The Mixing Bowl: Lamingtons (aka Passionfruit Curd Cakes) by Polli

You may remember Tess and Maja, the lovely ladies behind the jewelry company Polli, from their previous Mixing Bowl contribution---the gorgeous to look at and wonderful to eat “I Scream Sandwiches.” I was so impressed with their last recipe that when they offered to whip up another delicious treat for Dessert Girl readers, I couldn’t wait to see what they came up with next! I was, of course, thrilled when they sent over this recipe for an Australian lamington by Polli team member Hannah. I’m a big fan of regional desserts, and this one looks sooo yummy. Plus, this lamington has got a bit of a twist to it (traditionally the cakes are square and covered in chocolate), which makes it that much more fun! With all that passion fruit and lemon curd, it really is the perfect summertime treat, although I guess it’s winter in Australia, so I suppose that makes it a perfect winter treat as well! Really, it works all year round! So be sure to try it out this weekend, no matter what part of the world you’re living in. :-)

From Polli: Imagine sponge cake with lemon curd filling coated in passionfruit jelly and rolled in coconut. The jelly is made with fresh passionfruit and agar powder not gelatin so it is vegetarian friendly and not overpowered by sugar. Delicious! Such moist little cakes.

I’m not the type of gal that goes ga-ga for jewelry. I don’t believe in jewelry for the sake of jewelry. I’m not into bling, but I am into Polli. I can’t get enough of their cool, architectural designs. Since we last heard from them, they’ve introduced some pretty awesome wooden necklaces and a jewelry collection designed by fellow Mixing Bowl contributor, artist Emma van Leest. Plus, they’re dedicated to maintaining a low carbon footprint by doing things like using recycled materials, walking and cycling to work, and using energy efficient lighting. They've even been officially named a low-carbon company by the Carbon Reduction Institute (CRI). How cool is that?

To check out more from Polli and to shop online, click here. You can find the complete recipe for the lamingtons and more photos after the jump. Thanks to Tess, Maja, Hannah, and the entire Polli team for another great recipe!

Yummy Ice Cream (Container Design)

When I was a kid, I was afraid of Count Chocula cereal. That's right. I was afraid of cereal. I loved eating it, of course. I mean, it's chocolate and marshmallows. What's not to love? But, at the same time, it gave me the willies. One night I even got up, in the middle of the night, and threw away a Count Chocula record that we owned. It was bothering me that much! So, when I first saw these ice cream containers, designed by João Ricardo Machado for a class at the College of Arts and Design Caldas da Rainha, Portugal, I immediately had a Count Chocula flash back. Much like that spooky breakfast cereal, these containers are creepy and fun, at the same time. Of course, I'm a grown-up now, so these containers won't be inspiring any late night terrors, but I can see how they might freak out a little one, just a bit. They actually remind me a lot of the Japanese horror/comedy film Hausu (House). You check out more of João's work, right here.

McVitie's Jaffa Cakes Wallpaper

Okay, so this is both utterly charming and completely disgusting at the same time. It’s the world’s first ever lickable lift. Installed in an office building in London, this Willy Wonka inspired elevator is completely covered with 1,325 lickable Jaffa Cakes. While I'm a huge Wonka fan and I love the idea of flavored wallpaper, I think that being in a small enclosed space, surrounded by my coworkers' spit, might just give me the willies. Lovely concept, though!

Update: Five minutes after I posted this, I came across this bit of important info on the Jaffa Cakes' Facebook page. On the hygiene point - once a Jaffa Cake is licked they're removed by the bell boy (out of shot) so no-one else can lick them. We don't want a Jaffa Cake induced epidemic on our hands!

Sweet Testing: Mississippi Mud Pie (aka Coffee Ice Cream Tart)

Baked has done it again! I made this tart for my sister’s bday, and, like everything I make from Baked, it was a huge success! I really loved it and I don’t even like coffee or coffee-flavored things! I actually thought about switching out the coffee for vanilla, but, because this was for my sister, and not for me, I went ahead and used the coffee flavor. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t think the ice cream had an overly strong coffee flavor (I used Trader Joe’s brand), and it didn’t offend my palate in the least! So, even though you could swap the coffee ice cream for some other flavor, I would give the coffee a chance. It might not be as bad as it sounds!

2) There were some ice crystals in my finished product. I think this was either from the ice cream melting and then freezing again or from the fact that I neglected to cover the tart at one point when it was in the freezer. Anyway, I just wanted to point out that you shouldn’t let the ice cream thaw too much and be sure to follow the directions and cover it while it’s in the freezer!

But, despite the tiny bit of ice crystal crunchiness, everyone really loved this tart. I’m sure your friends and family will too! You can find the complete recipe after the jump.