A few weeks ago I got my hands on a ceramic egg tray after spending way too long coveting some online. The only complaint is now I have eggs more than usual because they are in sight every time I walk into the kitchen.

Don’t worry Ma, I’m not going that overboard!

My dear cousin Sonali and I spent the weekend before last testing out some newly purchased silicone moulds. I enjoy making cupcakes for family events as I find them an easy way to serve cake to a large group without the fuss of cake plates and forks. They also allow me to dip into my child like tendencies for all things novel and fun!

These particular moulds come in groups of 12 and sweet pastel colours. They would be perfect for individual dessert moulds for a small group, mini tartlets and chocolate cases. And now that we have four sets between her kitchen and mine, taking the grand total of moulds to 48 I thought they would be perfect as mini cupcakes or baby cakes for the dessert course celebrating Sonali’s sweet daughter (and my god daughter) Devni’s christening where close to 70 people will be present. The size is perfect for a baby’s party, but also suitable when a dessert course features the official christening cake, rose petal and orange blossom marshmallows and other sweet delights.

We tested the moulds with a chocolate cake, and then later on made an indulgent frosting with chocolate and peanut butter resulting in a cake version, reminicent of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups The moulds came away from the cake easily, giving us medallions of cake which we oooh and aaahhed at the way one does for a new born.

For the christening I would prefer a vanilla cake, but am stumped as to the kind of frosting. My initial idea was a rose frosting, however I am also making the marshmallows which will have a rose flavour so it would be nice to try something different. Perhaps lemon?

I just spent the last 15 minutes in a rage because I thought I had lost a crucial part of my cookie press, even though I had made sure to wash, dry and pack away all the little pieces after the weekend baking session at my Mum’s place. I was the definition of ‘crazy woman with a torch pacing up and down the driveway’ because I thought The Boy had lost the ring of the press while he was bringing bags of cake making utensils from the car. I was pretty sure I had seen the box pop open and the little stainless steel nozzles and cookie discs drop out of their places.

I may have had the look of a crazy woman, all beady eyed and red with anger when he sighed with the look of “its only a cookie press!”

After a few moments of deep breathing I returned to the neatly packed box and found the small ring which secures the icing nozzle screwed on ever so tight, as if it had never come off in the first place. I could have sworn it was never there. Swear on my heart shaped cookie cutter. Alas the food blogger rage reared its ugly head. Please tell me it’s more than a cookie press….

Another show and tell - because sometimes you just need dessert and people remind you just how good plastic things are.

A recent post by Clotilde from Chocolate & Zucchini reminded me of the tall bottle of rose syrup I’ve had in the pantry cupboard for making Indian drinks such as falooda. The brand I have comes from Pakistan and goes by the name of Rooh Afza. On the manufacturer’s website, an eminent Indian poet is quoted as saying “If you look at its colour, it enchants your heart. If you taste it, you find its flavour enlivening. In fragrance it excels other flowers. In efficacy it is quite an elixir. Its refreshing and invigorating effect is beyond reckoning.”

The label on the bottle provides some serving suggestions; a milkshake, a lemon drink, on ice cream and custard.The label also states that as a beverage it is good for all manner of ailments - sunstroke, heart palpitations, nausea and “other summer complaints” Quite the amazing beverage ingredient wouldn’t you say? Especially with the ingredients listed as refined sugar, fruit extract, herbs, citrus flowers and roses, which are also pictured on the front. Last night I wasn’t suffering of any summery ailments; rather just needed dessert. I didn’t have the time or the gusto to make falooda, but still wanted something sweet. And so I combined some creamy and tangy yoghurt with this fuschia syrup and a few walnuts. Quite enjoyable!

Rooh Afza is available at most sub-continental spice shops and costs a song at $5.95 a bottle. I bought mine from the Sri Lankan spice shop on Burlington Road in Homebush

Another post dating a few months ago, this time by Shauna from What’s New Pussycat? (who now also has a food blog!) prompted me to start saving the little clips which come with bread and bagels in Australia. After so many years of throwing them out with the bag I never realised just how useful an item they are for tying up bags of spices and oats which remain after filling up ones various storage containers. That Floyd Paxton was clever with this kwiklok invention! So, what do you do with your leftover bread clips?