Disney Frozen Snowflakes Jelly Cups

 
These little Frozen jellies, complete with frosty rims and snowflake icing will be a wonderful dessert to go along with an Elsa, Anna or Olaf cake at a Disney Frozen party.  As a little girl growing up in a very warm country like Australia, I imagined snow to be the most wonderful stuff.

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things
(The Sound of Music)

Now you can make your very own Disney Frozen snowflakes where ever you live.

Royal Icing Recipe
1 or 32g (1.13 ounces) egg white (you can use pasturized egg whites or buy powdered egg whites and add water as per directions on the packet)
150g (5.29 ounces) or 1 1/4 cup icing (powdered) sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
few drops of mint or other clear essence (optional)

Using electric beaters combine all ingredients and beat on high speed for about 7 minutes or until stiff.
Place in piping bag (or ziplock bag with a hole in one corner). Pipe onto non-stick baking paper (see video) and leave to dry out over-night.

Dip the tops of cups into the royal icing and then caster sugar. Then fill each cup with blue jelly made according to the directions on the packet. Once set add snowflakes to the top of each one.

You may also like the Disney Frozen Elsa Doll Cake

Resource: howtocookthat

Camera Pinata Sugar Cookie Recipe

Cute Camera Pinata Sugar Cookies filled with mini M&M’s are perfect for your next memorable moment.
Photography used to be a hobby reserved for people with ridiculously long lenses and very deep pockets.
Now thanks to digital technology and hi-res smart phones, everyone can take beautiful photos, add a filter and look like an expert.

This week I found myself in a memorable moment, with butterflies in my stomach.
It wasn’t due to any of my own endeavors. I was sitting in the parent information night for kids starting high school next year.

I know my son will love it, but I still feel a twinge of nervous energy. And a strange feeling of not being ready to have a son in high school. How did he get here so fast? I must take more photos of him before he is all grown up.

To make camera pinata sugar cookie recipe you will need:

My sugar cookie recipe
130g (4.59 ounces) or 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp and 2 tsp margarine or butter
175g (6.17 ounces) or 3/4 cup caster sugar
1 whole or 50g (1.76 ounces) egg
2 cup or 323g (11.39 ounces) all purpose or plain flour
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
Bake at 180C (356 degrees Fahrenheit)
This recipe will make approximately 10 finished cookies.

Make sure you watch the video for important tips and myths for making the perfect sugar cookie and how to stop them spreading in the oven.

Sugar Cookie Frosting Recipe
500g (17.64 ounces) or 3.8 cups icing sugar
25g (0.88 ounces) powdered egg white or 62g (2.19 ounces) pavlova magic mix (half a packet)
50ml or 1/4 cup water
plus an additional 2 – 5 tablespoons of water to get the correct consistency

Resource: howtocookthat

27 Christmas Cookie Recipes

 

Twenty Seven Christmas Cookie recipes for you to try out. It’s not too late to get some baking done and get into the Christmas spirit. I can’t write this post without asking you to pray for the families of those killed in the siege in Sydney, my home town. A gunman held customers at the Lindt cafe in Sydney captive for 17 long hours before he started shooting hostages. The police responded immediately and it all ended with three dead, including the gunman. One of those killed was Ms Dawson, a barrister and a mum of three kids. It makes me cry to think of those little ones who will never again feel the comfort of their mothers words or her warm embrace. It seems so unfair. The youngest is only 4. As a country we must go on. Bake some cookies and give them to someone you love, and if you have kids squeeze them extra tight tonight when you say goodnight.

 

Spiral Cookie Ingredients:

(makes approx 30 cookies)

220g (7.76 ounces) or 1 cup margarine or unsalted butter
350g (12.35 ounces) or 1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
470g (16.58 ounces) or 3 cups plain/all purpose flour
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Red gel food colouring
Sprinkles – I used 100’s and 1000’s

Cook at 180c for 10-12 minutes

Resource: howtocookthat

Are protein balls good for you?

You feel as stuffed as the Christmas turkey! The scales register an increase and you decide to start your new year’s health kick early.  Should you make some home-made healthy protein balls or bars?  Let’s make some and check out how they stack up when compared with other snacks.

Healthy Protein Balls Recipe or you can make them into bars

Makes 14 Protein balls
3/4 cup or 115g (4.06 ounces) blanched almonds or nut butter
1 cup or 160g (5.64 ounces) raisins or other dried fruit
2 Tablespoons or 20g (0.71 ounces) cocoa nibs
1 Tablespoon or 15g (0.53 ounces) protein powder
1/2 cup or 85g (3 ounces) seed mix or trail mix
Optional goji berries, coconut, cocoa powder, chopped nuts for rolling the outside of the protein balls.

Two protein balls contain 8.8g (0.31 ounces) protein

Add all ingredients into a food processor and process until it forms a sticky ball. Portion into 14 balls and roll in coconut, chopped nuts, goji berries or cocoa powder.

Resource: howtocookthat

Easy Donut Recipe

Do you know what happens if you put water on an oil fire? Oh my goodness, watch the video and you’ll never forget. You will also learn how to make yummy donuts at home with gooey chocolate or vanilla glaze.  Home made donuts are not the same as store bought, they are a little less sweet and if you fry them for a moment longer you can get a slight crunch on the outside, which I love.  Dip them in the glaze and put sprinkles or grated chocolate on top.  Yummmm.

Featured in this video: Fireman Matt, founder of Mercy Huts

And in very, very exciting news this week through an amazing set of circumstances, we come across an effective treatment for solar urticaria. About 4 years ago I went outside one day and when I came in any skin that had been exposed to direct sunlight was red, welted and itchy like a million ant bites. It lasted for a few hours and then went back to normal. But the next day and everyday since the same thing happened if I went in the sun for anything longer than a few minutes. After seeing many specialists a professor of immunology diagnosed me as having solar urticaria, a rare allergy to sunlight and gave me the unfortunate news that there was not cure and it is life long. I react to UVA, UVB and the top end of the visible light spectrum so suncream is no good for me. The only option is to cover up in UV protective clothing. Well while swimming this week with my kids, in long UV protective pants, top and wide brimmed hat my feet did not react, which was most strange. The next day I tested my arms while fixing the pond- no reaction. The day after I went swimming in normal swimming costume and again no reaction. Totally, completely normal and absolutely loving the freedom to enjoy the sunshine. We went to the beach where I built sand castles with the kids and I walked down the street in normal clothes. No reaction to the sun. About three weeks later they reactions slowly started returning. Thinking through what I’ve already told you and doing some more tests we’ve realized the water stops the reaction, and allows your skin to be in the sun long enough to be desensitized – which stops the reaction for a few weeks. What an exciting discovery, this is life changing. Many thanks to everyone who has been praying for me over the years. (Word of caution if you have solar urticaria test on a small area of skin first to check if it works for you too. Put one leg in a bucket of water and sit outside for 10 minutes, while the rest of you is covered in UV clothing). Let me know how you go – there are so few of us in the world I do hope that this post helps others too.

Donut Recipe

Makes 14
4 cups or 640g (22.58 ounces) flour, plain or all purpose
60g (2.12 ounces) or 1/4 cup sugar
14g (0.49 ounces) or two sachets instant dried yeast
90g (3.17 ounces) or 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter melted
250ml or 1 cup (4% fat) milk, warmed
2 pinches of salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

Add all the wet ingredients in to the bowl of a stand mixer followed by the dry ingredients. Using a dough hook knead for about 5 minutes. Check if it is ready using the technique shown in the video. Once it is ready place in an oiled bowl, cover and stand in a warm place until it doubles in size. Punch it down, roll out and cut donut shapes. Place onto a greased piece of baking paper and allow to rise a second time.
Heat up the oil to 375F (190.56 degrees Celsius) this temperature cooks them quickly so they do not soak in the oil, but not too quickly you don’t want them dark brown.

As they hit the oil they float and puff up to make that perfectly round donut shape.

Chocolate Glaze Recipe:
60g (2.12 ounces) or 1/4 cup plus 1 tsp butter
3/4 cup or 95g (3.35 ounces) icing sugar
1/4 cup or 30g (1.06 ounces) cocoa powder
1 tsp glucose or corn syrup (optional, helps make the glaze shiny)
approx 1 Tbsp boiling water

Vanilla Glaze Recipe
1 cup or 126g (4.44 ounces) icing or powdered sugar
25millilitres (0.85 fluid ounces) or 1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp of water
10 white marshmallows
1 tsp glucose or corn syrup (optional)
Cinnamon Sugar:
1 cup or 216g (7.62 ounces) sugar
2 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Resource: howtocookthat

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 candy (or lollies as we call them in Australia) it’s not just about getting the flavour right but the texture as well.  So if you want to get it perfect, then you might need to hunt online to source all the ingredients.

I can’t write a blog post this week without expressing my heartfelt sympathy to the families of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.  Caught attempting to smuggle drugs out of Indonesia 10 years ago, they spent the past decade in a Bali jail before being executed by firing squad this week.  The biggest tragedy is that both men had been completely rehabilitated.  Both had become Christians and Chan even studied at Bible college by correspondence. He became an ordained minister and was running a thriving church service inside the jail for fellow prisoners. Together, they worked to establish drug rehabilitation programs for other inmates and were described by the prison commander as “model prisoners”.  Sukumaran also took up art with a passion and painted many beautiful paintings in recent years.  What a major transformation from foolish teenagers into fine young men.  My husband visited Chan in prison a couple of years ago and can attest to his good character.  He was a lovely young man, full of life and eager to share anything he had with others.  Fortunately the God in whom they trust does show mercy and forgiveness to those who believe so Chan and Myuran can indeed rest in peace.

Giant Gummy Bear Recipe (makes 3 cups 750ml)

105g (3.7 ounces) Gelatin 250 bloom or 166g (5.86 ounces) normal 100 bloom gelatin.
210millilitres (7.1 fluid ounces) or 3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp Water
340g (11.99 ounces) Caster (Superfine) Sugar
367g (12.95 ounces) or 1 cup plus 2 tsp Glucose syrup (or light corn syrup)
6 tsp Citric acid
34g (1.2 ounces) Sorbitol
Colour (I used red)
Flavouring (I used 3millilitres (0.1 fluid ounces) strawberry oil flavouring)
Silicon Mold (the Lego Man Mold that I used holds 3 cups).  
Measure how many cups of water your mold holds before you start and adjust the recipe quantities accordingly.
Cornflour or corn starch to dust the mold.

Prepare your mold by dusting with cornflour or corn starch.

Pour all the water into the gelatin and stir it through quickly.  Leave to soften.

Place the sorbitol, sugar and glucose syrup into a saucepan.

Stir over high heat until it begins to bubble.  Wash down the sides of the pan and remove from the heat – check all the sugar has dissolved, if not return to heat unstirred for a little longer.

Remove from heat add the colour, citric acid and gelatin.  Stir until the gelatin has dissolved, this will take a couple of minutes.

Add your flavouring.

Pour the hot mixture into the mold filling it right up to the top.  Leave it over night at room temperature to set.

The next day loosen the edges by pulling the mold away from the gummy candy.  Then flip it over and peel off the mold.

Subscribe below – new sweet recipe video every Friday.

Resource: howtocookthat

GIVEAWAY & Fruity Meringue Kisses Recipe

GOLDEN TICKET COMPETITION entries are now closed, Congratulations to the winners 
 
Sydney: Annie Chen LA: Huiyeon Kim

SORRY THE MEET AND GREET EVENT on Saturday June 27th HAS REACHED CAPACITY AND SO YOUTUBE HAS HAD TO CLOSE REGISTRATIONS.

I will be back in LA for vidcon and will be doing a couple of first to get there giveaways (50 people/day) at one of the stalls while I’m there. I’ll put all the details on a youtube vid closer to the date. If you are going to vidcon make sure you follow me on instagram @howtocookthat so you can get instant notification when the giveaway is live

See you there,  Ann Reardon

Basic Meringue Kisses Recipe: (makes approximately 1 ½ trays of meringues).
2 egg whites
65g (2.29 ounces) or 1/4 cup plus 1Tbsp caster (super fine) sugar
1 tablespoon icing or powdered sugar

Place your egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer and mix on high speed until they are fluffy, then add in a little sugar at a time.  Next add in the super fine (icing) sugar. Continue to whisk on high speed until they have stiff peaks. Pipe onto non-stick baking paper and bake them in a low oven around 100C (212 degrees Fahrenheit) for 2 hours.

Lime Meringue Recipe
1 lime
green gel food colouring (optional)
Juice the lime and microwave the juice to reduce it to 1 tablespoon in volume.  Add to the basic meringue recipe.

Raspberry Meringue Recipe
1 cup or 140g (4.94 ounces) of frozen raspberries
2 Tablespoons or 30 millilitres (1.01 fluid ounces) of water
red gel food colouring (optional)

Put the raspberries and water into a saucepan, heat and stir. Once the fruit is broken down push through a sieve.
Microwave the juice to reduce it to 1 ½ Tablespoons.  Add to the basic meringue mixture.

Chocolate Meringues
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
40g (1.41 ounces) dark chocolate

Sieve the cocoa powder and finely chop the chocolate.  Gently fold into the basic meringue recipe.

Passion Fruit Meringues
1 small 170g (6 ounces) tin or 2/3 cup of passionfruit in syrup
yellow gel food colouring (optional)
Drain a tin of passionfruit and add 1 ½ Tablespoons of the syrup to the basic meringue recipe. Add yellow colouring if desired.

Resource: howtocookthat