Time for baking...

It has felt of late, Ive been so busy that I haven't had a chance to bake a thing! The extra long Easter weekend provided some extra time so I quickly whipped these little cupcakes up! Delicious! Kellie xx

Banana and Maple Syrup Pudding Recipe

Over the weekend I made a delicious dessert for Luke and myself - Banana and Maple Syrup Puddings.

Topped with thickened cream, icing sugar (I didnt have a sifter so excuse the chunky bit!) and extra maple syrup, I could have eaten 5 - I can't wait to make them again! This super easy recipe is below, these worked out perfectly and being the pretty average cook I am, this is definitely the type of recipe you can try first go even with guests coming. Enjoy! Kellie xx

Banana and Maple Syrup Pudding Recipe:

2 tablespoons of fine caster sugar
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
1 egg
50g butter
2/3 mashed banana
1/2 cup of self raising flour
Icing sugar
Thickened cream

Turn fan forced oven to 180 degrees. Mix sugar, maple syrup, egg, butter, banana and flour until combined. Place mixture into 2 x 250ml oven dishes. Bake for approx 25-30 mins (or until golden and skewer comes out clean).

Serve warm with sprinkled icing sugar, thickened cream and additional maple syrup.

Recipe source: Donna Hay.

Something sweet

I made this yummy, but not so pretty chocolate caramels. Just mix in the following in a sauce pan until it turns golden - 125g butter, 2 tablespoons golden syrup, 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1 tin condensed milk. Pour into a linen pan, then when cold top with melted chocolate. Delicious!! Kellie xx

Delicious caramels...

I decided we needed something festive in our home given Christmas is only a few weeks away. I made some caramel lollies to keep in little bowls around our home. They are delicious! The only thing I found a little tricky was cutting through the bottom of the caramel, I think its because I let the caramel get too cool. Other than that, it was delicious!

Here is the recipe if you would like to try it:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, more for greasing pan

1½ cups heavy cream

2 cups sugar

½ cup golden syrup

Pinch salt

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract, optional.

1. Lightly grease a 9-inch-square baking pan. Combine all ingredients except vanilla in a broad saucepan or deep skillet and turn heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves.

2. Mixture will bubble and darken; when color is dark beige and mixture measures 235 degrees on a candy thermometer, it is butterscotch sauce. (Use immediately or refrigerate for up to several weeks; warm in a microwave oven or over hot water to soften.) To make caramels, keep cooking and stirring until mixture is even darker, nearly brown, and measures 245 degrees (or until a piece of it forms a firm ball when dropped into a glass of cold water).

3. Stir in the vanilla and pour into prepared pan. Cool, then remove from pan in a block and refrigerate, but not for too long - what you want is a mixture cool enough so that it's not too sticky, but not so cold that it's solid; this is the easiest state in which to cut and wrap.

4. Use a sharp knife to cut caramel into pieces, then wrap each square in waxed paper or plastic wrap. These keep for weeks, especially if refrigerated, but are best eaten fresh and at room temperature.

Kellie xx

Weekend duty

After seeing these gorgeous images I just realised I have been a slack little housewife and haven't baked for ages! Think I'll have to set aside some time for cupcakes this weekend, DEFINITELY not macarons - that was a disaster last time and clearly way too complicated for my baking capability.

Off to do a fair bit of long distance driving today... The best thing about it I tell myself, is the excuse to have a bag of chips and soft drink on the way home to keep me occupied. Kellie xx

{SHOP THE BOUTIQUE}

Source: Inspired By This x

Sponge Cake Disasters

I attempted another sponge cake yesterday and no, this beautiful one here isnt mine. Mine was flat and horrible. What is it with sponge cakes and them never looking like those gorgeous pictures. I know it's not the recipe, and it's definitely me but i just cant quite pinpoint what im doing wrong. I envisage something so beautiful with fresh cream, strawberries and covered in icing sugar but sadly, it always ends in the bin! Any tips for astute bakers?

Source: Gourmet Traveller x

Baking: Raspberry and White Chocolate Cake

I do get a bit nervous baking but this lovely cake turned out delicious yesterday - a raspberry and white chocolate cake with raspberry cream! Kind of like a giant friand. I have noted the recipe below just in case you wanted to give it a shot. The original recipe didnt have white chocolate but I just added it in as I love the white chocolate and raspberry combination. Kellie xx

1/3 cup plain flour

2/3 cup almond meal

1 cup icing sugar

90g melted butter

3 egg whites

1t vanilla extract

1 cup raspberries

Additional raspberries and whipped cream

Preheat oven to 160c. Combine flour, almond meal, icing sugar, butter, egg whites and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Fold through berries and place in a greased 18cm cake tin. Place remaining raspberries on top of mixture and bake for 35 - 40 mins. Serve with whipped cream.

Recipe source: Donna Hay ; No Time To Cook x

Kitchen ideas...

I spotted this gorgeous dessert and thought, I have to try it! So simple and it looks, well just stunning. Perhaps I could try some strawberries or raspberries as an alternative!

I couldn't help but vision myself eating this in that gorgeous kitchen featured too! xx

Image via Taste.com

Pretty as a picture

Pastels. Lots of pastels. My favourite. And sweet things. Icecream sandwiches... Read how x

Images from Such Pretty Things x

Weekend memories...

Lovely things left over from the weekend when friends popped by. Delicious cakes with chocolate strawberries and pretty flowers on my dining table. Have a gorgeous week everyone! Kellie xx

A cooking disaster

This cupcake might look all innocent but it was actually the third attempt at getting them right. My first few batches came out of the oven looking all pretty, then, about 5 mins later they sagged in the middle. When I looked to see what was going on the inside was hollow and there was just a crust! Very very weird!

Perhaps any experienced bakers could shed some light on my cooking "issues"!? Kellie xx

Photo by Kellie Collis for Ada & Darcy x

Cupcakes with extra love

These cupcakes were made with extra love as my gorgeous three nieces helped me decorate these little beauties. I have to confess, these were the second batch. The first, well they landed straight in the bin as I accidently cooked them past that 'golden' stage. Back to my trusty vanilla butter cupcake recipe with vanilla and white chocolate icing. I think they did taste better though thanks to the help from my divine three girls! Kellie xx

Ps. The gorgeous polka dot cupcake liners were from here! x

Photos by Kellie Collis for Ada & Darcy x

More tea, baking and family!

Seems I have tea and cakes on my mind this week. Must be because my delightful sister in law (and her wonderful husband and three gorgeous girls) are coming to visit this weekend. I have spoken about Nicole before who not only has a teacup collection of enormous proportions, she is also the queen of baking! Luckily she won't be seeing my disastrous macarons this weekend... Perhaps I need to make some fool proof cupcakes instead... Kellie xx

Image via Country Living x

A baking (sort of) disaster!

Well... My baking of macarons (or macaroons - i can't seem to find consistent spelling) wasn't so successful. Whilst they tasted delicious, they looked, well, a bit like golf balls when they were joined together. Rookie error - thinking they would flatten out with the heat! Sadly, they just were too ah, ugly (and embarrassing) to show you all... There is always next weekend! Kellie xx

Image via Miss Wallflower x

Plans for today

I'm excited about a spot of baking today - have a gorgeous Sunday everyone! Kellie xx

Image via This is Glamourous x

Toys to play with....

I still haven't purchased a SLR camera and all the other lenses jazz as I couldn't decide on which one - annoying I know! Luckily Luke's friend is a photographer and is lending me his 'baby' for the weekend and all the bells and whistles that goes with it. Hopefully next week ill have some 'pretty' shots - very, very excited! Then maybe, just maybe I can select the camera...

Have a glamourous weekend everyone! I'll be spending time in front of the computer - still glamourous if you ask me... Kellie xx

Image by La Belle x

Baked brightly!

What a lovely long weekend! I could enjoy the extra day off on a more regular basis.

On Saturday I found these gorgeous cupcake liners and couldn't resist putting them to good use for a family visit yesterday. I was really happy with the outcome, not only did they taste delicious, they looked pretty as well! Kellie xx

Photo by Kellie Collis for Ada & Darcy x