This week’s Mixing Bowl post is from Australian-based baker Naomi Henderson of
Hello Naomi. She has prepared a cute pavlova recipe that can be easily be converted into delicious pavlova cupcakes, too! Personally, I love pavlova! It's a sloppy baker's dream! It's
supposed to be cracked and uneven, so you don't need to worry about being perfect. Besides, who can resist a dessert named after a ballerina?
I first discovered Naomi's work on
Flickr, where she started uploading photos of her creations after taking a cake-decorating class in early 2007. While working on her PhD in computer engineering, Naomi started creating her cute and clever designs, and, apparently, I'm not the only one who took notice! The photos of her creations became so popular, and there was such a demand for her desserts, that she was able to start her own business! If you visit her F
lickr site, you'll know why. There's always something fun to check out on her
photostream! My favorite Naomi sweet treat has always been the bird cupcakes, but the
Pacman cupcakes are pretty hard to resist. They would be perfect for your favorite guy. . . or
video game-loving girl. :-)
From Naomi: Pavlova is my favourite dessert in the whole world. My family would always have it at Christmas but I have been making it more and more lately. It is such a quick and easy dessert to make when friends are coming over for dinner. This recipe serves about 6 people but it is very easily scaled. I usually just budget 1 egg white and ¼ cup of sugar per guest. Then just beat it for 5 min, add a squeeze of lemon a dash of vanilla, throw it in a low oven and forget about it! Well maybe
don't forget about it, check it after about 45 min . . . but the good thing is that it is really hard to stuff up!
Check out Naomi's Web site
here and click
here to view her
Flickr photostream.
Full recipe and more photos after the jump. Thanks, Naomi!
If you need help converting the measurements, click here for a nifty conversion calculator.
Pavlova
Serves 6-8, makes approx 16 cupcakes or 1 large pavlova
Ingredients:
6 free range egg whites
1 ½ cups of castor sugar
Squeeze lemon juice
1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp of vanilla extract
500ml thickened cream
1 punnet strawberries
3 passion fruits
Any other fruit you wish (bananas, kiwi fruit, peaches, etc also go well)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 110°C
Line 2 cupcake trays with papers or lay a sheet of baking paper on a tray.
In an electric mixer whip the egg whites on high until frothy.
Keep beating on high and slowly add the sugar.
Keep beating on high until the meringue reaches stiff peak (when you lift the beater the peaks hold their shape and don’t fold). This will take about 5 min.
Add a squeeze of lemon juice and the vanilla and beat again quickly to mix it through.
Use an ice cream scoop (those ones with the squeeze handles) to scoop the mixture into the cupcake papers or use a spatula to spread the mixture onto the pan in the shape of a circle.
Bake on a low temp until light brown and crispy. Approx 45 min for cupcakes or approx 1.5 hrs for a large one.
Turn off the oven and let it cool slowly with the oven slightly ajar.
Whip the cream (do not add sugar!). This can be done in advance, while it is in the oven or just before serving.
Just before serving cover with cream, chop fruit and decorate.
Viola! Yum!
click here
I'm so in awe of papercut artists. I can barely cut a straight line with a pair of scissors, so it amazes me that people can create such beautiful and intricate work with just a piece of paper and an exacto knife! That said, I was so excited when Emily Hogarth agreed to share her Toffee Mallow recipe with us. It's an easy, yummy version of the classic Rice Krispie Treat. Quick and easy comfort food. What's better than that?
From Emily: This is a really simple recipe that my grandma used to always make for me when we went to hers. I love it and I hope your readers will to! You certainly don't need to be a great cook to pull this sweet treat off.
Inspired by natural beauty of her native Scotland, Emily's incredible work is quite magical to look at. Whether appearing as an art print, on a dress, or as a greeting card, her designs are always telling a story.
It's really fun to look at all the little details that she creates or you can just appreciate the entire design, in total, from a far. Lovely work, Emily! You can see more of Emily's designs here and purchase her work here on Etsy. You can also visit her blog right here. Thanks, Emily!
click here
If you're not familiar with 
You can check out more of Lisa's designs via her 
If you need help converting the measurements, click 
I’m noticing a bit of a mini trend starting to emerge in the baking world: wood grain! Maybe it's an extension of the design world's renewed love of wood's simplicity, but a growing number of pastry chefs (and home bakers) seem to be using wood for inspiration! Personally, I love the look of wood, so I really enjoyed researching this one. There are so many cool ways to incorporate this trend and I can't wait to try one! Check out the images below if you too would like to add a little carpentry to your dessert menu. [Above: Martha Stewart's 
Woodgrain Monogrammed Cookie
The first time I saw her work, I was instantly hooked. I can't resist her simple and sweet designs, especially the happy Sardana print, which was inspired by a little Spanish village in Catalonia where Virginia has a house. In the lower right-hand corner you can see the only shop in the town, la fleca, or "the baker" in english! 
It was also in this same village where Virginia learned how to make La Bisbalenc, the delicious recipe that she is sharing with us today! See how it comes together so nicely! :-) 
From Virginia: We are lucky enough to have a family house in a sleepy little village in Catalonia not far from the small town of La Bisbal where the speciality is La Bisbalenc – a delicious pastry filled with Cabell d’Angel. Cabell d’angel means angel hair and is the name of the pumpkin jam used to stuff this Spanish treat. It’s a great way to use pumpkins at this time of year. However, I have a tiny quince tree here in London that has just produced a bumper crop so I made quince jam instead – also a Spanish favourite, and it still tastes angelic! 
Roll out the pastry to about 12x14”. Place a thick layer of the jam along one side and paint the edges with egg. Fold over and seal the edges by folding and crimping – you don’t want a sticky mess in the oven! Prick the top a few times to let the air out and paint it generously with more egg.Sprinkle over a good handful of pine nuts and plenty of sugar. Bake at 200ºc or 400ºf for 15 minutes, keep an eye on it as the sugar can burn. Leave to cool, slice and eat!
Vampire Cookies
Gingerbread Monster
Also, available for tasting at my bday party: 
Laura 
In addition, if you liked the design that Heather created for her 
If you're not as artistically gifted as these bakers, you can also buy edible cake decorations that will quickly transform a plain old cake into a page from 
Her lovely designs have graced a wide range of objects, including textiles, drinking glasses, magazine covers, and even dog food bags.
In addition to being a great illustrator, Petra is also a skilled embroider, working with clients such as .jpg)
The last few Mixing Bowl posts have been fruit-filled desserts, so I was excited when Sally sent over this vanilla cheesecake recipe! Not that I have anything against fruit, in fact I love it, but this is great recipe to lead us into fall Quick, easy, and a great way to impress your guests. What's could be better? 
Click 
A few weeks ago I was introduced to a fantastic little Italian cookie called mostaccioli via Megan's site 
