I have worked as a consultant dietitian in the food industry, then as a community and public health dietitian for a number of years. After which I resigned to take on a role as a youth pastor. We’ve had countless dinners and meetings at our house over the years, so there has been plenty of opportunities to bake and cook for guests. Again and again I have been asked, “Can you teach me how to cook that”. After writing out the recipes numerous times and even having friends come to my house to learn how to cook, I decided to one day start a cooking blog.
In March 2011 my third son was born (three wonderful boys), he was quite unwell and I was up feeding him 3 hourly throughout the night until he was 7 months old. To stay awake during those times I started howtocookthat.net Yes, that’s correct most of the first years posts were typed one handed at all hours of the night while feeding a baby.
I often get asked how can you make all of those cakes and desserts and not be overweight? Well, there is no magic pill – all of our meals are low fat and healthy, I eat plenty of fruit and excercise regularly. I try to only make amazing desserts when we have people coming over to share it with. I did have intentions of adding the recipes that I use for dinner to the blog, but I keep getting sidetracked with desserts – they photograph so much more beautifully.
I have been cooking sweet things and collecting recipes ever since I was a little girl. What a blessing to have a mum that taught me to cook despite the mess that kids make in the kitchen.
Above is a pic of the first recipe I ever wrote out – my friends mum had made the most amazing chocolate cheesecake, so I asked for the recipe. I have a recipe file that is thick with gems collected over the years. If there is no source listed it is because I don’t actually know where they came from or I have adapted or developed the recipes myself.
Ann
Please direct all media, advertsing, business and booking enquiries to: howtocookthat [at] iinet.net.au
FAQ: Where is Ann Reardon from? I live in Sydney Australia but my wonderful subscribers are from USA, UK, Canada, Australia and all over the world.
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Hei Ann !
I `am trying my best to make decorations With transfeer sheets .
I have melt the chocolate and put it over the transfeer sheets.
When I take the sheet off after the fridge , just some of the pattern is left on the chocolate ….. What is wrong the way I`am doing it..?
The chocolate is warm when I put it on the sheets!
I really like Your sites on Youtube! I thinking about makeing cakes With chocolate decorations !
Nice if you can take the time to answer me 🙂
Kent Arne
Norway
beautiful job Kent Arne
Hi Ann!
I subscribe to your you tube channel, and love everything you put up. I didn’t know about Divergent till I saw your video on the cake. So now I’ve bought the ebook 🙂
I just saw a video by Kawaii sweet world. She made a pizza cake for April Fools. Could you make 1 with all home made ingredients? We simple folks in here don’t often get fancy sweets in the shops, so it would be nice to make something like that at home.
Thanks!
hi Ann
always look forward to friday so I can watch your latest video
please make a Rubik cube cake or a horse cake.
Hi Ann,
I love your videos, they are awesome. I made a minion cake last year for my sons 3rd birthday. I had my laptop sitting on the bench and followed your video to make it, except I had him sitting down with his legs/feet out the front. It worked out pretty well (for a beginner, I only make cakes for my two boys birthdays, slowly getting better!). Thank you very much for that video, without it I wouldn’t have known where to start! Have you ever made a Lego Ninjago figure cake? My boys are turning 4 and 6 this year, with their birthdays being only a month apart and they both want Lego Ninjago figure cake, one white and one black… Would be fantastic if I had a video to follow that was as brilliant as your minion cake!! Any suggestions?? Thanks heaps! Pam.
Hi Pam, yes i have made a Ninjago Lego cake. If you search ‘reardon ninjago lego’ on google, I’m sure it will come up with the video on my youtube channel
i love your youtube vidio.
do you live in canada or the usa?
australia
Hello I’m a big fan I would like to message you because I am drawing u at the moment and some stuff u have made on YouTube
hi meg, you’re drawing me?
Hi there! I would like to buy a Cars Cake Cutting Template for cake & fondant. I am at St Albans VIC 3021. May I ask for how long going to be shipped and how much does it cost for shipping fees? And all others ingredient needed, where can I get them?
Hi Ann,
I just thought I’d drop you a line to say how inspiring and incredibly easy to follow you make all your videos and recipes. I fell over your YouTube site quite by accident – my seven year old daughter insisted I watch some of your videos and in fact I lost the majority of last night watching them (until 2.00am!). There are, of course, many baking tutorials on YouTube by many different people, but yours have an extra edge. Your obvious enjoyment when making the videos comes across straight away in your voice, but now I realise your extra ‘something’ is your knowledge of food and dietetics, a subject that is very interesting to me too. I too have learned my baking skills from books – the Internet wasn’t around for me to learn from either! I’m sure I haven’t even watched half of your videos yet and look forward to another self-indulgent evening at some point in the future! Without going on too much I suppose I just wanted to say I am now a great fan of yours, keep up the excellent work (I particularly love your jelly flower ‘paperweights’) and I wish you the greatest luck and fortune in your future.
With best regards from Alison
I think you SHOULD put your dinners on this blog, or start a new one for them, because I also love to cook and I’d like to know what kinds of dinners you make.
Hi Ann,
I am a novice baker and currently bake from my home and then donate all funds to the MS society, (my husband and older daughter have MS). I am practicing so one day I maybe able to open my own shop. Long story short, my youngest daughter is turning 21 and I need to figure out how to make a mermaid that looks like it is diving through the water, The cake will be the water, she wants a moon to one side and then a mermaid jumping out of the water and diving back in,,,,she has challenged me well. Can you send any suggestions on how I might make that work? I love your website and recently downloaded your template for the Dalek cake, another challenge for an MS sufferer who wanted a cake and could not afford it. I am making it for free for her. Hope you can help. Beth (www.SecretsBakery.com)..feel free to check out my website, would love feedback.
hi,
I purchased a cars cake template today under my husbands paypal of shay Clifford. how do I access it?
Hi Ann,
Are you considering making Disney Pixar “Planes” birthday cake?
It would be awesome if you do.
Thank you!
can you make a Harry Potter cake please
Here I am again. I have just purchased a second template for the fire engine cake and have not been able to download the template. Sorry to say this is definitely not a user friendly site.
I have already left 2 messages about the first template I ordered. It did download but within the week I cannot access it again. My husband accidentally shredded the first template and I am getting anxious about not being able to get it. I need your help. I have the receipt for this order from PayPal and left the receipt number and date of purchase on my message earlier today. Narelle 24 Jun 2014 08:13:11 PDT
Transaction ID: 02F96655788969942
Hi Ann,
Another Aussie here that loves your site and everything along with it.
Ive made your sponge and chocolate cake numerous of times plus the cupcakes and hello kitty and they have all turned out : ) beautifully.
Can you cook up a white chocolate cake of some sort (eg mud ) ?
How about a lovely toadstool cake ?
Thanks again for sharing your receipes. Saw you on Sunrise , good job !
Hi Ann
Whenever I try modelling fondant by hand it wilts. I know my hands get very warm but how do I keep them cool enough and save time on the to and fro method I’ve been using.
Hi there
I made a cake using some of your tutorials. I would absolutely love to share the picture with you as a thank you. Where can I email that?
Kind Regards,
Craig
Oh I figured it out on here. ha ha. I used your teddybear tutorial and your pillow cake. Thank you sooo much for sharing your skills. You are a legend
I ordered the template for the Thomas train cake and its not allowing me to go to any link could you please help me my cake due sunday 5406718376
Hi,
I would really like you to do a ‘Meet And Greet’ somewhere in Sydney.
You are a cooking legend and I have really wanted to meet you for the last 2 years.
Thank You So Much,
Deena
I just purchased the little book of frosting recipes, and unfortunatley it is coming up as an unknown file type and wont let me save/print.
What is the file type you have used so I can save it.
Thanks Heaps
Cass