Mindy Belle

Animal Print Cupcakes

Zebra ! Giraffe ! Cheetah !

Tiger !

Using the Chocolate Mud Cake recipe in a half batch I made these cupcakes as a experiment to see if the mixture would work as a cupcake.

Ingredients
325 g unsalted butter
325g 70% cocoa chocolate
50ml espresso coffee
1.5 tsp vanilla essence
325 g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
475g brown sugar
5 eggs
284ml sour cream

Method
Heat oven to 160C
Melt butter & chocolate in a medium saucepan until melted add coffee and vanilla
Sift flour and baking powder and bicarb in a bowl add the brown sugar and breakdown any lumps.
Beat the eggs and sour cream in a jug add to the flour mix and then pour in chocolate mixture.
Mix until all combined, check the bottom of the bowl.
Pour 1/3 of cup of mixture into cupcake patties in a muffin pan.
Bake for 30 mins until the middle is cooked.

Cool on a rack until completely cold.
Cover with butter cream icing in a thin later.

Base Fondant:
To make the animal prints colour fondant icing with Yellow for the Giraffe or leave white for the Zebra.
For the Cheetah or leopard print mix yellow and white for a soft ivory base.

Roll fondant to about 2mm thick and cut 7.5 cm round disks with a cutter in the right size. These need to be a neat cut.
Cover the top of the Butter cream iced cupcake with the round disk and carefully press around the edges to create a curved edge.

Leave to dry for at least a hour.

Painting the colours:
To Make the Giraffe print mix Yellow food dye in a small glass with a few drops of red and one drop of blue to create a soft brown.
Mark the print with a toothpick and paint in the pattern.

For the Zebra mix all food dye colours to create a black brown brush lines to create the print.

For the Tiger lightly brush with orange and brown and with a fine brush paint on black lines in print.

Enjoy !!!

Homemade Pasties

These Pasties remind me my childhood visiting my Auntie Beryl at Ballarat Victoria she had a old country home with a old cast iron stove and she made these pasties as a treat for us when we came to visit in the mid 70’s memories……..

Ingredients

500 g mince beef or mince lamb ( I used beef )
2 onions diced
2 potato diced
1 carrot diced
1 turnip diced
1 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp chopped parsley or dried
6 sheets of shortcrust pastry
1 egg, beaten

Method
Preheat oven to 200 degrees

Combine meat, vegetables, salt ,pepper and parsley in a bowl mix.

Cut pastry using a saucer as a guide, you may need to join some pieces.
Place 1/2 cup of mixture and egg wash around the edge , pinch to join and seal well.

Place pastry parcels on a lined baking tray, brush with egg wash.

Bake for 10 mins at 200 degrees then turn the oven down to 180 degrees for another 35 mins

Serve hot with homemade chilli jam or Chutney.

Enjoy !

Chunky Marmalade with Whisky

About 20 years ago I made this Marmalade with my Mum to take to the market we sold out in a very short time.
I found the recipe and decided to make some to surprise MUM for Mother’s day. ssshhh

1.2 kg of Seville Oranges
3 Sweet oranges
3 lemons
3 Litres of water
2.7 kg granulated sugar
1 Tbsp black treacle
6 tbsp. whisky

Method
Thoroughly wash all oranges and lemons and place them whole in a large preserving pan. Add the water and cover the pan and simmer gently over a low heat until the skin of the fruit pierces easily with the point of a knife and the fruit feels tender. This may take up to a hour.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Take each fruit out and roughly cut up being careful to scrape out and save the pips. Put the pips back into the cooking liquid and put the chopped fruit into a separate bowl.
Place the pan on a high heat and boil the cooking liquid until it has reduced by half.
Strain the reduced cooking liquid into a preserving pan, add the chopped fruit and slowly bring back to the boil. Stir in the sugar and black treacle and boil rapidly for about 20 minutes. Drop a teaspoonful of marmalade onto a saucer to see if it sets. If not quite ready, boil the mixture again for another minute or two. As soon as the setting point is reached, take the marmalade off the heat.
Pour into hot, sterilized jars taking a small spoon stir a tablespoonful of whisky into each. Seal immediately. The marmalade can be eaten immediately but will keep for a year or more unopened. Once opened use within two months.

Enjoy
Mindy

South African Ginger Cookies

Ingredients
500 ml golden syrup
500g butter, soft
2 eggs
50 ml vinegar
50 gram dried ginger
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
500 grams brown sugar
8 cups of plain flour
30 g baking soda
2 teaspoons salt

Method
Mix the golden syrup with butter, eggs, vinegar, ginger, cinnamon and cloves in a large mixing bowl.
Stir in sugar and mix and sift in the flour baking soda and salt and mix into a batter. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours.

Heat the oven to 200 degrees and line baking trays.

Roll the dough into 1 tablespoon balls and place on the tray press down with a fork.
Space evenly on the tray. They rise a little, leave some room.
Bake for 12 to 15 until golden brown watch the base not to over cook.
Cool on wire rack.
Makes about 100 large cookies.

enjoy !!

Noah’s Ark Birthday Cake for Daniel

Ingredients

650g unsalted butter
650g plain chocolate
(70% cocoa)
100ml very strong
coffee- espresso is
ideal
3 tsp vanilla essence
650g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp bicarbonate of
soda
950g light soft brown
sugar
10 eggs
2 x 284ml/9½ fl oz
soured cream
Method
1.
Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas
Butter, double-line and wrap the
sides of the 30cm deep-round cake
tin as before. Put the butter and
chocolate into a medium saucepan,
then stir over a low heat until melted
and smooth. Stir in the coffee and
vanilla.
2.
Sift the flour, baking powder and
bicarbonate of soda into the biggest
bowl you have. Add the sugar,
breaking down any lumps with your
fingertips if necessary. Beat the eggs
and soured cream together in a jug
or bowl and pour into the flour mix.
Pour in the melted chocolate mix as
well, then stir with a wooden spoon
until you have a thick, even
chocolaty batter.
3.
Pour into the prepared tin and
bake for 2½ hrs – don’t open the
oven door before 2 hrs is up, as this
will cause the cake to sink. Once
cooked, leave in the tin to cool
completely. Wrap with cling wrap until you are ready to decorate.

Cook:
2 hrs, 30 mins
Plus cooling
Easy Serves 50

When the cake is cool trim sides into the shape of boat.

Using Duncan Hines Creamy Home style Classic Chocolate
frosting lay LCM snack bars to form the top and four on a angle to form the roof with a small piece of cake to fill the gap.

Cover the whole cake with frosting and roll out some lemon fondant for the roof trim to the shape before placing and trim the edges with flake chocolate bars

Finish off by sticking on icing animal faces and placing the animals on the deck.
Make the sea by using Royal icing mix and blue food dye sprinkle with Blue sugar crystal decorations.

Enjoy !! Happy Birthday Daniel !!!

South African Koeksisters

Ingredients

Syrup
250 ml water ( 1 cup )
625 grams white sugar (2 1/2 cups)
2 1/2 tsp lemon juice
5 ml vanilla essence

Dough
375 grams plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp slat
20 grams butter or margarine
150 ml soy milk or vanilla soy milk

cooking
750 ml of canola oil ( 3 cups )

Method
1. Place the water and sugar in a pot and bring to boil on low heat,
stir frequently until the sugar is completely dissolved. Boil for 7 mins

2. Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the lemon juice and vanilla essence. Put the pot into the fridge.

3. Mix the flour,salt and baking powder thoroughly in a mixing bowl. Break the butter into small pieces
and add to the flour mixture then add the milk and mix well until a dough is formed.

4. Roll the dough out to a thickness of 5 mm and cut into 10 cm lengths.
Braid the strips using 3 make sure you seal the ends well.

5. Heat the oil in a pot until fairly hot. Put about 3 Koeksisters in at a time to fry until golden brown.
Place directly into the syrup from the fridge keep the syrup cool between dunks.

6. Remove koeksisters from the syrup and allow excess syrup to drip off. Place them in the refrigerator to cool and then eat.

My South African sisters tell me that these should be made with two friends.
Well I didn’t have two friends but I did have my son and husband rolling out the dough that will do.

enjoy !!
Mindy

Cranberry , Zucchini & Carrot Muffins

Ingredients
1 cup raw sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup finely grated carrot
3/4 cup grated zucchini
1 cup of dried cranberries
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups of plain flour

Heat oven to 180 degrees
Fill large 12 muffin pan with paper liners I made a extra 4 in another pan. makes 16

Method
Place sugar, canola oil, eggs and vanilla in a bowl and whisk until well blended.
Add the carrot, zucchini and cranberries and stir.
Next add the salt, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda and stir.
Lastly add the flour and fold until all mixed do not over mix this part.

Divide batter into the pans and bake for about 20 mins or until tester comes out clean and muffins are golden brown.

Enjoy.

Cheese Puffs

Ingredients
3 sheets of puff pastry
dried chilli flakes
50 g of grated tasty cheese
180 ml double cream
2 eggs beaten
2 tablespoons chopped spring onions
freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat oven 200C and lightly grease a mini muffin pan with butter.
Cut 8 cm rounds in pastry and press into muffin cups.
Sprinkle flakes into pastry cases and divide evenly spring onions and cheese into each case.
Beat cream and eggs and pour over each case with pepper ground on top.

Bake for 15 to 20 mins until golden brown can be chilled and reheated serve hot.

Enjoy !

Easter Sugar Cookies

Ingredients
3 cups of plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup of unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 cup of granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Method
Mix flour salt and baking soda in a bowl and leave to one side.
In another bowl beat the butter and sugar with a electric mixer or hand mixer until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Add the flour and beat until you have a nice smooth dough.
Divide the dough into two pieces and wrap with glad wrap.
Refrigerate for at least 30 mins.
Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out on a lightly flour surface to about 1 cm thickness.
Cut out your shapes, place on a tray with backing paper and bake at 180 degrees
for 7 to 10 mins or until golden on the outside edges.

Royal Icing
2 to 3 egg whites
4 cups of icing sugar
1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar

Whisk egg whites with cream of tartar, slowly add icing sugar.
Whip until a smooth fluffy icing.
Pipe onto the cookies and decorate with your kids.

Enjoy!
Happy Easter 2014 !!

Vanilla White Cake

Margie’s 30th

Serves 20 to 25 Ladies

Ingredients
1 cup butter softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups of white sugar
5 eggs
3 cups of plain flour ( white wings )
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of full cream milk
1/2 cup of buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method
1. Preheat Oven to 180 degrees.
Prepare 3 X 23cm Cake Pans with non-stick baking paper on the base and butter the walls and base and finish with flour.
2. Cream Butter and Shortening until light and fluffy with a electric mixer.
Add 1 cup of sugar at a time , making sure to fully incorporate each cup before adding another.
Add one egg at a time beat well between additions.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour milks and vanilla into a measuring jug and whisk together with a fork.
4. Add to butter and shortening mix alternatively with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
5. Gently mix all ingredients until well combined. Stop mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl making sure all ingredients
are well combined.

6. Evenly distribute cake batter between cake pans and place pans in oven. Bake for 25 mins or until cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Allow cakes to cook completely before frosting.

Butter Cream Frosting

4 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup of shortening
2 to 3 tablespoons of full cream milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

In a large bowl beat icing sugar, butter, shortening on low speed until blended.
Beat in milk and vanilla on medium speed until smooth.

Blob some frosting on the cake stand then place first layer frost each layer finishing
with a thick layer on the sides and top of cake.

I decorated the finished cake with silver Cachous and fresh Roses.

Chill for a hour before serving.

Enjoy !!!