Fruit delight

You see, my mom bought these yellow kiwis which look really funky and taste like sweet melons. 

So here's to the celebration of beautiful fruits this season (except for the berries...I'm not sure what season they come out in). 

Energy to Go & Go & GO

Last week we discovered there had been four tin cans of 1.25 kilograms of Milo sitting in the cupboard at church-untouched. Then we discovered that they expired at the end of April, just last month. Since we didn't  want to be wasteful, we took a can (or two) home to check if it was edible. Guess what? Upon opening the Milo can, the powder smelled and looked really Milo-y. So I began my search for a recipe that would use a lot of Milo.

While researching, I stumbled across this recipe which requires lots of Milo and even more if you want. It yields a cupcake that fills the room with the fragrance of Milo upon baking. Moreover, it's like Milo in a cup form as the icing is made from condensed milk and the cupcake itself is full of a Milo-y smooth malt taste.

 You know you want one to go & go & GO.

Milo Cupcakes with Condensed Milk Icing 
(makes 10-12 cupcakes) 
Recipe adapted from Raspberri Cupcakes.


Ingredients:


200g plain flour 
200g caster sugar 
1 tsp baking powder 
1/2 tsp bicarb soda 
100g Milo (add more to taste if you wish) 
1 tsp vanilla extract 
180g sour cream (you can substitute with plain yogurt)
170g unsalted butter, softened 
2 large eggs 

150g slightly salted butter (I used unsalted)
300g icing sugar, sifted (I used half only as condensed milk is quite sweet already)
5 tbsp sweetened condensed milk 


Directions:

1. Sift flour, bicarb and baking powder in a bowl and set aside. 
2. Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large mixing bowl and then beat in eggs one at a time until combine. Add sour cream, vanilla and milo and beat until just combined. Add flour mixture and beat on low until just combined. 
3. Fill cupcake liners until 3/4 full and bake for approx 15-20 mins or a skewer inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out clean. For the best texture, the cakes should be dark golden brown on top and firm to the touch and after cooling for 1 minute out of the oven. Cool on a wire rack. 
4. To make the icing, remove butter from the fridge 30 mins ahead of time. Beat butter until light and fluffy and then beat in icing sugar until combined. Add sweetened condensed milk and beat until combined. 
5. Pipe or spoon over the top of cupcakes when they are cooled and drizzle some extra condensed milk over the top. Finish with a sprinkle of Milo. Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge overnight. 

Sweet Get Together

So we found a spot to park. Half an hour parking, just what we needed. We walked past this shop on our way to the apple store. Sale! Got a booking last minute. Got the mac fixed up in a flash. Went past this store again on our way to the car in less than half an hour. Then we went to have some lunch. 

After all that business, it was a nice way to just chill and go shopping. Then we shared a summer special. It's  really nice to get together with a bestie on a nice day. With working life creeping into our lives and taking control of it (or not), we find ourselves with a limited time to go out and catch up.

This was all worthwhile. I even fulfilled visiting a dessert destination I had never been to. Coco Black.

Sunday Things (Part II)

Here was another Sunday spur of the moment bake, and because no one wanted to eat this dark chocolate block, we turned it into cookies. I normally like to revisit recipes that I believe are great or if they have some sentiment to me. This recipe is my aunty's and so I like to take it out from time to time and spread the smiles and love that my aunty has given me.  

Since this cookie calls for much chocolate, much chocolate and cocoa and crazy mixing and laughing went into this cookie batch. 

After a warm cookie bite each. The sous chef, photographer and I went for a walk in the rain, literally. We put our rain coats on and took our umbrellas and sang under the pouring rain.

What a great way to spend a Sunday for the three cookie monsters.

Sunday Things

Here was another go at an old macaron recipe with a couple of adjustments here and there.

 A bit of hazelnut.

 No added sugar to the filling.

 ...And a bit more coffee flavouring. That makes it sound a bit like a hazelnut latte doesn't it...

A nice ending to a Sunday afternoon.