Category Archives: Food

  • 11
    Dec 20
  • 0

Lime Zingers

Category:Cooking chat,Food

A tangy treat from the (American edition) Better Homes and Gardens Baking Cookbook.

Ingredients:

  • 1 C butter
  • 1/2 C granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp finely shredded lime peel
  • 1/4 C lime juice (2 limes)
  • 1 tsp vanilla 2
  • 1/4 C all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 C finely chopped Brazil or hazelnuts (Optional)
  • 4oz cream cheese softened
  • Icing:
  • 1 C sifted icing sugar
  • 1 TBSP lemon or lime juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • food coloring (optional)

Recipe:

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Beat in granulated sugar until combined. Beat in lime peel, 1/4 C lime juice, and 1 tsp vanilla. Beat in as much flour as you can with mixer then switch to wooden shopped and stir in remaining flour and nuts in using.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and divide in half. Roll half of the dough at a time to about 1/4 inch thickness. Using cookie cutters of desired shape, cut shapes and place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in 350F/170C oven for 8-10 minutes (regular baking not fan forced), until edges are lightly browned. Transfer to wire rack and let cool completely. For icing, beat cream cheese, icing sugar, juice and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Tint with food coloring if desired.

Frost cooled cookies.

  • 30
    Oct 20
  • 0

Sian’s Best Brownies

Category:Cooking chat,Food

Ingredients

for 24 brownies

  • 290g unsalted butter, plus more, softened, for greasing
  • 225g good-quality milk chocolate, roughly chopped
  • ¾ cup unsweetened dutch process cocoa powder, divided
  • 1 tablespoon espresso/coffee powder
  • 2 cups caster sugar (400 g)
  • ½ cup dark brown sugar(110 g), packed
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour(125 g)
  • flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Preparation

  1. Grease a 23×33-cm metal pan with softened butter, then line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on all sides.
  2. Combine the chopped chocolate, ¼ cup of cocoa powder, and espresso powder in a heatproof liquid measuring cup or medium bowl and set aside.
  3. Add the butter to a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until the butter just comes to a vigorous simmer, about 5 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally. Immediately pour the hot butter over the chocolate mixture and let sit for 2 minutes. Whisk until the chocolate is completely smooth and melted, then set aside.
  4. Combine the caster sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and eggs in a large bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. It will be similar to the texture of very thick pancake batter.
  5. With the mixer on, pour in the slightly cooled chocolate and butter mixture and blend until smooth.
  6. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 180°C
  7. Add in the flour and remaining cocoa powder and use a rubber spatula to gently fold until just combined.
  8. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until lightly puffed on top, about 20 minutes.
  9. Remove the baking pan from the oven using oven mitts or kitchen towels, then lightly drop the pan on a flat surface 3-4 times until the brownies deflate slightly. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
  10. Return the pan to the oven and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the brownies comes out fudgy but the edges look cooked through, about 15 minutes more. The center of the brownies will seem under-baked, but the brownies will continue to set as they cool.
  11. Set the brownies on a cooling rack and cool completely in the pan.
  • 08
    Oct 20
  • 0

Chilled Strawberry Soup & Spinach Bacon Salad

Category:Cooking chat,Food,Uncategorized

Chilled Strawberry Soup and Spinach Strawberry Salad

1C (250ml) apple juice

3/4C (175ml) water

2/3C (150ml) sugar (less to taste)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

3C (750 ml) strawberries

1/4 C (60ml) water

2C (500ml) plain yogurt

1tsp vanilla

Salad

1/4C (60ml) vinegar or lemon juice

1/4C (60m;) honey

1/8 tsp salt

1/2C (125ml) evaporated milk

4 slices bacon (I prefer streaky bacon)

1tsp flour

8C (2L) spinach leaves

1C (250m;) strawberries

3 hard cooked eggs (optional)

Pinenuts (optional)

Soup: Combine apple juice, water, sugar (to taste, I use a LOT less), cinnamon and cloves in saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and let cool. While this cools, cut your strawberries into chunks. Pureé until smooth in blender. Pour into large bowl (preferably one that you can cover and put in refrigerator). Add yogurt to pureêd strawberries and add cooled juice mixture. Stir well, cover and refrigerate until well chilled. Salad: Blend lemon juice or vinegar, honey and salt in small bowl. I slice my bacon up before I fry it, but you can fry and crumble afterwards. Fry bacon in frypan place on papertowel to cool. Leave some bacon fat in pan (1TSPB or so?). Add 1 TBSP flour to bacon fat in pan. Heat and stir until smooth. Slowly stir in lemon and honey mixture. Heat and stir until thickened. Turn off heat and leave on burner. De-stem spinach leaves and wash and spin. Tear up. Add sliced strawberries, cracked pepper to taste, bacon bits (and chopped hard cooked eggs and pinenuts if desired). Some folks like to add warm dressing and gently coat, or you can decant dressing to self-serve. Dressing is best slightly warm.

  • 01
    Oct 20
  • 0

Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins

Category:Food,Uncategorized

Raspberry and white chocolate muffins      Makes 12.

2 cups of plain flour

1 tablespoon of baking powder 

3/4 cup of brown sugar

1/2- 2/3 of white choc bits

1 egg

1 cup of milk

125 gms of melted butter

1 punnet of fresh Raspberries Or 3/4 cup of frozen not thawed

Dry ingredients
Sift flour and baking powder together.Add brown sugar and white chocolate bits and mix well.
Wet ingredients Place in a bowl or jug, 1 cup of milk and the egg. Whisk gently under mixed. Add cooled melted butter.
Make a well in the dry ingredient and add wet ingredients. Mix gently and do not over beat, ensuring that all the flour is incorporated into the mixture.
Add raspberries and gently fold in ensuring an even distribution of the berries.
Grease a 12 muffin non stick tin either with melted butter, canola spray or olive oil.
Spoon the mixture into the muffin tins, making sure that each muffin is the same.
Bake in an oven set at 190c or 180C in a fan forced oven for 20 mins.
Cool in tin for five minutes and then remove from tins.
Cool on baking tray.Delicious.

  • 27
    Sep 20
  • 0

Carrot and Almond Strudel

Category:Cooking chat,Food,Uncategorized Tags : 

Carrot and Almond Strudel.

INGREDIENTS:
½ cup each of grated tasty and mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated carrot

1 cup coarsely chopped almonds (skin on)

I medium onion finely diced

4 teaspoons dried sage leaves

Sheets of puff pastry (keep in fridge until ready to use)

METHOD:

Mix the cheese and almond together in a bowl

Cook the onion until soft but now browned, add the sage leaves and stir through with onions with the heat on low.

(this allows the oils in the sage to be released)

Add the onions and sage mix to the cheese and almonds and stir through with a spoon before getting your hands in to the mix and get it mixed thoroughly.

Spread the mixture over a sheet of pastry leaving a small gap around the edges.

Roll up tightly and cut into sausage roll size pieces, place on tray, brush with egg wash and bake until golden brown.

  • 17
    Sep 20
  • 0

Bagels by Bubba

Category:Bubba,Cooking chat,Food,Uncategorized Tags : 
Bubba’s actual factual bagels baked today!

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons / 6 g active dry yeast
  • 4 ½ teaspoons / 19 g granulated sugar
  • 1 ¼ cups / 300 ml warm water (you may need ± ¼ cup /60 ml more)
  • 3 ½ cups / 440 g bread flour or high gluten flour (you may need up to 1/2 cup / 60g for kneading)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons / 6 g salt
  • Optional Toppings: (Refer to Notes)

Instructions

  • In ½ cup /120ml of the warm water, pour in the sugar and yeast. Do not stir. Let it sit for five minutes, and then stir the yeast and sugar mixture until it all dissolves in the water.
  • Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast and sugar mixture.
  • Pour 1/3 cup / 80ml of warm water into the well. Mix and stir in the rest of the water as needed. Depending on where you live, you may need to add an additional couple tablespoons to about ¼ cup/60ml of water. You want a moist and firm dough after you have mixed it.
  • On a floured countertop, knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Try working in as much flour as possible to form a firm and stiff dough.
  • Lightly brush a large bowl with oil and turn the dough to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size. Punch the dough down, and let it rest for another 10 minutes.
  • Carefully divide the dough into 8 pieces (I used a scale to be extra precise, but it’s not necessary). Shape each piece into a round. Now, take a dough ball, and press it gently against the countertop (or whatever work surface you’re using) moving your hand and the ball in a circular motion pulling the dough into itself while reducing the pressure on top of the dough slightly until a perfect dough ball forms (as pictured). Repeat with 7 other dough rounds.
  • Coat a finger in flour, and gently press your finger into the center of each dough ball to form a ring. Stretch the ring to about ⅓ the diameter of the bagel and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Repeat the same step with the remaining dough.
  • After shaping the dough rounds and placing them on the cookie sheet, cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425ºF / 220ºC / Gas Mark 7.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Reduce the heat. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to lower the bagels into the water. Boil as many as you are comfortable with boiling. Once the bagels are in, it shouldn’t take too long for them to float to the top (a couple seconds). Let them sit there for 1 minute, and then flip them over to boil for another minute. Extend the boiling times to 2 minutes each, if you’d prefer a chewier bagel (results will give you a more New York-Style bagel with this option).
  • If you want to add toppings to your bagels, do so as you take them out of the water. Alternatively, you can use an egg wash to get the toppings to stick before baking the bagels. You may want to use the “Optional Toppings” listed above to top the bagels. Use just one topping, or a combination to make your own Everything Bagel Seasoning.
  • Once all the bagels have boiled (and have been topped with your choice of toppings), transfer them to an oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until golden brown (I usually err on the side of 20 minutes).
  • Cool on a wire rack (Or, if you’re impatient like I am, slice one of these babies open and spread on some of your favorite cream cheese or softened butter. Take a bite… Oh babyyy!)
  • 10
    Sep 20
  • 0

Mexican Hot Chocolate Shortbread

Category:Cooking chat,Food,Uncategorized Tags : 

These cookies taste like a mug of rich hot chocolate. The deep mocha-flavor is followed by a kick of cayenne pepper. Don’t let the heat put you off; it only enhances the flavor. 

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 
  • 1/2 cup almond flour 
  • 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar 
  • 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder 
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
  • 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder or finely ground coffee 
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
  • 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips 
  • About 1/4 cup granulated sugar for dusting

Special Equipment: Cookie stamp (optional)

Instructions

Line two cookie sheets with parchment.

Whisk the flours together in a medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer), cream the butter, vanilla, and almond extract until the mixture is pale in color, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the speed down to low, add the brown sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, espresso, salt, and cayenne pepper, and continue to mix until the mixture is smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the flour mixture in thirds until just combined. With the mixer running, sprinkle in the chocolate chips, mixing until just combined.

Transfer the dough to another bowl and finish mixing by hand to make sure no bits of flour or butter are hiding on the bottom of the bowl and the dough is thoroughly mixed.

Use a small ice cream scoop to form the cookies, about 1 rounded tablespoon each, and place on the prepared cookie sheets, leaving 1 inch between the cookies to allow for spreading.

Flatten each cookie with a cookie stamp dusted with granulated sugar, or gently flatten each cookie with the palm of your hand and then dust the tops with sugar. They will have little cracks in the top. Refrigerate the cookies for at least 1 hour, or up to 5 hours. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time for even doneness (see Tip). Cool the cookies completely on wire racks. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.

Tip: It is really difficult to tell when dark chocolate cookies are done. Pull them out when they are firm to the touch on the edges and the sweet smell of chocolate has begun to fill your kitchen. 

Sweet Note: I love stamping designs in the tops of our shortbread cookies. I use cookie stamps, which are available in a variety of designs, but I have also used the bottom of a decorative vintage glass in a pinch. To use, simply spray the stamp (or glass) lightly with cooking spray and dip into a plate of sugar, then lightly press into the cookie to emboss the design. You may have to reapply the cooking spray occasionally if the stamp starts to stick to the dough. 

This was originally found and is exactly what I have printed out, at https://www.splendidtable.org/story/2013/12/03/mexican-hot-chocolate-shortbread

  • 04
    Sep 20
  • 0

Chloe’s not-Peter’s GF Pita Bread

Category:Cooking chat,Food Tags : 

In our cooking chat on Thursday the 3rd of September, Chloe showed us how to make some GF pita bread!

INGREDIENTS: 1 3/4 cups (245 g) all purpose gluten free flour, plus more for sprinkling 1 teaspoon xantham gum 35 grams (about 1/4 cup) tapioca starch 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon (14g) neutral oil (like vegetable, canola or grapeseed) 1 egg + 1 egg white at room temperature 3/4 cup (6 fluid ounces) milk, at room temperature

RECIPE: Preheat oven to 400F (204C) Put baking pan or pizza stone (large flat surface) in oven to heat up Combine dry ingredients Add the oil and then the eggs and milk and beat (or process) the dough until it is very well-combined and parts begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl (about 2 minutes) Turn the dough out onto lightly flour surface Split into 8 equal parts Roll each part into a dough ball, pat into a disc and roll out with a rolling pin to about 1/4 inch thickness Put discs onto a piece of parchment 1inch apart and put onto preheated baking tray in oven Bake for 2 minutes Working quickly, turn the pitas and bake for 1 minute on the other side Working quickly, turn them again and baked until puffed and golden (minute or so)

And it has pocketses!!

  • 27
    Aug 20
  • 0

Chocolate Moose

Category:Cooking chat,Food Tags : 

(or Mousse)

Couple of small pots of homemade chocolate mousse
  • The ingredients you’ll need are:
  • 6 x 60-gram eggs separated (one egg per person if you are adjusting)
  • 300ml Cream
  • 200 grams Chocolate 

Like most recipes there are several ways to make mousse.

I’ve been making this recipe for over 40 years.

It has no added sugar and no gelatine.

Equipment to make: Bowls, saucepan and a whisk.

To serve: individual glasses (If you’re so inclined a Lindt ball can be placed in the bottom of the glass as a surprise)

Ingredients:

6 x 60-gram eggs separated

300ml Cream

200 grams Chocolate

Make a sabayon (this is the method of cooking the eggs gently in a bowl over steam) Cook until thick and glossy. (BUT be careful not to scramble the yolks)

Melt the chocolate gently over steam avoid burning the chocolate.

I use good quality dark and milk (not Cadbury it’s too sweet)

Beat the egg whites until still peaks appear.

Beat the cream (add some vanilla extract if you like) BUT don’t make butter!!

Fold sabayon and melted chocolate together.

Fold in the beaten whites.

Fold in the cream.

Spoon into serving glasses.

Set in Fridge.

  • 20
    Aug 20
  • 0

Not Wallaby and Wattle Baked Risotto

Category:Cooking chat,Food Tags : 
Ingredients with chicken and vegetables for cooking risotto

INGREDIENTS

  • 1½ cup sushi rice (okay to substitute Arborio or other); uncooked
  • 4½ cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 cup finely grated Parmesan
  • knob of butter
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • OPT: chicken and pumpkin shown; substitutions discussed
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F in American). Place the rice and stock in a oven-safe covered casserole dish.
  2. Siôn’s variation: half a butternut pumpkin cubed, 3 poached chicken thighs
  3. Substitutions: hard vegetables can go in with rice, and stock. Chicken and other soft parts get stirred in with the parmesan.
  4. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then check every five minutes, or until most of the stock is absorbed and the rice is al dente. 
  5. Stir through the parmesan, butter, salt and pepper and serve immediately.
  6. Serves 4
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