I thought it was time for a bit of a change, so let me know what you think.
Hopefully, the text will be easier to read and I'll be able to have larger photographs...the old template wouldn't allow me to modify that function
Anyway, a change is as good as a holiday right?
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Chocolate Mousse cake
This is a cake recipe that, by the looks of it, shouldn't work. But it does.
It's my chocolate mouse cake and it is rich and luscious and totally addictive...and best of all, it can be prepared in advance and frozen!
It's simple. So simple that if you can turn on your oven, work the microwave and open the door to the freezer then you can make this rich dessert.
These are the things you need
20cm round cake tin
450 grams dark chocolate
4 eggs
145 grams unsalted butter
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 tablespoon plain flour
First off, line the cake tin with baking paper or silver foil, (do not grease it) with enough hanging over so it can cover it later. Just note, this will not work out as well if you use a larger cake tin. A smaller one will be OK, but using a larger one means you'll end up with a rather flat and solid cake.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Melt the butter and chocolate together in a bowl in the microwave then let cool to room temperature.
Using an electric mixer, beat together the eggs and sugar until pale and creamy and fluffy
Fold in the sifted flour, then the room temperature chocolate mixture
Pour into the lined cake tin and put in a 180 degree oven for 20 minutes until the top cracks and it's still a bit wobbly. Do not leave this in the oven thinking it's undercooked because it's wobbly. It's not.
Let it cool in the tin then cover it with the foil and put it in the freezer overnight
To serve the next day, take it out of the freezer at least an hour before serving, then invert it onto a plate, cover the top with berries and serve with cream or ice-cream. Or both!
It's my chocolate mouse cake and it is rich and luscious and totally addictive...and best of all, it can be prepared in advance and frozen!
It's simple. So simple that if you can turn on your oven, work the microwave and open the door to the freezer then you can make this rich dessert.
These are the things you need
20cm round cake tin
450 grams dark chocolate
4 eggs
145 grams unsalted butter
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 tablespoon plain flour
First off, line the cake tin with baking paper or silver foil, (do not grease it) with enough hanging over so it can cover it later. Just note, this will not work out as well if you use a larger cake tin. A smaller one will be OK, but using a larger one means you'll end up with a rather flat and solid cake.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Melt the butter and chocolate together in a bowl in the microwave then let cool to room temperature.
Using an electric mixer, beat together the eggs and sugar until pale and creamy and fluffy
Fold in the sifted flour, then the room temperature chocolate mixture
Pour into the lined cake tin and put in a 180 degree oven for 20 minutes until the top cracks and it's still a bit wobbly. Do not leave this in the oven thinking it's undercooked because it's wobbly. It's not.
Let it cool in the tin then cover it with the foil and put it in the freezer overnight
To serve the next day, take it out of the freezer at least an hour before serving, then invert it onto a plate, cover the top with berries and serve with cream or ice-cream. Or both!
Told you this was easy!
Monday, October 10, 2011
Lemon Poppyseed Cake via Jamie
We have three lemon trees at Number 10 and two of them are going crazy with fruit...so it was time to use some up and make a lemon and poppy seed cake..
This is a recipe that I first saw on the Jamie Oliver site and have tried it out a few times now...it's terrific if you like a tangy cake....it's also pretty easy, which is always important. It's a cake that is very moist, a little tart and truly delicious
I tweaked Jamie's recipe a little to increase volume...
You will need
150g unsalted butter, softened
130g caster sugar
4 large eggs
180g ground almonds (almond meal)
30g poppy seeds
large dollop yogurt
zest and juice of 2 lemons
125g self-raising flour, sifted
Lemon syrup:
100g caster sugar
juice of 2 lemons
Lemon Icing:
250g icing sugar
zest and juice of 1 lemon
Preheat oven to 180 Celsius
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one
Place the poppy seeds into the yogurt and let sit for a few minutes.
Fold in the almond meal, self raising flour, lemon zest, lemon juice and poppy seeds and yogurt
Line a cake tin with baking paper, spoon the mix in (it shouldn't be runny) and place in the oven for approx 35 minutes or until golden and the top springs back then lightly pressed.
When ready, remove it from the oven and let it cool in the tin for a few minutes before you turn it out onto a plate
For the lemon syrup, place the juice and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil until the sugar has dissolved, then pierce the top of the cake a few times with a skewer and spoon the syrup over the top
When the cake has completely cooled, make the icing, (which will be runny), and spoon it over the cake
So you get a hit of tangy lemon in the cake, from the syrup and finally from the icing.
YUMMO!
Truly delicious!
Thanks Jamie
This is a recipe that I first saw on the Jamie Oliver site and have tried it out a few times now...it's terrific if you like a tangy cake....it's also pretty easy, which is always important. It's a cake that is very moist, a little tart and truly delicious
I tweaked Jamie's recipe a little to increase volume...
You will need
150g unsalted butter, softened
130g caster sugar
4 large eggs
180g ground almonds (almond meal)
30g poppy seeds
large dollop yogurt
zest and juice of 2 lemons
125g self-raising flour, sifted
Lemon syrup:
100g caster sugar
juice of 2 lemons
Lemon Icing:
250g icing sugar
zest and juice of 1 lemon
Preheat oven to 180 Celsius
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one
Place the poppy seeds into the yogurt and let sit for a few minutes.
Fold in the almond meal, self raising flour, lemon zest, lemon juice and poppy seeds and yogurt
Line a cake tin with baking paper, spoon the mix in (it shouldn't be runny) and place in the oven for approx 35 minutes or until golden and the top springs back then lightly pressed.
When ready, remove it from the oven and let it cool in the tin for a few minutes before you turn it out onto a plate
For the lemon syrup, place the juice and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil until the sugar has dissolved, then pierce the top of the cake a few times with a skewer and spoon the syrup over the top
When the cake has completely cooled, make the icing, (which will be runny), and spoon it over the cake
So you get a hit of tangy lemon in the cake, from the syrup and finally from the icing.
YUMMO!
Truly delicious!
Thanks Jamie
Friday, October 7, 2011
No need to knead
I have to admit I was a bit sceptical when a friend told me about this bread, I mean all bread dough needs to be kneaded right?
Apparently not.
This is a really easy recipe and while it's not particularly pretty along the way, the end result is fabulous, not only to eat but to look at. It's a long process, but oh so worth it!
The first thing is to mix the ingredients together and there are just 4 of them
3 cups bread flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon fine table salt
1 1/2 cups of warm water
You'll also need a covered pot of some sort, like a large cast iron or Pyrex one that can go into a very hot oven
The night before, put all the ingredients in a large bowl and use a wooden spoon to bring them together. But don't over do it. It will look pretty rough but don't worry, this is just how it should look.
Now cover the bowl with glad wrap and let it sit on the bench for between 12 and 20 hours.
The next day the dough will have expanded and look wet and bubbly and sticky, so sprinkle some flour on the bench ...
This is where the yeast action is
....and with a wet spatula, put the dough on it and use the spatula to fold the ends over a few times to form a ball. Generously dust a cotton tea towel with flour and put the ball of dough on it and place it in a bowl to let rest for a couple of hours until it doubles in size
Now, preheat the oven to about 200c and place your pot in there so it can heat up
When the dough's ready, place it in the pot, put the lid back on and bake for 30 minutes. It's sort of like baking in an oven within an oven.
Uncover and then bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
When it's all ready, place your loaf on a wire rack to cool then eat.
This is what you end up with.
A delicious loaf that is crusty and moist and scrumptious
Apparently not.
This is a really easy recipe and while it's not particularly pretty along the way, the end result is fabulous, not only to eat but to look at. It's a long process, but oh so worth it!
The first thing is to mix the ingredients together and there are just 4 of them
3 cups bread flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon fine table salt
1 1/2 cups of warm water
You'll also need a covered pot of some sort, like a large cast iron or Pyrex one that can go into a very hot oven
The night before, put all the ingredients in a large bowl and use a wooden spoon to bring them together. But don't over do it. It will look pretty rough but don't worry, this is just how it should look.
Now cover the bowl with glad wrap and let it sit on the bench for between 12 and 20 hours.
The next day the dough will have expanded and look wet and bubbly and sticky, so sprinkle some flour on the bench ...
This is where the yeast action is
....and with a wet spatula, put the dough on it and use the spatula to fold the ends over a few times to form a ball. Generously dust a cotton tea towel with flour and put the ball of dough on it and place it in a bowl to let rest for a couple of hours until it doubles in size
Now, preheat the oven to about 200c and place your pot in there so it can heat up
When the dough's ready, place it in the pot, put the lid back on and bake for 30 minutes. It's sort of like baking in an oven within an oven.
Uncover and then bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
When it's all ready, place your loaf on a wire rack to cool then eat.
This is what you end up with.
A delicious loaf that is crusty and moist and scrumptious
I think I prefer this to the sour dough loaf I made. This takes a little longer, but I like the end result a lot more
Thanks to Steamy Kitchen for this recipe...it's terrific!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Bread - Sourdough
We love a nice loaf of gutsy bread here at Number 10 so I thought I'd try my hand at making some sourdough.
I read, maybe 6 or 7 recipes for it and got a different version each time. Very confusing. I also bought a terrific book called "Bread" by Jeffrey Hamelman. A good read, if you're into bread that is.
The one bit of imformation that was constant though is how important the sourdough starter is, although there are a lot of versions of it as well...everyone seems to have different ideas of how often you should "feed" it, how long it takes to mature and what you should put in the water to help it along. Some say grapes, others say potato peel...
Anyway, it takes a bout a week to get it going, so if you want to make sourdough you have to plan ahead....well ahead
The recipe I used is copyright so I can't detail it here...all I'll say though if you go to the Everyday Gourmet
website and search for sourdough and sourdough leaven, you'll find it.
It is The. Best. Shop for all things baking!
This is the finished product. It was quite nice. Not the typical sourdough we've been having from the local bakery, but nice nonetheless
About Marg and Marees...They also hold classes for just about every baked good on the planet...and then some....and they have a website so if you lodge your email address with them they'll let you know what classes are coming up when...get in early though, the classes fill fast!
For Melburnians they're at 54 Bell St Heidelberg Heights
Happy baking
I read, maybe 6 or 7 recipes for it and got a different version each time. Very confusing. I also bought a terrific book called "Bread" by Jeffrey Hamelman. A good read, if you're into bread that is.
The one bit of imformation that was constant though is how important the sourdough starter is, although there are a lot of versions of it as well...everyone seems to have different ideas of how often you should "feed" it, how long it takes to mature and what you should put in the water to help it along. Some say grapes, others say potato peel...
Anyway, it takes a bout a week to get it going, so if you want to make sourdough you have to plan ahead....well ahead
The recipe I used is copyright so I can't detail it here...all I'll say though if you go to the Everyday Gourmet
website and search for sourdough and sourdough leaven, you'll find it.
I bought my flour from Marg and Marees Baking store in Heidelberg Heights.
This is the finished product. It was quite nice. Not the typical sourdough we've been having from the local bakery, but nice nonetheless
About Marg and Marees...They also hold classes for just about every baked good on the planet...and then some....and they have a website so if you lodge your email address with them they'll let you know what classes are coming up when...get in early though, the classes fill fast!
For Melburnians they're at 54 Bell St Heidelberg Heights
Happy baking
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Strawberry Cake from Stacey Snacks ...via Martha
I've mentioned Stacey from Stacey Snacks before and just how wonderful her recipes are
Now the latest I've tried is her Strawberry Cake
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It's a lovely and easy recipe...she used strawberries because they were in season in the US...I've used cherries, because I had them in the cupboard (the jarred variety).
Recipes are changeable things aren't they? I mean, you can always come up with something or substitute an ingredient if you haven't got exactly what the particular recipe calls for...at least that's what I do. It makes my cooking a bit of a challenge sometimes...and it always keeps MONT on his toes.
Here's the recipe......
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1-1/2 cups plain flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pie plate
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 punnets strawberries, hulled and halved - (or other fruit like cherries or blueberries)
2 tablespoons raw sugar (for the top)
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In a medium sized bowl, mix the flour, baking powder & salt. In a large bowl, cream the sugar together with the egg and the butter. Gradually mix in your flour and add the milk, zest and extracts, mixing until a nice thick yellow batter turns out.
Pour your batter into a greased 9" pie plate. Arrange strawberries on top of batter, cut-sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle raw sugar over the top.
Bake at 325F (about 160c) for about 45 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch.
Instead of strawberries, I used some cherries I had in the cupboard and some frozen raspberries. I mixed a few of the cherries through the cake, then dotted the top of it with the raspberries. It was delish
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This is not a light and fluffy cake, or at least mine wasn't...it's a little more dense and crumbly...and very nice with a cup of coffee.
It's that easy really. Hope you like it. I'm having some for my breakfast with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Yummo
Now the latest I've tried is her Strawberry Cake
It's a lovely and easy recipe...she used strawberries because they were in season in the US...I've used cherries, because I had them in the cupboard (the jarred variety).
Recipes are changeable things aren't they? I mean, you can always come up with something or substitute an ingredient if you haven't got exactly what the particular recipe calls for...at least that's what I do. It makes my cooking a bit of a challenge sometimes...and it always keeps MONT on his toes.
Here's the recipe......
1-1/2 cups plain flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pie plate
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 punnets strawberries, hulled and halved - (or other fruit like cherries or blueberries)
2 tablespoons raw sugar (for the top)
In a medium sized bowl, mix the flour, baking powder & salt. In a large bowl, cream the sugar together with the egg and the butter. Gradually mix in your flour and add the milk, zest and extracts, mixing until a nice thick yellow batter turns out.
Pour your batter into a greased 9" pie plate. Arrange strawberries on top of batter, cut-sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle raw sugar over the top.
Bake at 325F (about 160c) for about 45 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch.
Instead of strawberries, I used some cherries I had in the cupboard and some frozen raspberries. I mixed a few of the cherries through the cake, then dotted the top of it with the raspberries. It was delish
This is not a light and fluffy cake, or at least mine wasn't...it's a little more dense and crumbly...and very nice with a cup of coffee.
It's that easy really. Hope you like it. I'm having some for my breakfast with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Yummo
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Pineapple Fruit Cake
This is a scrumptious cake that's so simple to make it's crazy! You see, if you can boil water, you can make this cake!
I haven't made it in ages, but was inspired by Brismod at Fun & VJ's, who's had a thing for pineapple lately...
It's my Pineapple Fruit Cake and here's what you do:
In a saucepan, place:
1 can crushed pineapple (440gr)
3/4 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon mixed spice
125 gr butter
375 gr mixed dried fruit
& 1 teaspoon bicarb soda
Bring to boil, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes, then set aside to cool completely.
Preheat oven to 160 degrees and line a 20 cm (8 inch) cake tin with baking paper.
Sift together 1 cup of plain flour and 1 cup of self raising flour with a pinch of salt.
When the fruit mix is cool, stir in two beaten eggs and the flour and bake for approx 1 hour.
That's it.
Easy huh?
Alison Thompson's new book "BAKE" also has a version of a boiled pineapple fruit cake and it's very similar to this one.
I haven't made it in ages, but was inspired by Brismod at Fun & VJ's, who's had a thing for pineapple lately...
In a saucepan, place:
1 can crushed pineapple (440gr)
3/4 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon mixed spice
125 gr butter
375 gr mixed dried fruit
& 1 teaspoon bicarb soda
Bring to boil, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes, then set aside to cool completely.
Preheat oven to 160 degrees and line a 20 cm (8 inch) cake tin with baking paper.
Sift together 1 cup of plain flour and 1 cup of self raising flour with a pinch of salt.
When the fruit mix is cool, stir in two beaten eggs and the flour and bake for approx 1 hour.
That's it.
Easy huh?
Alison Thompson's new book "BAKE" also has a version of a boiled pineapple fruit cake and it's very similar to this one.
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