Thomas the Tank

After my Halloween challenge I became so excited about my next one.It's like an addiction once I get used to making one thing I search for a greater buzz. I was delighted to be asked to make a Thomas the Tank themed cake.This was new and different. After doing a bit of research about Thomas himself I could imagine the cake I wanted to make. It would be a 9 inch round cake with 3 butter-cream layers.
                                                 

Using the same method and recipe as the Halloween cake I prepared it the night before so it would be easier to carve and layer. This is a little trick I learnt along the way.The following morning at the crack of dawn the fun began. Cutting the cake into three layers I prepared the butter-cream.Using 339g of butter , milk,31.5 oz of icing sugar I combined it with some vanilla essence to make the perfect consistency to cover the cake in. Once the 3 layers were butter-creamed I began to cover the sides of the cake carving off any bumpy bits in preparation for the icing.

Now for the fondant layer. I chose sky blue for the cake and I would put Thomas exiting the side of the cake through what would look like a tunnel. Taking 3 packets of ready to roll fondant I began to knead them. Now anyone who has tried to knead ready to roll fondant knows the hulk himself would struggle . Putting a bit of muscle into it it started to soften nicely. Next up it was time to roll it out. The trick with fondant is to keep it moving on the work surface with a sprinkle of cornflour. Once measured against the cake and confident it would cover it I rolled it back over the roller to prevent it ripping. Once draped over the cake patting it down and smoothing it out becomes a priority, trimming off the excess edges.

Now for the tunnel. I cut out some black fondant to signify the darkness inside the tunnel then using some dark grey fondant shaped some stones for around the tunnel. Then cutting out the face of Thomas himself using the different colours and placed him as though he was leaving the tunnel. Of course Thomas would not be complete with out a railway track. Using brown chocolate flavoured fondant I cut out rectangles and joined them together with long strips. It was starting to look great. As I wanted to give the illusion of a sky clouds were needed. It took a few attempts and a great deal of patience but eventually I cut one large cloud which I put Tommy on and a small one for the age.

Finally it was complete
  

My WKD cake

Welcome to all my new followers and thanks so much for joining me on my journey. Today's cake is a very fancy one indeed.None other than a WKD BOTTLE CAKE. Initially when I thought about making it I nearly had a stroke but then the competitive cat came out and it became all I could think about for days on end. Waking and sleeping all my thoughts centred around this cake. Wondering what problems could arise and how I could fix them.

To start I baked a 9 inch round cake and a 9'' flat one using the same mixture as my Halloween cake ( See previous blog). I allowed them to cool over night which makes the carving that bit easier. I say carving like I'm a pro but trust me it takes lots of practice and the only way to learn is to make a mistake. I began by carving the body of the bottle which is the wider part.Then I cut the cake into 3 layer. Praying all 10 decades of the rosary they would not break as I transferred each one. Layer of butter cream then a layer of cake. It sounds so easy :). The butter cream is easily made using 336g of butter whisked for 3 minutes , add 31.5 oz of icing sugar and 3 oz of cocoa a splash of vanilla and milk bobs your uncle. It needs to be a nice spreadable consistency.Once I felt the body was high enough  I used the 9'' flat for the narrow neck . Carving it very slowly to ensure the joining between the neck and the body was flush. Flush... a funny word FLUSH isn't it ( Miranda Harte tribute).Then I cut it into 2 layers and again added butter cream. Once it was in place I began to butter cream the outside. This is used firstly for taste but more importantly to stick the fondant.  At this stage some people may panic wondering how the hell it's going to turn into a masterpiece but I decided to keep the faith :)
                                           

Roll out 3 packets of ready to roll fondant. Remember to spread some cornflour on the work surface to avoid roller rage. Then roll the fondant back up with the roller and drape it over the cake aligning it. Gradually roll out over the cake. Then smooth out the top and sides eliminating all creases.Trim the ends and transfer to a cake board.
I then cut out all the letters manually with a great deal of patience and a knife. Then a rectangular piece and a round piece for the logo. The logo I did with icing.
                                           
All in all I still can't believe I made it. I love it and can't wait until my next one!

Reeling in the years

                                

Who remembers marble cake? Grannies favourite served with a pot of tea straight off the kitchen range. As a little one I wondered how Nana managed to combine all those colours and integrate them to look so good. So I decided to have a go myself. Mine is called Army marble cake. Army because of the colours and my childhood desire to become a super hero army girl.

Begin by creaming 4 oz of margarine and the same weight in sugar I was very much at home with this project. The phrase creaming comes up in almost every recipe and it involves whisking the sugar and butter until they become one.As the spice girls would say 'When 2 become 1'. Next just like making a Madeira cake add 2 beaten eggs whilst gradually whisking adding air to the mixture. Now for the flour. Grab 6oz of self raising and sieve and stir into the mixture along with a pinch of your very finest salt.If you have seen Hocus Pocus then you all know to keep salt close by at Halloween. Add a dabble of vanilla essence and some milk until it's at dropping consistency. Now for the funky part.

Remove 1/3 of the mixture and pop it into another bowl. Add some green food dye and let the magic happen as you stir. Then take 1/2 the remaining mixture and add cocoa and a sprinkle of baking powder.Taking dollops of each mixture keep going until your baking tin is covered.I used a 9 inch round tin just to be different but traditionally they were also served in a loaf shape.Then using a skewer make zig zag motions through the mixture. Pop in a moderate oven and bake for up to 1 hr.




From the bottom it looks like a football and on the top and beautiful camouflage piece. I had loads of fun recreating and you can too adding what ever colours you like I think marble cakes will make a come back yet!

ASK FOR HELP

So many people take for granted getting up each morning and going about their day to day business. But what if you felt you had no reason to get up? What if due to mental illness or depression you found it impossible to find a reason to leave your bed? This is a challenge so many people face alone each day.We are normal after all and things such as stress can take a toll on our minds. My reason to get up and go is to bake. I get up every morning wanting to create something better than the day before.I call it baking therapy. . Focusing on the task to hand not the what if's.However I have asked for help and I have no shame in admitting it. Mental illness has a major stigma attached and is somewhat over looked by society as a serious illness.I decided to ask for help and I encourage anyone in a similar situation to do the same. If I walked into a shop on crutches everyone would ask how I am but with a mental illness such as depression the world can be a very lonely place. 6 weeks in a cast and some rehab won't fix it  for it requires enormous strength and courage.

People can be harsh rushing about in their daily lives and not stopping to see if someone they love needs a helping hand with theirs. Depression is like viewing the world in black and white all day everyday.Can you imagine that? Do your friends know they could speak to you about anything suicide or self harm included? Do you know how to recognise suicidal behaviour.
                                                

For anyone struggling at the moment I say its OK to ask for help. There are so many services available simply chatting to your doctor can help.There are a huge range of therapies too and my personal favourite is baking.Help available includes Console,1 Life Suicide Helpline,Samaritans and Pieta House are to name but a few. The far braver decision is to ask for help and tell your family and friends so they can support you. 

It's time to stand up and say not being OK is OK! A problem shared is a problem halved and suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. A problem that when chatted out with a friend may have looked entirely different. There are some wonderful people saving lives everyday in Limerick alone. CSPP suicide prevention Limerick patrol the bridges at night and the river areas preventing suicides. I choose life is a page set up only this week by Cormac Hayes encouraging people to speak out about teen suicide and Water Risk Aware a local voluntary movement to spread the word about the dangers of water aiming to save lives.

I hope this blog has given those who need it the strength to ask for help and those who overlooked it before to offer their hand in support!

My Halloween Challenge

It's that scary time of year again! For to mark the occasion I made a Haunted Halloween cake covered in fondant. Very bold decision for me as the closest thing I had practised with to fondant was kids play dough.Now we all saw how my John Deere turned out :). I'm definitely the easiest person to frighten in all of County Limerick.Therefore I dread October. One example in particular involved a trip to Roscrea. After returning from ambushing an ice cream van delighted with my ice cream boat I entered the house where everyone else was. On entry one of them jumped out screaming from behind the door. As they did my hands went for the roof and the boat followed only for it to land upside down in my hand.Talk about reflexes of a cat! For any of you that know me this is a classic Caitriona moment :). Hopefully we'll keep these moments to a minimum.Never the less Halloween seems to trigger them!

The cake will be baked in a 9 inch deep scary tin. Start by creaming 350g of butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy.Beat 6 eggs in a jug (not with your fist) and alternatively add 350g of Self raising flour and a pinch of salt. Pop into the tin and bake for over an hour. Once out of the oven allow to cool. I like to cut the cake into 3 layers . Doing this for the first time is not for the faint hearted. As the cutting commenced I wondered how I would lift each layer off without breaking them. Using more spatulas and spoons I started to look like Edward scissor hands but eventually successfully moved all layers. To my dismay I attended a course a week later to discover some genius invented a special cutting device which for all the world looks like a saw for cakes.This saw makes cutting the layers simple! Yet another Caitriona moment.
                                                     
                                                

The next step involves making the butter-cream filling. A nice chocolate butter-cream normally does the job. Whisking the butter until soft approx three minutes then add cocoa and icing sugar a dash of cow and vanilla essence. Vanilla essence now there's one I will never understand why it comes in such small bottles. It's a bit like buying 1 square of chocolate. Pointless! Whisk for another 2 minutes and spread on the layers. Once the layers are stacked now for the fun part. Butter-cream all sides of the cake. If any part is uneven cut it off .Continue until it's a bump free masterpiece.
                                                 

Next up is the Orange fondant covering. I chose Orange as I think it has a certain significance this time of year. At first I thought 1 packet of fondant would cover a standard cake. Oh boy was I wrong it takes 3 and a whole lot of whoop ass to knead it. Knead all 3 packs together until they become smooth and flexible. Using a rolling pin roll the fondant out evenly. Spread some cornflour on the work surface to eliminate roller rage. Measure the size and say a little prayer :). Now to get it from the work top to the cake. Luckily my classes paid off for this snazzy manoeuvre. Rolling the fondant around the rolling pin I was able to lift it over the cake and gradually roll it on.
                                            
The next step involves patience. Smooth out all the creases and round off the sides of the cake.Trim the edges and it should look something like this!!!!
                                                   
Now for to make up some shapes. I cut out some bats,pumpkins witches, ghosts and a haunted house with a knife using black and white fondant.
                                                  

Using edible stick the shapes onto the cake.

                                       

I hope you all have a wonderful Halloween. I will be staying firmly indoors and away from ice cream vans :)

Mint Aero cupcakes

Chocolate has a very fond place in my heart. In fact at times I think perhaps I have a chocolate heart.Haven't we seen so many bars come and go? Curly wurly's, Fuse bars, Dime bars, Toffee crisps, Dairy milk .... have I made your mouth water yet? Another of my favourites with a cup of Barry's tea has to be the Aero collection and in particular the mint aero bar.Although it's rectangle shape has now turned into more of a bubble the taste remains the same. A bar with definite dunk-ability as the bubbles dissolve. I'm frothing at the mouth here :) . So how about we combine mint aero bars and a moist chocolate cupcake.....DIVINE!
                                             

Sieve 4 1/2 ounces of plain flour into a large bowl, then add 1 1/2 ounces of cocoa powder. It's fierce annoying that the only cocoa available in the supermarket you'd have to sell part of your left leg for.The price of it!!! After a rant add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder followed by 8 1/2 ounces of caster sugar. Stir them all up in a bowl then add 1 egg, some olive oil, boiling water and 150 ml milk. Whisk and pop in a 180 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

To add a little mystery to these cupcakes I've decided to add a mint filling. It will also give the illusion of the centre of the aero bar. In a bowl whisk creamed cheese, sugar, 1 egg yolk, some peppermint flavouring and finally some green food colouring. Now cutting into the top of the cupcake so that the top is hollowed off put a spoon of the filling inside.
                                        
 Trim the lid and pop it back on. Now for the icing. Cream butter in a bowl until your arms fall off otherwise known as 3 minutes then add a little icing sugar, milk and peppermint. Last but not least a tiny bit of green food colouring. Pipe onto the cupcake in swirls and to top it off place a piece of mint aero ontop.
                                        
Pop the kettle on, tea bags at the ready and enjoy :)

Girls night in cupcakes

Everyone deserves a night in every now and then and nothing compares to a girlie night in with friends. I constantly prey on sweet stands in shops in search of inspiration and this project was no different. I wanted a cupcake topper that spelt out PJ's, DVD's and pampering. I opted with nail varnish toppers.Although not your typical girlie girl I still know what a girlie night entails. I will be using large marshmallows for the bottle dipped in coloured sugar and a twirl as the cap.

Beginning by creaming 4oz of butter and 4 oz of sugar then beating in 2 eggs gradually and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Sift in 4 oz of self raising flour and a couple of tablespoons of milk and watch the magic happen. Spoon into baking cases and bake for 15 Min. For the butter-cream icing cream butter in a bowl add 1 oz of cocoa whisking for a further few minutes. Now for the piping! Using a star nozzle pipe out the icing like your pulling a cone. From my days of working in the arena supermarket I had plenty of practice and also plenty of accidents. The first few I pulled required 2 wafers I'm sure all of you out there working with cone machines will sympathise with me :)

                                                       

Piping complete next up it's time to create the nail varnish toppers. Placing caster sugar in a sandwich bag pop a few drops of your favourite colour dye into the bag and rub together. Then taking a few spoons of icing sugar add a couple of drops of water and mix until you get a sticky icing consistency. Roll the marshmallow in the sticky mixture followed by the sugar mixture. Finally take a piece of the twirl and place it on top. Assemble on the cupcake and there you have it girlie night in cupcakes!

Self defence cupcakes

   

There was once a time when training on the countries roads was as safe as could be. However times have changed and this is something I know all too well. Years ago the only people that would stop are those looking for directions now its an entirely different story. For this reason I believe everyone should know self defence or become a Kung Fu Panda.

 With this in mind I have made panda cupcakes. As I whisked 4 oz of  butter and sugar together I couldn't help but remember the near misses I encountered doing 80 miles a week. 2 to be exact. The first occurred as I trained with 3 others in a park area. Doing laps of a Saturday morning was our routine. As we circled the seated area for the 3rd time an elderly man advised us there was a person in camouflage hopping from tree to tree watching myself and the other girl running. We bolted and never trained there again. It's very important to have your wits about you when training or even going for a leisurely walk. Vary your route and also the time at which you go if alone. Now the butter and sugar are creamed so add 2 beaten eggs and whisk followed by a splash of vanilla essence and 1-2 tablespoons of milk. Spoon into cases and bake at 180 degrees for 15 minutes.

Once cooled the decorating can begin. For the panda face I used white icing and coconut to give the furry illusion. Mixing a few drops of water with icing sugar to form  a paste spread it on top of the cupcake then turn the cake upside down and dip it in a bowl of coconut. The 2nd encounter I had was running through Askeaton at night. It was after work approx 10 pm headphones in I trotted along not a care in the world. My biggest worry was what song came next. I noticed a car pass me a few times and slow down but i took no notice as that was a regular occurrence. However on my way back it passed me at speed and suddenly braked. With that all 4 doors swung open with force. At that point i turned and started to sprint towards the nearby pub. Thankfully a car passing noticed and drove at them. Completely shaken i rang my father who retrieved me. The car was found burnt out in Kilcornan that night. Had I not been told what to do in an emergency I may not have been so lucky!

Now for the eyes. I chose mini milk chocolate buttons for the eyes sticking two of them on with icing and adding 2 chocolate drops for pupils. Halving the button I then pushed 1 half into the cupcake in the shape of a nose and similar for the mouth and ears.
                                       

Top tips

• Always tell someone at home your training route.
• Vary your route.
• Dress unisex. Hat and baggy jacket.
• Keep headphone volume down.
• If possible carry a personal alarm or pepper spray.
• Vary your training time.

Reach for the stars

Hello and welcome to all my new followers! I hope I haven't scared you off just yet! Although Halloween is just around the corner muhahaha! How do Coconut and mint cookies covered with white and milk chocolate sound for today's article? I love bounty bars so much so at one stage I was like Dog the bounty hunter rummaging through all the shops! Of course these were times when I had the metabolism of a cheetah.Now the story would be a little different. As if these cookies couldn't get any better I will be cutting them into star shapes symbolizing reaching for the stars. If there's one thing depression teaches you its staying positive and reaching for the stars and your goals or the neck of  a bully!

Now to start with, place some butter and sugar in a bowl and whisk until light and fluffy. Does anyone else get pins and needles from a whisk? or is that just me? Quite dangerous after awhile I'd imagine thankfully no accidents just yet!I'm staying positive. Then beat in an egg yoke ( remember we are pro's at separating eggs now don't let the side down) and 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract. Go easy with the extract as too much could be fatal. Then sift in together plain flour and pinch of salt. The mixture is quite stiff at this stage but there is light at the end of the tunnel here comes the coconut. Add 100g of desiccated coconut and stir until all is as one. When I first saw desiccated coconut on the ingredients I had images of a CSI agent doing an autopsy on a coconut but thankfully one day as I passed the Lidl baking section there it was calling to me saying Dog take me and now here we are mixture combined. Half the mixture and wrap in cling film. Roughly will do it's not a Christmas present just pop in the fridge to chill for 30 - 60 minutes or as last week proved for me until your blood suddenly pools at your feet and you remember it's in the fridge. 

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees and unwrap the dough. Spread some flour on your work surface trust me it's worth the mess. Roll out the two pieces of dough cutting out star shapes. Leave them a little thick as you don't want light cookies.Bake for 10 - 12 minutes any longer and you'll be having their funerals. Allow to cool.

Melt milk chocolate over water and also melt white chocolate about 150g or 1 bar of each. Then with a spoon drizzle one type at the time over the cookies. Leave to set and enjoy!

Each day I set myself a goal and go for it whether its baking or painting the principal remains the same. Reach for the stars! We don't deserve any less!

O Neill's Swimming Pool

Combining art and cake is one of my favourite things to do.Oil Paintings of landscapes and buildings mostly take my fancy to paint and every now and then a garden or two.To the left you can see one off my landscape oil paintings which took 6 weeks to complete.
 Now and then I get a craving to make something fun out of cakes. Some people crave cigarettes but I  crave fun cakes. This particular instance I decided I was going to make a swimming pool from cake. I love letting my imagination run wild and thinking of ways to make it was just SO exciting. The pool I'm going to make from a Madeira mixture as it can withstand the load of any additional add ons. Swimming pools have been a massive part of my life and water safety also. Water should be respected and not taken advantage of just like people. But so often this is not the case and accidents happen. I think at this stage I know swimming pools inside out so this was an especially fun exercise for me.

To make the Madeira base whisk butter and sugar in a bowl until creamed and fluffy. At this stage alternatively add eggs and flour with baking powder. Once the mixture is completed pour into a flat rectangle baking tin. Allow to bake for 30 - 40 Min. Keep checking it with a knife. If the knife comes out clean were ready to go. Allow to cool. The water is made from blue butter icing. I figured it would represent the disturbed water well. To make it whisk butter in a bowl for 3 minutes or until your hands are numb lol. Add a little blue food colouring to get that water colour and continue to whisk for another 3 minutes. With the back of a spoon or a knife put the mixture on top of Madeira base to create the swimming pool effect. Every pool needs to have surrounding walls or a boarder. Mine must be edible so I took strips of baking paper and laced melted white chocolate onto them and waited for them to set. Low and behold as if Paul Daniels himself did a magic spell my swimming pool had walls stuck to the cake with icing sugar and a drop of water.

Now for the lane ropes..... what better than candy necklaces and watches I had as a kid and the flat piece I can use as a diving block I thought to myself. So I took the candy off the elastic string and placed the pieces sideways into the butter icing as if the rope was under the water. How easily things can be made deceiving. I did lane rope after lane rope until finally complete.Patience is key when working with cakes and water. You have to be patient and learn how to swim properly not come up with your own version and run with that as sooooo many do.  For the diving blocks I've used a small piece of Madeira that was left and placed the candy watch face ontop of it again stuck with icing. It looked very convincing to be honest! Every swimming pool provides flags too for its competitive swimmers. After careful thought I came up with the idea of dying edible fun paper money with food colouring and cutting them into triangles to hang like flags over the pool. I used a long kebab stick as pole as either side and the strings from the necklaces to hang them.

Now for swimmers. Of course the perfectionist I am I wanted to make sure they were as convincing as possible.Phelps maybe with size 13 feet. So I used fruit pastilles for the head halving them so they looked like swimming caps and sesame sticks for the hands and legs. Positioning the arms so they looked as though the swimmer was rolling his head to the side breathing. Do you know most people in my experience are unaware you need to breath out under water.They all hold their breath which is so dangerous.

That's it swimming pool complete. I have dedicated this cake to Lauren and Shannon my little amazing cousins that teach me a thing or two!

Recipe for friendship

There are so many cook books on the market now & so many on-line recipes it's very difficult to know which are genuine. Similarly the same could be said about friendships. A word flung around like its on a merry go round FRIENDSHIP.  What does it mean? On line friendships are they genuine? Catfish I'm sure your all familiar with the MTV hit, a documentary made about on line friendships.So how do we know which friendships or ingredients will work for us? 

One of the most common ingredients used is flour. A powder obtained by grinding grain and used in many of our base foods.Flour is a reliable powder. Reliable friends are hard to come by.Their the ones that you can fall back on, the ones that after everyone has left they are still around. Have you flour in your life? I'm lucky enough to have it in mine and I wouldn't change it for the world. 

Sugar?...without sugar our foods would be plain with little sweetness. Without friends, our lives would be predictable and boring. You judge the amount of sugar in a recipe so it's not too sweet and we pick friends with similar interests so we have a balance in our lives as well as our baking. A lot of people act sweet, and with social media now readily available at our fingertips its too easy to put on a false personality. Too much sweet can very easily turn your finished product sour.In most of the Catfish series this is exactly what happens! Those behind the keyboard turn out to be extremely different in real life leaving a bad after taste in someone's mouth!

Yeast otherwise known as a raising agent, raising you up when you are down. When the going gets tough the tough get going... we all know that song  but my god is it true.... when the going gets tough too many get going and never come back but those that stay you know are there for life. Feeding you comfort food, watching chick flicks, having a bitch with a cup of tea, patting your back as you puke in the toilet or even when things are so bad that you realise you would rather be a sea creature so at least when you cry no one can see your tears only your best friend who's holding your tissues.

When heat is applied to any mixture its fascinating to watch it grow and take shape. When heat is applied to friendship its sink or swim. I have been very fortunate to be blessed with friends that are the bread and butter of my life.Friends that are as cracked as half the eggs used in baking and that's what I love about them. No two days the same no too cakes the same.

So once you find a reliable recipe stick with it!

Athletes Blueberry Strippers

I'm not used to talking about strippers in my blogs and I hope none of my followers deem it inappropriate but these Blueberry Strippers are made purely for the Athlete in us. As a Gym Instructor and retired World Class athlete at Junior Level I appreciate the importance of nutrition in any fitness regime. However a sneaky treat every now and then does cross the mind and what better way to spoil yourself than with your very own strippers. Diets differ based on the chosen sport for instance I was an endurance athlete walking my little legs off each pair of trainers wearing away like a cheap eraser on the N69! Have you ever noticed the tilt on the road the way it slants? Well notice it the next time you drive past I'm sure it's for drainage purposes but the only thing it was draining was my patience.If not aware a muscle imbalance would have been inevitable. Weightlifters and those trying to achieve that slim body however need high protein low carbohydrate diet which these particular strippers are designed for.

I decided to make Chocolate flavour as I had some Whey protein powder in that particular flavour and it was needed in the recipe. Grab a large mixing bowl the first step is to blend 1 cup of oatmeal. Yes blend oatmeal I know I never heard of the likes either but it actually works after a little tilting.Put the blended mixture and 2 scoops of your whey protein into the bowl. Now only to separate 4 eggs I think its quite similar to juggling then again I have my own very unique ways!Once separated collect the whites and add them to the mixture. A little water, blueberries and 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence and mix thoroughly. Spoon into muffin cases and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  

Protein bars and shakes can work out expensive so this offers an alternative to save a little money. You can vary the fruit depending on your taste!

Mint Volcano For You

Since publishing my last blog words cannot explain how positive everyone has been towards Bake With Cat. Did you ever hear the phrase' Things happen for a reason' ? Well Bake With Cat couldn't have happened for a better reason. At a time when all  I needed was support I was overwhelmed by kind words, well wishes, compliments from people near and far. It opened a volcano of emotions for me. So I dedicate this Mint Volcano blog to you.

One of my favourite things to bake are Chocolate brownies. So chocolatey and just generally amazing. I'm a devil for anything mint too...a mint cornetto, mint aero's, after eight's you name it I'm on it like a car bonnet. So I've combined mint and brownies for to create the perfect appreciation blog.

Starting off I checked out the ingredients list!It was looking very positive I knew what everything was on the list except for 1 mystery item. Softened cream cheese! No problem I'll nip to the shop and just pick it up I'm sure its labelled anyway I thought to myself. Now searching the dairy section of any supermarket is not to be laughed at.... it's like 7 miles long and has not just English labels but French. Now French was never my strong point dropping it at leaving cert level who knows what I would arrive home with. I failed to find it for 2 days and 5 supermarkets. Then I decided pride aside it was time to ask. Lads no joke but Cream cheese is Philabloodydelphia. Yes Philadelphia the one internationally advertised as cream cheese. If i could have kicked myself in the forehead with my size 7's I would have. I returned home feeling very silly indeed but never the less the show must go on!I melted the butter and chocolate and allowed it to cool. The smell as it melts is just divine. I then poured  the devine mix into a mixing bowl and added in a cup of sugar. Stirring like a trooper I gradually added the eggs bit by bit.....there was zero room for error now I was on my volcano mission

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The drill was on ( whisk) and I was like bob the builder giving it welly then added a little vanilla essence. Folded in the flour and salt like any good housewife and just like magic my impressive batter was ready.

So the plan was to pour 3/4 of the batter onto the bottom of my baking tray holding back the rest. Now for Mintfest....well there seems to be every other sort of a Fest happening at the moment so I'm starting Mintfest.
I put my Philabloodydelphia in a bowl with sugar 1 egg yolk tiny bit of peppermint and green colouring. Drill until smooth. Go handy with the peppermint or just like a volcano it could very well blow the head off you. Eucalyptus eat your heart out! Dollop the mint mixture on top of the batter and use the remaining 1/4 of batter to form the top layer. Slit the top  batter with a knife so the lava aka mint is visible. Bake for 30 min and watch the volcano erupt.

John Deere more like expensive

John Deere.....Now Deere as in expensive is very fitting.I had to buy a ball of stuff to make it. I've had an obsession with tractors since... well I can remember... last year ha only messing since I was like able to walk. Bombing it around the footpath at home pretending to pull the handbrake yep that was  me falling off cut knees every few days living life on the edge.  Then there were the good aul years of baling hay in the farm well supplying tea and sandwiches and stooking the bales and of course getting a half day from school:). Then there was the year of picking spuds....now I have never felt pain like that before. All in all tractors are great and I've had a secret fascination about them for years. So I decided why not have a go at making one.Out of cake now not metal! One problem I've no idea where to start hmm. OK so after quite a lot of deliberation I decided to make two sponges one in a loaf tin and one in a square tin. The loaf tin was for the bonnet ya see ah ha it was all going to be just fine. I bought all my dyes and sandwich bags, icing, holy water extra.

Once my sponges were done it was carving time. Now I do not possess a carving knife however I do have a bread knife so I put the bonnet in place. From the square tin using 2 cutters I cut out four wheels. Genius! Then some squares to stack on top of each other to create the cabin. As I began stacking the layers they began to slide...... as John Kenny would say 'twas like they had a half a bottle of whiskey insiden em like'. I used a bit of icing to stick them together. Anyway shur the icing will sort everything I thought to myself . Meanwhile the entire house could have fallen down around me I was in the zone if interrupted god knows what would have happened.

I began by colouring the vast amount of icing green.Don't ya wish icing grew on tree's? I know I do I'd save a small fortune. A tractor has to be green especially my prize John Deere. Thinking man wait till I'm finished this is going to be amazing. As I started to place the icing on the cake I noticed it wasn't exactly straightening the shape out but hey its early stages. I got my grey icing did the wheels,realised they looked flat as in punctured. Popped my grill on few eyebrows etc to add character but as I was adding more it was starting to lean more and more like the leaning tower of pisa.

No miracle was gonna straighten this bad boy lol In the end it looked more like a vintage tractor that I was looking at after consuming a bottle of wine on an empty stomach after not sleeping for a week. On the plus side I got some laugh out of it and practice makes perfect right lol


 

Voyage of self discovery

Did you know you are the average of the 5 people you surround yourself with? Have a think about that one! are you surrounded by driven, motivated people or those that would rather hold you back? Just like a machine our mind and body needs regular maintenance. Some people think reading a book or watching a good film is enough but it's not! When was the last time you sat in silence and listened?Listened to silence? When was the last time you sat on a bench and watched the wind brush through the leaves. For those few seconds your mind, body and spirit rest and it's very important to embark on the voyage of self discovery. Did you ever hear the phrase as happy as a pig in sh#t? Today I am baking a pig in a mud bath that will be entirely edible and symbolize how we should all try and rediscover our inner child.

First off I needed a base. The most obvious base to me seemed to be a square brownie.Solid and sturdy it would be ideal. I melted the unsalted butter and Cadbury's chocolate over a moderate heat watching like a hawk just in case it curdled. Like this one time I tried to save a few euro by getting Cadbury's bubble bar on offer to melt! WOW note to oneself they do not melt well :(. Once all is well and melted. In a bowl whisk the daylights out of the sugar and eggs. Now this is fun, pour the hot mix into the egg one and stir. It makes a kind of marble effect! I may have brownie marble worktops in my dream house yet lol. Mix until nice and chocolatey. Sift in cocoa and flour folding as you go! Pour into a tray and bake for 25 min in a moderate oven.

Once cooled I needed to think about a surround. Timber isn't exactly edible so time to rethink the situation. Cadbury's fingers seemed the perfect choice so I halved them. Now to stick the fingers to the base of brownie I used icing sugar and left it set. Filling the mud bath was a lot quicker than running a normal bath. A bit of melted chocolate poured in and there you have it. Now the bath was in place what about the pig.

Using fondant which I dyed pink and shaped a belly.I then poked a hole to symbolise a belly button. The head was great fun again rolling off pieces of fondant and shaping them. 2 pokes from a fork and we had a nose. 2 ears, and 4 legs later we were ready to position them in the mud.

As you can see from the pictures this pig is chilled to the maximum. Slow down, take time for yourself before it's too late. Cease the moment and enjoy life and just as important enjoy baking.
 

Hundreds and Thousands of thank you's

I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has taken the time to recognise how important bakewithcat.blogspot.ie has become to me. As you all know by now baking is my form of therapy and all of you have made it so much better by being there every step of the way to support me. Despite your busy lives, challenges of your own ye have still taken to time to care which means the world to me. It's easy now days to throw around thank you's but I sincerely mean it thank you for believing in me.

Caitriona

Passion and Temptation Strapple Pie

Apple pie was my favourite delicacy growing up. As well as going through 2 litres of milk a day to myself  I would gladly have consumed the best part of an entire apple pie. Metabolism of a horse I had back then.There was 1 condition though....if I taste cinnamon or cloves that's it for me. A pie can vary depending where its bought. In my opinion the ones from the country pubs are the best.Apple is the fruit of temptation and strawberries are the fruit of passion. Everyone has a passion in their lives whether its a sport, a hobby, a person you still give your heart to it. Temptations well temptations are everywhere good and bad.This passion and temptation gives life a flair and its going to give this pie that little something extra:) I'm not going to claim I hand pick each apple but what I can promise is you won't be disappointed if you taste it. Plus  I doubt an orchard would fit in the back yard in a housing estate.  My plan originally was to try and recreate perfection I've tasted in so many traditional pubs. But as I glanced through what I needed I couldn't help thinking what some passion would add to the flavour. That was it Strapple pie was born.The Adam and Eve of the bakers world. The strawberries would add a lovely kick to the apples tickling the taste buds. 

I started off by sieving the icing sugar and flour together in a bowl giving it a good stir with a large spoon. Then I started to rub in the butter to the dry mix which may I say is the most relaxing thing one could possibly do. The mind drifts millions of miles away and then suddenly were ready to add the eggs. Mix together pop in cling film and place into the fridge for 1 hour . Now its time to stew the apples and the strawberries. I chose to stew them separately adding sugar as I go. Once the 60 minutes were up I removed the dough from the fridge divided it into 2 balls and rolled them out. Now this is not as easy as it seems it will rip, it will tear and you will lose the cool but it's OK take 10 seconds and restart. Grease the pie tray and lay the base layer of dough in .Once in add the two stewed fruits together mix and put into the pie pan. Pop the top layer of pastry on and glaze pinching the sides. Put a few fork pricks . For decorative purposes I halved a strawberry and placed the 2 sides side by side in the middle once it's cooled and out of the oven. 

I hope this blog has awakened your desire for passion and temptation in your life ;) Start baking!

Cinderella High Heel Cupcakes

I set myself a challenge of creating my very own high heel cupcakes. As a Tom Boy far from high heels I was raised and more on my brothers tractors but never the less I felt the urge to create these wonderful fancy shoes. I remember a friend trying to teach me to walk on high heels. Can you imagine a penguin on a set of high heels? Well that's the strut I had. As I prepared the ingredients it made me think why do we even bother with dressing up, high heels make up etc. Is it necessary? As I work my way through creating these heels i'll also give you my opinion. 

OK so I needed a heel....now what could I use as a heel? I sized up everything in my baking cabinet and nothing seemed appropriate. Then as if hit with a slap from Katie Taylor herself  I thought of round wafers the lovely ones with chocolate in the middle yum! The sole would also consist of a regular ice cream wafer and the front of the shoe a cupcake. 

Step 1. Baking the cupcake of your choice. I opted with vanilla. As I mixed all the ingredients together as per previous blogs one couldn't resist thinking. People don't see what's inside the bun case do they . So a lot of people find it easier to go through life under the radar just living a normal life. To be honest that's me.I'd run a mile at the sight of make up, high heels or even the thought of dying my hair. Step 2. To get the shape  needed for the front of the shoe I added a heap of frosting. Frosting piled like a mountain. Not everyone feels able to climb mountains at the best of times. But the frosting signifies plucking up the courage, for every one step back I urge everyone to take 2 forward. Once you reach the summit then all the fancy mod cons, make up etc. seem OK to wear because your inside feels just as glamorous as your outside. Step 3. Adding some jazzle to the cupcake. I chose purple as it's a calming colour and let's face it you need to remain calm on a pair of high heels. Pour some sugar into a sandwich bag add some blue food dye and some red food dye until you get the colour you like. Keep rubbing the sugar and the colour together. Once complete empty into a bowl. Step 4. At this point we need to start sorting the sole of the shoe. I used icing to cover both sides of an ice cream wafer and applied butter-cream around 3 edges. ( how to make butter icing also in my previous blogs). Step 5. Roll the cupcake in the purple sugar and also dip the 3 sides of the sole in it. The concept of the purple sugar could also be seen as people hiding behind make up. Layer upon Layer to make themselves feel better and in order to try and face the world. Step 6. Slice with a bread knife a slit from an angle into the top of the cupcake. Insert the sole here. Also balancing the sole pop a bit of icing on top of the round wafer and put it in position. 

The sole is quite weak and the shoe wouldn't function without the heel.Life is challenging and just like the heel families and close friends are there to support. But its important to know that there is support and help available. 

Even Cinderella's shoe didn't fit the first time, but stay strong and the pair you deserve will come along.

Your mental health is just as important as your physical so don't take it for granted. Ask for help if you need it.Don't suffer in silence. 

Sesame Street Blues

                                          

How many of you remember Sesame Street? My goodness it brings back memories. Almost sitting on top of the television I could never be too close! Big bird, The Garbage monster, Elmo and The cookie monster are to name but a few.Colour overload for my little eyes.  Phrases like ' me eat cookie' and ' me want cookie' make me realise maybe we were separated at birth.

So today I've decided to blog about baking cookie monster cupcakes. I needed to track down some eyes and blue hair not for myself now for the cookies. I just know half of you were thinking I'd look fab with blue hair. I decided to go with blue butter cream icing and marshmallows for the eyes. I used my usual vanilla cupcake recipe. I started by creaming the butter and sugar together to my neighbours dismay :P. Gradually adding 2 eggs with some vanilla careful not to have a heavy hand with the vanilla lol. Fold in the flour add a bit of cow (milk) and spoon into cases. After 15 minutes the magic should have happened. Nice golden cupcakes yet moist on the inside.

Meanwhile in a separate bowl beating the butter until it becomes a wonderful cream. Approx 5 minutes . Dropping in some blue food dye as you go . Now the fun begins blue goes EVERYWHERE when you restart the whisk.Goggles on and away you go until the colour resembles that of the monster himself. Then pipe this mixture onto the top of the cupcake using a fancy fitting for the bag. Now for the eyes get some small marshmallows and push them in as eyes and use chocolate chips as his pupils. A little bit of icing will stick them on lovely. And no cookie monster is complete without a cookie in his mouth so snap a cookie in two and stick one in his mouth. Eat the other yourself well I did.I felt it was well deserved!

Walkers Shortbread (Dedicated To Our World Champion )

I can't think of a more fitting day to speak about two of my life greatest passions Race-walking and Baking. But how can the two be compared? Simple. I compare a race-walking journey to that of baking millionaires shortbread. The base is the most important part of any cake and also of any athletes training. Training throughout the winter months alone covering over 100 miles a week. Travelling abroad for altitude training it takes tremendous strength. The base of my shortbread cake also needs to take the support the cake, it needs to withstand the weight on top. In the cake Flour, Sugar and butter make the base. In walking character, discipline, determination, family, a great support team and endless training hours make the perfect base. Marian just like the butter in the base gelled  everything together in Rob's life too. Been there for Rob regardless of victory or disappointment she has been the rock in Rob's career. 

From the outside what people do not see is the strict dieting, the assigned power nap times, the strict lifestyle that makes an athlete. When others are clubbing on a Saturday night Rob and his wife were resting up for a long mileage session on a Sunday just like all our other walkers and athletes in this country at National level.. Due to limited resources in Ireland a great deal of travel also has to be involved which would put a strain on any relationship but not this golden couple. They saw a dream and went for it with both hands. Marian putting her own fantastic athletic career on hold this year to coach her husband. 

After baking the base for 30 minutes allow to cool. The next layer of Carmel wonder  comprising of syrup, condensed milk and butter is the sticky divine middle piece to the cake.Pour on top of the base and allow to sit and cool. In every athletes career they come across politics and people trying to hold them back.  These people are the sticky carmel layer in my cake. Also it can be an injury. The must crushing part for any athlete is an injury jeopardising their career. It happened to myself and my walking career. It's how a person deals with an injury or problem though that is the difference between winning and just making up the numbers. Rob tackled every injury head on. He got down did the physio and the rehab and didn't complain. It's not only Rob that does this. Other ambassadors in the race walking community include Laura Reynolds, Colin Griffin, Kate Veale, Michael Doyle, Niall & Emma Prendiville, Olive Loughnane, Anne Loughnane, Michael Lane, Gillian O Sullivan, Ray Flynn, Pierce and Bernie O Callaghan, Jamie Costin, David kidd and i'm bound to have left someone out. Through out the year all these people have encouraged each other in a country where at least 5 cars on every long walk beeps and roars pervy abuse as we train on the roads. Behind the scenes these ambassadors fight for funding and selections. Well thanks to all this support and the heffernans determination they have flew through the sticky layer.

The final layer of the cake is a layer of melted chocolate. It's the layer that signifies success. Today is Robert & Marian Heffernan's day. A day that goes down in history as August 14th 2013 the day he won the title of 50km Champion of the World.