Anzac Biscuits

It is very difficult to find a truly Australian recipe. After Australia was discovered in the 17 century people from different countries moved there are brought with them thier own recipes from thier country.

Anzac biscuits are seen as an Australian biscuit but it is thought that the Anzac biscuit was based on Scottish biscuit recipe using rolled oats. Anzac biscuits were orginally called Soldier biscuits but the name was then changed to Anzac biscuits when soldiers landed in the Gallipoli Islands.  In WW1 Australian and New Zealand wives sent Anzac biscuits over to soldiers who were fighting abroad. Anzac biscuits use basic ingredients and have a very long shelf life. You may notice that there is no egg in Anzac biscuits this is because at a time a war there was a shortage of poultry farmers so eggs were scarse. They are therefore ideal to send over soldiers and make during a war.

Anzac biscuits are very simple to make. The method is very similar to how muffins are made as you mix all the dry ingredients together and the wet ingredients together and then the all together.   

Anzac Biscuits

Makes 20 biscuits



Anzac Biscuits



 Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 plain flour

1/2 self raising flour

1 cup desiccated coconut

1 cup brown sugar

125g unsalted butter

2 tablespoons golden syrup

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to C150. Line 2 baking trays.
2. Put the oats, both flours, coconut and sugar into a large bowl. Mix together.
3. Place the butter and golden syrup into a pan, over a low heat. Once the butter has melted set aside.
4. In a jug mix the bicarbonate of soda with 2 tablespoons boiling water.
5. Pour the bicarb mixture over the butter mixture and mix together. The mixture should foam up. This is a sign that the bicarbonate of soda is reacting with the butter and golden syrup.
6. Pour the butter, golden syrup, water and bicarbonate of soda mixture over the dry ingredients and mix together.
7. Roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls and place onto the baking tray (remember to allow for spreading). Press the balls to flatten them so they are about an inch high.
8. Cook in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes. Cook on the tray for around 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Dinner Party Distasters!

I wanted to create a black forest cupcake, instead of the usual Black Forest Cake. A Black Forest Cake usually consists of a chocolate cake filled with whipped cream and cherries and the sides of the cake are cover in flaked almonds. I wanted to make this into a cupcake by spooning the middle out of a cupcake and filling it with cherry jam. Then to pipe whipped cream on top, and sprinkle with toasted flaked almonds (as this gives the almonds more colour against the white whipped cream) and finally to place a cherry on top.

I used one of my favourite chocolate cake recipes from Peggy Porschen's cookbook. I have used this recipe many times before and therefore know that it works. When I made these cupcakes I didn't read the recipe correctly, and therefore added some of the ingredients in the wrong order; which had a big effect on the outcome of the cupcakes. I also added a 50g too much sugar; as I was lazy and poured the sugar straight into the pan of milk and a bit too much came out. The cupcakes didn't rise but spread out over the cupcake case. Also some of the cupcakes stuck  to the pan and didn't gel together but crumbled when turned out. If a cookie has too much sugar in it then it will spread out on the baking tray and not rise; which is exactly what happened to me!

To save the cakes I decided to layer them in a glass. The bottom of the glass was filled with a layer of chocolate cake and then some cherry jam. This was then covered with more chocolate cake. The top was finished with whipped cream, a sprinkle of flaked almonds and a cherry.

Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 24 mini cupcakes

Ingredients:
FOR THE CAKE:
75g dark chocolate
100ml milk
225g light brown sugar
75g salted butter, softened
2 eggs
150g plain flour
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 bicarbonate of soda 
FOR THE TOP:
100g cherry conserve / jam
300ml double cream
2 tablespoons castor sugar
24 fresh cherries
50g toasted flaked almonds

Method:

1. Grease 24 cupcakes holes. Preheat the oven to C160.
2. Put the chocolate, milk and half of the sugar into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Take off the heat.
3. Put the butter and other half of the sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat for 3 - 4 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Add the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into the egg mixture and whisk at a low speed until just combined. Pour in the mixture from the saucepan slowly into the other mixture whilst whisking at a low speed.
5. Once combined spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, filling the cases to about two thirds full.  
6. Cook for 13 - 18 minutes or until golden at the edges. Cool.
7. Pour the double cream and sugar into the bowl  and whisk until soft peaks are formed.
8. Using a teaspoon spoon out part of the middle of a cupcake and fill it with a small blob of cherry jam. Next pipe whipped cream on top, and then sprinkle with toasted flaked almonds and finally place a cherry on top.

Teacher's Gifts

Brownies but as a cookie!

Every year at the end of term, many parents ponder on whether to give the teachers gifts and if they do decide to give them a gift what do you give them?My simple answer to this is to give some yummy scrummy home baked gifts as a token of appreciation to the teachers. 

I chose to make the 'Brownies but as a Cookie' cookies as they are so irresistibly yummy! As long as the teacher likes chocolate these are the perfect gift. I put my cookies into a clear plastic bag (you can buy these from Lakeland) and then added a tag and some pretty ribbons. But the best thing is that you can eat a few cookies yourself!

Chocolate Victoria Sponge

Chocolate Victoria Sponge

The usual summer afternoon cake is a classic Victoria sponge; a plain sponge filled with either strawberry jam or strawberry jam and whipped cream, then dusted with icing sugar. I do like this wonderful cake but as you know my loyalty lies with chocolate! So to update this classic summer cake I altered the recipe slightly. The best summer flavour to put with chocolate is strawberries; a match made in heaven! So instead my cake consists of a chocolate sponge filled with the classic strawberries and whipped cream and then dusted with cocoa powder instead of icing sugar. The cocoa powder gives the cake a rich chocolate flavour which contrasts with the sweet whipped cream and fresh English strawberries and finishes it off beautifully!

Chocolate Victoria Sponge

Ingredients:
FOR THE CAKE:
225g margarine
225g Castor sugar

Chocolate Victoria Sponge

4 eggs

2 tablespoons milk
225g self raising flour
25g cocoa powder
FOR THE FILLING:
250ml double cream
2 tablespoon Castor sugar
200g fresh strawberries diced and halved
Cocoa powder for dusting

Method:

1. To make the cake: Preheat the oven to C180. Grease and flour two round 20cm cake tins. 
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy. 
3. Add the eggs one at a time mixing at a low speed after each addition. Add the milk with the last egg. If the mixture curdles don't worry as when you add the flour it will become uncurdled. 
4. Add the flour and cocoa powder and mix at a low speed until just combined. Be careful not to over mix as this will produce a tough cake.  
5. Split the mixture evenly between the two cake tins. Using an off-set spatula spread the mixture evenly around. Make the mixture higher at the edges as the middle will always rise higher then the edges. This helps to produce an even cake. Place in the middle shelf of the oven and cook for between 20 mins - 30 mins. Until the edges of the cake are golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave the cakes to cool for around 30minuites.
6. To make the filling: Pour the cream and sugar into a large bowl and mix with a large whisk until the cream is at a stiff peak consistency.
7. Put the bottom layer of the cake onto a plate and then spread over half of the cream. Arrange the strawberries around the edge of the cake and then place the rest of the strawberries in the centre of the cake. Spread the other half of the cream over the top of the strawberries and level out. Place the other cake on top and then dust with cocoa powder.
8. ENJOY!