Christmas Market.

On Sunday I travelled into the city with my Mum and we visited Gilles Street Fashion Market. It was quite a special edition, as there was a few extra stalls that aligned the streets filled with Christmas gifts and scrumptious food, as well as second hand goods. 

A gorgeous vintage caravan that was transformed into a travelling cafe full of delicious refreshments and scrumptious treats. Myrtle and Mae travel around the events (private and public) and markets to share their incredible business with people. I cannot wait to find out more places that this caravan will be going so that I can go and admire their menu and simplistic detailing. 

Four seeds is a vintage stall, I mean how classic and simple does this stall look. It displays minimal products, which is extremely eye catching and tempting - in very simple words I absolutely love it. 

I tried a gluten free Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt Brownie that was heavenly. The sea salt sprinkled on top of the pools of caramel gave the brownie that extra kick of flavour and crunch as you took each bite. It was literally one of the best tasting brownies that I have ever eaten and that is strong words, as there are many brownie recipes and products out there. 

There were some amazing stalls that were full of new and old products - perfect for Christmas gifts. 

It was super busy, but the hustle and bustle of the people walking throughout the stalls certainly made it feel like Christmas, as everyone were out hunting for gems for their family, friends or even themselves. 

I tried one of these delicious smoothies that were made from a person cycling, which generated the power to blitz the ingredients together. I had a chocolate milk creation filled with dates, cashews, cocoa, banana, almond milk and a few other scrumptious ingredients. 

It was a lovely morning and afternoon well spent and I cannot wait to visit Adelaide more often and discover unique shops and businesses that I will be able to document for you. 

Enjoy! 

M x 

Malteser Cupcakes.

A Malteser Cupcake should tick every box for someones sweet tooth. It is filled with everything chocolate - pure goodness. 

If I had to choose one of my favourite chocolate treats, it would have to be Maltesers. The crunchy centre covered in milky chocolate is divine and of course in everyones eyes the lighter way to enjoy chocolate! 

This cupcake recipe is a simple chocolate cake with the addition of malt powder, however once baked and settled turns into a rich sweet 'mud' type cake. The light malt buttercream frosting is delicious with of course the star of this post being popped on the top. One Malteser is obviously not enough to satisfy so I opted for three to make it look classic and more tempting. 

Whilst this recipe does not scream Christmas, you could place these on a table at a party or give them as a gift. As a lot of Christmas flavours are a love or hate taste with all the spices and mint, sometimes anything sweet can satisfy a sweet tooth - it is always the thought that counts. 

So here it is the ultimate Malteser Cupcake Recipe: 

Malteser Cupcake 

150g dark chocolate

350g plain flour 

60g cocoa powder

50g malt powder 

370g caster sugar 

1-teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

3 large free range eggs

240ml buttermilk 

210ml vegetable oil 

Frosting

300g unsalted butter, softened 

540g icing sugar 

2-tablespoons malt powder 

4 tablespoons whole milk 

1. Preheat the oven to 18--degrees and line a cupcake tin. 

2. Finely chop the chocolate, then tip it into a large  mixing bowl and stir in the remaining dry ingredients and 1/2 a teaspoon fine sea salt. 

3. Whisk the wet cupcake ingredients together in a separate bowl with an electric mixer. Then gradually add into the dry ingredients, whisking until smooth. 

4. Fill the cupcake cases 2/3 full and bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool. 

1. Add the softened butter into a bowl and gradually add the icing sugar into the bowl, beating well after each addition. 

2. Add a tablespoon of milk with each quarter of icing sugar. 

3. Finally add the malt powder and beat until smooth. 

The final part is to frost the cupcakes and top with however Maltesers that your cupcakes can manage. 

M x 

Christmas Inspiration.

Hello everyone and happy Sunday! 

Today I sharing a series of images for some festive inspiration - I know how somedays we can have a creative block, so even if you get the smallest burst of motivation, creative ideas or a simply smile to boost your mood for the holidays, you are on your way to having a very Merry Christmas. 

I found all of these images plus more off of Pinterest, so head on over to my board to search for more holiday goodness and of course follow for future pins! 

I hope you enjoyed this post and I want to wish everyone a happy holiday season! 

M x 

Christmas Gingerbread Granola.

Welcome back!

Today I am sharing with you a delicious breakfast recipe: Gingerbread Granola. It is absolutely scrumptious, and every mouthful bursts with flavour from the cranberries and spices.  

Enjoy this granola for breakfast, sprinkled on top of creamy vanilla yoghurt or plunged into creamy milk bowl. Even better, have it prepared in small zip lock bags as a on-the-go snack (and of course add in a couple gingerbread men!) 

Gingerbread Granola - adapted from Half Baked Harvest 

Makes 6 cups + cookies. 

Ingredients  

Gingerbread Men

3/4 cup plain flour

3/4 cup wholemeal flour 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons coconut oil, at room temperature

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup molasses

1 egg yolk

Gingerbread Granola

3 cups oats

1 cup shredded unsweetened flaked coconut

1/2 cup candid ginger

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 cup macadamia nuts

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup molasses

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

4 tablespoon coconut oil, melted (may sub butter)

3 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 tablespoons honey

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Firstly to make the gingerbread cookie dough; combine the flour, wholemeal flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and salt into a bowl and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl cream together the the coconut oil and brown sugar, beating for about 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy, with a handheld mixer or stand mixer. Add the molasses and egg and beat until combined. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until no streaks are showing in the dough. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. 
3. Remove the dough from the bowl and flour a clean work surface and the ball of dough. Roll it out as thin or thick as you like. If you want the cookies crisp roll thin and if you want them softer roll a thicker dough. Using a small ginger bread man cookie cutter, cut out the shapes. Cut them as close to one another as possible to minimise waste.
4. Transfer the cookies to the prepared cookie sheets. Cover the baking sheets and place them in the fridge while you make the granola.
5. Preheat oven to 180-degrees C. 
6. In a large bowl combine the oats, shredded coconut, candid ginger, almonds, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, and cranberries. Toss well.
7. Melt the coconut in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir in the molasses and maple syrup. Place the mixture back in the microwave for another 30 seconds. Sprinkle the espresso powder over top and stir to dissolve. Add the cinnamon, ginger and salt. Stir in the vanilla.
8. Pour the warm mixture over the dry oat mixture and stir to fully combine.
9. Spread the granola out on a parchment lined baking sheet with sides and drizzle with 2 tablespoons honey. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes stirring every 15 minutes so the granola will get evenly toasted. 
10. Let the granola sit for one hour to cool and harden. After an hour break the granola up into clusters.
11. While the granola cools bake the gingerbread cookies. Remove the pans from the fridge and bake the cookies just until they're slightly brown around the edges 8 to 12 minutes, or until they feel firm. Let the cookies cool completely before tossing with the granola.
12. When everything is cool toss about half the cookies or however many you wish with the granola. Enjoy!

It is so fresh and sweet when you add some fresh berries to the mix. 

I hope that you have enjoyed this Christmas breakfast recipe and make sure to send me pictures if ever you decide to make it. 

M x