Donna's one pot pan puff cake!!!!!

OMG this is the most dramatic thing to watch cook, we all love to watch the amazing growing of the puff cake..... this is the perfect Saturday night dessert, a fun easy breaky, or for me the mummy loves you after a shitty day at sport tummy warmer......

Now let me preface to say that today has been tough in this house hold but not tough enough that we cannot all snuggle, cook, eat, and love on each other that the world can be a better place.... seriously it works like magic!!!!

what you need:

 a non-stick fry pan that can go into the oven... I have a kitchen aide brand ones and they are possibly the bestest pans ever and not that expensive... its stock take time people go shopping...I got mine at David Jones this time of year... cheap as chips!I know you can get them at matchbox kitchenware shops too, but seriously just go SHOPPING!!!! (Mel and Nat you need to check the handle can go into the oven!!! xx)

ok onto the other serious stuff like ingredients....

1/2 cup plain four
2 eggs
tbs vanilla extract (you could use essence but seriously DO NOT...... extract is the way to go for everything!!!!)
2 TBS caster sugar
1/2 cup of milk
30g butter

seriously this is sooooo easy!!!!

heat your oven to 180, putting your fry pan in the oven to warm...

while that is warming up in a small bowl place all ingredients except the butter and whisk together to a smooth batter.

remove the pan from oven... place  a tea towel over the handle and leave there.... (seriously I know that most people would think of that but I know a couple of readers personally and seriously they need this tip in bold!!! love you xx)

place butter in pan and coat the pan in the butter (use real butter Lurpak is a fav of mine....)

pour the batter in the pan and place the pan into the oven...

Now watch the magic... seriously very cool.....

after 25 minutes,,,, remove from the oven....

slip out onto a board and serve with berries, ice cream, maple syrup what ever takes your fancy.... it seriously is like a Yorkshire pud.,.... but sweet divine goodness... a perfect late night snack too.....

no berries here today, but maple syrup and Maggie Beers vanilla bean and elderflower ice cream was YUM YUM YUM!!!!
honestly try it....

happy cooking

Leonie xx

holiday baking!

We have been enjoying a great holiday break.... but boy can my BOYS EAT!!!! It is forever heard in my house, 'I'm Hungry'.....they are always starving... so to combat my holiday munchers and save my food bill from skyrocketing I bake and I bake and I bake...... this is usually done daily..... anyone that visits is usually able to grab a baked treat from the cake stand.....

this holidays we have had favourites....

mini m&m brownies using the recipe I posted here instead of oreos we put a tube of m&m's scattered along the bottom of the tray and a tube on the top!!! these were super gooey and apparently DELICIOUS!!! I LOVE the colours!!!

we have also made numerous batches of muffins, using this recipe here, the ones below are blueberry and white choc... now I can tell you they were great!!!! we have made many varieties, banana choc chip, mixed berry.... today apple crumble is going into the oven......

anyone reading what have you baked???

happy cooking

xx

Leonie's brownies!!!!

Now I promise you that with this recipe you will NEVER and I say again NEVER make packet brownies again... not that there is anything wrong with packet brownies these are just too easy and the possibilities are endless. Now this recipe stems from Donna Hay, these are her standby brownies from my most used and loved cook book, Fast Fresh and Simple.... I am sure I have cooked 70-80% of these recipes and not one fails on flavour, ease to cook and make pretty...

I am not a chocolate lover, I am not a sweet lover but I have made so many of these and versions of these that I can now make them in my sleep!!!! I made them at my old job a LOT!!! I would try all sorts of things to add and use my collegues as my test dummies!!! but NO ONE complained ever, or turned away.....I would not know a good brownie from a bad brownie as I just don't eat them but I LOVE to bake them!!! The house smells fantastic I feel like mother of the year for 5 minutes and those I share with always give great positive love back!

Now onto the cooking: I will give you Donna's recipe then at the end give you my versions....

150g butter

1 1/4 cup caster sugar

3/4 Cocoa (I use Calbury's bournville for all cooking)

1 TSP vanilla extract

1/2 cup plain flour

3 eggs

In a sauce pan melt butter, chocolate and sugar.

It will appear a bit dodgy while melting but trust me it will come together... just stir and smell the aroma.

Pour into bowl, add eggs and mix, add flour and vanilla mix until smooth and glossy

Pour mixture into a well greased and well lined slice tin, bake at 180 for 25 minutes. Honetly this will smell divine I just wished I like chocolate!!!!!

seriously deliciousness!!!

Now for the Leonie part of the cooking, I have experimented and played with this recipe a LOT!!!

I have made cherry ripe brownies, choc jelly brownies (turkish delight is the secret!) triple choc, macadamia brownies... the possibilities are endles and only limited by your imagination and pantry!

today I have had a request from my students at school for Oreo brownies.....

well I will deliver Monday morning for staff and students!!! here they are!!!

I placed the oreos in a zip lock bag and bashed them with my rolling pin, I did not want little pieces as I still want some crunch when you bite the gooey crunchy brownie!!!

place the oreos into the pan then top with brownie mix

now I did try this and I have to say YUM!!!!!! oh so happy with this brownie!!!!!

now I just hope the kids love it!!!

A Positively Delicious Caramel and Brown sugar sponge - Donna Hay

I realise I have no original recipes on the blog well that is beacuse I love RECIPE BOOKS!!!! you could say there needs to be an intervention.... If you tell Mark I will get you!!!

I have definately got my favourites and then I have adapted them to suit my tastes and my families needs. I will always post my version but will ALWAYS be honest of the source... If you were to look up the recipes some vary a lot and others a little....... The purpose of the blog is for me to collate my favourites and also force me to cook something new each month..... so one weekend a month I will have  a new meal to share....

now onto the best cake I have ever cooked and you cannot get it wrong!!!!! I swear even my sister could do it!!!!

Ingredients
2/3 cup plain flour - sifted 3 times
1/2 teaspoon baking powder - sifted 3 times
4 eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup caster sugar
50g melted butter
caramel icing
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup single pouring cream

To make the caramel icing place the sugar and cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar is disolved, continue stirring at all times. Increase the heat to high and cook for 8 minutes or until caramel thickens. This would have to be the coolest bit, I love it I felt like a pro making caramel!!! Its pretty much the same feeling I got making ganache for the first time.... they all sound scary but just attempting it to start with is the hardest part.... so get in there and have a go!!!

how cool does that look!!!! tastes great too!

Now onto the cake:

preheat the oven to 180. Place flour and baking powder in a bowl. (now I am amazed at the small amount of flour.... not sure why I am amazed but just am!!)

Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of your electric mixer.... now I do have to share and brag, I have the very beautiful and lovely Ruby Red Kitchen aide... and YES she has a name.... she was a much wanted member of my family.... I have not looked back since she came to live with me, I love her!!!

ok sorry will get back to the cake now!!!!

placing the eggs and sugar in the mixer, this needs to be beated for 8-10 minutes until it thick, pale and trippled in size... (by magic this happens and looks DIVINE!!)

sift half the flour mixture into egg mixture and gently fold through, then repeat with the remaining flour mix. Add the butter and fold through.

this mixture is so light and fluffy you cannot help but fall in love!!! seriously love for a cake...hmmmm I may need a therapist!!!
Pour into a well greased and well lined 20cm round cake tin.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until springy to the touch and coming away from the sides of the tin. cool on a wire rack.

seriously how perfect is this cake!!!!! I am always amazed because I have to be honest my cakes rearely come out of the oven this even... you know I have the normal rising issues, well at least I think they are normal, that I have a nack of covering up..... but this one is PERFECTION!!!

Now the last thing to do is spread the completely cooled caramel over the completely cooled cake.

 now sit back and enjoy a little piece of heaven with friends and family....

Leonie's easy muffins originally stolen from Donna Hay!!!

ingredients: 2 cups plain four

1 tbs baking powder

2 eggs

1cup caster sugar

1 cup milk

2 tespoons vanila extract

2 cups frozen rasberries

1 cup white chocolate

preheat oven to 180. Place flour, baking powder, sugar, milk and vanilla extract in bowl and mix until just combined.  once just combined add rasberries and chocolate. mix together

Now for my cupcake secret. to get close to perfect cakes (I don't think anyone ever gets them all perfect!!!!!) I use an old fashioned ice-cream scoop (cheap one from woolies about $3) Now this is not an original idea I did get it off a friend  - thanks Katherine if you're reading!!!

I always use patty pans as I find the white chocolate can tend to get a little sticky and I hate washing up!!! oh and my washer-uper-er (Mark!!) refuses to do sticky cake from pans anymore!!!!. I have just started using multimix muffin liners and they are AWESOME!!! and they look cool too!!!

bake these babies in an oven at 180 for 20-25 minutes, let cool and enjoy. They are GREAT a little warm as the chocolate is gooey!!! I always manage to make 12 to eat and 6 to go into the freezer. I am known to make these before school/work when I am stressed, feeling overwhelmed with life or simply feel like baking something fresh will alleviate mummy guilt.....,I even sometimes surprise my work collegues... there are always some in my freezer for the boys lunches.

NOTE... I use this basic recipe all of the time I change the filling to suit requests from kids or hubby, or what is is in the fridge or freezer.