Coffee, Chocolate and Pecan Cake

50g pecans
220g butter, softened
220g caster sugar
200g self raising flour, sifted
75g dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon instant coffee dissolved
   in 2 tablespoons boiling water
4 eggs, lightly beaten

Mascarpone filling:

300g mascarpone
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
3 tablespoons icing sugar, sifted
12 whole pecans

Preheat oven to 160 C fan-forced.
Grease two 20 cm sandwich tins and line bases
with baking paper.
Place pecans in food processor and pulse until
coarsely ground.
Add all remaining ingredients and pulse until
just combined - just enough to make it smooth.
Divide the batter between the tins, smooth the
top and bake for 30 mins until risen and golden,
and a skewer placed in centre of cake comes out
clean.
Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 10
minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool
completely.
Meanwhile, make the mascarpone filling.  When
the cakes are cold, spread half the filling over
one, sandwich them together, then spread the
rest of the mascarpone over the top using a spatula.
Decorate with whole pecans.

Orange Cake with Toffee Syrup

1 orange, peeled, chopped, seeds removed
200g butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups self raising flour, sifted

SYRUP
1 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup marmalade

Preheat oven to 180 C (160 C fan forced).  Grease a 9 cm (deep), 20 cm (base) cake pan.

Process orange until pureed.  Add butter, sugar, orange rind and eggs.  Process until combined.  Add flour.  Pulse until just combined.  Pour mixture into prepared pan.  Bake for 1 hour until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.  Cover loosely with foil during cooking if over browning.  Cool in pan.

Make the syrup.  Combine sugar and 1/2 cup cold water in a saucepan.  Stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved.  Increase heat to high, bring to the boil.  Simmer, without stirring, for 20 to 25 minutes until light golden.  Remove from heat.  Add orange juice. Stir to combine.  Return to heat.  Add marmalade.  Stir until smooth.  Transfer to a heatproof jug. Set aside to cool.

Turn cake out onto a plate.  Prick cake all over with a skewer.  Pour the syrup over the cake.

Lime Syrup Cake

Lemons can be substituted for limes.

125g butter, chopped
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1 1/4 cups caster sugar

Lime syrup
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup white sugar


Preheat oven to 180 degrees (fan forced).  Lightly grease and line a 23 cm springform cake pan.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Transfer to a bowl.  Add eggs and milk.  Stir until combined.

Combine flour, sugar and coconut in a bowl.  Add milk mixture.  Stir to combine.  Spread mixture into pan.  Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Make lime syrup.  Combine lime juice and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to the boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until syrupy. 

Make holes over surface of cake by inserting skewer to help the syrup sink into the cake rather than running down the sides.  Pour hot lime syrup over hot cake.  Allow cake to cool in pan before releasing side of pan.  Cut into slices and serve. 

Caramel Sauce

125g butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup reduced cream

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan.
Add sugar and stir over low heat until dissolved.
Increase heat and boil for 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and when bubbles subside, carefully
stir in cream.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Sago Plum Pudding

3 tablespoons sago
1 cup milk
2 cups raisins and sultanas
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon bi carb soda
pinch of nutmeg, if desired

Soak sago in milk overnight.
Dissolve the soda in the melted butter.
Add the sago/milk mixture to all the other ingredients, mix well.
Place in a 1 to 1 1/2 pint greased basin, cover securely with foil.
Steam for 3 to 4 hours.

Lemon Jelly

1 kg lemons
4.5 cups water
3 cups sugar

Take 1 kg of the freshest lemons you can find, not overripe or stale. The younger the fruit, the more pectin in it.  Slice off the stem end of the lemons, but leave the blossom end intact, as that's the end with more pectin in it.  Using a food processor, slice the lemons as thinly as possible and put them into a large pot with 4.5 cups water.

Bring the lemon water to a boil, then reduce the heat and gently boil for 30 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes.  You can leave it for longer, even overnight.  Strain the mixture to remove the seeds and pulp from the liquid.  This should give you about 3 cups liquid.

Put a small plate or saucer into the freezer.  Add 3 cups sugar and 1 cup lemon juice to the mixture, and bring to a boil.  Boil the mixture fairly hard ( but not so hard that it overflows or goes foamy), stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.  It should appear ever so slightly thicker on the back of your spoon.  Take your frozen plate out of the freezer, set a teaspoon of liquid on the plate and see if it sets up:  run your finger through the liquid, and if the two sections do not run back together, it is set and the jelly is ready.  Just make sure that you do not boil it for too long, as that will make the mixture bitter.

Be warned: it may look runny and watery, but it really takes only about 10 minutes to see a slight change in the consistency of the liquid.  When the 10 minutes have passed, immediately pull the pot off the stove and ladle the jelly into three or four waiting jars that have been properly cleaned and sterilized.

Guava Pie

This would work well with fresh figs.


3 tbsp plain flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
pastry for a 22 cm (9 inch) crust
4 cups guava, peeled, seeded and diced
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp lemon juice
3 tbsp buttter, cut in small pieces


Mix together the flour, sugar and salt.  Set aside.  Line a 22 cm (9 inch) pie plate with pastry.  Fill with sliced guava, slightly mounding in the centre.  Sprinkle the flour and sugar mixture evenly over the guavas.  Sprinkle with lemon juice and dot with butter.  Cover the top pastry and flute the edge.  Cut several vents into top crust to allow steam to escape.  Bake in a preheated 230 C (450 F) oven for 10 minutes, then reduce to 175 C (230 F) and bake for another 30 to 40 minutes.

Steamed Lemon Pudding

Serve this light lemon pudding with cream or custard.  Lemon curd could be added as well.

150g (5 oz) butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 large lemons, rind finely grated
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
cream or custard to serve

Grease a 6 cup capacity pudding basin (I use canola oil spray).
Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and lemon rind until light and creamy. 
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift flour over the mixture.  Add the lemon juice.  Fold until just combined.
Spoon batter into basin, smooth the surface.  Cover the basin with foil, and secure with string.
Place the pudding into a large saucepan.  Pour boiling water into the saucepan so it comes halfway up the side of basin.  Cover saucepan and simmer pudding over medium heat for 1 1/2 hours, adding more boiling water if needed.
Lift pudding out of saucepan.  Remove foil and string.  Turn pudding onto a warm plate.  Cut into wedges and serve with cream or custard.

Sticky Date Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Cream Topping

180g (6 oz) dates, pitted and chopped
1 tsp vanilla essence
180g (6 oz) self raising flour
1 tsp bicarb soda
80g (3 oz) unsalted butter
150g sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Salted Caramel Cream
125g caster sugar
80ml (3 fl oz)double cream
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
       
Preheat oven to 180 C fan forced ( 350 F).
Pour 180ml boiling water over the dates in a heatproof bowl and leave to soak for 20 mins.  Use a fork to break up the dates.  Stir in the vanilla essence.
Sift the flour and bicarb soda into a bowl and set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar for 5 mins until very light and creamy.  Add eggs gradually, beating between each addition, and adding 1 tbsp flour about halfway through to prevent curdling.
Lastly, fold in the remaining flour and then the date mixture.
Place paper cases into a 12 hole muffin pan.
Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases and bake for 20 to 30 mins.  The tops should spring back when pressed with a finger.  Remove and leave to cool.

Salted Caramel Topping
Dissolve the sugar and 60 ml water in small solid saucepan over a gentle heat, then increase the heat to a boil.  Wait a few minutes, leaving the pan undisturbed but watching it carefully.  As soon as it changes to a wonderful caramel colour (like strong tea) and is thicker, remove immediately from the heat, stand well back, and add the cream.  It may splatter a little.  Keep stirring, and add the salt and vanilla.  Leave until cold.

Sticky Date Pudding

 250g (8oz) pitted dates, chopped
1 tsp bicarb soda
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups self raising flour, sifted

Caramel sauce
1 cup brown sugar
300 ml (10 fl oz) double cream
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
60g (4 1/2 oz) butter

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).  Grease and line the base of a 22 cm (9 inch) cake tin.
Place dates and bicarb soda into a bowl, and pour over the boiling water.  Allow to stand for 20 minutes.
Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after
each addition.  Using a metal spoon, fold through date mixture until well combined.
Spoon mixture into the prepared cake tin.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the
centre comes out clean.  Turn onto a plate.
Make the sauce.  Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce comes to the boil.  Reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 2 minutes.
Pierce pudding all over with a skewer.  Pour 1/2 cup of warm sauce over the warm pudding.  Stand for 10
minutes.  Serve in wedges with the remaining sauce.

Guavas in Syrup

My neighbour has a guava tree but does not like guavas. She gives them to me and I cook them up in this simple syrup. Don't forget the tot of rum or other liquor, it seems to round off the flavour. This is delicious with vanilla ice cream.

About 1 dozen medium guavas, peeled and sliced
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
A tot of rum or other spirits

Slowly bring the water and sugar to the boil in a pan, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Add the guavas and the rum.
Gently poach until the fruit is soft.

Baked Pears in Syrup

This is a perfect dessert: easy to make, delicious to eat. I enjoy these pears just on their own, but they are also good with ice cream.


8 to 10 firm large Bosc pears
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
juice of one lemon

Peel and core the pears, and cut them into quarters. Make the syrup by combining sugar, water and lemon juice in a pan on the stove top. Cook for about five minutes, and then pour the syrup over the peeled pears. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Place pears in shallow baking dish, and pour the syrup over them. Bake for about one hour or until the pears are tender. The syrup will reduce and thicken. Turn pears when half done.

Pavlova

This classic Australian dessert looks good and tastes even better, and my guests said recently it was the best pavlova they have ever tasted!

Serves 6 to 8.

6 egg whites, at room temperature
pinch salt
2 cups caster sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
whipped cream for filling
fruit or other topping of your choice

If you have a gas oven, preheat it to very hot (230 C/450 F) before starting to mix pavlova. If you have an electric oven, preheat it to slow (150 C/300 F).

Beat egg whites with salt at high speed until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, beating well after each addition. Stop beating when all sugar has been incorporated and fold in vinegar and vanilla.

Pile mixture into a greased 20 cm (8 inch) china flan dish and lightly smooth top.
OR pile mixture into a greased 20 cm (8 inch) springform tin and lightly smooth top.
OR cover a baking tray with greased foil, mark a 20 cm (8 in) circle; mould up sides with a spatula and make a slight depression on top.

If using a gas oven, turn heat to lowest temperature, put pavlova in and bake 1 1/2 hour or until crip on top and a pale straw colour.

If using an electric oven, put pavlova in and bake 45 minutes, then turn oven off and leave with door shut for 1 hour.

When pavlova is cooked, remove from oven and cool completely. Remove sides of springform tin, if using. Fill pavlova generously with whipped cream, then with your choice of topping.

NOTE: The meringue may be sprinkled with blanched, slivered almonds before baking. They will toast to a golden brown.

This recipe comes from Margaret Fulton's "Encyclopaedia of Food and Cookery", 1983.

Manhattan Cheesecake

This cheesecake is just plain delicious, with no base.

Serves 10 t0 12.

Ingredients:
500g (1 lb) cream cheese
500g (1 lb) ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
4 large eggs
60g (2 oz) butter, melted
3 tablespoons each of flour and cornflour, sifted together
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups sour cream

Decoration:
1 cup cream, whipped
strawberries or other fresh fruit

Preparation:
Combine cheeses and beat well until creamy. Gradually add sugar, then beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in melted butter, flour, cornflour and vanilla. Fold in sour cream. Spoon mixture into an ungreased 23 cm (9 inch) springform tin. Bake in centre of a preheated moderately slow oven (160 C/325 F) for 1 hour (cake will still be soft in centre). Turn off the heat and leave cake in oven for 2 hours. Remove and cool completely in tin, standing on a wire rack. When quite cold, chill for at least 2 hours before removing sides of tin and transferring to a serving plate. Decorate as wished, using whipped cream and fruit.

This recipe is from Margaret Fulton's "Encyclopaedia of Food and Cookery".

Tart Lemon Frosting

I put this frosting on lemon cake or cupcakes, or vanilla cake.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
4 tablespoons butter
3 cups of icing (confectioner's) sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 dash salt

Preparation:
Add lemon rind to butter, cream well. Add part of sugar gradually, blending after each addition. Add remaining sugar alternately with lemon juice, until of right consistency to spread, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add salt.

This recipe is from the Recipe Goldmine website.

Chocolate Mud Cake

I found this recipe some years ago on a personal web site from Melbourne, Australia. That web site now seems non existent, and I don't remember the owner's name. However, when introducing his recipe he stated: "This is the mud cake recipe that has given me some sort of fame!" This marvellous recipe makes a lovely BIG cake.

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
pinch of salt
300g butter (10 1/2 ounces), melted
300g (10 1/2 ounces) dark chocolate, finely chopped

Icing:
200g (7 ounces) dark chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup cream

Preparation:
Preheat over to 150 C (300 F). Spray a deep 23 cm round cake tin with non stick cooking spray.

Place sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add sifted flours, cocoa and soda. Make a well in the centre. Using a metal spoon, fold in combined eggs, buttermilk, essence and salt. Combine well.

Add butter and chocolate, mix well. Pour mixture into prepared pan and smooth surface. Bake for 2 to 2 1/4 hours or until skewer comes out clean when inserted in centre of cake. Leave cake in tin until cold, then turn cake onto a wire rack (cake will crack on top). Using knife with a serrated edge, cut a dome off the top of the cake horizontally. Turn the cake upside down and stand it on a wire rack over a paper lined tray.

Pour icing completely over the cake, smoothing top and sides with a flat bladed knife. Allow to set. Transfer the cake carefully to a serving plate. Serve in wedges with whipped cream.

To make icing:
Combine chocolate and cream in a small pan. Stir over low heat until chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Cool slightly.

Melting Moments

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1/3 cup icing (powdered) sugar
3/4 cup cornflour (cornstarch)
1 cup flour

Preparation:
Mix ingredients and form into small balls. Place your thumb in the middle of each one. Bake at 180 C (350 F) until the bottoms are light brown, about 10 minutes. Do not overcook.

Icing:
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup icing (powdered) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Preparation:
Beat all ingredients until smooth. Spoon on top of each biscuit (cookie).