Sweet Week

This week has definitely been sugar-loaded.

....

I am planning my sister's Bridal Shower coming up in August, so I've been experimenting with baking all different types of desserts. We've been eating sweets every day. If I was 7 years old, I would be running around the place right now in a hyperactive flurry.




These turned out delicious!

(PS. Abi is holding a giveaway for a cause at her blog here)
(PPS. People with shops -Check out my latest article at Meylah about store policies here)
(PPS. For recipes, join me after the jump...)



CHAMPAGNE GRAPE CHARLOTTES:

1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 tsp powdered gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 1/2 mashed fresh raspberries
3/4 cup heavy cream
a few bunches of champagne grapes
Lady Finger Cookies

DIRECTIONS:
- Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and set aside to set.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar and egg yolks until pale yellow.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the milk to boiling point. Slowly pour some of the hot milk over the egg yolks to temper them.
- Add the remaining milk while whiskingl, then add vanilla. This is only one tricky part - don't let the eggs scramble in the hot milk - you need to watch it and continually stir it so that it doesn't do that. It's just the same as when you make any custard, just keep stirring.
- Pour the liquid back into the saucepan, and cook over medium low heat until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. - Remove from the heat, add the raspberries, grapes and gelatin and stir until the gelatin is dissolved.
- Let cool to room temperature.
- Whip the cream to soft peaks.
- Incorporate the raspberry mix into the cream.

Then you just line the cookies around the bowl/ramekin (lined with wax paper so you can easily take it out when it's done), fill it with the mousse, and then pop it in the freezer for 1 hour. It should come out of the wax papered ramekin easily. Then after that, top if with whipped cream and berries.

PEACHES & CREAM SHORTCAKE COOKIES:

2 chopped peaches
7 tbsp granulated sugar
pinch nutmeg
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
6 tbsp diced cold butter
2/3 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 375 F and line baking sheets with wax paper.
- Combine the peaches with 2 tbsp of the sugar and set aside.
- Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, nutmeg and rest of sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter and mix it becomes crumb-like.
- Stir in the cream and vanilla and then the peaches.
- Drop dough in rounds onto the baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, or until beginning to brown on the edges.