COVID Rules for Queensland - 17 December 2021

As of the 17th December, the COVID rules in Queensland are changing. So we thought we would put together a list of questions that we have been asked. To ease the pressure off our clients who are already so busy planning their events, we have also compiled a list of additional measures we are happy to implement for your events. 

Frequently Asked Questions: 

1. Will the waitstaff attending my function be double vaccinated

 Absolutely! It is a requirement by Queensland Health that for events that wish to have unlimited guests, everyone must be vaccinated. For people who are unvaccinated holding events, the number of guests that you are allowed to have is significantly impacted. To ensure that the control of event numbers stays with the person hosting the event, Connections Catering will always send vaccinated waitstaff. 

1. Whose responsibility is it to enforce these rules at an event? 

The Queensland Health website states that it is the responsibility of the venue owner to enforce COVID rules. Connections Catering is an independent catering business and not attached to a venue. For this reason, our staff will not be taking responsibility for enforcing COVID rules at events. We will always follow the restrictions and any additional requirements our clients wish for us to follow personally. If you or your guests have any questions about enforcing the COVID rules, our staff will always redirect them to the Venue Owner. 

Ways we can make your events EXTRA safe 

None of these measures are currently mandated in Queensland, however, Connections is in the hospitality business. Making our clients feel safe and comfortable to enjoy good food together is what we do best. So these are some extra measures our staff have come up with that can be implemented upon the request of our clients. 

• Our staff can wear masks when servicing your events

• We can help remind guests to sign in

• We can distribute masks to guests 

• Our team will be able to check vaccination certificates on guests arrival

• We can set up extra sanitising stations for you and distribute to guests regularly throughout the event.   

• We can present food in individually packed COVID-safe containers to be distributed at your event

Making memorable moments over food is what we love doing. We feel very privileged to work with such amazing clients, catering for special moments in their lives. A COVID super spreader event is not the way we want our clients to remember these times. 

Our team are always here to support in making your events special, so if you have any extra questions, always feel free to get in touch!

Where did we get our info? https://www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19/current-status/queensland-restrictions-update/public-health-and-social-measures-linked-to-vaccination-status

Lockdown Easter Family Activity - Making Chocolate Bark

Today is the first day of the Greater Brisbane region’s pre-Easter lockdown. In the spirit of Easter, we thought we would share a fun activity to do with the kids today. Although it's a quick and simple recipe, we love it because it encourages you to get creative with flavours. Also, you can use any ingredients you have around the kitchen.

Make Your Own Chocolate Bark Recipe

You’ll need 450g of your chocolate or chocolates of choice. 

For example: 

• 300g dark chocolate + 150g white chocolate

• 225g milk chocolate + 225g white chocolate

Or you can choose to use 450g of a single type of chocolate. Whatever takes your fancy! 

Then you’ll need:

• Microwave-safe bowls OR a small saucepan and a couple of glass or metal bowl to create a bain-marie to gently melt your chocolate

• A silicone spatula or a wooden spoon

• A large baking tray lined with baking paper (you can use a little oil or butter to help the paper stick to the tray)

• A butter knife or skewer to swirl your chocolate together.

Now the toppings! You can have fun with this using whatever combination of flavours you prefer. 

For example:

• Dried figs & almond slivers

• Roasted hazelnuts & orange

• Macadamias, coconut & dried mango

• Jaffas & Mini M&Ms

• Peanut butter & pretzels

• Turkish delight & pistachios

• Candied ginger, cranberries & almond

• Chilli flakes & sea salt

So how do you make chocolate bark?

1. Prepare your toppings if necessary (e.g. roughly chop your dried fruit and nuts, zest your orange, etc.) and set aside.

2. Prepare your tray for the melted chocolate, but lining your tray with baking paper and set it aside.

3. Gently melt your chocolate – either in 10-20 second intervals in the microwave or over a bain-marie (a saucepan with a little simmering water and a bowl – making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water).

4. Pour your melted dark chocolate onto your tray and spread out evenly. Then get your white chocolate and add dollops to the dark chocolate. Then swirl through with a knife/skewer.

5. Add your toppings!

6. Refrigerate until solid  (approximately 3 hours).

7. Snap your sheet of chocolate into pieces. Now – you can either store it in an airtight container in your fridge, serve immediately, or wrap a few pieces in cellophane and tie it off with twine and give it as an Easter gift!

Lights Out! Tonight is Earth Hour 2021

Earth Hour kicks off tomorrow night at 8:30 pm. At Connections Catering, we are very excited to support the WWF initiative. Sustainability is an important aspect of our business. As a team, we committed to doing our best to minimise our environmental impact. Currently, our business initiatives include:

• low-tox cleaning products in our kitchen

• sourcing natural, compostable cellophane to wrap our orders 

• offering our clients biodegradable disposable equipment 

• using upcycled materials for our decorations packages

• reducing our food miles by purchasing local ingredients for our delicious menu items

• using our beautiful bamboo trays to serve our food. Not only do these look incredible, but they are also a great waste-free option.

Committing to environmental sustainability is an ongoing journey. It is a goal that we can all achieve by supporting each other to make small, meaningful changes in our lives. 

That's why we love Earth Hour. It's a great reminder to take some time out. Taking an hour to "switch off" is so important for so many reasons. At Connections, we will be using the hour to switch off the lights and spend some time with our loved ones. In celebration of Earth Hour, we have listed a few fun activities for the evening. 

Candlelit dinner 

Invite your friends over for a candlelit dinner. Dress up, decorate your dining room, and spend some time catching up over delicious food. Or for a more casual option, why not share some antipasto around a fire pit? Grab some board games and make an evening of it!

Stargazing 

Grab out the binoculars or telescope and check out the stars. The full moon isn't until Sunday night, but it should be the perfect evening for some stargazing. Get the kids involved and see if you can spot any constellations. Redcliffe Jetty is a great local spot to see the stars! 

Crafting  

For a more low-key evening, why not get crafting with some friends? Get cozy and try some knitting or painting. It's a great way to share a skill or learn something new together. Grab a bottle of wine and a cheeseboard and do your own Paint & Sip session. 

Whether you are doing it for the environment or to take a moment in your busy life to relax, enjoy Earth Hour!

Plastic Free July ... it's almost over, but it's not too late!

This post is going to be short(ish) and to the point...we’re sure you’ve heard plenty already about Plastic Free July - it’s almost over! Or maybe you haven’t, and this will prompt you to give it a go next month, just because you can….or there’s always next year!

Anyway, on with the post.

Plastic Free July is something we as a business can definitely get behind. We’re committed to minimising our environmental impact as much as possible. So many things these days are plastic or are packaged in it, it really is a challenge to go plastic free. For a catering business this is a particular challenge - one that the owner was more than willing to take on.

Some of the things that we do to minimise the use of plastic:

• Use a biodegradable & compostable genuine cellophane wrap on all our platters
• Use sustainably sourced single use items like plates, cups, serviettes, coffee cups, and so on that are biodegradable & compostable
• Use bamboo platters to present our menu items rather than disposable trays

So, what can you do?

There’s a lot of ways to reduce the amount of plastic you use in your day to day life. Some are easier than others, but every little bit helps.

Some examples of ways to reduce the amount of plastic you use:

Use glass jars to store items in your pantry - and buying from bulk stores reduces the amount of plastic packaging you bring home.

• Buying a reusable cup (like the KeepCup) for your takeaway coffee rather than the disposable cup - most coffee shops these days will happily use your reusable cup
• Opting to not use a straw
• Invest in some reusable produce bags to take with you on your next grocery shop
• Avoid any pre-packaged fruits & vegetables
• Stop buying bottled water & invest in a reusable water bottle

Some excellent sources for tips & tricks to eliminate plastic:

• Plastic Free July
• 1Million Women

Some online stores where you can buy alternatives to plastic options - they also have some great tips & tricks:

• Flora & Fauna
• Biome

We try to minimise our use of plastic all year round because it’s something we think is important and is one way we can do something positive for the environment. Even if you only change one thing you’ll be doing something great for the environment. So give it a go!

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies to Make with the Kids this Weekend

Comforting, gooey and delicious. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies! Cookies recipes are pretty much foolproof and perfect for budding little masterchefs to hone their skills. 

Now, not to get too food-nerd on you all but since discovering food ratios a few years back, the science of food has taken on a whole new meaning to me. The are ideal ratios for a tonne of various doughs and pastries etc, and for cookies the ratio we should be looking our for is approx:

---

magic cookie ratio

1 part sugar

2 parts fat

3 parts flour

+ 1 egg per 250gm of flour

easy, huh?!

of course you can play around with this ratio to give a shorter or crispier cookie - but it's a great starting point

---

 

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients

- 170gm Unsalted Butter, chopped

- 40gm Caster Sugar

- 45gm Brown Sugar

- 1 egg

- 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

- 250gm Self Raising Flour

- 180gm chocolate chips

- 1/8 teaspoon of flaked sea salt

OPTIONAL

- you could add a couple of teaspoons of baking cocoa to make these babies double choc chip!

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 175 degree Celsius.

2. Cream you sugars, vanilla essence and butter together until whipped nicely. 

3. Mix your dry ingredients together (including your cocoa, if using) and then gently fold into your whipped butter mixture. You could gently stir in your choc chips at this stage - or you could use them to spell out a message in the cookies.

4. When it come to shaping, you have a few options.

        a. Roll into a log and slice

        b. Roll into individuals balls and then flatten out onto your cookie sheet

        c. roll out flat and use a fun cookie cutter (this is my preferred method when it comes to           baking with children, it's definitely more fun!).

5. Pop onto a baking tray and bake until golden and gooey - about 11 - 14 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the pan for a few minutes prior to transferring over to a wire rack.

And there you have it. Have a wonderful weekend - enjoy. :)

Brisbane's Best Picnic Spots

Even though we are currently in the throes of winter, Brisbanites are lucky enough to have beautiful temperate weekend afternoons that are just asking for lazing around on a picnic blanket with some good food and great company. 

Here's a list of our favourite grassy areas to bring a picnic, hang out and soak in some sunshine...

Captain Burke Park - Kangaroo Point

This gem is located under the Story Bridge on Holman Street in Kangaroo Park. with a beautiful view of the city and the Brisbane River. Seriously, the view here are just amazing and there is plenty of shade which is also a plus.

The park features:

• a nautical themed playground and wide open spaces for the little ones to keep themselves entertained .
• a bike track that can take you on the Kangaroo Point Cliffs, and even onto Southbank or West End if you were so inclined to have a ride after your picnic.
• Public BBQs, tables, bubblers and public toilets.

Orleigh Park - West End (Hill End)

This is my absolutely favourite park in Brisbane. The park winds around the Brisbane River - with UQ on the other side. The park is massive with plenty of room to lay down a blanket on the grass or near one of its many fig trees and feel somewhat secluded. Often you can even get treated to local musicians having jam sessions.  And as a recent additional, you may be lucky enough to find a food truck down there under the BCC's new food truck initiative - the park was treated to a Brazilian/Portuguese food truck last weekend.

The park features:

• multiple playgrounds
• a bike track (that actually connects to the above mentioned park)
• plenty of BBQs and tables (some of which are sheltered)
• public toilets

Also, if you are so inclined Orleigh Park is host to a full moon festival each month where local fire twirlers do their thing. It's quite a bit of fun.

Highgate Hill Park

Whilst you're in that neck of the woods, Highgate Hill Park is just up the road and is also one hell of a park for a picnic. With arguably the best park views in Brisbane you can be treated to a great panoramic view from Mt Coot-tha to our city skyline and onto Kangaroo Point. It is also an amazing vantage point if you happen in the market to view some of Southbank's fireworks - I have meandered up for Riverfire in the past and you really can't get a better view. 

As opposed to the other parks on this list - the park is pretty bare bones. There's a really pretty rotunda at the top of the park and a gorgeous big fig, but that's about it. The park is also mostly hill, so if you have a problem with sitting on an angle, probably best to give this one a miss.

New Farm Park*

Yet another park situated along our river - aren't we lucky?! This is a massive park with plenty of room to kick a ball and run around with the kids. This is pretty much the place to go for a lazy weekend hangout for locals and is super close to the CityCat also. New Farm Park is also a convenient stop after visiting the Jan Powers Markets (if you've never been, I highly recommend you do!), or even before a riverside drink at the Brisbane Powerhouse.

The park features:

• BBQ Facilities
• Massive playground
• Car park
• Parking for the Disabled
• Toilet facilities for the Disabled
• Picnic Area
• Public Toilet
• Shaded Area
• Sheltered Area

Roma Street Parklands*

Welcome to largest subtropical urban forest in the world! This park would have the be the 'fairest of them all' when it come to Brisbane Parks with pops of keiliscopic colour coming from the teams of flora your will find dotted around the park. The Spectacle Garden is a sight to behold and the grounds are home to an assortment of public art - Roma Street Parklands is just so pretty.

This is another large park (16 hectares!), allowing you to find your own space to throw down your picnic blanket if that's would you're up for - again there is heaps of space to kick a ball or play some cricket. There's even the 'Parkland Explorer' - a trackless train provides an alternative to guided walks and usually operates Wednesday to Friday from 10am-12.30pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-3pm.

The park features:

• BBQ Facilities
• Chairs2Share (deck chairs available for free to visitors)
• Picnic Area 
• Playground
• Toilet facilities for the Disabled
• Public Toilet
• Sheltered Area

* parks marked with an asterisks are licenced for alcohol consumption; if you are up for a cold brewski or glass of bubbles to go with your picnic.

Also. We have something new & amazing in the pipeline!

We have recently developed some gourmet picnic bags and we will be making them available on a rotating basis at parks across Brisbane once all i's are dotted, and t's crossed. They are currently are available monthly at Picnic Hill, but we are working hard to make sure that anywhere a delicious picnic is required - we'll be there with these babies to make sure that's a reality. Pictured above: our Antipasto ($16), Ploughman's ($23), Middle Eastern($20) picnic bags - and by all accounts are delicious and filling.

We're very close to this being a thing - so if you would like to keep posted when this is happening and where we will be (or if you would like to request a particular park) please click here and let us know.

Planning a Function?

Most people at some point in their life, whether it’s for a personal celebration, corporate event, or just because they can, have to plan a function. It can be a challenge, but it can also be very rewarding experience for both the organiser/host and the guests. 

The process of planning an event or conference can be long and there are often a few bumps along the way. We’ve gathered a few key things to keep in mind when you’re planning you next function.

Preparation and Planning

"If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else."  Yogi Berra

"A goal without a plan is just a wish." Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"Plans are nothing. Planning is everything." Albert Einstein

There are so many quotes, hints, tips and guidelines for planning and event out there it can be overwhelming. But it is clear that preparation and planning are definitely a key to having a successful function - whether it’s a small get-together with friends or a corporate conference. 

Planning and preparation give you an opportunity to clarify what you ultimately want for your event - how you define a successful event. Success will look different depending on the type of event you’re having. 

Three major factors will impact the rest of your planning:

1. Budget
2. Number of guests
3. Type of event

Knowing your limitations will help to keep your planning on track and give you a starting point. It can also be used to determine which elements of your event are the most important to its success.

---

The Vibe

"It's the vibe of the thing..." The Castle

Rather than focusing on a theme for your event, consider focusing on the ‘vibe’ - an intangible part of your event that is created by the venue, the menu, the styling, and purpose of the function - it is the ‘emotional quality’ or atmosphere you’re creating for your guests. The energy or ‘vibe’ of the event has a role to play in its success. 

If you function is over multiple spaces, each space might need it’s own ‘vibe’ - for example, is there a ‘break’ room that needs to be relaxed so that conference attendees can take a break from the more intense vibe of the workshop spaces, and does the dining area create an atmosphere that facilitates connections between attendees.

How do you want your guests to feel?

---

The Venue

The venue you choose for your function is one of the most important decisions you might make in planning your event. Each comes with their own limitations and strengths that will impact other aspects of the event.

A few key things to consider when choosing the right venue for your function:

• The cost - keeping this cost down can allow for more of the budget to be allocated to things like the menu and styling
• Capacity - will it be able to comfortably hold the number of expected guests/attendees? are there any minimums you need to be aware of - e.g. food and beverage packages?
• Facilities and services - does the venue have a kitchen? does it provide tables, chairs, linens? will you need to bring in your own staff? do you need to provide your own catering? is it accessible to all your guests (i.e. wheelchair access)?
• Atmosphere/ambience - does the venue contribute to the ‘vibe’ you’re trying to achieve at your function?
• Location - is it easy to locate? will you need to provide detailed instructions to your guests? is it central for your target audience?

---

 The Food

“Food has a remarkable power to bring us all together.”  Chef Elyse Lain Elshenawey

“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.”  James Beard

The food at a function is more useful to the event organisers than just providing nourishment for their guests. It can be used to facilitate connections between guests who don't necessarily know each other all that well. Either because the food is a talking point, or that it provides a shared experience for all guests to use as a starting point for creating a new connection, and even strengthening existing connections.

Deciding what style of food you have at a function can play an important role in creating the 'vibe' you want for your function. 

Do you want to have ‘home made’ food or gourmet food? Will you have a sit down formal meal or a more casual share platter style meal where guests serve themselves from a platter in the centre of the table? Are you indoors or outdoors? Will your guests need to be able to stand and eat? Do you want hot or cold food? There are so many different questions come up when it comes to catering. If you haven’t planned a function before, just as your caterer if they have recommended serving sizes, types of meals designed for seated/plated meals vs. finger food/cocktail meals.

But the important thing to remember when it comes to the food, it’s about more than having enough food…it’s about finding the designing the right menu to create connections, and to add to the ‘vibe’ of the event.

The importance of eating together.

Eat, drink & be merry! The connected dining table.

Over the course of the 20th century, and into the 21st Australians have found ourselves busier than ever. We are eating on the run, sometimes opt for the drive-thru, allow work commitments to get in the way of our family dinners. We spend less time sharing our meals with those we care about. And this can be more detrimental than you think. Not eating together can actually have negative effects on you psychologically, as well as physically.

Eating alone can be alienating. Our dinner table acts as a magnet for connection. Sharing a meal with those around us in a situation where people are happy to put aside their work and other commitments and take time out of their day. A shared meal is an excuse to catch up, talk, laugh and celebrate and even decompress from the stresses of day to day life, with those near and dear to us. If we eat alone, we enjoy not such benefits.

Furthermore, as some sort of magically delicious peacemaker, dining together can modify people’s perspectives. It can moderate people’s feelings of inequality and whilst dining, people are inclined to view those of different ethnicities, gender, and socio economic backgrounds as more equal than they generally would in other social situations (source: Eating Together, Alice Julier).

That's the magic of food for you. It nourishes our bodies, and can help nourish our souls. That's what we love about sharing a table full of food, to bring a connectedness and belonging with the added bonus of a good meal!

Food miles. Why we give a darn!

Food Miles.

There are many reasons to choose to shop as locally as is convenient for you. Of course, cooking with local produce is very important here at connections catering. We thought we would take a little time to explain a few reasons why.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The further our food is transported, the more greenhouse gas that's emitted into our environment. Shockingly, the food in a standard basket of food in an Australian shoppers hands has travelled a whopping 70,000km (the equivalent to driving around Australia's coastline three whole times!). Buying food produced locally can cut down on your greenhouse gas emissions substantially. 

Fresher = Healthier

Produce purchased from many supermarkets is often cold-stored in transit for days or weeks, whilst local product can be picked as recently as the previous 24 hours. Locally produced fruit and vegetables are generally allowed longer to ripen as they do not need to stand up to the rigours of being carted around the country (or even internationally). If you're lucky enough to have a local farmer producing heirloom varieties, event better! Heirloom varieties generally have greater nutrients because the focus on today's hybrids have usually been bred to focus more on yield, than on taste or nutritional value.

Support our local farmers!

By supporting locally grown food, you will help not only support local farmers but keep money within your community. When buying produce from a supermarket rather than farmers markets etc., the farmer can get as little as a few cents to the dollar. $1 for 2 litres of milk, anyone? Our farmers are so important, they need to earn a proper income so they can afford to continue doing what they do best, growing and producing our food. Buying locally can ensure that they can continue to thrive!

If you have your own ways for reducing your food miles, please comment below. We would love to hear from you!

Mother's Day!

Mother’s Day looks different for everyone.

How we show someone we love them – whether that’s our birth mother, our adopted mother, another mother figure who’s played a significant role in the shaping of our lives, or just another woman in your life that you love – can take many shapes and forms. It might be taking the time out of our day (and theirs) to spend some quality time with them, it might be finding a small meaningful gift to give them – whether it’s handmade or not, it might be surprising them by cleaning the house or car, it might be making them their favourite meal, it might be telling them you love and cherish them, or it could be something as simple as a hug.

I think personally for me, cooking something for mum that’s new or a favourite is a definite win on Mother’s Day, especially if there a bunch of my family there to share it with. I always plan for a shared meal with my mum, dad and any one else in my family that’s around at the time (like my sister and her 3 kids, and my other siblings if they’re in town). One of the rules my mum put in place for our family growing up was having at least one shared family meal a day (usually dinner), because for my mum that shared meal was a time to reconnect with each other and spend some time sharing important things that had happened during the day.

Even now, she’s the reason my parents, my sister (along with her kids) and I get together to have a family night once a week. Even though the conversation at the table may include some very random (and sometimes confusing) stories from my 4 year old nephew about a four-wheeler or a crocodile he saw at the wildlife park - or sometimes things that I'm certain never happened, or even just a run down of my nieces’ day at school it is always entertaining and usually (if all the kids are in a good mood!) a good time with my family. I do cherish those times, even if sometimes it can be a challenge with the kids competing in who can tell the best story or whose turn it is to speak about their day.

Here’s a recipe for a delicious Meringue Layer Cake that you might want to make for your mum (or whoever you like) this weekend. It can be a little tricky, but I promise you no matter what it looks like (things might get a bit rustic), it’ll taste delicious in the end.

Meringue Layer Cake

Ingredients

Meringue Layers

• 4 egg whites (room temperature)
• 6 teaspoons white vinegar
• 2 cups white caster sugar
• ½ cup (60g) almond meal

Filling

• 400g chocolate
• ½ cup (125ml) pouring cream
• 1½ cups (375ml) thickened cream

Other things you’ll need

• Electric mixer
• Baking paper 
• Oven trays
• Something that’s round and 15-20cm in diameter (like a plate or round cake tin)
• Pencil or pen
• Microwave safe bowl/jug or a bowl and saucepan that’ll work as a double boiler
• Spatula
• Cake stand or large plate for assembling and serving

Method

1. Prepare your baking trays by drawing 3 circles using your 15-20cm diameter plate (or other round thing). Flip over the baking paper so you can see the circle but won’t get any of the ink/pencil on your meringue. Set aside your trays. Preheat your oven to 120°C.
2. In a large glass or metal bowl add the egg whites, vinegar and 1/3 of the sugar. With an electric mixer, beat the mixture on low until soft glossy peaks form.
3. Slowly add the rest of the sugar while beating on low. Careful that it isn’t grainy. You’ll know it’s done when the mixture has stiff peaks and is glossy.
4. In a separate bowl add the almond meal, and gradually fold in the meringue mixture into the almond meal until combined. Don’t stir or whisk, gently fold the mixture using a spatula.
5. Divide the mixture between the prepared baking trays and shape into circles. Bake at 120°C for 25 minutes or until the meringue is crisp to the touch (a very light touch). Turn off your oven, leaving the meringue in to cool for at least 30 minutes.
6. Whip the thickened cream until light and fluffy, set aside in the fridge to keep cool.
7. Prepare the chocolate ganache melt the chocolate and cream together stirring until smooth – melt together in the microwave or over a double boiler. Set aside to cool. This will be coming into contact with cream so it needs to be room temperature.
8. Once your meringue layers have cooled, and the fillings are ready, it’s time to assemble! Now in this part things don’t have to be perfect, it’s a bit of a rustic layer cake. Place the first layer of meringue on your serving plate. Spread the layer with the chocolate ganache, then a layer of cream. Gently place the next layer of meringue on top and repeat the process. The cake should be topped with the whipped cream. Garnish with your choice or leave it as is.

Notes

If you want to make it dairy free, you could use a dairy free dark chocolate (Lindt 70%, Alter Eco, Whittaker’s 50% or up, or your favourite dark chocolate), swap the pouring cream for coconut cream and the whipped cream for whipped coconut cream (the solid part of the top of a refrigerated can or two of full fat coconut milk). If you choose this option for the whipped cream, add a pinch of vanilla bean powder to the whipped coconut cream mixture.

If you don’t like almond, you could swap the almond meal for hazelnut meal. Or you could make your own pistachio meal (finely grind pistachios in a food processor) and add a pinch of rosewater to the ganache or whipped cream and/or garnish with dried rose petals.

Other Garnish Options:  Fresh berries, Grated chocolate, Dusting of good quality cocoa, Edible flowers (real ones, not the ones made from sugar)

You can have fun with the flavours with a cake like this. Let us know if you try a variation of your very own creation or post a photo of your meringue layer cake on our Facebook page!

Enjoy the weekend.