Elephant Cupcakes

I've noticed that as I've become busier in other areas of my life, I've found less time and less inspiration to challenge my baking skills. I've tended to bake old favourites which I know are easy enough that there's pretty much guaranteed success.

But I know that it's good to occasionally push the boundaries and do something new, so when Cake Decorating Store offered to send me some surprise baking goodies with the challenge to whip something up with them, I said, 'Challenge accepted!'

When the package arrived, I opened it and saw some cute jungle animal cookie cutters, an edible ink pen, and a packet of coloured fondant.

So many options, so many choices! I gave some thought to what I could do with the materials and remembered that L's birthday was coming up. She loves elephants so I stole a bit of inspiration from the back of the cookie cutter package and decided to make some little blue elephants out of the fondant, and attach them to the top of cupcakes.

I'd never worked with fondant before so I read up on how to handle it, how to blend colours and how to roll it out. It turned out to be easier than I expected, though I found out the hard way that it can be quite brittle once it's dry and crack if you're not careful! I also learned that I needed to keep the fondant wrapped well when not using it, otherwise it will dry out and become difficult to work with.

While the toppers looked great, I've never really liked the taste of fondant so the cupcakes themselves were the real star for me. I made some lemon cupcakes with a vanilla buttercream icing and gently pressed the cupcakes toppers on the icing. I loved the zesty flavour of the lemon cupcakes, but most importantly, the birthday girl loved them too!

Popcorn Macarons

I don't like popcorn. People look at me weirdly when I say that, because how could you not like popped corn kernels doused in butter? But seriously, I just think that popcorn doesn't really have much flavour apart from salt, and it gets stuck in your teeth, and it's kind of just like eating air. Salty air.

When I was contacted by Planet Popcorn, a Taiwanese handmade popcorn chain, who offered to send me some popcorn samples, I was all ready to politely decline, but then I saw the flavours. Double Chocolate. Basil Chicken. CORN SOUP. I was officially intrigued and happily accepted the samples. This was a good thing, because this popcorn was pretty awesome - especially the savoury flavours. The basil chicken was peppery and slightly spicy, and the corn soup tastes exactly like the hot corn soup you get out of vending machines in Japan.

Even the original flavour was good, with a very light, sweet coating around each buttery popped corn kernel, ensuring that each piece of popcorn stays crunchy. I thought that the sweet and salty flavour was perfect to go in a popcorn-based dessert, so I decided to make these awesome popcorn macarons.

I realised I hadn't made macarons in a couple of years, and I could definitely tell I was out of practice. It didn't help that this was the first time baking macarons in my current oven, so despite using the same recipe that I've used numerous times before, the temperature was a bit off and they nearly failed on me.

So even though they weren't my best work, they still turned out pretty tasty with a gooey caramel filling and bits of crunchy popcorn sprinkled on top. The other popcorn flavours were devoured pretty quickly by everyone, with the crowd favourites being the corn soup, basil chicken, coffee and original flavours. If you want to try some of Planet Popcorn's popcorn, head over to Westfield Hurstville between 13th-17th April to the new Planet Popcorn store where there will be giveaways, prizes and other launch offers. Don't forget to pick up a packet of corn soup flavoured popcorn too!

Flourless Chocolate Cake

I can't believe it's Christmas already! The year has flown by, especially the last few months which have been crazy busy for me. I've been lucky enough to have some time off work before Christmas so got stuck into the Christmas baking straight away, starting off with the usual gingerbread.

I've still got a couple of desserts and things to make over the next few days, but I thought that I'd revisit this flourless chocolate cake that I made last year for Christmas (but never got around to blogging about.... oops). Flourless chocolate cake was a cake I made from the first cookbook I was ever gifted, and probably kick-started my love of baking and cookbooks.

This flourless chocolate cake is adapted from a recipe from the queen of delicious, fattening things and midnight snacking from the fridge, Nigella Lawson. It's a rich, fudgey cake that I think sums up well what Christmas feasting means for me - indulgence and a little bit of gluttony. Don't be surprised if you find me piling my plate high with glazed ham, turkey and fresh prawns, and then collapsing onto the sofa for a well-earned post-feasting nap.

You could make this cake any time of year really, but a few strawberries and a dusting of icing sugar turns it into something a bit more festive. Even if you're greeted with a few groans from people who have over-eaten when this cake is brought out, don't pay attention to them and make sure that everyone has a slice. They won't regret it.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas with their family, friends and loved ones over a delicious meal!

Matcha Chiffon Cake

So it occurred to me a few months ago that it's been AGES since I've posted a recipe - not since October last year in fact. It's not that I don't cook often because we eat regularly at home and I do bake for people's birthdays and other special occasions, but sometimes I just can't be bothered styling the food and taking photos of it. I just want to eat it.

So I thought it was time to get my mojo back, and even though I still haven't quite got this food styling thing, it's nice to be able to share recipes and baking successes - so here is my first recipe post in over 6 months.

I've had a chiffon cake tin for years and always had the intention of making it, but the thought of flat and dense chiffon cakes had always scared me off making them. I don't know why I was so worried because after doing a bit of research and finding a recipe, I made my first chiffon cake with much success!

I chose matcha flavour because green tea is awesome and also because I'd just come back from Japan and was craving matcha desserts. The green tea flavour is quite subtle in this cake but what I particularly love about chiffon cakes is the light and airy texture which makes you feel like you're eating a cloud. A green tea flavoured cloud!

I used a recipe that I adapted from Keiko Ishida's book Okashi: Sweet Treats made with Love. The recipe calls for 5 eggs but uses a 20cm tin, so I have increased the amounts to fit my 25cm tin. This recipe worked really well for me and I've used it to also make a pandan flavoured chiffon cake and chocolate flavoured chiffon cake. Yep, there's definitely going to be plenty of chiffon in my future!

Homemade Tacos

You can tell that summer is just around the corner, with some of the 30+ degree days we've had lately! The heat just makes me feel like eating something cool and refreshing for dinner, and home made tacos are a great option, with minimal cooking required.

The steak filling is marinated in some spices, lime juice and tequila, and then seared on the stove until medium rare. You can also use other meats as well - I've tried the marinade with chicken and it tastes just as good.

The flour tortillas are also made from scratch, which admittedly requires a little bit of elbow grease. You don't have to make your own flour tortillas, but once I realised how easy they were to make, it was well worth the effort and now I can't go back to the store bought kind.

Once you've browned the tortillas, rested the steak, chopped up some avocado and tomato and squeezed on a little bit of lime juice, you have your very own home made tacos for dinner. The best thing about this recipe is that you can really throw in whatever takes your fancy - some chopped cabbage or lettuce, Spanish onion, pickled jalapenos, some corn or cheese... The possibilities are endless!

Magnolia Bakery Red Velvet Cupcakes

Moving out of home has its perks, but it also means that there are fewer people in the household to eat the products of my baking. Sure, Sir D and I could (and would!) eat a whole chocolate cake to ourselves but in the interests of our blood sugar levels and waistlines, I've been baking less than I used to.

So I do love it when there's an occasion to bake for and I can make a giant cake or 30-odd cupcakes for people to enjoy. It was L's birthday and a while back I had received one of the Magnolia Bakery cookbooks as a gift from L, but a yer later still hadn't baked anything from it! It seemed only fitting to bake some Magnolia Bakery Red Velvet cake for his birthday.

The recipe in the cookbook is for a tiered 9-inch cake, but I decided to make cupcakes instead. Instead of the Creamy Vanilla icing that was recommended with the cake, I decided to go with Magnolia Bakery's cream cheese frosting. I tried to do the iconic Magnolia Bakery frosting swirl, but the frosting was a bit too soft and it was getting late so I kinda just did what I could with it. Not that it really mattered anyway because the cupcakes went down a treat!

Moscato Jellies

It's been a weird couple of months for me lately. You may have noticed that my posting frequency has decreased (sorry about that) but sometimes life just takes over and before you know it, the months have flown by and you've barely managed to get a post in. My usual late night blogging activities have been replaced by late nights at work, and caring for a family member of mine who is quite ill.

I like to think of myself as quite an optimistic person, and that even amongst all the crap there is still a silver lining. Although it's sad when someone is very sick, it has brought out the best in all our family and everyone has shown so much support, with relatives flying from all around the world to visit and help out where they can. And even though I've been swamped at work, I've been able to catch up with friends that I haven't seen in a while which is always cause for celebration.

On one such occasion, we had a girly night in for a friend's birthday, and I had been fortunate enough to have been sent two bottles of a new pink moscato courtesy of Bimbadgen Winery. It was the perfect reason to crack open a bottle to share with friends, who really enjoyed the pretty pink colour and the sweet, almost honey-like flavours in the moscato.

I saved the other bottle to make these bubbly moscato jellies to celebrate this humble little blog's 4th birthday. It's a pretty, slightly spritzy, and sweet treat that is very easy to make and it's a nice way to enjoy the fruity flavours of the moscato. I think I say this every year, but I'm always surprised that four years on, I'm still blogging (and I thought this was just a temporary procrastination tool!) and I'm still loving every moment of it, even though it's sometimes hard to get posts out on a regular basis.

To say thank you to all the readers of Penguin says Feed Me, I have three bottles of Bimbadgen Moscato to give away thanks to to Agent99 and Bimbadgen Winery. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post answering the following question:

"What's your favourite celebratory drink and why?"

Entries close at 11.59pm AEST, Sunday 7th July 2013. The winner will be selected by Sir D based on creativity and entertainment value. You may enter as many times as you like. Please enter a valid email address – this will only be used for the purpose of contacting the winners. Winners will be notified via email. Good luck!

My Favourite Lasagne

Now that we're experiencing a cooler change in the weather, I'm starting to crave more comfort foods. One of my ultimate comfort foods is lasagne - I mean, what's not to love about a rich and saucy mince layered between pasta sheets and that creamy, cheesy bechamel? I've tried out a few lasagne recipes over the years, but this Neil Perry one is definitely my favourite.

When I'm not gorging on the whole lasagne myself (spread out over a few nights.... of course), this is my go-to dish when I have guests over. It's easy to make, and most of it can be prepared in advance which means there's no freaking out in the kitchen in the 30 minutes before people arrive, because your lasagne is just sitting in the oven cooking. While the recipe looks lengthy, it is actually quite a simple dish to make if you break it down into its components.

I like to serve the lasagne with a simple rocket salad dressed with olive oil and balsamic, and a glass of red wine. So far it's been a crowd pleaser - and it makes so much that there's always leftovers for the next day, which taste even better :)

Lemon Lime & Bitters Cupcakes

I think I do my best work when I'm baking for a particular person. Baking for someone motivates me to think of something that the recipient will really enjoy, and ways that I can incorporate that into my food.

And that is how these lemon, lime and bitters cupcakes were born. A combination of fresh citrussy flavours, bitters and lemonade, it is one of JC's go-to drinks whenever we go out. So it felt rather fitting to make these cupcakes for her surprise party as we bade her farewell to Victoria (where she is studying to be a doctor for the next 4 years!)

The recipe is very similar to the Mojito Cupcakes I've made previously, but tweaked a little bit to incorporate the flavours of lemon, lime and bitters. The cupcake is drizzled with a lemon and lime syrup, while the bitters flavour is part of the buttercream, which also gives it a lovely blushing pink colour. These were a hit at the party - and probably one of my favourite cupcakes to date!

Chinese New Year Peanut Cookies (花生饼)

Although I've been eating the stuff for years, it's only in the past couple of years that I've realised that I can make my own celebratory food for Chinese New Year. Last year I tackled the traditional Chinese New Year's cake (年糕), and I was surprised to learn that although it was time consuming, it was quite easy to make.

This year, I decided to make peanut cookies, or 花生饼, which turned out to be even easier than the cake and super tasty! Rolling the dough into balls can take a long time, so I highly recommend you get someone to help with that to speed up the process.

These Chinese peanut cookies are neither chewy nor crunchy, but are incredibly crumbly and almost melt in the mouth as you eat them. They are sweet and very peanutty - and let me assure you that you will not be able to stop at one! I would have no hesitations making these all year round, but I think restricting myself to eating them only at Chinese New Year makes it a bit more special when we do have them :)

I wish everyone a Happy Lunar New Year and may the Year of the Snake bring you good fortune and prosperity!

Lamington Bites

Lamingtons are an iconic Australian dessert, so I thought it was only fitting to make these for Australia Day coming up. It's a simple dessert of sponge cake, dipped in chocolate and rolled in dessicated coconut, and was named after Lord Lamington who was the Governor of Queensland in the 1890s. Funnily enough, Lord Lamington was reported to have disliked lamingtons, which is quite ironic!

I was never a big fan of lamingtons either. Maybe because the only lamingtons I had ever eaten were the ones out of a packet that you buy from the supermarket. As a kid, I would eat off the chocolate and coconut layer, leaving the spongecake innards behind, but even the chocolate layer wasn't that satisfying and soon I stopped eating them altogether.

Trying home made lamingtons for the first time was a revelation. There was none of that artificial taste, only a rich chocolate icing encasing a light airy sponge. It's fair to say that after making these, I ate a few several in one go... for quality control of course :)

Although lamingtons are usually large, I made these ones bite-sized so you could pop the whole thing in your mouth at once for one delicious, chocolatey mouthful of cake!