Sugarpaste

I finally made proper sugarpaste that moulded into decent shapes. It's like clay - so much fun to use and experiment with.

And the result...

Not perfect but an awesome start :-). It tasted awesome too...

Cheese cupcakes

I love love loooove baked cheesecake. Cheese cupcakes are just a cute way to enjoy it

Ingredients

• 40g butter
• 160g coconut biscuits
• 150g cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 85g sugar

Method

• Preheat oven to 180C
• Place 21 cupcake cases in your muffin baking tray
• Melt butter in the microwave, crush the biscuits and mix well. Spoon approximately 3/4 of a spoon into each cupcake case. Using a spoon, press mix into the case. Bake for approximately 8 to 10mins
• In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar flour egg and vanilla essence until smooth and fluffy. Stir in the cream and mix gently until smooth
• I poured my mix into a milk jar which made it easy to pour into the cupcake cases. Fill each case to the brim and bake for approximately 20 - 30 minutes
• Once cooked, allow to cool before enjoying

 
Recipe adapted from Cakes by Callie Maritz and Mari-louis guy

Old school baby

The idea of a whistling kettle used to irritate me. Now that I've bought one of my own, I think it's kinda cute... :-)

Whoopie hearts

This American cake sandwich is so much fun to make and eat. It apparently has Amish roots which can be traced as far back as 1925.

Ingredients

• 100g unsalted butter
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 small eggs
• 125g self-raising flour
• 25g cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons milk

filling

• 125g white marshmallows
• 50ml milk
• 125g unsalted butter

Method

• Preheat your oven to 180C
• Brush your silicone moulds with vegetable oil
• In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy
• Add and mix well
• Add the flour, cocoa powder and milk and mix well
• Using 2 teaspoons, spoon the batter into the moulds and bake for 10 to 12 minutes
• Remove from moulds and allow to cool
• Melt marshmallows and milk in a pot. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly
• Add the butter until you get a smooth consistency
• Allow to cool before filling the hearts
• Dust with icing sugar and enjoy :-)

Recipe courtesy of Baked and Delicious

Amaskopas

I bought a pack of amaskopas and thoroughly enjoyed them. In case you are wondering what these are, take a look at the pic below.

Every black person of colour over the age of 20 that I know has very fond memories of this township delicacy.

The best and most comprehensible way to describe them: a really inferior yet colorful derivative of popcorn. They also have a slight sweetness to them. And, they can be a little chewy, depending on their 'freshness'.

Not sure how these things are made (like most things, I probably wouldn't eat them again if I knew)

They're enjoyable nonetheless.

Jacobs Kronung pop-up restaurant

My buddy and I visited the new Jacobs Kronung pop-up restaurant in Parkhurst. What a super experience. Coffee, muffins and board games are free[yes, free] and the setting is just too cool. They even have a cute little garden with faux grass.

One of the waitresses said the property is actually an art gallery and that Jacobs will be using the spot until the end of August [their bit to keep the masses warm and entertained during winter]. Awesome :-)

We even managed to fit in a game of Jenga.

Definitely worth a visit

69 11th street
Parkhurst

Some kind of blue

After much deliberation and careful consideration, I finally took the plunge and purchased my very first Le Creuset pot. This is their new blue range called Marseille.


It's some kind of blue - not quite as dark as their Cobalt blue but also not as light as the Caribbean blue. It's somewhere in the middle and suits me just fine.

I got home, unpacked it, placed it on the stove and just stared at it for while...I think it's a similar feeling one gets after giving birth and bringing their new bundle of joy home for the first time. Pure joy! :-)

So I made a chicken paella. To be honest, I really didn't care much for the food but was more fascinated by the pot. My Marseille [Le big smile]