Ann Reardon

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little book of frosting recipes

My Little Book of Frosting Recipes

Frosting recipes are spread all over this blog and you can access them for free.  But for those of you who like things organized I have made 'My little book of frostings' here you will find eighteen frosting recipes in one cute little booklet. You can purchase, download the pdf, print and assemble!   Frosting Recipes included ... »

easy cookie monster cupcakes

Easy Cookie Monster Cupcakes

Cookie Monster cupcakes Cookie Monster Cupcakes will go down a treat at any little kids party and with this technique they will be done quickly without the use of any fancy equipment. You will need: Cupcakes (vanilla cake recipe at bottom of princess cake post or chocolate cake recipe) Blue Buttercream (buttercream recipes can be found here) White chocolate melts ... »

school holiday activity idea kids cooking invention test

Kids School Holidays Activity Idea – Recipe Invention Test

Need something to do with the kids on a rainy day this school holidays?  This one is a winner - let the kids make up their own recipe, plate it up and present it for 'judging'. Each of the boys started with five eggs, half a block of chocolate, a cup of cream, a small bowl ... »

melting moment recipe masterchef

Melting Moments Cookie Recipe with Vanilla Buttercream – MasterChef

  I took these melting moments to playgroup this week and the mums loved them.  So here is the recipe for you.  The biscuit recipe is the one used by Julia Taylor in MasterChef - an Australian TV show.  Buttercream and Jam are my own versions.   Melting Moment Biscuit Recipe 180g (6.35 ounces) or 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp ... »

adriano zumbo cookbook review

Adriano Zumbo Cook Book & Dessert Train Review

The Adriano Zumbo cookbook 'Zumbo' is filled with all the sweetest things that you could imagine from 'salted butter popcorn zumabrons' (macarons) to 'gibbo & zumb's australian adventure' - my rendition is pictured above.  But is ithis cookbook too complicated to be of value to most home cooks? In my opinion this book definitely has not ... »

amazing buttercream roses leaves and daisy tutorial cupcakes

How to Pipe Butter Cream Flowers Using Only a Ziplock Bag

Believe it or not, you can make these buttercream cupcake frosting flowers using only a ziplock bag. They are super easy and quick, making them ideal if you need to frost a large number of cupcakes with buttercream. I wanted to develop a way of piping flowers without the need for specialty nozzles and piping bags. ... »

butter cream cupcakes recipes howtocookthat

Buttercream Cupcake Frosting Recipes

Basic butter cream or American buttercream is an easy cupcake frosting to make. Today we will look at the basic recipe and some of my favourite variations. UPDATE: See seven different frosting recipes in a taste test and in the Aussie sun for a heat test on this more recent post. You may also like ... »

mix icing sugar in to melted marchmallows to make fondant

Marshmallow Fondant Recipe for cake decorating

Take 2 x 250g (8.82 ounces) packets or 5 2/3 cups marshmallows and split into white and pink.  So you end up with 250g (8.82 ounces) or 2 3/4 cups white marshmallows (eat the pink ones or use in hot chocolate). Add one Tablespoon of water and microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir, repeat until melted. Mix in 450g (15.87 ounces) or ... »

which fondant is best

The Great Fondant Review – Which fondant is best?

Which brand of fondant is the best? Which one is smoothest? Whitest? Holds it shape? Here we review and compare between satin ice, duff, fondx, home made, bakels pettinice, orchard, cake art and marshmallow fondant. For this review the homemade fondant was made using this recipe and the marshmallow fondant recipe can be found here. Which fondant ... »

chocolate gnache spherical recipe

Chocolate Ginger Sphericals – Molecular Gastronomy

Chocolate sphericals are like an explosion of melted chocolate in your mouth.  After many failed experiments I have finally developed a recipe that not only works but tastes divine.  You have got to try these. Molecular Gastronomy Kits are available here... 200mL (6.76 fluid ounces) or 3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp cream (35% fat) 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger (optional) 20g (0.71 ounces) ... »

easy macaron recipe reardon

Easy French Macaron Recipe (Macaroons)

I am often asked why have my macarons failed?! Why are there no feet?! Why have the macaron shells cracked? And which recipe do you use for your macarons? So here it is... french macaron recipe and troubleshooting. On a recent holiday I found a 200 year old cookbook on my mums bookshelf.  It tells ... »

fondant basics how to colour fondant

Recipe for home-made fondant (sugar paste)

Fondant Recipe Ingredients 1/2 cup or 176g (6.21 ounces) glucose syrup 1 tablespoon or 15ml glycerin 1 tablespoon or 14g (0.49 ounces) gelatin 1 tablespoon or 15ml water 900g (31.75 ounces) or 7 cups plus 2 Tbsp pure icing sugar Extra 1-2 teaspoons of water as needed Fondant Recipe Directions Place the glucose syrup and glycerin in a heatproof bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top and then add t... »

cake artist pirate cake

Pirates Band of Misfits 3D Fondant Cake

"Your flight has been delayed..."  " Your flight has been cancelled. Please collect your baggage". Not the words you want to hear when you have a cake to make! I usually plan ahead sufficiently to ensure that I do not have a very late night before a kids party. I need energy for the party. ... »

fondant cake decorations first birthday cake ideas monkey teddy elephant

1st Birthday Cake

As my youngest son's first birthday is rapidly approaching I realized that I have never posted the 1st birthday cakes for my other two boys. So here is a pic of the first fondant covered cake I ever made. I used a book from the library, yes it was back in the ... »

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, ... »

seized chocoalte

How to fix seized chocolate

Water is to chocolate what kryptonite is to superman.  Just a tiny drop and melted chocolate seizes and becomes thick and grainy. So how do you fix seized chocolate? You add more liquid - while adding more kryptonite might kill superman, it will fix chocolate. Try adding some hot cream and the chocolate will smooth out again ... »

how to cook that ann reardon best food blog 2012

How to Train Your Dragon Birthday Cake

  As we walked to the party venue carrying this cake my eldest remarked "Mum everyone is staring at us".  I reassured him that they were looking at the cake not us.    Step 1: Make your fondant details up to 4 weeks ahead of time (fondant basics tutorial) and allow them to dry hard.  For this cake ... »

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 ... »

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 ... »

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 ... »

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