Neopolitan Cupcakes

One of my sons favourite ice-creams is Neopolitan so he was very impressed when I presented it in cupcake form.

He has told me that these are the best muffins I have ever made, resulting in the batch not lasting long.  Lincoln has enquired about the degree of difficulty which leaves me hoping he’ll have a go at making them!

The recipe

185g self raising flour

150g caster sugar

125g softened butter

1/3 cup milk

2 eggs

½ t vanilla essence

1T cocoa

Red food colouring

The icing

240g icing sugar

125g softened butter

2T milk

1T cocoa

Red food colouring

Beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla together till light and fluffy. Add milk then stir in sifted flour.

Divide mix into 3 (approx 200g each).  Add cocoa to 1 and mix well. Add drops of colour to another and mix to desired level of colour.

Place teaspoonfuls of each mix into 12 muffin cases. Swirl the mixtures with the end of a teaspoon handle or iceblock stick.

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 180c. Cool on a wire rack then ice.


To make icing: beat butter till its light in colour and fluffy. Mix in the milk then add in icing sugar in 1/4 cup lots till it's all mixed in.  Divide into 3's.  Leave on batch plain, mix in cocoa to one and add drops of food colouring to the other.

Butterflies and Fairy Dust

These were a fun biscuit to make with Lucy.  Miss Lucy enjoyed placing all the ingredients into the mixer and licking the spoon and telling me with enthusiasm "mmmmm, it's yummy!"

After lightly kneading, and allowing the cookie dough to rest for half an hour, I rolled it to about 3-4mm thick, cut the shapes, baked for approx 12 minutes. Once cooled, we iced the wings and added fairy dust sprinkles.

The recipe

¼ cup cornflour

1 cup flour

3 tablespoons cocoa

½ cup caster sugar

100 grams butter

2 tablespoons milk

Combine dry ingredients.

Rub in butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.Gradually add the milk mixing until the dough combines.

Knead lightly. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll out between 2 sheets of baking paper to 3mm thickness, cut with cookie cutters.

Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes. Stand on tray for 3-4 minutes then move to rack to cool

Choc Chip Raisin Cookies

I've just made these on a whim.... I opened a file to look for something to bake and there the recipe was.  I haven't made these before but they were simple to make and taste good!

Beat 150g butter with 1c brown sugar till fluffy.
Add in 1 beaten egg + 2 cups of sifted plain flour and 2t baking powder.
Mix in 1/2 cup chopped raisins and 1/3 cup choc chips (I used drops)

Roll into balls, squish and bake for 15-18 mins at 180c.

Must be time for coffee!

Never Fail Quiche...

Quiche is always devoured quickly in our home...mostly by our 11 year old son!

I have always made a pastry based quiche but a few weeks ago my good friend Celina came to visit... and brought a quiche that was delish so I asked for the recipe.

Today I've made this as my toddler is ill so I've a bit more time to spare (there are cookies in the oven as I type this), and its been made for the weekend: Hubby to enjoy after surfing and for Lincoln to take to his Oliver! rehearsals (approx 6 hours of singing and dancing so he'll need it!) and munch on during dinner break, as its great eaten hot or cold.

This is an 'anything goes' recipe, and I have done the following:


Chopped 1 red onion (no brown in the cupboard) + 3 slices of bacon and cooked till the onion is clear. Allowed to cool.
Mixed into the pot:  1T relish, 3 large eggs, 1 cup tasty cheese, 1 grated zucchini, handful of grated carrot, some left over florets of broccoli + 4 slices of ham that would have gone to waste.
Also 1/2 c self raising flour and 1+ 1/4 cups milk.

Mixed well, poured into greased dish and baked at 180c for 45 mins.

Done! Too easy!

Cheesecake...

My latest challenge was to make a cheesecake. I have never made one of these before... mainly because it could get left uneaten as hubby doesn't like them and there is nothing worse than uneaten baking!
Hubbies parents were up from Wellington to visit so it was a perfect opportunity to make something delish and have them around to help eat it!


Instead of a 'typical' cheesecake with creamy cheese filling and fruit topping, I decided to go extreme with chocolate and cherries.

My base is crushed dark chocolate digestive biscuits and melted butter.  The filling: cream cheese, 3 chopped cherry ripe bars and a tin of drained cherries in syrup. All topped off with shavings of dark chocolate

YUM!  It tasted sooo good, and was devoured over 2 nights, with my in-laws saving me from some calorie overloading!

My 'go to' cookies

Aaarrgghh, the cookie tin is empty! This is practically a crime in my home!


When this happens I usually fill it with chocolate chip cookies. From the time I discover the empty tin, I can have these ready to bake in about 5 minutes flat as the ingredients are always in the house.

These smell amaaaazing when they are baking... and taste spectacular; much better than any packaged variety!

Fagin's Hat Cupcakes

Oliver! by Hamilton Operatic Society is on in Hamilton from June 23rd and my son Lincoln is one of the boys in Fagin's gang. 


The rehearsal schedule is pretty gruelling (ha ha!) so I decided to make some Fagin's Hat Cupcakes for Lincoln to share with his stage buddies last weekend.

Chocolate with cream cheese icing, fondant hat and piped brim.


I've got a great idea for some 'bowl of gruel' cupcakes to make another day!