Oreo Stuffed Cookies

Hi everyone,

We have made a video on how to make our unique Oreo Stuffed Cookies
Enjoy our recipe

Yi, Mendl and Brier

Macaron Lover

I like our blog’s background so much, do you think so? This funny dessert called Macaron! Macaron is one of sweet meringue dessert which made with egg whites, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond powder, and food coloring. I heard that Macaron come from France, and it is only served for royal noble at the early 1600’s. Don’t worry about that, today，you can buy it everywhere , even at Macquarie Shopping Centre. But if you want to make it by yourself, I am going to sharing you a video of Macaron recipe which I found from YouTube. I can’t wait to try to make Macarons.

Mendl



Keeping it sweet

As soon as someone says ‘desert’ most of us instantly think of a food we generally consider to be “unhealthy”.  Don’t be fooled- it is very possible to create a low-calorie delicious treat, minus the guilt factor!

My favourite way of increasing the nutritional value of a desert is by incorporating my favourite food in the world... FRUIT! Simply chop some banana and strawberries, melt some Cadbury milk chocolate and there you have it! You have a simple, delightful desert.

This is what I made for desert tonight...

Here are some other tips on how to increase the nutritional value of foods and decrease the kilojoules:

-         Substitute white sugar with brown sugar

-         Use fruit pieces in muffins instead of chocolate chips

-         Choose low-fat/skim milk over full-cream milk when making smoothies

It would be wondeful to hear some of your ideas...

:) Brier

Happy Birthday Steph!

I just found a photo I took of a cupcake tower I made for my sister's best friend's birthday last month.

Sometimes an attractive desert doesn’t always rely on a complex method.

Often, it is the way in which you position and decorate the desert that makes it appear effective.

This particular time, I used varying levels (with 3 plates and the cupcake triangle) and colours (M&Ms, sprinkles and the contrast between black and white plates) in order to increase the appearance of the treat. What are some ways you make your foods look better even if they only incorporate simple ingredients and methods? We would love you know!

:) Brier

Remember: You are what you eat!

We thought it would be relevant for me to post about health, body image and how excessive consumption of sweets can have a detrimental effect on these things.

Calories in Vs. Calories out

It is really important to maintain a balanced diet and to eat moderately in order to achieve or maintain a healthy weight and to avoid the risk of illness. In order to achieve some sort of balance, perhaps enjoy cooking a delicious treat once a week and allow yourself to a limited amount of what you have made ( For instance consume one cupcake from a set of 12).

Also, take time to consider the importance of exercise in our daily lives. Exercise, like cooking, is an instant mood lifter and can help rid of any signs of indulgence!

SO next time you’re reaching for your 4^th slice of cake maybe think of this photo and remember to look after yourself.

:) Brier Yi and Mendl

Oh the perks of having friends working at Cadbury!

Found this on my desk at work today after I got back from my work break. 

My family will love me!

:) Brier

Watching your waistline?

One of my closest friends is a body builder. During his cutting season where he trains hard and eats clean in order to be fit to compete, he told me his diet becomes extremely boring, repetitive and tasteless. So, as a dutiful friend I decided to look up low calorie, tasty treats that he could indulge on once a week.

 I stumbled across an image on http://www.ubersimplicity.com of a frozen chocolate and kiwi ice-block. This got me onto the idea of freezing fresh fruit in the form of an iceblock.

I experimented with different fruits such as kiwis, strawberries, peaches and blueberries.

I chopped fruit up into small pieces and place in ice-block moulds. To fill the mould I used water or fresh fruit juice and allow freezing for 2-3 hours. 

This is a fresh, funky snack and an extremely healthy alternative to dairy, sugar and fat filled ice-cream or ice-block treats. It won’t leave you feeling guilty or heavy after!

It was a hit with the body building team -they can’t get enough of them!

Try it yourself, or share some of your healthy sweet alternatives with us!

:) Brier

I just wanted to show you another set of cupcakes I made recently using the exact same recipe as the ones below for my students. They look completely different however the only changes I made was to the icing.

I have absolutely fallen in love with Betty Crocker's Rich and Creamy Vanilla Icing. It is easy to spread, looks great and tastes fantastic! I used this for half of the cupcakes. The other half I used Nutella. Both products help increase the taste of the cupcake and make decorating a lot easier as sprinkles and edibles can be easily positioned and stick to the icing.

Betty Crocker's Rich and Creamy Vanilla Icing is such a diverse product as it can be mixed with food colouring allowing you to create a whole new style and appearance for a cupcake.

 Here is a photo of a cupcake my sister in law made with purple food colouring.

It's a fantastic product and comes in handy when you don't have time to make your own icing

:) Brier

Cupcake Queen

Being a dance teacher, I am constantly looking for new ways to motivate my students (or should I say bribe) to perform to the best of their ability. Usually, I use stickers as a reward, and way to encourage my kids to work to their potential. Recently I have noticed some fantastic improvements in my ballet class so I decided to bake some cupcakes for my students as a treat and a way to show my appreciation for their dedication and hard work.

I actually found a Kid’s Cook Book  written by Pamela Gwyther and came across a cupcake recipe .

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE BASIC CUPCAKE:

(Serves 12)

125g butter (softened)              

125g caster sugar
2 beaten eggs
125g self raising flour
2tbsp milk

METHOD:

Using a wooden spoon, cream the butter and sugar until mixture is light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour into the mixture, folding it carefully using a tablespoon.  Pour in the milk and stir until the mixture reaches a smooth consistency. Divide the mixture evenly into paper cupcake cases in a cupcake tray. Allow the cupcakes to back for 15-20 minutes. Cupcakes should have risen and should appear golden brown. Place on a cooling rack.

Now for the fun part...

When it comes to decorating the cupcakes you can be as creative as you like! With this set of cupcakes I used a ridiculously simple icing recipe consisting of 225g icing sugar, 1tbsp lemon juice and 1tbsp warm water. Literally all you are required to do is sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the juice and water and mix until creamy and thick. Because I was cooking for children, I decided to incorporate lots of colour (using food colouring) into my icing to increase its appearance. Remember: food colouring is very strong. Add one drop at a time to achieve the desired shade of colour. I then decorated the cakes with sprinkles, edible flowers and fruit!
The decorating is really up to you and can be altered according to who you are cooking for!

My kids really loved the cupcakes their faces were beaming! They were a great incentive.

I’d love to hear how you decorated your cupcakes!

:) Brier

Here are a couple of photos of my cupcakes!

Brownies for Brier!

Hi guys,

Brier here!

Just wanted to make a quick post tonight about a yummy snack I found on the kitchen bench today when I got home.

My wonderful roommate made them lactose free too- What a darling!

I asked my friend to write down how she made the brownies. Her recipe is as follows:· 2 cups all-purpose flourhopping list

· 2 cups sugarshopping list

· 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted) shopping list

· 1 tsp. baking powdershopping list

· 1 tsp. saltshopping list

· 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. cinnamon(to taste) shopping list

· 1 cup soy milkshopping list

· 1 cup vegetable oilshopping list

· 1 tbsp. vanilla extract

· 1tbsp icing sugar

Grease a baking tray and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together. In a separate bowl, mix soy milk, oil & vanilla. Pour into the flour/sugar mixture and stir until evenly blended. Finally, combine all ingredients together and mix. Pour into the greased baking tray and allow cooking in an oven for 30-35 minutes at 180 degrees.
Once the brownie is cool, cut into small pieces and sift icing sugar over the pieces to enhance the appearance of the desert. Alternatively, you could spread Nutella over the brownies! Delicious!

:) Brier

Looks may be deceiving...

This is my Grandmother’s cook book. Although it appears to be a scruffy old folder, to me it is like a bible for cooking. I am constantly refering to it and enjoy experimenting with some of her old recipes.(Perhaps I should buy her a new ne for mother's day!)

Inside here you will find a collection of recipes for deserts such as cakes, slices, muffins, cupcakes and beverages.

I think it's really important to keep a cook book at home to store recipes that can be passed down from generation to generation, to friends and to refer to yourself.

Think of it as a way of tracking progress - Take photos and compare how challenging the recipes and methods are!

Just some food for thought, pardon the terrible pun!

:) Brier

Hey guys, Yi again!

I would like to share an image I just came across on http://www.evilmadscientist.com. I thought it was a clever idea of taking the homely feel of an apple pie and combining it with notions associated with technology. I it quiet humorous really! Maybe some of you could try this yourself . You will find the method at http://www.evilmadscientist.com/article.php/ApplePie

 

Easy as pie!

(or not...)

As winter approaches I have had strong cravings for a warm slice of apple pie. Usually I am lazy and head down to my local bakery and purchase one. However for the sake of the blog I chose to make my own over the weekend!

I’m sure you’ve gathered from my last post that I am LAZY when it comes to cooking! So I did cheat in a way... I’ll be honest- I purchased frozen pastry shell for the pie. Nonetheless, here is my recipe for the pie filling:

Peel and core 8 apples and slice east apple into 8 pieces. When apples are exposed to oxygen they brown. In order to prevent and discolouration of the fruit, toss them in lemon juice immediately after they are cut.

Place 45g unsalted butter and 110g caster sugar in a frypan over medium heat. Remember: Sugar burns easily so ensure you stir these ingredients constantly. When butter has melted, add apples and cinnamon, then stir to coat. Stir until apples have softened and set aside to cool. 

Once the filling has cooled, pour into the frozen pastry shell. Place in an oven of 180 degrees heat and allow the pie to cook for 45 minutes. The pastry should have turned a golden brown colour. 

Eat the pie warm and contrast this warms with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream to serve.

I am still to master the making of the pastry! I have tried it once before but it was not as easy as it appears! Any tips or advice for pastry making would be much appreciated!

Yi :)

Kit Kat Kake

A few weeks ago I came across an image of an amazing looking cake made of two of my favourite chocolates- Kit Kats and M&Ms! I was instantly inspired and challenged myself to recreate the image I saw! Although I did not have the original recipe of the cake I decided to try my own basic cake methods and decorate the cake like the photo. I will post an original photo of the treat and my own so you can see the changes I made.

So to make the cake itself, you will need some basic ingredients:

• 2 cups self-raising flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence
• 2 large eggs or 3 small eggs
• 1/2 cup of cooking oil (vegetable or sunflower)
• 1/2 cup of milk

Gently sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Once this is done, mix all the ingredients together using a wooden spoon, leaving the milk last. Ensure mixture is moist. TIP: Use a spatula to scrap dry ingredients (such as flour) from the side of the bowl into the mixture to enhance consistency of the final product. Pour the entire mixture into a greased cake tin and allow it to cook in an oven of 180 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
Once cooking time has ended, leave the cake to cool on a cooling rack for 20 minutes.


In order to decorate the cake you will need:

• 4 table spoons Nutella
• 10 Kit Kats
• Packet of M&Ms OR colourful chocolate rocks

When the cake has cooled to room temperature, smother Nutella over the top using a spatula. (This helps the M&Ms or chocolate rocks stay in place). Sprinkle M&Ms or chocolate rocks over the Nutella evenly. Lastly place Kit Kats around the edge of the cake like a fence. I found this the most challenging part of the method as it requires you to balance the chocolate and depends on a well shaped cake.



Here is the original image using M&Ms

Here is my image using chocolate rocks

Try it at home, it is quiet easy and a lot of fun! I had a lot of positive feedback from family and friends who tried it. You could easily supplement the M&Ms with any other chocolate or lollies. You could even maintain the vibrancy of the cake using colourful fruits!
It is always fun to be visually inspired and to create something of your own from this inspiration!

:) Brier

Don’t do dairy?

After reading Yi’s milkshake recipe I thought I’d make a shout out to those of you who, like me, are lactose intolerant!
Funnily enough, lactose intolerance is more common than we think. Some people are intolerant and don’t even notice!
However in more severe cases, it is very obvious. For me, dairy food is like a poison to my body. My body finds it very difficult to digest, leaving me feeling very nauseous, bloated and feeling sluggish!

This brings me to share my recipe for a lactose-free milkshake. This is a recipe my mother experimented with when we first discovered my intolerance as a child and despite the fact that is it missing the essential ingredients to make a proper milkshake, it still tastes lovely!

So, pick up a few extra items while doing your grocery shopping. You will need:

• 1 quart dairy-free soy or rice ice cream
• 1 16-oz bag frozen strawberries, thawed
• ¼ cup coconut milk
• ¼ cup dairy-free almond milk, plus more if desired
• 1 T. maple syrup

Method:
In a tall, plastic jug, combine all of the above ingredients until thick and creamy. If you want a smoother consistency, add more dairy-free almond milk. Serve the beverage cold and enjoy.
My mother’s recipe serves four as she had four children. If you find you have leftovers, simply store in a jug in the fridge.
I really hope this recipe has allowed some of you indulge on a sweet treat without feeling nauseous afterwards! Lactose intolerance isn’t so restricting after all!

:) Brier

Lazy lady Milkshake

Hi guys, Yi here!
Although I am a sucker for chocolates, cakes and all things nice, homemade milkshakes are my favourite treat of all time!
What's great about milkshakes is that they are VERY simple to make and its ingredients are cheap- So you can indulge on a low budget!

Often, young females struggle to incorporate dairy into our daily diets and therefore neglect our need to consume sufficient amounts of calcium to improve our bone density and strength. This is a fantastic, delicious way to increase calcium uptake and avoid brittle bones!

All you need to do is combine the following ingredients with an electric blender until smooth:

1 Cup milk
6 Scoops strawberry ice cream
2 Tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon strawberry ice cream topping
1Tablespoon whipped cream
4-5 Fresh strawberries, sliced

There is nothing better than coming home from a long day of classes to a hydrating, cold and refreshing beverage! It literally takes 5 minutes to prepare.
If you get lazy, (like me) or don’t enjoy spending too much time in the kitchen this is the perfect drink for you. If you like, use this recipe for a foundation for other flavours.
Replace strawberry ice-cream with chocolate!

Enjoy! Share your thoughts and recipes and let me know how you went experimenting with other flavours!

:) Yi

Tiramisu Tutorial!

Hi guys,

This afternoon I will be sharing with you the recipe for my favourite dessert Tiramisu!

Tiramisu is an Italian, layered liqueur cake.

What you will need:

l  2 cups strong black coffee

l  1/2 cup marsala (see note)

l  3 eggs, separated

l  1/3 cup caster sugar

l  250g mascarpone

l  300ml thickened cream, lightly whipped

l  1 large packet of sponge fingers (savoiardi)

l  cocoa, for dusting

How to make the cake:

1. Pour coffee and marsala into a tray. Reserve.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks and sugar until pale. Add muska and cream, stir gently so ingredients combine.

3. Beat egg white with an electric mixer, until soft peaks form in a medium bowl. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold mashka into the mixture of eggwhites.

4. Dip enough biscuits into the coffee mixture to cover the base of a 19cm square ceramic dish. Cover the biscuits with one-third of the mascarpone mixture. Repeat layers 2 times, ending with the cream. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Dust generously with cocoa and serve.

This cake if commonly enjoyed with coffee or tea.

Tiramisu is the thing I don't want to miss it!

Mendl

Hey everyone!!

Today I made some delicious Cookies and Cream Ice-Cream for desert!
I will share my secret recipe with you...

What you will need:

300mL pure fresh cream
100mL condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
4 Oreo cookies (crushed)

How to make the ice-cream:

1) Pour the Oreos into a bowl and crush using a spoon.
2. using an electric mixer, whisk the fresh cream until soft peaks form
3. Combine the condensed milk, vanilla essence and crushed Oreos with a spoon
4. Store in a container in a freezer for 12 hours. Throughout this time, stir the ice-cream every 3-4 hours.
5. Serve and enjoy!

Eat up!
From Yi :)

Ps. Here's a photo...

Hello fellow bloggers and welcome!

I had the honours of writing our first post as a group so I thought I would introduce us and dish the dirt as to what to expect on our blog.
We are a group of three students from Macquarie University's ISYS100 unit.
Our current I.T and Society assessment task requires us to create a blog on a specific topic.
Within minutes of meeting each other, we discovered we all have a sweet tooth- (Yi, one of our group members, was sipping on a Strawberry Squeeze Boost in class).
This led us to the idea of creating a blog on all things sweet! So, watch this space for images, inspiration, recipes, ingredients and accessories for deserts and yummy foods such as biscuits, cakes, slices and lollies.
Also, we will be sharing our own personal experiences at restaurants serving sweet foods, make recommendations for your order and keep you updated with the latest and greatest sugar fixes around… Your mouths will be watering!

Look forward to hearing your feed back and ideas!

:) Brier