Jarrah Lifting Spirits through Global Financial Crisis + Cupcake Recipe

AUSTRALIAN MUMS 'LIFT THEIR SPIRITS' WITH SIMPLE PLEASURES DURING GFC

Forget the 'Lipstick Index', poll finds mums reward themselves with 'essentialluxury' of coffee and hot chocolate

Flash dinners, new season fashion and extravagant spending are out of favour with Australian mums but simple pleasures worth less than $10 are regarded as 'essential', according to a poll of more than 1400 women.

The Jarrah Everyday Indulgence Poll* quizzed 1438 Australian women (through Femail.com.au) on how theglobal financial crisis had affected their spending habits.

While spending on the family has largely remained the same, almost half of all women(46.3%) agreed that they spent less on themselves. But that doesn.t mean everydayindulgences have been forgotten; virtually all respondents (94.9%) said spending under$5 to $10 on a treat lifted their spirits.

.Australian mums have always put their family first. It.s no surprise to find that thehousehold budget favours their husband and children,. says Nicole Gunnis,spokesperson for the Jarrah Everyday Indulgence Poll and an expert on how Australianwomen reward themselves.

Working mums, Nicole Gunnis and Sandra Thoma, own and run YM salon. Formerlyknown as yummymummys, the salon combines indulgent treatments with an onsitecrèche for busy mums seeking time-out and pampering.

A third of Australian women claimed to .hardly ever. have time for themselves. Whenthey do reward themselves a cup of hot chocolate or coffee was the most popularindulgence, behind reading a magazine (20.6%), watching their favourite TV program(14.8%) or exercising (12.5%).

Interestingly instant or home-made coffee and hot chocolate was regarded as essentialby 43% of respondents, but only 6.6% felt the same way about cosmetics and beautyproducts.

.You.ve heard of the lipstick index where lipstick sales rise in .troubled times.. There.s anequally powerful hot chocolate and coffee factor at play in homes across the country,.says Thoma.

.For most mums, they juggle family, work, friends, weekly dinners, homework,afterschool activities and business meetings. With many families forgoing holidays dueto tightened budgets this year, it is vital to find a way to take a moment and recharge,.says Gunnis.

.At YM we encourage women to take a little time out for a little indulgence. It doesn.tneed to be expensive. Grab a cup of Jarrah and take a moment to savour a deliciouscoffee, hot chocolate or chai latte., Thoma suggests.

AUSTRALIAN MUMS SEEK SIMPLE PLEASURES DURING GFC:INSTANT COFFEE INDEX AT WORK

Jarrah.s new look range of flavoured coffees, hot chocolates and chai lattes offer a littlebit of indulgence for everyday moments. With new formulations, Jarrah is now tastierthan ever. What.s more, all Jarrah products are at least 98 per cent fat free with no morethan 67 calories per serve, so they are delicious on the lips but not on the hips..Indulging yourself for just a couple of minutes daily can be enormously beneficial torecharge emotional reserves and keep stress at bay,. says Gunnis.

Jarrah Coffee

Jarrah has a delicious selection of wonderfully rich and creamy instant flavoured coffees,in both frothy and flat varieties. The enticing range includes silky smooth, luxuriouslyfrothy and creamy coffees such as Crème Caramel and a heavenly White Choc-a-Mocha. Also try the new decadent Mocha Truffle; a mix of luscious chocolate and coffeeflavours blended with cream. Stylish, new Cheeky .Cino features a thicker, richer,smoother taste with a frothier finish. It is made from 100 per cent Arabica coffee beans.Stronger vanilla notes enhance new Vanilla Thriller which is frothier and richer.

If you prefer a flat white, Jarrah.s Coffee Sensations range includes hazelnut-flavouredBavarian Bliss or rendezvous with an opulent cinnamon-flavoured Vienna Velvet. Otherdelicious varieties include French Liaison, Brazil Delight, Swiss Moments and ViennaVelvet with Reduced Sweetness.


Jarrah Hot Chocolate

The Jarrah hot chocolate range has a wide selection of indulgent and deliciously rich hotchocolate drinks to suit every occasion. For simple chocolate indulgence, enjoy a mug ofChoc O.Lait or for something more decadent, Jarrah Chocolatté. Jarrah offers a buffet ofhot chocolate flavours with a smooth, frothy latte style finish to suit every mood includingFrothy Classic, White Delight, Extreme Choc and Fudge Frenzy.

The ultimate object of desire is Jarrah.s range of Belgian Chocolattés. Made with realBelgian milk or dark chocolate, Jarrah Chocolatté Milk Belgian Desire and Dark BelgianDecadence will take you to a place known only as hot chocolate heaven.


Jarrah Chai Latte

Unwind with Jarrah.s Chai Latte selection which offers an exotic mix of milky instant teaand delicious spices with a smooth frothy latte style finish. Jarrah.s Chai Latte VanillaSpice is a rejuvenating fusion of vanilla, spice and chai flavours while Jarrah.s Chai LatteCaramel Sensation offers a spicy fusion of caramel and chai flavours.

Jarrah Coffee, Hot Chocolate and Chai Latte varieties are available from supermarketsnationally. Pricing: $5.45 for a coffee, $4.89 for a typical Chocolatte and $5.45 for a ChaiLatte.

JARRAHTM CUPCAKES

Ingredients
2/3 cup milk
180g butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 2/3 cups plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 170C. Place butter and sugar in a bowl and beat withelectric beaters until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beatingwell between additions. Sift flour and baking powder together. Foldinto butter mixture. Alternate with milk. Spoon mixture into greasedmuffin tray, lined with patty cases. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Test with askewer. If the skewer is .clean., cupcakes are ready to be removedfrom the oven. Cool on a wire rack and ice cup cakes when completelycooled. Makes 12.

Use either the following icing or frosting to make delicious Jarrah treats.

Icing
3½ cups of pure icing sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons of your favourite JARRAH flavour, sifted
1 tablespoon of warm milk
100g chocolate

Dissolve JARRAH into warm milk. Mix into sifted icing sugar until well combined. Spread icing overcupcakes. Using a vegetable grater, shave the chocolate and sprinkle the shavings over cupcakes.

Frosting
125g butter, at room temperature
1½ cups icing sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons of milk, at room temperature
1 tablespoon of your favourite JARRAH flavour, sifted

Sift Jarrah and icing sugar together. Place butter in a large bowl and beat with electric beaters untilthe butter is pale. Gradually add half the sifted icing sugar mix, while continuing to beat. Add the milkgradually, while constantly beating. Add remaining icing sugar mix and continue to beat until the mixis smooth and easy to spread. Use a piping bag to pipe spirals of frosting on to the cup cakes.

Jarrah Everyday Indulgence Tip:
Top iced or frosted cupcakes with a coffee bean, chocolate shavings or sprinkle of cinnamon for anspecial indulgent touch.


About Jarrah
Jarrah launched in 1984, pioneering the flavoured coffee mix segment (All-In-One -coffee, milk, sugar and flavours). Jarrah is now the only grocery brand offering acomprehensive range across the key indulgence segment of flavoured coffee, hotchocolates and chai lattes. Jarrah's deliciously indulgent hot drinks have become amuch-loved and trusted favourite.

* Poll was conducted on femail.com.au in June and July 2009. It attracted 1438 responses. A fullcopy of the poll results is available by contacting IMPACT Communications.