Chocolate Lamington Cupcakes

These lamington cupcakes are yummy and an inspired twist on a kiwi favourite! They are the perfect addition to any autumn picnic but would be equally impressive served at a high tea – Mother’s Day is coming up next month so maybe keep these in mind. I made these cupcakes using my go to chocolate cake/cupcake recipe but if you have a go to trusty chocolate cupcake recipe of your own feel free to use that.

And if these delicious treats aren’t enough for you keep an eye out for the replay of New Zealand’s Hottest Home Baker on Food TV, screening at 12.30pm, 4.30pm and 8.30pm on Saturday’s from April 5!

Ingredients:
Cupcakes
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups flour
1 egg
½ cup milk
150g butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Pinch of salt
½ cup boiling water
Ganache
250g dark chocolate
200ml cream
Filling
18 teaspoons raspberry jam
Topping
1-2 cups long thread coconut

Method:
Pre heat your oven to 180°C
Place all ingredients in a bowl EXCEPT the water.
Add water to all the other ingredients and mix. Once you have a nicely combined batter place batter into 18 cupcake papers.
They should take about 10 minutes but you will know they are ready when they spring back to the touch and a skewer can be inserted and removed cleanly, remove and set aside to cool once baked.
***While you are baking your cupcakes you can make up your dark chocolate ganache. To make the ganache you need to place your cream and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and place it over a pot of simmering water (making sure that the simmering water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl). Leave for 1-2 minutes before stirring slowly with a whisk, continue to stir until you have a combined, glossy chocolate mixture.
Refrigerate until it is spreadable (2-3 hours).
Once completely cool use a cupcake corer or your teaspoon measure to scoop out the middle of each cupcake, set the cupcake top aside.
Fill each of your holes with a teaspoon of raspberry jam and replace the top, this will enable you to spread your ganache without getting jam in it.
To decorate use a palette knife to spread a thick layer of chocolate ganache over each cupcake.
Sprinkle the coconut on top of each cupcake, gently pressing it on if needed so the whole top is covered.
I topped mine with little red hearts, but I have seen these with fresh raspberries when in season (which I imagine would be fab).
*** You can make your ganache ahead of time, it will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

The new Baking Makes Things Better promo for Food TV!

Baking Makes Things Better - Food TV Promo #2 from BMTBblog on Vimeo.

Food TV have sent us through the new promo for our site!  It will be playing on their channel shortly so keep an eye out.

It's pretty exciting to see our little piece of the internet being promoted on the telly.  This all just started as somewhere for us two besties to have a play around on and share our recipes with friends.  We never would have guessed it would grow this big and gather so many readers.  We just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has helped us get to where we are today; you've all become our friends and we greatly value your support!

Passionfruit Meringues

A couple of weeks back I caught an episode of ‘Cooks to Market’ on Food TV, only to see one of my little sister’s school friends – Stacey – competing as one half of the team ‘The Meringue Girls’. They did very well on the show and it seems the momentum has continued since as they have a book on the way! Watching them make beautiful meringues of all colours and flavours inspired me to give it a go.

Ingredients:
3 egg whites
¾ cup of caster sugar (I used half regular and half Billington’s Golden Caster Sugar)
1 tablespoon Nutrafresh sparkling passionfruit powder
a few drops of yellow food colouring
*whipped cream or ice cream to serve

Method:
Pre-heat your oven to 180˚C.
Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry, add half the sugar and beat well, add remaining sugar a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition, add passionfruit powder with your last tablespoon of sugar.
Drop oven temp to 120˚C and pipe or spoon small amounts (slightly smaller than bite size as mixture will expand) of the mixture onto an oven tray lined with baking paper.
If you wish to colour them just place a small drop of yellow food colouring to the top of each meringue and swirl with a skewer or toothpick.
Bake for 35 minutes or until meringues are dry but not brown.
*Tip – do not open oven door while cooking!

I think these are divine and so, so easy. Ice cream or cream takes the tang off the passionfruit perfectly, I also served mine with a small drizzle of Prenzel Passionfruit Tipsy Topping! If you want to know more about the Meringue Girls you can check out Stacey’s Interrview with Food TV here.

Brunch– My Favourite Meal!

Cinnamon Mascarpone and Cheery Pancakes, Blackberry-Hazelnut Sticky Buns, Calabrian Scrambled Eggs w/- Jalapeno Pesto Bruschetta, Crispy Bacon and Hash Brown Quesadillas – SOURCE

Who doesn’t love brunch! Pre-Max Shane and I would often venture out for brunch at some of our fave cafes, these days it’s a little more of a treat but we do occasionally go all out at home. It was for this reason I was so excited to learn that Bobby Flay had created a TV series dedicated to my favourite meal and I was even more excited (after loving series one) when Food TV sent me a sneak peek of season two!

With a spatula in one hand and a drink in the other, Bobby goes from sweet to salty to savoury, drawing inspiration for every-occasion brunches from around the globe. From brunch fit for the Queen to havin' a lime while cooking Caribbean style! Bobby's kitchen, brunch has never been more inviting! To check out Brunch @ Bobby’s you should tune into Food TV (SKY channel 9) every Tuesday from 9 July at 12, 4 and 8pm!

Of course we have some delicious brunch ideas here on the blog, check out our Buttermilk Pancakes, Cinnamon Pull Apart Loaf, Potato Bacon and Cheese Frittata and Sundried Tomato and Cream Cheese Muffins. You can also find more inspiration on our Pinterest page, while there you could also check out what Food TV are pinning.

Feel free to leave us a comment here or on our Facebook page with your favourite brunch meals! I don’t know about you but I am certainly in the mood for a Sunday brunch now… Enjoy the rest of your weekend xx

Queen’s Birthday Weekend Baking Inspiration: High Tea

Who doesn't love a high tea?! Here at BMTB we think they are fab, if you are a long time reader you will know that we have thrown a few. Queen's birthday weekend is only days way and I think it is the perfect excuse to do some baking and round up a few friends to enjoy a traditional high tea.

To throw a great high tea you need to prepare a mix of savoury and sweet treats, bite sized and finger foods are best as they are tidy to eat. At our high tea picnic last year I made some delicious apple and pork sausage rolls, Mel made some little mince pies and feta and spinach pinwheels, of course petite sandwiches are also a must!

There are so many sweet treats on the blog suitable for high tea, some of our favourites are passionfruit and lemon tarts with white chocolate ganache, raspberry melting moments, strawberry champagne cupcakes are great for special occasions, mini bundt cakes, caramel brulee slice, tan slice and lemon cheesecake slice are all divine and of course you need scones with cream and jam - it wouldn't be high tea without them.

If you do host a high tea we'd love to hear about it and we love to see your pictures, our friends at Food TV would also love to see your high tea pictures, in fact if you share your pictures with them through their facebook page it will put you into the draw to win some great prizes as part of their 'We Want Your Food' competition, which starts any day now! So go on get baking and then sit down and enjoy a cuppa while you enjoy the spoils of your hard work.

Buttermilk Pancakes and Brunch at Bobby’s

I have been working on perfecting my Buttermilk Pancake recipe for a little while now, it is perfect for using up leftover buttermilk from making Red Velvet Cake and a delicious addition to brunch. Shane and I had the family over for Easter brunch yesterday and I cooked 30 of these bad boys so I consider the recipe well tested!

Before I let you in on the recipe I just have to let you know about Brunch at Bobby’s. If you have been following the blog for a while you will know that both Mel and I love brunch – it is usually the meal featured in our cafe reviews, it’s nice to know we have a kindred spirit in celebrity chef Bobby Flay. In his new series Bobby steps away from the BBQ and opens up his home as he prepares brunch. With a spatula in one hand and a cocktail in the other (now if it’s good enough for Bobby I’m thinking it’s probably something I should consider doing…), Bobby goes from sweet to salty to savoury, drawing inspiration for every-occasion brunches from around the globe. With delicious brunch dishes like Mascarpone-topped cherry pancakes, dressed-up eggs Benedict and more, this is one you will definitely have to check out for yourself!

Ingredients:
Makes 8 large pancakes
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs
25 grams butter, melted

Method:
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients - flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl, beat together buttermilk, milk, eggs and melted butter.
Heat a lightly oiled frying pan over a medium high heat on your cooktop. A good tip to know if it is ready is to drop a small amount water onto your heated pan, if it beads up and sizzles you are good to go.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture once you are ready to cook, using a wooden spoon or whisk. Stir until it's just blended together. Do not over stir, it will be a little lumpy due to the texture of the buttermilk.
Using a 1/2 cup measure pour your batter on to the pre-heated pan and lightly brown on both sides. A tip on knowing when to turn your pancake is when you see little bubbles appear on the uncooked side and you you can lift the pancake up to check with a rubber spatula.

I recommend serving these warm with butter, lashings of maple syrup and streaky bacon, it’s the perfect combination of sweet and savoury and they are currently my favourite brunch. What are your favourite brunch dishes? If you are looking to improve your brunch repertoire I really recommend trying these pancakes and of course checking out Brunch at Bobby’s.

Tuesday’s at 12.00pm, 4:00pm and 8:00pm, from 23 April on Food TV, SKY channel 9

Stacked Pavlova with Vanilla Cream and Dark Chocoalte Ganache

After watching the previews of Jamie’s Family Christmas, as part of Food TV’s November line up, the idea of Christmas traditions started to run through my mind. In the first episode of the series Jamie shows you how to make the perfect roast turkey, my family hasn’t been much of a turkey family over the years – although Wendy (my Step Mum) makes a mean roast turkey along with what seems like the more traditional (at least in NZ) ham every Christmas Eve. There is something about Pavlova that screams Christmas to me, I think it’s because my Mum only ever really made them for or around Christmas. I haven’t yet perfected the tall, white, perfect pav but recently started making this stacked version which is so simple and decadently delicious, I think I can see it becoming a Christmas tradition in my house.

Ingredients:
Pavlova
5 egg whites
1½ cups caster sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Filling
1¼ cups cream
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
250 grams dark chocolate
25 grams butter
¾ cup cream

Method:
Preheat your oven to 120°C. Use a 20cm round cake tin to trace *four circles on to the back two large pieces of baking paper which will go on two baking trays.
Place your egg whites on the bowl of your electric mixer and beat using the whisk attachment on a medium to high speed until you get soft peaks.
Lower your mixer to a medium speed and gradually add the caster sugar. Continue to mix until thick and glossy before adding the vinegar and vanilla essence.
Once the vinegar and vanilla essence are properly mixed in you can turn off the mixer and spoon the mix onto the four circles you earlier traced out. Use a spatula or the back of a large spoon to spread the mixture evenly so the disks are nice and flat.
Bake in your preheated oven for 1 hour before turning it off and leaving the door ajar to let them cool completely.
Once the pavlovas are nearly cool you can make your ganache by putting the chocolate, butter and 3/4 cup of cream into a large heatproof bowl and put that on top of a pot of simmering water (make sure the water will not touch the bottom of your bowl) to create a double boiler. Stir the ingredients until they have melted and come together before setting it aside to allow it to cool to a consistency that is spreadable.
Using an electric mixer, mix the 1 1/4 cup of cream and vanilla paste until it is thick.
To assemble your stacked pavlova spread ganache over the bottom layer and then top with cream, repeat with the next two layers. Dust the top pavolova with icing sugar and melt any excess ganache in the microwave and drizzle it over.
* I always make four disks in case one crumbles or rises too much. You can use three or four layers if all of them turn out perfectly.

So there you have it. I find it easier than a standard pavlova to get right. Does it look like something you might want to add to the Christmas day menu at your house? Do you have any special traditions cooking or otherwise?

If you want to check out Jamie’s Family Christmas and get into the spirit of the season (albeit a little bit early for some people – if your like me however the timing is perfect!), it premieres tonight on Food TV, SKY channel 9. And, if after watching you think you’d like to decorate you place with awesome paper fans just like Jamie has then head on over to The Pretty Baker and buy up large so you can have your place looking as great as the Oliver’s, while your there I promise it’s worth a look checking out their Christmas stock!

Our Food TV Commercial

Here's our Food TV Commercial for those of you that haven't been able to see it yet!  We are quite proud of it, it's pretty cool seeing our little blog mentioned on TV!

Nestle New Zealand’s Hottest Home Baker: Season 2

The show returns on TV3 and Food TV (channel 9 on SKY) this coming week. According to the Food TV website episode one for 2011 will air at 4pm, Saturday 12 February. What I am looking forward to more than the competition between the bakers (personally I wasn’t that excited by what the home bakers produced last year, with the exception of one or two recipes) are the master classes that accompany each episode, these are hosted by show judges Dean Brettschneider and Jade Lipton (new to the show this year).  Jade appears to be an amazing cake decorator and owns Cake Star in Brisbane, so I am excited to see what tips and tricks I can pick up from her in particular.  The first master class will air at 4pm, Sunday 13 February on Food TV.  Check out the Food TV website for more info on the contestants and upcoming competitions to be featured on the show.