Brioche - Sweet and Savoury

It's been a long time since I made these but after hearing someone retell a story about staying with us and the brioche I made, I thought it might be time to give this one another go.
The recipe is simple and I used the dough for both the sweet and the savoury version. The dough was made in the bread maker and then the completed brioche given time to rise in the oven. The rose during baking too.
They probably could have been glazed to make them look better but the still tasted great. They are best eaten in the day they are baked (straight out of the oven was pretty good) but are ok the next day warmed a little bit.

Brioche Dough
1 cup milk
3 tbs melted butter
2 eggs - plus enough milk to make 1/2 a cup
4 1/4 cups of high grade flour
1 tbs sugar
2 tsp yeast

Make dough in bread maker on dough setting.
Divide dough in half (if making half sweet, half savoury) and roll the dough out to roughly a 15cm by 30 cm rectangle.
Spread filling over the dough.
Roll dough up in a spiral to form a long sausage.
Slice into brioche slices (about 10 cm)
Place slices on tray covered in baking paper with space between ti allow for rising.
Bake at 200 degrees C for about 15 minutes

Sweet filling ideas

• chopped white chocolate and frozen (or fresh) raspberries
• brown sugar (or coconut sugar) and cinnamon
• chopped dark chocolate and raisin

Savoury filling ideas

• pesto, finely chopped mushroom, capsicum and cheese
• cheese, bacon
• cheese and pineapple
• sundried tomato and feta cheese

Strawberry, Coconut, Raspberry Banana Bread

I've looked at different fruit bread recipes and thought they just seemed odd - not a cake and not a loaf but I've changed my mind. Isabella and I had a 'girls' holiday in Melbourne staying with friends. One morning walked to the local cafe for breakfast. The recommendation was the toasted rhubarb bread. I was not expected to be 'wowed', but I was!
We came back and I looked at a range of recipes to try. I wanted something that was not too unhealthy and this one appealed because it had chia seeds and lots of fruit in it.
I used fresh strawberries and frozen raspberries and 3 bananas.
We LOVE it and Isabella and I have had it for breakfast for the last three days - toasted with butter.
I'm going to try to reduce the sugar next time and probably use coconut sugar. The banana and fruit makes it sweet anyway.
This will also be a great breakfast recipe when we have people staying. It lasts well because we had it toasted. YUM
Thanks Lynn and Bec for the recommendation!


Strawberry, Coconut, Raspberry Banana Bread

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup ripe mashed banana (about 2-3 bananas)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted and cooled
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt 
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk (soy, coconut, or skim also work)
• 3/4 cup diced organic ripe strawberries
• 1/4 cup smashed organic raspberries (or you can use more strawberries)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut, plus 3 tablespoons for topping (sweetened is fine, too)
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 2-4 strawberries, sliced for topping

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In a seperate large bowl, beat together banana, brown sugar, egg, coconut oil vanilla, yogurt, and almond milk until smooth and creamy. Slowly add dry mixture to wet ingredients, and mix until combined. Gently fold strawberries, raspberries, coconut and chia seeds into the batter.
4. Place batter in prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle top evenly with 3 tablespoons of coconut. Place sliced strawberries over the top of the bread. Bake for 50-65 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes, then remove from pan and return to wire rack to finish cooling. Bread is even better the next day (they always are). Bread will stay fresh for a few days when wrapped tightly.

Tamarillo Tarts with Honey and Ginger Mascarpone

We celebrated our wedding anniversary this week. Isabella and I got busy to cook a special dinner to celebrate. We had goats cheese and red onion tarts as a starter (sorry, no recipe...I just improvised with this), Chicken with Chorizo and Olives and this tart as a dessert.

We had spotted the tart in the most recent Cuisine magazine and decided to halve the recipe for the three of us. We served it with ice cream...I'm sure the mascapone would have been really yummy but ice cream was the best I could do...avoiding a trip out on a very cold wet and windy winter night!

I was amazed at how easily the tamarillos pealed with the method suggested in the recipe - a good trick to remember when using them in other dishes!

I added a thin slice to cover most of the top of the tart - the tamarillo flavour was a bit lacking - I'd probably layer the fruit on top a bit more next time...or follow the recipe better and make them a bit thicker! It was nice though to have the almond mixture showing through and getting bit browned.

The pastry was a bit undercooked on the bottom...I'd leave them in a bit longer next time.


Tamarillo Tarts with Honey and Ginger Mascarpone

Ingredients
1 x 350g-500g packet pre-rolled, made with butter puff pastry
200g butter, at room temperature
200g caster sugar, plus extra to sprinkle
3 large eggs
200g ground almond
80 grams flour
6 tamarillos
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon ground ginger
150g mascarpone

Method
Spray 6 individual 11 cm tart moulds with oil. Cut circles from the pastry sheets to line each mould. Refrigerate.
Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.
Beat the butter and sugar until incorporated and slowly add the eggs one at a time, while beating.
Fold in the ground almond and flour. this is the filling.

Immerse the tamarillos in bolding water for 10 seconds, then plunge into cold water.
Peel  and cut into 5mm slices.
Remove the tart moulds from the fridge and half fill each with the filling.
Arrange the tamarillo slices on top and sprinkle with caster sugar.

Put tarts on a banking
tray and bake for 30 minutes until the base of each tart is golden (check by gently lifting each tart out from base). Dust with icing sugar.

While the tarts are baking, whisk the honey and ginger into the mascarpone. Taste and add more honey or ginger if desired.
Serve the tarts warm and topped with a dollop of the mascarpone.

Cauliflower Pizza Base - Gluten Free

The Cauliflower craze seems to be everywhere I look so I decide to give it a go. We have a family member who has been diagnosed as Celiac so when she was coming for a pre rugby game meal where we were cooking pizzas this seemed like a great chance to give it a try.

It was a lot of preparation! Removing the liquid took ages!
The recipe cooked the cauliflower by baking in the oven - I used the microwave.
The pizza crust was really nice but you have to change your expectations from a bread based crust to something totally different.
It seemed really strange cooking the base then adding toppings and cooking again but it worked.

I can imagine doing these again as a snack or nibbles dish.

Cauliflower Pizza Base - Gluten Free

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower 
• 1 egg, large
• 1/2 cup Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese, grated/shredded & not packed
• 1 tsp Italian (or rosemary, basil, parsley) herb seasoning
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and line round pizza baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Rinse cauliflower, remove the outer leaves and separate into florets with a paring knife. Place cauliflower florets in a food processor and process until "rice" texture. Some coarse chunks are fine.

3. Place on a prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 mins. Or steam in the microwave until cooked


4. Remove cooked cauliflower from the oven and transfer to a bowl lined with a double/triple layered cheesecloth.

5. Then squeeze the liquid out of the ball, cauliflower inside the cheesecloth, as hard as you can. Be patient and do this a few times until barely any liquid comes out. Muscle work.:)

6. Increase oven T to 200 degrees C. Transfer cauliflower to a mixing bowl along with egg, cheese, herb seasoning, salt, black pepper and mix to combine. Transfer cauliflower mixture onto the same baking sheet you used to roast the florets (I used the same parchment paper but you can swap it for a new one if it gets too soggy), and flatten with your hands until thin pizza crust forms.
7. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes and remove from the oven.

8. Top with your favourite toppings and bake again until cheese on top turns golden brown. Slice and enjoy.
Storage Instructions: Refrigerate covered for up to 2 days. You can also freeze the crust tightly wrapped in plastic, for 1 month.

Pot Roasted Chicken With Garlic and Rosemary - Manu's Chicken

I'm an avid watcher of reality TV cooking programmes - currently My Kitchen Rules where Manu Feildel is one of the judges. His catch cry is 'it need more sauce' and I have to agree! I love really rich sauces with dishes.

This recipe looked pretty easy and perfect for a cold winter evening.
I loved the sauce (...and the rest of the dish). It was really intense and garlicky.
I served it with smashed potatoes - also really garlicky!






Pot Roasted Chicken With Garlic and Rosemary - Manu's Chicken

Ingredients
1 tablespoon plain flour
2 teaspoons of sweet paprika
4 chicken marylands (leg and thigh portion)
1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil
12 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
4 sprigs of rosemary
1/2 cup of white wine
1 1/2 cups of chicken stock
50 grams of butter
roast potatoes to serve

Mix together
flour and paprika with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, then coat the chicken.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.
Heat an enamelled cast iron casserole dish over a med-high heat then add the olive oil. Fry the chicken, skin side down, for about 4-5 minutes or until golden brown, then turn and cook for another 4-5 minutes till golden brown.
Add the garlic, rosemary and wine, bring to the boil, then transfer to the oven to cook for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through..
Transfer to the chicken , garlic and rosemary to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Place the casserole over a high heat and simmer the sauce for about 7 minutes or until reduced by half to a sauce consistency.
Whisk in the butter, then taste and season if desired.
Serve the chicken with the sauce, peeled garlic cloves and roast potatoes.

Almond and Pear Galette

With a abundance of pears I went looking for a recipe that would use things I already had in the house. This one was a real find. We loved it.
I didn't include the Dulce de Leche which I think from hunting online is a bit like caramelised condensed milk. It might be a nice addition when I make it again.
I think that lots of different fruits could be used...maybe even feijoas when they are in season again.



Almond Pear Galette with Dulce de Leche
Pastry - your favourite recipe or this one or this one.  

Crust:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp butter, cold, cut into 1/2" cubes
3 tbsp icing sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp plus 1 1/2 tsp cold water

Cream:
1 large egg white
3 tbsp powdered sugar
4 tbsp finely ground almonds
4 tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp almond extract

Filling:
3 firm, ripe pears such as Bosc or Bartlett, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp ground star anise
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of salt 

1/4 cup sugar (I used coconut sugar, but granulated or cane sugar would work as well) 
4 tsp butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup dulce de leche

To make the pastry, combine the flour, butter, and icing sugar in a food processor and pulse until crumbly.  In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks with the lemon juice and water.  Add to the flour mixture, with the motor running.  Dough should be soft.  Gather into a disc, wrap in plastic.
Pastry should be chilled in fridge for at least one hour. 

For the cream:  whisk together egg white and powdered sugar in a bowl until frothy, about a minute.  Stir in almonds, butter, almond extract.  Whisk and refrigerate. 

For the filling:  toss pears with lemon juice, zest, spices and salt. 

Preheat oven to 375*F.  Roll pastry out on a lightly floured counter.  You are aiming for about 12 inches diameter.  Line a bakesheet with parchment paper.  Fold your pastry in half and gently lift onto the bakesheet.  Lay it out flat.  Spread the cream evening, leaving a 1-inch border.  Arrange pear slices in concentric circles over the cream.  Sprinkle with sugar and sprinkle bits of butter on top of pears.  Fold edges of pastry over pears.  Bake for about 30-35 minutes until golden and pears tender.  Dollop the dulce de leche on tart and put it back in oven for another 5 minutes, just so it's melted.  Remove from oven and if you like, take your pastry brush and gently brush the dulce so it evenly covers the surface of tart.  Let it stand for 5 minutes, then place on cooling rack to cool completely.  Serve at room temp with a little whipped cream or ice cream.  Serves 6-8. 

Quick Steamed Jam Pudding

My weeks usually finish with me exhausted on the couch with a glass of wine watching 'Better Homes and Gardens' - quite a contrast to how Friday nights were in previous years! I'm doing well if I can make it to the end of the show.

A few weeks ago this recipe came up and it looked like a great quick one to make. You can watch the video of it here! Surprisingly it is made in the microwave with a very, very short cooking time.
I'm not a huge fan of stodgy hot puddings but this was a hit with the family. I made it in quite large coffee cups. It would probably be better in smaller cups.

We used jam and passionfruit curd - both were really nice.
It definately needs custard to serve it with.

Quick Steamed Jam Pudding 
Ingredients
115 g butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup self raising flour
1/3 cup Milk
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla
1 tablespoon Jam per serve

Method
Beat butter and sugar until well combined and light.
Add eggs and mix until combined
Fold in the flour, milk and vanilla
Grease the cups with butter
Spoon about tablespoon of jam into the bottom of each cup.
Add the mixture carefully by spooning it around the sides first, then finally in the middle to prevent the jam being pushed up the sides.
Cover with a paper towels
Cook at 700 watts for about 5 mins (about 70 % power)

Make sure it is cooked on top by gently pressing
Run a knife around the edges then invert on a plate.

Serve with custard.

Thai Prawn Salad

This salad brings together lots of the flavours and textures I just love. It takes a little bit of preparation but this can be down well in advance.
My mandolin makes the preparation much much easier.
The quantities are not very exact, especially the dressing which I make and then adjust until it tastes just right.
I add and delete ingredients (some are probably not very authentic) depending on what I have in the fridge but the prawns, coriander, cucumber and peanuts are always in it.
The recipe below serves 2 but is easily increased to serve more people.

Thai Prawn Salad

Ingredients

100g vermicelli noodles

300g medium cooked or green (raw) prawns

1/2 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped

1/2 cup coriander leaves, roughly chopped

1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled seeded and cut into thin slices

1 capsicum thinly sliced

2-3 spring onions sliced

2-3 radishes thinly sliced

80g dry roasted cashews or peanuts, roughly chopped

Crispy dried shallots (to sprinkle on top to serve - I get these at an Asian grocer)

Dressing:

30ml lime juice (from 1 small-medium lime)

1/4 tsp sesame oil

3 tsp Thai fish sauce

3 tsp grated palm sugar or brown sugar

1 small red chilli, finely chopped (I often use more)

Method

1.  To make the dressing: combine all dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar, shake and set aside. Try to do this well in advance of serving so the chilli infuses the dressing.

2.  Place vermicelli in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and soak until just tender (about 5 minutes), then rinse under cold water and drain well. I often toss a little sesame oil through the noodles to stop them sticking together.

3. If using green prawns, peel and devein the prawns, then quickly sear them in a little vegetable oil, over high heat, until just cooked, about 2 minutes each side. OR Poach in water with lemon, ginger, garlic and star anise until they change colour.

3. Combine the vermicelli noodles, prawns, mint and cucumber (and any other veges) in a large bowl and toss through the dressing. Pour any extra over the salad.

4. Spoon onto a plate, sprinkle with cashews or peanuts, dried shallots and serve.

Sangria

I came across this on Pintrest and really liked it. In a way it sums up the way I cook. I use a general guide and improvise. I used it tonight to make Sangria and it was great. I used red wine and brandy, ginger beer, fresh grated ginger and lots of orange and lemon juice and slices of fresh fruit.
Not only did it taste great, it was pretty potent too!

Roast Lemon Chicken and Potatoes and Tomatoes

Tonight we will watch the movie "Lemoney Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" with Isabella. We decided that this deserved a 'lemony' theme for our dinner to go with it.
We started with Tomato and Carrot soup with lemon from a children's recipe book of Isabella's we are working our way through, followed by this lemon chicken and finished with lemon, lime and gin mousse.

This recipe is very similar to another I make that had lemon, chicken and potatoes, it had the same gooey lemony sauce. I think a combination of the two might be a great idea. The slight smokey flavour from the smoked paprika I used in the liquid poured over was really nice and the cherry tomatoes gave another vegetable to the dish.

The picture of the original recipe is better than mine but it give the idea of what it was like.



Roast Lemon Chicken and Potatoes and Tomatoes

INGREDIENTS:

Nonstick cooking spray

4 lbs. (10-12) skin-on, bone-in chicken parts (thighs, legs, wings)

1 lb. baby potatoes

1/2 onion (yellow or red), thinly sliced

2 lemons, 1 sliced and 1 juiced

1/3 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

10 oz. cherry tomatoes

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Spray a rimmed 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish with cooking spray. Into the baking dish arrange chicken parts (skin side up), potatoes, sliced onion and lemon slices evenly in pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, paprika, salt and pepper. Pour mixture all over chicken and potatoes. Sprinkle all over generously with additional Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

Bake uncovered for about 1 hour, or until chicken and potatoes are fully cooked. During last 20 minutes of cooking, add cherry tomatoes and continue cooking for the 20 remaining minutes.

Turkey and Mozzarella Meat Loaf - Slow Cooker

Yet another recipe that looked too good to be true. Really quick and easy to make and great hot or cold.

I cooked this one evening and then heated it in the microwave for dinner the next night.
It was really nice cold for lunch the next day too!

Not the best shot - the top was wonderfully cheesy and crispy!

SLOW COOKER Turkey and Mozzarella Meat Loaf 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb lean ground chicken, or turkey
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup breadcrumbs, 
• 1 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 cup prepared pasta sauce, divided
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

DIRECTIONS

1. Use a 6-quart slow cooker with an inserted 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken, onion, eggs, breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, 1⁄2 cup of the pasta sauce, and 1⁄2 cup of the cheese.
2. Mix well (I use my hands) and press the meat into the loaf pan. Smear the remaining pasta sauce on top, and top with the remaining cheese.
3. Lower the pan into the cooker insert (do not add water) and cover. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours

Mozzarella and Basil Bites

I had won ton wrappers left over after making dumplings and knew I had another recipe that used them. It is super super simple and really yummy. Maybe not all that low calorie but worth it for a treat!

Mozzarella and Basil Bites

Ingredients
small pieces of buffalo mozzarella
basil leaves
wonton wrappers
oil

tomato pasta sauce for dipping


Method
Lay the wrappers on a dry surface.

Place a piece of mozzarella and piece of basil in the centre of the wrapper.

Use water to wet the outside edge of the wrapper, then fold in half and securely stick sides together.

Fry in oil until cooked on both sides.

Prawn and Turkey Dumplings - Potstickers

I'm not entirely sure what country or culture these come from and I'm sure I've had versions in a variety of asian restaurants.
This recipe is a Korean one and it seemed to easy to be true. After making a version of them I know this will become a regular for our family.

I used turkey mince and minced prawns, button mushrooms and sweet chilli sauce. I'm sure you could easily use a whole range of different fillings. I'm looking forward to experimenting in the future.

I cooked them fresh as per the instructions below. It was ok but the dumpling wrapper was a bit chewy.

We only used half the wrapper I had bought from a local asian supermarket and there was a lot of mixture so I made up more and froze them separately on baking paper (to be put in a bag together later). The frozen dumplings I cooked in a pan with water and oil - instructions are below.

I bought a dumpling dipping sauce from the local asian fruit and vege shop and we also used soy sauce as a dipping sauce. I'm sure a sauce of soy, sesame oil and chilli would be great too.

The picture is of the fried version, the dumplings cooked in oil and water were browed on one side and steamed on the other.

With some of the extra wrappers I made a mozzarella and basil wonton there recipe is here.

Turkey and Prawn Dumplings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound ground pork (or around 500 gms of turkey mince and minced prawns)
• 1 cup shredded green cabbage
• 3 ounces shiitake mushrooms, diced (finely chopped button mushrooms)
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon hoisin
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha*, or more, to taste (sweet chilli sauce)
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 36 2-inch won ton wrappers
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Soy sauce, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a large bowl, combine pork, cabbage, mushrooms, garlic, green onions, hoisin, ginger, sesame oil, chill sauce and white pepper.
• To assemble the dumplings, place wrappers on a work surface. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the pork mixture into the center of each wrapper. Using your finger, rub the edges of the wrappers with water. Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape, pinching the edges to seal.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add potstickers in a single layer and cook until golden and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side.
• Serve immediately with soy sauce, if desired.

If cooking from frozen add half cup of water and a tablespoon of oil in a pan. Cook frozen dumplings in pan covered until the water has gone and the dumplings are browned on one side. This will take about 15 minutes.

NOTES

*Sriracha is an Asian-style hot chili sauce and can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store.

Moroccan Chicken - Slow Cooker

A super simple slow cooker meal. I served it with cous cous and veges.
It only needed about 4 hours on low in my slow cooker.

I'd probably increase the cinnamon and coriander next time too.












Moroccan Chicken - Slow Cooker

Ingredients

• 6 to 8 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed
• 1/3 cup dried apricots, sliced
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Cooked couscous or rice for serving
• Slivered almonds or pine nuts for garnish, optional
• Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
• 
  
• How to make it

1. In a slow cooker, combine chicken thighs, chickpeas, apricots, raisins, chicken stock, ginger, olive oil, salt, coriander, cinnamon, and pepper; stir. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. Serve over cooked couscous or rice and garnish with cilantro and pine nuts, if desired.

Chocolate Cheesecake

This recipe is a variation of a fruit cheesecake. I really love anything with chocolate in it so it was a logical step to turn this recipe into a chocolate version.
The recipe is pretty forgiving but is best made the day before it is need to make sure it sets.

I crush the malt biscuits and mix in the melted butter in the food processor...but before I had that I have resorted to crushing the biscuits with a wine bottle between sheets of newspaper.

Another trick I picked up after years of bases that didn't always hold together is to use a potato masher to compact the base.



Cheesecake Recipe

2/3 cup lemonade
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbs of gelatine
250g cream cheese
1 tsp of vanilla extract or 1/2 tsp of vanilla paste
1 cup whipped cream
1 kingsized block of dark chocolate (I use Whittakers Dark Ghana with 72% cocoa solids)
420g can berries
1 packet of malt biscuits
100g melted butter
8 inch spring cake tin

Stir lemonade, sugar and gala tine together in a pot over a low heat until dissolved. Leave to cool.
Crush malt biscuits and mix in melted butter. Press into the base of the tin.
Cream cream cheese, rind and vanilla.
Beat in cooled gelatine mixture and cool until partially set. I don't always wait for this but I do allow time overnight for it to fully set.
Fold in whipped cream, melted chocolate
and well drained fruit.
Pour into crumb base and leave in fridge until set.

Anzac Cookies

Anzac day is big in our home. My husband has been in the Army (Territorials/Reserves) for about 25 years and has just returned from 7 months in South Sudan.
Anzac day for me often signals the first wearing of winter coats and that familiar "I've got up too early and not had enough sleep' feeling.
This year we have a rugby game in the evening which will mean a late night for our little person so the choice had to be made between the Anzac dawn service or a late night at the rugby. The compromise is attending a civil service for Isabella and me and the rugby...John of course will go to the dawn service as well.

I've meant to make Anzac biscuits for Anzac day for years and have come across a recipe from Annabel Langbein which just has to be a good one to try. The anzac biscuits from my childhood have no almonds, raisins or chocolate but they seem like a great addition.

They are really really nice! A great update of a traditional biscuit.


Anzac Cookies

Prep time:

10 mins

Cook time:

15-18 mins

Makes:

About 30 small or 16 large

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup soft brown sugar
• 1 cup thread or desiccated coconut (I used thread and it was great)
• ½ cup slivered almonds (optional)
• ½ cup raisins (optional)
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 125g butter
• 2 tbsp water
• ½ tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 160°C and line at least 2 baking trays with baking paper. 

Combine rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, coconut and almonds and raisins, if using, in a large bowl. Heat together golden syrup, butter and water until butter melts. Add soda, then mix into dry ingredients until well combined.

Roll mixture into balls slightly smaller than a golf ball and place on prepared trays, allowing room for spreading. Lightly flatten with a fork or damp fingers. Bake until golden (15-18 minutes). Allow to cool on trays (the biscuits will harden on cooling). Stored in an airtight container, Anzac Biscuits will keep for 2 weeks.