Piña Coladas

Christmas is a time to get together and share some love, some laughs, some gifts and sometimes a few cocktails. While those on the other side of the world are likely serving cocktails that will warm them in the chilly winter months, Christmas in Australia falls in the middle of summer so something a bit tropical is more fitting.

Piña coladas are a favourite of mine and are the perfect treat at the end of a humid day. The recipe I'm sharing is even better, substituting the usual cream for ice cream makes them wonderfully cold and delicious! 

For the piña coladas 

1/2 pineapple peeled and chopped

125 mls white rum

270 mls coconut milk

8 scoops vanilla ice cream

Crushed ice

To make the piña coladas- add the pineapple, rum, coconut milk and ice cream in a blender and blend until smooth. 

Fill 4 glasses with crushed ice and pour the pineapple coconut mixture over the top. 

Garnish the glasses with extra pineapple wedges and maraschino cherries. Enjoy!!

Pineapple Coconut Mini Cheesecakes

At the beginning of the month I posted about a tropical inspired table I set up for my Mum's Birthday, featuring these yummy little cheesecakes. I meant to get the recipe up that week but with a bunch of things on plus getting sick not once but now twice this month I've fallen a bit behind. I'll keep this short and sweet so I can get back to felling sorry for myself. 

With the perfect pairing of pineapple and coconut these little cheesecakes were a big hit. The flavours fresh and summery, perfect now its starting to get a little warmer, and they are super easy to make. 

Pineapple Coconut Mini Cheesecakes (based on recipe from Women'sWeekly Cupcakes Cheesecakes Cookies) for full recipe scroll to the end of post

Cheesecake Base

180 grams plain sweet biscuits (cookies)

2 tablespoons coconut

70 grams butter melted

To make the bases- Line a 12 hole muffin pan with cupcake papers or cling wrap. I tried half of each. 

Add the biscuits, coconut and melted butter into a food processor, process until combined.

Press a large tablespoon of mixture into the each pan to make the bases. Refrigerate for half an hour.

Cheesecake Filling

2 tablespoons water

250 grams cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 cup cream

1/4 cup malibu or 1 teaspoon coconut flavouring

To make the filling- in a small bowl sprinkle the powdered gelatine the water, stand the bowl of gelatine over a small saucepan of simmering water until dissolved, set aside to cool.

Add the cream cheese and sugar into a mixing bowl, mix together until smooth, beat in the cream. Mix in the Malibu (or coconut flavouring) and continue beat adding the gelatine in a steady stream.

Divide the filling between the 12 pans and smooth over the tops. Allow the cheesecakes to set in the fridge overnight.

Before serving top each of the cheesecakes with the pineapple and a little syrup.

Pineapple Topping

1 cup pineapple juice

1/4 small pineapple 

For the pineapple topping- Cut the 1/4 pineapple in half lengthways and cut into thin slices.

Add the juice and pineapple to a medium frying pan.

Simmer the pineapple and jiuce for about 10 minutes until the pineapple is soft. Remove the pineapple from the pan leaving the juice. Continue simmering the juice until it thickens slightly, this will take about 5 minutes. Allow the pineapple and juice to cool before topping the cheesecakes.

Pineapple and Coconut Mini Cheesecakes

Cheesecake Base

180 grams plain sweet biscuits (cookies)

2 tablespoons coconut

70 grams butter melted

• Line a 12 hole muffin pan with cupcake papers or cling wrap. I tried half of each. 
• Add the biscuits, coconut and melted butter into a food processor, process until combined.
• Press a large tablespoon of mixture into the each pan to make the bases. Refrigerate for half an hour.

Cheesecake Filling

2 tablespoons water

250 grams cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 cup cream

1/4 cup malibu or 1 teaspoon coconut flavouring

•  In a small bowl sprinkle the powdered gelatine the water, stand the bowl of gelatine over a small saucepan of simmering water until dissolved, set aside to cool.
• Add the cream cheese and sugar into a mixing bowl, mix together until smooth, beat in the cream. Mix in the Malibu (or coconut flavouring) and continue beat adding the gelatine in a steady stream.
• Divide the filling between the 12 pans and smooth over the tops. Allow the cheesecakes to set in the fridge overnight.
• Before serving top each of the cheesecakes with the pineapple and a little syrup.

Pineapple Topping

1 cup pineapple juice

1/4 small pineapple 

•  Cut the 1/4 pineapple in half length ways and cut into thin slices.
• Add the juice and pineapple to a medium frying pan.
• Simmer the pineapple and juice for about 10 minutes until the pineapple is soft. 
• Remove the pineapple from the pan leaving the juice. Continue simmering the juice until it thickens slightly, this will take about 5 minutes.
•  Allow the pineapple and juice to cool before topping the cheesecakes.

Tropical Hibiscus Birthday Cake

Happy Birthday Mum!

For about a year Mum has been putting hours and hours a week into planning, building and planting a display garden adjacent to her plant nursery and the results are pretty amazing. She has created a garden paradise of winding paths, beautiful tropical plants, ponds and little siting nooks, available for anyone to freely wander around and enjoy. 

For Mum's Birthday I wanted to celebrate all her efforts and encourage her to stop and enjoy the beautiful space she has created, something she rarely has time to do.

It took me quite a while to come up with a theme for Mum's birthday, but as soon as I decided to hold it in the gardens the ideas came easily. I settled on a tropical theme to compliment the style of plants, with hibiscus flowers (one of Mum's favourites) as the main feature.

Sticking with the theme, I made desserts with fresh fruity flavours. The Birthday cake was a lemon lime white chocolate mudcake, with a super yummy lemon lime white chocolate ganache, decorated with fondant hibiscus flowers. The cake recipe is one of my favourites, I blogged about it back in April and was very happy for a reason to make it again. On the table there were also pink and yellow hibiscus sugar cookies and some mini coconut and pineapple cheesecakes, I'll share the recipe for them a little later in the week.

The mango white chocolate and macadamia balls were a great find from the Noosa Chocolate Factory stall at the Jan Powers Farmers Markets. I actually had to go back to the markets for these two weeks in a row  because we ate all the ones meant for Mum's Birthday.

My little niece was a big fan of the hibiscus cookies and she thought the mango white chocolate balls were pretty delicious too. 

Most Importantly Mum loved everything too.

If you are interested in the nursery or just want to take a look at the gardens, please do. The latest project at Lagoon View Nursery and Gardens is a cute little cafe, something I'm very excited about, It will be opening in a few weeks time. Feel free to bring a picnic or if you'd like to have your own party in the gardens just give them a call.