Some Healthy Recipes

As many of you would know, I am following along with the 31 Days to a Better Diet challenge over at Limes & Lycopene at the moment. As well as trying to improve my diet, I am also attempting to get fitter and shed some excess kilos. Since it is Winter and the horrible Melbourne weather does nothing to make me want to go outside, I got a Wii Fit for my recent birthday and have been using that. Getting on that for 30-60 minutes a day is much easier than trying to get outside when it is raining or when I am busy all day and only have time to exercise at night. Obviously it would be better to be getting out in the fresh air to exercise, but at least the Wii Fit is getting my fitness levels up a little before I head out into the open world when it starts getting warmer. My favourites are step aerobics, rythym boxing and hula hoops, but I also do some jogging, yoga and muscle exercises everyday.

Each day the Wii Fit gets you to do a body test which involves balance activities and it calculating your BMI which is a measure of weight according to height. The progress has been slow, but seeing my weight each day and being more aware of the fact that I am overweight (which most people don't believe when I tell them) has helped me to make better decisions about what I am eating. There has been so much going on in my life emotionally this year that I have fallen into a trap of telling myself "my life is so crappy, I deserve (insert treat food here)". But really, I owe it to myself to get a hold on those treat foods because they aren't so much treats anymore!

I will have another progress report for the Better Diet Challenge in the next few days, but in the meantime here are a couple of healthy recipes that I have fallen in love with over the last couple of weeks.

Carrot Spaghetti Serves 1

This first one was recommended to me last week by a friend on a mail swap website I participate in, who originally got it off Veg Web. The carrot is the spaghetti! It isn't a sauce for pasta, it is an alternative to pasta. Now you all know I have nothing against carbohydrates, but this quirky dish just made me want to make it. And make it I did - the day after she sent it to me! (and have made it again since) I absolutely love it. It is quick and suprisingly tasty considering there isn't much to it and there are 4 serves of vegetables in each bowl. Obviously it isn't doing anything for your vegetable variety, but as long as you aren't eating it every night it can still help to boost your vegie intake.

Wash 3 carrots and peel into long, thin strips. Sprinkle with 1/4tsp salt. Finely dice 1/2 brown onion and crush 2 garlic cloves.

Coat the bottom of a large pan with 3Tbsp olive oil, heat on medium high heat and add carrots when hot. Toss frequently until softened. Add onions and garlic along with a little black pepper and continue tossing until carrots are cooked and some are browned around the edges, onions and garlic are golden. Serve with 1/4C tomato based pasta sauce.

Vegetable frittata Serves 4

I've always been a fan of frittatas for the fact that you can pack heaps of vegies into them and they are always so tasty. This one is from the September issue of Super Food Ideas Magazine and I pretty much made it as it was written this time, except that I baked it in a baking dish because I made it at Aarons and he doesn't have an oven proof frying pan. Of course you can substitute your favourite vegies or whatever you have on hand, that is the beauty of frittatas! Sorry, no photo, my camera batteries died while I was down there.

Heat 1Tbsp olive oil in a large, heavy based, ovenproof frying pan over low heat. Add 2 thinly sliced brown onions and cook, string occasionally for 15-20 minutes or until golden.

Meanwhile, preheat grill on medium and place 6 slices pancetta on a baking tray. Grill for 1-2 minutes or until crisp. Drain on a plate lined with paper towel. Break into small pieces and place in a bowl. Add 1/4C roughly chopped basil leaves & 1/4C roughly chopped parsley leaves and toss to combine.

Whisk 8 eggs & 1/2C finely grated parmesan cheese together in a jug. Season with salt & pepper.

Increase pan heat to medium-high. Add 2 medium zucchini, roughly chopped & 200g sliced button mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Arrange 250g halved cherry tomatoes and pancetta over zucchini mixture and pour egg mixture over the top. Reduce heat to low and cook for 7-8 minutes or until almost set. Place under hot grill and cook for 5 minutes or until set and lightly golden. (If you don't have an ovenproof frying pan transfer everything to a baking dish before pouring eggs over and put straight into the oven on about 180C.)

Set aside for 2 minutes, loosen with a spatula and slide onto a plate. Cut into wedges to serve.

Better Diet Challenge Week 1 & 2 Round-up

I was meant to do this last Monday. Hmmm... doesn't life get in the way sometimes! It was my birthday last weekend, so I was quite busy with all thos celebrations. Then I had 2 assignments due at uni this week, which is kind of annoying so early in the semester, but at least they are out of the way now. So, how have my diet changes been going?

Loose ends from last week:

Diet Diary - Well I kept an honest & accurate food diary all of last week and although I haven't put it through my nutritional analysis program yet, I have learnt quite a lot from the experience.

What are your patterns? I tend to eat breakfast quite late (or sometimes not at all) and it is usually something very light. I need to get into the habit of starting my day better & having something more than a mug of Milo! Also I eat too much junk in the evenings, after dinner. I need to start replacing the chocolate with fruit or something healthy.

Were you surprised by the diary? Not really, as I am studying nutrition I was already quite aware (& ashamed!) of the pitfalls of my current diet.

Do you eat what you think you eat? Yeah, I was already pretty conscious of my eating habits, I know I need to change them!

When are you most likely to over-eat? When there is chocolate in the house! When I have friends over, we have weekly girls nights and I think I need to start making fruit salad to share instead of us scoffing down chocolate or chips or ice cream. Also after dinner is another weak time for me, I always crave something sweet after dinner (pretty much as soon as I have finished eating my meal) and this usually takes an unhealthy form. I am going to try and ignore the craving for half an hour and if it persists I will eat fruit.

When are you most hungry? I don't really get hungry times, just cravings.

Eat from a food group you rarely eat - Fish update!! I had tuna on my sandwhich last Wednesday and absolutely loved it, I had it with avocado, mayonaise, mustard, lettuce & tomato and it was great. However, I didn't use the whole can and left the rest for the next day - big mistake! It was so much fishier on the Thursday and I think it has unfortunately put me off tuna again because I haven't been able to touch it since. Ick. I think I will give Salmon a try as a couple of people have told me it is less fishy. Also, on Saturday we had fish & chips for lunch and I got some grilled fish, I would normally just stick to the chips & potato cakes. The fish was really nice and it filled me up a bit so I didn't eat many chips, which was a bonus. The hard thing is making it a habit to eat more fish, I think that will take some time.

Plastic containers

- Unfortunately I have been too busy with birthday celebrations over the weekend and university assignments this week that I haven't had time to clean up my plastics cupboard. Next week perhaps?

Day 5 - Salad Splurges

I'm not much of a salad eater, especially in Winter. I think my main problem is that I am not much of a greenery fan, I don't mind baby spinach or regular lettuce occasionally, but rocket and all those bitter ones are really not my thing! After this daily challenge I have been trying to eat more salad. I've had a really nice salad the last couple of days for lunch - no greenery in sight. I just halved some cherry tomatoes and baby bocconcini, dolloped some basil & cashew chunky dip over the top and drizzled it with some balsamic vinegar - delicious! I also really love a warm salad with roast pumpkin, red onions, baby spinach and pinenuts. Maybe I will make that for dinner over the weekend.

Day 6 - Do you know when you're hungry?

This is a bit of a problem for me. Ever since I got diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes I don't really feel 'hunger' all that much anymore. The problem is that when I was on multiple daily insulin injections I had to eat at regular intervals to keep my sugar levels stable, so I was just in the habit of eating at certain times. If I left myself without food for too long I was not only going to feel hungry, irritable and have lower concentration as most people would, but I would be risking my sugar level going too low and possibly even going into a coma.

Now that I am on the insulin pump I have a bit more flexibility with my meal times (without getting too technical, there is no 'background' insulin that causes peaks and troughs in my sugar levels), but I still tend to eat at regular times. I am just in the habit of doing so and if I happen to leave a meal too long I am more likely to feel like I 'should' be eating rather than feeling a rumble in my tummy. Sometimes if I leave it too long I get a headache or in rare ocassions my sugar level drops.

I would really love to get back in contact with my hunger mechanisms because at the moment I just eat what is on my plate without really thinking about if I am full or not. I don't like to waste food and I usually decide on my insulin dose (which is based on how much carbohydrates are in my meal) before I start eating - because it is much easier to judge what a plate is worth rather than how much what I have just eaten is worth. So I am going to work on getting around that in the next week, judging it before hand but not taking the insulin until afterwards based on how much I eat. I'm going to eat slower and be more conscious of what I am eating and try to get back in touch with my hunger.

Day 7 - Practice cooking & make something new for dinner

So I haven't done this one yet, but I love the idea of it. We are moving soon and I swear there are things in that cupboard that have moved house with me 5 or 6 times (I rent and move around a lot!). This week I am going to use up at least 2 things out of the cupboard.

Day 8 - Spend some time on your meals today

See Day 6 above.

Day 9 - Create a structure

I've been meaning to do this for a while now. I've always just found it so complicated with all the different things that you need to fit into your day. But I guess I should get used to doing it myself before I need to advise others on how to do it! I think my major problems are that I don't eat enough snacks (due to my lack of hunger mechanism), which means it is very hard to fit everything I need into my day. As mentioned earlier, I then get very hungry after dinner and end up eating junk. So, first step is figuring out what I need to eat each day.

I know I should be eating 5 serves of vegetables & 2 serves of fruit each day, and I also know I usually fall drastically short of this! I also need 2-3 serves of dairy a day & at least 4 serves of grains/cereals/pasta/etc. Most Australians eat way more protein than they need to and after doing my diet diary for uni a couple of weeks ago I know that I do too. So, I have come up with the following structure and I am going to try to stick to it as much as possible this week and see how it goes.

On rising: Fruit

Post Exercise/Breakfast: Grains & Dairy

Lunch: Grains, Protein & Vegetables (2)

Afternoon snack: Dairy & Grains

Dinner: Grains, Protein, Vegetables (3)

Post dinner: Fruit & Dairy

Day 10 - Include vegetables in every meal

I'm not so sure about this one. I mean, I agree that it is a good idea to spread them out rather than trying to eat them all at once, but I just don't see myself wanting to face vegetables first thing in the morning. I don't mind a lovely baked breakfast with mushrooms, tomatoes, etc on the weekend, but for some reason during the week I just can't see myself doing it on a regular basis. Maybe it is the time factor.

As you can see from my structure plan above, I do plan on starting to eat more vegetable for lunch. For me, this would normally only consist of some lettuce and tomato on my sandwhich, so I am going to broaden my horizens there. Add more vegies to my sandwhiches, or have vegie sticks with some low fat dip. Just mix it up a little.

Day 11 - Tune into your self-talk

I think my self-talk usually goes along the lines of "It's too hard to eat healthily", so I need to work on that, which I am obviously doing at the moment. I also do fall into the trap of telling myself "I can't have chocolate/chips/ice cream in the house or I will have to eat it all". I've already started working on this one when I was given 2 boxes of chocolates for my birthday last weekend and I have made an effort not to eat them all at once. In fact, I didn't touch either box for 5 days and a week later I still have over 3/4 of them left. So that is pretty good, I also shared some with my boyfriend so I won't have to eat them all.

Day 12 - Mindful eating

See Day 6 above.

Day 13 - Opposite day

I'm going to try this one this week as well. Although, I am already making quite a few changes that would go against my usual decisions anyway. I think this one will be good to keep in mind in the long run when I start getting stuck in ruts again. It will be good to use it to challenge what I am doing and get back out of the ruts.

Day 14 - Choose a different bread

As someone who used to work in a bakery, I find this one quite interesting. It was amazing how angry & annoyed people would get if we had sold out of their favourite bread. It used to amuse me to no end how abusive and childish customers would get simply because we didn't have any more wholemeal, or even sometimes if we just didnt have any wholemeal with poppy seeds (but there were plain wholemeal or wholemeal with sesame seeds still on the shelves). People are so stuck in their ways that they couldn't bare to use the opportunity to try something different (even something as small as trying a different seed or different shape!).

When I was working there I got to try lotsof different breads because I could take whatever I wanted at the end of the day (with the rest going to charity). However, since I have finished up there (about 2 months ago), I haven't been as adventurous with my bread. Partly because I am not so used to paying for my bread! But this week I am going to be a good girl and buy something other than the really bad for me white bread I have got into the habit of buying now. I like bread with grains, I don't even know why I am buying the white bread!

Apologies for the really long and wordy post. I will try to make sure I do this weekly from now on so it isn't such a huge post! Oh, and I promise to write about a recipe again soon.

'31 Days to a Better Diet' Challenge

I came accross an interesting set of posts on Limes & Lycopene today called '31 Days to a Better Diet'. I enjoy reading Kathryn's blog as she makes nutrition and its related topics interesting to the general public and I find her a credible source for such information. She is always coming up with great initiatives to help people make better decisions for their health and wellbeing, and this one is no exception. The challenge, which is going on throughout August, aims to help people make changes to their diet by participating in daily mini tasks. So, if you think that your diet could do with some tweeking, join in on the challenge and participate in as many tasks as you can fit into your schedule. Even if you only do a couple a week you will still make some improvements to your diet, your lifestyle and your health.

But this post isn't just about getting the message out there for you guys. I am also going to be participating in the challenge. As a nutrition student I SHOULD be eating quite well, but the reality is that most of the time I don’t! Of course, I have a fairly good grasp on what a ‘healthy’ diet pertains to, but actually making those changes to my own diet has been something I have been thinking of doing for a long time. I mean I have improved my diet dramatically since I got diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes 3 years ago, but there is still much, much more room for improvement in my diet.

I am hoping that this series will help me to make the changes that I know I need to, I mean I would feel like a hypocrite telling people what they should be eating when my own diet is not up to scratch itself! So hopefully by the end of this challenge I will no longer be so ashamed of what I am eating. Let the challenge begin!

Day 1 - Make a committment

Well, this post is part of my committment to the challenge. I will be posting about my progress once a week (hopefully every Monday), letting you know how I have gone in the daily tasks.

Day 2 - Keep a diet diary for a week

This semester at uni our homework for the first week was to keep a diet diary for a day. The exercise was good in that it showed us how our diet compared to dietary guidelines, other people in our class and the Australian population in general. However, I have to admit I fudged my diary a little. Bad girl, I know! I left it to the last day in the week and then slept in and skipped breakfast, so I had to fake it a little. I am now going to do this task properly, from tomorrow I will be keeping a diet diary for a week - An honest one! No fudging it. The only person I am fooling is myself if I don't do it properly. I really need a wake-up call as to how bad my diet actually is. I'll let you know how it goes in my post next week.

Day 3 - Which food group don't you eat

This task is all about making sure you get a variety of foods into your diet. For me, one of the things I have been working on lately is eating more fruit. If it is there I will happily eat it, so I have been trying to buy more. But that is something I am already working on. What I am going to try to include in my diet this week is fish. I used to be a vegetarian and fish is just one of those things that I haven't really gotten into.

I know the health benefits, I know that I should be eating it 2-3 times a week - but I can't get past the smell. I can't eat tuna because it smells so bad. I don't mind frozen fish fillets, but I would probably only get that into my diet 2-3 times in 6 months, not every week!

So this week I am going to eat my 2-3 serves of fish - and this includes TRYING tuna. I am going to brave it and get some when I am at work tomorrow and have it in my sandwhich! Who knows, I just might like it. But even if I don't, at least I will know for sure. I will also get some frozen fillets for dinners later in the week.

Day 4 - Build up a stockpile of plastic containers

I laughed when I read the question at the end of this post - What plastic containers are in your cupboard? Ha! There are plenty, but the plastics cupboard in our kitchen is the most disorganised, tantrum inducing, wasted space ever. We all dread the hunt for matching lids or the container of the right size for the specified job. There is an avalanche of plastic chaos everytime anyone even thinks of going near that cupboard door!

Sometime this week I am going to go through that cupboard and get rid of anything that doesn't match. I'm going to stack those bad boys with their lids nearby and sort them according to size. You know what? I may even take some before and after photos... if I could only find the charger for my camera battery... hmmm...

Seriously though, as well as saving my own sanity, I think I may even earn some brownie points for doing so - maybe I'll be off dishes duty for a while! And oh how good it will be to be able to open that cupboard without my heart skipping a beat in fright. Although I don't have lunch away from home on most days, I do use plastic containers to freeze large batches of soup, to store leftovers in and I guess I could start taking lunch to uni instead of buying from the cafes there - although they do have some fairly healthy choices at quite good prices, it would be good to have some variety.

So head on over and see what todays task is - I challenge you to improve your diet!

July Double Birthday Challenge

This months Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Chris from Mele Cotte, and boy was there some controversy! There was plenty of backlash and discussion on the Daring Bakers private forums about how this challenge was too similar to other challenges or too restricting. It astounded me that some people were so against this challenge, for me being a Daring Baker is about being surprised each month with a recipe to make that I didn't choose myself. Sometimes it is something that I have wanted to make myself for a while, sometimes they are recipes I wouldn't have chosen in a million years - but even those that I wouldn't have chosen still challenge me in some way.

I am in no way against people voicing their opinions, there is just a fine line to walk between doing that and complaining for the sake of being negative. When it comes down to it, we joined this group and we must follow its rules. I think some of the people who were complaining have lost sight of the purpose of the Daring Bakers - to BAKE & have FUN while doing so. If you don't like a recipe, sit out from that challenge, there is no point making a big fuss about it.

Anyway, onto my challenge experience! Last July I made the Strawberry Mirror Cake challenge for my best friend Leanne's birthday. Well, this July I had a bit of a predicament. I now have a boyfriend who also celebrates his birthday in July - in fact they both have the same birthday! However, I wasn't seeing them both on the same day and I didn't want to make the challenge twice. So I ended up finding a way to make the 2 cakes without doubling the recipe. The original cake was 3 layers, so I just cut 4 layers out of the same cake and made two cakes with 2 layers in each. They worked out really well and were enjoyed by both Aaron's family and by 'the girls' at Leanne's place (oh, and her boyfriend Leigh). If there weren't so many steps involved I would definitely make this cake again, as it stands I may have to leave sufficient time for my brain to forget the effort involved before I attempt to make it again!

Hazelnut Gateau w/ Praline Buttercream Makes 2 Cakes

Hazelnut Genoise

Position rack in the lower 3rd of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10” X 2” inch round cake pan.

Using a food processor, process 1 1/2C toasted/skinned hazelnuts, 2/3C cake flour & 2Tbsp cornflour for about 30 seconds. Then, pulse the mixture about 10 times to get a fine, powdery mixture. You’ll know the nuts are ready when they begin to gather together around the sides of the bowl. While you want to make sure there aren’t any large pieces, don’t over-process. Set aside.

Put 7 large egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, and beat until thick and light in color, about 3-4 minutes on med-high speed. Slowly, add 3/4C sugar. It is best to do so by adding a tablespoon at a time, taking about 3 minutes for this step. When finished, the mixture should be ribbony. Blend in 1tsp vanilla essence & 1/2tsp grated lemon rind. Remove and set aside.

Place 5 large egg whites in a large, clean bowl of the electric mixer with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed, until soft peaks. Increase to med-high speed and slowly add 1/4C sugar, over 15-20 seconds or so. Continue to beat for another ½ minute. Add the yolk mixture to the whites and whisk for 1 minute.

Pour 1/4C warm, clarified butter in a liquid measure cup (or a spouted container). * It must be a deep bottom bowl and work must be fast.* Put the nut meal in a mesh strainer (or use your hand – working quickly) and sprinkle it in about 2 tablespoons at a time – folding it carefully for about 40 folds. Be sure to exclude any large chunks/pieces of nuts. Again, work quickly and carefully as to not deflate the mixture. When all but about 2 Tbsp. of nut meal remain, quickly and steadily pour the warm butter over the batter. Then, with the remaining nut meal, fold the batter to incorporate, about 13 or so folds.

With a rubber spatula, transfer the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with the spatula or back of a spoon. **If collected butter remains at the bottom of the bowl, do not add it to the batter! It will impede the cake rising while baking.

Tap the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. You’ll know the cake is done when it is springy to the touch and it separates itself from the side of the pan. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Invert onto a cake rack sprayed with nonstick coating, removing the pan. Cook the cake completely.

*If not using the cake right away, wrap thoroughly in plastic wrap, then in a plastic bag, then in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If freezing, wrap in foil, then the bag and use within 2-3 months.

Sugar Syrup

In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring 1C water & 1/4C sugar to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add 2Tbsp rum. Cool slightly before using on the cake. *Can be made in advance.

Praline Buttercream

Put 2/3C sugar in a heavy 10-inch skillet. Heat on low flame for about 10-20 min until the sugar melts around the edges. Do not stir the sugar. Swirl the pan if necessary to prevent the melted sugar from burning. Brush the sides of the pan with water to remove sugar crystals. If the sugar in the center does not melt, stir briefly. When the sugar is completely melted and caramel in color, remove from heat. Stir in 1C toasted/skinless hazelnuts with a wooden spoon and separate the clusters. Return to low heat and stir to coat the nuts on all sides. Cook until the mixture starts to bubble. Then onto a parchment lined sheet and spread as evenly as possible. As it cools, it will harden into brittle. Break the candied nuts into pieces and place them in the food processor. Pulse into a medium-fine crunch or process until the brittle turns into a powder. Process for several minutes to make a paste.

Place 4 large egg whites in a large bowl of a electric mixer and beat with the whisk attachment until the whites are foamy and they begin to thicken (just before the soft peak stage). Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with about 2 inches of simmering water, making sure the bowl is not touching the water. Then, whisk in 3/4C sugar by adding 1-2 tablespoon of sugar at a time over about a minute. Continue beating 2-3 minutes or until the whites are warm (about 120 degrees) and the sugar is dissolved. The mixture should look thick and like whipped marshmallows.
Remove from pan and with either the paddle or whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and sugar on med-high until its a thick, cool meringue – about 5-7 minutes. *Do not overbeat*. Set aside.

Place 1 1/2C butter in a separate clean mixing bowl and, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter at medium speed for 40-60 seconds, or until smooth and creamy. On med-low speed, blend the meringue into the butter, about 1-2 Tbsp. at a time, over 1 minute. Add 3Tbsp rum & 1tsp vanilla essence and mix for 30-45 seconds longer, until thick and creamy. Refrigerate 10-15 minutes.

Blend 1/2C of the buttercream into the praline paste, then add to the remaining buttercream. Whip briefly on medium-low speed to combine. Refrigerate until needed.

Raspberry Glaze

In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring 1Tbsp water & 2/3C thick raspberry preserves to a slow boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. If the mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the saucepan, add water as needed.

Remove from heat and, using a strainer, press the mixture through the mesh and discard any remnants. If the glaze is too thick, thin to a preferred consistency with drops of water.

Ganache Glaze (enough for the 2 cakes)

Blend 1 1/2tsp vanilla essence & 2Tbsp rum together and set aside.

Break 340g dark chocolate into 1-inch pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer into a medium sized bowl and set aside.

Heat 1 1/2C heavy cream & 2Tbsp glucose syrup in a saucepan, on low, until it reaches a gentle boil. Immediately and carefully pour over the chocolate. Leave it alone for one minute, then slowly stir and mix the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate is melted and incorporated into the cream. Carefully blend in vanilla mixture. The glaze will thicken, but should still be pourable. If it doesn’t thicken, refrigerate for about 5 minutes, but make sure it doesn’t get too cold!

Cake Assembly

Whip 3/4C heavy cream to soft peak stage and set aside. Cut 2 cardboard disks slightly smaller than the cake.

Divide the cake into 4 layers (Mark layers with toothpicks in the side of the cake and use dental floss to cut even layers). Place one layer top-side down on each disk. Using a pastry brush, moisten these layers with 3-4Tbsp of warm sugar syrup. Measure out 1C praline buttercream and set aside.

Divide the remaining buttercream into 2 equal portions and spread evenly over each cake base. Divide the whipped cream evenly between the two cakes, leaving ¼-inch border around the edge of the cakes. Moisten the cut side of the top layers with additional sugar syrup and place cut side down on the cake. Gently, press the sides of the cake to align the layers. Refrigerate to chill for at least 30 minutes.

Lift the first cake by sliding your palm under the cardboard. Holding a serrated or very sharp knife with an 8-inch blade held parallel to the sides of the cake, trim the sides so that they are perfectly straight. Cut a slight bevel at the top to help the glaze drip over the edge. Brush the top and sides of the cake with warm raspberry glaze, sealing the cut areas completely. Repeat with second cake. Chill while you prepare the ganache.

Place a rack over a large shallow pan to catch the ganache drippings. Remove the first cake from the refrigerator and put it the rack. With a metal spatula in hand, and holding the saucepan about 10 inches above the cake, pour the ganache onto the cake’s center. Move the spatula over the top of the ganache about 4 times to get a smooth and mirror-like appearance. The ganache should cover the top and run down the sides of the cake. When the ganache has been poured and is coating the cake, lift one side of the rack and bang it once on the counter to help spread the ganache evenly and break any air bubbles. (Work fast before setting starts.) Patch any bare spots on the sides with a smaller spatula, but do not touch the top after the “bang”. Repeat with second cake. Let the cakes stand at least 15 minutes to set.

Pipe reserved praline buttercream to garnish the top of the cakes and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts. Leftover cake can be covered with foil and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

I finally caved in and bought a cake carrier during this challenge as I had to transport both of these cakes in my car and didn't like the idea of all my hard work ending up in a smashed up mess all over my car floor. I figure it will come in handy for future challenges anyway, and really I don't need much of an excuse to buy kitchen gadgets anyway. Originally there were piped rosettes around the base of this cake as well, but unfortunately I didn't stick the cake down well enough in the carrier and when I picked it up to take it inside the cake slid and the rosettes got squished against the side of the carrier. Just my luck!

This one (pictured above) was Leanne's cake which got a little bit softened up as it sat in the fridge for a few days before I got to see her. I forgot to get pictures of Aaron's - which didn't get its rosettes squished, but was decorated exactly the same. After all that hard work I went lazy on the decorations - although I have had very limited experience with piping decorations before this.

I can't wait for the next challenge, which I will be making for my own birthday. Woot!