Best Biscotti Ever!

Now that's a bold statement!

Honestly - this has to be one of the best Almond Biscotti recipes I have EVER tried and I can't believe how simple it is. 

This is the fourth batch I have made in the past 2 weeks.  We just can't seem to get enough of it around this place.  Crisp and crunchy with just a slight hint of lemon.  Perfect for dunking into an espresso or even by itself.    

A perfect Christmas gift - glass jar/ribbon around the top - how easy it that!

Here's the recipe - full credit to Delicious magazine (May 2004).  I can't believe it's taken me this long to find you!

Almond Biscotti (Makes about 40)


Ingredients :


1 cup (220g) caster sugar
2 eggs
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
2 cups (300g) plain flour, sifted
1/2 tsp baking power
150g whole almonds (leave the skins on)


Method :
Preheat oven to 170 degrees (Celsius).  Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Place sugar, eggs and grated lemon rind in a large bowl.  Beat with electric beaters until pale and thick.
Fold in sifted flour, baking power and almonds, then use your hands to lightly knead dough on a floured work surface until the dough is smooth.  (It is a little sticky - so just dip your hands into some extra plain flour so that the mixture doesn't stick to your fingers too much.)


Divide the mixture in half.   Form 2 long logs about 25cm long x 5 cm wide and place on prepared baking tray, leaving space between logs.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until the dough is firm to the touch and slightly golden.  Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely (about an hour).


Preheat the oven to 140 degrees (Celsius).


Once dough is cool, use a small serrated knife to cut each log on the diagonal in 0.5cm slices. 
Lay slices flat on the baking tray and return to oven for 15-20 minutes, turning once, until completely dried out.


Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container for 2-3 weeks.  (OR 1-2 days in our case!)

Yum-O - give it a try.    I  guarantee you won't be disappointed.

I'm off now to try out this latest batch

All the interests of Quality Control of course! 

Something to Hum about

Now this gorgeous little creature is a hummingbird....

.......and this gorgeous little bit of delectability is Hummingbird Slice!

Interesting thought to ponder.  How did Hummingbird slice get its name?

Perhaps it might be something to do with the abundance of fruit and nuts in the recipe and the fact that a Hummingbird's diet consists of fruit, nuts and nectar?

Either way - this slice is to die for.  Another amazing Donna Hay recipe.

Now I know I said that my baking these days was going to be limited to strictly Special Occasions - well....

Kendall and her Alan leave on Friday for their trip to Ireland!     What more of an excuse do I need?

Hummingbird Slice
3/4 cup (140g) brown sugar
1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup canned crushed pineapple, drained (REALLY squished until there is hardly any liquid left)
1 banana, mashed
1 cup grated carrot (about 2 carrots)
115g self raising flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of (baking) soda, sifted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (20g) shredded coconut
1/4 cup (30g) chopped pecans (or walnuts)
passionfruit icing OR honey to serve

Preheat oven to 160 degrees C (320 degrees F).  Place the sugar, oil and eggs in a bowl and whisk to combine.  Add the pineapple, banana and carrot and mix to combine.  Add the flour, bicarb of soda, cinnamon, coconut and nuts and mix to combine.  Spoon into a lightly greased 20 x 30 cm tin lined with non-stick baking paper.  Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.  Allow to cool in the tin.  
Ice with passionfruit icing or slice and serve with honey.

Yes, definitely something to Hum about!

Best Carrot Cake Ever!

Okay it's true..... There's one thing I like better than making cakes - and that is eating cakes!  

Hmm.....Not good!    Where is that will-power when I need it?

In my efforts to halt this "cake-charged" middle age spread and at least have a small glimmer of a hope of fitting into my summer wardrobe -  I have decided that I my cake baking will now be limited to the following :

(1)  Special family occasions - birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, final exam celebrations, weddings, engagements, holidays, births, arrival of tax cheque......
(2)  Morning teas - shared with friends, work colleagues, relatives I haven't seen for a long time....
(3)  Dinner Parties (which don't involve family members - not to be confused with #1)

Ah that's better.  Baking for a purpose - perfect!


So when a work colleague decided to retire recently - it was just the excuse I needed to try out this Donna Hay recipe and bake this truly scrumptious Carrot Cake with caramelised Pecan topping. 

It was (without a doubt) the BEST Carrot Cake I have ever tasted and elevated me to Carrot Cake Queen status at work! 

Carrot cake with lime icing
1 2/3 cups (250g) self raising four, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking power, sifted
2 teaspoons mixed spice
1 1/2 cups (265g) brown sugar
3 eggs
1 cup (250ml) sunflower oil
3 cups (360g) grated carrot
caramelised pecans*
lime icing
1 cup (240g) cream cheese
1/2 cup (80g) icing sugar, sifted
1 tablespoons lime juice

Preheat oven to 180C.  Place four, baking powder, spice and sugar in a bowl and mix to combine.  Place the eggs and oil in a bowl and whisk to combine.  Add to the flour mixture and whisk until smooth.  Add the carrot and mix to combine.  Pour into greased ring cake tin lined with non-stick baking paper.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.   Allow to cook in tin for 5 minutes before turning onto a rack.   To make the icing, place the cream cheese, icing sugar and lime juice in an electric mixer and beat for 5 minutes or until smooth.  Spread on cooled cake and top with nuts to serve.
* Mix 1 cup (120g) pecans, 1/2 cup (110g caster sugar) and 1 tablespoon water.   Heat in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat for 6-8 minutes (or until sugar has caramelised) stirring occasionally.

Just look at those beautiful caramely crunchy pecans - yum! 

and

that luscious lime cream cheese icing - amazing!

I definitely feel a Special Occasion coming on.......

Ah yes, start of school holidays - PERFECT!

Words of Wisdom

"I sometimes think that the act of bringing food is one of the basic roots of all relationships."

                                                                                                                         Dalai Lama

To be perfectly honest - I know very little about the Dalai Lama or Buddhism.  However when I heard this quote on Sunday night's "Master Chef" - it really struck a chord with me.

I have been an avid fan of "Master Chef" since the very first episode.  In fact I think I can safely say - Master Chef has re-ignited my love of cooking and baking.   I have always loved cooking but for many years it was more a case of trying to provide healthy, substantial family meals on a budget than recreate some of the extravagant recipes on "Master Chef".   Spending  $100 on ingredients for a Champagne Trifle - I don't think so!

Food is such a wonderful bonding element.    Doesn't matter whether it is a crumpet and cup of tea or a magnificent feast - if there is love in your heart -  it comes out on the plate.

Such a simple lesson in a complex world!

I love nothing better than creating meals for my family or baking a cake to share with friends.   It fills my heart with joy to know that through the simple act of cooking -  I have been responsible for bringing my family and friends together.   To hear Matthew say "That meal was truly outstanding!" or to have  Alan come back for a second (and third!) helping of Orange Cake - well, what more could I ask for.

I also think there is also something special  about sitting at a table that has been prepared with cutlery, glasses, a water jug, and maybe flowers and candles. 

It tells all who sit there.........

Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart

 That they are welcome in our home.
(Thank you Dalai Lama!)

Lemon Yoghurt Cake

A scrumptious cake made with lemon and yoghurt. 

Well this just HAS to be healthy!

Thank you so much to everyone for your comments about my Lemon Cordial recipe.  I am so pleased with the way it turned out.  It tastes just like old fashioned lemonade!

I am determined to use every single one of the gorgeous juicy lemons from my neighbour's tree.  I am a woman on a mission -  seeking out creative ways to make maximum use of the humble lemon.   

So with the first day of school holidays and a drizzly, miserable day here in the Far North, I decided to grab a few more lemons and do some baking. 

I have been wanting to try out this Donna Hay recipe for Lemon Yoghurt cake for quite a while now and believe me, it didn't disappoint!  

Lemon Yoghurt Cake

3/4 cup (180ml) vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 tabs finely grated lemon rind

2 tabs lemon juice

1 cup (280) thick natural yoghurt

1 3/4 cups (384g) caster sugar

2 cups (300g) self raising flour

Lemon icing :

3/4 cup sifted icing sugar

1 tabs lemon juice 

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

Place the oil, eggs, rind, lemon juice, yoghurt and sugar in a bowl and whisk to combine.

Sift over the flour and stir until smooth.

Pour the mixture into a greased 24cm fluted ring tin and bake for 35minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

While the cake is still hot - remove from the tin and place on a plate.

To make the lemon icing - gently stir together the sugar and lemon juice.

Spoon over the cake and allow to set.  Serve warm.

The texture, the flavour, the scrumptiousness..........Wow!

Well done DONNA HAY - you have surpassed yourself with this one.

A Lemon a Day

At this time of the year,  it seems that the citrus trees in this part of the world are literally dripping with fruit.

I can't help but think what a terrible waste it is when I see piles of  gorgeous lemons, grapefruit and oranges just rotting under trees.   So when a neighbour very kindly handed me a HUGE bag of lemons from her very bountiful lemon tree - I was determined to come up with creative ways to use each and every one of them.

A quick search of the Internet led me to this delicious recipe for Lemon Cordial.

Lemon Cordial

What you need :

8 lemons juiced

1 tabs of lemon rind

1.5 litres of water

1.5 kilo sugar

2 teaspoons of citric acid

How to :

1. Squeeze lemons and place in large container.   (I put mine into a bucket!)  You will probably need to strain the juice to remove the seeds;
2. Grate some lemon rind (before you squeeze them) and put into the lemon juice;
3. In a saucepan, boil water and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.   Then add the 2 teaspoons of citric acid - give it a stir to dissolve and then leave to cool;
4. Pour the syrup over the lemon juice and give it a good stir;
5. Grab yourself a funnel and some clean bottles (with lids) and pour cordial into bottles.
6. Cool/put the lids on and store in the fridge (you could probably freeze it if you put it in plastic bottles).  It actually made almost 2.5 litres of cordial.

To serve :

Once chilled, pour a little of the cordial into the bottom of a glass - top with ice and soda water (or just plain cold water) - and voila!   Delicious lemonade.

Thirst quenching - fresh and a great way to use all that surplus fruit.

/

Next :  Lemon Yoghurt Cake

(stay tuned!)

Black Sapote Cheese Cake

Who would have thought that something as unattractive as this.........

Could turn into something as DELICIOUS as this!



The "secret ingredient"  is Black Sapote.   Black Sapote (or Black Pudding fruit) is a member of the persimmon family is native to Mexico however it absolutely thrives in our tropical climate.  The fruit is about the size of a very large apple and tomato-shaped and has a bright green and shiny skin when unripe. When it ripens, the skin turns dark brown and the flesh black.    

We managed to pick up some black sapotes at the markets on Saturday and decided to see if we could transform them into a cheesecake.   THE RESULT........ an overwhelming "thumbs up" from the entire family!   Sooo delicious.   If you manage to come across any Black Sapotes in your travels - why not give this recipe a try.

Ingredients :

Base

1 packet Marie biscuits, crushed

125g melted butter

Filling

3 ripe Black Sapote

1 X 250g packet cream cheese

3/4 cup caster sugar

3 teaspoons gelatine

3/4 cup boiling water

1 x 175ml tin evaporated milk

1/4 cup Kahlua liqueur

  

Method :

1.  Mix biscuit crumbs and butter;

2.  Line the base and sides of a large cheesecake pan with crumb mixture.  Refrigerate until set;

3.  Combine gelatine and boiling water and mix well.  Place in fridge;

4.  Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Add flesh from Black Sapote, Kahlua and dissolved gelatine mixture.   Mix well;

5.  In a clean bowl, beat milk until thick.  Add cream cheese mixture and combine well;

6.  Pour mixture into biscuit base and place in fridge to set.

7.  When firm, gently top with a little bouquet of orchids.

(If you can't manage to find any Black Sapote - why not substitute some melted dark chocolate)

What if you had a Party and No-one Came?

Cup cakes and scones - yum!

Today Kendall decided to have a tea party.  Fabulous excuse to bring out Nanny's beautiful bone china teaset;   make yummy cupcakes, fairy bread, scones with jam and cream;  and invite a few girl friends over for a Sunday afternoon "catch up".     It was also the perfect opportunity for her to give her little Granny flat a bit of a lick and polish!   Kendall has many wonderful qualities but domesticity is not one of them.   I get REALLY excited when she starts making plans to entertain - it's not the fact that she makes THE BEST cup cakes I have ever tasted - it's just that I know her Granny flat is going to be vacuumed and the sink cleared of the 3 weeks accumulation of dishes which never seem to make it past the drainer.  Not sure what it is about Gen Y.... somehow incidentals like have a tidy/organised living space is not a priority for them.   How many times have I heard - "Oh Mum - you're just OCD about cleaning!"  Ummm.......I don't think so.   I just like things to be tidy and hygenic clean.



Kendall and Mandy sharing tea

  First to arrive was Miss Mandy.   Kendall and Mandy have been friends since High School however for the past couple of years Mandy has been living and working in Brisbane whilst Kendall has been at Uni in Cairns.  It was lovely to see her again.   Whilst waiting for the other guests to arrive they decide to test out the bone china tea cups.


Oh good! - a photo of me not wearing sweaty exercise gear

 I decide to give them a test as well.  There's nothing like drinking tea from small bone china tea cups particularly if it's real leaf tea.  So much better than teabags!   The table looked amazing and the food scrumptious.   All we had to do was wait for the  guests to arrive. 



Look at those cup cakes!  The diet starts tomorrow.



So we waited...... and waited.......4 o'clock came and then 4.30 ...... where were they?    Three cups of tea later Kendall receives a call to say that there has been an car accident on the range road and that her guests have been caught up in traffic backlog.   Fortunately it doesn't appear that anyone has been injured however because there is only one access road to our place there is nothing else they can do but to just sit and wait.    So what do you do when you give a party and no-one comes?  

 Rope in some ring ins of course!



One lump or two?

 At last the road is cleared and Kendall's friends arrive.  Nothing like sharing a cup of tea (or five!) with good friends.  A perfect ending to the weekend.

Yummy Fritters

With Alan working away in Weipa this week, Kendall and I are taking advantage of the opportunity to try out some new Vegetarian recipes.  Alan is very much a meat and three vege man and with Kendall being a vegetarian I often find myself having to prepare 2 different meals in the evening to accomodate everyone's taste!   My kitchen always ends up looking like a battle ground - so many saucepans, frying pans, mixing bowls, utensils.  I am such a messy cook.  I dream of  "one pot" cooking but never seem to be able to master the art.  I stumbled across this little gem in the paper today.  It was titled : "Get your kids cooking vegies with this simple recipe".    It was delicious and so easy to make.  To quote Kendall - "It nourishes my soul to know that no animals have been slaughtered in the making of this meal...."  To which I replied - "It will nourish my soul if you do the washing up!!"...... 

Corn, Zucchini and Chickpea Fritters
400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
1/2 cup reduced fat milk
2 eggs
3/4 cup self raising flour
1 large zucchini, grated
310 can corn kernels, drained, rinsed (or fresh sweet corn)
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves
3 shallots, thinly sliced
olive oil cooking spray
Salad leaves and tomato chutney to serve

Process chickpeas until roughly chopped (I put them in the blender).  Whisk milk and eggs in a jug.  Place flour in a bowl.  Gradually add milk mixture to flour, whisking until smooth.  Stir in chickpeas, zucchini, corn, mint and shallots.
Spray a large frying pan with oil.  Heat over medium high heat.  Add 1/4 cup mixture to pan.  Spread slightly with a spatula.  Repeat to make 3 more fritters.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through.  Transfer to a plate.  Cover to keep warm.
Repeat with remaining mixture to make 12 fritters spraying pan with oil between batches if necessary.  Serve with salad and chutney.

Creme Brulee

I have NEVER made Creme Brulee before. It has always been one of those deserts which I have loved ordering whenever I have gone out to a Restaurant but would have had absolutely no hope of being able to replicate at home. That was of course until I saw George's Master Class on Master Chef and I just had to give it a go. So, 600mls of double cream and 6 egg yolks later - here is the result! Looks pretty much like George's - don't you think? I really felt like a TRUE Master Chef when I served them up for dinner in their cute little white pots. To be honest - it really wasn't all plain sailing. On my first attempt they ended up being a little runny. However I ended up leaving in the fridge overnight and the next afternoon.... Perfection! The real thrill was in the tapping of the hard sugar topping with the back of my spoon (just like George did!) and hearing that distinctive "crack".   HERE is the recipe. The comments on the bottom of the page from other people who had attempted the dish were a little bit daunting but the "trick" is in leaving the creme brulee in the fridge overnight.   I even added my critique (goldenvalley50)  in the review section.  I'm definitely a "Master Chef nerd!"     Can't wait to try it again.

Orange Cake

Monday May Day holiday and I decided to check out another fabulous recipe from a favourite little cook book called "Recollections and Recipes of Riverstone" by Jan Alley. Riverstone is an historical home in Gordonvale owned by Jan and Noel Alley. 100 years ago Riverstone was a hotel catering for pack-teamsters, horse riders and horse drawn vehicles enroute to the Atherton Tablelands via the Gillies Highway. In recent times Jan opened Riverstone as a Tea House and lunch venue and published a book with some of her favourite recipes. What I love most about the recipes in Jan's book is that they are good ol'fashioned favourites using ingredients that my grandmother would have used. There is a recipe for "Granadilla Pie" which I would love to try however the last time I saw granadillas growing was in my grandmother's house in Innisfail about 45 years ago. I don't know if anyone grows granadillas anymore? I wanted to try out the new kuglehopf cake tin I bought in Brisbane last year and thought that an Orange cake would go perfectly.

Ingredients :

190g butter

1 tabs arrowroot

155g SR flour

155g sugar

2 eggs

juice and rind of 1 orange

1 tabs water

Beat butter, sugar and rind till fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beting well. Stir in orange juice and water. Lastly fold in sifted four and arrowroot. Turn into greased and foured ring tin. Bake in a moderate oven 180 degrees for 25-30 minutes until cooked when tested. Leave in tin a few minutes, then turn out and cool. Ice with orange icing.

Verdict : Delicious! Don't think it is going to last till tomorrow.

Master Chef

I am so pleased that "Master Chef Australia" is back again for another season. I absolutely LOVE this show! An interesting observation I have made is that during the Master Chef season my cooking skills RISE to a whole new level! Each night I find myself transfixed by the various Master Classes and have a whole new appreciation for skills like "separating eggs"; "filleting fish"; "making creme brulee"; "chocolate gnache"!

I look forward to any opportunity to put my culinary skills to the test and as I tie the apron around my waste, (secretly, shhh.......) pretend to be one of the contestants on Master Chef!
As it just so happened - I had a friend's birthday party to go to tonight and typed boldly at the bottom of the invitation was "bring a plate". My brain went into overdrive as I excitedly flipped through my 4 Donna Hay magazines looking for that special dish with real "WOW" factor. I finally decided to settle on a lovely Orange Tart called Aunie Sadie's Orange Tart from a local cookbook "Recollections and Recipes of Riverstone". Here's the recipe :
Ingredients :
2 cups SF flour
125g butter
1 egg
2tabs cornflour
1tab sugar
1 orange
1/2 lemon

Pastry :
Beat butter and sugar and mix in egg. Add sifted fours. Press into a tart plate. Bake inhot oven 180 degrees till light brown. Cool.
Filling :
Bring to boil 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar. Mix 1 tablespoon each of custard powder and cornflour with the juice of 1 orange and 1/2 lemon. Stir into sugar syrup. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring all the time. Take off heat and stire in 1 dessertspoon butter. Pour into tart shell. Chill. Top with whipped cream and toasted coconut and serve.

Unfortunately (as luck would have it) - it wasn't SET in time to take along to the party so I was FORCED to leave it at home! Interestingly, when I arrived home from the party at around 10.30 there was already a slice missing. My own "Matt Preston" aka Alan was forthcoming with his critique - absolutely delicious although the pastry was slightly thick on the base. (Mental note for future reference : remember to press the pastry thinner on the base!")

Good News for the Day : There is still 3/4 of the Tart left in the fridge!