Mangada [to eat]

Blood Orange & Poppy Seed Cupcakes

2011-11-08T13:25:00.008+11:00

My love affair with Blood Oranges is still going quite strong.
I had a bag of 6 which had made it's way to the bottom of my fridge after I bought them many weeks ago and I thought it was about time I made something gorgeous with them.

And what gorgeous cupcakes these are! don't you think?

Now, down to the details. These little morsels consist of an orange and poppy seed cupcake, filled with blood orange curd and topped with mounds of luscious white chocolate swiss meringue buttercream and finished off with a candied slice of blood orange - AH-MAY-ZING!

I must say I am pretty proud of this little concoction as they look gorgeous and taste even better (if I do say so myself).

Orange & Poppy Seed Cupcakes
1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup (130g) caster sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Zest of 1 blood orange (use regular orange if you prefer)
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 1/2 cups (195g) plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl whisk together the orange zest, flour, baking powder, poppy seeds and salt.

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full and bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or just until set and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Candied Blood Orange
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 blood oranges, thinly sliced

Bring water and sugar to boil in a heavy large skillet, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the orange slices to the pan, arranging in a single layer.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and barely simmer until the white pith of the orange becomes translucent, turning the slices occasionally, about 40 minutes. Allow the orange slices to cool in the syrup, turning occasionally.

Blood Orange Curd
1 blood orange (juice and zest)
½ lemon (juice only)
55g butter
110g caster sugar
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
Red food colouring (optional)

Zest and juice the blood orange and the ½ lemon juice into a small bowl. In another small bowl, beat the two eggs and the egg yolk together well.

Melt the cubed butter in a large heat-proof bowl over a simmering pan of water, making sure the bowl isn't touching the water.

Add the sugar and the zest and juice from the blood orange and lemon, followed by the eggs. If you’re using food colouring, add a few drops in. Stir the mixture carefully and constantly with a spatula, making sure the mixture doesn’t boil. Once the mixture coats the back of the spatula (turn the spatula flat and run your finger through the mixture coating it – if you can draw a line through the mixture and it doesn’t re-fill, then it’s cooked), remove from the heat and allow to cool.

White Chocolate Buttercream
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup (112g) caster sugar
170g salt reduced or unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
50g white chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature

Beat butter with a hand held electric mixer until fluffy and pale.

In double boiler over simmering water, whisk sugar and egg whites until warm and sugar is dissolved, 3 - 5 minutes (if you have a digital thermometer, warm until temperature reaches 70 degrees c). Transfer to clean bowl of electric mixer; beat on high with whisk attachment until fluffy and cooled, about 10 minutes.

Reduce mixer to medium-low; add butter a dessert spoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

Switch to paddle attachment; add the melted and cooled white chocolate and beat on lowest speed 3 to 5 minutes.

Assembly
1. Using a small pairing knife or small (2.5cm) round cutter, cut out a hole in the top of your cupcake.
2. Fill the cavity with blood orange curd.
3. Replace the top of the hole.
4. Ice the cupcake with the buttercream
5. Top with a candied orange
6. EAT!

Gorgeous Geisha Cupcakes

2011-10-31T09:20:00.010+11:00

If you're a fan of T2 tea, then you'll know where the inspiration came from for these cupcakes.

Gorgeous Geisha tea is a delicious blend of green tea flavoured with strawberries & cream and is one of T2's most popular teas (and for a good reason).

The occasion for these cupcakes was a friends 31st birthday. I adore spoiling friends with a home made sweets, and even more so when they are for a special occasion.

The components of this cupcake included a matcha (green tea) cupcake, filled with a sweet fresh strawberry filling and topped with a velvety swiss meringue buttercream.

I was so happy with the results of these cupcakes and I hope they were enjoyed by the birthday girl too.

Matcha (Green Tea) Cupcakes
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cake flour
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon matcha (green tea) powder
113g unsalted butter, softened, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large eggs
1/2 cup full cream milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 175 degrees c. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and matcha powder; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until the cubes of butter are peanut-sized or a little smaller.

In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Strawberry Filling
450g Frozen strawberries, thawed and diced
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon juice

In a medium saucepan, combine diced strawberries, sugar, cornflour and lemon juice and mix well. Heat and stir until mixture boils and thickens. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Strawberry Buttercream
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup (112g) caster sugar
170g salt reduced or unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Approx 1/4 cup strawberry puree (using left over strawberry filling)

Puree the remaining strawberry filling in a food processor and set aside.

Beat butter with a hand held electric mixer until fluffy and pale.

In double boiler over simmering water, whisk sugar and egg whites until warm and sugar is dissolved, 3 - 5 minutes (if you have a digital thermometer, warm until temperature reaches 70 degrees c). Transfer to clean bowl of electric mixer; beat on high with whisk attachment until fluffy and cooled, about 10 minutes.

Reduce mixer to medium-low; add butter a dessert spoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

Switch to paddle attachment; beat on lowest speed 3 to 5 minutes adding the strawberry puree to taste (don't put too much in as the buttercream can go goopy).

Assembly
1. Using a small pairing knife or small (2.5cm) round cutter, cut out a hole in the top of your cupcake.
2. Fill the cavity with strawberry filling.
3. Replace the top of the hole.
4. Ice the cupcake with the buttercream (I used a piping bag with a 1M Wilton tip)
5. EAT!

Mint Choc Chip Cake

2011-10-04T13:35:00.009+11:00

It has been one whole month since I have baked anything. From being away for work to being sick and having no time, the long weekend finally gave me a chance to catch up on some recipe’s in my to bake pile.

Now, I am SO SO SO excited to show you this cake because it is so friggin' delicious.

I stumbled across this recipe on a fellow bloggers site - Raspberri Cupcakes and thought it was such a sweet idea that I would try it out for myself.

I used a different chocolate cake recipe as I had been wanting to try this one bowl chocolate cake recipe from Sweet Polita's blog. This chocolate cake recipe was so simple to make and yields a rich, moist chocolate cake. It also only uses a 1/4 cup of oil and no butter which is a bonus as it keeps it's tender crumb even straight out of the fridge. This is definitely my new go to choccie cake recipe.

If you love choc chip mint ice cream you will love this cake.

Chocolate Fudge Cake adapted from Sweet Polita
Yeilds two 8-inch round layers - if you would like a four layer cake you will need to make two of this recipe.

1 1/2 cups (180g) plain flour
1 1/2 cups (200g) caster sugar
3/4 cup (90g) dutch cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil
3/4 cup (190ml) buttermilk
3/4 cup (190ml) hot brewed coffee (I'm not a huge fan of coffe, so I used half strength)
2 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla

**You will need to make two of this recipe to make the 4 layer cake**

Preheat oven to 180°C. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans with butter and line with baking paper rounds and dust some cocoa powder around the sides to prevent any sticking. Tap out excess.

In bowl of electric mixer, sift all dry ingredients and add all remaining ingredients to bowl with the dry ingredients and with paddle attachment on mixer, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed and pour into prepared pans.

Bake for cakes for approx 30 minutes, rotating the pans at the 20 minute mark. Cakes are done when toothpick or skewer comes clean.

Cool on wire racks for 20 minutes, then loosen edges with a small knife, and gently invert onto racks until completely cool.

Choc Chip Mint Icing adapted from Raspberri Cupcakes
300g unsalted butter (I use salt reduced as I like a slightly salty flavour)
5 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 - 2 tblsp milk
2-3 tsp peppermint essence, or to taste
150g dark chocolate, very finely chopped or pulsed through a food processor
green food colouring (be careful when using paste colours as a little goes a long way)

In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer) cream the butter until smooth and well blended. Add the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the milk little by little to get to right consistency then add peppermint essence and food colouring and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes).

Dark Chocolate Glaze
115g Dark Chocolate
70g unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into cubes

Place the chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir the mixture until melted and smooth.

Assembly of the Four-Layer Cake
1. Place the first chocolate cake layer up on your cake pedestal or plate.

2. Using a small offset palette knife, spread approximately 3/4 cup of buttercream evenly on top of the bottom layer.
3. Repeat this 1-2 until you come to the final layer, which you will place face down on the top of the cake to get a nice, flat top.

4. If you have one, place cake on a turntable (this makes it easier to get a nice finish on your buttercream), and using a small offset palette knife for the top of the cake, and medium straight palette knife for the sides, cover the cake in a thin layer of buttercream to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5. Repeat step 4 to finish of the outer layer of buttercream. Clean up edges with your small offset palette knife.

6. Chill cake until icing is set.

7. Make the glaze and set aside for a few moments to cool a bit. Pour glaze over chilled cake, smoothing the top with a clean small offset palette knife.

8. Chill again to set. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Blood Orange & Olive Oil Cake w/ Oranges in Syrup

2011-09-05T14:11:00.008+10:00

The idea of starting my own business has been playing on my mind recently. I love to cook for my friends, family and work mates and I'm hoping that love can transcend to a slightly larger scale.

I guess the only i'm scared of is putting myself out there and the whole thing being a big fail. I mean, I don't really have any professional training and what if I can't pull it off. But what I do know is if I don't try, I won't know.

Anywhoo, back to the baking. I adore blood oranges and now that they are back in season I couldn’t wait to make something sweet with them.

I only discovered blood oranges last season and instantly became memorised by their jewel-like flesh. So last weekend I picked up a bag of them at my local markets and then hit up google and came across this deeeelish recipe.

This recipe uses olive oil instead of butter, which makes for a wonderful tender crumb. I'm actually starting to favor cake recipes made with oil as they do not go hard when refrigerated. Also, do take the time to make the accompanying syrup as it really compliments the cake and lifts the blood orange flavor.

Blood Orange & Olive Oil Cake
Rind and juice of 1 blood orange
1 cup (200 grams) caster sugar
Scant 1/2 cup (118 ml) buttermilk or plain yogurt
3 large eggs
2/3 cup (156 ml) olive oil - the original recipe uses extra virgin, but I used a light olive oil
1 3/4 cups (219 grams) plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius and line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Grate zest from the orange and place in a small bowl with sugar. Using your fingers, rub ingredients together until orange zest is evenly distributed in sugar.

Combine the ¼ cup orange juice and buttermilk or yogurt in a small jug. Pour mixture into bowl with sugar and whisk well. Whisk in eggs and olive oil.

In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently stir dry ingredients into wet ones. Fold in pieces of orange segments. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until it is golden and a knife inserted into centre comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then unmold and cool to room temperature right-side up. Serve with honeyed and blood orange syrup, if desired.

Blood Oranges in Syrup
1 blood orange, cut into 2mm slices
1 cup (250ml) blood orange juice
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick

Combine ingredients in a saucepan or skillet; bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, about 20 - 30 minutes or until syrup thickens. Cool to room temperature.

Key Lime Pie w/ Ginger & Coconut Crust

2011-08-22T13:27:00.007+10:00

Key Lime Pie has been on my list of many things to make for a long time now. I dont believe I have actually ever tried a Key Lime Pie, but for some reaons this creamy, sweet yet tart dessert has always caught my eye in recipe books.

As usual, a recipe which is a little different from the norm always appeals to me, so when I spotted a recipe for a Key Lime Pie with Ginger & Coconut Crust I knew it was the one for me.

I hope you enjoy this super easy recipe as much as I did.

Key Lime Pie adapted from The Capitol Baker and Joy of Baking

Key Lime Pie
For the Crust:
1 cup digestive biscuit crumbs
1/2 cup ginger snap biscuit crumbs
1/4 cup desiccated coconut
2 tablespoons caster sugar
90g butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and spray a 9-inch (23cm) tart pan with non-stick spray.

Mix together the digestive biscuit crumbs, ginger snap crumbs, coconut, and butter until well combined. Press the mixture evenly into the tart pan and make sure to cover the bottom and sides. Bake for 10 minutes and remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Filling:
4 egg yolks
1 can (395g) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (approx 5 limes)
zest of 2 lime

In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks until pale on high speed until fluffy (this took me about 3-4 minutes). Gradually add the condensed milk and beat until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat in the lime juice and zest on low speed.

Pour the filling over the cooled crust and bake for about 10 - 15 minutes, or until the filling is set. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once it has completely cooled, cover and refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

For the Whipped Cream:
1 cup thickened cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp powdered sugar

Whip the cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar until nearly stiff. Spread the cream over the pie and serve.

Chocolate Peppermint Slice

2011-08-14T20:41:00.011+10:00

Hi All,

I love trying to re-create something delicious that I have bought, in particular, a certain peppermint slice.

My love for a good peppermint slice came from the drive from Canberra to Sydney. Every time I made this journey I would stop at the Sutton Forrest McDonalds and have a chicken burger and a piece (or 2..or 3) of their deeee-licious peppermint slice (seriously, this stuff is good!).

I don't make the journey to Sydney all that often anymore (I know, I can get it at any old McCafe, but there was something special about only getting from a McDonalds in the middle of nowhere), so I decided it was about time that I try to make it.

Now, this special peppermint slice was different to others. Most of them I have seen have a boring biscuit base. Macca's base was a rich chocolate coconutty base (reminiscent of mum's chocolate coconut slice), the peppermint middle had the perfect amount of peppermint and the chocolate topping was a smooth, creamy ganache. YUM.

So once again, I played Frankenstein and came up with this little number. I hope you enjoy!

Chocolate Peppermint Slice
Chocolate Base
1 ½ cups self raising flour
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup coconut
½ cup brown sugar
125g unsalted butter, melted
1 egg

Preheat oven to 180°C. Butter a 16cm x 26cm x 3cm slice tray (or close to those dimensions).

Combine flour, cocoa, coconut and brown sugar in a bowl, stir in melted butter and egg and mix until well combined. Press mixture into slice tray and bake for 10-15 minutes until starting to brown. Remove from oven and cool slightly.

Peppermint Crème Filling
3 cups icing sugar (sifted)
1/3 cup cream (you may need more or less to get a desired spreadable consistancy)
40g melted butter (or you could use Copha)
1 1/2 tsp peppermint essence (or to your taste)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and spread a layer over the cooled chocolate base. Refrigerate until firm (about 30 minutes to 1 hour).

Chocolate Glaze
150g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
100ml pouring cream
20g unsalted butter, softened

Combine chocolate, butter and cream in a small bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until the mixture is smooth. Spread over cooled peppermint filling and refrigerate immediately until set.

Once slice is fully set, cut into bit-size squares.

Raspberry Melting Moments

2011-08-14T20:35:00.006+10:00

Here is another of my re-creations. I recently picked up an amazingly lovely client at work who recently started her own business, Puddin' Boots. She makes all sorts of puddings, mini cakes, brownies (my personal fave) and melting moment biscuits for morning tea's, afternoon tea's and birthday parties. All of which are delicious.

You can check out her adorable website here .

I recently went out and visited her at the Hall Markets in Canberra and purchased a few of her goodies. I loved the raspberry melting moments so that I decided to make some for myself.

After a quick google, I found this recipe from taste.com.au which seemed perfect. One hour later I had beautiful biscuits filled with a scrumptious pink filling. This recipe is definitely a keeper and would also work well with a passionfruit or orange filling.

Raspberry Melting Moments inspired by Puddin' Boots, recipe from Taste.com.au
125g unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup pure icing sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup plain flour
2 tablespoons custard powder
pure icing sugar, to serve

Raspberry Filling
60g unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence
3/4 cup pure icing sugar, sifted
6 frozen raspberries, thawed

Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan-forced and line a baking trays with baking paper.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Sift flour and custard powder over butter mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined and a soft dough forms.

Roll out dough to about 1cm thick and cut out rounds using a small round cutter (I used a 2.5cm one) and place on the prepared trays. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until light golden. Cool on tray for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make raspberry filling. Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a bowl until light and creamy. Add vanilla. beat to combine. Add icing sugar. beat until fluffy and well combined. Beat in raspberries.

Pipe or spread the flat side of 1 biscuit with the filling. Sandwich with 1 biscuit. Repeat with remaining biscuits and filling. Serve dusted with icing sugar.

Chai Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream Frosting

2011-06-22T20:51:00.004+10:00

I have a bit of a Chai Latte addiction at the moment, which inspired me to make this gorgeous Chai Cupcakes.

Chai Vanilla Cupcakes - adapted from Joy of Baking
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons of instant chai drink powder
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and line a 24 hole cupcake tin with paper liners.

With a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, chai powder and salt.

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Evenly fill the cupcake cups with the batter and bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or just until set and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. (Do not over bake or the cupcakes will be dry.)

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing.

Maple Buttercream Frosting - adapted from Joy of Baking
230 grams icing sugar, sifted
130 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk or light cream
2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup

In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer) cream the butter until smooth and well blended. Add the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the milk and maple syrup and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes).

Add a little more milk or sugar, if needed to get the right consistancy.

Using a piping bag and tip (I use Wilton's 1M piping tip), pipe a swirl of the butter cream on each of the cooled cakes and decorate as you like.

Now go eat your delicious creations!

Carrot Cake

2011-06-06T13:19:00.006+10:00

This cake right here is one of THE BEST cakes I have eaten in a long time, so much so, that even my boss blurted out "this cake F-----G rocks!"

It is moist, delicious, dead easy to make (I promise) and will have you going back for more and more!

Carrot Cake from The Cake Mistress
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Vegetable Oil
3 Large Eggs
Pinch Salt
1/2 teaspoon Bicarb Soda
2 cups Self Raising Flour
2 cups finely grated Carrot (around 4 large carrots)
1/2 cup Walnuts, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Nutmeg

Heat oven to 180 degrees celsius and grease desired cake tin (I used 2 8 inch cake tins to make a double layered)
Beat sugar and oil until thick, then add 1 egg at a time and keep beating for a few more minutes.
Add salt, bicarb soda, carrots, flour, walnuts and spices.
Mix with wooden spoon until all combined.
Put batter in well greased loaf pan or tin and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until light golden and cake springs back when touched in the middle.

Cream Cheese Frosting
300g Icing sugar
125g Cream Cheese, cold
50g Unsalted Butter, room temp

Beat the icing sugar and butter together with an electric mixer until well mixed.
Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated.
Turn the mixer up to medium high. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.

Catch up...

2011-05-30T12:47:00.009+10:00

I admit it... I have been extremely lazy, which has led to the blog being...well, quite unkept.

So in an effort to start updating again, I thought I shall update you on some recent cakes I have made.

Ruffle Cake
Lemon chiffon cake, lemon curd cream filling, Swiss meringue buttercream and a fondant bow

I was asked to make a cake for a baby shower, the only request being a chiffon cake to use purple as the colour - the rest was up to me! I was originally going to make something completely different but had diffiulty sourcing fresh flowers. Luckily, I came across this cake on the Martha Stewart website.

Whilst it may look quite difficult to do, the ruffle is actually quite simple. It involves using a small petal tip (I used wilton tip #103). Starting at the bottom, holding the piping bag straight with the smaller side of the tip facing outward, do a back and forth motion until you reach the top of the cake then start again beside that row until the cake is covered.

If you are a visual person, watching this ruffle cake tutorial on YouTube will be beneficial.

My technique was a little rough (not too bad for a first effort though!), but it is a very forgiving technique.

Lemon Chiffon Cake (to make a 3 layer cake as I have done, you will need to make 3 of this recipe)
3/4 cup cake flour (this can be found at Coles supermarket)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon caster sugar
3 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest, (about 4 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Heat oven to 170 degrees and have ready an ungreased an 8 inch round tin. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and 3/4 cup sugar; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, vegetable oil, 1/3 cup water, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. Add reserved dry ingredients, and beat until smooth.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat on high speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Gradually add remaining tablespoon of granulated sugar; beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.

Gradually fold egg-white mixture into the batter; start by folding in 1/3, then fold in the remaining 2/3. Pour batter into pan. Using an offset spatula, smooth the top. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean and the cake is golden, about 45 minutes.

Remove cake from oven; invert the pan over 2 glasses (rest the sides of the tin on the glasses) for 2 hours to cool (THIS STEP IS VERY IMPORTANT). Turn cake right-side up. Run a table knife all the way down between cake and pan; invert again, and remove cake.

To read more about chiffon cakes, looky here.

Lemon Curd Cream (adapted from Joy of Baking)
3 large eggs
150 grams granulated white sugar
80 ml fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
56 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon (4 grams) finely shredded lemon zest

500ml Thickened Cream, whipped to soft peaks

In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly (to prevent it from curdling), until the mixture becomes thick (like sour cream or a hollandaise sauce) (160 degrees F or 71 degrees C). This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted. Add the lemon zest and let cool. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Cover immediately (so a skin doesn't form) and refrigerate until completely cool.

Once the curd is cool, fold through the whipped cream and refrigerate until required.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream
450g unsalted butter, room temperature (if you prefer a saltier taste like I do, use salt reduced butter)
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 egg whites
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Beat butter with electric mixer until fluffy and pale. Transfer to small bowl.

In double boiler over simmering water, whisk sugar and egg whites until warm and sugar is dissolved, 3 - 5 minutes. Transfer to clean bowl of electric mixer; beat on high with whisk attachment until fluffy and cooled, about 10 minutes.

Reduce mixer to medium-low; add butter a scant 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

Switch to paddle attachment; beat on lowest speed 3 to 5 minutes (add your require food colouring now). Leave at room temperature if using same day. Or store airtight in refrigerator up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature; beat until smooth.

To assemble
Lay one of the cakes on a cake stand or plate. Spread desired amount of lemon cream and top with a second cake, spread with another layer of lemon cream and top with the third cake.

Crumb coat the entire cake with approx 2 cups of the buttercream and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Using a wilton #103 tip, fill a pastry bag with the buttercream (don't overfill the bag as it can be a little hard to manoeuvre). Hold bag vertically, slot of tip perpendicular to cake; use swift back-and-forth motion 1 inch wide to make ruffle, pulling tip up side. Repeat until the entire cake is covered.

To finish the top of the cake pipe back and forth around the edge of the cake with the large end of the tip facing outwards.

To make the fondant bow, looky here.

...and matching vanilla cupcakes.

Red Velvet Cake
Isn't this red velvet cake just gorgeous? Not only is this dramatic cake beautiful to look at, it has a wonderfully soft, fluffy texture which is just divine with the creamy frosting.

250 grams sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
15 grams regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder
113 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
300 grams granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
240 ml buttermilk
2 tablespoons liquid red food colouring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 175 degrees C and place rack in centre of oven. Butter two - 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food colouring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter.

Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the refrigerator for at least an hour (or overnight).

Cream Cheese Frosting
250 grams cream cheese, room temperature
250 grams tub of Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
115 grams icing sugar, sifted
360 ml cups cold heavy whipping cream

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and icing sugar and beat until smooth. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to spread. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Assemble: With a serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. You will now have four cake layers. Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter. Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting. Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake.

Rainbow Layer Cake & Choc Mud Cupcakes
How AWESOME is this rainbow layer cake? I've been wanting to make this cake for a while now, but didn't have an occasion until I was recently asked to make a 3rd birthday cake.

To learn how to make this cake, looky here..

And last but not least, here are some chocolate mud cupcakes with a swirl of classic buttercream frosting and fondant toppers.

Pork Belly with Caramel Dressing

2011-02-07T21:24:00.008+11:00

It's not often I make a savory dish worthy of making it's presence on my blog, but damn, this pork belly was finger lickin' good!

Recipe to follow shortly...

Vanilla Apricot & Almond Tart

2011-01-24T14:26:00.004+11:00

I love a good tart... perfect pastry combined with a luscious filling make for a delicious dessert.

An apricot tart had been on my list for a while now, so I finally got around to making this for an Australia Day lunch. My original plan was to make an apricot tart I found in my local newspaper, but decided to change plans after the sour cream pastry failed beyond belief.

So I decided play around with a tried and true French Pear Tart recipe and replaced the pears with vanilla infused apricots from Bills Sydney Food cookbook.

The result? a moist, nutty filling encased in a rich crumbly pastry with bursts of fruity goodness. It may not win any prizes for being the prettiest of tarts, but it's homely presence and down-to-earth simplistic deliciousness earns it a place in the pages of my favourites scrapbook.

Vanilla Apricot & Almond Tart

Recipe to follow shortly...

Mango Mousse Tart

2011-01-10T13:47:00.008+11:00

Mango has got to be the ULTIMATE summer fruit.

I stumbled across this little recipe during winter time (doh!) and had been dying for mango season to come around so I could taste it for myself.

I wasn't really sure what to expect from it (all I knew was it looked delicious and I had to make it), but it kind of tasted like a Weis bar, in pastry form.

Mango Mousse Tart

Macadamia Nut Pastry
3/4 cup raw unsalted macadamia nuts
1/4 cup sugar
187g cups all purpose flour
113g unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk, cold

Combine nuts and sugar in a food processor and grind until nuts are finely ground, (but do not overgrind and turn them into butter). Add flour and combine just until blended. Add the butter and combine in pulses until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Add the egg yolk and combine for a few seconds, just until the mixture begins to come together. Add a little water if the dough is still too dry - one tablespoon at a time.

Turn the dough out onto a working surface and work it gently with your fingers until it forms a cohesive dough.

Roll out the pastry to a 15 x 40cm rectangle, about 3mm thick. Line a shallow rectangle 10 x 34cm (base measurement) fluted tart tin with a removable base with the pastry and trim any excess. Cover the shell and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 190c. Prick the bottoms of the tart shells all over. Line pastry with baking paper and fill with baking weights and bake in the oven for about 12 to 15 minutes or until the tart shell is just starting to color. Remove the weights and return to the over for about 7-10 minutes until the shell is completely baked and are golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Mango Mousse
500g mango flesh (about 2 large or 3 smaller mangoes)
Sugar to taste
3 teaspoons gelatin
2 tablespoons hot water
300ml heavy cream, beaten to firm peaks

Peel skin from mangoes and remove as much flesh as possible. Puree the mango flesh with sugar to taste in a food processor. Strain the puree to get rid of any pulp.

Combine the gelatin and water in a small heat proof dish and melt in a waterbath of simmering water, stirring constantly until melted.

Mix the gelatin into the mango puree. Fold the mango mixture into the beaten cream.

Fill the cooled tart shell with the mousse. Smooth out the top with an offset spatula. Place the tarts in the refrigerator to let the mousse set overnight. Garnish with whipped cream and toasted macadamia nuts, or as I did with a passionfruit mango dessert sauce.

A French Feast - Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb, Ratatouille & Moelleux au Chocolat

2011-01-09T21:11:00.011+11:00

There are two influences for this delicious meal. The main reason being re-creating my last lunch in France, the other reason being to use my new Staub Cocotte.

ooooh look how pretty she is!

For my last day in Provence, my boyfriend’s aunt cooked a beautiful meal of slow roasted lamb shoulder with ratatouille. The meat was succulent and the ratatouille was bursting with flavour. I was so fond of the meal that I wrote it down in my holiday diary (which was mostly filled with food memories).

Ratatouille is a traditional French Provençal stewed vegetable dish, and one that I had never tried before (probably because of my slight aversion to eggplant, capsicum & zucchini). It features the vegetables you'd be likely to find in a summer garden: Aubergine (eggplant), Courgette (zucchini), Poivron (Capsicum), and tomatoes as well as fresh provençal herbs such as thyme and basil. There are so many differing ways to prepare it, some saying that each vegetable should be cooked separately, but most French households wouldn’t bother doing it this way. The way I prefer it prepared (which is also the way it was done by my boys aunt) is stewed for slightly longer (say 40-45 mins) and with a little more tomato.

For my version the lamb, I used a leg and flavoured it with garlic, rosemary & thyme. I slow roasted it for 2 ½ hours, but was terrified that it would come out chewy and tough, unlike the succulent meat-falling-off-the-bone version I had it France. I was elated to find that it was juicy and just like the one in my memory.

To finish off my home-made French foodie experience, I made the ever popular Moelleux au Chocolat (otherwise known as chocolate fondant pudding). The recipe I used was actually from a Koko Black flyer which I had lying in my to make pile. To cut through the richness of the cake I served it with a raspberry coulis and vanilla bean ice cream. This dessert also has the added benefit of being made in advance (min 2 hours) and kept in fridge until you are ready to bake it.

It was a perfect meal if I do say so myself. Apologies too for the dodgy night times photo's.

Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb
1.7kg leg lamb
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sea salt
4 cloves of garlic – one of them sliced, the rest just cut into quarters.
A few sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme.

Preheat oven to 180C.

Place lamb leg in a roasting tin and rub salt and the olive oil over the meat. Using a small knife pierce the meat to create some pockets (about 10 or so) and push the sliced garlic and a little rosemary into the meat. Scatter the remaining garlic, rosemary and thyme around the lamb and add 1 cup of water to the roasting dish.

Roast in the preheated oven at 180C for 1 hour. Remove roasting tin from oven, add another cup of water, cover the lamb with aluminium foil, return to oven and cook for 1 more hour.

Remove foil and cook for further 30 minutes or until the lamb is almost falling off the bone. Carve up and serve.

Ratatouille
1 large red onion, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 large red capsicum, cut into 2cm squares
1 medium eggplant, cut into 2cm cubes
1 large zucchini, cut into 2cm cubes
2 x 400g can of diced tomato’s (you can use fresh, I just prefer the taste of the canned ones)
Few sprigs of fresh thyme

Heat some olive oil over a medium heat in a heavy based saucepan (I used my Staub French Oven).

Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and capsicum and cook for a further two minutes. Reduce the heat if the vegetable start to brown.

Add the rest of the ingredients, turn down heat and cover the pot. Simmer until everything is soft and well blended, stirring occasionally - about 40 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Moelleux au Chocolat
60g caster sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
100g unsalted butter
100g dark chocolate
50g plain flour, sifted

Lightly brush 4 ramekins (150 - 200ml capacity) with softened butter and dust with cocoa powder. Place them on a baking tray and put them in the fridge whilst you make the batter.

Using a whisk, gently mix together the eggs and sugar. Be careful not to incorporate too much air.

Melt the butter and chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over simmering water. Remove from the heat and add to the egg mixture and gently combine. Lightly fold in the flour ensuring there are no lumps.

Place 100g of the batter into each ramekin (this ensures that all the ramekins are equal and will cook at the same rate). Cover the ramekins with cling film and place in the fridge to rest for 2 hours.

Pre-heat the oven to 190c (fan forced) and place the puddings straight in the oven and bake for 13 minutes (I found this too long, so will reduce the time next time)

To test if the Moelleux is ready, it should be slightly firm and spongy on top, with a cake-like appearance around the edges.

Serve the Moelleux in the ramekin or turn out onto a serving plate with vanilla ice cream and the raspberry coulis.

Raspberry Coulis
250g frozen raspberries
2 tbls caster sugar

Place frozen Raspberries and sugar into a saucepan. Stir to combine. Heat, stirring often, over medium heat until bubbling. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until berries are very tender. Using a spoon, crush raspberries until pureed.

Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Pass Raspberry mixture through a sieve to strain. Discard seeds

Coca (Tomato) Tarte

2011-01-02T21:42:00.011+11:00

There are many advantages to having a French mother-in-law. I love hearing about her history, looking at her old photographs and learning about her family and how she grew up in France. I really admire her strength and enjoy the time we spend together. Being able to attempt my limited French without feeling like an idiot is also awesome.

I also love sharing our love of cooking and learning recipes which have been passed down to her and making food that hopefully reminds her of France.

One of her recipe's that I think is super yummy is her Tomato Tart. The recipe comes from her Spanish grandmother, although I think it may have been tweaked as is has been passed down, kind of like Chinese whispers for food.

Coca Tarte
3 red onions, thinly sliced
2 x 400g cans of diced tomato's
1 small can (75g) or 1/2 a small red capsicum diced
Optional - clove of garlic, some herbs such as thyme, basil or oregano

Pastry
8 tblsp plain flour
8 tblsp S.R flour
pinch of salt
1 egg
4 tblsp olive oil

For the filling, sauté the onions with some olive oil until they are translucent (include the garlic here, if desired). Add the capsicum and sauté for a little longer until soft.

Add the diced tomato's and simmer on a medium low heat for about 30 minutes until the mixture is reduced, rich and flavoursome. Season with pepper and salt.

While the filling is simmering away, make the pastry. Preheat the oven to 180c (160c for fan forced). In a food processor, combine all the ingredients until you get a breadcrumb texture. Grab a small jug of cold water and add little by little (you will use about 1 - 2 tablespoons) until the dough just starts to come together in a ball.

Roll out the pastry to fit a round 23cm fluted tart tin. Line with the pastry, trim any excess and doc the bottom of the pastry with a fork. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest.

Blind bake the pastry for 10 minutes - there is no need to use pastry weights.

By now, the filling should be done. Fill the baked tart shell with the filling (here you can also add olives or anchovies - crumbled fetta would be nice too), place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Serve warm or cold, with a salad or as an entrée or how ever you desire.

Framboisine

2011-01-02T16:56:00.005+11:00

This little number was the deal breaker for me purchasing a dessert cookbook whilst on holidays in France.

There a number of beautiful looking desserts in the book (most of which I am yet to try) and as a bonus it's also great way for me to practice my French by interpreting the recipe.

It has taken me many months to finally getting around to making this cake, as most of you probably already know, raspberries are stupidly expensive here in Australia (in France, the average price was 2€ a punnet).

All the elements of this cake work perfectly together. The nutty earthiness of the dacquoise perfectly compliments the sweet tartness of the raspberries and the cream brings it all together.

This dessert would make a perfect ending to any summer dinner party.

Framboisine
4 egg whites
165g caster sugar
240g almond meal
35g plain flour

Raspberry Mousse
200g fresh/frozen raspberries (I used frozen)
3 tsp gelatin
2 tblsp hot water
125g white chocolate, melted
2 egg yolks
55g caster sugar
1 tsp Malibu
300ml heavy cream

To finish
300ml heavy cream
250 - 450g fresh raspberries (these are for garnish, so how ever many punnets you would like)
160g raspberry jam, hot
60ml Malibu

Preheat the oven to 180c (160c for fan forced) and grease two 22 cm springform pans and line them with baking paper.

In a bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Gradually add the caster sugar until you get glossy peaks and the sugar has dissolved. Fold in the almond meal and flour.

Spread the mixture evenly between the two pans and bake for 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes and unmould. Cool to room temperature.

For the raspberry mousse, push the raspberries through a sieve over a large bowl. Combine the gelatin and water in a small heat proof dish and melt in a waterbath of simmering water, stirring constantly until melted.

Mix the gelatin, melted chocolate, egg yolks, sugar and malibu in a bowl. Beat the cream until firm peaks. Fold the cream and chocolate mixture into the raspberry coulis.

Line the bottom and sides of a 22cm springform pan with baking paper. Place one of the cooled cakes in the bottom of the pan (smooth side down). Spread the raspberry mousse, then top with the other cake (smooth size facing the top). Cover and place in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours until firm.

Remove the cake from the pan. Beat the cream in a bowl until firm peaks, then spread it evenly over the cake. Garnish with the fresh raspberries and brush with the hot jam mixed with the Malibu. Serve immediately. Keep any leftovers in the fridge.

Passionfruit Macarons

2011-01-02T16:49:00.004+11:00

I thought the Christmas break would be a good time to practice my macaron skills, but, as usual time has gotten away from me and so far I have managed to only produce one batch.

As a little Christmas present to myself (and after some rave reviews by Trissalicious), I purchased a little book dedicated to Macarons, in particular the Italian meringue method (which I prefer)

The book, Secrets of Macarons, is a comprehensive guide to all things macarons. It gives detailed advice and descriptions to each of the elements to macarons from the ingredients down to the macaronage.

Here, I used the basic macaron recipe from the book (omitting the vanilla) to produce a yummy passionfruit version.

Macarons
200g almond meal
200g pure icing sugar
75ml water
200g caster sugar
2 x 80g egg whites
Yellow colouring (paste)

Process then carefully sift the ground almonds and icing sugar (this is called tant pour tant). Set aside.

In a saucepan, bring the water and caster sugar to the boil. Without stirring, make sure the temperature of the resulting syrup doesn’t go above 115c.

Gently beat 80 grams egg whites to soft peaks, then increase the speed of the beater when the temperature of the syrup passes 105c. When the syrup reaches 115c remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the syrup in a thin stream into the beaten egg whites. Continue to beat the meringue for about 10 minutes, so that it cools.

Combine the tant pour tant and the remaining unbeaten egg whites, making a smooth almond paste, then add the colouring.

Using a flexible spatula, incorporate about a third of the merinque into the almond paste to loosen the mixture a little, then add the rest of the meringue, working the batter carefully.

Fill a piping bag fitten with an 8 mm nozzle with the batter. Attach a sheet of baking paper to each baking tray, placing small dots of batter in each corner. Pipe out small, regular and well placed rounds, each about the size of a walnut. Lightly tap the bottom of the trays and allow the macarons to form a crust at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 150c.

Bake in the oven for 14 minutes. When you take them out, carefully place the baking paper on dampened benchtop: the shells will be easier to remove. Cool.

Passionfruit Buttercream (adapted from Mélanger)
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
125g unsalted butter
1/4 cup passionfruit juice

In a bowl over simmering water, whisk the eggs whites and sugar. Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the temperature reaches 70C.

Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer and on a medium speed, beat until you reach firm peaks, about 5 minutes. Slow the speed and add in the room temperature butter one piece at a time. Add in the passionfruit juice and mix until smooth. If the mixture appears to curdle, keep beating on medium speed until smooth again.

To assemble
Using a piping bag, pipe a small amount of the butter cream onto the shell and top with another shell.

Bûche de Noël

2010-12-26T20:47:00.011+11:00

Christmas for me is all about the food. I love spending time with my family and keeping the tradition alive by cooking up a big feast and sitting around the table and eating until we can't eat anymore. I also like introducing new traditions and this year for Christmas, inspired by my in-laws, it was the Bûche de Noël.

The cake is meant to represent the log that once burned in European homes throughout Christmas. Made of layered or rolled genoise sponge cake filled with buttercream and decorated with meringue mushrooms, forest creatures, or holly leaves the cake is prepared, presented, and garnished to look like a log.

There are hundreds of variations of this cake, with flavours ranging from chestnut, coffee and peppermint but i think the orange perfectly compliments the rich chocolate buttercream.

Orange Vanilla Genoise Sponge
2/3 cup sugar
3 teaspoons Cointreau
2 teaspoons orange zest
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
130g (4.5oz) cake flour (or substitute for plain flour, less 2 level tablespoons)

Preheat the oven to 200C. Butter a 25cm(10") by 38cm (15") swiss roll pan and line it with baking paper and butter lightly. Set the pan aside.

In a stand mixer (or using hand-held beaters) beat the eggs for 5 minutes, until they turn thick and foamy. Add the sugar, orange liqueur, orange zest, vanilla extract, and salt to the eggs and continue beating for 2 minutes. Fold the flour, a few tablespoons at a time, into the whipped egg mixture. Once the flour is incorporated into the batter, stop mixing. Do not over mix or the cake will be tough.

Gently spread the batter into the prepared pan. There will be peaks of batter; gently smooth over them, but do not press the batter down. Bake the cake for 10 minutes, until the cake is just set. Invert the baked cake onto a clean, dry kitchen towel and peel off the baking paper. Wait 3 minutes and then gently roll the cake, still in the towel, starting at the 10-inch end. Allow it to cool completely.

Orange Cointreau Mascarpone filling
500g mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1 tablespoon Cointreau, or other orange-flavored liqueur
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

In a medium sized bowl, beat all ingredients except heavy cream, until smooth. Gently fold in whipped cream. Use immediately, or refrigerate, covered, up to 3 days. If you're refrigerating the filling, bring it to room temperature and beat until smooth before using.

Chocolate Meringue Buttercream
5 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup extra caster sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
250g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
113g good quality dark chocolate, melted and cooled

Place the water and 3/4 cup caster sugar into a heavy saucepan. Over medium heat, begin melting the sugar and water and stir until all the sugar has melted. Now turn up the heat and boil until the sugar syrup reaches 118C.

While the sugar syrup is bubbling away, place your egg whites in the bowl of a stand or hand mixer and start whipping them. When they look foamy, add the cream of tartar. Whip some more, and once you get to soft peaks, then slowly add the 1/4 cup of sugar and whip until you get glossy, stiff peaks.

As soon as your sugar syrup hits 118C, slowly add the boiling syrup to the egg whites and continue to whip on medium speed until they thick and shiny and are completely cooled. Try not to hit the beaters with the syrup.

Add the softened butter to the meringue, 2 tablespoons at a time, while beating on high speed, until all of the butter is incorporated into the frosting. If the buttercream becomes runny at any time in this process, refrigerate the meringue until it has chilled through and continue the process of beating the butter into the meringue.

Now that all the butter has been mixed in, add the vanilla extract and then pour in your cooled melted chocolate and beat until it has all incorporated.

Meringue Mushrooms
2 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Prepare a baking tray by lining with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 100C.

Place room temperature egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. It is important that the bowl and whisk both be very clean, so that the egg whites whip properly.

Begin beating the egg whites on medium speed. Once they are very frothy, stop the mixer and add the cream of tartar. Start the mixer again and continue to beat the egg whites. Once they form soft peaks, increase the speed to high and gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time. Beat the whites until they are very shiny and hold stiff peaks, but are not dry or crumbly.

Spoon the meringue into a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip.

To Pipe Caps: Holding the pastry bag upright and close to the baking paper, pipe the meringue with even pressure, into even rounds building up the meringue to form a 5cm (2") round that is about 1 inch (2.5 cm) high. Sharply twist the bag and stop the pressure as you slowly move the tip off the meringue. Try to make the top as smooth as possible but use a wet fingertip to smooth out any bumps.

To Pipe Stems: Holding the pastry bag upright and close to the baking paper, pipe the meringue with even pressure, into a cone-shape, making the base of the stem a little larger than the top. The stem should be about 2.5 cm (1") high. Try to keep the stems as straight as possible. Some of the stems may fall over on their sides during baking, so it is a good idea to make extra.

Bake the meringues at 100C for about 90 minutes, turning them halfway through the cooking time to ensure even cooking. The meringues should be hard and dry to the touch, and you should be able to easily lift one from the parchment. Once the meringues are done, turn off the oven and let them sit in the oven for several hours or overnight.

To assemble the mushrooms, melt the white chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave, stirring after every 30 seconds to prevent overheating. Use a toothpick to carve a small hole in the bottom of a mushroom cap. Dip the top of a stem in the white chocolate, and stick the chocolate-covered stem top in the hole of the mushroom cap. Place the mushroom on a baking tray to set, and repeat with remaining caps and stems.

Place the cocoa powder in a sifter, and lightly sift cocoa over the tops of the mushrooms. Mushrooms can be stored for up to a month in an airtight container in a cool, dry room.

To assemble the Bûche de Noël:
Unroll the cake and set aside the towel. Evenly spread the desired amount of mascarpone on the inside of the cake following its natural curve, gently form it into a cake roll. Cut off the ends of the cake roll on the diagonal and reattach them in the centre of the cake with a bit of mascarpone to fashion a “branch” coming off the main Yule log.

Spread the exterior of the Bûche de Noël with enough chocolate buttercream to cover it and gently pull a butter knife or small, offset spatula through the frosting to give the appearance of rough tree bark. Decorate with christmassy figurines, meringue mushrooms and dust with icing sugar to complete the festive look.

Chill the cake before serving it, and refrigerate any leftovers.

White Chocolate & Raspberry Cheesecake

2010-12-26T20:39:00.004+11:00

I made this light (in texture, not calories) white chocolate cheesecake for some boxing day festivities in which I was designated dessert duties.

It is the first recipe I have used out of a cookbook I bought in France and it turned out super dooper well. It is creamy yet light so it doesn't give you weighed down feeling that heavy baked cheesecakes give, also, the tartness of the raspberries cuts through the sweetness of the cake.

I garnished mine with some gorgeous white chocolate curls to finish off this elegant cheesecake.

White Chocolate & Raspberry Cheesecake
200g biscuits (such as nice or scotch finger)
80g butter, melted

500g cream cheese, at room temp
400g condensed milk
300ml cream, beaten to soft peaks
150g white chocolate, melted
3 tsp gelatin
2 tblsp hot water
1/2 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)

Grease and line a 23cm springform pan with baking paper.

Crush the biscuits until you get fine crumbs, add the melted butter and stir until combined. Press evently over the bottom of the prepared pan and refrigerator while preparing the filling.

Put the gelatin and water in a small bowl. Stand in a small saucepan of simmering water and stir until dissolved. Cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth.

Stir the gelatin into the cream cheese mixture, then fold in the beaten cream and melted white chocolate. Spread over the the biscuit base then sprinkle with the raspberries (gently push them slightly into the mixture). Refrigerate overnight.

If you wish, decorate with white chocolate curls and dust with icing sugar.

Shortbread

2010-12-26T20:35:00.008+11:00

It was a tradition each year for Christmas that my nanna would make batches of her shortbread and give some to my mum and each of my uncles. My nanna is gone now, but I think it is nice to keep some of her traditions alive - even down to the sprinkles and glacé cherry toppings.

Traditional Scottish Shortbread
200g(7oz) butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
85g (3oz) caster sugar
250g (9oz) plain flour, sifted
57g (2oz) corn or rice flour, sifted

Preheat oven to 150°C. Brush 2 baking trays with melted butter to grease. Use an electric beater to beat the butter, vanilla & sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy.

Fold in the sifted flours and use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until smooth.

Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1 1/2 cm. Using a small round cutter cut out shapes from the dough (I use an old-school metal milk bottle cap that my nanna used to use) and place on the prepared trays. You don't have to, but I garnish mine my using a cotton reel to make an imprint then top them with either sprinkles or quartered glacé cherries.

Bake in oven for about 30 minutes, swapping trays halfway through cooking, or until shortbreads start to change colour underneath. Leave to cool on trays and then eat!

Black Forest Cake

2010-12-01T11:51:00.007+11:00

This Black Forest Cake was to mark my beloved’s 30th birthday. I promised him I would make him an enormous B.F Cake after seeing Gary’s version on Mastercheft many months ago, and boy did I deliver!

I myself am not usually a fan of B.F Cake, I think it has something to do with the chunks of cherries littered throughout the cake (reminds me of the fruit “bits” in yoghurt and jam – yucky!)

I headed over to the Masterchef website, printed a copy of the recipe and keenly started making the chocolate sponge, only for it to turn out disastrously. It was flat, dense and found a new home in my bin. Disheartened, I scoured the internet for another chocolate cake recipe to try. 12 eggs later, my second cake turns out to be just as crappy as the first. In a final bid for the perfect chocolate cake, I turned to a friend who said she had a recipe that worked – bingo!

Due to time constraints, I decided not to include Gary’s mousse layer, but still adapted the cherry compote and ganache topping. I also opted for a more traditional cream filling as opposed to mascarpone.

So as it turns out, there isn’t much of the original Masterchef recipe in my version, but it was delicious and absolutely fabulous.

Happy Birthday Babe!

Black Forest Cake
250g Butter
1 tbsp dry instant coffee
1 1/2 cups hot water
200g dark chocolate, chopped
2 cups castor sugar
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla essence

600ml Thickened Cream, beaten until firm peaks form
Chocolate curls/shaving
Fresh Cherries (I used 12)

Grease a deep 23cm round cake pan, line base and sides with baking paper and grease well.

Melt butter in saucepan, stir in combined coffee and hot water, then chocolate and sugar; stir until smooth.

Transfer to large bowl and cool until warm. Beat the cooled mixture on low speed with electric mixer, gradually beating in sifted flours and cocoa powder in three lots.

Beat in eggs one at a time, then essence. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake in slow oven (150 degrees celsius) for about 1 3/4 hours. Stand 5 minutes to cool before turning out on to wire rack to cool completely.

Cherry Compote
1/3 cup caster sugar
600g canned, frozen or pitted fresh cherries
1 tbs brandy

Add the sugar to a non-stick saucepan and place over medium heat. Once the sugar begins to dissolve add the cherries and cook until they start to release their juices. Add the brandy and cook for about 10 minutes or until the liquid has reduced and thickened.
Note: I used canned cherries as fresh cherries are still quite expensive and not very tasty yet. I included about 1 ½ cup of the juice and thickened it with about a tablespoon of cornflour (mixed with a little water to make a paste)

Dark Chocolate Ganache
150ml cream
200g chopped dark chocolate

Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Gently warm the cream in a pan until it bubbles around the edges. Pour over the chopped chocolate and stir until melted and blended. Allow to cool until thick but still pouring consistency.

To assemble the cake
Split the cake into 3 even layers (I did 4 as I split the cake mixture into 2 tins when baking); place one layer on to serving plate. Spread with a layer of cream and some of the cherry compote and carefully place a second layer on top. Repeat the layering process (you will have 1 spare slice of cake for the top). If you managed to cut your cake into fourths, make sure to leave enough cream & compote for a third layer.

Place the remaining top layer of the cake on a wire rack sitting over baking paper. Evenly pour the ganache over the cake, ensuring it is completely coated. When the ganache has set, place on top of the layered cake. Decorate with the chocolate curls/shavings and fresh cherries

After Dinner Mint Macarons

2010-11-14T17:22:00.005+11:00

So....this is attempt number 2 at macarons. The first time I made them I found a recipe, followed it word by word and was a little confused/miffed that they did not turn out like the ones in the picture - surely they couldn't be that difficult?

Since then I have read various blogs de-coding the mysteries of this temperamental cookie.

Now, there are 3 different methods of making macarons:
French - Granulated sugar added to egg whites (French meringue) added to almond mixture.
Spanish - Beaten egg whites (with higher sugar content), added to almond mixture.
Italian - Cooked sugar added to egg whites (Italian meringue) added to almond mixture.

This time I decided I would use the Italian method, as apparently this variation is the most stable version (especially for beginners). I also used one with the addition of powdered egg whites as it provides further stability.

Seeing as though I am still a macaron newbie, for hints and tips, I highly recommend the following blogs:
Melanger
Not So Humble Pie

My macarons are probably far from the standard of Ladurée, but I am pretty damn impressed with my second effort (and I believe they got the ok from my french in-laws - and that is all I could ever ask for).

Macarons
100g egg whites
3g egg white powder
125g almond meal
125g pure icing sugar
Green food colour
For the syrup:
150g sugar and 50ml water

Process the almond meal and icing sugar together. In a mixer, add half the egg whites with the egg white powder. Whip to soft peaks. Meanwhile, in a saucepan bring the water and sugar for the syrup to 117C on a candy thermometer. Once ready, slowly add the boiling syrup to the egg whites and continue to whip on medium speed until they thick and shiny and are completely cooled (about 10 minutes). At the final changes of whipping the meringue, add the food colouring. Mix the remaining egg whites to the sifted almond mixture and then fold in the meringue in four parts until just combined (the batter should come of the spatula in a thick ribbon).

Pipe macarons on lined baking sheets. (They say to double up your baking sheets if you do not have professional grade quality). Let your macarons sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Bake at 140C for 15-18 minutes (depending on size). Fill with the ganache (recipe to follow) and refrigerate to set.

Peppermint Ganache
125g dark chocolate, finely chopped
125ml heavy cream
Peppermint essence, to taste

Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Gently warm the cream in a pan until it bubbles around the edges. Pour over the chopped chocolate and stir until melted and blended. Add peppermint essence to taste. Leave at room temperature until it has cooled slightly and thickened. Pipe or drop spoonfuls of the ganache onto the macarons and top with another shell.

Fiadone (Corsican Cheesecake)

2010-11-13T17:47:00.006+11:00

I was super duper excited when I stumbled across this recipe on Tartelette's blog. I tried this Corsican specialty when I was in France earlier this year, and had completely forgotten about it until now.

Whilst it may not look anything special, it is one of those simple dishes that taste homely and you could keep on going back for more.

Fiadone could be better described as a crustless cheesecake which is traditionally made with Brocciu, a soft cheese similar to ricotta and made from goat or ewes milk.

As Brocciu would be impossible to find here in Australia, I substituted it for fresh ricotta from the deli and let it drain overnight through a sieve, or you could be more adventurous and try making your own cheese, as Tartelette has done here.

Fiadone
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon cornflour
pinch of salt
1 cup drained brocciu, faisselle or ricotta cheese

Line an 20cm square pan with baking paper, butter lightly and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 190° C and position a rack in the middle.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and the eggs until pale. Add the lemon zest, cornstarch and salt and whisk until blended. Add the drained cheese and whisk well.
Pour into your prepared pan, place into the oven and lower the heat to 175° C .

Bake for 45 minutes. The cake will get dark around the edges and a knife inserted in the middle should come out clean (it will rise during the cooking process then deflate upon cooling). Let cool for a few minutes before sharing.

Anzac Biscuits

2010-10-15T21:58:00.005+11:00

Anzac biscuits have got to be my favourite kind of biscuit. Their caramelly flavour and grainy texture means I can never stop at one.

These biscuits are one of the first things I remember cooking with my mum. My favourite part was melting the golden syrup and butter then watching it all foam up as I added the bi-carb soda. Mum would always have the job of putting spoonfuls of the delicious dough onto the baking tray...probably because most of it would end up in my mouth if it were left up to me.

Anzac biscuits have long been associated with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) where it has been claimed the biscuits were sent by wives to soldiers abroad because the ingredients do not spoil easily and the biscuits kept well during naval transportation

For me, the perfect Anzac has to be soft and chewy with a big caramel hit from the golden syrup and brown sugar. I like them quite chunky too, so I never use those "quick oats". So, without further or do, here is my perfect Anzac biscuit recipe.

Anzac Biscuits
1 cup plain flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup desiccated coconut
3/4 cup brown sugar
125g butter
2 tbs golden syrup
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper.

Sift the flour into a large bowl. Stir in the oats, coconut and brown sugar.

Melt the butter in the microwave, add the golden syrup then microwave again on high heat for about 30-40 seconds (or until the golden syrup is very runny)

Whilst making the butter mixture, put the bicarbonate of soda in a small dish and add a tablespoon of boiling water, stir then add to the butter/golden syrup mixture.

Pour the butter mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until combined.

Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls. Place on the trays, about 5cm apart. Press with a fork to flatten slightly. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Set aside on the trays for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack so it cools completely.

Spiced Banana & Date Bread

2010-10-06T16:04:00.005+11:00

I have bananas coming out of my ears at the moment. This seems to me a reoccurring event for me...I stock up on bananas when they are on special and I never get around to eating them, then they end up looking rather sad and I am left searching for recipes to use them up.

I decided this time it was going to be banana bread. I haven’t made it for a while and I thought I would look for a new recipe. The one I usually make is a healthyfied one which uses apple sauce as a substitute for oil or butter, which works wonders, but as I was going to take it into work for my colleagues to devour, I thought I should not subject them to my health quirks.

This banana bread was yummy, and got the thumbs up from all my work colleagues. It was moist with lots of banana flavour, but I think it could have done with a little more spice.

Spiced Banana & Date Bread
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 lightly beaten eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup olive oil
3/4 cup mashed ripe banana
1 cup chopped dates

Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease and line a 10cm x 20cm loaf tin. Sift flour into a large bowl. Add brown sugar, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda. Make a well in the centre.

Place eggs, milk and olive oil in a large bowl and whisk until well combined. Stir through banana and dates.

Pour the banana mixture into the centre of the flour mixture, folding gently until just combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake

2010-09-26T10:10:00.009+10:00

I have been meaning to make this cheesecake for months and months now, and these days I have been using any opportunity I can to use my new stand mixer.

The recipe is from Tartelettes blog and I thought it looked simply divine. The only amendement I made the original recipe is the crust. Tartelette uses an almond crust using pulverised whole almonds, but as my other half doesn't do nuts in cakes, I swapped the almonds for a traditional biscuit base.

The puree which flavours this cheesecake is made from frozen berries. The freezing and subsequent thawing releases the juice from the berry’s cells which have been ruptured in the freezing process. I used strawberries which I froze when they were in season.

This cheesecake takes a little forward preparation with having to use defrosted frozen strawberries to make the puree, but it is so worth it. The cake has a beautiful mousse-like quality which to me tasted like my favourite Strawberry Ice cream. Enjoy.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake
Strawberry puree:
280g frozen strawberries
3 tsp sugar
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Crust:
200g digestive biscuits
2 tbs caster sugar
75g butter, melted

Strawberry cheesecake:
450g cream cheese, room temp
220g sugar
3 large eggs, room temp
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
300g sour cream, room temp
2/3 cup strawberry puree

Ganache topping:
110g chocolate (50-55% cacao mass is best), finely chopped
130ml cream
½ large egg (beat 1 egg, weigh it, and use half)

Prepare the strawberries:
Thaw strawberries and strain out the juice completely by squishing the berries through a fine sieve. Place juice in a small saucepan and, at a simmer, cook down to a third of original volume. (you should start with about 150ml, and end with 60ml) Add sugar to reduction and stir to dissolve. Mix juice and pulp together with lemon juice. Blend in food processor or with a stick blender.

Prepare the cheesecake:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Prepare a 24cm springform pan by lining the bottom and sides with baking paper and butter (cut a circle out for the bottom then use strips to line the sides)

Place the biscuits in a food processor and finely crush. Transfer the crushed biscuits into a bowl, add the sugar and melted butter and mix until well combined. Press the mixture into the base of the lined pan.

Beat cream cheese and sugar until very smooth (3 min) in a stand mixer at medium speed using the whisk attachment (it gives the cake a mousse quality). Add eggs, 1 at a time, scraping bowl and beating after each just until smooth. Add vanilla & salt and beat until incorporated. Beat in sour cream. Beat in strawberry puree. Wrap the pan with the crust in a double layer of aluminum foil. Pour batter into crust. Place in water bath (hot water) in a larger oven proof pan
bake 45-55 min.

5-10 min before cheesecake is done, make ganache topping:
Boil cream. Pour over chocolate and let sit a minute. Whisk gently until chocolate is melted and smooth. Gently whisk in egg. Spread over hot cheesecake (careful, and don’t pour it all in one place as cheesecake is fragile). Smooth out the top. Bake 5-10 more minutes until ganache is set along the sides. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack, with a large mixing bowl over the pan (to cool slowly). When it reaches room temp, refrigerate. Chill 8 hours before unmolding. To unmold, run a thin blade knife around the cake pan sides. Remove springform. Gently slide cake onto serving plate. Store covered in refrigerator.

To serve, run a knife under very hot water, dry it and then slice.

Raspberry Marshmallow Wagon Wheels

2010-09-20T12:42:00.005+10:00

So, this is my second attempt at this recipe.

The first time I tried to make these was a disaster. My caramel burnt and trying to pour hot caramel whilst simultaneously using a hand mixer did not go down well. My kitchen (and hand mixer) was covered in hard caramel.

So now that I have the proper equipment (candy thermometer & a stand mixer) I wanted to try for round 2 using the leftover egg whites left over from the brioche (and they looked soo delicious in the picture)

Whilst I’m sure this recipe is entirely possible without the candy thermometer and stand mixer, it did help quite a lot. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you are going to have to use the water method and if you only have a hand mixer, enlist a friend to help you.

These aren’t something I would make everyday, but they sure are impressive and equally delicious.

Raspberry Marshmallow Wagon Wheels
185g unsalted butter
75g (1/3 cup firmly packed) dark brown sugar
300g (2 cups) plain flour
200g dark chocolate, (70% cocoa solids), chopped
Icing sugar, to dust

Raspberry marshmallow
440g (2 cups) caster sugar
1 tbs lemon juice
125g raspberries, plus extra, to serve (I used frozen)
5 tsp powdered gelatine
3 egg whites
1 tbs cornflour
1 tbs icing sugar

Combine cornflour and icing sugar and use to dust a greased 20cm x 30cm slice pan.

Place the raspberries and 2 tablespoons of water in a clean saucepan. Stir over medium heat for 5 minutes, crushing raspberries with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle gelatine over and stir until dissolved.

For marshmallow, stir 400g sugar, lemon juice and 150ml water in a small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil rapidly for approx 10 minutes or until a spoonful of syrup dropped into a glass of iced water forms a hard ball (see note). If using a candy thermometer, boil until the temperature reaches about 125 degrees celsius. Make sure you don't take the syrup too far, as it will continue to cook once taken off the heat (the colour should not have turned to a caramel)

Whilst making the sugar syrup, using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites to soft peaks, then gradually add remaining 40g sugar and whisk to stiff peaks. With the motor running, pour hot syrup in a thin, steady stream down the side of the bowl, then add the raspberry mixture. Whisk until mixture thickens enough to hold its shape.

Spoon marshmallow mixture into pan, level with the back of a spoon and refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.

Meanwhile, make shortbread biscuits. Preheat oven to 150C. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and 1/2 tsp salt for 10 minutes or until creamy. Add flour in 2 batches and beat until just combined. Transfer to a floured sheet of baking paper. Roll out until 6mm-thick. Using a 7cm pastry cutter, cut dough into 16 discs and place on 2 oven trays lined with baking paper. Prick the tops with a fork, then bake for 30 minutes, swapping trays halfway, or until biscuits are golden. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, melt chocolate in a small bowl over some simmering water.

To assemble wagon wheels, brush the tops and sides of the biscuits with melted chocolate, then place on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Leave to set. Grease a 7cm pastry cutter and press into the marshmallow. Remove cutter and, using a knife, lift out marshmallow round and place on a biscuit. Top with a second biscuit and dust with icing sugar. Repeat with the remaining marshmallow and biscuits to make 8 wagon wheels. Serve with extra raspberries. Refrigerate if not serving immediately.

Notes: The temperature of syrup are classified by stages, which describe what happens when you drop a small quantity of syrup into a glass of iced water. These stages vary from 'soft ball' to 'hard ball'.

To ensure smooth melted chocolate, place a quantity of chopped chocolate in a glass or stainless-steel bowl. Pick a saucepan that the bowl will sit over snugly and fill one-third full with water. bring water to a gentle simmer. Place bowl over the pan, making sure it doesn't touch the simmering water, and stir occasionally.

Brioche/French Toast

2010-09-20T11:51:00.012+10:00

It was my birthday last week and for my present, my amazing boy surprised me with a Kitchenaid stand mixer – in the colour Caviar (it’s black with a nice sparkle through it).

I was so freakin’ excited because it was exactly what I was after (even the colour!)

So, to break in my new appliance I baked some Brioche and for Sunday morning I made some French Toast.

Brioche is a type of French bread enriched with egg and butter, which in France, is commonly eaten at breakfast or as a snack. It can also be both sweet or used in savoury dishes (my MIL makes a version which has a sausage inside)

Brioche comes in all different shapes and sizes. The commonly known Parisian version, Brioche à Tête is formed and baked in a fluted round tin; a large ball of dough is placed on the bottom, topped with a smaller ball of dough to form the head. Here I have made a loaf of brioche made in a standard loaf pan.

As brioche is made with a yeasted dough, have the milk lukewarm and all other ingredients at room temperature to assist the activation of the yeast.

Brioche is double-proved, once in the bowl and again after it has been shaped, so make sure you allow plenty of time. Having the oven pre-heating to warm the room also helps this rising process (I baked a lasagne whilst waiting for my dough to rise)

Brioche
160ml milk
1½ tsp dried yeast
5 egg yolks, at room temperature, lightly beaten
375 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
30 g caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
150g butter, diced and softened, plus extra for greasing
For brushing: eggwash

Warm milk in a small saucepan over low heat until lukewarm. Combine yeast and half the milk in a bowl, stirring to dissolve. Stand in a warm place until foamy (8-10 minutes).

Whisk remaining milk with egg yolks in a bowl and set aside.

Mix flour, sugar and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a dough hook, until combined. Make a well in the centre, add yeast mixture and yolk mixture. Beat on medium speed until a smooth dough forms (4-5 minutes).

While mixing, gradually add one-third of butter at a time, beat until dough is elastic and pulls away from sides of bowl (8-10 minutes).

Transfer to a lightly buttered bowl, cover and stand until doubled in size (1½-2 hours).

Knock back dough, knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth, shape into a loaf and place in an 11cm x 24cm loaf tin buttered and lined with baking paper. Cover, stand until doubled in size (30 minutes-1 hour).

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180C. Brush top with eggwash, dust with caster sugar, bake until golden and risen (25-30 minutes).

Remove from tin, place on a baking tray lined with baking paper, return to oven until sides are golden (8-10 minutes), cool on a wire rack.

Cinnamon & Vanilla French Toast
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cream
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or essence
1 tablespoon icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 x 2.5cm-thick slices day-old brioche
2 tablespoons butter
3 bananas, sliced on an angle
pure maple syrup, to serve

Combine eggs, milk, cream, vanilla, icing sugar and cinnamon in a large jug. Whisk with a fork until well combined. Pour mixture into a shallow ceramic dish.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Dip 2 brioche slices in milk mixture for 30 seconds to 1 minute each side or until well soaked. Hold over dish to drain.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large frying pan over medium heat until bubbling. Add soaked brioche. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes each side or until golden.

Transfer to a baking tray. Keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining butter and brioche.

Place French toast on plates. Serve with a the sliced banana and a drizzle with maple syrup.

Raspberry & Coconut Loaf

2010-09-17T11:37:00.004+10:00

Here is another of my no-fail recipes. It is a great way to use up leftover coconut milk, or alternatively you can use regular cows milk.

This time I used a minature loaf pan (which made about 12), but normally I would use a full sized loaf pan.

This loaf if beautiful when it has just come out of the oven, served with a spread of butter

Raspberry & Coconut Loaf
1 3/4 cups desiccated coconut
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 cup caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 2/3 cups self-raising flour
1 cup frozen raspberries
pure icing sugar, to serve

Combine coconut and coconut milk in a large bowl. Cover and stand for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 170°C. Line base and sides of a 7cm-deep, 10.5cm x 20.5cm (base) loaf pan with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang at both long ends.

Using a metal spoon, stir sugar, egg and vanilla into coconut mixture. Sift flour over coconut mixture. Gently stir until combined. Fold in raspberries. Spoon mixture into prepared pan.

Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool loaf in pan for 10 minutes. Lift onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar and slice. Serve toasted, if desired

Notes: Take the raspberries out of the freezer at the last minute, so their colour does not bleed into the mixture.

Chocolate & Dulce de Leche Cupcakes

2010-09-16T22:06:00.009+10:00

Chocolate and caramel… one of the great culinary combinations.

I bought a jar Dulce de Leche before I headed off to France, and now that I am back I have be dying to use it.

After tossing a few ideas around my head (David Leibovits dulce de leche brownies…dulce de leche cheesecake…) I decided on Caramel Filled Chocolate Cupcakes, because, lets face it, cupcakes are awesome.

Now, the hardest part about this recipe was finding a decent cupcake recipe. Initially I was after a nice, dense cake, but after the first recipe failing, I dug up a chocolate cupcake recipe that I had used before which I thought would do the job nicely.

I dressed these beautiful little cupcakes with a swirl of chocolate butter cream and chocolate curls.

Now I must say, these little cupcakes were just glorious. They looked and tasted just fabulous. Will definitely be making again.

You can make your own Dulce de Leche (there are various methods to do so online) or you can just cheat and buy it. You could also substitute the Dulce de Leche for Nestle’s Caramel Top’n’Fill.

Chocolate & Dulce de Leche Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes
50g Dutch-processed cocoa powder
240ml boiling hot water
175g all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
113g unsalted butter, room temperature
200g caster sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 190°C. Line a cupcake pan with liners.

In a small bowl stir until smooth the boiling hot water and the cocoa powder. Let cool to room temperature.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Then in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat only until incorporated. Then add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.

Spoon evenly among the lined cupcake pans to half fill the pans. Dollop a little (I used a piping bag, but you could use a teaspoon) Dulce de Leche into the centre of each pan, then spoon over more batter to fill.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Spread or pipe a swirl of buttercream and decorate as desired.

Chocolate Buttercream Icing
60g butter, softened
240g icing sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
30ml (1 1/2 tablespoons) milk

Beat butter with an electric mixer or electric hand-held beaters until light and creamy. Sift icing sugar and cocoa together into a bowl. Gradually beat in half the icing sugar and cocoa. Add milk and remaining icing sugar and cocoa and beat until fluffy. If necessary, add a little extra milk to achieve a creamy consistency.

Notes: To make the chocolate curls, I melted some dark chocolate and then spread it out on a pastry mat (you could use a cutting board, or similar flat surface). Wait until it is almost set and then using a cheese slicer, slowly draw the slicer in a straight line down the block of chocolate. See here

France/Crêpes

2010-09-16T12:24:00.012+10:00

Bonjour!

My apologies for neglecting the blog for almost two months. But, the good news is I am now back from France and ready to get back into posting!

Firstly, I will fill you in a little about my wonderful holiday.

This was my second time in France, although my first time to the southern region of Provence. Home in France was at my partner’s aunt’s house (with his mum and dad) in a little town outside Marseille called Le Pennes Mirabeau.

Whilst in France I visited the antique countryside towns of Arles and Avignon, with their amazing markets filled with anything from Laguiole knives, flowers, pyramids of spices to fromage and saucisson. The views of the Mediterranean Ocean and Calanque’s from the cliff tops surrounding the seaside towns of Cassis and La Ciotat were just incredible and the scent of the Lavender as we drove to from Gourd to Sault made me feel as though I was living a fairytale. I even caught a glimpse of the Flamingo’s of the Camarge region and saw the running of the bulls in Saint Rémy.

The food of Provence was just to die for, but also very different from its Northern counterparts. Home style cooking here is very fresh and seasonal with minimal fuss. The fruit and vegetables were amazing - tomato’s were flavoursome, cherries were sweet and the donut peaches so juicy!

I ate everything from baguettes (with salted butter of course) to snails, taureau, pheasant, macarons and my favourite, crêpes with Nutella (according to my MIL, whenever we got to a new town, i would disappear for 5 minutes to scout around and find the nearest crêperie).
I was even lucky enough to have my partners aunt, who had just come back from Corsica, prepare a special Corsican style lunch which consisted of several different saucisson, tomato’s stuffed with soft Corsican cheese and to finish up, a selection of pungent hard-style Corsican cheeses.

It all went so quickly, but my time in Provence was filled with many wonderful memories of beautiful food, sunshine, the ocean, markets, quaint villages and time spent my partner’s family and friends. It felt like home and I cannot wait to return (hopefully with my partner next time).

So, in honour of my time in France, here is a recipe for Crêpes. I managed to eat these on a near daily basis – preferably with a nice thick slather of Nutella (or in my MIL’s case, Crème de Marron)

Crêpes
1 cup plain flour
2 eggs
280-300ml milk
20g butter
Pinch salt

Sift flour into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add eggs, whisk starting in the centre and drawing in the flour. Add the milk a little at a time whisking until batter is the consistency of thick cream.

Melt the butter until foamy and a little nutty then pour into the batter with a pinch of salt.

Heat crêpe or regular frying pan over medium heat, add a butter to coat the base then ladle in crêpe mixture, turning to coat the base completely. Cook 1-2 minutes until light golden and lacy. Turn over and cook for 10-15 seconds. Remove to plate and keep warm. Repeat using the remaining crêpe batter.

Et voila! Serve with your favorite condiment.

Honeycomb Cookies

2010-07-19T13:39:00.004+10:00

My other half obviously hadn't had his fill of cookies yet, so this was round 2 for the week.

Using the same base dough recipe as the choc chip cookies I made earlier in the week, i replaced the chocolate with some violet crumbles.

Yummo.

Honeycomb Cookies
125g unsalted butter
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
250g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 X 50g Violet Crumble bars, crushed.

Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees C.

Using a hand mixer, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs and vanilla and mix again. Fold in the sifted flour, baking powder and 1/2 a tsp of salt until a stiff batter forms, then stir in the crushed violet crumble.

Roll heaped teaspoons of the batter into a ball and place onto a tray lined with baking paper.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until light golden in colour. Leave on the trays for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 20

Chai Buttermilk Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream

2010-07-19T12:43:00.004+10:00

A Chai flavoured cupcake has been on my cupcakes-to-make list for a little while now and I thought a maple buttercream would go really well with the spices.

I had some left over buttermilk from breakfast, so to use it up I found a vanilla buttermilk cupcake recipe and added some chai tea mixture to it.

The cupcakes came out really nicely. They had a nice crust on them and the centre was really moist and fluffy. The original recipe only called for 1/4 cup of butter, but i found this not enough to cream with the sugar.

I dusted my finished cupcakes with a little chai spice.

Chai Buttermilk Cupcakes
1 1/3 cups plain flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla (i used vanilla bean paste)
1 cup buttermilk
Chai Spice - To taste: I used a chai spice tea drink mixture which wasn't very strong in flavour. I used approx 2 tablespoons, but if you were using a straight spice mix I imagine you would need to use a lot less.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

Place liners in a 12 cup cupcake tin. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until it looks creamy.

Beat in the egg and the vanilla until mixture is smooth. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until almost combined. Add buttermilk and stir, again, until almost combined. Add the rest of the flour and stir until all ingredients are mixed in. Add enough chai spice mixture to your liking.

Divide batter evenly into tin. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool for 10 minutes and then remove from the muffin pan. Cool completely before frosting. Makes 12 cupcakes

Maple Buttercream
110g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1-2 tbsp. Milk

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the powdered sugar. Beat on medium speed until well combined, then increase speed and beat until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and add the maple syrup. Mix until incorporated. If the frosting is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk and beat until smooth and desired consistency is achieved. Top each cupcake with a swirl of frosting.

Chocolate Chip Cookies, 2 ways

2010-07-16T13:24:00.007+10:00

Who doesn't love a choc chip cookie?

It has been aaaages since I have made cookies and I had a mid-week craving for them. As I still hadn't found my HG cookie recipe, I used one which i found on my HG website - the Vogue forums. I give it a 2 thumbs up.

I love my cookies to be as soft as possible, thus making them like cookie dough when eating. To do this you need to cook them until they are just golden on top (in my oven it is about 10 minutes). If you prefer a firmer cookie, feel free to cook them longer.

To mix it up a bit, I added super crunchy peanut butter to half of my batter. There is seriously no better combo in this world than chocolate & peanut butter.

Enjoy.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
125g unsalted butter
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
250g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
150g dark chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees C.

Using a hand mixer, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs and vanilla and mix again. Fold in the sifted flour, baking powder and 1/2 a tsp of salt until a stiff batter forms, then stir in the chocolate chips.

At this stage, i halved my batter and stirred in about 2 tablespoons on extra crunchy peanut butter.

Roll heaped teaspoons of the batter into a ball and place onto a tray lined with baking paper.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until light golden in colour. Leave on the trays for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 20

Rhubarb & Blackberry Crumble Soufflé

2010-07-16T12:56:00.005+10:00

I think this just may be the first Masterchef masterclass recipe i have tried.

When i saw Gary making this little gem, i had to restrain myself from licking the screen.

I had been wanting to play around with rhubarb for a while now, but as i have a love/hate relationship with it, i wasn't really sure what to make with it.

My mum used to make stewed rhubarb when i were younger and would serve it with creamed rice. I liked this, because the sweet creamyness of the rice would cut through the sourness of the rhubarb. The thing i didn't like about rhubarb was the stringiness of the fibres.

So i finally had a weekend where i could try this recipe for myself. I liked the textures of it. The cloud-like soufflé, the crunch of the crumble, then the cold creamy ice cream.

The lemon pairs beautifully with the berries and rhubarb and really brings out the best in their flavour. The only amendment i made to the recipe was replacing the hazelnuts in the crumble, with pistachios.

Rhubarb & Blackberry Crumble Soufflé
4-6 sticks (500g) rhubarb, cut into 1-2 cm pieces
150g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
150g fresh or thawed frozen blackberries
½ lemon, zest finely grated
1 tbs cornflour mixed with 1 tsp water
4 egg whites
Vanilla ice cream, to serve
Double thick cream, to serve

Crumble topping
75g plain flour
100g softened butter
50g brown or white sugar
50g rolled oats
1/3 cup roasted hazelnuts, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Place rhubarb in a saucepan with 75g of the caster sugar and ¼ cup water. Cover and place over medium heat and cook for 5-10 minutes until softened. Add blackberries and lemon zest and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes until softened. Add ½ of the cornflour mixture and stir for 3-4 minutes until thickened, then cook for a further minute to cook out the cornflour. Set aside in a bowl to cool to room temperature for at least 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the crumble topping, combine flour, 50g of the butter, sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl, mixing with your fingers until combined and the butter is in pea-sized lumps. Add the oats and hazelnuts and toss gently to combine.

Place the crumble mixture on a lined baking tray and bake for 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside. Increase oven temperature to 200°C.

Grease 125ml soufflé moulds with remaining butter that has been slightly softened. Butter base and sides with a pastry brush, then brush up the sides – you want an even coating of butter. Refrigerate for 5 minutes to set the butter, then repeat the process - for the second buttering, be a bit more generous with the butter. Sprinkle sugar into each mould and roll ramekin around so the sugar coats the butter, tipping out any excess. This forms a lubricated crust so the soufflé can rise easily.

Place egg whites in a large, clean, dry bowl with 1 tablespoon of the remaining sugar and beat with a hand beater on high until soft peaks. Gradually sprinkle in the remaining sugar and beat for about 30 seconds - 1 minute until you have shiny, soft peaks.

Mix an equal amount of beaten egg white with cooled fruit puree until combined, then add the same amount of egg white again and fold through gently, turning the bowl, then lifting and folding the mixture to keep as much air in the mixture as possible. Spoon into buttered, sugared moulds, taking care to avoid getting any mixture on the side of the ramekins until the moulds are full. Scrape the mixture off the top with a palette knife so you have a really smooth surface, then run your thumb around the very inside of the rim so you have a clean rim.

Bake for 6-7 minutes until risen about 1 cm above the rim. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the crumble topping over the top and return to the oven for another 3 minutes until they have risen another centimetre.

Serve with vanilla ice cream and a dollop of thick cream.

Makes 6-8 soufflés

Hummingbird Cupcakes

2010-07-09T10:16:00.005+10:00

Ahhhh mid week baking. With my oven FINALLY fixed, I can now produce baked goods at home – Yippeee!
It hasn’t been working for many many months, so I would always have to do my baking at my mums house (which had it’s pro’s & con’s). The pro’s being: bigger kitchen, oven that works, mum to help and all the ingredients I need. Con’s being that I have to transport all the baked goods back to my house, which isn’t always easy.

When it comes to baking with bananas, the rule is the browner the better. I had some lovely ripe-for-baking bananas sitting in my fruit bowl that were calling out to be made into something delicious, but something a little different to my usual banana cake.

Hummingbird cake has been on my list of things to make for a while now. I don’t think I have actually ever tried it before, but as it looks so delicious in all of the pictures, I thought it was about time I attempted to make it for myself.

Now I don’t really know what to compare this recipe to, but it was delicious! It was wonderfully moist with chunks of pineapple strewn throughout cake. I think it would be nice with some roughly chopped pecans in it, just to add another dimension to the texture.

I garnished mine with some shredded coconut which I toasted off in the oven.

Hummingbird Cupcakes
1 x 450 g can crushed pineapple
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup mashed over ripe bananas (about 2 bananas)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Cream Cheese Frosting
100 g butter, softened
1 x 250 g cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1 1/2 cup icing sugar

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Celsius fan-forced) and line a 12 hole cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

Drain pineapple through a fine sieve, pressing out as much syrup as possible, reserving ¼ cup syrup. Sift flours, soda and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in sugar and coconut. Make a well in the centre. Add combined bananas, eggs, oil, pineapple and reserved syrup. Mix until combined. Pour mixture into prepared cupcake pans.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until the cupcakes are light golden. When they are ready, a skewer or thin-bladed knife inserted into the centre of a cupcake will come out without any batter attached.

Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for about five minutes, and then place them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream cheese frosting: Beat buffer, cream cheese and essence in a small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in icing sugar until smooth.
Spread or pipe onto the cooled cupcakes and garnished as desired.

Scones

2010-07-07T13:22:00.004+10:00

Dearest boyfriend has been bugging me for a while now to make scones. I gave in to his request after seeing them dismally produced by the contestants on Masterchef for the CWA Challenge. It also gave me a chance to see if my oven had FINALLY been fixed.

The last time I made scones I used the lemonade method, they were ok, but not great.
I searched the internet to see if I could find the CWA (Country Womens Association) scone recipe. Surely this had to be a good recipe, I mean, it's the CWA, they are the pinnacle of home baking!

The CWA recipe uses both milk and cream, no butter (therefore none of that fiddly rubbing in).

My lord were these awesome. I know when something I bake is good when the boy looks at me after his first bite and gives me a big grin. They were crispy on the outside and beautifully moist on the inside.

And the number one tip for perfect scones...don't overwork the dough!!

Scones
3 cups self-raising flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup cream
1 & 1/4 - 1/2 cups milk

Sift dry ingredients. Cut in cream and milk with a knife. Work quickly into a dough on a floured bench.

Flatten into about a 1.5cm-high rectangle on a lightly floured or greased scone tray.
Cut using a scone cutter, or cut into squares with knife or pizza cutter and place on top shelf of very hot oven (220-230 degreesC) for about 10-12 minutes.

Serve warm with your favorite jam and whipped cream.

Notes: I used about 1 1/4 cups of milk. It seemed a little wet at first, but is easy to work with if your hands and bench are well floured. I also cooked them for a little longer - about 15 minutes.

Strawberry Jam

2010-07-07T13:02:00.004+10:00

I love cooking things that remind me of my Nanny. She's been gone for over a year now, but I still think about her all the time. She was the person that taught me to cook, and as a child I loved going through all her recipe folders and looking at the old recipes passed down to her.

One of my favourite things to make with her was Jam. We would go the old brickworks and pick blackberries from the prickly bushes. My fingers would be stained a deep purple colour by the end of it, but I loved it because it was something special that we did together.

Now, we never made strawberry jam (it was usually blackberry or apricot), but I had the urge try making jam by myself for the first time with some old strawberries that I had. We would usually make a big batch on the stove, but this recipe uses the microwave.

It was really simple to make, only took 20 minutes, and there was no need to keep an eye on it.

Strawberry Jam
500 grams of strawberries, washed, hulled and chopped
375 grams of white sugar
Juice from 1 large lemon

Put the strawberries into a 3 litre capacity heatproof bowl (Very important: bowl has to be microwave-safe). Add the white sugar and 1/3 cup lemon juice.

Place the bowl in the microwave, uncovered, for 4 minutes on HIGH (100%) power. Then stir. Put the bowl back in the microwave for a further 15 minutes on HIGH (100%) power (the jam should still be runny) or until the jam reaches setting point.

To test if the strawberry jam has reached its setting point, place 1 teaspoon of jam onto a chilled saucer. Place the saucer in your freezer for 1 to 2 minutes or until jam is at room temperature. Run your finger through the jam. If the surface “wrinkles” and the jam stays in 2 separate portions, your strawberry jam ready to bottle. If not, cook for a little longer and test again.

Spoon your hot strawberry jam into the hot sterilised jars and pop the lid on straight away (the lid will eventually pop which means it has been seal correctly).

Sterilise the jam jars and lids by washing them in hot soapy water and rinse well. Place jam jars and lids in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and boil for about 10 minutes. Then put jam jars and lids on to a baking tray lined with baking paper. Place in an oven preheated to 100°C (212°F) for 12-15 minutes or until dry.

Label, date and store jars in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight until ready to use. Give the jam at least 3 hours to set. Once the jar is opened, store in the fridge for 6 to 8 weeks

Farewell Cupcakes

2010-06-30T10:08:00.002+10:00

These were made for the boys final day at work. I really do hope the office enjoyed them :)

Orange & Coconut Tea Cakes

2010-06-27T20:23:00.003+10:00

An orange cake has been on my list of things to make for a while now. The craving for this cake came from tasting the teacakes from the café downstairs at work (i believe they get them from Brasserie Bread, Sydney)

I liked the sponginess of the cake, paired with the zestiness of the orange.

The recipe I used to re-create these cakes is from the exclusively food website. I swapped the lemon for orange, and used coconut milk in place of normal milk. I also added a little milk and a bit of orange zest to the icing.

The cake was beautiful and moist, although next time I would add a little more of the dessicated coconut.

Orange & Coconut Tea Cakes
125g butter, softened
225g (1 cup) caster sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind
2 large eggs
40ml (2 tablespoons) orange juice
30g (1/3 cup) dessicated coconut
210ml (3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) coconut milk
225g (1 1/2 cups) self-raising flour

Orange Glaze
150g (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon) pure icing sugar (sifted if lumpy)
25ml (1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon) lemon juice
(add a little milk if the icing is too stiff for your liking)

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius (150 degrees Celsius fan-forced).

Grease a 12 hole muffin pan (I used a mini bundt pan).

Using an electric mixer or electric hand-held beaters on low speed, beat the butter in a large bowl until creamy (about 2 minutes).

Add the caster sugar and orange rind and beat on medium speed. Stop the machine once or twice during beating to scrape down the side and base of the bowl with a spatula. Beat the mixture until it is pale and creamy (about 5-7 minutes).

Add the first egg to the butter mixture and beat on medium speed for about one minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the side and base of the bowl. Add the remaining egg, beating on medium speed for about one minute. Scrape down the side and base of the bowl.

To the butter mixture, add two tablespoons orange juice, coconut, half the coconut milk and half the flour. Using a large spoon or spatula, gently fold ingredients together until just combined. Add the remaining flour and coconut milk and fold ingredients together until combined. Don't over mix the batter.

Spoon batter into prepared pans.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden in colour and the cake springs back when lightly pressed in the centre. Insert a thin-bladed knife or wooden skewer into the centre of the cake to test whether it is cooked through

Allow cakes to cool in pan on a wire rack. When cooled, remove cake from pan.

Stir icing sugar and 25ml (1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon) orange juice together in a small bowl until smooth. Spoon over the cooled cakes.

Baked Pears with Spiced Mascarpone

2010-06-27T20:13:00.005+10:00

I needed a simple dessert to make for a Sunday feast with friends.

After uming and ahring my way through my piles of recipe's, I decided on these. I have made these baked pears before, after seeing them on this fellow bloggers site, and they were beautiful. The texture of the pear against the silky mascarpone is just divine.

This recipe is definitely a keeper.

Baked Pears with Spiced Mascarpone
8 large buerre bosc pears
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthways
80g butter
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups apple juice

Spiced mascarpone
250g mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons icing sugar mixture
1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice

Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Peel the pears and Place them in a medium baking dish.

Scrape seeds from vanilla bean. Reserve bean. Place seeds, butter and sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Add reserved bean to baking dish.

Brush pears with butter mixture. Add juice and remaining butter mixture to dish. Bake for 1 hour or until pears are tender. Stand 15 minutes. Discard bean.

Meanwhile, make Spiced mascarpone: Place mascarpone, sugar, orange rind and mixed spice in a bowl. Stir to combine. Place pears on plates. Drizzle with pan juices. Serve with spiced mascarpone.

Caramel Chocolate Mousse Tart

2010-06-21T11:23:00.011+10:00

I bought myself a new camera this weekend. I was originally going to invest in a Canon 450 DSLR, but as I am now heading off on a holiday to France in a month, I decided on a compact digital camera (hopefully I will purchase the DSLR later in the year).

I ended up with the Canon IXIS 130 camera, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised by its capabilities.

To break in my camera, I took some photographs of this little baby.

Now this tart is the shit. It is rich, decadent, gooey, and loaded with calories.
I decided to make it for my boyfriend’s friend who is currently stuck in hospital. I wasn’t exactly sure what she would like, but I was sure I couldn’t fail with this tart. Everyone who has eaten it has died and gone to tart heaven.

I changed it up a bit this time, and used some leftover chocolate pastry I had in the freezer. It was a chocoholics dream. (the original pastry recipe can be found here)

What I like about this particular tart is the mousse. I generally don’t like chocolate tarts as I find ganache quite heavy and sickly. The mousse in this recipe gives you the chocolate hit, without the heaviness.

Caramel Chocolate Mousse Tart

Chocolate Pastry
320g plain flour
60g cocoa
160g caster sugar
Pinch salt
160g cold butter, diced
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the flour, cocoa, sugar, salt and butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the eggs and process until dough just starts to come together.

Turn on to a lightly floured surface and gently knead until just smooth. Shape into a disc and cover with plastic wrap, then place in the fridge for 10 minutes to rest.

Roll out the pastry to a 15 x 40cm rectangle, about 3mm thick. Line a shallow rectangle 10 x 34cm (base measurement) fluted tart tin with a removable base with the pastry and trim any excess. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest.

Line pastry with baking paper and fill with baking weights. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove paper and rice and bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until firm to touch. Cool pastry in tin

Caramel
225g caster sugar
250ml water
80ml thickened cream
70g butter, roughly chopped

Combine sugar and water in a heavy-based saucepan and stir over a low flame until sugar is dissolved.

Increase the heat to high and cook sugar, while brushing down the sugar crystals on the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush, until it's a deep golden colour (about 10-15 minutes). As soon as it starts to turn amber, do not take your eyes of it!

As soon as it hits the right colour, remove quickly from the heat and immediately add cream and butter (this will stop it cooking). Be careful as the mixture will spit and foam.

Stir to combine and pour into the tart case. Refrigerate until firm (about 1-2 hours)

Chocolate Mousse
250g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 eggs, separated
185ml thickened cream
2 Tbl caster sugar

Melt chocolate in a double-boiler or heatproof bowl over a pan of low simmering water. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Add the yolks, stir to combine and set aside (it will look a bit weird and gluggy but this is ok).

In a separate bowl, whisk cream until soft peaks and set aside.

In another bowl, whisk eggwhites with an electric mixer until frothy. Then gradually add the sugar and continue whisking until it forms soft peaks.

Add a little of the cream and stir into the chocolate mixture to soften it up and make it easier to mix.

Fold a 1/3 of the eggwhite mixture gently into the chocolate mixture, then fold in a 1/3 of the remainder of the cream. Repeat with remaining eggwhite and cream until all combined.

Spoon over cold caramel in the tart case. Spread the mousse to the edges and smooth the top. Refrigerate until firm (about 2-3 hours).

To Finish
150g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
60ml pouring cream
20g unsalted butter, softened

Combine chocolate and cream in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until chocolate melts.

Remove from the heat, add butter and stir to combine.

Cool until it's a touch warm, then spread over the fully chilled chocolate mousse in the tart case and smooth top. Refrigerate immediately until set (about 30-40 minutes).

Caramel Mud Cupcakes

2010-06-21T11:23:00.009+10:00

Each week I make a sweet treat for the boy to take to work. This week he requested something creamy and crispy, or caramel mud. I chose the latter (mainly because I have had a recipe sitting in my to do pile for a while).

So the cake part was easy, it was finding a frosting that was the hard part. I couldn’t find any recipe for a caramel buttercream that I was completely happy with.

I eventually settled on one that involved butter, brown sugar and golden syrup. After making it, it wasn’t really what I was after. I ended up adding some icing sugar and extra golden syrup, but still, it tasted too much like the start of a butter cake, rather than a fluffy frosting. I wouldn't use this frosting recipe again.

For a garnish, I was inspired by Masterchef to make some honeycomb. I was surprised at how easy it was. I didn’t used the Masterchef recipe, as I didn’t have any glucose, so used one with golden syrup instead.

Caramel Mud Cupcakes
125g butter, chopped coarsely
100g white eating chocolate, chopped coarsely
2/3 cup (150g) firmly pack brown sugar
1/4 cup (90g) golden syrup
2/3 cup (160ml) milk
1 cup (150g) plain flour
1/3 cup (50g) self-raising flour
1 egg

Preheat oven to 170°C/150°C fan-forced. Line 12-hole muffin pan with paper cases.

Stir butter, chocolate, sugar, syrup and milk in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Transfer mixture to medium bowl; cool 15 minutes.

Whisk sifted flours into chocolate mixture, then egg.

Drop 1/4 cup of mixture into cases. Bake about 30 minutes. Stand cakes 5 minutes before turning top-side up onto wire rack to cool.

Caramel Buttercream
125g butter, at room temperature
100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
2 tbs golden syrup (i probably added another tbs)
1 tbs milk
(i also included about 1 Cup of icing sugar)

Use an electric beater to beat together the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a medium bowl until light brown and fluffy. Add the milk and beat until well combined. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.

Honeycomb
6 tbs white sugar
2 tbs golden syrup
2 tsp water
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Place sugar, golden syrup and water in a heavy saucepan and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar is dissolved

Bring to the boil and boil for seven minutes

Remove from the heat and quickly add the bicarbonate of soda. At this point the mixture will froth.

Stir quickly and pour into a greased 28x18cm lamington tin. When cold, cut into pieces and sprinkle over cupcakes. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

Moroccan Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup

2010-06-21T11:22:00.003+10:00

Another soup I came across this weekend was a recipe for Moroccan Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup. I thought this would be a nice alternative to the good ol’ Pumpkin soup that I dearly love.

The soup itself was incredibly easy to make. I especially love soups where the preparation is minimal and involves cutting the vegies into careless chucks rather than delicate dices.

The Moroccan spices add a beautiful subtle taste, which balanced well with the sweetness of the potato and carrots. This soup would be lovely served with some toasted Turkish bread.

Moroccan Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large brown onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
600g orange sweet potato, peeled, diced
500g carrots, peeled, sliced
6 cups reduced-salt chicken stock
300g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
1/2 small lemon, juiced

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Stir in coriander, cumin and chilli powder. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add sweet potato and carrot. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add stock. Cover. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

Add chickpeas to soup and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until chickpeas are tender.

Blend soup, in batches, until smooth. Return to saucepan over medium-low heat. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Heat, stirring, until hot (do not boil). Ladle into bowls. Top with croutons. Sprinkle with pepper. Serve.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

2010-06-20T18:02:00.006+10:00

My boyfriend and I are trying to be a little more frugal these days. As a result I have been trying to send him to work with packed lunches rather then buying it each day. This week he asked me to make him some soups to take to work, a mushroom soup to be exact.

I'm not a huge fan of mushies, but I knew he would be after something creamy to satisfy his tastebuds. After checking out a couple of recipes on Google, I ended up with the following.

It was quite nice, although next time i would use a reduced salt stock, as the saltiness overpowered the delicate taste of the mushrooms.

Cream of Mushroom Soup
60 g butter
2 medium leeks, trimmed, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
300 g flat mushrooms, diced
300 g cup mushrooms, diced
1/3 cup plain flour
4 cups chicken stock
2/3 cup cream
‘A cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Toasted bread, to serve

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until butter begins to foam. Add leeks and garlic and cook, stirring often for 3- 4 minutes or until soft.

Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.

Gradually add stock. Bring to boil, stirring constantly over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat, allow to cool and process to desired consistency. Stir in cream and parsley.

Heat soup over medium to low heat, without boiling until hot. Season with salt and pepper and serve with toasted bread.

Birthday Wishes

2010-06-16T21:55:00.007+10:00

Apologies for the dodgy iphone photos.

I made this cake for a work colleagues 21st birthday. Man was it epic.

I made the cakes over the weekend and froze them, ready to decorate Tuesday night. For the chocolate layer, I used Donna Hay's chocolate buttermilk cake recipe, and for the white layer, I used a recipe for a white chocolate buttermilk cake from the delicious. sweet recipe book (I cheated a little due to time constraints on the pink layer and used a Greens brand packet butter cake mix)

Banana Cupcakes

2010-06-14T21:12:00.005+10:00

Both recipes from this weekend's baking fest are from the exclusively food website. I use this recipe for banana cake on a regular basis (in both regular cake and cupcake form), and it is always a hit. This recipe is a great way to use up old bananas and left over buttermilk, and it is dead easy to make.

Banana Cupcakes/Cake
125g salted butter, softened
330g (1 1/2 cups) sugar
280g (1 very slightly rounded cup) very ripe, mashed banana
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (1 teaspoon natural vanilla essence)
2 large eggs (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)
100ml (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon) buttermilk
225g (1 1/2 cups) self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (160 degrees fan-forced).

Line cupcake trays with cases (amount will vary depending on the size of your tray). If baking in cake form, grease the side and base of a 22cm diameter (inside top measurement) round cake pan, and like the bottom with non-stick baking paper.

Place butter, sugar, banana, vanilla and eggs in a food processor.

Process for about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of processor. Add buttermilk and pulse to combine.

Sift flour and bicarbonate of soda together into a large bowl. Add flour mixture to food processor and process until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan or cupcake cases.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown (50-60 minutes for a cake, or until a skewer or knife inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean)

Leave cupcakes/cake to cool on a wire rack.

Spread or pipe cooled cupcakes/cake with cream cheese icing. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Cream Cheese Icing
90g cream cheese, softened
45g butter, softened
210g (1 2/3 cups) icing sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Add sifted icing sugar and beat until smooth. Add lemon juice and beat to combine. Pipe or Spread icing over cooled cake.

Caramel Honeycomb Cheesecake

2010-06-14T21:06:00.019+10:00

Okay, so I admit it, I have never baked a cheesecake before. Never. I ate a beautiful cheesecake at a friend’s house last week, so I was inspired to make my own.

One recipe website that I refer to on a regular basis, is www.exclusivelyfood.com.au. I have tried many recipes from this website, and none of them have ever failed me.

For my cheesecake, I decided to trial their Caramel Honeycomb Cheesecake recipe. I am not usually a fan of baked cheesecakes, but this one was nice. The texture was beautiful. It was soft and creamy on the palette. The caramel taste was lacking though, and the violet crumble was almost non existent. I did make a few amendments to the original recipe (see notes), and if I were to make it again, I would probably include an additional violet crumble, and possibly serve it with a caramel sauce to bring out the flavours in the cake.

Caramel Honeycomb Cheesecake
Base
250g packet Scotch Finger (shortbread style) biscuits
95g butter, melted (the amount you need may vary, depending on the type of biscuits you use)

Caramel
20g butter
62ml (1/4 cup) thickened cream (35 percent fat)
62ml (1/4 cup) sweetened condensed milk
60g (1/4 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
1 tablespoon (20ml) golden syrup

Filling
100g chocolate coated honeycomb bars (we use two 50g Violet Crumble bars)
500g cream cheese, softened
90g (1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon) caster sugar
3 large eggs (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)
126g (1/2 cup) sour cream
125ml (1/2 cup) thickened cream (35 percent fat)
1 tablespoon (20ml) lemon juice

Place honeycomb bars in the refrigerator to allow the chocolate to harden.

You will need a round springform cake pan with a diameter of 20cm (top inside measurement) and a depth of at least 6cm. Grease the base and side of the pan. Line the base and side of the pan with non-stick baking paper.

Finely crush the biscuits in a food processor or blender. If you used a food processor to crush the biscuits, add the melted butter to the biscuit crumbs and process until well combined. If you used a blender, it is probably easier to tip the biscuit crumbs into a medium bowl and stir in the melted butter.

Firmly press the biscuit mixture over the base and up the sides of the prepared pan (we use the back of a spoon to do this). Cover the pan and refrigerate while preparing caramel and filling.

To make the caramel, place 20g butter, 1/4 cup cream, condensed milk, brown sugar and golden syrup in a small saucepan. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and stir constantly for about 4-5 minutes, reducing the heat if necessary to prevent the caramel catching on the base of the saucepan. The mixture should thicken slightly.

Remove from heat and allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position, so the centre of the cheesecake will be in the centre of the oven.

Gently hit unopened packets of honeycomb bars with the smooth side of a meat mallet until bars are crushed into small pieces. Empty the honeycomb into a small bowl and set aside until required.

Using an electric mixer, electric hand-held beaters, or a food processor, beat cream cheese and caster sugar together in a large bowl. Stop the machine occasionally and use a spatula to scrape the side and base of the bowl. Beat until the mixture is completely smooth.

Add the eggs to the cream cheese mixture one at a time, beating until combined after each addition.

Add the sour cream, cream, lemon juice and cooled caramel mixture to the cream cheese mixture. Beat until the ingredients are well combined.

Pour half of the cheesecake mixture over the biscuit base.

Sprinkle crushed honeycomb over cheesecake mixture.

Spoon the remaining cheesecake mixture over the honeycomb.

Place the cheesecake on a baking tray to catch any butter that may leak from the springform pan. Bake cheesecake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. The cheesecake may be cracked and risen; it should still be wobbly in the centre.

Allow cheesecake to cool in the pan for two hours at room temperature.

Leave cheesecake in the pan, and place in an airtight container or cover pan with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until completely cold.

Remove from pan and cut into slices to serve. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes: For the base, i used 200g of Granita biscuits and 75g of butter. I only covered the base of the tin, and did not go up the sides.

Cinnamon Scrolls

2010-06-07T13:32:00.006+10:00

This past year has been a year of many cooking firsts. Whilst I have always had the ability to cook, I didn’t really use recipe’s that I though would be complicated, or had ingredients that I hadn’t used before.

My first hurdle earlier this year was learning how to make my own pastry (as opposed to getting it pre-rolled out of a freezer). My first attempt was a bit of a fail, but now as I have done it over and over again, I learned what can and cannot be done, and that it isn’t all that delicate.

This weekend I made dough, using Yeast for the first time. I had been reminiscing about childhood foods, and one that stands out to me were the Cinnamon Scrolls from my high school canteen. These were my absolute favourite thing from the canteen. The dough was light and fluffy with a touch of cinnamon, and the best thing about them was that they were drenched in icing.

The recipe I used was from Bill Grangers Sydney Food cook book. Whilst they did fill my cinnamon scroll void, I felt that they could have been a little lighter and fluffier (maybe a longer kneading next time?).

Iced Cinnamon Scrolls
2x 7g sachets dried yeast
¼ cup lukewarm water
1 cup milk
125g unsalted butter, cubed
4 cups plain all-purpose flour
a pinch of salt
¼ cup caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup currants (I omitted)
1/3 cup sultanas (I omitted)
80g unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Icing
1 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp warm water
½ tsp vanilla essence

For the dough, Dissolve the yeast in warm water.
Place milk, cubed butter in a medium saucepan and heat until butter is melted. Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Add sugar (caster) and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs, and milk and yeast mixtures. Stir until a smooth dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6-8 minutes, working in extra flour if dough is too sticky. Add the currants and sultanas (if using) at the last two minutes of kneading.

Place the dough into a large lightly floured bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Keep the bowl in a warm area and allow to rise for 30 minutes to an hour. The dough should have doubled in size.

Punch the dough down and on a floured surface roll into a 23 x 60 cm rectangle. Brush generously with melted butter, reserving some for later, and sprinkle some brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the surface. Roll the dough up, to make a log. With the seam-side down, cut the roll into 2cm thick slices and place on baking trays 1.5 cam apart. Brush the tops of the rolls with the remaining butter. Cover loosely and leave to rise until doubled again.

Preheat oven to 180˚C.
Bake rolls for 20-30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack for 10 minutes then drizzle with icing.

For the icing, Dissolve icing sugar in warm water and add vanilla essence in a mixing bowl. Stir until smooth. Add extra water if the icing is too thick to drizzle.

Waffles

2010-06-07T13:30:00.003+10:00

Sunday morning in our house is pancake day, but this weekend I thought I would mix it up with... waffles!

I received a waffle maker years ago and used it once. Using the recipe that came with the instructions, they failed miserably. What I thought would be fluffy, crispy waffles turned out as flat, rubbery discs.

I came across a recipe on karencheng.com.au which claimed to be the perfect waffle recipe, so I gave it a go. The recipe produced a lovely tasting waffle, which was fluffy in the centre with a crisp exterior.

I served them with a creamy vanilla bean ice cream, strawberries and maple syrup.

Waffles
1 egg separated
¼ cup castor sugar
1 cup of milk
¼ cup of water
1 ½ cups of self raising flour
pinch of salt
60g butter, melted

Using a hand mixer, beat egg white until soft peaks. Gradually add half the sugar until you get stiff peaks. Keep aside.

Beat egg yolk (with remaining half of sugar) until creamy. Then beat in milk and water, followed by the sifted dry ingredients.

Mix in melted butter, and then fold in the egg white.

Place batter into your waffle maker (amount will depend on your waffle maker)
Serve hot with your choice of topping – ice cream, banana, strawberries, cream, topping, yoghurt.

Notes: This recipe made enough for 2 (hungry) adults. The waffles stated to go a bit soggy upon standing; I put them under the griller for a moment to crisp back up again.

Raspberry Friands

2010-05-27T12:09:00.006+10:00

I made these little morsels of sweet, buttery goodness to use up some egg whites. I like to use a mini muffin pan to make them bite sized, but feel free to use a normal friand tin.

Raspberry Friands
5 egg whites
150g butter, melted
3/4 cup (100g) almond meal
1¼ cups (200g) icing sugar mixture
1/3 cup (50g) plain flour
100g fresh or frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to moderately hot (200°C/180°C fan-forced).

Grease 24 mini muffin pan holes (1½ tablespoon/30ml capacity). Alternatively you can use a proper friand tin.

Place egg whites in a medium bowl; whisk lightly until combined. Add butter, almond meal, sifted icing sugar and flour. Whisk until just combined. Divide mixture among prepared pans; top mixture in each hole with a raspberry.

Bake in moderately hot oven for about 15 minutes or until browned and cooked when tested. Turn onto wire racks to cool, right way up. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with sifted icing sugar, if desired.

Pea & Ham Soup

2010-05-26T21:39:00.006+10:00

Well it is finally that time of the year where i get to bring out the soup recipes. My two favourites are Pumpkin and Pea & Ham, and i practically live on them during the colder months. I like to do up big batches of them and freeze them into portions for lazy dinners and work lunches.

I love the comforting feeling that soup gives, plus they are big on flavour and dead easy to make.

This is my mum's recipe for Pea & Ham soup, and although yes, it may not look that appealing, it tastes brilliant.

Pea & Ham Soup
500g packet green split peas
1 tbs olive oil
2 brown onions, coarsely chopped
3 carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped
3 celery sticks, ends trimmed, coarsely chopped
800g smoked bacon bones
2.75L water
2 dried bay leaves
Pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, uncovered, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the onion is soft. Add the split peas, bay leaves, bacon bones and water. Cover and bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 3/4 hours to 2 hours or until the bacon begins to fall off the bone and the soup thickens. Remove the pan from the heat.

Use tongs to remove the bacon bones from the pan. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Use your hands to pull the bacon off the bone. Discard the bone. Shred the bacon. Return the bacon to the soup and season with pepper.

Stir the soup over low heat for 4-5 minutes or until heated through. Serve with toasted bread or croutons.

Apple Crumble Muffins

2010-05-26T21:08:00.006+10:00

I generally don't bake on weekdays, mainly due to lack of time. But as I was feeling a little guilty that my poor beloved had been going hungry during the day, I decided to whip up a batch of muffins. They could have done with a little more cinnamon, but overall they were quite nice.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins
300g (2 cups) self-raising flour
150g (1 cup) plain flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
400g can pie apple, coarsely chopped
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
375ml (1½ cups) milk
190ml (¾ cup) oil

Crumble Topping
1/2 cup self-raising flour
1/4 dessicated coconut
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rolled oats
70g butter, melted

Grease 16 holes of 2 x 12 hole (1/3 cup capacity) muffin pans. Sift dry ingredients into bowl, stir in apple and sugar, then combined eggs, milk and oil; do not over-mix, batter should be lumpy. Spoon mixture into pans. Sprinkle muffins with the crumble topping.

Bake at 200°C for about 20 minutes or until browned and firm. Stand 2 minutes, remove from pan; cool on wire rack.

Topping - Combine all ingredients in a bowl and use a fork to stir. Add more melted butter if the mixture is too dry.

Lemon Meringue Pie

2010-05-17T12:27:00.004+10:00

It has been a while since I have cooked a dinner for friends, so I decided this was the weekend to do it. I eagerly started planning a menu on Sunday morning, which had Italian/medit flavours. My favourite course to make is without a doubt, dessert, and this weekend it was to be Lemon Meringue Pie (ok, not so mediterranean, but the lemon complimented the flavours well).

I have tried a couple of different Lemon Meringue Pie recipes, but none have yet been to my taste.

I like a creamy filling, with a subtle lemon taste. Not over powering, or too sour.

So far, this has been my favourite Lemon Meringue Pie recipe, although I will continue my search for the perfect pie.

Sweet Pastry
380g plain flour
160g caster sugar
Pinch salt
160g cold butter, diced
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the flour, sugar, salt and butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the eggs and process until dough just starts to come together.

Turn on to a lightly floured surface and gently knead until just smooth. Shape into a disc and cover with plastic wrap, then place in the fridge for 10 minutes to rest.

Roll out the pastry to a 15 x 40cm rectangle, about 3mm thick. Line a shallow rectangle 10 x 34cm (base measurement) fluted tart tin with a removable base with the pastry and trim any excess. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest. Use a round tart tin if you prefer.

Line pastry with baking paper and fill with baking weights. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove paper and rice and bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until firm to touch. Cool pastry in tin.

Filling
395g Sweetened Condensed Milk
3 eggs, separated
2 tsp grated lemon rind
½ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup caster sugar

Preheat oven to 180°C. Beat together Condensed Milk, egg yolks, lemon rind and lemon juice. Pour into prepared pastry base.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar until sugar has dissolved. Spoon or pipe meringue over filling.

Bake 15-20 minutes until golden. Serve warm or cold.

Notes
Again, if the pastry is a little dry, add a touch of water after adding the eggs.
The pastry recipe makes double what you need. Cut the dough in half, and freeze to use for another time.

Buttermilk Pancakes

2010-05-17T12:20:00.005+10:00

I love lazy Sundays, although this was not going to be one of them. I usually do a cooked breakfast on Sundays, with Crepes or Pancakes being my beloved’s favourite.

This weekend I decided to do Buttermilk Pancakes. These pancakes are beautifully fluffy and flavoursome. I top mine with a sweet vanilla bean mascarpone, ripe strawberries, and maple syrup.

Buttermilk Pancakes
2 eggs
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoons vanilla extract (i like to use vanilla bean paste)

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl whisk eggs. Add buttermilk and vanilla and mix well.

Make a well in the dry ingredients, and add the buttermilk mixture whilst whisking. Mix well until the batter is smooth. Leave batter for 15 or so minutes to rest.

Heat non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Pour one ladle of batter onto the pan and cook on the first side until bubbles that form start to pop. Flip the pancake over with a spatula and cook until golden brown. Repeat until all the mixture has been used.

Serve the pancakes with whatever topping you like.

Mint Slice Tart

2010-05-13T12:52:00.002+10:00

I have a thing for tarts at the moment. This week I was still feeling like something chocolately, but with a bit of a kick. After trawling through recipe’s of chocolate tarts, it hit me: Chocolate Peppermint Tart.

I knew in my head the kind of tart that I wanted. Chocolate biscuity pastry, a layer of peppermint crème, followed by chocolate mousse, encased with a layer of slightly crisp ganache. I was after something reminiscent of the beloved Mint Slice biscuit.

So I played Frankenstein, mixing parts of recipes together and came up with the following. Rich, decadent, and a little (ok, a lot) naughty.

Chocolate Pastry
320g plain flour
60g cocoa
160g caster sugar
Pinch salt
160g cold butter, diced
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the flour, cocoa, sugar, salt and butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the eggs and process until dough just starts to come together.

Turn on to a lightly floured surface and gently knead until just smooth. Shape into a disc and cover with plastic wrap, then place in the fridge for 10 minutes to rest.

Roll out the pastry to a 15 x 40cm rectangle, about 3mm thick. Line a shallow rectangle 10 x 34cm (base measurement) fluted tart tin with a removable base with the pastry and trim any excess. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest.

Line pastry with baking paper and fill with baking weights. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove paper and rice and bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until firm to touch. Cool pastry in tin.

Peppermint Crème
2 cups icing sugar (sifted)
1/4 cup cream
25g melted butter
1 tsp peppermint essence (or to your taste)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and spread a layer over the cooled pastry. Refrigerate until firm (about 30 minutes to 1 hour).

Chocolate Mousse
250g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 eggs, separated
185ml thickened cream
2 Tbl caster sugar

Melt chocolate in a double-boiler or heatproof bowl over a pan of low simmering water. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Add the yolks, stir to combine and set aside (it will look a bit weird and gluggy but this is ok).

In a separate bowl, whisk cream until soft peaks and set aside.

In another bowl, whisk eggwhites with an electric mixer until frothy. Then gradually add the sugar and continue whisking until it forms soft peaks.

Add a little of the cream and stir into the chocolate mixture to soften it up and make it easier to mix.

Fold a 1/3 of the eggwhite mixture gently into the chocolate mixture, then fold in a 1/3 of the remainder of the cream. Repeat with remaining eggwhite and cream until all combined.

Spoon over cold peppermint crème in the tart case. Spread the mousse to the edges and smooth the top. Refrigerate until firm (about 2-3 hours).

To Finish
150g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
60ml pouring cream
20g unsalted butter, softened

Combine chocolate and cream in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until chocolate melts.

Remove from the heat, add butter and stir to combine.

Cool until it's a touch warm, then spread over the fully chilled chocolate mousse in the tart case and smooth top. Refrigerate immediately until set (about 30-40 minutes).

Notes
The pastry makes quite a bit (i had a bit under half left over). Freeze the left over portion to use again. I also felt the pastry was a little too dry to work with, so added a teaspoon or so of water after i added the eggs.
The peppermint crème was a bit too stiff to spread, so i added a little milk to make it a touch runnier.