{Forrest Gump Party}

Each year for our birthdays we do a joint themed fancy dress birthday. Since we are 2 years and 2 days apart, it's easier to celebrate together and we have been doing so for many years now.
This year was a movie theme and we chose Forrest Gump.

 

We were in awe at some of the costumes! The film gave so much scope for imagination and our guests definitely took advantage of the many ideas! We had people dressed up as peas & carrots, a shrimp, hippies, a box of chocolates, the feather, waitress Jenny, the bus driver Dorothy, we even had (an almost) naked Jenny! 

{Mini Desserts & Hot Choc Bar}

I don't have great photos, but I did some catering for a women's event last night. The brief was desserts, your choice! My creative brain went into overload!
Here's what I came up with. Firstly a Hot chocolate Bar:



I filled jars with
- hot chocolate powder
- marshmallows
- white, milk and dark choc chips
- crushed butterscotch and peppermints
(not pictured) I also included a can of whipped cream and vanilla malt syrup.
Logistics: as this was for a crowd, I had to think about heating milk safely and easily. I heated the milk behind the dessert table in my slow cookers on the warm setting so it was gentle. Then at serving time I decanted it into a jug on the table.
Linking the hot chocolate to the desserts, I filled a giant glass jar with choc chip cookies.
The dessert table had 4 'dishes'
1. A Chocolate Mud cake with buttercream ruffle icing. SO cute!




2. Individual Homemade Lemon Curd Pavlovas
3. Individual Vanilla Blueberry Cheesecakes
4. Raspberry Jelly & Choc Mousse Cups
I might post the recipes for some of these soon, so stay tuned!
Lauren x

{Blue & White Dessert Table}

For those that know me, I love baking, I love entertaining and I love being crafty. So, last weekend we were hosting a bbq lunch for some amazing people in our world and I got to combine the three.

It was a big and emotional celebration day and I wanted to make it as special for everyone as I could. So, I had a salad table (din't get a photo of this unfortunaley) inside which looked so lovely.

My draws I had bought the previous day were filled with condiments, cutlery and napkins and the white platters of salad were placed around a big basket overflowing with bread rolls. We all sat along a massively looooong 'banquet style' table outside and the kids played in the backyard and ate on picnic rugs. Just lovely!

BUUUT..... My favourite touch of the whole day was my first dessert table. I have long been an admirer of photos of this phenomonen since I first layed eyes on the beautiful creations by Amy Atlas quite some time ago.

So, without her budget, trimmings and juggling two kids...I put together the following (not bad in my opinion).....

I made these tissue paper pom poms that I have fallen in love with. They were outside too to carry on the theme. Cute!

Marshmallow pops - covered in white chocolate and sprinkled with blue crystalised sugar.

(back) is a modern take on the classic red velvet cupcakes - a blue velvet cake. It was two layers of blue inside with cream cheese icing in between and on the outside. The decoration on the top is a mini bunting garland handmade from scrapbooking off cuts.
(front) a New York baked cheesecake with blueberry compote

(back) Caramel popcorn in patty pans
(front) Chocolate Cake Pops - mud cake balls with lollypop sticks, frozen, dipped in white chocolate, sprinkled with the blue crystalised sugar.

Milk bottles and blue clouds in lolly 'vases'.


The best handmade baklava we bought on the way home from our
treasure hunt the day before.

So, feeling like hitting the gym just revisiting these photos ;)

This was such a hit with the guests and I am just glad we have a double fridge in our new place. Because it was FUUUULLL!!!

Lauren x

Dessert Plate - Lemon/ Lime Tartlets with Red Wine Jelly with Raspberries

The dessert plate (sorry about the picture ... I took it VERY quickly on my phone before serving).

Recently I posted about a homemade pizza bar I used for a dinner party with 2 friends of ours. Well to follow that dinner, we reclined and then I served up a dessert plate which had a lemon and lime tartlet and a red wine jelly with berries. It was a lovely balance of flavours. Here are the recipes for the different componants.


Recipe for the Red Wine Jelly from taste.com.au
* I used a red wine I had in the house and not the specific one in the recipe.
* I used raspberries instead of blueberries.


Recipe for the Lemon / Lime tartlets (thanks to Donnay Hay - Modern Classics 2)

PASRTY
Ingredients:
2 cups plain flour
3 tbls caster sugar
150g cold butter, chopped
2-3 tbls iced water

Method:
1. Process flour, sugar and butter in a food processor until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. While the motor is running add the water so it forms a smooth dough and process till just combined.
3. Knead lightly and wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 mins.
4. Roll out between baking paper or on lightly floured bench untill about 2-3mm thick.
5. Line the tart tins and gently prink base with fork and pop into freezer for 15 mins.
6. Blind bake for 10 mins on 180'C (with rice/ weights) and then without for a further 10 mins.


FILLING
Ingredients:
3/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup caster sugar
3/4 single pouring cream
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Method:
1. Reduce oven to 140'C.
2. Place lemon & sugar in heat proof bowl over saucepan of simmering water and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Add cream and eggs and stir continuously for 5 mins.
4. Pass filling through strainer (VERY important).
5. Bake the tart for 20-25 mins or until the filling is just set. Cool completely and serve.


Enjoy :)
Lauren x

Homemade Pizza Dough

I have re-discovered recently how easy and fun it is to make pizza dough. I have made it with the kids and they loved it! I even had a couple over for a dinner party and I used this recipe to create a homemade pizza bar for them - it was a HUGE HIT. As they arrived, they were greeted with me rolling dough and 12 bowls lined up on the bench filled with various toppings from cheese, herbs, salami, capsicums, olives, fetta, potato etc...Whilst it was baking we enjoyed a galss of wine and appetizers. Delsih!
This is another stellar recipe from the team at taste. I chose this great pizza dough recipe as its cheap and easy. Its worked every time for me so far....I hope you try this one (please tell me if you enjoyed the recipe as much as we did).

Lauren x