The End of Another Year

It's the last week of 2011 and what a busy year it's been!

I'd hoped to post more regularly, but alas, with the business of work and life, I didn't. I'm not going to promise that my recipe output will be ten fold in 2012, but I will say that I hope that you still enjoy reading about my baking antics for another year. Hopefully a little bit more of a relaxed year, I think we all deserve a break!

Strawberry Daiquiri cupcakes with a difference

So to bring in the new year, I hope you enjoy spiking some cupcakes with real boozey jelly shots, what I think is a completely new twist on the cocktail themed cupcake. Make strawberry daiquiri, flirtini, cosmopolitan or any other of your favourite cocktails in cupcake form. 

Bottom's up and I hope you have a wonderful 2012.

Follow link for the recipe

Flirtini cupcake spiked with a pineapple, vodka and Cointreau jelly shot

Ready for Dessert?

Actually, just Ready for Dessert.

I have David Lebovitz's new book on my shelf. Filled with cakes, desserts, ice-creams, sauces, preserves and much more, Ready for Dessert is a mix of recipes now tweaked and adjusted from his previous recipe books as well as new recipes that are David's tried and trusted (and favourite!). 

It's well worth a spot on your bookshelf, and luckily I have one copy to give away. 

If you want to stand the chance of winning yourself Ready for Dessert, read my review on this fantastic new book.

Follow this link to the review and giveaway

Fantastic Fast Food...

... and I'm not talking about greasy mass produced fast food. This is fast food at home.

Burgers take about 20mins to make from beginning to end, and home made, they taste way better than any fast food burger!

Juicy beef pattie, tasty toppings, soft roll, what's not to love about a hamburger?

Click for full recipe

Ice-cream! (And a giveaway)

Trust me to post a review on an ice-cream book in one of the coldest weeks we've had in Ireland this summer. Typical. But I'm sure there are plenty enjoying the full heat of summer, and in fact, it's now officially Spring in the Southern hemisphere, so happy Spring Day!

I now finally have a copy of David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop, I've been meaning to get this book for a while, it just has such a good reputation all round for its recipes that I knew I'd need to add it to my bookshelf. 

Follow this link to read the full review. 

Also, I've included two recipes. One for David's vanilla ice-cream and the other is rum raisin ice-cream, one of my favourite flavours. 

And finally, one person will be winning their own copy of The Perfect Scoop, the details are at the end of the review. 

Enjoy!

Ulmond or Allmond?

I think I say the word "almond" differently each time. I know my husband sometimes thinks I'm hilarious in the way I say it. Whatever. Potato, pitato. 

Besides, who cares how you say it when all you need to know is that almonds are needed for almond paste which is an essential ingredient in the best almond cake I've every had. 

When I decided to try out the world's best almond cake* ever, I was a little annoyed to find it needed something called almond paste. And that I couldn't find almond paste anywhere. And that it's NOT the same as marzipan. 

I decided to see if I could make it myself, having visions of complicated methods that would take hours to do. 

I was so happy to discover that it's easier to make than toast and only requires three ingredients. w00t!

So, here is a recipe for almond paste so that you too can eat the best almond cake ever. I mean it. I LOVE carrot cake, but this almond cake is very close to stealing its spot on my cake love list. 

Click here for the almond paste recipe and link to David Lebovitz's almond cake

Almond paste

nom nom nom

*It is in fact impossible for me to say that it is the best ever in the world as I have yet to travel every inch of the world, but for now in my world, it is the best according to me. And Andrew.