Look who has a new toy

 

Just in case it was the lack of a fancy long pointy nosed camera that was holding me back from blogging greatness.......

I hereby vow to only post photos of great quality and have celebrated accordingly with a most glorious cake.

Here she is straight from the oven-

 

Rhubarb with coconut crust cake

 

A bold handsome cake best served straight from the oven on a cold winter’s day. You can play around with the fruit to match the season and your mood, however the bitey tang and blush coloured hue of rhubarb always make a delicious cake.

 

For the cake

80g unsalted butter

275g brown sugar

2 eggs

½ teaspoon of vanilla essence

Grated zest of 1 small orange

230 g sour cream

300g self raising flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

400 g raw rhubarb cut into 1cm pieces

 

For the topping

50 g butter

2 Tbs cream

½ cup brown sugar

1½ cups shredded coconut

1.    Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 24cm spring form tin

2.    Cream the butter with sugar and add eggs, vanilla, orange rind and sour cream, mix well to make a smooth mixture.

3.    Briskly fold in the flour and the cinnamon to make a thick batter, to which 2/3 of the rhubarb is added.

4.    Spread mixture into prepared tin and scatter and press remaining rhubarb on top of the cake.

5.    Bake for 50- 60 mins or until a skewer inserted to the centre comes out clean. Trap for first time players....... make sure the cake is quite well cooked at this stage, as once the topping goes on it is only for a short while. Don't be scared of overcooking- with all of the lovely fruit and sour cream this is quite a moist cake and difficult to over cook.

6.    At the 45 min cooking mark start to prepare the topping. Combine butter, cream and sugar in a saucepan, allow to melt and form syrup then add coconut and cook, stirring constantly for another 2 min.

7.    Spread the hot topping over the cake when it is sufficiently cooked and return it to the oven for 15 mins until it forms a caramelized golden crust.
8. Serve warm with a hearty dollop of cream and hopefully a spot of sunshine.

 

 

Got any photography advice you would care to share over a cuppa? 

 

 

 

How to win friends and infulence people

A thick oozy blanket of sweet zesty goodness is what makes this slice so danm fine.

 

 Originally ripped many years ago from a Delicious magazine this beauty has won me first prize in the Perth Royal Show and helped me out on countless occasions where I have needed to charm a crowd. Infact just last night the school P&C were treated to a batch as I successfully delegated the filling of 400 boxes for an upcoming cake stall. I think it is the astonishingly high volume of sugar combined with plenty of lemony zing has something to do with its luxurious and moreish quality.

 

For the base:

1 ½ cups (225g) plain flour

½ cup (80g) icing sugar, sifted

Finely grated zest of ½ lemon

180g cold unsalted butter, chopped

½ tsp vanilla extract

Lemon Topping

6 eggs

3 cups (660g) caster sugar

Finely grated zest of 3 lemons

1 cup (250ml) lemon juice, strained

½ cup (75g) plain flour

Icing sugar to serve

Method

1.    Preheat the oven to 180⁰c.  Generously butter and flour a 5cm x 24cm x 32cm baking tin and set it aside - This is a trap for first time players as you cant use baking paper as the base needs some traction to anchor it to the pan or it will float to the top once the curd is added.

2.    Make the base first by putting flour, sugar and zest and butter in a food processor, blitz to until it is like coarse river sand.  With the processor going, add vanilla and 2 teaspoons of iced water and whiz again till the mixture clumps into a ball.  Wodge the dough evenly into the prepared tin. Chill for 5 mins

 

3.  Bake the base for 15+ minutes or until the edges are starting to colour and the base is pale golden.

4.    Now get moving on the curd.  In a large bowl, whisk eggs and sugar until they are well combined.  Whisk in the zest and juice.  Sift flour over the top and whisk in until the mixture is smooth.  Set aside.

5.    When the base is ready,   Reduce the oven to 150⁰c.  Once the base has cooled ever so slightly, give the filling a final quick mix, as it will have settled, then pour it over the base.  Return to the oven and bake for 35 – 40 minutes until the topping is firm and stightly crustry.  Leave the slice to cool in the tin on a wire rack.

6.    Once the slice has cooled, use a sharp knife to cut it into elegant long rectangles. Dust madly with icing sugar before serving with a smile.

.

 

 

Like pretty maids all in a row....

Behold the scented charm of a "Rosewater and Earl Grey Pinkie". Proudly my own creation and really rather fabulous any time of the day. Best consumed with the company of friends and barely a pause in conversation it is impossible not to love these jolly little bites! 

Earl grey and rosewater pinkies

A fragrant and most splendid biscuit!

 1 Earl grey tea bag

125g butter, softened

1/2 cup caster sugar

½ tsp vanilla paste

1 cups plain flour

1 Tbs cup cornflour

For icing

1 tbs rosewater

2 Tbs boiling water

1 cup icing sugar mixture

 Rose pink food colouring

Method-
Preheat oven to 160°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

Remove and reserve leaves from the tea bag. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy, add tea leaves and vanilla paste. Sift flours over butter mixture

Using lightly floured hands, roll rounded teaspoons of mixture place on trays and press lightly to flatten. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden. Cool on trays for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the icing- Combing boiling water , rosewater and colouring. Mix liquid with icing sugar and mix until smooth adding more hot water as nescessary, Top each biscuit with 1 teaspoon icing. Stand for 10 minutes or until set.

And of course if you are getting really fancy and sharing them with your posh mates why not make them part of an all out high tea spread.

chin chin darh-lings  xx