Lemon & Blueberry Individual Trifles

Nothing could be easier than trifle as a quick and easy dessert. It’s one of those recipes where it seems it’s okay to use ready made products like custard, cake and tinned fruit, like a cheat’s recipe. I’m sure there are a million different variations and a million different ways to layer your trifle and what to layer your trifle with but with the lovely new range of tea flavoured jellies available from Aeroplane Jelly, we won’t have to worry about history repeating itself.

“The earliest known recipe to include jelly dates from 1747, contained in the Art of Cookery authored by Hannah Glasse. In her recipe she instructed using hartshorn or bones of calves feet as the base ingredient for the jelly. The poet Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote of trifles containing jelly in 1861.” (from Wikipedia)

The new Aeroplane Jelly Lite Tea Infusion flavours are amazing!  I used the Lemon Tea flavour in this recipe but they also come in Peach Tea, Orange Blossom with Green Tea, Raspberry Licorice with Green Tea and Mixed Berry Tea.

I used the Peach Tea flavour in the above trifle with seasonal, stewed white peaches and it was delicious. The layer of Peach Tea jelly was delightful. Peach flavoured teas are my absolute favourite.

These kind of desserts are so easy to put together and you can keep all the ingredients on hand. I used a homebrand lemon loaf (which you can keep in the freezer until needed), store bought custard (you can get longlife custard and any kind of fruit (fresh, preserved, canned or even jam, like I did for this recipe. I used a jar of blueberry preserves as well as fresh blueberries. Just make your jelly up, as per the instructions on the packet, the morning of or the night before you need the trifle.

There are no right or wrong ways to make these. Just find a suitable glass or dish and start layering.

I made two individual trifles but a whole jelly would quite possibly make up 4-5 individual trifles or one large one.

They were really refreshing and ‘light’ and just the right amount. The lemon tea jelly gave it a more ‘grown up’ taste even though my 9 year old son loved the flavour of it and they’re lighter on sugar but not on taste.

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Trifle is perfect to feed a crowd in either a large bowl or in individual smaller shot glasses. Perfect for Christmas, a High Tea, Brunch or a wedding dessert buffet.

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED!

Congratulations to Di for your lovely recipe idea and thank you to everyone who entered.

 

How would you like to win your own selection of Aeroplane Jelly Lite Tea Infusions jelly PLUS a tea cup set for your next high tea? All you have to do is tell me in the comments below which of the above flavoured jelly you’d use to make a trifle and what other ingredients you’d use to make it. Please don’t forget to leave your email address so I can contact you if you won. The competition will run until 12pm, AEST (Brisbane time), Monday, 7 December 2015. Good luck!

Terms & Conditions

1.  This is a game of skill.
2. This competition is open to Australian Residents only.
3. The prize is a selection of Aeroplane Jelly Lite Tea Infusion Jelly and a tea cup set.
4. This prize is not redeemable in cash.
5. This competition is open from now until  Monday, 7 December 2015 12pm (Brisbane time) AEST.
6. The winner will be announced on this blog,  Domesblissity Facebook page and Twitter accounts and I will contact you via email.
7. The winner will have 7 days to respond, otherwise the prize will be redrawn.

Lemon & white chocolate blondies

I was meant to post this recipe a few days ago but I just got so laid up with this damn cough and cold that’s been going around. I really did think I was going to miss it this winter but with snuffly kids coming home from school sick, no amount of Vitamin C and immune boosters could save me.

I was lucky I had a packet of Coles Lemon Baking Mix from the Create & Bake range to whip up these quick Lemon & White Chocolate Blondies for the kids. The cupboards were bare and I just didn’t fancy tackling the shops. What I love about this mix is the subtle lemon flavour. Even if you don’t have fresh lemons and you fancy something lemon flavoured, this mix really delivers. I had some white chocolate melts in the pantry so decided to mix them in as well. (If you’re not sure what a Blondie is, its the opposite of a ‘brownie’.)

I love this mix! You can virtually make anything from it as you would flour but the sugar is already added. You only need to add the liquid. If you want to make a cake, follow the directions on the pack. If you want to make cookies,  puddings or, as I did, blondies, reduce the liquid.

 I left these plain with a sprinkle of icing sugar but I could’ve drizzled with melted white chocolate or swirled through some of the blueberry or raspberry puree, also available from the Create & Bake range. Overall, I’m really happy with the Lemon Baking Mix and can’t wait to try other things. I’ve also used it this last week for a Lemon Self Saucing pudding but left it too long before serving so the liquid dried up into the cake. Didn’t matter to us. We still ate it with vanilla ice cream. It was delicious!

Lemon Self Saucing Pudding made with Lemon Baking mix
and a mixture of 1 cup boiling water, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tsp grated lemon rind and 1/2 cup lemon juice

Lemon & White Chocolate Blondies

• 1 packet Lemon Baking Mix
• 1/2 to 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg

1. Mix wet ingredients together.
2. Add chocolate chips to baking mix.
3. Mix together well and pour into an 20x20cm baking pan and bake for approx 20 mins in a 160 deg C oven.

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this post. I did receive products from the Coles Create & Bake range to try. All thoughts, opinions and photos are my own.

Mini lemon & blueberry loaves with lemon drizzle

Did I ever tell you I love a mini loaf? Its not too small and its not too big, just right (as Goldilocks would say). They pack well in square containers, big enough for the big school appetite and big enough for a morning tea break without being too full for lunch. Oh what the heck! I love cake, at any size but I do love how these mini loaves turn out.

I was lucky enough to take part in trialling some of the new Coles Create & Bake range and I must admit, what could be so different about these packet mixes that I haven’t tried before? I’ve always bought the ‘no name’ brand for the kid’s birthday cakes and I might use one if I’ve got to ‘take a plate’, that age old Australian tradition of taking something with you when you’ve been invited for a bite to eat.

I really had visions of something with lemon and blueberries so I picked up the blueberry mix in the Create & Bake range and was pleasantly surprised at how full of actual blueberries it was. There was two packets of blueberries in the box and the other will keep for a long time in the pantry. I filled the mini loaf pan with the delightfully lemon scented batter (and I got to lick the bowl all by myself) and swirled through the chunky blueberry puree.

If you had ‘smellovision’, when these little loaves finished baking the house smelt like a cake shop. I was really surprised at how well the loaves had risen and how the cake had such a beautiful crumb, very much like a homemade cake and unlike normal packet cake mixes.

I had one packet of the lemon icing mix in the Coles Create & Bake range leftover from the Apple & Ginger Cakes with Lemon Icing I made the other day so used that to drizzle over the cake. I served it with some new, in season strawberries, with a cup of hot tea in Mum’s china and I felt like a Queen.

I think I’ll be keeping a couple of packets of this basic lemon cake mix on hand, if not for the convenience but for the taste and the versatility of this mix. Stay tuned for another recipe using the lemon cake mix later this week.

Disclaimer:  This is not a sponsored post. I received products from the Coles Create & Bake range to try. All thoughts, opinions, photos and recipes are my own.

Lemon & Blueberry Yoghurt Cakes

“I’m forever pinning recipes….” (sung to “I’m forever blowing bubbles”). And it’s true. The last thing I do at night, before I turn off the computer is check Pinterest for recipes. I have to admit that about 80% of recipes I see are related to S’mores, peanut butter and chocolate or brownies in some way but the odd one comes up that makes my mouth water and I can think of nothing else until I make it. Lemons and blueberries was the case this time.

This was the culprit. A Lemon-Blueberry Yoghurt Loaf by Sweet Pea’s Kitchen. The recipe is adapted from a Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) recipe. I just love cakes made with yoghurt. The cake is more dense without being rich and not so sweet. This recipe didn’t disappoint. I made them in individual cupcake wrappers as they’re easier for little fingers and my portion control. I can also pop them in the freezer easily too.

The cake is your typical cake recipe but what’s special about these is that after baking, they are brushed with a lemon sugar syrup a couple of times, adding to the lemon flavour and then topped with a lemon drizzle icing.

Even on their own, without the blueberries, I think they’d be nice. This one’s a keeper and now I’m already thinking about all of the different flavour combinations I could come up with.

Lemon & Blueberry Yoghurt Cakes

(from Sweet Pea Kitchen’s Lemon-Blueberry Yoghurt Loaf recipe)

For the Loaf:

• 1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon plain flour, divided
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed

For the Lemon Syrup:

• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/3 cup sugar

For the Lemon Glaze:

• 1 cup icing sugar, sifted
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 170 deg C (350 deg F). Line a texas muffin pan with cupcake papers.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes.
5. While the loaf is cooling, make the lemon syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside.
6. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops of the warm cakes. Brush the top with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cake cool completely.
7. To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the icing sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each cake. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.







Individual Lemon Jelly Slice

So…I could’ve made Chocolate Chip Cookies or any kind of cookies for that matter. I could’ve made a cake. I could’ve made a slice. But, I saw a packet of jelly crystals and a can of condensed milk in the pantry and I immediately thought of an old Australian classic, the Jelly Slice and I knew I had to make it. (I get like that, if you didn’t already know.)

I wanted to do something a little different and when I was searching for a recipe, I stumbled across this idea on a blog called Monniecakes.  Monnie cooked the Jelly Slice in individual cupcake papers instead of a slice tin. I thought this would be an easier way for the kids to eat it and I was right. I also didn’t have biscuit crumbs for the base so use Weetbix crumbs instead. Probably not as nice as biscuit crumbs but it did the job.

Individual Lemon Jelly Slice
(based on a recipe from Best Recipes)

Base:
1 packet Marie biscuits (use any kind of biscuit crumbs as you would for a cheesecake crust), crushed into crumbs (I used 3 cups of Weetbix Choc Chip Bites, crushed)
170gm (6 oz) butter, melted

Filling:
1 can condensed milk
juice of 2 lemons (approx 2 tablespoons)
3 tsp powdered gelatine dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water

Jelly topping:
1 x 85gm (3 oz) packet jelly (jello) crystals
1.1/2 cup hot water

1. Combine biscuit crumbs and melted butter. Press 1 tbs of crumbs into base of a cupcake paper and refrigerate while you make filling.
2. Combine condensed milk, lemon juice and dissolved gelatine. Pour enough of mixture over base to cover. Refrigerate while you make jelly topping.
3. Dissolve jelly crystals in hot water. Allow to cool. Poor gently over filling. Refrigerate until set.
4. Carefully remove cupcake paper to serve.

Makes 12.

Lemon Buttercream Cupcakes

If you’re wondering what the “NFFC” stands for, it stands for No Fuss Fudge Cake, which I blogged about early this year. To me, it’s the easiest, most versatile, adjustable, nicest tasting cake recipe I’ve ever come across. I got the recipe from a forum I belonged to a while ago and I have made it into so many different combinations. I’ve made cupcakes, muffins, bar cakes, ring cakes, sheet cake and even a Swiss Roll once. You can chop and change ingredients to make it into just about anything. In my original post, I had made it into a Black Forest Cherry Cake.

I was actually challenged by a girlfriend of mine, after I mentioned to her that I was craving a Lemon Meringue Cupcake. She suggested the good old NFFC and she’d know as she’s made just as many, if not more, different combinations than I have. I thought about the lemon meringue and remembered my husband doesn’t like it and I don’t think the kids would eat the lemon butter. I also am on the last of my apples that I got from the farmer a few months back. I made up some Spicy Apple & Walnut Muffins the other day and they

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turned out lovely and moist from the use of the apple puree so I decided to use apple puree again in the NFFC in place of the oil that’s in the cake.

Here’s the original recipe with my adjustments.

No Fuss Fudge Cake

1 and half cups plain flour

3 tablespoons cocoa (omitted)

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla (replaced with 1 tsp lemon essence)

1 tablespoon white vinegar

6 tablespoons oil (6 tbs apple puree/sauce) 

1 teaspoon bicarb soda

half teaspoon salt

zest of 1 lemon

 

Lemon Buttercream:

2 cups icing sugar

100gm butter, softened

juice of 1 lemon

 

For cake, heat oven to 180 deg C. Mix all ingredients together well and bake for approx 15-20 mins. For buttercream, mix ingredients together and spread or pipe on cakes.

 

Don’t get me wrong. I love traditional cake recipes, creaming butter and sugar together etc etc but when you’re time poor (as I always claim to be), this is such an unforgiving, quick, great recipe.

 

I’m linking up with Rhonda from over at Down to Earth today for her regular Friday feature, “On My Mind”. These cupcakes are on my mind today and I have enjoyed one for morning tea and lunch. Only made 12 so I’ve got to get in quick while I can!

Easy Lemon Cake with Lemon Glaze

I wanted to make a birthday cake for the husband but it was “Housework Monday” today and I was on a roll. I had put the roast pork on in the morning and thought, while the oven was on, I’d whip up this quick Lemon Cake, which I got the recipe from here. It was a ‘melt and mix’, which are my favourite, when you’re on borrowed time.

Lemon Cake

1.1/2 cups Self Raising flour

pinch salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp grated lemon rind
125gm butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Sift flour and salt. Add sugar, lemon rind and melted butter, incorporate into flour, add egg milk and icing sugar. Add to prepared baking pan and bake for approx 30-35 mins. When cool, top with lemon glaze (or dust with icing sugar).

Lemon Glaze:

1 cup icing sugar

lemon juice (enough to form a liquid consistency)

No Bake Lemon Date Bars

This is one of my favourite recipes in my ripped out ‘recipe’ folders but I’m not sure where I got it from. It’s been typed out so it could be anywhere. This is what I made to give to my Mum for Mother’s Day. She loves dates and this one’s always a winner with her. It’s a great recipe for using up leftover Rice Bubbles.

No Bake Lemon Date Bars

250gm dates, chopped finely

1/2 cup sugar

60g butter

1 tbs lemon juice

1/2 cup coconut

3 cups Rice Bubbles

1 tsp vanilla

Combine dates in saucepan with butter and sugar. Stir constantly over medium heat until dates are soft and pulpy. Remove from heat, beat until smooth. Add remaining ingredients, mix thoroughly. Press into lined slice tin. Ice with lemon icing. Refrigerate until firm then cut into squares.

Lemon Icing:

1 cup icing sugar

1 tbs butter

lemon juice to required consistency

Chicken, Spinach & Lemon Pasta

I’m lucky to have both oranges and lemons in the fridge so I stumbled across a recipe on the Taste web site and adjusted it slightly. This Chicken, Spinach & Lemon Pasta was a very easy meal to put together and was a lovely, light summery pasta dish. The addition of the lemon gave it a fresh ‘zing’ and a lift.

Chicken, Spinach & Lemon Pasta

• 250g dried penne
• 1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 chicken breast fillet, trimmed and sliced
  2 garlic cloves, crushed
  Grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon
  Half a bag baby spinach leaves
  1 tbs dried basil
  Salt & freshly ground black pepper
  Shaved parmesan, to serve

Boil pasta until al dente. Soften onion in EVOO, add chicken and cook until browned. Add garlic, basil, zest and juice of lemon and 1/3 cup of water from pasta. Add spinach and cook until just wilted.

Drain pasta and mix chicken mixture through. Top with shaved parmesan to serve.

Serves 2.