Orange Almond Slice

After finding a couple of trees full of oranges - I decided I need to find something that used oranges, was gluten free but not the usual boiled orange sweetly sticky syrupy cake I usually make.

I wanted something crisp and crunchy but moist but not too high in sugar.

So after searching the net and reading a few recipes I’d collected I decided to tweak a couple and see how I ended up.

Base

30 g rice flour

40 g cornflour

60 g ground almonds

2 tablespoons icing sugar

60 g grass fed butter

Filling

1 orange

1 egg, separated

50 g caster sugar

80 g ground almonds

1 tablespoon caster sugar, extra

Crunchy topping

2 tablespoons flakes almonds

• Preheat the oven to 180°C  
• Grease a shallow removable baseslice/tart tin
• Put the orange into a small saucpan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, simmer, covered for 30 minutes or until soft.
• Add rice flour, cornflour, almond meal and icing sugar in to jug of thermomix and process briefly to just combine. Add the butter use the turbo for a couple of turns just until a dough forms. Press the dough into the base of the tin, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Drain, cool and cut the orange in half widthways, remove any seeds, and turbo blitz the orange until smooth.
• In a bowl, whisk the egg yolk and 50g caster sugar for about 5 minutes, or untill pale and thick. (i did this in my kitchen aid, but next time i would do it by hand as there is such a small amount)
• Fold in the orange purée and almonds. 
• Using clean beaters, whisk the egg white in a clean, dry bowl until stiff peaks form. Add the extra sugar, beating until well combined, then fold into the orange mixture. 
• Gently spread the filling over the base. 
• Sprinkle over the flaked almonds
• Bake for 40 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool in the tin,  before removing tin from base and slicing.
• This will keep for a couple of days if it lasts that long in an airtight container.

Torta Caprese Bianca or Italian Lemon Almond Cake

 With a birthday looming, and a lifestyle change - baking was on the no go zone, but birthday's need cake right. Add in dawn service and busy days... so the birthday girl requested quick easy and lemony. google search, brings me to this Torta Caprese Bianca - just the name makes it appropriate for the birthday girl... so we gave it a try. NON Dairy and NON Gluten - lets see.

Ingredients

• 320 grams almond flour (WELL I USE ALMOND MEAL)
• 200 grams white chocolate, chopped (DAIRY FREE I HEAR YOU QUESTION? SWEET WILLIAMS FROM COLES IS)
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream or milk (DAIRY FREE WE ALTERED THIS TO COCONUT MILK)
• 180 grams unsalted butter, softened (DAIRY FREE - OK SO I do amend my dairy to include grass fed butter, and next time I would try it with coconut oil... but this was for the birthday girl, so it had organic grass fed butter as that is what is in my home now) 
• 130 grams coconut sugar (blitzed in the thermomix to make a finer caster sugar consistancy)
• zest of 4 lemons, about 2 tablespoons
• 4 large eggs, separated
• Lemon juice from the above lemons
• Home Made Lemon curd and Fresh Raspberries as garnish, optional

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C and grease a 10" / 26cm pan or line it with parchment paper. 
2. Combine the white chocolate and coconut milk in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 30 second increments and stir after every 30 seconds. Set aside to cool while you prepare the rest. 
3. Beat the butter with 100 grams of sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the lemon zest, egg yolks and lemon rind and beat until well combined. 
4. Then add the almond meal and the melted chocolate. 
5. Add the lemon juice and beat until combined.
6. In a separate bowl with spotlessly clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 30 grams of sugar to the egg white mixture. 
7. Fold the egg whites into the almond batter until well combined. Spoon the batter into the greased pan and bake for 40 - 45 minutes. 
8. Let it cool completely in the pan. But don't be surprised that on cooling there will be a slight sinking. This is where I poured my optional lemon curd and topped with raspberries.

Gluten Free Lemon Butter Squares

Donna's Mother In Law shared this recipe with me when I was in Coonamble, and after baking it I knew it was a keeper. Although I am embracing my Gluten and Dairy free lifestyle. I am allowed to enjoy a little Grain Fed Butter, occasionally. So with treats being craved and that crazy easter season upon us... it was time for a little bit of baking and definitely time to share with you.

Superfood Brownies

• 70g Organic wholemeal spelt flour
• 70g Organic Raw Cacao powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ½ cup Agave nectar
• ½ cup extra virgin coconut oil
• 2 eggs
• ½ tsp vanilla bean,paste
• ½ cup organic shredded coconut
• ¼ cup Inca berries

Preheat oven to 180C and line 24 mini muffin tins with papers.
In a small bowl mix together flour, cocoa, baking powder and sea salt.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt coconut oil. When melted, whisk in the Agave.
Pour into dry ingredients.
Stir in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated then stir in the vanilla, Inca berries, coconut. Combine thoroughly.
I put my mix into a silicone piping bag and squeezed into prepared mini muffin tins and cook for 13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out almost clean.
I had enough mix to do 33 mini muffins.


Nutrition Facts
Per 19 g Serving 73 Calories

Original Recipe Source

Amish Rye Sourdough Bread & Cinnamon Scrolls

I was recently given a couple of new Cookbooks, and the first thing upon flicking through that struck me was the Sourdough bread. Knowing that we are paying upwards of $7 a loaf, it was high time I started baking it myself.

So after almost a week of preparations it has happened today.... it's been a long day but it's been worth it - well I have only had the Cinnamon scroll for afternoon tea so far, the bread will accompany our dinner  I think it will do nicely mopping up juices. 

So you need to start with a Sourdough Starter.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 packs active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water

METHOD

1. Mix the yeast and warm water in a small plastic container - one that will hold about 3 cups. Seal and refrigerate for 3 to 5 days.
   

Starter Feed

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons instant potatoes
• 1 cup warm water

METHOD

1. combine the sugar, potatoes and water in a small bowl and stir into the starter.
2. Cover loosely (allowing the pressure and gasses that will build to escape.
3. Let stand at room temperature for 5 to 12 hours.
4. Take out 1 cup to make bread and loosely cover the starter and return it to the refrigerator.
5. Feed again in 3 - 5 days. If not making bread after feeding the starter, be sure to throw away a cup to avoid depleting the starter. DO NOT PUT THE LID ON TIGHT

Rye Sourdough Bread

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 6 cups Rye bread flour + extra for needing ( I needed almost another cup)
• 1 cup of the above starter
• Melted butter

METHOD

1. Combine the sugar, oil, salt, water, flour and starter in a large bowl. Stir to make a dough.
2. Form the dough into a ball.
3. Grease another larger bowl, place the dough in a turn to coat with the butter. Cover with waxed paper and let stand overnight. DO NOT REFRIGERATE (as we are in winter, I decided to leave the oven door ajar with the bread in ant the temp on as low as it would go about 25 all night - I will try without this next time and report the difference.
4. The next morning, punch the dough down and divide half. My mix was very wet, and it took more than the 8 to 10 times of Kneading and almost a cup of flour before I had a dough that I could cut in two.
5. Set aside one half of the mix to make Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls see below.
6. Grease a pan place loaf in pan and turn to coat. Cover with wax paper and a towel and place in a warm spot for 4-5 hours to rise.
7. Bake in a oven at 200 for about 30 -35 minutes
8. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack.

Rye Sourdough Cinnamon Scrolls

INGREDIENTS

• dough from above
• 3 tablespoons softened butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• icing - 1 tablespoon butter softened, 1 cup sifted icing sugar, 2 tablespoons warm water (blend till smooth)

METHOD

1. Roll out your set aside dough as thin as possible.
2. Brush with melted butter
3. sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon evenly.
4. roll up the dough into a long sausage. 
5. Cut into slices 1/2 inch thick.
6. Place the slices 1/2inch apart in a buttered tray and cover with wax paper and a towel and place with the bread in a warm spot for 4-5 hours to rise.
7. Bake alongside bread in the oven at 200 for about 20 minutes, then while still warm drizzle with icing.

OK, well the books look a lot more fluffy than mine, but I did use the Rye flour so I had expected a more dense loaf, but they are soooo good.

Orange Ricotta Poppyseed and Almond Flourless Cup Cakes

With last weeks post on the Lemon Ricotta and Almond Flour-less Cake that we loved, playing nurse to my daughter who has had her four wisdom teeth removed, I thought that with a little tweaking, keeping me busy these soft lusciously fluffy little cakes may be just the thing to brighten her up and take her from the boredom of yoghurt, banana smoothies and apple puree. 

Plus a freshly baked treat from Mum is bound to cheer her up right?

WHAT YOU WILL NEED
120 grams butter, softened
160 grams caster sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla bean paste
Zest of 2 large Oranges
1 teaspoon of Orange Blossom Water (optional, it does make a wonderful difference, I just happen to have it on hand from this post)
4 egg yolks
250 grams of almond meal
300 grams ricotta
1 Tablespoon Poppyseeds

4 eggs whites
40 grams caster sugar

Flaked almonds, to decorate
Poppyseeds

Method

1. Heat oven to 160 degrees
2. I use a free standing paper cupcake case, so place a selection on a tray in readiness - about 20
3. Place the butter, 160 g caster sugar, vanilla paste, Orange zest and Orange Blossom Water in an electric mixer and beat for 8-10 minutes or until pale and creamy. Scrap down the sides of the bowl.
4. Continue beating, adding one egg yolk at a time, until fully combined. - be careful not to drop in a shell like I did - arghh, I saved it by painstakingly picking out each piece, so far so good - no egg shell has been found.
5. Add the almond meal and beat to combine.
6. Fold in the ricotta. and place mixture into another bowl - if like me you only have one bowl on your mixer.
7. In a clean mixing bowl beat the egg white until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 40g sugar to the egg whites a spoonful at a time, and whisk until stiff peaks form.
8. Gently fold a third of the egg whites into the cake mixture.Repeat with the rest of the egg whites.
9. My son (apprentice chef) suggested being gentle with the mix and using my piping bag without a nozzle to help put the mix into each cupcake case. - it did help.
10. Gently smooth the top of each cupcake and then sprinkle on a few almond flakes and poppyseeds. 
11. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until cooked and firm to touch.

Note - these have kept very well, having enjoyed one today four days after baking and they are as good as the first day they were baked - so a great one for packed lunches I would say. Yes my wisdom teeth less daughter has been enjoying them. There really is no need to dust with icing sugar, I just like the look for my photos... :)

Cherry ripe brownie bar

More birthday celebrations, you only turn 45 once after-all...with family coming, there is always more than one cake for a birthday, and being a cherry ripe fan....when I saw this recipe on the Taste website, I had to bake it. Both my loves, Cherry ripe's and brownie....I knew it would be overly sweet, but alongside my previous recipe the Lemon Ricotta cake I know that I would be covering everyone's tastes.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

• 60 grams butter
• 52 grams Cadbury Cherry Ripe, finely chopped
• 120 grams Dark Chocolate, finely chopped

• 1 egg
• 50 grams caster sugar
• 50 grams brown sugar
• 75 grams plain flour

• 50 grams red glace cherries, finely chopped
• 50 grams red glace cherries, cut in half
• 125 ml  condensed milk
• 65 grams desiccated coconut
• 4-6 drops of red food colouring

• 130 grams dark chocolate, finely chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160 C. 
2. line and  lightly spray a slice/bar tin - I have this brownie tin and only used  the centre row, next time I'd make my plain brownie mix and bake the lot ready to freeze. 
3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, place the butter, chopped Cherry Ripe and 120 grams Dark Chocolate. Stir with a metal spoon until the chocolate melts. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. Whisk the egg, caster sugar and brown sugar until combined add the cooled chocolate mixture and beat till combined. 
5. Add the flour and stir until smooth.
6. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool slightly.
7. Combine cherries, condensed milk and coconut and food colouring in a bowl. 
8. Spoon cherry mixture over the brownie. Smooth surface. 
9. Bake for a further 20-25 minutes. Set aside to cool completely. Remove from the pan.
10. Place remaining chocolate in a zip lock bag in the microwave on medium, squeezing every 30 seconds, until well melted. This is where I varied from the recipe, I just snipped the corner of my bag and drizzled all over the slice....but to get the real Cherry Ripe bar look, you will need to Pour all but 2 tablespoons of the chocolate over the bar on a cooling rack, spreading along the top and sides. Then snip the corner off the bag and drizzle the remaining chocolate lengthways to create lines. Set aside until chocolate sets. Slice.

Lemon, Ricotta and Almond Flourless Cake

I love Pinterest, and all the yummy things that I pin, and cook....Thanks to Cakelets and Doilies Blog, I have enjoyed a wonderful birthday treat last weekend, and plan to make it again this week using oranges as well.

 

As recommended I did reduce the sugar to the 200 grams.
(Adapted from  Cakelets and Doilies blog who originally adapted from Donna Hay Magazine Winter June-July 2013)

WHAT YOU WILL NEED
120 grams butter, softened
160 grams caster sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla bean paste
Zest of 2 large lemons - you could almost have added another one I think, but i do love lemon.
4 egg yolks
250 grams of almond meal
300 grams ricotta

4 eggs whites
40 grams caster sugar

Flaked almonds, to decorate
Icing sugar, for dusting

Method

1. Heat oven to 160 degrees 
2. I like to put a piece Glad-bake in the base of my spring form tin, and then clip it closed tearing of close but leaving enough to help me remove the cake from the base onto my plate, as the cake is dense it helps. So Line the base of a 20 cm spring form based round cake tin with baking paper, and grease the sides, set aside.
3. Place the butter, 160 g caster sugar, vanilla paste and lemon zest in an electric mixer and beat for 8-10 minutes or until pale and creamy. Scrap down the sides of the bowl.
4. Continue beating, adding one egg yolk at a time, until fully combined. 
5. Add the almond meal and beat to combine. 
6. Fold in the ricotta. and place mixture into another bowl - if like me you only have one bowl on your mixer.
7. In a clean mixing bowl beat the egg white until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 40g sugar to the egg whites a spoonful at a time, and whisk until stiff peaks form. 
8. Gently fold a third of the egg whites into the cake mixture. 
9. Repeat with the rest of the egg whites.
10. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin, smoothing the top, sprinkle on the almond flakes, and bake for 40-45 minutes or until cooked and firm to touch. 
11. Allow to cool completely in the cake tin. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Never Fail Lemon Cake minus Sugar in the cake mix

Ok, so I have been following a few Pinterest boards with Clean Eating and I have the Clean Eating Recipes App. It's all food for thought when it comes to cooking. I have been dabbling with a few things, and I know that years ago I used to cook a sugar free muffin that used apple sauce instead of sugar. But recently, after pinning some cookie recipes that swapped out the apple Sauce for sugar I made sure that the apple sauce was on the shopping list - well Hubby did that list and I had planned on checking for a no sugar apple sauce (yes I could make my own but) - hubby shopped and Goulbourn Valley Apple puree with a hint of strawberry is what I got...LMAO I did really!!! But I was determined to make it work. Mel had posted a pretty picture on her facebook feed yesterday of a Never Fail Orange Cake and I thought....this could be my easy first convert recipe....NO Oranges - so Lemon, and I will try the sugar/apple sauce switch out.

After a little research it seems this is a good guide when switching out Sugar for Apple Sauce. Apples are natural sweetener with a huge saving in calories compared to sugar (100 calories compared 770 calories who wouldn't want that slice of cake if you could drop it like that) So it's generally a 1:1 ratio switch out, but most research said that you should reduce the liquid content of the recipe by 1/4 cup....

so I gave it a go

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• 90 grams butter - melted
• 1 cup APPLE PUREE
• 1 cup self raising flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• finely grated LEMON rind from one LEMON.

Method

1. Pop all the ingredients into a bowl and beat well.  
2. Cook in moderate oven (180 degrees) for about 35 - 40 minutes.

OK, so i didn't quiet find an alternate for the icing, but figured it still needed a little sweet treat, and I have after all cut back almost 600 calories on this cake. So I stuck with my regular quick glaze icing.

QUICK GLAZE ICING

In my bullet attachment on my food processor, yes I use this as I said in a few posts ago I always have lumps in my icing sugar - I processed about 3/4 cup of pure icing sugar till no lumps then added 1/2 the juice of my lemon, and gave it a quick buzz then drizzled over the cake....

 So I poured myself a cuppa and cut the slice....it's moist and just perfect....can't wait to hear the feed back from the family when they come home today.

It WORKED :)
SERVES 12
Edited :- calorie count without icing 111 WITH icing 140

Grog Log or Chocolate Ripple Log

I have grown up knowing this as Grog Log, it was Mum's last minute dinner party quick fix - although it is always best made the day before. And it wasn't till many years later that I realised there was actually a recipe called Chocolate Ripple Log

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• 1 large bottle thickened cream
• 1 packet Arnott’s Choc Ripple biscuits or two depending on the size your making 
• Grog - Marsala, Kahlua or even port(omit this if your wanting a child friendly version)
• Chocolate Flake
• Raspberries or seasonal berries to decorate

Method

1. In a bowl whip the cream using an electric beater until stiff.
2. Pour a little Grog into a shallow bowl.
3. Spread a little cream onto the base of a serving plate, then quickly working with one biscuit at a time, dunk into grog and then spread a little of the cream onto the biscuit, stand in the cream on the serving plate, repeat and then sandwich with another biscuit. Continue repeating this step until all biscuits have been used and form a cake.
4. Spread remaining cream over cake to cover entirely. Cover loosely with foil, then place in refrigerator for as long as you can too set ( I found recipes said a minimum of 6 hours to set) I just go with the time I have. It is always better the next day, that's if there is left overs.

Just before serving, sprinkle cake with broken pieces of flake and decorate with seasonal berries.

Tips I found surfing the net.

• To create a beautiful stripy pattern, slice on an angle.
• Peanut Brittle- Sprinkle chopped peanut brittle over chilled cake.
• Peppermint - Sprinkle chopped Choc Peppermint bar over chilled cake.
• Raspberry coulis is also a nice accompaniment

No Bake Hazelnut Slice

My sister claims she isn't a cook, its more that I love to cook and she cooks to live - there is a difference. But she is an avid Four Ingredients Girl, the less she has to do the easier it is... and you can't get any easier than this No Bake Slice, which I think is a Tupperware recipe and one of my sisters go to recipes.

YOU WILL NEED

• 125g unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup condensed milk
• 2 tablespoons Golden Syrup
• 250g Milk arrowroot biscuits, crushed
• 1 cup flaked almonds
• 250g Dairy Milk Hazelnut Chocolate.

Method

1. Line a Tupperware Store and Slice Container with glad bake
2. Microwave for 2 mins, the butter, condensed milk and golden syrup.
3. Add in the flaked almonds and crushed biscuits stir to combined and pour into the lined container.
4. Pop into the fridge for about 1 hour or till set.
5. Melt the 250g of Chocolate and pour over the slice.
6. Once set, slice and serve.

Banana, Fig & Macadamia Bread

With Figs in season, I have been buying them at Harris Farm while they are on sale. We have enjoyed them with salads, and just as they are but I wanted to cook up the softer ones, but not jam, and after eating some Banana bread at a cafe this week, I thought, there has to be a fig bread somewhere. Well it seems I am not alone in my desire and there are many out there all adapted versions, so with that in mind, I read them all and then went to the kitchen and played this is what I decided on....the proof is in the baking.!!!

YOU WILL NEED

• 4 Bananas - the kind that nobody wants to eat cause the skins are black but not yet attracting the fruit fly.
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• 2/3 Cup Panella (if you don't have this use brown sugar)
• 2 Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla essence
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups Self Raising flour ( i would have prefered to use wholemeal so next time i will)
• 4 fresh figs, stemmed and cut into wedges.
• 1/2 Cup Macadamias, chopped

Method

1. Place Bananas in the bowl of the mixer, start to mash with your mixer and then slowly add the olive oil so that they become light and fluffy.
2. Add the Panella continue beating till combined.
3. Add the eggs one at a time. Continuing to beat.
4. Add Vanilla, Cinnamon and Nutmeg mix again.
5. Add Flour, Baking Soda and Baking powder and fold through till combined.
6. Stir in Figs and Macadamias.
7. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan.
8. Bake in a moderate oven for about 1 hour

My findings, well I enjoyed it!!, it was a denser loaf - let me know your thoughts.

Raspberry Cinnamon Scrolls

 

Sometimes a girls just got to spoil herself with a little tea party for one, just like we did when we were little girls.

OK so I have been hankering a warm cinnamon scroll lately thanks Pinterest :) and what better way to spoil myself on a very quiet home alone Sunday, I did envision cooking these for the family but when your alone craving and car less you just gotta go with it.

I wanted cinnamon, raspberries, no yeast, and quick - so after reading literally hundreds of different recipes I merged a couple and they are baking as I type this... Fingers crossed by post time they will be done and ill be having my tea party for one!

YOU WILL NEED

For the dough

• 2 1/2 cups Self Raising flour + extra
• 3 tablespoons raw sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon bi carb soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/4 cups Milk
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 75 g melted butter

For the filling

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 handfuls of frozen raspberries
• Cinnamon to dust to your liking

For the drizzle

•  1/3 cup icing sugar
• the juice of the other 1/2 lemon

 

  

1. Preheat your oven to 200C
2. In a jug, add the milk the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon on the melted butter, mix and set aside
3. Into a food processor with the dough blade, place the flour, sugar and baking powder give it a pulse to mix.
4. Then pour in the soured milk whilst the mixer is going, keep the mixer going till the dough forms a ball. You may need to add a little more flour if it is too wet, but the bowl should be clean and the dough nice and pliable.
5. Onto a floured surface knead your dough for about 5 - 10 mins, you shouldn't need to overwork it as the machine will have done most of the work for you.
6. Roll out the dough to about 15 x 30cm, then brush liberally with your melted butter and fold in half, and roll out again to the same size.
7. Brush liberally with more of your melted butter (reserve a little for brushing the edges). Then sprinkle on your brown sugar and cinnamon, press in your raspberries, leaving space on the long edge.
8. Begin the roll encasing all that goodness. Brush a little more butter on the edge so help seal in all that goodness.
9. Cut the log in half and then each half in half and in half again giving you eight delightful rounds of sweetness.
10. Line a round cake to with some glad bake this will help to keep that frozen raspberry liquid in the bottom without making a mess of your pan. Place your rounds snuggling up against each other into the tin and pop into that nice and toasty oven for about 30 - 45 minutes or till you can smell that raspberry cinnamon calling you.
11. Do the dishes, and set a pretty table :)
12. Take about 1/3 cup of icing sugar and you know it will have lumps, pop it into a ziplock bag and then gently notice the word gentle as we want to use this bag to make our drizzle Icing, roll the icing sugar smooth, then add enough of the other half of that lemon juice into the bag and mush it around to make your icing, then snip a corner when your ready to drizzle over your scrolls.
13. Sit back and enjoy - because you won't be able to resist the steaming goodness that just came from your oven.

Thank you to ShopGirl Maria, for her amazing images that had me drooling and wanting to cook. I also need to thank both blogs Back For Seconds and Kitchen Meets Girl for their recipes that inspired me to give it a go with no yeast.

Posted with Blogsy

Marbled Brownies

recipe from July 2012 Australian Good Food Magazine.

YOU WILL NEED

• 200g Dark eating chocolate
• 200g Unsalted butter
• 250g caster sugar
• 3 eggs,
• 3/4 cup plain flour

Cream Cheese Mix

• 400g cream cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 2 eggs

Method

1. Preheat oven 180C
2. Grease and line pan with baking paper ( quantity did 2 of my brownie tin bars)
3. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, vanilla, sugar and eggs in a large bowl, until smooth and creamy - set this aside
4. Place chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl set over a medium saucepan of simmering water, ensuring base of bowl does not touch water. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, until melted and combined. Remove bowl from pan and cool slightly.
5. In the electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs until thick and creamy. Add cooled chocolate mixture, stir until combined. Add sifted flour and fold till just combined.
6. Use two thirds of mix to fill trays, then top with cream cheese mixture, before dolloping on remaining third of chocolate mix, using a skewer swirl to create marble effect.
7. Bake for 45 mins until just set in centre.
8. Cool in tin.
9. Cut into slices and serve.

Raspberry & Brown Sugar Scones

Another altered recipe from the Australian Good Food JULY 2012

YOU WILL NEED

• 4 cups self-raising flour
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 100g butter
• 200ml skim milk
• 2 cups frozen raspberries
• sprinkling of demerara sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 210c. 
2. Grease your muffin pans, I used just a spray oil, but recipe calls or patty cases - yes they might stick if left too cool too long in the tray (but we ate them warm straight from the tray, walked up the street with my oven mitts to enjoy with my neighbour over a cuppa) - I have smaller sizes and managed to get 18 from this mix, I did cook 12 in the morning and leave the mix sitting aside till mid afternoon and did the next 6 for afternoon tea when my Son arrived home from work with coffees :)
3. Place flour, brown sugar and butter in a food processor. Process until mixture resembles very fine breadcrumbs.
4. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in milk until just combined. (yes i still had floury spots)
5. Fold through half the raspberries. 
6. Fill muffin trays 3/4 full. 
7. Lightly press remaining raspberries onto the tops of the scones and sprinkle with Demerara sugar. 
8. Bake for 15 mins, until scones have risen and sound hollow when tapped. 

• Don't resist them warm. they are yum. Recipe says to serve with jam and cream,  We were happy with them just as is with a nice hot cuppa.