Caramel Ganache

I have had two super huge weekends (caking and socially)! But before I post about the cakes of the past couple of weeks, here is an icing discovery I made a couple of weeks ago - Caramel Ganache.

It may not be news to you but it rocked my world. This is how it's done.

I made the caramel from scratch (which I think is made out to be harder then it is) by melting 3/4 cup of castor sugar with 1/4 tsp of lemon juice in a saucepan over low heat. At the same time heat 1/2 cup of cream to boiling and then allow to cool.

Add half of the heated cream to the caramel - the mixture will bubble and froth up - be ready! Take mixture of the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Add remaining cream, return to heat and whisk until smooth.

Pour the hot caramel over 250g (soft ganache) - 375g (firm ganache) of white chocolate buttons - allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Stir in a clockwise direction (otherwise the stringy caramel goes all over the place and doesn't blend with the chocolate) until chocolate and caramel are combined.

Allow to cool and use.

Divine.

Multi-coloured

I sit down at the computer - intending to write a blog post - but instead I open google reader and BAM! two hours later I'm up to date with the blogs I follow (perhaps I should follow less) and I'm bored with the computer and get up and walk away. SO, from now on, I'm not allowing myself to open google reader until I've blogged. And here it is....

I'm becoming increasing bored with normal (i.e. white and brown) coloured cakes. When I remember and when it's appropriate, I like to squirt a smidgen of colour into the cake batter.

Like this..

I forgot to dabble with the batter colour of these cupcakes but thought I've make up for it with the icing.

To get this effect, I loaded my piping bag with purple icing on one side and yellow on the other, obviously it's not an exact method if you want an equal half/half colour in the piped icing but I like the effect.

The cake was vanilla butter cake with vanilla buttercream icing - a yummy classic. It's funny how as soon as you colour the icing (or cake), people doubt your assurance of its vanilla flavour - as if you might be trying to trick them with surprise blueberry and lemon swirl icing :). One day I just might do that!

Have a smashing week!

Mexican Fest

I first saw this on the Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle - Here. It's very Heston Blumenthal.And I have been dying to try it, just waiting for an occasion.

There was a small celebratory afternoon tea at work last Friday and I volunteered to bring something - I saw my opportunity. I love testing stuff out on my work peeps cause there's a variety of tastes and they're willing to test my weird experiments.

Now, it's meant to look like a cornchip with guacamole and salsa. It's actually a lemon and poppy seed biscuit with a citrus marshmallow dip and fruit salsa.

It didn't look quite like the Sugarbelle picture but it's pretty close and taught me heaps (it's always a learning experience converting things from American speak to Australian speak).

The recipes for the biscuits and dip are below - adapted from the Sugarbelle website. Excuse my approximations, I wasn't recording amounts as I went but more 'feeling' my way and using my husband as a test horse.

For the 'salsa' I cut up 2 kiwis and about a cup of raspberries, squirted some lemon juice on them and sprinkled a couple of teaspoons of icing sugar over them and left them to go squishy.

I think the general consensus was that it worked, some people just went for the biscuit and mallow dip or fruit salsa and some combined all three.

Either way it's quirky presentation added a little something different to the mini party!

SweetSugarBelle’s Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

 *Preheat oven to 400° *

250g unsalted butter

1 ½ cup Icing sugar

1 egg

2 tsp Lemon flavouring

1 tsp vanilla

2 ¾-3 cup Self-Raising flour

2 tsp baking powder

1tsp salt

2 tsp poppy seeds

Cream together butter and confectioner’s sugar.  Add to this the egg and flavorings.  Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, adding this mixture one cupful at a time to the wet ingredients.  Mix until the dough forms a ball on the paddle.  Roll out on floured parchment paper and cut into desired shapes.  Bake at 400° for 7-8 minutes.

Fruit Mallow Dip

What You Need

1 pkg. PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 packet of marshmallows - melted in the microwave until it's all goopy

approx 150g of sourcream

approx 1 tsp of orange rind

approx 2 tblspns of fresh orange juice

Make It!

Mix ingredients until well blended - colour green if desired.

Enjoy!! C