Retro Conversational Hearts Pastel Cupcakes

Most of the time, a skinny sweet treat with suffice, but other times, you want to treat your loved ones (and yourself) to a decadent sugary cake. The kind of cake that transports you to childhood birthday parties, that makes you want to lick the bowl clean of mixture and nibble on lollies designed to adorn your baking creation.

Sanctuary Cove sweet shop

A visit to Sanctuary Cove's (a coastal town on the Gold Coast) old fashioned retro sweet shop inspired the cupcake design as I found a super cute packet of conversation hearts. This store has every type of sweet you could imagine, ranging from real American candies to British lollies. Some of my favourites were giant pillowy American marshmallows for smores, pineapple lollies and peanut butter m&ms!

I picked up the conversational hearts because a) they are so adorable and b) I knew Valentines Day was approaching and these would be perfect to top off retro cupcakes. I hope you were super spoiled by your lover, friends and yourself!

Sweet Cherry Conversational Hearts Pastel Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

• 1 cup of self raising flour
• 1/2 cup of caster sugar
• 120 grams of unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 packet of sliced glaced red cherries
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Icing:

• 1/2 cup of cream cheese
• 1 cup of icing sugar mix
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• mixed food colourings
• conversational hearts

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line two cupcake trays with liners.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy and add in two eggs, preferably at room temperature. Beat until combined.
3. Add in the flour, milk, vanilla and cherries and beat lightly until combined.
4. Fill cupcake liners 2/3rds full with mixture and bake for 12 - 15 minutes until cooked through.
5. Leave to cool. Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese and slowly add the icing sugar until creamy. In separate bowls, add a tiny amount of food colouring to dye each icing bowl a pastel colour. Ice cupcakes and top with heart.

Pink Fairy-Floss Gluten-Free Cake

I admit, this isn't exactly a sugar-free recipe. The inclusion of fairy floss kinda dispels all thoughts of a guilt-free treat. On the bright side, I don't think anyone can resist a cake so gloriously pink and perfect, and as I use much less butter and sugar than traditional cakes call for, the result is a light yet luscious celebratory dessert. My family absolutely adored this flavour combination for my mum's birthday and all noted how no one felt at all gluggy or sickly post-cake consumption. My brother can solidly contest to this theory as he had three pieces without flinching.

This cake is the ultimate girly love-fest of sugar, rose scents and juicy strawberries. Who ever you make this blush-tinted masterpiece for is going to feel pretty darn special. Treat your bestie, sister, mum, and any man who can accept a little pink into their lives. My man announced it was the best thing I've ever made. Albeit he does say they almost every time I cook... anything... everyday :)

Anyway, I adore fresh flowers on a cake, especially when the icing is coloured a dusty pink. To make things simple, I used a gluten-free butter cake mix to start off the process and used my special ingredient, Persian rose fairy-floss to flavour. You can use any 'fairy floss' you can find but the Pariya Persian fairy floss is a speciality product, although I did find it at the local grocery store. It is whispy-soft spun sugar, made in a traditional Persian method. Expert confectioners hand spin each batch of delecately sweet Pashmak into a fine weave of wool like strands that dissolve on your tastebuds. I bought mine in rose scent, but it also comes in vanilla, pistachio, chocolate and saffron.

Pink Fairy-Floss Gluten-Free Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 packet of gluten-free butter cake mix - preferably lower sugar mix
• 2 drops of natural pink food coloring
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean extract paste
• 1/2 cup of Persian rose fairy-floss

Icing:

• 50 grams of organic butter
• 1/2 cup of icing sugar
• 1 drop of natural pink coloring
• 1 teaspoon of rose water
• 1/4 cup of Persian fairy floss

Strawberry layer:

• 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries, microwaved and cooled

Method:

1. Prepare the cake mix as per the instructions; I used almond milk instead of dairy milk. Add the pink colouring and vanilla bean extract paste and mix well. Gently fold in the fairy-floss, leaving the fairy-floss to ripple through the mixture.
2. Grease a tin thoroughly with coconut oil and cover the base with greased-proofed paper. 
3. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for approximately 40 minutes or as per the instructions on the packet.
4. When the cake is baked, let rest for five minutes before turning out carefully onto a wire rack to cool. When it's completely cooled, refrigerate for 30 minutes if you have the time as it will make the cake easier to ice and prevent crumbs from transferring into the icing. 
5. To make the icing, make sure the butter is at room temperature. Using an electric mixer, whisk the butter until smooth. Gradually sift in the icing sugar and whisk into a fluffy icing. Add in the rose water, pink food colouring and fairy floss. If the fairy floss makes the icing a little too thick, add in a tiny splash of warm water.
6. Slice the cold cake horizontally in half. On the base half, spread to strawberries to coat the first layer. Sandwich the other half of the cake on top.
7. Ice the whole cake to cover the sides and edges. Stick the remaining fairy floss lightly around the sides of the cake to decorate.
8. Garnish the cake with whatever decoration you like. I used edible pearls and pink flowers.
9. Refrigerate if the weather is warm taking out 20 minutes before serving. Otherwise, leave in a cool place until you are ready to surprise the special recipient! 

Vegan Love Cookies (gluten free)

A few weeks back, it was Valentine's Day.

When I first met my love, I baked him chocolate chip cookies on our third date and after eating two in the car on our way to dinner, he was smitten. He took the leftovers to his parents' house. When I first met the family, I was recognized with, 'so you're the girl who made those amazing cookies!' Needless to say, baking can really be the way to someone's heart and in my experience, make a very lasting impression.

Naturally on Valentine's Day, I recreate my cookies to give as a sweet treat to my love, as a gift and a little reminder of one of the reasons he keeps me around...

Love Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of almond meal
• 1/4 cup of vanilla protein powder (I use a vegan rice blend)
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 cup of Natvia stevia sweetener
• 1/4 cup of desiccated coconut 
• 2 tablespoon of peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste
• 1/4 cup of coconut oil
• One (or two if you want that extra chocolate hit) small milk chocolate Lindt bars*not vegan OR vegan-friendly chocolate bar, I like Pana Chocolate
• Candy for decorations: I used pink love hearts and edible gold glitter

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees (moderately hot) fan forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
2. Combine the dry ingredients together (almond meal, protein powder, baking powder, coconut, stevia and cinnamon). Add in the peanut butter, coconut oil and vanilla essence and mix until just combined, and then add your chocolate. Carefully mix the chocolate in, taking care not to break up the chocolate too much. If the mixture isn't coming together, add a little water until the mix forms a dough. 
3. Once the dough is formed, take out a tablespoon of the mixture and roll into a ball. Flatten onto the cookie tray. Repeat until you have run out of mixture. Don't worry if the cookies are quite close together, they won't spread like regular cookies containing flour and butter.
4. Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes until the cookies are golden brown. Watch them after 10 minutes to make sure they don't burn as I find all ovens are so different, it can be quite hard to set an exact time and I don't want your cookies to be char-grilled!
5. When they come out of the oven, dust them with your decorations. I used edible glitter and love hearts that I found at the grocery store. Gently press the decorations down onto the cookie to help them stick. Leave the cookies to cool slightly and set on the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
6. Store in an airtight container for up to five days.

Healthy Peanut Crunch Chocolates... sugar free, paleo AND vegan!

Lovers of peanut butter will delight in the crunchy peanut butter centre of these coconutty chocolates. To make these delicious and creamy chocolate treats, you only need a a few ingredients and a silicone ice cube tray or chocolate mould (these are flexible and make it easier to pop out the set chocolates).

If you prefer, you can substitute the peanut butter with a preferred nut butter with the same result. Yummy additions to these chocolates could include goji berries, shredded coconut, chia seeds, cinnamon or orange zest.

Pistachio and Strawberry Rose Meringue Cake

This stunning cake is the ideal centerpiece for a girly afternoon tea in the sunshine. Serve with beautiful rose champagne, and make sure you have lots of hungry guests with a sweet tooth. The lightness of this cake is perfect for warmer weather or a wedding celebration. The pictured cake was made by my talented friend Georgie, who has a cupcake and sweet business in Brisbane called Narnies Cupcakes. She can make an array of gorgeous treats, including macarons of all colours and flavours, beautiful wedding cakes and cupcakes, and can cater to your personal preferences and occasion.

3 easy steps to make candied rose petals

Taken from http://photos.weddingbycolor.com 

Vogue Living has a beautiful blog and spending a quiet Friday evening traipsing their site, I found this gorgeous post on how to make candied rose petals. 

As a tribute to one of America's best-known restaurants Chez Panisse on its 40th birthday, David Prior showed how to make candied rose petals, which adorns many of the restaurants beautiful desserts.

How to make candied rose petals:

1. To produce candied rose petals gently pluck the individual petals from unsprayed roses. 

2. With a soft-bristle paintbrush, carefully paint with egg whites.

3. Cover in fine organic sugar. Leave candied petals to dry on a rack.


Serve them the Panisse way, atop a Rose Geranium Pavlova.

This recipe appeared as part of ‘Organic Uprising’, a story by David Prior on pages 63 to 69 of Vogue Living Sept/Oct 2011.

Valentine's Day turkish delight and fairy floss cupcakes

These cupcakes are the epitome of romance flavoured with rose petal and sugary fairy floss. I made mine gluten-free and with soy milk; they turned out perfectly. I've been told it's one of my best efforts - and a great flavour for a girly party. In saying that, the boys love them too!

Low-fat creamy pasta for a romantic Valentine's dinner

Creamy pastas are often the way to a man's heart and this dish definitely fits the bill for a romantic dinner for two. This recipe has had a comfort food makeover to become diet friendly, without sacrificing any of the flavour.

Low-fat Creamy Bacon and Mushroom Pasta

Ingredients: (serves 2, of course)

* 200g fettuccine pasta
* 1 1/2 teaspoons cornflour
* 1/2 cup Carnation Light & Creamy Evaporated Milk
* 1/4 cup salt-reduced chicken stock
* 75g of 97% fat-free bacon or lean ham works well too, chopped
* 1 garlic clove, crushed
* 1/2 brown onion, finely chopped
* olive oil cooking spray
* 80g button mushrooms, sliced
* 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method:

1. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, following packet directions, until just tender.
2. Blend cornflour and 1 tablespoon of milk to a smooth paste. Add remaining milk, stock, and salt and pepper.
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon, garlic and onion. Spray with oil. Cook, stirring, for 6 minutes or until golden. Add mushrooms. Cover. Cook, stirring every minute, for 4 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.
4. Drain pasta. Set aside. Return saucepan to stovetop over medium heat. Add milk mixture. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until sauce just comes to the boil. Add pasta, bacon mixture and parsley. Reduce heat to low. Toss until heated through.
5. Season with pepper. Serve with a little more parsley sprinkled on top.

Valentine's Day raspberry cupcakes

I love the way these cupcakes look with their red bottoms and pastel pink tops. They are inspired by Shirley Temple pink lemonades, with a raspberry vanilla flavour. I made my cakes sugar, dairy and gluten free but did ice them with old-fashioned buttercream icing - I just made sure to spread a fairly thin layer so as to make them a little less decadent.

I used a special cake mix to make these (which had all the dietary requirements I needed already sorted) but you could use any cake mix you like or make a simple vanilla cupcake recipe.

Valentine's Day Raspberry Cupcakes

Ingredients:

* 1 vanilla cake mix - make according to requirements, mine required 2 eggs, 700 ml of soy milk and 80 grams of butter.
* 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
* 1 tablespoon of flour (or gluten-free flour)
* red food colouring
* 1 tablespoon of red cordial
* 1/2 stick of butter (room temperature)
* powdered sugar
* raspberry lollies

Method:

1. Grease a 12-capacity muffin tin and preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Make the cake mix according to packet instructions and add the vanilla extract.
3. Take out 1/4 cup of the cake batter and put into a smaller bowl.
4. To the smaller bowl of cake batter, add a dash of red food colouring and a tablespoon of red cordial. Add the tablespoon of flour and mix until combined.
5. Fill each muffin hole with a tablespoon of the red cake mix until evenly divided amongst the tin.
6. Top up the muffin holes with the other cake batter until evenly divided although don't fill them more than 3/4 of the way up otherwise they will overflow when cooking.
7. Bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes until risen and golden brown.
8. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
9. To make the icing, beat the butter and gradually sift in icing sugar tablespoons at a time until you reach a nice smooth consistency. Add in a dash of red food colouring and beat through. You may need to add a little more icing sugar if the food colouring made the icing a little runny but I didn't need to for mine.
10. Ice each cake with a smooth even layer of pink icing.
11. Top with raspberry lolly to finish.

Store in an airtight container, which will keey them fresh for a couple of days.

Contains 152 calories per cupcake.

Pink Valentine's Day Heart Cookies

The perfect sweet gift for Valentines Day, these heart cookies are covered in decadent Lindt white chocolate and hundreds and thousands. Read this article for the quick and easy, delicious recipe.