Passionfruit Melting Moments

I found this recipe on Taste and loved them so much I made them as gifts for Christmas - placed them in some cute brown boxes & tied with a big red ribbon. My partner especially loved them & ate as many as he could find. I don't remember how many it made - but it was enough for 4 boxes with loads left over.

Ingredients:
250g butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla essence (you could also use vanilla paste)
1/2 cup pure icing sugar, sifted
2 cups plain flour
1/3 cup corn flour

Passion fruit Filling:
60g butter, softened
1 large passion fruit
1 cup pure icing sugar, sifted

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper.

2. Using an electric mixer (bench top or handheld - it doesn't matter) cream butter, vanilla and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Sift flours over butter mixture. Beat on low speed until a soft dough forms.

3. Roll into teaspoon sized balls. Place on trays - these don't rise very much so you can pack them relatively close. Using a fork dipped in flour, lightly flatten each biscuit until 1cm thick. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until firm. let cool on tray for 10 minutes.

4. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Be gentle, they are quite fragile whilst warm.

5. Make passion fruit filling: Using an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Stir in passion fruit pulp and icing sugar.

6. Spread flat side of 1 biscuit with half teaspoon of filling. Top with another biscuit. Repeat with remaining biscuits and filling. Dust with icing sugar & serve.

Happy baking!

Sunny xx

Nigella's Mustard Pork Chops

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I saw this recipe on a recent episode of Nigella & thought to myself "I love pork chops, I love mustard sauces & I'm pretty damn crazy about gnocchi - I'LL DO IT!"... because talking to yourself late at night whilst watching the food channel is completely normal & acceptable... right?

One thing that definitely sold it to me was how ridiculously quick & easy it looked - and after making it I realised it was both those things AND super flavourful. Basically an all around win!

I made this after work one day for me & my beau and we both loved it. It makes enough for 2 so if there is just the one of you, make the same amount & take the left-overs to work for lunch the next day (or just halve it!). This is my adapted recipe but you can Click here for Nigella's original recipe.

Ingredients:
2 pork chops (in Australia we have 'pork loin chops' which are cheap & work great here)
200 - 300 ml Apple cider (if you cant find any cider, use sparkling apple juice)
1-2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard - adjust to your tastes
500g Gnocchi
1 tablespoon olive oil
a dash of cream (about 80ml)
Optional - a dash of booze (wine, port or whatever is going)

1. Set a pot of water to boil. In a large fry pan, add oil and cook pork chops for 5 minutes each side - cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of your chops. Basically, cook 2 chops to your liking. Place chops on a plate & put aside. Cover with foil to keep warm.

2. Throw your gnocchi in the boiling water. The gnocchi will float when ready. Drain.

3. Pour cider into the pan you cooked your chops in and swirl around to grab all that delicious porky flavour left by the chops. Add mustard and let it cook down for a minute. If you are adding any booze (I used port) pour in a dash now. Once sauce is at the consistency you want, add the cream & stir through.

4. Plate up the chops & spoon some of the mustard sauce on top. Take the drained gnocchi and throw it into the remaining sauce left in the pork pan. Give it a minute & the gnocchi will soak up all that mustardy wonderfulness & become super delicious. Plate up alongside the chops & devour.

Enjoy this great midweek meal any time, but it is especially good in winter when you can cuddle into the couch at the same time!

Sunny xx

Soosan's Birthday Cake

One of my best friends Soosan had a Masquerade Ball for her party this year & asked me to make her cake. As she is one of the most wonderful women alive on this planet, I naturally said yes. I made her a two tiered vanilla cake covered in delicious vanilla buttercream. Everyone loved it & it was completely gone by the end of the night!


Soosan was the picture of elegance in her gorgeous black birthday dress & a fantastic red & gold mask. I'm so glad she enjoyed her cake & her party!

Last year I had a 'Prom Night' themed party that took hours & hours of preparation. I am very fortunate to have a friend like Soosan who gave up her Friday night to come over & help me cook (& bring me dinner)! Having a friend like Soosan makes me feel terribly lucky!

Love,

x Sunny x

Donna Hay Brownie Mix

I recently tried Donna Hay's new Brownie Mix and OMG it was flipping fantastic. It has shot to the front of the queue to become my new favourite brownie - pushing its way in front of all my non-packet-mix recipes. Yep, its that good.

But in the name of fairness, I took the brownies to work & gave some to my boyfriend to get an impartial opinion. All I received back were rave reviews and requests for more. At $8 a packet, it's worth every cent!

Also, the smell that wafts from the oven as they are cooking is ammmaaaaaazing!

Love Sunny xx

Tres Leches Cake (the cheats version!)

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Tres Leches cake (or ‘Three Milks’ Cake) is a Spanish cake usually made by soaking a sponge or butter cake in three kinds of milk – evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream. It’s super yummy and completely addictive. My boyfriend who hates cake LOVES it!

Now whilst I am all for the authentic taste of starting from scratch, I prefer the shortcut for this recipe. And let’s face it, why make yourself slave in the kitchen all day if you don’t have to?

Ingredients:
1 box of vanilla butter or sponge cake
1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tub thickened cream

Method:
1. Make the sponge or butter cake as per instructions on the box. I like to leave some of the butter out (if not all of it) to keep it dry.

2. Once the cake has cooled completely, get a skewer and poke some holes throughout the cake.

3. Pour the three milks into a container that is bigger than the cake – I like to use a large Tupperware container. Leave the cake to sit in the fridge for about 6 hours.

Depending on the size of the container you may need to either weigh down your cake in the liquid or baste it every hour or so. When the cake is done serve it as is, or ice it & top with strawberries. Just make sure you take into account the sweetness of the cake before icing!

Love Sunny x

Coconut Creme Caramel

Photograph by Steve Brown

I first saw this recipe on Taste.com & thought I'd give it a try as I LOVE creme caramel (or flan as we call it in my family). I was shocked at how quick & easy this version was & it is silky and delicious! It's so good, my boyfriend just aboiut wet himself with delight when he tried it!

Ingredients (serves 8)

1 1/2 cups caster sugar
300mls thickened cream
400ml can coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 eggs

Method

1. Place 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup cold water in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to medium. Cook, without stirring, brushing down sides of pan occasionally with a wet pastry brush, for 8 to 10 minutes or until deep golden. Remove from heat. Pour caramel into a 6cm-deep, 20cm (base) round cake pan. Set aside to cool and harden. (Before pouring your caramel, make sure you have a pan that will fit in a bigger dish because the caramel will harden quickly once poured into the pan).

2. Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan-forced. Place cream, milk and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until hot and small bubbles form at edge of pan. Remove from heat.

3. Whisk eggs and remaining sugar in a large bowl. Slowly add cream mixture, whisking constantly. Strain mixture into cake pan.

4. Place cake pan in a baking dish. Pour boiling water into baking dish until halfway up sides of pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until firm and just set and the custard has a sexy jiggle to it. Remove pan from oven and water bath. Set aside to cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

5. Run a thin knife around edge of custard. Turn out onto a plate - To turn out, place plate over top of pan. Carefully turn pan over, pressing base of pan to release creme caramel - and serve.

x Sunny x

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Photography by Mark O'Meara

I have recently been baking up a storm and this week my attentions were directed at making cookies! Yesterday I made a batch of Dark Chocolate & Walnut cookies and a batch of White Chocolate & Macadamia cookies. This recipe makes 30 small cookies or 20 regular sized cookies.

Ingredients:
125g butter, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, at room temperature
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons milk

Optional:
2 teaspoons Chai powder - I use Arcadia Vanilla Chai
1/2 cup chopped nuts of your choice
1/2 cup chocolate chips of your choice

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, chai powder and vanilla in a small bowl until pale and creamy. Add egg and mix until well combined. Sift the flour and baking powder over butter mixture. Add milk and stir until just combined.

3. Add your chocolate and nuts. Using hands, knead the dough to evenly distribute.

4. Using 1 heaped tablespoon of mixture at a time, roll mixture into balls. Place on baking trays lined with baking paper. Using a fork, flatten biscuits slightly (allow room for spreading).

5. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until light golden. Allow biscuits to cool on trays for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Serve to happy people with big glasses of milk or hot chocolate!

The great thing about this recipe is you can swap the choc chips & nuts for just about anything, creating as many flavour combinations as your imagination will allow!

x Sunny x