Triple Layer Lemon, Strawberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake

As I was down on my hands and knees scraping squished sultanas from the floor boards, my mind drifted to other pleasant things, after the thought that I should never have introduced my 9 month old to that detestable fruit. My mind took me to that tub of Philadelphia cream cheese chocolate frosting that I had purchased to top cupcakes (I promise!) and I found myself making a bee line for the cutlery draw for a tea spoon.
Honestly, that little tub of heaven never even made it close to a cupcake. Unless that cupcake was already in my stomach.
So with that delicious chocolatey goodness in my mind, I was pretty stoked when Philadelphia released a new flavoured cream cheese block in Strawberry flavour as well as lemon. I instantly knew I had to test these babies out in my kitchen. I borrowed from my favourite triple layered chocolate no bake cheesecake recipe and got to work-not using dark, milk and white chocolate as in this recipe, but just white as a base.

There was a heavenly layer of white chocolate paired with the original cream cheese, one of white chocolate and strawberry, and one of white chocolate and lemon-encrusted with a buttery, crumbly biscuit base that extended up the sides. This was topped with an ornate white chocolate crown and chocolate dipped, crumbed strawberries piled high in the centre.

Once it was set I removed a piece for testing purposes. The layering was so pretty, and the scent of strawberry and lemon arose from that cutting. It was at that moment that I was sure that Philadelphia had done it again, inspired by the divine. So if you're wondering how to use Philadelphia's Lemon or Strawberry cream cheese blocks, look no further. Here's a recipe to tickle your fancy!

TRIPLE LAYER LEMON, STRAWBERRY AND WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

 350g plain sweet biscuits (I used Marie biscuits)
125g butter
1/4 cup boiling water
3 tsp unflavoured gelatine
1x 250g packet original cream cheese, at room temperature
1x 250g packet lemon cream cheese, at room temperature
1x 250g packet strawberry cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup caster sugar, divided into three parts
300ml thickened cream, divided into three parts
600g white cooking chocolate, divided into three parts
250g strawberries, washed and dried
100g extra chocolate to garnish strawberries if desired

Break up 300g of biscuits into a food processor. (Reserve the remaining 50g to garnish the top of the cheesecake at a later point.)
Process the biscuits until they resemble fine crumbs. Melt the butter in a large microwave proof bowl, then add the biscuit crumbs and stir until well combined. Tip the contents of the bowl into a 23cm round springform tin. Using a straight sided glass, press this mixture into the base and up the sides of the tin until even and compact. Place in the refrigerator to harden.
In a small bowl, place the hot water and shower the gelatine evenly over the surface. Stir with a fork until the gelatine has dissolved completely. Set aside.
Melt the 600g of white chocolate gently in the microwave. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place the original cream cheese in a medium bowl. Add one third of the sugar (this is approximately 2 heaped tablespoons of sugar). Beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth and well incorporated. Add a third of the cream (100ml) and beat until smooth. Add a third of the gelatine mixture and stir until well combined. Add a third of the melted chocolate (200g) and stir until well combined.
Pour this mixture into the base, cover and freezer to set.
Meanwhile, repeat this process with the strawberry cream cheese for the next layer. Remove the cheesecake from freezer and add this strawberry cream cheese mixture on top of the plain white chocolate layer. Smooth the top and freezer to set.
While these two layers firm, repeat this process with the lemon cream cheese for the final layer.  Remove the pan from the freezer and spread with the final cheesecake layer. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours until firm.
To add the garnishes, process the remaining 50g of biscuit in the food processor. Dip the strawberries in extra melted chocolate if desired, dip them in biscuit crumbs and dry. Pile in the centre of the cake.
If you are interested in making the chocolate crown, melt another 100g white chocolate. Blow up a balloon and paint with the white chocolate. Allow to dry, then prick the balloon with a pun close to the mouth to slowly release the air. Voila!

Serves 10-12

Beatrix Potter Peter Rabbit Themed Baby Shower

Seriously, who are those women? You know, the ones who have a baby shower that looks perfect beyond words and everything matches like nothing you've seen. Who ever knew there was so much pastel in the world? I am in awe of these people! Despite the fact I know I'll never hold one of those adorable parties we all see pasted all over Pinterest (and realistically, they're probably put together by party planners who charge hundreds for the display) I can but use these gorgeous photos as inspiration. And I did so in creating this Peter Rabbit themed Baby Shower for my friend Danielle.

One of the easiest themes I could have come across for my friend's baby shower was Beatrix Potter's character Peter Rabbit. It's such a cute baby shower theme, and quite neutral or genderless too. My friend didn't know the sex of the baby so this was a good one to go with. It was very economical to set up too, using Mr McGregor's veggie patch as the main table layout theme. I made sure I went grocery shopping up at the fresh veggie market the day before, so all my usual veggies were used in the display--cabbages, carrots, pumpkins bunches of herbs and yellow squashes. I arranged a plate of strawberries piled on a cake stand, and spread the table with other delicious edibles such as choc oreo mint truffles decorated as cabbages (white chocolate coloured green), fondant bunny and veggie topped cupcakes, individual dips in a cup with matchsticks of carrot, celery and cucumber, and a magnificent bassinet and baby carved out watermelon and surrounded by fruit salad...

The Peter Rabbit cake was of course, according to theme, a delightfully moist carrot cake. Peter Rabbit himself was made of fondant, or white icing as some call it. You can also model him from gum paste or the likes. I firstly looked for a tutorial on how to make a Peter Rabbit figuring and I couldn't find anything to my surprise. So I basically worked with two pear shapes of fondant-a large one for the body, and a smaller one for the head which I turned on a horizontal angle and sat upon the larger pear shape. I cut out from blue fondant a rectangle and draped it over the rabbit's back and added smaller rectangles onto the sides to act as sleeves to the jacket. I couldn't get a nice dark tone for his fur by adding brown food dye to the fondant, so I opted to paint him with the brown after he had dried, and it worked very well, giving him a nice multi-tonal look to the fur.
The vegetables that he sat amongst were likewise created from fondant. For the cabbage leaves that surrounded the cake and encased the fondant baby, I selected a nice veined leaf from the garden (geranium) and gave it a wipe over and left it to dry. Then as I rolled the green fondant, I lay this leaf over the fondant to give it this delicate imprint.

 

Mummy to be Danielle surprised us all with this show stopping carved watermelon baby in a bassinet. The head is made from cantaloupe, the nose a green grape and the eyes are black grapes. It was surrounded by kiwi fruit, yellow watermelon, red watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes and honeydew melon. Yum!

On this cake stand we have carrot cake cupcakes turned into McGreggor's veggie patch! The veggies are made from fondant, and the soil made from crushed oreos. The icing is cream cheese frosting with a bit of green food colouring.

Caramel Walnut and Chocolate Slice

Have you heard of the paleo diet or lifestyle? I only discovered it recently, as some of my friends have joined in this way of eating. I had my first paleo muffin yesterday and it was indeed a healthy snack. It's a far cry from the sweets I'm used to creating in my kitchen, and it made me think of how boney I would be if I followed the trend. I say trend, although my friends are certain it's not, and call it a lifestyle rather than anything. I suppose it has become popular recently though, as several paleo cafes have popped up in the area in the last year out of the blue. It's one diet that seems to be a sustainable way of eating, unlike so many diets that people use to lose weight, like the shake diet, which for me, is a recipe for fluctuation. It also seems to be a good thing to stick to if you're lactose or gluten intolerant. It cuts out many processed and refined foods, and steers clear of legumes, starchy vege, dairy and grains. It's a sort of cave man style of food--fresh vegies, meat, fish, nuts and fruit.
For myself however, I am sticking to "balance is key" and just eating a little bit of all the good and tasty stuff, even if it is processed. Life is too short to deny yourself one piece of slice--especially when it comes with a layer or chocolate, a gooey golden filling of caramel dotted with walnuts, and a buttery, shortbread base. Walnuts are healthy, right?

CARAMEL WALNUT SLICE  (Better Homes and Gardens)

350g butter
225g caster sugar
275g plain flour
395g sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup honey or golden syrup
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
200g dark chocolate, melted

Preheat oven to 180C. Put 225g butter and 100g of the sugar into a bowl and beat until light and creamy.
Add flour and stir to form a soft dough.
Spread the dough in a lined slice or lamington tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden.
Put remaining butter and sugar in a medium-sized pan and stir over low heat until the better melts. Add condensed milk and honey, stirring continuously until the mixture is combined and very thick.
Remove from heat. Stir walnuts through, before pouring over the slice base.
Leave to cool, and then spread melted chocolate over the caramel to the edges.
Refrigerate for 3 hours before cutting into 24 squares.

NOTE: You may want to use a hot knife to cut through the chocolate as it tends to crack a little when cutting.

How to Make a Baby from Fondant or Gumpaste

 Making this gum paste or fondant newborn baby is easier than pie. With the use of a silicone baby mold, you will have a perfect miniature, edible baby within minutes--and it makes you look like a pro without being one. You can make this little bubba lifelike with a little pink petal dust to highlight the cheeks and bottom and a tan or light brown petal dust for definition in the creases and to give a more realistic skin tone. Being a very fair person myself, I instantly started creating a Caucasian newborn, but you can darken the skin as desired.
These adorable babies are perfect  for baby shower cakes, cupcakes and Christenings and can be left as is or decorated with bonnets bows and frills, or popped into a little fondant cradle or pram as a cake topper. I am going to use the babies in Anne Geddes inspired baby shower cakes atop large open fondant roses. Pictures to follow!


How to Make a Baby from Fondant or Gum paste

You will need:

Silicone baby mold
Quantity of flesh/ light coloured fondant or gum paste (about the size of a golf ball per baby)
Knife
Greaseproof paper
One or two small paint brushes
Tan or light brown petal dust
Dark brown matte petal dust
Pink matte petal dust


1. Colour fondant as desired. Make sure it is dry to the touch, not tacky. (You may want to add some icing sugar or corn flour at this stage. Tacky fondant can prove problematic.) Take a piece about the size of a golf ball and roll it into a smooth ball. Elongate this ball between the palms of your hand.

 2. Gently but firmly press this fondant into your dry mold, paying special attention to the head and feet areas. (Do not powder or grease these particular silicone molds, as it may take away the definition of the baby.)

 3. Gently cut away any excess overhanging fondant until the fondant of the baby is level with the top of the mold. Brush away any left over excess and smooth the top with your fingers.

 4. Place the mold in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm. To remove the baby, gently ease it out from the mold head first, holding the mold at the front with both thumbs, pushing from the back of the mold with your fingers.

5. Place the baby gently on some greaseproof paper. Because it has been in the freezer, it may get a damp look to it--allow it to dry.

6. Take a small brush with a little tan or light brown petal dust on it. work into the creases and over the baby's body. Build up the colour a little more under the chin, in the arm and leg creases and the sides and underneath of the tummy. If you have a darker brown petal dust, brush this over the crown for soft baby hair.

7.With a smaller brush, use the pink petal dust to touch on the cheeks, bottom, elbows, knees and hands. You can also colour the lips with the pink, or use a stronger colour such as a watered down red food colouring to carefully stain this area.

Finished.

Fondant Rose Petal Engagement Cake

One of my beautiful friends has become engaged. Slowly, as I grow older, my friends are getting married, and that not only fills me with a certain joy, but also gives me the opportunity to further my experience making their engagement cakes.
I have long admired the "exploded rose" or "rambling rose petal" look on wedding cakes and engagement cakes alike, so I purchased a case of rose petal cutters, varying in size from very large to quite small. I used the four smallest cutters from this range to cut out the fondant rose petals for this cake, with the idea of working from the centre out and graduating the size as I worked from the bud. When dried in the shape I desired, all the fondant petal edges were carefully brushed in pink petal dust for a delicate and realistic effect before their placement on the cake. The centre part of the rose had been coloured with this same petal dust with more intensity to create dimension and also a focal point to the flower.
To assemble, I started with the bud, (I made the beginnings of the rose as a separate piece) positioning it close to the bottom of the cake. Then I added larger rose petals surrounding it, fixing them with butter-cream icing. The petals fanned out from the main rose bud, and traveled up the cake in a romantic, sprawling fashion. Then I positioned a few of the larger petals at the top as if they had been scattered there.
Sadly for the weekend of the engagement party, it rained every day. This put a spanner in the works, as any humidity or rain in the air reeks havoc on the fondant, and makes it somewhat unstable. I was unable to have an air conditioned environment, so I experienced the fondant on the cake tearing, and the rose petals turing wet overnight before I put them on the cake. Fortunately, the sun came out for a period and they quickly dried, and I was able to get them on the cake without too much drama. I had one or two petals that cracked, so I had to glue them togather again with some egg white and prop them up until they dried once again.
Due to the tearing fondant for the main of the cake, I decided on going with a mummy-style wrapping effect of fondant strips around the cake, which turned out better than I expected in my depressed state of mind. You know that feeling when you envision something, and it doesn't turn out anything like you thought? Well, that was me, while it rained buckets and I struggled to cover the main of the cake. The wrapping effect did the trick though, and any unsightly bits were easily covered by ribbon and strewn petals. Happily, the cake made it to the engagement party in one piece! Ah, sometimes I wish I didn't live in a subtropical climate. Water and fondant are not friends. Anyway, I hope the pictures help if you're creating a cake like this. Sorry about the quality--now with my bigger camera and my sticky hands, amid concentrating on the cake, its no mean feat getting quality pictures. My apologies.

Rose Petal Engagement Cake

Rose Petal Engagement Cake

To begin with, cut out the rose petals from thinly rolled light pink fondant. (I used the supermarket brand Queen "White Icing". You can use any brand of fondant or gum paste if you prefer) I cut these out in four graduating sizes with cutters for individual petals. Then I placed them to dry in plastic trays in the shape I wanted them to be on the cake.

I made the centre piece of the rose first--this is the only part of the rose that is combined to create a unit of it's own. The other petals are left loose. When the petals had dried, I roughly arranged the loose ones around the rose centre to get an idea of how I wanted them set on the cake.

I used petal dust in pink and a small new eyeshadow brush to tint the edges of the rose petals and the centre of the main rose. This added definition, dimension and depth to the rose and made it look more realistic.

The cake itself was covered in flaws, so don't look too closely! Fortunately this style of flower arrangement on a cake is good if you have made mistakes, because you can cover them artistically with petals.

Sadly I couldn't wield the chunky camera and cake decorate at the same time so I missed out on capturing the building of the rose for you. Basically I positioned the main rose (the "centre" of the rose) close towards the bottom of the cake, and added the rose petals in around it, tucking in the pointy end of the petals beneath the centre rose. Some of these I fixed in place with a little buttercream icing. You may want to use some props to hold the petals in position while this "glue" dries (Don't give me away, but I used some toys--cleaned prior of course-to prop some of these petals in place overnight).

As you build further out from the centre of the rose, the loose petals do not have to be so closely inter-lapped with the others--you can even have some fly-away rose petals! It is an exploded rose after all. And yes--that's a wine in the background! I was under stress with the humidity foiling a smooth process.

Here you can see the petals are "tucked" in behind the main centre of the rose (I keep saying centre but it's anything but the centre. Hopefully you know what I mean!) I have seen this cake arranged backwards--starting with the back petals first and finishing with the centre of the rose...it's up to you.

The finished product. I had to take out a few petals and replace them as a few broke under the pressure (or maybe I made them too thin?) So be prepared, make a few extra spare petals in each size and don't worry too much. Here's a glass of wine on me!