Halloween and The House That Boo Built

Mwahahahahaha… It’s not long till Halloween. I never used to be one to make a big deal of it, until my nephew and niece were old enough to go trick or treating.. It’s so much fun celebrating with the kids. Who knew that carving a pumpkin could be so therapeutic.

“What’s New Cupcake?” is one of my favourite books. It’s by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. The book is full of fun ways to decorate cupcakes. For Halloween, I decided to make my version of “The House That Boo Built”. 

The House That Boo Built

What you need..

1 black cake stand

2 edible sugar eyes (I got mine from Kitchenware Direct)

3 large pre made chocolate cupcakes iced

3 medium pre made chocolate cupcakes iced

1 chocolate ice cream cone

7 - 8 pieces of pineapple lumps

4 dark chocolate trees made with dark chocolate and orange sprinkles (instructions for trees in Step 1)

candy pumpkins, fake spiders and skulls (optional)

Instructions

Step 1 - Making the Chocolate Trees

Melt 1/2 cup of dark chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for approximately 2 minutes. Put the melted chocolate in a small squeeze bottle. Put some wax paper down on a flat surface and start drawing some trees. There is a pattern in the book that you can use as a guide. Make sure the trees are thick so they do not break when you put them into the cupcakes. Add the orange sprinkles to the trees before they set. Repeat the process until you have made 4 trees. Cool in the fridge for at least an hour before using.

Step 2 - Assembling the Haunted House

- Put 1 large cupcake in the middle of the cake stand, put another large cupcake on top. Get the ice cream cone and carefully place on the top cupcake. Add the edible sugar eyes. Put 2 pineapple lumps on the bottom cupcake. These are the headstones. I was suppose to write RIP on the headstones but my dog Gizmo ran off with the white icing pen that I bought.

- Take another large cupcake and place it in front of the cupcake tower. Add two or 3 more pineapple lumps, some skulls, bones and pumpkin candy. Repeat this with the remaining cupcakes, but place the 4 chocolate trees on the cupcakes too. Put them at the back to make it look like a forest.

This is such a simple way of making Halloween fun. You can use different size cake stands, assorted decorations. It's really up to you. This is also a fun way to get the kids involved. Feel free to be as creative as you want.

Here's to another fabulous goulishly fun Halloween.. Make sure you have plenty of lollies for the Trick or Treaters...... There is nothing worse than being tricked on Halloween.. Mwahahahahahaha..

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Red Curry Prawn Dumplings

Working in the city, means that I have to travel 45 to 50 minutes each way on the train every single day. My Ipad is pretty much my best buddy on these long trips. One of my favourite Aps is the Martha Stewarts Everyday Food Magazine. The magazine is full of articles, chef bios, handy craft tips and most importantly simple delicious recipes.

These Red Curry Prawn Dumplings are from October’s issue. To make them look pretty I julienned the wonton wrappers instead of wrapping each dumpling. I also steamed them instead of the fry steam method on the recipe.

This dish took me 10 minutes to prepare, 8 minutes to cook and 2 minutes to eat. Not bad eh….

Red Curry Prawn Dumplings

(From Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food Magazine)

Ingredients

400 grams raw green prawns (peeled and deveined)

3 tablespoon grated ginger

2 shallots thinly sliced

4 teaspoons red curry paste

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 packet wonton wrappers (this recipe makes approx 24 dumplings)

Method

1. In a small frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, over medium heat. Fry the ginger and shallots until the shallots are slightly soft.

2. In a food processor, add the peeled prawns, fish sauce and red curry paste. Put the mixture into a bowl and add the cooked shallot and ginger. Stir until combined. Cover with glad wrap and set aside for about 15 minutes to let the flavours combined.

3. Separate the wonton wrappers and julienne small portions at a time, making small strips. Put the wonton strips in a  large deep bowl.

4. Using a melon baller or a measuring spoon, drop small amount of the mixture into the wonton strips. Put each dumpling into a steamer lined with wax paper.

5. Steam the dumplings for 8 to 10 minutes. The dumplings are cooked when they are firm to touch and the wonton strips are translucent.

6. Serve the dumplings with a dipping sauce made with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of grated ginger and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil.

These dumpling are just delicious. The red curry is a fantastic addition and doesn't take away from the flavour of the prawns. Make sure you add your own flavours to the mixture such as bamboo shoots or water chestnuts for crunch. Frying them would also give you a different texture and flavour.

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A Perfect Sunday Afternoon..

What's a perfect Sunday Afternoon for you? For me it's all about the weather. Spring is here. Although we had a few cold days, the sun seems to come out on the weekends, which is when it really counts.

This weekend was the perfect time to give my new Bodum Picnic Grill a bit of a whirl. I have always wanted a picnic grill and this one is light, cute and comes in an amazing array of colours.

I made some Spiced Steak Kebabs and for dessert, BBQ Pineapple Chunks with Cinnamon Sugar.

Spiced Steak Kebabs (Martha Stewarts Everyday Living September Issue)

Ingredients

12 – 15 pieces sirloin steak chunks (cut into 1½ inches each)

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 medium green capsicum (cut into 1½ inch chunks)

1 medium red onion (cut into 1 inch pieces)

salt and pepper

Method

1. In a small bowl, combine the oil, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper together.

2. Thread the steak, onion and capsicum onto your skewers. I only used 4 chunks of steaks per skewer.

3. Brush the skewers with the oil mixture making sure that it is well coated. Set aside in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

4. BBQ the skewers, turning frequently to avoid burning. It’s best to take it off the heat when the meat is slightly pink. The skewers will continue to cook off the heat. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

I first tasted these Pineapple Chunks at a Brazilian BBQ Restaurant. The sweet pineapple is perfect with the cinnamon sugar. Such a simple but delicious dessert.

BBQ Pineapple Chunks with Cinnamon Sugar

Ingredients

1 Pineapple (skin off and cut into thick chunks)

2 tablespoons cinnamon

4 tablespoons castor sugar

BBQ skewers (wooden skewers should be soaked in water to prevent burning)

Method

1. Mix the cinnamon and the sugar together and put it on a plate.

2. Coat each pineapple chunk in the cinnamon sugar mixture before putting onto the BBQ Skewers.

3. BBQ for 6 minutes each side. The outside should start to caramelise.

4. Let it cool slightly before serving.

You can add a little more cinnamon sugar after it has cooked. Don’t add too much as it will take away from the charcoal flavour. This is perfect served with coconut ice cream or fresh cream.

Thank you to Kitchenware Direct for sending me the Cool Bodum Picnic Grill to review. For more information on the Bodum range just go to Kitchenware Direct. 

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Popcorn Cake Pops

Cake Pops, they are slowly popping up everywhere. They are so simple to make and you can let your creativity run wild.

Kitchenware Direct were kind enough to send me some cool moulds, candy dips and a book to get my creative juices flowing. The book called Pops, Sweets on a Stick, gives you tonnes of different ideas on how to make all sorts of different cake pops.

One that caught my eye was the Popcorn Cake Pop. It looked like so much fun to make and all I really needed was some marshmallows to turn a simple cake pop into Popcorn.

Popcorn Cake Pops

Makes 13 -15 Cake Pops

Ingredients

150g Packet Oreos

2 tablespoons Light Philadelphia Cream Cheese

1 Packet White Mini Marshmallows

1 Wilton Pops Candy Dips in White

Yellow chocolate food colouring (powder form)

You will also need:

13 – 15 Paper Lollipop Sticks (15cm in length)

Styrofoam block

1. Using a food processor, blitz the Oreos until they resemble fine cookie crumbs.

2. In a medium bowl, add the Oreo cookie crumbs with the 2 tablespoons of cream cheese. With a spatula, combine the cookie crumbs and the cream cheese until it holds its shape.

3. Roll a teaspoon of the mixture into a ball and gently indent a side. This will make the Popcorn shape. Once you finish rolling all of the mixture into cake balls, set them aside in the fridge to cool for 5 minutes.

4. Microwave the Candy Dips for 2 minutes or until completely melted. Add about half a teaspoon of yellow food colouring and stir until combined.

5. Remove the cooled cake balls from the fridge. Dip about half a centimetre of the lollipop stick into the chocolate and insert into each cake ball.

6. Take a cake pop and stick marshmallows all around the bottom, using the chocolate as the glue, making sure to squash and pinch each marshmallow to make it look like popcorn. Put the cake pops into the freezing for a minute to set.

7. Remove the cake pops out of the freezer and dip each one in the chocolate to coat. Gently tap the excess of the Popcorn Pops and put it on the Styrofoam block to set.

If you are interested in making your own Cake Pops, make sure to check out the Cake Pops section at Kitchenware Direct. You will find everything you need to make your very own Cake Pops to impress. 

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Mini Goat's Cheese Tarts

As I walk from the station to work every morning, I always make time to stop at the Gourmet Supermarket at Greenwod Plaza. They have rows of homemade pates, local jams, sauce and goats cheese.

Goat’s cheese is one of my favourite cheeses. Its soft and tangy, it also goes with just about anything. These Goat’s cheese tarts are simple and moreish.

Mini Goat’s Cheese Tarts

Makes 4 mini tarts

Ingredients

1 sheet of puff pastry

2 large free-range eggs
150ml thickened cream

¼ cup of goat’s cheese

1 teaspoon of dried oregano or parsley

salt & pepper to taste

Optional: caramelised onions and more goats cheese for topping

 

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170°C (338°F).

2. Cut the puff pastry into 4 squares and line 4 mini tart pans with the pastry. Gently dart the pastry with a fork. Line with wax paper and weigh it down with some pie weights. Blind bake for 10 minutes or until they are slightly golden brown. Set aside while you make the filling.

3. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the cream, oregano or parsley. Crumble the goats cheese into the mixture and fold in. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Pour an even amount of the mixture into the 4 blind baked pastry shells.

5. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when you insert it through the middle of the tart.

6. Serve the tart topped with caramelised onions and more crumbled goats cheese.

Tips: Make sure to use free-range eggs. Fresh farm eggs work best. They are a lot tastier and the colour is more vibrant.

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