myself up some Happeez Clipper Princess Trio reduced from $24.95 to $12.95. Huge range of designs to choose from.

 Seriously you should check it out while the sale lasts.

Lollipop, lollipop, oh oh lollipop - More Lollipop Cookies

If you have been following this blog you might have seen the gorgeous Giant Lollipop cookies I made for my daughters a while back. They were huge and sugary and way too much to eat in one sitting although they certainly did try.

Click here to link to Giant Lollipop cookies

Now don't get me wrong they were perfect for the purpose of the photoshoot I made them for, and any kid would be delighted to receive them, but everyday eating they are not. So I thought I would try to come up with a midway compromise that both the kids and I could be happy with.

Here it is, a recipe and instructions for regular sized lollipop cookies without all the fondant icing.

Special Equipment Required - lollipop sticks which are suitable for baking.

Lollipop Cookie Dough

225 g (8 ounces or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup caster (superfine) sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp raspberry flavor (optional)
2 1/2 cups plain (all purpose flour)
1/2 tsp salt
red food colouring (I used Sugarflair Red Extra gel colour)


Cream butter and sugar, add egg and vanilla. Add and mix at low speed until well combined sifted flour and salt.

Remove half of dough to another bowl.  Add the remaining dough enough food colour to make the desired colour and the raspberry flavor and mix well.

On a board roll out a piece of the red dough into a long thin log and repeat until you have used all the red dough. Do the same with the white dough. Chill logs in fridge for 10 mins.

While dough is chilling preheat oven to 165 C (330 F). 

Carefully wrap the logs together and roll around like a snail shell.

Press down lightly to make a lollipop shape and insert a lollipop stick suitable for baking.

Arrange on baking trays covered with parchment paper and bake for 12 to 15 mins until just lightly coloured. Allow to cool for 5 mins and transfer to a wire rack.

Don't ya wish your cupcake was hot like me...

Let me introduce you to my Pussycat Doll cupcakes. Don't they look good.

Don't ya wish you could bite into it....

Now these cupcakes don't actually have hair extensions, spray tans and surgery but I always feel that they undergo the food equivalent of all that.

Underneath all that extra decorating they are just plain old cupcakes. Really good cupcakes mind you but with just a bit of extra time you can turn your vanilla cake into a MTV version.

So lets have a look at the evolution of a cupcake.........


Frosting/ Icing - don't just slap on your icing with the back of a knife. Your an artist, do a cute swirl with an offset palette, or swirl with a piping tip.



Decorations - Now you could just leave it at the frosting, but that's kind of like going out with your makeup done and your hair a mess. Pop a little something on the top. I have piped roses, you can buy these already made at the supermarket or cake specialty stores.


Cake Bling - now this is like adding the jewelry. A few sprinkles or silver balls add that extra something. Can you see it's all pulling together now.


Cupcake wrappers - Think of these as clothes for your cupcake. It's just naked without that final wrapping to finish off your perfect cupcake. These ones are from The Cupcake Wrapper Co they have a range of different colours and designs.

So there you have it underneath all that primping and preening it's just a good old fashioned yummy tasting cupcake.

But take it from the Pussycat Dolls, nice packaging sure doesn't hurt.

Cupcake Taste Off - Frosting vrs Buttercream

cupcakes boxed up ready for a helpful taste tester

Sometimes I sit around wondering about cupcakes.

Is that normal, I'm not sure, but still I wonder. Do people prefer frosting or buttercream, chocolate or vanilla, pink or purple?

Hmmmmm........ there's really only one way to know for sure - a cupcake taste off.

So yesterday I baked up a batch of cupcakes, iced them and today have been handing them out to some very helpful testers.

Buttercream vrs Frosting

Now all the hard work is up to the testers. It's not all just eating delicious cupcakes. These dedicated testers have to try both types and then let me know which they prefer.

Italian Meringue Buttercream - Vanilla on Vanilla

Italian Meringue Buttercream vrs Old Fashioned Frosting.

Old Fashioned Frosting - Vanilla on Vanilla

I'm looking forward to hearing the results from my team of testers. Stay tuned I'll let you know the result.

M (mmmmm) is for macaroon - Rose Macaron

When I was young I used to love those really sweet Macarons made with coconut and lots of sugar.

These French Macarons are like a grown up more sophisticated version, both in looks and in the preparation. No quick one bowl mixing here.

They are melt in the mouth delicious with a crisp outside, soft center and delicious smooth creamy filling.

I have made french style macarons a few times before with excellent results using this recipe which I believe is originally based on a Pierre Herme recipe.

Recipe requires a stand mixer (Kitchen Aid type mixer), a candy thermometer, food processor, piping bags and a bit of planning and patience.


Rose Macarons

Ingredients
300g (10  5/8 ounce) ground almonds
300g (10  5/8 ounce) Icing (confectioners) Sugar
220g Egg Whites, (7 3/4ounce) aged at least 3 days, separated into 2 lots of 110g (3 7/8 ounce)
5g / dash  Red/Pink Food Colouring - (I used Gel food colour but you are supposed to use powdered)
300g (10  5/8 ounce) Granulated Sugar
75g (2 5/8 ounce) Water
a little crushed crystallised rose (optional for decoration)
1. Mix the ground almonds and icing sugar together and pulse a few times in food processor to make almond meal finer. Do not over process as the meal can become oily. Sieve into a large bowl. Add colour and 110g (3 7/8ounce) of the egg whites to the sugar/almond mixture but don’t mix in.

Icing sugar and almond meal processed and sieved

2. Place remaining 110g (3 7/8 ounce) of egg whites in bowl of mixer fitted with the whisk.

3. Pop granulated sugar and water into saucepan stir to combine and cook without stirring to 118C. Brush down the sides with a pastry brush dipped in water as required to avoid the sugar crystallizing. Once the mixture reaches 115C start mixing the egg whites on high. Once the sugar syrup reaches 118C remove from heat and immediately pour in a thin stream down the side of the mixer bowl continuing to whisk on high.

Meringue cooled and ready to mix into almond meal mixture

3. Continue to whisk the meringue on high until the side of the bowl is only a little warm to touch, around 50C.
4. Add meringue mixture to almond mixture and using a large spatula fold the mixture together until it starts to shine and forms a ribbon that stays visible for about 30 seconds.

5. Add the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a plain tip and pipe in lines onto parchment lined baking sheets. To make the macarons as even as possible I apply a constant slow pressure to the piping bag and count a few numbers like up to 3 for each one. If you like you can sprinkle a little crushed crystallised rose onto the top of half of the macarons for decoration but its not essential.

Macarons piped and resting before baking (note these are a little too puffy)

6. Set aside for about 30 minutes or until the macarons have formed a skin that doesn't stick to your finger.

7. Meanwhile preheat oven to 140C (285 F). Once ready bake the macaroons for around 13 to 15 minutes depending on size, they should not be browned. Remove the baking trays and immediately slide off the macarons and the parchment onto the work surface and let cool completely before removing the shells.

Macarons baked and cooling on the bench still on parchment paper

8. Once cooled match disks into like sizes and sandwich together using the rose ganache.

Rose White Chocolate Ganache

100ml cream
200 gm (7 ounces) white chocolate
3 tsp rose water
pink food colouring - I used Wilton gel colours

Bring cream to boil, pour over finely chopped white chocolate and stand 5 mins. Stir until all chocolate has melted and mixture is glossy mix in rosewater and food colour. Chill approx 45 mins and use as required.

Mothers Day idea - Old Fashioned Rose Cordial

Rose would have to be one of my all time favourite flavours.

This is a lovely old fashioned recipe I have had for years to make a rose cordial which can be mixed with water, sparkling mineral water or lemonade (US readers insert 7up or other clear soda type drink here).

Just perfect for a Mother's Day afternoon tea refresher. Or if you have young kids it makes a lovely 'Rosey Tea' just right for a Wiggles inspired Dorothy tea party.


Rose 'Cordial' Recipe

Take 4 pesticide free red roses (roses from your garden which have not been sprayed are suitable) and remove the petals. Try to use fragrant roses. One of my roses was apricot not red, but try to use as many red as possible as this makes the best coloured syrup.


My roses made approx 3 loosely packed cups. Carefully wash petals and add to a small saucepan with 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar.


Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer for 10 minutes. Leave to steep for 20 minutes until cool.



Strain through a fine sieve and then mix in 1 tablespoon (US 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp) of rosewater. Rosewater available through deli's or specialty food stores.



When ready to use add to 2 litres of water, sparkling mineral water or lemonade (clear soda) or to taste.

This drink looks pretty served in a jug with ice cubes that have been frozen with petals, small edible flowers or berries.