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Cakes, Slices and Biscuits

Butterscotch Steamed Pudding – Daring Bakers Challenge April 2010

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

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The April 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Esther of The Lilac Kitchen. She challenged everyone to make a traditional British pudding using, if possible, a very traditional British ingredient: suet.

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In this month’s challenge we were asked to go a step further in the ingredients we use and use suet in the steamed pudding we were making. After deciding to make a steamed sweet sponge pudding, I decided on using a substitute for the suet – although after having trouble in the cold isle of the supermarket trying to find what I could use as a substitute, I gave in to using butter as my base.

A lot of people know I am a huge fan of self saucing puddings, so I was extremely excited to find out how this differed in taste or texture to the ones I normally make. Personally I enjoy the cake-like fluffy texture of a self-saucing pudding to the more chewy textured steamed pudding. I also find it’s a lot easier to see whether a self-saucing pudding is ready to be eaten – as the steamed pudding has a cover to take off before you can test it.

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I thought many recipes I looked through needed some photos on the covering and tying of the handle for top of the pudding, as I found some descriptions a bit confusing. Although my mum found this helpful video tutorial (a How-To) for pudding assembly.

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A big thanks to Esther for hosting this challenge and taking me outside my comfort zone (even if I didn’t get around to using suet…).

Butterscotch Steamed Pudding

Recipe adapted from Steamed Treacle Sponge Pudding by Delia Smith

Serves: 6-8

175g butter
175g brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 eggs
175g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons custard powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cream (you could use more milk here if you don’t have cream)

Grease a 1.2L pudding dish. Place a steamer, bowl, or egg rings in a large saucepan (large enough to fit your pudding dish, with gaps at the side) and fill with enough water to come half-way up the sides of the pudding dish. Place on low/medium heat.

Cream the butter and the brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla essence. Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between additions. Beat in the sifted flour and baking powder.

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Pour mixture into greased pudding dish, smooth the top. Place a sheet of aluminum foil over a piece of grease-proof paper (approx 40cm x 30cm). Make one pleat (approx 2 cm) in the centre. Place the pleated paper and foil on top of the pudding (grease-proof paper side on the inside near the pudding, the foil on the outside). Turn the edges over, making a tight seal on the dish. Tie a piece of string around the dish – under the lip, keeping the foil tightly against the dish. Tie another piece of string (from the string under the lip) over the top to create a handle. (Watch this video).

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Place the pudding on top of the steamer in the saucepan. Heat on low for 2 hours, checking the water comes halfway up the dish. Once cooked remove from saucepan, sit for 5 minutes, then turn out.

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Nothing a bit of sauce won't cover up

For the sauce, combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium/high heat and continue to stir until the sauce thickens. Pour over the steamed pudding and serve.

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Posted in Cakes, Slices and Biscuits, Daring Bakers, Dessert, Recipes | 26 Comments »

Vanilla Mousse Tart with Strawberries and Macaron

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

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In an effort to make sure I am fully prepared for my trip to Melbourne for a cooking class this weekend, I decided to make my own pâte sablée, mousse and macarons. The other things I was planning to make, like Italian meringue and glazes, were left behind due to time restrictions, so I hope I have enough experience to help and not hinder the others attending the class. I only mention this, as it is a level 2 class – and I haven’t done level 1. I look forward to telling everyone about the course when I get back and have some lovely photos.

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I was ecstatic with the results for my macarons. They had cute little “feet” (the little raised area on the bottom), they had a nice smooth top of the shell, there was no hole under the shell, and they came off the baking paper easily. (Well this is after I made the stupid mistake of trying to cook them in the oven with something else – I won’t tell you what it was [as it caused a very humid oven], but I would suggest cooking a tray at a time, with nothing else in the oven).

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The vanilla mousse tart was lovely and paired very well with the fresh strawberries and mixed berry sauce.

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Vanilla Mousse Tart with Strawberries and Macaron

Recipe by Anita @ Leave Room for Dessert

Pâte Sablée:
1/4 cup plain flour
1/4 cup icing sugar
1/8 cup almond meal
62g butter, chilled and chopped
pinch salt
1 tablespoon milk (less or more may be required) (an egg is often used to bind the pastry, although with such a small amount, I thought it might be too sticky)

Vanilla Mousse:
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 tablespoons caster sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/3 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 teaspoon gelatin
2 tablespoons water
2/3 cup cream

Macarons:
1 egg white (30g) (I normally “age” my egg whites, covered at room temperature or in the fridge overnight)
2 tablespoons (22g) caster sugar
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (55g) pure icing sugar
1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon (40g) almond meal

Macaron filling:
a few tablespoons vanilla mousse mixed with a few teaspoons of mixed berry jus

Mixed Berry Sauce:
60g mixed berries (fresh or frozen, thawed)
1/3 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup water

Strawberries to serve

Pâte Sablée:
Process the flour, icing sugar, almonds and salt in a food processor. Place the butter in with the flour and process until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add enough milk for the mixture to just come together into a dough that just holds together. Form the dough into a disc and place in the fridge for 30 minutes. Remove from fridge and roll out to a few millimetres thickness (enough to fit two small round tart tins – around 12cm diameter). Place the dough in the tart tins, pressing lightly to fill the tin. Cut off excess dough. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 180C. Cook pâte sablée for 10 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool before filling.

Vanilla Mousse:
Add gelatine to water. Bring the milk almost to the boil in a small saucepan. Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla essence until lighter in colour. Pour the milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking continuously. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook on low/medium heat until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in gelatine. Allow to cool.

Whip the cream until light peaks form. Fold half of the cream into the cooled custard mixture. Fold lightly into the remaining cream. Spoon the mousse into the cooled tart shells and allow to set in the fridge for a few hours. (Leave some of the mousse for the macaron filling).

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Macarons:
Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl with electric beaters on medium. Once the egg whites become frothy, slowly add the caster sugar, while continuously beating. Continue beating the egg whites until the mixture becomes a thick, glossy meringue, which holds it’s shape. Sift in the icing sugar combined with the almond meal on top of the meringue. Fold and beat the almond meal mixture into the meringue, just until any peaks you create in the mixture sink back. Don’t overbeat the mixture once it is flowing nicely (underbeating can also cause the biscuits to be too meringue like or have a peak on them).

Spoon mixture into a piping bag and pipe circles (3-4 cm diameter) onto a baking paper lined baking tray (make sure this is flat or the mixture will run). Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 30 min or more to allow the top to form a skin (this will help the macaron to rise from the bottom and not split the lovely shell).

Preheat oven to 150C (my oven is fan-forced, although you’ll need to check what temperature works for your oven). Place baking trays in the oven (one at a time, depending on your oven – if mine has two trays in there, the macarons do not colour evenly). Cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until lightly coloured, with a lightly crisp shell and soft on the inside.

Once cooled, you can fill them with the berry mousse filling.

Mixed Berry Sauce:
Puree the berries with some of the water. Strain through a sieve and add to a small saucepan with sugar and remaining water. Cook on medium or high heat until the mixture has become thicker and reduced to 1/2 or 1/3 cup. This may take 10 minutes (more or less depending on the size of your saucepan).

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Posted in Cakes, Slices and Biscuits, Dessert, Pastry, Recipes | 19 Comments »

Orange and Poppy Seed Cake – Guest Bloggers: Sarah and Jeremy

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

Sarah is a lovely friend, who had given some thought to starting up her own food blog. Although with University, placements, study, work, sport, seeing family and friends, cooking and (my most dreaded task) cleaning, there’s not a heap of time to create and manage a blog. Wow, she does do a lot, I don’t know how she fits it all in.

I suggested to her that if she ever wanted to post anything I’d be happy to have her guest blog on my site. And here they are, my first guest food bloggers – please welcome Sarah and Jeremy. They have chosen a lovely orange and poppyseed cake, which is a bit different to the one I normally make, which has a vanilla flavoured cake with a small hint of orange in the frosting. This cake has lovely strong orange flavours throughout and is perfect for parties or even taking to work. I’ll pass over to Sarah and Jeremy now… (sorry it’s taken me so long to post it)

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Hi! We are Sarah and Jeremy, and Sarah works with Anita. We have been promising this guest blog for ages and have finally got ourselves organised. We have gone with something simple and relatively easy that stores well and is different from Anita’s usual fare. We hope that you enjoy!

Orange and Poppyseed Cake

Recipe adapted from Family Circle cooking book

1 large orange
⅔ cup milk, warm
½ cup poppy seed
250g unsalted butter
1½ cups caster sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups SR flour
Extra ⅓ cup milk, cold
Icing sugar for dusting

Place poppy seeds and warm milk in a bowl and soak for an hour. (or until your orange is cooked, cooled and puréed – as explained below).

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Place whole orange in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. It is ok if the water does not completely cover the orange (as seen in the picture), just turn it occasionally and let it cook a little longer (until the rind is soft).

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When the orange is soft and easy to prick with a fork, turn the heat off and leave the orange in the hot water for a further 20 minutes.

Drain, and rinse under cold water. Cool for 1 hour. If pushed for time, we sometimes cut up the orange and place in the freezer until cool).

Cut the cooled orange into eighths (do not peel); remove seeds and blend until smooth.

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Cream the butter and sugar.

Beat in puréed orange – the mixture will look lumpy.

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Beat in the eggs.

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Sieve in flour and stir in poppy seed and milk mixture.

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Spoon mixture into greased 24cm ring tin – fluted is good. This is a large cake mixture, so you will need a large ring tin (we use a silicone ring tin, which makes it really easy to turn out).

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Bake at 180˚C for 45 min, or until a skewer comes out clean.

Remove from oven and immediately, whilst the cake is still in the tin, brush with half the extra milk using a pastry brush. This extra milk makes the cake lovely and moist.

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Leave cake in tin for 5 min before turning out.

Brush with remaining milk and leave to cool.

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When cool, lightly dust with icing sugar.

This cake is best kept in the fridge, but freezes really well. We regularly put a quarter of this cake in the freezer for a future date, and just allow it to defrost in the fridge.

Posted in Cakes, Slices and Biscuits, Guest Bloggers, Recipes | 17 Comments »

Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Bun (Bread) and Butter Pudding

Sunday, April 4th, 2010

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Here’s an idea for those who have ended up with too many choc chip or traditional hot cross buns after Easter. In case you didn’t freeze them, or aren’t going to warm them under the grill over the next few days, try this version of a bread and butter pudding – where the bread is the hot cross buns – or in my case, chocolate chip hot cross buns.

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This is a great Easter dessert that should keep everyone happy. Happy Easter everyone!

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Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Bun (Bread) and Butter Pudding

Recipe from Anita @ Leave Room for Dessert

9 chocolate chip hot cross buns (bought or made – see the recipe I use here)
50g butter, softened
5 eggs
1 cup caster sugar
500ml milk
500ml cream
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
Icing sugar to dust or melted white chocolate drizzled to serve

Grease an oven-proof dish with some of the butter. Cut the hot cross buns into two or three slices (leaving the tops intact). Spread the cut slides with the butter and lay them reassembled in the baking dish.

Heat the milk, cream and vanilla essence in a small/medium saucepan until almost at the boil. Whisk the caster sugar with the eggs in a large bowl. Slowly pour the warm cream and milk mixture into the egg and sugar mix, whisking constantly, until combined.

Pour the egg and milk mixture into dish with the hot cross buns. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the mixture to be soaked into the buns. (It can be stored in the fridge at this stage for a few hours, or until ready to cook). Make sure you press the buns down into the mixture a few times to make sure the top soak in the liquid (as they float to the top).

Preheat oven to 170C. Place the dish with the pudding mix into a larger dish and fill the larger dish halfway with warm/hot water. Cook for 1 hour or more until the custard is cooked (insert a knife into the custard to see if it is cooked – it will come out quite clean if cooked, or will have liquid custard if more time is needed. Alternatively move a bun to the side to check the bottom of the dish see if the custard is still runny liquid).

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Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Enjoy with ice cream or Easter eggs.

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Posted in Cakes, Slices and Biscuits, Chocolate, Dessert, Recipes | 14 Comments »

Orange Tian – Daring Bakers Challenge March 2010

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

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The 2010 March Daring Baker’s challenge was hosted by Jennifer of Chocolate Shavings. She chose Orange Tian as the challenge for this month, a dessert based on a recipe from Alain Ducasse’s Cooking School in Paris.

I don’t use oranges much in my desserts, except for fruit salads, so the concept of this dessert was difficult to grasp. I decided to make the dessert as written, along with adding chocolate to half the mix and serving with Jaffas to make choc orange dessert.

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There were many components to this challenge, including the marmalade – which Nick was very excited that I would be making. He loves marmalade, especially chunky marmalade, so I decided to make it chunky – a little too chunky for me. The pate sable was lovely and easy to make, although I needed to cut the pieces again after cooking to ensure they fit in moulds.

I had a touch of trouble with the caramel, as it melted and caramelised at the same time, so when I added the orange juice it clumped a heap and I had to cook it until the clumps of sugar dissolved again.

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I tried both the normal and chocolate version, although think I prefer other desserts and flavour combinations. The others who tried it thought it was quite nice – even prefering the original flavour over the chocolate version.

Thanks again to our host Jennifer for this challenge. I found the flavour combinations very interesting, and have learnt quite a bit from the experience.

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Orange Tian

Dessert based on a recipe from Alain Ducasse’s Cooking School in Paris

For the Pate Sablee:

2 medium-sized egg yolks at room temperature
granulated sugar 6 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon; 2.8 oz; 80 grams
vanilla extract ½ teaspoon
Unsalted butter ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons; 3.5 oz; 100 grams ice cold, cubed
Salt 1/3 teaspoon; 2 grams
All-purpose flour 1.5 cup + 2 tablespoons; 7 oz; 200 grams
baking powder 1 teaspoon ; 4 grams

Put the flour, baking powder, ice cold cubed butter and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

In a separate bowl, add the eggs yolks, vanilla extract and sugar and beat with a whisk until the mixture is pale. Pour the egg mixture in the food processor.

Process until the dough just comes together. If you find that the dough is still a little too crumbly to come together, add a couple drops of water and process again to form a homogenous ball of dough. Form into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.

Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface until you obtain a ¼ inch thick circle.

Using your cookie cutter, cut out circles of dough and place on a parchment (or silicone) lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until the circles of dough are just golden.

For the Marmalade:

Freshly pressed orange juice ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons; 3.5 oz; 100 grams
1 large orange used to make orange slices
cold water to cook the orange slices
pectin 5 grams
granulated sugar: use the same weight as the weight of orange slices once they are cooked

Finely slice the orange. Place the orange slices in a medium-sized pot filled with cold water. Simmer for about 10 minutes, discard the water, re-fill with cold water and blanch the oranges for another 10 minutes.

Blanch the orange slices 3 times. This process removes the bitterness from the orange peel, so it is essential to use a new batch of cold water every time when you blanch the slices.

Once blanched 3 times, drain the slices and let them cool.

Once they are cool enough to handle, finely mince them (using a knife or a food processor).

Weigh the slices and use the same amount of granulated sugar . If you don’t have a scale, you can place the slices in a cup measurer and use the same amount of sugar.

In a pot over medium heat, add the minced orange slices, the sugar you just weighed, the orange juice and the pectin. Cook until the mixture reaches a jam consistency (10-15 minutes).

Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge.

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For the Orange Segments:

For this step you will need 8 oranges.

Cut the oranges into segments over a shallow bowl and make sure to keep the juice. Add the segments to the bowl with the juice.

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For the Caramel:

granulated sugar 1 cup; 7 oz; 200 grams
orange juice 1.5 cups + 2 tablespoons; 14 oz; 400 grams

Place the sugar in a pan on medium heat and begin heating it.

Once the sugar starts to bubble and foam, slowly add the orange juice. As soon as the mixture starts boiling, remove from the heat and pour half of the mixture over the orange segments.

Reserve the other half of the caramel mixture in a small bowl — you will use this later to spoon over the finished dessert. When the dessert is assembled and setting in the freezer, heat the kept caramel sauce in a small saucepan over low heat until it thickens and just coats the back of a spoon (about 10 minutes). You can then spoon it over the orange tians.

[Tip: Be very careful when making the caramel — if you have never made caramel before, I would suggest making this step while you don’t have to worry about anything else. Bubbling sugar is extremely, extremely hot, so make sure you have a bowl of ice cold water in the kitchen in case anyone gets burnt!]

For the Whipped Cream:

heavy whipping cream 1 cup; 7 oz; 200 grams
3 tablespoons of hot water
1 teaspoon Gelatine
1 tablespoon of confectioner’s sugar
orange marmalade (see recipe above) 1 tablespoon
I folded 50g melted and cooled dark chocolate to this whipped cream for my choc orange version

In a small bowl, add the gelatine and hot water, stirring well until the gelatine dissolves. Let the gelatine cool to room temperature while you make the whipped cream. Combine the cream in a chilled mixing bowl. Whip the cream using a hand mixer on low speed until the cream starts to thicken for about one minute. Add the confectioner sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high. Whip the cream until the beaters leave visible (but not lasting) trails in the cream, then add the cooled gelatine slowly while beating continuously. Continue whipping until the cream is light and fluffy and forms soft peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to a bowl and fold in the orange marmalade.
[Tip: Use an ice cold bowl to make the whipped cream in. You can do this by putting your mixing bowl, cream and beater in the fridge for 20 minutes prior to whipping the cream.]

Assembling the Dessert:

Make sure you have some room in your freezer. Ideally, you should be able to fit a small baking sheet or tray of desserts to set in the freezer.

Line a small tray or baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone sheet. Lay out 6 cookie cutters onto the parchment paper/silicone.

Drain the orange segments on a kitchen towel.

Have the marmalade, whipped cream and baked circles of dough ready to use.

Arrange the orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter. Make sure the segments all touch either and that there are no gaps. Make sure they fit snuggly and look pretty as they will end up being the top of the dessert. Arrange them as you would sliced apples when making an apple tart.

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Once you have neatly arranged one layer of orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter, add a couple spoonfuls of whipped cream and gently spread it so that it fills the cookie cutter in an even layer. Leave about 1/4 inch at the top so there is room for dough circle.

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Using a butter knife or small spoon, spread a small even layer of orange marmalade on each circle of dough.

Carefully place a circle of dough over each ring (the side of dough covered in marmalade should be the side touching the whipping cream). Gently press on the circle of dough to make sure the dessert is compact.

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Place the desserts to set in the freezer to set for 10 minutes. (I left mine in the freezer for a few hours, and stored leftover ones in there too)

Using a small knife, gently go around the edges of the cookie cutter to make sure the dessert will be easy to unmold. Gently place your serving plate on top of a dessert (on top of the circle of dough) and turn the plate over. Gently remove the cookie cutter, add a spoonful of caramel sauce and serve immediately.

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Posted in Cakes, Slices and Biscuits, Chocolate, Daring Bakers, Dessert, Egg Yolks, Pastry, Recipes | 17 Comments »

Chocolate Guinness Cake

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

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Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

I remember trying a chocolate Guinness cake in my later years of University when a friend brought one in (we had cake days every Friday). I was a little apprehensive (as I don’t like beer), but once I was convinced to try it, I haven’t looked back. I have been spreading the word, trying to convince as many friends and family as possible (some are more difficult to convince than you would imagine) to try it and that’s all it takes to get most people hooked.

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It even looks like a poured out Guinness, and you can be sure guys and girls alike will be intrigued by having beer in a cake.

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The best aspect of this cake has to be how lovely and moist it is. Coming in a close second (or equal first) is the great flavour combination of the chocolate with a very slight Guinness flavour (trust me, I don’t like normal beer, let alone Guinness – but I [and other non-beer-drinkers] really enjoy this cake) and the creamy icing.

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I wish I had a slice right now…
[By the way, you can freeze it, iced and everything – it makes the perfect easy snack for work, school or shopping].

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Chocolate Guinness Cake

Recipe taken from the internet years ago… can’t remember the site sorry

butter for pan
1 cup Guinness Stout
10 tablespoons butter (10oz or 300g)
¾ cup cocoa
2 cups caster sugar
¾ cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract or imitation vanilla – it works just as well in this
2 cups plain flour
2½ teaspoons baking soda (bi-carb soda)

Icing
1¼ cups icing sugar mixture or icing suger
8oz (240g) cream cheese at room temperature
½ cup heavy (thickened) cream

Heat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan forced). Butter a 22cm (9-inch) spring-form pan and line with baking paper.

In a large saucepan, combine Guinness and butter. Place over medium-low heat until butter melts, then remove from heat. Add cocoa and superfine sugar, and whisk to blend.

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In a small bowl, combine sour cream, eggs and vanilla; mix well.

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Add to Guinness mixture. Add flour and baking soda, and whisk again until smooth. Pour into buttered pan, and bake until risen and firm, 45 minutes to one hour. Place pan on a wire rack and cool completely in pan.

Yes, it is very liquidy - don't worry - this will make it moist.

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Icing: Mix cream cheese with electric mixer and blend until smooth. Add cream, then sifted icing mixture and mix until smooth and spreadable. Also add a little cocoa powder to give the icing the murky look of the Guinness frothy if you like.

Remove cake from pan and place on a platter or cake stand. Ice top of cake only, so it resembles a frothy pint of Guinness.
Makes one 9-inch cake, 12 servings.

My Note: To use up a whole 440 ml can of Guinness multiply the recipe by 1.5 times. Pour 2/3 mixture into cake tin and the rest into approximately 24 patty cases or 12 large muffin cases. (cook these for 15-20 minutes). Make 1 quantity of icing as this should cover both the cake and patty cakes. Slices of cake and muffins can be frozen and thawed when you have a craving.

Rough Quantities for 1.5x normal quantity (1 x 22cm cake + 12 muffins)
butter for pan
440ml can (approx 1½ or 1¾ cups) Guinness Stout
15 tablespoons butter (450g)
1 1/8 cup cocoa (Or one heaped cup)
3 cups caster sugar
1 1/8 cup (approx 300g carton) sour cream
3 large eggs
1½ tablespoon vanilla extract or imitation vanilla
3 cups plain flour
3¾ teaspoons baking soda (bi-carb soda)

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Posted in Cakes, Slices and Biscuits, Chocolate, Dessert, Recipes, Vegetarian | 16 Comments »

Tiramisu – Daring Bakers Challenge February 2010

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

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The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.

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We were not given one challenge this month – but three! We were to make our own mascarpone, ladyfinger / savoiardi biscuits and finally construct a tiramisu (which in itself had pastry cream and zabaglione components).

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Not being a huge coffee lover, I thought this would be a good opportunity to try a chocolate only tiramisu, and noticed there weren’t many recipes that catered for only chocolate tiramisu without any coffee flavouring. I decided to make up my own dipping sauce for the biscuits – which is the only portion which contains coffee. I just substituted some cocoa, sugar and baileys for the coffee.

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As for the mascarpone, it was great to finally make it. It was so easy to make and tasted lovely. And what did I do with the leftovers? Well, a dollop on some pasta or pumpkin soup, made it much tastier (although not healthier…)

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I enjoyed the chocolate tiramisu, with the coffee drinkers preferring the coffee tiramisu that I made. Although, I probably wouldn’t make the tiramisu again, as I love other desserts more – and have a long long list of desserts I’d still love to make.

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I’d like to thank Aparna and Deeba for a great challenge (or number of challenges) this month! I managed to make quite a number of things I have wanted to make and never found the time.

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P.S. I realised after reading others’ results, that many froze their tiramisu’s before removing any moulds. I didn’t with mine and therefore the tiramisu started melting quite fast and didn’t stay well in their moulds.

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(Recipe source: Carminantonio’s Tiramisu from The Washington Post, July 11 2007 )
This recipe makes 6 servings

For the zabaglione:
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar/50gms
1/4 cup/60ml Marsala wine (or port or coffee)
1/4 teaspoon/ 1.25ml vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

For the vanilla pastry cream:
1/4 cup/55gms sugar
1 tablespoon/8gms all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup/175ml whole milk

For the whipped cream:
1 cup/235ml chilled heavy cream (we used 25%)
1/4 cup/55gms sugar
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract

To assemble the tiramisu:
2 cups/470ml brewed espresso, warmed
1 teaspoon/5ml rum extract (optional)
1/2 cup/110gms sugar
1/3 cup/75gms mascarpone cheese
36 savoiardi/ ladyfinger biscuits (you may use less)
2 tablespoons/30gms unsweetened cocoa powder
My note: To make this with no coffee flavour, replace the espresso and rum with 2 teaspoons cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons of baileys and 2 cups warm water – add together with the sugar for a chocolate alternative for dipping the biscuits.

For the zabaglione:
Heat water in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, place a pot with about an inch of water in it on the stove. Place a heat-proof bowl in the pot making sure the bottom does not touch the water.

In a large mixing bowl (or stainless steel mixing bowl), mix together the egg yolks, sugar, the Marsala (or espresso/ coffee), vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk together until the yolks are fully blended and the mixture looks smooth.

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Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler or place your bowl over the pan/ pot with simmering water. Cook the egg mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 8 minutes or until it resembles thick custard. It may bubble a bit as it reaches that consistency.

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Let cool to room temperature and transfer the zabaglione to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the pastry cream:
Mix together the sugar, flour, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. To this add the egg yolk and half the milk. Whisk until smooth.
Now place the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from curdling.

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Add the remaining milk a little at a time, still stirring constantly. After about 12 minutes the mixture will be thick, free of lumps and beginning to bubble. (If you have a few lumps, don’t worry. You can push the cream through a fine-mesh strainer.)

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Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the whipped cream:
Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer or immersion blender until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Set aside.

To assemble the tiramisu:
Have ready a rectangular serving dish (about 8″ by 8″ should do) or one of your choice.

Mix together the warm espresso, rum extract and sugar in a shallow dish, whisking to mix well. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese with a spoon to break down the lumps and make it smooth. This will make it easier to fold. Add the prepared and chilled zabaglione and pastry cream, blending until just combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Set this cream mixture aside.

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Now to start assembling the tiramisu.
Workings quickly, dip 12 of the ladyfingers in the sweetened espresso, about 1 second per side. They should be moist but not soggy. Immediately transfer each ladyfinger to the platter, placing them side by side in a single row. You may break a lady finger into two, if necessary, to ensure the base of your dish is completely covered.

Spoon one-third of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers, then use a rubber spatula or spreading knife to cover the top evenly, all the way to the edges.

Repeat to create 2 more layers, using 12 ladyfingers and the cream mixture for each layer. Clean any spilled cream mixture; cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight.
To serve, carefully remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the tiramisu with cocoa powder using a fine-mesh strainer or decorate as you please. Cut into individual portions and serve.

Mascarpone Cheese

(Source: Vera’s Recipe for Homemade Mascarpone Cheese)
This recipe makes 12oz/ 340gm of mascarpone cheese

474ml (approx. 500ml)/ 2 cups whipping (36 %) pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized), preferably organic cream (between 25% to 36% cream will do)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190 F. If you do not have a thermometer, wait until small bubbles keep trying to push up to the surface.

It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating. Add the lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do not expect the same action as you see during ricotta cheese making. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly.

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You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time). Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.

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Vera’s notes: The first time I made mascarpone I had all doubts if it’d been cooked enough, because of its custard-like texture. Have no fear, it will firm up beautifully in the fridge, and will yet remain lusciously creamy.

Keep refrigerated and use within 3 to 4 days.

Ladyfingers / Savoiardi Biscuits

(Source: Recipe from Cordon Bleu At Home)
This recipe makes approximately 24 big ladyfingers or 45 small (2 1/2″ to 3″ long) ladyfingers.

3 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons /75gms granulated sugar
3/4 cup/95gms cake flour, sifted (or 3/4 cup all purpose flour + 2 tbsp corn starch)
6 tablespoons /50gms confectioner’s sugar,

Preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C) degrees, then lightly brush 2 baking sheets with oil or softened butter and line with parchment paper.

Beat the egg whites using a hand held electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually add granulate sugar and continue beating until the egg whites become stiff again, glossy and smooth.
In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a fork and fold them into the meringue, using a wooden spoon. Sift the flour over this mixture and fold gently until just mixed. It is important to fold very gently and not overdo the folding. Otherwise the batter would deflate and lose volume resulting in ladyfingers which are flat and not spongy.

Fit a pastry bag with a plain tip (or just snip the end off; you could also use a Ziploc bag) and fill with the batter. Pipe the batter into 5″ long and 3/4″ wide strips leaving about 1″ space in between the strips.

Sprinkle half the confectioner’s sugar over the ladyfingers and wait for 5 minutes. The sugar will pearl or look wet and glisten. Now sprinkle the remaining sugar. This helps to give the ladyfingers their characteristic crispness.

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Hold the parchment paper in place with your thumb and lift one side of the baking sheet and gently tap it on the work surface to remove excess sprinkled sugar.
Bake the ladyfingers for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets and bake for another 5 minutes or so until the puff up, turn lightly golden brown and are still soft.

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Allow them to cool slightly on the sheets for about 5 minutes and then remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheet with a metal spatula while still hot, and cool on a rack.
Store them in an airtight container till required. They should keep for 2 to 3 weeks.

Posted in Cakes, Slices and Biscuits, Cheese, Chocolate, Daring Bakers, Dessert, Egg Yolks, Recipes | 25 Comments »

Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars – Daring Bakers Challenge January 2010

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

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The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.

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I always get excited seeing the new Daring Bakers challenge. I think I start most of my posts with something along those lines…

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This was a different challenge for two reasons. It was gluten free and we were making a classic Canadian dessert – one which I had never heard of.

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I’ve always tried to convince myself to make more gluten free products, as I would like to have a few recipes that are suitable for any friends or family who may be celiac or have a gluten intolerance. This is why I was really looking forward to this recipe.

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Starting with the Graham Wafers – I found the dough was quite sticky, and very difficult to even get into plastic and into the fridge (it probably didn’t help with our humidity and heat). It rolled out very nicely, although I had to work quickly as it started melting very quickly. The aroma from the oven was just lovely, a combination of honey, vanilla and brown sugar. All in all the wafers/biscuits were ok, I probably wouldn’t make them again, unless to make the nanaimo bars.

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The Nanaimo bars are very nice and quite easy to make. I was expecting the middle layer to be a bit more custard-like, although the butter cream was very nice.

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Thanks again to Lauren for the great challenge. I’m glad I’ve made some more gluten free sweets and am looking forward to expanding my repertoire.

P.S. Those red/orange spots in the butter cream are from the custard powder.

Gluten-Free Graham Wafers

1 cup (138 g) (4.9 ounces) Sweet rice flour (also known as glutinous rice flour) (I found 138g was 1¼ – 1½ cups)
¾ cup (100 g) (3.5 ounces) Tapioca Starch/Flour (I found 100g was 1 cup)
½ cup (65 g) (2.3 ounces) Sorghum Flour (I used normal rice flour)
1 cup (200 g) (7.1 ounces) Dark Brown Sugar, Lightly packed
1 teaspoon (5 mL) Baking soda
¾ teaspoon (4 mL ) Kosher Salt
7 tablespoons (100 g) (3 ½ ounces) Unsalted Butter (Cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen)
1/3 cup (80 mL) Honey, Mild-flavoured such as clover.
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Whole Milk
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Pure Vanilla Extract

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse on low to incorporate.

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Add the butter and pulse on and off, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal. If making by hand, combine aforementioned dry ingredients with a whisk, then cut in butter until you have a coarse meal. No chunks of butter should be visible.

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In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.

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Turn the dough onto a surface well-floured with sweet rice flour and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours, or overnight.

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Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of sweet rice flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be quite sticky, so flour as necessary. Cut into 4 by 4 inch squares. Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place wafers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.

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Adjust the rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).

Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and re-roll. Dust the surface with more sweet rice flour and roll out the dough to get a couple more wafers.

Prick the wafers with toothpick or fork, not all the way through, in two or more rows.

Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Might take less, and the starting location of each sheet may determine its required time. The ones that started on the bottom browned faster.

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When cooled completely, place enough wafers in food processor to make 1¼ cups (300 mL/ 160g) of crumbs. Another way to do this is to place in a large ziplock bag, force all air out and smash with a rolling pin until wafers are crumbs.

Nanaimo Bars

For Nanaimo Bars — Bottom Layer
½ cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
¼ cup (50 g) (1.8 ounces) Granulated Sugar
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Unsweetened Cocoa
1 Large Egg, Beaten
1¼ cups (300 mL) (160 g) (5.6 ounces) Gluten Free Graham Wafer Crumbs (See recipe above)
½ cup (55 g) (1.9 ounces) Almonds (Any type, Finely chopped)
1 cup (130 g) (4.5 ounces) Coconut (Shredded, sweetened or unsweetened) (I found 1 cup weighed ~65g)
For Nanaimo Bars — Middle Layer
½ cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons (40 mL) Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Vanilla Custard Powder (Such as Bird’s. Vanilla pudding mix may be substituted.)
2 cups (254 g) (8.9 ounces) Icing Sugar
For Nanaimo Bars — Top Layer
4 ounces (115 g) Semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons (28 g) (1 ounce) Unsalted Butter

For bottom Layer: Melt unsalted butter, sugar and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 by 8 inch pan.

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For Middle Layer: Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light in colour. Spread over bottom layer.

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For Top Layer: Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, pour over middle layer and chill.

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Additional Information:
These bars freeze very well, so don’t be afraid to pop some into the freezer.
The graham wafers may be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Mine lasted about that long.
If making the graham crackers with wheat, replace the gluten-free flours (tapioca starch, sweet rice flour, and sorghum flour) with 2 ½ cups plus 2 tbsp of all-purpose wheat flour, or wheat pastry flour. Watch the wheat-based graham wafers very closely in the oven, as they bake faster than the gluten-free ones, sometimes only 12 minutes.
For the Nanaimo Bars, if making with wheat, replace the gluten-free graham wafer crumbs with equal parts wheat graham wafer crumbs!

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Posted in Cakes, Slices and Biscuits, Chocolate, Daring Bakers, Dessert, Gluten Free, Recipes | 35 Comments »

Lamingtons

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

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Happy Australia Day!

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I thought I would celebrate by posting one of Australia’s favourite cakes – the Lamington. It is said to have originated in Queensland around the 1900′s, where Lord Lamington’s (the governor at the time) chef was given short notice to provide food for guests. He quickly dipped some old sponge in chocolate and coconut and the guests enjoyed it immensely.

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Lamingtons are a part of our history, present and future. Schools and other organisations often fund-raise by selling lamingtons in “lamington drives”.

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You can serve them plain or with a thin amount of jam and/or some lovely whipped cream in the middle of the sponge.

Time to go have our BBQ… (and I won’t be having shrimp or prawns on the BBQ – but I will be having lamb tonight).

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Lamingtons

(recipe adapted from the recipe that came with the Lamington tin I bought)

125g butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups self raising flour
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla essence

Chocolate Icing
30g butter
½ cup boiled water
4 cups icing sugar or icing mixture
2/3 cup cocoa
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
3 cups desiccated coconut

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Sift flour and salt. Add alternately with milk to mixture. Add vanilla essence. Blend well but do not over beat. Add a little more or less milk if necessary to form a soft dropping consistency. Spread evenly into a lightly greased lamington tray.

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Bake in moderate oven 180˚C for 25-35 minutes or until cooked.
Turn out and cool on a cake rack. (You can use it straight away or leave it in an airtight container overnight).

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Cut into 32 squares.

For chocolate icing – melt butter in ¼ cup boiling water. Sift icing sugar with cocoa. Add liquid, mixing well. Add vanilla essence. The icing must be thin so that squares of cake can be readily coated. Add sufficient boiling water to form this consistency.

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Dip and roll each square into the chocolate icing and let it soak for 15 sec or more and then roll in coconut. If you want to put strawberry jam and/or whipped cream in the cake, slice the sponge through the middle and spread over the cream. Dip carefully in the chocolate mix. Alternatively (if the sponge moves around too much), cut the sponge in half when already coated and then fill with cream.

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Posted in Cakes, Slices and Biscuits, Chocolate, Dessert, High Tea, Recipes | 14 Comments »

Pork and Fennel Sausage Pasta and Chocolate Fudge Cakes with Coffee Syrup – Cooking Class 13

Sunday, January 17th, 2010

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Trying new dishes is one of the best parts with our family cooking classes. I don’t think either of these recipes would have been at the very top of my list of dishes to make. Although after trying them I feel like making it again – and I will. (It’s been quite a while since this class – so I’m definitely craving the pasta right now…)

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There wasn’t much hassle with either of these meals and both resulted in a great taste. I have been wondering if there is another way to get the same flavours, without having to buy so many pork and fennel sausages (as this gets a bit expensive if cooking for a large number of people).

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BTW – I’ve been very busy intently reading through the Twilight series. I’ve just started “eclipse” (the 3rd) and am enjoying them thoroughly. If you’ve read them – did you enjoy them? (obviously without giving away any info )

Pasta with Pork and Fennel Sausages

Serves: 4

6 Italian pork and fennel sausages (about 550g/1 lb 4 oz)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp chilli flakes
300g (10 ½ oz) field or button mushrooms, thinly sliced
800g (1lb 12 oz) tinned diced tomatoes
1 tbsp finely chopped thyme
500g (1lb 2 oz) penne rigate
grated parmesan cheese, to serve

Split the sausages open, remove and crumble the filling and discard the skins.

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Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the onion for 3-4 minutes, or until fragrant and transparent. Add the garlic, chilli flakes, mushrooms and crumbled sausage meat. Cook over high heat, stirring gently to mash the sausage meat, for 4-5 minutes, or until the meat is evenly browned. If necessary, use a tablespoon to remove any excess fat from the pan, leaving about a tablespoon of oil. Continue to cook, stirring once or twice, for 10 minutes.

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Stir in the tomato and thyme, then bring the sauce to the boil. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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Meanwhile, cook the penne rigate in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Drain well, then add to the sauce, stirring to combine. Serve with parmesan.

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Chocolate Fudge Cakes with Coffee Syrup

Makes: 12

½ cup of cocoa powder
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup boiling water
85g dark cooking chocolate, finely chopped
2 egg yolks
¼ cup almond meal
1/3 cup wholemeal plain flour (we used plain flour)
4 egg whites

Pre-heat oven to 170°C, lightly grease 12-hole muffin pan (use 1/3 cup muffin pan).

Combine sugar and sifted cocoa, blend in water, then chocolate, and stir until smooth. Stir in egg yolks, almond meal, and flour.

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Beat egg-whites until soft peaks form.

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Fold into chocolate mixture in 2 batches. Divide mixture among pan-holes. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Make syrup.

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Stand cakes in pan for 5 minutes before serving with coffee syrup.

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Coffee Syrup:
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¾ cup water
1 tbsp coffee powder

Stir sugar and water in small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered without stirring for 15 minutes or until syrup thickens. Stir in coffee, strain into small heat-proof jug and serve.

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Posted in Cakes, Slices and Biscuits, Cooking Class - Family, Dessert, Main Meals, Recipes | 14 Comments »