spicy icecream

Peach and Bourbon Pie + 13 Ways with Peaches

2012-01-28T10:48:00.003+11:00

It’s just not summer without delicious, juicy stone fruit. Peaches are one of my ultimate favourites, and they have been especially beautiful this year. There are so many interesting things you can do with them, so I thought I would share a few ideas courtesty of some of my favourite blogs (and a few old favourites from my own archives) that will hopefully inspire you to get creative with peaches before the summer is over. I’ve also got a seriously delicious recipe to share with you too, at the end of the post. Enjoy!

Picture Credits: Bless Her Heart & Verses From My Kitchen

1. What could be better than peaches with your Pimm’s? Not much I imagine. Bless Her Heart gives us a lovely recipe for a Pimms Cocktail that has a triple hit of peach with peach bitters, peach syrup and lovely fresh peaches too!

2. Another lovely drink (with possibly the best name ever) is The Shucks Deluxe from Verses From My Kitchen. I love the sound of this summery drink with vodka, honey and a hint of rosemary. Yum!

Picture Credits: Endless Simmer & Cherry Tea Cakes

3. Yes, yes, I know I’m a little bit obsessed with boozy pops lately, but these Strawberry Peach Vodka Collins Pops from Endless Simmer sound amazing! I love the sound of peach, strawberry and vodka together in one adult iceblock.

4. This Peach and Lemon Thyme Ice Cream from Cherry Tea Cakes sounds pretty amazing. I love combining fruit and herbs and this recipe sounds like a winner!

Picture Credits: Citrus and Candy & Spicy Icecream

5. This delicious Summer Verrine of Peaches and Honey comes courtesy of my friend Karen from Citrus and Candy, which looks like the best way to enjoy both yellow and white peaches, apart from eating them fresh with the juices running all the way down your arm!

6. Peach and Ginger is a lovely combination that works so well in this ice cream, especially served with a delicious gooey blondie. Or, serve this in ice cream sandwich form as in the original recipe from Whimsy and Spice via Design*Sponge.

Picture Credits: Always With Butter & Spicy Icecream

7. How stunning is this Peaches and Cream Layer Cake from Always With Butter! I love the sound of the mascarpone ‘frosting’ that I think would truly let the peaches shine. I wish my birthday was in summer so I could have this as my cake!

8. This Yoghurt and Almond Cake with Caramel Peaches is one from my own archives and I had to include it because it’s a beautifully simple cake that is a great base for any number of flavours. I just loved this version topped with caramel peaches.

Picture Credits: What Katie Ate & Inspiring The Everyday

9. These Praline Peaches from What Katie Ate just look magical don’t they? They are baked in honey and served with a homemade praline and lightly sweetened mascarpone. I can’t wait to make these for my next summer dinner party!

10. Peaches are also lovely as part of a decadent weekend breakfast! I love the look of the Roasted Peach Crepes from Inspiring the Everyday. I mean isn’t that photo beautiful! I’ve never made crepes before but these with a little whipped cream and dark cherry jam look like perfection!

Picture Credits: Raspberri Cupcakes & Gourmet Traveller

11. Steph from Raspberri Cupcakes did a wonderful job recreating the classic dessert Peach Melba into Macaron form with raspberry buttercream and poached peach. And aren’t the heart shapes totally cute!

12. As soon as I saw the Pork Pizza with Provolone and Peach in Gourmet Traveller, Ut Si Café was a must visit for our Tasmania trip early last year. And I’m so glad we did, because that pizza (changed up in different seasons and served with pear when we had it) was absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to try it at home!

13. I’m so glad I have been able to finally make the Peach and Bourbon Pies that have been floating around in my head for such a long time now, and they were even more delicious than I imagined they would be! I used my favourite pastry recipe again, although I found it necessary to put it back into the fridge a few times because the heat made it quite tricky to work with, and the filling couldn’t be simpler. These little pies were very popular around here. They were great hot or cold, served with ice cream or completely plain. There's one left and I think someone's going to have to fight me for it!

Peach and Bourbon Pies
Serves 6

Vanilla Pastry (adapted from Gourmet Traveller)
• 450g plain flour
• 120g pure icing sugar, sifted
• 225g cold butter, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3-4 tablespoons iced water

Peach and Bourbon Filling
• 5 or 6 peaches (depending on size)
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• ½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped
• 1 tablespoon cornflour

To make the pastry, combine flour, icing sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 3-4 tablespoons iced water and vanilla extract and pulse until mixture just combines. Turn onto a lightly floured surface, form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). For the pie filling, peel peaches and remove stones. Cut each peach half into quarters, and depending on the size, you may need to cut them in half again. Combine peach slices and the rest of the ingredients for pie filling in a bowl and stir gently to combine. Set aside.

To assemble pies, roll two-thirds of the pastry between sheets of non-stick baking paper to 3mm thick and use to line 6 buttered 9.5cm diameter pie pans. Fill with peach mixture. Roll out remaining pastry to 3mm thick and cut into 1cm strips. Place strips over tops of pies in a lattice shape, press down and trim edges. Brush tops with egg wash and scatter with raw sugar. Bake pies for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Lamington Doughnuts

2012-01-26T11:05:00.002+11:00

Given that today is Australia Day, I wanted to make something suitably patriotic to celebrate. I wanted to have a bit of fun, with a twist on a classic Australian icon, and given my predilection towards cake, choosing the lamington was a no brainer! I’ve had plenty of average lamingtons in my time, and I’ve learned that nothing beats homemade.

That’s where these Lamington Doughnuts come in. Imagine a fresh, fluffy, perfectly cooked doughnut, filled with warm jam and dipped in a rich chocolate glaze, then tossed in coconut. And they were seriously good.

I’ve listed the jam as optional below, because I won’t lie, I made a complete mess of my kitchen while trying to fill them. I had jam all over my hands, all over my shirt, and all over the kitchen bench! It’s also a good idea not to use a chunky jam because the fruit will block your piping bag. The doughnuts were still delicious without it.

I hope you’re all enjoying your Australia Day with BBQ’s and beers and good times with your mates today! I'll see you back here next week for a nice summery dessert.

Lamington Doughnuts
Makes about 20

Doughnuts
(adapted from Gourmet Traveller)
• 125ml (1/2 cup) pouring cream
• 60ml (1/4 cup milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 225g (1 ½ cups) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tablespoon dried yeast
• 30g caster sugar
• Vegetable oil for deep frying
• ¾ cup strawberry jam, slightly warmed (optional)
• 1 ½ cups coconut (shredded or desiccated)

Chocolate Icing
• 2 cups icing sugar
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• 10g butter
• ½ cup milk

For the doughnuts, combine cream, milk and vanilla in a small saucepan and warm over low heat until lukewarm (30 seconds - 1minute). Meanwhile, combine flour, yeast, sugar and a pinch of fine salt in a large bowl. Add cream mixture and stir to combine. Turn onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes or until the dough is soft and smooth. Transfer to a lighly oiled bowl, cover and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (35-40 minutes).

Knock back the dough and roll out on a floured surface to 2cm thick. Cut out 5cm circles, place on trays lined with baking paper, cover with a clean towel and stand for 30 minutes or until risen. Preheat oil in a deep fryer or deep-sided saucepan to 180°C (350°F). Deep fry zeppole in batches, turning occasionally until golden and cooked through (3-4 minutes). Drain on paper towel and allow to cool slightly.

Fill a piping bag with slightly warmed jam and pipe into the center of each doughnut, being careful not to overfill.

To make the chocolate icing, sift icing sugar and cocoa into a heatproof bowl. Stir in the butter and milk. Stand the bowl over simmering water and stir until icing is of a good consistency. Place coconut in a small bowl. Hold each doughnut on a bamboo skewer or toothpick. Dip into the chocolate icing then toss in coconut, one at a time, to cover. Stand lamington doughnuts on a wire rack until set.

La Cholita, Perth

2012-01-24T16:40:00.003+11:00

Wahhooooo! It’s a momentous day, because Perth finally has a good Mexican restaurant! After visiting a couple of disappointing places over the last few years serving inauthentic grease-laden slop, La Cholita is a truly welcome addition to the vibrant Northbridge dining scene. We got there just before 7pm and snaffled the last spot sitting at the bar. Shortly after there was a queue stretching down the street. Something you expect at popular restaurants in Sydney or Melbourne, but something I’d never witnessed before in laid-back Perth!

It’s hard not to pick up on similarities with places like Mamasita and Barrio Chino. The staff are all young, hip things, and I think tattoos must be part of the uniform. The drinks list focuses heavily on tequila, as you would expect, but also has a really interesting wine list ranging from Spain and Portugal to Argentina and Chile. I started with a glass of Sangria, which was perfect for the warm evening, and had me going back for more as soon as my glass was empty.

We were given a variety of condiments – lime wedges, a tangy yoghurt sauce, a green chilli relish and a spicy chilli sauce. We each ordered the Mexican Street corn, since the menu didn’t say you actually got 3 pieces per serve. Not that it really mattered, we polished them off! They were good but I wished there was some coriander to liven them up a little.

As you may have realised by now, I’m powerless to anything involving pulled pork so the Slow-cooked Pork taco with pineapple and onion was a must-order for me. The tortilla itself was a little thick and doughy compared to others I’ve tried, but it was still pretty great. Steve tried the Baja fish taco with chipotle mayo. It was actually a bit disappointing – the batter was quite thick, and I can’t help but think it would have tasted better if the fish had been grilled and served with some crunchy slaw instead.

They misplaced our order for our main dish, Chicken Mole, and the staff were a bit hard to flag down to ask about it. When it finally arrived at our table it was a little different to how we expected. Instead of being cooked in a sauce, the chicken was grilled with a spiced chocolate mixture piled on top. I can’t rave enough about how perfectly the chicken was cooked. The meat was amazingly juicy. The “sauce” was tasty, but a little under-seasoned and I think the spices could have been a lot stronger. It was greatly improved with some chilli from the condiments tray.

We were getting pretty full by this point but we couldn’t leave without having dessert! Especially when there’s dulce de leche ice cream involved! The ice cream was wrapped in pastry and cooked, served with cinnamon sugar and chocolate sauce. It was a delicious, oozy mess that almost had us licking the plate clean.

We enjoyed La Cholita and I’m very happy to find some decent Mexican in Perth. I’m looking forward to going back and trying some of their other dishes, especially the tostadas and quesadillas. I would put it on par with Mamasita in Melbourne in terms of food (good) and service (hit and miss). It does get loud and very busy in there, but the atmosphere is a lot of fun for a catchup with friends over some good food and booze.

La Cholita, 279 William St Northbridge WA (08) 9227 9238

Lychee, Vodka and Elderflower Iceblocks

2012-01-19T23:16:00.002+11:00

Isn't it funny how your tastes change over the years? As a child I wouldn't go near mushrooms, eggplant, pumpkin, seafood, and many more things I now find delicious. Lychees were definitely in the 'no way' zone but these days I love them, and they have been especially delicious this summer. I came home one day a few weeks ago to find a surprise gift waiting for me, a box of beautiful lychees from Impact Communications that were just waiting to be turned into something delicious.

When thinking about what to make, my mind kept wandering back to the signature cocktail at Kit & Kaboodle in Kings Cross, called the Kit Martini – a delicious combination of vodka, lychee, elderflower and cloudy apple juice. I decided to play with those flavours in a boozy, and decidedly summery iceblock. And I've gotta say, they're every bit as good as the drink itself!

Even better, they’re ridiculously easy to make – just stir, pour and freeze. I can imagine eating one of these after a dip in the pool on a hot day, or after a BBQ dinner on a sultry evening. I made my iceblocks in shot glasses, but you could also try using small cake moulds. And funnily it was almost a year to the day that I posted these delicious Watermelon, Raspberry and Gin iceblocks, which I’ll definitely be making again soon!

Thanks again to Impact Communications for the beautiful lychees!

Lychee, Vodka and Elderflower Iceblocks
Makes 10

• 8 lychees, peeled and seeds removed (or use canned lychees if fresh are unavailable)
• ¼ cup vanilla vodka
• 3-4 tablespoons elderflower liqueur or cordial
• 500ml cloudy apple juice
• Sugar syrup, to taste, optional

Process lychees in a food processor and pass through a fine sieve to get about 200ml of juice. Stir in vanilla vodka, elderflower liqueur or cordial and apple juice. If desired, add sugar syrup to taste.

Pour into shot glasses or other small mould and freeze for about 2 hours. Insert a paddle pop stick into the center of each iceblock and then freeze overnight, or until firm. To serve, gently twist iceblocks from glasses or run under a little cool water to dislodge. Serve immediately.

Strawberry Shortcake Macarons

2012-01-12T23:09:00.002+11:00

I was going to wait until next week to post these, but I just couldn’t. I’m pretty excited about these little babies! I had the idea to turn the beloved summer dessert Strawberry Shortcake into a macaron quite some time ago, but I was too scared of baking those temperamental little biscuits to try it until now! Perfect macarons are akin to the Holy Grail for an amateur baker, and let me tell you, it took quite a few attempts before I managed to get them right.

Thank goodness for Steph, who not only gave me a great demonstration but also a good dose of moral support and inspiration while brainstorming possible macaron flavour combinations. While my technique is still not quite perfect (I seem to have a habit of under mixing them slightly) I think they’re definitely passable! And even though I’ve made a few successful batches in the last few months, I still do a happy dance in front of the oven when I see that they have feet! Huzzah!

I made these last weekend while I was in Perth, where we have established a little garden that the boy does a smashing job of looking after while I’m not there. The cherry tomatoes and capsicum are going great guns, and you know what happened to the mint. The strawberries have just started to ripen (although unfortunately there were not enough yet to use homegrown in this recipe, maybe next trip!) but they looked so pretty I just had to photograph them.

I was really happy with how they turned out and they were certainly popular with all of the taste testers! I think they would be rather lovely at a high tea or a garden party, don’t you?

Strawberry Shortcake Macarons
Makes about 15 sandwiched macarons
Adapted from Raspberri Cupcakes

• 110g almond meal, dried in a cool oven for 5 minutes and sifted
• 200g icing sugar
• 100g aged eggwhites
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon powdered egg whites, optional (available from Essential Ingredient)

For the filling
• Lightly sweetened whipped cream
• Fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped into 1cm cubes

To make the macaron shells, line two baking sheets with baking paper. Place icing sugar in a food processor and pulse to remove any lumps. Stir in almond meal and pulse to combine. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat eggwhites and egg white powder in a medium bowl until the powder dissolves and it reaches soft peaks. With the mixer on high speed, gradually add sugar and beat until it reaches stiff peaks.

Add meringue to the dry mixture and mix, quickly at first to break down the bubbles in the egg white. You can be quite rough at this point, and then mix carefully as the dry mixture becomes incorporated and it starts to become shiny again. Take care not to overmix, the mixture should flow like lava and a streak of the mixture spread across the surface should disappear after about 30 seconds. Place in a piping bag and pipe rounds 3cm diameter on prepared baking sheets.

Tap against the bench to remove any air bubbles and leave to dry for about half an hour, so that when you press the surface of one gently, it doesn’t break. Preheat the oven to 140-150°C (285-300°F) and bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your shells. Remove from the oven and cool on the tray for a few minutes. Gently remove from the tray and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Spoon or pipe whipped cream onto macaron shells, adding ½ teaspoon of chopped strawberries and then sandwich with another shell. Refrigerate overnight in an airtight container to allow the flavours to mature. Serve at room temperature.

Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

2012-01-09T15:23:00.004+11:00

I’ve been thinking a lot about resolutions lately, I guess it comes with the territory in the first few weeks of January. I get the feeling that 2012 will be a year filled with big changes, big adventures and big life decisions, though I don’t want to jinx anything, and I thought I’d share a couple of the things I want to do this year here.

• Read more. I used to read a crazy amount of books but as the last few years have got busier, I have been reading less and less.
• Make more from scratch. I’m usually pretty good at this, but I want to make the effort to make more of my ingredients totally from scratch, like mayonnaise, ricotta, stock, bread etc.
• Waste less. I’m sure I’m not the only one who buys a bunch of herbs for a particular recipe and forgets about the rest until it’s turned to liquid in the crisper drawer! This has to stop, because the food waste statistics are absolutely horrifying.
• Grow my own. Stemming from the last point, I can pick just enough for what I need. Plus it’s so satisfying to be able to go out and pick beautiful fresh herbs and vegetables from the backyard. From the little garden we started in spring, the tomatoes, strawberries and capsicum are going great guns, and the mint is growing wild!
• Document the year. If you follow me on Instagram (username is spicyicecream, of course) you can see the results of my photo-a-day project! I hope to make it past April this time around!

This ice cream was completely made from scratch (check!) using mint that we grew ourselves (check!) in our fancy new red ice cream maker, a Christmas present from the boy's parents. I’ve been interested in making a fresh mint ice cream ever since I saw it on Orangette a few years ago, which was from my favourite ice cream book, The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz. The man is a genius, and this ice cream is delicious.

I loved the herbaceous quality of this ice cream, so different (and so much better) than anything artificially flavoured. I ended up using a bit less than the original recipe asked for but it was a surprisingly strong mint flavour. I added a couple of drops of food colouring to get that shade of green but I’ve listed that as optional in the recipe below. The addition of chopped chocolate and a rich chocolate sauce was also fantastic and I know I’ll definitely be making this ice cream again and again.

Fresh Mint Choc Chip Ice Cream
Adapted from David Lebovitz
Makes 1 litre

• 1 cup milk
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup lightly packed mint leaves
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• A few drops green food colouring, optional
• 100g chocolate, finely chopped

Warm the milk, sugar and 1 cup of cream, salt and mint in a medium saucepan. Once the mixture is hot and steaming, remove from the heat, cover and let stand for at least an hour to infuse the mint flavour. Remove the mint with a strainer and then press down with a spatula firmly to extract as much mint flavour as possible, then discard the mint.

Pour the remaining cream and vanilla into a large bowl and set a strainer on top. Rewarm the infused milk. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and then slowly pour some of the warm mint mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan.

Cook custard, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Immediately stain the mixture into the cream, then stir over an ice bath until cool. Add food colouring if using. Refrigerate overnight, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. When almost ready, stir in chopped chocolate, transfer to a container and freeze until firm. Serve with chocolate sauce.

Chocolate Sauce (adapted from Taste)

Note: This recipe will make more than you need, but it will store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.

• 185ml thickened cream
• 200g good quality dark chocolate, chopped
• 55g brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place ingredients into a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir with a metal or wooden spoon until chocolate is almost melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to stir until chocolate melts. Serve warm or transfer to a clean airtight jar or container. Store in the fridge for 3-4 weeks. Serve room temperature or warm.

Mixed Berry Cobbler with Buttermilk Pastry

2012-01-04T00:28:00.002+11:00

If I were forced to choose only one kind of sweet to make for the rest of my life, it would have to be gorgeous, rustic, Southern-style fruit desserts. From pies to crisps, buckles to slumps, I am in love with them all…especially their curious names! You can’t really go wrong with baked fruit and pastry with a big scoop of ice cream on top.

Today I’ve got a beautiful recipe for you guys, and I’m not ashamed to say I ate pretty much all of this on my own because I didn’t want to share! To make the most of the delicious berries that are in season at the moment, I baked up a Berry Cobbler. I used a mixture of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and red currants subtly flavoured with elderflower, topped with a delicious buttermilk biscuit pastry.

It was a really great dessert, one I’m sure would be a delicious ending to any summer BBQ. Bonus points because it takes hardly any time at all to put together, and you can definitely play around with the fruits and flavours you use. Any kind of stone fruit would be delicious, from cherries to peaches or even apricots. In winter, try it with apples and pears spiced with cinnamon and vanilla.

Mixed Berry Cobbler with Buttermilk Pastry
Adapted from Gourmet Traveller
Serves 2 hungry people

• 400g mixed berries (I used a combination of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and red currants)
• 200g raw caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 40ml elderflower cordial or liqueur

Buttermilk Pastry
• 1 cup self raising flour
• 50g butter, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons raw sugar, plus extra for scattering
• 90ml buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 180°C (400°F). Combine berries, sugar, flour and elderflower cordial or liqueur in a bowl and divide between 2 ovenproof bowls (or in one larger bowl if you prefer)

For the buttermilk pastry, process flour, butter, sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add buttermilk and process until mixture forms a dough, then transfer to a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Roll out to 5mm thick and cut out 5cm rounds with a pastry cutter. Arrange over berries, overlapping slightly. Brush tops with a little extra buttermilk and scatter raw sugar over pastry. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until fruit is bubbling and pastry is golden and risen. Serve hot with ice cream.

Best of 2011

2011-12-30T13:35:00.004+11:00

I can’t believe we’re already at the end of another year. I know I must sound like a broken record going on about how time flies, but 2011 went by especially fast! In many ways it was a challenging year, but I learned so much and I'm looking forward to seeing what 2012 will bring. I thought I would put together a little roundup of my favourite recipes of the year. It was nice taking a trip down memory lane, even though most of these posts feel like yesterday! If you've tried out any of these recipes throughout the year let me know!

My favourite cake of the entire year had to be the Vanilla Malt Sprinkle Bark Cake that I made for Steph’s birthday. It was rather difficult to keep this one a surprise when we brainstorm baking ideas on a daily basis, but it was worth it her reaction was absolutely priceless. Not only was this cake a lot of fun, but it was also totally delicious!

These Popcorn and Caramel Ice Cream Sandwiches certainly kicked the year off on a sweet note! You just can’t go wrong combining popcorn with caramel, chocolate and ice cream. I’m looking forward to making them again soon.

2011 was the year I embraced doughnut making and tried to do some interesting things with it. For my blog's 4th birthday I made Chai Doughnut Holes that had spice-infused milk in the doughnuts themselves and also the glaze. This was one of the most popular posts of the year!

I don’t feature a lot of savoury recipes but these Beef Ribs with Pomegranate BBQ Sauce was one of my favourites this year. Adding pomegranate molasses to the sauce gave it a sweetness and smokiness that was perfect with the tender beef ribs. Since then I’ve also experimented with a peach BBQ sauce that would also be insanely delicious with ribs!

I hit my 300th post in September and decided to celebrate by making Popcorn Doughnuts. I’m pretty proud of these little babies, they’re totally over the top, but still one of my favourite doughnut recipes to date! Imagine how perfect they would be for a circus themed kid’s birthday party!!

2011 was definitely a year of experimenting with booze in cooking, both savoury and sweet. This Chocolate and Muscat Pudding has to be the ultimate in winter comfort food. I made this as a dessert for a dinner party and it went down a treat with everyone!

My Toffee Apple Trifle was a dessert I was particularly proud of, which I served at a Christmas in July lunch with some of my best friends. There were layers of apple cider jelly, brown sugar sponge cake, salted caramel stewed apples and vanilla bean custard that worked so well together and made up a really great dessert.

Steph and I worked together on a birthday cake for our friend Karen, combining some of the things she loves the most in this Chocolate PX Brownie Cake. Which was then followed by an amazing lunch at one of my favourite Sydney restaurants, Universal in Darlinghurst. Post on that still to come!

And on the restaurant front, my favourite dining experiences go far and wide across Australia this year! From Greenhouse and Kitsch Bar in Perth to Ut Si Café in Tasmania, and Ms G’s, Becasse and El Capo in Sydney to name a few, 2012 has been a great year! (I also loved Gingerboy in Melbourne but argh it’s still in the backlog!)

Thank you to every single one of my readers for visiting me this year. I hope to see you back for more crazy cakes and interesting desserts in the new year! Spicyicecream will turn 5, can you believe it! (I can’t!)

Wishing you all the best for an amazing 2012! xox

Pulled Pork Empanadas with Peach BBQ Sauce

2011-12-27T22:43:00.003+11:00

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! Mine was wonderful, spent catching up with relatives (plus some visitors from Brisbane) over a big family lunch and lots (and lots and lots) of great food. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram you might have seen pictures of the epic Berry Trifle I made for the occasion, which literally vanished in minutes. I couldn’t believe it!

I actually made these Pulled Pork Empanadas a few months ago for a lunch with my favourite food blogger gal pals, but now couldn’t be a more appropriate time to share it with you all, as I’m sure we’re not the only ones with a glut of Christmas leftovers. You can use any kind of shredded roast pork in the filling, or get creative with turkey, ham or even chicken. These empanadas would make a great appetizer for a casual meal with friends, or they’d be perfect on your next picnic because they taste great warm or at room temperature.

The pastry is subtly spiced with paprika and very easy to put together, but I have to say, the star of the dish is the amazing peach BBQ sauce. It would also be delicious slathered onto ribs or on a hamburger, or served alongside any kind of grilled meat for that matter. Feel free to change up the spices depending on what you like. I’ve listed what I used in the recipe below but it’s just a starting point.

I hope everyone enjoys their New Years Eve celebrations and has a wonderful start to 2012! I’m heading to Perth to spend it with the boy. I’ll be back with an update from the west coast in the new year! xox

Pulled Pork Empanadas with Peach BBQ Sauce
Serves 10
Adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Empanadas
• 110g butter, roughly chopped
• 2 ½ cups plain flour
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup ice water
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• About 2 ½ cups shredded leftover roast pork
• 1 egg, extra, lightly whisked for egg wash

Peach BBQ Sauce
• ½ cup pureed peaches
• 2/3 cup tomato sauce
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon mustard
• 2 ½ teaspoons treacle
• 2 tablespoons Worstershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon bourbon
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• Garlic, chilli, parsley, thyme and oregano (optional), to taste

To make the dough, place butter, flour, salt and paprika into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until you have pea-sized chunks of butter throughout the mixture. Whisk together the egg, water and vinegar and add to the flour mixture, pulsing until just incorporated. Turn out onto a lightly floured benchtop and knead a few times before patting into a circle. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

To make the sauce, place ingredients into a bowl or jug and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a jar or airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). To form the empanadas, cut the dough into 4 pieces and roll to 3mm thick. Cut out 10cm round circles from the dough, re-rolling pastry scraps to cut more circles. Brush edges of each dough round with egg wash. Stir in 1/3 cup of sauce into the shredded pork. Place a large spoonful in the center of a rough, and fold the top half to the bottom to lightly pressing to seal. Use a floured fork to seal edges closed. Repeat for all dough rounds. Place onto baking trays, brush with remaining egg wash and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature with additional sauce for dipping.

Candy Cane Spiders + 13 Ways with Candy Canes!

2011-12-23T11:58:00.006+11:00

Well well, it’s Christmas Eve Eve. Most of us are finishing up work for the year and finishing off preparations for a big weekend of celebrating! Hopefully you’re nearly finished all your shopping, but if you’re still stuck on what to make for Christmas dessert, hopefully this post will help! I thought I’d get into the festive spirit with a pepperminty round up of Christmassy recipes featuring candy canes!

I had a lot of fun putting this together because it’s such a great chance to see how creative other bloggers can be! From show-stopping cakes to gorgeous homemade gifts and celebratory cocktails, I never realized how versatile those red and white striped candies could be.

Picture Credits: Tartelette & Gourmet Traveller

1. One of my favourite bakers, and macaron maker extraordinaire Tartelette baked up some gorgeous Candy Cane Macarons, which I think are totally stunning. Her detailed recipe also makes macarons seem a little less scary!

2. If you’re a more experienced (or adventurous!) macaron maker, you could attempt Adriano Zumbo’s Candy Cane Macarons. Red and white mixture is marbled together and actually piped into candy cane shapes! They’re absolutely beautiful but I think I’ll leave this one to the experts! The caramelized candy cane ganache filling sounds wonderful though.

Picture Credits: Cake and Allie & My Recipes

3. Out of all the Candy Cane Cupcake recipes out there, this one from Cake and Allie has to be one of the most beautiful. I love the marbled red and white frosting!

4. This amazing Candy Cane Cake would absolutely steal the show at Christmas lunch! Coated with pulverized candy cane pieces, I think it would also be totally deliciously decadent if you used a fudgy chocolate cake as well.

Picture Credits: My Recipes & Spicy Icecream

5. I think these cute Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies would make delicious little gifts for friends and family this Christmas. But to make them even more awesome, they are sandwiched together with peppermint icing. Yum!

6. This recipe has fond memories for me, baking with my sister. Which is kind of appropriate as she also helped out with today’s recipe, but more on that later! These easy Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies were inspired by a Donna Hay recipe and are the perfect treat to make with the kids, or to leave out as a bribe, I mean, snack for Santa.

Picture Credits: Tablespoon & Hungry Girl Por Vida

7. This recipe for Candy Cane Martini Jelly Shots is so creative, not to mention pretty! Perfect little adults-only treat for a Christmas party, and a great concept to experiment with.

8. I have just discovered this gorgeous blog, Hungry Girl Por Vida but I’m totally in love with the gorgeous photos and recipes such as these Candy Cane Truffles. Give them as gifts or stir into warm milk for a decadent peppermint truffle hot chocolate, you can’t go wrong with this great, simple recipe!

Picture Credits: A Taste of Koko & Raspberri Cupcakes

9. I’ve been obsessed with chocolate “bark” since I made that crazy Sprinkle Bark Cake, and so of course I had to include Peppermint Bark in this roundup! A Taste of Koko has a beautiful version with not one but three layers of chocolate and a generous sprinkling of crushed up candy cane pieces.

10. I love the sound of the Candy Cane Chocolate Syrup (also known amongst us as “awesomesauce”) that my friend Steph made to top this stack of festive red and white pancakes. I can only imagine how awesome this would have tasted!

Picture Credits: Country Living & My Recipes

11. If you’re still looking for a delicious homemade gift, this Peppermint Hot Chocolate Mix might fit the bill! Packaged up in a pretty jar, I know I’d certainly love a thoughtful (and delicious) present like this! Or, you could make a batch of this for yourself in case hot chocolate cravings strike. It will last for up to six months in an airtight container.

12. Of course I had to booze it up at some point, and this Candy Cane Martini fits the bill nicely! I think this minty martini would be absolutely perfect for holiday parties.

13. I’m totally thrilled with how this crazy idea turned out – a Candy Cane Spider! Americans might know these better as an Ice Cream Soda or Float but in Australia, we’ve always known them as “Spiders”, but whatever you call it, it’s a delicious creamy drink made with ice cream and topped up with a carbonated drink like Coca Cola or root beer.

I decided to get creative and try a festive version made with candy cane ice cream, white crème de cacao and lemonade. I used a fantastic and easy “no churn” recipe which was also delicious on its own. After that, just put two scoops of ice cream in a tall glass with the white chocolate liqueur (if you like, if you’re making this for the kids, just leave it out) and top with lemonade! An easy Christmassy drink in seconds! I also just want to wish all my wonderful readers a very Merry Christmas and a happy and safe break! Hope it's filled with lots of good food! xox

Candy Cane “Spider”
Serves 1

No Churn Candy Cane Icecream (adapted from Vanilla Bean Blog)
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon peppermint extract (or to taste)
• 2 tablespoons white crème de cacao (optional)
• 2 cups cold heavy cream
• Crushed candy canes (I used 6 regular candy canes)

Candy Cane Spider
• Crushed candy canes, extra, to line rim
• Glucose syrup or honey
• 2 scoops candy cane ice cream
• 15ml white crème de cacao (optional)
• Lemonade (or Sprite) to top up

To make candy cane ice cream, stir together condensed milk, vanilla, peppermint and white crème de cacao in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl or in a stand mixer, beat cream on high until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula, gently fold whipped cream into condensed milk mixture. Stir in crushed candy canes and pour into a regular size loaf pan. Freeze until firm, for about 6 hours or overnight. Keeps up to one week in the freezer.

To make the spider, rub a small amount of glucose syrup or honey around the rim of a tall glass with your finger. Place crushed candy canes onto a plate and press rim of the glass into the candy. Place 2 scoops of candy cane ice cream into the glass. Pour over crème de cacao and top up with lemonade. Serve immediately.

Marmalade and Whisky Glazed Turkey

2011-12-22T14:12:00.004+11:00

The other day someone called me a ‘Domestic Goddess’. I was half thrilled and half horrified. While I love baking and like to think I’m a passable hostess, there’s currently a week’s worth of clothes on my floor at the moment (shhh!) and I’d almost rather be subjected to Survivor-like challenges than do the dusting. Nigella and Martha make it look so easy, nay, glamorous, but the thought of cooking Christmas lunch for a crowd sends me into a cold sweat.

I’m sure I’m not alone on this one, cooking a whole turkey seems pretty daunting! Which is why when Ingham and Beyond The Square Communication offered to send me out a selection of fresh cuts of turkey to experiment with, I jumped at the chance to try my first foray into roast turkey, without the added stress!

I used the turkey leg roll to make a lovely little roast, glazed with orange marmalade, mustard and whisky, served with some delicious roasted chat potatoes with crispy speck, which I enjoyed for a lovely long pre-Christmas Sunday lunch with the family.

All the hard work in prepping the turkey has been done for you. The roast is pre-rolled with a delicious breadcrumb and herb stuffing, and putting the glaze together is an absolute breeze. I think even the most un-domesticated could manage Christmas dinner this year! I was thrilled with my little roast, the meat was moist and perfectly cooked and the glaze gave it a beautiful taste. I’ve included the recipe for the glaze below, which was beautiful with turkey but I think would also be lovely with chicken or ham this Christmas!

Marmalade and Whisky Glaze
Makes enough to glaze a small roast

Note: I didn’t write down exact amounts for the ingredients for the glaze, so the measurements below are quite rough, so feel free to add more or less of each to suit your personal taste. This recipe can be scaled up if you are making a larger roast.

• ½ cup orange marmalade
• 1 teaspoon hot English mustard
• 1-2 tablespoons whisky
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine marmalade and mustard in a small saucepan and stir to combine over medium heat. Add whisky, salt, and pepper to taste. Brush onto meat and roast, covered with foil. Roasting time and temperature will depend on type and size of roast you have. Serve with roast vegetables such as chat potatoes with crispy speck.

The turkey used in this recipe was a gift from Beyond The Square Communications and Ingham.

Spiced Baked Muscat Custards

2011-12-19T12:51:00.002+11:00

Christmas has sort of snuck up on me this year. While the decorations have been out in the shops since October, our summer weather isn't really playing along and it's hard to get into the spirit of an Aussie Christmas when you're still wearing a coat in December! So with just days to go, I thought I'd embrace my favourite part of the season (ahem, get my act together) and bake up something festive. And these little beauties certainly fit the bill.

If you haven't already noticed, baking with booze is one of my favourite things, and I reckon you're given a free pass at Christmas to indulge in brandy, rum or muscat-soaked desserts. These spiced baked custards have a triple hit of booze in the muscat-soaked raisins, the custard itself and also in the caramel on top. It's silky, rich, indulgent and downright delicious.

If you're cooking for a crowd, the custards can be baked in advance and stored in the fridge with the caramel poured on top just before serving. Or, if you like, skip the caramel altogether and serve them with a bruleed sugar crust and berries. I loved digging down to the bottom to scoop up the boozy raisins and have a little bit of all three elements in every bite… with a sip of muscat to wash it down of course!

I also want to mention some lovely free-range eggs that I was given courtesy of McLean’s Run and One Green Bean that I used to make these custards. I grew up with chickens as pets, so we always had the freshest eggs with vibrant yellow yolks, and it makes such a difference in your cooking. The closest thing to collecting eggs from your own backyard is to use quality free-range eggs from Australian owned and run company who truly care about the welfare of their chooks. Thanks again to McLean's Run for sending me two dozen lovely eggs!

The baked muscat custards look adorable served in mismatched ramekins or teacups, but it's quite a rich dessert so I would keep the serving sizes quite small, especially if you're serving them at the end of a big lunch!

It's also time to announce the winners for my Jacobs Creek competition (picked at random). Congratulations to KayB, RozzieC and Phoebe! And thanks to everyone who participated :)

Spiced Baked Muscat Custards
Adapted from Gourmet Traveller
Serves 6-8

• 100g dried muscatels or raisins
• 175ml muscat
• 600ml pouring cream (35% fat)
• 50ml milk
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• ½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped
• 6 egg yolks
• 55g light brown sugar

Muscat Caramel
• 250g caster sugar
• 50ml muscat
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine muscatels (or raisins, if using) and 125ml muscat in a saucepan and simmer over low heat until muscat is absorbed (6-8 minutes). Set aside.

Combine cream, milk, remaining muscat, cinnamon sticks and vanilla bean and seeds in a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium high heat. Remove from the heat, over and allow to infuse for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until sugar dissolves. Pour cream mixture over and whisk to combine. Strain into a jug.

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Divide muscatel/raisin mixture between 6-8 ramekins or tea cups (depending on the size you are using), pour custard over and place in a tea-towel lined roasting pan. Pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the bowls and cover tightly with aluminium foil. Bake until just set (50-55 minutes). Remove from the water bath and stand for 10 minutes. Refrigerate until required.

To make the muscat caramel, combine sugar and 80ml of water in a medium saucepan and stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Cook for 6-8 minutes, or until caramel in colour. Remove from the heat, add muscat, vanilla and 80ml water (be careful as mixture will spit), return to the heat and stir until combined. Set aside until cooled. Pour muscat caramel over the baked creams and serve.

Eggs used in this recipe were a gift from McLean's Run and One Green Bean

White Wine Sangria, plus Jacobs Creek Cool Harvest giveaway!

2011-12-12T21:44:00.004+11:00

Have you decided what your summer tipple will be this year? Last summer was all about the Pimms Cup for me, the one before that I sipped cider, but this year I have a new favourite. There is something that I just love about jugs of cocktails, both while out and about, and definitely for entertaining at home. I love how easy they are to make for a crowd and the endless variations you can come up with. Today I want to share a nice and fruity White Wine Sangria, which is looking very promising to be the drink of this summer.

Perfect on a hot afternoon, or when you have friends around for a casual dinner, this drink ticks all the boxes. Simple to make, festive and summery, customisable depending what you have in the fridge, and of course delicious! I used a combination of apple slices, lemon, lime and strawberries but you can use any fruit you like. I can imagine that slices of peach, or even some fresh lychees would be just lovely.

The lovely folk at Jacobs Creek sent me out a sample of their new range of Cool Harvest wines, the grapes are harvested in the cool of night to create a cool, crisp drop for a hot summer, perfect for sharing with friends at picnics and BBQ’s during the warmer months. I thought the Pinot Grigio was perfect for this refreshing Sangria, although I also loved the tasty Shiraz Rosé. And because it is the season, there are presents for you dear readers too!

This competition is now closed

I’ve got three sets of the Jacobs Creek Cool Harvest range to give away to three lucky readers, just in time for Christmas and summer entertaining!

Each prize includes a bottle of each of the following:
• Jacob’s Creek Cool Harvest Sauvignon Blanc 2011. Refreshing and zesty balance of lychee, lemongrass and citrus. The palate shows lovely balanced acidity which is vibrant to the finish. Delightful on its own or with soufflés, Thai curries or any citrus based dessert.
• Jacob’s Creek Cool Harvest Pinot Grigio 2011. Refreshing and zesty pear and citrus flavours balanced by nuances of crème anglaise to finish. Delightful on its own or with any form of shellfish or a great match to fresh fruit desserts.
• Jacob’s Creek Cool Harvest Shiraz Rosé 2011. Bursting with fresh berry fruit, reminiscent of biting into a summer strawberry, followed by a gentle finish of nicely tempered spice and quince. Delightful on its own or with coconut based curries, stir fries or berry crepes.
• Jacob’s Creek Cool Harvest Sauvignon Blanc Cuvée NV. Refreshingly effervescent with zesty flavours of lychee, lemongrass and citrus carried through by a vibrant acidity to the finish. Delightful on its own or with soufflés or citrus-based desserts.

If you are over 18 and an Australian resident, all you have to do is tell me what is your favourite summer tipple? The three winners will be picked at random and announced on 19th December. Winners will be notified in a post on the blog and by email, so sorry but no anonymous entries will be eligible. Good luck!

White Wine Sangria
Adapted from Sip Your Style
Serves 2-4

• 200ml white wine (I used Jacobs Creek Cool Harvest Pinot Grigio)
• 400ml cloudy apple juice
• 50ml bourbon whisky (optional)
• Ginger beer
• Garnish: strawberries, lime wedges, lemon wedges and apple slices

In a 1L jug, combine white wine, apple juice and bourbon. Add fruit garnishes, top with ice and ginger beer. Stir well and serve.

El Capo, Surry Hills

2011-12-11T14:05:00.003+11:00

The list of Sydney restaurants to visit seems to grow perpetually longer, never shorter as new places pop up in Sydney all the time. We’re a little bit spoiled for choice here, I’ll admit. A restaurant I’d been meaning to visit since it opened is El Capo, part of a trifecta of good eating on Waterloo St in Surry Hills including Orto Trading Co and Izakaya Fujiama, where I experienced a most embarrassing horror for a food blogger – a flat camera battery!

El Capo is a little bit naughty (it’s good food for bad people as the tagline goes) and a lot of fun, with a modern take on Latin and South American street food. I was dining with Denéa, for an overdue birthday dinner before she left the country for months. Sniffle. The menu looked fantastic, and as usual we overestimate our stomach capacity. The menu has a variety of dishes from snacks to salads, to more substantial entrees and mains.

We start with some drinks. My order is typically “the one that has ginger beer in it” which tonight means a Dark and Stormy with El Dorado dark rum, lime and ginger beer. Perfect. Denéa chooses the Cable Car, which is a combination of Spiced Rum, Cointreau, fresh lemon and mint, which was a little too sweet for her taste, so she orders a Negra Modelo beer as well.

If there’s guacamole on the menu, I’m physically unable to go past it so of course we had to order it. And happily, it was one of the best guac’s I’ve ever had in Sydney – really well seasoned, with a bit of texture since it was not mashed to buggery. The recipe may be a secret, but I have to say, my homemade version was nearly as good.

I’ve said it before but I am loving seeing so many versions of roasted or BBQ corn on restaurant menus all over Sydney. El Capo’s was served simply without cheese or mayo or herbs, just rolled in chipotle, and damn was it good. I also fell in love with the Beef Tartare ‘La Barbie’ which was served piled onto crunchy black pepper corn chips.

It was a tough choice between the Sticky Pork Ribs and the Braised Pork Tamales Vaporcitos, but I’d never tried tamales before and wanted to give them a try. Denéa had fond memories of eating monster sized ones back in America. El Capo’s tamales were filled with red chilli braised pork that just fell apart under your fork, and served with a spiced caramel and sesame seeds. I couldn’t get enough of the tender pork and the delicious corn exterior – a really great dish.

We also decided to order the special of the day, a Jamaican Goat Curry. It was a bit more spicy than I had expected, but I loved the tender goat meat in this tasty curry.

Everything had been intensely awesome so far, but the desserts kind of stole the show. I’m in love with Tres Leches cake, made from three kinds of milk. El Capo’s version was perfect and beautifully presented, served with dulce de leche, ice cream, strawberries, malt and double cream. This is for those with a true sweet tooth, and we practically licked the bowl clean.

But oh, the buñuelos! Denéa eloquently compared them to a “deep fried orgasm… in syrup” and she might have been onto something there! The little ricotta doughnuts were served with cream and a spiced palm sugar syrup. The doughnuts themselves were so light and totally delicious. I honestly couldn’t pick a favourite between the Tres Leches cake and these amazing doughnuts, so make sure you save room for dessert and get both!

So while it’s finally been crossed off the list of restaurants to visit, it’s firmly placed on the list of places I’d love to go back to. Because there’s still Grits and Pork, Chiccaron, Beef Short Ribs, and Duck Mole to try…

El Capo – 52 Waterloo St, Surry Hills (02) 9699 2518

Blueberry Jam Doughnuts with Lavender Sugar + 13 Ways with Lavender!

2011-11-29T16:47:00.001+11:00

Lavender is one thing that epitomizes spring for me. I seem to buy bunches of lavender flowers every year, and this year I went all out and bought a whole plant! I also love a little bit of subtle lavender flavour in sweets, though if you go too overboard on the lavender, it can end up smelling like Grandma's perfume. So go easy, and you're in for a real treat.

Last month's rhubarb list was such a hit that I've decided to make it a regular feature with different ingredients each month, so here are 13 unique things to do with lavender! I hope you'll visit some of these great blogs and try out some of the delicious sounding recipes!

Picture Credits: Sunday Suppers & A La Mode

1. How magical and totally girly does this Lavender Lemonade from Sunday Suppers look? I can imagine this would be equally perfect for a casual spring picnic or a classy ladies brunch.

2. I can’t wait til winter to try this beautiful Lavender Hot Chocolate from A La Mode. The combination of quality chocolate, cream and lavender sounds so dreamy, and I’m in love with the gorgeous photos on this great blog!

Picture Credits: Martha Stewart Weddings & Cookie and Kate

3. If you like some booze with your lavender (I know I do!) this Lavender Whisky Sour from Martha Stewart Weddings would suit you (and me) down to the ground.

4. Another drink that I think would be perfect for the warmer months is this Blueberry Lavender Lemonade (with a splash of vodka for good measure!) from Cookie and Kate. I love that you can make it in individual glasses, or in a jug for a crowd. I’m definitely trying this recipe out before the summer is over!

Picture Credits: Country Days & Spicy Icecream

5. This simple recipe for Lavender Scones from Country Days shows how versatile flavoured sugars can be! The combinations are endless, but lavender sugar is definitely a favourite of mine. Imagine how delicious these would be with homemade strawberry or rhubarb jam. Yum!

6. I absolutely loved these Honey and Lavender Cupcakes that I made, it’s a match made in heaven! With a generous slathering of cream cheese icing on top, you can’t get a more perfect or dainty spring-like cake.

Picture Credits: Spicy Icecream & Melanger

7. Another great recipe from the archives that I just loved was this Honeyed Ricotta, Fig and Lavender Galette that I made last summer. The flavours worked so beautifully together, which made this a perfect afternoon treat, and it couldn’t be more simple to prepare. Perfect for those times when you’re feeling too lazy, err, busy to bake!

8. Lavender and honey are best friends, so I can imagine how lovely and floral this Lavender Honey Crème Caramel from Mélanger would taste! It is made all the more special as it was inspired by memories from her honeymoon to Tasmania. I love your blog, Julia!

Picture Credits: Margaret and Joy & Raspberri Cupcakes

9. Unfortunately there is no recipe with this one, but this Salted Caramel and Lavender Ice Cream from Margaret and Joy sounds delicious in theory, and the photos are absolutely stunning! I think this is one combination definitely worth testing out.

10. My friend Steph from Raspberri Cupcakes gave her ice cream maker a whirl for the very first time to make this gorgeous Lavender and Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream, which uses fresh lavender flowers for a more subtle flavour, and the swirls of raspberry are so pretty!

Picture Credits: Desserts For Breakfast & Tartelette

11. This Lavender, Honey and Pomegranate Panna Cotta from Desserts for Breakfast feels deliciously festive! I had never thought of putting Lavender and Pomegranate together before, but I think it would work really well, especially with the creamy panna cotta to balance it out.

12. If you’re thinking about giving homemade Christmas gifts this year, these Lavender Truffles from Tartelette would be perfect! Packaged up in a pretty box, I can’t imagine a more thoughtful gift for friends or family.

13. I mentioned before that I love lavender sugar and how versatile it is, but I had never used it for doughnuts before now. One of life’s simplest pleasures is a freshly made jam doughnut, so I decided to play around with that theme and came up with these Blueberry Jam Doughnuts rolled in Lavender Sugar. The recipe I used for the doughnuts was so simple, and would be great for first-time doughnut makers. It doesn’t contain yeast, which means no waiting for the dough to prove. You don’t even have to roll it out – just drop tablespoonfuls of dough into the hot oil, and as soon as they’re done, roll them in lavender sugar.

I have to mention this amazing jam too. It's so good that I've been sneaking spoonfuls every time I go to the fridge. With blueberries being so cheap at the moment, I had been buying punnets upon punnets of them, and making jam is the perfect way to preserve them. I had initially meant to pipe the blueberry jam into the doughnuts themselves, but I had made the jam a little too chunky, oops! Nevermind, it was still totally delicious spooned on top of the still-warm doughnuts. If you prefer, you can use a store-bought version, or a different type of jam entirely – strawberry or rhubarb would work wonderfully I think!

Blueberry Jam Doughnuts with Lavender Sugar
Makes about 20 doughnuts

Lavender Sugar
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons dried lavender

Place sugar and lavender into a plastic container and seal tightly. Shake to combine. Allow to infuse at least overnight, but preferably for about a week.

Blueberry and Vanilla Jam (adapted from Taste)
• 4 punnets blueberries
• 2 cups raw caster sugar
• ¼ cup gin (optional)
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

Place blueberries, sugar, gin, lemon juice, vanilla seeds and bean into a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to the boil. Use a large metal spoon to skim froth from the surface. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often for 30-35 minutes. To test if the jam is ready, place a teaspoon of the ham onto a chilled saucer and place in the freezer for 1-2 minutes or until cooled to room temperature. If the surface of the jam wrinkles when you push it with your finger, it’s ready. Spoon hot jam into clean, sterilized jars and seal. Invert for 2 minutes and set aside to cool.

Jam Doughnut Drops (adapted from Home Beautiful)
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup milk
• 60g butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Vegetable oil, for deep frying

Sift flour into a bowl and whisk in sugar. Whisk together eggs and milk, then add to the flour mixture with butter and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and set aside. Pour oil into a large saucepan or deep fryer until 6cm deep and place over medium heat. If using a saucepan, clip a candy thermometer to the side. When oil reaches 170°C (340°F) drop 3 separate tablespoons of batter into the oil and cook for 2 minutes, turning over once, until puffed and golden. Drain on paper towel. If the doughnuts are browning too quickly, adjust the temperature. Place lavender sugar into a shallow bowl and toss hot doughnuts in sugar to coat.

If your jam is not too chunky, like mine was, heat about ½ cup of jam until smooth and soft enough to pipe. Fit a small piping bag with a ½ cm plain tube and fill with jam. With the tip of a knife, make a small incision in each doughnut and pipe a little jam into the center of each. If jam is too chunky, spoon jam on top and serve warm.

Xanthi, Westfield Sydney

2011-11-27T13:05:00.002+11:00

It’s been a long while since I finished a meal without dessert, but as always, I underestimated the Greek hospitality at Xanthi. If you loved the original (and firm favourite among Sydney food bloggers) Perama in Petersham, you’ll love David Tsirekas’ ambitious new venture on Level 6 at Westfield Sydney. While Perama was warm and cozy – and often racous – Xanthi, named after a region in Greece, is elegant and rich with colours and textures from tapestries, to mosaics and gorgeous hanging lanterns.

With a mixture of old favourites and some delicious new dishes on the menu, it’s no wonder that Xanthi is already very popular. My cousin Roslyn and I visited for lunch on a rainy Sunday after a hard morning’s shopping, in need of some good Greek comfort food.

One dish I could I could never go past was the BBQ Haloumi, with its telltale grill marks and smoky taste. Xanthi uses Locally produced Cypriot style haloumi cheese, which is served with fresh lemon and oregano. To go with that, the Honey Peppered Figs, an unbeatable combination of dried figs, pepper, honey, balsamic and spices. You can’t have one without the other. They make for one epic combination.

I’ve been loving seeing Fried School Prawns on a lot more menus lately and these were a fine example, tossed in a honey and fish sauce dressing, topped with sesame seeds and flaked almonds.

The Fried Calamari was also delicious and perfectly cooked, with a combination of squid and baby octopus. It was served with a lemon ouzo mayonnaise.

The Rabbit Stifatho was a great dish – Rabbit braised in a tomato, honey, cinnamon, clove and red wine sauce is then shredded and wrapped in fresh filo pastry, which at Xanthi is made fresh, and rolled and baked to order. I loved the dish, except I found quite a few small rabbit bones inside the pastry. There are also other delicious fillings available like Lamb Fricasse or Prawn and Scallop, both of which sound amazing!

And of course I couldn’t leave without introducing Roslyn to the Pork Belly Baklava, a favourite from Perama that has been adapted slightly to use the fresh filo. Between the layers, you’ll find delicious shredded pork belly with a date and pistachio filling and crackling, which is then served with a date and mastic sauce. While different from the old favourite, this new version is still delicious, but my thoughts are, why mess with a good thing?

As I mentioned, by this point I realized I had over-ordered and we were struggling to finish, let alone even think about dessert! But I know I’ll be back very soon to try the meat cooked on the spit – every day a selection of Lamb, Pork or Goat, and to try the desserts, which from what I’ve seen look like artworks on a plate.

The staff were very friendly and attentive, and David even recognized me from my numerous visits to Perama and came to say hello. So while the location and atmosphere have most definitely changed, the hospitality and great food certainly haven’t. Xanthi is definitely worth a visit, or in my case, a second visit. Just remember to save room for dessert!

Xanthi, Level 6, Westfield Sydney. Cnr Pitt St Mall & Market St, Sydney (02) 9232 8535

Mixed Berry Lattice Pies

2011-11-20T22:31:00.002+11:00

I’m a big believer that things happen for a reason. Although sometimes it’s not easy to see what that reason is straight away when everything seems to be going wrong. But I’ve found that with a little bit of faith, things tend to work out even better than you’d hoped. The older I get, the harder it is to follow that advice. I’m not too good at waiting for things to happen, but I’ve learned better than to force things before the time is right. Especially when major life decisions are involved. Maybe in a few months if all things go to plan, I can elaborate. But for now I must be patient.

When I thought up the idea for these pies, I had planned to make them with a vodka pastry. It might sound strange, but the science makes sense. Having pastry shrink is one of my biggest pet hates, but because vodka is just 60% water, it will give your pastry the moisture it needs to roll out beautifully, but won’t evaporate in the oven (and therefore make your pastry shrink) like water will. Plus being colourless and odourless, you won’t even know it’s there.

But unfortunately the vodka pastry was a bit of a failure. I knew it long before I rolled it out and lined the tins, but I persevered and wasted some of my precious berry filling on the damn failed pies. I think was my own fault, but it’s definitely dissuaded me from using shortening in pastry. From here on out, it's butter all the way. In a moment of panic, I turned to a recipe I’ve used before. It’s totally delicious, with a hint of vanilla, and is absolutely perfect for pies. Why on earth didn't I just use this pastry to begin with?!

I’ll say it simply, I loved these pies. The combination of beautifully ripe strawberries, blueberries and raspberries made them perfect for this time of year when berries are in season, abundant, and affordable! Served simply with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, you can’t ask for better than this.

And perhaps there’s a lesson here. And maybe next time I’ll pay attention. Don’t try to force something else when you can feel in your gut that it’s not right. It’s okay to stick with something tried and true. And when it tastes this good, it would be crazy not to! So here's to patience, and to pies.

Mixed Berry Lattice Pies
Serves 6

Vanilla Pastry (adapted from Gourmet Traveller)
• 450g plain flour
• 120g pure icing sugar, sifted
• 225g cold butter, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3-4 tablespoons iced water

Pie Filling
• 150g strawberries, hulled and cut in halves (or quarters if strawberries are large)
• 100g blueberries
• 75g raspberries
• 1 tablespoon raw sugar
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 tablespoon cornflour

• 1 egg, lightly whisked
• Raw Sugar, for dusting

To make the pastry, combine flour, icing sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 3-4 tablespoons iced water and vanilla extract and pulse until mixture just combines. Turn onto a lightly floured surface, form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Combine ingredients for pie filling in a bowl and stir gently to combine. Set aside.

To assemble pies, roll two-thirds of the pastry between sheets of non-stick baking paper to 3mm thick and use to line 6 buttered 9.5cm diameter pie pans. Fill with berry mixture. Roll out remaining pastry to 3mm thick and cut into 1cm strips. Place strips over tops of pies in a lattice shape, press down and trim edges. Brush tops with egg wash and scatter with raw sugar. Bake pies for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Vanilla Malt Sprinkle Bark Cake

2011-11-15T08:07:00.004+11:00

This post is dedicated to my dear friend, baker extrordinaire, Steph.

It's a rare and special thing to find a friend you'd almost call your soul mate. But seriously, we can practically read each other's minds sometimes. She is one of the most beautiful and creative people I know, and totally my favourite person to brainstorm baking ideas with, which made it all the more tricky to keep this birthday cake idea a surprise! And in the end, the cake she made was remarkably similar to what I came up with. Mind reader I tell you!

The idea for the cake came after I saw Sweetapolita's genius idea to make cake batter sprinkle bark. While it looks completely awesome, the process is so simple - just melt, spread, chill, then repeat with white chocolate, and then go totally nuts with colorful sprinkles. I thought it would be cool to cover a whole cake with the sprinkle bark! I used a nice 70% dark chocolate and a good quality white chocolate, which made such a huge difference to the end product. I also threw some strawberry flavoured popping candy into the mix as an extra little surprise, and the reaction from Steph was absolutely priceless when she realized.

For the cake itself, the decision was tricky because many cake flavours would work well here. Steph has always loved anything malt-flavoured, so I made a Malted Vanilla Bean cake based on one of her favourite recipes, with a gorgeous vanilla bean buttercream. I totally loved the cake, and I don't say this often, but I could seriously eat that buttercream from the bowl with a spoon.

I was sooooo happy with how the cake turned out and Steph loved it. I love that sprinkles never fail to bring out the inner child in everyone, so I think this cake would be perfect for young or old. Huge thanks must also go to my sister Beth who helped a lot with making the sprinkle bark and icing the cake.

Happy birthday Steph! I hope you have an amazing day filled with love and sprinkles!

Vanilla Malt Sprinkle Bark Cake

Vanilla Malt Cake (adapted from Raspberri Cupcakes)
• 195g butter, room temperature
• 150g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• ½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 195g self raising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 120g Horlicks (or Milo for a chocolate malt cake)
• 60ml milk
• 60ml boiling water

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the bottom of two 20cm round springform tins. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, and then vanilla seeds and vanilla extract, beating to combine. Sift flour, baking powder and Horlicks together and then fold gently into the mixture until nearly combined. Add milk and fold again, then add water and fold once more.

Quickly divide mixture between the two prepared cake tins and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove and cool in tins for 10 minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Sprinkle Bark (adapted from Sweetapolita)
• 180g high quality dark chocolate (I used 70%), chopped
• 320g high quality white chocolate, chopped
• Sprinkles of your choice, I used sprinkles, hundreds and thousands and popping candy

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Melt the dark chocolate, and then pour onto your parchment/mat and spread (with a small offset spatula for ease) until desired thickness is achieved. Freeze for 20 minutes to set.

Melt the white chocolate, and let sit for about 3 minutes. Remove tray with set chocolate from the freezer. and pour white chocolate on top, repeating the same spreading technique as you did with the dark chocolate. Toss sprinkles on right away. Freeze for 20 more minutes. Once set, break or cut into pieces. Store in the refrigerator.

Vanilla Bean Buttercream (adapted from Cupcake Project)

• 1 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• Seeds of ½ vanilla bean, scraped
• 1 tablespoon milk

Mix together sugar and butter until they are blended and creamy. Add vanilla bean and milk and continue to beat for another minute.If desired, add more vanilla bean to taste, or more icing sugar to make it stiffer.

To assemble, place one cake onto a plate or cake stand. Cover top with vanilla bean buttercream. Place second cake on top. Cover top and sides with vanilla bean buttercream and smooth with an offset spatula to get a nice finish. Place pieces of broken sprinkle bark over the top and sides of the cake, and serve.

Turkish Delight and Pistachio Semifreddo

2011-11-02T22:38:00.001+11:00

It's a little strange for a me to be without an ice cream maker, especially considering the name of this blog and the fact that it's coming into the warmer months. But I suppose it's the perfect opportunity to make lemonade from these here lemons and experiment with frozen treats that don't need any special equipment. At least until I save up for my new Cuisinart baby! Semifreddo is the perfect introduction, meaning 'half cold' in Italian.

It is basically a frozen mousse, where egg yolks are whisked over heat with sugar until pale and thick, and then folded into gently whipped cream. It's simpler than making a custard base for ice cream, that's for sure! And like ice cream, the flavour combinations are virtually endless. A splash of booze, some fruit swirled through, it's really up to you how you choose to flavour your semifreddo.

I decided to go with a Middle Eastern inspired dessert using rose water, Turkish delight, pistachios and pashmak, and I've got to say, it was delicious! The one thing I have noticed with semifreddo compared to ice cream is that any 'mix ins' don't seem to distribute as nicely, and sometimes sink to the bottom since the mixture is not as thick as ice cream to keep them suspended throughout. But when set into a loaf shape and cut into slices it hardly matters at all.

I loved how creamy it was, and the subtle rose flavour was really lovely. Add to that crunchy pistachios and sticky, chewy Turkish delight, this dessert was a winner. It would also be beautiful with some raspberries thrown in. While I can't deny that a new ice cream maker is definitely on the Christmas wish list, I'll happily enjoy making and eating semifreddo in the meantime.

Turkish Delight and Pistachio Semifreddo
Serves 6
Adapted from Fruits and Vegetables

• 4 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• 100g sugar
• 400ml whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon rosewater
• 100g Turkish Delight, cut into 1cm cubes
• 50g unsalted, shelled pistachios
• Pashmak, optional, to serve

In a heatproof glass bowl, combine egg yolks, egg and sugar. Place bowl over a double boiler and whisk constantly until mixture is pale and thick. Remove from the heat and set aside. Whip the cream until soft peaks form, and fold gently into egg mixture. Mix in the rosewater.

Cover the inside of a rectangular loaf pan with plastic wrap and then pour in the egg mixture. Freeze for about 30 minutes before gently mixing in the Turkish Delight and pistachios. Freeze for an additional 4-6 hours, or overnight.

When frozen, take out of the freezer and remove plastic wrap. Cut into slices and serve on plates with pashmak.

Ginger Beer Bundt Cake

2011-10-29T00:11:00.001+11:00

I suppose for those of you who know me well, the surprising thing is not that I made a Ginger Beer Bundt Cake, but that it has taken me four years to do so! I have an insane love of ginger beer (you can blame Steve for that) and it's pretty much the only soft drink I like. I think my bottle-a-day habit helped to keep The Rocks convenience stores in business! I have been wanting to use it in a cake for ages, and when I bought my first ever Bundt tin a few weeks ago, I just knew it would be perfect.

Have you been to visit Sweetapolita? It's one of my favourite baking blogs, and I just fell in love with the vanilla bean Bundt cake she made. How perfect is that glaze?! I decided to adapt that recipe to use mostly ginger beer as the liquid component in the cake and the glaze, as well as some extra ground ginger for flavour.

The cake was easy to put together and baked up beautifully, with a great crumb and texture, and it stayed nice and fresh for days. But I was a little disappointed that even after adding a cup of ginger beer and close to 2 tablespoons of ground ginger, the flavour of the cake had mellowed out after baking and the ginger wasn't discernible at all!

Next time I think I'll use a more concentrated ginger beer cordial rather than the soft drink to get much more flavour from the same amount of liquid. Same goes for the glaze. But I can't deny that even though I wish there was more of a ginger hit, this is still a lovely cake and one that I'll definitely be making again.

Ginger Beer Bundt Cake
Serves 8-10
Adapted from Sweetapolita

• 3 cups plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons ground ginger (or to taste)
• 250g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ¾ cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 cup ginger beer cordial

Ginger Beer Glaze
• ½ cup ginger beer, or ginger beer cordial
• Approximately 5 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 1-2 teaspoons ground ginger

Preheat the oven to 175°F (350°F). Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out the excess.

Sift together the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ginger. Beat together the butter and sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla extract. Combine milk and ginger beer cordial in a jug. Alternately add flour mixture and milk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

Spoon batter into prepared pan, smoothing and spreading evenly. Gently tap pan on counter to eliminate air bubbles. Bake for about 1 hour, until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 1 hour, then invert onto a rack and cool completely.

To make the glaze, whisk icing sugar 1 cup at a time into the ginger beer until it reaches a consistency that will drizzle slowly and not run off the cake. Whisk in ground ginger to taste. Once the cake has cooled, place it on a wire rack over a baking pan and drizzle glaze on top. You might need to go over it a few times to get a nice thick glaze.

SAXA Salt's 100th Birthday at Becasse, Westfield Sydney

2011-10-27T14:19:00.003+11:00

A shopping center isn't necessarily the first place you'd think of when fine dining is involved, but Westfield Sydney is establishing itself as quite the food destination in recent months. With the most fancy food court you've ever seen on Level 5 and a whole host of new restaurants opening up on Level 6 including Xanthi, Chat Thai, Spiedo and Chinta Ria Mood for Love, there's no denying that Sydney is loving having an amazing selection of world-class restaurants under the one roof.

I had been hearing amazing things about the new Becasse, but before I could book myself in, I was thrilled to be invited to SAXA Salt's 100th birthday, an intimate lunch with a menu created by the incredible Justin North. Not a bad way to spend a few hours away from the office on a Thursday afternoon! A long hallway transports you from the food court, through all of the seasons. It's just stunning, and really sets the mood for Justin's seasonally inspired menu. The dining room is surprisingly small but friendly and intimate, with stunning decor almost feminine in style, a hybrid between Etch and Circa The Prince. Inside the restaurant, you'd have no idea that hundreds of busy city workers were lunching in the food court just outside.

Salt is on the menu today, and I am fascinated to see all the ways it will be used throughout the meal. Justin tells us that the role of salt in cooking has changed in the last 100 years - from being a means of preservation before refrigerators were common, to these days being an amazing flavour enhancer in both savoury and sweet dishes. The canapés are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen, especially the glamorous squid ink chips with caviar.

The first course is like an artwork on the plate, although I expected nothing less after the gorgeously plated dishes that we had at Etch last year. The ocean trout has been cured and coddled (cooked in water below boiling point) a nod back to traditional preserving techniques, and served with preserved Buddha’s hand, artichokes and spring almonds.

I was intrigued by the Buddha's Hand, an oddly shaped fruit that I had never encountered before, but it was delicious and citrussy, a wonderful match for the ocean trout, which was cooked to perfection. The almonds had a completely different texture than you would expect – soft and almost chewy, but it was lovely with the other elements.

I was blown away by the Roast Saddle of Suckling Lamb, it was amazingly juicy and so tender, served with delicious white asparagus, kohlrabi, confit pepper jus and herbs. A gorgeous spring dish that was full of colour, flavour and texture, and a lovely match to the 2010 Oakridge Pinot Noir from the Yarra Valley.

It was served with a Becasse signature side dish, the Forgotten Vegetables, served with a smoking pine cone, which added some theater at the table, as well as a subtle smoky flavour. I love that Justin has almost single handedly made these little-used vegetables sexy and glamorous again.

I was intrigued as to the ways Justin might use salt in the dessert, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed. The Zokoko Chocolate and black cumin cadeu looked stunning on the plate, but it begged to be cracked open to reveal the gooey chocolate innards within. It was served on a bed of pain d’epice crumbs, which tasted almost like a fruit mince pie and gave the dessert an almost Christmassy feel.

It was served with the most magical ice cream, made from milk that had been reduced right down so the sweetness was concentrated, with a sprinkling of charcoal on top. An absolutely magical dish, and I’m sure I wasn’t alone in being pretty darn tempted to lick the plate clean!

You can’t have a birthday without cake, and 100 years is a pretty special occasion! The Becasse team made a wonderful birthday cake, which was cut by SAXA brand representatives. This was one amazing cake, with layers of meringue, raspberry and peach. I wish I could have beautiful cakes like this for my birthday!

Thanks again to Becasse, SAXA and Impact Communications for inviting me to take part in this special celebration. I was blown away by the attention to detail in all aspects, from the 3 kinds of house made bread, to every single element that had been carefully placed onto each plate, everything there for a reason. I can’t wait to come back. But there was one more surprise before we left, a goodie-bag containing different varieties of SAXA salt and pepper and some absolutely lovely little petits fours by Becasse. I wish every Thursday could be so amazing!

Spicyicecream dined as a guest of SAXA

Becasse – Level 5, Westfield Sydney, Corner of Pitt and Market St, Sydney (02 9283 3440)

Vanilla Bean Glazed Scones with Rhubarb and Gin Jam + 13 Ways with Rhubarb!

2011-10-23T17:04:00.002+11:00

If you’ve been reading for a while, you’ll probably know that I am a little bit obsessed with rhubarb. In Australia we’re very lucky that it’s available pretty much throughout the whole year, but it's at its best (and cheapest!) right now. I’ve actually just planted some rhubarb, and I absolutely can’t wait until I’m able to harvest my own.

In the meantime though, I thought it would be fun to put together list of interesting ways to use it – a combination of recipes I’ve tried, and some that I’ve had bookmarked to try for quite some time. I hope you’ll be inspired to try one or more of these great ideas, including this amazing Rhubarb and Gin jam, that is just perfect on homemade scones. See the bottom of the post for the recipe!

Picture Credits: Spicyicecream & Drinking in America

1. Rhubarb is so fantastic in drinks! Try this awesome Rhubarb and Ginger Cordial inspired by Jamie Oliver, which is refreshing and delicious, especially this time of year. Add a splash of vodka or gin for a more grown-up tipple.

2. I think I've found my new favourite summer drink! What could be more perfect than a Maple Strawberry Mojito from Drinking in America, on a nice warm day?

Picture Credits: Pease Pudding & Sunday Suppers

3. There’s something so comforting about baked rhubarb, but the variations I’ve seen of such a simple dish are endless! While baking, the rhubarb stalks become soft and tender, but keep their shape. I loved this idea of pairing it with Whisky and Orange to top a simple custard from Pease Pudding.

4. Another idea I absolutely fell in love with was this Rhubarb and Lavender Crisp from Sunday Suppers. In fact I had the gorgeous photo as my desktop wallpaper for months! Such a romantic combination, I adapted the recipe to fill my vol au vents as part of a Daring Bakers challenge a few years ago and it was just wonderful.

Picture Credits: Beyond The Table & What Katie Ate

5. I never would have thought to put Rhubarb and Fennel together - in a dessert no less - but the stunning photography in this post from Beyond the Table are enough to convince me to give it a try! I would imagine the aniseed flavour of the fennel would be quite lovely with rhubarb.

6. As far as food photography goes, What Katie Ate is one of my favourites. I love the sound of this Wine Stewed Rhubarb , which I imagine would be amazing in winter, served warm, with a ginormous scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Picture Credits: Raspberri Cupcakes & Lara Ferroni

7. My dear friend Steph made this gorgeous Earl Grey Cake with Rhubarb Glaze which took my breath away the first time I saw it. I'm secretly hoping she'll make it again for our next afternoon tea, because one of the only things I love more than rhubarb is Earl Grey tea.

8. We've all had lemon curd, lime curd and passionfruit curd, but what about rhubarb curd? Lara Ferroni used it to top squares of shortbread in this pretty, girly slice that i imagine would be lovely to take on a sunny spring picnic!

Picture Credits: Spicyicecream & La Tartine Gourmande

9. This Rhubarb and Quince rippled ice cream was my very first attempt at a swirled ice cream. The flavour was kind of magical, using two of my favourite ingredients, and happily, it turned out to be quite pretty!

10. The gorgeous blog La Tartine Gourmande turns rhubarb into a delicious summertime treat with these stunning Rhubarb and Raspberry Yoghurt Popsicles. I can imagine how delicious these would be, with tart rhubarb and raspberry being the perfect foil to the creamy yoghurt. A gorgeous treat for this time of year.

Picture Credits: Gourmet Traveller & The British Larder

11. An idea I’ve been fascinated with for a while now is Rhubarb Chutney to go with meat, since by itself rhubarb is not sweet. I love that it also lends itself perfectly to savoury flavours like in these pork and rosemary pasties.

12. The only thing more perfect than Turkish Delight is this gorgeous Rhubarb and Rose Delight from The British Larder. Such a gorgeous pink colour, I'm sure it would be delicious, floral and fragrant. Served with Pistachio and Walnut Baklava and I'm sold!

13. And who could forget Rhubarb Jam? I gave it a grown up twist by adding gin, and it's absolutely amazing on a fresh, still-warm scone. Feel free to omit the gin if you prefer, it will still be delicious. When making scones (I used Steph's recipe from the CWA, I trust this woman implicitly on all things scone related), it's essential to treat your dough very gently or you will end up with hard, dry, unrisen, practically inedible scones. I gave mine a vanilla bean glaze on top, but being a rather impatient person, I didn't let the scones cool down enough before pouring on the glaze, oops!

Vanilla Bean Glazed Scones with Rhubarb Gin Jam
Serves 6

Rhubarb Gin Jam (inspired by Jamie Durie)
• 400g rhubarb
• 1 lemon, juiced
• ½ cup raw sugar
• ½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped
• 1/8 cup water
• 1/8 cup gin

Scones (adapted from Raspberri Cupcakes)
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 150ml pouring cream (35% fat)
• Approximately 2/3 cup milk
• ½ cup icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• ½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped
• 1 tablespoon boiling water

For the rhubarb and gin jam, wash each stem well. Chop rhubarb and place into a saucepan. Add lemon juice, sugar, vanilla bean and water and cool over medium high heat for 5 minutes or until rhubarb starts to soften. Remove lid, reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 5-10 minutes, stirring often until rhubarb is thick and pulpy. Add gin, remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Spoon into a clean jar and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Sift the dry ingredients and preheat oven to 220 (430°F). Begin to cut cream into dry ingredients with a flat bladed knife, then gradually add milk until there is enough to form a soft dough. Working quickly and gently, gather dough together on a floured bench. Try to handle the dough as little as possible, using lightly floured hands to stop the dough sticking to you. Pat the dough into a rectangle about 3cm thick.

Cut out rounds using a 5-6cm scone cutter and place next to each other in a lined heavy baking dish that has sides (scones baked close together will rise higher). Lightly brush the tops of the scones with some extra milk using a pastry brush. Bake for 10-15 minutes until scones are cooked through and tops are lightly browned.

To make the glaze, combine icing sugar, butter, vanilla and water in a bowl and mix until smooth. Spoon glaze over slightly warm scones and set aside to cool. Serve scones with Rhubarb and Gin Jam.

Shredded Brisket Tacos with Tequila Lime Guacamole and Mexican Corn

2011-10-20T07:12:00.002+11:00

This post is sponsored by Nuffnang

Us Sydneysiders were blessed with an absolutely beautiful weekend, a welcome respite from the unpredictable weather we've been copping lately. And while there are countless things to love about spring, Sydney's temperamental weather is not one of them! I thought there would be no better way to celebrate such a gorgeous weekend than a casual Sunday lunch with the family.

In case you can't tell by now, I really like slow cooking hunks of meat! This time I used beef brisket, which is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of the animal and really benefits from braising. It not only infuses flavour right into the meat, but it ensures the end result will be perfectly tender. As I've recently learned, braising is definitely not just something you just do in winter. Meats like pork, beef and chicken are so delicious served with zingy fresh spring flavours like in these tacos.

The recipe was adapted from Lachlan Colwill’s, which appears on the menu at Grace in Adelaide, and is definitely on my list of places to check out when I eventually make it back for a holiday there. The beef is braised in stock and soy, with delicious flavours like cinnamon, star anise and dried chilli. What you end up with (after about four and a half hours of slow cooking) is super tender beef that falls apart under your fork.

I served my shredded brisket tacos with an awesome tequila lime guacamole that I’ve completely fallen in love with. Just a small amount of tequila really brings all the flavours together and makes them shine.

Mexican corn is a hugely popular dish in Sydney at the moment, popping up on restaurant menus everywhere. I love it so much that I decided to try an easy cheat’s version at home, with a chilli and coriander butter that was brushed onto the hot corn cobs, and then a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan and a squeeze of lime to finish. Totally delicious and much loved by everyone! I think this will be one dish that I’ll make over and over during spring and summer.

Shredded Brisket Tacos
Adapted from Gourmet Traveller
Serves 6-8

• 2.5kg beef brisket
• 7 cups Campbell’s Real Stock, beef flavour
• 250ml rice wine vinegar
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 2 dried red chillies
• 2 star anise
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and squashed

To serve
• Corn tortillas, fresh coriander, diced tomato and lime wedges

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Heat a little olive oil in a deep fry pan over high heat. Place brisket into the hot pan and cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until well browned. Remove from the pan and place in a roasting dish or casserole dish with deep sides.

In the same frypan (if large enough, or in a saucepan if not) combine the rest of the ingredients and heat until boiling. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer to infuse for about 20 minutes. Pour liquid over brisket, ensuring it is completely submerged, cover with foil and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1 hour, and then reduce the heat to 140°C (285°F) and cook for a further 3 – 3 ½ hours or until tender, turning the dish around every hour to ensure even cooking.

Remove from the oven and set aside to rest in the liquid for a further half an hour. Remove and coarsely shred meat with two forks into a bowl. Add enough liquid to moisten (discard remainder). Serve in tortillas with diced tomato, tequila and lime guacamole, fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime.

Tequila and Lime Guacamole
Serves 6

• 2 ripe avocados
• ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 3 tablespoons fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• Dried chilli flakes, to taste
• Lime juice, to taste
• 1 tablespoon tequila

Split avocados in half, remove the seeds and scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Add salt, coriander, and chilli flakes and mash with a fork. Add lime juice and tequila and taste. Add more salt, lime or chilli until you’re happy with the balance of flavour. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve. To avoid browning, place a piece of plastic wrap directly over the surface of the guacamole and press down to expel any air.

Mexican Corn with Parmesan and Lime
Serves 4

• 4 corn cobs, outer layers removed
• 2 teaspoons Campbell's Real Stock Paste, vegetable flavour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 30g butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons coriander, finely chopped
• Dried chilli flakes, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon smoky paprika
• Parmesan cheese, to serve
• Lime wedges, to serve

Fill a medium saucepan with water and season with salt and vegetable stock paste. Add corn cobs and cook on medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until corn is cooked. In the meantime, mix together butter, coriander, chilli flakes and paprika in a small bowl. Drain the corn and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Brush butter onto the warm corn. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and serve with lime wedges.

Dumplings & Wine at New Shanghai, Chatswood Chase

2011-10-17T11:15:00.003+11:00

My love of dumplings has been well documented, so I jumped at an invitation from the lovely George to attend New Shanghai's first ever Dumpling and Wine dinner. Admittedly wine is not the first beverage I would think of to pair with dumplings - tea or a cold beer, perhaps – and so I was intrigued. New Shanghai’s Chatswood Chase outpost has a stunning fit out in dramatic black and red, taking inspiration from the opulence of 1930’s Shanghai to create a moody, eclectic and beautiful restaurant that has always been busy every time I’ve walked past. It’s amazing to watch the chefs in the kitchen through the glass expertly pleating dumplings.

The first thing I noticed as we were shown to our table was the wine. Lots of wine. In the wise words of Chocolatesuze, Happy Friday, err.. Tuesday. All the better to break the ice and make new friends! Wine matching is all about the wine making the food taste better and vice versa. I would imagine Chinese food being one of the more difficult cuisines to match. After a brief rundown of the event and an introduction to the wines we'd be drinking, from a fresh vibrant Riesling to a 'crisp' Chardonnay, all the way to a Shiraz Cabernet, we were served our first course.

The cold mixed dish starter consisted of 3 small snack-like dishes - shredded kelp mixed with spice and vinegar dressing, a chopped cucumber tossed with fresh garlic, and the unanimous favourite on our table was the Drunken Chicken, which had been soaked in Chinese wine, herbs and spices. I loved how fresh all the components were, which made the Riesling a perfect match.

Of course I had been looking forward to the dumplings! My favourite dumplings in Sydney are found at Mr Chows in the Rocks, but New Shanghai’s Xiao Long Bao (steamed mini pork bun with soup filling) come pretty close. As did the delicious mini crab meat and pork buns! I also really enjoyed the steamed vegetarian dumpling, filled with vermicelli, greens and mushrooms. I was thankful for the warning that the dumplings were filled with hot soup, yet in my impatience, I somehow still managed to burn my mouth!

One of my favourite dishes of the night was the shepherd's purse and pork wonton tossed with sesame butter, red chilli oil and spice. It was quite a different way of serving dumplings but they were utterly delicious. The sesame butter had a beautiful nutty taste, but it overpowered the chilli oil a little, and I would have loved it even more with a bit more of a spice kick. The grated cucumber added some freshness, and worked really well to contrast the rich flavours.

Next up was some fried dumpling deliciousness - New Shanghai's signature pan-fried pork bun, which was a favourite on my last visit, was as delicious as ever with a generous meaty filling. We were also served a pan-fried pork dumpling, and what I believe was a tiny portion of shallot pancake. After a few glasses of wine at this point, we were amused to find that the three dumplings together looked like a sun, moon and star.

The dishes had been coming out in quick succession – the staff are definitely efficient – but I was having some trouble keeping up with the wine side of things! The shepherd's purse, prawn and tofu soup was a nice palate cleanser, before we moved onto the heavier dishes.

I had been looking forward to trying the pork belly braised overnight in sweet soy sauce, and it was as delicious as it sounds, and a stunning match for the Penfolds Koonunga Hill 76 Shiraz Cabernet 2010. I was getting extremely full by this point, but there’s an unwritten food blogger rule that you have to push through when fried chicken is involved! New Shanghai’s deep-fried chicken with special garlic and chilli sauce was so worth it!

Our dessert was a slow-cooked white fungus with papaya soup. I liked the refreshing taste, but I wasn't alone in finding the texture quite strange and sort of slimy. I think you either love Chinese desserts like this or you don't. I'm glad I got to try it and I try to keep an open mind towards food in general, but I couldn't finish it. The texture was a little too weird for me!

Thanks again to George from Wasamedia for inviting me along to this great event – I have definitely been convinced that wine and dumplings are a lovely match. I’ll surely be back at New Shanghai in the future for a repeat serving of those amazing shepherd’s purse dumplings in sesame butter. If you’re interested in attending, New Shanghai are hosting more Dumpling and Wine Dinners in the next few months, so hit up the website for details.

Spicyicecream dined as a guest of Wasamedia

New Shanghai Chatswood Chase, Shop B-038 Chatswood Chase (02) 9412 3358

Chocolate and PX Brownie Cake

2011-10-11T09:24:00.006+11:00

When I started this blog, I never ever thought that I’d meet people who would one day become some of my closest friends. As we reminisced about our early dinner ‘dates’ at Lotus and Gazebo, and the many adventures we’ve had since then, I thought about how incredibly lucky I am to have Steph and Karen in my life, and I hope they’ll be around for a long time yet.

For Karen’s birthday, Steph and I decided that we should make her an epic homemade birthday cake. We often brainstorm baking ideas together, but we haven’t really collaborated on a baking project together since the Lemon Lime and Bitters macarons. As we threw some ideas around, we kept coming back to the insanely awesome combination of Chocolate and Pedro Ximénez sherry, two of Karen’s favourite things in the world. But what if we made it even more awesome by baking up some buttery shortbread, studded with chocolate and cocoa nibs? It absolutely had to be done!

I was in charge of making the cake, and I decided on a fudgy chocolate brownie cake that formed the base of the Peanut Butter and Banana Mousse cake that I made last year. I omitted the peanut butter and added some PX, and deliberately under-baked it a little bit so it would be extra rich and gooey in the middle. I have to say, it smelled absolutely amazing as it was in the oven! The next morning I packed up the cake and headed to Steph’s place to make the ganache. And in major heart attack-inducing fashion, I nearly dropped the cake in transit...twice.

The chocolate and PX ganache that we made was luscious and totally sexy, spread in messy swirls over the cake. The cocoa nib shortbread that Steph made was absolutely delicious! She decided on some cute heart shapes to encircle the cake and tied it with a ribbon, which I think ended up looking really, really cute. Head over to her blog for the recipe! The reaction from Karen was absolutely priceless, and the verdict was that the cake was "better than sex" - quite the endorsement.

Happy Birthday Karen!!! Thank you for being so damn awesome! I'm so glad you liked the cake, it was so fun to make and to work with Steph on another baking/styling project. We better put on our thinking caps to come up with something even more awesome for next year ;)

Chocolate and PX Brownie Cake
Adapted from this recipe
Serves 6

• 200g butter
• 100g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 3 eggs
• 210g caster sugar
• 100g plain flour
• 1/3 cup Pedro Ximénez sherry
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ganache
• 175g dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 150ml pouring cream
• ¼ cup Pedro Ximénez sherry

Cocoa Nib Shortbread
Recipe on Raspberri Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Melt butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering, stirring occasionally until smooth. Whisk eggs and caster sugar in an electric mixer until thick and pale, fold through chocolate mixture then fold in flour and peanut butter. Spoon into a buttered, baking paper lined springform pan (I used 2 x 20cm pans), smooth top and bake until just firm to touch (20-25 minutes) Cool completely in pan.

To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside. Combine the cream and PX in a saucepan and heat until just before boiling point. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until combined. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until cooled, and then whisk with electric beaters until ganache is luscious and spreadable. Spread over top and sides of cake.

Pimm's Jelly

2011-10-10T23:01:00.002+11:00

Ever since making the Toffee Apple Trifles, with that amazing apple cider jelly layer that stole the show, I’ve been thinking up ideas for other kinds of boozed-up jellies. Of course champagne or moscato works a treat and is wonderfully festive, but I was keen to recreate one of my favourite drinks – the Pimm’s Cup – in jelly form.

If you haven’t tried it, it’s a deliciously refreshing summery drink usually served in a pitcher or a jug to share, containing Pimm’s, sometimes with gin, a variety of fruit – strawberries, lemons, orange, cucumber, mint leaves – and topped with ice cubes, and either lemonade or ginger ale.

A few days after thinking up this brilliant idea, I was flicking through Jamie Oliver’s magazine and saw a recipe for exactly the same thing! Call it fate or a case of great minds thinking alike, but I definitely had to give it a try. Of course I wanted to keep the flavours quite true to the drink, and I think this recipe definitely does it justice. It tastes exactly like the drink I love so much, and would be perfect to serve at a grown-up garden party or afternoon tea.

I simplified Jamie’s recipe a little bit as I was running short of time. His version has the jelly setting in two halves, so that the fruit is evenly distributed through the glass instead of all coming to the top as mine did, but unfortunately I was a little impatient! Next time I’ll make sure to do it properly as it looks really pretty. I served mine in some recycled jam jars, but feel free to serve it however you’d like – in martini glasses for a more elegant presentation, or perhaps in a punch bowl to share.

Pimm's Jelly
Serves 4
Adapted from Jamie Oliver magazine

• 7g powdered gelatine
• 150ml Pimm’s
• 450ml Lemonade
• ¼ cup sugar (optional)
• 2-3 mint sprigs, leaves picked
• ½ apple, cored, finely diced
• 4-6 strawberries, finely chopped
• ¼ cucumber, finely chopped

Sprinkle the gelatine over 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl to soften. Gently heat the Pimms, lemonade, sugar if using and mint sprigs in a saucepan until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is just starting to steam. Do not allow it to boil. Remove the mint stalks, add softened gelatine and whisk until dissolved.

Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Divide most of the fruit, cucumber and mint between 4 serving glasses and then add two thirds of the Pimm’s mixture. Chill in the fridge for about an hour, keeping the rest of the mixture at room temperature. When the jelly layer has set, add the remaining fruit and mint and top with the rest of the Pimm’s mixture. Leave to set in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Aki's, Wooloomooloo

2011-10-04T23:15:00.005+11:00

Interior photos courtesy of Wasamedia

I find Indian cuisine both fascinating and beautiful. It’s steeped in so much history, with influences from the British and surrounding Asian countries sprouting countless regional variations. Complimented by the extensive use of a vast array of spices and aromatics, it’s an amazing, but I find somewhat misunderstood, cuisine – there’s much more to Indian food than just curry! Aki’s does well to bring a modern spin to traditional dishes.

It was a gorgeous, sun-drenched Sunday afternoon when my cousin and I headed out to Aki’s Restaurant, which was recently awarded it’s first Chef’s Hat in the Good Food Guide Awards, making it the only Indian restaurant in Australia with this accolade. Situated on prime real estate on the gorgeous Wooloomooloo wharf, it’s a stunning location and taps into one of the things Sydney does best – relaxed waterfront dining.

My cousin Ros had never tried Indian before, and I hoped that by the end of lunch, she would love it as much as I do. With so many delicious sounding options, the choice was a tricky one, but we decided to start with the rather delicious Tandoori Kingfish was another beautiful dish, marinated in green chilli, ginger and yoghurt, which gave it a vibrant yellow colour and just the right amount of spice. The fish had then been cooked in a tandoor oven, was perfectly cooked and fell apart with the slightest nudge from a fork.

Next up we had entrée of Namkeen Squid, which is Aki’s own take on the ever-popular salt and pepper squid. The squid was dusted with spiced tapioca flour and served with a tamarind and ginger dipping sauce. It was perfectly cooked, and not the tiniest bit chewy, and I couldn’t get enough of that dipping sauce!

Roslyn’s favourite was the Palak Patta Chat, a must order when you come here! Battered and fried spinach leaves may sound a little strange, but it’s absolutely delicious with the accompanying chickpeas and potatoes, yoghurt, date, tamarind, chilli and mint sauces. It’s a beautifully balanced dish in terms of flavour and texture, plus the presentation is just stunning. And in case you were wondering, the recipe for this awesome dish is in Issue 2 of GourmetRabbit.

I know it may sound kind of boring and pedestrian, but I was really looking forward to trying Aki’s version of Butter Chicken. When this dish is done well, it’s absolutely beautiful, and proves that Indian food doesn’t have to be spicy to be delicious. I was really impressed with Aki’s version, with the addition of dried fenugreek leaves, and wouldn’t hesitate to order it on every visit to Aki’s from now on.

We also decided to order the Patiala Goat Curry. Tender pieces of goat were slow-cooked with tomatoes, ginger, cardamom, garlic, mace and nutmeg. While this one was a little more spicy than I expected, I still enjoyed it, but the Butter Chicken was definitely our favourite of the curries. I’d also like to make mention of the delicious garlic naan and saffron rice that accompanied our mains.

Of course we had to have dessert! I always love ending an Indian meal with Kulfi – Indian ice cream laced with cardamom and pistachios. Kulfi isn't as creamy as your typical ice cream, but it's always a lovely refreshing treat. Our favourite was the warm pudding with an absolutely delicious ginger caramel. As full as we were, this one was demolished and we debated whether or not to lick the plate clean!

The food at Aki’s was every bit as delicious as I was expecting it to be, and I can’t wait to come back and try some of the other dishes on the menu like their signature dish Crab with Iddiappam or the delicious sounding Chocolate Naan, but I’ll never be able to pass up the Palak Patta Chat or Butter Chicken!

Spicyicecream dined as a guest of Aki’s

Aki's - 1/6 Cowper Wharf Rd, Wooloomooloo (02) 9332 4660

Beef Ribs with Pomegranate BBQ Sauce

2011-09-28T07:15:00.000+10:00

This post is sponsored by Nuffnang

Ahhh, it must be spring. The weather is warming up, the days are getting longer, and my hayfever is back with a vengeance! But it also means that BBQ season is just beginning, and that is something I get excited about every year. Cooking and eating outside during the warmer months is really special, and I just love the relaxed vibe that comes with a Sydney spring.

Although I usually focus on sweet recipes on my blog, one of my favourite things to cook is slow roasted meat. Whether it’s a shredded pork shoulder to fill some delicious tacos or veal shanks slow cooked in a rich tomato sauce to top homemade pasta, there’s something inherently magical about this style of cooking. Ribs are one thing I’ll never get enough of, and are at their best when slow cooked in a delicious saucy marinade.

This time I used beef ribs, which I had never cooked before (but have enjoyed eating on many occasions!) but pork ribs would also work beautifully in this recipe if you prefer. I always start by preparing a spice rub, which gives them an extra boost of flavour, and then grilling them on the BBQ. This does two things – jump starts the cooking process, and gives the meat a lovely, slightly charry flavour.

I recently picked up a bottle of pomegranate molasses and decided to add some into the marinade for fun, and it was absolutely delicious, creating a sweetness and a hint of smokiness in the sauce. I also loved the Cambpell’s stock paste sachets for a convenient way to get the flavour of beef stock into the sauce, without having to add a lot of liquid. From there, the ribs are slow cooked in that magical sauce until the meat is tender and falling off the bones.

I find writing savoury recipes a little difficult, as I usually just throw the ingredients in, tasting as I go along and rarely measuring, so feel free to adapt the sauce to include whatever you like – perhaps some maple syrup or some bourbon would be nice. The sauce is also delicious on other things too, so if you have any left over, store it in an airtight container and serve it on burgers or pies.

The ribs were totally delicious, and the sauce was the star. I served mine simply with steak fries (you can’t have ribs without chips!) washed down with a nice cold glass of apple cider. Not a bad way to spend a nice warm spring Sunday if I do say so myself!

Beef Ribs with Pomegranate BBQ Sauce
Serves 6
Original Recipe

• 3.5kg beef ribs (or pork if you prefer)
• Olive oil
• Steak fries, to serve

Spice Rub
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons smoky paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground chilli
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• ¾ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

BBQ Sauce
• 200ml tomato sauce
• 2 sachets Campbell’s beef stock paste
• 2 tablespoons Worstershire sauce
• 4 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon sumac
• Chilli flakes, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine ingredients for the spice rub in a bowl and mix to combine. Rub all over the ribs and place in a non-reactive container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably 2-3 hours.

In the meantime, combine ingredients for BBQ sauce in another bowl or jug, tasting as you go along and adjusting to taste.

Heat a BBQ or char-grill plate over high heat. Drizzle olive oil onto ribs and toss to coat. Place ribs fat side up and cook for 5-8 minutes each side or until sealed and slightly charred.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Transfer ribs to a large oven-proof dish and brush generously with BBQ sauce. Cover with foil and cook in the oven for 2 - 2 ½ hours, turning 3-4 times throughout, until meat is tender and falling off the bone. You can remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking to crisp up the outsides slightly. Serve with chips and extra BBQ sauce.

Passionfruit Cheesecake Brownies

2011-09-25T21:45:00.002+10:00

There are a lot of things I miss about working in The Rocks, but one in particular is being so close to La Renaissance Patisserie! While my willpower was tested on a daily basis, I thought I did pretty well to only succumb to the 3pm sweet craving occasionally. I love their amazing macarons – in my opinion some of the best in Sydney. My favourite has always been the Chocolate and Passionfruit, which I thought was a strange combination at first, but one that I have completely fallen in love with.

For a while I’ve been thinking about how I can combine these flavours into a dessert. I decided to try making a swirled Cheesecake Brownie with a hit of passionfruit, and I couldn’t be happier with how the idea panned out! The flavours work so well together – the tangy passionfruit is a perfect foil for the rich chocolate. I think it’s a perfect flavour combination for spring.

I adapted David Lebovitz’s recipe, which was totally delicious, as I knew it would be, but also ridiculously simple to prepare. I loved the fudgy brownie with the creamy, tangy cheesecake mixture. One thing I love about brownies is that they are perfect as they are, and portable enough for your picnic basket. But if you wanted to dress them up, all they need is a generous scoop of ice cream to turn them into an impressive dessert (and some Persian fairy floss if you want to be really fancy). I decided to top mine simply with some extra passionfruit pulp.

Passionfruit Cheesecake Brownies
Serves 6
Adapted from David Lebovitz

• 85g salted butter
• 200g dark chocolate, chopped
• 130g sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 70g flour
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• Pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 200g cream cheese
• 75g caster sugar
• ¼ cup passionfruit, juice only, seeds discarded
• Passionfruit pulp, to serve, optional

Line a rectangular brownie pan with non-stick baking paper. Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F).

Place butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, and stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and beat in the sugar and then the eggs. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder and salt, then the vanilla extract. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.

In a separate bowl, beat together the cream cheese, caster sugar, passionfruit juice and vanilla until smooth. Distribute the cream cheese mixture in eight dollops across the top of the brownie mixture, then take a knife or skewer and swirl the ream cheese mixture with the chocolate batter.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the batter in the center of the pan feels just set. Let cool, then lift out the baking paper and peel it away. Cut the brownies into squares. Top with additional passionfruit pulp to serve, if desired.

Caramelised Pandan Cake with Coconut Sorbet

2011-09-19T21:09:00.006+10:00

Oh man, I love pandan! I have my food blogging friends to thank for that, after showing me the light with a delicious pandan waffle when we went for lunch in Cabramatta about a year ago. Since then, I’ll always order pandan flavoured desserts when I can, and one of my favourites in recent times was the Pandan Chiffon Cake at Ms G’s. While I did really like the dessert, I thought it needed some kind of crunch added to make it even better and that’s where the idea for this dessert came from.

I was also lucky enough to be invited to the launch of Dinner Explorer by Electrolux, which appealed immensely to my hostess tendencies. The website gives you everything you need including menus, drinks, and decorating ideas to cater for any number of occasions from Melbourne Cup to Footy Finals, to obscure holidays like Marie Antionette’s Birthday (November 2nd) or Polish Dumpling Day (September 28th)!

On the night, Peter Gilmore demonstrated how to make a decadent Christmas brunch – a caramelised brioche with cherry compote (as well as a majorly awesome White Peach Bellini that will definitely be on repeat come summer). It was remarkably simple but absolutely delicious, and I was inspired to create a spin on Ms G’s dessert. I made a pandan chiffon cake and soaked squares of it in a typical egg-milk mixture as you would French Toast.

While Peter had access to a steam oven, I used the microwave to gently pre-cook the cake, and then made a dry caramel in a fry pan with some butter added at the end for some extra richness, and carefully cooked the cake in the caramel mixture until it was golden. I served it with a very simple coconut sorbet (made without an ice cream maker) and some lovely fresh strawberries, playing off the awesome flavours in Ms G's version. It was a huge hit!

I really enjoyed both making and eating this dessert, with some of my favourite flavours. While it is quite involved, you’re free to buy store bought pandan cake and sorbet to make things quicker. I really loved the light, fluffy pandan cake, and I think it would be perfect on its own or with a light coconut glaze. Many thanks to Electrolux for inviting me along to the event, and for the inspiration and ideas!

Caramelised Pandan Cake with Coconut Sorbet
Serves 6

Coconut Sorbet (adapted from Epicurious)
• 1 x 400g can coconut cream
• ¼ cup ice cold water
• 1 tablespoon rum

Pandan Chiffon Cake (adapted from Iron Chef Shellie)
• 10 egg whites, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup caster sugar, for egg whites
• 10 egg yolks
• 145g caster sugar, for egg yolks
• 210ml coconut milk
• 90ml vegetable oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons pandan paste
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 300g plain flour, sifted
• 3 ½ tablespoons, sifted
• Pinch salt

To assemble
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 200g caster sugar
• 100g salted butter
• Strawberries, hulled to serve

For the coconut sorbet, whisk ingredients in a medium bowl and then transfer to a 20x30cm glass baking dish. Freeze until frozen, stirring every 30 minutes, about 3 hours. This can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep frozen. Alternately, churn in an ice cream maker if you have one!

For the pandan chiffon, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add sugar one tablespoon at a time and beat thoroughly after each addition until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl whisk egg yolks with caster sugar until fluffy. Add coconut milk, vegetable oil, pandan paste, vanilla extract, flour and baking powder. Whisk until combined. Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture in 3 batches.

Pour into a 25cm cake tin, lined with baking paper (or use a loaf pan and another smaller cake tin). Bake for 30 minutes at 180°C (350°F) or until a skewer comes out clean. When cake is out of the oven, immediately invert the cake still in the tin and place on a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely, and then cut into eight 10x10cm squares, about 3cm thick. Any leftovers can be frozen (or nibbled!)

To assemble the dessert, whisk the egg with milk and vanilla in a bowl. Dip squares of cake into the mixture and place four squares on a sheet of baking paper. Fold up to enclose and place on a plate in the microwave for about 1.5 minutes on high heat. Repeat with remaining cake.

In a large frying pan, melt caster sugar without stirring until golden brown then place knobs of butter in the pan and swirl to melt. Shake the pan around a little and turn the heat down to low. Unwrap the cake and place directly on top of the hot caramel.

Allow to cook on the first side for about 1 minute and then using a spatula of palette knife carefully turn over the cake and cook on the other side for a further minute. Turn once more and turn the pan off. Place each piece of caramelized chiffon cake into the center of each serving plate and dust with icing sugar. Scatter strawberries around the plate and top with a scoop of coconut sorbet. Serve immediately.

Mrs. S, Perth

2011-09-18T12:02:00.002+10:00

One of the biggest thrills for this particular food blogger is finding awesome, quirky cafes that not only have great coffee and great food, but that also make you feel at home. My favourite cafes sprawl far and wide, from Hardware Societe in Melbourne, to Tricycle Café in Hobart, to (the sadly defunct) Moose General Store in Redfern, Silo Bakery in Canberra, and now my latest discovery – the gorgeous Mrs S. in Perth.

I instantly fell in love with the cute décor and extensive use of mauve. The menus change frequently, and were pegged into Little Golden Books. Talk about some good old childhood nostalgia! Mrs S. served breakfast until 11.30am and lunch until 3pm. We were visiting for lunch, and I started with a long black, a sterling example without any bitterness.

Steve chose the Poached Chicken Salad with pineapple, herbs and nam jim dressing. It was a really nice, fresh, summery dish that ticked all the boxes in terms of big, banging flavours and textures.

Of course I couldn’t go past ‘The Manwich’ – an aptly named sandwich of gigantic proportions, absolutely filled to the brim with pulled pork, beetroot pickle, cucumber and rocket. It was delicious! The pork was really flavoursome and the beetroot pickle was the perfect accompaniment. I will say though, that I was defeated by the Manwich, and couldn’t finish it without some help from Steve.

With such a vast array of gorgeous homemade treats, of course we had to finish with something sweet. I chose a slice of carrot cake, which was cut into a generous wedge and slathered in cream cheese icing, with a sprinkling of coconut and crushed pistachio on top. This carrot cake was seriously good, on par with my new favourite. Also, I was amused to find that I own the same plate ;)

Steve had the Cheesecake Brownie, which was a rich and delicious little morsel that we really enjoyed. In fact I liked it so much that it inspired me to create a nice little twist on the recipe, so stay tuned for that real soon.

I can’t wait to come back for breakfast on my next visit to Perth (there’s some cornbread with my name on it!) and if you’re ever in the area I’d definitely recommend Mrs S for a great casual brunch or lunch. I loved everything from the quirky touches like the Little Golden Books as menus to the gorgeous homemade treats, to the lovely staff, who were lovely and, bless them, had even heard of this little blog!

Mrs. S – 178 Whatley Crescent, Maylands (08) 9271 6690

Popcorn Doughnuts

2011-09-12T23:52:00.002+10:00

It’s taken me over four years, but I’ve finally made it to 300 posts!! To celebrate, I wanted to make something special, and what better than doughnuts! I’ve gained quite the reputation these days as the ‘Doughnut Queen,’ which I have no qualms with, especially when it inspires me to come up with a combination such as this one.

The idea of a popcorn-flavoured doughnut came to me a few months ago, and I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind. Popcorn has been popping up (pardon the pun) in desserts all over the place in the last few years, which I think is great. I love the slightly salty flavour it brings to a sweet dish, and I’ll never forget the popcorn ice cream we had at Vasse Felix.

I know it’s a big call, but I think these are some of the best doughnuts I’ve ever made! I infused the custard with popcorn, with some salted butter whisked through at the end. And yes, in case you’re wondering, it really does taste as good as it sounds. I loved the buttery custard, and it carried the popcorn flavour really well, but I think my favourite part was the slight crunch of caramel that coated the top of the doughnuts. I ate way too many of these, much to the despair of my waistline.

The recipe below looks really long, but the custard can be made ahead of time to save time on the day. As with all doughnuts, these taste best on the day that they’re made.

I also wanted to say a quick but heartfelt thanks to all of my readers for all of your visits and comments that have inspired me along the way and made the last 300 posts not only possible, but ridiculously fun! I'm looking forward to the next 300! xox

Popcorn Doughnuts
Makes 18

Popcorn Custard (adapted from Dorie Greenspan)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup cream
• 2 cups butter popcorn
• 6 large egg yolks
• ½ cup sugar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 3 ½ tablespoons butter, cut into bits at room temperature

Doughnuts (adapted from Gourmet Traveller)
• 125ml (1/2 cup) pouring cream
• 60ml (1/4 cup milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 225g (1 ½ cups) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tablespoon dried yeast
• 30g caster sugar
• Vegetable oil for deep frying

To Finish
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• ¼ cup butter popcorn, finely crumbled

To make the popcorn custard, bring the milk and cream to the boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the popcorn, cover and allow to infuse for 45 minutes. Reheat to just before boiling point before continuing.

Meanwhile, in a large heatproof bowl, whisk the yolks together with the sugar and cornstarch until thick and well blended. Still whisking, pour about ¼ cup of the milk mixture through a sieve into the egg yolks – this will temper or warm the yolks so they won’t curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remainder of the milk through the sieve. Pour back into the saucepan and place over a medium heat, and whisking vigorously and constantly (making sure to get into the edges of the pot) bring the mixture to a boil.

Keep at a boil, still whisking for 1-2 minutes until thickened, then remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the vanilla and salt, and let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk in the butter, stirring until they are fully incorporated and the pastry cream is smooth and silky. Scrape into a bowl and press a plastic wrap against the surface of the cream to create an airtight seal. Refrigerate until cold. It can be kept tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

For the doughnuts, combine cream, milk and vanilla in a small saucepan and warm over low heat until lukewarm (30 seconds - 1minute). Meanwhile, combine flour, yeast, sugar and a pinch of fine salt in a large bowl. Add cream mixture and stir to combine. Turn onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes or until the dough is soft and smooth. Transfer to a lighly oiled bowl, cover and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (35-40 minutes).

Knock back the dough and roll out on a floured surface to 2cm thick. Cut out 5cm circles, place on trays lined with baking paper, cover with a clean towel and stand for 30 minutes or until risen. Preheat oil in a deep fryer or deep-sided saucepan to 180°C (350°F). Deep fry zeppole in batches, turning occasionally until golden and cooked through (3-4 minutes). Drain on paper towel and allow to cool slightly.

Place custard into a syringe or piping bag and pipe custard into the center of each doughnut, being careful not to overfill.

To finish, place caster sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, without stirring, until sugar dissolves. Swirl pan to colour evenly for about 5 minutes or until syrup is amber in colour. Remove from the heat.

Working quickly and carefully (as caramel is very hot and caramel burns hurt!) dip the tops of the doughnuts into the caramel using tongs. Place on baking paper and quickly sprinkle with crumbled popcorn. Allow caramel to set and serve immediately.

Grasslands Launch at Chophouse, Sydney

2011-09-11T11:35:00.006+10:00

When terms like ‘free range’ and ‘organic’ have become marketing buzzwords, it’s refreshing to find a restaurant that is truly passionate about the origins of the food that they’re serving. A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be invited to the launch of Grasslands Beef at an event held simultaneously at Chophouse and Kingsleys. Grasslands is the newest premium beef product from Cargill Beef Australia. It is naturally free range, and not only tastes better, but it’s actually better for you.

The three-course menu was designed to showcase the best of the beef, matched with Cape Mentelle wines from Margaret River. I had never been to Chophouse before, but I instantly fell in love with the warm, cavernous dining room that reminded me of a disused train tunnel. The spacious room was furnished with leather booths and timber textures, and as Steph said, there’s just something really comforting about an open kitchen.

The entrees were served as share plates for the table. The Grasslands Bresaola with mustard fruits, seeded mustard and olive oil was delicious. A great blend of tastes and textures and a lovely way to start the meal.

The Short Rib Thai beef salad with peanuts, Asian herbs and nuoc cham was served in cute little lettuce cups. It sounded so good in theory but the beef was a little dry, almost like jerky, and perhaps it wasn’t quite what I was expecting, but it wasn’t my favourite dish of the evening.

My favourite of the entrees was the Korean Tartare with Mt Lowe Truffle, pine nuts and white soy aioli. It took me a little while to warm to the idea of tartare but colour me converted because this was amazing. I especially loved the shavings of truffle on top, which made it rather decadent! This was definitely a very special dish.

We were in for a treat with our mains, starting with the Slow Roasted Tenderloin with Parmesan onion rings and gremolata. The steak was absolutely delicious, but the highlight of this dish for me was those amazing onion rings! They were perfectly crisp and golden, which is such a change from some sad, soggy ones that I have had in the past. It was a lovely combination, which I’d like to try to replicate at home one day!

The Cote de Bouf, an 800g rib on the bone was absolutely delicious and was cooked perfectly, served with fat chips and a selection of mustards – a lovely match to the 2009 Cape Mentelle Shiraz that accompanied the mains. To go with them, we had generous side servings of crunchy green beans and shoestring fries.

I had been looking forward to the Chophouse Chocolate Block for dessert. It’s such a unique signature, and a beautiful way to end the meal with a bit of theatre at the table as it’s chopped in front of you with a cute miniature cleaver. This time it had delicious caramelised hazelnuts inside, which was a really lovely addition to the silky smooth, rich chocolate. And finally, to finish off the meal, we had a beautifully presented Cheese Plate, with quince paste, crackers and fruit bread.

I know I’ll definitely be back at Chophouse soon – there’s a Black Angus Tomahawk steak calling my name! I loved the warm atmosphere of the restaurant and lovely staff, who were very helpful and accommodating, not to mention the incredible food. Thanks very much to the Chophouse team for inviting me along to the Grasslands launch!

Spicyicecream dined as a guest of Chophouse

Chophouse – 25 Bligh St, Sydney

Bourke St Bakery's Carrot Cake

2011-09-06T11:20:00.003+10:00

With Fathers Day on the weekend, it made me think about how lucky I am to have grown up with such a great Dad. I've written about him before – how there is almost nothing he can't fix (except that one toaster, which in his words "failed spectacularly") and no trade he can't seem to master, from mechanic to architect, plumber to chef (but, er, not at the same time) and almost everything in between. He’s a pretty clever guy!

Carrot Cake is one of my Dad's favourite desserts, second only to the Kumquat Pecan Pie I made a few years ago. I decided to try a different recipe this year, from the Bourke St Bakery cookbook, which came highly rated by a few friends who have tried it. This is one of my favourite books to just sit and flick through, the pictures are stunning and the recipes are inspirational. Plus it's always nice to try making these awesome bakery treats at home.

The recipe may look a little bit long and complicated but as long as you follow the order of steps as it’s written, you won't have any problems. I doubled the spices (and quadrupled the cinnamon) because I like a headily spiced carrot cake, but stayed true to the rest of the recipe and it turned out beautifully. The cake was quite light thanks to the meringue component that is folded in at the end, and I really like the rustic look.

While I like this version better than my usual go-to recipe, especially with the addition of walnuts, Dad ever-so-slightly preferred the other one, which produces a slightly denser cake. But the thing every great carrot cake should have, no exceptions, is a fantastic cream cheese icing, so I used my favourite recipe, which is possibly the easiest (and dare I say it, most delicious) icing in the entire world, and that is something that Dad and I definitely agree on.

Happy Father’s Day, Daddy xox

Carrot Cake
Serves 8
Adapted from Bourke St Bakery Cookbook

• 70g walnuts
• 150g self-raising flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 egg whites
• 60g caster sugar (for eggwhites)
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 160g caster sugar (for egg yolks)
• 170ml extra light olive oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 125g carrots, peeled and grated

Cream Cheese Icing
• 250g cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup icing sugar, sifted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon butter, room temperature

Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F) and grease a 20cm round cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper. The paper should protrude about 2.5cm above the tin.Place the walnuts on a baking tray and cook for 4-5 minutes or until lightly roasted. Cool and cut into thirds.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt into a bowl. Repeat to ensure they are evenly mixed.Put the egg whites in a very clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks start to form. Slowly pout in the sugar for the egg whites while the motor is still running and whisk until soft peaks form. Quickly transfer the meringue to another bowl and set aside until needed.

Put the egg and egg yolk in the bowl of an electric mixer and add the sugar for egg yolks. Mix on high speed for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture doubles in volume and is quite airy. With the motor still running, slowly pour the oil in a thin stream being careful that it doesn’t split or deflate too much.Remove the bowl from the mixer and with a spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture until combined. Fold in the carrots and walnuts. Working quickly, lightly fold in the meringue, but do not fold in completely. You should still be able to see white streaks through the mixture.

Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. You may need to drop the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F) after the first 30 minutes if the top is browning too quickly.

To make cream cheese icing, combine ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth.

Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for about 30 minutes before turning it onto a wire rack to cool completely. Using a serrated knife, slice horizontally through the centre of the cake to form two even-sized layers and fill with cream cheese frosting. Dust the top of the cake with icing sugar and serve.

Chocolate and Pear Tart with Cardamom Creme Anglaise

2011-08-29T21:25:00.003+10:00

I bought some absolutely beautiful pears last week. I know, I know, I get a little obsessed with them every winter, but how could you not? They lend themselves to cold-weather cooking so beautifully, both in sweets and savouries. When I got home, I found that Mum had also bought a slew of pears and my brain went into overdrive thinking about what I could do with them all. And for some reason, every idea seemed to involve pears and chocolate.

I was a little wary of the combination at first but I’ve seen it work beautifully and I wanted to give it a try. I used Matt Moran’s insanely good chocolate crust from the Aria Chocolate tart, which is kind of magical. It uses eggs to bind it together instead of iced water, which I think is the reason that it doesn’t shrink in the oven. It’s a godsend because shrinking pastry is one of my absolute pet hates in baking!

The tart filling is lovely and rich thanks to the ground almonds and cocoa. I underbaked mine a tiny bit so it was nice and gooey in the middle, with the perfectly cooked pears lending a lovely floral taste. It just was delicious with a lightly spiced cardamom crème anglaise. I loved how elegant this dessert turned out to be, and it would be a great way to end a dinner party. And, as always, a good splash of booze in the filling wouldn’t go astray – perhaps some Kahlua for a slight coffee hit.

Pear and Chocolate Tart with Cardamom Crème Anglaise
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Serves 8

Chocolate Pastry (this makes enough for 2 tarts)
• 320g plain flour
• 60g cocoa
• 160g caster sugar
• 160g cold unsalted butter, diced
• 2 eggs

Filling
• 160g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup almond meal
• ¾ cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 firm, ripe pears (use 4 if pears are small)

Cardamom Crème Anglaise
• 3 egg yolks
• 55g caster sugar
• 6-8 cardamom pods
• 250ml milk
• 250ml pouring cream

To make the chocolate pastry, place the flour, cocoa, sugar, butter and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add eggs and process until dough just starts to come together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Flatten into a disc shape, wrap in clingwrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

Roll out the pastry to about 3mm thick. Line the base and sides of two tart tins (I used 20cm round tins) with the pastry, and trim any excess. Alternately, halve pastry, wrap excess in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 6 months. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest. Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with baking weights or rice. Bake at 160°C (320°F) for 10 minutes. Remove paper and weights and bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until firm to the touch. Allow to cool.

To make the filling, place butter, almond meal, sugar, eggs, cocoa and vanilla extract in the bowl of a food processor and process until combined. Spread mixture evenly in prepared tart crust. Peel, halve and core pears. Cut into quarters and slice horizontally, but not all the way through. Arrange on top of chocolate mixture, pressing in very slightly.

Increase oven temperature to 180°C (350°F). Place pan on baking sheet and bake for 45-50 minutes or until top is puffed and toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. Cool completely in pan.

In the meantime, make the cardamom crème anglaise. Lightly whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Place the milk, cream and cardamom in a saucepan and bring almost to the boil. Remove from the heat and allow to infuse for 30 minutes. Return to the heat and rewarm. Whisk the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, and return to the saucepan.

Using a wooden spoon, stir constantly until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Do not let it boil. Strain through a fine sieve, allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Crème anglaise will keep refrigerated for one or two days. To serve warm, gently reheat in a saucepan over low heat.

Aseana Food Village, Randwick

2011-08-25T16:56:00.002+10:00

As the Malaysia Kitchen Bloggers Summit draws to a close this week, I’d like to thank Greg and the team for asking me to be involved in this month-long discovery of Malaysian food. I loved trying lots of new dishes at lots of new restaurants, each one doing some dishes particularly well, and I’d be hard pressed to choose a favourite. You can’t go past the roti at Mamak, while the amazing Beef Rendang was a great surprise at Kopitiam. I loved the Hainanese Chicken Rice and Pandan Crepe at Malacca Straits, and during this week’s visit to Aseana Food Village in Randwick, it was the Rojak that stole my heart.

Also, there’s still time to vote by liking this post on the Malaysia Kitchen Bloggers Summit website, and I could win a foodie’s adventure in Malaysia!

Karen and I had planned a Tuesday night catch up, and much gossip ensued as we trekked out to Randwick. The menu is a rather interesting mix of traditional Malaysian, Singaporean and Burmese dishes, and though we stuck to the Malaysian side of things for the purposes of this visit, I’d love to go back and try some of the other dishes in the future.

I just couldn’t go past the Milo Godzilla ($5.50) on the drinks menu, I mean could you? A heap of undissolved Milo sat over a scoop of vanilla ice cream, which was floating atop a glass of ice cold Milo. It was a wicked concoction, but one that soon defeated me as I could only finish half of it, it was almost like a meal in itself! Karen ordered a Teh Ais, which was one of the best I’ve had. The tea flavour was strong yet it was still nice and sweet.

A good Rojak is apparently quite hard to find in Sydney. Aseana’s rojak ($8.90) was very different to the one at Mamak, but much more of a traditional rendition with freshly cut fruit and crispy Chinese doughnuts, covered in a semi-sweet sauce and topped with roasted peanuts. It was so good, definitely a highlight of the whole month of Malaysian eating and will be ordered on every return visit to Aseana for sure! We also ordered the Achar-Achar, (pictured in the back - $5.00) lightly pickled vegetables covered in ground peanuts.

We also tried the Traditional Nasi Lemak, with coconut rice and all the traditional accompaniments ($7) and the addition of Beef Rendang, (+$4) which was delicious, though the chicken curry also looked amazing and I wish we had ordered that as well!

I was really looking forward to trying the Bak Kut Teh ($12.90) which is a popular dish in Malaysia and Singapore. The name translates to “meat bone tea” - pork ribs brewed for hours with herbs and spices (such as cinnamon, cloves, star anise etc) and served in the dark coloured soup. It was served with rice, delicious fried dipping sticks, and a chilli and garlic sauce. I really liked it, and the pork meat was nice and tender but I was expecting the soup to be a little more flavoursome considering all of the delicious spices that go into it.

We also tried the Asam Fish ($13.90) – fish and vegetables gently stewed in tamarind juice. I’m glad that there wasn’t a strong fishy taste to the dish, but I think it must have been too heavy on the tamarind because it was very, very tangy and this dish was left largely untouched.

Kaya toast ($3) is a hugely popular snack in Malaysia, but there aren’t many restaurants in Sydney that serve it (much to the dismay of Malaysian food bloggers!) Kaya is a golden-coloured spread made from eggs, sugar, coconut milk and flavoured with pandan, which is usually served on toast with lots of butter. It’s often served with soft-boiled eggs and a cup of tea or coffee, which is also available at Aseana. I totally loved it and decided I’ll have to try Steph’s recipe for homemade kaya one of these days!

Of course we had to order an Ais Kacang ($5.00) as we have every week of the Bloggers Summit. This one was quite heavy on the rose syrup, but I liked it. The ice was finely shaved and interestingly the corn was in kernels rather than creamed. I love how refreshing this dessert always is at the end of a meal!

Aseana is a relatively new restaurant – just over a year old – and a great discovery for some hard-to-find dishes like the Rojak and Kaya Toast in Sydney, and they do both really really well. Karen commented that the red plastic plates bring back memories of Malaysia. Service is a little hard to track down at times when the restaurant fills up, but the food and drinks are served quickly. I can’t wait to return to try some of the Burmese specialties!

Spicyicecream dined as a guest of Malaysia Kitchen

Aseana Food Village – Shop 1/149 Alison Rd, Randwick (02) 9399 7010
Cash only

Sticky Date Cheesecake with Bourbon Caramel Sauce

2011-08-21T20:52:00.002+10:00

If you’ve been reading for a while, you might know that I have a distinct fondness for sticky date pudding. Come winter, it’s one of the things I crave the most. In fact, I’d go so far to say that I’d ask for it as part of my last meal, or wish it to be one of my few possessions on a desert island. This year I wanted to do something a little bit different, since I have already posted multiple pudding recipes over the years (always in August... coincidence?) and I decided to turn it into a cheesecake.

It’s a funny story really, I thought I was being a bit clever with this flavour combination and set about combining a few different recipes to give me the perfect sticky date cheesecake. I had already made the gingernut crust base (I love gingernut biscuits!) and the sticky date filling. As I was unwrapping the cream cheese from the packaging, what was the recipe on the back? Sticky date cheesecake!

Crazy coincidences aside, I stuck to my recipe and I was so happy with how it turned out. I have issues with really dense, heavy cheesecakes and can usually only manage a few bites of them before throwing in my dessert fork in defeat, but this one is the perfect texture. In fact, it's deceptively light, considering that there's half a kilo of cream cheese in it! I used a recipe that I had made before (but never got around to blogging) and substituted caster sugar for brown sugar, which was just lovely with the dates.

No sticky date pudding is complete without an awesome caramel sauce. I tricked mine up with a good glug of bourbon and some sea salt. This sauce is also totally amazing over ice cream, in the rare case that you have any leftover. Or, make extra and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Sticky Date Cheesecake with Bourbon Caramel Sauce
Serves 10
Adapted from taste.com.au

Cheesecake
• 1 x 250g packets gingersnap biscuits
• 125g butter, melted
• 2 x 250g packets cream cheese, room temperature
• 200ml sour cream
• 100g brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

Sticky Date Mixture
• Melted butter, to grease
• 1 ½ cups seedless dates
• 1/3 cup bourbon
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Bourbon Caramel Sauce
• 1 cup pouring cream
• 60g butter, chopped
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• Big pinch sea salt

Brush a 24cm springform pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Place the biscuits in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely crushed. Add the butter and process until combined. Transfer to the prepared pan and press firmly over the base. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.

Place the dates and bourbon in a saucepan over low heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed. Place into a food processor with 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and pulse until it becomes a smooth mixture. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Place the cream cheese, sour cream and brown sugar in the bowl of stand mixer and mix until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined.

Pour half the cream cheese mixture onto the prepared biscuit base, then spoon in the sticky date filling. Swirl with a skewer and then pour the remaining cream cheese mixture on top. Bake for about 1 hour or until just set. Turn oven off and cool inside with the door ajar, for 1 hour. Place in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight to chill.

To make bourbon caramel sauce, place the cream, butter, sugar, bourbon and sea salt in a saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, bring to the boil and cook for 5-7 minutes or until thickened. Set aside and allow to cool.

Malacca Straits, Broadway

2011-08-18T16:38:00.004+10:00

We arrive at Malacca Straits a few minutes early for our Friday night booking. The restaurant is tucked away inside the Quadrant Building’s courtyard, just off Broadway, and was bustling when we arrived. The girls and I had pre-perused the menu online and were looking forward to trying pretty much all of the specials!

We’re now into Week 3 of the Malaysia Kitchen Bloggers Summit, and it’s been great so far, trying lots of new dishes at lots of new restaurants! I would absolutely love it if you could shoot me some LIKES (just follow the link, and it's at the bottom of the post), and I might be off on a foodie adventure to Malaysia!!

The fresh coconut juice ($5.00) caught my eye, and the sweet juice and fresh coconut flesh was the perfect foil for some of the spicier dishes that we ordered. Steph, Linda and Betty decided on Chinese tea.

We start with the Otak Otak, ($12 for 3 pieces) which I hadn’t tried before. Spiced fish fillets are wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in coconut milk. It was quite spicy and also a little dense in texture. It has had mixed reviews on some Sydney food blogs, and maybe it wasn’t quite what I was expecting, or the restaurant was having an average day in the kitchen, but this wasn’t my favourite dish of the evening.

I did however love the Char Tau Keuh, ($11.80) a fried radish cake with sambal, bean sprouts and eggs. It’s another dish I had never tried before, but that is the thing I’m loving most about taking part in this Bloggers Summit! The radish was nicely fried but still kept a lovely soft texture, and I would definitely order it again in a heartbeat.

After being denied our Hainanese Chicken Rice fix a few days earlier at Kopitiam, we had to try it here. The steamed chicken ($9.50) was served with fragrant rice, chilli sauce and cucumber, accompanied with a bowl of clear soup. The chicken was beautifully tender and the rice was flavoursome. It ticked all the boxes and satisfied our Chicken Rice cravings.

The Penang Kapitan Chicken curry ($14.80) was described as boneless chicken in a “special sauce” with ground spices and herbs. The curry was mild and creamy, and the chicken pieces were nice and tender.

We ordered the Cereal Prawns, only to be told that they were sold out. It was a little disappointing since Helen had raved about them after her visit! Instead we order the Angel Hair Prawns ($23.80) – crispy prawns in buttery egg floss with curry leaves. Very similar to the soft shell crab dish we had at Alices, this was delicious, but quite rich. We had quite a lot left over, which Steph took home to A.

I think the highlight of the meal for me was the desserts, I loved all three that we ordered! The Kuih Ketayap ($5) was a delicious pandan flavoured crepe filled with roasted coconut and palm sugar, served with vanilla ice cream. I seem to be instantly enamoured with anything pandan flavoured and this was no exception. I could have easily eaten the whole thing on my own!

Surprisingly, it took until Week 3 before we ordered Cendol ($5) which consists of shaved ice over chewy pandan flavoured cendol, coconut milk and palm sugar. I loved it, though the palm sugar would possibly make it a little bit too sweet for some!

Of course we had to try Malacca Straits’ version of Ais Kacang, the Air Batu Campur, or ABC for short ($5) to see how it compared to the others we’ve enjoyed in recent weeks. Interestingly, this one came with crushed peanuts on top (which meant Steph couldn’t eat it, boo) but secretly, I really liked this addition for a bit of crunch to offset the jelly and cendol that was buried underneath the ice. This one and Alices are now tied for my favourite ais kacang in Sydney!

A good option for a cheap lunch or dinner, I’m sure Malacca Straits is very popular with uni students at lunchtime. Actually, I wish I had known about it when I was studying nearby! While it was disappointing to miss out on the Cereal Prawns, I think it’s worth a trip back in the future to try them, as well as the delicious sounding Sticky Rice with Mango that is available during the summer months.

Spicyicecream dined as a guest of Malaysia Kitchen

Malacca Straits on Broadway - 66 Mountain Street, Broadway Ultimo (enter the Quadrant Building courtyard) (02) 8021 7069

Pork, Apple and Cider Pie

2011-08-16T08:00:00.001+10:00

This post is sponsored by Nuffnang

There's something inherently special about Sundays. For me, it's a golden opportunity for a sleep in, and a nice time to relax before stepping in to the new week. In my perfect world, there would be a picnic lunch every Sunday in summer, either in the park or down at the beach, and a nice hearty lunch at home every Sunday in winter.

Sadly, the Sunday Lunch seems to be a forgotten ritual these days – I know I don't do it enough – but I think that makes them even more special when they do come around. Usually everyone helps with the cooking, and then sits down together to enjoy the meal. It’s really lovely.

I love the combination of pork and apples, but wanted to try something different from your usual roast, so I decided to make it into a pie. I simmered the pork shoulder with chicken stock and apple cider for about an hour, until it was falling apart, then added some sage, potato and apple. But the best part is, it’s actually really simple to prepare. In fact once the main prep work is done, you can leave it pretty much alone to simmer over a low heat, with just a stir here and there.

It’s a really great dish that is hearty but not heavy, thanks to the light flavour of the cider. It is just perfect for this end of winter weather, when spring has been playing hide-and-seek. But with my undying love of pulled pork, I would very happily eat it all year round.

Pork, Apple and Cider Pie
Serves 6
Adapted from Donna Hay

• Olive oil, for frying
• 2.2kg boneless pork shoulder, cut into 5cm cubes (remove excess fat)
• 1 ½ brown onions, sliced
• 3 bottles dry apple cider (I used Monteiths)
• 2 cups chicken stock (I used Campbell’s Real Stock)
• 1 large potato, peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes
• 2 tablespoons sage leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper
• 3 granny smith apples, peeled, and chopped into 2cm cubes
• 1 sheet store-bought puff pastry
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat, and add the pork. Cook in batches until browned (4-5 minutes). Remove pork and set aside.

Heat another 1 tablespoon of olive oil and brown onion over medium heat or until softened. Return the pork to the pan with cider and stock. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered for 1 hour. Add the potato, sage, vinegar, salt and pepper and cool for a further 15-20 minutes or until the potato is tender and the pork is falling apart. Stir through the apples and allow to cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Spoon the pork mixture into a pie dish or ovenproof frying pan. Trim pastry to fit over the top and brush with lightly beaten egg. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden.

Pear and Elderflower Macarons

2011-08-14T19:43:00.006+10:00

I’ve been feeling very romantic about spring lately, now that it’s just around the corner. I went for a walk yesterday and caught the gorgeous smell of jasmine in the air. I thought it was the perfect time to use the bottle of elderflower cordial I picked up recently. With its subtle floral flavour, it’s just lovely at this time of year, but I was undecided as to what to make with it.

With the helpful suggestions of my Facebook and Twitter friends, I was inspired to make these macarons with a poached pear and elderflower buttercream filling. Macarons still make me a bit nervous, but after spending an afternoon with my gorgeous friends Steph and Karen baking up a batch, I felt confident enough to tackle them again.

While my technique still needs a lot more practice, Steph's recipe is brilliant. My shells turned out a little more crunchy and browned than I would have liked because I’m still getting used to using my new oven, but I did manage to get pretty little feet (!!) on my macarons, and I absolutely loved the flavour combination. The elderflower is a lovely touch, and is beautiful with the pears. I can’t wait to try out some other flavours – and after all, practice makes perfect!

Pear and Elderflower Macarons
Makes about 15 sandwiched macarons
Adapted from Raspberri Cupcakes

• 110g almond meal, dried in a cool oven for 5 minutes and sifted
• 200g icing sugar
• 100g aged eggwhites
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon powdered egg whites (available from Essential Ingredient)

Elderflower Poached Pears
• 1 pear, peeled, cored and cut into 0.5cm cubes
• 1 cup water
• 4 tablespoons elderflower cordial

Elderflower Buttercream
• 1 egg white
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• 90g unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 3cm cubes

To make the macaron shells, line two baking sheets with baking paper. Place icing sugar in a food processor and pulse to remove any lumps. Stir in almond meal and pulse to combine. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat eggwhites and egg white powder in a medium bowl until the powder dissolves and it reaches soft peaks. With the mixer on high speed, gradually add sugar and beat until it reaches stiff peaks.

Add meringue to the dry mixture and mix, quickly at first to break down the bubbles in the egg white. You can be quite rough at this point, and then mix carefully as the dry mixture becomes incorporated and it starts to become shiny again. Take care not to overmix, the mixture should flow like lava and a streak of the mixture spread across the surface should disappear after about 30 seconds. Place in a piping bag and pipe rounds 3cm diameter on prepared baking sheets.

Tap against the bench to remove any air bubbles and leave to dry for about half an hour, so that when you press the surface of one gently, it doesn’t break. Preheat the oven to 140-150°C (285-300°F) and bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your shells. Remove from the oven and cool on the tray for a few minutes. Gently remove from the tray and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

In the meantime, prepare the poached pears. Place pears into a small saucepan with water and elderflower cordial and simmer on medium heat until pears are tender and liquid is syrupy. Strain, and reserve liquid. Allow pears to cool to room temperature.

To prepare the buttercream, place caster sugar and egg white into a heatproof bowl. Whisk to combine and clip a candy thermometer to the side of the bowl. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk until mixture reaches 70°C (160°F) and sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Place egg white mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until cooled and thick, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. If mixture is runny at this point, refrigerate for 10 minutes and then continue beating until it starts to hold its shape. Don’t panic if it looks curdled, just keep mixing and it will come together. Mix in the reserved poaching liquid gradually and beat to combine. Add more elderflower cordial to taste if the flavour is too subtle.

Spoon or pipe buttercream onto macaron shells, adding ½ teaspoon of pears and then sandwich with another shell. Refrigerate overnight in an airtight container to allow the flavours to mature. Serve at room temperature.

Thanks to my cousin Roslyn for noticing I'd left the elderflower cordial out of the ingredients list. Oops!

Malaysia Kitchen Bloggers Summit and Kopitiam, Ultimo

2011-08-11T12:59:00.009+10:00

“You have too much food!” the waitress told us, as we were putting in our order for dinner at Kopitiam Cafe in Ultimo. Between two small girls (who each left with large takeaway containers holding the food we couldn’t finish) we have to admit that she was right. But in our defence, there were so many dishes on the menu that we wanted to try! Steph and I were together for Week 2 of the Malaysia Kitchen Bloggers Summit that is taking place throughout August.

The three bloggers with the most combined votes at the end of August will win a foodie adventure to Malaysia, so I'd be eternally grateful if you could send me some likes!

Kopitiam is a really authentic Malaysian Hawker Style restaurant on Harris St in Ultimo, just up from the Powerhouse Museum. The restaurant was almost empty when we arrived but quickly filled up. While I don’t imagine the décor has changed much since they opened, the lime green walls have a certain charm. Steph started with the Hot Teh ‘O’ and I had an iced Teh Tarik (both $4). The drinks came out almost instantly and the Teh Tarik was pretty much perfect as far as sweetness is concerned.

We had our hearts (and stomachs) set on Hainanese Chicken Rice, but unfortunately this is only available on the weekend. We decide on Beef Rendang ($14.80) instead, and happily, Kopitiam’s version is probably the best I’ve had. Chunks of beef are simmered in an absolutely delicious spiced coconut sauce for hours until they are perfectly tender.

The Nasi Lemak ($9.80) comes in a large serving with a delicious chicken curry as an accompaniment to the usual coconut rice, peanuts, anchovies, hard boiled egg and cucumber. It’s a bargain for such a huge amount of food!

Steph was excited to find that they served Claypot Loh See Fun, which translates to “rats tail noodles” since they are fat and round. They are stir-fried with dark soy, pork mince, pork fat, chilli and lots of bean shoots. It had a nice hit of spice, but the noodles were just slightly overcooked and were missing the “slipperiness” this dish is supposed to have and we only found one piece of pork fat, but I still loved it and would definitely order it again.

Of course we had to have dessert. We thought it would be fun to try the Ais Kacang ($5), to compare it with the one at Mamak last week. The ice wasn’t as finely shaved which gave it a bit more texture, but it could have used a little more rose syrup. I loved the grass jelly and red beans buried below the mountain of ice, as well as the corn on top.

I really loved the food at Kopitiam Cafe. I wish I had known about it when I was studying in Broadway, just a few streets away! I think we’ll have to come back one weekend and try the Chicken Rice since we missed out this time around. And of course, a repeat performance of that Rendang!

Spicy Icecream dined as a guest of Malaysia Kitchen

Kopitiam Cafe – 594 Harris St, Ultimo (02) 9282 9883 - Cash Only

Rhubarb and Strawberry Cheat's Danish

2011-08-06T17:30:00.003+10:00

It’s a well-known fact that I am a huge fan of rhubarb. If there’s ever a rhubarb dessert on the menu, I just have to order it. It’s one of my favourite things to cook with, and I just love the sweet-tart flavour and the beautiful pink colour. It reminds me of spring, and with the lovely warm weather we’ve been having in Sydney lately, it couldn’t have been more perfect, especially with a nice cup of tea.

I picked up a bunch of rhubarb recently and wanted to try something a little different with it – I’ve done pies, cakes, ice creams and even drinks! This recipe caught my eye – described as a “yeasted cake” and inspired by a recipe from Stephanie Alexander. I just knew it would be lovely.

Sadly, my version wasn’t as pretty as the photo, but it hardly mattered because it was absolutely delicious. I would liken it more to a danish than a cake, thanks to the rich, buttery dough. But if you consider how long it takes to make a proper laminated danish dough, this is a breeze by comparison.

I decided to replace the pears used in the original recipe with some lovely winter strawberries. It’s hard to beat that combination, it’s one of my favourites in the world. What I really loved though, was the glaze. With a nice hit of rhubarb flavour and a gorgeous colour, it was the perfect accompaniment to the delicious filling. This cake is best eaten on the day it’s made.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Cheat’s Danish
Serves 10
Adapted from Gourmet Traveller

• 120g butter, coarsely chopped
• 120ml milk
• 250g plain flour
• 10g dried yeast
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk

Rhubarb and Strawberry Filling
• 300g rhubarb, finely chopped
• 125g (about ½ punnet) strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Rhubarb Glaze
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 40g rhubarb, thinly sliced
• 160g pure icing sugar, sifted

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat, add milk and heat until lukewarm (1 minute). Mix flour, sugar and yeast in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Make a well in the center and then with motor running, pour milk mixture, egg and yolk into the well and knead until smooth and shiny (2-3 minutes).

Transfer to a buttered bowl, turn to coat, cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Knock back dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out to a 20x35cm rectangle. Place on an oven try lined with baking paper and set aside.

For the filling, combine ingredients in a bowl and spread over the dough, leaving a 5cm border along the sides. Cut long sides through to the filling at 3cm intervals using a pair of scissors, then fold long ends over to meet in the centre, pressing the ends to seal. Cover with a tea towel and stand in a warm place for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Bake until crust is golden and a skewer inserted withdraws clean (25-30 minutes). Cool on tray for 15 minutes, then cool to room temperature on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, for rhubarb glaze, stir caster sugar, vanilla and 50ml water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, add rhubarb and bring to the simmer. Cook until rhubarb is translucent and liquid is syrupy (4-5 minutes), then strain into a measuring jug (discard solids). Stir icing sugar and rhubarb syrup in a bowl until smooth and thin with a little water to drizzling consistency if necessary. Drizzle over yeast cake and serve.

Mamak, Chatswood

2011-08-04T14:00:00.003+10:00

This month, I’ve been chosen as a Blog Ambassador for Malaysia Kitchen, with the task of eating my way around Sydney’s Malaysian food scene. It’s a hard job, but someone has to do it! While I am not Malaysian, and I’ve never visited the country, I am absolutely in love with the food and culture thanks to the influences of two of my best friends, Steph and Karen.

With queues out the door and down the street at almost any time of day at their city outpost on Goulbourn St, lining up is just part of the Mamak experience. Arguably one of Sydney’s most popular Malaysian restaurants, the menu is filled with hawker style street food, but their main drawcard is the freshly made roti. Waiting in line doesn’t seem so bad when you can watch the chefs in the kitchen preparing roti. It’s truly a mesmerising process.

We decided to avoid the hordes and visit their Chatswood restaurant, which opened late last year. The premises are bigger, but on weekends there are still lines of people waiting outside. We decide to try some old favourites but also go for some dishes that we don’t order often, and some that I’d never tried before.

Malaysian drinks are something quite special. Teh tarik ($3.50) is a “pulled” milk tea, made with sweetened condensed milk that is delicious hot or iced. It’s fascinating to watch them making it – long streams of tea are poured (or pulled) from one container to another to make the frothy topping. I decided to try the Kopi ‘O’ ais ($3.50) black iced coffee, which was super strong with just the right amount of sweetness for me, I loved it. Steph decided to have the Teh ‘O’ ais limau ($3.50) iced tea with a splash of lime, which is delicious and refreshing.

You just can’t come to Mamak without trying the roti. I can never go past the Roti Canai ($5.50), which is served as a ball - crispy on the outside yet fluffy on the inside. It is served with two curry dips and a spicy sambal sauce. It arrives mere minutes after we place our order, a testament to the super swift service.

Another must try dish is the Satay ($9 for 6, $16 for 12) which is available in chicken and beef and served with a delicious peanut sauce that is a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy. These are cooked in the same way as the hawkers do – grilled over hot charcoal for that delicious smoky flavour. These are so moreish, I could have eaten the whole dish by myself!

Nasi Lemak ($8.50) is one of the most popular dishes in Malaysia. Fragrant coconut rice is accompanied by sambal, peanuts, crispy anchovies (ikan bilis), cucumber and hard-boiled egg. We added chicken and lamb curries to go with it ($3 each) as well as a piece of fried chicken (ayam goreng - $3). I could quite happily eat this every day! I especially loved the lamb curry – the meat was so tender and delicious that it just fell apart. And next time I’m definitely ordering a full portion of the ayam goreng!

We also order the Lamb Murtabak ($11.50). It looks like a thin pancake parcel and is filled with spicy meat, cabbage, egg and onion. At Mamak, they are made to order, with the menu advising there will be a 15 minute wait. It’s a large serving and even between us we can’t finish it! It comes served with the same curry sauces and is also available with a chicken filling.

The Maggi Goreng ($11.50) is a variation of the Mee Goreng using Maggi noodles instead of Hokkien noodles. It’s a spicy little dish, but delicious nonetheless. Prawns, sliced fish cake, cucumber and fresh bean sprouts provide a nice textural contrast.

My surprise favourite was the Rojak ($14) which was a dish I hadn’t tried before. It was presented beautifully, as a colourful tower of prawn and coconut fritters, fried tofu, hard boiled egg, shredded yambean and cucumber, topped with a thick and spicy peanut sauce. It was a nice, refreshing salad, which was a welcome contrast for the spicier dishes we had ordered.

We were insanely full by this point and struggling to find any spare space on the table, but we couldn’t leave without sampling the desserts. One of my favourite (and one of the most popular) Malaysian desserts is Ais Kacang ($6) a sweet and refreshing combination of red beans, corn, grass jelly, rose syrup and sweetened condensed milk on a mountain of shaved ice. The toppings may change depending on where you go, but I loved this. It’s the perfect dessert on a warm night.

Mamak also does a variety of delicious sweet roti desserts, most famously the Roti Tisu, which is paper-thin roti rolled into a tall cone and a favourite of many Sydney food bloggers. I love the Roti Kaya ($7.50) which is filled with a traditional spread made from pandan and coconut. I would have loved a slightly thicker layer of kaya but it was still absolutely delicious.

Steph and I had never tried to Roti bom ($8.50) which is described on the menu as “a truly indulgent roti”. We should have known that our sweet tooth was in for a walloping! It’s so sweet and rich, with a crackly caramelly sugar crust. It is delicious, but it quickly defeats us.

With such great food at such good prices, it’s no wonder that Mamak is still crazily popular after all these years. We have ordered a lot of food, and tried a good portion of the menu, but there’s still many other dishes to try next time. Armed with bags of leftovers, and stomachs full to bursting, we think the hype is well warranted and the queues are here to stay.

Like my post on the Malaysia Kitchen Bloggers Summit website and I could win a trip to Malaysia!! Wouldn't that be awesome? Thanks a million for your support!

Mamak - Shop P9, 1-5 Railway St, Chatswood (02) 9411 4411
AND 15 Goulburn Street, Haymarket, Sydney (02) 9211 1668

Spicyicecream dined as guest of Malaysia Kitchen

Chocolate and Muscat Puddings

2011-08-01T21:39:00.004+10:00

Sarah Wilson recently wrote a great article about being "too busy to live life", and it rang true for me. It’s something I’ve been feeling for a while. Between my day job, my freelance design work, my blog, commuting two hours every day, normal day to day responsibilities, and trying to achieve some semblance of a social life, where on earth does one find the time to just live?

To take the time to notice the beauty in the things all around me. To sit with a book and a cup of tea in a comfy chair and lose myself in the pages. To take a proper hour-long lunchbreak every now and then, or to get up and go for a walk when I find I’m busybusy but not productive. To put downtime on the to-do list, without feeling guilty that I’m not working. To stop thinking about what’s next and be happy with what I have now.

I found myself fed up with winter and wishing for spring the other day. I guess it’s a perfectly normal reaction when you have to get up before the sun on a cold morning, but I decided to just go with it, to try to enjoy it. I watched the sun turn the morning sky a vibrant orange while I sipped my morning coffee. I noticed the dew on the grass when I walked outside. And whatever anyone says about winter, no one can deny that’s the optimum time for chocolate pudding.

Self-saucing puddings will always have a special place in my memory thanks to my Nan. I remember helping her to make them as a child, and I recently rediscovered them after not making one since she passed away. This is a particularly delicious one, with the genius addition of raisins soaked in muscat. I would have loved to make the Muscatel ice cream from the original recipe as well, but my ice cream maker is currently out of commission (Broken. Sob) but I can tell you that it was still absolutely delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Chocolate pudding is the ultimate winter comfort food, the perfect excuse to spend a nice lazy day baking. And an even lazier evening sitting in front of the fireplace eating it.

Chocolate and Muscat Puddings
Serves 6
Adapted from Gourmet Traveller

• 110ml muscat
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 100g dried muscatels (if muscatels are unavailable use raisins)
• 140g butter, softened
• 390g brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 300g self-raising flour
• 75g cocoa powder, plus extra, to serve
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 250ml (1 cup) milk
• 140g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
• Vanilla ice cream, to serve

Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Summer muscat, vanilla extract and muscatels in a small saucepan over medium heat until muscat is nearly absorbed and muscatels are plump (4-5 minutes) and set aside.

Beat butter and 250g brown sugar until pale and creamy, add eggs and beat to combine. Sift over flour, baking powder and 60g of the cocoa powder and mix to combine. Stir in milk and muscatel mixture, and then chocolate. Divide among six lightly buttered 500ml ovenproof moulds and set aside.

Combine remaining brown sugar and remaining cocoa un a heatproof jug. Add 375ml boiling water and stir to combine. Pour over pudding batter, dividing equally, then bake for 15-20 minutes, or until puddings are risen and a skewer withdraws clean. Dust with cocoa and serve hot with ice cream.

Toffee Apple Trifle

2011-07-31T09:52:00.003+10:00

This is a dessert that has been on my mind for quite some time, in fact for almost a year it’s been floating around in my brain, and sketched into notebooks. Toffee Apple Trifle, it just has a nice ring, doesn’t it? And it seemed like the perfect sweet ending for my Christmas in July lunch! I like the idea of a trifle, but I’ve eaten so many downright awful ones over the years that I really wanted this to be special.

I’m usually not into desserts that have a lot of components to prepare, but this is an exception and completely worth the effort. But if you’re running short of time, you can definitely use a store-bought sponge cake and some good quality store-bought custard. Don’t be put off by how long the recipe looks, each part comes together quite quickly and the whole trifle can be made in advance so there’s no need to stress once your guests arrive. Here’s a bit of a rundown of each element that went into this dessert:

Apple Cider Jelly – This was the star of the whole dish for me, and the one element that truly made it unique. While only a small amount of cider was used, it was clearly discernible but still subtle when all the layers were tasted together. I used Monteith’s Apple Cider because it’s not too sweet, but feel free to use your favourite. I also like Napoleone & Co and Rekorderlig. It has also inspired me to create some other boozy jellies, but more on that soon.

Brown Sugar Sponge – I’m just going to come right out and say that I’m not very good at sponge cakes. I think I was a little too rough with my folding so the finished sponge was not as light and fluffy as I would have liked, but I loved the brown sugar flavour. Maybe you’ll have more luck than I did.

Salted Caramel Apples – I kind of made up the recipe as I went along, simmering Granny Smith apple pieces with butter, brown sugar, vanilla and salt until I was happy with the taste and the apples were cooked through.

Vanilla Bean Custard – The perfect creamy accompaniment to round out all of the flavours. I flavoured mine with vanilla bean, but cinnamon or other spices would also be lovely. I topped mine simply, with some Persian fairy floss for a little bit of wow factor, and a lot of fun.

Toffee Apple Trifles
Serves 6
Note: You must begin this recipe 2 days before you wish to serve it

Apple Cider Jelly (adapted from Donna Hay)
Note: this recipe will make a little more than you need, so if there’s any leftover after you’ve filled your serving glasses, refrigerate the rest of the jelly separately for a nice treat

• 1 ½ tablespoons gelatine powder
• 1 ½ cups (375ml) apple juice
• 1 ½ cups (375ml) water
• ¼ cup (60ml) apple cider
• 1 cup (220g) caster sugar

Place the gelatine and ½ cup of the apple juice in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes or until the gelatine is absorbed. Place the remaining juice, water, cider and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add gelatine and stir to combine. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes. Evenly fill six glasses until 1/5 full and refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.

Brown Sugar Sponge (adapted from Gourmet Traveller)
• 6 eggs, at room temperature
• 80g brown sugar
• 80g caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 150g plain flour, triple sieved
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 60g butter, melted and cooled

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Whisk eggs, sugars and half the vanilla seeds on high speed in an electric mixer until mixture is tripled in volume and holds a trail (10-12 minutes). Transfer to a large bowl, sift over flour and baking powder in two batches, gently fold to combine, then fold in butter. Divide between two 20x30cm brownie tins lined with baking paper and bake until dark golden and centres spring back gently when pressed (15029 minutes). Cool slightly in tins and then turn out and cool completely on a wire rack. When cool, cut out circles the same diameter as your glasses and gently drop cake layer on top of jelly layer.

Salted Caramel Apples
• 4 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm cubes
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 75g butter, cut into cubes
• ¼ cup cream
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt, or to taste

Place apples into a medium saucepan with brown sugar and butter and cook, stirring, until butter and sugar are melted and apples are starting to soften. Cover and cook over low heat until apples are tender. Add cream, stir to combine and salt to taste. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature before dividing evenly among glasses. Refrigerate until required.

Vanilla Bean Custard (adapted from Donna Hay)
• 2 ¼ cups (560ml) pouring (single) cream
• ½ vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
• 6 egg yolks
• 1/3 (75g) cup caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornflour

To make the vanilla custard, place cream and vanilla bean and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to the boil. Cover and allow to infuse for 30 minutes.

Place the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly pour the warm cream mixture over the eggs and whisk to combine. Return mixture to the saucepan and stir over low heat for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the vanilla bean and allow custard to cool completely. Divide evenly between glasses and refrigerate overnight.

To serve
• Pashmak, Persian fairy floss (optional)

To serve, place a little bit of Pashmak fairy floss on top of each trifle and serve immediately.

The Devonshire, Surry Hills

2011-07-28T23:11:00.002+10:00

Duck and pinot, two of my favourite things, and a match made in heaven! They seem to bring out each other’s best qualities. We were gathered at The Devonshire in Surry Hills on a chilly Tuesday evening, in celebration of this famous combination. During the month of July, seven of Sydney’s top restaurants have hosted the ‘Duck Trail’ with each putting on a special duck dish, matched with a Cloudy Bay 2009 Pinot Noir.

Each dish on the trail has been designed to bring out different characteristics in the wine. With July all but over, don’t fear if you’ve missed out, because next year’s event is set to be even bigger and better! I loved the cozy, intimate atmosphere of The Devonshire, and would definitely love to come back in the near future.

We started with some bread, hot from the oven (complete with a warning not to burn our fingers from our lovely waiter) which was served with two butters – Lescure from France, and a house made whipped honey butter that was just amazing! It was just so light and airy, and perfect on the delicious warm bread. Then we were served a luscious little amuse bouche of Salt fish brandade with parsley and preserved lemon , which was a great start to the meal.

We had a choice of two entrees, a delicious dish of scallops, squid, celeriac, pomegranate and golden raisins. I didn’t actually try this dish, but from all accounts it was delicious. Our waiter tells us that in order to use the whole squid, the celeriac puree is tinted with squid ink so none of the creature goes to waste.

I chose the Macleay Valley rabbit raviolo, which was served with mushroom, tarragon, spinach and liver cream. It looked stunning on the plate and was quite a substantial entrée. I loved the way all of the flavours and textures worked together, from the shredded rabbit filling inside the perfectly cooked raviolo, to the awesome crispy rabbit belly that sat on top. It was a beautiful dish with some really sophisticated flavours.

The reason we were here tonight was the main course – breast and sausage roll of duck with salsify, hazelnut and parsley. I loved the novelty of the sausage roll, but it was a world away from the kind I used to eat as a kid. The pastry was so buttery and delicious, encasing a lovely, rich, meaty filling. I had never tried salsify before, it seems to be a bit of a neglected vegetable. It tasted sweet and earthy, and was absolutely lovely with the duck.

I had been secretly hoping that we would get to try The Devonshire’s signature dessert, a cute and clever play on Devonshire tea. I was delighted to see it on our menus! Earl Grey crème brulee was served in retro, mismatched tea cups alongside scone ice cream and crumbs, cherry jam and vanilla bean crème chantilly.

I love infusing creams and custards with tea and the crème brulee was lovely, and the toffee shattered with a satisfying crack under my spoon. If you had a little bit of each element together, it was uncanny how much it tasted exactly like scones and tea. Magical.

Many thanks to Kate and Erica from Mango (who are both awesome gals) and to The Devonshire for hosting such a lovely evening. I can’t wait to come back soon to try some other dishes from the menu!

Spicyicecream dined courtesy of Mango and The Devonshire

The Devonshire - 204 Devonshire St, Surry Hills

Mulled Wine Cherry Sauce

2011-07-20T23:15:00.002+10:00

There’s something that looks so magical about a proper White Christmas, complete with traditional roast dinner. But on Christmas Day down under, we’re much more likely to reach for the prawns and beer than the roast pork and mulled wine. That’s why I love Christmas in July – we get to have the best of both worlds!

Over the weekend, I hosted a Christmas in July lunch for some of my best friends. I just love dinner parties. I love planning menus, doing the shopping, setting the table, and finally sitting down with friends and family to enjoy a special meal. There was a delicious roast pork shoulder with crackling, crispy roast potatoes, pear and fennel salad, and a blow-your-mind-awesome cherry and mulled wine sauce, which is what I want to talk about today.

We’ve had some lovely, cheap cherries around of late, and while I know they’re imported and have travelled thousands of miles to get here, they’re one of my favourite fruits. This sauce is absolutely genius. Red wine is simmered with cinnamon quills, bay leaves, peppercorns and cloves until it’s syrupy and delicious, then some red wine vinegar and sugar are added to balance the sweetness and acidity, and finally the pitted cherries go in to simmer until they’re tender. It’s delicious.

The roast pork was a perfect match, but this would also be lovely with ham, turkey, duck, or even with a charcuterie platter. If you omit the vinegar, I think this would also work as a sweet syrup which would be delicious with puddings or spooned on top of ice cream. I think this sauce will be a regular addition to my Christmas table from now on, whether it’s July or December!

Mulled Wine Cherry Sauce
Adapted from Gourmet Traveller
Serves 20

Note: The recipe below serves 20, but is quite easily scaled down (I quartered it). However it’s so damn good that I think it’s worth making the whole batch, as it will keep in a sterilised jar in the fridge for up to 1 month.

• 750ml red wine
• 4 bay leaves
• 4 cinnamon quills
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 4 cloves
• ½ vanilla bean
• ¾ cup red wine vinegar
• 200g caster sugar
• 1kg pitted cherries

Combine red wine, bay leaves, cinnamon, peppercorns, cloves and vanilla bean in a wide saucepan and simmer over medium heat until fragrant and infused (8-10 minutes). Add vinegar and sugar, season to taste with sea salt, and stir until sugar dissolves.

Add cherries, bring to a simmer and cook until just tender. Transfer cherries and liquid (including herbs and spices) to sterilised jars, seal and refrigerate for up to 1 month.

4143 at the James Barnes, Alexandria

2011-07-18T23:09:00.004+10:00

I had never really rated Alexandria as a foodie hotspot, but several great establishments have opened up in the last few months, including this little gem of a gastro pub called 4143 at the James Barnes. It's run by Dedes Group, who also own Deckhouse, Dedes Restaurant and Flying Fish. This bar and bistro is located in the old (but beautifully refurbished) linseed mill, and the stunning building is the perfect spot for lunch, and incidentally, has great light for taking photos of that lunch!

The great outdoor bar has its own menu of your typical pub grub – steak sandwich, fish and chips, pizzas, chicken schnitzel – with the exception that they’re done really well. Inside there is a unique, sophisticated yet affordable bistro menu. The mains are served in small portions for $16, or large portions for $28, which is great for sharing between friends, or for those times when you just can’t tackle a whole main meal.

We started the afternoon with a few beers and 4143’s very popular wagyu burger with beetroot relish, gherkins, cheddar and aioli on a brioche bun, served with beer battered fries. I can definitely see why it’s a bestseller – it was absolutely fantastic! I loved the slightly sweet and buttery bun, and the addition of gherkins. In fact I think I liked it even better than Charlie & Co’s wagyu burger, plus it’s a huge serving for only $14 including those seriously awesome fries!

The caramelised onion tart was topped generously with goats curd. I loved the crisp and buttery pastry and the sweet onions, especially with the balsamic vinegar.

One of my favourite dishes of the day (apart from the burger of course) was the seared scallops on pea puree with chorizo. Not only did it look beautiful on the plate, the scallops were perfectly cooked and beautiful with the pea puree. The crispy chorizo was a lovely contrast in taste and texture.

The first of the mains was a lovely duck breast on du puy lentils, spinach and brussels sprouts. The duck was delicious and beautifully cooked and I loved seeing brussels sprouts in this dish, they are such an underrated vegetable! This was a great, hearty, wintery dish.

The crowd’s favourite of the main dishes was the braised lamb shank en crepinette. It didn’t look like your average lamb shank, but was deboned and stuffed with spinach. As your knife cut into it, the tender lamb fell apart. It was lovely with the creamy parsnip mash and muscatel jus. It had just the right amount of elegance, and is definitely a dish worth returning for.

With our mains, we had a variety of sides including roast baby beets and beans, buttered brussels sprouts with pancetta, and roasted chats with garlic and rosemary, all of which were delicious.

The "dessert stomach" is a strange yet well established phenomena amongst food bloggers and luckily they didn’t let us down today because there was still much more to come! I honestly couldn’t pick a favourite out of the desserts, they were all so good! First up was the bread and butter pudding with rhubarb and macadamia ice cream. I can never go past rhubarb on a dessert menu, but I was surprised to find that this was one of the best bread puddings I’ve ever tasted! I liked that it wasn’t overly sweet, nor too “eggy”. It’s the little touches, like the lightly caramelised top and the candied rhubarb on top that made this dessert really special.

“Oh my God, pop rocks!” exclaimed Becca upon her first mouthful of the chocolate and orange mousse, served with hazelnut biscotti. This dessert was so decadent and rich, but I couldn’t stop eating it. The pop rocks were a lovely surprise, and I maintain that no one is ever too old to enjoy pop rocks.

I have to admit to being a bit of a Tiramisu snob these days, but I’m happy to say that this was a fine specimen. It had a nice coffee kick but I agree with Simon in that it could have used a touch more booze ;) I didn’t get to try the Affogato, but it looked great and I’m generally a big fan. This comes as a DIY affair, where you pour an espresso and Frangelico over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It looked delicious.

I really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere at 4143. While only a few weeks old, the team have really hit their stride and I think it would be a great spot for business lunches, after work drinks, cosy winter dinners and chilled out weekend lunches alike. That wagyu burger alone is worth the trek out to Alexandria, trust me, but make sure you save room for dessert!

Many thanks to 4143 for putting on such a beautiful lunch and to Denea from GourmetRabbit for her part in organising!

Spicyicecream dined as a guest of 4143 at the James Barnes.

4143 at the James Barnes - Building 9, 2 Huntley St, Alexandria

Chai Doughnut Holes

2011-07-13T23:22:00.002+10:00

I can’t believe that four years ago today, I sat down to write my first blog post. That’s right, today is my blog birthday!! I thought I would make something special to celebrate the occasion. Last year I made “spicy ice cream” and this year I thought I would play with some other spices. Specifically cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger… can you guess where this is going? Chai doughnut holes!

I remember my very first cup of chai, and the heady, warm aroma of all the delicious spices. It’s now one of my favourite things, but I especially love it in winter. And it works especially well in this recipe. These doughnuts are absolutely delicious! By infusing the milk, the chai flavour really shines through in both the doughnut itself and also the glaze.

The dough is incredibly easy to make, based on the same recipe I used for these espresso zeppole. It’s a great, versatile recipe, and having tried it both ways, I can attest that it is just as easy to make by hand as it is in a stand mixer. And as you can imagine, they go down very nicely with a cup of hot chai ;)

And to all of my readers - every single one of you - I'd like to thank you for your visits and comments, which never fail to brighten my day!

Chai Doughnut Holes
Recipe adapted from Gourmet Traveller
Makes 24

• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons loose leaf chai tea
• ½ cup pouring cream
• 225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon dried yeast
• 30g caster sugar
• Vegetable oil, for deep frying

Glaze
• 150g icing sugar, sifted
• 3-4 tablespoons chai-infused milk, reserved
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place milk and chai tea into a saucepan. Warm over low heat until almost boiling. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid and allow to infuse for 1 hour. Strain through a sieve and discard tea.

Measure ¼ cup of the milk and return to the saucepan with the cream, reserving the remaining milk for the glaze. Warm the milk-cream mixture over low heat until lukewarm (about 1 minute). Meanwhile, combine flour, cinnamon, yeast, caster sugar and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add cream mixture and knead until soft and smooth (2-3 minutes). Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (35-40 minutes).

Knock back the dough, and roll out to about 2cm thick on a floured bench. Cut rounds of dough with a 6cm round cutter, and place on a lightly floured tray, covered with a tea towel. Stand for 30 mintues or until risen.

Preheat oil in a deep-fryer or deep-sided saucepan to 180°C (350°F). Deep fry doughnuts in batches, turning occasionally, until golden and cooked through (about 3-4 minutes). Be careful as oil may spit. Drain on paper towels and allow to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, to make the glaze, place icing sugar in a bowl with chai-infused milk and vanilla extract and whisk to make a smooth, pourable glaze. Dip cooled doughnuts into glaze and place onto a cooling rack with a tray placed underneath to catch stray drips of glaze. These doughnuts are best eaten on the day they’re made.

Strawberry Cake

2011-07-10T22:25:00.002+10:00

There haven’t been a lot of recipe posts here lately and for that I do give my apologies. There’s been a lot going on in the last couple of weeks – my birthday was amazing, Steve and I went on a whirlwind trip to Melbourne, I contracted a rather nasty cold, we moved offices to Kings Cross, and I’ve had a few downright baking disasters!

With so much happening, and with the chilly winter weather starting to get to me, I have been in a bit of a hibernation phase. I’ve been spending a lot of time at home, curled up in bed with a cookbook, or with my laptop keeping me warm while I re-watch some of my favourite TV shows. The much-needed downtime has been just what I needed to kick start my inspiration again.

Which is why, when I saw some gorgeous and fragrant Queensland strawberries, I snaffled them up immediately. They tasted lovely and sweet – a little reminder of spring is just what I needed to lift my mood.

I decided to use them in a simple yet stunning cake from Martha Stewart. The light batter puffed around the sweet fruit, and the raw sugar on top gave the cake a nice crackly crust. It was a lovely afternoon tea cake, served simply with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream and some more fresh strawberries.

This recipe would be a great starting point to try with other fruit too – I think that a mixture of berries, pears, apricots or even rhubarb would be delicious! You could even try playing around and mixing up the flours like Aran did in her beautiful version of this cake.

Another thing to note is that the original recipe called for a pie tin, but I used a normal spring-form cake tin and it worked fine. But whatever type of baking tin you decide to use, just be sure to grease it very well. I can't wait to bake this cake again when the weather warms up, and it would be a lovely cake to take on a picnic! But in the meantime, it's a nice little reminder that spring is just around the corner.

So tell me, readers, how do you shake the winter blues?

Strawberry Cake
Recipe from Martha Stewart
Makes one 20cm cake

• 100g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups plain flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 500g strawberries, hulled and halved
• 2 tablespoons raw sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Butter a 20cm cake pan. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together into a medium bowl.

Place butter and caster sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, and then mix in egg, milk and vanilla.

Reduce speed to low, and mix in the flour mixture in batches. Transfer batter to buttered cake tin. Arrange strawberries on top of batter, cut sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle raw sugar over berries.

Bake cake for 10 minutes, and then reduce oven temperature to 160°C (325°F). Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Let cool in cake tin on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar and cut into wedges. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream if desired. Cake can be stored at room temperature, loosely covered, up to 2 days.

Burnt Orange, Mosman

2011-07-06T22:41:00.003+10:00

I am truly lucky to be surrounded by such awesome people. For my birthday last month, Steph and Karen whisked Steve and I over the bridge to Burnt Orange in Mosman. We had been to the fantastic homewares shop downstairs quite a few times but had never eaten at the café there. And what could be better than lunch with my favourite people, overlooking Sydney’s gorgeous harbour, followed by a spot of shopping!

We started with a jug of their signature Homemade Lemonade, with strawberries, lemon slices and mint leaves. I loved that it had just the right amount of sweetness and tang.

To share, we ordered the Duck Terrine with prune and armagnac, served with toasted brioche. This was one of my favourites of the day, and so moreish. The duck terrine was beautiful, and the pieces of prune and pistachio gave it some lovely textural contrast and a nice wintery twist.

We had noticed that there were pies practically flying out of the kitchen – definitely a popular choice on a perfect winter’s day. Karen chose the Beef Bourguignon Pie with mushroom, bacon and eschallots in red wine jus topped with flaky puff pastry. It was chock-full of cubes of tender beef, and absolutely delicious.

Steph went for the Fish Pie with a selection of fresh fish fillets in a creamy leek & white wine sauce topped with fluffy potato mash. For some reason I’m usually a little iffy about fish pies, but I was pleasantly surprised by how deliciously rich and creamy this one was. Both of the pies were huge and the girls both struggled to finish them, no matter how delicious they were!

Steve decided on the Grilled chicken on a salad of pomegranate, pine nuts & sultanas with baby kipfler potato and a sherry vinaigrette. It came out looking very pretty on the plate, a medley of flavours and textures. However the chicken was a little on the dry side and this was a letdown in an otherwise great dish.

I seem to be totally powerless against pulled pork, they are two of my favourite words. So it was clear that I would have to order the Slow-roasted pulled pork with a caramelized apple puree and gratin potato. It was absolutely delicious! The pork was perfectly tender and the apple was the perfect match. To say that I was thrilled with my choice is an understatement!

Of course dessert was in order, but the decision was tricky, as every single one sounded right up my alley! Us girls couldn’t go past the Rhubarb & strawberry crumble with vanilla bean ice cream. I absolutely adore that combination and this dessert didn’t disappoint. There is nothing better than a fruit crumble on a cold day. And look at that gorgeous plate!

We also shared the Prune & custard tart with a drizzle of “Burnt Orange sauce”, which was a sophisticated dessert and quite tasty. I’m nitpicking here but I think I would have liked it better with a slightly higher custard to prune ratio as prune has a tendency to overpower other flavours. Lets just say it was to the crumble that my spoon kept returning to, even though I was well beyond full by this point!

While Steve is quite certainly a grown man, his attention (to my amusement, but not surprise) went straight to the kids menu, specifically the Banana Split. With bananas being so expensive at the moment, we hadn’t eaten one in months! Thankfully our waitress didn’t bat an eyelid when he ordered it, and even gave him an extra scoop of ice cream! And it was actually a really good banana split, complete with rich chocolate sauce and a brandy snap – those lucky kids!

Burnt Orange is a great café on Sydney’s stunning north shore. I was really impressed by the delicious and quite extensive menu that changes seasonally, and also by the great service and the amazing view. If you visit, definitely check out the shop downstairs. Some of my favourite props, plates and knickknacks were found there and appear quite often in my photos. Thanks again to Steph and Karen for treating me to such a lovely afternoon! xxx

Burnt Orange Café, 1109 Middle Head Rd, Mosman

Ms G's, Potts Point

2011-06-26T18:41:00.004+10:00

When you visit a restaurant that has been hyped up and written about all over the place, it’s always tricky to know what to expect. Will it live up to your expectations? In the case of Ms G’s, I’m happy to say that it did. The name is a tongue-in-cheek take on everyone’s favourite flavour enhancer, monosodium glutamate, with its number 621 proudly emblazoned on the wall in neon.

Situated on Victoria Street in Potts Point, the multi-level restaurant was buzzing on this Friday lunchtime with girlfriends catching up, businessmen getting boozed and us, there for my birthday lunch.

The food culture of Sydney has shifted heavily towards ‘dude food’ in recent times – burgers, hot dogs, fried chicken and tacos are popping up on menus everywhere and young chefs like Dan Hong and Jowett Yu are on the forefront of the trend.

At Ms G’s, cocktails come packaged in bubble tea cups, complete with giant straws and the novelty is just too great. I love the Famous Yuzu Slushee, which combines Limoncello, Russian standard vodka, yuzu juice and Regan’s orange bitters for a sweet-sour drink with a definite alcoholic kick. In fact the whole cocktail list sounds awesome – Aeroplane jelly cocktail, anyone?

We of course had to start with the Mini bánh mì, and since we couldn’t decide between the crisp pork belly and chicken katsu, we got both! While small in size, they definitely delivered on taste and were quite generous with fillings – meat, paté, cucumber, coriander and a delicious sriracha mayonnaise. Steve prefers the crispy katsu, but I love the pork belly. Try both and decide for yourself!

Another must try is the Grilled corn on the cob with parmesan and lime. After the high praise they have received on other blogs, and my undying love for Mamasita’s similar dish, we had to try it. I loved the slightly charred, super sweet corn and the generous dusting of parmesan. A really great start to the meal.

Another awesome dish is the Prawn toast with yuzu aioli and herbs. Our waitress tells us that they make a prawn mousse and slather it onto sourdough bread. The whole thing is then covered in sesame seeds, deep-fried and topped with a tangy yuzu aioli. I loved the crunchy exterior giving way to the meaty prawn innards and the freshness that the herbs brought to the dish.

The last of our savoury dishes was the Fried half baby chicken with kimchi mayonnaise. Half a chicken yielded only four pieces, but they were cooked to perfection – the meat was so tender and falling from the bones while the exterior was delicious and crispy.

While everything so far had been nothing but awesome, dessert was truly the highlight of the meal. The ‘Stoners Delight’ was a delicious mishmash – cinnamon doughnut ice cream, chocolate, rice bubbles, pretzels, peanut brittle and passionfruit marshmallows were scattered atop a slick of dulce de leche. And heck yes, it’s as good as it looks. I loved all of the different tastes and textures, especially the sweet-salty combination and the awesome doughnut ice cream that really tastes exactly like a cinnamon doughnut!

I ordered the Pandan chiffon cake with strawberries and coconut sorbet that was served in a sea of coconut tapioca and I’m so glad that I did. The pandan, coconut and strawberry flavours worked really well together. This dish made an appearance on Masterchef pressure test recently and gave the contestants a run for their money!

I really loved Ms G’s and now I understand all of the hype surrounding this place. The food (especially the desserts) and the cocktails were top notch and the service was great. All of the dishes are designed to share, but we hardly made a dent in the menu. I’m looking forward to going back and trying some of the other great dishes. Like many of the new restaurants popping up, Ms G’s doesn’t take bookings, so it’s best to get there early.

Ms G’s – 155 Victoria St, Potts Point

Date and Fig Pancakes

2011-06-20T11:47:00.002+10:00

Have you ever had a dish at a restaurant or a café that you just can’t get out of your head? And months or even years later, you still find yourself thinking about it? This recipe is inspired by one of those. It must have been at least 3 years ago, perhaps even more, that the boy and I had a lovely brunch at The Book Kitchen in Surry Hills. It was a lovely spot, always busy on the weekends and a great little spot for breakfast or lunch.

I had the date and fig pikelets, which were served with sweetened ricotta, poached rhubarb and pears. It was the most perfect brunch you ever did see, and it tasted even better. Ever since then I have wanted to try recreating the recipe at home, but only now have I actually gotten around to doing it.

I think everyone should have a great base recipe for pancakes in their repertoire, because from there they can be adapted in almost any way you like. Throw in some blueberries, strawberries or mashed banana, or even some chocolate chips for a decadent breakfast. Perhaps play around with the flours – maybe try some buckwheat flour or even almond meal for a more wholesome start to the day.

My usual recipe is so simple, but this one has some beaten egg whites, which does add to the washing up, but give you a really beautiful fluffy pancake. I loved the addition of dates and figs, which when warm have a jam-like texture inside the pancake. It was a really great breakfast on a lazy long weekend morning.

Date and Fig Pancakes
Inspired by The Book Kitchen, Surry Hills
Recipe adapted from Gourmet Traveller
Makes about 12-15 pancakes

• 60g butter, plus extra for cooking
• 450ml buttermilk
• 3 eggs, separated
• 300g (2 cups) plain flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• ¼ cup dried figs, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup dates, roughly chopped

Melt 60g butter in a small saucepan over low heat, cool slightly, then combine in a large bowl with buttermilk and egg yolks and whisk until smooth.

Sift over flour, bicarbonate of soda and 1 teaspoon fine salt, mix until smooth and combined (do not overwork). Whisk eggwhites and a pinch of salt in a separate large bowl until firm peaks form (2-3 minutes), then fold into flour mixture. Gently mix in figs and dates.

Melt 10g butter in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat, add 1/4 cupfuls of batter, allowing room for it to spread. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface and edges are golden (1-2 minutes)

Turn with a wide spatula and cook until pancake is firm and base is golden (1-2 minutes), transfer to a plate and keep warm in a low oven. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with maple syrup and butter.

Kitsch Bar, Perth

2011-06-15T19:46:00.003+10:00

I am a bit of a sucker for restaurants with awesome, quirky fitouts. Gazebo in Elizabeth Bay has a taxidermy fox (named Foxy) hanging from the ceiling! It’s these little touches that I love. So, on my latest trip to Perth I was looking forward to visiting Kitsch Bar. Aptly named, the furniture is a mish-mash of weird and wacky items. A giant frangipani tree shelters the outdoor courtyard, and I can’t help but think of how awesome this place would be on sultry summer evenings.

I started with a Kitsch Ginger Beer, which long time readers will know I’m addicted to. It was a decidedly boozy, yet refreshing concoction of 42 Below vodka, ginger syrup and mint. It was also available with chilli vodka if you’d like a spiced up version. There’s also a selection of bottled beers and a pretty cracking wine list.

The menu consists of Asian hawker-style share plates with really big, bold flavours, yet there is still a remarkable amount of skill and sophistication. We loved the Salted Tasmanian ocean trout with tomato tamarind caramel and crispy szechuan hens egg. It was a beautifully balanced and delicious dish.

We couldn’t go past the Steamed pork dumplings with hot chilli sauce and sticky soya. I loved these little parcels of deliciousness, but I only wish it was a bigger serving because they were all kinds of addictive!

We also tried the Spiced corn fritters with coriander and green chilli syrup. While they were tasty, with a burst of sweetness from the corn and a hit of spice from the syrup, these were a little on the heavy side. I think the best corn fritters I’ve had were at Izakaya Den in Melbourne, and I think it had a lot to do with the much lighter batter which gently held the sweetcorn kernels together.

I was pretty excited about the Spiced green papaya salad with peanuts, cherry tomatoes and sweet, salty pork ribs. Our waitress warned us that it was quite spicy, but I didn’t really even notice much spice, and I’m usually a bit of a chicken when it comes to chilli. Nonetheless, I loved the balance of flavours and the awesome pork ribs, but even between the two of us we couldn’t finish the salad.

For dessert, we couldn’t go past the Chocolate sandwich with peanut brittle ice cream. Now, children, no matter how full you may be, this is not a dessert that bodes well with sharing! It looked pretty on the plate and I loved the snickers-like taste, and the texture combination between the sandwich elements and the brittle sprinkled on top.

The atmosphere at Kitsch Bar was great with not a hint of pretentiousness (all too common in Sydney bars.) I totally loved the décor and the quirky touches everywhere you looked – and also might be the coolest restaurant bathrooms ever. The staff were cheerful and really helpful especially when it came to how many dishes to order. Even the music was awesome, it sounded like someone pinched my iPod! It’s great to see places like Kitsch popping up in Perth and I can’t wait to go back on a warm evening, to sip a cocktail at dusk beneath that stunning frangipani tree.

Kitsch Bar - 229 Oxford St, Leederville WA - (08) 9242 1229

Pear and Earl Grey Crumble Cake

2011-06-11T16:38:00.006+10:00

Wow, it has been free-eezing this week! I think winter is officially here now. The 2°C mornings have definitely been a struggle on the getting-out-of-bed front. But I’ve been really enjoying delicious hearty dinners, my favourite winter produce and cup after cup of nice hot tea.

I fell in love with Karen’s post about the gorgeous French Earl Grey poached pears. Not only were they so cute and tiny, but I am a big fan of this beautiful, fragrant tea so I could imagine how lovely they were going to taste! Enveloped in a delicious sour cream enriched cake batter and topped with a crunchy hazelnut crumble, this was an absolutely beautiful cake.

In fact, we liked it so much that I made a batch of muffins from the same recipe the very next day. And both were gone by Tuesday! It’s a great, simple recipe, but the thing I like most about this cake is that it’s the perfect starting point for almost any kind of fruit filling. Rhubarb would be totally delicious, as would apples, berries, or quinces as in the original recipe. So if you’re planning some long weekend baking, give this recipe a try!

Pear and Earl Grey Crumble Cake
Serves 8

French Earl Grey Poached Pears - Recipe adapted from Citrus & Candy
• 1L water
• 125g caster sugar
• 20g French Earl Grey tea leaves
• 1 strip orange peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 pears

Combine the water, sugar, tea leaves, orange peel and vanilla extract in a pot and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 10 minutes to infuse. In the meantime, peel and core the pears and cut into 3mm cubes. Strain the tea mixture into another small pot and add the pears to the poaching liquid. Bring back to a boil then reduce the heat again and simmer pears gently for about 10 minutes. Pears are ready when a skewer pierces through the flesh easily. Remove from the heat and leave the pears to cool down in the syrup. Once cooled, store in the fridge.

Crumble Cake - Recipe adapted from Gourmet Traveller
• 150g softened butter
• 135g caster sugar
• 120g brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 300g crème fraiche or sour cream
• 170g self-raising flour
• 150g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon finely grated cinnamon

Crumble topping
• 85g brown sugar
• 60g roasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
• 35g butter, coarsely chopped
• 30g plain flour

Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Beat butter and sugars in an electric mixer until pale (2-3 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add crème fraiche and beat to just combine, then stir through flours and cinnamon.

Spoon half the mixture into a buttered and floured 24cm diameter springform tin lined with baking paper. Scatter pears over and then pour over remaining batter and smooth the top.

For the crumble topping, combine ingredients and a pinch of salt in a bowl and rub with fingertips until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle over batter. Bake cake is golden and a skewer inserted in the center withdraws clean (50 minutes-1 hour). Cool slightly in tin. Remove cake and cool to room temperature. Serve drizzled with pear syrup.

Tricycle Cafe, Hobart

2011-06-06T21:49:00.002+10:00

I’m well aware of the cliché, but this year more than ever it seems that time really does fly when you’re having fun! On that note, I cannot believe that we’re already into June, and I still haven’t finished writing up my trip to Tasmania from the beginning of March. I can’t remember where I first heard of Tricycle Café in Hobart, but in my research for the trip the name popped up as a must-visit over and over again. Well-known for their solid breakfast menu and more substantial lunch fare, I was really looking forward to visiting.

After a nice lazy morning browsing the Salamanca Markets, we eventually found the café, tucked away in the Salamanca Arts Center, and snagged one of the last tables, just in time for brunch. I start with a long black, a fine specimen, and one of the best of the whole trip (second only to Ut Si Café).

Steve had the scrambled eggs on sourdough, which were as light and fluffy as they look. All in all, a perfect specimen, which he enjoyed, accompanied by a vanilla milkshake. You see, Steve isn’t a coffee drinker, and if there’s milkshakes or spiders on the menu, he’ll totally order one.

Tricycle’s Breakfast Trifle made Gourmet Traveller’s list of Australia’s great breakfasts so I knew we had to try it. It was a lovely combination of seasonal poached fruits (ours contained strawberries and peaches) with rolled oats, natural yoghurt and pureed apple, topped with flaked almonds. I loved how it looked, but I just wished the yoghurt was sweetened a little with honey. But it’s still a must-try!

The daily specials were written on a little blackboard that the staff would move around to every new table. I couldn’t go past the organic tomato bruschetta with goat’s curd and basil. The tomatoes were a gorgeous, vibrant red and were full of sweetness. This has got to be my favourite kind of lunch in summer and I loved the super simple preparation that allowed the great produce to shine.

Tricycle is a really great brunch spot, definitely worth checking out for a coffee after a pleasant morning of strolling around the markets. I loved all the quirky decor and the tricycles strung up around the café. The staff were genuinely lovely and the food was great. Check it out if you’re ever in Hobart!

Tricycle Café - 77 Salamanca Pl, Hobart TAS

Chocolate Pecan Pie

2011-06-03T16:08:00.002+10:00

My Dad doesn’t have the sweetest of teeth, unlike the rest of us at home! He would usually prefer a packet of chips to a bowl of ice cream, but there are a few desserts that he always says yes to. In fact, they can be counted on just two fingers – carrot cake and pecan pie. With his birthday last weekend, I wanted to make one of his favourites. I can also disclose that this is the second pecan pie I’ve made in as many months. Since the one I made in Perth for Easter lunch disappeared faster than I could snap a photo of it, here is my chance to finally share it with you!

The recipe comes from Dorie Greenspan’s ‘Baking From My Home to Yours’ which has to be one of my most beloved cookbooks, the one I always turn to for classic cakes and pies. I loved the addition of chocolate and the hint of coffee. The original recipe didn’t call for any booze, but it’s my personal belief that no pecan pie is complete without a liberal splash of bourbon. I will concede that Cointreau also works nicely.

I also added some grated orange zest, since the kumquats I’d used once before worked so well, but aren’t in season yet. I’ve had some hits and misses with this pastry recipe when I’ve tried to take shortcuts, so ensure that you follow it as closely as you can for wonderful, flaky, not too sweet pastry that is truly “good for almost anything.”

In other exciting news, I’ve had a couple of mentions in the press lately. This clipping came from Chocolate Treats, where Spicyicecream was featured in their "Cyber Snacks" section.

I've already shared this news on Twitter and Facebook, but I’m also the SBS Featured Foodie for June! Click here to read their interview with me. Thanks so much to Aisha and Tony for thinking of me!!

Chocolate Pecan Pie
Adapted from ‘Baking From My Home to Yours’ by Dorie Greenspan
Serves 8

Pastry
• 1 ½ cups plain flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 180g unsalted butter, very cold or frozen
• About ½ cup ice water

Filling
• ¾ cup light corn syrup
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons bourbon or Cointreau
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 ½ cups pecan halves
• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

To make the pastry, put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse to just combine the ingredients. Drop in the butter and pulse only until cut into the flour, with some pieces of butter still visible.

Pulsing the machine on and off, gradually add about 3 tablespoons or the water until the dough comes together. Add more water a tablespoon at a time if necessary. Gather the dough into a ball on a bench top and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling.

Have a prepared 22cm (9-inch) pie plate at hand. You can roll the dough out on a floured surface or between sheets of wax paper. Slide the rolled-out dough into the fridge for about 20 minutes. Fit the circle of dough into the pie plate, allowing the excess to hang over. Trim to a 1cm overhag, and flute or pinch the crust to make a decorative edge.

Refrigerate the crust while you preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminium foil, fit the foil, buttered side down, tightly against the crust and filled with dried beans, rice or pie weights. Put the pie on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and weights and, if the crust has puffed, press is down gently with the back of a spoon. Place back into the oven for about 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a rack and cool to room temperature before filling.

To make the filling, whisk the corn syrup and brown sugar together until smooth. Whisk in the melted butter, then add the eggs one at a time, beating until you have a smooth, foamy mixture. Add the espresso powder, vanilla, bourbon or Cointeau, cinnamon, salt and orange zest and give the batter a good mix. Stir in the pecans and chocolate and pour the filling into the crust.

Bake the pie for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make a foil shield for the crust by cutting a 9-inch circle out of the center of a piece of foil. Lower the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F). Place the foil shielf on top of the pie crust. The filling will be exposed but the crust will be covered by foil. Bake the pie for another 15-20 minutes or until it has puffed and is beautifully browned and no longer jiggles when tapped. Transfer the pie plate to a rack, remove the shielf and cool to room temperature.

Shaker Lemon Tart

2011-05-29T13:09:00.002+10:00

What the heck is a Shaker Lemon tart?

Apart from a recipe I’ve had on my “to bake” list for quite some time, it’s an ingenious culinary creation by the Shakers. Essentially, the raw ingredients for lemon curd are placed into a pie shell, leaving the oven to do the work! Yes, that’s right, the thrifty bunch use whole lemons in this pie, not even wanting to waste the skin.

I had two gorgeous Meyer lemons from my tree Sparky and I wanted to do something special with them. Meyer lemons have thinner skin and are slightly sweeter than regular lemons. And since I knew they were organically grown and unsprayed, I thought they would be perfect in this tart that used the whole fruit. The recipe itself differs from more traditional ones, as it’s an open tart and not a proper pie, but I was quite taken by the beautiful photo with the lovely lemon slices on top.

Putting the tart together was really easy – just slice the lemons (which is easier if the lemons have been refrigerated prior) and place them into a large bowl with the sugar and vanilla. Make sure you don’t use an aluminium bowl as it will give the filling a metallic taste. The lemons macerate in the sugar overnight, and then the next day it’s simply a matter of separating the slices from the filling, mixing in a few eggs and pouring it into a prepared tart tin and baking!

I have to say, it’s kind of an acquired taste. As a lemon lover, I enjoyed the sweet-tart nature of it. The lemon slices give the filling a marmalade-y kind of texture. If you use regular lemons (rather than the Meyer lemons I used) you might want to add an additional ¼ cup of sugar to the mixture. Happy Baking!

Shaker Lemon Tart
Serves 6
Adapted from Delicious

Note: Start this recipe a day ahead

• 2 large lemons (I used Meyer lemons)
• 2 cups caster sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
• 4 eggs, beaten
• Icing sugar, to dust

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
• 2 cups plain flour
• 3 tablespoons caster sugar
• 150g cold butter, chopped
• 2-3 tablespoons iced water

Cut the lemons into wafer-thin slices (a mandoline is ideal, it’s easier to cut them if they have been refrigerated prior), then carefully remove any seeds. Place the lemon slices in a glass bowl with the sugar and vanilla pod and seeds. Toss gently to coat the lemon in the sugar, then cover with plastic wrap and stand at room temperature overnight.

The next day, gently stir to dissolve as much of the sugar as possible without breaking up the lemons.

In the meantime, for the pastry, process flour, sugar and butter in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. While the motor is running, add enough iced water to form a smooth dough and process until just combined. Knead the dough lightly, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface or between sheets of non-stick baking paper until 2-3mm thick and line a tart tin. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and place a piece of non-stick baking paper over the pastry. Fill with baking weights or uncooked rice. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the weights and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, strain the lemon mixture into a bowl, reserving the slices. Discard the vanilla pod. Beat eggs into the mixture until just combined, taking care not to overbeat. Pour into the prepared pastry case and arrange the lemon slices on top in a decorative pattern, then bake for 15 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes, reduce oven to 160°C (320°F) and cook for a further 15 minutes until filling is set and the lemon starts to caramelise. Cool slightly in the pans, then remove, dust with icing sugar and serve warm with crème fraiche.

LL Wine and Dine, Potts Point

2011-05-24T16:15:00.002+10:00

It’s a well-known fact that Sydney’s Kings Cross has a rather sordid history. Today it’s a buzzing and cosmopolitan drinking and dining strip, and in a laneway just off Darlinghurst Road, you’ll find LL Wine and Dine. Last month Steph and I were invited to try their new menu, which I was pretty excited about! Head Chef Jin Kung has given the menu a strong mod-Asian twist, with all of the dishes designed for sharing with friends.

As we were given a tour of the restaurant, we’re told that the place used to be an illegal gambling den, brothel and adult bookshop complete with panic doors in case they were ever raided! In a tribute to the building’s origins, one wall is plastered with vintage adult magazines that were found in a secret room of the premises during the renovations. Only in the Cross…

We start with a couple of cocktails, the Botanical Fling was a delicious combination of Hendricks Gin, St Germain Elderflower, kaffir lime and lemon and the Ginger and Lychee Martini was exactly as perfect as it sounds, with fresh ginger and lychee muddled and shaken with 42 Below vodka and lychee juice. I would be hard-pressed to pick a favourite between them - I loved the herbaceous quality of the Botanical Fling, but I’m also a total ginger fiend! Looking through the cocktail list, there were plenty of other delicious and very unique sounding options too, like the Chilli and Coconut Martini.

The first dish to come out sounded a little strange – Sashimi Nachos of kingfish and ocean trout. It was served in a pretty little tower with a spicy lime, capsicum and corn salsa, avocado sour cream and black caviar. I really liked the way the seemingly disparate flavours and textures worked together, however I think the whole dish would have benefited from a good squeeze of lime. It was the perfect little starter dish to snack on with a cocktail.

I get excited at the mere mention of dumplings, so I was happy to see the telltale steamer approaching our table. However the dish we were served was more decadent and delicious than I could have dreamed of – Steamed lobster bisque soup dumplings, served with soy and red vinegar sauce, fresh ginger and spring onions. And yes, it was every bit as good as it sounds! I would recommend a visit to LL Wine and Dine based on this dish alone. It’s that good, seriously.

The next dish was the Confit crispy skin duck breast with five spices served with homemade pancakes, cucumber, spring onions, taro chips and plum and orange sauce. I loved the duck and how nicely it worked with the delicious plum and orange sauce, but the pancakes were just slightly on the thick side for my taste. The taro chips were an interesting crunchy, textural element.

Another of my favourites of the evening that I just couldn’t fault were the Roasted lamb cutlet crusted with Massaman curry and lime leaf, served with cucumber and mint jelly. Sitting elegantly on the plate, they tasted as good as they looked with a great balance of flavours – a subtle hit of spice from the curry crust and just a touch of sweetness from the jelly. A really great dish!

I was starting to get full by this point but dinner was nowhere neat over yet! Our next dish was a taster version of the Singaporean jumbo king prawn curry with capsicum, broccoli and sugar snap. These prawns were huge, easily the biggest I’ve ever seen in my life! We're told that this dish is usually served with six prawns, to make 1kg! The curry was served with fritter dipping sticks, which helped sop up all that awesome sauce.

Really, really struggling for stomach space, the final savoury dish was the Braised beef cheek served with smoked bacon and sweet potato mash, sugar snap, carrot and garlic-soy jus. The beef was tender and perfectly cooked, and falling apart with the slightest prod from a chopstick. It’s a nice, hearty dish for a cool autumn evening and I think it will be a very popular choice from the new menu.

The dessert platter for two was very generous, providing tastes of all the desserts on the menu. The Cinnamon and honey panna cotta was served with delicious caramel ice cream and cinnamon sugar swirls. It was lovely and sweet, with just the right amount of spice. The Hot Belgian dark chocolate pudding was a little on the dry side, I was hoping for a nice molten interior, but it was nice with the accompanying hazelnut ice cream.

My favourite was the Ginger sugar coated doughnut balls, which were filled with coconut custard and served with a refreshing pineapple sorbet. The doughnut balls themselves felt like they were made with a glutinous flour as they had a sticky sort of feeling to them, quite different to a normal doughnut but still absolutely delicious.

LL Wine and Dine is looking like it will be a nice local haunt when our office moves just around the corner in the next couple of weeks! With a laidback atmosphere and a great menu, I really enjoyed the evening. I think the sharing concept of the dishes really works well. I'd definitely like to come back soon to try the Pork belly bun and Crumbed soft shell crab, as well as some of the other awesome cocktails. Also check out their Yum Cha with a twist, with live music, cocktail jugs and awesome food every Sunday from 11am-4pm.

Spicyicecream dined as a guest of LL Wine and Dine

LL Wine and Dine – 42 Llankelly Place, Potts Point

Espresso Zeppole with Vanilla Mascarpone

2011-05-16T22:34:00.001+10:00

Sometimes when life gets tough, or when I’ve had a really bad day, I come here to my blog – my little space on the internet (or, alternately, I visit the Daily Puppy for some cuteness overload!) Here, I share some of my favourite recipes. I read your lovely comments and they make me smile, every time without fail.

That’s what I did today, when nothing went as planned. So, I just wanted to say thank you to all my lovely readers, especially those who take the time to comment. You brightened my day, and for that I give you doughnuts!

I made these little Italian doughnuts, called zeppole when I was in Perth over Easter, a fitting end to a fantastic dinner. For some people, making doughnuts can seem a little scary, what with the yeasted dough and deep-frying. But this is one of the most well-behaved (and delicious) doughs I’ve ever worked with. It comes together so easily, whether you’re mixing by hand, as I did, or in a stand mixer.

For the sugar-espresso coating, I opted to simplify the recipe by simply mixing finely ground espresso with the caster sugar, as you would make cinnamon sugar for regular doughnuts. I was a little worried it would be bitter or grainy but it worked perfectly and was actually quite a subtle coffee flavour. The mascarpone, with hints of vanilla and rum was the perfect accompaniment. I substituted the Marsala used in the original recipe for rum.

Espresso Zeppole with Vanilla Mascarpone
Serves 16-20
Adapted from Gourmet Traveller

• 125ml (1/2 cup) pouring cream
• 60ml (1/4 cup milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 225g (1 ½ cups) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tablespoon dried yeast
• 30g caster sugar
• Vegetable oil for deep frying

Espresso Sugar
• 5 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1 tablespoons espresso

Mascarpone
• 250g mascarpone
• 2 tablespoons rum
• ¼ cup pure icing sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For espresso sugar, combined caster sugar and espresso in a container and
shake to combine.

For zeppole, combine cream, milk and vanilla in a small saucepan and warm over low heat until lukewarm (30 seconds - 1minute). Meanwhile, combine flour, yeast, sugar and a pinch of fine salt in a large bowl. Add cream mixture and stir to combine. Turn onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes or until the dough is soft and smooth. Transfer to a lighly oiled bowl, cover and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (35-40 minutes).

Knock back dough, divide into walnut sized pieces and roll into smooth balls. Place on a lighly floured tray, cover with a tea towel and stand for 30 minutes or until risen.

Meanwhile, whisk mascarpone, rum, icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl until smooth and combined. Refrigerate until required.

Preheat oil in a deep fryer or deep-sided saucepan to 180°C (350°F). Deep fry zeppole in batches, turning occasionally until golden and cooked through (3-4 minutes) Drain with a metal sieve, toss in espresso sugar and serve hot with mascarpone.

Dedes Restaurant, Abbotsford

2011-05-11T22:14:00.002+10:00

Dedes is a lovely little restaurant in Abbotsford, situated on a scenic bend of the Parramatta river. The restaurant was very busy on the drizzly Sunday afternoon, as I caught up with blogger friends old and new. I can just imagine how lovely the view would be from Dedes on a sunny day and why it’s such a popular spot for functions and wedding receptions!

Dedes Restaurant is all about modern Australian with a focus on fresh seafood, but what we were here for today was all about sweets – an event called #dedesdesserts. At least that’s what I thought – until we were informed that we would also be sampling Dedes’ signature hot and cold seafood platters!

Ordinarily the platters would be served separately, but due to timing and our large group, they are served together and make quite a sight! On the cold side, there was marinated octopus with feta, oysters, prawns and smoked salmon. The hot side consisted of delicious baked barramundi, bbq prawns, salt & pepper calamari and crayfish tail, Western Australian scampi, angels on horseback prawns and hand cut chips.

I almost can’t believe that a few years ago I didn’t eat seafood. While I still can’t bring myself to eat oysters, the rest of the platter was delicious. The highlight for me was the scampi – absolutely delicious. But the other thing that impressed me was that the batter on the hot items wasn’t too heavy or oily.

The delightful Yaya also made us some plates of greens – snake beans and chicory prepared simply with olive oil and lemon, which she convinced us would balance out the cholesterol. Bless! The platter was matched with a beautiful 2009 Watershed unoaked Chardonnay from Margaret River.

Thank God for the mandatory food blogger dessert stomach, as I was getting full already! But pastry chef Jason Langthorne had prepared an absolute dessert feast for us. The first of our sweet treats was a strawberry crème brulee with vanilla bean shortbread. With a perfect crackly sugar crust and a flute of NV Moet & Chandon Champagne.

Next up was an absolutely delicious chocolate truffle dacquoise with almond praline and turkish delight ice cream. What a dessert! There was a great play on textures – from the nutty dacquoise to the mousse-like truffle filling, to the crunch of the praline. The ice cream was the perfect foil for this rich dessert, and there couldn’t have been a better match than the Frangelico frappe – a shot of frangelico over crushed ice.

The dessert onslaught wasn’t over yet! The next delicious treat was a flourless citrus cake with lemon semi freddo and orange caramel. The flavours were mild and sweet with a nice crunch from the spun sugar. It was matched with a piccolo latte. Denéa professed it her favourite.

My favourite of the day had to be the baked rhubarb tart with cinnamon crumble and toffee apple ice cream. I love rhubarb in almost any form, and this was no exception. The presentation was stunning, and it was perfectly matched with NV Galway Pipe Port.

Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly eat anything else, but Yaya had prepared us some pumpkin tart with delicious homemade filo pastry! It was served with truffles and peppermint tea – the perfect end to a delicious lazy afternoon. Thanks very much to the restaurant manager Kelly and the amazing staff at Dedes. I can’t wait to come back for dinner one day soon!

Spicyicecream dined courtesy of Dedes restaurant

Dedes Restaurant - 613 Great North Road, Abbotsford

Spaghetti con Polpette

2011-05-03T12:35:00.004+10:00

This post is sponsored by Nuffnang

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I would love to spend hours wandering the cobblestone streets with my Mum, visiting world-famous landmarks, people-watching in tiny cafes, and gorging on the best pizza and gelato in the world, whilst trying to remember all that I learned in high school Italian classes! But even if you’re not so lucky, you could still take your Mum’s tastebuds to Italy on Mother’s Day instead! Start with this delicious dish for lunch – Spaghetti con Polpette, or spaghetti and meatballs – a hearty, comforting classic that I just can’t get enough of.

This recipe from Gourmet Traveller is a winner (and just one of the many titles available on magshop.com!) It is not difficult and comes together quite quickly, but it is absolutely delicious and sure to impress. If you’re pressed for time, the sauce can even be made in advance. With a lovely bottle of red, a decadent dessert, and a subscription to her favourite magazine, it’s the perfect way to celebrate her special day!

Spaghetti con Polpette
Serves 4
Adapted from Gourmet Traveller (Eugenio Maiale, A Tavola, Sydney)

• 500g dried spaghetti

Salsa al Pomodoro
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• ½ cup red wine
• 1.5L tomato passata
• 200ml chicken stock
• 10 basil leaves, torn
• ¼ cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Polpette
• 2 pieces white bread, crusts removed
• 100ml milk
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 slices prosciutto, roughly chopped
• 1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
• ½ cup red wine
• 450g chicken or pork mince (I used a combination of both)
• 1 ½ cups (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 50g finely grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve

For salsa al pomodoro, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and chilli and cook for 1-2 minutes or until just starting to colour. Add wine, passata, chicken stock and basil, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer until thick (about 45 minutes). Remove from heat, add parsley and season to taste.

For polpette, combine bread and milk in a bowl and set aside until bread softens (5 minutes). Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan over low heat, add onion and garlic, stirring occasionally until tender (7-10 minutes). Add prosciutto and rosemary and cook until tender (8-10 minutes). Deglaze with wine, and cook until liquid evaporates (3-5 minutes), set aside to cool in a large bowl. Squeeze excess milk from bread (discard milk), add to onion mixture with mince, parsley and cheese. Stir to combine, season with salt and pepper and roll into walnut sized balls. Refrigerate until required.

Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Place polpette in a baking dish and pour over salsa al pomodoro, cover with foil and bake for 35-45 minutes or until polpette are cooked through. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, toss through polpette and sauce, season to taste and serve hot with grated parmesan.

Double Chocolate Muffins

2011-04-28T11:57:00.003+10:00

Hi guys, I’m still away in Perth, but my sister Beth was kind enough to write a guest post for spicyicecream, along with a recipe for some totally delicious chocolate muffins. She's a sweetheart. Enjoy!

For a while now, my sister has been asking me to do a guest post here on her blog; So while Lisa is holidaying once again with her beloved in Perth, I have grabbed the opportunity. My name is Beth, Lisa’s younger sister (although I am quite smug that I can call her my “little sister” because I am taller than her by quite a few inches).

I can remember so many things that I shared with Lisa when I was growing up. Despite the five year age gap, we are actually quite close, having shared a room for quite a few years. I look back fondly on the nights where neither of us could sleep, so we’d just talk about random things, until she fell asleep when I was in the middle of a sentence...

It was, and still is, a regular thing to cook with Lisa. I’ve watched her grow and develop her kitchen skills, just as she’s watched me, and of course, encouraged her undying love for anything to do with food. Seriously though, if she mentions a Kitchen-Aid one more time…

Surprisingly, neither of us have ever started a food fight, but the kitchen benches still get their regular dose of chocolate or flour. Instead, Lisa and I have declared “Food War”. In an attempt to make her jealous, I sent her a picture of the lamb shish that I was about to devour at Erciyes Restaurant in Surry Hills. She then responded with a picture of her own dinner, which got the ball rolling of “whose is more delicious”.

As a way of competing with all of the delightful things I’m sure she will post about from Perth, I made the ultimate chocolate muffins…and they are AMAZING. The soft and fluffy top with the slightly oozy centre, make these the best muffins I have ever baked in my life! The only thing I would do different ? Have Lisa by my side when making them.

Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Makes 12
Recipe from ‘Baking From My Home to Yours’ by Dorie Greenspan

• 80g unsalted butter
• 115g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Line 12-hole muffin tray with paper cases.

Melt the butter and half of the chopped chocolate together in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from the heat. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract together until well combined. Pour the liquid ingredients and melted butter and chocolate mixture over the dry ingredients and with a whisk or rubber spatula, stir gently but quickly to blend.

Stir in the remaining chocolate. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

Apple and Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns

2011-04-24T00:18:00.003+10:00

I like big buns and I can not lie…

Hot cross buns just must be my favourite Easter treat. I absolutely love the spicy, fruity buns, toasted with plenty of butter. I make them almost every Easter, but I think this year’s efforts are the best yet, and needless to say, so much better than store-bought.

Traditionally, hot cross buns are eaten on Good Friday with the cross as a symbol of the Crucifixion, but some believe they even pre-date Christianity. There’s all sorts of crazy folklore surrounding these delicious buns, some believed that if you took some on a sea voyage, they would protect against shipwreck. Or that if you hung one up in your kitchen, you would have no fires and make perfect bread for the whole year ahead.

This year I used a Gourmet Traveller recipe that was a little twist on the traditional, using dried apples in the mixture with a spicy cinnamon glaze. They were totally delicious, a big hit with everyone who tried them.

Working with yeast can be a little bit nerve-wracking for new bakers, but it’s really easy and absolutely worth the effort for beautiful fresh hot cross buns straight out of the oven! I’ve put together a step-by-step photo tutorial of how I made these awesome buns. I hope it will inspire you to make some!

Apple and cinnamon hot cross buns
Serves 16
Adapted from Gourmet Traveller

• 325g raw caster sugar
• 1 lemon
• 1 ½ Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored, diced
• 750g plain flour
• 150g sultanas
• 50g dried apple, diced
• 30g candied orange, diced
• 14g (2 sachets) dried yeast
• 3 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• 380ml milk
• 100g butter, coarsely chopped
• 1 egg

1. Combine 260g and 275ml water in a saucepan, then squeeze in the juice of half a lemon and stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Meanwhile, cut remaining lemon half into 5mm thick slices.

2. Add to pan with apple and bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium and cook until lemon and apple are translucent (20-25 minutes).

3. Strain, reserving fruit and syrup separately. When cool enough to handle, dice lemon, combine with apple and set aside.

4. Combine 700g flour, sultanas, dried apple, candied orange, yeast, 3 teaspoons cinnamon, allspice, remaining sugar, reserved apple mixture and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre.

5. Combine milk and butter in a small saucepan, warm over low heat until butter melts and mixture is lukewarm. Whisk in egg, then add milk mixture to the flour.

6. Stir to form a soft dough.

7. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes)

8. Place in a lightly buttered bowl, cover and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (30-40 minutes).

9. Knock back dough, divide into 20 even pieces, then knead each piece into a smooth ball. Arrange dough balls into two concentric circles on a large round or rectangular baking tray lined with baking paper, leaving 1cm between each for dough to expand. Cover with a tea towel and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (30-40 minutes).

10. Preheat oven to 220°C (430°F). Combine remaining flour and 70ml cold water in a bowl and stir to a smooth paste. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle and pipe a cross shape onto each bun.

11. Bake for 10 minutes, reduce oven to 200°C (390°F) and bake until golden and buns sound hollow when tapped (8-10 minutes).

12. Meanwhile, combine reserved syrup and remaining ground cinnamon in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until syrupy and combined. Brush thickly over hot buns, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.