A few Easter Cake Wrecks of my own

If I couldn’t laugh at myself I would be in trouble.

I gave myself the task of baking a few Easter treats on Sunday. Hot cross buns & some milk chocolate brownies decorated with lovely pastel sugared almonds.  Neither were lovely, oh how I have fallen from grace.

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Vanilla Panna Cotta with Soft Peach, Mango & Coconut Jelly

My pantry is like slipping between the doors into Narnia, a wild & fantastical land where wild animals roam free…OK maybe not wild animals, though some weevils did get into my oats & paprika a few weeks back. If anyone has any tips about keeping those little buggers out of my sealed containers I would love to hear it.

My point is, I never really know what is in there.  I am constantly finding little stashes of impulse purchases hidden in it’s enchanted corners. A packet of gelatin sheets, a few cans of organic fruit, a vial of gorgeous (and expensive) vanilla beans I have no recollection of even purchasing.

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St Patties Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes with Minted Swiss Meringue Buttercream

I have an Irish name, I have green eyes, I had a grandfather named Eric, I enjoy a crack & the occasional jig but I do NOT, alas have the luck of the Irish.

I have ripped open skirts during important job interviews, opened my wallet to pay for ice cream & had a bird poop in my coin purse, missed planes, been bitten by a seagull when feeding it chips,  cut my hand open on a peice of dry pasta, been unlucky in love, even wet myself as a grown adult. Those last 2 are unrelated instances…promise! No I do not have the luck of the Irish.

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You won’t believe it’s not cheesecake – Blackberry & Lemon Tofu “Cheesecake” with Ginger Crust

Something you may not know about me is I know a lot of vegans, not only from my many years working in organic stores & shopping at organic markets but much of my family are also vegan either for ethical or nutritional reasons. I myself was a vegetarian for many years until a combination of desire & laziness overwhelmed me.

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Lemon Gems

Nigella says her children call these fried egg biscuits, cheeky monkeys.

I had some lovely organic lemon curd in the fridge I bought at the markets a little while back, it was one of those beautiful packaging impulse sale items. Honestly I have little need for lemon curd in my life or my hips but these cookies are a treat. I am proud to say they were break apart in your fingers shortbread  tender & had a very grown up not too sweet & just a little tart flavor…perfect for morning tea or rainy days when you need something sunny to cheer you up.

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