Lemon Meringue Pie

Recipe and images by Yasmin

This is a family recipe that has been well shared among friends as well. It is truly delicious dessert for any gathering that I guarantee will stir a good conversation. This recipe requires minimal fuss and ingredients but still produces fantastic results. It really does.. Tickle Your Taste buds! For even more flavour in this dessert add one can of passion fruit pulp and syrup or two passion fruit. This gives an excellent kick to the citrus flavours.
NOTE: For future cooking reference, this pastry can be used for any pastry desserts - just remove the lemon zest. It produces a very steady dough for molding on the dish and extra decorations on the top of pies.

Ingredients:
Pastry:

·         100g chilled butter

·         1 1/2 cups plain flour

·         1/2 lemon of grated zest

·         50g icing sugar

·         1 egg, lightly beaten

·         2 tblsp chilled water

Filling:

·         tin of sweetened condensed milk

·         2 - 3 egg yolks

·         juice of to lemons

Meringue:

·         3 egg whites, at room temperature

·         1/2 cup Castor sugar

Method:
Using a food processor, pulse butter and flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add lemon zest and icing sugar, pulse for 1 minute. Combine the egg and water in a separate container. With motor running, slowly pour water mixture into the food processor. The mixture should stick together making dough. Remove. Roll into a ball in glad wrap. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven 220'C. Prepare an oven proof dish. On a flowered board, roll out pastry to fit the cooking dish. Blind-bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and reduce temperature 180'C. For filling, combine ingredients into a bowl. Then pour into the partially cooked pastry base. Cook for approximately 15 minutes. For meringue, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add Castor sugar while beating, until stiff and glossy.

Spoon meringue over the top of the cooked filling. Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the meringue is lightly browned. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream and ice cream.

Mish's Muffin Recipe

Recipe from Mish
Photos by Yasmin

This is a different way to make delicious blueberry muffins. Very moist and truely yummy for lunches or snacks. Bonus, it is healthy too!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups self raising flour
• 1 cup castor sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs
•  1 tsp vanilla
• 2 x 75g packets of frozen blueberries

Method:
Combine all dry ingredients and berries. Combine oil, milk, eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl and mix well. Pour oil mixture into the dry mixture and stir 12-15 times. Do not over mix. Muffin mixture should still have some dry flour.

Bake in oven at 170'C fan forced for 30-35 minutes. Makes 1 1/2 dozen.

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.

Apple and Cinnamon Cake

Recipe from Cake Bible
Photos by Yasmin

This is a very simple tea cake. It doesn't have much flavour but is very moist and perfect for tea, coffee or a snack. If you have a sweet tooth and aren't a fan of simple flavours then serve this cake with a jam of your choice. You can eat it like a scone with the jam by cutting the cake in two or you can serve it on the side of the cake (as shown in the photo) and eat it with the cake, like with a dessert. This recipe isn't in any way a festive Easter cake, however it is delicious to eat on Easter Monday in the peace and quiet of your home.

Ingredients:
Cake:

• 1 cup self raising flour
• 2 tblsp castor sugar
• 3 tblsp softened butter
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup milk

Topping:

• 200g green apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (or more if desired)
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1 1/2 tblsp butter, melted

Method:
Preheat oven to 180'C. Prepare cake tin. Sift flour and sugar into a mixing bowl. Add butter and cut into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the egg and milk. Beat to a smooth batter. Pour into the prepared bake tin.

Combine the apple, cinnamon and cornflour in a bowl - to coat the apple slices in flavour. Arrange on top of the cake batter. Drizzle butter over the top. Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Cool in the tin on a rack. Remove from the tin when cooled and serve.

Apple Pie

Recipe and Photos by Yasmin

This is a classic dish that everyone should make at some point in their life, whether it is with your Grandma or your Grandchildren. This dessert, for me, isn't as much about the soft texture of the apples complimented by the sweet flavour of cinnamon and sugar, it is about tradition. Rain or shine, hot or freezing, without fail, I will make this dessert when my Grandma comes and visits from Melbourne. It is a tradition that strengthens our love and makes each other happy. My Grandma is the woman who taught me how to make this dessert by letting me stand by her side and peel the apples and roll the pastry. She is a major factor that made me who I am today and helped develop my love of cooking. Although I am older and more experienced in the cooking department, and my Grandma has become less capable, our tradition and bond is tighter than ever. Nowadays, when she visits (as she is at the moment) I am the one who makes this beautiful dessert for her and she is the one to judge if it is made with enough Grandma love. I hope everyone enjoys making Apple Pie as much as I do, and enjoys sharing this dessert all year round, but especially at Easter (as shown through the bunny on the table cloth!) with you much loved family.

Ingredients:
Pie:

• 20 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup milk, to brush
• 2-4 tsp sugar, to dust
• 2-4 tsp cinnamon, to dust
• short crust pastry (home made preferably - see recipe below)

Pastry:

• 100g chilled butter
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 50g icing sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2-3 tblsp chilled water

Method:
For Pastry; using food processor, pulse butter and flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add icing sugar and pulse for 1 minute. Combine the egg and water in a separate container. With the motor running, slowly pour water mixture into the food processor. The mixture should stick together making dough, if not add more flour until it comes together as a dough. Remove and cover in nonstick wrap. Form it into a ball shape. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

For Filling; stew apples by placing them in a large pot. Fill just a little bit of the bottom of the pot with water, to start the softening of the apples when boiled. Boil the apples and then turn down the heat and let them simmer. Constantly check the apples to see if they are soft. Once softened remove from heat and allow to cool.

Remove pastry and place the ball of dough on a floured mat. Take 3/4 of the dough to be the base and roll out in a circular shape until wide enough to fit the pie dish and go over the edges. Spray the pie dish with cooking canola spray and lay the rolled pastry on it. Add the stewed apples but do not overfill the dish. Using the 1/4 of dough left roll out in the same way as the base to use as the top of the pie (it is always better for the base to be thicker than the top). You can leave the top as a whole circle to cover the pie or you can cut the pastry into strips and create a laced top pie. If there is extra pastry hanging over the edge of the pie then cut it off with a sharp knife and use it to create patterns on top of the pie. For assistance in the decorations, use shape cutters. When placing the top pastry to the pie, brush milk on the edges to help the two pastry sheets to stick together. Then, using a fork, press the fork prongs around the edges of the pie to make sure the two sheets are stuck together and to complete the pie's appearance (as shown in the photo below). To finish, brush the top of the pie with milk and then dust with sugar and cinnamon (this allows the sugar and cinnamon to stick to the pie top).

Bake in the oven at 160'C fan forced for 40-45 minutes. When golden brown on top, remove and allow to cool a little before serving. Serve with cream and/or ice-cream and a dusting of cinnamon over everything (optional).

Easter Cake

Recipe and photos by Yasmin

I understand completely that this is being posted a few days after Easter, but this is when I had time to make it. Also, I understand that I am going completely against my rule that this blog would contain no traces of chocolate whatsoever, however, Easter isn't really Easter without some chocolate. So here is my main Easter recipe that is a little bit naughty but a whole lot of fun. I guarantee that you will enjoy making and serving this dessert because it is full of life and the joy of Easter.

Ingredients:

Coffee cake batter:

• 2 tblsp margarine or butter
• 1 cup self raising flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla flavouring
• 2-3 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 3 tblsp boiled water

Decorations:

• chocolate icing
• melted cooking chocolate
• sugar coated mini chocolate eggs
• cellophane and miniature chicken

Method:
For Coffee Cake; Grease a fluted cake tin. Heat oven 180'C fan forced. Melt butter in a medium sized bowl. Add all other ingredients and beat until smooth. Put in prepared cake tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Once cooked turn out onto a wire rack. Prepare chocolate icing while cake is cooling.

For Chocolate icing see Icing and Sauces Page on blog.
Once cake is cooled, ice.

Leave the cake to set. Once set, arrange the cellophane in the middle of the cake to fill majority of the hole. Cover cellophane with sugar coated chocolate eggs. This arrangement of decorations should look like eggs in a nest.

Melt 2-3 tblsp cooking chocolate or cooking choc chips in a plastic zip lock bag (be careful not to burn the chocolate - melt on a low heat). Using scissors, snip a pin prick sized hole at one end of the zip lock bag to create a mess free piping bag. Pipe long lines from left to right until the cake is covered with chocolate lines (as seen in the photo below).

For the finishing touches, place a miniature yellow chicken in the nest near the eggs - giving the Easter and mother hen effect.

Serve.

Anzac Slice

Recipe from Lesley Palmer (family friend)
Photos by Yasmin

I love this recipe. It is full of spirit from Anzac day and is very wholesome and filling. It is very similar in regards to ingredients to Anzac biscuits (also featured on my blog); however, it is just displayed differently - in slice form. A beautiful enhancer of this hearty snack is lemon icing. The sour flavour of lemons compliments this oat filled slice perfectly. I really love this combination. I thank my friend for sharing this recipe with me from all those years ago. I still use it every year (along with Anzac biscuits) to commemorate the Anzac troops hard work in Galipolli. Lest we forget.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup self raising flour
• 1 cup coconut
• 1 tblsp golden syrup, melted
• 1 egg
• 113g margarine, melted

Method:
Beat together. Spread evenly in a bake tray, lined with non-stick baking paper. Cook for 20-25 minutes at 180'C fan forced. When cool ice with lemon icing (optional). For lemon icing recipe, see Icing and Sauces Page on Blog.