There is no more relaxing way to finish your weekend of hustle and bustle than with some home – cooked sweets.
One of my wonderful presents my mum spoiled me with for my birthday was a cook book I had been eyeing off, Donna Hay’s ‘Fast, Fresh, Simple’. It has not only amazing fresh looking dinners, but divine looking (and tasting!) desserts.
So as my last testament to this weekend, I would try my first Donna Hay kitchen escapade.
My first attempt was the ‘no-fuss banana caramel pudding’, with a sickly-sweet caramel sauce. My mum is a caramel sauce connoisseur, so I had known of it as a quick and simple way to turn ice cream into a masterpiece, but I’d never attempted it myself. Until today!
I love recipes that don’t require obscure condiments, that you buy, use once and keep at the back of your cupboard, until you forget you ever bought it and re-purchase when you need it 2 years later. This, thankfully, was not one of those recipes.
Jamie Oliver, this, and your obsession with a food processor, is your downfall. While I’m yet to ever use or own a food processor, I’m certain that what time it would save in mixing/chopping/slicing, you will make up in cleaning the damn thing. I’m more than happy for someone to buy me one though and prove this theory incorrect.
So I mixed and baked the pudding (without an electric mixer, mind you) to perfection thanks to recently working out my oven timer. Recently I almost had to face a baked dinner WITHOUT actually being able to bake as when i went to turn on my oven, it could not seem to switch on. While I was frantically trying to see if it would turn on any type of bake (grilled baked dinner, anyone?), Matt patiently watched me panic. He eventually stepped in to point out I had out on the duration switch rather than just the timer, which insisted on keeping the oven turned off as a safety precaution.
Best part of baking is licking the spoon!
So now that I have successfully worked out how to work and bake – not burn, in my oven, I look forward to making many more divine desserts! Now I just need to decide who to share this with, as I’ve got 9 slices left!
So delicious I made Matt have seconds, he didn’t have a choice.
Until my next adventure,
Xxx Rach
I love jamie oliver, have one of his cook books and i bought my mum one that i also want-i want ALL his cook books! Donna hays is good as well! i need to buy some new ones i think and slowly get back in to cooking! Funny i actually LOVE cooking with strange and unusal ingrediants or ones not normaly used..i like to learn what goes with what and what dosent! though my aim this year is to practise making cupcakes and cakes for kids birthdays! so i’m planning on buying some supplies to get me started!! 🙂 Thanks for sharing…ps i wouldnt mind a slice! 🙂 i remember you mentioning a cookbook just on cupcakes…who is it by and any good?
Thanks Ally 🙂
Yes I should have some posts on fine-tuning my decorating skills soon do stay tuned 🙂
The book I use for cupcakes is called 500 cupcakes, the variations are good but all the measurements are imperial so I have made myself a cheat-sheet!
ohh may have to google some books…might need to copy your chart! 🙂 yeah i like reading about your cooking and your crafty stuff…gives me ideas
little pouches for kids to put their teeth in when they fall out! mine are always losing their teeth before the tooth fairy has a chance to come! lol
Hey Rach, your banana caramel slice dessert was sublime, it was soooo delicious that your brother tried to have thirds of the sweet when we got home from your house. Cant wait to see what the next sweets adventure is, Im always up for testing xxx