Amy Johnson Cake

Amy Johnson was the first woman aviator to fly solo from England to Australia, but why is there a cake named after her? Maybe this extraordinary aviator was also a extraordinary baker? Maybe this was her favorite cake? Or maybe the solo flight which bought her to Australia, was marked with an afternoon tea to celebrate her achievement? Whatever the reason, this beautiful old fashioned recipe is best enjoyed with a  with  a good cup of tea or coffee.

Even though it is described as a 'cake', it is almost like a thick slice. A biscuit base covered with raspberry jam and currants, topped with sponge cake  and iced with a thin layer of either vanilla or lemon icing.

Base
1 cup SR flour
1 tsp salt
60g butter
Filling
Raspberry Jam
250 g currants
Topping
60g butter
1 tsp Vanilla
1 cup castor sugar
2 eggs
1 cup SR flour
1/3 cup milk

Base - sift flour and salt, rub in butter. Mix into a dough with a little milk. Line a 23cm (9 inch) square sandwich tin with dough. Spread with raspberry jam and sprinkle with currants.

Topping - Cream butter and vanilla, gradually add the sugar creaming well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Add sifted flour, alternating with milk. Pour over base and filling. Bake in a moderate oven 175c fan forced for 35 - 40 minutes. Leave to cool slightly before turning out onto a wire rack to completely cool. When cool ice with either vanilla or lemon icing.

Cake will keep in an air tight container for 4 days.

Chocolate-Filled Oat Crunch (Kingston Biscuits)

Who ate the last Kingston from the 'Arnott's Assorted Cream Biscuits'? Fine I'll make my own! Oat, coconut and demera sugar biscuits, sandwiched together with milk chocolate.

William Arnott these biscuits will give your recipe a run for its money. You've still got the upper hand in the 'Tim Tam' department, but I'm working on it.

Chocolate-Filled Oat Crunch (Kingston Biscuits) - Gourmet Traveller, October 2006
180gm butter
120gm demerara sugar
90gm (1/4 cup) golden syrup
150gm (1 cup) plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
60gm desiccated coconut
60gm (2/3 cup) rolled oats
150gm milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 160C (fan forced). Using an electric mixer, cream butter , sugar and golden syrup until pale and fluffy, then add flour, bicarbonate of soda, coconut and rolled oats and beat on slow until just combined.

Spoon teaspoons of mixture onto baking paper-lined trays. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Cool biscuits on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Cool to a thick consistency, then spread over the base of half the biscuits and sandwich with remaining biscuits. Biscuits will keep in an airtight container for 5 days.

Makes 20

Tarragon Green Bean Salad

EAT YOUR GREENS, THEY"RE GOOD FOR YOU!

This is a delicious fresh green bean salad, great for summer, goes well with barbecued meats and can be served either warm or at room temperature. It's easy to prepare and the flavours of chervil, french tarragon and the crunchy fresh beans are a good combination.

Tarragon green bean salad - The Age, Sunday Life Magazine

550g green beans, topped

1 red onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp capers, chopped

1/2 bunch chervil, coarsely chopped

1/2 bunch French tarragon laves (left whole if small, otherwise chopped)

100ml extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

sea salt and cracked black pepper

4 tbsp white-wine vinegar

Cook beans in lightly salted water for 4 minutes. Drain. Mix remaining ingredients, except vinegar, in a large bowl. Add beans and toss to combine. Stir in vinegar and serve.

Serves 4

Coconut Cardamon Burfi

New Years Eve 2010 spent with a pack of Indians. A special pack of Indians (my cousins). So I set about making dessert for our celebration dinner and drinks. Firstly I decided to make a Pavlova (typically Australian), then decided that I should also make something more typically Indian (Burfi), to keep the masses happy.

My first attempt at an Indian dessert! Were the masses happy? You'd have to ask them.

Burfi or Barfi is an Indian sweet found in every 'sweet shop' throughout India. It is commonly made and served for festivals, celebrations and special occasions. Burfi comes in a wide variety of colours, flavours and shapes and is traditionally made from reduced - milk, which is flavoured with combinations of nuts, fruit and spices. Visually Burfi is usually cut into squares, diamonds or shaped into rounds and may also be decorated with edible silver leaf.

This is a simple cheats version of the traditional Indian sweet using condensed milk.

Big thanks to my Ho Master and Pale Ale for a fantastic New Years Eve!

 Coconut Cardamon Burfi - 'Food Safari' Raint Singh
250g desiccated coconut
395g tin sweetened condensed milk
10 cardamom pods, husk discarded, seeds ground to a powder
handful of pistachio, roughly crushed

Mix 200g of the coconut and the remaining ingredients in a bowl.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over low heat and add the mixture to the pan.Stir until the mixture starts to dry and rolls easily into a ball. Remove from the heat and leave for 5-10 minutes until cool enough to handle.

Place the remaining coconut on a plate. Using damp hands, roll the Burfi mixture into balls and then roll in coconut. The balls can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Makes 15 - 20 Burfi

Gingerbread Men (& Woman)

I've often wondered how the gingerbread man originated. Apparently it is credited to the court of Queen Elizabeth I, who presented favoured important visitors with gingerbread likenesses of themselves.

For me ever since I can remember, gingerbread men were jolly little brown men whom lay in glass bakery cabinets. They were cute, bright, had big smiley faces, looked cheerful and always caught my eye.

So often  gingerbread men can lack that nice spice flavour or are so hard that when bitten into, you almost break a tooth. This recipe however is perfect...fantastic spicy taste, soft and a little bit chewy. Of course if you prefer your gingerbread men harder and more on the biscuity side, then it's just a matter of leaving them in the oven slightly longer than the recipe suggests.

I love a jolly little brown man, but I have to admit with age my preference leans more towards a jolly little brown woman instead.

Gingerbread Men - www.taste.com.au
125g butter, at room temperature
100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
125ml (1/2 cup) golden syrup
1 egg, separated
375g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour
1 tbs ground ginger
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Plain flour, to dust
Smarties to decorate

Makes 20 - 25

Royal icing
1 1/3 cups pure icing sugar sifted
1 large egg white or 20-30mls water

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius fan forced. Line baking tray with baking paper.

Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the golden syrup and egg yolk and beat until combined. Stir in the flour, ginger, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Press dough into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30minutes to rest.

Meanwhile, place egg white in a clean, dry bowl. Use an electric beater to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add icing sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.

Place the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out until 4mm thick. Use a 9cm gingerbread man (& woman) cutters to cut out shapes. Repeat with excess dough.

Bake in oven for 10minutes or until brown. Remove from oven. Transfer to a rack to cool. Allow at least 30minutes resting time.

Placing prepared icing in icing bag, fitted with small round nozzle. Pipe icing over gingerbread to decorate. Finish with smarties.

Gingerbread men can be stored in an airtight container for 2 weeks. The taste actually gets better over time.

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

My besties birthday! To celebrate, a birthday picnic and her request - for me to bake 'Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes'. Now normally when I talk about food, recipes or anything even slightly related to food, my bestie (aka Black Magic) quickly tunes out and her eyes glaze over. However talk of  'Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes' seems to be the exception to this.

These cupcakes are sweet, have a light fluffy sponge, a cheesecake flavoured frosting (with digestive biscuits sprinkled on top of the frosting to add the flavour of a cheesecake base) but the best part of all, the surprise you'll find right at the bottom of the cupcake - fresh strawberries, which once cooked become sweet and almost jam like.

I would have to say that these cupcakes are just as divine as my birthday bestie (there is nothing not to like about either of them).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLACK MAGIC! I look forward to enjoying many more of these cupcakes with you over the years. Love you xo

Black Magic are you still reading this blog entry.....HELLO.....Black Magic....are you there, don't tune out on me.

'Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes' - The Hummingbird Bakery Cook Book by Tarek Malouf and The Hummingbird Bakers
120g plain flour
140g caster sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
a pinch of salt
40g unsalted butter, at room temperature
120ml whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
12 large strawberries, chopped into small pieces
4 digestive biscuits
1 quantity of cream cheese frosting (see below)

a 12 hole capacity tray lined with paper cases
Makes 12

Cream Cheese Frosting
300g icing sugar, sifted
50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
125g cream cheese, cold
Makes enough for 12 cupcakes

Pre heat the oven to 170 degrees fan forced (325F) Gas 3.

Put the flour, baking powder, salt and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.

Pour the milk and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until all the ingredients are well mixed (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula) Add egg and beat well for a few minutes to ensure the ingredients are well incorporated.

Divide the chopped strawberries between the paper cases. Spoon the cupcake mixture on top until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile for Cream Cheese Frosting -  beat the icing sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely Incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed. Continue to beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. Do not over beat, as it can quickly become runny.

Crush the digestive biscuits with a rolling pin or in a food processor until finely ground. When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the Cream Cheese Frosting on top and finish with a sprinkling of finely ground biscuits.

Photo - from 'The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook'

Chocolate Prune Brownie

GOD BLESS America for the introduction of the brownie and GOD BLESS 'Bourke Street Bakery' NSW for this brownie recipe. If only all local bakeries across Australia could produced rich, fudgy, moist brownies like these, as apposed to the over cooked, dry brownies they so often do.

The alcohol soaked prunes make these brownies extra moist and a stand out from most other brownies. The 'Bourke Street Bakery' suggests that the prunes can be soaked in tea if preferred and can even be replaced with nuts or dried fruits if desired. I recommend using good quality dark chocolate for this recipe as it makes such a difference to the end result. Most importantly whatever you do, do not - I repeat - do not over cook, (watch your brownie like a Bald Eagle).

Nice photo styling Big Red!

Chocolate Prune Brownie - 'Bourke Street Bakery' by Paul Allam & David McGuinness
300g pitted prunes, halved
200ml brandy, cognac or hot black tea
55g plain flour
40g unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
300g good-quality dark chocolate (55% cocoa)
80g unsalted butter
300g caster (superfine) sugar
4 eggs
100g sour cream
145g dark chocolate melts (buttons) (55% cocoa)

Makes 32 (depending on what size you like your brownies)

Place the prunes in a bowl and pour over the brandy, cognac or tea. Cover and set aside to soak for 3 days.

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celsius fan forced, (325F/Gas 3). Grease a 20 x 30 x 4cm rectangular cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper. Sift the flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder into a bowl.

Put the chocolate, butter and sugar into a stainless steel bowl and sit over a saucepan of simmering water - making sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir for 10 minutes, or until the chocolate has melted. Allow to cool, then transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture, mix to combine, then add the sour cream, chocolate melts and prunes with the remaining soaking liquid and mix until just combined.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 1 hour, or until just set.Place your hand on top of the brownie in the centre and wobble to feel if it is set. Allow to cool completely before turning out of the tin. Use a hot knife to cut into squares. The brownies can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored for up to 4 days at room temperature.