Baked Lemon Cheesecake

This is a recipe that my sister usually makes and is always loved by all. The recipe can be found here http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/8871/step+by+step+cheesecake

Lebkuchen

I made these with my 3 youngest children today. The two eldest children went on a fishing excursion with my husband. Thought this would be a nice and easy activity to do with them. This was a new recipe and it is a keeper. The dough is really easy to handle and cut out. The biscuits were a little too crisp for the kids but I really enjoyed them. I think this dough would be great for Christmas cookies, decorations or even a gingerbread house.

I made some men and hearts. The gingerbread men shapes are free hand cut as I could not find my gingerbread man cutter.

I modified a recipe I found in one of my cookbooks and this is what I came up with.

Lebkuchen

2 1/3 cups plain flour

1/2 cup cornflour

2 teaspooons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

100g butter

3/4 cup golden syrup

2 tablespoons milk

royal icing for decoration

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Place all dry ingredients into a bowl and mix together. Place butter, golden syrup and milk together in the microwave until butter has melted. Add into the dry ingredients. Stir together to form a soft dough. Knead gently for 1 minute on a flour board until dough is smooth. Roll out until 7mm thick and cut into shapes. Bake for 15 mins or until lightly golden. Let them cool completely before decorating.

Cherry Cream Cheese Strudel

I saw this strudel being made on tv the other night and thought that it looked yummy. I had to give it a go. It turned out great. However I did modify the ingredients to low fat ones. The mixture was therefore a little more runnier to work with than the one that was made on tv. Also instead of the breadcrumbs and flaked almonds I used almond meal. This did not effect the end product though. Recipe taken from here http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipe/133/Nan

Marble Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

I made these for the kids the other day Marble Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes. They are perfect for the kids, parties or to take to a school function. The cake batter is baked into ice cream cones. So the entire thing is edible. I didn't add icing but a nice touch would be to pipe for frosting on top with sprinkles to really look like a soft serve ice cream.

I made a marble cake batter of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. I was aiming for the neopolitan look.

I doubled this recipe and got 16 cone cupcakes.

Marble Small Cakes

60g butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup self-raising flour

vanilla

1/4 cup milk

Cream butter and sugar.

Add in vanilla.

Beat in egg.

Add flour and milk alternately and mix lightly into a soft dough.

Split equally into three separate bowls. Leave one plain, colour one pink and add cocoa to the third (helps to dissolve cocoa in a little water first before adding to the batter).

Spoon dollops of each batter into cones or papers til 3/4 full. Swirl to form marble effect.Bake in moderate oven for 10-15 mins until cooked.