45 pieces 2-2.5 hour prep time 20-23 minute bake time Printable recipe HERE
what you need		how to make it
homemade pineapple filling 2 x 400g of canned pineapple (juices in can drained) 250g sugar 1 tablespoon of lemon juice pastry 350g butter – unsalted, softened 100g condensed milk 510g plain flour 2 egg yolks egg wash 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon milk alternative You could use fresh pineapple if it is in season and available. Use 1kg of ripe pineapple flesh (divots removed)		filling this will take about 1 – 1.5 hours. puree the pineapple flesh and set aside. do not strain. In a non-stick saucepan and puree and cook on medium heat stir from time to time until water is reduced once the puree thickens, add in sugar and lemon juice cook over a low heat, stirring from time to time until thick, sticky and golden brown. be careful not to burn the jam. pastry cream butter and condensed milk until light and fluffy add one egg yolk at a time and beat to combine mix in flour mix a little at a time until it is mixed in, soft and no longer sticky to your fingers allow jam to cool to room temperature then keep in fridge chilled for at least 2 hours assembly roll pineapple fillings into small balls (0.5 inch) then roll dough into a 1-inch balls do this separately and chill in fridge for at least 15 minutes before assembly, make the egg wash (beat with fork to combine, set aside) flatten dough into a disc in the palm of your hand and add the pineapple filling in the middle bring the edges of the dough together, press lightly to seal roll it between your palms until it is shaped like a ball cut a few lines across the dough to create the pineapple pattern, then gently apply egg wash with a brush bake preheat oven to 165 degrees (fan-forced) bake rolls (four in a row) and bake for 20-23 minutes or until golden brown allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container notes adapted from Sonia @ Nasi Lemak Lover

So I realise it has been a while since I have checked in on the blog. What a crazy few weeks it has been. I have so much that I am bursting to share but as life is moving at such a fast pace, I have hardly had the time to pick up the camera and do a nice slow cook. I am writing this post as I roughly pack for my bridal party in Sydney with my girlfriends. (I know... life's tough sometimes... haha)

So while I realise that this food post is not 'groundbreaking', I did want to share with you a quick and delicious lunch I made myself the other day. After all, who says no to Fritters. I have been trying to eat more vegetables and incorporate wild salmon into my diet as per instructions from my Naturopath and these fritters offer a great balance to eat my veggies and my salmon too. This bright and colourful lunch was just too yummy not to share with you.


This recipe is adapted from Elephanteats.com -- recipe HERE with the exception of adding a can of wild salmon into the mix.


Bean Salad recipe

1 x can of four bean mix (washed and drained)
1 x small zuchinni
1 x red onion (blitzed/finely diced)
2 x stems of parsley & leaf, roughly chopped
1/3 cup of lemon juice
1/4 cup of olive oil / coconut oil
Salt and pepper to season

To make the salad:

Pour all prepared vegetable ingredients into bowl, toss roughly to mix
Mix apple cider vinegar and oil and season to taste (taste first)
Pour wet ingredients into vegetable mix. Add Parsley. Mix well.
Keep bean mix in a jar or a container for several hours and serve at room temperature

Note: some people might find this bean salad a tad bland but the key is allowing the bean mix to sit in the seasoning, lemon juice and oil for several hours. When it comes to room temperature, the natural sweetness of the beans will balance out the zing of the lemon juice.

As a lover of the quick and easy, I cannot tell you how amazing our last few meals have been since we became the proud owners of a Thermomix (an early wedding present courtesy of H's parents, thank you, thank you!), I would love to find out what other quick and easy recipes there are out there... it would be even more amazing if it involved a Thermomix. We have tried a few recipes and they are all so delicious and amazingly simple. Can't wait to share all of our recipe tests and creations with you soon.

x Lynnette

I am a lover of list making and since Thursday this week, I have been making lists of all the things I have to do this weekend (all in my little notebooks that my Sydney girls gifted me for my birthday) and then it hit me — I am an obsessive list maker. I make lists within lists and then some! Seriously guys - I think I have a compulsion to make lists for the sake of making them. 

It is my way of procrastinating when I know I should be planning my wedding instead of baking. 
Put the spatula down Lynnette and walk away! 

There is one thing that in my opinion doesn't ever have to be complicated. CARROT CAKE!

THE HUMBLE CARROT CAKE

I got this particular cake recipe from a colleague of mine, Aleisha a few years ago when we worked on a film together. She kindly shared with me her grandmother's recipe and it is seriously one of the most uncomplicated, beautiful and delicious carrot cakes I have ever eaten. I rate all cakes and desserts I bake by how quickly or how much H can eat in one sitting. H ate half of this cake in less than 15 seconds. That has to mean something.

I have made this carrot cake several times now and the result is always delicious. I made a double layered cake for H's sister as a thank you/birthday gift, I made two mini cakes for H and myself to enjoy later in the day as well as adapting it into a Gluten Free cake for my friend Taya who recently discovered that she is a coeliac. She was a big fan of the cake too!

The Humble Double Layer Carrot Cake

I would highly recommend baking the carrot cake and letting it sit in the fridge overnight and bring it back to room temperature to really enjoy all the aromatic spices and the natural sweetness of the cake at its best.

What are you up to this weekend? Why not bake a Carrot Cake? You won't regret it. 
(Recipe below)

Have a great weekend!

x Lynnette

THE HUMBLE CARROT CAKE

Printable recipe HERE

CAKE LAYER Yield: 1 x double layer carrot cake 2 cup plain flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 ½ tsp bicarbonate soda 1 tsp salt 1 ½ tsp cinnamon 1 ½ tsp all spice 1 cup of packed light muscovado sugar (or 1 ¾ cups of raw sugar) 1 cup of vegetable/coconut oil 4 room temperature eggs 3 cups of grated carrot (approx. 4 medium carrots) 400g crushed/blitzed pineapple (lightly drain juice but keep it moist) Optional: chopped walnuts

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING 400g cream cheese (brick style) softened 3-4 cups icing sugar ¼ tsp lemon juice 115g softened unsalted butter pinch of salt 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tbsp cream (if required) Chopped walnuts for decoration