Red Velvet Crinkles with Oreos

I'm am now on a cookie rampage, and Sprinklebakes is spurring me on. The latest concept; Red Velvet Crinkles with Oreos! Yum!

I will admit, I struggled with these. The dough was so sticky and it was hard to get it to attach to the Oreo.

The first 3 or 4 had me sweating in frustration, it was so fiddley! But after my fifth go I had the hang of it and it all started coming together. I later realised that this was due to the fact that i skipped putting the dough in the freezer! Whoops!

If, after cooling in freezer, the stickiness is really that bad then add a little more flour, but try to stay with it because I would have liked mine to be a little more moist I think...

Don't get me wrong, they are delicious!

Red Velvet Oreo Crinkles
(Recipe adapted from Sprinklebakes)

225g butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
Red food coloring (I recommend a paste rather than liquid)
3 1/2 cups plain flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
A large pinch of salt
2 packets of Oreos
1 cup icing sugar

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Cover two baking trays with baking paper.

2. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time then beat in buttermilk, vanilla and red food coloring.

3. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Add flour mix to butter mix and beat on low until just combined. The dough should be very soft and a little sticky.

4. Cover and chill in the freezer until the dough is very cold and easy to handle.

5. Sift icing sugar onto a plate and place within reach of your workspace.

6. Using buttered fingers scoop out a large piece of dough and press down onto the Oreo. Turn the Oreo over and fold the dough so the cookie is completely covered. Roll lightly between the palms of your hands to make the dough a little more ball shaped around the Oreo and roll in the icing sugar.

7. Place dough balls on the baking tray. Spread them out, no more than 8 per large tray. The cookies will spread.
(For a more crinkled appearance; re roll the dough in the sugar before placing in the oven)

8. Bake for 12-14 minutes until cookies are puffed and cracked. Let cool on the tray until tray is able to be touched with bare hands then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Happy baking!
Let me know how you go!!!

Lemon Sprinkle Cookies

I have a confession to make....

I have never made cookies! Distressing, I know!

Now, this isn't 100% accurate as I have made both Gingerbread and Shortbread before. But I've never baked a simple cookie to put in a cookie jar and dip in milk or coffee or whatever dipping beverage you choose.

Funnily enough, I love cookies. They are one of my favourite snacks in the world and it is so rare to eat a bad cookie.

So when reading Sprinklebakes' blog, I stumbled across the cutest looking cookies I have ever seen. They were so colorful! I just had to have some.

And so I set out to bake my first ever cookie. Low and behold, Lemon Sprinkle Cookies!!!

Lemon Sprinkle Cookies
(Adapted from Sprinklebakes' recipe)

Ingredients:
225g of butter, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon essence
2 cups plain flour
Pinch of sea salt
Zest of 1 lemon
(Millions and Trillions of) 100's and 1000's


1. Beat butter in mixer on medium until lighter in color. Add caster sugar and beat again until combined. Add vanilla and lemon essence.
2. Beat in the flour, salt and lemon zest. The dough should not be sticky and should have a smooth consistency. The dough should hold when squeezed together.
3. Roll 1 tablespoon of dough into a ball and then roll in the 100's and 1000's until covered. Place in a freezer safe dish, seal or glad wrap and freeze overnight (if you need them quickly, you can skip freezing. The cookies will be flatter and only require 12- 15 minutes baking).
4. Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
5. Place baking paper on a baking tray. Remove cookies from freezer and arrange approx 5cm apart on the tray.
6. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the cookies are slightly golden. They should still be soft when pressed.
7. When tray has cooled and you are able to comfortably touch it, transfer cookies to wire racks to cool further.

Don't forget the dough should not be sticky and should have a smooth consistency. Hopefully yours will look the same as above. If you have not achieved this and it is too sticky add some flour, if you have the opposite and the dough is still dry, try adding a little more butter.

I used my tablespoon measuring attachment to separate my dough. Luckily for me it is also a nice rounded shape that made rolling the mixture oh so easy.

Roll your dough in the 100's & 1000's so they are covered and all kinds of pretty colors.

Place all your rolled cookies onto a plate and wrap with plastic, or into a freezer safe container. 

Place the plate in your freezer for at least 5 hours. I left mine overnight.

Voila! Lovely, delicious, spectacular looking cookies!

I hope you enjoy baking these as much as I did.

Please let me know how you go.

Fresh Mini Strawberry Tarts and Sunny Ridge Farm

They aren't as pretty as I would have liked....
But I'll fix that next time

I went exploring the Mornington Peninsula last week. I have forever been meaning to visit Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm, then like clockwork, every day off work I have forgotten all about it, just to commence my desire to visit upon my first day back at work.

This week I remembered so I piled myself into the car and drove down. When you arrive at Sunny Ridge there is a gazebo where you pay your entry ($8 per adult) and each receive a punnet to fill at your own delight (provided the lid closes comfortably).

Excitedly I made my way down to the public picking area and began the search for the best strawberries. Only the reddest and juiciest would make the cut.

An hour later, I was stocked up and ready to move on. I was overwhelmed by all the ideas popping through my head. How would I make use of these delicious strawberries.

Apparently, the trick with strawberries is not to wash them until you are ready to eat them. That way they keep their freshness and taste.

When I got home I set upon making some mini Strawberry Tarts. Note my hesitation... It is rather justified if you happen to remember the apple tart debacle of recent. I was going to be extra careful with these tarts....

I will make one confession. I was being gluttonous.. I wanted to take them to a party I was attending in 3 hours. In order to achieve this I did buy store bought pastry to eliminate hours of preparation. They still came out delicious but if you have time to make your own sweet pastry I would recommend this for better results. It's definitely on the list for next time.

Mini Strawberry Tarts:
Makes 10 (7cm tart tins)

Ingredients:
Shortcrust pastry sheets x 3 (homemade or store bought)
Mini tart tins

For the filling:
235ml milk
2 egg yolks
55g caster sugar
A drop or two of vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cornflour
A pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon butter
20 strawberries
Blueberries (optional)

1. Lay out your pastry. If using homemade pastry, roll out to approx 5mm thick.
Cut 10 x circles to fit your tart tins. Mine were 10cm. Blind bake for approx 15 mins or until golden. (If you are unfamiliar with Blind Baking please see my instructions in the quiche post). When golden remove from oven and place on cooking racks until ready to use.

2. In the bowl of your mixer, whisk at medium speed the egg yolks, 60ml of the milk, sugar and vanilla extract. Add the cornflour and salt and mix until combined.

3. Heat the remaining milk to just before boiling in a saucepan. Pour the hot milk in a slow, steady stream into the mixture, whisking constantly on medium speed as you pour. When combined pour the entire mix into the saucepan.

4. Whisk the mixture over a medium heat until it thickens to the consistency of custard. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter.

5. Pour the custard into a bowl and place the bottom of the bowl into a bowl of iced-water to cool, whisking occasionally.

6. When cooled, pour into a piping bag (i used a squeezy bottle to make life a bit easier. a sauce bottle will do the job well). Place into the fridge until you are ready to use it.

7. Chop the tops off the strawberries and halve.

8. Fill the pastry cases with the custard mix and arrange 4 strawberry halves on each tart so the bottoms either point outwards or meet in the middle. Place blueberries, if using, in between each strawberry (and in the middle if strawberries are pointing out).

9. Refrigerate until time to eat!

I was so proud that I had succeeded. The tarts had not got the better of me this time, or so I thought.

I arranged them beautifully in a dish, glad wrapped it and headed off. Arrived at my mothers and realised the party was on a boat. Maybe a china dish was not the smartest of options. (I know you all can see where this story is going).
The cute little tarts were transferred into a plastic container still looking lovely and off we went.
We arrived at the marina, hopped on the boat and the tarts were stowed safely away in the kitchenette. I looked out to the water. It was a little windy.

We all chose our seats and off we went for a lovely, rocky sail... We were only out on Port Phillip Bay so when I say rocky please don't think it was stormy seas, it doesn't even get real waves. Having said that, as the boat tipped to the sides my life was flashing before my eyes.
When we headed back we remained on the boat and all brought out our goodies to share.
My tarts were the last to appear. And I was devastated.
The rocking had caused the custard to shift and now they were lopsided tarts with custard spilling off the edge and strawberries hanging on for dear life. It was a mess. Thankfully there were mostly boys on board so the mess was not cause for hesitation and I was grateful that the feedback was positive. Apparently they tasted delicious.

Did they work for you? Let me know...

Olinda Tea House - Worth the drive

I love getting out of the city and visiting The Dandenongs. Usually this is for my family's tradition of Christmas in July where we all pile into an old fashioned restaurant on a cold winter's day and enjoy a beautiful Christmas roast.

Today is not in July, nor was it for a Christmas celebration. It was just me, leaving the city, in search of a nice lunch and a spot of tea.

I found this, and more, at the Olinda Tea House. Upon first arrival it's appearance is similar to that of a day spa. Clean and free of clutter, simple, using natural materials like wooden floors and fencing. I had decided to take Hamish, my 13 y/o Westie, and feared that there was no outside seating area where I could sit with the old pup while I had lunch.

Devonshire Tea

Not to despair. The waitress was lovely and showed me the path round the back to the seating on the deck.

I lounged on the oversized outdoor couch and ordered myself a glass of wine.

I followed that up with mini hamburgers and a vegetable pastry, both of which were phenomenal. The burgers came as a pair and were about big enough for two bites, with a side of shoestring fries and a salad. The pastry was overflowing with roasted vegetables also served with a side salad.

Feeling satisfied but not quite finished I also ordered a serve of scones with the most delicious raspberry jam and cream. I also purchased a jar of the jam so I can recreate the experience at home.

All full up, with a somewhat restless dog, I headed off. Had I not had to be home by a certain time I think I would have sat there drinking and eating for the rest of the day.

The place provides a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere in which people can enjoy their day and really soak in the beauty of The Dandenongs.


I have a feeling I will be back very soon. I apologise for the lack of pictures, I got so caught up in the moment the time flew by.

Olinda Tea house - Visit their website.

Oreo Cupcakes - There's no such thing as too much chocolate

A friend of mine just left for a huge trip around Asia... Bye Damo!!

This happens to be the friend who is constantly giving me cupcake requests (the mastermind behind the maple bacon and cookie dough ideas) so to send him off I thought it was only fitting to bake him one of the recipes he had so kindly provided for me to bake for him at some point.
This particular recipe was for Oreo Cupcakes.

I scanned through the recipe and loved the idea but wanted to create my own. I used a recipe for chocolate cupcakes that I had made before, crushed half a pack of Oreos and added it to the mixture.
I then made a cream cheese icing and once again crushed half a pack of Oreos and added it to the mix. To just make sure there was enough Oreo involved I also put one mini Oreo as a garnish on each cupcake.

They went down a treat. Within a hour if my opening the box, all 15 cupcakes had been devoured. Some people going back for seconds and thirds. They were so delicious. The recipe has been marked with a large smiley face and will be definitely placed in the archives for multiple future uses. I have added it below for you to try if you're ever in need of an easy, tasty cupcake!

Oreo Cupcakes:

Makes 18

1 1/2 cups (215g) plain flour
1 tsp bi-carb soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (125ml) hot water
1/2 cup (50g) cocoa powder
1/2 cup (125ml) cold water
100g butter
1 1/4 cup (280g) caster sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 packet regular Oreo cookies
1 packet mini Oreo cookies
icing:
225g cream cheese - room temperature
1/2 packet of regular Oreo cookies
225g butter
3 3/4 cups (500g) icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius

Sift together flour, bi-carb soda, baking powder and salt.

In a separate bowl whisk together cocoa and hot water to form a paste. Add the cold water and whisk to combine.

In a mixer, cream the butter until light. Add the caster sugar and eggs, beating until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract.

Add half of the flour mixture to the mixer and beat on a low speed until combined. Add half of the cocoa paste and combine once again. Repeat this step for remainder of flour and cocoa mixes. Be careful not to beat too well or it may become toughened.

Crush half a pack of Oreos roughly. Add this to the mixture and combine.

Fill cupcake papers to only half full as they will rise. I use an ice-cream scoop to ensure they come out nice and smooth. Bake for 20-25 mins until a skewer comes out with crumbs sticking.
Cool in the cupcake tray before transferring to a cooling rack, helps keep their shape.

For the icing;
Cream the butter and cream cheese together. Add the vanilla. Slowly add the icing sugar and mix well. Crush the half packet of Oreos and add them to the mixture.

Ice cupcakes. Place one mini Oreo on each for a cute garnish.

Voila!

If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate...

A Christmas Project

To celebrate the festive season and my obsession with all things Christmas, I have decided to set upon a baking mission.

In the 12 days prior to Christmas I will bake 12 different items.

Already put on the list are; a gingerbread house - a must have for any Christmas celebration.
Lebkuchen - a German Christmas biscuit that is delicious.
Shortbread
Mince tarts and
Red Velvet Cupcakes.

With 5 already on the list I know my work will be cut out for me and I'm hoping that readers will help me figure out the rest of the items to complete my 12 days of baking.

Please comment below with any festive recipe ideas you may know that will create a challenge and some Christmas fun...

I look forward to sharing the progress and Merry Christmas!!!

Sydney - How I ate my way through a city...

Sitting in my apartment, I was reminiscing about my recent adventures overseas. Everything is relaxed, easy, you don't have to keep appointments, go to work, clean...
It was time to plan my next adventure. After such a big trip I decided on a smaller holiday. Thailand was my first thought, but it was pushed aside for the new year.
After much deliberation I settled on the idea that I wanted to visit Australian wineries. So where to go? My choices were plentiful... Barossa valley, Yarra valley, Hunter valley, the list goes on.
A good friend told me tales of his friend's romantic trip to the Hunter Valley where they drank wine, had picnics, lots of hugs and kisses and all that mushy stuff that us girls pretend to hate but secretly wish for...

Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard

The Hunter Valley had been selected but I could not possibly spend 10 whole days there so I needed something else. It'd been ages since I'd been to Sydney. That was added to the list. I've never been to Canberra. Can you believe that. I am as Australian as they come and I have never been to our nation's capital. I was so disgusted with my ignorance that Canberra was added in capital letters.

On Tuesday I headed off. By Tuesday night I was driving around the circular roads of Canberra. Dinner at "Little Brussels" Belgian Beer Cafe who had run out of mussels!!! I almost cried. Drank my favourite beverage; rekorderlig cider, I ate fish and chips. The food was rather nice. I'd definitely try it again in pursuit of some belgian style mussels. Off to the casino I went for a game of Carribbean Stud (or Canberra Stud as they have so tastefully named it).

Poorer than I was the evening prior, I woke at the crack of dawn, or rather 9am, and headed to all of the monuments before making the drive to Sydney.

My first night I ate terrible Moroccan food... Disastrous first impression Sydney!

The following day, determined to right the wrongs I headed down to the Opera Bar at the Opera house and spent my afternoon eating a seafood salad and chips and sipping on some lovely Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc. If you can handle the seagulls then take a seat outside along the waters edge looking back at the Opera House and spend your day, in the sun, admiring the views. It truly was my second favourite experience this week. The view is gorgeous, the staff are friendly and the food tastes great. I could have stayed there for days.

View from the Opera Bar

After drinking more than my fare share of wine, I headed back to our hotel. On my way I passed Zumbo's and thought I'd pop in for their happy hour. The dessert train looks fantastic and the flavours of their macarons are bizzarre. Check out my post on Zumbo's

Zumbo's selection of A La Carte Desserts

The next day I caught the ferry over to Watson's Bay and sat on the verandah of Dunbar House, a beautifully restored mansion on the waterfront, eating prawns and bruschetta and a bottle of wine. Their Devonshire tea is also to die for. This was by far my favourite experience in Sydney. It was relaxing, the food fresh and seasonal and the setting is breathtaking. The lovely waiter was happy to entertain me with stories of his travels and experiences around the city and he made the day all the more pleasurable. As it started to rain and the weather cooled, they brought me a blanket so I stayed warm and topped up the wine :) they host weddings weekly and I can see why.
Check out my post on Dunbar House

Part of our lunch at Dunbar House

From Watson's Bay I made my way back into the city to check out Mr. Wong's; a new cantonese restaurant. Their food was unlike any Cantonese I have eaten before. Say good bye to your local Chinese dive guys, you will never go back once you have experienced this. And their cocktails...wow!
Check out my post on Mr. Wong

That night, after dinner, I ventured down to The Rocks at Circular Quay where they were holding a "village bizarre". You walked through market stalls with yummy looking food (was such a shame that I was so stuffed from lunch and dinner or I would have eaten my way through here too). They had spanish churros, cupcakes, a barbecue... I walked through the showcase stall to witness giggling girls getting their hair done... Down hidden lanes to bars and comedy shows. If it hadn't been raining I could have danced the night away at the silent disco.

The silent disco. You receive headphones playing music and dance.
From the outside it is very entertaining to watch

For my final full day in Sydney I decided to head to the trendy Surry Hills district. I began my adventure at Ruben Hills cafe for breakfast. It was delicious and the coffee was fantastic. I loved the feel of the place, very comfortable.

Brekkie at Ruben Hills

From here I explored the streets and happened upon Sparkle Cupcakery. Naturally I was unable to resist so I exited 10 minutes later, cupcakes in hand, ready to take on the world.
Check out my post on Sparkle Cupcakery

Sparkle Cupcakery - Surry Hills

Within an hour and a half I was standing out front the famous Bourke Street Bakery, my mouth watering as I observed all the pastries available. How could I not go in? The place is an institution.

After walking, and walking, and walking, I had returned to the city. Bellies full, thinking about where I should go for dinner. The choices were Jamie's Italian, which I had absolutely loved when staying in Covent Garden in London, or the Meat and Wine Company in Darling Harbour. I had such a lovely memory of Jamie's that I wanted to preserve it as it was, so I decided on the Meat & Wine Co. After a steak, I was once again full to the brim. A walk was required along the waterfront. 

During my refreshing summer night walk I observed a Lindt cafe hidden amongst the plethora of bars and nightclubs. "Dessert?". 

One hazelnut gateau later I was well and truly done with eating... for the day. 

I headed back to my hotel to commence a food coma and start all over the following day.

Next stop: The Hunter Valley. 

I had wines, cheese platters, pub meals, Thai. The region looks amazing. The vineyards are delightfully pretty and everywhere you ate had a view of the surrounding country. 

My favourite wine tasting experience was at Scarborough. They brought out a cheese platter, and you got a placemat to place your wines on with the names of each written so that if you returned to one to compare you knew exactly what you were looking at.

I visited McGuigan's winery, Brokenwood, Scarborough, Gun Dog, Audrey Wilkinson and Pukara Estate. 

Pukara Estate makes the most delicious olive oils and balsamics. Stay tuned for uses with Strawberries among other things... I bought the biggest bottle of Caramelised Balsamic Vinegar I could, and a smaller one for later and tried all the different varieties of olive oil. 

For food you have a never ending list of options. My breakfast was included in the B&B I stayed in so I got to enjoy a lovely country breakfast each morning at Peppers Convent. 

I visited Harrigan's Pub for dinner ate the largest lamb shanks I have ever seen. These things were gigantic.  This was easily the best meal I had in the hunter valley.

Enormous lamb shanks and my yummy pumpkin soup.

I also ate at a Japanese/Thai restaurant called oishii. The food was nice, seemed such a strange mix, Japanese and Thai paired together. The view was beautiful. The outside eating area was on decking so you had a complete view of the surrounding vineyard. It started to get cold but I refused to go back inside.

For lunch, I found out from one of the locals that Cafe Enzo was the nicest cafe in the area. It is a quaint little spot in the midst of a tasting room for a boutique vineyard and an Alpaca farm (of all things!). Their food matches their boutique surrounds, and although it is very tasty, the portions are quite small.

So after an 11 hour drive I have arrived home. I am still amazed at how much food I had eaten through the week. I feel like I've grown to twice my size. I love taking road trips to new places to try out the food that other cities have to offer. I still think Melbourne is the stand out in culinary genius though. You can never go past your own local favourites...

Farewell fireworks on my last night in Darling Harbour