• Beetroot Jelly Red Velvet Trifle
    CHRISTMAS TREATS,  RECIPES,  THE WEEKEND BAKER

    Beetroot Jelly Red Velvet Trifle

    I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge fan of traditional dark Christmas cake.  After a full on lunch & dinner, the last thing I want to partake in is a huge slice of Christmas Cake full of dried fruit.  Plus all that dried fruit can have rather .. ummm… interesting affects on one’s stomach 😛 I prefer the lighter Christmas dessert of trifle, which is usually made with jelly, custard, sponge cake and a bit of booze :P, but this is my version for this year.  I’ve used a ready made red velvet cake, which cut down on my prep time, and made a beetroot jelly out of prepackaged beetroot…

  • RECIPES,  THE WEEKEND BAKER

    Dairy Free, Egg Free Lemon Cake

    So if you’ve been on the internet long enough, you’ve probably come across more than a few recipes for “Crazy Cake” or “Depression Cake” – a recipe for a cake without dairy or eggs!  Originally, these recipes came about because eggs and dairy products were expensive or rationed, but these days they’re perfect for those of us with food allergies.    Usually, the recipe calls for white vinegar, but since I couldn’t find any in the house on the day I tried this cake out, I substituted with some lemon juice I had in the fridge.  I figured the vinegar was needed as an acid, so why not try it with…

  • Chicken & Corn Cupcakes
    DINNER INSPIRATION,  LUNCHBOX TREATS,  THE WEEKEND BAKER

    Chicken & Corn Cupcakes with Sriracha Frosting

    It all started with a mince & cheese styled birthday cake.  It didn’t have mince or cheese in it, wasn’t a pie & was definitely a cake 🙂  I’ve always enjoyed making & styling cakes, and for as long as we’ve been married I’ve almost always done a different cake for DH.  From pac-man to pies, it’s always been a sweet treat.  This year, however, DH issued me a challenge without actually thinking he had 😛 He happened to mention, at some point before his birthday, that he’d never seen anyone do savoury cupcakes with icing/frosting.  CHALLENGE ACCEPTED said my brain 😛 Timing, however, wasn’t on his side.  With his…

  • Easy Dairy Free Scone Recipes
    LUNCHBOX TREATS,  SLIDER,  THE WEEKEND BAKER

    Easy Dairy Free Scones

    I’ll start off by saying I’m TERRIBLE at making plain scones.  My previous attempts could, and should, have been classed as weapons or doorstops ; that’s how hard they were.  I’ve been told it’s probably because I mix them too much, but I’m never sure how much is TOO much? I mean all the flour does need to be mixed in properly right? Anyway, it doesn’t really matter any more as these scones are SO easy to make! There’s no cutting of butter (cos there isn’t any) and not much chance of over mixing.  PLUS, it’s dairy free, egg-free & sugar-free!!  Which is great for me because I don’t have…

  • Pistachio & Rose Shortbread
    THE WEEKEND BAKER

    Pistachio & Rose Shortbread

    I love a good crisp melt in the mouth shortbread, enjoy pistachio nuts & rose would be one of my favourite scents – This recipe brings it all together.   Ingredients: 3/4 cup of Chelsea icing sugar 250g butter 1/4 cup raw pistachio 1/4 teaspoon rose essence 1 1/2 cups of flour 1/2 cup cornflour   1/4 cup raw pistachio 1/4 teaspoon rose essence 50g butter, softened 1 cup Chelsea icing sugar milk to thin   Method: Crush the first portion of pistachio nuts into small pieces.  This is best done in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin. Place the nuts into a ziplock bag. Make sure the air has…

  • Double Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake
    THE WEEKEND BAKER

    Double Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake

    Ok, so I love cooking & baking. Especially baking.  Got something sweet to make, I’m your girl!  But, with 2 kids, and everything that comes with two kids, my time in the kitchen has come down to the “necessary” only.  So I LOVE recipes that have only a few ingredients, and/or allow me to make something with minimal fuss and effort. Even better if I can use ingredients off the shelf to create something that would take more ingredients and time than I have, but still look great 🙂  This double chocolate brownie cheesecake is just that.   Ingredients: 1 box Edmonds Cafe Style Double Chocolate Fudge Brownie (you’ll also…