Monday, April 27

April Daring Baker's Challenge

Well this month's challenge was Cheesecake yummo! But I've been sooo busy this month, I've left it to the last minute to make it. But here it is :)

I didn't make the full recipe, as I wanted to make cupcake sized cheesecakes, so I could have a few flavours. I made vanilla, raspberry and passionfruit - William said I don't want the ones with the yucky bits in them lol!!

Anyways my variations are in red, and slackness on my part regards the photos, I've just got photos of the passionfruit ones, and oh my they are good!!!

The details are

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.






Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake:

crust:
2 cups / 180 g graham cracker crumbs 1 packet of Nice Biscuits
1 stick / 4 oz butter, melted dropped the butter back to 100g
2 tbsp. / 24 g sugar ditched the sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

cheesecake:
3 sticks of cream cheese, 8 oz each (total of 24 oz) room temperature 500 g cream cheese
1 cup / 210 g sugar 2/3 cup caster sugar
3 large eggs 2 large eggs 
1 cup / 8 oz heavy cream 2/3 cup thickened cream 
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. vanilla extract (or the innards of a vanilla bean) I used vanilla bean
1 tbsp liqueur, optional, but choose what will work well with your cheesecake

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (Gas Mark 4 = 180C = Moderate heat). Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath. I set mine at 160 C and filled 18 muffin sized cupcake tins - the other six tins I filled with water, to create a moist enviroment.

2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too - baker's choice. Set crust aside. I used a good sized couple of tablespoon and tamped it down in the paper cases with a pie crust thingy - good explanation huh lol!!

3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and alcohol and blend until smooth and creamy.

4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water. I left 6 plain, 6 with raspberrys and then mixed 1 whole passionfruit into the remainder.

5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve. Baked them for just about 20 minutes.

Pan note: The creator of this recipe used to use a springform pan, but no matter how well she wrapped the thing in tin foil, water would always seep in and make the crust soggy. Now she uses one of those 1-use foil "casserole" shaped pans from the grocery store. They're 8 or 9 inches wide and really deep, and best of all, water-tight. When it comes time to serve, just cut the foil away.

Prep notes: While the actual making of this cheesecake is a minimal time commitment, it does need to bake for almost an hour, cool in the oven for an hour, and chill overnight before it is served. Please plan accordingly!

It was super easy to make, and tasted delicious both before baking - says Katherine who licked ALL the spoons and after. I didn't have any problem with them cracking either, being the smaller size. The ones with the water bath in them in the upper part of the oven, didn't sink at all, whereas the ones in the bottom without the water bath, sunk a little.

Saturday, April 25

The last of them ......

The last of the New Customer orders (well bar one, but that's not being sent just yet) and a custom lottery slot from OZeBaby. I still have a couple more things that need finishing before I go - but I'm hoping that will only take a little while in the morning before we head off.

For Lindsay - 2 Medium/Long HoneyBoy! Fitteds



For Nat - 1 fitted Auriel and 1 AIO Auriel



For Kristy - 1 Medium/Long HoneyBoy! and 1 Medium HoneyBoy! Unisex and both Quick Dry AIO's.



For Vicky - for a new bubba yet to make her appearance, and isn't the small sized raphael gorgeous - the photos don't do it justice, the colours are just beautiful, just like a raspberry sorbet.

The Fronts



The backs



We are away until the first week of May, so any emails won't be answered, as our net access is pretty nearly non-existent. I will answer the emails as quickly as I can on our return.

Friday, April 24

The best laid plans

of mice and men - often go astray.

Sorry these photos didn't go up last night, but my littlies had an accident at the supermarket - they are both okay - but gave mummy the hugest fright ever. So we all had a very early night.



Catriona - a size 1 and size 2 - both with natural fibre inners



Dani - 2 size 2 - natural inners.

In the post today - Salwa



And this is what Shane, I and the lovely Tracy who gave up half her day off to help us with packing up the prizes. They are all packed and awaiting to go to their new homes, just waiting on emails of confirmation from the winners, so the parcels don't go walkabout to the wrong address. Those already confirmed we are taking with us to post whilst we are away. The rest will have to wait until we return in early May. As you can see, they covered my whole lounge room floor and then some.




Wednesday, April 22

Updates

Well something threw a spanner in the works on Tuesday, so I'm still working on New Customer items and they are a day late leaving. Those going today are

Sylvia



Kerry - and alas no photos - cause the ones Shane took were terrible - that will teach me - but I promise Kerry they are beautiful.

Samantha




I have contacted everyone who was on my list - if I haven't heard back from you regards payment by Friday, you will have to wait until the next New Customer Stocking for your items. Or if you've emailed and not heard from me at all it means I haven't gotten your email, please resend it by Friday. If payment isn't received by Friday, you'll have to wait until we get back from our break away for your items to be posted. Shane and I will be away with no net access till the first week of May and we aren't taking work with us :)

Did you miss out on my new customer stocking, if so be sure to sign up to my newsletter at www.cherubskiss.com - details of the next stocking will only be made available to those on my newsletter list.

I still have some customs to also finish up and will be doing those first, before restocking the stores - mid May. But in the meantime a little birdie tells me that the Cloth Nappy Shop, has a handful of girly Auriels. I've also added my to do list in my side bar. The custom slots for March haven't been drawn yet - as you can see my list is a little long, so these slots will be drawn when I'm caught up a little.

Shane's managed to get some extended holidays, so during this time, we are re-vamping the sewing room/office to hopefully make it a bit more special to help keep the mojo going.

Also just a note on copyright and the use of photos. Please remember that the copyright on all photos and content of this blog, any of my other blogs, or stores, remains with me. Please just shoot me an email to ask if you'd like to use it or alternatively if you'd like to link to it, please just credit the source.

Oh and it appears that most prefer a set stocking time - 62% to 37% preferring random stockings. I'll probably continue to do a mixture, with most of my items auto-stocked so you can see exactly what time they go live.

Monday, April 20

A giveaway

and not from me. How gorgeous is this blog

Idey Spidey

I've been following it for awhile now, but of course I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to spit.

But it's soooo cute - love the little paper dolls

Monday, April 13

Would you like to win some Gossamer Dream Goodies?

Just pop along to the blog - make some suggestions for upcoming themes and go into the draw to win a pack of GD goodies.

Gossamer Dreams Blog

Friday, April 10

Happy Easter

I hope those having an Easter break, take it easy on the roads, and have a lovely break with family and friends.

I'm still working behind the scenes on the New Customer Nappies, there are alot more than I first thought, so I'm still plugging away getting through them. I'll start to email again after the Easter break, as I know alot of people are away.

As it is I've been slowed down a little, due to the fact that yesterday morning bright and early I sewed through my finger :( I've never done that before in 25 plus years of sewing, and I honestly don't know how I did it. Anyways, there was blood and pain, and I had to have Shane bandage it up - it throbbed for a goodly portion of the day and is making it hard today to type, cut or sew. So perhaps I'll just have a day off today and play with the children. William is totally exhausted from his last day of term 1, and definitely needs some R&R.

Anyways here are some more New Customer Orders, that went out yesterday.



For Laura - Ballet Princess Auriel with white microfleece inner. Medium HoneyBoy! Pale Pink outer, and panda inner.



For Lisa - Small HoneyBoy! sea green outer - this fleece is so pattable, soft and silky. With a planes, trains and automobiles inner. And the size 1 Auriel is aqua minky with a toys panel.



For Nicole. 2 Medium HoneyBoy! - One mauve with funky flowers inner, and one salmon pink with roses inner.

Thursday, April 9

April Cookie Carnival Challenge


Hosted by the fabulous Holly of Phemomenon is guest hosting the Carnival for April.

The Challenge - is Toasted Almond Lemon Bars

I've added my notes in red :)

From The Sweet Melissa Baking Book by Melissa Murphy

Makes 1 dozen bars

"Everyone loves lemon bars. I make mine extra special by adding toasted almonds to the shortbread crust."

For the Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar I used icing mixture
1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds, lightly toasted
1/2 teaspoon salt
20 Tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces about 300g of butter

For the Lemon Filling:
4 large eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 7 lemons) I only needed 3 large Australian Lemons.
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

To Toast the Almonds:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the almonds in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly golden and you can smell them. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Before You Start:
Position a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 - inch pan with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Make a parchment "sling" by cutting two pieces of parchment paper, measuring 16 1/2 inches long by 12 inches wide (you can also use aluminum foil). Place one piece across the length, and the other across the width of the pan, with the excess hanging over the edges. You will use this sling later to lift the finished bar from the pan. Spray the sling with the cooking spray.

To Make the Crust:
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse the flour, sugar, almonds, and salt to combine. Add the cold butter in pieces and pulse until the dough comes together in a ball. My food processer recently went to the great food processer heaven after 20 plus years use, so I just beat my cream, until soft, then mixed in the dry ingredients. I did find that I had more base that I needed for the tin I used, so I just turned the leftovers into bikkies and boy do they taste great. I also didn't add the almonds into the base, but decided to sprinkle mine on the top of the slice.

2. Turn the dough out into the prepared pan and press evenly into the bottom and 1 1/4 inches up the sides. (This crust, once it is baked, needs to act as a liner in which to pour the liquidy lemon filling. So be sure to do a good job of pressing the dough up the sides - no cracks!). Cover the dough with a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil, and fill with pie weights ( you can use dried beans or uncooked rice as pie weights as well). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly golden. Carefully remove the pie weights and the liner and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the whole crust is golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

To Make the Filling:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until smooth. Add the almond extract and flour, and whisk until smooth. Add the lemon juice, and whisk to combine.

To Complete the Bars:
1. Pour the lemon filling into the prepared crust. I topped mine with the almonds, untoasted. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling is firm and lightly golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool. I used 180 deg celcius for about 35 minutes.

2. When cool use the parchment sling to lift the entire bar from the pan and onto a cutting board. Slice into twelve 3 x 3 1/2 - inch bars. Remove from the pan and, using a small sifter, dust with the confectioners' sugar.

The bars keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze well wrapped in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil for up to 3 weeks. Do not unwrap before defrosting. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

These bars are delicious. A nice crisp and flaky crust, divinely lemon centre - if you don't like lemons, don't try them. I liked the crunch that the almonds added on top, but the do need to be served with ice cream or cream I think. They would make a super desert dish.

Wednesday, April 8

Do not attempt

Cupcake pops with 5yo and 2yo helpers. It does not go well.



I massacred a devil's food cake and mixed it with vanilla buttercream to make the pops and I think they turned out slightly egg shaped - nothing on Bakella's though.

I sourced the Candy Melts from ebay - I just got white vanilla, but boy are the uber sweet - I reckon next time I'll just go Choc Melts preferably the good stuff, so they aren't so sweet. I had to mix in some Copha, cause the melts were just too thick.

I had visions of beautifully decorated eggs, but with 2 little helpers, this is what we got - luckily I think the 5yo preppies that they are destined for will be stoked with so much sugar - I hope their Mums don't hate me tomorrow afternoon, but I'm hoping the dip in the pool before pick up time will wear the colours off lol!!



All in all, I think I'll try them again, with lots of time, and no helpers. I'd really like to make these ones Cupcake Pops as I think they'll be more forgiving.

I don't think the cakes took too kindly to being frozen, as some of the shells cracked, so perhaps a stint in the fridge would be better. I'm thinking warm candy coating and freezing cold cakes don't mix. I also didn't have any styrofoam and wasn't braving the shops to get some, so I made do with some rice in a container, it works okay, but the pops are very top heavy, so watch out for falling pops.

Sunday, April 5

New Customer Goodies

Well here are some of the goodies that the New Customers are getting. I hope the new owners like them. I apologise for the not the best photos, trying to take them and pack them in a hurry, so I'm ready to go when Shane gets back from doing some things with the children.



For Ann - Unisex Size 2 Auriel - Spring Green, white inner, and a Unisex Quick Dry HoneyBoy! Size medium - Lemon Lime with frogs.



For BP - Pink Nebula Size 2 Auriel, Aurora Size 2 Auriel



For Emma - Size 2 Black with Hot pink Inner and Fushcia Dragons and a size 1 Unisex Giraffe Auriel



For Trudy - Size 2 Auriels - Black Butterflys and Pink AIO with feature panel of Tillbrook Sprites.



This is a newborn pack, which is a collaboration from The Cloth Nappy Shop - the covers, and Bits for Bots - the prefolds, the rest from yours truly. They'll be going to the just about to be new mumma sometime this next week - the brief was bright and unisex, with a dragonfly t-shirt - which turned out sooo cute, I might have to make some more. So we have 2 Minkee Covers, 2 prefolds, a pair of babylegs, Size 00 t-shirt appliqued. Newborn Raphael. Size 1 hand dyed bamboo velour fitted Auriel. Size 1 Minkee Rainbow AIO.

Shane and I are playing hookey for the next few days, so I won't be here to answer emails. We aren't taking a computer with us at all. But I'll get back to you as soon as I can. I'll be emailing the next lot of new customers as well, so be ready to pay and your nappies will be on their way.

On a very sad note the Cherub's are sending throughts and prayers to Frances who knits for Possum Pouches Frances husband of 60 plus years passed away on Saturday. Please send your prayers to all the Possum Pouches family.

Friday, April 3

Email issues

Well it appears I'm having some email issues. Shane is working on it, but if you have sent me an email after 10.00pm yesterday the 2nd April. I may not received it. If you need to contact me please send an email to cherubskiss at gmail dot com

We are away on and off over the weekend, Shane is trying to drag me away for a few days, but I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Sometimes I hate computers :(