I'M IN SLICE PARADISE

I am a generous person by nature.  I have become even more generous of late due to the fact I have been baking my behind off and can no longer sustain the temptation of having muffins, slices and brownies presenting themselves on the kitchen bench at home.

I can safely say I have a few friends that are being just that extra bit more communicable with me lately as they know that I am more than happy to offer them a brown parcel of goodness, at no cost - or at the very least, for some constructive commentary in return on how I can further improve said treats.

Over the years I have churned through countless caramel slice recipes in what once seemed like a fruitless search for the perfect recipe to remind me of my childhood trips to the neighbourhood bakery.  The one below comes pretty darn close and there never, ever seems to be leftovers.  A good indication that you're onto a winner, if you ask me.  It is most definitely too good not to share, all I ask is that you give it a whirl and see for yourself.

caramel slice

base

  1 cup plain flour, sifted
  1/2 cup soft brown sugar
  1/2 cup shredded coconut
  125g butter, melted
filling

  395ml sweetened condensed milk
  2tbsp golden syrup
  60g butter, melted
topping

  65g copha, chopped
  130g dark chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 190 degrees celsius. Grease and line a rectangular slice tin with baking paper.

Combine all the base ingredients in a bowl. Mix together well and press tightly into the slice tin. Bake for 15 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely.

To make the caramel filling, combine all ingredients in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Cook, stirring continuously, for 10 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken and become a golden colour. Remove from heat and immediately pour over cooled base. Return to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until firm. Remove and cool completely before refrigerating for at least 4 hours to set.

To make the chocolate topping, place the copha and chocolate into a double boiler (alternatively, use a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water). Gently stir until melted and pour over caramel. Refrigerate to set before cutting into generously large squares to serve.

THE HIATUS IS OVER

I have been on a long-standing muffin hiatus for two reasons.  Reason one?  Nearly one year ago I suddenly encountered a muffin/cupcake craze wherever I turned on the streets, with stores offering every flavour combination imaginable, most of which were sub-par quality.  Reason two?  Once I found a decent offering I would always go back for more, starting off a vicious cycle of less-than-nutritious breakfast & coffee outings at 9am each morning.

To be fair, you simply cannot turn a blind eye to something and pretend it doesn’t exist.  So with great trepidation one morning when I was presented with a “come on, just try a bite – it’s actually very good” from a colleague, the hiatus officially ended.  Who would have though the oh-so-average office building café downstairs from my work could produce a muffin of such excellent quality?  Well I certainly didn’t.  Besides, now that the cupcake craze has died down and only the strong stores survived, I am willing to hop back on the wagon.  And I am going to start with these miniature morsels of goodness - technical goodness, that is (because they have fruit AND coconut in them).

coconut, raspberry and white chocolate muffins

  2 cups self-raising flour

  3/4 cup caster sugar

  3/4 cup white chocolate, chopped

  1 cup raspberries

  1 egg, lightly beaten

  1/2 cup macadamia oil

  3/4 cup milk

  1/3 cup desiccated coconut

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius.  Line a 12 hole muffin pan with cases or grease well and line with baking paper.

Sift the flour into a bowl and add the sugar, coconut and white chocolate (if you are using fresh raspberries, add them now; however if you are using frozen, do not add yet as they will thaw and the colour will bleed through the mixture).  Stir to combine and make a well in the centre.

Place the egg, oil and milk in a separate bowl and whisk together.  Gradually pour into the flour mixture, gently stirring as you go until the mixture is just combined.  If you are using frozen raspberries, add them now and very gently stir through the mixture.

Spoon mixture evenly into the muffin pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Remove from oven and set aside for 5 minutes before ravenously wolfing down whilst still warm.  Be sure to keep one for morning tea envy (such as I, demonstrated below).

BEETS WORKING

What do you do when you have no energy to cook dinner but refuse to succumb to the takeaway leaflets hiding in the pantry?  Or when you are on the borderline of poverty the week before payday?

You make a salad.

I was faced with both of the abovementioned predicaments this week and set a mental inventory in my head while getting absolutely drenched on the way home from work.  After an immense shake-down and towelling off in front of the heater I set forth assembling one of my favourite salads.  It gets listed in the top 10 not only because it’s on the plate and in my stomach in less than 10 minutes, but also because the classic combination of lentils, beetroot and cheese also satisfy me in the hungriest of states and somehow - and I know this sounds ridiculous - I can feel the goodness as I eat it.

I have a bit of a bad habit in the kitchen which I am willing to divulge, which happens to be unwittingly omitting ingredients.  It never happens when I bake, however as an example I was adamant on having walnuts in said salad and even went as far as to email dear housemate at work to confirm we were in supply.  “Yes,” she said, “pretty sure you didn't candy them all with your delish crepes”.  That was good enough for me and I was pretty excited to add the textural element to my salad feast.  Alas, I only realised my mistake once I had snapped away with the camera and eaten through 80% of the meal.  Sigh.  Perhaps next time!

I used tinned beetroot for the below - forgive me, however it was due to time and budget constraints.  If I had the energy and less hunger pains I would happily scrub some fresh beets and roast them in the oven wrapped up in a tin foil parcel with all sorts of delicious herbs, oil and balsamic vinegar.

beetroot, (no) walnut and goat’s cheese salad

  6-8 baby beetroot, halved

  1/3 cup goats cheese, crumbled

  250g baby spinach

  1/2 cup lentils, washed

  1 handful walnuts, chopped

dressing

  olive oil

  red wine vinegar

  balsamic vinegar

  wholegrain mustard

  honey

  salt and pepper

This is the easiest recipe descriptive ever - combine all salad ingredients except cheese in a bowl. Whisk together dressing ingredients in a jug (I have listed in order of volume, but it’s entirely to taste); I suggest 3tbsp olive oil, 1 splash of each red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar, 1 large teaspoon of mustard and 1 small teaspoon of honey.  Pour dressing over salad ingredients and gently toss until coated.  Scatter with goats cheese and serve.  Too easy, too delish.

SEMOLINA GOES SWISH

I was incredibly sensible with my dinner decision making skills tonight, opting for a healthy salad to somewhat counteract the guilty pangs I was feeling after some not-so-healthy weekend escapades.  Well... at least, in my head, eating a salad for dinner on a freezing cold Monday night whilst thawing out in front of the heater and simultaneously watching a cooking show on television is a totally justifiable and effective method for undoing the done.

It was no surprise to myself, then, that instantly after my (second) helping of salad I had an enormous appetite for hot, sweet, and fulfilling.  Not that my salad wasn't fulfilling - it was most incredibly delicious - but I knew from the outset I was fooling myself and without any hesitation I gave into the sweet tooth craving and whipped up some fancy semolina.

This stuff will be prevalent in many childhood memories, either in a positive light (depending on your parent's cooking abilities) or in a horribly traumatic light.  I am lucky to only ever have had good experiences with semolina and still get intense cravings for it once in a while.  Now that I am a grown up (most of the time) and can decide what I want to eat, when I want to eat it, I have given this purified wheat an R-18 makeover that is guaranteed to always hit the spot.

semolina porridge with rosewater

  2 1/2 cups full cream milk

  1/4 cup semolina

  15g butter

  3tbsp caster sugar

  2tbsp rosewater syrup

serving suggestions

  stewed blueberries, crushed amaretti biscuits

  cinnamon, sugar, milk (omit rosewater)

  flaked pistachios, raspberry puree

Place milk, butter and sugar in a large, heavy based saucepan.  Gently bring to the boil, stirring occasionally as to not burn the milk.  Once boiling, reduce heat to low and whisk the liquid in a circular motion.  Slowly add the semolina in a steady stream whilst continuously whisking and continue to do so for a further 3-4 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken.  Once the semolina starts to absorb the liquid and swell in size, remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside with the lid on for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to check the consistency (as it will continue to cook).  Don't let it become too gluggy, rather slightly runny but thick.

Serve immediately with a light pour of rosewater syrup and your choice of toppings - for the sake of the below picture as well as my tastebuds, tonight I went with stewed berries and crushed amaretti biscuits.  Serves 2.