tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60193208809432398952024-02-07T13:05:50.689+11:00Swedie PieSwedish Australian food lover living in PerthUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-72180966214092241432016-05-09T21:12:00.000+10:002016-05-09T21:13:36.106+10:00Mojito Genoise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGU5L_IquCUsmF-NnUPPSpFPsbc-j5WBS2OxNwGOYXRH6AHgruYRIO2oHH2fvI3sqevZwVzBufChxLfCbRuYsVawIoDgVGoeJ5DCa8c1t09blJk94gYAge_ST45PqlU7AhEdM2ivE1rc4/s1600/mojito+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGU5L_IquCUsmF-NnUPPSpFPsbc-j5WBS2OxNwGOYXRH6AHgruYRIO2oHH2fvI3sqevZwVzBufChxLfCbRuYsVawIoDgVGoeJ5DCa8c1t09blJk94gYAge_ST45PqlU7AhEdM2ivE1rc4/s640/mojito+5.jpg" /></a></div>
I love a good Mojito, who doesn't? But I love cake even more. So when I saw Lorraine Pascale's recipe for Mojito Genoise Sponge... well. I just had to try it. Result? It looked exactly like in her cookbook <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com.au/9780007459865/">Baking Made Easy </a>. Tastewise I'll make a few changes next time. I didn't use all of the sugar syrup and it meant the cake was a bit dry. I was just worried it would be too sweet. I was wrong. <a href="http://www.lovefood.com/guide/recipes/11455/lorraine-pascales-mojito-genoise">Here's a link to the recipe.</a>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Xt11VLh1dxAOmqD9pTL8IBO0LGpc1m8kNCc-D4v3u2rEAzdjabuEF1aatfBIGEurLJe-UE-aUrEOJ8eA85U9RgRG6WahabOoT0m14IFv0UY8OC3wPbns7ZFwsZtEQ82o-0e6TDHyWT6S/s1600/mojito+sponge+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Xt11VLh1dxAOmqD9pTL8IBO0LGpc1m8kNCc-D4v3u2rEAzdjabuEF1aatfBIGEurLJe-UE-aUrEOJ8eA85U9RgRG6WahabOoT0m14IFv0UY8OC3wPbns7ZFwsZtEQ82o-0e6TDHyWT6S/s640/mojito+sponge+1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ36NrRq0pgl44wb9RYvsfnlgaEM-jeTYCazdSX8XfoAX3gfdOsucz_vf45eLll3_0Zh7uGEqH0r_qcNK9ZBluwLEUu-Up-_3qgVkaZA9i4LwohksD_Pjc95zSALsvmyztD2WdvcFzi1KO/s1600/mojito+sponge+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ36NrRq0pgl44wb9RYvsfnlgaEM-jeTYCazdSX8XfoAX3gfdOsucz_vf45eLll3_0Zh7uGEqH0r_qcNK9ZBluwLEUu-Up-_3qgVkaZA9i4LwohksD_Pjc95zSALsvmyztD2WdvcFzi1KO/s640/mojito+sponge+4.jpg" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-6248853353502682572013-01-06T06:40:00.002+11:002016-05-09T21:19:44.099+10:00Swedish Waffles<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8350898384/" title="vaffle3 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="vaffle3" height="334" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8333/8350898384_0cb9fe64b0.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Crisp, buttery and slightly savoury, Swedish waffles are delicious served with softly whipped cream and a dollop of homemade cloudberry jam. I tried making some when we were back in Sydney but I think I had a dud waffle maker as the batter separated and drizzled down the sides of the stove. Basically they were inedible.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">These however were amazing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
The best waffles are made with a cast iron waffle iron (like my mum's) that has to be sizzling. And don't forget to add lots of butter to the batter!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Simple Swedish Waffles</b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Makes 20 waffles or 10 double </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">100 g butter, melted </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 cup cold water </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">350 ml plain flour </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">200 ml milk
2 tsp baking powder </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Method:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> 1. Heat up your waffle iron well in advance so it is hot hot hot! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> 2. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> 3. With a whisk combine water, flour, milk and baking powder until smooth. Add the melted butter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> 4. Butter the waffle iron if needed. Use a 3/4 cup of batter for each waffle and pour mixture into hot waffle iron. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">NOTE: Don't forget to close the lid. Your waffles should be crisp and golden - this will take a couple of minutes. Remove them too fast and they won't be crisp. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5. Serve hungry friends as you make the waffles or alternatively stack them on a plate as you make them. But this means the bottom ones will become a bit soft. .</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">6. Waffles are best served with softly whipped cream and runny jam. Cloudberry or strawberry is best.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8349835997/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="vaffle1 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="vaffle1" height="309" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8090/8349835997_c8be385977.jpg" width="500" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://makeagif.com/w0cN4W" title="Waffles"><img alt="Waffles" src="https://i.makeagif.com/media/5-09-2016/w0cN4W.gif" /></a><br />
<div style="font-size: 11px;">
make <a href="http://makeagif.com/" title="make a gif">animated gifs</a> like this at MakeaGif</div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8349843743/" title="vaffle5 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="vaffle5" height="334" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8357/8349843743_b2f4227c4c.jpg" width="500" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-36469390149614616392013-01-06T01:39:00.000+11:002013-01-06T01:52:39.671+11:00Gingerbread greetings<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8301211001/" title="ginger5 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="ginger5" height="421" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8214/8301211001_3da4759649.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We made this just before Christmas and it's been gracing the windowsill in the kitchen throughout the holidays. I used a traditional Swedish recipe for gingerbread biscuits which is crisp and buttery with lots of Christmassy flavour. Recipe to come.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The baked gingerbread.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8301211183/" title="ginger1 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="ginger1" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8356/8301211183_5c30c3bb3d.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Decorated and ready for assembly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8301211087/" title="ginger2 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="ginger2" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8082/8301211087_3ec496e05a.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was easier than it looks.</span><br />
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<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8302263128/" title="ginger8 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="ginger8" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8221/8302263128_d80afff9ae.jpg" width="333" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-85759366087217012852012-12-24T11:21:00.001+11:002012-12-24T11:21:20.236+11:00Baby it's cold outside<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8302267238/" title="sweden1 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="sweden1" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8217/8302267238_4f26492f27.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Greetings from Sweden. It's been a chilly few days. Making the change from summer in sunny Sydney to wintery Lapland has been a bit harder than usual. Either I'm really a Sydneysider now or I'm getting weak. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8301214581/" title="sweden7 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="sweden7" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8491/8301214581_770683e9c5.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Anyway. Seeing as it was -34 again today I opted for a brisk walk while it was still light and then spent the rest of the day indoors with the fire going. Life has been quiet, which is good, and we've been playing a lot of board games.... and of course there's been some baking and cooking traditional Christmas foods. </span><br />
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<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8302267096/" title="sweden4 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="sweden4" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8084/8302267096_818f063bfc.jpg" width="333" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-56449048450631636582012-12-13T12:54:00.000+11:002012-12-13T21:56:27.479+11:00Review: Lorraine Pascale's Fast, Fresh and Easy Food<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8127437004/" title="lorraine 1 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="lorraine 1" height="462" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8469/8127437004_59627e3949.jpg" width="500" /></a> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This is Lorraine Pascale's third cookbook and although you'd think there wouldn't be much more to write with such a quick succession of books, you couldn't be more wrong. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This is even better than Baking Made Easy. The recipes are fun, colourful, look tasty and - best of all they actually are. She is the queen of baking and the dessert and baking recipes do not dissapoint either.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8127383545/" title="gingerbread pancake 2 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="gingerbread pancake 2" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8336/8127383545_04acb0c950.jpg" width="500" /></a> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Among many we trialled the incredibly tasty Gingerbread pancakes for breakfast and the utterly divine <a href="http://swedie-pie.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/vanilla-doorstop-cheesecake.html" target="_blank">Doorstop Vanilla cheesecake</a>.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8127391771/" title="doorstop vanilla cheesecke 2 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="doorstop vanilla cheesecke 2" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8052/8127391771_78ce68009a.jpg" width="500" /></a> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I can't wait to try the Watermelon Jello Shots this summer.</span> <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8127436750/" title="lorraine2 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="lorraine2" height="335" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8046/8127436750_c6637535cd.jpg" width="500" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-66065724905494078702012-12-12T08:15:00.000+11:002012-12-12T23:09:03.009+11:00Doorstop Vanilla Cheesecake<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8127391771/" title="doorstop vanilla cheesecke 2 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="doorstop vanilla cheesecke 2" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8052/8127391771_78ce68009a.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I love unbaked cheesecake and this recipe from Lorraine Pascale is my new favourite. It is incredibly dense and rich, but at the same time it is quite light and not too cloying. It also makes one massive cheesecake. I think it could definitely feed 20 people. The slices really are like a doorstop so smaller is better. Can't wait to play around with this recipe. It's begging to be made into a strawberry version.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">VANILLA DOORSTOP CHEESECAKE</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">75g butter<br />250g digestive biscuits<br />2 tbs light soft brown sugar<br />800g full fat Philadelphia cream cheese<br />1 lemon<br />1 vanilla pod (or vanilla essence)<br />800 ml fridge cold double cream<br />75g icing sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1. You will need a 23 cm springform that is at least 8 cm deep. Melt butter slowly. Place digestive biscuits in foodprocessor and blitz to smitherenss. Tip biscuit crumbs into butter and then press into the base of the springform tin. Place in the fridge to chill while you work on topping.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2. Put the cream cheese in a large bowl and finely grate zest over. Halve the vanilla pod, scrape out seeds and add them or vanilla extract too. Mix together well to loosen mixture slightly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3. Pour the double cream into a large bowl and sift in icing sugar. Whisk it, by hand to almost the same consistency as the cream cheese just a little looser.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4. Tip the cream into cream cheese mixture and mix everything gently with as few stirs as possible. Tip onto biscuit base and smooth the top with the back of a spoon or offset spatula.Or set in fridge for 4 hours.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">5. Cover with cling film and put in freezer for about 30 minutes until just set. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8127392071/" title="doorstop vanilla cheesecake by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="doorstop vanilla cheesecake" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8330/8127392071_a672bf2ccf.jpg" width="500" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-84671664395903196172012-12-11T10:36:00.001+11:002012-12-11T13:32:35.456+11:00Dreaming of a White Christmas<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8261805969/" title="DSC_0485 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0485" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8492/8261805969_3f494e71a2.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Every year I plan to make edible goodies to give as gifts for Christmas. And evey year as December comes around I find myself feeling royally buggered and not at all interested in spending time in the kitchen. With Christmas shopping, functions every weekend and trying to wrap things up at work before I leave for a holiday in Sweden... (yes Sweden!) let's just say I haven't been feeling it this year.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I had however promised a friend I'd make some treats for her party. Inspired by Lyndey Milan's fabulous White Rocky Road recipe I thought I'd whip up a quick batch before the party.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Although these took a bit longer to make than planned, they are utterly delicious.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">And since I'm heading off to a white Christmas in just a few days time, here's my take on White Chocolate Rocky Road.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>WHITE CHOCOLATE ROCKY ROAD</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">600g white chocolate, chopped</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">120g marshmallows chopped</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">420g rose flavoured Turkish delight, chopped coarsely</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup flaked coconut, toasted</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup (140g) shelled pistachios, lightly toasted</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup pomegranate flavoured, dried cranberries</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Silver cachous balls, to serve</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1. Place 20-30 cupcake wrappers of your choice on a tray or oven tray.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Toast coconut on the stovetop in a pan and then pistachios. Leave to cool on a plate. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3. Chop marshmallows and Turkish delight into smallish bits.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4. Combine marshmallows, Turkish delight, coconut, pistachios and cranberries in a large bowl. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">5. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave in 20-30 second burst stirring in-between.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">6. Pour white chocolate into the dry ingredients and stir quickly until evenly coated. Time is of the essence my friend, so don't be slow or it will start clumping together as it sets.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">7. Dollop 1-2 heaped tablespoons into each cupcake wrapper and decorate with silver cachous for a festive touch. These can also be dolloped straight onto baking paper if you like them smaller.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">8. Leave to cool in the fridge for a few hours. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8262867438/" title="DSC_0480 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0480" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8350/8262867438_55a2d9cd23.jpg" width="500" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-38708172749652001572012-11-06T13:58:00.000+11:002012-11-06T14:10:17.693+11:00Happy Melbourne Cup Day!<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8159911400/" title="cake2 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="cake2" height="357" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8058/8159911400_b3e324cd63.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Pressed for time I started on this baby after rushing home from uni last night. Now you might say that 9 'o clock at night is not the best time of the day to start a cake. You'd be right.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But I had promised my collegaues a cake for Melbourne Cup day and I hate breaking my promises.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The base for this cake is the Lavender cake I have made a gazillion times. But that didn't help. The base didn't seem right, the white chocolate mousse wouldn't set and even with some help from gelatine oozed out on the sides. Not to mention that I used too much white choc mousse on two layers and was left with only a smear on the last one. Sigh.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The one thing that did work was the fantastic Swiss Meringue Buttercream from Sweetapolita. Beautiful consistency and not too buttery. A new favourite!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Better photos and recipe to come soon. In the meantime, Happy Punting! </span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8159869730/" title="lavender white choc mousse cake by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="lavender white choc mousse cake" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7106/8159869730_3b1cbb6f30.jpg" width="440" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-84966562261435852402012-11-05T12:53:00.004+11:002012-11-05T12:56:17.930+11:00Review: Simple Pleasures - The Free Range Cook <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8127407955/" title="P1020019 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="P1020019" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8331/8127407955_d8925f9b27.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">She's New Zealand's leading celebrity chef, stars in her own cooking series and is a passionate advocate for using seasonal ingredients. Annabel Langbein is back with her 19th cookbook, Simple Pleasures: The Free Range Cook. It's another no fuss, entertaining type food book and at first glance it's lovely. Big mouthwatering pictures, easy read text and simple create at home recipes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">At this point I should mention that I own her previous book Annabel Langbein's Free Range in the City and can honestly say I have not cooked one thing from it. That's not to say I don't enjoy reading it and planning to make some of the recipes, which is what I do with a lot of my cookbooks because I have so many. This time however, for the purposes of this review I set out to cook a few recipes from Simple Pleasures. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">- Slow-roast Lamb with a Herb Crust</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">- Poached Chicken</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">- Butter Cookies</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8127437662/" title="anabel 2 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="anabel 2" height="379" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8193/8127437662_a9c0b02872.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Some thoughts:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The recipes are very simple, some very basic. Unfortunately the poached chicken I made was dry. That could be down to the quality of the chicken. As we all know there's free-range and then there's free-range. In other words depending on how much you spend on your free-range chook it varies. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The herb encrusted lamb I would not make again. I love lavender and this recipe includes it, but there was something about the flavour in the herb crust that did not sit right with me. It was too perfumey and oddly tasted a bit like I had draped the poor lamb in anchovies. Apart from that there was nothing actually wrong with my lamb. The potatoes that baked under the lamb were a ok, but again reminded me of one of my most hated dishes of all time Swedish Sjomansgryta were the potatoes are sliced and cooked in the meat broth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The butter biscuits though were not bad. I have a similar recipe that uses condensed milk so I know that using this particular ingredient in biscuits works a treat. A note though, even though I halved the recipe it still made one hell of a lot of bikkies, in my case Hazelnut and chocolate and Lavender. These would be great for bake sales.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm still debating whether or not to keep this book. Space is at a premium in my house so I might just take down the cookie recipe and give this book away. Any takers?</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8127416446/" title="lavender bikkies 2 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="lavender bikkies 2" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8475/8127416446_b96a2d42c3.jpg" width="500" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8127416706/" title="baked choco hazel bikkies 2 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="baked choco hazel bikkies 2" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8190/8127416706_50031a70fe.jpg" width="500" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-11999127842637017132012-10-27T22:58:00.000+11:002012-10-27T22:59:33.507+11:00Summing up the $35 Challenge<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8127295623/" title="Salad cheap by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="Salad cheap" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8336/8127295623_affe5afec9.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It’s been almost a week since the $35 Challenge finished.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />I never thought seven days would feel so long, but they did. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I didn’t cope too well. I was hungry a lot. And not because I actually was hungry. More a phantom feeling of can’t have what I want when I want it. It was embarrassing really. Imagine instead what it must be like having so little <em>all the time</em>. Day in, day out, always skimping, making the dollars go further. I can understand how desperate some people must feel. Sure, you would get used to having less. But there must be times when you just long for more.<br />
<br />Some thoughts about living on less:<br />
<br />
1. Planning. <br />
There is no “oops I forgot my lunch at home today, I’ll just get a takeaway sandwich”. You can never go anywhere without first planning your meals. Either you bring your lunch or snack with you or you go without. There’s also the planning and cooking of every single food you ever eat. No shortcuts.<br />
<br />
2. Cooking skills. <br />
Eating healthy food on a budget is probably easier if you know how to cook, and particularly if you’re creative. If you can whip up an omelette from leftovers or make a soup out of vegetable skerricks - all the better towards eeking out the food supply.<br />
<br />
3. Eating the same thing. <br />
If you cook in bulk or buy something on special you also eat it for a long time, which saves you money. Get used to eating a lot of leftovers and never throwing anything away…<br />
<br />
4. Planning and shopping wisely<br />Where you shop and what you eat will depend on three things. What’s in season (thus making it cheap), what’s on special, and where is it for sale at the lowest price?<br />
<br />
5. Eating out.<br />
Forget it. <br />
<br />
At the end of the week I had exhausted my carrot supply but still had some eggs and half a loaf of bread (which I have continued eating this week - it was frozen). I only had a wrap on one day as the corn wraps I had bought on special were incredibly dry and chewy. My boyfriend actually ate most of them. I still had leftover red cabbage. And I ate a lot of salad. A lot. Here's another glamour shot of a carrot, cabbage, celery variety.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8127295795/" title="salad cheap 1 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="salad cheap 1" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8195/8127295795_70c021496d.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Part of the Challenge stated that you could use food that was already in your pantry and fridge. I tried not to use this too much but the ingredients I used were these: margarine and oil, handful of cheese for pizza topping from a piece of old cheese that I had grated and frozen ages ago (a thrifty trick my mum taught me), capsicum half that had seen better days, half a bag of dried dates that I found hiding at the back of my pantry, few tablespoons of tomato sauce for pizza, SF flour for pizza and to make pancakes, 1 cup of lentils that I used in the Storecupboard soup. On Sunday night I had a frozen leftover meal (just to be clear, I didn’t eat it frozen) that had been in the freezer for a while.<br />
<br />
There. I feel guilty just writing it.
<br />
<br />Here's what I ate:<br />
<br />
Breakfasts:<br />Porridge with dates, 4 days<br />Scrambled eggs on toast 2 days<br />Pancakes with apples 1 day (using Jamie Oliver’s 1 egg recipe, oil for pan and last apple, peeled, cubed and cooked in a bit of water until mushy and jamlike)<br />
<br />
Lunches<br />Chicken wings with salad 2 days<br />Store cupboard soup 3 days<br />Wrap with veg 1 day<br />No lunch on Sunday as I had a late breakfast<br />
<br />
Dinners<br />Store cupboard soup 2 days<br />Omelette with salad 1 day<br />Pizza with picked meat from 3 chicken wings, bacon (from Bi-Lo Deli) and salad 1 day <br />Leftovers and salad 1 day<br />Chicken wings with salad 1 day<br />Baked potato with chicken wings and salad 1 day<br />
<br />
Snacks<br />Apples<br />Carrots</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Food for thought:<br />I’ve started to think twice before indulging and splashing out on food. <br />If I have food in the fridge I will eat it before I look for other options.<br />Inspired by the Challenge I did a shop and cooked ahead for the week on the day the Challenge finished so that I wouldn’t feel the need to eat out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Thank you very much to Lauren from <a href="http://www.corridorkitchen.com/" target="_blank">Corridor Kitchen</a> for an inspiring Challenge!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8127323890/" title="pizza by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="pizza" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8332/8127323890_f22544821f.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Homemade pizza</span></em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-65844590312703707592012-10-18T11:53:00.002+11:002012-10-18T13:57:17.753+11:00Day 4: When I cave in and buy a banana<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8098536870/" title="banana by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="banana" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8186/8098536870_d5c3961e44.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The psychology of not being able to buy whatever you want is interesting. I am not starving or hungry. I have eaten rather well for the past few days on the <a href="http://swedie-pie.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/it-looks-like-youre-going-on-diet.html" target="_blank">$35 Challenge</a> for Anti-Poverty Week. Last night for instance I feasted on a very nice baked potato with chicken meat (from two chicken wings from the freezer), salad and cheese. The other day I had scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast. I've been munching on crisp chilled apples as a snack.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But today I really wanted chocolate. Sugar. Anything bad for me. And that's when it happened. I used $1 of my precious funds to buy a banana. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Yes I know, that's ridiculous. I did say I wanted chocolate. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Now I have $2.30 going into the weekend. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-1497594634427507552012-10-15T23:35:00.006+11:002012-10-15T23:43:51.303+11:00Day 1 - Eating well<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8089984358/" title="vietnamese salad by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="vietnamese salad" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8464/8089984358_3e7225d779.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
After a horrendously late night followed by an early morning exercise session I was pretty much ready to eat a horse. I had <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">anticipated this would happen and had prepared myself the previous night. I cooked soup, made salad, baked</span> chicken wings and prepped my brekkie. I felt pretty pleased with myself afterwards if I do say so myself.<br />
<br />
Here's what I ate today:<br />
<br />
Breakfast <br />
Porridge with chopped dates and milk<br />
(before that banana)<br />
Snack<br />
Orange<br />
<br />
Lunch<br />
<a href="http://swedie-pie.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/budget-midweek-dinner-spicy-garlic.html" target="_blank">Spicy Garlicky Chicken Wings</a><br />
Vietnamese Salad<br />
<br />
Dinner <br />
Jamie Oliver's Storecupboard Soup<br />
<br />
<br />
I made an enormous batch of my favourite salad at the moment. It's from the Zest cookbook. I've omitted a few ingredients like the chili and chopped peanuts as it's lovely and fresh as it is. I never really make the dressing that goes with it either as it doesn't need it.<br />
<br />
Vietnamese Salad<br />
<br />
Serves 6-8<br />
<br />
2 cups finely shredded Chinese Cabbage<br />
2 lebanese cucumbers (I used 1 telegraph cucumber instead with the seeds scooped out as it only cost $1)<br />
1 small turnip<br />
1 carrot<br />
1 bunch mint, leaves picked<br />
1 bunch chives, cut into 2 cm slices (I used parsley as they didn't have hcives at the markets)<br />
<br />
Combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Distribute serves among plastic containers and pop in the fridge to use for the next 2-4 days.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8089983008/" title="vietnamese salad2 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="vietnamese salad2" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8055/8089983008_b80009814f.jpg" width="500" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-84428672424608859002012-10-15T01:23:00.003+11:002012-10-15T12:56:04.175+11:00Taking the $35 Challenge for poverty<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8086259156/" title="use for online by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="use for online" height="300" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8323/8086259156_4f2f568374.jpg" width="300" /></a> <br />
<br />
“It looks like you’re going on a diet.” <br />
<br />
“Hmm… this looks really, uhm, healthy…”<br />
<br />
The comments about my food plan for the week have all been along the same lines. But no, I’m not going on a diet. I’m taking a challenge. The $35 Challenge. It’s a great initiative run during Anti-Poverty Week, 14-20 October, by food blogger <a href="http://www.corridorkitchen.com/the-35-challenge/" target="_blank">Lauren Quinn from Corridor Kitchen</a> to bring awareness to poverty. Basically for week I will be living on $5 a day.<br />
<br />
Today I did the big shop, trying to stretch my dollars as far as they would go. Luckily I had to meet some friends near Paddy’s market so I stopped by for some fruit and veg and saved myself about $4 in total.<br />
<br />
So what did I buy?<br />
<br />
Veg: $15.15<br />
Pantry: $11.05<br />
Meat: $5.45<br />
Total: $31.70<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8086184393/" title="2012-08-24 15.45.27 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="2012-08-24 15.45.27" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8472/8086184393_f9f51886ac.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8086183248/" title="food challenge shop 2 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="food challenge shop 2" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8192/8086183248_0827ccd153.jpg" width="334" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/8086182043/" title="receipts by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="receipts" height="328" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8466/8086182043_623901ff2a.jpg" width="500" /></a> <br />
<br />
More on what I'll be eating soon! <script type="text/javascript">
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I love salads. They make a great dinner and an even better lunch. But growing up, salad as a main meal was only ever served in summer for lunch. I still remember how outraged my dad was one winter evening when I suggested we have tuna salad for dinner. "It's freezing outside, why would I want something cold for dinner"? In a way he's right. There's nothing cosy about having chilled greens when the temperature outside is -40. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As the weather warms up here in Australia I'm making more salads again. This Tuna and Bean Salad from Petrea King is quick, fresh and healthy and there's enough for the lunchbox the next day. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong><br /></span><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Tuna and Bean salad</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">serves 2</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">150 g green beans trimmed and halved</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup cooked cannellini beans</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/4 Spanish red onion, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">10 cherry tomatoes, halved</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">8 kalamata olives</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">180 g can tuna, drained</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 tbsp apple cider vinegar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 tsp dijon mustard</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Blanch the green beans in a saucepan of boiling water and refresh in cold water. Combine with the canellini beans, onion, tomatoes and olives and place on 2 plates. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Break the tuna into flakes and place on top of the salad. Whisk together the oil, vinegar and mustard and drizzle over the salad.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-53247054829483607372012-09-11T10:49:00.005+10:002012-10-10T18:37:23.652+11:00The Birthday Cake<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7970056276/" title="birthday cake 2 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="birthday cake 2" height="428" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8171/7970056276_79ebf36876_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Mr N is partial to anything with chocolate, and particularly Black Forest Cake. For his birthday this year I attempted (again) to bake him "the ultimate chocolate and cherry cake". It's been a six year process, but I think I might have finally cracked it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This Dark Chocolate Cherry cake is stunning. Yummy, densely chocolately and with a hint of cherries. It tastes even better the next day. I couldn't find any fresh cherries so I decorated with white choc dipped strawberries which I think worked really well. If there's one criticism... I might cut back on the cinnamon next time as it was a bit too strong. And the base is very delicate. I cut the bottom layer too thin meaning breakage. That said, nothing a bit of ganache won't fix!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7970055536/" title="birthday cake 3 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="birthday cake 3" height="428" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8317/7970055536_66ef092378_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Recipe from Swedish cooking magazine Allt om Mat:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Dark Chocolate Cake with Cherries</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">175 g butter, softened<br />300 ml sugar<br />4 eggs<br />200 ml full fat milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">200 ml plain flour<br />100 ml cocoa powder<br />2 tsp ground cinnamon<br />1 1/2 tsp baking powder<br />1 tsp vanilla sugar</span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Chocolate filling</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">400 g dark chocolate (70%)<br />250 g butter<br />100 ml icing sugar<br />200 ml cherry jam</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Method:</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1. Turn the oven to 175 degrees. Using a 24 cm springform attach baking paper to bottom, butter sides. <br /><br />2. Beat sugar and butter until fluffy. Separate eggs and put eggwhites in separate bowl. Add egg yolks one at a time to butter and sugar mixtures and then milk. In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients then add to batter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">3. Whip eggwhites until stiff peaks form. Fold carefully into batter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">4. Pour into prepared tin. Bake in lower part of oven for 50 minutes. Let cake cool in pan.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong><br />Filling:</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1. Melt chocolate and butter in a saucepan. Sift icing sugar into mixture and stir until dissolved. Put aside 300 ml of filling to ice the cake. Let cool to room temperature.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2. Cut cake in three. Spread chocolate filling on one cake. Put second cake on top and spread with cherry jam. Put third cake on top and pour the preserved icing on top and onto sides.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">3. Decorate with cherries or chocolate dipped strawberries.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">4. Chill the cake for at least 30 minutes. Let it stand in room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7970056860/" title="birthday 1 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="birthday 1" height="428" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8180/7970056860_51582e2d3a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-42385424772996466702012-09-10T17:46:00.000+10:002012-10-18T14:00:20.139+11:00It's spring time let's Tosca<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7219853204/" title="toscakaka sliver by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="toscakaka sliver" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7085/7219853204_5947cae4de_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Looking through my photos just lately I seem to have been baking a lot. So maybe it's time I shared some recipes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It's spring time in the southern hemisphere and this Swedish classic Tosca cake is lovely with a coffee in the sunshine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">This is a buttery sponge with a nutty caramel topping. What's not to like! I used a recipe from Swedish food magazine but doubled the topping as it was a bit on the stingy side. </span><br />
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<strong>To the recipe</strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Tosca Cake</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br />125 g butter<br />200 ml sugar<br />3 eggs<br />300 ml plain flour<br />1 tsp baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">3 tbsp milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Topping</strong><br />150 g butter<br />6tbsp sugar<br />2 tbsp plain flour<br />2 tbsp milk<br />100 g slivered almonds</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Method:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1. Turn the oven on - 175 degrees celsius. Butter a 22-24 cm spring form tin and dust with breadcrumbs or use baking paper on botton and sides. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2. With an electric beater cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Combine flour and baking powder in a separate bowl and then fold into mixture until combined.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">3. Pour batter into prepared tin and bake in lower part of the oven for 25 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">4. meanwhile combine ingredients for topping in a saucepan over low heat and once it starts bubbling let simmer for 1 minute. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">5. After 25 minutes remove the cake from the oven and distribute topping onto cake. Return to the oven, this time on a shelf a bit further up and bake for another 10-15 minutes until topping is golden and cake is cooked through. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7504705264/" title="toscakaka by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="toscakaka" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8283/7504705264_d3cdd275f1_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-31441564665983517572012-06-26T13:02:00.003+10:002012-06-26T13:02:28.152+10:00Celebrating today<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7445084382/" title="cake by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="cake" height="426" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7248/7445084382_c5a1726d3b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />My lovely colleagues put on a beautiful morning tea for my birthday. Wasn't too bad after all being at work today. The Pavlova was absolutely delicious!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-41963853972187337732012-06-18T23:05:00.001+10:002012-10-18T14:50:47.355+11:00On Capital Hill<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7393661274/" title="Parliament house by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="Parliament house " height="454" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7220/7393661274_a456f49ce0_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Why the hell would you go to Canberra for a romantic weekend?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Yes, my colleague does have a point. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Why would you want to spend a cozy weekend in our nation's capital? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Why not I say! Here are some of my top reasons:<br /><br />- It's quiet.<br /><br />- The air smells good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">- You can rent a segway. Wiiiii!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">- There's hardly any traffic.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">- There are lots of museums.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">- They have Koko Black. I repeat they have Koko Black. End of discussion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">- You can actually spot a real Australian bird or two. And no offense to the imposter Sydneysider the Indian Myna bird, I saw a hawk, huge green parrots (Swift Parrots methinks), Cockatoos and Galah's. I haven´t seen that much colour since I left Perth, it was doing my head in!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">- Oh, and I forgot to mention that the drive is straight down the highway from Sydney. Easy as.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Rhubarb and strawberry pancakes at Urban Food:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7393638968/" title="pancakes by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="pancakes" height="480" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7220/7393638968_deecd43dec_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hot chocolate at Koko Black:</span> <br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/4859874674/" title="Canberra Coco Black 3 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="Canberra Coco Black 3" height="427" src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4141/4859874674_b492b6d556_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />Goodies from the Old Bus Depot undercover markets:</span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7393651200/" title="jams2 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="jams2" height="348" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8153/7393651200_d229c9aef2_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7393667606/" title="Shortbread by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="Shortbread" height="428" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5032/7393667606_07134e33c1_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-55070916267460499072012-06-05T00:51:00.005+10:002013-10-15T10:59:11.487+11:00Classic Swedish Cinnamon Buns<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7286467638/" title="bullar by Eddwina, on Flickr"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img alt="bullar" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7239/7286467638_1098cc5209_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It's the most popular and well known variety of Swedish baked goods, and I've been meaning to write about them for a while now. But whether I make these or not always depends on two things. Time... and fresh yeast. A few days ago I found myself with both so here goes. Lets talk about Cinnamon Buns.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You may have had some some kind of Australian sweet bun with icing (and more often than not sultanas). You've probably heard of or had American sticky cinnamon buns. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Swedish Cinnamon Buns my friends are none of these.They're no nonsense, soft sweet bread buns that have been filled with butter, sugar and cinnamon, often topped with pearl sugar. Of course you can use other fillings, but I´m talking the classic version here.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The buns are usually presented in scrolls, knots or vega style. Today I present you with the knotted version.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you can't get your mitts on fresh yeast don't ask me how to subsitute it, because I really don't know.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here's how you make them:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Classic Swedish Cinnamon Buns</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong><br />Makes 48</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">130 g butter (salted or unsalted doesn't matter)<br />500 ml milk<br />50 g fresh yeast<br />1/2 - 1 tsp salt<br />100 ml sugar<br />2tsp cardamom seeds, ground in mortar and pestle<br />About 875 g plain flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Fillling</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">100 g butter, softened<br />75 ml sugar<br />2 tbsp good quality strong cinnamon (cassia)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1. Melt butter in a saucepan on the stove. Add milk and warm until luke warm (37 degrees). You'll know it's lukewarm if you dip your little finger into the mixture and it is the same temperature as your finger.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2. In a bowl crumble the yeast and add the milk and butter mixture. Stir until dissolved with a wooden spoon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3. Add sugar, salt, cardamom and almost all of the flour. Add the flour bit by bit until the dough is plyable but not overworked. Save some flour for later.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4. Let the dough rest in the bowl under a clean towel (away from drafts and aircon) for 30 minutes until doubled in size. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">5. Turn the oven (conventional) to 225-250 degrees celsius. Mix softened butter, cinnamon and sugar to a paste.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />6. Sprinkle some of the flour on a clean table or baking table. Knead the dough very gently and then divide in 2. <br />
</span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">7. Using a rolling pin, lightly shape the dough into two 25x50 cm slabs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">8. Spread half the filling over one half of a slab and then repeat with the other slab.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7286457178/" title="kanel pa bulle by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="kanel pa bulle" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7218/7286457178_a973751dee_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">9. Fold each slab together.</span> </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7286458908/" title="bullhalva by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="bullhalva" height="428" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8005/7286458908_d808d08274_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">10. Cut your two slabs into into 2cm strips. Twist each strip.</span><br />
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<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7286460686/" title="bulle twisted by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="bulle twisted" height="428" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8151/7286460686_c2ed62f705_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">11. Make each strip into a knot and place on a large baking sheet covered with baking paper. Leave the buns to leaven under a clean cloth for 30 minutes.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7286462578/" title="bullar plat 3use by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="bullar plat 3use" height="428" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8155/7286462578_96e60d3859_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">12. Lightly whisk 1 egg and baste each bun with eggwash. Sprinkle pearl sugar on top of each bun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">13. Bake for 5-8 minutes in the middle of the oven.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">14. Let cool under dry clean teatowels. Don't leave them out for too long! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">15. Enjoy with a glass of milk. Best eaten within a day of making or freeze as soon as buns have cooled.</span> </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7286466052/" title="bullar och mjölk by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="bullar och mjölk" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7094/7286466052_08dee66bb9_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-40355004010266080222012-06-04T23:45:00.000+10:002012-10-18T14:26:35.240+11:00The case of the Cinnamon imposter<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7312882656/" title="herb2 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="herb2" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7071/7312882656_1c9f74a89d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Do you know the difference between Cinnamon and Cassia"?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The question from the shop assistant takes me a bit by surprise. It shakes me out of my reverie amongst the spice shelves at Herbies in Rozelle, the one stop shop for all things spicy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Eh... Yes", I mutter, wanting to add a droll "doh". </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Of course I know the difference between Cassia and Cinnamon. I'm pretty sure Cassia is like a Cinnamon imposter. A fake, less fragrant stepsister of Cinnamon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">How wrong I am.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I soon find out that in Europe most Cinnamon sold is actually Cassia. In Sweden Mexican and Indian cinnamon is also common. It's no wonder it's confusing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Swedish journo <a href="http://taffel.se/artiklar/julkryddan-kanel-barnsligt-gott" target="_blank">Lisa Förare Winbladh</a> writes that there are about 50 cinnamon related species of trees in the world but only one true type cinnamon - Ceylon Cinnamon. Discovered by the Dutch in Sri Lanka it is very delicate and mild. I sniff it at Herbies and to me the fancy cinnamon is the one that smells like the imposter. Delicate indeed. More like barely smells like anything at all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">At Herbies they tell me that it's not really suitable for baking and can be ruined by cooking. I later find out it is best suited in desserts or perchance with an apple compote.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lisa Förare Winbladh writes that what we actually know and love as Cinnamon is almost always the stronger, more robust Cassia or other cinnamon varieties. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Growing up in Sweden I have fond memories of this lovely spice. Sprinkled over rice porridge for Christmas, in gingerbread, cakes and last but not least the Swedish Classic Cinnamon Buns.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I leave Herbies with a bag of Bakers Cassia and some high quality Cardamom seeds. When I try the cinnamon out a bit later I conclude that it's some of the best "Cinnamon" aka Cassia I've ever used.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> If you're a fan of this subtle and comforting spice I highly recommend Lisa Förare Winblad's article about cinnamon and cassia . You can read it in Swedish on her </span><a href="http://taffel.se/artiklar/julkryddan-kanel-barnsligt-gott" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">blog</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7312884494/" title="herb4 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="herb4" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7223/7312884494_3fb596bc89_z.jpg" width="428" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-61645349283536878532012-05-30T22:45:00.002+10:002012-05-30T22:45:49.419+10:00A Zakka for tea<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7301389822/" title="teaapot by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="teaapot" height="419" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7078/7301389822_c9c1db3543_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">t´s been about four years since I broke our teapot and promised I´d buy a new one. Well, not being one to beat around the bush I finally decided it was time. Truth be told I was just too overwhelmed by the choice of teapots in shops these days, and most of all I wanted it to be the right tea making vessel for me because I´m so darn picky. When I spotted this cheap and cheerful pot at There Zakka in Haymarket I knew it was the one. At least for now. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7301393038/" title="teapot closeup by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="teapot closeup" height="428" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8143/7301393038_8747a501d2_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-59235899541537686512012-05-28T23:29:00.000+10:002012-10-18T14:01:07.302+11:00Euphoria Chocolate Cake<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7286455498/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Kladdkaka by Eddwina, on Flickr"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img alt="Kladdkaka" height="411" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7104/7286455498_cc168889c7_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It´s for when you have unexpected guests. When you´re feeling out of sorts and need cheering up. To share with friends in front of bad television. Or for any day when you just need chocolate. Meet Kladdkaka aka Gooey Swedish Chocolate Cake.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I´m not quite sure when or how this type of cake became so popular in Sweden, but it is. Kladdkaka is an incredibly effortless cake that hardly needs any work at all. Anyone can make this cake. The only problem you´ll encounter is if you overcook it. Because the point of this cake is that it´s supposed to be gooey and like chocolate truffle. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This cake has many variations and recipes, but the basics are eggs, chocolate (dark cocoa powder or the real stuff), eggs and sugar.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here´s my Eurovision version served with whipped chocolate cream.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Gooey Chocolate Truffle Cake</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">160 g dark chocolate</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">150 g butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">200 ml sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">200 ml self raising flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1. Butter and flour a 20 cm springform tin. Use a piece of baking paper on the bottom of the tin.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2. Melt chocolate. You know how.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3. Barely whisk eggs and sugar and fold in chocolate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4. Fold in flour and mix gently until combined.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">5. Pour into prepared tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes. It will still be wobbly but it will set.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">6. Let cool on bench and then in fridge for a good few hours before serving</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Whipped Chocolate Cream</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">200 ml pouring cream</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 tbs sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 tbs dark cocoa powder</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1. Whip all ingredients together until cream is soft and billowy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2. Dollop cream on top of the cake. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3. Enjoy the cake cold from the fridge or at room temperature. I personally prefer my cake straight from the fridge, cold and truffle like!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-75443743609796572482012-05-20T13:38:00.003+10:002012-05-30T21:53:43.007+10:00Swedish Walpurgis in Balmain<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7230971332/" title="valborg5 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="valborg5" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8151/7230971332_9beb4d5925_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I almost forgot to tell you about the Walpurgis celebration I went to the other week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In Northern Europe Walpurgis is a spring festival that is usually celebrated on 30th April. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Swedes usually gather around large bonfires and there´s a bit of cheerful singing involved. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I attended the Swedish Women in Sydney celebration in Balmain at Antique Floors. It was a gorgeous night, the snaps was flowing and caterers <a href="http://www.twoswedescooking.com.au/" target="_blank">Two Swedes Cooking</a> put on a fantastic feast. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7230973508/" title="valborg kräftsoppa 2 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="valborg kräftsoppa 2" height="427" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5462/7230973508_95b2d2a94f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There was gravlax with cloudberry creme fraiche sauce, shots of creamy Crayfish soup, Mustard pickled Herring, Lingonberry pickled Herring, walnut and fig stuffed fillet of pork, Gratin of Swedish Pancakes filled with a fetta and spinach filling, brie with tomato marmalade, oven baked apples with Tosca tooping and chocolate cake.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7230971630/" title="valborg brietårta med tomatmarmelad by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="valborg brietårta med tomatmarmelad" height="427" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7221/7230971630_6253db5305_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-5538491970126282732012-05-20T13:22:00.000+10:002012-05-30T21:53:04.182+10:00Pumpkin, Sweet Potato and Carrot Bake<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7219866176/" title="rotfruktsgratang3 by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="rotfruktsgratang3" height="427" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7238/7219866176_afa67c342a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I love a potato bake but decided to try something different. I had pumpkin, sweet potato and carrots in abundance so a take on potato bake was in order. This is a tasty autumn side dish that goes well with pork and chicken. Add some potato if you want a version that´s less sweet. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You can also make a lighter version by using either half cream and milk or Philadelphia Cream for Cooking with up to 60% less fat mixed with milk to a runny consistency. I used the latter when making this bake for my grandmother who has diabetes and she loved it.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Pumpkin, Sweet Potato and Carrot Bake</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Ingredients:</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 Sweet Potato<br />3 Carrots<br />1/4 Pumpkin (about 1 kilo)<br />1 onion<br />Pouring (single) cream 300 ml (you can use half milk if you want)<br />Grated cheese, large handful<br />1.5 tsp Salt </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Pepper</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Method:</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Slice vegetables thinly in food processor. Butter a large gratin dish. Layer root vegetables, cheese and cream, making sure to salt inbetween. Bake in lower part of oven for 225 degrees celsius oven for 30-45 minutes until vegetables are cooked through and the bake has browned.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6019320880943239895.post-61197589223091150702012-05-18T17:02:00.001+10:002012-05-30T21:54:00.649+10:00Magimix Love<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddwina/7219862054/" title="rotfruktsgratang by Eddwina, on Flickr"><img alt="rotfruktsgratang" height="427" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7221/7219862054_49cb89ec03_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Everyone always goes on about Kicthen Aid mixers and how wonderful they are. But for me, the creme de la creme of kitchen appliances is this: a Magimix food processor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">For the last 6 years, every time I´ve walked past the Magimix stand at DJ´s I´ve gone all googly eyed. Their food processors are horrendously expensive, but sturdy as all hell and come with a gazillion attachments. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Then on Christmas day last year I got the best present ever. A brand new, shiny white 4200XL Magimix.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Needless to say I love it. It´s handy for everything. Pie crust, meatballs, making almond and hazelnut meal, cakes, biscuits, vegies. You name it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So today as I was preparing dinner, slicing and dicing a truckload of pumpkin, sweet potato and carrot into perfect translucent slivers in no time at all, I was smiling the whole time. A smug content smile. A smile of someone who´s finally got their Rolls Royce of appliances. And I´m not afraid to use it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Just out out curiosity though. What´s your favourite kitchen appliance?</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0