lemon muffins with crunchy sugar topping

02 Saturday Jan 2010

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These are delicious served warm or cold.

2 cups self-raising flour
3/4 cup sugar

75 g butter
1 cup milk
1 egg
grated rind of 1 large or 2 small lemons

1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar

Mix flour and sugar in bowl.

Melt butter, add the milk, egg and lemon rind. Beat well with a fork to combine.

Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until ingredients are only just dampened. Do not overmix.

Divide the mixture between 12 greased muffin cups. Bake at 200 C for 10 minutes.

Stir together the lemon juice and sugar and drizzle over the muffin as soon as they are removed from the oven. I like to prick the top of the muffins with a toothpick so the flavour soaks in more. Leave to stand in the pans for only a few minutes as the syrup will harden and stick the muffins to the pans.

rolled oat chocolate chip slice

02 Saturday Jan 2010

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75 g self-raising flour
75 g plain flour
90 g rolled oats
70 g dessicated coconut
140 g brown sugar
130 g sultanas
95 g choc bits
125 g butter, melted and cooled
1 egg, lightly whisked

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. Brush a 17 x 27cm tin with melted butter to grease and line base and two sides with non-stick baking paper.

Combine flours, oats, coconut, sugar, sultanas and choc its in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the melted butter and egg. Stir to combine then spoon into prepared pan. Use back of metal spoon to smooth the surface.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting into squares.

This slice will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container out of direct sunlight. Experiment and try different ingredients. eg using dried apricots in place of sultanas is delicious.

raspberry and white chocolate bread and butter pudding

28 Wednesday Oct 2009

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A sophisticated version of a homely favourite. Can be made as one pudding in a larger dish, but it is more special made in individual ramekins. Great after a family meal or dinner party. One of my personal favourites.

1 loaf white unsliced day-old bread
About 2 tablespoons softened butter
About 1 cup raspberry jam
1/2 cup white chocolate drops
2 eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cut bread into slices about 1.5cm thick and remove crusts. Butter one side of each slice. Place 1 slice, butter side down in the base of 6 ramekins, cutting it to fit. Spread over 1 heaped teaspoon of jam and sprinkle with chocolate drops. Repeat layers.

Cut remaining bread into cubes and place on top. Beat eggs and sugar together then add milk, cream and vanilla. Pour mixture over puddings and leave to settle for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 170C. Place puddings in a large roasting pan and add boiling water to come half way up sides of the ramekins. Bake until puddings are golden and set, 30-40 minutes. Leave in water bath until cool, or serve hot. Dust with icing sugar and add a dollop of jam and cream.

Enjoy!

chocolate mudcake

27 Tuesday Oct 2009

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I have never been a huge fan of cake. When choosing a sweet dish I would select fruit pies, puddings, slices, ice cream and pavlova ahead of cake (but not all at once!). Lately though I have been giving cake another chance, making more of them, and ordering cake desserts when we are dining out.

Chocolate Mud cake is a must have! A good mud cake is moist and very chocolatey! Slightly warm and served with a dollop of whipped cream… oh heaven! I have been making this recipe for two years now. Every family birthday I get the same request. “Mud cake pleeease!!!!!”

And since I am such a kind generous person I will share this recipe with you.

I’m nice like that.

 

So here it is. You will need:

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

250g dark chocolate

1 cup hot strong coffee

2 cups flour

2 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 cup Sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 180 C. Line the base of a 22cm springform tin with non stick baking paper and spray with non stick baking spray.

Mix the lemon juice with the milk and set aside to sour the milk.

Place oil, chocolate and coffee in a small saucepan and heat gently, stirring often until chocolate melted and the mixture is smooth. Cool.

In a large bowl, mix the sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa with sugar.

Mix the eggs with the soured milk, then mix into the cooled chocolate mixture. Pour into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.

Place into the prepared tin and bake for one hour. When tested with a skewer fudgy  crumbs will adhere to the skewer. This is the desirable mud cake texture.

Cool for 15 minutes in tin and then turn onto wire rack to cool completely. Split the cake in half and fill the centre with the ganache frosting (I sometimes spread some boysenberry jam on the bottom layer and then the ganache). Replace the top layer and completely cover the cake with the remaining frosting. It will dry to a glossy finish.

For the icing

Place 400g dark chocolate and 1 cup cream in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until chocolate is melted. Cool then refrigerate 30-40 minutes until a thick spreadable consistency.

Serve. Enjoy. Have some more.

Disclaimer: Try this at your peril. I will not be held responsible for expanding waistlines or the appearance of cellulite.

quick ‘n easy chocolate slice

24 Saturday Oct 2009

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I make this for my family nearly every week and have done for years. Yet it is still the most requested item in my baking repertoire… and its not even baked!

2 packets plain biscuits

1/4 cup cocoa

125 grams butter

1 can condensed milk

200 grams choc melts

Place biscuits in food processor and process until crumbly. Not too fine, leave some small chunks for texture. Add cocoa.

Place butter in a microwave safe jug. Add condensed milk and warm in microwave until runny.

Mix wet and dry ingredients together and press into lined 20 x 30 cm sponge roll tin.

Soften chocolate in clean, dry bowl either in microwave or over boiling water. Spread over the biscuit mixture.

When set, cut into pieces.

Enjoy!

cream cheese frosting

24 Saturday Oct 2009

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Cream cheese frosting

250 grams Cream Cheese

100 grams butter

2 cups Icing Sugar (Confectioners sugar, powdered sugar)

In a mixer, blend together the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add the Icing sugar gradually and continue mixing until well blended.

This frosting is great on a variety of cakes. Add vanilla essence or paste for a vanilla flavour on cupcakes. Or for a zingy frosting for carrot cake, try adding a squeeze of lemon juice and a tsp of grated lemon zest. You could also add a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cocoa to the icing sugar before sifting for a chocolate frosting.

Enjoy!

buttercream frosting

24 Saturday Oct 2009

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Buttercream frosting

230 grams (2 cups) Icing sugar (confectioners sugar, powdered sugar)
120 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk or cream
Food colouring

With an electric mixer, cream butter until smooth and well blended. Add the vanilla.

With mixer on low speed gradually beat in the sugar. Scrape down the side of the bowl.

Add the milk and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Add a little milk or sugar if required. Tint with a few drops of desired food colouring.

Spread in thick layer onto cupcakes, or use a piping bag. Embelish to your hearts desire.

Enjoy!

vanilla cupcakes

24 Saturday Oct 2009

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vanilla cupcakes


115 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
130 grams (2/3 cup) white sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or essence
200 grams (1 1/2 cups) plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
60 mls (1/4 cup) milk (I use buttermilk)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350F).  Line tray of 12 muffin cups with cupcake liners.

Cream the butter and sugar in mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla essence and beat well.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. With the mixer on low speed add the milk to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Add the sifted flour mixture to the wet ingredients in three lots. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Evenly fill the cupcake liners with the batter and bake for 18-20 minutes until nicely browned or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Leave to cool on rack and frost with favorite frosting.

Enjoy!

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