Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Christmas

I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas 
and apologise for the lack of posts.
My own Christmas is not to be a happy one as my twin brother went into palliative care on Saturday. 
He has easophagul cancer and 
I do not think he will see the year out.
We hope for a miracle and if that is not to be,
then we pray for a peaceful end.

I hope your Christmas is happy and that you get to spend time with your families.
- Shirley

Monday, December 16, 2013

Santa Hat Cake Pops

Hi, I thought I'd give you another quick and easy tutorial for
 Santa Hat cake pops. I made some of these last week. 
Very simple to make.

You need some mini-marshmallows like these:


White chocolate melts:


You also need red candy colouring, 


cake pop mixture, white fondant (any brand will do)


 and cake pop sticks.

Pick out the white marshmallows from the bag. 
Cut them in half with scissors.



Shape your cake pop mixture into cone shapes and set aside to cool in the fridge. I used chocolate cake pop mixture but you can use whichever you fancy.

"Glue" the end of the stick into the cake pop by dipping it into melted chocolate and inserting in the base of the hat shape.



Melt the white chocolate and colour it with some red candy colouring, until you get a good colour.

Dip the cake pop into the melted chocolate. 
Tap it gently to shale off excess chocolate. Hold it upside down so that the excess chocolate runs off the point. 
This gives you a good thickness of chocolate at the point 
and helps the marshmallow to stick.
Put a marshmallow half on the point of the hat. 
Put aside to set.




Take a small piece of your fondant and shape it into a long roll. Press it onto the base of the hat as shown -











That's it! easy-peasy and looks good.


Enjoy!




Monday, December 9, 2013

Reindeer cake pops tutorial



I've been making these reindeer cake pops every year for the past few years and they go down well with adults as well as kids. Our American friends use pretzels for antlers, but I don't really like pretzels so I came up with these licorice antlers which are easy to make.

1. CAKE POP BALLS
I use a chocolate mudcake mixed with chocolate ganache, but if you prefer a different flavour cake that's okay with me. 
The cake can also be mixed with cream cheese or icing (frosting) if you prefer. 
Prepare your cake pop mixture, I measure a tablespoonful and then roll into balls. Dip the end of a popstick into melted chocolate and insert into one end. Chill them for a wee while.

2. ANTLERS
This is something you can do whilst sitting in front 
of the tv one evening.

You'll need a packet of this licorice and small sharp scissors:


You get 2 rolls in the packet and this will make lots of antlers.
Using scissors, begin by cutting a piece from the roll about 4.5 centimetres. Cut this piece lengthways into strips:


Cut each strip down the middle almost to the bottom, like these "Y" shapes here:



Cut a small piece from one side of the strip:


Using your index finger and thumb, roll up the shorter side so it looks like these (looks like a fishing rod): 


Using the same method, roll up the other side 
of the licorice strip:

Here's a close-up. You'll see that the lower side is beginning to uncurl. This happens with some of them - it depends upon how fresh the licorice is. 


I quite like the variation in the antlers, with some of them coming unrolled as you can see in the next piccie - I did a few here with three rolled up parts to them ('cause I could!): 


3. EYES
This is another job for the evening television viewing.
For this you'll need a packet of white ready-to-roll fondant 
and a tub of these Rainbow choc chips 
- find both things in the supermarket.



Roll tiny balls of white fondant and drop them onto a plate.
The rainbow choc chips have a pointed end - press a rainbow choc chip into the fondant ball pointed end first so that you get a nice round eye.
Here's my lovely blue and green eyes:



Rachel was helping me this day and here's her yellow!, orange!, purple!, and red! eyes!
Now I ask you, apart from when they are caught in headlights or have their photo taken with your mobile phone, when do reindeer have these strangely coloured eyes!!!???



Put the eyes in a container to harden up (eat all the yellow, red, orange and purple eyes that your friend has made!).

4. NOSES
Buy some m&ms and sort out the red ones. Easy-peasy.

5. PUTTING THE CAKE POPS TOGETHER
You'll need some chocolate Melts and a block of copha.




Melt the chocolate melts with about a quarter of the copha in the microwave or in a bowl over a pan of hot water.

Retrieve your cake pops from the fridge and have the antlers ready. You may like to pair up the antlers before you begin (not necessary, but appeals to those 
who have an issue with symmetry).

Before you dip, press the top of the cake pop slightly with your thumb to flatten it a bit (easier for the antlers to stay on).

Dip the cake pop into the melted chocolate making 
sure you cover the whole thing. 
Tap your wrist to shake off the excess chocolate.



Place an antler on the top of the head leaving enough room for the other antler and gently push it into the chocolate. 
Do the same for the other one. 
Work quickly before the chocolate sets.

You may like to do all the antlers on all the heads before moving on to noses and eyes.




 Add a dob of melted chocolate for the nose. 
Push the m&m on making sure you have the side 
without the letter "m" on it facing outwards. 






You might like to pair up the eyes so that you 
don't panic while the chocolate is setting.
Add two dobs of melted chocolate for the eyes. 
Gently press the eyes onto the melted chocolate.

Here's some of this year's herd:



Close-up:


Here's a couple from last year. 
I used edible pen for mouths but it was difficult 
to get it looking good -
perhaps they have improved edible pens since then!




Cute-as. Enjoy!

Send your piccies of your reindeer cake pops and indeed any other Christmas cakepops, cookies or cakes that you are making for this festive season and we'll feature them on the blog and the facebook page.












Friday, December 6, 2013

More Gingerbread

Well yesterday completely got away from me 
and I didn't have time to post.
Googling gingerbread creations I was gobsmacked by all the amazing things people have come up with using this traditional Christmas treat, including this awesome Imperial Walker by Rachel Klemek of Blackmarket Bakery




Staying on a bit of a sci-fi theme is this 
Dr Who Tardis by Anna-Maria OlĂ©hn.


From the future to the distant past - a Gingerbreadhenge, for all you pagans out there by "The Dude". Couldn't find out anything about the Dude.




How about this amazing one depicting the Sphinx of ancient Egypt made by North End Grill of New York.


Finishing off with this cute 
Hello Kitty carousel from Mansikkamaki




Wednesday, December 4, 2013

It's beginning to look...

December - creeps up on you and then bang - lots to do!
I think we have to feature Christmas themed cakes this month plus there'll be a couple of tutorials coming up.

I quite like gingerbread cakes, although they never get eaten at our house so I just have to admire them from afar.

"And I had but one penny in the world. 
Thou should'st have it to buy gingerbread." 
-William Shakespeare


Lior's Cake Designs from Queensland creates these nice houses with cute reindeer on the roof.


Sweet Nothings from South Australia 
created this cute wee house:


I love this next one which is by 
Heather Baird of Sprinkle Bakes. I love the rustic doors and beams which give it a bit of an Alpine look.


On the Butter Hearts Sugar blog you'll find a step-by-step tutorial for this gingerbread house. Kara, who made this lovely creation is in Brisbane, Queensland.


How stunning is this window display by 



Love love love this row of townhouses. 
Found these at Der Koekenbakkers



More tomorrow - thinking of other things gingerbread.