JJ's Chicken Pasta

Occasionally, I stumble across a winning meal by throwing together a random selection of available ingredients. My most popular example of this to date, is the dish I like to call JJ's Chicken Pasta. And I'm sure this recipe has been done somewhere in the world before my accidental discovery...and I'm certain it has a much better, more enticing name. But hey, I just know that I love it and my family loves it and that's enough for me. Especially with two boys who can NEVER agree on the meals they both like and a burgeoning Miss 16 month old, with a healthy appetite...but who will no doubt have fussy pants at some point in the not too distant future also. It's super quick and easy to prepare and only has a few ingredients, so chances are it's something that can be whipped up at short notice.

JJ's Chicken Pasta

2 tablespoons Olive oil

600g chicken tenderloins, chopped into bite size pieces

1 onion, chopped

1 cup baby spinach or rocket (2 cups if desired)

1 190g jar of Leggo's sundried tomato pesto sauce

500g pasta 

(penne or trivelle are my faves, but any pasta or spaghetti will be fine)

Grated parmesan for garnishing 

(I use Millel parmesan, but any cheese will do nicely)

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan.

Cook onion until soft and translucent.

Add chicken and stir until cooked through.

Spoon contents of pesto sauce into saucepan and stir until chicken is coated.

Add spinach or rocket 

*another tasty addition at this point is a handful of cherry bocconcini for an extra cheesy flavour*.

Cover saucepan and allow to simmer on very low heat or until spinach/rocket leaves have softened.

Cook pasta as per packet instructions.

Stir cooked pasta through chicken.

Serve with grated parmesan and cracked pepper.

Enjoy! 

Cottage Pie

Yes, this is the new and improved attitude towards menu planning for me. I am endeavouring to diverge from the stock standard mince meat meals that everyone is comfortable with and eats...but are completely bored silly to the eyeballs with. I'm looking at you lasagne, meatballs, spag bol, tacos and the like. So I mixed it up with an old fashioned favourite in this Cottage Pie recipe. The boys whinged about various aspects. One doesn't like potato much (potato? who even is this child?!) and the other didn't like the inclusion of peas to his diet. But overall this one went down well. Hubs and I loved it, so it will be returning somewhere in the meal rotation on a regular basis. Oh and the aroma this dish creates is reason enough to give it a try, anything is delightful where fresh herbs are involved. 

Cottage Pie

2 teaspoons olive oil

600g mince beef

1 brown onion, chopped finely

1 carrot, sliced finely

1 celery stalk, sliced finely

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 cup (250ml) beef stock

1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup (70g) tomato paste

400g can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup (60g) frozen peas

2 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese 

(I actually used grated parmesan & it was delicious!)

Potato Topping

6 medium potatoes, chopped coarsely

60g butter

1/4 cup (60ml) milk

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees (180 degrees fan-forced)

Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat.

Cook beef and onion, stirring for 5 minutes or until browned.

Add carrot, celery, thyme, stock, worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, tomatoes.

Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until carrots are tender. 

Add peas, cook uncovered for 5 minutes or until peas are tender and the liquid has thickened.

Meanwhile, boil, steam or microwave potato until tender; drain.

Mash potato with butter and milk. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Spoon beef mixture into a 2.5 litre (or 10 cup) ovenproof dish.

Spread potato topping over beef mixture.

Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until topping is golden.

Serve sprinkled with extra thyme, if desired.

Zucchini Slice

I used to make this recipe years ago, when Angus first started eating solid food. And I've been meaning for it to make a comeback in the meal rotation for a while. But with Winter upon us and little appetites being affected by illness and teething, it was a must to whip one of these up to have at the ready. Because that is the brilliant thing about this slice, it is versatile. It can be eaten hot or cold...and is delicious either way. Great as a snack to take on the run or have as a meal with a side salad. The vegies can be substituted with any number of alternatives...just add a cup of peas, corn, capsicum, spinach, shallots, cooked pumpkin or sweet potato. And of course, bacon or ham also go down a treat for a tasty addition. Perfect for children and adults...and I can confirm it gets the nod from fussy 15 month olds with sore gums too! Definitely putting this one back on high rotation. 

Zucchini Slice

1 onion, finely chopped

2 large zucchinis, grated

1 cup cheese, grated

1 cup self-raising flour

1/2 cup olive oil

5 eggs, lightly beaten

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Method

Lightly fry onion.

Combine zucchini, carrot and cheese in bowl. Add onion.

Sift in flour, then add oil and eggs. Season with salt & pepper. 

Pour into greased (or baking paper lined) pie, quiche or slice pan.

Bake at 180 degrees (160 degrees for fan-forced) for 40 minutes. 

Best (& easiest!) Banana Cake Ever!

We've created a habit here (or it seems I have set an expectation), for the boys to have a little afternoon treat, post school...every. day. More often than not, it consists of a Baker's Delight finger bun or store bought piece of cake or sometimes just a couple of Arnotts bikkies. But occasionally, I have time (& enthusiasm) to bake something from scratch, which is a nice surprise for all of us. I had one of those moments last week and fortunately, had to look no further than the fruit bowl for inspiration. Without a doubt the easiest, most delicious banana cake I have ever made. The vanilla icing really compliments the texture and flavour of the cake. Absolute winner with all the boys in the house...and with me too!

Best (& easiest) Banana Cake Ever!

125g butter

3/4 cup caster sugar 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

2 ripe bananas mashed

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour

1/4 cup milk

Melt the butter, sugar & vanilla in a medium sized saucepan

Remove from heat

Add mashed bananas & stir through until just blended

Add egg & mix in well. Stir in flour, add milk & mix lightly

Bake at 160 degrees (fan forced) for approximately 40 minutes.

Vanilla Icing

200g soft butter (or margarine)

1 1/4 cups of icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Using an electric mixer, beat all ingredients together for 4 minutes or until light & fluffy.

Orange Cake

As a child I had a pretty strong dislike for orange cake. My Mama was always baking treats for us kids and I can recall turning my nose up at afternoon tea, if I came home from school and she had baked orange cake. What a brat! Now I don't know if my taste buds have matured or I have just become a bigger piggy when it comes to all things sweet, but I now really love orange cake. In saying that, this one is the first I have ever made. And it was so completely simple and lovely, I had to share. Soft and delicious, with just the right amount of citrusy zing. Perfect for afternoon tea... in my opinion... and the boys actually liked it... obviously not quite as fussy as their Mama was. 

Orange Cake

150g butter, softened

1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind

2/3 cup (150g) caster sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups (225g) self-raising flour

1/4 cup (60ml) milk

3/4 cup (120g) icing sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons orange juice

Preheat oven to 160 degrees (fan-forced). Grease deep 20cm round cake pan

Beat butter, rind, caster sugar, eggs, flour and milk in medium bowl with electric

mixer on low speed until just combined

Increase speed to medium; beat about 3 minutes or until mixture is smooth

Spread mixture into pan; bake about 40 minutes

Stand cake in pan 5 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool

Combine sifted icing sugar and juice in small bowl; spread over cake

Pad Thai (with chicken)

There are a great many meals I love to devour, yet are too nervous or lazy or time poor to make myself. So when I find a nice easy recipe for one of my favourite take away dishes, there is no excuse but to give it a crack. And tonight, I finally whipped up a delicious Pad Thai for dinner. I've been gobbling this one down for years, but this is my first attempt at it. Simple, tasty, an absolute winner. I found the recipe on the back of the Erawan Brand rice noodles packet... they are gluten free too... and I tweaked the recipe slightly to suit, but this is my version.

Pad Thai (with chicken)

200g pad thai rice noodles

300g cooked chicken, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tbsp chopped spring onions/shallots

2 tbsp peanut oil

2 tbsp chopped chives

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped

2 tbsp fish sauce

juice of 1 lemon

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup bean sprouts, soaked in water

Cook chicken in frying pan, in batches, then set aside

Boil pad thai noodles for 6-8 minutes, until soft, then drain

Fry crushed garlic and spring onions/shallots gently in

 peanut oil until transparent

Add all the remaining ingredients except the egg and 

bean sprouts and continue to fry

Add egg slowly and continue to mix

Add the drained bean sprouts and continue to fry for 30 seconds

Basic Scones

I stumbled on this easy-peasy recipe for scones yesterday. I was in a bit of a bind, with no sweet treats in the house and my brother and sister-in-law popping over mid-afternoon. All of my family love a good cuppa and a nice bikkie or piece of cake to accompany it. And I, love to bake a nice accompaniment. Match made in heaven. These were thrown together in under forty five minutes (including whipping of the cream). I haven't baked scones in a while, so was a little unsure how they would turn out. But this recipe is a winner. Not wanting to have too many scones leftover, I halved the ingredients, which gave a sweet batch of eight. Perfect amount for afternoon tea... and a couple of leftovers for Scott. 

Tasty Tip: Add a handful of icing sugar and a dash of vanilla extract when whipping the cream... delicious!

Basic Scones 

(super simple)

plain flour, for dusting

3 cups self-raising flour

80g butter, cubed

1 cup milk

jam & whipped cream, to serve

Preheat oven to 160 degrees (fan-forced)

Lightly dust a baking tray with plain flour

Sift self-raising flour into a large bowl

Using fingertips, rub butter into flour until mixture resembles

breadcrumbs

Make a well in the centre

Add milk

Mix with a flat-bladed knife, until mixture forms a soft dough

Add more milk if required

Turn onto a lightly floured surface

Knead gently until smooth (do not over-knead as scones will become tough)

Cut scones as preferred (I just did mixed shapes of 2cm thickness)

Place scones on tray, 1cm apart

Sprinkle tops with a little plain flour

Bake 20-25 minutes

Transfer to wire rack

Serve with jam & cream

Chocolate Freckle Slice

I'm in slice mode when it comes to baking at the moment. Probably because they are so quick and easy. This one almost floored me when I realised it called for a whole small jar of Nutella... so decadent. I'm not a fan of Nutella on bread, but in baking, looooove it. This cheery sweet will form part of a little care package I'm dropping off in the morning, for a brave and beautiful friend. Nothing like a bit of homemade comfort. 

Chocolate Freckle Slice

185g butter, softened

220g chocolate hazelnut spread

1/3 cup (75g) firmly packed brown sugar

1 3/4 cups (250g) plain flour

200g freckles

Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Grease 20cm x 30cm rectangular pan; 

line base and long sides with baking paper, extending paper 5cm over sides.

Beat butter, spread and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until combined.

Stir in sifted flour, in two batches.

Press dough into pan; smooth surface with spatula. Bake 25 minutes.

Remove pan from oven; working quickly, press freckles firmly onto slice

in rows about 2cm apart.

Cool slice in pan before cutting.

Chocolate Rum and Raisin Slice

I think the rainbow cake well and truly cured me of my baking persuasion for the last little while. Because I have had very little desire to get into any kind of baking since. But I knew something would have to break the drought and inspire me to get the oven cranking again. Something extra sweet and rich and super simple to whip up. So this delicious slice it was. I have a real taste for Rum and Raisin chocolate, always have. I love the Cadbury's Old Jamaica block and enjoy a good Rum and Raisin flavoured ice-cream too. Scott is also a big fan, so I don't see this one lasting too long. It got me thinking though, I wonder if it's a tad irresponsible to let my four year old scrape the bowl with a wooden spoon... when it's a rum infused sweet? Hmmm. 

Chocolate Rum and Raisin Slice

125g butter, chopped coarsely

200g dark eating chocolate, chopped coarsely

1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar

1 cup (170g) coarsely chopped raisins

2 eggs, beaten lightly

1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour

1 tablespoon dark rum (I used Bundaberg)

Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Grease 20cm x 30cm rectangular pan.

Stir butter, chocolate, sugar and raisins in medium saucepan over

low heat until chocolate is melted.

Cool to room temperature.

Stir remaining ingredients into chocolate mixture; spread mixture into pan.

Bake about 30 minutes; cool slice in pan before cutting.

Dust with icing sugar. 

Cream Cheese, Coconut & Lime Cookies

As much as I love chocolate and baking with chocolate, it's always nice to find a tasty non-chocolate recipe too. This one is from The Women's Weekly Easy Cakes & Biscuits book and has been on my radar for a while... but I kept forgetting to buy the limes. And grating the limes proved to be the most tricky part of the process. Other than this step, these are really easy to make. An absolute winner with all the boys... and even my particularly fussy Dad gave them the tick of approval. More of a cake than a cookie though, I have to say. Soft and sweet and delicious.

Cream Cheese, Coconut & Lime Cookies

250g Butter, softened

90g cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind

1 cup (220g) firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups (185g) plain flour

1 cup (150g) self-raising flour

1/2 cup (40g) desiccated coconut

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease oven trays, line with baking paper

Beat butter, cream cheese, rind and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer

until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Transfer mixture to large

bowl; stir in sifted flours and coconut, in two batches

Roll level tablespoons of dough into balls; place about 5cm apart on trays

Flatten slightly. Bake about 15 minutes; cool on trays.

Nutty Meringue Sticks(?!)

I had an absolute shocker in the kitchen yesterday. Don't mind admitting. Thought I'd try my hand at a seemingly simple recipe for nutty meringues... and well, they turned out to be more of a nutty-cakey-biscuity ball. The flavour is still yummy, they just look and feel nothing like they're supposed to. Scott thinks I shouldn't have said anything about what they were meant to be and pass them off as is. Hmm, I'm actually just perplexed as to how I could go so wrong. Over-beating of the egg whites is possible. But these do prove that anything looks reasonable with chocolate slapped on top.

Nutty Meringue Sticks(?!) 

3 egg whites

3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar

1 1/4 cups (120g) hazelnut meal

1 1/2 cups (185g) almond meal

1/4 cup (35g) plain flour

100g dark eating chocolate

Preheat oven to 160 degrees (140 for fan-forced) 

Grease oven trays, line with baking paper

Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer until foamy

Gradually beat in sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until dissolved between additions

Transfer mixture to large bowl

Fold in nut meals and sifted flour

**At this point it all went horribly wrong for me... mixture wouldn't pipe... so the balls were born!**

Spoon mixture into large piping bag fitted with 1.5cm plain tube

Pipe 8cm sticks onto trays

Bake about 15 minutes

Cool on trays 5 minutes

Drizzle sticks with melted chocolate

Chocolate Fudge Cake

I am well and truly hooked on yet another season of MasterChef. And this year, Angus is into it for the first time too. His favourite is Gary, closely followed by George and then "the big fella", as he refers to Matt. The other night, Peter Gilmore's Eight-Textured Chocolate Cake literally had me drooling. An absolute work of art. I'm determined to get myself along to Quay restaurant at some stage, just to order one of those beauties for dessert.

This afternoon presented the perfect opportunity for a bit of baking. Cold, rainy, just the kind of weather to have the oven cranking away to heat the house nicely. And I just so happened to find the simplest of simple recipes in my Women's Weekly Easy Cakes & Biscuits cookbook. Whilst it is no Eight-Textured Chocolate Cake, it is a mighty fine alternative. Deceptively light and velvety (given all that dark chocolate inside) and completely YUM. The only thing missing was a dollop of vanilla ice-cream or double cream. Next time!

Chocolate Fudge Cake

250g dark eating chocolate, chopped

125g butter, chopped coarsely

2/3 cup caster sugar

2/3 cup self-raising flour

4 eggs, beaten lightly

Preheat oven to 180 degrees (160 for fan-forced)

Grease 20cm x 30cm rectangular pan

Line base & long sides with baking paper

Stir chocolate and butter in medium heatproof bowl over

saucepan of simmering water 

(do not allow the water to touch base of bowl)

Combine chocolate mixture and remaining ingredients in medium bowl

Beat on low speed with electric mixer until ingredients are combined

Increase speed to medium; beat about 3 minutes or until mixture

is changed in colour and smooth

Pour mixture into pan

Bake about 30 minutes

Stand cake in pan 5 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto wire rack

to cool

Serve dusted with cocoa powder, if desired

Banana, Honey & Cinnamon Muffins

Food wastage does not sit well with me. I always make a point of building the boy's meals, rather than serving up a huge plate of food that won't be eaten. There is no harm in second or third helpings, if they're hungry. And I find this way, we have very little thrown away. Bananas are tricky ones though. One day they're looking a little green... the next day they're splotchy brown and yellow, ready to be eaten on the spot. There were two large bananas in the fruit bowl, that certainly wouldn't have seen the day out, so this afternoon I googled banana recipes and found this pure delight.

Scott has been in Melbourne this week and when he's out of town, it's nice to have a freshly baked treat for him to enjoy on his return home. And this one is divine. The aroma that fills the house while the muffins are baking is enough for me. I seriously wish I could bottle it... or make this post scratch 'n' sniff somehow. Definitely a recipe for the ever-expanding favourites pile.   

Banana, Honey & Cinnamon Muffins

2 cups (300g) self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

75g butter, melted

1/2 cup (125ml) milk

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup mashed banana (about 2 bananas)

Preheat oven to 180 (160 degrees fan-forced)

Line 12 cup muffin tin with paper cases

Sift flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon & salt

into a large bowl

Stir in sugar

Combine melted butter, milk, honey, vanilla, eggs & mashed banana

in a large jug or saucepan

Whisk until well combined

Make a well in the centre of dry ingredients

Add egg mixture, stir until just combined

Spoon mixture into muffin tin

Bake for 20 mins or until cooked through

Cool in pans for 5 mins 

Turn onto a wire rack to cool

Anzac Biscuits (Choc-Slathered)

Today I was on an Anzac bikkie baking mission. It's a tradition for me to whip up a batch for Anzac Day every year and I wasn't about to break with tradition... or maybe just a little. Over the years, I have attempted that many recipe variations of the humble Anzac biscuit, I really don't have a favourite one. If anything, I'm totally confused as to what is the right combo of ingredients and/or preparation to make the perfect cookie.

So this year, I took one straight out of The Women's Weekly Easy Cakes & Biscuits book. Easy! But being the chocoholic sweet tooth that I am, I added my own variation, in what I like to call the 'choc-slathered' version of Anzac bikkies. Totally indulgent. Totally delicious. And if there is any spare chocolate lying around the house... so worth slathering a few of those babies in it.

Anzac Biscuits (Choc-Slathered)

Preparation & cook time: 35mins 

125g (4 ounces) butter, chopped

2 tablespoons golden syrup or treacle

1 tablespoon water

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 cup (220g) firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup (40g) desiccated coconut

1 cup (90g) rolled oats

1 cup (150g) plain flour

Preheat oven to 160 degrees. 

Line oven trays with baking paper

Stir butter, syrup and water in large saucepan over low heat until smooth

Remove from heat; stir in soda then remaining ingredients

Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls

Place about 5cm (2 inches) apart on trays, flatten slightly

Bake about 20mins

Cool on trays

Choc-Slather

I used approx 150g Cadbury Dairy Milk

Melted in a heat proof jug, sitting in a small saucepan 

of boiling water

Then generously coated the underside of a handful of bikkies

Nutty Chocolate Slice

It was a strictly indoors day today. Rain tumbled and fell and just when it couldn't possibly bucket down any harder... it fell some more. While the boys ran riot and turned the place upside down, I casually relented to 'go with the flow'. And by nine o'clock this morning, I'd whipped up a tasty little something for the snack container. I found this nutty beauty in a Woolworths Fresh catalogue, with a whole bunch of other Easter themed goodies. But this one really took my eye, with it's pretty purple Cadbury background.

The flavours come together beautifully. And what I really love is there is no fussing with mixers and beaters or creaming butter and sugar etc... I'll be adding this one to the favourites roll. Super simple. Super quick to make. Super, super, sweet.

Joining in with Faith Hope & a whole lotta Love for 'Snap It' and today's topic of: Sweet.

Nutty Chocolate Slice

Preparation time: 20 minutes   Cooking time: 25 minutes

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup self-rasising flour

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

1/2 cup caster sugar

100g butter, melted

150g milk chocolate baking chips 

(I used Cadbury, as per recipe)

395g can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup toasted hazelnuts

Combine the sifted flours in a bowl with the coconut, sugar and butter

Stir to combine

Press into the base of a greased and base-lined slice pan (28 x 18cm)

Bake in a moderate oven 180 (160 degrees fan-forced) for 10 mins

or until lightly browned and cooked through

Scatter chocolate chips evenly over the base

Pour over the condensed milk

Top with hazelnuts

Return to the oven and cook for 25 mins or until golden brown

Allow to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, before slicing

Singapore Noodles with Chicken

I've been back in the meal time rut and serving up a consistent flow of the same thing every. single. night. Yearning to try something simple, tasty and most of all new, I stumbled upon this recipe on the back of a Campbell's chicken stock pack. Being a big fan of noodles, I was instantly drawn to this one. I tweaked the original recipe slightly, substituting snow peas with capsicum and leaving out the 1/4 cup of unsalted cashew nuts. But the result was truly delicious. A bit of a gamble for me, who is wary of cooking anything with curry or spicy flavours. I still would probably subtract one of the teaspoons of curry powder next time, though it really wasn't that spicy anyway. I'm just a wuss. 

Singapore Noodles with Chicken

375ml chicken stock

125g rice vermicelli noodles

2 tbsp oil

500g chicken breast fillet, thinly sliced

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 carrots, cut into think sticks

1 green capsicum, thinly sliced

3 tsp mild curry powder

2 tbsp soy sauce

4 green onions (shallots), sliced

Place stock in a saucepan & bring to the boil

Remove from heat

Add noodles, toss until slightly softened

Cover & let soak for 5 mins, stirring occasionally

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat

Cook chicken, in batches, for 5 mins or until golden

Remove & set aside

Heat remaining oil & add onion, cook, stirring, for 2 mins

Add carrots, capsicum & curry powder, cook, stirring, for 2 mins

Return chicken to pan

Add soy sauce, green onions, soaked noodles & any remaining stock

Toss to combine

Cook, stirring for 2 mins until noodles are coated & stock is absorbed

Prepping this meal, I was struck by the brilliant green ingredients going into it. So took the opportunity to 'snap' them and I'm linking up with Faith Hope & a whole lotta Love for today's 'Snap It' topic of: Green.

Almond Crisps

This weekend delivered some perfect, sun-drenched, Autumn weather. A lovely opportunity to catch up with one of my nieces for a good old natter. An enjoyable evening with a friend I haven't seen in way too long. We took in a fabulous film at the Palace Verona in Paddington, Elles is just one of the many amazing screenings being shown as part of this year's French Film Festival. Love a good foreign film and this one didn't disappoint. A few glasses of bubbly and some great conversation made for a top night out. 

Then right at the tail end of the weekend, I decided we needed some home baked bikkies for the cookie jar. My brief was something tasty and simple and of course working with ingredients I had at hand. So this recipe was chosen from a cookbook I purchased recently, Women's Weekly Easy Cakes & Biscuits... and they really are easy. Light and sweet and near impossible to stop at just one. Definitely an addition for the baked goods rotation. 

Almond Crisps

125g butter, softened

1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar

1 cup (150g) self-raising flour

1/4 cup (30g) ground almonds

2 tablespoons flaked almonds

Preheat oven to 200 degrees (180 for fan-forced)

Grease oven trays, line with baking paper

Beat butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until smooth

Stir in sifted flour and ground almonds

Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls

Place about 5cm apart on trays

Flatten slightly with fork to 1cm thick

Sprinkle with flaked almonds

Bake about 10 mins 

Stand crisps on trays 5 mins before transferring to wire rack to cool

Passionfruit Curd Cakes

Over the weekend, I was back in the kitchen. It's been some weeks since I created a yummy sweet treat to enjoy and a family lunch for our niece's seventh birthday was just about the best excuse to get baking again. Being an occasion for the young ones, I wanted to take along a little something more for the adults. As it turned out, this one pleased both young and old.

I have flicked past this recipe many a time, during a search for that elusive 'perfect' cake to try. I realised it may have been my reluctance to attempt anything with the word 'curd' in it's name. Such an unattractive word and in my ignorance I failed to appreciate the beauty that is curd. Upon closer inspection I discovered this recipe actually calls for some of my favourite ingredients. And boy, have I been missing out. This, is a cake for passionfruit lovers, it literally oozes with the stuff. Filled with relatively basic ingredients and fairly simple steps. The only consideration being the number of steps involved... there are a few. But SO worth it. Sweet and soft and creamy and DELICIOUS. My Women's Weekly Cupcakes & Cookies pocket cookbook does it again.

Passionfruit Curd Cakes

90g butter, softened

1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar

2 eggs

1 cup (150g) self-raising flour

1/4 cup (60ml) passionfruit pulp*

85g packet passionfruit jelly

1 cup (250ml) boiling water

1 cup (80g) desiccated coconut

1/2 cup (125ml) thickened cream, whipped**

Passionfruit Curd

2 eggs, beaten lightly

1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup (60ml) passionfruit pulp

60g butter, chopped coarsely

Make passionfruit curd

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180/160 degrees fan-forced

Line a 12 hole muffin pan with paper cases

Combine butter, sugar, eggs and flour in small bowl of electric mixer

Beat on low speed until ingredients are just combined

Increase speed to medium

Beat until mixture is changed to a paler colour

Stir in passionfruit pulp

Divide mixture among cases, smooth surface

Bake about 20 minutes

Turn cakes top-side up, onto wire rack to cool

Dissolve jelly in boiling water

Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set to the 

consistency of unbeaten egg white

Remove cases from cakes

Roll cakes in jelly

Leave cakes to stand in jelly about 15 minutes,

turning occasionally

Roll cakes in coconut; place on wire rack over tray

Refrigerate 30 minutes

Passionfruit Curd (method)

Combine ingredients in small heatproof bowl

Place over small saucepan of simmering water

Stir constantly until mixture thickens slightly and

coats the back of a spoon

Remove from heat

Cover tightly; refrigerate curd until cold

* Instead of using fresh passionfruit, I used a can of John West passionfruit pulp in syrup... did the job perfectly

** Whenever I whip cream I cannot help myself from turning it into chantilly cream, 

adding a few drops of vanilla extract & a tablespoonful of icing sugar... so SO tasty

Home Cooked (Bolognese Pinwheel)

My interpretation of home would have to be the home cooked meal. Because essentially, there is nothing quite like a meal prepared with fresh ingredients, personal flair and little bit of TLC. Tonight I whipped up an old favourite that we haven't eaten in a while. Simple, quick and really, really tasty... (don't ask me why mine never turn out looking like a proper pinwheel as per picture on the Pampas puff pastry packet, oh well!).

Joining in with the second edition of Snap It, over at Faith Hope & a whole lotta Love, on the theme for today, Home. 

Bolognese Pinwheel

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed

500g thick cooked bolognese sauce (see below)

50g spinach leaves

50g parmesan cheese, grated

1 beaten egg for glazing

Bolognese Sauce

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan

Add 1 chopped onion and 1 clove garlic

Cook for 1 minute

Add 500g lean minced beef

Cook until meat changes colour

Add 4 tablespoons tomato paste 

1 teaspoon of italian herbs

Cook for 10 minutes

Place pastry sheets on baking paper

Spread half bolognese sauce over each pastry sheet

leaving a 2cm border around the sides

Layer spinach and cheese over bolognese on each pastry sheet

Using the baking paper to assist, roll each sheet like a swiss roll

Glaze with beaten egg

Place rolls on lightly greased oven tray 

Bake in pre-heated oven (200 degrees fan-forced/220 conventional)

for 20 minutes