Ann Reardon

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apple shaped dessert recipe ann reardon

Apple Shaped Dessert

    I've seen chefs make apple shaped desserts but they all use expensive apple-shaped silicone molds. If you want to make these at home the expense for the mold can't really be justified. So my challenge today is to find a way to make apple shaped desserts without using a mold. How To ... »

chocolate truffles ann reardon

Chocolate Swirls and Splashes

  It's time to have some fun with chocolate swirls and splashes. Capturing the fluid motion of liquids in solid form always looks fascinating. It's like freezing a moment in time.   Cake Pop Swirls You can make cake pops from scratch using this recipe or this one or use cake scraps as below 2 cups cake ... »

chocolate spiral dessert recipe ann reardon

Chocolate Spiral Dessert Recipe

  So pretty yet so simple to make, the chocolate spiral takes this dessert from beautiful to stunning in just a few seconds.     Inside the dessert are layers of chocolate cake, salted caramel, caramel creme brûlée and chocolate mousse. I had to draw you a picture because they had all been eaten before ... »

buttercream flower cake ann reardon howtocookthat

Pretty Butter Cream Flower Cake

  HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope you have a blessed 2016. Thanks for all of your love and support last year. You can see a playlist of all of last years videos here. This beautiful flower cake is made entirely from buttercream and it is easier that you'd think. I'll show you ... »

black forrest cake recipe video

Black Forrest Cake Recipe

The advent calendar going up kicks off the official countdown to Christmas in our home. It's a lovely hand-made calendar, stuffed with lollies and nativity figurines in the pockets, providing a great source of post-dinner joy for the kids. With each passing day it grows lighter as the little wooden stable nearby fills up ... »

macaron tart recipe How To Cook That

Extravagant Thanksgiving Dessert Recipe

  I am in the USA for a couple of weeks so I just had to make something for Thanksgiving. I searched online and it seems that pecan or apple pies are the traditional choice but as I'm from Australia let's break tradition and go with something a little more extravagant. Hopefully my ... »

Giant Gummy Bear Recipe

Giant Gummy Bear Recipe

Not quite a giant gummy bear, today we're making a giant gummy Lego man.  This recipe took a lot of experimentation to get right.  My first attempts were too rubbery but the addition of one extra ingredient meant the final gummy was beautifully chewy and a huge hit with the kids.  When it comes to ... »

how to cook that ann reardon best food blog 2012 award

Never-Fail Cheesecake Recipe

Make you next dinner party stress free by planning ahead.   Cheesecakes can be prepared weeks ahead and left in the freezer.  Pull them out the morning that you need them, decorate and defrost in the fridge.  You can even make individual sized ones using fancy cupcake wrappers in a muffin tin. Just defrost one for ... »

chocolate decorations

Chocolate decorations for desserts

Chocolate is so versatile it makes a great decoration for most plated desserts.  Here are just a few examples of what you can do. Firstly make sure you are using tempered chocolate or your decorations will not set firm.   VIDEO PART 1     VIDEO PART 2   Chocolate Curls (pictured below on Banoffee Tart) Spread some chocolate onto overhead projector sheet, ... »

how to temper chocolate microwave 2

How to temper chocolate in the microwave

Why Temper Chocolate Have you ever melted chocolate to make decorations only to find once it sets it is soft, dull and bends over when it is not in the fridge?  That is because it is not tempered. Chocolate manufacturers use equipment to precisely control the temperature of the chocolate during processing to cause the fat molecules ... »

chocolate pavalova easy gourmet dessert recipe how to cook that best cooking blog

Chocolate Pavlova easy dessert recipe

To quote a friend... "I HAVE to get the recipe off you for that pavlova...I think I am having withdrawls this week and can still taste how divine it was!"  If you've never had it, then imagine chocolate mousse encased in a crisp meringue shell, topped with cream, chocolate and strawberries. Yummm! And the ... »

printable free gingerbread house plan template

Gingerbread House Pattern – UP Movie Carls House

  Are you UP for a challenge? Download the printable pattern below for this gingerbread mansion from the UP movie and start baking. Purchase the UP Gingerbread House Pattern   To make the size house shown print on A3 paper. Hover over pictures for instructions. For this house I used the gingerbread dough recipe from masterchef.  I swapped half the glucose ... »

easy entertaining – make your own pizza

Before guests arrive prepare an array of toppings - you will need the basics for the kids like ham, cheese and pineapple.  For the adults try some chicken, prawns, bacon, cabanossi, sun dried tomatoes, chilli, terryaki sauce, olives, red and green capsicum, baby spinach, haloumi cheese and baby bocconcini. You will of course also need pizza ... »

ice cream

Home Made Ice Cream Recipe without an ice cream machine

You can flavour your ice cream by adding different things to the boiling cream - for example a mashed banana, melted dark chocolate, a donut, vanilla beans...it's up to your imagination. If you would like a fruit syrup based ice cream swap the 150ml of cream for 150 ml of fresh strained juice from ... »

yummy banoffee caramel banana cream pie recipe

Banoffee Pie (Caramel Banana Cream Pie) Recipe with home made banana ice cream

Crisp pastry lined with milk chocolate, gooey caramel, fresh banana, a dollop of cream topped off with home made banana ice cream. Every element of this banoffee pie is yummy, put it all together and it is irresistable. Pastry You can make your own pastry - I will post on that another day, or buy individual ... »

Gingerbread House Ideas: BEST OF THE WEB

I like to search the net for gingerbread house ideas and inspiration for new designs and decorations. Here is a collection of some of the best that I have found. Leading up to Christmas time our house is filled with the smell of baking gingerbread and the kids are excited about decorating gingerbread houses. Last ... »

Easy Gingerbread House

Do you want a gorgeous gingerbread house but don't have time to make the dough? Buy two cheap kits from Aldi and combine the pieces to make one bigger house. Check out the decorating ideas below to help you create a masterpiece. It has become a tradition at our house to have a lolly laden gingerbread ... »

chocolate spherification recipe

Molecular Gastronomy / Cooking: BEST OF THE WEB sphericals, caviar & raviole recipes

Are you looking for a surprise element for your next dessert? Sphericals have a liquid centre encapsulated by a gel membrane. This is achieved by using sodium alginate which gels in the presence of calcium. molecular gastronomy kits available here There are lots of videos and photos on the web showing how to make sphericals or raviole ... »

molecular-gastronomy-spherical-custard-dessert-recipe

Molecular Gastronomy: Custard Ravioli Spherical Recipe

Custard Spherical Recipe Alginate bath: 5g (0.18 ounces) Sodium alginate molecular gastronomy kits available here 25g (0.88 ounces) or 2 Tbsp sugar 1 litre (0.26 gallons) distilled water Mix together the sugar and sodium alginate (this helps to stop it clumping). Put half the water in a blender and sprinkle the surface with a little of the sodium alginate mixture - blend 10 secs, repeat until ... »

chcolate spherical served with raspberry agar gel, vanilla air and chocolate brownie

Molecular Gastronomy / Cooking: Chocolate Spherical Recipe

The kids loved these sphericals, although I think they may have enjoyed playing with them on their hands even more than eating them. So how do you make them? Well put simply you add sodium alginate to a container of water and then add calcium salts to the liquid that you want to make into a ... »

spun sugar close up

How to Make Sugar Decorations for Desserts – Spun Sugar Recipe

  Add some crunchy texture and some wow factor to your next dessert with these easy and highly versatile sugar decorations.  This recipe is not suitable for children due to the high temperatures of the sugar syrup - but they will love eating it when it's ready. Ingredients: Approx 1 cup or 213g (7.51 ounces) sugar 1 tablespoon glucose syrup ... »

how to make lemon meringue cupcake recipe

Lemon Meringue Cupcake Recipe

These are one of my favourite cupcakes, light fluffy italian meringue offset with tangy lemon curd and vanilla cupcake. Vanilla Cupcakes: Make the cupcake using the vanilla cake recipe on the bottom of this post: vanilla cupcakes While they are cooking make your lemon curd and italian meringue. Lemon curd recipe 165g (5.82 ounces) or 3/4 cup caster sugar 2 eggs plus 2 yolks zest ... »

chocolate orange ganache frosting for delicious rich chocolate cupcakes

Chocolate Orange Cupcake with Ganache Frosting Recipe

  Chocolate ganache can be infused with any flavour you desire, so do some experimenting. For these cupcakes I used orange and topped them with a jaffa.  You can eat them as is, or heat in the microwave until the ganache melts down over the warm cake. Serve with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. For ... »

mint chocolate cup cake ganache

Cupcake Frosting – Chocolate Mint Ganache Recipe

Rich chocolate cupcakes with creamy mint chocolate ganache and a slice of peppermint crisp.  You can eat these as is or heat them in the microwave, let the ganache melt down over the warm cake and serve with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. For the chocolate cupcake recipe I use best ever chocolate cake ... »

train cake template

Best of the Web Thomas the Tank Engine Parties, Cakes and Food

Thomas The Tank Engine Train Cakes  (scroll down for party food and ideas) There are over 8,000 Thomas cakes on the internet.  Yes, I have looked at most of them!  This is a selection of some of the best ideas to inspire your cake making (hover your mouse over the images to see description). ... »

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