Lemon Tart

Having always wanted to make a Lemon Tart but never having made one, I thought I would make one.  It was a little time consuming, only because of the pastry but it was worth the effort.  

A hint here, if you don't have cooking beads or spare rice, a good idea to blind bake is to cover the pastry with baking/parchment paper then fill with scrunched cooking foil.  Works very well.

*Taken from The Australian Women's Weekly 'All-Time Favourites', page 44, published 1977*

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups (185g) plain flour

1/3 cup (55g) icing sugar mixture

1/4 cup (30g) ground almonds

125g cold butter, chopped

1 egg yolk

Lemon Filling

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind

1/2 cup (125ml) lemon juice

5 eggs

3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar

1 cup (250ml) thickened cream

Method

Blend or process flour, sugar, almonds and butter until combined; add egg yolk, process until ingredients just come together.  Knead dough on floured surface until smooth; wrap in plastic, refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll pastry between sheets of baking paper until large enough to line 24cm round loose-based flan tin.  Lift pastry into tin; press into side, trim edge.  Cover; refrigerate 1 hour.

Cover pastry with baking paper, fill with dried beans or rice, place on oven tray.  Bake in a moderately hot oven for 15 minutes.  Remove paper and beans, bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned; cool.  Pour lemon filling into pastry case then bake in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes or until filling has set slightly; cool.  Refrigerate until cold; dust with sifted icing sugar, if desired.

Lemon Filling Method

Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl; stand for 5 minutes.

Serves 8

Strawberry and Cinnamon Torte

Yum.  Easy.  How could you resist not making it??

*Taken from a Good Food Magazine '101 Tempting Desserts', pg 160, published 2006*

Ingredients

175g/6oz ground almonds

175g/6oz butter, softened

175g/6oz golden caster sugar

175g/6oz self-raising flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk

450g/1lb strawberries, hulled and sliced

icing sugar, for dusting

whipped cream mixed with greek yoghurt, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan-forced).  Butter and line the base of a loose-bottomed 23cm cake tin.  In a food processor, mix the ground almonds, butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon, egg and egg yold until evenly mixed.

Tip half the mixture in the tin and smooth.  Spread with the strawberries on top.  Top with the remaining cake mixture.  Spread smooth.

Bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 5 mins.  Check after 40 minutes - if the torte is getting too brown, cover loosely with foil.  When cooked, the torte should be slightly risen and dark golden brown.

Cool slightly, then remove from the tin.  Slide onto plate and dust with icing sugar.  Serve warm, in wedges, with spoonfuls of cream and yoghurt.

Serves 6-8

Baked Banana Cheesecake

I made this, a first for me. A baked cheesecake. Pretty easy to make and full of flavour. I made it on the occasion of my father's birthday...

*Taken from 'The Australian Women's Weekly All Time Favourites' published 1997*

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour
1/4 cup (40g) icing sugar mixture
90g butter
2 egg yolks
1 tbs water, approximately

Banana Filling
2 x 250g packets cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
1 1/2 cups mashed banana (approx 3 large bananas)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbs vanilla essence
1 tbs rum, optional

Method
Grease 22cm springform tin.

Sift dry ingredients together; rub in butter, add egg yolks and enough water to make the ingredients cling together. Press mixture into a ball; knead on floured surface until smooth. Cover with plastic; refrigerate 30 minutes.

Press pastry evenly into prepared tin to cover base and sides, trim edge, lightly prick base with fork. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes.

Cover pastry with baking paper, fill with dried beans or rice. bake in moderately hot oven 10 minutes; remove paper and beans, bake 15 minutes or until browned lightly. Cool.

Pour filling into pastry case. Bake in moderate oven about 1 1/4 hours or until set; cool. Cover cheesecake; refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

Banana Filling Method
Beat cheese and sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer until smooth; add remaining ingredients, beat until smooth.

Serves 8-10

Birthday Custard Sponge

This was really nice though I thought the cake seemed a little too 'egg-y' for my liking. Next time I make this recipe I will do away with the Buttercream Filling and use whipped cream instead. I have to say the Chocolate Icing was delicious. I used quality Milk chocolate (instead of dark) and the result reminded me a lot of the icing you get on chocolate jam donuts here in Australia.

*Taken from Nigella Lawson's 'Feast' published 2004*

Ingredients
-for custard sponge-
200g plain flour
3 tbs custard powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 eggs
225g soft butter
200g caster sugar
2-3 tbs milk

-for the Buttercream Filling-
125g icing sugar
4 tsp custard powder
75g soft unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp boiling water

-for the Chocolate Icing-
60ml water
2 tbs golden syrup
125g caster sugar (or use 50g if using milk choc)
175g dark chocolate
Hundreds and Thousands

Method
-for the cake-
Make sure everything you need is at room temperature before you start. Preheat the oven to 180C and butter and line two 20cm sandwich tins.

Put all the ingredients except the milk, into a food processor. process to a smooth batter, and then add the milk a tablespoon at a time to make a soft dropping consistency. Divide between the two cake tins and bake for 20 minutes. The cakes will have risen and feel spookily puffy; this is because of the cornflour in the custard powder.

Let the tins sit on a cooling rack for 5 minutes and then turn them out on to the rack, peeling away the paper.

-for the Buttercream Filling-
Process the icing sugar and custard powder to get rid of any lumps, and then add the butter, processing again to make the buttercream come together. Feed the boiling water down the funnel with the motor running to make the filling easier to spread. Then sandwich the cooled sponges with the custardy buttercream.

-for the Chocolate Icing-
Combine the water, syrup and sugar in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve over a low heat. Let it come to the boil and then take it off the heat.

Break up the chocolate into small pieces if you are not using chocolate buttons, and then add to the pan, swirling it around to cover in the hot liquid. Leave to melt for a few minutes, and then whisk the icing to make it smooth and shiny. Pout over the buttercream filled cake, letting it drip down the sides, and then sprinkle generously with the hundreds and thousands before the icing sets.

Coconut Ice

I had forgotten all about Coconut Ice, until I came across this simple recipe....yummy.... And the littlest member of this household loved it. Of course.

*Taken from Murdoch Books publication 'Australian Family Favourites'*

Ingredients

250g (2 cups) icing (confectioners') sugar

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

400g tinned condensed milk

315g (3 1/2 cups) desiccated coconut

2-3 drops pink food colouring

Method

Grease a 20cm square cake tin and lane the base with baking paper.

Sift the icing sugar and cream of tartar into a bowl. Make a well and add the condensed milk. Using a wooden spoon, stir in half the coconut, then the remaining coconut. Mix well with your hands. Divide in half and tint one half pink. Using your hand, knead the colour through evenly.

Press the pink mixture over the base of the tin, cover with the white mixture and press down firmly. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm. Remove from the tin, remove the paper and cut into pieces.

Makes aprrox. 30 pieces

Cupcakes

This recipe is probably one of the most simplest recipes to make and the result is usually pretty tasty too. Nigella uses a food processor, but because I (currently) don't have one, I use the mix master. I have actually made this recipe by hand too and works just as well, just a bit more muscle power is needed. I simply ice these cakes using a butter icing...

*Taken from Nigella Lawson's "How to be a Domestic Goddess", published 2000*

Ingredients

125g unsalted butter, softened

125g caster sugar (3/4 cup)

2 large eggs

125g self raising flour (1 cup)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 tbs milk

Method

Preheat the oven to 200c.

Put all the ingredients except the milk in the food processor and then blitz till smooth. Pulse while adding milk down the funnel, to make for a soft, dropping consistency. Spoon and scrape the mixture into muffin tin lined with papers, trying to fill each one equally.

Put into oven and bake for 15-20 minutes (only about 10 mins needed for mini cupcakes) or until the cakes are cooked and golden on top.

Cool on wire rack and decorate as wanted.

Makes approx 24 small cupcakes or 12 muffin size cupcakes

White Chocolate Cheesecake

Owww...I love a good cheesecake. Especially ones that taste like this... Cheesecakes are very simple to make, but only if you have the use of electric beaters...

*Taken from the 'Kraft' website*

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups chocolate cream filled biscuit crumbs

60g butter, melted

500g Philadelphia cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup caster sugar

200g white chocolate buttons, melted

1/2 cup thickened cream

2 tsp gelatine, dissolved in

1/4 cup boiling water

3/4 cup thickened cream, extra, whipped

1 tbs drinking chocolate, for dusting

Method

Combine biscuit crumbs and butter together; press into the base of a lightly greased 22cm spring form pan. Chill.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, white chocolate, cream and dissolved gelatine, continue beating until smooth.

Pour mixture onto prepared crumb base and refrigerate 2 - 3 hours until set, or overnight. Remove cheesecake gently from pan, spread over with whipped cream and dust generously with drinking chocolate.

Jam Donut Muffins

These are rather yummy, a cross between a jam donut, a cinnamon donut and a plain sweet muffin! I made mini-muffins which I found to be the right size for these little treats, because you really only need a mouthful or two, otherwise I could imagine them being a little 'too-much', if you know what I mean. I usually freeze my baked goods (muffins/cookies) and each night we nibble on a muffin (or cookie) with our 9pm cup of tea. (Lyndon and I are like a couple of old folks!) These jam donut muffins are perfect for freezing and perfect for eating with a 9pm cup of tea.

*Taken from Red Dirt Mummy's blog*

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups self-raising flour

pinch of salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup caster sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

raspberry jam

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease a mini muffin tray.

Sift the flour, salt and cinnamon together into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the oil, caster sugar, egg and milk together. Add to the flour and stir until just combined.

Half fill the prepared muffin tins with the batter. Add 1/4 tsp jam to each muffin, then cover with more batter.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until risen and golden. Remove from oven.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter. In a small bowl, mix together 3 tablespoons caster sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. While the muffins are still hot, dip their tops into the melted butter and then into the sugar and cinnamon mix. (I actually brushed the melted butter over the tops when the muffins were still in their tins just as they exited the oven. I then sprinkled the tops with the sugar and cinnamon mix.)

Place on a rack to cool.

Makes 24

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you are ready for a sugar rush (I know, there is a lot of sugar in these!), then these biscuits are for you. When you have mixed the ingredients all together and you have placed teaspoonfuls onto a baking tray, do not flatten the biscuits out. They will naturally flatten whilst baking. The recipe states that it makes 30 but I got more like 40.

In the above photo, the middle cookies were baked for about 2 minutes less than the others either side of them.

*Taken from the back of packet of Cadbury Milk Chop Chips 230g pack*

Ingredients

125g butter

1 cup soft brown sugar

3/4 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 egg

1 1/2 cups Self-Raising flour

3/4 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

Method

Preheat oven to 160C.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla essence and egg. Stir in the flour until combined. Add the Choc Chips, mix.

Place teaspoons of mixture on greased baking trays and bake in moderate oven for 10-15 minutes.

Makes 30

Quick Apple Crumble

I had bought some apples very cheaply on my weekly shop and decided to make an apple crumble, one of my favourite comfort foods. This was quick, easy and oh-so-yummy. Enjoy.

*Taken from the website 'Taste'*

Ingredients

800g canned apple (I stewed my own)

3/4 cup plain flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

150g butter, chilled, cubed

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup desiccated coconut

Method

Heat oven to 200C. Spoon apple into a 6-cup capacity ovenproof dish.

Place flour, sugar and butter into a food processor and process until it resembles breadcrumbs.(I did this method by hand). To this, add the oats and coconut and mix.

Spoon oat mixture over the apple and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Margaret Fulton's Pavlova

Another wet day here at home, so what better thing to do but bake? With plenty of eggs sitting in the fridge and some cream nearing it's expiry date, what's better than to decide to bake a pav! I used 4 egg white and 1 1/2 cups caster sugar in this recipe, which Margaret recommends for a smaller, family-sized pavola, but leaving everything else the same. I also always dust my baking sheet with cornflour when baking pavs to ensure it doesn't stick!! Enjoy.

*Taken from 'Margaret Fulton's Kitchen'*

Ingredients

6 egg whites, at room temperature

a pinch of salt

2 cups caster sugar

1 1/2 tsp white vinegar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1 1/4 cups cream

fresh fruit to decorate

Method

Preheat oven to 200C. Place a piece of baking paper onto a baking tray and mark a 23cm circle on it to use as a guide (the pavlova will spread a little).

In an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt at full speed until they stand in stiff peaks. Sift the sugar and gradually sprinkle into the egg white mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating at high speed until all the sugar has been added. Lastly fold in the vinegar and vanilla. Spoon large dollops inside the circle on the baking sheet and smooth over the top lightly. Place in the oven (reducing the heat to 150C) for 1 hour. Turn off the heat and leave pavlova in the oven until cold. (If using a gas oven, bake at 150C for 1 hour, reduce heat to 120C for a further 30 minutes and then turn heat off and leave the pavola in the oven until completely cooled.)

When the pavlova is cooled, slide onto a large, flat cake plate, removing the baking paper. Don't worry if it collapses slightly, you should also expect cracks on the surface. Whip the cream until stiff but still shiny and spoon over the top of the pavlova. Decorate with fresh fruit and serve.

Serves 8-10

The Best Sweet Muffins

I took this recipe from the Australian Dairy website. And how lovely they are... Mmmm... As I used a mini muffin pan, I ended up making about 60 from this one mixture. Muffins always freeze well so most of them are tucked away in the freezer for now. I actually divided the mixture up into two bowls. In one I added frozen raspberries and choc chips. In the other I added one mashed ripe banana and chopped up jersey caramels. Deeeellllliccciiousssss....

Ingredients
3 cups Self Raising Flour
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
170g butter, melted

Raspberry and Choc Chip Variety
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup choc chips (white or milk)

Banana and Carmel Variety
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup chopped Jersey Caramels

Apple and Cinnamon
1 tsp cinnamon
1 apple, peeled and chopped

Method
Sift the flour into a bowl and stir in the caster sugar. Whisk together the eggs, milk and melted butter. Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Add any variants.

Spoon mixture into buttered muffin pans.

Bake for 200C for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Allow to cool.

Makes 12 Muffins or 48 mini Muffins or 6 Texas Muffins

Basic Butter Cake

My sister will laugh when she sees this recipe posted... We used to make this cake allllll the time when we were old enough to be let loose in our mother's kitchen, usually after our weekly Saturday game of Netball. I have great memories of the colourful cakes we used to make and she reminded me of this a few weeks ago... I decided to make a rainbow cake with Monet's help late this morning, though Monet got all grumpy when I divided the mixture up and went loose with the food colouring... She didn't seem grumpy when I dished her up a slice though, later on!

To make this Basic Butter Cake into the 'rainbow', after all ingredients are mixed, simply divide into the required number of bowls and go for it with the food colouring. When all of the mixture is coloured, simply place heaped spoonfuls into the prepared pan...

*Taken from the Australian Women's Weekly 'Cake & Slices Cookbook'*

Ingredients

125g butter

1 tsp vanilla essence

3/4 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour

1/2 cup milk

Method

Preheat oven to 180C.

Cream butter, essence and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy; beat in eggs one at a time, beat until combined. Stir in half the sifted flour and half the milk, then stir in remaining flour and milk. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

Bake for 40 minutes or until cooked through.

Leave in pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto wire to cool. Ice as desired. (I iced mine using a thick butter icing).

Keeping time: 2 days

Banana Sour Cream Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

The original recipe had a chocolate frosting, but I have omitted the chocolate and added extra icing sugar... Yummy. A delicious and easy recipe without the use of nuts (how come most banana cake recipes have nuts in them??)

*Taken from Australian Women's Weekly's 'Cakes & Slices Cookbook'*

Ingredients
125g butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 ripe bananas)
1/3 cup sour cream
2 cups self-raising flour
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

-for frosting-
125g packet cream cheese
30g butter
2 cups icing sugar (you may need more)

Method
Grease a deep 20cm round cake tin, line base with paper; grease paper.

Cream butter, essence and sugar in a small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy, add eggs one at a time; beat until combined. Stir in half the banana with half the sour cream and half the sifted dry ingredients, then stir in the remaining banana, sour cream and dry ingredients. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Bake in a moderate oven for about 1 1/4 hours. Stand 5 minutes before turning on to wire rack to cool. Spread cold cake with frosting.

Frosting
Beat cream cheese and butter in small bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Gradually beat in the sifted icing sugar. Beat until thick.

Keeping Time: 2 days

Donkey Drops

We call this recipe 'Donkey Drops' but you might know them under another name. They are very easy to make and eat! Monet thinks they are wonderful...

Ingredients

250g plain sweet biscuits, crushed. (I used a 200g pack 'Marie' biscuits)

1 cup desiccated coconut

1 1/2 tbs cocoa powder

1 tin condensed milk (390-400g can)

Desiccatted coconut, extra

Method

Mix the biscuit crumbs, coconut and cocoa together, then stir in condensed milk. Mix. Roll into walnut-sized balls, roll in coconut and refrigerate. Eat and enjoy!

Makes quite a lot - just depends on how much you eat when you make them!!

Grandmother's Pavlova

When people visit I have made a deal with myself to make a dessert of some kind. Because deep down I love desserts but never have them because my 'other half' doesn't 'do' desserts. So since we have had a friend staying, it is as good as an excuse as any to make this wonderfully easy and oh-so-yummy pavlova.

*Taken from 'Comfort Food', a Family Circle step-by-step book*

ingredients
4 egg whites
1 cup caster sugar
2 tsp cornflour
1 tsp white vinegar
whipped cream
fresh fruit

Preheat oven to a warm 140 degrees. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Place the egg whites and a pinch of salt in a small, dry bowl. Using electric beaters, beat until stiff peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, beating constantly after each addition, until the mixture is thick and glossy and all the sugar is dissolved.

Using a metal spoon, fold in the cornflour and vinegar. Spoon the mixture into a mould on prepared tray. Lightly flatten the top of the pavlova and smooth the sides. (This pavlova should have a cake shape and be about 2.5 cm high.) Bake for about 1 hour, or until pale cream in colour and crisp. (Should sound hollow if you knock on it.)

Leave to cool completely in the oven.

When cool, decorate with the cream and fresh fruit.