Recipes

Pistachio & Lime Syrup Cake with Pomegranate Seeds

Ingredients

60g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
100g pistachios, finely ground
finely grated zest of 3 large limes
120g almond meal
250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
200g caster sugar
4 (60g) eggs, at room temperature
⅓ cup (80g) pomegranate seeds, to decorate, optional
softly whipped cream or thick Greek-style yoghurt, to serve

Pistachio and lime syrup topping
90g caster sugar
½ cup (125ml) fresh lime juice (from approximately 3 large limes), strained
90g pistachios, roughly chopped

Preheat your oven to 170°C. Butter a 22–24cm round cake tin, line the base with buttered baking paper then dust the tin with flour. (I use a torte tin that I’ve had for years to make this – it has slightly sloping sides and measures 24cm across the top and 22cm across the base.)
Tip the flour, baking powder, ground pistachios, lime zest and almond meal into a medium-sized bowl. Whisk them together with a balloon whisk for a minute or so, then set the bowl aside.
Put the butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer (or use a hand-held electric beater) and beat them on medium speed for about 4 minutes, stopping and scraping down the sides occasionally, until the mixture looks creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, allowing each egg to be absorbed before adding the next. (Don’t worry if the mixture looks a little curdled after adding the last egg – it will come together again when you add the dry ingredients.) Tip in the flour mixture and mix everything together on low speed just until it is combined – be careful not to over-mix it, or the cake may be a bit tough. Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
Bake the cake for 45–50 minutes, or until it springs back when lightly pressed in the centre and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer it to a wire rack and leave it to cool a little in the tin.
When the cake is lukewarm, make the syrup. To do this, put the sugar and lime juice into a small saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the chopped pistachios, increase the heat and bring the mixture to the boil.
Turn the cake out onto a serving plate and peel away the paper. Slowly spoon the hot pistachio and lime syrup evenly over the top, then leave the cake to cool completely. Just before serving, scatter it with pomegranate seeds, if using. Serve with softly whipped cream or yoghurt.

Courtesy of Bake Club

Decadent Cheesecake

COOK TIME 25 MINUTES (+CHILLING TIME)

SERVINGS 6 - 8

Base
1¼ cups shortbread biscuits, crushed
75g butter, melted

Filling
500g cream cheese, softened
¾ cup caster sugar
1 tsp grated lemon rind
2 tsp gelatine dissolved in ¼ cup boiling water, cooled
200g white chocolate, melted
1 cup cream, lightly whipped

Garnish
Fresh berries, for decoration
Icing sugar, for dusting

Method

Combine the biscuits and butter and press into the base of a lightly greased 22cm springform pan.

Beat the cream cheese, sugar and lemon rind with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in the gelatine mixture and fold in the melted white chocolate and cream.

Pour the filling into the prepared base. Refrigerate 3 hours or until set. Decorate with fresh berries and dust with icing sugar.

Raspberry and white chocolate tea cake

COOK TIME 1:10

SERVINGS 8

Ingredients

125g butter
1 cup caster sugar2 eggs225g self raising flour
1 cup vanilla yoghurt
180g white chocolate chopped
1 cup frozen raspberries, defrosted on a few sheets of paper towel

Method

Preheat oven to 170C fan forced. Grease a 20cm x 10cm rectangle loaf tin and line with baking paper.

Beat butter and caster sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat to combine. Add the flour and yogurt and beat at a low speed to combine. Increase speed to high and beat for 60 seconds. Spoon half of the mixture into the prepared tin. Scatter over half the chocolate and half the berries. Add the remaining cake mixture and smooth top. Scatter over the remaining raspberries and chocolate.

Bake for 65-70 minutes, leave to cool in the tin.

Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Courtesy of Australia's Best Recipes

Classic Chewy Chocolate Brownie

COOK TIME 35min

SERVINGS 16

Ingredients

125g Unsalted Butter, chopped

125g CADBURY Baking Dark Chocolate, chopped

3 eggs, lightly whisked

335g (1 1/2 cups) white sugar

115g (3/4 cup) plain flour

30g (1/4 cup) Dutch cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Method

Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan forced. Grease a 20cm (base measurement) square cake pan and line with baking paper.

Place butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the water).

Stir with a metal spoon until melted.

Remove from heat.

Quickly stir in egg, sugar, flour, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt until just combined.

Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out with moist crumbs clinging.

Set aside to cool completely.

Courtesy of Taste.com.au

Strawberry Ghosts

Ingredients

1 Punnet of Strawberries

250g white melting chocolate

30g milk or dark melting chocolate

Method

Wash your strawberries and place on paper towel to dry.

Line a baking tray with baking papaer.

Melt your chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in increments of 40 seconds.

Grab your strawberries by the stem and dip into the bowl, when you place down on the baking paper drag and drop the strawberries, so it makes a ghost trail. Repeat for all the strawberries. Put strawberries in the fridge to set.

Melt milk chocolate and place in a ziplock bag with a small cut in the corner. Pipe on the eyes and mouth and place in the fridge.

ENJOY!

Courtesy of Lil Luna

Homemade Mango Ice Cream

Ingredients

2 Large Mangoes

395g/14oz Sweetened Condensed Milk (1 can)

2 cups Thickened Cream/Heavy/Whipping Cream (col)

1/8 tsp Yellow Liquid Food Colouring (optional)

Method

Dice the flesh of the mango (see video for how I do it). Puree using a blender, food processor or stick blender then measure out 2 cups of mango puree (about 2 1/4 cups of diced mango)

Pour puree into a non stick skillet over medium low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 8 – 10 minutes or until it reduces by half. The test is when you can drag a wooden spoon across the skillet and the path remains there for a second (see video). Or measure out the puree to ensure it’s reduced to at least 1 cup – less is even better!

Cool puree.

Ice Cream

Combine cooled mango and condensed milk in a bowl. Add food colouring if using. Whisk until combined.

Beat cream with a hand held beater or stand mixer until stiff peaks form (see video).

Take a scoop of cream and put it in the mango mixture. Fold through until mostly combined – lumps is fine (this is just to lighten it up a bit).

Then pour the mango mixture into the cream. Fold through (see video) rather than mixing vigorously like you would cake batter, until lump free. This will take a few minutes.

Pour into a container (preferably with a lid). I recommend glass, if you can, or other non reactive container.

Place a piece of baking / parchment paper on the surface. Then place lid on or using cling wrap.

Freeze for 12+ hours.

Remove parchment paper. Stand for 5 minutes to soften slightly, then scoop and serve!

If frozen for 24 hours or longer, it will need a couple of extra minutes to soften to a scoop able consistency.

Courtesy of Recipe Tin Eats

Our Best Ever Gingerbread Men Recipe

COOK TIME 10 min

SERVINGS 20

Ingredients

Melted Butter, to grease

125g butter, at room temperature

100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar

125ml (1/2 cup) golden syrup

1 egg yolk

375g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour

1 tbsp ground ginger

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp Coles Bicarbonate Soda

1 egg white

Plain flour, to dust

150g (1 cup) pure icing sugar, sifted

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C fan forced. Brush 2 baking trays with melted butter to lightly grease.

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

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

Place the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out until about 4mm thick. Use a 9cm gingerbread man cutter to cut out shapes. Place on trays about 3cm apart. Repeat with any excess dough.

Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until brown. Remove from oven. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Place prepared icing in small plastic bag. Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag. Pipe icing over gingerbread men to decorate.

Courtesy of Taste.com.au