Homemade Marshmallow Fluff

I love Marshmallow Fluff!!! Otherwise known as Marshmallow Creme...

I would put it in everything if I could justify it. And it went deliciously in my Hot Chocolate Cupcakes. Just a treat!

Here is a recipe. Because where I live, this stuff is hard to find.

Marshmallow Fluff

3 Egg Whites
2 cups Light Corn Syrup
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 cups Icing Sugar
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract

1. Beat together egg whites, corn syrup and salt. Mix on high for approx 5 minutes or until mixture has become thick and almost doubled in volume.

2. Turn mixture down to low and add the icing sugar. Mix until well combined. Add the Vanilla extract and mix well/

If you don't use it all at once, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Happy Baking!!!!

Hot Chocolate Cupcakes... A winter treat

I was sitting on the couch with my hot chocolate in hand, piled with marshmallows of course, thinking about what I could make for dessert. The delicious cocoa smell wafted up and caused an epiphany. Yes!!! Hot Chocolate in a cake. Hot Chocolate Cupcakes!!!!! Genius.

And boy oh boy... Did it work. They were by far the best creation yet! I can't wait to make them again... and again...

The recipe does call for Marshmallow Creme or Fluff.. whichever you choose to call it, which I picked up from the USA Foods Store. You can order it online. Worst case, you can make it yourself from scratch. Here's my Marshmallow Fluff Recipe.

Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes approx 18

1 cup Plain Flour
45g Cocoa Powder
1/2 teaspoon Bi-Carb Soda
1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Table Salt
120g Butter
1 cup Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Egg Yolk
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Boiling Water
1 + 1/2 cups Marshmallow Creme/Fluff

icing:
2 cups Thickened Cream
1 cup Icing Sugar
3 x Flake Bars

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line cupcake trays with liners

2. Sift together the flour, cocoa, bi-carb soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

3. In a mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs and the yolk one at a time until well incorporated. Add the vanilla.

4. Continuing on a low speed, add the flour mixture, half at a time, then once mixed; slowly add the boiling water until it creates a smooth cake batter.

5. Spoon into liners, approx 1/3 high. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out with only slight crumbs attached.

6. Leave to cool completely in the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

7. When completely cooled, cut a hole in the centre of each cake and pipe a generous amount of marshmallow creme into the middle.

8. For the icing; beat together the cream and icing sugar until the cream thickens. The icing is ready once it sticks to the beater when lifted.

9. Top the cupcakes with a generous amount of the cream icing then crush the flakes and sprinkle over each cake.

Enjoy and Happy Baking!!!

We All Scream For Ice Cream

This week I was sent a lovely present from the team at Connoisseur Ice Cream.

A sample of the new flavours of stick ice creams, and oh was I excited to try them!!!

Ice cream is one of my many dessert loves. And connoisseur do a pretty good job of satisfying my cravings. I love sitting outside in the summer with a bowl or waffle cone piled high with yummy cream of all sorts of flavours. Even in winter when the heater is blaring in my apartment I find myself sitting with a bowl, usually accompanied by an apple pie or a brownie. So when these delightful treats turned up on my doorstep, who was I to say no???

I thought I'd let you all know my thoughts on their new flavours, though I'll tell you now, I'm already hooked.

This blog has always been dedicated to the food that I love. I'm no critic, but when I enjoy a baking experience or have been served some great food I love to share it with you. These ice creams have made it into my love list. The intense flavour was quite impressive. I'm a huge fan of magnum but my love for them lies in the chocolate coating, the flavour of the ice cream doesn't overwhelm me: I always eat the chocolate first. Always!

I found with the connoisseur ice creams that I was eating the chocolate then almost dying with surprise at how rich and flavoursome the ice cream in the middle was! For the first time ever I like the ice cream inside more that I like the coating, though don't get me wrong, I was devouring the chocolate too. 

My favourites were easily the Murray River Salted Caramel and The Sumatran Coconut. They are a nice fresh change to the regular flavours that come in stick ice creams.

Thanks guys!

NB: This product was a gift from Connoisseur. I was not paid for or asked for a positive review of the product. All opinions featured in this blog are my own and it remains non-commercial. I receive no sponsorship, payments or benefits :)

.... But feel free to send me yummy things at any time :)

Miss Jackson revisited

I walked in and was greeted by a friendly hello from behind the coffee machine and the till. "Can I get you a table?"

Yes, but just for one today...

"No worries, in that case, you're sitting here next to the fire and up the front so we can keep an eye on you".

Nothing makes my day more than coming to Miss Jackson. The guys are beyond friendly and enjoy poking a bit of fun. It has long been a love of mine but now that my new apartment is just across the park I am now proud to call myself a local. 

Being a single young female I've come to appreciate the cafes that you can sit, alone, for breakfast or lunch or just a coffee. With its intimate setting, the cafe is divided into smaller intimate spaces, it's comfortable to sit and waste an hour or so watching the surrounding interactions and soaking up the atmosphere. 

And of course, and most importantly, the food is divine! Not only is their regular menu delightful, the corn fritters are the object of many of my dreams, but they have regular specials that continually blow my mind. 

Today this was the Pork belly sandwich in a brioche bun. Which was delicious.

Not only was I devouring my fantastic sandwich and latte but one of the lovely gentleman approaches me, making a mess ill admit, with a glass of wine and says that it'll go very well with my lunch.. And it did....

Thanks guys for continuing to provide me with my favourite place to hang and eat.

Delectable Banana Bread

As I delve further into the baking world I seem to come across more and more new and exciting things to try my hand at.

This week, it was a simple Banana Bread. Inspired by the "Despicable Me" Minions Banana Clip. So so cute.

Back to the cooking; this recipe is so so simple that I don't even need to give my usual description of my own experience. All the ingredients are popped in a mixer, poured into a loaf tin and baked for an hour. Voila!

Enjoy...

Banana Bread

270g Dark Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
2 1/2 Bananas, the riper the better, mashed
280g Plain Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Bi-carb Soda
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
140g Butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 175 degreed celcius

2. Place sugar and eggs into a mixture on a medium speed. Beat until well mixed then add the banana.

3. Add flour, baking powder, bi-carb soda, cinnamon and ginger and beat well.

4. Pour in the melted butter and continue to mix until smooth.

5. Pour mixture into a loaf tin that has been lined with baking paper (or coated with cake release; my new kitchen love!)

6. Bake for approx 1 hour, until firm to touch and skewer comes out with few crumbs.

7. Leave to cool to room temperature in the tin, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Happy Baking!!!!.....

A little magic can take you a long way

Everyone loves a chocolate cake

I began my baking career backward. I have found that I started with the different things and it is only now, a year on that I am starting to wish I knew all the basics by heart. It started with the slices and now I'm onto the cakes.

I am ashamed to admit that I have never made a chocolate cake. That scares me. Just a basic chocolate cake. Everyone loves a chocolate cake.

So I made one. However, I wouldn't be Carly if I made it easy. I thought, why not make a custard icing? I love custard. 

I also found a packet of freeze dried raspberries in my pantry and figured there must be a use for these in my cake too, the flavour is intense and sweet; a perfect accompaniment to rich chocolate.

Now before you say "ew, custard icing", just give it a try. It eliminates that sickly sweet texture you can sometimes get from chocolate icing. It was heavy and rich which complemented the light and fluffy cake. A very sophisticated take on a simple chocolate cake. And much to my relief, everyone thought it tasted fantastic!

Try it for yourself and tell me what you thought...

Chocolate Cake:

120g Butter
280g Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
50g Cocoa Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Bi-carb Soda

A pinch Salt
180g Plain Flour
170ml Whole Milk

icing;
500g caster sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup
125g cocoa powder
200g cornflour
90g butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celcius

2. Mix butter and sugar in a mixer on med-high until light and fluffy.

3. Turn mixer to low and add eggs. Mix until combined.

4. Beat in vanilla. cocoa, baking powder, bi-carb and salt until smooth.

5. Add the milk and flour alternately until well combined.

6. Divide between two prepared cake tins and bake for approx 30 mins. Until knife comes out with slight crumbs.

7. Leave cakes to cool in tin until room temperature then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

8. For icing; In a medium saucepan, mix sugar, golden syrup, cocoa and 600ml water then bring the the boil on a medium heat. Whisk regularly. Separately, mix the cornflour with 170ml water, it will be reasonably tough and sticky but still mixable. If too thick add a small amount of extra water. Add the cornflour mixture to the saucepan whisking while pouring and return to the boil. Cook, while whisking, until consistency is thick. Remove from heat, add vanilla and butter then pour into a bowl and chill until firm.

9. Spread the icing over the base cake then add the second cake on top. Cover with icing.

10. I decorated with freeze dried raspberries, but you can add almost whatever you would like as a garnish on your delicious cake.

Happy Baking!!!...