Lemon and Elderflower Cake (or pudding!)

This is a recipe from Nigella Lawson - and its wonderful.  You cake make this as a pudding or a cake depending on the size of the dish you use.  One of the reasons I love this cake is that it uses the bung it in method.  All you do is put everything into a mixer or food processor and turn it on for a few minutes.  What could be easier?

If you want a pudding serve warm and  use a smaller, deeper dish, if you want a lovely cake use a dish size aprox 8'x12"  The time it takes to cook will depend upon the dish so keep an eye on it after about 12 minutes.  It is cooked when slightly brown around the edges and bounces when touched.  Elderflower cordial is available in Australia at large liqour outlets and usually at the larger supermarkets.

Now, about the yoghurt, I ran out so I used sourcream - worked perfectly.  Nigella suggests processing everything except the yoghurt and lemon and cordial and putting that through the funnel.  Too much work for me, I just put it all in together.  Use the usual rule about drizzle - hot cake cold drizzle.

Chocolate Coffee Cupcakes.

 Magnolia Bakery makes wonderful cup cakes.  this chocolate cup cake is very moist, has a beautuful texture and tastes great.  I ice them with Magnolia's lovely icing, with the addition of instant coffee, so end up with Chocolate coffee cup cakes!

This recipe makes 12 large muffin size cupcakes, or 24 smaller ones.  It can be easily halved.

Make sure you use the best chocolate you can get as it does make a difference.  I ran out of buttermilk, so used yoghurt with a little milk added - worked perfectly.  I use a stand mixer for this recipe, it is not really suited to hand mixing or a hand held mixer.

To see the perfect icing technique, check out this video

My Pot Au Feu

 Recently someone on a Facebook group I am part of posted that she cannot cook, does not like to cook, wants to learn to cook, and did anyone have an easy recipe.  That got me thinking, and I posted back to her, learn how to chop, then make a casserole recipe where you bung (technical term, see below) everything into a pot and put it in the oven.  Technically, this is not a family recipe, it my adaptation of a French classic and I doubt any of my ancestors ever made it.

Almalfi Lemon Cake

 Perfect when you have losts of lemons on the tree, and perfect for a spring lunch dessert.  The original recipe comes from Delicious, but I have changed it to make it easier. 

You do need to cool it in the tin, and the syrup needs to be cold so don't forget these steps!  You will need some time to bake, cool then finish the cake.

The easiest choc tart ever!

 This is called a "hot chocolate tart" and I saw it on Adam Liaw's TV show and is an Elizabeth Hewson recipe..  It's so easy you could make it on holidays, you don't even have to melt the butter for the crust.

Special Occassion (like Xmas and Easter) Biscuits.

 This recipe is for biscuits that hold their shape and icing that sets hard!   Note: using PURE icing sugar not icing sugar mixture for this.

Sugar Biscuit Dough

Preheat over to 180C

Beat 125g soft butter and 110g caster sugar and 1 egg until JUST COMBINED (do not overbeat).

Add 225g Plain Flour and 1tsp vanilla bean paste.  

Beat until it just comes together, then kneed until smooth.

Cover with clingwrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll out about 3mm thick and cut out shapes.

Bake in preheated oven, rotating positions of baking sheets halfway through, until cookies are light golden brown around edges, 10 to 12 minutes. 

Let cool on sheets 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Royal Icing

Whisk 1 egg white and 1teaspoon of lemon juce in electric mixer.

Slowly add 240g pure icing sugar, increase speed to high for 5-7 minutes until it is a thick paste.  Cover with clingwrap until it is being used.

Add colour as required and decorate biscuits as simply or complicated as you like.

Strawberry sponge roll - for 12

 I made this cake for a xmas gathering, and it was perfect, special but light.  You could serve it with a strawberry sauce to make it even more special.  the recipie originally came from one of Adam Liaw' weekend newspaper page, but I accidently made it a bit differently, and I ran out of plain flour, so I had to improvise.  Anyway my was is so easy anyone can do it.  So, apologies to Adam.

The cake serves 12 - 14, and if you do not have a large tin, just make 2 and squish them together.  The larger the strawberries are, the more impressive it is, but you could easily use raspberries or blackberries.  You do need a mixer for this, it is not a cake that can be whipped up by hand.  You do need to use the thickened cream that has gelatin in it to ensure the whole thing stays together, and you do need to roll it in cling film and chill it for at least 2 hours.  I made it the day before, which turned out perfectly.

You can decorate the cake with sliced strawberries or chocolate shards to make it even more special.