Hay Hay It's Donna Day Roundup

This is where I spent much of the past week.  Breakfasts, dinners, glasses of wine(s), reading the morning  paper with a second cup of coffee, talking, thinking, chilling out. Enjoying the company of my cousin Jan Marie and her husband David, the warmth of the sun in the morning and the cool breeze in the afternoon when it was 34 degrees.  You can understand why I thought twice about returning to Auckland.  Where it rained all of last night and today is 17 degrees.   
But of course I had to get back to write my round up of the Donna Hay Self Frosting Cupcakes event. 

I chose this self frosting cupcake recipe for the inaugural Hay Hay It's Donna Day as when I first  saw the cakes  I thought  "ooh I must try that, it sounds so good".  Nik  started the whole thing off and it went from there.  For me that is what cooking is all about.  When you are inspired to try baking something somebody else has  made you are saying I like what you have done .  And we all like to receive those compliments don't we?  Added to that, it is the type of recipe that sometimes doesn't turn out exactly as we planned the first time, and we know we can do better, so we try  again.  Well mine didn't turn out perfect the first time anyway!!  Then we start thinking of variations and how we can improve or alter the original and give it our own personal touch.  Which is how and why the culture of food  grows and evolves. 

Check out  the entries I received.

The Baker Who Cooks  who posted before and after pictures and both looked so good I'd have been happy to eat them before they went into the oven.
Running With Tweezers  experimented with two different toppings - a Mocha Espresso Sauce and Chocolate Peanut Butter.
Noshes Thoughts Reves  very cleverly made her own cashew nut butter topping to swirl on the top.
Taste Everything Once  thought about a dark chocolate version with a pistachio butter topping which sounds fabulous but in the end went with the Nutella.
Tham Jiak needed to half the recipe to fit her mini oven and had a few consistency problems.  The Kaya used in the topping was new to me and I'll be out searching the Asian food stores for my own jar.
Piggy's Cooking Journal  baked one tray with Nutella topping and another where she added Bailey's Irish Cream to the mixture and swirled cream cheese on the top.
Pearl of the Orient  piped and swirled Nusspli, a German version of Nutella, to create a cupcake which was a work of art.
Culinary Obsessed  had her niece and nephew to taste test her Nutella topped swirls and also suggested some other interesting toppings  for the future.
Something So Clever  tried out a White Chocolate Peanut Butter topping and was not happy with the final result but I must say they look very pretty in their silver skirts.
Masak Masak another Donna fan,  told me something I didn't know. Donna Hay originally worked for Marie Claire magazine.  Another experimenter with a tray of Nutella tops and a second of Kaya, all beautifully photographed with her little friends.
The Skinny Epicurean tried out a low fat chocolate sauce for her topping and despite her brother thinking they were marbled cupcakes they tasted pretty good.
Esuriantes   made a batch with Appelstroop which didn't swirl as well but look so good I could almost taste the sticky syrupy mess.  The second batch made with Nuts About Chocolate  looked pretty tasty too.

And Nic at the BLOG  that started it all moved on from cupcakes and produced some lovely looking scones with a Nutella topping. 

Thank you  all for joining in the event.  I hope you had as much fun as I did and will play again. If you would like to host a Hay Hay It's Donna Day let me know and we will plan another one.

And now to choose the prettiest cupcakes for the prize. I wish I could choose everybody as I thought all the  entries were pretty.  But I only have one magazine to give away and I'm going to select Glutton Rabbit at Pearl of the Orient who created beautiful swirls by piping on the topping and using a chopstick to create a pattern.  Until this event she had never heard of Donna Hay. After receiving her first edition she will soon know all about her.

If I missed any entries please let me know. I seem to have misplaced one I received earlier.

And here is the one I missed.  Sorry Tanvi.
From the Pantry  produced these double choc decadent little beauties.

 

Comments

[Sweetnicks]

I actually did end up making them, but they went off as office treats before I remembered to take a picture of them. I really like the original Nutella version, although this time, I ran out of Nutella halfway through (gasp!) and subbed a Cinnamon Spread and the reports were that those were the favorite -- go figure!

[barbara]

Looks like you've been pretty busy with Thanksgiving Sweetnicks. Beats me how you Americans can cope with two huge celebrations so close together!

[Glutton Rabbit]

Barbara, thanks! I can't wait to recieve the mag and to host the next Donna Day event! Yay!

[tanvi]

It mightve been my entry that you misplaced since it was really early when I emailed you. Here's the link: http://fromthepantry.blogspot.com/2005/11/mess-less-cupcakes.html

Cheers!
-Tanvi

[Nic]

Thanks for hosting this whole event, Barbara. I think everyone (and their satisfied tummies) had a great time!

[HRH The Princess Wussik al Saud of the Sapphire Throne]

It has come to one's attention that unauthorised photographic material of one's summer residence has been posted on the world-wide-web by a transient associate of one's staff.

To add insult to injury, one's existence was not acknowledged in the accompanying commentary, simply that of certain low grade staff whose competence is open to question.

Be advised that one will not hesitate to initiate legal proceedings unless full acknowledgment, appreciation and humble gratitude towards one's magnificent royal self is made forthwith.

HRH The Princess Wussik al Saud of the Sapphire Throne

[barbara]

Princess Wussick - you now have your very own post. I apologise for any hurt I caused you by not mentioning you previously. I hope Boycat is not similarly upset. Give him a miaow from me. And tell the staff I miss them.