Tiramisu

Description:
I made this recipe for the first time a couple of months ago when we were having friends over for dinner. I was extremely nervous because it's Lee's all time favourite dessert. Judging by the comments I got it was a total success, definitely worth the time & effort to find the ingredients for this one.

Ingredients:
6 eggs (at room temperature)
120 gms icing sugar
500 gms mascarpone* (at room temperature)
240 ml espresso coffee
3 T dark rum
3 T Kahlua
20-25 sponge finger biscuits**
around 3 T dark chocolate shavings or grated chocolate

* We had trouble finding mascarpone, after going around half of Sydney it seemed we finally found some at a large supermarket. However a friend assures me that an acceptable substitute, if you can't find any is :
-8 ounces cream cheese,
-1/4 cup of thickened or whipping cream, and
- 2.5 tablespoons of sour cream.
Just combine well, and don't use low fat, you can really taste the difference.

** When I first read the recipe I had no idea

Directions:
1>separate the eggs and whip the whites until stiff peaks form
next, with clean beaters and bowl, whip the yolks and sugar until very pale and fluffy. This could take a while so be patient. Then, mix in the mascarpone until just combined.
Gently fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mix, taking care not to knock out the air.
Mix the coffee and alcohol in a bowl. Dip each sponge finger for 1 second on either side.
In a 25 x 25 cm square dish, layer some mascarpone mix, then a tight layer of dipped sponge fingers, and continue until full with a thick layer of mascarpone on top. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
When ready to serve, sprinkle with dark chocolate shavings and enjoy!

Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot.

Butterscotch Brownies

Description:
I died and went to caramel heaven. These are divine!

Ingredients:
100g butter, chopped
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup plain flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped
100gms Jersey caramels, roughly chopped

Optional extras ( or substitutes)
100gms of white choc chips, if you don't like nuts
100gm mars bar, roughly chopped
pure icing sugar, to serve


Directions:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 4.5cm deep, 18cm (base) square cake pan.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Transfer to a bowl. Add sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in flour, baking powder and peanuts. Spread mixture into pan. Sprinkle with caramels.
Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until firm and crisp on top. Allow to cool in pan. Cut into squares. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Chocolate Brownies

Description:
I give this recipe 5 stars. Easy n tasty, what more can you ask for?

Crisp on the outside, melt in your mouth centres.....just the way I like them!

I'd heard about "magic brownie pans" & we went looking for one yesterday, but our mission was unsuccessful. As it turns out I didn't need it, they came out beautifully in just a regular pan, but I'm curious if anyone has one & what you think of it.

I also ran across an interesting recipe for "butterscotch brownies". I might give that one a whirl next time I'm in the mood to bake ;)

Ingredients:
250g butter
2 cups caster sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups plain flour
80g (3/4 cup) cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
Icing Sugar, to dust


Directions:
Preheat oven to 180ºC. Line a 20 x 30cm (base measurement) slab pan with non-stick baking paper. I used an 18 x 18 cm pan & they came out fine, I think they would be too thin in the larger sized pan
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Stir in the sugar. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and stir until mixture is thick and glossy.
Sift the flour and cocoa powder over the egg mixture and stir until well combined. Stir in the vanilla. Spread over the base of the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside in the pan to cool completely. Cut into pieces and dust with icing sugar.

I've given up blogging for lent...0nly 26 days to go...

Roasted Smashed Potatoes

Description:
This is an incredibly easy way to cook potatoes that are guaranteed to be crispy on the outside and cooked to perfection on the inside.

I saw this recipe on a show hosted by Julie Goodwin, our Australian Master Chef, more of Julies recipes can be found here : http://channelnine.ninemsn.com.au/homecookedwithjuliegoodwin/

Ingredients:
12-16 baby chat potatoes
generous pinch of salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven 200°C/180°C fan forced

Cook potatoes in a saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, but not mushy. Drain. Smash each potato gently, so that the skin splits and the potato is slightly squashed. Place onto a baking tray and drizzle over 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Roast in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden and crispy.

(I usually turn these once half way through & if serving with lamb I'll usually throw on a sprig or 2 of rosemary)

Stuffed Baguette

Description:
With the beautiful spring weather we have had in the few weeks or so it's got my taste buds looking forward to balmy evenings, a nice glass of wine & platters of nibbles. (preferably served by some hot young Dan Carter look-alike, on the deck of my private yacht.....:-p)

So cruising around a few of my favourite recipe sites I came across a recipe I posted back in 2003! and I don't believe I've made it since.
This makes a great pre dinner appetiser, picnic food or as a side dish at a BBQ. You can make these in advance as long as you keep them in the fridge.

A hollowed baguette makes a perfect shell for any filling you are in the mood for. And once stuffed and properly chilled, it becomes a neat appetiser.
This particular one is filled with all my best friend's favourite things: goat cheese/cream cheese, sun dried tomatoes, olives, spicy salami, crunchy bell pepper, and fresh herbs.

Me, I was not so much a fan of the ingredients she liked so I used to make a filling of cream cheese, spinach, red onion & herbs.

You can use any combination of fillings you like, although I would only use seafood on the day I was planning to eat them.


Ingredients:
Baguette about 14-inch long
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
4 oz fresh goat cheese
1 large garlic clove, minced
½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper (about 1 medium)
½ cup finely chopped sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped Kalamata olives
2 oz finely chopped spicy salami
About 2 tbsp minced Italian parsley
About 1 tsp minced fresh thyme
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste (very unlikely since there’re plenty of salty ingredients)

*Whatever you use needs to be finely chopped, there is nothing worse than biting into a slice of this and getting a mouthful of nothing but olive, or sun dried tomato...

Directions:
Slice off both ends of the baguette. Using a long thin knife and working from the both ends, hollow the baguette out leaving about ½-inch thick crust all around.
Using an electric mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth and lump-free. Beat in the goat cheese and garlic. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.

Stand the baguette on one end (you will probably have to hold it there with one hand) on a piece of cling wrap.
Then fill the baguette with the cheese mixture. Pack the filling tight. I like to use a slender tequila shot glass for pressing the filling in. Wrap the stuffed baguette very well in plastic and refrigerate for at least two hours and up to two days. Right before serving, slice the baguette into ½-inch thick slices and serve. For the most neat looking slices, treat it as a cheesecake – each time slice it with a hot dry knife.

Notes:
It doesn’t become soggy after refrigerating. But the crust does lose its crunch. Which is not a bad thing here, since it is not just a bread now, it is a casing for a really good filling.

It is easier to stuff shorter pieces.

Once the baguette is filled, it’s easier to give it a rounded shape - just press and roll.