Having been a child in the 80s/90s, there are so many things that I look back on with fondness.
I remember watching the Goonies or the Never Ending Story when we caught up with our family friends. Having ridden to their house on our bikes – with our stack-hats on, of course, and with our bikes decorated with spokey dokes.
Weekends we’d be up early to watch Rage, watched while we simultaneously ate our breakfast and read the cereal box. After morning sport, my brother and I would ride to the local milk bar to buy a Bubble O’Bill or a packet of skittles (a ruse, I later realised, for it was my Mum’s way of getting us out of the house so she could catch up on housework without children underfoot).
I remember making mixed tapes for long car trips – where the Bangles and Boys 2 Men featured heavily. Countless books were read – the Babysitters Club, Nancy Drew and Choose your own Adventures being my favourites. Our birthday parties were held at McDonalds – with their famous icecream cakes – while “special” family dinners saw us indulge at the all-you-can eat Buffet at Sizzler – where I always made the mistake of filling up on their cheesy toast first.
As for food – I perhaps look back on this era more with nostalgia, than fondness. French onion dip was in strong supply, as was the cabana / cubed cheese combination skewered onto toothpicks and served in an orange. We had Kraft macaroni cheese probably too often, and a Vienetta for dessert was always a welcomed treat.
And then there was the ol’ chocolate ripple cake that my Mum would create on special occasions. Biscuits sandwiched with whipped cream, topped with a crushed up flake or some fresh strawberries.
So perhaps I was feeling a little nostalgic when I decided to create my own version of the ripple cake for last year’s Father’s Day lunch. Jazzed up with cherry liqueur and topped with cherries, strawberries and mint, this version had all the hallmarks of black forest cake with minimal fuss.
I flavoured whipped cream with a little cherry liqueur, along with some cocoa powder. I dipped chocolate ripple biscuits in the liqueur too, before sandwiching them together with the flavoured cream to create a log. I then covered the cake with more cream, and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours before decorating.
Maraschino cherries, sliced strawberries and fresh mint completed the cake, along with a drizzle of melted chocolate and some crushed flake. Then it was back into the fridge until it was time to serve.
The cream softened the biscuits beautifully, turning them from crunchy biscuits into a no-bake cake. Resulting in a dessert that was most certainly fuss-free to pull together, but still rather impressive.
And what a delicious trip down memory lane indeed! Now, where’s the cabana….
In what can only be described as a momentary lapse in judgment, I decided to do our weekly grocery shop with three kids in tow today. You see, I normally do my weekly shop online. Items are ordered from the comfort of home, they arrive the following day and are delivered literally to my kitchen bench. How easy it that!?
With ANZAC biscuits as the base, this no-bake cheesecake was jazzed up with a jelly layer and topped with fresh mango and passionfruit. I followed 
The result was a beautifully tropical dessert that was pretty easy to pull together – and that could be made a day in advance.
I was walking through the shops with the family the other day, pacing ahead as I normally do. The kids were dawdling behind, as was my husband, all of whom are quite happy just meandering along.
I started by making a pavlova base – baked in a round cake tin until firm (but still a little marshmalloey) on the inside. Once cooled, this was topped with a layer of lemon cheesecake, through which I swirled lemon curd. Baked again – until set – then allowed to cool.
Then it was time to decorate. Fresh raspberries, blueberries and cream, finished with a white chocolate decoration and a couple macarons I came across at the local bakery.
Yes, this was certainly not a cake that could be rushed – and the various elements meant that it took the better part of an entire afternoon to create. But it was fun to design, and to create, and I must say slowing down for a few hours was rather lovely too.
I wanted to try a new slice creation when asked to ‘bring a plate’ to a friend’s BBQ the other week. Normally I take my 
Combined, pressed into a pan, then topped with white chocolate and more biscuit pieces. Then it was into the fridge to set – no baking required.
Then, after a few hours, the slice was ready to slice and serve.
I’m pleased to report that the slice had all the hallmarks of their biscuit inspiration. Full of chocolate and crunch.
A word of warning though….you may find it difficult to stop at just once piece…
So one dreary morning, my helpers and I got to work. Lemons were juiced and zested, biscuits were crumbed and condensed milk and butter were heated. And before too long we had ourselves a big tray of lemon slice, sprinkled with coconut, and ready to be sliced and served.
This was a great slice to make with the kids too. They had a lot of fun turning the food processor on and off, and stirring the coconut and melted ingredients into the biscuit crumbs. Bowls and spoons were licked not long after, and coconut was liberally sprinkled over the iced slice (and most of the kitchen benchtop, but let’s not talk about that…!)
A lolly bag on the other hand? Well she can empty that in a matter of seconds.
I am by no means a green thumb.
I loved the vibrancy of the lemon curd, which on this occasion was not overly sweet and still a little tart. I decided not to go too overboard with the meringue either, stopping at just a few piped rounds – although I could have quite easily been more generous and covered the whole of the tartlet with meringue.
Here’s hoping our lemon tree continues to yield!
After the success of 
They slice nicely too, making them perfect to pack into little lunchboxes, and could easily be jazzed up with the addition of walnuts or the like (if you don’t have any school nut-bans to be mindful of, that is). 
