Orange Creme Caramel

Recipe from Women's Weekly Barbecue Cookbook

Images by Amanda and Yasmin

This is a yummy dessert with an interesting texture. It is not as hard as a cheesecake but not as soft as custard. This dessert has double points for me because it is a citrus flavoured dish; however, it looses points because it is a very subtle flavour of citrus orange - and I love a strong citrus flavour. However, if you have a pallet similar to my sisters, you will love the infusion of orange you taste with each bite. It seems as though you might taste the orange but then as you grasp for the flavour it slips out of reach until another bite is taken. I served this dessert on Boxing Day and everybody loved it.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup sugar, extra
• 300ml jar thickened cream
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 tsp grated orange rind

Method:

Combine sugar, lemon juice and water in pan, stir over low heat without boiling until sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil, do not stir. Boil rapidly, uncovered, until syrup turns golden brown, about 5 minutes. Pour the syrup into an 18cm round cake tin.

Lightly beat eggs and extra sugar together. Heat cream, milk and orange rind until hot, whisk into egg mixture. Strain mixture into tin, place in baking dish with hot water to come halfway up side of tin. Bake in moderately slow oven 45-50 minutes or until set. Remove from water, cool, refrigerate overnight. Turn onto serving dish, decorate with cream and orange segments if desired. Serves 6.

Microwave Caramel Self Sauce Pudding

Recipe from Super Food Ideas
Photo by Yasmin

I'm sorry that I have not been able to post any of the recipes I have listed in the 'Soon to come' column. I have had this recipe and photos ready to post since Mother's Day; however, have not had the time to post it. My mother enjoyed her first of two desserts I prepared for her, the second, Lemon Meringue Pie, will be posted shortly. I have just been sooo busy with one million and one things to do, I'm sure you all know the feeling. If you are in that stressed and hectic situation, I recommend that you be naughty and eat some of this delicious comfort food. This self-sauce pudding takes less that 17 minutes to prepare and cook, and it is absolutely fabulous! It can be made with or without the nuts, I prefer without. This pudding is perfect for a truely naughty afternoon tea or dessert, especially in the now cooler months when you need that bit of warmth. I'm telling you now, this hits the spot. I also appologise for the unprofessional photograph of this pudding, I was craving food and comfort, so I just took one quick photo, which wasn't very neat.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup self raising flour
• 1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 60g butter, melted
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup chopped pecan nuts (optional)
• 1 cup boiling water
• icing sugar and ice cream, to serve

Varitations: Replace pecans with chopped hazelnuts, almonds or macadamia nuts.

Method:
Grease a 6cm deep, 6 cup capacity, heatproof, microwave safe dish. Combine flour and 1/2 cup sugar in bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add butter, milk and egg. Whisk to combine. Stir in pecans. Spoon mixture into prepared dish. Smooth top. Combine boiling water and remaining sugar in a heatproof jug. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Pour mixture over the back of a large metal spoon to evenly cover pudding batter.

Place dish on a microwave safe rack or upturned dinner plate. Cook, uncovered, on Medium (50%), for 9-10 minutes or until the pudding comes out clean. Carefully remove from microwave. Stand for 1 minute. Dust with icing sugar. Serve with ice cream.

Butterscotch Squares

Recipe from 100 Favourite Muffins and Slices by Simon and Alison Holst
Images by Yasmin

This is a sweet, caramel flavoured slice that is very addictive. It tastes fantastic plain and in small slices as a snack. I make this slice often and everyone enjoys its sweet taste.

Ingredients:
Base and Topping:

• 125g butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla flavouring
• 1 cup SR flour
• 1 cup flour

Filling:

• 100g butter
• 2 tblsp golden syrup
• 400g sweetened condensed milk

Method:

Heat oven to 180'C fan-forced. For base, cut butter into pieces and melt. Take off heat and beat in sugar, egg, vanilla flavouring until evenly mixed. Stir in the flours until mixture is crumbly, then squeeze into a ball. Break 3/4 of the dough into bits and spread evenly in the pan. Put the rest in the fridge.

For filling, melt butter in a pot. Add in syrup and stir. Add condensed milk, mix well, then pour the filling over the unbaked mixture in the tin.

For topping, grate the cold remaining dough on tip of the filling. Bake for 30-45 minutes. Cool on rack for 2 hours. Cut into slices. Store in the fridge (sometimes it is best to refridgerate first and then cut into slices).

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Recipe from I Love Sugar
Images by Yasmin

(serves 6-8)
I have always loved caramel flavoured treats and desserts, and recently at a friends house I was reminded of one of my favourites; Sticky Date Pudding. This dessert was so delicious that I promised myself that I would make it again soon. So when the occassion arose, I jumped at the chance to offer this twist to a classic; Sticky Toffee Pudding. Although it almost turned out as a disaster because I forgot to fold in the flour, this dessert will serve everybody's cravings for sweet and scrumptious. I served this cake as a welcome home dessert for my sister, Alana, who has been in Japan for the past three months and is homesick for my cooking! What separates this dessert from the original is that it has more dried fruit, not as many basic cake ingredients, and a new and improved sauce, Sticky Toffee Sauce. I loved this dessert and I know you will too! Did you know that dates are old fruits from the holy land that grow on Date Palms?

Ingredients:
Pudding:

• 75g sultanas
• 150g stoned dates, chopped
• 1 tsp bi-carb soda
• 25g butter
• 200g soft light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 200g SR flour

Sticky Toffee Sauce:

• 25g butter
• 17ml double cream
• 200g soft light brown sugar

Method:
Preheat oven to 180'C fan-forced. Grease a 20cm round cake tin.

To make pudding, put the sultanas, dates and bi-carb soda into a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and leave to soak. Put the butter into a separate bowl, add the sugar and mix well. Beat in the eggs, then fold in the flour. Drain the soaked fruit, add to the bowl and mix.

Spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared cake tin. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and turn out onto wired racks to cool if not serving immediately.

About five minutes before the end of the cooking time, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the cream and sugar and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Turn out the pudding onto a serving plate and either pour over the sauce or place in a jug and allow guests to serve themselves. Serve with whipped cream or unwhiped cream drizzled on or ice-cream or custard (optional).

Jolly Cake

Recipe from Cake Bible
Images by Yasmin

This cake is very festive. It will suit all special occasions; birthdays, parties, Easter and especially Valentines Day. With knowledge of this upcoming event, and my Mum's birthday, I prepared  this cake in the shape of a love heart and decorated it accordingly. Depending on this situation depends on the decorations and design, be as creative as possible! Personally, I love layered cakes and sweet flavours. In this cake the filling is not the usual cream and strawberries combination, but instead is honey and lemon icing - a beautiful combination. This 'jolly' cake is best shared in the happy accompaniment of friends and family, in order to give life to it's name.

Ingredients:
Base:

• 175g butter
• 175g brown sugar
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 175g SR flour, sifted
• 1/3 cup whisky

Filling:

• 50g butter
• 175g icing sugar
• 1 tblsp lemon juice
• 2 tblsp thick honey (alternatively you can use golden syrup)

Method:
Preheat oven 190'C fan forced. Prepare two cake shallow cake tins for layering. Cream butter, sugar, lemon zest. Gradually beat in eggs, keeping mixture stiff. Fold in half the sifted flour. Add whisky and the remaining flour. Pour evenly into the 2 prepared tins. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Allow to cool on rack.

For lemon butter cream filling, beat all ingredients into a bowl. Sandwich cakes together with half the filling. Spread left over filling on top of the cake. Decorate accordingly. Serve.

Khaki Cake

Recipe from Cake Bible
Image by Yasmin

Khaki Cake is my favourite cake. Not only is it inventive and moist - it has very tasty ingredients including sultanas, coconut and golden syrup. This gives the cake a very pleasant taste and lovely texture. What I love best about this cake is the optional icing. Depending on your fridge ingredients and cravings at the time of baking, this cake is perfect for cream cheese icing or simply plain. Either way it tastes delicious. I would recommend this cake to anyone wanting to try something a little bit different.

Ingredients:

Cake Mixture:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tblsp golden syrup
• 1/2 tsp bi-carb soda
• 125g butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• pinch salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/3 cup sultanas
• desiccated coconut, as much wanted (recommended 1 cup)

Cream Cheese Icing (optional):

• 125g softened cream cheese
• 25g softened butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 250g icing sugar

(half quantity for less icing - this makes a lot)

Method:

Warm milk and golden syrup together, then stir. Add bi-carb soda and allow to cool. Cream butter and sugar, then beat in egg. Pour cooled milk mixture into butter mixture, then sift in flour, salt and baking powder. Beat well. Add sultanas and vanilla, mix well. Pour into prepared cake tin and bake for 45 minutes at 180'C. When cool, ice with cream cheese icing (optional). See Icings and Sauces Page on Blog for recipe.

Goey Caramel Muffins

Recipe and 1st Image from Super Food Ideas
2nd Image by Renata

There is nothing better when you need a pick me up than a warm, sweet muffin; oozing with caramel. This is what you feel when you take one big bight out of this mouth watering muffin. Although it isn't a citrus flavoured muffin, it is sweet and caramel flavoured; two things I love. The best aspect of this appetizing muffin is that it is the easiest muffin the bake in the history of cooking! All you have to do is add a jersey caramel to a normal muffin mix! It is that simple

Ingredients:
Basic muffin recipe:

• 200g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup castor sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups SR Flour, sifted
• 1/2 cup milk

Add for Gooey Caramel muffin:

• 24 jersey caramels
• 3/4 cup brown sugar instead of Castor sugar (above)

Method:
Using an electric mixer, beat butter, vanilla and brown sugar in a small bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time (mixture will separate), beating after each addition. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir in half the flour. Stir in half the milk. Repeat with remaining flour and milk until combined. Spoon into prepared pan. For muffins, spoon 2 tblsp of mixture per patty case. For cup-cake, spoon 1 tblsp of mixture per patty case. Push one jersey caramel into the centre of each muffin. Bake at 160'C fan-forced for 15-17 minutes. Stand cakes in pans for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Store in air tight container. Serve warm with icing sugar dusted over the top (optional).