Chocolate Pudding Cake with Caramel Whiskey Sauce

So I wore my boots today for the first time since the beginning of Spring last year this morning. It felt goooood! I LOVE this time of the year when the weather is a bit cooler and I can get away with wearing my jeans and boots and being a bit more snuggly in bed, rather than walking around in a sweat and struggling to sleep in the humidity.

This dessert is just right for the cooler weather, my mum said it reminded her of Christmas pudding, I think that's because of the raisins and spices in it, combined with the whiskey flavour. But it warms the heart and is moist, delicious and filling. It can also be made as one large cake but I preferred using texas size muffin tins as I wanted individual cakes.

Chocolate Pudding Cakes with Caramel Whiskey Sauce

Grease 2 texas size muffin tins with spray oil or butter. Put the following into a medium to large size saucepan
1 1/2 cups water
250g butter
1 cup raisins and dates
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground mixed spice
pinch of salt
250g butter
1 cup sugar
Gently heat until butter is melted. Bring to boil and let simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside and cool.

2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup boiling water
Dissolve baking soda in boiling water and stir into mix.Add sifted flour to wet mix and fold through.

Pour into prepared tins and bake for 30 minutes or until slightly springy on top. Serve warm with sauce.

Sauce
1 can caramel sweetened condensed milk
50g butter
2 shots whiskey

Heat together in small saucepan until smooth and flowing. Pour over cakes, or keep in fridge for firmer consistency to serve on top of hot cakes (then it starts to melt and drip over the cakes....hmmmm yuuuum).

Katie, fighting over the last crumb...

Oh and by the way...

My MRI came back clear!!!

YUSS. There is a cyst in my right breast that they are gonna check, but since it was there last year and hasn't changed its not a worry. I'M SO RELIEVED!

Phew. Big sigh. Righto...back to the kitchen.

Saturday Baking...

Ginger Slice

Choc Mint Cupcakes

Only 2 Saturday's left before the term finishes up!

A Year...and another cake

Today I made a trip over to North Shore Hospital for the first of my annual MRI's since my diagnosis. This means its just about a year already. Can you believe it? No I can't either.
This time last year I was actually having my biopsy and waiting innocently, oblivious to the massive changes to come. I had NO CLUE I actually had cancer. Wow, how life changes quickly.

So today I felt like an old hand. Yeah I know the drill. Hi nurse, yeah no needle phobias here anymore. I still don't wanna look at you doing it though ok? Oh right you got the wrong vein? Its okay, have a dig around it doesn't hurt. No truly it doesn't. I'm a pro at this.

MRI's are funny things though. Here I was lying down comfortably and almost dropping off to sleep...if it weren't for the sound of a jackhammer right next to me. If you're inclined to be claustrophobic you wouldn't like it one bit.
But I'm glad that's over. I was a wee bit nervous, but I know its routine. Now I just have to wait for the doctor to say its all clear and I can get on for another year. Phew.

I made a cake last night as it was a little chilly and wet. I felt like something warm and almost puddingish for dessert. A late summer goodie I guess.
It's guava season. We have two rather lovely guava trees in our garden which are always bursting at this time of the year. Alison grabbed some and took away to make a rather lovely alcoholic drink with. Looking forward to trying that. I made jam. Well, jelly really.

Hmm, looks a little bloody...

The kids love the guavas, but I'm not such a fan. Maybe its the texture? But I LOVE guava jelly. Heaps. And its so easy peasy! I just chucked them in a saucepan with a little water, lots of sugar and some lemon juice and left them to boil away. Drained the pulp and poured into hot hot jars. So far so good and it was super yummy on toast for brekkie this morning.

The jelly also worked nicely for this recipe too.

Coconut and Guava Cake 

3/4 cup caster sugar

1/4 brown sugar
120g butter
2 eggs
1 cup self raising flour
3/4 cup coconut
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup coconut cream
3 tablespoons guava jelly (or however much you like!)

Cream butter and sugars, add eggs one at a time and mix until creamy. Fold flour in and add coconut, sour cream and coconut cream and guava jelly. Mix and pour into well lined tin.
Bake 50-55 mins on 175deg C or until middle is firm.

A lovely moist cake served either cold or hot.

The bits you can see in this cake are cream cheese, as I didn't have any sour cream. But the cream cheese worked really nicely if you wish to substitute too.

Things I'm Loving

Linking in with Paisley Jade this week;

Loving my birthday gal...

Loving having a day to sneak off with hubby, hire a golf cart and zip around South Head. Such a beautiful spot, and I may have had a few hits, but mostly left the golf to hubby while I snapped the camera, ate the lollies and drove the cart (like a crazy woman). So much fun!

Yeah, I still wanna live in the country...

Loving baking for Tennis club and the lovely people I get to see every Saturday. The comments and the community feel is so neat. And everyone is happy because I bring home the leftovers for the family to eat!

 

Summer picnics at the beach

A week in pictures

So I've been a busy bee, coming up with all sorts of new ventures and ideas for the Delissimon brand. Unfortunately, the blog site is falling behind as I've no time to spare to sit down and write a post. Grappling with new Photoshop assignments and wrapping my head around it is hard enough!

So I thought I'd include a few pictures from the week to compensate.

Not the best pic, but this is Madelines birthday cake...my big girl turned 9 on Monday!

And we had a pajama party!

Wahoo said Katie!

I think it went well. Only a few tears, and it was extremely late when they got to sleep. And that was only because I stumbled out at 1.20am to tell them to zip it. I think I was nice. Haha. Oh well, don't have to do that for another 9 months until Katie's 7th birthday. Yikes.

Some stunning late summer days. I say late summer because although its officially autumn, it sure ain't cold and we've still got daylight savings. I took this walking back to my car after Herceptin last week. The hospital carparking was full so I grabbed the opportunity to park in the domain and walk to the ward. Such a nice way to spend part of the day - especially considering the reason I'm over at Auckland Hospital. What's great is that there's only 5 more infusions to go! Yuss.

Johnny had his mate Fletcher over. They jumped and wrestled on my bed. Was hilarious to watch them.

And apart from baking like a mad woman with the tennis club and doing my assignments life is pretty full right now. But not crazy full. Satisfyingly full. I just need to keep it that way.

There are posts coming, on cherry pie, purple death, flapjacks and some fantastic in-season guava recipes. So pop back soon okay?

And the winner is...

Hooray Sophie from Little Gumnut!! Congratulations!


Thanks everyone for entering - I got Johnny to pick all your names out of a hat. I'm a bit sad I don't have a copy for you all though. :(

Enjoy the read Sophie!

xx

Magazine Giveaway!

It even features my dear sweet gals!...

Hello readers!!

Apologies for being rather quiet on the blogging front this last week. I've been so engrossed in my projects I haven't even had time to blog. I've even been missing taking photos of my baking, which is so unheard for me.

I've started my photography course, as well as doing the Saturday baking for the local tennis club. These two things alone are taking up my time. All very exciting and challenging, and when things settle down some more I'll get some more blog baking done for you.

In the meantime I've got a giveaway!

I was lucky enough to be featured in the Autumn 2011 edition of the Parenting Magazine, produced by Parents Inc. I'm so proud to be part of this, and along with an interview with two other baking mums I am also the guest food editor for this edition!!! So I've got 3 of my recipes and my photos in it, which is so super duper exciting to see something I've done actually printed for people to read!

If you don't subscribe or have access to a copy, well here's your chance. I've got a spare copy to give away.
Just leave a comment below and I'll pick a name randomly okay? Yay exciting!! Be sure to include your email address when commenting though!

Look its me! My actual recipes! Swooon!

Congratulations to Simone from Greatfun4kids and Paisley Jade for being part of this issue too. Great articles gals!!