The Christmas baking starts with something simple

I've been doing a bit of research into delicious baked items that I can give as Christmas gifts. Last year was the first year I did this and had a great response. Those people I always find it hard to buy for, I found easy to bake for. So this year I'm extending the baking gifts list. As Christmas in Brisbane is always sweltering (and generally rains for those interested), I don't want to bake anything to heavy. For my 92 year old Grandma I'm planning on baking an assortment of cookies. So today I started testing some recipes. I need to work on my royal icing, but the cookie and icing taste nice. If you feel like some easy recipes to try, have a go at this one. ENJOY!

Rhubarb - So that's what it tastes like

Two weeks ago I bought my first bunch of rhubarb at the markets. Unfortunately, my motivation for baking has been lacking the past two weeks, so the rhubarb sat on my kitchen bench until it needed to be thrown out. This weekend at the markets, I noticed rhubarb was only $1 a bunch, so I decided to try again.

I have never baked with rhubarb, actually, I have never tasted rhubarb, so I scrolled the web for a recipe that would ease me into this fruit (yes, a fruit). After too long looking through search results, I realised I could type "rhubarb" into foodgawker and wha-lah, an idea. And so, here we have my first attempt at rhubarb: Rhubarb Swirl Cupcakes.

Some impromptu baking

This morning I was running around the house, trying to get my son ready for day care and myself ready for work. I was half way through making his lunch when I realised I had no afternoon tea for him. I grabbed an armful of ingredients from the cupboard and whipped up some chocolate cookies. I didn't have enough chocolate for the cookies, so I used some left over freddos from our trick-or-treating stock, so these biscuits are a mix of dark and milk chocolate. I am yet to actual taste them, as was in such a hurry that I forgot to pack myself a biscuit, but I am looking forward to crunching on one (some) tonight. Fresh from the oven, they looked the perfect combination of chewy and crunchy.

ENJOY