Beeted Chocolate Fudge Cake

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Yvette

The crisp cool mornings have arrived with the changing colours of our trees, and the early evening smoke clouds from chimney tops from warm lit fires. Autumn is here, and with it beautiful Autumn vegetables. Pumpkins, Squash, Parsnips and beautiful, beautiful Beetroot.

I bought this beautiful bunch of beetroot from our local Organic Grocer, such wonderful fresh produce, this bunch cost AUS $3.50, and I used it for a couple of dishes. My first idea was to make that gorgeous magenta rich Bosch soup, but I didn’t have too many green flags on that one..so I thought I might be a little sneaky and make a chocolate fudge cake..everyone loves chocolate! I had seen red velvet cupcakes before made with beetroot, lower in calories and beetroot gives the mixture a smoother, moist texture.

Scouting through many wonderful new and exciting beetroot dishes, I found this one from the ‘girls’ from the BBC program ‘Cook yourself Thin’, I have adapted it due to the amount of coffee in it, not good for the smaller generation.

It is however a beautiful moist textured cake, and no one would ever know that there’s beetroot in the recipe.

Continue reading for this delicious recipe…

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Jaffa Extravaganza

Posted on April 8, 2012 by Yvette

Take a look! What comes to mind? This is decadence!

Mmmmmmm, chocolate and orange. Chocolate and Orange cheesecake!

This cheesecake has a rich smooth texture, dressed to impress with a luscious chocolate mousse filling,chocolate biscuit base, garnished with tangy orange segments and orange scented chocolate. Remember small slices!

Read on for the recipe…

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Chocolate Rocky Road Eggs

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Yvette

I know, aren’t they cute! And great fun to make for the children as a special Easter chickadee treat!

Chocolate eggs filled with delicious home made rocky road.Chocolate,marshmallows,nuts and glazed cherries.

Recipe: Chocolate Rocky Road Eggs

1 carton (14 eggs) chocolate hollow eggs

1 packet of glazed cherries (coarsely chopped)

1/2 packed of mini marshmallows

1/2 packet pistachios (coarsely chopped)

100g milk chocolate (melted)

2 cherry ripe bars

1/2 cup of shredded coconut

1 packet sugar coated Easter eggs

Yellow and Black tubes of coloured icing

Preparation:

Firstly gently cut the chocolate Easter eggs in half. If eggs break put aside for the melting process. Melt 50g of milk chocolate, working quickly, place a dollop of chocolate on baking paper on a tray, place the half chocolate cup into the chocolate making a base for the chocolate cup. Refrigerate chocolate cups until mixture is ready.

Melt the remaining chocolate in a bowl over boiling water on a medium heat, add the cherry ripe bars, and when melted stir in the rest of the ingredients: mini marshmallows, chopped glazed cherries, pistachios and shredded coconut. Scoop the mixture into chocolate cups and refrigerate until ready to serve. Decorate with Easter egg chickens.

A special Easter chocolate treat.

Enjoy, my friends

Yvette…x

Layered Macadamia White Chocolate Slice

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Yvette

This little slice looks divine, tastes not too sweet, but somehow takes a little longer in the time department, so set the morning free to spoon and swirl in the kitchen. Just to get it right! Because it’s a little winner…

It’s full of all those ‘yummy’ ingredients,coconut, treacle, butter, chocolate and the decadence of nuts, the macadamia

Follow me for the recipe…

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Chocolate Rum Balls

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Yvette

Sugar and spice make these Chocolate Rum Balls a decadent ultimate Christmas treat. Aromatic spices of cinnamon and mixed spice, rolled in chocolate sprinkles and coconut. One bite size of pure bliss.

During Module 1 of The Art and Business of Surface Design course, we created moodboards and colourboards that we shared with all the other participants. It was four weeks of creative works and wonderful new friendships and energy, and I look forward to modules 2 and 3 in 2012. One of my boards I created was chocolate brown and red, and it’s somehow has influenced also this post. Just a little romantic touch also in my moodboard!

Read on for this delicious recipe for Chocolate Rum Balls and a little more festive red and chocolate brown.

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Festive Favourites

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Yvette

The list is long, of all the special sweet treats that you might write on your wish list of baking for this festive season. My niece wanted to bake something and one of her all time favourites is fudge…you bet chocolate, cocoa, coconut fudge brownies. So her eyes went bounding through many of our cookbooks, which were scattered over the kitchen table and she found this easy delicious recipe.

Looking almost in every kitchen shop, I finally found some snowflake cookie cutters, so I decided to cut snowflake shapes of this choc fudge. I think they look great, it does take a little extra time however, but you know me anything for a little more loving detail.

Recipe: Peppermint Candy Cane Slice

125 grams butter, melted

1 cup (220grams) brown sugar ( we didn’t have quite a cup full so I added fine caster sugar)

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon peppermint essence

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

1 cup (150grams) self raising flour, sifted

2 tablespoons cocoa

3 or 4 candy canes, roughly chopped/crushed

375 gram block of cooking milk chocolate

Preparation:

Pre heat oven to 180° C

Grease a 19 x 30cm lamington slice pan. Line base and sides with baking paper. Place butter, sugar, egg and peppermint essence in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Stir in coconut and sifted flour and cocoa. Mix well and press into prepared pan.

Cook in moderate oven for about 20 minutes.

Unwrap 3 or 4 candy canes and place in a snap lock plastic bag. Gently crush with rolling pin.

Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Pour over slice and spread evenly then sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Stand at room temperature until set.

To serve cut into rectangles of for than something special idea for Christmas use your favourite cookie cutters.

Enjoy,

Yvette…x

Sources: Snowflake etching The Graphics Fairy.

A Circle of friends

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Yvette

Sometimes life gets so busy, we change, things change us.

Sometimes directions in life are easy, sometimes a little harder. We all set ourselves goals, day by day, week by week…month by month…and even next year.

Every week I set myself some weekly goals to visit my circle of friends. Those whose blogs I adore to look at, read, comment and get inspired from. Our circles of friends are all different. We all have different passions. Those who write poems, who create in their kitchens, who paint, who make tea, who capture things through the lens…and you my friend, are part of my circle, and how lonely my life would be without you.

Today, I wanted to share with you, a reflective corner of blue and white. The changing blue skies and those soft romantic white clouds, are finally appearing and reflecting a new Spring/ Summer .

“The whole earth was brimming sunshine that morning. She tripped along, the clear sky pouring liquid blue into her soul” Theodore Dreiser

Blue and White china mugs…can’t you smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee!

Served with a handsome favourite of Rocky Road. Chocolate, nuts, cherries and marshmallows…Ohhh! what temptation!

I got lost for a ~~while~~ a few hours in the material department, don’t you just love the new textured fabrics I purchased. Fun new colours and designs, enhancing my styling photography.

More blue and white treasures to find…

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Chocolate custard cream horns

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Yvette

Life in the kitchen has been missed. However, this week we had an opportunity to make something to satisfy our sweet tooth desires.

Chocolate custard and cream filled pastry horns. What a mouth full, I can assure you the title is long but the recipe is simple.

I recommend this treat to anyone who doesn’t have much time to spare, if your planning a dinner time treat. Simplicity as it’s highest!

Read on for the recipe.

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A Swirling Treat

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Yvette

A combination of vanilla and chocolate S W I R L E D together to make a marbled effect. Oh, and be prepared for a few extra bowls to wash up. This cake is exhausting! Don’t get me wrong its a wonderfully delicious and moist cake, but it takes a little longer starting from scratch! But, of course all the more fun, when taking a knife, cutting a slice and seeing exactly what patterned you’ve made.

Read on for the recipe…

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Fluffy Pink centered Chocolate Eggcups & Tea

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Yvette

“Entertaining is a memory business because the pleasures of your hospitality become immortal in the memories of your guests.”

The whimsical setting of our afternoon included feathered friends, Spring nests, Royal Albert teacups and charming chocolate delights filled with fluffy pink mousse.I couldn’t resist pearls, satin ribbons and silver. Antique Easter images and eggs. The afternoon sunlight filtering through the window, and the underlying music , left us under an inspiring cloud capturing the finer things, and forgotten memories.