Chocolate brownies

A simple recipe from Bill Granger that will fill your home with the wonderful aroma of molten chocolate. You should always have all the ingredients already in your pantry. Which actually means you could (or should) always make brownies. Crispy on the top and soft and almost gooey in the centre, this basic recipe is also very adaptable (check out Rufus’ food and spirit guide to make them alcoholic).

Ingredients makes 16 squares

1. 2 1/2 cups Caster sugar – I actually use half a cup less because I like them less sweet (and to make them healthier??)
2. 2/3 cup Cocoa powder (no sugar just pure cocoa powder)
3. 1/2 cup plain flour
4. 1 tsp baking powder
5. 4 eggs, beaten
6. 200g butter, melted
7. Generous pinch of salt if you’re using unsalted butter, small pinch if using salted butter. I am a firm believer that everything sweet tastes better with salt.
8. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
9. 200g dark chocolate buttons

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160C (315F)
2. Stir the sugar, cocoa powder, flour, salt and baking powder together in a bowl
3. Add the eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract and mix until combined
4. Mix in the chocolate buttons
5. Pour into a lined 22cm square tin and bake for 80 – 90 minutes. Stick a skewer or a raw stick of pasta in to the middle and if it comes out clean, it’s ready.
6. While the block is still warm, cut into 16 pieces
7. Dust with cocoa powder and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream

Delicate piped shortbread cookies

I have had a bit of an obsession with shortbread since I made Christmas cookies, and I have found a recipe that makes a cookie lighter than air and that literally dissolves on your tongue.

Ingredients (makes about 25 cookies)

1. 125g butter at room temperature – get the best you can buy because you can really taste it
2. 35g icing sugar
3. 50g cornflour
4. 90g plain flour
5. Good pinch of salt if using unsalted butter

Method

1. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy
2. Add the flours and mix on low speed till you get a soft dough
3. Pipe shapes on to a cookie tray lines with parchment paper
4. Put into the fridge for 30 minutes to help them keep their shape while they bake
5. Heat oven to 180C while cookies are in the fridge and bake straight from the fridge for 20 minutes until golden brown

Triple Chocolate Tea Cake

Triple Chocolate Tea Cake

I have been wanting to bake something for a while now. I’ve missed the smell of the flat as the cake cooks, and for something sweet to have with my afternoon cup of tea or coffee.

But what to make ? I have recently taken to making cupcakes and cookies just because it means that you can have small portions and also not make so much that D and I are forced to eat it all *wink*.

D’s immediate response when I asked him what he felt like ? CHOCOLATE.

So I decided on making the most chocolatey thing I could think of – a simple chocolate cake with chocolate buttons and chocolate butter icing.

I went searching for a recipe for a moist, light cake – nothing too heavy – and I found one that ticked the boxes, with the additional benefit of being able to be made in the same pan that you baked it in. I found this on the trusty joyofbaking site and then used a separate recipe for chocolate butter icing.

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1 1/2 cups (195g) plain flour
• 3/4 cup (150g) granulated white sugar
• 1/4 cup (25g) unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed), sifted
• 1/2 cup (50g) dark chocolate drops/buttons
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup (75g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup (250ml) warm water
• 1 tbs lemon juice or vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the icing:

• 6 tbs butter
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 2-3 tbs milk

Method

• Preheat oven to 180C (350F) and place rack in centre of the oven
• In an ungreased 20cm (8 inch) square cake pan, stir together the flour, sugar, sifted cocoa powder, chocolate drops, baking powder, baking soda and salt
• Add the melted butter, water, lemon juice/vinegar and vanilla extract
• With a fork, mis all the ingredients together until well blended
• Bake in preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick (or raw stick of spaghetti) inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean
• Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool
• Once the cake is cool, ice with chocolate icing. You can even cut the cake in half horizontally and add an extra layer of icing in the middle for that extra chocolate hit
• For the icing, beat the butter and salt together until light and creamy
• Slowly beat in the icing sugar
• Add 1 tbs milk at a time and beat well to get a softer consistency

Quinoea, Apricot and Nut Clusters

In the middle of my detox, I found myself craving for something sweet (chocolate, to be honest), but processed food is one of the big no nos for me this week, so I was thrilled to find this genius way of getting my sweet hit sans sugar (I replaced the sugar in the original recipe with honey) with the added bonus of quinoea.  The original recipe is from Martha Stewart.com. If you’re interested, the basics of my detox are here.

Ingredients (makes about 10)

1. 1/2 cup quinoea
2. 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3. 1/4 cup shelled raw sunflower seeds
4. 1/4 cup shelled raw pistachios, chopped
5. 1/2 cup dried apricots, thinly sliced
6. 1/4 cup honey
7. 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
8. 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
9. 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
10. 2 eggs

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F)
2. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add quinoa; return to a boil. Stir quinoea; cover, and reduce heat. Simmer until most liquid is absorbed and quinoa is slightly undercooked, about 10 minutes
3. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and bake, fluffing with a fork occasionally, until pale golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in a large bowl
4. Spread oats on baking sheet; bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add oats to quinoea
5. Spread seeds and nuts on baking sheet; bake until lightly toasted, about 7 minutes. Add to quinoa mixture; let cool
6. Reduce oven temperature to 150C (300F)
7. Toss nuts, apricots and salt with quinoa mixture
8. Beat honey, oil, and vanilla into eggs; stir into quinoa mixture
9. Line a baking sheet with parchment.  Spoon 1/4 cup firmly packed batter onto sheet for each cluster – space 3 inches apart and bake until crisp, about 25 minutes
10. Let cool on a wire rack. Store, loosely covered with foil, up to 2 days

The Rolls Royce of Chocolate Chip Cookies

Honestly. Do not even bother with any other recipe. It’s apparently all about the resting of the dough for at least 24 hours that makes this cookie magical. Add the use of Valrhona chocolate discs, French butter and a sprinkle of Maldon salt on the top of the cookie and how on earth can you go wrong ?

This recipe (adapted from the NY Times – my recipe below uses less sugar and butter) makes a mountain of dough and I like smaller cookies, but just make it once and freeze individual scoops in freezer bags for warm cookies with a big mug of tea any time you want.

Time: 45 minutes plus at least 24 hours for resting dough

Ingredients (makes about 30 3-inch cookies – see freezing tip above)

1. 2 cups cake flour
2. 1 2/3 cups bread flour
3. 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
4. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
5. 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
6. 250g unsalted butter
7. 1 cup light brown sugar
8. 1 cup granulated sugar
9. 2 large eggs
10. 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
11. 500g bittersweet chocolate – broken, chopped if not in discs.  Buy the best you can and at least 60 percent cocoa content
12. Sea salt flakes

Method

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes
3. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
4. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds
5. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them
6. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
7. Take out dough about 30 minutes before you’re ready to bake and preheat oven to 180C (350F)
8. Scoop mounds of dough (the size of golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie
9. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft – about 18 minutes
10. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes
11. Enjoy warm !

Quiche Florentine

A night in by myself made me fancy quiche florentine – it reminds me of quiche I used to serve in a cafe back in Sydney – how good the bacon smelled, and how the perfectly just-set eggy goodness wobbled when I served it.

Ingredients

1. Pastry for one 9 inch crust pie
2. 10 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled (or you can use thinly sliced ham)
3. 1 c. shredded cheese (I use half cheddar, half gruyere)
4. 1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry
5. 3 eggs
6. 1 c. light cream
7. 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
8. salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Blind bake pastry shell for 20 minutes at 180C and let dry for 5 minutes in the oven. Reduce heat to 150C
2. Sprinkle bacon, spinach and cheese in the pastry-lined tray
3. Beat eggs slightly with the cream. Pour cream mixture into pie pan
4. Bake 30-35 minutes or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean
5. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Banana Bread

I bought some bananas last week that I didn’t get around to eating, and so decided to keep them till they were really ripe (ie black) and make banana bread.

I’ve made banana breads before using various recipes and the last one I made had so much butter in it that when I toasted a slice, to my horror, you could hear it sizzling. Needless to say that loaf went into the bin, and so this time I went in search of a healthier version that was still moist without so much butter, and also tasty.  I found one on joy of baking and it uses oil instead of butter and yoghurt to keep the bread moist.  I also cut down the sugar because the super ripe bananas give added natural sweetness.

You can add walnuts for added good fats as well as a nice nutty flavour that works well with bananas, and a slice with a cup of tea would be a great healthy way to start the day.

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas – the blacker the better)
2. 1 tsp baking soda
3. 1/2 cup low fat yoghurt
4. 1/4 olive oil
5. 1/2 cup light brown sugar
6. 1 large egg
7. 1 tsp vanilla extract
8. 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (you can substitute 1/2 cup wholemeal flour or add wheat germ for added fibre and nutrients)
9. 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
10. 1 tsp baking powder
11. pinch salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C
2. Line a 20cm x 10cm loaf pan with baking paper
3. In a large bowl, mix the mashed bananas with the baking soda and yoghurt.  Allow to sit while you prepare the rest of the batter
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, egg and vanilla
5. In another large bowl, sift the flours, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt
6. Combine the banana mixture with the oil mixture and then add to the flour mixture.
7. Stir until all ingredients are just combined.  This is important so you don’t release the gluten in the flour which will make your bread heavy.  You want to keep it light so that it will rise.
8. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 mins until the top is golden brown and a toothpick (or uncooked spaghetti stick) comes out clean.
9. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.

Carrot Cake

One for the kids (full of nutritious carrots), for those allergic to dairy (without the icing) and also a general all-round favourite cake (I personally think because of the icing).  This recipe is from the Edmonds “Sure To Rise” cookbook.

Ingredients for the cake

1. 3 eggs
2. 1/2 cup oil (I use olive oil)
3. 2 cups plain flour
4. 1 cup sugar
5. 3 tsp baking soda
6. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
7. 3 cups carrot, grated
8. 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped
9. 1 tsp grated orange rind
10. 3/4 cup crushed pineapple

Ingredients for the icing

1. 2 tbl butter, softened
2. 1/4 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
3. 1 cup icing sugar

Method for cake

1. Beat eggs till thick
2. Stir in oil
3. Sift flour, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon into the egg mixture and combine
4. Fold in carrots, walnuts, orange rind and pineapple
5. Grease and line the base of a 23cm ring tin
6. Spoon mixture into tin and bake at 180C for 50 – 60 mins or until skewer comes out clean
7. Leave in tin for 10 mins before turning out on to wire rack
8. When cold, ice with cream cheese icing

Method for icing

1. Beat butter and cream cheese until light and creamy
2. Mix in icing sugar and beat well to combine
3. Lick beaters

Orange and poppyseed cake

This easy and delicious cake with cream cheese frosting is one of my favourites.

Ingredients (to make a 19cm cake with extra mix to make 2 cupcakes)

For the cake:

1. 1/2 cup milk
2. 1/3 cup poppyseeds
3. 180g softened unsalted butter
4. 3/4 cup caster sugar
5. 1 tsp vanilla extract
6. 3 eggs
7. Finely grated zest of 3 oranges
8. 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
9. 2 1/2 cups plain flour
10. 2 tsp baking powder

For the icing:

1. 100g butter at room temperature
2. 100g cream cheese at room temperature
3. 1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted
4. 2 tsp lemon juice

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a 19cm cake pan and line base with baking paper.
2. Place milk in a bowl and stir in poppyseeds. Stand for 20 minutes.
3. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and pale.
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
5. Gently fold in zest, juice and poppyseed mixture.
6. Sift flour and baking powder over top and fold in.
7. Spoon mixture into pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a plate.
8. For the icing, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth.  Add the sugar and lemon juice and beat until thick and creamy.  Frost cake once the cake is completely cooled.

Christmas shortbread stars

Christmas shortbread stars

When the tree goes up in our household, I begin to really feel like it’s Christmas and I can get excited about the whole festive season – for me, it’s about family, presents, and eating yummy treats that you don’t get the rest of the year.

It’s also when I make shortbread cookies.  There is absolutely no reason why I don’t make them more often – they are so easy and so much fun to make.  Perhaps it’s because although I tend to like making things where I can get my hands grubby, I prefer to make more savoury things, like pizza dough.

I use a recipe that a friend of mine from Australia gave me, just because of its simplicity.  There are just six ingredients.  Butter, icing sugar, vanilla, salt, plain flour and rice flour.  And because there are so few ingredients, you can really taste the quality of the ingredients you use, particularly the butter and vanilla (read: buy the best you can afford)

Rice flour is added here for added “crunch”.  I’ve read that you can replace the rice flour with cornflour for a more melt-in-your-mouth texture.

This would be a great recipe to make with kids – especially the decorating.

Merry Christmas and here’s to a new year of more eating!

Ingredients makes about 60 6cm stars

• 250g block unsalted butter at room temperature (you can use salted butter and not add salt but I think unsalted tastes better)
• A good tbs vanilla paste or vanilla extract
• 1 cup icing sugar
• good generous pinch of salt
• 2 1/4 cups plain flour
• 1/4 cup rice flour

Method

1. Cream butter and sifted sugar until light and creamy
2. Add vanilla and salt and mix well
3. Stir in combined flours and mix with your hands to combine to a crumbly dough
4. Turn out on to a sheet of baking paper and press into a ball.
5. Rollout dough between two sheets of baking paper to about 5mm thick and with a star cookie cutter (or whatever shape you fancy), cut biscuits from dough and place on a baking paper-lined tray
6. You can decorate before they go into the oven with demerara sugar and silver cachous or after by dipping into melted chocolate (although you may want to temper your chocolate first)