Strawberry custard cake

This is a cake that has it all - vanilla cake, custard, fresh strawberries, and the taste of strawberry jelly. It is gorgeous! I have not tried it with other berries, but they'd be worthwhile trying!

Cake 

1 tablespoon butter

6 tablespoons milk

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 180 celcius.  Place butter in a spring form ring pan and place in oven just until butter melts. Remove from oven and use a brush to evenly spread butter around the bottom and sides of the pan. 
Place the eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat till light yellow and fluffy. Add in the milk and vanilla  and beat to combine.
Combine the flour and baking powder and sift into the egg and sugar mixture.  Stir gently to combine along with the vanilla.
Pour into your greased flan or cake tin and place in centre of oven.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre.

Cool, then turn out onto a serving platter. 

Custard Layer

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornflour

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons butter

Mix the sugar, cornflour, egg yolk, vanilla and milk in a saucepan and stir with a whisk to remove lumps.  Place over a low-medium and stir with a whisk until it thickens. It should be quite thick.

Add in the butter and stir to blend.

Cool until it is room temperature and then spread over top of the vanilla cake layer.

Topping

3 punnets of strawberries
1 tsp rosewater (you can omit if you don't have this)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornflour

1/3 cup water

Arrange 1 punnet of strawberries on top of the custard. If they are large strawberries you can cut them in half.

Put the remaining 2 punnets of berries in a food processor and process until they are crushed but still have texture (you don't need a fine puree)

Put the sugar, cornflour, rosewater, water and pureed berries into a saucepan and bring to a boil. 

Cool and then pour over the fresh berries on top of the custard. 

Note: you can sieve the berry glaze to remove seeds and to make it finer. I usually don't because I quite like the texture. It's up to you though!

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Zupa Czosnkowa (Garlic Soup)

Well, after a long and difficult winter I am back! It wasn't a very cold winter here, even by Australian standards, in fact it was surprisingly mild. That didn't stop me from getting a couple of colds/flu's and random viruses. The worst was bronchitis which left me very ill for three weeks, and then has taken another few weeks for me to feel like I am getting back to normal.

This Polish soup is one that ticks all my boxes when I am ill, It is easy to make, it is delicious, it is good for you (if you ignore the sour cream lol). It warms you up and makes you feel all cosy and loved. OK, maybe that's just me!

Though this may sound like a strange soup, with way too much garlic, give it a try. Cooking the garlic for such a long time takes away any heat and astringency and leaves a very sweet flavour. The egg and cream mixture further rounds out the flavour.

Ingredients

8 cups beef stock (use vegetable stock to make this vegetarian)

1 bay leaf
15 peeled garlic cloves
2 carrots, diced VERY finely
2 tablespoons oil
2 onions,diced finely
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh marjoram
Salt and pepper to taste
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup sour cream

Method

Cut 5 garlic cloves in half. Dice the remainder finely or put through a garlic sieve.

Saute onions in oil until translucent.Add the diced garlic and cook till softened. Add in remaining garlic, stock, carrots, and herbs.

Let simmer on a low heat for 1 hour. Season to taste. Leave to cool slightly (ie don't let it be near boiling or you may split the cream).

Mix egg yolks and sour cream together in a bowl, then slowly add a few tablespoons of hot stock to it to temper it (so it doesn't curdle when you add it to the soup). Whisk it into the soup.

Enjoy with hot bread, croutons, or shards of crispy bacon. (OK, so there goes the healthy part!!)

Caraway seed soup

Caraway seed soup is a light and tasty dish. It is a simple dish, ideal for fast days, and a perfect starter for a banquet.

Ingredients 

• 2 tsp caraway seeds
• 1 tbs vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1tbs flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups water or veggie stock

Method

• Heat the oil and toast the seeds until they release their aroma.
• Add the flour and let it brown a bit. 
• Add the paprika, and pour the water or stock over.
• Cook for 15 mins until it is silky
• Strain the seeds, and serve with crusty bread.

Zebra Cake

Zebra Cake is delicious! Great as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea or coffee. It is surprisingly easy to make.

Best of all, no zebras are harmed in its creation! It is named for its striped layers of chocolate and vanilla cake. 

The layers are usually not as wavy as mine are - when I was pouring the batter I discovered that the bench I was on sloped so the batter poured unevenly. It still tasted good though!

Ingredients

4 eggs

250 ml milk

250 g sugar

250 ml vegetable oil
2 cups (10 oz / 300 g) plain flour
1/3 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon (equals 3 teaspoons) baking powder 

2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar and beat until light and fluffy.Add milk, vanilla and oil, and continue beating until well blended.

3. In a separate bowl, combine and mix flour and baking powder. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat just until the batter is smooth and the dry ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.  Batter should run slowly off the beaters. If it is too thick add more milk, if too runny add more flour.

4. Divide the mixture into 2 bowls.  Add cocoa powder into one of the bowls and mix well. You may need to add a little more milk to maintain the batters fluidity.

6. Lightly grease a round cake pan with oil. 

7. This is the most important technique in the whole process, as this is what gives the zebra cake its distinctive stripes. Pour 3 heaped tablespoons of vanilla cake batter into the middle of your cake pan. Then immediately pour3 tablespoons of cocoa batter and pour it in the center on top of the plain batter. Then 3 tbs of vanilla, 3 of cocoa, and so on until both batters are used up. DON'T stop until it is done. At the end you should see concentric rings of batter in your pan.

8. Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

9. Invert, cool, dust with icing sugar and serve.

Pineapple upside down cake

  This is very yummy, quite buttery and sweet. 

Recipe is from the lovely Nigella -  http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/pineapple-upside-down-cake-51

Reprinted here below the pic. 

Ingredients

butter (for greasing)

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 6 slices canned pineapple in juice (plus 3 tablespoons of the juice)
• 11 glace cherries (approx. 75g total weight)
• 100 grams plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 100 grams soft butter
• 100 grams caster sugar
• 2 large eggs

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6/400ºF. Butter a tarte Tatin tin (24cm/9 inches wide at the top and 20cm/8 inches diameter at the bottom) or use a 23cm / 8-9 inch cake tin(Do not use a spring-form tin, trust me on this)
2. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of sugar on top of the buttered base, and then arrange the pineapple slices to make a circular pattern as in the picture.
3. Fill each pineapple ring with a glace cherry, and then dot one in each of the spaces in between.
4. Put the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, butter, caster sugar and eggs into a food processor and run the motor until the batter is smooth. Then pour in the 3 tablespoons of pineapple juice to thin it a little.
5. Pour this mixture carefully over the cherry-studded pineapple rings; it will only just cover it, so spread it out gently.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, then ease a spatula around the edge of the tin, place a plate on top and, with one deft move, turn it upside-down. Tap the cake tin and it should slide out onto the plate.

Lax Pudding (Salmon pudding)

This is a lovely way to use up leftover gravlax or smoked salmon. It is a terrificly warming winter dish - perfect for a rainy night. Another winner from Swedish cuisine!

You can make this in a large terrine, but I choose to make them as individual puddings. Took a little less tiem to cook that way, and they looked really cute in my little mini dishes!

Serves 8

Ingredients

250g new potatoes

2tbps butter
1 leek finely sliced
200g gravlax or smoked salmon finely sliced
2 eggs
 250ml milk
30 ml cream
handful of chopped fresh dill
salt and pepper to taste

method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender. leave to cool
saute leek in butter until softened.
Thinly slice potatoes and place as a layer in the bottom of a terrine.
Add fine slices of salmon. then a layer of leeks.
Repeat until you run out of ingredients - end with a layer of potatoes.

Beat the eggs in a bowl, add in milk and cream and then beat together till combined. Season with S&P, the sir the dill through the egg mixture.

Pour the egg mixture over the terrine, and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown with a set egg.

Mandel Päron (Almond Pears)

Following on the recent fascination with all things Swedish is this simple yet delicious dessert. A lovely quick dessert for those times you don't want to fuss.

Serves 8

Ingredients

8 ripe pears, peel, halved, and cored
juice of 1 lemon
2tbsp of butter
350g ground almonds

cream or custard to serve

Method

Place the pears in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Put a small piece of butter on each pear and then sprinkle the ground almonds evenly on top.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, basting once or twice with the juices, until they are soft and the almond crust is a light golden colour.

Serve warm with the cream or custard.

Appelkaka med vaniljkräm (Apple cake with vanilla cream)

This is an amazingly luscious dessert. The addition of lemon to the topping is absolutely inspired.
This was part of our Swedish Eurovision feast!

While you can eat it cold, it comes into its own when it is warm. Eating it straight out of the oven it is a slice of heaven itself. It is more of a pudding/crumble than a cake - so don't expect it to hold its form perfectly when serving!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
7 eating apples
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup white sugar
2 egg yolk and 3 egg whites
100g ground almonds
grated rind and juice of 1/2 lemon

For the vanilla cream
double cream, whipped with 1 tsp of vanilla extract.

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C
Butter a 20cm flan or springform tin
Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples and put in a bowl. Add in the caster sugar and cinnamon and toss till coated.
Put into baking tin.
Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg yolks and then add the almonds, lemon, and lemon rind.
In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff and then fold into the mixture.
Pour this mixture over the apples.

Bake for 40 minutes or until the golden brown on top, and tender apples on the bottom.
Serve with a dollop of vanilla cream.

Swedish meatballs

This was the second course in our Swedish Eurovision feast!

These  Swedish meatballs are served in a gravy lightly flavored with nutmeg and cardamom. They are delicious, and even better the next day! Lingonberry jelly is traditionally used with Swedish meatballs; you can substitute cranberry or red currant if you can't find lingonberry jelly.

INGREDIENTS

Meatballs:

    1 large onion, finely diced
    2 Tbsp butter
    2/3 cup milk
    4-5 slices of bread, crusts removed, cut in pieces
    2 eggs
    500g  pork mince
    500g pounds beef mince
    2 teaspoons salt
    1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
    1 teaspoon ground cardamom
    1 tsp allspice
    2 teaspoons black pepper

Sauce:

    6 Tbsp butter
    1/3 cup flour
    1 litre beef stock
    1/2 to 3/4 cup sour cream
    Salt
    2 to 4 Tbsp of Lingonberry, cranberry, red currant or raspberry jelly, more or less to taste (optional)

METHOD

1 Sauté the onion in the butter  until the onions soften and turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

2 In a medium bowl, mix the bread pieces with the milk. Set aside for 15 minutes, or until the bread soaks up all the milk. When it does, pulverize the bread in a food processor and pour it into a large bowl.

3 Add the cooled onions to the bowl of milk and bread. Add the rest of the meatball ingredients—eggs, pork, beef, salt, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, pepper. Using your (clean) hands, mix well for about 2 minutes until the ingredients are well combined.

4 Use a tablespoon to measure out the meat for the meatballs. As you form the meatballs, set each one aside on a sheet pan or plate. You should get 40 to 50 meatballs.

5 Heat 6 tablespoons of butter for the sauce in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, reduce the heat to medium and add some of the meatballs. Do not crowd the pan. Work in batches, browning them slowly on all sides. Be gentle when you turn them so they don't break apart. Do not cook the meatballs all the way through, only brown them at this stage. Once browned, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pan, setting them aside so you can make the sauce with the remaining pan butter.

6 Start the sauce. (Check the pan butter to see if it has burned. If the butter tastes burnt, discard the butter and replace with new 6 tablespoons.) Heat the pan butter on medium until hot. Slowly whisk in the flour. Stirring often, let the flour cook until it is the color of coffee-with-cream; this is a classic roux.

7 As the roux is cooking, heat the beef stock in another pot until it simmers. When the roux has cooked until the color of coffee-with-cream, slowly add the hot beef stock a little at a time. Everything will sputter at first, and the sauce will seize up and solidify. Keep stirring and adding stock slowly, and it will loosen up and become silky.

8 Add the meatballs to the sauce and turn the heat down to low. Cover the pot and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. You might need to do this in batches.

9 To finish, move the meatballs to a serving dish. Add the sour cream and mix well. Either add the lingonberry jelly to the sauce or serve it on the side.

Yield: Serves 4 vikings, or 8-10 regular people.

Gravlax: Cured Salmon

We have a little tradition at our place - every year we watch the Eurovision final, and every year we cook a meal from the country that is hosting the show. This year was Sweden, so  a Swedish feast was in order.

We started with a lovely entree of Gravlax with a mustard and dill sauce. This is actually very easy to make, though you do have to plan in advance as the curing process takes time. Sadly, my picture does not do the gravlax justice - these are the leftovers from the entree plate!! We were too carried away to take photos earlier lol.

Ingredients

Gravlax ingredients

1kg fresh salmon, filleted and boned, with the skin on.
1/2 cup sea salt
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 tsp crushed peppercorns
2 cups chopped fresh dill
fresh dill fronds to garnish

Mustard and dill sauce

100g Swedish mustard (you can substitute dijon if you cannot get Swedish)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp salt
ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
100g fresh dill fronds

Method

To make the gravlax

• Pinbone the salmon to remove any residual bones
•  mix the salt and sugar together.
•  sprinkle half the mixture of sugar/salt onto a sheet of foil. Place the salmon on the mixture, skin side down.
•  sprinkle the crushed pepper and dill on the salmon, then cover with the rest of the sugar/salt mixture. 
•  Wrap the salmon tightly in foil and place in fridge for 48 hours. Turn the salmon once every 12 hours. 

To make the sauce

put the sugar, mustard, vinegar, and salt and pepper, into a bowl and mix together. Slowly drizzle in the oil into the mixture, whisking it all the time until you have a thick and shiny sauce. Stir the dill fronds through the mixture.

To serve

Take the salmon out of the foil and wipe of the remaining curing mixture. Finely slice it from on end at an angle of 45 degrees. The skin will be quite tough, so it is important to remember to only cut off the flesh.

Garnish with dill fronds and serve with the sauce.

Pumpkin Soup

There is nothing like a warm bowl of pumpkin soup on a cold autumns evening. This is savoury and filling, and a perfect way to use up those many pumpkins my little garden grew!

serves 4

Ingredients

750g pumpkin
250g potato
2 onions chopped
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
1 litre water

Method

Saute onions, add in pumpkin and potato. Cover with stock and water, and boil until everything is soft.
Puree to soft consistency.
add in 1 tbs of cream and stir to combine.

Serve with crusty bread.

Coconut and ginger squash and rice

This coconut and ginger squash and rice recipe was born out of my rather desperate need to find new ways of incorporating spaghetti squash into dishes, after growing a glut of them. It is a really yummy dish, and goes well with curries. It is also delicious as a dish in its own right.

Ingredients

1 shallot, finely sliced
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 little finger sized nob of ginger finely chopped
2 cups jasmine rice, cooked
2 cups spaghetti squash, cooked

1 tin of coconut milk
1/2 cup of zucchini, cubed

Method

saute shallot, garlic, and ginger until translucent
add in zucchini and saute till golden
add in rice, squash, coconut milk.
combine and toss until warm.

Cabbage and Pasta

I have to apologise at the lack of photo here. You see, we love this so much, that as soon as it was cooked we ate it all up!!!

Seriously wonderful, quick, easy, and delicious comfort food.

Ingredients

2 cups of cooked pasta (any sort will be fine - we usually use bowties or macaroni)
2 onions finely sliced
1 tbs caraway seeds
1/2 cup of sour cream
3 or 4 cups of finely sliced red cabbage
oil for frying + a small knob of butter for extra flavour
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Saute onions gently in the oil + butter until they are soft, sweet and translucent.

Stir in the caraway seeds. Add in the cabbage and cook until tender.

Add in the pasta, stir to combine. Then add in the sour cream, and stir through. If it is a bit "dry" and not saucy enough to coat add in a splash of water or milk. It should not be a runny sauce, but it should coat/cling to the pasta and cabbage.

Eat and enjoy!

Chestnut and sage soup

As we start heading towards Autumn I start dreaming of soup... and this one is truly luxurious. It has a wonderful texture, and a warming nutty and sweet-savoury taste. It takes a bit of time and effort to roast an peel the chestnuts, but other than that this soup is a breeze.

Serves 2 for main, 4 for entree....

Ingredients

1 tbs olive oil with a small knob of butter
1 onion finely chopped
6 chopped sage leaves
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 litre of stock - vegetable or chicken is best
500g roasted and peeled chestnuts.

optional: sour cream or creme fraiche to serve, plus a few extra sage leaves (if you take the time to fry them crispy, they make an awesome granish)

Method

Fry onions in the oil & butter until soft, sweet and translucent. Add in the garlic clove and stir for a minute.

Add in the sage leaves and chestnuts, and stock. Cook for 15 minutes or until the chestnuts are soft and mushy. season with salt and pepper to taste.

Puree the mixture until it is the consistency you desire.Serve with crusty bread, a dollop of sour cream, and enjoy.

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Baked eggs with creamy spinach

 

Ingredients

300g baby spinach
2 tablespoons crumbled boursin (or cream cheese, with chopped garlic and chives)
4 tbs cream
4 eggs
  
Buttered toast, to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Lightly grease four 3/4 cup-capacity ovenproof dishes.


Place spinach in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high (100%) for 1 minute 30 seconds or until just wilted. Transfer spinach to a sieve. Using the back of a spoon, press down on spinach to drain excess liquid.


Divide spinach between prepared dishes. Sprinkle each with cheese and add a tablespoon of cream.
 
Gently crack 1 egg into each dish. Season with salt and pepper. Place dishes on a baking tray. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until eggwhite is just set. Remove from oven. Stand for 2 minutes. Serve with toast.



Note: I love love love my new little mini baking dishes - they are sooo cute!!

Zucchini and Rosemary Frittata

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
4 large eggs
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon  fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 cup grated cheese
 

Method

Heat oil in a frypan over medium-high heat; add garlic, cook for 1 minute. Add rosemary leaves and zucchini; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring continuously. Season with salt and pepper.
 
whisk together the eggs, egg whites,  and season with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the zucchini and cook, just until the eggs begin to set, about 3 minutes.
 
Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top. Place pan under the broiler for 3 minutes or until the fritatta rises slightly and becomes light and settled. The eggs should not be runny. Transfer to a serving plate, cut into pie-shaped wedges, and serve.

Goes great with a fresh salad!

Bondon Cheese

Bondon cheese is a French cheese from the Normandy region. It can be made with either cow or goats milk. It is a mild cream cheese, with a greatly reduced fat content to normal cream cheese as it is made from milk rather than cream. Great with crackers, or mixed with herbs. Melts nicely into a white sauce as well ;)

Ingredients

• 2 litres of full cream milk
• 4 drops of calcium chloride diluted in 2 tbs of non chlorinated water (unless you are using milk straight from the cow/goat!)
• one dose of MO 030 meophilic starter culture
• 2 drops liquid rennet diluted in 2 tbs of non chlorinated water

Instructions

• heat milk to 20^oC 
• remove from heat source, add the calcium chloride and stir well
• add the starter culture and mix well
• ass the rennet and mix well
• cover and let stand for 24 hours in a warm place so that the milk mixture does not drop below 20^oC 
• line a colander with cheesecloth. ladle the curds into the cloth, and drain for 5 minutes. 
• Tie the colth and hand to drain for 6-8 houirs.
• Press the cheese for 5-6 hours either in a cheese mould or in between two cutting or cheese boards with a 5kg weight on top. 
• remove it, place it in a bowl, and add salt to taste.

Staisa's Sousy Scallywag Pudding

This was my mums signature dessert. Every year she was asked to bring it to work Christmas functions, and she would also make it for New Year's Eve. It is simple, but really really yummy. This year I made one for Christmas eve dinner with friends, and was forced to make one again for New Year.... not so much of a hardship, really.

Ingredients

600ml bottle of cream
A packet of scalliwags*
1/3 cup icing sugar
sprinkles and other sugar decorations as your heart desires
1/2 cup Tia Maria (rough estimate)** 

Method

This was for a news year dinner;
using kahlua instead of tia maria

Whip the cream with the sugar and the vanilla till stiff. You don't want the cream too sweet, as the rest of the dessert will be very sweet, so use less sugar if you wish but don't add more.
dunk a scalliwag into tia maria. Slather it with cream. Stand it on a serving tray. Take another scalliwag, dunk it into tia maria, slather it with cream and sandwich it to the previous biscuit. Repeat until you have run out of biscuits, and have created a long log of creamy little scalliwags.
Cover the entire log in cream. Decorate to your taste.
Cover and chill for at least 6 hours.

Cut, serve and eat. Is yummy on the day, better the next day, and awesome on day 3. It never makes it to day 4, so I can't tell you how long it would actually last ;)

Notes:

* Scalliwags are thin chocolate biscuits shaped like scalliwags, which is to say politically correct golliwogs.
** You can experiment with other alcoholic beverages here- kahlua, schnapps, frangelico all work well.

This was our Christmas version

Disclaimers:

Alcoholic, so not for the kiddies.

I really like the word scalliwags