Butter tart squares

Oh these are so rich! but they were delicious! These bars have a shortbread base topped with a gooey filling speckled with raisins. Next time I'll try them with walnuts instead of raisins. This recipe comes from http://joyofbaking.com/ButterTartSquares.html

Here's the recipe as published on http://joyofbaking.com/

Butter tart Squares

Shortbread Base:
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch (2.54 cm) pieces
3 tablespoon (40 grams) granulated white sugar
1 cup (140 grams) all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
Filling:
1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (215 grams) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup (60 ml) light corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon (15 grams) all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup raisins or
2/3 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter (or use a non stick cooking spray) an 8 x 8 inch (20 x 20 cm) pan.

Shortbread Base: In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt and beat until the dough just comes together. Press onto the bottom of your greased pan and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until pale golden in color. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling

Filling: In your food processor or with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Then beat in the corn syrup and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour, salt, and baking powder.
Sprinkle the raisins or nuts evenly over the baked shortbread base. Then pour the filling over the raisins (and/or nuts) and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes or until the filling is set. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Garden of flowers cake

This cake is a chocolate cake. It involved alot of work since the flowers are hand made too. Over all though I was really happy with the outcome. Surely I practiced my flower making skills with this cake :)

Texas sized almond crunch cookies

I'm always eager to try new cookie recipes. I came across these cookies in Cookie madness where she modified it and used pecans instead (http://www.cookiemadness.net/?p=3885)
I tried the original Almond version, found here. I also modified the recipea. My modifications are written in brackets below.
These cookies surely were crunchy. They're not good for those in search for a chewy cookie. I liked these. I resembled their texture to Digestive biscuits.

TEXAN - SIZED ALMOND CRUNCH

1 c. sugar
1 c. powdered sugar
1 c. butter, softened (used margarine)
1 c. oil
1 tsp. almond extract (didn’t use it)
2 eggs
3 1/2 c. Pillsbury's Best all-purpose or unbleached flour
1 c. Pillsbury's Best whole wheat flour (used only white plain flour)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cream of tartar (didn use it)
2 c. coarsely chopped almonds
6 oz. pkg. almond brickle baking chips (I used chocolate chips)
Sugar (didn’t use it)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, blend sugar, powdered sugar, butter, and oil until well mixed. Add almond extract and eggs; mix well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Gradually blend in all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar at low speed. By hand, stir in almonds and brickle chips. Shape large tablespoonfuls of dough into balls; roll in sugar. Place 5 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. With fork dipped in sugar, flatten in criss-cross pattern.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 18 minutes or until light golden brown around edges. Cool cookies 1 minute before removing from cookie sheets.

Notes For easier handling, refrigerate dough about 30 min.

Surprise almond torte

This cake was a surprise cake. This was ordered from a nice person in United States to surprise her friend which was on holiday in Malta. I really was happy to make this delivery since I like to surprise people. It was enjoyed by everyone :) This consisted of an almond torte. I often make these popular cakes however this time I added a touch of femininity with all those flowers. It's made with 100% pure ground almonds.

Holy communion cake

This is my first Holy Communion cake. I didn't have much time to plan it and this is the end result. It consists of an almond torte covered with sugarpaste and decorated with royal icing. All decorations are made by hand :)

Strawberry Shortcake cookies

This month's Cookie carnival recipe comes fro Martha Stewart. It's Strawberry Shortcake cookies. The recipe suggests to use fresh strawberries however I didn't have any and used candied strawberries. I really liked these cookies, although they were a bit too sweet. I'll make them again and perhaps I'll try them with fresh strawberries next time.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE COOKIES
Makes about 3 dozen.

12 ounces strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 cups)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup heavy cream
Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons
granulated sugar. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining
7 tablespoons granulated sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter,
or rub in with your fingers, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream until
dough starts to come together, then stir in strawberry mixture.
2. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto baking sheets
lined with parchment, spacing evenly apart. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, and bake until
golden brown, 24 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool. Cookies are best
served immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for
up to 1 day.

Romantic almond cupcakes

I made these cupcakes some time ago. These are vanilla cupcakes filled with almond paste and covered with fondant. the decorations are made of fondant too.

Ben 10 cakes

Yeah this must be my fourth Ben 10 cake (If I'm not mistaken) What can I say , it's very popular here. This is a chocolate cake with chocolate ganache and the picture is made from fondant.

Flaked Almond cake

This is an almond sponge cake with chocolate ganache filling and chopped almonds. It is covered with an almond mixture and decorated with flaked almonds. Flowers are made of handmade sugarpaste.

Apple and condensed milk ravioli

These are not pasta ravioli but more like apple filled cookies. I decided to name them like this cause they look like ravioli. The pastry for these is made with condensed milk. The recipe was for cookies but I modified it to make pastry. You can find the recipe at http://bakingblonde.wordpress.com/2009/02/15/magic-make-it-your-way-cookies/ and below is my modified version.

Apple and condensed milk ravioli

1 ¾ c plain flour, sieved

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt ¾ stick butter

1 egg

½ tsp vanilla

½ can condensed milk (200g)

2 tbls sugar

Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. In another bowl beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the condensed milk, the egg , vanilla and beat to combine. Add the flour mixture and form a soft dough. If it gets too sticky add a little more flour. Divide in two and chill for 2 hours or overnight.

Filling ingredients

4 apples, peeled and chopped in small pieces

2 tsp ground cinnamon (maybe 1 tsp is enough)

2 tbl sugar

1/2 c water

Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook until apples are cooked and all liquid is evaporated . Leave to cool completely. (Best if it’s refrigerated)

On a floured surface roll the dough and cut circles. Re roll any scraps. Place circle on a baking tray. Place about 1 tsp filling on each circle and cover with a second circle . press sides to seal well.

Bake in a preheated oven at 160 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes. Or until dough is golden on the bottom.

Remove from baking sheet and leave to cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm or cold.

Cupcake mania

These are my latest additions to the cupcake menu I'm working on.

Green tea and azuki bean paste cupcake with white chocolate ganache frosting

A green tea flavoured cupcake with an azuki bean paste filling covered with white chocolate and green tea ganache.

Cookie dough cupcake

Vanilla cupcake with a cookie dough centre and a cookie flavoured frosting decorated with a chocolate chipe cookie and chocolate shavings

Coconut ball cupcake

Vanilla cupcake with a coconut truffle inside topped with fresh whipped cream and flaked coconut

Rum and raisin cupcake

Vanilla cupcake speckled with rum soaked raisins, topped with whipped cream, drizzled with rum syrup and a rum raisin on top

Handbag cake

This is my first hanbag cake. Although it 's not perfect I m really glad how it turned out. It consists of a chocolate cake layered with chocolate ganache and covered with sugarpaste. All decorations are handmade.

More cupcakes on the menu

These are some of the cupcakes I'll be adding to my cupcake menu. I'm still working on it though. Here are some of the latest flavours.

Casatella cupcake

I got the inspiration from a Sicilian dessert known as Cassatella Siciliana. This dessert is very popular here maybe cause we're so close to Sicily and some of our traditional desserts originated in Sicily.

This cupcake consists of a vanilla cupcake speckled with candied peel, chocolate chips and chopped almonds, it is then covered with a layer of marzipan and the topping is made of sweetened ricotta with candied peel and chocolate chips. This is one of my favourites.

This cupcake consists of half vanilla and half chocolate cupcake. It is then topped with a mixture of dark chocolate and white chocolate ganache and finished with some white and dark chocolate chunks.

Chocolate chip cupcake

A vanilla cupcake speckled with chocolate chunks and decorated with chocolate ganache and chocolate chips.

Bostom cream cupcake

A vanilla cupcake filled with vanilla pastry cream, topped with chocoalte ganache and more vanilla pastry cream.