May 16, 2013 by bonibakes
Sweet heavens above… I feel like I should throw myself to my knees and grovel for forgiveness for sharing these brownies with you. Or at the very least issue a bonibakes warning.
If not bad enough these brownies are laden down with dark chocolate, walnuts and broken up creme egg pieces… But then… topped with a layer of ice-cream-like hot caramel, sprinkled over with even more cream egg pieces and finally smothered with the remaining caramel, melting into the creme egg goo in the process.
I physically felt like I was gaining many pounds just making them, but you see, I had left-over Easter chocolate to get rid of. Yes really. In a house where a six-year-old roams about, you could be excused for wondering, why seven weeks later is there still lingering Easter eggs? Continue Reading »
Posted in Chocolate, Easter, Home, Little bites | Tagged brownies, cadbury's creme eggs, caramel, chocolate, Easter eggs | 2 Comments »
I grew up in a household where coffee and walnut was the cake of choice and where a bottle of Irel coffee was always to be found, sat next to baking powder.
It probably seems like an odd flavoured cake for small children to be served, let alone enjoy and is most probably where my caffeine addiction now stems from.
I do think though, things can be over analysed and one could be frowned upon these days, if seen giving a child a drop of coffee – in any shape or form.
Continue Reading »
Posted in Cakes, Home, Little bites | Tagged bite-size, cake, Coffee, coffee and walnut cake, Irish whiskey, traybake, walnut | 4 Comments »
April 18, 2013 by bonibakes
Can you believe that four months of the year are nearly behind us. I had such great plans in January for healthy living, and eating and made promises of baked goodies to share with you on the blog.
Well, I suppose thinking back I have made somewhat of an effort…
Like… most weekends myself, the hubby, the small one and our two German shepherds (one female, one male) go for a long stroll in the nearby forest park, hail, rain or snow (and there has been lots of that recently). Of course that’s after a massive Irish fry-up.
Continue Reading »
Posted in Biscuits and cookies, Home | Tagged cookies, dairy-free, dried fruit, gluten-free, Healthy, nuts, paleo diet, sugar-free | Leave a Comment »
April 4, 2013 by bonibakes
The Mam makes the best apple tarts – I might have mentioned that a few times – but she really does make great tasting apple tarts.
She still amazes me to this day how she knows just the right amount of everything without so much as a scales in sight. And… how quickly she can have a couple of freshly baked tarts lined up for all the family.
You see… she can’t make just the one apple tart, ′cause if any of the family get even the slightest hint that she’s baking then she’s bombarded with visitors. So thankfully she makes batches to feed and keep us all happy.
Continue Reading »
Posted in Cakes, Home, Pastry | Tagged apple sponge, apple tart, pastry, stewed apples | 12 Comments »
March 28, 2013 by bonibakes
I love the wintertime… dark evenings, woolly hats and scarfs, icy cold winds… an excuse to get into fluffy socks and pyjamas after work and snuggle up in front of a blazing fire with the small one. Alas… there comes a time when I need to dust myself off and get in synch with the seasons.
Spring has been edging itself in for a while now, despite the stubborn snow flurry’s lingering about. But there’s a definite bounce in our step. The days are getting longer and brighter… daffodils are blooming… Nature’s in full throttle and I’m starting to feel fresher and hopefully a little lighter!
Growing up, the Mam always encouraged myself, the little brother and two sisters – one younger, one older – to give up chocolate and sweets for Lent. This was a time for fasting and reflection she would say, so we would fill ourselves with as much chocolate as we were allowed in the run up to Ash Wednesday.
Continue Reading »
Posted in Cakes, Easter, Home | Tagged cakes, Easter, lemon, poppy seed, traybake | 8 Comments »
March 21, 2013 by bonibakes
Having spent many an evening searching through my cookbooks and endless supply of torn-out recipe clippings for an Easter recipe, I surprised myself by deciding on a batch of Hot cross buns. I had a brain-stack of ideas for pretty cakes or muffins to bake… simple little things.
I like simple. Bake, admire, taste and quickly move on – might have something to do with the constant deadlines I need to meet in work, or maybe just a lack of patience.
Either way, Hot cross buns are not high on my simply baking list, but they are seasonal… and I do love their spicy flavour… so I bought some yeast, set an evening aside – because you really do – scrubbed the small one’s hands, made promises of great fun and we got baking. Continue Reading »
Posted in Breads, Easter, Home | Tagged Easter, Hot cross buns, yeast | Leave a Comment »
March 14, 2013 by bonibakes
March 17th… always a day to look forward to. No work, the chance to meet up with friends, watch the annual St. Patrick’s day parade and least not forget the celebrations afterwards. Then… mommy-hood took me over and I had to show a level of responsibility – my carefree days were well and truly over-ish.
The small one was a hardy nine months old on his first St. Patrick’s day and the hubby – a fireman on the local fire service – scheduled to drive the engine in the parade that year, brought him along for the festive fun. But being only a baby I had to go along aswell to keep an eye on him.
Another family tradition was born that day, that year… Father and son travelling together on the fire engine, leading the local parade through the town and have continued to do so every St. Patrick’s day since. Continue Reading »
Posted in Cakes, Home, Little bites | Tagged buttercream, Chocolate Shamrocks, French fancies, icing, St. Patrick's Day | Leave a Comment »
March 7, 2013 by bonibakes
It was 28 degrees, one of the hottest summers I can remember… a pint of milk cost 56c, a postage stamp was 48c and CSI New York had just aired on Irish Television. It was Sunday July 9th 2006… the day myself and the hubby introduced our baby small one to his new home on the outside world, for the very first time.
I had dodged the matron at the hospital for three days. I was terrified. Terrified of leaving the safety of the hospital… terrified of not being able to care for my baby… terrified of what motherhood generally had in wait for me.
In a matter of moments your life changes. Suddenly you are not the most important person in your world. You now have a small one to protect, comfort and watch over. You are a mother and every decision you make from this day on will affect your child. Continue Reading »
Posted in Breads, Home | Tagged Coconut, Low fat yogurt, Mother's Day, Raspberry, Scones | 6 Comments »
February 21, 2013 by bonibakes
Oh dear Lord… The guilt… And no, not because I ate five of these delectably delicious chocolate centred cookies in a very short period of time. No… much… much worse. In the six years I have been a working mum, I have never had the heart-strings tugged so tightly as I did a few weeks back.
The small one, having just finished school for his Midterm break and helping me to stuff these cookies with chocolate spread, looked up at me with a sad little face, sighed and said. “My friends are so lucky to have their mammy’s and daddy’s with them while they are on holidays”.
The pain shot right through me… I didn’t see that one coming. Seriously, how does one answer that. My first reaction? I wanted to cuddle him tight and tell him I would take holidays to be with him. Continue Reading »
Posted in Biscuits and cookies, Home | Tagged chocolate centre, chocolate cookies, chocolate spread, Giant | 12 Comments »
February 7, 2013 by bonibakes
A few years ago – the small one still just a twinkle in the hubby’s eye – we took a trip to Canada, taking in Toronto and Niagara Falls – my all time dream place to visit. The small one will tell you how he was with us – “in mammy’s belly” – he doesn’t like to think that his daddy had me all to himself before he was born.
Our first breakfast in Toronto blew us away. The hubby ordered the BIG fry up, as you do on holiday, which I can only describe as Whow! Topped off with fluffy pancakes and a little jug of maple syrup… It WAS Amazing.
Not realising that pancakes were served with all the fry-ups I ordered a portion of pancakes along with my veggie breakfast. Continue Reading »
Posted in Breakfast, Home | Tagged Canada, maple syrup, Pancake, Pancake Tuesday | 16 Comments »
January 24, 2013 by bonibakes
The hubby’s a bit of a jack of all trades. Sadly though, I have to draw the line with cooking. Now, he is well able to rustle up a plate of scrambled egg or even a stew - if the feeling takes him – but that’s where it ends I’m afraid. Apart from rice krispie buns.
Like me, the hubby and the small one have their own little ways about them and things they like do together. Mostly of course involving the outdoors and lots – and I mean lots – of muck, oil and dirt.
They do however have one past-time that I cannot fault – surprising me every now and then with a tray of rice krispie buns. They are the rice krispie bun makers in our house. Continue Reading »
Posted in Home | Tagged Glittery sprinkles, marshmallows, Rice Krispie buns, Valentine's Day | 4 Comments »
January 10, 2013 by bonibakes
Cake pops… Love or hate? Edible treat or decoration? Yes or no? My first sighting of these little cakes sent my mind into a tizzy. What fun I could have making and decorating these with my small one.
He would love all the mess. Mixing crumbled cake with buttercream, rolling it around in his hands, dipping it in messy chocolate covering, smothering it all over with sprinkles and of course what child doesn’t love to eat sweetness on a stick?
Now after a deeper look at how to make these, I’m not so sure. You see it’s all the handling and moulding and shaping that bothers me. Continue Reading »
Posted in Home, Little bites | Tagged cake, cakepops, children's party, decoration, sprinkles | 6 Comments »
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