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Creative Mother’s Day gift ideas – spoil your special person
Mother’s Day Flowers reinvented! A more thoughtful and yummy take on a classic present.
Are you looking for a creative and unique Mother’s Day gift idea? Forget the go-to chocolates, and make way for a show stopper! The best gifts are those made with love and an exquisite attention to detail, so this Mother’s Day, why not create your gifts!
In the following article, we introduce two sweet Mother’s Day recipe ideas that can be part of Mother's Day Brunch and function as an edible gift.
Fragrant Lemon-Thyme Yoghurt Loaf.
Our first suggestion for a thoughtful edible present is this easy-to-make loaf cake. Using fresh lemons, aromatic thyme, and tangy yoghurt this cake is a true showstopper.
To present it as a gift, purchase a rectangular gift box that leaves 2-3cm space on all sides of the cake. Enclose the cooled cake in such a box and tie with a ribbon. Make sure to store in the fridge until you gift it.
Recipe: Lemon Thyme Yoghurt Loaf
Ingredients:
For the cake:
1 1/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (113g) butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
1 1/4 cup (225g) sugar
2 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon zest
3 eggs
1/2 cup (150g) Greek yoghurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice
For the glaze:
125g icing sugar
3 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
Tools:
Loaf pan
Mixing bowls
Rubber spatula
Parchment paper
Steps:
1. Heat the oven to 175°C. Butter a loaf pan and line it with a strip of parchment paper long enough to hang over the short sides of the pan. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. Cream the room-temperature butter, then slowly add the sugar, lemon zest, and fresh thyme. Beat until light and well combined, then add the eggs one at a time. In a small bowl, combine the yoghurt with the lemon juice and vanilla extract.
3. Fold half of dry ingredients into the butter mixture, then add the yoghurt. Add the rest of the flour and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for about 35 minutes at 175°C, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning the cake out onto a cooling rack.
4. Once the cake loaf has completely cooled, you can proceed to prepare the lemon glaze. Whisk together all of the ingredients until smooth. Place the cooled cake onto a sheet of parchment paper and drizzle the glaze over it. Some fine bits of lemon zest and freshly plugged thyme leaves may serve as extra decoration on top of the glaze. Let set before transferring to a serving plate and slicing.
Tip: It’s important to buy fresh, organic lemons for this recipe since the skins of such are unsprayed and therefore safe to eat. Wash the lemons thoroughly.
Sweet Rose Cupcakes with Creamy Apricot Filling.
What better way is there to show your appreciation than through a bouquet of flowers? Taking this idea a little further and adding in a little twist, why not bake a bouquet of flowers this year!
The rose cupcakes are a true eye-catcher as they are. So presenting them on a large serving platter or, as we recommend, on a two-tiered cake stand, will give them the attention they deserve. If you wish to present them as more of a surprise, buy a gift box to place the cupcakes in. A ribbon on top will make the surprise perfect. This will surely be a welcome surprise and tasty treat to make mother’s day extra special!
Recipe: Sweet Rose Cupcakes with Creamy Apricot Filling
Ingredients:
2 apples
½ lemon (juice)
1 stick cinnamon
360 ml water
2 sheets puff pastry
50g hazelnuts
3 tbsp apricot jam
butter for greasing
Tools:
Cutting board
Knife
Citrus press
Large bowl
Small saucepan
Oven
Muffin tin
Steps:
1. Quarter apples, remove core, and then cut crosswise into thin strips.
2. Add apple slices and lemon juice to a large bowl. Stir well to combine. Then, add apple, lemon juice, and cinnamon stick to a small saucepan with some of the water, slowly bring to a simmer, and cook for approx. 2 – 3 min. Remove from heat, drain the apples, remove the cinnamon stick and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Roll out puff pastry and cut lengthwise into strips approx. the width of 4 fingers. This pastry dough will lay the foundation of your rose cupcakes and make sure to hold the apple petals in place perfectly.
4. In a small saucepan, bring apricot jam and rest of the water to a simmer over medium heat for approx. 3 – 5 min. Stir well to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Grind hazelnuts to finer, close to fully ground mixture using a food processor or the hand blender.
6. Arranging the cupcakes requires attention to detail. Spread apricot jam evenly over puff pastry strips. Sprinkle ground hazelnuts on top of jam. Then, form a row of apple slices, half-moon side facing up, on top of jam. Fold the bottom half of the puff pastry up so that apple slices are tucked inside. Carefully roll from side to side to form a rose. Transfer to a lightly greased muffin tin and bake in a preheated oven at 190°C for approx. 30 – 35 min.
7. Let cool completely. Dust with confectioners sugar.
As you can see, Mother’s Day gift ideas need not be expensive or particularly extensive. The true worth lies in being mindful and preparing beforehand, making the effort to bake or cook something that truly comes from the heart. It is a priceless gift that every mother will know to cherish.
This fragrant, spring-inspired twist on a traditional lemon cake and this fun and unique way of baking roses instead of buying them will surely awe every mother that gets to open these very special presents this upcoming Mother’s Day. While the most important thing remains spending time together as a family, gifting homemade snacks and treats undoubtedly proves as an exciting and creative way of expressing your gratitude in an unusual but inspired way.
