As I listened to this song today, these lyrics touched my heart for all who have been broken and suffered through the abuses of this life. Jesus knows all that we have been through. He has felt the suffering and pain and knows how we feel. We just need to trust Him to get us through all the struggles we face. He has a plan and a purpose for each of our lives… and He will help us to reach our destiny with Him.
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There are so many who are hurting around the world today. They seek answers and a source of strength to get through the depression and oppression that surrounds them. They struggle through each day and try to find their way. But God has given us the Answer… for Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…”
Religion versus Relationship…
now which do you seek?
For religion is man-made…
but it’s a relationship that I speak.
For God sent His Son…
to show us the way.
And it’s all about Him…
every moment of the day.
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INGREDIENTS
SPONGE CAKE
25 g butter, melted
4 eggs, free range if possible
125 g sugar
125 g plain white flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
FILLING
80 g sugar
1 tsp fresh ginger, sliced
5 nectarines (or any other seasonal stone fruit)
50 ml water
1 tbsp good quality rum
CREAM
200 g whipping cream
2 tbsp sugar
125 g greek yoghurt
icing sugar
METHOD
SPONGE CAKE
Preheat the oven to 190 °C / 375 °F. Put the eggs together with sugar in a glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, ensuring that bottom of bowl it do not touch the water. Using electric mixer, whisk mixture over the heat for about 5 minutes, or until thick, pale and doubled in volume. In a bowl combine the baking soda, the flour and pinch of salt. Sift half of dry mixture into the egg mixtute and very gentle fold it through. Sift over the rest of the dry mixture. Again, fold it in gently. Add melted butter to the mixture. Grease cake moulds with butter, than dust with flour. Divide the mixture between both cake moulds. Bake for 20 minutes at 190 °C / 375 °F, until golden and springy to touch. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack if possible.
FILLING
Wash the nectarines under a running water and drain them well. Cut them in half and remove the kernels, than cut each half on three pieces. Reserve one nectarine for decoration. Set a saucepan over a medium high heat. Add the sugar, slices of ginger and water. Let it slowly simmer for about 5 – 10 minutes or until the sugar caramelises and gets golden brown. Add pieces of nectarines, rum and leave for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Nectarines have to remain thick. Drain the nectarines and save until needed. Also save the juice.
CREAM
In another bowl mix together the whipping cream and sugar, to get a soft peak. Add 1/3 of the yoghurt to the whipping cream mixture and combine well, using a spatula. Fold gently the rest of the yoghurt, so that you get a light and airy texture. Refrigerate until needed.
CAKE
To assemble the cake, brush both sponge cakes with leftover nectarine juice on one side. Place one sponge on a cake stand or serving plate. Arrange pieces of nectarine all over the brushed sponge cake. Dollop on spoonfuls of yoghurt cream, leaving 2 tbsp for the decoration later. Cover with the second sponge cake. Decorate with the remaining yoghurt cream, arrange the remaining fresh nectarine pieces and dust with icing sugar to finish. Serve with a spoon of Greek yoghurt. You can store it in a refrigerator for up to 4 days or serve immediately.
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
For the Frosting:
1/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 – 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
For the Topping:
Lindt HELLO Bites
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cupcake pan with liners.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir in vanilla extract.
Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well.
Fill each cupcake liner (2/3 full) and bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
For the Frosting:
Cream butter and cocoa powder in electric mixer. Add vanilla extract.
Alternate heavy cream with powdered sugar until frosting consistency reached.
For thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar. For a looser frosting, add more cream (or milk).
Pipe each cupcake with frosting and garnish with Lindt HELLO Bites
Yield: 10 large nests or 16-30 minis, depending on their size
These beautiful little meringue nests are both crunchy and soft, and once bitten into, they will melt in your mouth. Make them large or mini, and fill them with anything you want.
Ingredients
4 large egg whites
½ teaspoon cream of tartar, or 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white wine vinegar
1 cup (220 g/7.7 oz) caster sugar*
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200F/90C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and prepare a pastry bag fitted with a round or star tip (mine had a 1cm opening). Set aside.
Before you start, make sure that your mixer bowl is extra clean and not greasy, as that would prevent the egg whites from reaching their full volume. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue whisking until soft peaks start to form.
Then, while mixer is running, add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and increase mixing speed to medium-high. Go slowly. Adding the sugar and continuing to beat may take 5-10 minutes. The meringue is ready once stiff peaks form, it’s glossy and completely smooth but not dry, and the sugar is fully dissolved. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure that no sugar is sticking. Beat in vanilla extract.
Transfer meringue to the piping bag. To prevent the parchment paper from sliding, pipe a little of the meringue on the underside of each corner of the paper and ‘stick’ it to the pan. Pipe a 5 cm (or any other size you want, depending on how big or small you want them) round spiral base on the prepared baking sheet, and without lifting the tip, pipe 2-3 circles on top of the outer edge to create a nest.
The amount of nests really depends on how wide or tall you make them. This recipe can make anywhere from 10 large to 30 minis. I usually make mine quite tall with a 5 cm base, and it yields me around 16-20 nests.
If you want to make pavlovas without using a piping bag, drop small mounds of meringue onto the baking sheet and, using a spoon, create a border so that the edges are slightly higher than the center.
Place in the lower part of the oven and bake for 2-3 hours, or until the meringues are dry, their centers aren’t sticky, and they are easily lifted from the parchment paper with their bases intact. Turn off the oven and, without removing, let meringues cool completely for at least one hour, or overnight.
Meringues will keep for several days in an airtight container at room temperature.
When ready to serve, fill the nests with a filling of your choice, such as whipped cream or lemon curd, and top with fresh fruit if desired.
*Caster sugar, or superfine sugar, is finer than granulated sugar and dissolves better in the egg whites without leaving a gritty 88texture. You can make your own by processing granulated sugar in the food processor for about a minute until finely ground.
Ingredients(Makes 12 muffins)
500 g packet vanilla muffin mix
8 ml ground nutmeg
½ a tub Cream Cheese (125 g)
+- 60 ml fig jam
Method
Pre-heat oven to 180 °C with oven shelf in centre position . Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cases.
Unmould the cream cheese from the tub, and cut half of it into 12 dice-size cubes.
Add nutmeg into the dry muffin mix then proceed with preparing according to the easy on-pack instructions.
Half-fill the mixture into each muffin case and place a cube of cream cheese in the centre. Cover the cube well with enough mixture to ¾ fill each case.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Warm fig jam, and brush over the muffin tops as they are removed from the oven.
Yield: about 1 1/2 cups caramel sauce
Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
Instructions
1. Melt butter in a saucepan.
2. Add brown sugar and heavy cream and whisk constantly over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
3. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 3 minutes, no more.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Store in refrigerator
Ingredients
250g plain sweet buscuits, crushed
125g butter, melted
375g cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
3 eggs
1/3 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp lemon rind
375mL CARNATION Creamy Evaporated Milk
Nestlé
How to Make
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Combine biscuit crumbs and butter, press into base and sides of 24cm springform pan, refrigerate while preparing filling.
3. Beat together cream cheese, sugar and eggs. Add remaining ingredients, beat until smooth.
4. Spoon mixture evenly over prepared base, bake 45 – 50 minutes until set. Cool in pan, refrigerate until ready to serve. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Ingredients
Chocolate Sponge Roll
6 eggs
110g sugar
130g cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
70ml warm vegetable oil (microwave for 15-25 seconds)
4 tbsp Nestle Baking Cocoa
2 tbsp milk
Filling
1/2 cup thickened cream
4 tsp caster sugar
350g of canned pitted cherries
How to Make
To make the chocolate sponge roll
1) Preheat oven to 220°C. Line baking paper on a greased 30cm x 30cm x 2cm baking pan.
2) Sift together the cake flour and baking powder, then set aside.
3) Combine vegetable oil, cocoa powder and milk in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
4) Whisk the eggs with sugar until batter is smooth and creamy. Stir in the flour mixture and combine well.
5) Fold one third of the batter from (4) into the combined chocolate mixture from (3) and mix well using a spatula until incorporated.
6) Pour the combined chocolate mixture back into the remaining 2/3 egg mixture, and gently fold until incorporated.
7) Spoon batter in the lined baking tray and level it.
8) Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
9) Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to let cake cool.
10) I prefer to peel off the baking paper right away, but you may opt to do so after it has cooled down.
Whilst the cake is baking in the oven, prepare the filling:
1) Chill mixer and mixing bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes – this can be done during preparation, prior to baking
2) Beat whipping cream with caster sugar with the chilled electric mixer and bowl until smooth and creamy.
To ensemble the Swiss roll:
1) After cooling the cake, use a clean tea towel to pre-roll the cake whilst it is still warm,and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. The pre-roll method helps stretch the cake and then can be easily rolled in a round shape. Not to worry, the surface of the cake won’t stick onto the tea towel.
2) Turn the surface of cake onto a large paper and spread filling onto cake.
3) Next, scatter pitted cherries evenly and roll the cake.
4) Cut edges to complete. For best results, keep roll in fridge before serving.
A beautiful, rich chocolate fruit cake recipe that is sure to please the Christmas crowds
Ingredients
700g jar pitted morello cherries
375g pkt dried mixed fruit
½ cup (100g) dried figs, chopped finely
1 cup (250mL) marsala
175g butter, softened
1¼ cups (275g) brown sugar
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
3 eggs
1¼ cups (185g) plain flour
½ cup (75g) self raising flour
2/3 cup (80g) almond meal
2 tbsp Dutch Processed Cocoa
2 tsp mixed spice
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
400gPremium Dark Chocolate, broken into pieces
1 cup (250mL) cream
How to Make
1. Drain cherries, reserving ¼ cup (60mL) of syrup. Combine cherries with dried mixed fruit, dried figs, ¾ cup (190mL) of the marsala and the reserved syrup in a large bowl. Cover; stand overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 150?C/130?C fan forced. Grease and line a deep 22cm round cake pan with three layers of non-stick baking paper, extending paper 5cm above top edge.
3. Beat butter, sugar and rind in a small bowl with an electric mixer until combined; beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix butter mixture into the fruit mixture; stir in flours, almond meal, Dutch Processed Cocoa, Premium Dark Chocolate and mixed spice.
4. Spread mixture into prepared pan; bake for about 3 hours or until cake is cooked when tested (if it is getting too dark on top, cover loosely with foil for the last 30 minutes). Brush hot cake with the remaining marsala; cover with foil, cool in pan overnight.
5. To make Chocolate Ganache: combine Premium Dark Chocolate and cream in a small microwave safe bowl; microwave uncovered on MEDIUM (50%) for 1 minute; stir. Repeat process in 30 second intervals until melted. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, for about 20-30 minutes or until spreadable. Spread top and sides of cake with Chocolate Ganache.
ricassweettooth 