So Frenchy, So Chic

Last night Leon and I hosted a lovely dinner party with friends, and it was great, although there was a touch too much wine imbibed! Sore heads all round today!

La Menu:

Starter:
Prosciutto
Olives
Tomatoes a la Leon

Main:

Roast beef
Sauteed carrots and beans
Pommes Duaphinoise
Roast shallots

Dessert:

Creme Brulee

La Recipes:

Tomatoes a la Leon


Pommes Dauphinoise

200 ml cream
3 garlic cloves
3 sprigs of thyme
6 potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin slices
1/3 cup grated gruyere and parmesan cheese, mixed
1 tbs extra cheese
salt and pepper
dash olive oil

Preheat oven to 190C.
Put the cream, garlic and thyme in a saucepan over low heat and gently simmer for about 5 minutes. Sieve and let it infuse until needed.
Grease a small roasting dish, about 15cm x 20cm x 4 cm, and place a layer of the sliced potato on the bottom. Top with some cheese and drizzle on some of the cream. Repeat until done then cover with foil.
Bake for 30 mins, then crank the heat up to 220C, remove the foil and sprinkle the top with cheese and bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
Manget!

Creme Brulee

350 ml cream
125 ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
7 egg yolks
1/3 cup caster sugar
extra sugar

Preheat oven to 110C and place 6 150ml ramekins in a roasting tray. Fill it with water halfway up the dish.

In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, milk and vanilla. Gently bring to the boil then remove from heat to cool. It needs to be really cool so you don't end up with scrambled eggs. I like to pour the mixture into a jug and put the jug in a bowl of iced water.


Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Once the cream mix is cooled right down, gradually add it to the eggs, stirring very gently so that there is no froth.


Pour your mixture evenly into the ramekins and bake for about 40 minutes, or until just set. Once cooked, they need to rest for at least 2 hours or can be refrigerated overnight.






Just before serving, heat your grill to the highest setting and sprinkle the brulees with an even thin layer of the extra sugar. Bake on the top shelf for a few minutes but watch them to make sure they don't burn. Let them rest for about 5 minutes. The result should be a hard caramelized layer on the top that gives a satisfying 'crack' whe you hit it with a spoon! Yummy!


The meal:

Boozy Chocolate Cake

Hello again. I know it hasn't been long since I last posted, however, I just baked a cake and I wanted to post it because I remembered to take pics and also I was just, you know, in the mood. So, if you've read any of this blog, or know me, you'll know that I like things to be easy and quick. Just like most peeps. This recipe is quite possibly the easiest cake recipe I've ever had the pleasure to make. It's one of those rare beauties that doesn't call for any creaming or beating or anything annoying. And because I am an alchi, I've adapted it with sherry involved. Yes, I am a nana in training. I collect china and tiny spoons with pictures on them. But I digress. Here is the recipe:

Chocolate Cake:

Ingredients:

200 gms dark chocolate
250 gms unsalted butter, softened
2 cups caster sugar
1 cup water
3/4 cup sherry ( or any liqueur or brandy you like)
1 tsp instant coffee
3/4 cup plain flour
3/4 cup s.r. flour
1/4 cup cocoa
3 eggs, beaten lightly

Method:

Put the first 6 ingredients in a medium saucepan over a medium low heat, melt and dissolve it all thoroughly. Take off the heat and allow to cool right down.
Preheat oven to 150C and grease a large cake tin, at least 24 cms or I can say that it will make a 22 cm cake and 6 cupcakes!
Once the chocolate is cool add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Now, the mixture will basically be liquid but don't distress! I guarantee it will turn out lovely and moist.
Pour the mix into your tin and bake for 1 1/2 hours, my oven cooks it in that time exactly, but you should check yours after an hour and fifteen and keep checking every ten minutes or so.

I've made this cake for one of my friend's 21st and I want to take photos of the cake when it's ready, which won't be till tomorrow, so I'll post the pics tomorrow.

Bon Nuit.

Muffins galore!

Good Afternoon reader! Yesterday I promised muffins, today I deliver. I have 2 lots for you: orange muffins and jam doughnut muffins, mmm, sound good, don't they? I found them both on the best recipes website. Well, the orange ones didn't turn out quite as I'd expected, because I changed the recipe. Of course I did, it's what I do! The thing of it is that orange, while being a lovely flavour, needs something else to carry it along. The original recipe called for sultanas in too, but I don't love sultanas in cakes, so I gave them a miss. I should have subbed chocolate or almonds or poppyseeds. It wasn't bad, just not great. Please have a play with them, using different ingredients if you're going to have a crack at them.

Orange (and some random other thing, if you want to put it in there, I know I should have) Muffins
Ingredients:

2 oranges, chopped
2/3 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup OJ
100 gms butter, melted
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bi carb soda
(1/2 cup of whatever you like; chocolate, almonds, poppyseeds, etc)
Method:

Preheat oven to 200C fan forced and grease a 12 muffin tin
Peel and chop oranges into little pieces
Add all the ingredients together in a bowl and stir until well combined
Scoop mix evenly into greased tin and bake for about 15 mins. When a clean skewer, inserted into the centre of a muffin, comes out clean, they are ready.
Eat and enjoy!


My next recipe is the one I'm quite excited about. I did change this one around alot, more than I usually would. The reason is that when I read it first, it sounded like it would be better as cupcakes. So, I ditched the method, changed the ingredients a bit and came up with my own. I hope it works!
Jam Doughnut Muffins
Ingredients:

2 cups S.R. flour
2/3 cup caster sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
300 mls buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
4.5 tsp jam - I used plum, but use whatever you have
100 gms butter, softened
1 tsp cinnamon, plus more for coating tin

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C, 160C fan forced
Grease a muffin tin with butter and coat the inside of each hole with cinnamon, get as even a coating as possible, see below:

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add the egg and continue beating until well combined. Add all the other ingredients, except the jam, to the butter/sugar mix and stir well to combine.
Place a small amount of mix in each hole, then add 1/2 tsp of jam into each one, then put the rest of the mix on. I only made 9 from this recipe, however, as you can see, mine came out really ginormous, so you may want to make 12 medium sized ones or 6 stupidly sized ones. Up to you really, I won't judge.

Cook for about 15 or 20 minutes, you know the drill, be sure to check them. Mine actually came out pretty good, and bigger than Texas!!
I'm off to make chocolate cake, I will post about it later because it's the best recipe EVER for mud cake - there's only about 6 ingredients!!

Bye!

bread baker, bread baker, bake me a loaf

Hey y'all! I know, I know, it's been too long, but I have plenty of excuses, so don't worry about that!! The main reason, though, is True Blood and Survivor. Yes. It's true. Don't judge me. Anywhoo, I've been baking today, and I figured it was about time to bake some bread; it's been a while. The recipe I use is from this great cook book my mum gave me. She got if from the weekly times newspaper of all places!! It's reminiscent of a CWA recipe book, which is why I love it so much! Best of all, it's simple as!

Ingredients:
500 gms strong white (or wholemeal) flour.*
10 gms yeast
10 gms salt
350 gms lukewarm water**
Olive oil, as needed

* I use tippo 00 flour, it's superfine and preferred when baking bread
** I realise that it's quite odd to ask for water in grams, however, that's what the recipe asks for and it has to with weight for weight measurements. Too complicated for me :)

Method:

Add the yeast to the water, dissolve with a whisk and sit for about 10 minutes, when it's bubbly and fragrant
Once the yeast is ready, add it to the flour and salt. Mix until just combined then let sit for 10 minutes.
Oil your benchtop, about a drop the size of a twenty cent piece. Rub it in. Take out your dough and ensure that it is fully combined. Knead the dough, about 5 times, using the heel of your palm. Here are some links about kneading, should you need it. Oil a clean bowl, let your dough rest another 10 minutes.

This kneading and resting then is repeated 2 times. Your dough should be silky, because of the oil and when you knead, you should be knocking air out every time.

After it's final knead, shape the dough to the oiled tin you will bake it in. Let the dough rest for 1.5 hours or until doubled in size. It is important to cover the dough with a cloth and keep it in the warmest place in the kitchen. Once risen, bake in a preheated oven at 180C fan forced.
I bake mine for 40 mins, but you should check yours, as every oven is different, as is the weather, which can influence the outcome.

Once ready, the top will brown and hard to touch. It is true that when cooked, if you knock the bottom it will sound hollow, but it's always too hot for me to do this!!!
Stay tuned for muffins tomorrow!

Bananas and Lemons

Good morning! I have been baking this last week, however, I continue to forget to take photos of my work. I have made a cake this morning which I remembered to take pics of, it's a banana cake. But first, last week I made a cake for a lovely friend at work who had a birthday yesterday and has a penchant for lemon cakes. I found an interesting one on the Best Recipes site which can be found here. It's a great basic recipe that I was able to make in only 45 minutes, including cooking time! That's the best thing about it. As usual, I did change one thing, I just can't help myself! Instead of measuring out 2 tsp of lemon zest, I added the zest of a whole lemon and a whole orange. It turned out really moist with a lovely subtle citrus flavour and the crusty crunch of the sugary top was fab. Sorry, it went before I could take photos :)

Last Thursday was the day I had my interview for patisserie school. I was pretty nervous, but happy to see that I seemed to be the only one who took some examples of home-cooked treaties. I made the mixed-berry bundt cake posted earlier and I also made a shortbread, which I found on Rachel Ray's site and which only has 3 ingredients!! I couldn't believe how easy it was; I used to be one of those peeps who feared making something like that but no longer! Unfortunately the interviewer would not taste the cakes I made, but I hope they liked it anyway.

This afternoon my Dad is flying into Melbs after visiting my sister Joey on the Gold Coast so I thought it would be lovely if we had some cakey goodness to eat. I have a wonderful vegan cookbook called Veganomicon which has some lovely cake recipes in it. I love experimenting with different ingredients and making animal-friendly cakes that taste great too. It doesn't always have to be about eggs and butter and by trying different methods and foods, I think you're just increasing your mad skillz. Word. The original recipe is actually a Vanilla-Yoghurt Pound Cake, but I have turned into a Banana Cake and changed up a few things. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
3 tbs corn flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups soy yoghurt
1 1/2 cups Tofutti sour cream
1 large or 2 small ripe bananas, mashed
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup rice, soy, oat, almond milk.

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 160C fan-forced
   
2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl
   
3. Make a well in the centre, add wet ingredients, mix until well combined
   
4. Grease a 22 cm round or loaf tin, pour mixture into tin, bake for about 45 mins, taking care to check regularly after the 30 mins mark. Cooking time may depend on your oven

The recipe can be substituted with regular yoghurt and sour cream, if that is easier or preferred.

Ok, so mine didn't rise so much, it may be because the banana causes the batter to be quite heavy; however, it's probably because I forgot to add the cornflour! Oops. I'm sure it will still taste noice!

That's it for now, I'm off to get tattooed by the lovely Kate at 166 Tattoos in Richmond. I'll post some pics once I'm done!!

Renee

sorry for the delay

I know I haven't posted in a wee while, and whilst I have been cooking (and eating), I have not been taking photos - I keep forgetting to until the meal is pretty much over. I know what your thinking, and I agree - that behaviour is quite tardish. But I do apologise. And I have my interview for cooking school coming up this week, so the night before will give me ample opportunity to take pics and show you what my interview pieces are. I'm thinking of making the mixed-berry bundt cake I posted the other day as it was rather a success and maybe meringue too. Anywhoo, last night we did have a little dinner party and it was lovely. Friends Warren and Andrew came over for a curry night. Mmmmm. Leon made his mum's beef curry and I made a chickpea and spinach dish and also a biryani with broccoli and peas. I substituted the cauliflower and beans for the broccoli and peas and I left out the mushrooms and flaked almonds. I also didn't have cinnamon sticks so I just added a tsp of ground cinnamon. The curries were all goood. Sorry about the lack of pics though. Also been avidly researching the tattoos that I'm getting and I guess thinking about having cupcakes tattooed onto me has stopped me from actually baking them! Weird how that happens, but I digress. I did bake yesterday - a batch of orange and poppy seed cakes, 3 different sizes - mini, medium and jumbo! the recipe is here and it is so easy, throw it together in about 10 minutes and I halved the recipe and it still made 12 cakes. The only thing you need to watch is if you do like me and make cupcakes instead of one big cake, the cooking time will change, so you need to keep an eye on them and check them every 15 mins or so.

That's all for now, I will be posting more tomorrow with lots of pictures!

Have a lovely day :)

i love pastry but it's a tumultuous relationship

This morning I decided to make some pastry, maybe a tart, I thought. So, I got to making Maggie Beer's sour cream pastry. Ok, that went well. It came together in about 2 minutes, popped it in the back of the fridge to chill for a bit and decided to use up the organic asparagus trying not to die in the bottom of the fridge. Went and got some eggs and stuff from the shop found a great recipe for the filling here. I do love Delia. But I must confess, I didn't really follow the recipe, I just used it as a base for my own (Frankenstein) creation, as I didn't want to use so much cream and cheese. The things I changed were that I used only 1/3 cup of cream, didn't add cheddar (I didn't have any) and I used pecorino instead of parmesan. I also added half a red capsicum, sliced lengthways and also added about 1/2 a tsp of allspice to the egg and cream mix. Oh and I used heaps of asparagus, probably too much in fact. I had 2 bunches so I didn't want to waste any, but I think just 1 bunch would work much better. I also sauteed half a sliced red onion in butter for the filling too. But back to the pastry. You would think that I have stuffed pastry up enough to remember that you must blind-bake before you add the filling and also that pastry shrinks!! It would appear that I, the pastry novice, failed to remember these important things, and thus, my pastry was all bubbly and shrinky! Oh well, I guess when you're going to top it with other goodies, it shouldn't matter so much. But if anyone can offer some advice regarding shrinkage, I would really appreciate it.


Some time later: the tart is out of the oven after cooking for about 15 or 20 mins, and it doesn't taste too bad!! Hooray!! Even my pastry tastes good. I'm just not going to examine the pastry too much, that's all.

I was just talking to my mama and she wants me to find a recipe for a cheesy sauce that she can serve over steamed cauliflower and broccoli. So, mother dearest, please find a recipe here from Delia but if you want something a wee bit easier, check out this one.

Ooh, also props to my friend Jess, she has her own website, which can be found here.

I just decided that I am also going to bake a cake today. Mmm, but it has to be boozy I think. I just bought some mixed berries from the supermarket so I searched for a fab recipe, and managed to find one at Kats Kitchen Talk here, after only about 2 minutes! I heart the intertubes.

I followed the recipe and the only change I made was to add more than 2 tbs of booze, I added about 1/3 of a cup! And I used sherry. I know, I'm a total grandma, but it's cool. I baked la cake for about an hour and when it was ready it looked like this:

The thing is though, brown cakes are really hard to make look awesome, and my photog skills aren't that mad. Oh well, at least it smells good! That's it for now, I'm not sure what's next on the menu, but no doubt there will be inspiration a-plenty over the next few days.

Happy eating x