Thursday 28 June 2012

Gozleme

Yum Yum.  Gozleme.  Time to get back to some rustic cooking.

 

Cooking Time

30 minutes

Ingredients (serves 6)

  • 600g (4 cups) plain flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 410ml (12/3 cups) warm water
  • 125ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
  • 250g feta, finely grated
  • 100g fresh ricotta, crumbled
  • 4 shallots, trimmed, finely chopped
  • 6 cups (1 bunch) finely shredded silverbeet leaves

Method

  1. Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add water and 2 tablespoons of oil. Mix until a dough comes together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Cover and set aside overnight to rest.
  2. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Roll out 1 portion on a lightly floured surface to a 45 x 20cm rectangle.
  3. Combine feta, ricotta, shallot and silverbeet in a bowl. Top one half of the dough with one-sixth of the feta mixture, leaving a 3cm border. Fold in half to enclose the filling. Use a rolling pin to seal the edges. Repeat with remaining dough and feta mixture.
  4. Preheat a barbecue flat plate on medium-low. Drizzle over a little remaining oil. Cook 2-3 gözleme, drizzling over a little remaining oil, for 5 minutes each side or until golden. Repeat, in 2 more batches, with the remaining gözleme and oil. Cut into slices.


Wednesday 27 June 2012

Cup cake turned into butterflies

Ingredients

  • 200g unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
  • 1/2 cup milk

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced oven. Line muffin or mini-muffin pans with paper cases.
  2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, vanilla and sugar in a small bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition (mixture will separate at this stage). Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir in half the flour. Stir in half the milk. Repeat with remaining flour and milk until combined.
  3. For 1/3 cup-capacity muffin pans use 2 level tablespoons of mixture. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes. Alternatively, for 1 tablespoon-capacity mini muffin pans use 1 tablespoon mixture. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
  4. Stand cakes in pans for 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
      
    Once your cup cakes have cooled

    • 1 cup raspberry jam
    • 300ml thickened cream, whipped
    • icing sugar mixture, to decorate
    • Using a sharp knife, cut a 2cm-deep x 3cm-wide piece from top of each cake. Cut tops in half. Spoon 2 teaspoons jam into each hole. Spoon cream over jam. Arrange cake tops over cream to form wings. Dust with icing sugar. Serve.


     

Cumquat Marmalade

 

Ingredients

  1. 2 cups kumquats, sliced ( some seeds removed)
  2. 4 cups water
  3. 1 1/2 cups sugar

 Directions

  1. Slice the kumquats and put them in the water (in a pan that can be used on the stovetop). Let this stand overnight.
  2. The next day, put the pan on the stovetop and boil the fruit until it is tender. Then pour the fruit mixture into a bowl and let stand for another night.
  3. On the third day, transfer the fruit/water mixture to a cooking pot and add 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Add brandy if used. Boil this mixture until it jells (about 45 minutes).
  4. Pour into warm, sterilised jars and seal.

Thursday 21 June 2012

NUTELLA COOKIES


The main ingredient is Nutella but there’s only 3 more ingredients in this recipe for a simple chocolate cookie.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Nutella
  • ½ cups Sugar
  • 1 cup All-purpose Flour
  • 1 whole Egg 
METHOD
  • Preheat oven to 350 F OR175C
    Blend all ingedients together well. Form into 1″ balls. Place on a cookie sheet. Press down firmly with the bottom of a glass. Bake 7-8 minutes or until set. Cool.


JAM TARTS

Ingredients

  • 110g plain flour
  • 50g unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
  • 1 cup jam
  • Icing sugar, to dust
  •  
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Sift flour into a bowl and add a pinch of salt. Use your fingers to rub in butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 1 tablespoon of very cold water and use a fork to mix together, then add a little more chilled water until the mixture forms a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out on a lightly floured surface and use a round pastry cutter to cut out 6 circles. Use a small, heart-shaped cutter to cut 6 hearts from the excess pastry.
  2. Grease six 6cm loose-bottomed, fluted tart pans. Use the circles to line the pans, then refrigerate for a further 10 minutes. Line the pastry shells with baking paper and fill with rice or pastry weights. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and weights, fill the tarts with jam and place a pastry heart in the centre of each tart. Bake for a further 8 minutes. Allow to cool before dusting with icing sugar.


RED VELVET CUP CAKES

 Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1  bottle Red Food Color
  • 2 teaspoons  Pure Vanilla Extract

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:
  • 1 (8 ounce) / 280 grams package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 2 teaspoons  Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 16 ounces / 450grams caster sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F OR 180 C. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
  2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Do not overbeat. Spoon batter into 30 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.
  3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely. Frost with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting.
  4. Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat cream cheese, softened, butter, sour cream and Pure Vanilla Extract in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in  sugar until smooth. 

 

Strawberry Jelly Roll or a Strawberry Roulade


Prep Time: 6 hours, 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 6 hours, 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla, divided
  • 1 cup sugar, divided
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 3 plus cups caster sugar
  • milk, optional
  • 1/3 cup strawberry jam (the kind without whole berries in it)

Preparation:

Early in the day, or the day before serving, preheat oven to 375 degrees F or 190 C. Grease jelly roll pan (15x10x1-inch). Line with parchment paper and grease again. Spread clean dish towel on work surface. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Set out a wire cooling rack.

With a wire whisk, combine flour and baking powder. Set aside. Separate eggs. Set whites aside. With an electric or stand mixer, beat yolks with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla on high for 5 minutes until thick. Add 1/2 cup sugar gradually until combined. In a clean and very dry bowl and beaters, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Carefully, fold (using figure eight motion) yolk mixture into whites. Sprinkle flour mixture on top. Fold until just combined. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. It's done when center bounces back when touched. Loosen sides of cake from pan. Carefully, dump cake onto prepared dish towel. Quickly, trim any rough or uneven edges. Tightly, but carefully, roll cake and towel from short end. Place on rack to cool.

To prepare frosting, sift* powdered sugar. Cream butter and powdered sugar. Beat on high until smooth. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Combine. If too thick, add milk a tablespoon at a time.

To finish Strawberry Jelly Roll Cake, stir strawberry jam well. Unroll and remove dish towel. Spread jam on cake. Spread frosting over jam. Re-roll cake and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Strawberry Jelly Roll Cake serves 6 to 10 people.

RASPBERRY BAR COOKIES

Here's a scrumptious recipe 

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup raspberry jam, seedless

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F or 180 C. Grease 8-inch square pan, set aside.
  2.  In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk. 
  3. Add rest of ingredients except jam. 
  4. Stir until large crumbs form.
  5.  Press 2 cups of mixture into prepared pan. 
  6. Spread jam to 1/4 inch of pan sides. 
  7. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over top. 
  8. Lightly press crumbs into jam. 
  9. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until brown around edges. 
  10. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. 

Servings 16 to 25 depending on size of bars cut.

CHERRY STRUDEL


There are many varieties of strudel in the Balkans, ranging from poppyseed, raisin and honey, to sweet cheese, apple and cherry. Unlike some strudel doughs, this Bulgarian cherry strudel or chereshata shtrudel is not made with yeast. It is rolled out thinly to produce a flaky crust rather than a puffy one.

Makes 10 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • Dough:
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 10 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • .
  • Filling:
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 pounds Bing cherries, washed, stemmed and pitted
  • 3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs

Preparation:

  1. In a large bowl, combine flour, egg, 1/2 cup melted butter and water. Mix into a smooth, pliable dough. Wrap with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.

  2. Place rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 200 C degrees. In a large bowl, combine walnuts, sugar, cherries and breadcrumbs. Reserve.

  3. Place a  sheet of parchment paper (or tea towel) on a flat surface. Dust it lightly with flour. Roll the dough as thinly as possible until it covers the entire parchment paper (and, in the case of a tea towel, until you can see the design on the cloth through it).

  4. Lightly brush the edges of dough with water. Spread the cherry filling on the dough, leaving a 1-inch unfilled border on all sides.

  5. Using the parchment paper or tea towel to lift the dough, fold the sides in first, then the bottom. Continue rolling away from yourself until you have a nice cylinder.

  6. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, shape into a horsehoe and brush with remaining melted butter. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Dust strudel with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Recipe for Semolina Pudding with Apricot Compote

While this dessert is made without sucrose, it does have fruit sugar and Stevia, a sweetener made from plants. You can easily substitute sugar for the Stevia. Start with 3 tablespoons sugar and add more if it is not sweet enough.
This pudding recipe makes enough for 2 - 3 people.
This recipe needs to chill for at least 1 hour, in addition to prep time.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 c. milk
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 c. semolina, farina or brown rice hot cereal, uncooked
  • 1 tsp. orange zest
  • 2 T. orange juice concentrate
  • 2 packet of powdered Stevia sweetener, or to taste, divided
  • 2 T. cream
  • 8 oz. raw, ripe apricots, about 8 small
  • 1 small cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • Ground cinnamon (optional)
  • Powdered sugar (optional)

Preparation:

Bring the milk and the salt to boil in a small pan. While stirring, add the cereal in a slow stream. Reduce heat and stir for 5 minutes as cereal thickens.

Remove from heat, add orange juice, zest, 1 packet of Stevia (or 1/2 tsp. Stevia extract) and cream. Stir until combined.

Line a two cup casserole dish with plastic wrap. Pour pudding into dish, smooth top and refrigerate for an hour.

Meanwhile, wash and stone apricots. Place in a small pan with cinnamon stick, second package of Stevia and lemon juice. Cook for 5 - 10 minutes, until apricots are soft. Taste and adjust seasoning.

 Refrigerate.

Presentation: Turn pudding out of form onto serving plate. Decorate with Apricot Compote, sprinkle with cinnamon and dust with powdered sugar, if you wish. To serve, use a big spoon and serve your guests part of the pudding with some apricots in a dish.

APRICOT CAKE

This recipe for apricot cake is plain-Jane in everything but the taste. Many Germans know how to make this by heart; it's as popular as Toll-House cookies in the US. Fresh fruit makes this "Aprikosenkuchen" a steady summer coffee accompaniment, whether camping on the beach or on the balcony.

Makes 12 servings of Aprikosenkuchen.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 10 T. butter, softened
  • 2/3 c. sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract or 1 T. vanilla sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • Zest from 1/2 lemon
  • 2 c. flour
  • 2 tsp.  baking powder, or 1 package German Backpulver
  • 1/4 c. buttermilk or sour milk
  • about 14 apricots, cut in half,

Preparation:

Use an 11 inch springform pan if you have one, otherwise you could try a 9x9 or 9 x 13 inch baking pan, but the baking times will be different. Butter and flour it. Set aside.
Cream the butter with the sugar and vanilla or vanilla sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in lemon zest.
Mix the flour with the baking powder and salt. Beat into the egg mixture. Add the buttermilk and mix well.
Spread the batter into the baking pan. Place the apricots on top, cut side down.

Bake at 350°F or 180 C for 30-40 minutes.

Wednesday 20 June 2012

Fruity icecreams. Naturally better for you.

This pic was posted on a persons facebook page.

So easy and just imagine how many fruits you can do this too. The mind boggles. If anyone tries it plz let me know what fruits you have used. I have done the same thing with bananas and mango cheeks.


Monday 18 June 2012

Jam Jar Sterilisation

Method 1 :

Heat the oven to 180°C- don't be tempted to heat the oven any higher or you may risk the glass breaking. Lay a double layer of newspaper on each oven shelf but not the floor of the oven. Arrange the jars on the shelf making sure the jars are not touching each other. Close the oven door and sterilize the jars for about 20 minutes. Using thick oven mitts, remove each jar from the oven as needed onto a heatproof mat or heat pad, making sure you fill while the jam or preserve is hot as is the jar. Do NOT add cold food to hot jars, or hot food to cold jars.

Method 2 :

 Fill your dishwasher with clean cold jars and run a minimum or rinse wash to time the ending with when your jam, preserve or pickle will be ready. Use the jars one at a time from the dishwasher needed making sure you fill while the jam or preserve is hot as is the jar. Do NOT add cold food to hot jars, or hot food to cold jars.

Method 3:

 In the Microwave

Clean the jars as normal, rinse but leave the jars a little wet. Microwave for no more than one minute.

Do's and Dont's 
  1. Do NOT add cold food to hot jars, or hot food to cold jars.
  2. Remove jars from the oven or dishwasher only when needed or they will cool down too much.
  3. Always sterilize more jars than you think you will need. Should you have more mixture than anticipated it is too late to start sterilizing once the food is ready.


Lime Cheesecake with Raspberry Jelly

As I was searching new recipies that utilise the awesome flavours of fruits I found this little beautiful recipie.  I hope you enjoy making it as much as I have. 

 Thanks to : To Food with Love

Lime Cheesecake with Raspberry Jelly

Ingredients

100g Granita or Marie biscuits, finely crushed
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp melted butter
1 block (250g) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 packet (42.5g) lime-flavoured jelly crystals (or substitute with lemon jelly)
1/4 cup boiling water
1 packet (85g) raspberry-flavoured jelly crystals
16 raspberries (or more)

Method

Line the base and sides of an 8 inch square tin with baking paper. Combine crushed biscuits with melted butter and press it onto the base of the tin. Refrigerate for 1 hour until firm.

Dissolve the 1/2 packet of lime jelly into 1/4 cup boiling water (or you could dissolve the whole pack in 1/2 cup boiling water and just use half of it). Set aside to cool slightly.

Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then gradually beat in the lime jelly mixture until there are no more lumps. Pour over the biscuit base and spread evenly. Place raspberries on top. Refrigerate for 1 hour until just firm.

Prepare the raspberry jelly according to packet instructions. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until it starts to thicken slightly (but not set). Pour the jelly over the cheese layer and refrigerate again for 3-4 hours until the jelly is set. Cut into squares and serve.


No Cook Jam or Freezer Jam

Freezer jam is not shelf-stable, so for long-term storage, it must go in the freezer.The only effective way to make this jam is to use store bought pectin like a JAMSETTA.

Once these jams have set, they should keep for two weeks in the refrigerator or one year in the freezer.

Sterilized containers are not required for no-cook jams, they simply need to be washed in hot soapy water and rinsed before use. Plastic freezer containers, or glass jars with tight-fitting lids that are no larger than 2 cups can be used.

Uncooked freezer jam is a little different than its cooked counterpart. It doesn't have that thick, cooked-down texture and flavor. Instead, it looks and tastes like the ripe fruit.

Pick up whatever is ripe and looks good to you:strawberries, peaches, mango, cherries, blueberries.

If you want to start out with smaller batches, go ahead and halve the amounts. If you use a different pectin than the ones I used, be sure to check the label before you start jamming—some of them require more sugar to set properly.

Raspberry Jam
 
Ingredients 
  • 8 cups raspberries
  • 2 tablespoons kirschwasser
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • Pectin (See below).
 
 Method
 1.  Crush 8 cups, or 2 pounds, of fresh raspberries and 2 tablespoons kirschwasser. You should have about 4 cups crushed berries. 
2. Combine 2 cups granulated sugar and a 45g of instant fruit pectin and stir into the fruit for three minutes. Transfer the jam into small jars or containers and allow it to set in the fridge for 24 hours. 
3.  Transfer to correct container and keep for the recomended time 
 
 

Saturday 2 June 2012

This arvo I made a quick and easy Cherry Pie.  Simply delicious with homemade custard, cream or ice cream.  So easy to make.  The use of arrowroot makes it more Paleo friendly. Its an easy yet awesome tasting dessert.

CHERRY PIE 

I used store bought puff pastry. 
Morello sour cherries - pitted
Arrowroot (or cornflour) 

  • Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.
  • Drain the cherries and reserve the juice.  Place juice into a saucepan and add approx 2 TB of arrowroot power.  Mix so there are no lumps.  If you have a sweet tooth you can add sugar at this point to your taste, as cherries are quite sour for some.  The desert topping ( ie crean, custard or ice cream bring sweetness to the dish)
  • Line your bake wear with greasefroof paper or grease the container.
  • Place cherries into saucepan and heat gently.  The mixture will thicken in approx 1 - 2 min.  Continue to stir constantly.  
  • The sauce will change to a darker colour and thicken quickly.
  • When the mixture is the right thickness (like a thick jam) pour into prepared dish over the pastry.
  • Trim away excess pastry.
  • Place in oven  @180 degrees celcius for approx 30 min or until puff pastry golden and beautiful. 
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool.  The centre of the pie will thicken as it cools. 
  • Enjoy with your fave topping.