Fig & Raspberry CrostataPrint Recipe

Posted on November 18, 2010 by Michelle

 

Being Autumn, Figs are everywhere and raspberries are a dime a dozen (literally). And they are good raspberries, not bruised, flavourless and past their use-by-date, but firm and sweet and beautifully crimson. Two very good reasons for me to venture into ‘tart land’ and attempt this amazing sounding recipe by Catherine Adams, the Head Pastry Chef at Rockpool Bar & Grill in Australia.

After I made this crostata I was tempted to change the recipe slightly. Although the pastry was just fantastic it seemed more suited to a tart tin rather than going free form (it was almost on the oozing side of free form). Having said that, it still retained its charm (and a rustic style tart is so full of charm), so what I have done is included instructions for using a tart tin in my notes. Don’t get me wrong, I love a tart without structure and boundaries but it crossed my mind that this one might need some.

The frangipane is a lovely base for the little figs and raspberries to rest upon, with a dash of dark rum that really adds to the flavours (as only a good dark rum can). All in all this crostata is clearly not your everyday open-pie-with-flakey-pastry, run of the mill type of costata but a willfuly sweet (in every way possible) dessert that will have you going for seconds and possibly even thirds.

* you must begin this recipe the day before*

Topping
10 figs, halved or quartered, depending on size
1 tbsp vanilla sugar (see note)
120 grams/4.2 ounces raspberries (about 1 punnet), plus extra to serve
To serve: crème fraîche

Sweet Pastry
200 grams/7 ounces flour
150 grams/5.3 ounces cold butter, coarsely chopped
100 grams/3.5 ounces caster sugar
40 grams/1.4 ounces egg (about ¾ egg), lightly whisked

Frangipane
50 gm butter
50 grams/1.8 ounces pure icing sugar
50 grams/1.8 ounces almond meal
1 tsp plain flour
1 egg, lightly whisked
20 ml dark rum

Place flour and butter in the bowl of a food processor and freeze until well chilled (30-35 minutes). Meanwhile, combine sugar, egg and 1 tsp salt in a bowl, whisking until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate until required. Process flour and butter in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Gradually add chilled egg mixture, pulsing to combine. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface, bring pastry together with the heel of your hand, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (1½-2 hours).

Roll pastry out between 2 sheets of baking paper to a 30cm-diameter circle and place on a baking paper-lined oven tray, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 170C. For frangipane, beat butter in an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Combine icing sugar, almond meal and flour in a separate bowl and, with motor running, gradually add to butter until completely combined. Add egg, beating well to combine, then slowly beat in dark rum.

Remove prepared pastry from the fridge 10 minutes prior to assembly to allow to soften slightly. Spread frangipane over pastry, leaving a border (just over 1 inch). Lay figs on top, cut-side up, fold in pastry border, pleating as you go, then scatter with vanilla sugar. Bake until light golden (25-30 minutes). Reduce oven to 160C, scatter with raspberries and bake until golden (15-20 minutes). Serve with extra raspberries and crème fraîche.

Notes: If you would prefer to use a tart tin, after you roll the pastry out place it directly in the tart tin (a 10″ tin with a removable base), cover with wrap and refrigerate. Remove from the fridge, (don’t wait the 10 minutes) – cover in frangipane, figs and vanilla sugar and then place in the oven. Follow the remainder of the recipe.

Source: Catherine Adams, Rockpool Bar & Grill

Posted in Desserts, Tarts/Flans/Quiches/Pies | Comments Off on Fig & Raspberry Crostata

Chicken & Mushroom FricasseePrint Recipe

Posted on November 16, 2010 by Michelle

I have often wondered what a fricassee was and today whilst flicking through Food & Wine magazine what did I spy? a Chicken and Mushroom Fricasse, in print and with a picture. It just turned out that I was making a rice pilaf and garden salad to go with something for dinner and it was quickly decided that this was the something. Lucky, hey?

For those of you wondering what a fricassee actually is – it is a term used to describe a stewed dish typically made with poultry, although in some cases other white meats such as veal, rabbit or guinea pig (no!). I am at a loss as to where it originates from seeing as there are fricassees for every nation under the sun but I am thinking France. There is something quite nice about the word fricassee, isn’t there? it certainly sounds alot more enticing than stewed.

Anyway, it’s getting chilly here in New York City so this was the perfect dinner for us tonight. I didn’t have any celery leaves to garnish so I used flat leaf parsley instead – next time I think I might toast a few almond slivers as well…

1 x 1.5 kilo/3.5 pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup sour cream (low fat is fine if you wish)
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (once again low fat is fine)
1/2 cup celery leaves

Preheat the oven to 425°. Arrange the chicken pieces, skin side up, on a rack set on a large rimmed baking sheet; season generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken in the center of the oven for about 45 minutes, until cooked through and the skin is crisp.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until just softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, raise the heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaves and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, scraping up any browned bits, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the sour cream and yogurt. Discard the bay leaves.

Add the chicken to the sauce, skin side up, and simmer until heated through. Stir in the celery leaves. Transfer the chicken to plates, spoon the sauce on top and serve.

Notes: The article this fricassee was published in, was about a chef called Andrew Carmellini who road tripped the US in search of spectacular and unique flavours for his restaurant The Dutch (in Manhattan) and his cook book American Flavour – I will be keeping my eyes out for both.

Source: Andrew Carmellini for Food & Wine, November 2010

Posted in Mains, Poultry | Leave a comment

Mulled Wine (Gluvine)Print Recipe

Posted on November 14, 2010 by Michelle

I love red wine and I love Mulled Wine – I have been dappling in its chemistry since I was legally able too. This wonderfully warm and delightfully aromatic aperatif lends itself to many occasions; get togethers with friends on cold Winter evenings or afternoons by the fire after an exhausting day of snow play. And then of course, if you live in the Northern hemmisphere, there are the holidays, Christmas, Hannukah or whatever you choose to celebrate (or not to celebrate).

It is the perfect alternative to Egg Nog and a healthier one at that. Its delicious blend of wine, fruit and spices will have you warm and toasty in no time at all. As for the good will and good cheer, after a mug you will be feeling full of the holiday spirits and only wanting more.

A good mulled wine is only limited by your imagination, there are so many spices and fruits you can add to get your perfect hot toddy. Try this recipe for starters and go from there.

750 ml red wine
110 gm (½ cup) caster sugar
2 thin orange slices
1 thin lemon slice
1 small red chilli, halved lengthways
1 cinnamon quill
½ fresh bay leaf
½ vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
½ tsp black peppercorns
¼ tsp cloves
30 ml brandy

Combine all ingredients (except brandy) in a saucepan. Bring to just below the boil, stirring to dissolve sugar (3-5 minutes; do not boil or alcohol will cook off). Remove from heat immediately, strain (if you wish), add brandy and serve hot.

Notes: This would have to be the hardest (and most peskiest) thing I have ever photographed. The beautiful double walled glasses I purchased specifically for my shot (and to enjoy many mulled wines from) reflected absolutely everything, including me taking the picture. I had to give way to the warm, ambient shots I was aiming for and go for the artsy looking ones instead (which are still terrible).

Source: April Bloomfield

Posted in Drinks/Cocktails | Leave a comment

Pumpkin Cream Cheese MuffinsPrint Recipe

Posted on November 12, 2010 by Michelle

Mr Pumpkin has finally got the better of me and I am now ‘pumpkinised’. It’s true, for the last couple of weeks I have been avoiding pumpkins with a steely determination. Turning a blind eye to those ‘come hither’ looks they give whenever I glance their way. Shaking off their wanting stares – looking all so handsome and stacked and orange – my favourite colour (I tell you, it’s been really hard). So, today I gave in – I couldn’t resist the ‘come on honey, cook me’ wink any longer.

Now my kitchen bench is covered in pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. My stove has two large pots of pumpkin pieces cooking away, from which I will make a batch of pumpkin puree to use for some very pumpkiny treats in the lead up to Thanksgiving.

I was on the lookout for a plain pumpkin muffin recipe but when I saw these I couldn’t turn away from the addition of cream cheese. I eventually adapted two different recipes and voila! some delicious, wonderfully spiced treats to have with your morning coffee. Of course the cream cheese filling is just the best and then there’s the crumble on top, which is also outstanding…

Mr Pumpkin you promised magic, and magic you delivered – where do we go from here?

Filling
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

Muffins
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons. ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
1¼ cups vegetable oil

Crumble
3 tablespoons toasted and chopped pecans (toast at 350 for 10 minutes)
½ cup sugar
5 tbsp. flour
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Filling
Combine the cream cheese and icing sugar and mix until smooth.  Transfer  to a piece of wax or parchment paper and shape into a log about 1½-inches in diameter.  Roll plastic wrap tightly around the log (already in the wax paper) and freeze for around 2 hours.

Muffins
Preheat the oven to 350f/176c.  Line muffin pans with paper liners.  Combine the flour, baking soda and spices.  In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil, mix until blended.  Mix through the dry ingredients until just combined.

Crumble
Combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon, add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a fork until the mixture is coarse and crumbly, add the pecans and mix loosely with a fork.

Assemby
Cut the cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces. Fill each muffin case with around 2 tablespoons of batter.  Place a slice of the cream cheese onto the batter in the muffin cases, followed by a spoonful from the remaining batter ensuring the cream cheese is covered completely.  Sprinkle each muffin with the crumble and bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Notes: I opted to make large muffins and I got 14 out of the quantities listed here. Aside from dividing the cream cheese into 14 segments there was nothing else to change, other than the cooking time which was 30 minutes.

Source: adapted from two different recipes on Food.com

Posted in Breakfast, Cakes, Vegetables | 3 Comments

Caramel Pecan ShortbreadPrint Recipe

Posted on November 9, 2010 by Michelle

It’s official – I am starting to warm up to Thanksgiving. Every food magazine is full of tips and tricks, sides and suggestions. To brine or not to brine – you name it, it’s in print and it’s been blogged about. I just have to join in, I cannot ignore it any longer.

I love Thanksgiving. It is the one occasion in America that absolutely everyone can celebrate, regardless of religion, race and any other thing that may be used to define a person and their background. On top of that  – it’s good for everyone to be thankful, right?

So onto this recipe. I am no pecan pie connoisseur, in fact I have never made one but this particular slice tastes incredibly similar. So I thought it might be a nice alternative to the traditonal pecan pie which is likely to take pride of place on your Thanksgiving dessert buffet.

It has a nice crisp shortbread base that balances out the most amazing, gooey caramel topping. The pecans add a really nice crunch and all together it is pure heaven. In fact, this slice is so good that it had Mr Man milling around the kitchen for a good couple of hours, knife in hand. Each time I looked up he was cutting himself a little extra sliver from the baking pan, and then a little more to even up the cut (Virgo!). Thank goodness I managed to take a few shots before he almost finished it off.

Thanksgiving or not  – you don’t need a reason to bake this. You might want to have a few people around though because before you know it, it will be all gone and you may have a little achey tummy to deal with.

base
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
170 grams/6 ounces cold unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
1/4 cup ice water
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

topping
170 grams/6 ounces salted butter
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
453 grams/1 pound pecan halves (toasted)

Preheat the oven to 176c/350f. Scatter the pecan halves onto a cookie sheet and bake for 5-8 minutes or until they just begin to get aromatic. Keep a close watch on them because they can burn very fast once they become fragrant.

In a food processor, pulse the flour with the sugar and salt. Add the cubed butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle on the ice water and vinegar and process until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Turn the crumbs out onto a sheet of wax paper and knead just until the dough comes together. Pat the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until slightly chilled, about 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190c/375f. Line the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch metal baking pan with parchment paper. Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of wax paper to a 9 x 13 inch rectangle (1/4 inch thick) and place it in the baking pan, push the dough a little up the sides so there is a slight rim. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Line the dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the dough is just set. Remove the parchment paper and weights and bake the crust for about 10 minutes longer, until lightly golden and set. Let cool.

In a large saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, honey and salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until foamy and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the cream and cook, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer inserted in the caramel registers 240° (soft ball stage), about 10 minutes longer.

Add the pecans and cook for 2 minutes longer. Pour the filling over the crust, spreading it evenly. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the crust is golden and the topping is bubbling. Let cool completely. Slide the parchment onto a cutting board. Cut into bars and serve.

Makes about 16 bars.

Notes: The rim on the base is to hold the caramel which may overflow a little.

Source: adapted from Food & Wine Magazine

Posted in Biscuits/Cookies/Slices/Bars, Desserts | Leave a comment

Florentine MushroomsPrint Recipe

Posted on November 8, 2010 by Michelle

Hey Ho, off to the markets we go!

There was a nice chill in the air this morning and a perfect blue sky. It called for a visit to one of the local weekend markets that is held in a nearby school yard. We encountered everything from jams through to hand knitted socks. And whilst Mr Man perused a chocolate stand I made my way over to the fresh fruit and vegetables. 

As has been the case in the last couple of weeks, the pumpkins and winter squash dominated the fresh produce, but just to the side of the orange masses I found some lovely portobello mushrooms. I was planning to have steaks for dinner so I thought these might be the perfect side.

And perfect they certainly were, I served them with a big grilled steak (seasoned and brushed with a little olive oil) and a handful of rocket leaves on the side. The flavours in the mushrooms complimented the meat in the nicest of ways, it was such a perfectly simple dinner.

I discovered this recipe years ago, in fact it became a staple for a series of barbecues I had one year and then I made a smaller version for a tapas night. There are thousands (literally) of stuffed mushrooms in recipe land but I have not been tempted to try them because this one is so good. So if mushrooms tickle your fancy (as they do mine), you must try these – I think you may be pleased.

6 large field (or portobello) mushrooms with stalks intact
60 grams/2.1 ounces proscuitto, chopped
1/4 cup of chopped flat leaf parsley
2 teaspoons of chopped sage
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup breadcrumbs from day old bread
1/4 cup od finely grated pecorino fresco (fresh pecorino)
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and extra for greasing
2 tablespoons of dry white wine
30 grams/1 ounce of butter, chopped into small pieces

Preheat oven to 200c/392f.

Wash and trim mushrooms. Remove stalks, chop into small pieces and place into bowl with proscuitto, sage, parsley, garlic, breadcrumbs and cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Grease a baking dish and place the mushrooms top side down with the mixture divided evenly between them. Drizzle with olive oil, white wine and small dots of butter. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.

Source: adapted from a recipe by Kathleen Gandy for Wine Magazine, May 2004

Posted in Sides, Vegetables | Leave a comment

Roasted Beetroot Salad with Blood Orange, Asparagus and Orange OilPrint Recipe

Posted on November 6, 2010 by Michelle

I have spent the last couple of weeks in New York skirting around the pumpkins. I will get there – certainly with my Bourbon Pumpkin Pie and maybe some Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins but for now I am holding on to the remnants of Summer – a Summer that I almost entered into in my vacation to Australia. 

In my mind Summer calls for salads and this one is from an excellent Australian Chef – Peter Doyle. He and his family ran a pletherer of markets and restaurants in Sydney – all around seafood, but generally anything they did was fantastic. He served this at one of his eating establishments, Cicada. I have only been there once and had an amazing dinner (that’s another funny story but I will save that one for later).

So, back to skirting pumpkins – there are alot of nice looking beetroots around, not to mention blood oranges. I remembered this salad that I made long ago and was quite pleased with it. I could say that its apt in Autumn because of its colours; the reds, the burnt oranges and if your lucky enough to get your hands on some yellow beets you will also have a nice amber colour too.

It is the Orange Oil that is the hero here – it dresses the vegetables and salad leaves with a wonderful and refreshing citrus flavour. So Autumn, Spring or Summer, it really doesn’t matter – this super healthy salad will tantalise those tastebuds and is very pretty to look at too.

Orange Oil
2 cups strained orange juice
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil

Salad
2 large beetroots or around 8 small (beets)
2 bulbs red whitlof (Belgian Endive) leaves separated, washed and dried
1 bunch frisee (curly endive) washed and dried
1 bunch mache leaves (or any other mild soft gourmet salad green)
2 blood oranges, peeled and sliced into rounds
24 green asparagus spears, peeled and blanched
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Walnut Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon walnut oil
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the orange oil, reduce the citrus juices over medium heat until syrup-like then cool to room temperature (mine reduced to around 1/2 a cup). Whisk in the grapeseed oil and reserve.

Meanwhile, roast the beetroot. Preheat the oven 350 degrees. Trim the stems of the beetroot, leaving 1/2 inch. Wrap the stems in foil and roast the beetroot in the oven for one hour for larger beets or around 1/2 for the smaller. Allow to cool, then peel and cut each large beetroot into 12 wedges. (I used the smaller beets and simply halved them)

To make the walnut vinaigrette, whisk together the walnut oil and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, toss the whitloff, frisee and mache leaves in the walnut vinaigrette and place in the center of the plate. Arrange the beetroot, blood orange, asparagus and pine nuts over the greens. Drizzle with orange oil and serve.

Source: adapted from Peter Doyle

Posted in Salads, Sides, Vegetarian | 1 Comment

Eton MessPrint Recipe

Posted on November 4, 2010 by Michelle

Every morning my daughters are up at the crack of dawn filled with excitement of the day to come. After their breakfast they head into their bedrooms to begin ‘getting dressed’. This is a very important part of their morning ritual and it is also very serious business. Eventually they will come out donning a concoction of clothes that should make them look like very badly (or madly) dressed little girls. There are skirts under dresses with jeans under the skirts, there are prints, plaids, florals in all the hues you can imagine from a dusty pinks to vibrant blues and vivid oranges, hats at skittish angles, brooches  pinned and scarves wrapped randomly – there are no rules.

The funny thing is that even though they should technically look so mismatched, they don’t. They look beautiful. Everything that is so haphazard and chaotic about their outfits somehow works and I see these two gorgeous little girls who take my breath away.

Now talking of jumbled – here we have a dessert or pudding that is equally so, and much like my daughters – just beautiful. It’s called the Eton Mess and it originates from Eton College, England, circa around 1930. It consists of meringue, strawberries and whipped cream  – so it’s very hard not to like. I can only wonder how a dessert like this came about but that is probably over thinking it considering it is basically a glorious mess of three very nice ingredients that taste luscious together and compliment each other so well.

I am tempted to take a leaf out of my daughters ‘how to dress’ book. To throw caution into the wind – along with my blacks and beiges. To wear an entire outfit that pops rather than just a scarf or a pair of shoes. So if you see spectacularly mad looking woman wandering through the streets of New York with two little girls in tow, give her a smile – there is a chance it could be me.

500 grams/1.1 pounds strawberries
Scraped seeds of ¼ vanilla bean
40 mls vodka
1 ½ tablespoons caster sugar
500 mls (2 cups) thickened cream
2 tablespoons white sugar

Meringue
6 egg whites
A pinch of salt
375 grams/13 ounces castor sugar
3 teaspoons cornflour
1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
few drops of vanilla extract

Meringue
Preheat over to 150C.

Beat egg whites & salt until satiny peaks form and then beat in sugar, a third at a time, until stiff and shiny. Sprinkle in corn flour, vinegar and vanilla and fold lightly. Spoon 6 equal mounds onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. They should roughly be the size of a large orange.

Place in the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 120c. Bake until hard on the outside and soft on the inside – around 30 – 40 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature and break into big chunks.

Strawberries
Puree half the strawberries in a blender, add the vanilla bean seeds, lemon rind and juice, vodka and caster sugar. Transfer to a bowl and add the remaining strawberries and refrigerate to allow flavours to combine – 1 – 2 hours.

Cream
Whisk the cream and white sugar in a bowl until soft peak form – around 4 to 5 minutes).

Assembly
So this is where the fun begins – assembling the Eton Mess. The best thing to know here is that you cannot mess it up. I opt for layers of crumbled meringue, cream and then berries, and I fold it a couple of times – just so it’s slightly combined. You can serve it in 6 individual bowls or 1 big bowl.

Source: Meringue adapted from Stephanie Alexanders Cooks Companion, Strawberry marinade from April Bloomfield, of The Spotted Pig and The Breslin in New York.

Notes: The Eton Mess is one dessert I am sure many people will want to add too, whether it be a different berry or perhaps icecream in addition to the cream. But whatever you do, do NOT skimp on the vodka – it brings out the flavour of the strawberries!

Posted in Desserts, Fruit | Leave a comment

White Chocolate Cupcakes with Cointreau Cream Cheese FrostingPrint Recipe

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Michelle

I have been longing to make these for ages and couldn’t wait any longer. With Ms Kitchenaide still in storage (sob) I purchased a wee hand held machine that is filling some very big shoes.

This particular recipe is one I have used for wedding cakes. I have been determined to try it as cupcakes for quite some time because I just love the flavours – something to keep me going between the weddings.

My first wedding cake was a comedy of errors, it was my brothers wedding so thankfully it had a happy ending. The recipe was incorrect, the day itself was pavement sizzling, scorchingly hot and everything was melting. The right flowers were scarce and the bride and the groom were scared (about the cake not their nuptuals).

Two hours before the wedding the almost finished cake was lopsided (gasp), but with a little more effort and a great support team (my aunt and sister in law) it all came together. A straight cake, shapes of cabbage leaves made out of white chocolate piled high on the top (don’t ask – the recipe was not only incorrect it was also totally obscure), an abundance of flowers cascading down the side and most importantly a bride and groom who could breath a sigh of relief (as could I).

Since then I have completely changed the recipe, made a few more wedding cakes and at one stage even thought about opening up a cupcake shop. Anyway, here I am tapping away on my computer, my little blog is up and running and I am having fun in my kitchen – with some mighty fine cupcakes by my side…

Cup Cakes
300 grams/10.5 ounces white chocolate
200 grams/7 ounces butter
250ml (1 cup) milk
165 grams/5.8 ounces (3/4 cup) caster sugar
2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
100 grams/3.5 ounces (2/3 cup) self-raising flour
150 grams/5.3 ounces (1 cup) all purpose/plain flour
1/4 cup of Cointreau (optional)

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius (145 degrees Celsius fan-forced).

Layout cupcake cases on a baking sheet, or place them into mini muffin tins (this is actually a lot better as it helps them retain their shape).

Place chocolate, butter, milk and sugar in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat when chocolate and butter have melted, and stir mixture until completely smooth. Allow mixture to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Add vanilla and eggs to chocolate mixture and stir until well combined.

Stir flours together in a large bowl. Add one cup of chocolate mixture to the flour and stir until a smooth paste forms. Repeat with another cup of the chocolate mixture and add remaining chocolate mixture and stir until mixture is smooth. This gradual method of combining the wet and dry ingredients helps prevent lumps.

Spoon mixture into cup cake cases. Note that these do not rise a lot so fill them to almost the top.

Bake for about 20 minutes to 1/ 2 hour depending on the size of the cupcake cases you use. If you insert a toothpick into the centre of the cupcake it should come out clean.

Allow it to cool to room temperature and brush lightly with cointreau before icing with the frosting.

Frosting
*Please use double quantities if you frost with a ‘star tip’*
136 grams/4.8 ounces white chocolate
2/3 cup icing sugar
227 grams/8 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons cream
2 tablespoons Cointreau (quite often I use 3)

Melt white chocolate over a double boiler, cool slightly and whisk through cream.

Place cream cheese in a mixer and beat until light and creamy. Add the icing sugar and beat for a further 2 minutes. Add the chocolate mixture slowly beating well after each addition. Add cointreau and beat for a further 1 minute.

Refrigerate 15 minutes prior to icing. (I used an icing bag with a large star tip although they look just as lovely if you slather it on with a small spatula). And remember, if you do decide to ice them using a star tip then double the icing quantity so you have heaps to play with.

This recipe should make 36 small cupcakes or around 24 medium sized cupcakes.

Notes: Add more or less cointreau should you so desire. If you would like a cointreau free frosting you could use vanilla extract although the result is a little on the sweet (almost sickenly) side. The cointreau seems to counteract that strong white chocolate taste.

The wedding cake I made for my dear friends Kim and Barrie:

Posted in Cakes, Chocolate, Morning Teas/High Teas | Leave a comment

Saltimbocca InvoltiniPrint Recipe

Posted on October 31, 2010 by Michelle

I don’t go out for a dinner a lot but when I do my favourite way of eating is tapas style – small tasty morsels laid out for me to nibble on while I enjoy a few glasses of wine. I find that eating this way is a lot more social. Of course tapas is a Spanish tradition but you can eat this way with any type of food, from Chinese through to Mexican. In fact I went one in New York this week called Graffiti that serves an inspiring selection of small plated international food in this manner – it was sensational.

I chose quite a meaty snack as my first tapas style recipe. Ordinarily I am more of a fig/goats cheese/prosciutto person or a stuffed mushroom kind of gal but these looked really good and I had a nice Sangiovese Cabernet that needed drinking.

They were also reminiscent of a fun period in my life when cheap and cheerful was a necessity rather than an option. My boyfriend and I would go to some wonderful places to eat (and drink) – Italian tapas style being one of them. We always went with the intentions of an early night but after a couple of glasses of wine he would turn to me with quite an ernest look and say ‘wot about another then? darlin’ (he was English you see) – I could never say no. Anyway, we always ordered quite meaty dishes (he loved his proscuitto) and usually ended up drinking a lot more than we should have. They were great times.

6 slices of prosciutto
6 thinly cut veal escalopes
12 sage leaves
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
100 mls of dry white wine
Optional mixed salad leaves to serve

Place veal on top of the prosciutto and position 2 sage leaves evenly on each. Roll up and cut into pieces, fastening with a toothpick.

Heat oil and butter is a fry pan over a medium heat and cook for around 3 – 4 minutes on each side. Add wine and cook for a further 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, spoon over a little of the wine/butter/oil sauce and serve warm (with the salad leaves if you like).

Notes: Once I added the wine I didn’t quite like the colour these little parcels took on (they seemed to lose their depth of colour) so I refried them without any oil – on a high heat just for 1 minute before I served them.

Source: Wine, October/November 2010

Posted in Meat, Nibbles & hors d'oeuvres, Starters | Leave a comment