Recent Recipes
Chocolate Beer Cake
Comments (9) | Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Excuse the fuzzy photos. The end of daylight savings is killing me, thus meaning I can't use natural light if I'm cooking too late. Will be trying to invent a light box for winter!
Iron Chef Shellie: “Hamsley…. I need you to come over when I bake this cake and finish off Guinness I don’t use. Is that okay?”
Hamsley: “ummm…. Yeah I think I can do that”
Whilst catching up on my reading of other blogs, I came across this recipe for chocolate and beer on Pikelet and Pie’s blog. As soon as I read the title, I knew I was going to make it.
I wondered what the flavour combination would taste like, and I knew Hamsley wouldn’t have a problem with chocolate and beer being united in cake form.
Hamsley and Mum commented that they couldn't really taste the beer, but I was sure that I could. It was a nice light cupcake, mostly likely caused by the bubbles in the beer. I would make this again, I'm sure it would be a hit with men if you dragged them along to an afternoon tea!
Hamsley and Mum commented that they couldn't really taste the beer, but I was sure that I could. It was a nice light cupcake, mostly likely caused by the bubbles in the beer. I would make this again, I'm sure it would be a hit with men if you dragged them along to an afternoon tea!
Chocolate Beer Cake
Piklet & Pie
Get your hands on:
1 cup stout (Guinness)
225g unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups plain flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Ganache:100g dark chocolate
3 tablespoons heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon instant coffee
3 tablespoons heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon instant coffee
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 2 1/2 cup muffin trays really well. Heat beer and butter in a medium sized pan over medium heat. When it starts to simmer, remove from heat and whisk cocoa powder through, taking care to stir out any mischievous lumps.
2. Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, spices and salt together to mix. Beat eggs and sour cream together until thoroughly combined. Pour chocolate/beer mix into the eggs and beat to combine. Fold dry ingredients in until just combined. Ladle batter into prepared pan and bake for about 10 – 15 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean. If you don’t have two muffin pans, or have only one shelf in the oven.
3. For Ganache: Heat cream and coffee in a small pan. When bubbling remove from heat and stir through chopped chocolate. Continue stirring until chocolate has melted and is glossy and thick. Cool until it is the correct consistency for icing. Ice cakes when they are completely cool.
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Breakfast BLT
Comments (15) | Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Lately on a Sunday, I've been waking up not wanting the usual toast, cereal or hot cross bun. Sunday breakfast is meant to be special, a day when you wake up and not worry about your calorie intake. So bring on the bacon if that's what you feel like!
Better serving size than any cafe you'd probably go to, and far far cheaper! We were both epically full by the end of it, it turned out to be more a brunch than a breakfast BLT!
Breakfast BLT
Bill Granger
Get your hands on:
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 short-cut bacon rashers
2 teaspoons olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 avocado
2 tablespoons creme fraiche (or sour cream)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon snipped chivesDash of Tabasco sauce
4 slices sourdough bread
4 small cos lettuce leaves
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6). Put the tomato halves and bacon on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and bake for 10 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp and tomatoes are slightly wilted.
2. Mash the avocado, creme fraiche, lemon juice and chives together and season with salt and pepper. Add Tabasco, to taste. Toast the bread and spread two of the slices with avocado mixture. Top with lettuce leaves, some bacon and tomato halves and then sandwich with the other slices of bread.
Serves 2.
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Week 18 - The Cookbook Challenge: Chicken Burgers with Lemongrass and Lime
Comments (17) | Sunday, March 21, 2010
Week 18
Theme: BBQ
Cookbook Used: Holiday
Author: Bill Granger
Thanks to all the lovely people leaving comments on my previous posts. Once next week is over, I will be replying and showing you some love too! That is, if I haven't collapsed from exhaustion!
Now excuse my photos, the burger looks a little sad as I should have put more lettuce on the poor thing.
A very simple recipe to make, good for those mid week dinners when you have a case of the CBFs.
Hamsley commented that the lemongrass was rather overwhelming, but we both enjoyed the burgers thoroughly. I was contemplating about adding some tomatoes to the burgers, but it wouldn't have worked, as the flavours were more oriental based.
The recipe also comes with Bill's recipe for chilli sauce and spicy slaw; but I didn't have the time to make those as well. Hopefully April will be a much more quieter month; even though it's filled with Easter and my birthday!
Chicken Burgers with Lemongrass and Lime
Bill Granger
Get your hands on:
Bill Granger
Get your hands on:
600g minced chicken
1 onion, finely grated
85g fresh white breadcrumbs
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 lemongrass stalk, white part only, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons caster sugar
Serve it with:
Soft rolls
Lettuce leaves
Fresh mint and coriander
Chilli sauce
1. Put the chicken mince, onion, breadcrumbs, garlic, lemongrass, coriander, lime zest, fish sauce and sugar in a large bowl and mix together well with your hands. Shape into 6 patties, then cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat a barbecue or chargrill pan and brush with a little light flavoured oil such as grapeseed or canola. Cooke the patties for 4 minutes each side or until cooked through. Serve on soft rolls with lettuce, mint and coriander leave and chilli sauce.
Serves 6.
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