Blog - Sugar et al

Lemon Delicious Pudding

22|01|2014

When life gives you lemons what do you do? Do you make lemonade or lemon curd? Or Nimbu Paani?
Well, life didn’t give me lemons. Or melons. I had to get them myself. All the way from the markets. The markets are not that far away but it’s a rainy day. Have I told you how unpredictable our weather is! Thankfully, the pudding is not. It is very much the way it is and totally lives up to its name.

Australia Day (26th January) is one holiday I really look forward to. The date especially has always been special because that also happens to be Republic Day in India and I have great memories of fun wintry things I used to do on this holiday. I take this day as a great opportunity to whip up some of the Aussie classic sweet treats at home. I find it hard to decide which one as I love every one of them. The Pav is a must every year. Last year I also made the sticky date pudding. This year I debated between the golden syrup dumplings and the lemon delicious pudding. Finally, I realised I could do without the dumplings as I am lately looking like one myself. Seriously, I am almost embarrassed not to be joining the army of fit and health conscious people marching along the water side in my area while I am sitting and looking up recipes on my mobile.

I am not sure how the pudding got its name but I know that all the people I have made this for till date have told me they loved it. This is a self saucing pudding. Meaning, the pudding separates during the cooking process into a light cakey top and a thick lemon sauce below. All you need to ensure is that you don’t overcook it otherwise you won’t be left with enough lemon sauce. The flavours and textures are a treat. The recipe is also fairly simple. If you are a person who is intimidated by egg whites like I used to be years ago, put your worries aside. We are looking for soft peaks..where the peaks are just starting to form and fall back when the beaters are lifted. Other than that, it is all about adding and stirring. The baking takes place in a water bath..like a crème Brule. I have divided the batter into 4 individual baking cups and an oval baking dish (to give you a clear view how it looks on the inside). You can make them in individual ramekins. That way it’s easier to serve.

I also wanted to share with you that this is one pudding which tastes amazing, warm or cold. So many reasons to make this. I hope you give it a try.

Lemon Delicious Pudding (adapted with a slight variation from Taste.com)
Serves 6

150g unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 1/4 cups castor sugar
3/4 cup self-raising flour, sifted (or 3/4 cup plain flour + 3/4 tsp baking powder)
1 1/2 cups milk (I used semi skim)
4 eggs, separated
Icing sugar , to dust

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (160 degrees C for fan-forced) Grease six 1 cup-capacity oven-proof dishes.

Place butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, flour, milk and egg yolks in a bowl. Whisk to combine.

Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites on high-speed until soft peaks form. Using a metal spoon, fold one-quarter of the egg white into lemon mixture. Gently fold in remaining egg white.

Spoon mixture into prepared dishes. Place dishes in a large baking dish. Pour boiling water into baking dish until halfway up sides of smaller dishes. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and just set. If you want a brown crust on top, put the oven on the grill mode for an additional 5 minutes. Dust with icing sugar. Serve.

Corn, Carrot and Pea Breakfast Fritters

19|01|2014

Are you noticing quite a few breakfast recipes in this space? I confess, that is one meal I am paying more attention to. That is because the others are turning out to be less of sit down meals and more of quick fix situations. We are outdoors for most of the time our weather allows us. Day times have been warm. Hot rather! But evenings are the perfect excuse to step outside and watch the colourful sunset or lose ourselves to the soothing water views.

I find myself totally drawn to the water front. It kind of refreshes my soul. And that is probably the only time I am ready to sit down and relax. At home, I am constantly doing something. Life with two young kids can be very demanding…I have mentioned it before. I can make it worse for myself by finding a hundred other things to do. I am a cleanliness freak. It’s certainly not a great situation with two little boys running around the house looking for an excuse to begin an adventure. So yes, I think I’ve found another place to unwind. Other than my kitchen!

I’ve been making these fritters frequently because they allow me to add plenty of vegetables. They came together quickly but I still find it easier to make the batter the previous night and fry the fritters at breakfast time. The batter is very much like a pancake batter, only thicker. The choice of herbs and vegetables is entirely yours. For the herbs, I use coriander or parsley or mint…just a random choice. I grow the last two in my garden but I buy coriander leaves. So if that’s at home I usually try and finish that one. Sometimes, I serve sausages or smoked salmon with the fritters but it’s really quite great on its own. Even a salsa or salad is fantastic to go with it. I also like to dollop either sour cream or Greek yoghurt on the fritters. Needless to say, they will make a great snack or even an appetizer.

Corn, Carrot and Pea Breakfast Fritters
Makes 12-14 fritters

11/2 cups self-raising flour (or 11/2 cup plain flour +1 tsp baking powder)
2 eggs, lightly whisked
1/2 cup milk (more, if required)
3/4 cup corn kernels (canned or frozen, drain if using canned)
1 carrot, grated
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 onion, finely chopped
Herbs- Coriander, Parsley, Mint, finely chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the egg and milk and stir gently to make a smooth batter. Add more milk if required. It should result in a thick but drop-able consistency. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes to rest.

Add the corn, grated carrots, peas, onions and herbs to the batter and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a little of the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Drop 2 tablespoons of batter in the pan for a fritter, fitting in as any fritters in the pan leaving room for spreading. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until bubbles have risen to the surface and the fritter is golden underneath. Turn with a spatula and cook for a further 1-2 minutes or until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Repeat in more batches with remaining batter and oil.

Serve fritters with sour cream or greek yoghurt.

Apple and Maple Syrup Friands (Financiers)

17|01|2014

I did not make resolutions for the new year because somewhere along the course of the year, I feel they change for me. Perhaps the greatest lesson I have learnt over time is that with some minor adjustments, a bit of flexibility and a wee bit of make-do, life becomes a lot easier to embrace. Flexibility means along with the expected you also make room for the unexpected things in your life, both good and bad. And in doing so, you save yourself from a few let-downs and disappointments. The world becomes a happier a place to live in.

I have decided to adopt a ‘take it as it comes’ approach to both life, in general and blogging. There will be days when meringues will crack..I will not fret. I will make an Eton Mess instead. Lava cakes may turn out over-baked…I will enjoy them as puddings. If l can’t pipe pretty swirls around life, then so be it. I will learn to have fun with dollops. Dollops aren’t perfect…you can’t weigh or measure them. That’s why they are dollops and we love them.

Uh..well, think I could do with a sugar fix at the moment.

These friands are the simplest things to bake. Easy, uncomplicated and quite forgiving. Flexible, in other words.

All you need is a bowl to mix. If you do not have friand moulds (I have used oval ones), bake them in muffin pans or mini loaf pans. You can use honey or golden syrup instead of maple syrup and your own choice of fruits or berries if you like.
Try them, they taste great!

Apple and Maple Friands (Financiers)
Yields 12

1 cup almond meal (ground almonds) or any nut meal of your choice
3/4 cup plain flour, sifted
1/2 tsp baking powder
11/4 cup icing sugar
6 egg whites
125 g unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 cup peeled, cored and chopped apples
2 apples, cored and thinly sliced to place on top of the friand

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Place the almond meal, flour, baking powder, icing sugar, egg whites, butter, maple syrup and chopped apples in a bowl and whisk until combined. Divide the mixture into friand pans/friand moulds or muffin pans (till half full) Place a few sliced apples on top of each mould. Push slightly into the batter so that the apples are enclosed within the friand batter. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until the friands are golden and cooked through. Using a palette knife, loosen the edges and remove the friands from the tins immediately. Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.

Date and Carrot Cake

14|01|2014

So I finally made a cake. Though I couldn’t convince myself to loudly exclaim ‘my first dessert for 2014’! No ganache, no glaze..not even a sauce. Well, I am all about Sugar. The more the better. You know that already, don’t you! Dessert or no dessert…I leave that to you to decide. But this cake is good. So very good! Once it came out of the oven, I changed my mind about including a dessert sauce.

There are several reasons why I like this cake. First, it has a subtle caramel taste to it that comes from the dates. If you have never made a date cake before, I highly recommend it. Unlike nuts and raisins, you don’t bite into dates while eating a slice of the cake. They disintegrate and get lost in the batter adding a beautiful flavour and moisture to the cake. The cake is filled with great ingredients like carrots, seeds and nuts that not only make it filling but nutritious too. And the best one. You don’t need a mixer! You just add and stir.

The original recipe was that of a loaf. It always tasted amazing so I’ve been looking for an opportunity to turn it into a cake that can be served for any occasion. I made a few changes in the proportions and ingredients marrying a date cake to a carrot cake. And I loved it so much that I am making it again this week for friends. The first one was over before I had imagined it would.

The cake tastes best when warm. If you want to be fancy with it, you can serve butterscotch or caramel sauce alongside. Whipped cream would be great too. And if you are somewhere in this part of the world, chances are that you may want some ice-cream to go with it!

Date and Carrot Cake
Makes a 9 inch bundt cake

150g butter, chopped
1 cup brown sugar
11/4 cup chopped pitted dates
1 teaspoon mixed spice
11/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
1/2 cup nuts and seeds of your choice (sunflower kernels, walnuts, cashews, pepitas, raisins)
1 cup grated carrot

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (160°C fan-forced). Lightly grease a 9 inch bundt cake pan.

Place butter, sugar, dates, spice and 11/2 cup cold water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until butter has melted and sugar dissolved. Bring to the boil. Remove from heat. Stir in bicarbonate of soda. Cool for 30 minutes.

Stir in eggs. Add flour, nuts and grated carrot. Stir to combine. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Chakchouka- Eggs cooked in a Flavourful Sauce of Tomatoes, Bell Peppers and Spices.

11|01|2014

There are probably as many ways to dress up eggs as many lovers of eggs there exists today. Let’s face it, whether we love them or we are tired of them, we are yet to outgrow our need for eggs. Which other ingredient in your pantry can you turn into breakfast, lunch, dinner, sauces… and DESSERT!

If you ask me what my go-to ingredients are, I would probably talk about potatoes and noodles before I come to eggs. But hey, eggs cook faster…even faster than 2 minute noodles and the quickest way to pack some protein into your diet. But we all love variety, we love colour and sometimes we need to spice things up a bit. Like this delicious North African dish of poached eggs in a bed of tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, chillies and spices. All I can say is that this is the best thing I have recently dipped my bread into. And imagine walking into a kitchen that smells of warm spices and cooked red peppers the first thing in the morning.

The recipe is very simple one and is open to adjustments as per personal preferences. Traditionally, the egg is poached in the pot in which the vegetables are cooked but I find it easier to finish the eggs in the oven in individual portions. All you need to make sure is that you don’t overcook the eggs. We want runny yolks and to ensure that we cover the ramekins in foil during the cooking process. I have stuck to the traditional ingredients that make this dish but you can sneak in different veggies, herbs and meat mince using this as a base recipe. Though the chillies are an integral part of this dish, leave it out if you do not want the heat.

Chakchouka- Eggs cooked in a flavourful sauce of Tomatoes, Bell Peppers and Spices (adapted with variation from Good Taste magazine)
Serves 4

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 red bell peppers, cut into thin strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 red onion, halved, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 long fresh red chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed or powdered cumin
400 g canned diced tomatoes/tomato puree
125ml (1/2 cup) water
2 tsp paprika
4 eggs
1/4 cup chopped fresh continental parsley
Bread, to serve

Preheat oven to 170 degrees C. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the combined bell peppers, onion, garlic and chilli. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring often, for 30 minutes or until bell peppers are soft.

Increase heat to high. Add the cumin and stir for 2 minutes or until aromatic. Add the tomatoes, water and paprika to the pan. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the mixture is thick.

Divide the bell pepper mixture among four oven-proof ramekins. Make an indent in the centre of the mixture. Crack an egg into each indent. Cover each ramekin with foil and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the egg whites are just set. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with bread.

Breakfast Poppy Seed Crepes with Strawberries and Yogurt

9|01|2014

Week 2 of our stay in the new neighbourhood has maintained that we are spoilt rotten to our very existence. The waterfront has been calling out to us ever so often that we find it hard to stay indoors. To add to that our sunny skies have been hiding behind a huge cloud cover making it the perfect weather to sit late at the roadside cafes sipping a cup of hot chocolate or sharing a gooey macadamia brownie as we watch the sun dip into the horizon typically around 8.30 pm.

Talking about brownies, did I tell you I have not made a single dessert in the New Year! Okay…just a quick something which did not qualify as a dessert in my eyes. That was the quickest Tiramisu ever that still managed a few compliments. There is barely room for error when you are dealing Savoiardi biscuits, Mascarpone and Kahlua. Don’t ask me for the recipe though. Or even if I tell you just THROW in (I love that word. In most quick recipes I come across, you THROW everything in) the components into serving glasses, don’t follow my recipe. At least don’t make them in walking shoes and most importantly don’t mix with the back of a strainer when your cutlery is yet to be retrieved from cartons. See what I mean when I say the water is calling out to me!

I’m sure we’ve all had dessert crepes. But this one has yoghurt in it. So it has earned itself a place in the healthy breakfast category. Well, this again is a very THROW-able recipe. Stir, cook, throw, repeat! What are the poppy seeds doing here? They don’t really have a major role to play other than the speckled look and a teeny-weeny crunch. I ‘threw’ them in the last-minute trying to make things a little different. There is not much to talk about the filling either…you can be as creative as you wish to be. For a healthier take, skip the preserve altogether or add a dash of honey to the yoghurt. Or you can straight away use low-fat flavoured yoghurt as a filling.

In this context, I’d love to share a story of a cookie baking session when I asked my pre-schooler to THROW ingredients together. But you would have already guessed:-)

Breakfast Poppy Seed Crepes with Strawberries and Yoghurt
Serves 6

1 cup plain flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
11/2 cups milk
11/2 tbsp. butter, melted
2 tbsp. poppy seeds
1 cup low-fat Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp. raspberry preserves (or any preserve/jam of your choice)
Fresh strawberries or raspberries, to serve

Place flour into a bowl. Whisk milk and eggs together in a jug. Add milk mixture to flour. Add the melted butter and whisk until well combined. Fold in the poppy seeds. Let the batter for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile place the yoghurt and raspberry preserve in a mixing bowl. Gently mix the two together to create a swirl effect.

Place a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Pour 2 1/2 tablespoons batter into the pan. Swirl to cover base. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until light golden. Turn over and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter.

Place 2 tablespoons of yoghurt mixture in the centre of a crepe. Fold into triangles to enclose the filling. Repeat with the remaining mixture and crepes. Divide among serving plates. Decorate with fresh sliced strawberries.

Chicken, Roasted Tomato and Mascarpone Pasta

5|01|2014

Breaking trends at the beginning of the year, I recently went on a chocolate and cheese shopping spree. With all the hard work I had done a week ago to clean up my refrigerator on account of the house move, I decided to buy myself some New Year presents. When was the last time I had seen an empty refrigerator! It took me no time to fill it up.

Mascarpone has always been my favourite. Other than the various interpretations of Tiramisu that I keep trying out from time to time, my favourite way of using it is by dolloping it on grilled fruits. And adding it to pasta. The flavour and creaminess that it adds is like none other. So with a handful of ingredients I made this very quick pasta meal for our lunch.

I have used store bought smoked chicken breast to reduce work. It can be substituted with leftover barbecued chicken, canned Tuna, Prosciutto, Bacon, Smoked salmon or even home cooked chicken breasts. If you are using fresh chicken breast fillets, season them and shallow fry them 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked through. Then slice into pieces.

Chicken, Roasted Tomato and Mascarpone Pasta (adapted with variation from this recipe)
Serves 4

500 g cherry tomatoes, halved (keep a few aside for garnish)
2 garlic cloves sliced
2 rosemary sprigs, leaves chopped
salt and pepper, to season
2 tbsp. olive oil
300 g Fettucine /tagliatelle/spaghetti (I have used fettucine)
200 g mascarpone cheese
1 store bought smoked chicken breast, sliced into pieces
1 cup baby spinach leaves
a few cherry tomatoes, to serve
flat leaf parsley, to serve
shaved parmesan, to serve
cracked pepper to serve

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Place the tomatoes (leaving aside a handful for garnish) in a roasting pan with the garlic and rosemary. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, drizzle with the oil and roast for 15-20 minutes until tender.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a saucepan of boiling, salted water according to the packet instructions. Reserve half a cup of the cooking liquid, drain the pasta and return to the saucepan.

Gently combine the roasted tomatoes and the mascarpone in a large bowl to make a creamy sauce. Add the sauce to the pasta and toss well. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, add the reserved cooking liquid. Then gently fold through the chicken and baby spinach until just wilted. Scatter over the remaining Cherry tomatoes and parsley leaves. Garnish with the shaved parmesan and sprinkle with cracked pepper. Serve immediately.

A Crunchier and Filling Nicoise Salad

2|01|2014

Happy New Year Everyone! A great beginning….I can feel the vibe! Really! It does amaze me though that we all look at the New Year as a fresh start though we are constantly a part of beginnings and endings all throughout the year. But why not! With a beginning comes hope and.. belief. In yourself..in the world around you…in good. Hope is good, isn’t it?

Life just got insanely exciting and relaxed for me at the same time. Moving houses at the end of December is not exactly the perfect time to pack away bakeware and dinnerware in boxes. Though I managed to put up a decent number of cookie and other posts, it almost hurt not being able to carry it through to the end. Cooking and Photography are an integral part of my being today and I cannot imagine a day without doing it. Somehow life makes a lot more sense when I am whisking, stirring, chopping, mixing or piping.

Our move was seamless though hectic as expected. But we’ve been anything but tired….lazy but not tired. Living on the waterfront does have its advantages. We’ve been getting into a crazy habit of packing our meals and eating them outside. I’ve been getting some pretend haircuts and therapies from soft little hands while listening to a different version of ‘Poky Little Puppy’. each time. Lucky me also got to eat some ‘masterpiece’ cookies made with care. All in all I love the exciting little changes that have come about with a change in surroundings.
Talking about food, I don’t have any New Year resolutions and not even the slightest intention of swaying away from Sugar recipes. But I love salads, soups or any other food and they will continue to appear on the blog. It’s more of a creative outlet for me. As with this one. I wanted to give the classic Nicoise a little makeover and make it filling enough to substitute a meal for the health conscious resolution-makers.

Instead of boiled potatoes, I have grilled them. To do that quickly, I cooked the potatoes in the microwave and finished them on the chargrill. The Tuna steaks or flakes in a typical Nicoise Salad have been replaced by Tuna meatballs that are pretty quick to put together. The tuna meatball recipe will yield about 25 meatballs. If you don’t want to use up all of them in the salad, you can serve some with a pasta or wrap. With the meatballs, hard-boiled eggs, beans, olives, tomatoes, lettuce you can imagine how nutritious, tasty and filling this will be.

I hope you all are off to a great start after spending ‘quality’ time with family, friends and food. Isn’t that what matters, whatever the day or whichever the year!

A Crunchier and Filling Nicoise Salad
Serves 4

For the Salad
Tuna Meatballs (recipe below)
2 grilled potatoes (recipe below)
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
300 g green beans, cooked (to do this, cook in boiling water for 2-3 minutes until bright green and tender crisp. Refresh under cold running water and drain)
1/2 cup kalamata olives
1 tomato, seeded and sliced
Cos lettuce and salad leaves of your choice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard and sugar until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the salad leaves, meatballs, eggs, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes and olives evenly among serving bowls. Drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle salt and pepper if required. Serve

For the Tuna Meatballs
450 g canned Tuna (in spring water or Brine), drained
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs, from a day old whole grain bread (to make, just run a slice of bread through the food processor)
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs
2 tbsp. grated parmesan
1 tbsp. grated lemon zest
1 egg lightly beaten
Salt and pepper to season

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Brush a baking tray with olive oil
Place the canned tuna, breadcrumbs, herbs, parmesan, lemon zest, salt and pepper and mix with your hand until well combined. Add egg and mix well. Roll into medium meatballs between your palms.
Place on the oiled baking tray and brush with oil. Bake for 15 minutes or until form and slightly golden brown. Once cooked, set aside to cool.

For the Grilled Potatoes
2 large Russet potatoes
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt to taste

Pierce each potato all over with a fork. Cook them on high in a microwave for 5 mins. Turn over and cook for another 5 mins. (Take care while doing this as the potatoes are extremely hot). Let cool for 10 minutes. Slice into wedges. Drizzle with oil and season. Heat a chargrill pan on high heat and place the wedges. Cook for 5 minutes on each side until cooked through and charred. Set aside

Cheddar and Chive Beignets

24|12|2013

1 more sleep before Christmas. How are you all doing? I’ve had the most amazing weekend with my family. Apart from a lovely Christmas party hosted by the Day Care centre that my boys go to, we did a bit of touring around the city. We came back really late on Saturday night after watching the fireworks display around Cockle Bay, Darling Harbour which was transformed into the most amazing Christmas wonderland I’ve ever seen. The kids loved the 21 large inflatable Santas bobbing about in the waters. I was not surprised to see the number of people gathered around the foreshores, hours ahead in time with family and food. What else would you need sitting by the waters, amidst twinkling fairy lights, carols in the background, watching the sun set in the horizon..? Your camera of course! I could see a lot of people placing themselves with tripods at vantage points, none of which was possible at my end with two impatient little boys.

The first round of fireworks took off exactly at 9 pm. It was beautiful, though I had seen better…during the International Fleet review that took place this year. I heaved a huge sigh of relief that this year no one was scared and they rather enjoyed the colourful display above. We got up immediately after the first round and walked over to Martin’s Place, another iconic location in Sydney to see the mammoth ‘Tree of Brightness’. Though tired and hungry the boys didn’t mind the walk at all. The streets looked so dressed up and totally festive. The highlight of this Christmas tree, other than it’s size and decoration was it’s interactive nature. Send a festive text to the tree and you will see your message travel up the branches of the tree for everyone to see. That was fun!

On Friday afternoon, I made these beignets to take a break from sweets. Sweets only. Not calories! They have cheese in them and taste so so good. These beignets are pretty easy to put together and the batter can be made a few hours in advance. Fry them when you want to eat them. I served them with a sweet chilli dipping sauce. I thought they tasted great with a slightly sweet-hot accompaniment. Another reason I’ve been wanting to make them was to use chives from my chives plant, a recent addition to my herb garden. You could substitute with finely chopped parsley or mint.

The batter as you can see is choux pastry. I love using this batter in both sweet and savory dishes. It is really a versatile batter. And results in crispy, light, puffed up fritters. This makes for a delicious bite-sized canapé made up of regular pantry ingredients. No elaborate shopping required.

Merry Christmas to all my lovely readers and their families! With part of my baking and cooking equipment packed away in boxes, I doubt if I will get to post anything again this week. But I hope to catch you before the New Year.

Cheddar and Chive Beignets (adapted with variation from Great British Chefs)
Serves 6

50 g butter
150 ml water
1 tsp sugar
2/3 cup plain flour
50g of mature cheddar, finely grated
a handful of chives, finely chopped
2 eggs, beaten
sunflower oil, for deep-frying
salt and pepper to taste

Place the butter, water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and add the flour, beating well until you have a smooth ball of paste that has left the sides of the saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheddar and finely chopped chives, followed by the eggs, one at a time, beating all the time until you have a smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Fill another heavy-based pan one-third full with sunflower oil and place over a moderate heat.

Using two spoons, add spoonfuls of the pastry to the pan – take care not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for about 5 minutes or until they are nicely browned and have risen to the surface of the oil. Remove the beignets with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper and keep warm while you fry the rest of the pastry. Grate more cheese over the beignets while they are still warm. Serve with sweet chilli sauce or tomato ketchup.

No-Bake 5 Minute Chocolate Marshmallow Crackles

20|12|2013

I’ve been so reluctant to pack away any of my baking tins and trays since I was pretty sure I would need them again this week. My family and every one else around here thought I wouldn’t and that I have made and fed enough sweet treats to them for the year. Along with baking tins, naturally there were other props that needed to stick around too. So as it turns out, I am a week away from moving and the boxes are sitting all around the house with nothing in them and the boys are using them as push carts to give each other a joy ride.

Finally out of guilt and panic, I agreed to a ‘no elaborate baking’ arrangement. And then these were born. Did not even need baking. Seriously, something as easy as this and tasting so insanely good. It takes 5 minutes from start to finish to make the crackles..at the most 10 if you are making it for the first time. Then they just chill and set in the refrigerator. The ganache takes another 3 minutes to make and is poured over the crackle mixture. And that’s it! Eat them, store them, gift them or share them…they are a joy to have. Even simpler than cookies. Honestly, aren’t you getting a bit tired of cookies…I know I am!

You can use up dried fruits or nuts in them and be creative as you want to be. I used the home-made marshmallows that I made last week for the Marshmallow Sandwich cookies. These are chewy little bars…a bit of crunch here and there, sweet from the glace cherries and apricots. I have used milk chocolate in the crackles and bittersweet chocolate in the ganache to balance the sweetness. I also piped a little ganache on top and sprinkled lemon jelly crystals for a hint of tang. You could skip the ganache if you want to keep it simple and quick but then the ganache too is hardly any effort.

Hope you have a great weekend. We have so many activities lined up for the weekend but I am most excited to see the Christmas lighting in CBD (city centre) and of course taking the kids to meet their favourite Santa. They are so looking forward to it.

No-Bake 5 Minute Chocolate Crackles
Makes 10-12 Crackles

For the Crackles
2 cups Rice Bubbles (I used Kellogg’s)
1/2 cup red glace cherries
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup glace ginger
200 g milk chocolate, roughly chopped
250 g marshmallows
2 tbsp. milk

For the Ganache
120 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1/4 cup thickened cream

Grease a 10cm x 25cm (base) rectangular pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, allowing 3 cm overhang on all sides.

Place rice bubbles, cherries, apricots and ginger in a heatproof bowl. Place chocolate in a saucepan which is placed on another saucepan filled with simmering water over medium heat minutes. Stir with a metal spoon till smooth and completely melted. Set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, place marshmallows and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until melted and smooth. Working quickly, add chocolate to the marshmallow mixture. Mix and add to rice bubble mixture. Stir to combine. Spread into prepared pan. Press a little bit with the back of a spoon.

Make the Chocolate Ganache: Place the chocolate and cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in bursts of 20 seconds till mixture is smooth and well combined (about 2 minutes). Pour the ganache over the crackle. Cover. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until set.

Once cooled, slice into squares and serve.