Baking update

It's been a while since I last posted, however I haven't stopped cooking. I think I may have even worn out our oven, as we had a gas leak and had to replace the pipe running under our house as well as the oven, which I absolutely loved. So, now we have a new oven and a lot of posts needed to be updated. Enjoy.

Sunday lunch

One of my current favourite things to do is to go to the farmers market Saturday morning. I'm up before dawn with a baby who doesn't know the meaning of sleeping in, so why not make the most of it and go buy a bag full of fruit and vegies for only $13.10 (I love a bargain as much as a good farmers market).

Zucchini Fritters

I'm always trying to think of something tasty that my one year old will eat, like, and is healthy. We feed him a mix of packaged baby food and home made stuff. Now he's pushing a few teeth through, I'm able to get a bit more creative in what I make him, and hopefully, he eats it.

Today we had a win. I found a recipe for Zucchini Fritters on Taste. They seemed pretty basic, so decided to give them a go.

Success, he likes them, and so did Daddy. Another recipe to add to the Reuben food book!

Marshmallow Biscuits

So many people have childhood memories of getting their fingers covered in chocolate while trying to get to the delicious marshmallow centre of a Wagon Wheel. I imagine they do anyway, as the Wagon Wheel always seemed like the perfect treat - chocolate, marshmallow and biscuit, what's not to love.

As a child, we never really had them, and now trying them as an adult, I'm underwhelmed. The biscuit isn't very nice, there's not enough marshmallow, the jam is either too sweet or none-existent, and the chocolate is yuk. So, I don't feel like I missed out. However, if Wagon Wheels were anything like the delicious choc-topped biscuits I made this weekend, I would be extremely disappointed. This fantastic recipe is from Cuisine.com.au. The recipe is very easy to follow, but I have a few tips to add.

• Firstly, make the marshmallow prior to the biscuit, as it needs to cool before you can whip it into it's glorious thickness.
• Secondly, the recipe tells you to roll the biscuits out to about 5mm... the dough doesn't rise, and the biscuit in the image is thick, so feel free to make the dough as thick as you like, just keep in mind that different thickness might mean different cooking time.The biscuits in the batch I made were thinner than 5mm, however, I liked that as it provided a nice balance for the other flavours.
• And finally, don't leave the marshmallow in the pipping bag to be washed up the next day, as the marshmallow has turns wonderfully firm, which is perfect for the biscuits, but not a nice surprise when the sink is covered in ants the next morning then to try and wash the bag out and squirt water all over the kitchen.

small magazine

Check out this cute online magazine. It's based in the States, but still very cute: http://smallmagazine.net/issue.asp

Best Cheesecake EVER

This cheesecake works for me every time, and each time I make it, it tastes better.

250g plain arrowroot biscuits (the homebrand ones are fine to use)
1/4 teaspoon ginger or cinnamon
125g butter, melted
500g cream cheese
3/4 cup caster sugar
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup cream
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Grease a 23m springform cake tin and line base with baking paper.

Place the biscuits and spice in a food processor and pulse until crushed. Pour into a bowl and add melted butter. Mix (be careful if butter is still hot). Using fingertips, press the biscuit crumb mix into the base and up the side of the cake tin. Refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.

With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and caster sugar together until soft, creamy and well combined. Add the egg yolks, cream, vanilla, lemon zest and juice. Beat for about 2 - 3 minutes, or until mixture is light and fluffy. If your mixture is not light enough, your cheesecake will not be as soft and light, so don't beat til just combined.

Clean and dry beaters and in a clean bowl beat egg whites to stiff peaks. With a metal spoon, carefully fold the eg whites through the cream cheese mixture.

Spoon mixture into prepared cake tin. Bake immediately for 35 - 40 minutes. You don't check if a cheesecake is ready like you do a cake, it's good if the middle isn't properly set. The trick is to see if there's a small wobble in the centre, and take it out if the top is starting to crack.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

You can add things to the cheesecake. I recently tried 2 teaspoons of lemon mertyl instead of the lemon zest and juice, which gave it a pleasant summery taste. You could also try brushing melted chocolate over the biscuit base before pouring the the cream cheese. Berries are also a nice addition. Fold them through very lightly after the egg whites.

This recipe was based on the one from David Herbert's The Perfect Cookbook.

I've just had a baby. He is the most beautiful thing I've ever done. He has added a new dimension to my life and I'm so excited to see what the years ahead have in store for us. I love my son, but I also love my work. I'm a Mummy, but also work full time, hence the name of this blog. I love discovering new things and I love cooking. This blog is going to share my favourite recipes with you, mainly the ones which work, and also uncover some interesting and fun items which I hope other Mums will love as much as me. Enjoy.