Choccie cornflake cookies and a few from the last couple weeks ....

Hello and welcome to Sunday ...... again ...

Just like we don't want to ask how planes stay in the sky ... lets not ask why Sunday's always come around so quick .....

This post today is going to bring us back to an old school cookie. It's a family favourite and its the easier cookie to bake.

Big round of applause to the cornflake cookie (with choc chips added).

The reason for such an easy cookie today .... we lost an incredibly close family friend on Friday to that pure evilness of cancer so I am just trying for a moment to make life not so complex and just bring at least something back to some kind of niceness from when we were little.

My friends laugh at me (quite regulary for various ongoings) but on my shelf when you walk in my front door are my special vintage awesome champagnes that I have been saving for specific reasons .... anyway the last few weeks have taught me to shove that and for the next few months I am going to crack open the bottles for various occasions we all have coming up .... that includes the good reds I have to in the kitchen ... why bother saving, got to enjoy them. Now!!!

But lets start with the last couple weeks:

Wedding cake I did for James and Amy: really lovely couple ... this was a gluten free top tier, white choc passionfruit mud for the middle tier and a dark choc peppermint mud for the bottom tier ....

I do have to give a big shout out the lovely people at Lincraft at the Hood (aka Dee Why). I had a bit of a sugar veil last minute disaster and needed something for the middle tier ....

Found myself on the Saturday morning, knocking on the door asking for an early open, they obliged and I would love to have seen the CCTV vision of me running around the shop looking at all the lace materials .... was all fine and I chose a lovely lace ..... that's given me some other cracker ideas too.

New idea that I would like to branch out into is the dessert tables .... there's just so much you can do. Coops, Teresa and I set this one up and it looked awesome!!!! Just kept having to dodge the sun so it wouldn't melt the lollies ....

Few of the glass jars, vases didn't make it there or home due to breaking ... but hey that's life ... grat quality that mum has bought Ben and I up with ... no use crying over spilt milk ...which is actually quite good as I am regular dropper and breaker .....note for you all: never hand me vintage crystal unless you want to see it on the floor  ...

One of my favourite things EVER in the world is cinnamon donuts. Little hint to note .... if you ever need me to do something, can always be bribed with hot cinnamon donuts ... So I created the next best invention ... hot cinnamon donut cupcakes ... compromise for all.

Bugger buying all these new contraptions to get the most even measurement of cupcakes. Just stick to the old ice-cream scoop we all have in our 2nd drawers in the kitchen ... go on and have a look now and see if you have one ....

See look how even and round they come out of the oven ....still fascinates me the cooking process ....

While they are still warm you need to melt butter, sugar and cinnamon and then with a pastry brush, just slosh (professional cooking word I know) all over the cuppies and then eat as quick as possible ..... which helps when we had 3 hungry guys waiting .....

This one is for Tia's b'day. T has been one of my besties for years and years. One of the high school crew. There's been way too many laughs, moments, holidays, beverages etc etc to mention so will just sum up with the below cake and say the biggest THANK YOU for all the years and laughs!!!! And to many more .... especially for Alaska for the First Wives Clubs 50ths b'day .... God help the boat with all  of us on it ....

Rightio, two items in every girls handbag ... along with my 7 different shades of lipgloss, handcream, purses, books etc  ... there is also my favourite wooden spoon and wooden spatula .... you just never know ....

Okay to the cornflake cookies (with choc chips) .... Prep all the ingredients like so ...

Beat up the butter, vanilla, eggs and sugar ....

Throw in the chocolate chips ....

Fold in the flour and cornflakes

Roll into little balls ...

19 mins later we have the cookies ....

Now eat .... and just enjoy your Sundays wherever you are in the world and drink champagne  ...

Cakes that travel again ... for a special surpirse 40th in Nambucca ....

Hello and welcome to public holiday Monday ... not sure what we are actually acknowledging today - doesn't matter ... just nice to have a day off!!!

Bit of a history lesson to start today's blog and this will lead in to the story behind the cake ...

February 1995 - I started a year long travel and tourism / secretary course with 29 other people. I remember walking into the room, looking around at everyone and tried to find a spare seat that wasn't too close down the front so I didn't seem to nerdy. (Only time I like the front anywhere is on the plane for obvious reasons)!!!

There were 8 of us that became a very tight unit. 2 x city people and 6 x country people. We were inseparable that year in the classroom, the Jet Club in Dee Why or cant believe I saying this ..... down at the Manly Leagues Club ... (sorry Team Whelan).

Danielle was from Wingham (near Taree, don't worry I had to pretend I knew where it was too) so she didn't have any family down in Sydney so for that year she became a much valued addition to our family. We started talking from that very first day and actually still haven't stopped. Even the night before Danielle's wedding and we were having a slumber party, Pearl who is Danielle's mother had to come in 4 times to tells us to shoosh now and it as time to go to sleep ... that didn't help the giggle factor!!!

Far out we all had some good laughs at Williams ... many days out, nights out, helping eachother through the homework, exams, work experiences, practising our new found admin skills in the College office (Tim and I having to be on reception together arguing over who was NOT going to answer the phone as we were petrified at all the calls building up) .....

Anyway, Danielle eventually met the love of her life after a little time ... enter Shawn Green. From the moment we all saw them together ... we knew that was it. Shawn has been bought up in the country too so they had the same beautiful values in life and they were just meant to be .. still are!!!

So moving on a few years Danielle calls me to say that she and Shawn are getting married and they would like me to be a bridesmaid .... not a worry, easiest decision I have ever made. Best day ever!!! Amazing wedding to be apart of ... didn't know bridesmaid duties included being lifted head first into an Otto bin as someone had lost the car keys though ....

Fast forward a couple of years when I had moved back to London and Danielle calls me to say she and Shawn are having a baby. LOVE IT!!! Then once Lucy drew her first breath on the 24 September 2003, I get another call asking if I would be Lucy's god mother .... I burst into tears and said of course!!!! Proudest day ever!!!

Which brings us to October 2013. Shawns surprise 40th b'day!!! Danielle (and the kids) organised a big party which Shawn had NO IDEA about until he walked into Nambucca Golf Club the other night and saw many of his friends there. Result!!!!

I said to Danielle that I would come up for the weekend and would love to do the cake for Shawn .... so have a look at following pics .... we had to try and hide the cake and work out where I would decorate so a few more stories were told to the unsuspecting Shawn.

As usual, taking far too much on the plane with me. I did manage to get a personal escort through and was first on the plane!!!

Meet the 1 x 14 inch square chocolate mud cake ... 

Carving out into a football (soccer) jersey

Chocolate ganache time ...

Blue fondant goes on ...

Cutting out the letters ... hoping they were all in there ...

Massive thank you to Nicky who lent her house (and her gorgeous kids) to help me ... was a real arts and craft afternoon .....

Nearly finished .. still needs a little bit though ...

Ahhh that's better .....

All set and ready to cut ... this is the part when I always look away ....

Many hours, many drinks and many good moves on the dance floor later ...

And the memory pics .... this was in December 1995 at the Williams Business College ball .... how fresh faced we look when the only decision we had to make in life was what time we were going out that night ....

Danielle and Shawns wedding day on the 31 March 2002. I was so caught up in the moment and concentrating on not falling apart and just getting down that aisle that I didn't hear Danielle asking me 3 times for a tissue 'Fi I need a tissue .. Fi!!! Fiona ... I need a tissue!!!  .... Cue Nan to come to the rescue!!!! 

05 October 2013 ... 18 years after we all met in the Williams Business College classroom ... the conversations and beverages are still flowing on .... (Personally I think we still look rather fresh faced!!!)

Lolly Gobble Bliss cupcakes come to life

One of my good friends sent me a link to a baking competition to win $2500 worth of my 'dream kitchen package'!! Woohoo!!!

All you ever have to say to me are the words hot cinnamon donuts, challenge or competition and I am there .....

My competitive streak must have started from when I was 3yrs old with the family Easter Egg hunts and we had to count at the end who had the most eggs, which actually looking back now, it didn't really matter because Cousin Matthew (the oldest) and Ben (the next oldest) just took what they wanted and claimed our supply as theirs too .... 

Anyway, growing up with my entire family we were born with either a tennis racket, ping pong paddle, canoe oar, fishing rod, netball, basketball etc etc in our hands ....

We are not one of those families who goes on a picnic and sit downs to enjoy a nice lunch. Upon arrival whomever is first, you to pick a good spot where you can set up stumps for a cricket match ... You are actually lucky to even get a sausage sandwich in your hand before Cousin Matthew calls you up to bat. 

There was one incredibly memorable time when all the family came just to be together in a house we hired at Palm Beach. Ben was even over from the UK ... so of course what did we have to do ????? Set up the ping pong table, organise teams and hold a inter family competition. No prize, just the glory. 

Even the day after Cousin Ky and Dave's wedding. At their BBQ, we got everyone up for a game of touch footy ... all was going smoothly until Neighbour Ken took an intercept, ran the length of the park and suddenly started yelling ... 'My hammie, my hammie, I've pulled my hammie' ... Game off!!!! 

Don't think it changes if we are inside either ... the boardgames come out to the table or the card games. Where do you think I mastered the art of being the Uno World Championship player???? Except I still cant work out why one certain family member thinks they can justify putting a reverse on draw 2. I admit that I change the rules everyone now and then but please!!!! 

So you can gather then that we all like to be on the go .... Mum every now and then brings something that Ben my brother once apparently said when I was 7 years old and we had just returned from being out all day and I turned around and said .... 'okay where we are we going next' and Ben said 'far out Fiona, I am going to get you a caravan so you are permanently outside'!!!! ... 

So I set aside this arvo to make these lolly gobble bliss cucpakes (to try and win the magazine competition ... All you have to do for the chance to win is make a replica of the taste.com.au magazine cover but of course I had to add my own little Fiona touch and gave them life .... 

  My favourite all time cupcake papers ... Size 650's incase you are interested.

Hint of the day ... use an ice-cream scoop to get the exact measurement for mixture. Honestly you can't go wrong!!!

Never get tired of how the mixture goes in and ....

Hey presto .. 25 mins later its cake!!!

For these ones I did a really gorgeous chocolate cake and just simple frosting recipe

Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs ... got to be honest, haven't thought about these for many years. Was not even sure where to buy them ... Woolworth had the goods though. Crisis averted.

Melting the caramel .... smelt absolutely divine!!!

I never go in for the sneaky cake batter ... BUT I cant help myself when caramel is involved ....

Not for next time ... when the receipe says to leave the HOT caramel and popcorn for at least 5 mins ... please do .... unless you want to burn your hands and then have to do the popcorn hot hand dance and try and flick popcorn everywhere!!!! 

Check them out ....

Drizzle the chocolate!!! A little bit for the cupcakes and a little bit for me ....

And my little ones are created!!!! 

They actually look quite cute .... Cross fingers I have a small chance of winning ...doubt it but at least I tried!!!! 

A Wiggles cake, a wedding cake and Sareybears 40th b'day cake ....

Hello and welcome back to what has been an incredible month ....

Let's get straight into the world of cakes as its been a very busy time.

Amy and James are getting married in October and have asked me to do their wedding cake but first  was their daughter Ruby's 2nd b'day weekend. Here is the Wiggles cake which I finished yesterday.

 This cake was baked and decorated inbetween my first week back at work after 4 weeks holiday (sensational), mum being in hospital (she's OK) and Coco the 16yr old Burmese causing mayhem at the vet (just make sure her heat bag is warm, its not hard).

The one thing I am struggling with at the moment is time. Working 6 days a week plus having a very active life its hard to fit everything in. I love making the cakes so something is going to have to change next year ... stand by ...

The below wedding cake was completed 48hours after I got off QF 2 from London Heathrow on a Thursday at 05:00am. Yes agreed, I don't usually make things easy for myself.... however the bride and groom (Georgina and Tom) are very lovely people who were using all local suppliers for their wedding and I very much wanted to be a part of their big day. And besides, sleeping is overrated .. the jet lag would just have to wait until I was ready ....

For this cake the bottom tier was make with silver leaf which was awesome to work with once I worked out how to use it. Big high five to me for ordering 2 x packets of silver leaft as I went through the 1st packet in 10 mins royally stuffing it up!!!!

Kirstie, one of my fabulous colleagues from Cake Decorating Solutions made the flowers for me ... there was no way in the world I would have the time or patience and Kirstie flowering making talent is brilliant!!!!

The flavours for this cake were awesome. We had white choc hazelnut, choc mud with caramel mixed in (like a paddlepop), choc raspberry mud and then white choc with strawberries and cream.

One of the reasons I went back to the UK in July was for Sareybears (aka Sara) 40th b'day. The theme for her party was to be canapes, cocktails and cake so I wanted the cake to be extra special.

Sareybear, Els and I were flatmates in London from 1999 - 2001. Can honestly say that those years were just the best ever. We created 2 x homes where everyone was welcome and there were many many nights of everyone being at our house for all hours or just staying over. All my years in London were what the "London years' were supposed to be all about and the friends/people/work people that were introduced to me in that time have helped create the best memories ever!!!

But as we know time doesn't stand still. We all had to grow up and get half serious eventually. Sareybear married the love of her life Marcus, bought their first home, and now have 2 beautiful daughters who are just simply divine named Lucy and Marnie.

Sarey has been our kindred spirit (yes from Anne of Green Gables, cant beat it!!!) from the very first moment she rang the doorbell looking for a room to rent at Silver Crescent. Sarey is one of the closest people to me in my life and when I see her and am welcomed back each time into the Jones family home in London, you just know everything is going to be alright. Everything in their home that she and Marcus have created all just fits brilliantly and its what a home should be, especially when you have the biggest plate of Sarey's spaghetti bol in front of you ......

This was my practice cake ... to make sure the oven and I liked eachother. Was a BBC classic victoria sponge ... just take note of all raspberries and blueberries ... so lovely ....

Making the ganache for the 100's and 1000's cake ... I very rarely make ganache now cause I generally royally fark it up but I had to in this case as there wasn't anywhere to buy pre made ... crossing fingers.

And breathe ... actually turned out to be the best batch I have ever made!!!

Using proper English ingredients - Petrice you will be happy to know that the eggs were the most free rangeist organicist I could find!!!!

Kitchen envy again!!! Loved it ... and Sarey and Marcus modelled the design on Silver Crescent with the cooking area looking on to the table so everyone is in the room together ... the way it should be.

The lanterns ... they looked fab. This is getting the theme ready for the party ...

Back to the task at hand ...ganache YES ... first layer of icing ... going on ... Please be mindful that it was 34 degrees, half 6 in the evening and the party guests were arriving VERY SOON!!!

The tray of joy ... literally 100's and 1000's of sprinkles .... they went everywhere!!!

Didnt get a chance to do a practise so it was now or never ... don't look back is what I say ... just roll with it ... literally.

Good result ....

Sent myself outside to finish off as I couldnt tell what sprinkles were going on the cake and what was staying on the bench. I did warn Sarey and Marcus maybe it might not be best to look in the garden either ... that's where the left over sprinkles may have ended up....

Trying to set the scene ... honestly in the mad rush I did not acknowledge my half eaten pizza ... best pizza outside Italy too if I can say just quietly ....

Surprise colour look ... just to spice things up ....

Great crowed of Sarey's nearest and dearest. Was brilliant to catch up with some very good friends like Charlie Brown and hear of the new adventures with her, Steve and the twin boys ... love it!!! It was still light at 9:45pm ... how could you not beverage on ...

About 1:00am when we cut the cake .....

About 4:00am when it was just about bed time .... love the party look .... a sign of a FRIGGIN awesome party .....