Whoopie Pies

1 1/2 cups (150g) plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
120g unsalted butter, softened
1/2 firmly packed cup (100g) brown sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup (125ml) milk
Juice and zest of one lemon

Filling

1/2 cup of lemon curd
1/2 cup of mascarpone

Mix together.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line 2-3 baking trays with baking paper.
Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl.
Beat the butter and sugar in an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, followed by the vanilla, lemon and milk. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and beat until combined. Place 32 tablespoonfuls of mixture 4cm apart on the prepared trays. Bake for 7-8 minutes until doubled in size and firm on top when gently pressed. Cool on trays

Once completely cool, sandwich together with filling.

Januarys Daring Bakers Challange - Nanaimo Bars

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca

The version I made:

http://www.weightwatchers.ca/food/rcp/index.aspx?recipeId=84021

Dairy Free Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Don't you love when all the leftover bits in your pantry come together to make the moistest cupcakes? Makes it look like you put alot of thought into the potluck dish you brought.


125g dairy-free spread
100g dark eating chocolate
3/4 cup of soy milk
3/4 cup of caster sugar
1 1/2 cups of self-raising flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder

I made these without any eggs, but I would recommend adding one.

Place 12 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan. Preheat oven to 180

Melt spread,chocolate, milk and sugar over a low heat, until smooth. Take off heat and, let mixture cool for 10 minutes. Whisk in flour and cocoa. It will be lumpy at first but keep whisking until smooth.

Fill each cupcake liner halfway and bake for around 25 minutes.

Allow to cool and ice.

I've iced them with Lindt 'Intense Orange' chocolate melted with a little icing sugar and dairy free spread. Topped with chopped pistashio nuts.

Meatless Monday - Eggplant Parma

Slice an eggplant into 1/2 inch thick rounds. Place on a baking tray drizzle with olive oil, rub with a peeled garlic bulb and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 15- 20 minutes, until soft but still firm. Allow to cool completely.

Whisk two eggs together in a bowl. Fill a separate bowl half full with polenta, add 1 teaspoon of paprika, and salt and pepper to taste.

Dip the eggplant in the egg, then in the polenta and repeat. Place back on baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping over halfway through.

Dollop a large spoonful of salsa on each eggplant. Grate Parmesan cheese on top and grill until brown and crispy.

Serve.

January Daring Cooks - Satays

The January 2010 DC challenge was hosted by Cuppy of Cuppylicious and she chose a delicious Thai-inspired recipe for Pork Satay from the book 1000 Recipes by Martha Day.

Um It's possible that I read the title 'satays' thought excellent-love me some satays, and didn't read the recipe properly.

Which resulted in my making a slightly different recipe to the original. The good thing about satays is that as a street food theres lots of different varieties. As with most foods you make a lot I don't have a written recipe, it's more of a throw in a bit here and a bit there.

So I'm borrowing this recipe from here, as it seems pretty identical to what I did.

http://rasamalaysia.com

Recipe: Malaysian Satay Peanut Sauce
Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts (unsalted)
1 cup water
1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce (Kecap Manis)
1 1/2 tablespoon sugar (palm sugar preferred)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oil
1 heaped tamarind pulp (soaked in 1/4 cup water for 15 minutes, squeeze the tamarind pulp for juice and discard the pulp)

Spice Paste:

6-8 dried red chilies (seeded and soaked in warm water)
3 cloves garlic
3 shallots
2 lemon grass (white parts only)
1 inch ginger (galangal preferred)
1 tablespoon coriander powder (optional)

Method:

Crush the peanuts coursely with mortar and pestle or mini food processor and set aside.

Chop the spice paste ingredients and blend until fine. Heat oil and fry the spice paste until aromatic and smell spicy. Add the peanuts, tamarind juice, water, sugar, sweet soy sauce and stir thoroughly. Simmer in low heat while continue stirring for about 3 minutes until the peanut sauce turns smooth.


Marinade your preferred meat overnight and grill. Or you can use this as a dipping sauce.

Osso Bucco – (Kind Of)

You say stew and people wrinkle up their noses with thoughts of stodgy tastless mush fed to them as children. You say Osso Bucco and all you hear is 'whoo can I try?' This is a beautifully flavored dish, perfect for a day when the proverbial hits the fan.


4 tbsp olive oil
1 large brown onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 large celery stalk, finely diced
1 bay leaf
2 thick pieces of Osso Bucco
2 tablespoons Paprika
Squeeze of Lemon
Finely chopped oregano
Finely chopped parsley
2 cups of stock
1 cup of cooked butter beans
½ cup of chopped mushrooms
1 large thyme finely chopped
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Brown off meat in oil. Place in slow cooker of large thick bottomed pot. Pour in stock,beans and spices. If you’re using a slow cooker, cook for about 6 hours, in a pot around 3. Add vegetables about 40 minutes before serving and sprinkle with parsley.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

When you're asked to make Scooby Snacks, and have limited ingredients in the pantry; these delicately flavored treats are perfect.


1 cups self raising flour
90g butter
1 teaspoon vanilla seed paste
½ cup of sugar
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons of milk

Preheat oven to 180. Line eight muffin pan holes with paper cases. Cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs, beat until thick and glossy. Sift in flour and add milk. Beat until smooth and creamy.

Fill patty cases half way and smooth.

Bake for 20 minutes. Set aside and allow too cool.


Frosting:

1 cup cream
1 tablespoon of icing sugar
1 teaspoon of cornflour
4 tablespoons of caramel sauce


For a good self made caramel sauce go here: http://bread-alone.blogspot.com/2009/10/making-of-caramel-sauce.html

Whip cream to soft peaks whip in sugar and cornflour. Drizzle in caramel sauce and beat until just mixed.

Spread on Cupcakes.

Lamb and Pea Curry

Ingredients that you can throw into a slow cooker, walk away for 6 hours and come back to a fragrant, flavorful dish; are a beautiful thing to eat, and an ugly thing to photograph.

1 kg leg of lamb bone in, in chunks
4 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
2 tablespoons of ginger finely chopped
1-1 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder 2
2 tablespoons turmeric
2 tablespoons coriander powder
1 tablespoon salt
4 tablespoons natural yoghurt
coriander leaves, chopped
1 lemon
2 tablespoons ground cardamom
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon fenugreek
500g of crush tomatoes
2 cups of frozen peas


Brown lamb in a thick bottom pan. Add garlic, ginger and all spices. Lower heat and add tomatoes, simmer on a very low heat or in a slow cooker for 3 – 4 hours.

10 minutes before serving add yogurt and peas.

Serve with steamed basmati rice