They really MELT in your MOUTH :D

Here is another inspired bake from MASTERCHEF! I've wanted to try these cookies out ever since I saw Julia make them on Masterchef but just didn't have the time. But last Sunday was a lazy baking day (don't you love those days? ^^) so I decided to give them a go. They are REALLY SIMPLE to make!!! All you need is an electric beater, measure and mix and you're ready to bake!

I didn't have any fresh berries to make my own jam but I think store bought jam is fine. Also the original recipe said it made FIVE biscuits... they must have been HUGE cookies!! because I made twice as many and I still thought the ones I made were quite big. So just a warning, they do expand a little once baked.

Melting Moments Biscuits

Recipe adapted from Julia http://www.masterchef.com.au/recipes/melting-moments-biscuits.htm

Ingredients

Biscuits

180g unsalted butter

60g icing sugar

60g custard powder (I didn't have any so I used 60g corn flour/starch with a few drops of vanilla essence)

1 tsp baking powder

180g plain flour

Vanilla buttercream

100g unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 cup pure icing sugar, sifted

Strawberry Jam

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line oven tray with baking paper.
2. For biscuits, cream butter for two minutes in an electric mixer. Add icing sugar and custard powder/corn flour and mix until combined.
3. Sift in baking powder and flour and mix well.
4. Roll dough into small balls (roughly 20c piece or smaller), place on a baking paper lined baking tray and press each ball with a fork to leave an indent.
5. Bake biscuits for 16-18 minutes or until light golden. Allow to cool for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Baked biscuits cooling~

6. For buttercream, whisk butter and vanilla until smooth. Add icing sugar and beat until mixture forms a paste. You can either pipe this or I just spread it using a knife.
7. To assemble, place a spoonful of strawberry jam on the base of half the biscuits. Pipe/spread buttercream onto the base of the other half of the biscuits. Gently press one of each biscuit together to form a melting moment.

So... ENJOY THE MOMENT!!! :P

These are just screaming out "EAT ME"

Upside down is right way up!

After watching an episode of Masterchef, I was inspired to try out this Maggie Beer recipe! The contestants had to bake an Upside down grape cake during a pressure test and the cake looked SO DELICIOUS! the glistening fruit on top and the lovely soft and fluffy cake!!! (watching cooking shows definitely makes me want to bake =p).

So I decided to make the cake~ with a few adjustments as I didn't have grapes or verjuice and I didn't have the strict time limit =p

I received good reviews from family and friends (which is good to know).. so thought it was worthy to share on my blog!

Upside down Pear and Raspberry cake

Adapted from Maggie Beer's Upside down Grape cake (http://www.masterchef.com.au/recipes/upside-down-grape-cake-verjuice-and-extra-virgin-olive-oil-ice-cream-with-vino-cotto-raisin-and-ginger-wafer.htm)

Ingredients

Topping

2 tbs butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 pear, sliced

1/4 cup raspberries

Cake batter

4 eggs, separated

1 cup caster sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

100ml vegetable oil

50ml lemon juice

1 cup plain flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Line base and sides of 20cm round cake tin.

2. For topping, melt butter with brown sugar until sugar is dissolved. Pour into bottom of cake tin.

3. Arrange sliced pear and raspberries on base of tin.
4. For the cake batter, beat egg yolks and half the sugar and lemon zest until thick and pale using an electric mixer. While mixing, slowly pour in the vegetable oil and lemon juice. Beat for 30 seconds to combine.
5. Sift in the flour and baking powder and beat for 1 minute or until the batter is smooth.
6. Place egg whites into clean bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar while whisking, until sugar has dissolved.
7. Using a spatula, fold meringue into cake batter 1/3 at a time.
8. Pour mixture into cake tin and bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in tin before turning out. 

Nice colours of green oven mitts and brown cake :D

Piece for you! Look how fluffy it is!!!!

I realised that I didn't add that much fruit so I tried the recipe again and filled the bottom of the cake tin with fruit! ^__^ Was a MUCH better result! :) 

So go on there... get inspired and GET BAKING =D