baking and making this weekend.

The weather lately is certainly leaving me with a strong desire to stay inside.

I bought this great op shop curtain and cut up some panels to use as applique on these jeans - the fabric is a cotton/hemp blend.   I love how they remind of  'Annie Oakley', I was obsessed with Annie Oakley when I was a kid, and even had a dress up costume...tres cool. (well I thought so at the time!)

 So I was going to attach a cute sassy tassle on the leg hems, but then when she tried them on, I realised the length was just right.   Incredible, but true.

These biscuits are my adaptation of a Donna Hay recipe.  I added a little oat bran in the vain hope, they might make them a bit healthier!

Trust me, they are really yummy and moreish, and you won't be able to stop at just one!

Easy nutty bikkies.

125g butter

1/2 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups plain flour, sifted

1/4 oat bran

150g peanuts, granulated or chopped small

Preheat the oven 180 C.  Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and creamy.

Add eggs and mix til combined.

Fold through flour, bran, and then nuts.

Place tablespoons of mixture on tray, and bake for 10-13 minutes, or until golden.

Makes around 25.

Tomorrow we are going to the TreadLightly EnviroFest at the Hobart Botanical Gardens, whatever the weather!  I can't wait.

Hope your weekend is tres happy!

(Don't forget to enter the give-away one post down! You have until Sunday)

♥

buttercake + butter cream = blissfully delicious cake

I was so wanting to share the recipe for the buttercake from yesterday's post with you - it is absolutely the best and moistest buttercake, and the one recipe I turn to again and again for its reliability, and the flavour.  The recipe is from the 2005 'Australian Women's Weekly Kid's Party Cakes book'.

Basic Buttercake

125g butter, softened

1/2 ts vanilla extract

3/4 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

1 & 1/2 cups (225g) self raising flour

1/2 cup (125ml) milk

Preheat oven to moderate.  Grease and line pan(s).

Beat butter, extract and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. 

Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. 

Stir in flour and milk, in two batches.

Spread mixture into prepared pan(s).

Bake in moderate oven (180C) until cake is cooked.  (skewers are fine here)

Stand cake in pan 5 - 10 minutes, then turn onto wire rack to cool.

(If you are using just one cake tin, you can double the quantity for a nice high cake.)

Butter cream

 (also known as vienna cream)

125g butter, softened

1 & 1/2 cups (240g) icing sugar mixture

2 Tbs milk

Beat butter in small bowl with electric mixer until as white as possible.  Gradually beat in half of the icing sugar, milk, then remaining icing sugar.  Flavour and colour as required.  I added some lemon rind to the last cake I made...heavenly.

Chocolate variation:  sift 1/3 cup (35g) cocoa powder in with the first batch of icing sugar.

Happy baking.

xo