Chocolate and Pear Pudding

I've used many of Nigella Lawson's recipes..most of them are extremely workable and fuss-free.

This one, however, I make quite often when I want a treat after a nice bath..You'll see what I mean soon enough!

 recipe:

1  large can of pears in syrup (about 10 halves)

100g flour

50g cocoa powder

150g room temperature butter

125g sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

a dash of vanilla

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 a cup of baileys

Set oven to 200C

Arrange pear halves in a dish

Blitz the rest of the ingredients in a food processor until smooth

Spread the batter over the pears

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes

(enough time for a shower)

Remove the pudding from the oven and immediately pour (I free-pour) the baileys over the hot hot pud..

DIG IN

I wish I had some Ice cream

Apple Crumble

One of The Best desserts ever created, too bad it wasn't me..

Simple, so warm and "homey"

you just can't go wrong

This recipe serves about 4 or 5 people

Again, I'll admit, this is'nt the normal way to make a crumble..but it's just soo much easier??

so a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do to get things going =D

recipe:

5 small granny smith apples (mine were quite mini sized)

5 Dried Apricots (sliced)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

a dash of vanilla

a pinch of nutmeg

a sprinkle of cinnamon

100g of your favourite biscuit (I used digestives)

50g butter, melted

Heat the sugar, water, vanilla and dried apricots in a pot until the sugar caramelizes a little

Add in the apples, nutmeg and vanilla.

Cook until apples are soft but not mushy

Take off the heat and set aside.

Crush the biscuits into crumbs and chunky bits.

Stir through with melted butter

Toast the crumbs in the oven for about 10 minutes.

Spoon the apples and apricots into a serving dish and top off with the crumble.

Sprinkle with icing sugar.

Chocolate Cherry Cream Shortcake

It was my first time going cherry picking and it certainly won't be the last!

We went to "Chappies" on Dandenong mountain because apparently it's the best? 

Well, anyway, they had tonnes of big, juicy and pluckable cherries.

ME LIKE

And let me introduce my helpful cherry-picking companions for the day..

Lady with bucket

girl who does not pick

The lovely Mr and Mrs Hew

and umm..

yeah..

The sor chai and I picked almost 12 kilos of cherries..serious overload..

but a very delicious load

And here's a Super Special THANK YOU to the bucket lady, for baking me this Amazing Kahlua cake..

I love sitting under cherry trees

Now what to do with all these cherries?

Make cake lorr

Soft chocolate sponge soaked in cherry juice, smothered with dollops and dollops of fresh cream and Cherries...who could ask for more?  

(me)

More cake and more cream and more cherries

nyehehe

oh mama

I call it..."Lemonmisu"

This is new..

& alcoholic.. 

nyehehehehe

& I Love it

The sponge fingers, soaked in a mixture of raspberry liquer and lemon syrup

with a creamy lemon mousse

and a lovely sweet meringue.

This is on my favourite list!

Tiramisu

A friend once said that guys who can make tiramisu are romantic

i thought that was hilarious

so men out there, use this to impress the laydehhs =)

not too sweet, with just the right amount of coffee and kahlua

I decided to make mine in a loaf tin..its easier to manage that way

Recipe:

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons kahlua

1 tablespoon powdered gelatin

3 tablespoons water

250g mascarpone cheese

150g thickened cream

Ladyfingers (i used about 11)

250ml strong coffee + 200ml kahlua(you might need more)

combine yolks, sugar and kahlua in a bowl.

Place bowl over a pot of simmering water.

Whisk until it thickens (about 5-8 mins)

Heat water and gelatin until it melts

Add into egg mixture.

Cool slightly.

beat the mascarpone till its smooth.

Whip the cream to soft peeks.

Fold cheese and cream into egg mixture.

mix coffee and kahlua in a bowl. 

Soak the ladyfingers one by one, turning them around in the coffee quickly and not for too long

Line the cake tin. 

Spoon over a layer of the creamy stuff

followed by another layer of soaked ladyfingers.

then creamy stuff (leaving a little for the top and sides later)

and the last layer of ladyfingers.

cover with cling and chill for 1 hour.

Loosen the sides with a knife or if you have a blowtorch, blowtorch the outside of the tin for an easy release (clever eh?)

It might come out as oogleh as mine did

(no idea why I did the first two layers of ladyfingers horizontally and the bottom layer vertically)

so use the rest of the creamy stuff to cover the whole thing.

Lastly, shower with chocolate shavings.