Mini Patisserie with mini food recipes

 

There is something about miniatures that fascinates me. I never had a dolls house as a kid. But that didn’t stop me. I turned a bookshelf into a mini room and made a little bed, stitched a mini cross stitch pillow, and was delighted to find some of my grandmothers doll house furniture stashed away in storage.

The fun doesn’t have to stop when you get older. Make a miniature world and watch the delight on young ones faces as they indulge, imagine and play. This project would be so much fun for a little one if, for whatever reason, you were not having a birthday party. Invite over one special friend to eat at the patisserie.

Mini Food Recipes

Mini Cupcakes Recipe

Mini Brownies Recipe

Use the leftover cupcake mixture and spread into a small brownie tin. Bake at 180C (356 degrees Fahrenheit) until firm.

Mini Macarons

Use my macaron recipe
If you’ve never made macarons watch the macaron trouble shooting guide video first.

Mini Cakes

3 eggs
25g (0.88 ounces) or 2 Tbsp butter
20g (0.71 ounces) or 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp milk (4% fat)
10g (0.35 ounces) or 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp cocoa powder
80g (2.82 ounces) or 1/3 cup plus 2 tsp sugar
10g (0.35 ounces) or 1½ tsp glucose syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
50g (1.76 ounces) or 1/3 cup plain or all purpose flour
1/8 tsp baking powder

Add the butter and the milk to the cocoa powder and melt it.

Whip together the eggs, sugar, glucose syrup and vanilla until they are thick then add some of that egg mixture to the cocoa mixture to make it thinner & easier to combine.

Fold all of the cocoa mixture through the eggs until it is fairly well combined. Then sift the flour and baking powder on top. And fold that through too making sure you can’t see any more flour.

Using a plastic bag with the corner cut off pipe some mixture into each of the cupcake cases (see the video from instructions on how to make the tiny cases). Bake at 180C (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for approximately 5 minutes.

Mini Fruit Tarts
Pastry
30g (1.06 ounces) or 2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp butter
75g (2.65 ounces) or 1/2 cup plain or all purpose flour
12g (0.42 ounces) or 1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp water
Filling – fruit jams (jellys) or preserves of your choice.
Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix through the sugar then add the water and knead to form a ball.
Roll out, cut circles and place into a greased mini muffin tin. Bake at 180C (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for approximately 5 minutes or until golden. Heat the fruit preserves until just bubbling then spoon into the pastry cases.

How to Make Bakery Furniture

You will need
My template design for the miniature dollshouse bakery furniture

Buy it nowFree!

 
2 x Medium balsa wood 91.5cm (36.02 inches) x 10cm (3.94 inches) x 0.25cm (0.1 inches)
1 x Thin balsa wood 91.5cm (36.02 inches) x 10cm (3.94 inches) x 0.15cm (0.06 inches)
2 x balsa wood strips 0.25cm (0.1 inches) x 0.25cm (0.1 inches) x 91.5cm (36.02 inches)
White Paint
Teal paint
Hot glue gun and clear glue sticks
A cardboard box 12.7×21.7cm (8.54 inches)
12 empty matchboxes
12 pretty beads for the handles

Follow the instructions in the video to make the furniture.

Dolls House Printables
Books

These cute little cookbooks were created by gingerslittlehouse
Just print out the covers and then hot glue in some blank pages to the spine.

Bags

I printed the bakery bags from american girl ideas. And then covered it with wide clear tape to make it look glossy.

Miniature Cake Sign

Resource: howtocookthat

Hello Kitty Slice and Bake Cookies

I love all things cute! For these cookies Hello Kitty is all the way through the cookie dough so you can simply slice and bake. It took a while to figure out how I was going to achieve that, but now all the hard work’s done, you can just follow the instructions in the video and have fun.

 

To make hello kitty cookies you will need:

340g (11.99 ounces) unsalted butter
310g (10.93 ounces) icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla
pinch salt
6 egg yolks
600g (21.16 ounces) flour
20g (0.71 ounces) cornflour
Gel food coloring (pink, black, yellow)
Sprinkles (I used 100’s and 1000’s)

Whisk the butter until it is pale. Add in the icing sugar and stir until they are well combined. Mix in the egg yolks, vanilla and salt.
Then add in the flour.

Split the cookie dough into five bowls and colour as below
yellow = 3 tablespoons of cookie dough
black = 5 tablespoons cookies dough
dark pink = 1/2 cup cookie dough
pink = 1 cup cookie dough
remaining dough leave plain

Place the mixture into a plastic bag with the corner cut off and squeeze it into a fondant extruder. Use it to make a long snake of yellow cookie and two snakes of black. Place that in the freezer.
Pipe a thicker snake of deep pink for the middle of the bow.
Watch the video for the rest of the assembly instructions.

Slice and bake them in the oven at 180C (356 degrees Fahrenheit) keeping an eye on them because we don’t want them to go too brown.

Once they are done take them out of the oven and leave them to cool.

Then using some melted chocolate or black icing, pipe on the whiskers onto each cookie.

Resource: howtocookthat

10 Best Peanut Butter Recipes

 

Ten quick and easy peanut butter recipes that will make every peanut butter fan swoon.
This week I had the privilege of being flown to New York for the YouTube Creator Summit. It was so lovely to be spoiled by YouTube, I’m feeling very blessed. Of course, I really miss my gorgeous kids and husband whenever I’m away. It is like leaving behind part of your heart when you travel alone. And the good news is that I will arrive back in Sydney 6:30am on Mothers Day – ready for cuddles and squeezes oh so tight.

Back to the peanut butter recipes, let me know in the comments which ones are your favorite.

4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Makes 14
These are particularly moorish I had to fight to get a photo taken before they were gobbled up.
1 cup or 252g (8.89 ounces) peanut butter
1 cup or 216g (7.62 ounces) sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup or 128g (4.52 ounces) chocolate chips
Place the peanut butter, sugar and egg into a bowl and mix it together until it is smooth. Add about 3/4 of the chocolate and mix it through.
Place ice-cream scoops of cookie dough onto a tray leaving some space between them. Then using your hand flatten each one and add the extra chocolate chips on top.
Bake in the oven at 180C (356 degrees Fahrenheit) until they just start to brown on the edges, they will be soft when you first take them out of the oven but when they cool they will crisp up.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bites Recipe

Makes 9
1/2 cup or 126g (4.44 ounces) peanut butter
250g (8.82 ounces) or 1 cup cream cheese
4 Tbsp or 32g (1.13 ounces) icing/powdered sugar
popsicle sticks (ask the chemist for a box of wooden tongue depressors)
150g (5.29 ounces) chocolate for coating
sprinkles / crushed peanuts for decoration
Whip together all of the ingredients until smooth and fluffy. Pour into a square plastic container lined with baking paper and poke popsicle sticks into the top evenly spacing them. Place in the freezer for at least 2 hours.

Slice into cubes, dip in tempered chocolate and immediately dip into sprinkles or crushed peanuts to decorate.

Home Made Peanut Butter Cups

Makes 25
1 cup or 126g (4.44 ounces) icing/powdered sugar
1 cup or 252g (8.89 ounces) peanut butter
150g (5.29 ounces) chocolate
mini cupcake cases
Line each cupcake case with chocolate and allow to set. Warm the peanut butter and mix with the icing sugar. Add 2 teaspoons to each case then seal with chocolate.

Two ingredient peanut butter fudge

Warning: This is super rich, may induce feelings of ‘I’m so full but I’ll just have a little more’
225g (7.94 ounces) or 1 cup minus 2 Tbsp peanut butter
200g (7.05 ounces) chocolate
Add the chocolate to the peanut butter and melt it in the microwave for 30 seconds stir, 20 seconds stir and if needed an additional 10 seconds stir. Pour into a tray and leave to set in the fridge

Peanut butter and jelly twist recipe

Bread Dough
1/4 cup or 62millilitres (2.1 fluid ounces) water warmed to 98F (36.67 degrees Celsius)
1/4 cup or 62millilitres (2.1 fluid ounces) milk (4% fat) warmed to 98F (36.67 degrees Celsius)
2 eggs
1/3 cup or 73g (2.57 ounces) sugar
1/2 cup or 110g (3.88 ounces) butter
1/2 tsp salt
2 ¾ cups or 450g (15.87 ounces) flour
3 tsp yeast
Place all of the ingredients in a bread maker on a ‘dough’ setting.
Or if making by hand mix the ingredients together and kneed until elastic.
Leave in a covered bowl in a warm place until it doubles in volume.

2 Tbsp or 30g (1.06 ounces) peanut butter
1/4 cup or 79g (2.79 ounces) jam
See the video for instructions on how to assemble this one.

Peanut Butter Frozen Yoghurt

2 cups or 544g (19.19 ounces) yoghurt
1 cup or 238g (8.4 ounces) cream (35% fat)
1/2 cup or 63g (2.22 ounces) icing sugar
(OR if you prefer you could use vanilla ice-cream base)
2 Tbsp or 30g (1.06 ounces) peanut butter

Place the yoghurt, cream and icing sugar into an ice cream machine and churn until it is frozen and thickened.

Warm the peanut butter and pour it onto the frozen yoghurt and fold it through until you can see streaks of peanut butter. Serve scoopfuls topped with sliced strawberries and peanuts.

Peanut Butter Refrigerator Cake Recipe

Serves 8
2 cups or 476g (16.79 ounces) cream (35% fat)
3 Tbsp or 24g (0.85 ounces) icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 packet or 750g (26.46 ounces) of plain chocolate flavored biscuits
100g (3.53 ounces) or 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp peanut butter

To decorate
300millilitres (10.14 fluid ounces) or 1 cup plus 3 Tbsp plus 1 tsp cream (35% fat)
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup 63g (2.22 ounces) icing sugar
sprinkles

Put the peanut butter, cream and icing sugar into a bowl and whisk with electric beaters until you have stiff peaks.

Take one of your biscuits and sandwich it to the next one using your peanut butter cream. Take another put cream on it and add it to the first ones, continue to add more cookies until you have three rows.

Take your extra cream and icing sugar, put it into a bowl with some vanilla and whip that to firm peaks too.

Use that to cover the whole outside of the dessert. Then decorate it how you like. I am adding sprinkles all over the top to make it colourful. Place it in the fridge for an hour for the cookies to soften. Then cut slices across to reveal the layers.

Peanut butter pretzel bites recipe

makes 18
1 cup or 252g (8.89 ounces) peanut butter
2 Tbsp or 26g (0.92 ounces) butter
1/2 cup or 63g (2.22 ounces) powdered/icing sugar
3/4 cup or 174g (6.14 ounces) brown sugar
pretzels, ensure you get a bag which has not been crushed, I found mainly pieces in my bag.
150g (5.29 ounces) chocolate for coating
Mix together the peanut butter, butter, powdered sugar and brown sugar until it comes together. Roll a tablespoon of mixture into a ball and sandwich it between 2 pretzels. Place them in the fridge for about 30 minutes to make them easier to handle. Coat one half in chocolate and leave to set on non-stick baking paper or foil. Serve cold.

Super Easy Peanut Butter Cupcakes (egg free)

Makes 15
1 x 468g (16.51 ounces) packet of vanilla cake mix
1/2 cup or 126g (4.44 ounces) peanut butter, warmed
1 ½ cups water
Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix with electric mixers until light and fluffy. Place scoopfuls into cupcake case and bake until done. Decorate with warmed buttercream and sprinkles or buttercream roses.

Banana Peanut Butter Mousse

Ganache
45millilitres (1.52 fluid ounces) or 3 Tbsp cream (35% fat)
90g (3.17 ounces) chocolate

Add the cream to the chocolate and heat for 30 seconds in the microwave and then stir until smooth.

Mousse
150millilitres (5.07 fluid ounces) cream (35% fat)
1/2 cup or 108g (3.81 ounces) caster/super fine sugar
1/2 cup or 126g (4.44 ounces) peanut butter
1 tsp gelatin powder
200millilitres (6.76 fluid ounces) additional cream (35% fat)

Add two tablespoons of the 150ml of cream to the gelatin and mix it through so the gelatin can absorb the liquid.

Place the sugar, remainder of the 150ml of cream and peanut butter into a bowl and stir it together. Then heat it in the microwave to melt the peanut butter and dissolve the sugar.
Add the gelatin and whisk until smooth and together. Leave to cool to room temperature.

Once your peanut mixture is cooled whip the 200ml of cream to soft peaks. Then gently fold it through the peanut mixture.

Topping
3 bananas and 1/2 cup orange juice
200millilitres (6.76 fluid ounces) cream (35% fat)
peanuts

In a glass place 1 tablespoon of ganache then top it with 1/2 cup of peanut mousse. Place it in the fridge to set.
Whip the remaining cream to soft peaks. Slice the banana and dip in orange juice, this just stops the banana from going brown.
Arrange slices of the banana on top of the mousse then top it with the whipped cream and a few peanuts.

Resource: howtocookthat

NYC Freakshakes Extreme Milkshake Recipes

 

I did not have a spare 2 hours to queue up for one of these crazy milkshakes or freakshakes while I was in New York. Fortunately they are easy to make at home. If you are preparing them for a party you can decorate the outside of the glasses and refrigerate until you’re ready to fill with milkshake. Be careful not to overfill them or they will spill over when you pile the goodies on top.

The tall glasses were a bit tricky to find. I ended up getting these ones at a local store.

Cookies and Cream Milkshake

vanilla ganache
30g (1.06 ounces) or 2 Tbsp cream (35% fat)
1/2 tsp vanilla
100g (3.53 ounces) white chocolate
Heat the cream and the vanilla until just boiling. Pour over the chocolate and leave for a minute. Stir until smooth and leave overnight to thicken.

decoration 
1 crushed chocolate chip cookie
handful of chocolate chips

whipped cream
100millilitres (3.38 fluid ounces) or 1/3 cup plus 1.5 Tbsp cream (35% fat)
1/2 tsp vanilla

milkshake (per glass)
1 scoop ice-cream
300millilitres (10.14 fluid ounces) or just less that 1 1/4 cup milk (4% fat)
1 teaspoon vanilla

topping
2 scoops of ice-cream
2 large cookies – See below.
20g (0.71 ounces) melted chocolate to drizzle
2 straws

Choc-Chip Cookies
(makes 40)
Pre-heat oven to 200C (392 degrees Fahrenheit)
250g (8.82 ounces) or 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp margarine or butter
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups (firmly packed) or 462g (16.3 ounces) brown sugar
2 eggs
3 cups or 480g (16.93 ounces) plain all purpose flour – sifted
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups or 156g (5.5 ounces) dessicated coconut
250g (8.82 ounces) choc chips
Place butter, vanilla and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour, baking powder, coconut and choc chips. Roll heaped spoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on a well greased tray. Flatten slightly. Bake for 12-15 mins at 200C (392 degrees Fahrenheit).
 

Red Velvet Milkshake

Chocolate buttercream
55g (1.94 ounces) or 1/4 cup margarine or butter
30g (1.06 ounces) or 1/4 cup cocoa powder
95g (3.35 ounces) or 3/4 cup icing sugar
Whip together for about 5 minutes or until fluffy.

20 Hersheys kisses
20 red m&m’s

milkshake (per glass)
1 scoop ice-cream
3 tablespoons ganache (made as for vanilla gauche above but using milk or dark chocolate)
300millilitres (10.14 fluid ounces) or just less that 1 1/4 cups milk (4% fat)

topping
1 scoop of ice-cream
whipped cream
slice of red velvet cake

Peanut Butter Pretzel Milkshake

4 reeces pieces
24 colored m&m’s
1 Tablespoon crunchy peanut butter
2 Tablespoons chocolate buttercream (see above)

milkshake (per glass)
1 scoop ice-cream
300millilitres (10.14 fluid ounces) or just less that 1 1/4 cups milk (4% fat)
1 teaspoon vanilla

topping
whipped cream
1 scoop of ice-cream
1 pretzel stick
30g (1.06 ounces) peanut brittle
20g (0.71 ounces) chocolate melted (for the pretzel)
2 straws
1 Large pretzel
20g (0.71 ounces) melted chocolate (for drizzling at the end)
handful of mini m&m’s

Cotton Candy Milkshake

vanilla ganache
30g (1.06 ounces) or 2 Tbsp cream (35% fat)
1/2 tsp vanilla
100g (3.53 ounces) white chocolate
heat the cream and the vanilla until just boiling. Pour over the chocolate and leave for a minute. Stir until smooth and leave overnight to thicken.

Pink, white and blue sixlets or other candies
strawberry and blueberry ice-cream topping

milkshake (per glass)
1 scoop vanilla ice-cream 
300millilitres (10.14 fluid ounces) or just less than 1 1/4 cups milk (4% fat)
1 teaspoon vanilla

To decorate
vanilla ice-cream
1 large lollipop
1 blue and 1 pink sugar stick
cotton candy

Resource: howtocookthat

Emoji Rainbow Slushie

A great addition to any party, rainbow fruit slushies made with freshly made fruit juices are refreshing and fun. Speaking of refreshing, we’ve spent this last week holidaying in Perth, Western Australia. As well as visiting family we’ve been catching up with friends, relaxing down south, loving the awesome beaches and playing Pokemon Go!

To make this Magic Fruit Slushy you will need magical emojis or:

(makes 3 very large slushies or 6 normal sized glasses)
2 ripe bananas, juice of half a lemon
1/2 fresh pineapple

1 large bunch of grapes

3 oranges

1/4 a medium sized watermelon


300g (10.58 ounces) strawberries
2 pears

Resource: howtocookthat

Giant Gummy Pokeball Pokemon Go

Pokemon Go has taken the world by storm and our family joined in the fun last week while on holidays. If you’ve not heard of it yet, don’t worry it’s only been around for a couple of weeks, so it’s not too late to catch up. The best thing about the game is that you have to go to real world locations to catch Pokemon and actually walk quite long distances to hatch eggs, which really gets the blood pumping in your legs. (The game can even tell if you’re driving in a car so you can’t cheat). Everywhere we travelled in the country, we came across people chasing Pokemon. I was amazed one night when we pulled up at a remote Pokemon ‘gym’ – a GPS location where you can battle other Pokemon – and we found another group already there doing exactly the same thing. Good family fun! Join me as we make a giant Pokemon Go gummy Pokeball.

To make giant Pokemon Go gummy Pokeball you will need:

A 20cm (7.87 inches) hemisphere metal cake tin (if you’re wanting to make smaller ones my hemisphere tin has a volume of 2250millilitres (76.08 fluid ounces))
Round cutters mine are 5.2cm (2.05 inches), 3.3cm (1.3 inches) and 8cm (3.15 inches)
A 19.5cm (7.68 inches) loose based round cake tin

For the Red gummy half

400g (14.11 ounces) gelatin powder
755millilitres (25.53 fluid ounces) or 2 cups water
570g (20.11 ounces) or 2 and 2/3 cups less 1 Tbsp sugar
1000g (35.27 ounces) 2 and 3/4 cups plus 1 Tbsp and 1 tsp glucose (corn) syrup
1 tsp sorbitol
6 x 85g (3 ounces) packets of strawberry jelly or jello
Red food coloring

Add water to the gelatine and stir it through quickly. Place the sugar, glucose syrup, sorbitol and jelly into a saucepan and stir continuously until the sugar is dissolved. This will take about 5 minutes. When it just starts to boil remove it from the heat.
To melt the gelatin mixture in the microwave zap it on high for 30 seconds, stir well and repeat that approximately 5 times or until all the lumps are gone.
Pour in the sugar mixture and stir well to combine. Then add a little red food coloring.
Pour into the oiled hemisphere mold and leave to set overnight.

For the white gummy half
400g (14.11 ounces) powdered gelatine (210-250 bloom)
125millilitres (4.23 fluid ounces) or 1/2 cup water
750millilitres (25.36 fluid ounces) or 3 cups milk (4% fat)
570g (20.11 ounces) or 2 and 2/3 cups less 1 Tbsp sugar
1000g (35.27 ounces) 2 and 3/4 cups plus 1 Tbsp and 1 tsp glucose or corn syrup
125millilitres (4.23 fluid ounces) or 1/2 cup extra water
395g (13.93 ounces) or 1 cup plus 3½ Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
white food coloring

Mix together the milk, 125millitres of water and the gelatin.
Place the sugar, glucose syrup and extra water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and check all the sugar is dissolved then remove from the heat.
Melt the gelatin mixture in the microwave and then stir through the sweetened condensed milk. Finally add in the hot sugar mixture and stir thoroughly. Pour into an oiled hemisphere mold until it is brimming, add a small amount into a 3.3cm (1.3 inches) and a 5.2cm (2.05 inches) round cookie cutter and leave overnight to set.

To remove from the hemisphere mold, use you fingers pull it away from the sides of the mold and then tip it out. If it has formed a vacuum you may need to ease your fingers between the gummy and the mold to allow air to the base to break the vacuum.

For the black …
100g (3.53 ounces) dark chocolate
black food coloring

Take the leftover mixture from the white half and add dark chocolate to it. Stir until it is melted. Add black food coloring to darken it. Take a loose based cake tin without it’s base and sit it on some non-stick baking paper. Pour a little black into the base to make a disc. Do the same with a 8cm (3.15 inches) round cookie cutter.

Once all elements are set, warm a baking tray in the oven. Place the little white circle on the tray to slightly melt a layer on one side. Add this to the other white circle. Now melt the base of that one and add it on top of the black circle to make a stack.

Take the large black disc and slightly melt one side on a hot baking tray and carefully place it onto the white base. Heat the underneath of the red hemisphere and place it on top, being careful to line it up straight. Now melt the base of the circle stack and add it onto the front of your Poke ball.

Resource: howtocookthat