Magnolias Vanilla Cupcakes

Chocolate Icing used for this picture

Magnolias Vanilla Cupcakes is the best recipe for cupcakes that I am yet to come across.  They are light and airy, have plenty of flavour and are easy to cook.

• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ICING:
• Vanilla Buttercream (recipe follows) or Chocolate Buttercream
  
  

1. 

   Lime Icing was used for this batch

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.
3. In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
5. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing. At the bakery we ice the cupcakes with either Vanilla Buttercream or Chocolate Buttercream.

Note: If you would like to make a layer cake instead of cupcakes, divide the batter between two 9-inch round cake pans and bake the layers for 30-40 minutes.

Source

Coraline Button Cookies

Button Cookies inspired by the movie 'Coraline', these are made with a Peanut Butter Mixture.

Ingredients

1/2	cup	sugar
1/2	cup	brown sugar	(packed down in 1/2 cup)
2	whole	eggs
2	cups	peanut butter
1/2	tablespoon	flour, all-purpose	(optional, used to thicken)
1/2	tablespoon	cinnamon
1	dash	cocoa powder	(optional)

Directions

(Makes approx. 56 cookies)
Preheat Oven to 325°F.
Mix (using a spoon) sugar and brown sugar together in medium size bowl.
Mix in both eggs.
Mix in peanut butter. Mix in flour.
Sprinkle cinnamon on top of entire mixture, and stir in.
Place 1" balls of cookie dough on 2-3 trays covered with foil (shiny side up).
Put in oven and bake for 13 minutes.
When done, take cookie trays out of the oven.
Sprinkle a dash of cocoa powder on top of each cookie while they are still hot.
Let cookies cool for about 5 minutes, and enjoy!

***The recipe suggests putting cocoa on top of the cookies, which I have not.

For more Coraline cooking ideas check out Stranger than Fiction where I got the idea in the first place.

Custard Blueberry Dessert

This recipe came from a Coles free recipe book. I'm putting it up because it LOOKS impressive, but it was rather plain and disappointing!

1. Whip 300ml cream then add 400ml custard.

2. Layer the cream and custard mixture with Sponge Biscuits in a loaf pan

3. sprinkle blueberries on the top

4. Freezw

You need to take out of the freezer about 20 mins before serving. But I think this recipe needs more flavour, and the sponge biscuits kind of dry out in the freezer. Ugh. I wouldn't try it again

Aussie Meat Pie

This is the best meat pie recipe you'll find.  And just in case you were wondering if it REALLY is an 'Aussie' pie, let me reassure you...it actually contains vegemite!  (Yes, really!)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large brown onion, finely chopped
• 500g lean beef mince
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• 3/4 cup beef stock
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
• 1 teaspoon Vegemite
• 2 sheets frozen, ready-rolled shortcrust pastry, thawed
• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 egg, beaten

Method

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion. Cook for 3 minutes or until soft. Add mince. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, or until browned.
2. Mix cornflour and 1 tablespoon of stock to form a paste. Add remaining stock. Add stock, sauces and Vegemite to mince. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 8 minutes or until thick. Cool.

3. 

   This recipe calls for Vegemite

   Preheat oven to 220°C. Place a baking tray into oven. Grease 4 x 8cm base measurement pie pans.
4. Cut 4 x 15cm circles from shortcrust pastry. Use to line bases and sides of pans. Fill with mince. Brush rims with water. Cut 4 x 15cm circles from puff pastry. Place over meat. Press to seal. Trim. Brush with egg. Season.
5. Place pies onto hot tray. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Serve.
   
   
   
   

Mini Christmas Puddings

Visually stunning, these mini christmas puddings are a crowd pleaser! Try using different kinds of fruit cake (such as cranberry and almond cake) for a different flavour.

Ingredients:

200g dark chocolate

700g fruit cake (I used light coloured fruit cake for this recipe)

1/3c orange juice

1/2c icing sugar mixture, sifted

250g white chocolate melts

assorted coloured mini jelly beans

Put foil under the puddings until the chocolate is set

Method:

1. Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until smooth

2. Crumble cake into a large bowl.  Add dark chocolate, orange juice and icing sugar mixture. Stir to combine.  Cover and put in the fridge for a half hour until firm enough to handle.

3. Roll the mixture into balls (about a tablespoons worth is big enough) and place on a tray with baking paper.  Refridgerate until firm

4. Melt white chocolate, cool for 10 minutes then drizzle over the puddings to form a 'custard' look (as per the pictures).  Decorate with jelly beans.

Mini Christmas Puddings

Handy Tips

*When melting the chocolate don't let the water boil. Just let it simmer.

*When drizzling the chocolate over the balls, just do a couple at a time then put the jelly beans on the top.  Otherwise by the time you come back to put the jelly beans on, the chocolate may have set!

This recipe came from www.taste.com.au

Chocolate Balls

Possibly the easiest recipe out there.  Super quick to make, they just need an hour or so of refrigeration before serving.

Ingredients:

1 packet of Marie biscuits, crushed finely

1/2c shredded coconut

2tbl cocoa

1 tin condensed milk

Extra coconut for rolling

Cadbury Cocoa is a great brand to use

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients together well and roll into small balls 

2. Roll balls in the coconut, or you can use chocolate sprinkles

3. Put into the fridge and chill

Helpful Hints

*To crush the biscuits, put them into two freezer bags and crush with a rolling pin

*When rolling the balls, keep your hands moist so the mixture doesn't stick to them

White Christmas (non traditional)

Instead of using copha, this recipe uses white chocolate.  People who have tasted this recipe say they prefer the white chocolate over the copha.

A closer picture

 

I found this recipe on the taste website. Here is the link