Sweet Potato Brownie

Recipe adapted from I Quit Sugar

Makes 16 slices

Ingredients

oil for greasing
3 tablespoons coconut flour
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
¼ teaspoon gluten free baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
50g dark chocolate, melted & cooled
1 cup sweet potato puree, cooled
3 eggs, whisked
¼ cup coconut oil
⅓ cup rice malt syrup
½ tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C
2. Grease a 20x20cm baking tin and line with baking paper
3. In a bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl add the wet ingredients, including sweet potato puree and whisk
4. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix well. Pour into lined tin and spread evenly
5. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean
6. Cool for 10 minutes before cutting into squares

Notes & Tips

To make sweet potato puree: cut sweet potato into evenly sized chunks. Place into a steamer for 20 minutes or until they become really soft. Add to food processor and puree until smooth.

Dairy free option- use brown rice protein powder

Gluten Free Banana Bread

I had some leftover ripe bananas sitting in my fruit bowl today. Not wanting them to go to waste nor put them in the freezer since I often forget about the things I put in there, I decided to make banana bread. Since I'm trying to cut out wheat and refined sugars from my diet at the moment, I made a gluten-free version. This banana bread is much lighter in texture and healthier to eat. It's also very simple to make and very tasty. Making this at the start of the week means I now have something healthy to snack on for morning or afternoon tea. Especially since I still enjoy eating desserts :)

Recipe adapted from Teresa Cutter's The 80/20 Diet recipe book

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups mashed ripe banana (about 2 large bananas)
3 eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons rice malt syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup coconut oil
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups almond meal
2 teaspoons chia seeds
chopped walnuts, to decorate (optional)
1 extra banana, sliced, to decorate (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease base and sides of a 7cm deep, 11cm x 21cm (base) loaf pan. Line with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang at both long ends. 
2. Combine the mashed banana, eggs, rice malt syrup, vanilla extract, coconut oil, cinnamon, baking soda and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the almond meal and chia seeds. Mix well until combined. 
4. Pour batter into loaf pan. Decorate the top of banana bread with sliced banana or a handful of chopped walnuts. 
5. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
6. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Lift onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 10 even slices.

Notes & Tips

• Cover the top of the cake with foil if over-browning
• Keeps in the fridge covered for up to one week

Rolled Oat Biscuits

I ate some rolled oat biscuits at a Xmas family gathering and loved them. Have been wanting to recreate them ever since and finally got around to doing some baking today. They were actually quite easy to make!

Ingredients

180g butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar 
1 cup flour, plus extra
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon mixed spice
2 cups rolled oats
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup milk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 150ºC.  Line and grease 2 large oven baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in a cake mixer, beat well for about 5 minutes. Sift over the flour, baking powder, ginger and mixed spice. Add rolled oats, fold these in by hand. 
3. Dissolve the baking soda in the milk, then mix thoroughly into mixture.  
4. Roll about ½ tablespoonfuls (about walnut size pieces) of the oat mixture into balls and place, about 5cm apart, on the prepared trays. Press down slightly with your hand or a floured fork.
5. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Biscuits will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Notes & Tips

• Brown sugar helps give the biscuit a browner and richer flavour. It also helps hold in moisture and makes the biscuits softer and chewier. If you prefer a crunchier biscuit, replace with caster sugar instead
• Make sure that the biscuits are totally cooled before you put them away.
• To keep your biscuits soft and chewy, place them in a sealed container with a slice of bread. The biscuits will draw moisture from the bread making it nice and soft again. The bread will become hard in a few days though so be sure to change it. This trick also works if you have hard sugar.

Strawberry Mousse Chocolate Cake

This is a revised recipe of my strawberry mousse cake. I first made this cake for my mum's birthday and have since made it again for a Christmas family gathering. 

Ingredients

A) 1x 20cm chocolate sponge cake, cut into 2 even layers

B) 300g strawberry, cleaned and hulled
     ¼ cup caster sugar
     1 tablespoon water
     1 teaspoon strawberry essence

C)  300ml cream
     3 tablespoons icing sugar
     ½ teaspoon pink food colouring (optional)

D) 1 tablespoon gelatine powder 
     50ml warm water 

E)  Extra strawberries sliced and cubed (I used approx 1/3cup)

F)  100ml thickened cream

     1 tablespoon icing sugar, extra

G)  Sugar syrup glaze (optional)

H)  6 even sized strawberries, halved for garnish 

Method

1. Set aside 6 even sized strawberries for the garnish on top of the cake.
2. Dice approx. 1/3 cup strawberries and set aside.
3. Clean and hull the remaining strawberries. Add ¼ cup caster sugar and let it sit for 5 minutes. Purée them in a blender together with 1 tablespoon of water and 1 teaspoon strawberry essence then put it through a strainer. You should get about 400ml strawberry purée. Discard the strawberry seeds. Reserve 1½ tablespoons of the purée for the swirl effect on top of the cake.
4. In a chilled bowl, whip 300ml cream with 3 tablespoons icing sugar till mousse state.
5. Dissolve 1 tablespoon gelatine in 50ml warm water, whisk with a fork, let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk the gelatine again then strain it into the strawberry purée. Stir until combined. 
6. Fold the whipped cream into the strawberry mixture. Add pink food colouring, if using. Pour into a measuring jug if your bowl doesn't having a pouring lip.
7. Line the inner circumference of a 23cm spring form cake pan with plastic cake tape. Place a slice of the chocolate sponge cake at the base, cut side up and top it with approx. 1 cup of the mousse. Add in the strawberry pieces (leave a 2cm border around the cake). Press the fruits down gently if needed. Top it with some mousse just enough to cover the strawberry pieces.
8. Top it with another layer of chocolate sponge cake and pour the rest of the mousse evenly over on it.
9. Spoon teaspoonfuls of the reserved purée onto the surface of the mousse on desired positions and swirl it with a toothpick to create the swirls. I put a few teaspoons on the middle of the cake and the rest at clock position of 12, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10.
10. Cover the cake pan with cling wrap (twice). Refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
11. Make the sugar syrup, then brush the reserved halved strawberries with sugar syrup. Set aside.
12. Use an electric beater to beat 100ml thickened cream and 1 tablespoon icing sugar in a medium bowl until firm peaks form. 
13. Place the cream in a piping bag fitted with a 1cm fluted nozzle and pipe rosettes around the edge of the cake. Arrange some glazed strawberries around the cake between the cream rosettes. 
14. Cut the cake into wedges to serve. 

To make sugar syrup:

50ml (1/4 cup) water

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1/2 tablespoon unflavoured gelatine powder

1. Pour water, sugar and gelatine powder into a small sauce pan.
2. Stir the ingredients to combine over medium heat until the sugar and gelatine dissolves and the water begins to simmer.
3. Remove the pan from heat and set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Brush the glaze over fruit while slightly warm.

Notes & Tips

• I lined the inner circumference of my spring form cake pan with plastic cake tape.
• You can make your own plastic cake tape using clear acetate sheets bought from an arts & craft store. Start by measuring the height of the cake pan (approx 2.5 inches) and cut a long rectangular strip out of the acetate sheet (length of the strip is the circumference of the cake + 2 cm extra).
• You could also decorate this cake with a patterned white chocolate collar if you wish
• If you can't find acetate sheets, you can use baking paper instead
• I placed my cake into a larger spring form cake pan- approx. 23cm. This way the mousse will cover the whole cake and you don’t need to cream the cake. If you don't have a larger spring form cake pan, you can trim your cake smaller.
• If you notice that you have not completely covered the cake with the mousse, you could do a bit of patchwork by using up the left over cream for the rosettes- add  ¼ tsp pink food coloring to the cream and spread/fill in the spaces and smooth it out using a cake scraper. 
• If you don't have strawberry essence, you could use strawberry flavoured gelatine powder instead
• You'll need approx. 2 punnets of strawberries for this recipe.

Piggy Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 dozen vanilla cupcakes, cooled

store bought white icing/frosting
pink food colouring
24 blue rainbow pearls (eyes)
12 white marshmallows (nose)
pink icing pen (nostrils)

12 pink marshmallows, halved (ears)

Method

1. Tint the icing with the tiniest amount of pink food colouring. Mix very, very well.
2. Spread a layer on each cupcake, making the surface smooth.
3. Place the eyes on the Piggy's using the rainbow pearls.
4. Place one white marshmallow for the nose.
5. Using the pink icing pen, make 2 dots on the nose marshmallow to make nostrils.
6. Take one pink marshmallow and cut through the centre. Pinch each end so they are pointy. Place on cupcake, cut side down as ears on the Piggy's face.

Notes & Tips

Make sure you give the Piggy a generous coating of icing so the marshmallows stick

If you wanted to make these cupcakes look more like Miss Piggy from the Muppets, you could add a set of eyelashes using a black icing pen and adding a bow (made from fondant) in between the ears

Sesame Street Character Cupcakes

I had some left over coloured frosting from the cookie decorating stall I ran at my church carol's festival last week. Colours left over were red, green, blue and yellow. Thought I'd use it to frost some cupcakes and was wondering to self how I could decorate them and Sesame Street characters came to mind. Since my bible study was also having a Xmas party a few days later (and there would lots of kiddies present) I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to whip up the cupcakes to use the left over frosting. Having never 'decorated' cupcakes before, I was pretty impressed with my creations. Big Bird took me the longest and I was having a lot of trouble piping his feathers because I didn't have the correct piping tip and the frosting was too runny. In the end I improvised and used a mini spatula to create some texture to the frosting.

Some things I would do differently if I were to make these again:

*use gel food colouring instead of liquid food colouring to colour the frosting/icing- it gives a more intense colour and you use less to get the same colour effect. Less liquid also means the icing is less runny. I found my icing hard to work/pipe with at times. To counteract this, I would add a bit more icing sugar and put it in the freezer for 10 mins to set. I would also put the decorated cupcake straight back into the fridge to prevent the icing from melting

* Have all the face bits pre-assembled and ready to go before you start decorating your cupcakes. This makes it easier to unleash your creativity ;)

Cookie Monster

Ingredients

1 dozen chocolate cupcakes, cooled
store bought white frosting/icing
blue food colouring
24 Nestle white chocolate melts & 24 brown mini M&Ms- for the eyes
12 mini chocolate chip cookies, halved (½ per monster with a few for breakage)- for the mouth
1 cup desiccated coconut (dyed blue)- for the fur

Method

1. Add food colouring to frosting until you get to the Cookie Monster colour. This may be a lot if you are using liquid food colouring or a little if using gel food colouring.
2. Fill a piping bag with a fluted nozzle and pipe on icing. Alternatively, use a spatula to spread the icing onto the cupcake
3. Roll iced cupcake onto coconut, shake off excess
4. Place 2 white chocolate melts on each cupcake
5. Wedge cookies into the “mouth”

Notes & Tips

• There is quite a bit of food colouring in these cupcakes for the blue icing. If this concerns you, use a natural food colouring.
• To make the blue desiccated coconut- pour ½ cup desiccated coconut into a ziplock bag. Put in a few drops of liquid food colouring (not gel) and shake the bag vigorously. Spread the coconut out on baking paper to air dry for 24 hours. 
• If after adding food colouring to the frosting makes it too runny, add some sifted icing sugar or put into the freezer for 10 minutes to help firm it up

Elmo

Ingredients

1 dozen chocolate cupcakes, cooled

red frosting (fur)

24 Nestle white chocolate melts + 24 brown mini M&Ms (eyes)
12 orange Cadbury Mini Drops (nose)

6 Oreo's, halved (mouth)

Method

1. Using a grass effect piping tip, squeeze icing over cupcake to create 'fur'
2. Assemble Elmo's face. For the nose, use an orange Cadbury Mini Drop. For the eyes, place a bit of frosting on the back of brown regular M&M’s and place them onto each white chocolate melt. For the mouth, use one side of an Oreo.

Notes & Tips

I found that cutting the Oreo directly in half was too large. So cut off less than half for each mouth. Use a serrated knife and saw it slowly back and forth. (You should be able to get 2 mouths from each Oreo half.)

Prep the eyes and Oreos first, before frosting the cupcakes with the Elmo fur. You don’t want the red fur to melt or get droopy while you’re doing the cutting. ALSO, after assembling each Elmo, place it in the fridge, to help set the frosting so it will stay furry looking and not melt together. HOWEVER, if you’re using better frosting than the store bought (from a tub) you may not have any issues if you adjust your frosting consistency.

Oscar the Grouch

Ingredients

1 dozen chocolate cupcakes, cooled

dark green frosting (fur)
24 Nestle white chocolate melts + 24 brown mini M&Ms (eyes)

6 Oreo's (mouth)

brown frosting/icing pen (eyebrows)

Method

1. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a grass/fur piping tip with green frosting. Cover the surface of the cupcake to create 'fur'.
2. Top each cupcake with a pair of eyes and an Oreo mouth
3. Use a small star tip (many varieties will work) or a chocolate icing pen to pipe a brown set of eyebrows over the eyes. Don’t worry about making these neat…I don’t think Oscar is really into eyebrow maintenance. It’s Oscar the Grouch!

Big Bird

Ingredients

1 dozen vanilla cupcakes, cooled

yellow frosting (fur)

12 white marshmallows (beaks)

red icing pen (tongue)

small white chocolate melts & black icing  (eyes)

aqua & light pink icing pens (eyebrows)

Method

1. Cut marshmallows into beak shapes with a pair of scissors
2. Place a beak on each cupcake, using a small dollop of frosting to glue it on
3. Cover the marshmallows with yellow frosting. It doesn't need to be neat yet, just enough to cover them
4. Use a small offset spatula or a knife to smooth the frosting over the beak
5. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a "V" tip with yellow frosting. Make a ring of yellow feathers around the perimeter of the cupcake
6. Repeat this process, working from the outside in, until the surface of the cupcake has been completely covered by "feathers"
7. Add a set of eyes just above the beak. Pipe a thin line of aqua and light pink frosting over the eyeballs.
8. Using the red icing pen, pipe a small inverted triangle inside the beak to create the tongue.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Recipe from Australian Good Taste magazine, February 2011 issue, page 16

Ingredients

2 cups plain flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1½ cups caster sugar
1 cup buttermilk
200g unsalted butter, melted & cooled
2 eggs, room temperature, lightly whisked
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 teaspoons red food colouring

2 x 250g pkt cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups pure icing sugar, sifted
120g butter, extra, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, extra
Red sprinkles

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Line fifteen 80ml (⅓ cup) capacity muffin pans with paper cases. Sift flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Stir through the sugar. Whisk the buttermilk, butter, eggs, vinegar and vanilla in a large jug until combined. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Add the buttermilk mixture. Stir until just combined. Stir in the food colouring.
2. Divide the mixture among the lined pans (approx. 1½ tablespoons each). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Use an electric beater to beat the cream cheese, icing sugar, extra butter and extra vanilla until smooth
4. Pipe the icing over the cupcakes and top with the sprinkles.

Lemon Yoghurt Cake

Recipe adapted from Australian Good Taste magazine, January 1997, page 12

Makes 12 slices

Ingredients

1 lemon
100g butter, room temperature
150g caster sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup yoghurt
175g self-raising flour, sifted
icing sugar, to dust

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm square cake pan with the melted butter or margarine.
2. Finely grate the lemon rind, then juice the fruit. 
3. Use electric beaters to beat butter and the sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add yoghurt, reserved rind and juice. Beat until combined.
5. Gently fold in the sifted flour with a large metal spoon until combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake pan and smooth the surface. Bake in pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out dean. Remove from oven and place cake pan on a wire rack to cool.
6. To serve, turn the cake onto a serving plate and remove the cake pan. 
7. Dust with icing sugar when cake has cooled

Chocolate Fondant

Recipe from Masterchef season 2

Ingredients

Melted butter, for greasing
Cocoa powder, for dusting (approx ¼ cup)
200g dark couverture chocolate
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
100g caster sugar
150g plain flour, sifted
100g butter, extra
vanilla ice cream and berries, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place a small square of paper in the bottom of 6 ramekins and grease with melted butter and cocoa powder. Place ramekins on a baking tray.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a small saucepan of boiling water, turn off heat. In an electric mixer, add the eggs, egg yolks and sugar and mix on high speed until fluffy and white. Tip chocolate mixture into a large bowl, pour egg mixture into chocolate mixture and fold together. Fold in flour and mix until smooth. Spoon or pour mixture into ramekins and bake in oven for 8-9 minutes.
3. place in fridge until ready to serve. When ready to serve, bake in oven for 8-9 minutes.
4. To serve, gently run knife along outside of each ramekin and turn fondant out into serving bowls.

Notes & Tips

Fondant mixture can be prepared ahead of time. Place in fridge until ready to serve. Bake in oven for 15-17 minutes

Serve chocolate fondants with vanilla ice cream and mixed berries

Berries in syrup:

Ingredients
2 tablespoons white sugar
¼ cup water
½ cup mixed berries (fresh or frozen, thawed)

Method:
Combine sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 to 8 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until cold. Combine mixed berries and syrup in a bowl. Stir gently to coat berries.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

200g butter, chopped
180g dark chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
4 eggs, separated
1 cup caster sugar, sifted
2 cups almond meal
Icing sugar, for dusting
Whipped cream and strawberries/raspberries, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced). Grease a 6cm deep, 20cm round (base) springform cake pan. Line base and side with baking paper.
2. Place butter, chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes or until melted and combined. Remove from heat. Transfer to bowl to cool slightly.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks and sugar for 5 minutes or until thick. Set aside
4. Add chocolate mixture and almond meal to egg yolk mixture. Stir to combine. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold half the egg whites into chocolate mixture. Repeat with remaining egg whites. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Cool cake completely in pan. Dust with icing sugar. Serve with cream and strawberries/raspberries.

Donna Hay's Porcini Mushroom & Chicken Pie

Recipe from Donna Hay No Time To Cook, page 156

Ingredients

16g dried porcini mushrooms
¼ cup boiling water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 x 140g chicken thigh fillets, cubed
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 cup chicken stock
¾ cup fresh or frozen peas
½ cup flatleaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
6 sheets (25cm x 25cm) store-bought puff pastry, thawed
lightly beaten egg, for brushing
onion slices, for topping
salad leaves, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Place porcini in a small bowl, cover with boiling water and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Drain the porcini, reserve soaking liquid and chop porcini finely.
2. Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat, add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until onion softens slightly. 
3. Add chicken, cook 2 minutes more, stir in flour then add porcini, reserved soaking liquid and stock and cook for 10 minutes, or until sauce thickens.
4. Stir in peas and parsley, remove from heat and set mixture aside to cool for 30 minutes. 
5. Cut 12 pastry rectangles measuring 10cm x 12cm (or divide pastry sheets into 4 squares). Place 6 pastry rectangles on baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper and divide chicken mixture among them (1/3 cup each).
6. Brush edges of the pastry with egg, cover with remaining pastry rectangles and press edges to seal. Top with onion slices, brush pies with egg and bake for 18 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden. Serve with salad leaves. 
7. To freeze, wrap the pies in baking paper, then plastic wrap and aluminium foil to seal. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Christmas Biscotti

Last Christmas, a friend of mine gave me some home baked biscotti as a Chrissie pressie. Hubby and I loved eating them so much that we devoured it in a matter of minutes. I was really inspired to create my own version but never got around to it until today. This was also my first time at baking biscotti :)

Recipe adapted from Super Food Ideas Magazine, December 2008 issue, page 43

Makes 30 pieces

Ingredients

½ cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 ⅓ cups plain flour, sifted
½ teaspoon baking powder, sifted
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup dried Greek fig, chopped
¼ cup glace cherries, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1½ teaspoon orange zest

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper and lightly grease.
2. Place sugar, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add flour, baking powder, Greek fig, glacé cherries, orange rind and dried cranberries. Stir to combine. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Shape into a 30cm log. Place on prepared tray and flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on tray for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 140°C/120°C fan-forced. Using a serrated knife, slice log diagonally into 5mm-thick slices, discarding ends.
4. Place slices, in a single layer, on 2 baking paper-lined baking trays. Bake for 20 minutes, turning over halfway or until dry and crisp. Stand for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Notes & Tips

Place biscotti into clear cellophane gift bags tied with ribbon to give away as gifts

Blueberry & Pear Slice

Recipe by Justine Schofield from Everyday Gourmet

Ingredients

200g caster sugar
2 eggs
Zest ½ a lemon
1 vanilla pod, seeds removed
150ml milk
110g butter
150g almond meal
5 tbs flour, sifted
1½ tsp baking powder
2 pears, roughly chopped
100g fresh blueberry

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Grease and line a rectangular slice tin with baking paper.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla together until sugar has dissolved.
4. Melt butter and add to milk. Mix into the egg mixture until well combined.
5. Now add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold together with a wooden spoon until an even batter has formed.
6. Add the blueberries and pears and combine.
7. Cook for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Chicken Provencale

Spend a night in Provence with this French classic, rich with wine and the Mediterranean flavours of olives, tomatoes and roasted capsicum.

Recipe adapted from Australian Good Taste Magazine, May 2009 issue, page 8

Ingredients

1 red capsicum, quartered, deseeded
1 yellow capsicum, quartered, deseeded
1 tablespoon olive oil
1.5kg chicken thigh pieces, excess fat trimmed
2 red onions, halved, cut into wedges
4 garlic cloves, crushed
½ cup white wine
400g tinned tomatoes with herbs
1 cup chicken stock
2 bay leaves
8 sprigs fresh thyme
½ cup pitted black or kalamata olives
Mixed salad leaves or mashed potato, to serve

Method

1. Preheat grill on high. Place combined capsicum, skin-side up, under grill and cook for 8-10 minutes or until charred and blistered. Transfer to a sealed plastic bag. Set aside for 10 minutes (this helps lift the skin). Remove the skin from the capsicum and cut the flesh into thick strips.
2. Preheat oven to 200°C. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a large baking dish. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
3. Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until golden. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until aromatic. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes or until reduced by half. Add the capsicum, tomato, stock, bay leaves and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Bake for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Stir in olives. Serve with mixed salad leaves or mashed potato

Notes & Tips

Use pre-bought char-grilled capsicum instead to save on time

Freezing tip: Cool at the end of step 4. Label, date and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge.
Serving tip: For extra sides, serve mashed potato and crusty bread for mopping up the juices.

Portuguese Custard Tarts

Ingredients

2 egg yolks + 1 whole egg
2/3 cup caster sugar
2 tablespoons cornflour
225ml cream
150ml milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 sheet puff pastry

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a twelve hole (80ml capacity) muffin tray.
2. Put the eggs, sugar and cornflour in a pan and whisk together. Gradually whisk in the cream and milk until smooth.
3. Place the pan over a medium heat and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and comes to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Strain the custard into a bowl, cover the surface with cling film to prevent a skin forming and leave to cool.
4. Meanwhile, cut the puff pastry sheet in half, put one half on top of the other and set aside for 5 minutes. Roll up the pastry tightly from the short end and cut the pastry log into 12 x 1cm rounds. 
5. Lay each pastry round on a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll out until each is 10cm in diameter.
6. Press the pastry rounds into the muffin tin. Spoon the cooled custard into the pastry cases and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry and custard are golden. Leave the tarts in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 
7. Brush the top of tarts with sugar syrup glaze (optional)

To make sugar syrup glaze:
Ingredients

4 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons sugar
1½ teaspoons cornflour
5g gelatine powder

Method

1. In a small pan, add water, sugar, cornflour and gelatine powder. Whisk all together thoroughly until no lumps remain and all the cornflour and gelatine has dissolved.
2. Over medium heat bring to a boil and boil all ingredients 3 to 4 minutes, stirring consistantly. Remove from heat. Cool for 3-5 minutes. (Do not cool for longer then 5 minutes, or your glaze with set).
3. When glaze has slightly cooled, using a basting brush or a silicone basting brush, lightly brush a coat of sugar glaze over each tart until all is covered. Can repeat if neccessary to get the desired shine look or consistancy.

Banana Cake

Ingredients

Melted butter, to grease
125g butter, at room temperature
315g (1 cup) caster sugar
1¼ cups mashed overripe banana (about 2 large bananas)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract/essence
100ml buttermilk
225g (1½ cups) self-raising flour
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 banana, extra, to decorate 

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon powder, to decorate
Fresh lemon juice, to brush

Ingredients – Cream cheese frosting

250g cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup icing sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla essence

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a round 20cm (base measurement) cake pan with melted butter to grease. Line the base and side of the pan with non-stick baking paper.
2. Place the butter, sugar, banana, eggs and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor, and process for 2 minutes or until well combined. Add the buttermilk and process until combined.
3. Add the flour and bicarbonate of soda, and process until just combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Shake the pan to settle the mixture. Bake in oven for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside in the pan for 10 minutes to cool slightly, before transferring the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, to make the cream cheese frosting, place the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla essence in a bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat until mixture is light and fluffy.
5. Place the cake on a serving plate. Spread the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake.
6. Lightly dust the cake with sifted ground cinnamon powder.
7. Peel and thinly slice the extra banana. Lightly brush 1 side of each slice of banana with lemon juice. Arrange the banana slices, lemon juice side up, around the edge of the frosting to serve.

Notes & Tips

Buttermilk substitute: Place a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup regular milk. Let stand for five to ten minutes. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for.

Lemonade Scones

Learn the secret to light and fluffy scones so that your next afternoon tea will be perfect! 

Makes 24 scones

Ingredients

3 cups self raising flour, sifted
pinch of salt
1 cup of cream
1 cup of lemonade
milk, to glaze

Method

1. First preheat your oven to 220°C. It’s important to have the oven preheated to give the scones that immediate heat burst which will create a lighter scone.
2. Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the cream and lemonade.
3. Mix with a round bladed knife (like a butter knife) using a cutting action until mixture comes together. 
4. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently until smooth and pliable. It’s important to knead very lightly, as heavy, long kneading develops the gluten in the flour and creates denser, heavier scones. 
5. Pat dough to a 2cm thickness. Avoid using a rolling pin as this is too heavy for scone dough. The trick to scones is to be as light handed as possible.
6. Dip a pastry/scone cutter into flour to help prevent it from sticking, and then gently press on the dough to cut scones into rounds. Don't twist the cutter, or the scones may not rise evenly.
7. Arrange scones side by side and just touching, on a lightly greased tray. This will keep the sides straight and even as the scones cook. 
8. Brush the tops of the scones with a little extra milk for a glaze, or sprinkle with extra flour for a softer finish.
9. Bake the scones on the top shelf of the oven for an instant blast of heat. Bake for 10 to12 minutes or until scones are golden and have risen.
10. Gently tap a scone to check if it’s cooked through. If it’s ready, it should sound hollow.
11. Turn hot scones out onto a clean tea towel - this helps keep the scones soft.
12. Serve warm with butter or jam and cream.

Notes & Tips

Use a little icing sugar or caster sugar (approx. 1 teaspoon) to eliminate the "floury" taste sometimes associated with scones.

Sweet Potato & Caramelised Onion Quiche

Recipe adapted from Australian Good Taste Magazine, August 2005 issue, page 59

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large brown onion, halved, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
280g orange sweet potato (kumara), peeled, cut into 2cm pieces
1 sheet (27 x 27cm) ready-rolled frozen quiche shortcrust pastry, just thawed
185ml (3/4 cup) thickened cream
3 eggs, lightly whisked
2 tablespoons finely shredded fresh basil (or basil paste)

Method

1. Line a round 22cm (base measurement) fluted tart tin, with removable base, with pastry and trim any excess. Use a fork to prick the base. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest.  
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200°C. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until soft and golden. Add the sugar and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until onion caramelises. Add the mustard and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
3. Cook the sweet potato in a medium saucepan of boiling water for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain well. 
4. After pastry has rested, cover the pastry base with non-stick baking paper and fill with pastry weights, rice or dried beans. Place tin on hot baking tray in oven. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove paper and weights, rice or beans. Bake for a further 10 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 180°C. 
5. Cover pastry base with caramelised onion and top with sweet potato. Whisk together the cream, egg and basil in a jug. Pour into pastry base. Bake in oven for 40 minutes or until golden and set. Serve with, mixed green salad leaves or coleslaw.

Notes & Tips

To freeze (for up to 3 months): Set aside for 1 hour to cool. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour to cool completely. Label, date and freeze.
To thaw: Place in fridge for 12 hours.
To reheat: Preheat oven to 180°C. Remove plastic wrap. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until warm.

If you don't have any pie weights, not to worry! You can freeze the pastry in the tin for 15minutes instead of chilling it in the fridge since freezing pastry in the tin removes the need for 'blind baking' with baking paper and weights 

Lamb Shanks in Cranberry Sauce

Recipe adapted from Super Food Ideas Magazine, July 2003 issue, page 49

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 lamb shanks, French trimmed
20g butter
1 small red onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons plain flour
1½ cups beef stock
1 cup red wine
275g jar whole berry cranberry sauce
¼ cup fresh rosemary sprigs
mashed potato, to serve
steamed green beans, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Heat oil in a large, heavy-based, fry pan over high heat. Cook shanks for 5 minutes on each side or until brown on all sides. Remove to a large casserole dish and arrange the rosemary sprigs around the lamb shanks.
2. Reduce heat to medium then add butter, onion and garlic to fry pan. Cook for a minute or so then add flour and cook for another minute. Slowly add wine, stock and cranberry sauce then bring to the boil. Pour sauce over lamb. 
3. Cover dish with foil, transfer to oven and bake for 3 hours. Remove foil, reduce oven temperature to 120°C and bake for a further 30 minutes or until shanks are tender. 
4. Remove all the lamb shanks to a plate then pour the sauce from the casserole dish into a pot and heat over high heat for 5 minutes to thicken the sauce.
5. Serve lamb shanks with cranberry sauce, mashed potato and beans.

Notes & Tips

If you have a slow cooker, cook on high for 3.5 hours

Citrus Semolina Syrup Cake

 Recipe from Super Food Ideas magazine, November 2003 issue, page 50

Ingredients

2 oranges 

3 lemons

250g unsalted butter, softened

2¼ cups caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
5 eggs
2 cups semolina
2 teaspoons baking powder
200g ground almonds
¼ cup orange juice or Grand Marnier (see note)



Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease a 2 litre-capacity, 26cm (top) gugelhopf (ring) pan.
2. Finely grate rind of 1 orange and 2 lemons. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, 1¼ cups of sugar, rinds and vanilla together until light and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add semolina, baking powder and almonds. Mix gently to combine.
3. Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
4. Shred rind from remaining orange and lemon. Juice fruit. Combine juice, remaining sugar and Grand Marnier or orange juice in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, until syrup comes to the boil. Reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until reduced by half.
5. Using a skewer, pierce holes in surface of warm cake. Pour three-quarters of syrup over cake. Add shredded rind to remaining syrup. Stand cake in pan for 15 minutes before turning onto a plate. Spoon over remaining syrup, serve the cake in slices with a dollop of crème fraiche.

Notes & Tips

Semolina is coarsely ground durum wheat. You'll find it in the health food section of your supermarket.

Grand Marnier is an orange-flavoured liqueur. Substitute with orange juice for a non alcoholic version