Baking: Break-Up Cake

Break-up Cake

Most people claim their "break-up" cake (or comfort food) is a heavy chocolate torte, however I love this lemon curd cake. A fat wedge warmed and accompanied with some low fat natural yogurts and a dollop of lemon curd it is delish!

Ingredients:
250g Butter
3 Eggs
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Heaped Teaspoons Lemon Curd
1 Tablespoon Golden Syrup
2 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup Water
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1. Preheat oven to 170C.

2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy in an electric mixer.

3. Add eggs one at time to butter mixture, then lemon curd and golden syrup and mix well. 

4. Add flour and baking powder and mix until almost combined, then add water and mix until combined.

5. Pour mixture into a 20cm tin (which is greased and the bottom is baking paper lined).

6. Bake for 40 -50 mins until a cake tester comes out clean. 

Baking: Marsden Slice

Marsden Slice

This has been made over and over for many occasions. It takes only moments to prepare, and I have often taken it to someones house and popped it in the fridge to finished setting when I get there.

This is from the "a taste of Marsden" cookbook which was a fundraiser for my secondary school Samuel Marsden Collegiate School in Wellington (links are provided and if anyone does decide to buy one please list your house as "Johnson" as this was my house when I was at school).

NOTE: I have been caught at a before with only one packet of superwine and therefore had to use half superwine and half crispies, however I felt the coconut from the crispies was a little over powering. I have also tried other types of biscuits and would strongly recommend using only the superwine.

Ingredients

2 Packets Superwine Biscuits

200g Butter

1 Tin Sweetened Condensed Milk

4 Tablespoons Golden Syrup

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence

500g Hazelnut Chocolate (Almond could be used)

1. Grease and line 20 x 28cm tin

2. Melt butter together with condensed milk and golden syrup.

3. Remove from heat and milk in vanilla essence.

4. Press mixture into tin and refrigerate.

5. Break up and melt chocolate in double boiler.

6. Pour and smooth out melted chocolate over refrigerate base and place back in fridge until chocolate is just set. 

7. Slice and cut into small squares before storing in the fridge.  

It makes a fab late night nibble with a cup of tea

Biscuits, Cookies and Slices: Weston's Favourite The Classic Ginger Crunch

Weston's Favourite The Classic Ginger Crunch

My brother Weston loves this Ginger Crunch as it is so thin and crispy + it contains no healthy rolled oats...just pure sin (butter)

Ingredients:

Base

150g Butter, softened

1/2 Cup Sugar

1 1/2 Cup Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger

Icing

75g Butter

1 Cup Icing Sugar

2 1/2 Tablespoons Golden Syrup

2 Teaspoons Ground Ginger

Preheat oven to 180C.

Cream first measure of butter and sugar together.

Mix in remaining crust ingredients until combined and crumbly.

Press into baking paper lined tray (20cm by 30cm) and bake for 20 mins or until lightly browned.
Note: It should just fit the base of the tin if pressed out thinly enough.

When crust has been taken out of the oven, melt the second measure of butter in a heavy based saucepan. Add golden syrup, then ginger and icing sugar, whisking with each addition until it forms a smooth runny icing.

Pour on top of the hot base and spread out evenly with a knife or by tilting the tray. Cut now, when hot into squares and leave to cool.

Dessert: Four Ingredient Butterscotch Sauce with Banana

Four Ingredient Butterscotch Sauce with Banana

Ingredients:
50g Butter
50 g Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Golden Syrup
2 Tablespoons Milk

Melt butter and brown sugar together in microwave until starts to bubble (30 to 60 sec).

Add golden syrup and milk and stir until combined.

Pour over chopped up banana.

Biscuits, Cookies and Slices: Ginger Anzac Biscuits

Ginger Anzac Biscuits

I am not a huge Anzac Biscuit fan but I love the kick of Ginger these give. I also put at least 1 1/2 teaspoons in.  

Ingredients:

100g Butter

2 Tablespoons Golden Syrup

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

½ Teaspoon Baking Soda

2 Tablespoons Boiling Water

½ Cup Plain Flour

1-2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger

1 Cup Shreaded Coconut

1 Cup Rolled Oats

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C.

Melt butter together golden syrup in a large heavy based pot (this could alternatively be done in a glass bowl in the microwave).

Once melted remove from heat and add remaining ingredients with the exception of the boiling water and baking soda. Mix until almost combined.

Mix together boiling water and baking soda in a separate small bowl and add to other mixture. Mix until just combined. (mixture should not be to firm but kind of sticky, if this is not the case add a tablespoon or so extra melted butter)

Place teaspoonfuls spaced out well on a baking paper lined tray and bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Let cool on tray for a few minutes before transferring them to cooling rack to fully cool.

Biscuits, Cookies and Slices: Chewy Ginger Crunch

Chewy Ginger Crunch

This is a variation of Jo Segars Wholemeal Ginger Crunch, but its not wholemeal. 

My favourite Ginger Crunch is still the classic Edmonds, however this competes which a more modern chewy twist.

Ingredients:

Base:

150 grams Butter

2 Tablespoons Golden Syrup

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

3/4 Cup Shredded Coconut

1 1/2 Cups Rolled Oats

3/4 Cup Plain Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

3 Teaspoons Ginger

Icing:

100 gram Butter

6 Tablespoons Golden Syrup

2 Cups Icing Sugar

2 Teaspoons Ground Ginger

Preheat oven to 180C.

Place butter, brown sugar and Golden syrup in a heavy-based pot over a medium heat until butter is melted.

Remove from heat and mix in rest of base ingredients and pour into a lined 20 x 30 cm tin.

Cook in oven for fifteen minutes or until brown (watch).

Remove from oven and leave to cool.

Place butter, golden syrup and vanilla in a heavy based pot over a medium heat until the butter is melted.

Remove from heat. Add ginger and icing sugar and whisk (to avoid any lumps, as I am not a big fan of sifting) till smooth.

Pour icing sugar over base, and leave to cool for half an hour.

Cut into slices in tin when just warm and icing semi-set.