Baking: Brioche

Brioche

After coming back from the States I craved some homemade bread. The bread in the US seemed sweet no matter if it was a white dinner roll or burger bun. Ironically enough this brioche recipe has very little sugar, despite being what I think of as a dessert bread. To be honest I quite enjoyed the less sweet verison.

This is my favourite bread to make french toast from, so that is excatly what I did with mine!

Ingredients:
2 Heaped Teaspoons Sugar
2 Teaspoons Dried Activated Yeast
1/4 Cup Water, Warm
4 Cups Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Milk, Warm
3 Eggs, Lightly Beaten
150g Butter, Softened
1 Egg Yolk, Beaten

1. Place sugar, yeast and water in a large bowl and leave for five to ten minutes.

2. Add milk, eggs and salt to water mixture, then half mix in flour.

3. Add butter and mix until just combined.

4. Turn out onto floured surface and  kneed until fully butter combined into mixture.

5. Place in a oiled (I use baking spray) glass/cermanic bowl and leave in a warm place for at least an hour.

6. Lightly knock down the dough and place in a oiled loaf tin to bake (or you can divide recipe by 12 and place into individual brioche moulds).

7. Allow to rise again, for at least 30 minutes in a warm place.

8. Brush the top with egg yolk.

9. Bake in a 180C oven for approximately 30 minutes, until just firm and a crust has formed (if making individual brioche bake for approximately 15 minutes).

Mains: Pizza Dough

Pizza Dough

When I was in Tampa, Florida. Carter's Mum, Sylvia, bought the largest pizza I think I have ever seen home for a late night dinner (after an exhaustive day of shopping (I had lots of fun, however I am not sure Carter felt quite the same way)).

After getting home I decided I wanted to replicate it (however at a smaller scale, as the pizza she brought home wouldn't even fit in our oven!). I found this recipe for pizza dough in Julie Le Clerc's Simple Cafe Food. Usually I would use a bread maker however at the flat we don't have that luxury. It was a fabulous recipe, however I would recommed rolling it out thin, so you can fold it while eating it (like we did in Tampa). Also don't add to much topping as this detracts from the magic of a pizza.

The photo shows the dough just before I rolled it out thinner.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cup Water, Warm
1 Teaspoon Sugar
2 Tablespoons Active Yeast
4 Cups Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1. Place water, sugar and yeast in a bowl and place in a warm place for five to ten minutes.

2. Mix flour, salt and olive oil into water mixture, then turn out onto a floured surface.

3. Knead dough for approximately five minutes until a frim dough is established.

4. Place dough in an oiled (I use baking spray) glass/ceramic bowl and leave in a warm place for at least 30 minutes.

5. Knead/roll out into pizza bases and place your choice of toppings on top.

6. Bake at 200C for approximately 20 minutes until the crust is golden.

Basics: Lazy Chili Sauce

Lazy Chili Sauce

When I make this, I make 5 - 8 times the recipe given. I would make at least double, as you will only produce about one or two jars (which is definitely not enough as this sauce is amazing!).

I am lazy and can't be bothered coring and cutting fresh tomatos into small pieces. If you want to use up ripe tomatoes just weigh how many you have and adjust the recipe to suit.

Ingredients:
400 g Tomatos (1 Can of Plum Tomatoes Whole or Crushed)
1 Medium Whole Chili, With Green Top Removed
2 Tablespoons Thai Fish Sauce
3/4 Cup Malt Vinegar
1 1/4 Cup Sugar
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Thumb Size Piece of Ginger

1. Place 1/4 can of tomatoes, chilis, fish sauce, vinegar, garlic and ginger into the food processor and liquidise.

2. Place rest of tomato into a large saucepan. If you are using whole canned tomato's, run a knife around the saucepan to break the tomato's into smaller pieces.

3. Add sugar, and liquidised tomato mixture into saucepan and simmer for at least 20 minutes. The sauce mixture volume should reduce by approximately a fifth and it should look nice and syrupy. If you are making multiple quantities, this process of simmering could take up to an hour depending on the volume.

4. Pour mixture into sterilised jars. Cover with jam covers and when cool jar lids (this is the same process that is followed with jam and described in the link following http://ppbluecuisine.blogspot.com/2011/02/basics-plum-jam.html).

Baking: Banana Cake

Banana Cake

I think banana cake is somewhat boring and dull, however this one has been made so many  times by my Nanny (grandmother), Mother and Myself that I believe for a banana cake it is a winner!

 Its is one of our staple tin fillers, esp. when we have to many bananas sitting in the fruit bowl. Un-iced banana cake can also be frozen for when you need one in a hurry. Just thaw it on the bench for a couple of hours and slap some icing on it. Done.

Below you can see it iced with the same carmel icing as the banana muffins featured earlier in the blog. It could also be iced with cream cheese, chocolate or lemon icing if you wish.

Ingredients:
115 g Butter
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1.5 Cup flour
2 Mashed Bananas
1 Teaspoon Soda
2 Tablespoons Milk, Heated until hot
1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1. Preheat oven to 180C.

2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add eggs one by one (beating after each addition).

3. Lastly combine milk and soda in a small jug and stir until stops foaming.
4. Add flour, baking powder, mashed bananas and foamy mixture and give a good beat..

5. Cook for 25 – 30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean

6. Ice with caramel icing.

Enjoy!

Basics: Vanilla Poached Pears and Syrup

Vanilla Poached Pears and Syrup

These are great for on top of a pav, in cakes or just with some ice-cream.

Ingredients:
4 Pears, Peeled, Sliced into eighths
3 Cups Water
1 Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Bean Paste

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.

2. Bring to the boil and boil for ten minutes.

3. Allow mixture to cool in saucepan for ten minutes, then remove pears and place on plate or tray.

4. Return saucepan to heat and boil until reduced to at least a 1/3.

Dessert: Mums Pavlova

Mums Pavlova

Pav is a kiwi favourite, however in our family this is our favourite recipe.

Ingredients:
3 Eggs Whites
1 ¼ Sugar
1 Teaspoon Malt Vinegar
3 Teaspoon Cornflour
Pinch Salt
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste 
3 Tablespoon Water (cold)

1.Preheat oven to 150C.

2. Beat egg whites very stiff, add water and beat.

3. Add sugar gradually beating well.

4. Lastly mix in the cornflour, salt, vinegar and vanilla.

5. Wet lunch paper (double) and put on cold oven tray – put mixture on wet side (Baking paper could be used instead of lunch paper and would not require wetting).

6. Turn oven down to 130C and cook for about one hour.

7. Allow to cool for five minutes before turnning onto plate (I prefer not to turn mine upside down, but this requires using a fish flip to loose the bottom of thr pav from the paper and gentley sliding off. 

8. Serve, when cool, with cream, berries, vanilla pears or however desired.