Cookie Galore

Cookies are fun to make and with their short baking time they are perfect for winter months when we are all too conscious of our energy consumption.  I've been trying to reduce food wastage and there are always extra egg whites in the fridge.  Egg whites make amazing friands and macarons but they do become boring after a few batches.  A few weeks ago, I made almond cookies with egg whites and a batch of chewy gluten-free walnut cookies with egg yolks just to see how they turn out and if it was worth the effort.  I made both cookies without any added fats (no butter or oil of any kind).

The almond ones were made with meringue then added a little flour and almond meal  to make a dough.  With the walnut ones I was a little braver and used brown sugar with egg yolk and tried to beat it for around 10 minutes to dissolve most of the sugar before adding ground walnuts to make a dough.  The cookies turned out amazing and definitely worth the experimenting.  Walnut cookies were certainly chewy almost like a good chocolate chip cookie, but the almond cookies were crunchy on the outside and with a chewy centre. 

Ingredients:

2 egg whites

3/4 cup icing sugar (or caster sugar)

1/2 cup plain flour

1.5 cups almond meal

25 Almonds (approx.)

1. Beat the egg whites with sugar for around 10 minutes to make a glossy meringue.
2. Fold in flour and the almond meal.
3. Take a tablespoon of the dough and flatten it on a baking sheet.  Press an almond on top of it.
4. Bake at 180C until golden.

Ingredients:

2 egg yolks

3/4 cup soft brown sugar

2 cups crushed walnuts

1. Beat egg yolks with the sugar for around 10 minutes.
2. Add the walnuts and mix into a dough.  Add extra walnuts if the dough is runny and sticky.
3. For each cookie, use a tablespoon to measure the dough.
4. Bake at 180C until golden and crunchy.

Mastering Macarons

By now all bakers know that macarons are the most sophisticated sandwiched cookies in the world.  Too simple looking yet very difficult to master.  It's a real patience and perseverance tester and best suited for a perfectionist baker.  The recipe I have used is no secret, in fact is has been published in most foodie magazines and blogs around the world.  I know too well that in the baking world having the best or a famous recipe does not guarantee a perfect batch.  I have made a few batches of macarons by now and for me the challenge is figuring out a perfect baking temperature.  120C achieved a better result that 130C, you can bake them up to 150C but then again depends on your oven's heat distribution and accuracy.  The best way to get an indication of your oven's performance is to look at the price of your oven.  The more higher end it is, the more reliable it is in distributing and maintaining heat.  The best tool to invest is an oven thermometer.  Keep the thermometer for at least 10 minutes in the oven to see the actual temperature inside your oven.  Now for the recipe:

200g icing sugar

120g almond meal

35g  sugar

100g egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

• Process almond meal with icing sugar for a few minutes, sieve and set aside.
• Beat egg whites with sugar and cream of tartar for around 6 minutes on high, until it is a glossy meringue.  This step is crucial and relies on your experience and expertise.
• Add gel based food colouring and beat for one minute.
• Fold in 1/4 of the almond mix.  Continue to fold in the mix.
• Pipe 3cm circles of the mix onto a baking tray.  Drop the tray a few times on the bench to allow air bubbles to escape.  Leave for around 1 hour.
• Bake for 15 minutes. It is best to slightly dry these cookies in the oven and after icing them they soften as they age.
• Once cool, ice them with ganache, buttercream or any other icing you like.

 

Vanilla Custard Kisses, Jamie Dodgers and Raspberry Creams

Raspberry Butter Cake

Snowdrop Cookies

In searching to find another super effortless cookie recipe I found this on Pinterest and what an amazing recipe this one is!  It melts in the mouth and with a dusting of icing sugar it looks elegant.  Here is the recipe:

250g Butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 1/2 cup plain flour
1 1/4 cup almond meal

First Step: cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Second Step: Add flour and almond meal and mix with a spoon.
Third Step: Roll into small balls.
Fourth Step: Bak at 160C for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with icing sugar.

A Book or Two

I'm often asked about the number of cookbooks I own and the size of my book case.  Every time I answer the question with '"only a few" I see shocked faces and it is a very awkward moment I tell you!  Unfortunately, it is true.  I read and read alot but not cookbooks.  It is extremely difficult to find original cookbooks worth keeping and worth paying for.  There are only a few writers and chefs who are the rock stars of my cooking world.  Locatelli is one of them.  When Gordon Ramsay calls his book 'Quite simply the perfect book' suddenly I'm willing to pay $50.00, when Ferran Adria had his book out a few years years ago, I made the special trip to Newmarket Dymocks to buy his book and happily carried the 5kg book home, and when the Maloufs had their Saraban out in NZ, the $80.00 book was my instant friend!  The kinda books I love to own are the ones that dig a little deeper, the ones that go to the grassroots like Locatelli and tells it as it is.  Adria is the God-Father of all gastronomic innovations and his ability to mix scientific concepts with food is inspiring.  Saraban is a little different for me, it ties the connection I once had and refreshes my mind every time I look at it.  The Maloufs did an amazing job of documenting Persian culture and marrying Persian cuisine with the rest of the world. Lastly, it is Donna Hay, an over commercialised mainstream food writer, who has completely lost it's place in my food world.  For years, I used one of her books and baked nearly 90% of it's recipes.  The pages of Modern Classics are torn and stained but I will still keep this book for years for the little notes I wrote next to each recipe. 

Louise Cake

I have a jar of morello cherries in the pantry, a can of doris plums and cans of sweet condensed milk, which were supposed to be my core ingredients for yesterday's baking.  Having thought about what I was going to make, I came up with salted caramel, cherry frangipane tart and plum clafoutis.  My baking took a turn when towards the end of the week, i bouht a bag of frozen raspebrries for $7.99! A bargain for a 1kg bag! Having turned it into jam, I couldn't stop thinking about Louise Cake ... cakey base with jam and coconut topping ... a real coffee table sort of afternoon tea

A Piece of Pie

There are apples and then there are apples! In NZ, we have sweet apples and plenty of sweet apples but when it comes to cooking apples, there is Granny Smith and what is Granny Smith good for? Wikipedia suggests that Granny Smith is a cooking and also an eating apple! One thing for sure, it is not tart apple and it is not the real cooking apple!  I remember cooking apples so tart that you can't take a second bite.  Oh well, feeling that no apple is a cooking apple in NZ, I settled for some Granny Smith with blueberries for a pie filling.  I have never been a pie fan, sweet pastry and sweet filing is boring.  Here is a real pie I made with basic sweet shortcrust dough and simple filling.  Slice apples and blueberries an cook with few spoons of water and sugar until a little softened but firm. At this stage, trying not to ruin my pie, I decided to strain the juice out and let it cool. 

The dough is another amazing food processor recipe.  Place 2 cups plain flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and 150g chopped butter (directly from the fridge).  Turn the motor on and pour one tablespoon cold water at a time until the dough starts to come together (3-4 tablespoons of cold water).  Once done, roll and cover a pie tin.  This dough should cover a 20cm round pie tin (or a 30cm rectangular).  Filled with cooled filling and cover again with pastry.  Pinch the sides and brush with egg wash.  Bake in a hot 180-190C oven until golden.  Allow to cool in the fridge if you are taking it out of the tin.

Now, as you can guess by now, I am left with a cup of left over cooked syrup ...

Multipurpose dough

A recipe that can be used in multiple ways is my most treasured recipe and there is always little story behind how I come across these recipes. Years ago, I was given an Australian Women's Cookbook for free because I over-spent in a few shops in the mall! That was in 2003 and soon after I left NZ for an adventurous year away from NZ and spent some time in three countries.  I remember in 2007, I baked the same cake over and over again from this book, it was hazelnut and raspberry cake with mascapone cream icing.  The first cake I baked was too popular and I didn't get to try a bite of it.  Soon after I got bored with this cake, I found the best biscotti recipe in this book and later as it turned out the best frittata recipe.  Now, the best bread dough. It is as easy as close your eyes and let it happen! Interestingly, a foccacia recipe is repeated in the same book as a pizza dough.  So best to plan a few pizzas.  Now, this is too simple: place 2.5 cups plain flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons yeast in a food processor bowl.  With the motor running, slowly pour 1 cup of warm water.  Rest the dough in a covered bowl in a warm place and about an hour later, you can smell the yeast and see the double size.  Punch it a few times to let the air out and shape it into a dough.  Cut the dough across a few time and sprinkle with seeds if you prefer.  Sprinkle with flour before cutting it for a professional look.  Bake in a very hot oven (220C) for around 15 minutes.  Use the same dough for Pizza or a foccacia draining in good quality olive oil and sprinkled with a little oregano .... simply beautiful.

Vegan Chocolate Cake

   This chocolate cake, even though it sounds unusual, is extremely moist and rich.  It has no chocolate, eggs, butter and nuts but still delicious :) Having tried many different recipes in the past I have never came across this type of recipe, but I am glad I did!  I am thinking to try orange version of it in the future.  As for the icing, I used Olivani Light (margarine) with icing sugar and cocoa powder to make a vegan buttercream.  If you don't tell anyone it is vegan, no one can tell!  Here is the recipe:

2.5 cups flour, 2 cups soft brown sugar, 2 cups warm water, 1 cup cocoa powder, 1 cup cooking oil, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 tablespoons vinegar and vanilla essence.  Mix and bake at 160C (I baked this at 180C and turned out a little dry on the outside) in 23cm round cake tin for around 50 minutes.

For the icing I didn't measure anything ... but I started with 1/3 tub of margarine, added about 4-5 teaspoons sieved cocoa powder and over a cup of icing sugar and tasted it as I was making it.


                         

The Versatile Blogger Nominations

I have been blogging for a little over two years now and by now I know how great it is to be nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award and appreciate being nominated by Alice at alice in baking land and having the opportunity of reaching more blog readers :) thank you Alice and Versatile Blogger!


Here are a few things you would have never known about me:

1.  I eat minimally processed foods. The most processed foods I eat are the occasional canned tuna, canned tomatoes, crackers, dried pasta and frozen veg and berries.
2. I hate soft drinks with a passion.
3. I have developed a love of herbal teas :) more of an obsession really!
4. I do read all emails&texts as soon as I receive them but do not reply to them unless I have to... last minute that is!
5. I read all my clothing care labels carefully and follow them precisely, even when it says hand wash in 30C water for wool with a mild wool detergent :)
6. I want to laugh so hard when people in gatherings say to me: "You should teach us how to bake" and the most fitting answer in my head is: "Baking is 99% passion and dedication ... these can not be taught!"
7. Last but not least, I feel lost without my lint remover.

In true blogging fashion, I have been spying on these beautiful blogs and it is about time to nominate these inspiring blogs:

1. Bella Cupcakes
2. Alice in Baking Land
3. Delissimon
4. My Sweet Aubergine
5. The Caker
6. Sugar and Spice and all things nice
7. Pretty Sweet Things
8. My Darling Lemon Thyme
9. Pease Pudding
10. After Taste
11. At Down Under
12. Alessandra Zecchini
13. Turmeric and Saffron
14. Home MadeS
15. Eats by Anna

Little layer cake

This cake was a massive 8cm tall with four layers of chocolate cake filled with coffee ganache covered in white chocolate Swiss meringue. I did this for a weekly baking group. Luckily, there are many people in the group, so my next turn is in three months. After all of that baking and icing, I was lucky enough to indulge in some super amazing chocolate.

Orange and Cardamom Cake

On a frosty cold Auckland day, there is nothing better than picking an orange from a tree, zesting it and smelling winter.  Correct me if I am wrong, but there is nothing quite like New Zealand oranges.  The other day I walked past the Australian Navel oranges in the supermarket and the price was $1.99 and said to myself "No, Thank You!" and looked for NZ oranges and the price was $4.99 which seems to be the price of reducing carbon foot prints and supporting local growers.  I am still wondering for how many more years and decades will NZ be a dumping ground of let's say...not so great produce from across the ditch??  Gobalisation is a fabulous thing for humanity when it comes to affordability I guess, so in the meantime it saves some of us some cash.  After thinking about all of these I decided to go home and pick my own oranges instead, which was a more fabulous idea.

I think this post will be my first entry for Sweet New Zealand.  It is a monthly foodie event hosted by a different food blogger every month.  The June entries are hosted by Shirleen at Sugar & Spice and All Things Nice and if you are thinking to enter it you can read about it here. 

Beat 2 eggs with 1/2 cup cooking oil and 1 cup caster sugar for 5 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup plain youghurt and mix.  Fold in 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup almond meal, 1.5 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom and zest and juice of one orange.  Bake at 160C for 45 minutes.  I used gluten-free baking mix and a 6 inch baking tin.

                                         

Mighty Cheesy Crackers

I get to know a few recipes off by heart and they are usually the kind of recipes you just throw everything in the bowl and mix. This one is a food processor one so, no need to soften the butter or leave the eggs out of the fridge for a while. It is the same recipes as Dutch Gouda and Cumin Cheese Biscuits. This time is Mainland's Tasty Cheese and cut into long fingers instead.

Ginger and Pear Cake Once Again...

A slice of warm ginger and pear cake with ginger&lemon tea is the most fitting dessert on a cold frosty night sitting in front of the fireplace.  I don't have a traditional wooden fireplace, but a modern age open gas fireplace does the trick.  I have baked this cake three times on cold days (burnt once) and the ease of making it makes it worth a try. 

Garden Herb and Lime Soup

Storing soups in jars is a neat little idea and so easy to grab one on your way out to work in the morning.  Make sure the jar is microwavable!

Boysenberry and Chia Breakfast Pudding

A Bite or Two

Dutch Cheese Biscuits - Gouda and Cumin Biscuits

                          

Dutch Gouda is the ultimate hard cheese and very versatile.  Cumin seeds are amazing little seeds, not only these pungent aromatic seeds have multiple medicinal benefits but cumin has long been added to Gouda cheese for it's warm earthy flavour.  For the best Gouda you can't go wrong with imported ones from Holland. 

The recipe is as simple as this:

Process 60g butter, 1 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 egg and 1/4 cup grated Gouda.  Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and roll the dough between two baking paper sheets.  Roll into 3mm thin, cut and bake at 180C until golden. 

Last of the Summer Sun

With cooler weather coming our way, there is no need to worry about luscious summer fruits.  There are more surprises on the way ... Feijoa, Passionfruit, Kaffir Lime, Quince and Persimmon.  It's not so tough on me to say goodbye to summer figs when I have ended up with jars full of fig paste, and harvested our kaffir lime already and bought a bag full of feijoas!

Jamie Dodgers

Jamie Dodgers are world famous and the best thing about them is that the dough keeps well in the freezer.  I made the dough about a month ago and baked half a batch.  The recipe is from Pease Pudding. 

Flower Power