Thursday, April 28, 2011

A Royal Melting Moment....

Okay then, so it's the big day for an unsuspecting couple tomorrow and what better way to celebrate than with some delicious and delectable delights! 


If you can, use real vanilla extract in baking. It is a bit more expensive but you really will taste the difference when biting into the buttery crumb of a melting moment, or as they call them here in New Zealand.... a Yo-Yo.


VANILLA PINK MELTING MOMENTS 


This tasty recipe has been adapted from the Chelsea Sugar website. Thanks Chelsea!


250g butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup icing sugar
3/4 cup cornflour
1 & 1/2 cups plain flour


1. Set the oven to fan bake 160oC, and line 2 trays with baking paper.
2. Cream butter, icing sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add in sieved cornflour and flour. If using your hands, gather into a large ball and try not to handle the dough too much - the butter will start to melt.
3. Using a teaspoon and the palm of your hand, shape into small balls and line on the tray. Press down onto the balls with the back of a fork, denting them slightly.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown, set aside on a wire rack to cool.






PINK BUTTER CREAM ICING


50g butter, softened
3/4 cup icing sugar, sieved
A couple of drops of milk (may not be needed)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
A couple of drops of red food colouring


1. Combine the butter and icing sugar until fluffy, add the vanilla, beat again then slowly add the red colouring until you have your desired colour. Remember to add it slowly, even if it doesn't look like much you can always add more but you can't remove it!
2. Using a palette or flat knife, spread one side of the biscuit base with the butter cream icing and top with a biscuit lid.
3. Roll sides of biscuit in pink sprinkles. Repeat until all biscuit bases are filled, topped and rolled.
4. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.




I also made these tasty morsels this afternoon - they go by the name of "Lime & Toasted Coconut" cupcakes. You can order them directly from The Passionate Baker by emailing rebecca@thepassionatebaker.co.nz 






I know you'd all love the recipe, but shhhh it's a secret - for now anyway. ;)


Enjoy the Royal Wedding!





Tuesday, April 19, 2011

The Perfect Easter Cake

Wow, this year is flying by and it's Easter this weekend. It really is another perfect excuse to whip up some amazing treats and enjoy them with family and friends. One of my favourite Easter cake recipes is below - it's just divine. 


I top with dark chocolate ganache (recipe also below) and chocolate eggs, then serve warmed with cream or ice cream...heaven. Thanks to Rachel Allen and her book "Bake" for this recipe.


HAPPY EASTER! X

CHOCOLATE & VANILLA MARBLE CAKE

225g (8oz) butter, softened
225g (8oz) caster sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
225g (8oz) plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
50ml (1 ¾ fl oz) milk
Scant 50g (2oz) cocoa powder, sifted

1.    Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4. Butter and flour the sides of a 20cm (8in) diameter spring-form/loose-bottomed cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.
2.    Cream the butter in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer until soft. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
3.    Whisk the eggs and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Gradually add the eggs to the butter mixture, beating all the time. Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold in gently to mix, then add the milk and mix gently to combine.
4.    Tip half of the cake mixture into another large bowl and, into this bowl, fold in the sifted cocoa powder.
5.    Place the cake mixtures into the prepared tin by alternating spoonfuls of the vanilla batter with the chocolate batter, then with a skewer or similar implement, gently draw swirls through the cake mixture to ‘marblise’ it. Don’t overmix or you won’t have that wonderful marble effect. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
6.    Turn the cake out onto a wire rack and allow to cool.

DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE

1/2 Cup double (thickened) cream
200g Dark chocolate

1.     Melt chocolate in microwave proof bowl or over pot with hot water.
2.     Heat cream in separate pot on minimal heat, until warmed through. Remove from heat and stir into melted chocolate. 
3.     Mix well until it combines and becomes glossy. Spread onto cake & top with mini chocolate eggs.


Saturday, April 16, 2011

What to do with these beautiful green fruits...

Now as promised here are a few ideas on what to do with your feijoas. They are plentiful during late summer/early autumn, but don't last long unfortunately. The pulp scooped out of the skins freezes well - try it.

The following recipes all appear in the May 2011 issue of Healthy Food Guide NZ Magazine. http://www.healthyfood.co.nz

Feijoa Crumble

Oaty, fruity and just delicious.

SERVES 4
Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Cost per serve: $2.40

600g feijoas
2 teaspoons brown sugar
½ cup water

Crumble
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup flour
50g reduced fat spread
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ cup coconut thread
½ lemon, zest only
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Scoop centres from feijoas into a small pot, add water and sugar, bring to boil, turn down heat and simmer for 20 minutes until liquid has reduced. Set aside to cool.
2. In a medium sized bowl combine flour and oats, rub in spread until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir through rest of ingredients.
3. Divide warm feijoas into 4 oven proof ramekins/bowls top with crumble mixture and place into oven for 25 until starting to brown. Serve hot with low-fat ice cream or yoghurt.



Feijoa Fool
Traditionally made with cream, this lower fat version is just delicious. Try with apple puree or fresh berries if you don't have access to feijoas.

SERVES 4
Time to make: 30 minutes
Cost per serve: $3.60

Feijoa Sauce
600g feijoas
2 teaspoons brown sugar
½ cup water

Fool
2 pottles Vanilla Fruche fromage frais (125g each)
1 & ½ cups low fat greek style yoghurt (we used Yoplait)
1 lemon, zest only
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

1. Scoop centres from feijoas into small pot, add water and sugar, bring to boil, turn down heat and simmer for 20 minutes until liquid has reduced. Pour into blender and whizz until smooth, place through a sieve so that you are left with a feijoa sauce.  Place in the refrigerator to chill.
2. In small bowl combine fruche, yoghurt and lemon zest.  Divide half of the yoghurt mixture among 4 small serving glasses, layer with feijoa sauce, then the last of the yoghurt on top. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and lemon zest.

Feijoa & Almond Cake
Moist and fruity, this cake really is one of my proudest finds! 

MAKES 12 SLICES
Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Cooking time:  45 minutes
Cost per slice: $0.90 cents

600g feijoas
2 teaspoons brown sugar
½ cup water

125g reduced fat spread
½ cup caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoon sliced almonds

1. Set oven to 180oC. Scoop centres from feijoas into small pot, add water and sugar, bring to boil, turn down heat and simmer for 20 minutes until liquid has reduced. Mash with a fork to break up the fruit. Set aside to cool.
2. Grease and line a 21cm round cake tin. In a large bowl, cream the spread and sugar until light and fluffy, slowly adding the eggs and the rest of the ingredients, except almonds. Stir until combined.
3. Pour into prepared cake tin, scatter with sliced almonds and bake for 45 minutes until slightly brown on top and springy to touch. Serve warm with yoghurt.



Spiced Feijoa Smoothie
A quick and easy breakfast or mid-morning snack.

SERVES 1
Time to make: 5 minutes
Cost per serve: $3.30

3 feijoas, centres only
1 banana
1 tablespoon clear honey
250ml trim milk
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Place all ingredients into blender, whizz for 30 seconds, pour into chilled glass and sprinkle with ground cinnamon if desired.


Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Feijoas, feijoas, feijoas...

Okay here goes, first blog post, a tad nervous to be honest. A small admission before I begin; I am passionate about food. Full stop. In fact I would go as far as to say I'm infatuated with it. Give me a cook book, cooking magazine, novel about food and I'm lost for hours. I can sit and watch the Food TV channel for days - it really is an obsession that needs to be taken into hand and what better way to do this than blogging my food passions/frustrations online.

Let's go!

Many people say that baking is a science and not an art....well I personally think it's a bit of both. Along my culinary journey I've had many a mess up in the kitchen, from burnt buns to exploding cupcakes, it's all a learning  experience that makes you glad that it happened and in years to come you can look back and laugh about it. 

Since moving to New Zealand I've had the strange but wonderful experience of trying new fruits and vegetables, many of which just aren't available in British supermarkets. One of my strangest finds is the Feijoa, it's really a love/hate affair to be honest. I couldn't touch the things for years and then 2 weeks ago whilst picking them at a friend's place in Matakana, well I can't get enough of them! 


Wikipedia wants to tell me that "The fruit, maturing in autumn, is green, ellipsoid, and about the size of a chicken egg. It has a sweet, aromatic flavor. The flesh is juicy and is divided into a clear gelatinous seed pulp and a firmer, slightly gritty, opaque flesh nearer the skin. The fruit drops when ripe and at its fullest flavor, but may be picked from the tree prior to the drop to prevent bruising. The fruit pulp resembles the closely related guava, having a gritty texture." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acca_sellowiana

Basically...it smells like perfume - honestly, it does! Am I selling it to you?! But it's an amazing perfume, The Chanel No. 5 of fruits. Anyway - it's a beautifully versatile fruit that loves baking, yes it's like me. So in the next few posts I shall be telling you what I've done with this beautiful green object. Until then, collect as many as you can from your neighbour's driveway and I'll tell you what to do with them this weekend!