MERINGUE NESTS & EASTER ROCKY ROAD

OK, I have six kids to entertain over the easter holidays and one of the best ways I know of is cooking because after the cooking comes the eating.  These are two recipes that children will love getting stuck into

Believe it or not there are people out there who don't like chocolate, I know it's difficult to comprehend but there are even some who still have Christmas chocolate! Those people look away now, you may find the following scenes upsetting.

EASTER ROCKY ROAD

170g Dark Chocolate
170g Butter
170g Golden Syrup
400g Shortbread Biscuits
100g Mini Marshmallows

100g Micro Mini Eggs

This is a bit of a variation on the classic easter nests but with some cheeky extra's..

Melt the butter, syrup and chocolate in a pan.
Leave this to cool slightly while you break up  the short bread.
Now stir the short bread into the chocolate then add the half the marshmallows and half the Micro Eggs.
Press the mixture into a  20cm x 15cm tin lined with parchment or into muffin cases.
Sprinkle over the remaining marshmallows and Mini Eggs.
Leave to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge to set completely.

EASTER MERINGUE NESTS

If my house is anything  to go by, Easter brings with it a small mountain of chocolate so hear is a bake which avoids using too much.

(Makes 15)

4 Egg Whites

250g Caster Sugar

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

100g Dark Chocolate

50g Sugared Coconut

Mini Eggs

These are just the kind of thing that as a child I would stare at longingly in the cake shop window.  They definitely have a bit of a retro feel to them with two of my favourite sweets, mini eggs and sugared coconut.  I remember buying a 1/4 of both of them from my local sweet shop.

Heat the oven to 100C and line a baking sheet with baking parchment.

Whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk until they form soft peaks.  Add the sugar a spoon at a time while continually whisking.  The egg whites should become stiff and glossy.

Draw circles on the underside of your parchment approximately 6cm across.  Turn your parchment back over and use them as a guide to pipe your nests.  Bake the nests for  1-1 1/2 hours until the nests come away from the parchment easily. 

Leave to cool while you melt chocolate in a double boiler. 

To decorate spoon a little chocolate onto each nest and top with the coconut and eggs.

Have a good Easter break

SPRING BAKES & GIVEAWAY - ENDED

Woohoo! it's spring which to me means warmer weather, flowers everywhere and our local school's easter bake sale with lots of pretty cakes.

Here I have a couple of cake recipes to hopefully inspire you to get baking.  You don't have to be raising money with them, maybe you want to make a random bake of kindness for someone or just scoff them yourself.  What ever your reason for baking, have fun.

To help you make your cakes even more special I have a brilliant giveaway for you. Jo from Just Bake is offering a gorgeous array of easter themed decorations including cute iced bunnies and chicks, sugar strands, iced daffodils and easter eggs, she's even throwing in the cake cases, all you need to do is make the cakes.

To Enter:    A) 'Like' my Face Book page and spread the word on Twitter
                  B)  Leave a Comment on the Blog
                  C)  Take a Look at all the lovely cake supplies at Just Bake

You've got until Friday 30th to to enter the giveaway - Good luck

So, now the cakes.  Of course with those great iced bunnies from Just Bake I couldn't resist a carrot slice and   I drew inspiration from the camomile that's just coming up in my front garden to make a camomile cupcake with honey frosting.  The Iced chicks finished them off nicely along with mini eggs and some tiny weenie mini eggs that are now available.

CAMOMILE CUPCAKES with HONEY FROSTING

Makes 12

140g Self Raising Flour
125g Butter
125g Sugar
2 Egg Yolks                        
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
70ml Sour Cream
20ml Milk
2 Camomile Tea Bags

150g Cream Cheese
1 Dsp Runny Honey

Cream the butter and sugar till fluffy.  Beat in the egg and yolks along with the vanilla extract then add the butter. Mix the milk and sour cream together then add this to the mixture.  Cut open the tea bags and stir the contents into your mixture. When all is well combined, divide between cake cases and bake for 25 minutes.  Allow them to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Once the cakes have cooled, mix the cream cheese with the honey and top each cake with the frosting

CARROT SLICE

Makes 12

350g Grated Carrots
200g Light Brown Sugar
225g Self Raising Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Mixed Spice
75g Chopped Nuts
3 Eggs
150ml Sunflower Oil

300g Cream Cheese
1 tbsp Icing Sugar

In a large bowl combine the sugar, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and mixed spice.  In a jug whisk together the eggs and oil then add this to the dry ingredients.  When well combined stir in the carrots and nuts.

Pour the batter into a 9" x 7" lined baking tin and bake for 25-30 minutes at 160C Fan

Once the cake has completely cooled, stir the sugar into the cream cheese top your cake and slice into 12 portions.