Biscuits

I'm saving hard at the moment for an overseas adventure scheduled for next year, which means everyone's getting home-made presents this Christmas. People generally appreciate the effort this entails and forget that you're being a bit cheap. This year I made a few different batches of biscuits/cookies for my work mates and some sweet-toothed family members. The selection included some short bread, these fig and date scrolls from Lottie and Doof and chocolate chunk biscuits. I did also make jam thumbprints (Gwyneth Paltrow's recipe) but i over cooked them a little, they are very tasty, however, and a healthier alternative. Packed in a jar or chinese takeaway box and tied with a festive ribbon they make a sweet and pretty Christmas gift. Happy holiday!!

Chocolate chunk biscuits:

Ingredients: 

1 tblsp instant coffee granules

2 tblsp boiling water

200 g plain flour

1/4 tsp bi-carb (baking) soda

185 g unsalted butter

175 g caster sugar

115 g firmly packed soft brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp natural vanilla extract

250 g roughly chopped dark chocolate

185 g chopped unsalted nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans)

Method:

Line two baking trays with baking paper. 

Dissolve the coffee granules in the boiling water. Allow to cool. 

Sift the flour and bi-carb soda together.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter an sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the dissolved coffee, the egg and vanilla. 

Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is well blended. Add the chopped chocolate and nuts, mixing thoroughly. 

Cover the mixture and chill for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 170*C.

Roll about 1 tblsp of dough at a time into a ball the size of a walnut and place on the prepared trays, allowing room for the biscuits to spread. Bake for 12-14=5 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Allow to firm on the trays for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

  

Makes 30-35.

From "Crave: A Passion for Chocolate", Maureen McKeon

Fig and date scrolls 

Pumpkin and Goats Cheese Pasta

I haven't had a dud pumpkin this whole year. A while back, I had to stop buying them because every second one was watery and tasteless. This was the time I got heavily into purple sweet potatoes and would use them to make this dish. It is really better suited to pumpkin, however, as it is a less carby accompaniment to the pasta. This is a simple meal to prepare and quite attractive with its contrasting colours. The combination of flavours and textures, sweet pumpkin, salty olives and creamy goats cheese and crunchy almonds make it exceptionally tasty. 

Ingredients:

1/2 (600g) pumpkin (i used jap)

extra virgin olive oil

20 black olives, pitted

fresh thyme

2 handfuls greens, baby spinach, beetroot leaves, warrigal greens 

half cup of slivered almonds 

120g goats curd or chevre  

350g good quality dried papperdelle

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200*C.  Dry roast the almonds in a hot pan until golden, set aside. Chop the pumpkin into 2cm by 2cm chunks, rum with olive oil and bake for 30-40 minutes, until tender and caramelised. Half way through the cooking time, add the olives and picked time. Wash greens thoroughly and dry. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil for the pasta, add a teaspoon or so of sea salt and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, and return the pasta to the pot. Add a dash of olive oil and the greens, stir to wilt. Add half the pumpkin and olives to the pasta and combine. Distribute pasta among four serving plates. Top with the remaining pumpkin, a dollop of goats cheese and scatter with slivered almonds. Serve immediately.    

Serves Four. 

Recipe adapted from Maggie Beer on the Cook and the Chef. 

Poached Rhubarb

With the amount of rhubarb I go through each week I am so regretful that I didn't plant any in my veggie patch. We are still in peak season in Sydney, so it is plentiful and fairly cheap. For my sister's brunch a couple of weeks back I poached some rhubarb to go with the granola and yogurt. It was very easy and looked great on the table. There was a fair amount left over, however, and I became slightly addicted to it. I ate so much that my teeth got that gritty feeling which is caused by the small amount of the toxin present in the stalks, mainly found in the leaves (why you shouldn't eat them). It was especially delicious with a blob of homemade yogurt, and I suspect would be equally so with some vanilla ice cream. 

Poached Rhubarb:

Ingredients: 

Two bunches rhubarb - 750g, chopped into two cm lengths 

150 unrefined cane sugar

2 tblsp water, if necessary

Method:

Place the rhubarb and sugar in a thick bottomed saucepan and stir to combine. Leave for an hour for the sugar to extract the moisture in the rhubarb. Cook on a very low heat, stirring every so often, for 30-45 minutes, until the rhubarb is soft and disintegrating. Add the water if the rhubarb is too dry. Allow to cool. 

Store in an airtight container in the fridge. 

Recipe adapted from Gourmet Traveller, June.  

Garlic

My first ever post featured Patrice Newel's superb biodynamic purple garlic, of which i had ordered a couple of kilos. In March this year I planted about 10 cloves in my veggie patch. For 8 months or so I watched the garlic sprout and produce tendrils of long green leaves. I resisted (for the most part) digging into the soil to check the size of the bulb and having minimal gardening skills I prepared myself for failure. But in mid-november I dug up the first row and found perfectly formed (though a little small) purple garlic bulbs! I was beyond excited and just sat and stared at them for a while. The second row didn't fare so well, they were blocked from the sun by more broad beans and I think I may have planted them later. Garlic is actually one of the best things to have in the garden, it requires very little labour and keeps the bugs off better than any spray or pellet. To plant your own garlic crop you'll need to buy some organic, local garlic. In around March (early Autumn) it will begin to sprout, when this happens simply plant individual cloves about 20cm apart and 5cm deep in the soil, with the green shoot pointing upwards. Keep well watered. The garlic can't have been sprayed, else it won't sprout. Whilst garlic is delicious and a component of so many dishes, I think people forget that it isn't available all year round. It does store fairly well dried but from about August to miid October I use very little garlic, maybe occasionally some Russian garlic, which has a different season. I have found that for the most part this really doesn't detract from the flavour of most dishes. I never buy Chinese or South American garlic, I would prefer to wait and enjoy it in all its glory when the season arrives.  

Eton Mess

I cooked for my sister's birthday brunch over weekend. I love making brunch food; croissants, puff pastry, mini tarts, granola, yogurt, jams! All my favourites. I especially enjoyed making pissaladiere's, circles of puff pastry topped with caramelised onion and then roasted capsicum, olives and goats cheese or mushrooms and mozzarella and then baked. So tasty! Unfortunately, things got a bit hectic and i didn't get to take as many photos as i'd wanted. I do have a sneaking suspicion that many of my sister's friends think i have no life, as everything from the puff pastry to the yogurt and jams were homemade. Oh well. Doing it that way is hard work but so satisfying and it means I have control over all the ingredients. I love watching people enjoy my food, appreciating the effort and asking questions about the process. I managed to get some photos of the Eton mess' served at the end. They were hastily put together but I still like the look of them in my new mason jars, next time, however, I will make more coulis. 

Meringues: 

Ingredients:

200g egg whites (about 6)

400g castor sugar

Method:

Preheat the over to 150*C. In a stainless steel bowl stir the sugar and whites together. Place over a saucepan of simmering water and stir with a spatula until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm. Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently to prevent sugar crystals forming. Remove the bowl from over the saucepan, wipe the base clean and transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk on high speed for 8-10mins, until stiff peaks have formed and the mixture is cool. Spoon or pipe the mixture onto trays lined with baking paper and place in the oven. reduce the heat to 130*C. Cook for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container. 

Makes 20 medium sized meringues. 

Eton Mess:

Ingredients: 

5 Punnets (punnet = 250g) strawberries

Half a lemon

5 tblsp icing sugar, sifted

1 litre whipping cream

20 meringues (above)

Method:

To make the coulis, wash and hull 3 punnets of the strawberries. Puree in a food processor with the lemon juice and four tblsp of the icing sugar. pass through a fine mesh sieve, pushing the pulp with the back of a spoon to good as much liquid out as possible. Whip the cream to soft peaks with the remaining tblsp of icing sugar (do not over whip) and wash, hull and slice the remaining strawberries. Break up the meringues into bite sized pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Carefully fold in the cream and 2/3 of the remaining strawbs. Fold in half the coulis to give a marbled effect. Distribute the remaining coulis between 16-18 200ml jars or glasses. Spoon the eton mess into the jars. Top with the remaining strawberries and if desired, sift over some icing sugar. 

Makes 16-18 individual Eton Mess'. 

Recipe Sources: 

Meringues: Bourke Street Bakery Cookbook

Eton Mess: Based on David Herbert's Recipe in The Weekend Australian Magazine, October, 2007. 

Cumquat Marmalade

I've never been a big fan of marmalade, the bitter bits of skin can be an unpleasant intrusion in an otherwise sweet, syrupy jam. We have, however, three cumquat trees. They did not produce a lot of fruit, but enough to warrant preserving. I collected 500g of fruit and it took me ONE HOUR to painstakingly slice each cumquat as thinly as possible. It was worth it, i think. The jam is a lovely amber colour speckled with perfectly distributed thin curls of skin. And i don't even mind the taste. Probably because of all the work i put in, the skin is thin enough so the bitterness isn't too dominant. Pretty good with some salted butter and toasted sourdough. 

Ingredients:

Equal parts cumquats, water, and sugar (i used raw).

Method:

Wash the fruit and slice with a sharp knife as thin as possible, removing the seeds and setting aside as you find them. Place the sliced fruit in a wide and (if possible) shallow saucepan with the water. Place the seeds in a muslin bag, secure with some string and place in the post. Bring to a simmer and cook gently until the fruit is soft - minimal 'bite' left in the skin, 1/2-1 hour, depending on how thin you sliced the skin. While the fruit is cooking, place a saucer in the freezer and preheat the oven to low. Wash the jars and rinse with boiling water, place on a tray lined with a tea towel and into the oven. Warm the sugar in the oven as well. When the fruit is soft, remove from the heat and take out the muslin bag, squeezing off any excess jam with a pair of tongs. Pour in the sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return to a high heat and boil until setting point in reached (20-30mins, though its hard to give a time), to test for setting place a teaspoonful of jam on the cold saucer, move the sauce around and then push the jam with a fingertip, if it wrinkles or holds its shape well, it is set, if it runs freely, boil for longer. Once set, ladle into jars and seal. 

Pizza Pie!

My favourite meal in the whole world is pizza. I love it so much that sometimes I can't think of anything else. It has to be really good pizza, though. Pizza Mario's in Surry Hills is the best i've ever had (i haven't been to the birthplace of pizza yet, but a trip is immanent). The crust is thin but chewy, baked to perfection in a wood fired oven. Strict topping rules are enforced: simple and restrained, using top notch ingredients. I always get the margarita with mushrooms and olives. So so good. I have been making pizza at home for a while now, they are never anywhere near as good as PM's, but i refuse to give up and i feel they are slowly improving as i experiment with different methods. I use fresh yeast when i can and half white bakers flour/half wholemeal flour, for texture. My sauce is slow cooked until thick and flavoursome. For this batch, I splurged on buffalo mozzarella, which is the perfect cheese for pizza. The pesto is a tasty alternative. Just follow the recipe here, though i used macadamias in place of pine nuts (I don't trust pine nuts anymore, and they are ridiculously expensive). You could also slice some fresh tomato over the top and/or dot with goats curd to liven it up a bit. Pizza done this way is not at all bad for you and should be eaten regularly. Serve with a fresh green salad dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a splash of red wine vinegar.  

Pizza Base (makes 6):

Ingredients: 

15g fresh yeast

1/2 tsp castor sugar

1tblsp warm water

250g strong white bakers flour (plus extra for dusting)

250g wholemeal fllour
2tblsp whole milk powder (optional)

1 1/2tsp salt

375ml warm water

1/4 cup olive oil
polenta for the final dust

Method:

Mix the yeast, sugar and 1 tbslp of warm water in a small dish. Set aside for 5-10 mins until frothy and bubbly. Mix together the flours, salt and milk powder (if using) in a large bowl, making a well in the centre. Pour the yeast mixture and oil into the centre, pour the warm water in and stir with a fork until the mixture becomes too thick and you need to use your hands. Tip out onto a floured surface and need for 10mins until it is 'tacky' (not to wet nor dry) to the touch. Leave in a oil slicked bowl covered with cling film for 90mins, until doubled in size. Take out of the bowl and need briefly, divide unto 6 equal sized balls, place on a floured surface and cover with a damp tea towel for 15mins to prove. Dust with polenta and roll out the balls into flat discs, stretching with your hands to get them fairly thin, Its up to personal preference as to how thin you stretch them. Set in a very hot oven for a couple of mins. Cool on wire racks (they can be frozen at this point as well). Top as desired and return to the oven until golden and bubbly. Slice and serve immediately.

Tomato sauce (makes enough for about 4 pizzas):

Ingredients: 

olive oil 

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 small chilli (or more, to taste), chopped

2 tins whole, peeled tomatoes 

1 tblsp dried oregano

salt n' pepper

Method:

Heat a splash of olive oil in a saucepan, sauté the garlic and chilli being careful not to burn the garlic (as it will turn bitter). Add the tomatoes and oregano, bring to a slow simmer and cook for and hour and an hour and a half, breaking up the tomatoes towards the end. 

Base Recipe from Maggie Beer, Maggie's Harvest. 

Broad Beans

The weather is heating up and my broad beans are finally producing a good supply of sweet and tasty beans. I'd thought for a while that something had gone wrong, as the plants had a mass of flowers but no beans were popping out. However, apparently due to the cooler weather in september, a late crop was the norm around Sydney. It is an amazing process to watch. First the flowers form and then they shrivel up and out emerges a tiny bean which grows at an incredible pace. I pick them at about 8-10cm, while they are still small and sweet as i generally can't be bothered double peeling them. Every time I break open the casing to reveal the four or five perfectly smooth beans I get excited. When I think that each plant, now with tens of flowers and emerging beans, started with just one little bean sized seed, I get quite emotional. I stir the beans into risottos, or mush them up with some parsley, a garlic clove, parmesan, a handful of almonds roasted and ground, salt and pepper and olive oil to stir through spaghetti or as a bruschetta topping. When the broad beans finish, I will plant some zucchini, as they like to follow a pulse crop.     

Pretty flowers that precede the beans. 

Flowers shrivelling and beans emerging!

  

Melanzane Parmigiana

There is a profusion of aubergines/eggplants/melanzane around at the moment. They are a funny looking fruit and are like little sponges to cook with. They will immediately suck up any oil you have in the pan. I find it best to cook them at a fairly high heat without too much oil. You want them sufficiently softened with some appetising char marks on each side. This parmigiana is an easy and surprisingly filling meal.  It uses a basic tomato sauce great also for pasta (on its own or with meatballs) and pizza (without the onion).

Ingredients: 

Tomato Sauce: 

olive oil 

1 onion, chopped

1 small red chilli (more if you like things hotter), chopped

1 clove of garlic, chopped 

3 tins whole, peeled tomatoes 

1 tblsp dried oregano 

Parmigiana: 

Olive oil 

2 smallish eggplants

2 zucchini (optional)

70-100g of mozzarella

parmesan

handful of fresh breadcrumbs (i.e. made from old sourdough or the like, i keep a bag in the freezer)

salt and pepper 

Method:

For the tomato sauce, heat a little olive oil over a low heat, add the onion and chilli and fry until translucent, add the garlic and stir for a minute before adding the tinned tomatoes and oregano. Simmer on a low heat for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring every so often. Preheat the oven to 200*C. Heat a griddle pan over medium-high heat, slice the eggplants and zucchini into 1cm thick slices. Brush each side of the eggplant and zucchini slices lightly with olive oil and fry in batches until lightly charred and tender. It's a good idea to vary between a high and medium heat so the eggplants and zucchinis don't scorch too quickly. Once each batch has cooked, lay on paper towel. Slice the mozzarella. Lightly grease a baking dish, big enough for four-six serves. Spoon a layer of sauce, then a few eggplant/zucchini slices, another layer of sauce and then a couple of slices of mozzarella (save most for the top layer) and grate over some parmesan. Repeat until you have used up all the ingredients, you want to finish with a thick layer of sauce, about half or a third of the mozzarella and a good grating of parmesean. Mix the breadcrumbs with a little olive oil and sprinkle over. Finish with a good grind of pepper. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the cheese is lovely and golden and bubbly. Serve with a salad or some blanched asparagus. 

Serves 4. 

Recipe source: Jamie's Italy. 

Granola

Granola has become a minor food craze. It is sold in little bags with big price tags. It is simple to make and you can tailor it to your own taste. I like mine with lots of nuts and well roasted so its nice and crunchy, you could add some dried fruit post roast to boost the sweetness. This is based on Chocolate & Zucchini's 'basic granola formula'. Mixed with melted dark chocolate, this granola is a killer ice-cream topping. 

Ingredients: 

3 cups rolled grains (oats, triticale, rye, barley or a mix) 

1 cup macadamias, roughly chopped

1 cup almonds, roughly chopped

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 - 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 - 1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tblsp grapeseed or other neutral flavoured oil 

6 tblsp dark agave syrup or golden syrup  

Method:

Pre-het the oven to 200*C and line a tray with baking paper. In a large bowl mix the oats, nuts and seeds together. Stir in the spices. Add the oil and the agave syrup and stir well until well combined and the dry ingredients are evenly coated. Tip out onto the tray and spread out. Place in the oven and every 5 minutes or so remove and stir to promote even baking. When the granola is golden remove and place the tray on a rack to cool. Store in an airtight container. 

Rhubarb Jam

The blackberry jam is running low and I have been considering what would be a good subject for my next attempt. What makes blackberry jam so good is its slight tartness, it is not too sweet or cloying. There has been some fantastic looking rhubarb at the Mountain Organics stall at the markets lately, lovely fresh, thick stalks. Rhubarb, like blackberries, has that tart quality which I like so much, I even eat it unsweetened on my muesli. Thinking this could potentially replenish my diminishing jam supply, I bought a couple of bunches for jamming. Rhubarb is low in pectin, so adding it in the form of lemon pith at the very beginning of cooking is essential, else it won't set. I was fairly happy with the result, its a smooth jam, with a definite tang and a soft sweetness.  

Ingredients:

2kg rhubarb

1.2-1.5kg unrefined cane sugar (or any other sugar) 

2 lemons 

Method:

Wash 5-7 jars thoroughly and place in a low oven and place a saucer in the freezer. Its a good idea to warm the sugar up in the oven too, to prevent the temperature of the jam lowering too much when you add it. Chop the rhubarb into 1-2cm lengths. Wash the lemons and peel right down to the flesh, you need all the white pith for pectin. Chop the skin and pith into strips and tie up in a muslin bag. Juice the lemons. Place the rhubarb, muslin bag and lemon juice into a big pot, shallow rather than deep, if possible. Bring to a simmer and cook the vegetables until they are soft, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the sugar in a steady stream. Stir until disolved. Return to the heat and cook on high to reach 'setting point'. After 10 minutes or so, start testing the jam. Place half a teaspoonful on the cold saucer, push he jam with a finger, if it runs back freely, it needs more boiling, if it wrinkles, its ready. I don't like my jam too firmly set, so i generally pot it between these two stages. remove the jars from the oven and ladle in the jam. Screw the lids on tightly and leave to cool.  

Recipe Source: The Right Way to Make Jams, Cyril Grange

See also Blackberry Jam

Ninja-bread men!

I first saw these ninja-bread cookie cutters online and immediately wanted a set. I resisted for a while as I thought the novelty would fade and they would be quickly relegated to the back of the drawer. I caved when i was asked to cook for a friend's brother's 21st brunch, as i thought they would be perfect for such an occasion. The boys loved them and i still take any excuse to use them. It is just such a cute and hilarious idea. They are hard to find in stores but are everywhere on the internet. I got mine for a good price on ebay. You can obviously use them with any biscuit dough recipe, but ginger bread is the most authentic. This recipe comes from the Bourke Street Bakery Cookbook. A stellar book all round. It makes a massive amount of dough, so halve it or freeze a couple of the discs to avoid suffering rolling pin fatigue. I keep meaning to decorate them but always run out of time. I still think they look pretty adorable nude. 

Ingredients: 

1.125kg plain flour

1tsp salt

tsp baking soda/bicarbonate of soda

1 1/2 tblsp ground ginger

2tsps ground cinnamon

2tsps ground nutmeg

400g unsalted butter

400g soft brown sugar

320g golden syrup or honey 

1 egg

4 egg yolks

Method:

Preheat the oven to 175*C. Sift the flour, salt, baking soda and spices together in a large bowl. Put the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a large bowl and mix with hand held electric beaters (or stand mixer) until pale and creamy. Add the egg and egg yolks in a small stream and mix until well combined. Add the dry ingredients, in three batches, until thoroughly mixed through. Divide the dough into four even sized portions and flatten each portion into a disc. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, or for up to three days. You can also freeze the discs. 

Remove from the fridge and allow the dough to soften slightly. Roll each disc between to sheets of baking paper, dust with some flour if they become too sticky, until about 3mm thick. Cut into shapes with ninjabread men cutters! 

Place the biscuits on baking trays lined with baking paper and bake, in batches, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until slightly puffed and golden. Allow to cool on the trays. 

If you wish, decorate with royal icing.  Store in an air tight container for up to two weeks.

Homemade Yogurt

Making your own yogurt is a little bit fiddly to start with but enormously satisfying. It is easily achievable in the home kitchen and will save you a fair amount of money. It also gives you more choice and more control. You can use organic, unhomogenised milk and make a far superior product with no added sugar and still save about 50% on regular store bought yogurt. It is good for your family, your wallet and reduces your reliance on supermarkets, which, if things keep going as they are, will soon rule the world. It is thus well worth the trouble and is actually very exciting because you never quite know if it will set. Apparently, for no reason, sometimes it just doesn't work. This hasn't happened yet but it certainly adds a bit of suspense to the process. If it doesn't set, just turn it into ricotta. I have looked at a lot of recipes online, but the one i found most helpful was from Matthew Evans on the Gourmet Farmer website. I had been using the 'esky' method to incubate the yogurt, but have just received an electric mat (intended for reptiles, i know, weird) that i will use next time. It maintains the required temp meaning you can just leave it for the 12-16 hours it takes to set/breed. I'm really hoping it works as while the 'esky' method works great it is a little annoying having to change the water. I have used homogenised and unhomogenised milk, they both worked great but you seem to get a little skin with unhomogenised, which is fine to eat and kinda acts as a natural lid. Homemade yogurt is a lot creamier and a less astringent than the commercially made stuff. The longer you leave it to incubate, the stronger it will taste. You can use your own yogurt to make subsequent batches but every so often will need to buy a small amount of yogurt to use as it looses its oomph after a while.   

Ingredients:

2 litres organic milk 

2-3 tblsp organic yogurt (unflavoured, must have live cultures)

Equipment:

digital thermometer with a clip

electric heat mat or esky 

heavy based saucepan or double boiler 

Method:

Set the oven to a low temperature, thoroughly wash 3-4 jars and a 500ml ovenproof measuring jug (you will have a little under 2 litres of yogurt to fit), set on an oven tray lined with a tea towel and place in the oven. I use a heavy based 4 litre saucepan, if you have one large enough a double boiler is apparently preferable. Rinse the pot and spike of the thermometer with boiling water to sterilise. Pour the milk into the pot over a medium flame, clip on the thermometer to keep an eye on the temp. Heat, while stirring until 92*C and then remove from the heat and quickly place the pot in a bowl or sink of iced water to col the temp to 38*C. Stir frequently to aid even cooling. While cooling, remove the jars from the oven ready for filling. Once the milk has dropped to 38*C, remove a cup or so using the sterilised measuring jug, add the yogurt starter and stir until thouroghly combined. return to the pot and stir. Pour the mixture into the jug and distribute among the jars, filling to the top if possible. Tightly screw on the lids. If using the esky method, place the jars in an esky and pour in warm water, about 40*C to surround, but no cover the jars. If you leave the yogurt 12 hours you will need to rep;ace the water about 3-4 times to maintain a tempt warm enough for the cultures to grow. Using the electric mat, which i haven't done yet but am about to, you just need to dry the jars, place on the mat - which should maintain a temp of bout 33-37*C - and cover with towels to insulate, leave for 12-16 hours. Eat in about a week.

UPDATE: Electric mat works perfectly!

Gluten-Free Almond Cakes

Me, my magi-mix and my kitchenaid are very close and we do a lot together. But sometimes I love just to be able to use a bowl and a wooden spoon. These mini cakes are so easy make and tasty and almost good for you. Just replace the millet flour with self-raising flour and omit the baking powder to make them non gluten free. I have these silicon cupcake moulds from when i worked in a kitchenware shop. They have lasted for years and although they have a slightly weird smell this is never transferred to the cakes. I do lightly grease them, just for ease of removal. The novelty of the star and heart shapes still hasn't worn off and the cakes or moulds make a great gift. I have also used hazelnut meal, but almond is nicer. The other week I made these in a real rush and forgot to add the egg. BIG mistake, they were all sunken and crusty and ultra sweet. I have even more respect for eggs now. I don't know where we'd be without them.    

Ingredients:

3/4 cup ground almonds

1/2 cup millet flour 

1 tsp gluten free baking powder

1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar

1 egg

2 tblsp milk 

75g unsalted butter, melted

jam of your choice (optional)

Method: 

Preheat the oven to 175*C and grease 10-12 silicon (or other) cupcake moulds. Sift the millet flour and baking powder together, add the ground almonds and sugar. Stir to combine. Make a well in the centre and add the butter, egg and milk. Stir until combined. Distribute evenly into cupcake moulds. If desired, spoon 1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon of jam onto each cake. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden.

Cauliflower Soup

There is only one week until spring! I haven't minded this winter at all, though everyone I speak to says it has been the worst they can remember, but i'm starting to notice that people say that every year, without fail. But i am definitely looking forward to warmer weather, picnics, sitting outside at night, and not having to wear tights everywhere. I had meant to make a lot of new soups this year but got stuck on two favourites, pumpkin and cauliflower. The Kurrawong Organics stall at the markets specialises in brassicas and they have the most beautiful brussels sprouts, cabbages and caulis. I usually get a cauli once every couple of weeks and make a big pot of soup. I pinched the idea of adding ground nuts from Chocolate and Zucchini, it adds texture and a a little more complexity to the flavour. Apparently it's a great soup for dieting, but don't let that put you off. It's super tasty and simple and pretty cheap as well, a hat trick! Which reminds me of cricket, one of the few things about summer that i hate. On that note... 

Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:

olive oil

20g butter

1 Large cauliflower

2 brown onions, roughly chopped 

1 garlic clove

around 1 litre of vegetable stock 

2-3 small waxy potatoes, scrubbed and chopped 

large handful of almonds 

Salt n' pepper 

Method:

In a hot oven, roast the almonds until golden, set aside to cool. Peel away the leaves from the cauli, wash and chop roughly, you can use the stem, if you wish. Heat the olive oil and butter in a soup pot over a medium heat, add the onion, a pinch of salt and pepper, and sweat until transluscent. Add the cauli, potato and garlic clove, stir to coat in oil and butter. Add the stock until barely covering the veggies. Bring to the boil then cover and turn down to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes or so until the veggies are quite soft. Process the nuts to a course meal. Blend the soup with a stick blender or leave to cool and then whiz in food processor or blender, stir in the almonds. Season to taste. 

Caramel Slice

When i first started to get interested in cooking I made a lot of caramel slice from a book called, the Beginner's Cookbook, which also contains a killer fudge recipe. It became my signature dish and invariably every BBQ or picnic I would bring some along. That honour now goes to my hummus but caramel slice is still a sure fire crowd pleaser. I had a can of condensed milk in the pantry and as every other ingredient is stuff you'd generally have on hand, i decided to make a batch for a friend who has just moved out. What i love about CS, particularly when I first started making it, is that it seems almost impossible to stuff it up. I have, at various times, doubled the amount of butter in the base, left the slice in the oven far too long during the second stage of cooking, and accidentally omitted various ingredients. It just doesn't seem to matter, even when i had to peel off a layer of burnt caramel it still tasted good. This is no doubt largely due to whats in it, it would be hard to make a combination of condensed milk, butter and chocolate tastse bad. This slice is highly addictive to an alarming extent. It really demonstrates the power of our primitive caveman craving of fat and sugar, and as someone who values self control, this can be rather unerving. If i wanted to sabotage someone i would just lock them in a room with a few slabs of slice. So, I don't make it much these days, but when i do it disappears rapidly. Its an oldie but a goodie and great for first time home cooks. 

Ingredients: 

Base: 

1 cup self raising flour

1 cup desiccated coconut 

1 cup firmly packed soft brown sugar

125g butter

Filling:

30g butter

2 tblsp golden syrup/treacle 

400g can sweetened condensed milk

Topping:

200g dark chocolate

30g butter 

Method: 

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease and line 20 x 30cm tin, extending paper over sides to allow for easy removal.

Mix together the flour and coconut, make a well in the centre. Place the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan and melt over a low heat, stirring until combined and the sugar has disolved. Mix into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon until well combined. Tip into the tray and spread out evenly, pressing the mixture down with the back of a spoon. Bake for 10 mins until a golden brown. Allow to cool completely. 

For the filling, place the condensed milk, butter and golden syrup/treacle into a saucepan, melt over a medium heat and stir for 5 mins until slightly thickened. Pour over base and bake for 10 mins. Remove from oven and cool completely. 

For the topping, melt the chocolate with the butter in a bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water.  When melted and combined pour over caramel layer, spread evenly with a spatula, giving the tin a tap against the bench helps spread the chocolate and dispel any air bubbles. allow to cool then remove the slice from the tray and cut into pieces of desired size and shape. While cutting it is a good idea to have a tea towel on hand to wipe the knife after each cut to remove crumbs preventing them from adhering to the next piece cut. 

From "Crave: A Passion for Chocolate", Maureen McKeon & The Beginner's Cookbook: The Boiled Egg and Beyond (Family Circle) 

Almond Butter

I get a massive kick out of making people guess whats in my almond butter (besides almonds). They freak out when i tell them it really is just pure almonds, roasted and processed until their oil is released making a paste. This is a good thing as its totally addictive. It is pretty pricey to buy so definitely worth making youself. Having a good food processor is important though, otherwise you might be there for a while. It takes around 10 minutes in my magi-mix. 2 cups of almonds makes about a cup of almond butter. Just roast the nuts in a hot oven, shaking the tin once or twice to ensure they are evenly baked, leave to cool and then grind in a food processor (or maybe a blender?) scraping down the sides a few times. Good on toast and wraps and by the spoonful.  

Proper Custard

Around this time two years ago my family and I did a trip over to the UK to visit various relatives and to attend my cousins wedding. We went and saw my Aunt Liz in Pitlochry, central Scotland, where my dad grew up. She shared her recipes for scones and a delicious fish pie. On our final night she made us a clootie dumpling, which is like a pale christmas pudding. It was very tasty, made especially so by the custard she prepared fresh to accompany it. I think that was the first time i had had proper custard and it was a revelation. After experiencing its rich, creamy and eggy taste i could never go back to the stuff in cartons. 

Ingredients:

275ml double cream

3-4 organic/good quality egg yolks 

1 tblsp castor sugar

1 tsp corn flour 

2 drops vanilla extract.

Method:

First, heat the cream in a small saucepan up to boiling point. While it is heating, thoroughly blend the egg yolks, cornflour, sugar and vanilla together in a small basin. Pour the hot cream into the eggs yolk mixture, stirring all the time. Return the mixture to the saucepan, heat very gently (still stirring) until the custard has thickened, which should take a minute or two. If it does over heat and start to look granular, don;t worry, if you remove it from the heat and continue to stir it, it will become smooth as it cools.

Thanks Liz! 

Mushroom Risotto

Risotto is perfect winter food. Making and eating it warms you up. It has a reputation as hard work, but it really just requires a little attention and once you've mastered the basic risotto bianco, the possibilities are endless. You can prepare your mushrooms however you like and just throw them in when you stir in the cheese and butter, or even add them raw halfway through the cooking time. You can omit the celery, but it means you can use a little less rice. You can also use barley instead of rice. The method is similar, here is Maggie's version.  

Ingredients:

olive oil 

1 onion, finely chopped

3 celery sticks, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups aborio or other risotto rice

half a cup of dry white wine 

1 litre vegetable stock  

400g mushroom, one type or a mix i.e. swiss brown, slippery jack, field mushrooms 

30g porcini mushrooms, soaked in boiling water (to cover) for 15-20 minutes then drained and finely chopped. 

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

1 handful parsley, finely chopped

squeeze of lemon

knob of butter

handful of freshly grated parmesan 

salt and pepper

Method:

Soffritto (sauté on a low heat for 15 or so minutes) the onion and celery in a splash of olive oil. Add the rice and stir over a medium heat for three minutes or until rice is partially translucent. Add the wine and stir, allow to evaporate before adding a ladleful or two of hot stock. Massage the rice to release the starch, place on a low heat, you want to stock to be a gentle simmer, so the rice cooks but is not hard in the middle and fluffy on the outside. Add a ladleful or two of stock as he liquid evaporates. Make Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 degrees, peel the mushrooms or wipe them tith a damp cloth, chop into even sized chunks, douse in olive oil and place in the oven for 3-5 minutes. Reomove stir in garlic, salt, pepper, a little butter and return to the oven for another 3 minutes. Remove and stir in parlsey, set aside. Keep adding stock until the rice has swelled, released its starch, it should be soft but have a little bit if bite. Add a little more stock (or boiling water if you are out of stock) to make it a little more liquidy than you would like. take it off the heat, stir in butter, cheese, and 1/3 of the mushrooms and porcini mushrooms. Put the lid back on and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Ladle into serving bowls, divide remaining mushrooms among the bowls and some extra parmesan if desired.

Serves 4

A little Jamie, a little Maggie

Lemon Tart(s)

I had wanted to make Maggie Beer's lemon tart for so long but it asks for 600ml of creme fraiche, which for some reason is really hard to get here and is ultra expensive when you can find it. I did a google search, however, and apparently its easy to make yourself. Just add 1 tablespoon of buttermilk to a cup of heavy cream and leave it, covered, at room temp for 12 hours (to make your own buttermilk add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice/vinegar to a cup of milk). I ended up finding some reasonably priced creme fraiche but needed an extra 200ml, i mixed half double cream and half sour cream, which resulted in a similar texture and taste. Next time i will probably try the first method as it is a more affordable way of using better ingredients. I'm not sure why creme fraiche is so hard to get here, it seems to be just like slightly soured cream, which our uptight food safety people have no problem with. Maybe in its true form its unpasteurised or something.

Anyway, this is not the tart to make for someone with a heart condition. Wow. But it does taste phenomenal. Maggie's sour cream pastry is so simple to make and always gives a good result, just make allowances for a bit of shrinkage. She bakes the tart in a deep, 20cm tin, one of which i now really want. I did it in a much shallower dish and shrinking was a slight issue. I forgot to take a picture of the finished tart, but there was leftover pastry and filling so the next day i made these mini lemon tarts. The trick to getting the filling nice and silky is to cook it until it is just at a gentle set. After a while in the oven just check it every so often by giving it a little shake, when it wobbles as one, it is done. Maggie suggests serving it with clotted cream, but i think your arteries are already getting a hefty workout. A few strawberries and maybe some lightly whipped pouring cream would be nice. 

From Maggie's Harvest, Maggie Beer. 

Sour cream pastry:

Ingredients: 

200g chilled unsalted butter, chopped into small pieces

250g plain flour

1/2 cup (125ml) sour cream

Method: 

Put the butter and flour into the bowl of a food processor, hen pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the sour cream and pulse again until the dough just forms a ball. Wrap dough in cling wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes. 

Roll the dough until it is 5mm thick, then use it to line a 20-24cm tart tine, with a removable base or greased and lined. Chill the pastry case for 20 minutes. 

To blind bake, preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Line the pastry case with foil, then cover with pastry weights or uncooked rice. Blind bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and pastry weights and bake for another 5 minutes. 

For the filling:

Ingredients:

150g castor sugar

8 egg yolks (freeze the whites)

100ml lemon juice

grated rind on 1 lemon 

600ml creme fraiche

icing sugar, optional (to serve)

After blind baking the pastry case, reduce the oven temp to 180 degrees C. Meanwhile, beat the sugar, egg yolks, lemon juice and rind until smooth, then fold in the creme fraiche. Fill the warm pastry case with the lemon mixture, taking care not to overfill (depending on the size of you pastry case, there may be left over). Bake until set, about 25 minutes. Serve the lemon tart lukewarm, dusted with icing sugar if desired.

Choc-Orange Cake

I love making this cake because it uses both my beloved machines: my magi-mix and my kitchenaid. I also love eating this cake because it is moist, chocolaty and rich but it is almost good for you. It has two whole oranges, boiled and pureed, ground almonds and no butter or flour! It was my Grandpa's birthday the other week and so i made this cake for the occasion. My cousin and uncle are coeliac and as this cake is naturally gluten free it seemed the obvious choice. It is best to grind up your own almonds, just lightly roast them in the oven, allow them to cool and pulse them in a food processor to a coarse meal. You can eat this cake nude or ice it with a simple ganache, the actual cake is so moist you don't need it iced, except for presentation. Some people don't like the chocolate-orange combo, but i think it is a match made in heaven. Also, the orange taste is not too intense, even though it has two whole oranges in it. The only problem is mixing all the ingredients together thoroughly, I always have a few streaks of orange pulp. I have been experimenting with the sugar, using less refined varieties and a little less than the recipe states. A muscovado works well, resulting in a more dense, sticky cake or a raw caster sugar which produces a similar texture to white caster sugar, but a slightly more complex taste. This cake is best made a day ahead, to allow the flavours to develop.

P.S. One of the best investments i ever made was an oven thermometer. There is basically no correlation between the temperature on the dial and the temperature inside my oven. The true temp is way hotter, as such my cakes were always peaked, with crusty and cracked tops. The correct temperature is crucial for cakes, so if you don't have one and are encountering problems like i did, buy an oven thermometer! The other piece of equipment that changed my life was an electronic scale. WOW! Such a revelation, it completely transformed baking, where precision is so important. 

Ingredients: 

2 large oranges

6 large (80g) eggs, i generally have to use 8 slightly smaller ones

30g (1oz, 1/4 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder, dutch style

1 tsp baking powder

200g (7oz, 1 1/3 cups) chopped dark chocolate, melted and cooled

310g (10 1/2 oz, 1 1/3 cups) caster sugar, muscovado, raw caster or preferred sugar

300g (10 1/2 oz, 3 cups) ground almonds, (i forgot to measure how many raw almonds this is, as they loose a lot of water weight when roasted, try maybe 4 cups, any extra almond meal can be kept in the fridge)

Method: 

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350F, Gas 4). Grease a 20-22cm tin and line with baking paper.

Wash the oranges and put them whole in a small saucepan with a cup of water. Cover with a lid, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the oranges until tender when pierced with a skewer, about 1 hour. Remove from the heat, drain and allow to cool. Chop the oranges roughly and remove the seeds, then puree, peel and all, in a food processor or blender. 

Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs in a large bowl until pale and thick, and ribbons form when the beaters are lifted out of the mixture. Sift the cocoa powder and baking powder together. Using a rubber spatula, fold the melted chocolate, cocoa powder, baking powder and sugar into the eggs. Stir in the orange puree and the ground almonds till combined.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake for 1 hour (usually a bit more, depending on the size of your tin), until tested with a skewer. As it is a moist cake, a few crumbs will cling to the skewer. If the cake is browning too much, cover loosely with foil toward the end of the cooking time. Allow to cool in the tine on a wire rack. 

Ice if desired or sprinkle with icing sugar or cocoa powder. 

Serves 8 - 10. 

From "Crave: A Passion for Chocolate", Maureen McKeon

Bourke Street Bakery Tarts

The Bourke St Bakery cookbook is my baking bible. It was given to me by three of my FANTASTIC friends for my 21st a couple of years ago. It has detailed step by step instructions often accompanied by pictures, which are invaluable for those first attempts at puff pastry and croissants. My favourites include the BSB sausage rolls and beef pies (which, made mini are excellent for parties) and the quiches, tarts, plain and chocolate croissants, which got a great reception at a brunch i baked for recently. One recipe in particular i keep coming back to is the one for rhubarb tarts. Blind baked mini tart shells are filled with a mixture of creme patisserie and frangipane and a piece of poached rhubarb (or pear, or plum, ect...) is placed in the centre. They are so moorish!  You can use your preferred sweet shortcrust pastry recipe. Theirs is a fairly robust one as they aim for the rustic look. This recipe also rates high for convenience, you can line all the pastry tins, wrap them up in cling film and freeze them for up to 3 months, you can do the same with the frangipane. I've often had left over mixture and frozen that as well, and it seems to cope just fine.