Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted on June 5, 2013 by DemeterG

 

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Choc Chip Cookies are an essential staple in our house. This recipe can be frozen so you have cookie dough ready to cut and cook in case of a cookie shortage crisis 🙂

This recipe comes complements of my sister in law’s, sister. Thanks Shazza!


Ingredients:

2 cups plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
170g unsalted butter, melted
1 cup bown sugar, packed
½ cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg, plus 1 yolk
2 (YES 2) cups chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat oven to 165 C.

Sift flour and baking powder and salt.

Mix butter and sugars until creamy.

Beat in vanilla and eggs until well mixed, then add dry ingredients, mix until just combined, then add choc. chips.

If cooking immediately, put on lined trays and bake for approx 15 mins. They do spread, so leave space in between. Allow to cool on trays for few mins and then transfer to racks to cool completely.

CCC3If freezing; lay a sheet of cling wrap on the bench and place a “log” of half the mixture on it. Wrap tightly and place in the freezer. Repeat with the remaining mixture.CCC2

When ready to use, unwrap and slice the log into ½cm rounds and bake as above. Don’t worry if it is a bit crumbly, just push the bits together on the tray to something that resembles a biscuit shape and all will be well.

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Oatmeal Pancakes with Caramelised Apple

Posted on May 29, 2013 by DemeterG

Opancakes

 

I saw these on Taste.com.au and had to give them a go. I have doubled the sauce in the recipe as I thought I needed more “juice”. Give them a go for your next Sunday brunch.

Ingredients:

Pancakes:
1 cup plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
600ml buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
60g butter, melted, cooled
Greek yoghurt, to serve

Caramelised Apple:
50g butter
4 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into wedges
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons water

Method:

Pancakes:
Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl. Stir in oats and sugar.Make a well in centre.

Whisk milk, egg and vanilla together in a jug. Add to well. Stir until just combined. Stand for 30 minutes.

Drizzle with melted butter. Stir to combine.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Spray lightly with Canola Spray.

Spoon 1/4 cup mixture into pan, spreading with back of spoon to form a round pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until bubbles appear on surface. Turn and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

Repeat with remaining mixture, spraying pan with Canola spray in between batches.

Caramelised Apple:
Melt butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add apple. Cook, turning, for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden.

Add sugar and water. Cook, stirring, for 3 – 4 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 8 – 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Divide pancakes between plates. Top with yoghurt and apple mixture.

Opancakes

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Parmesan and Pancetta Pancakes

Posted on May 16, 2013 by DemeterG

These pancakes are my version of a favourite from the Machine Laundry Cafe. I have them every time I go there and even though I tell myself I will try something different on the menu, I can’t help it and I order the pancakes.

I served these with Grandma’s Apple and Zucchini Relish.

Makes 10 pancakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg
2 cups self-raising flour
¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
¼ cup caster sugar
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, finely shredded
1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves, chopped
3 shallot onions, thinly sliced
½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt & pepper to season
10 rounds of sliced pancetta
Whisk milk and egg together in a jug.

Method:

Sift flour and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Stir in sugar.

Make a well in centre and add the milk mixture. Whisk until just combined.

Stir in basil, parsley, oregano, onion, parmesan and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Spray lightly with Canola spray.

Place a slice of pancetta in the pan and cover with pancake batter. Repeat if there is mor room in your pan.

Cook pancakes for 3 to 4 minutes or until bubbles appear on surface. Turn and cook for 3 minutes or until cooked through.

Transfer to a tray or plate, cover loosely with foil and keep warm.

Repeat with remaining pancetta rounds and pancake mixture, spraying the pan between batches.

Serve with a nice chutney or relish.

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Chocolate Mousse

Posted on April 7, 2013 by DemeterG

You can make milk, dark or white chocolate mousse with this recipe, just change the chocolate you use. Another nice twist is to add a tablespoon of Ovaltine Malted Milk powder or coffee granules, dissolved in a tablespoon of boiling water to the milk chocolate to make malted milk chocolate mouse or mocha mousse.

We use this recipe in the restaurant to top some of our layered desserts.

There isn’t any photos for this recipe. The white chocolate mousse that I made last time just looked like a bowl of milk. To see it in a cake, refer to the triple choc layer cake.

NOTE: Sugar syrup is just two parts water, one part sugar, bought to the boil and cooled.

Ingredients:

65g egg whites
40g icing sugar
75 ml sugar syrup
2 gelatin leaves, soaked
170g chocolate, melted
400ml pouring cream (not thickened)
100ml double cream

Method:

Get all your ingredients measured/weighed out and ready.

Add the pouring cream and double cream together and whisk until mixed together and just starting to thicken. It should still be very loose and not yet be to soft peaks.

In a kitchen aid or electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until just starting to go white and fluffy. Add the icing sugar and beat until it is a glossy meringue.

Warm the sugar syrup and dissolve the soaked gelatin leaves in it.

While beating the egg white meringue, slowly pour in the warm syrup and gelatin until combined.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the melted chocolate until incorporated.

Fold into the cream mixture until combined. Set in the fridge in a container overnight or use to top a cake or dessert, again, it will need to set overnight.

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Apple Crumble Slice

Posted on March 21, 2013 by DemeterG

This is a slice that my Grandmother used to make. I haven’t had it for years and wanted to make it just like she used to. My Grandmother only ever cooked on a big combustion stove and I have no idea how she managed to cook things so perfectly every time just using a wood fired stove. Thankfully, I have the wonders of modern technology and have the use of an electric stove that keeps an even temperature.

Ingredients:

Crumble Topping
1¼ cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
125g butter
¾ cup caster sugar

apple filling
5 apples, peeled and chopped
10g butter
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Shortbread Base:
100g butter
½ cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 cup plain flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
1 tablespoon milk

icing sugar, to dust

Method:

Preheat oven to 160°C (320ºF).

Crumble Topping
Mix the flour, baking powder, butter and sugar in a bowl until it resembles breadcrumbs. Set aside.

Apple Filling
Place the apple, butter and cinnamon in a saucepan over low heat and cook until softened. Allow to cool.

Shortbread Base
Mix the butter and sugar in an electric mixer until creamy. Add the egg and beat well. Fold through the flour, baking powder and milk.

Spread in a 20cm x 30cm tin lined with non-stick baking paper, top with the apple filling and then sprinkle with the crumble mix.

Bake for 40 minutes until golden.

Serve dusted with icing sugar. If you can’t wait for it to cool, serve hot with ice cream or custard or both.

 

Posted in Baking, Recipes, Slices | Leave a comment