Banana Cake

Who doesn't love banana cake? Well, what makes this cake even more special is that it's made with sour cream. So it's all lovely and soft and moist.


125g unsalted butter - room temp.
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract (1/2 tsp vanilla paste)
2 eggs - room temp.
3/4 cup sour cream
3 or 4 bananas (more if you're using the smaller varieties)
2 1/4 cup self-raising flour
1/2 tsp bi-carb soda

Zest of one lemon (optional)


1. Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease a cake tin with butter

2. Using a mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy and a pale yellow

3. Add eggs, one at a time mixing well after each

4. Fold in sour cream and bananas (and zest if using)

5. Sift together flour and bi-carb soda and gently fold into batter. Do not over mix

6. Pour into cake tin and bake for 50 to 60 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean

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This cake is absolutely amazing with a cream cheese icing and can be made at least a day in advance.

When I made it, it was all finished before it even had time to cool. And banana cakes/breads are always best when made with over-ripe bananas that have started to brown/blacken. Over-ripe bananas are perfectly fine to freeze until you have collected enough to make up a recipe. Just leave them out to defrost in a bowl until they reach room temperature.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a Donna Hay recipe and is the best basic cookie recipe ever. And you don't have to be limited to chocolate chips alone. I always love adding macadamias, or peanut butter (if you've never had chocolate chip peanut butter cookies, you haven't lived). Get creative and have fun with it


Makes approx. 12

180g unsalted butter - room temp.
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract or 1/2 tsp vanilla paste
2 eggs - room temp.
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
150g dark chocolate - good quality 70%


1. Preheat oven to 180 C
2. In an electric mixer whip butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy and a pale yellow
3. Add eggs and beat well
4. Combine flour and baking soda, reduce speed on mixer and combine ingredients to form a smooth dough
5. Fold in chocolate - and whatever other flavours tickle your fancy
6. Roll into balls of desiered size (I usually go for a tablespoon full) and flatten a little onto baking paper
7. Bake for 12-15mins, or until golden

French Mustard with Cognac

 Alright, so I'm a little excited about this and am jumping the gun to share it with you now! Definitely the most I've ever paid for a jar of mustard (we're not going to discuss how much), but I just couldn't resist. Plus it's in this little clay jar and wax sealed.... I mean, come on!!!!

Going to use it tonight with some roast pork and sage... mmmm crackling. But might need some inspiration of how else to use it. So if you guys have any good ideas, I'd love to hear them!

Will let you guys know how the pork goes, but I'm already smitten.. xx

Carrot and Pineapple Cake

This is the King of Carrot cakes. And it's been a pretty well guarded secret, until now that is. It's best made the day before.

Cake:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil - good quality
3 large eggs - room temp
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 1/2 cups plain flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup walnuts - roughly chopped
450g carrots - grated and excess juice squeezed out
1/2 cup diced pineapple - fresh only. Don't bother if you're going to use canned.
Zest of one orange
Juice of half an orange
Juice of half a lemon

Icing:
340g cream cheese - room temp
225g unsalted butter - room temp
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
350g icing sugar - sifted
Zest of one lemon
1 tblspn lemon juice

x2 20cm (8") round cake pans - line with baking paper and butter


Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 175 C

2. Beat eggs and sugar in a mixer until a pale yellow and then add oil and vanilla

3. In a separate bowl, sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt

4. Stir flour into egg mixture. When half incorporated, fold in walnuts, carrots, pineapple, zest, and juices.

NT. I cannot stress this enough. Do not over mix this batter, or the cake will be awful. Once the flour is JUST mixed, and there is a relatively even distribution of ingredients, stop.

5. Divide batter equally between the 2 pans and bake for 55 to 60 mins, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in pans, on a wire rack.


Icing:

1. If you're fortunate enough to have a mixer with a paddle attachment, then you've just saved yourself a lot of elbow grease. Mix cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until well combined and lump free. The vanilla doesn't always incorporate right away, just keep working it.

2. Add sugar in batches, tasting as you go and adjust accordingly. Fold in zest and juice until combined and set aside.

NT. I've always found that one of those large, flat, plastic paddle-like spoons (the name eludes me) is the best thing for the job. And having the cream cheese and butter at room temperature is crucial for the right consistency.

Also, once refrigerated, this icing becomes quite firm. So it's best made just before you're ready to frost your cake.

3. This makes enough icing to have a healthy layer in between the two cakes and to completely frost the outside.

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I must confess, I've been quite selfish with this recipe in the past. But it's just so delicious, I had to share it with you.

The original recipe for this cake has a cup of raisins... but I hate them, so they've been omitted in this version. My kitchen, my rules.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Alright, this is for all you purists out there. A genuine Italian Carbonara recipe.

[Picture Pending]

400g Spaghetti - boiled

2 tblspn Olive oil
30g Butter
2 Eggs
2 Egg yolks
80g Parmigiano-Reggiano - grated
2-3 garlic cloves - diced
200g pancetta - diced 



1. Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, parmigiano and season lightly

2. Heat a large fry pan with olive oil and butter over medium and fry pancetta until golden brown. Add garlic and continue to cook for 1 to 2 mins

3. Drain spaghetti and add to fry pan. Remove from heat and toss with egg mixture. Serve immediately with freshly grated parmigiano on top

Creamy Muchroom and Bacon Pasta

Alright, this is NOT a carbonara. Just want to clear that up now. A true Carbonara doesn't even have cream. Yes, I'm being pedantic. But I don't care.


Olive oil - splash
25g Butter - cubed
Punnet Swiss Brown Mushrooms - roughly chopped
2 pieces middle bacon - diced
1 red chilli - finely chopped
1 clove garlic - finely chopped
200 ml thickened cream
1 tblspn white balsamic condiment
1 tblspn seeded mustard
Handful of Parsley - chopped
S + P

300g Pasta - boiled


1. Heat up a nice big pan with a splash of olive oil. Fry Bacon, until it starts to brown then add mushrooms. Cook for about 2 mins, or until mushrooms start to caramelise.

If your pan isn't big enough, you'll end up steaming the mushrooms instead of frying them, and they'll release all their juices rather soak them up.

2. Add chilli and garlic and cook for 1 min before adding butter. Reduce heat and allow to cook for 5mins. This encourages the mushrooms to soak in the flavour, and gives the butter a smokey, nutty taste.

3. Add cream, mustard, and half the parsley. Cook for a further 2mins, or until cream begins to thicken slightly, then add white balsamic condiment and season to taste. Keep on low heat until pasta is ready and throw it all together in the pan. Garnish with remaining parsley and serve.

I like to make sure my sauces are well seasoned, because adding the pasta tends to dilute the concentration slightly. Plus, it has the added advantage of not having to get up for extra seasoning, which makes for more enjoyable couch-time. How can you fail with a game plan like that?  :)

Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

Zucchini flowers are the perfect little parcels for a goat cheese filling, and this goes amazing with red wine.

Zucchini flowers

(female flowers are bigger, and have the baby zucchini attached to the end, while male flowers just have a stem)

Filling:

Fresh goat cheese (chevrè) - Can also use ricotta

Chives - chopped

Basil - chopped

Red chilli - chopped

Zest of one lemon

S + P

Tempura batter:

1 egg

1 cup icy cold water

3/4 cup plain flour

Pinch bicarb soda

Vegetable or canola oil

1. Prep the zucchini flowers. They're fragile little things that bruise and tear easily. Gently open the flower and remove the stamen, without tearing. Rinse flower and pat dry.

2. Combine all filling ingredients and season to taste. Take a tablespoon of the mixture and roll into an oblong, and place into the flower. Fold petals around cheese 

3. Make the batter by whisking together egg and water until light and fluffy, add flour and bicarb and mix together quickly. Do not over beat.

4. Coat flowers in batter and deep fry in very hot oil for approx. 2 mins, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Scatter sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper and serve.

Bagels

Bagels. Where do I even start? They are perfect little balls of bready goodness and I could have these for breakfast every day of my life. 
What makes bagels unique, is that they're boiled before they're baked. And if it's not boiled, it's not a bagel.

(Makes 8 bagels)

4 cups bread flour
1 tblspn sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tblspn vegetable oil
2 tsp dry yeast (1 pkt, or 7g)
1 1/4 cups warm water




1. Mix warm water and sugar and sprinkle yeast on top. Sit it in a warm place for 10mins


2. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Create a well in the centre and pour in yeast mixture and oil. Combine all ingredients together. The dough should be stiff, but if it's really stiff, add another 1/4 cup of warm water


NT. Remember, yeast is a living organism. Combining the salt and flour prevents the salt from killing the yeast. While the sugar in the warm water feeds it.

3. Turn onto a floured surface and knead dough for 10mins, until smooth and elastic. Cut into 8 equal size balls, cover with a damp tea towel, and leave to rest for 15-20 mins. In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to the boil and add a pinch of salt


NT. It takes longer to boil salted water, so wait for the water to come to a boil before you salt it.


4. Preheat oven to 200 C


5. Make bagels into bagel shape.... There is a special rolling technique... but I suck at it, so I roll into a ball, flatten it a little and push my thumb through the centre to create a hole. Stretch the hole until it's about 1.5" wide. 
(If you want to try the proper bagel technique, follow this link. I got the recipe from it too.)


5. Rest bagels for 20 mins, until all puffy. Boil in batches, approx 2 mins on each side. Do not overcrowd. Remove with slotted spoon and place on an oiled baking tray, flipping over so both sides are coated in oil.
If you like, sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds - helps if you push them in a little

6. Bake for 10mins, each side. Try to allow to cool slightly before digging in.  

Couch-Worthy Mac'n'Cheese

This recipe is perfect for those cold winter days where you're sitting on the couch, just wasting time.

White Sauce:

50g butter

5 tblspn plain flour

2 1/2 cups milk

S + P

1/2 cup tasty cheese

1/2 cup mozzarella

Whole grain mustard

1 tsp ground nutmeg

2 rashes bacon - diced and fried

Pasta:

400g pasta of choice

Parsley - chopped

1. Prepare pasta and make roux. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour, stirring continuously for 1 min, until it comes together into a smooth ball.

2. Remove from heat and gradually add in milk, stirring continuously until completely incorporated (this makes a nice, smooth white sauce). Return to heat, and while stirring, bring to boil, then reduce heat and cook for a further 2 mins. Remove from heat. 3. Seasoning time! S + P to taste, nutmeg, mustard, diced bacon, and cheese. 4. Pasta should be ready by now, douse in white sauce and serve with fresh parsley on top. 5. Claim your favoured couch position and enjoy

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Mac and cheese has been one of my favourite meals since I was little. When I get the craving for it, I make it with whatever I have laying around the house. This particular variation I made when I confined to the house over a weekend, because of final exams. It was so delicious, and terrible, I just had to add it on the blog. Hope you like it <3