Sunday 31 January 2016

Happy Belated Long Weekend

Hello ... this blog is a week late as we have all been a touch busy of late in the land of Television working on the cycling, HOWEVER its never too late to say 'Happy long long weekend'... please note to all everyone who doesn't live in Australia ... but Australia Day fell on a Tuesday this year so of course 99.9% of Aussies took the liberty of taking the Monday off too, hence the use of the double long long ....

Anyway everyone loves a lamington so this is what I have made for this week.... Can't play by the rules though so this one is a combo of reeipes to make my own. There is a special secret ingredient inside too which everyone at work tomorrow will get to try.

Enjoy the pictures and hopefully tummy rumbles.

ps: I should note that this blog should be sponsored by Woolworths ... I seem to spend half my life in there buying fresh ingredients all the time. Either that or I should take out shares in an IGA store. Imagine that, I could go back to my roots as a checkout chick who scanned 14 items a minute. Yes, yes I did. Held the record for a little while too with that speediness.

Here I am trying to squeeze the juice out whilst taking a picture. PLEASE NOTE THAT I GREW THIS LEMON!!! 1 year ago I bought a lemon and lime tree from Bunnings and now I have fruit. Miracle. I put it down to the bees doing their job well.


This punnett of raspberries was only $3.90 ... BARGAIN. Got get some. And while you are there, blueberries were only a touch more (that's a rarity).

Simmering away for 10 mins. My kitchen smelt divine.

Sifting the flour ... not once, not twice but 3 times.


Adding the Dutch cocoa (again sifted 3 x times) ... and if someone can explain the difference to me about why you have to use Dutch cocoa and not any other nation ... that would be super great.


The mixture as you are stirring it ... still amazes me. 



Pour the mixture in the tins, twist them around 3 x times and then place in the oven (that's just one of my quirky things to do). 

 See amazing ... soft mixture goes in and cake comes out.
This was the awesome part ... the raspberry jam I made, cream and melted chocolate!!!
 The spatula gets a good work out today ...
 Prepped for the fridge ...

The therapy part .... pouring the chocolate and coconut over the lamington cakes

All messed up going to the fridge to set....


And we have the Fiona version of tripple choc raspberry lamingtons ... Enjoy.



Sunday 3 January 2016

New year so a new blog post ...

Hello and welcome back to the 'Every Cake Has A Story' cake blog ... love being back here and am determined to do many more this year .... 

Over the Xmas and New Year time its been all about spending time with family and good friends which is what it should all be about ... and champagne. Don't forget the champagne.

The one thing I do need to mention about Xmas that is brilliant. No matter where you are around the world on Xmas night ... you can always find National Lampoons Xmas Vacation on telly ... AND if you are not too tiddled by the end you sometimes get the European Vacation thrown in too ... 'good chat Rusty ... good chat'. 

I forgot to take a picture of the pavlova I made for Xmas Day at the Richie Stewart family home ... it was a goodie.

Also made some rocky road with secret ingredients and some of Auntie's white christmas (forgot again to take a pic).

Anyway last week we all stayed up at Hannah's family house in Lake Cathie and it was fab. A real family home filled with everything. 

There were many laughs with good friends I haven't seen in way to long. Many memories shared that I with my memory like an elephant didn't remember about. Good work Doddsie!!!  

Elea said she wanted me to show her how to make a cheese cake ... thought why not. Everyone loves a cheese cake. 

And please note, there is a comedian in the UK named Peter Kaye. He is my absolute favourite. Best Lancashire accent and so so so funny. He is comedy gold and does a special mention to cheese cake and Els and I regularly have a giggle at the way he says cheesecake. Go on an google him ... will make you laugh out loud.

Here are the pics of how we made it ... all quite self explanatory. Special thanks to Google as we couldn't work out how to turn the oven on ... who would have thought that by holding down the first 2 buttons for a few seconds and then quickly press the 2nd from the last at the same time would work!!! 

This is called the New Years Cheese Cake ... always and only to be shared with friends and family (only because you'd have a yak if you had the whole cake yourself) ....



Use the biscuits called 'Nice' but pronouced 'niece' ... the crunch up quite nicely





That's Els patting it down to get it nice and exactly even





3 x clumps of philedelphia cream cheese 



So fun mixing it all up





Just like I marvel at the fax machine ... I have a new treat. This microplane does it all ... 




Notice the quality street ... can't have a festive time without them. And I still chuck the menu out so no-one stands there forever trying to choose one. Its a chocolate. Make a decisions. As I said to Cousin Kylie and Dave today ... if you don't like it after you have bitten into it, give the rest to the person next to you. 



My superstitious ways don't change with a new year. Once you have poured the mixture in, tape the tin on the bench 3 times and spin it around 3 times.



And there you have a cheese cake .... good times. xxx