Rich and Fudgy. Chocolate Crackle Cookies.

Posted on December 5, 2012 by thepaddingtonfoodie

ChocolateCrackleCookies

I made these for my son the other day. The lovely Jo commented that they looked all festive and christmas-y with their snowy cracked shells. I’d never thought of them that way. And I suppose they do.

Under that snowy, crisp, cracked shell lies a rich and fudgy cookie. Super chocolate-y and delicious. And so very easy to make. The most difficult part? Remembering to start this recipe at least 2 hours earlier as the dough is soft and sticky and needs refrigeration before shaping into balls. Sometimes I whip up a batch of dough and refrigerate it overnight. Roll the balls in icing sugar just before baking for the signature cracked shell.

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

Makes 20 cookies

175 grams dark chocolate, broken into pieces
80 grams unsalted butter
2 eggs
3/4 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup plain flour
2 teaspoons cocoa
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted

Two hours earlier

MELT chocolate and butter in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and allow to cool a little.
BEAT eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the cooled chocolate mixture with vanilla. Beat well.
FOLD in sifted flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
COVER and chill for at least 2 hours.

When ready to bake

PREHEAT oven to 170C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
FORM level tablespoons of the mixture into balls then roll each in icing sugar to coat.
SPACE well apart on baking trays and flatten very slightly.
BAKE for 15 minutes on middle to top oven rack positions.
LEAVE to cool on trays for 3 or so minutes then transfer to wire racks.

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A Summer BBQ. Fattoush Salad with Chermoula Crusted Lamb.

Posted on December 4, 2012 by thepaddingtonfoodie
fattoush

With a big, beautiful bowl of chermoula on hand and a searingly hot afternoon to contend with  we enjoyed a late BBQ lunch on Sunday afternoon. The menu? Inspired by the Middle East. A crisp and refreshing fattoush salad paired with barbecued chermoula crusted lamb back-strap fillets. Very easy to prepare. Refreshing and delicious.

Fattoush is quintessential Middle Eastern peasant salad. Think of farmers and their bounteous vegetable gardens. Fill a bowl to the brim with fresh summer garden produce and crisp, crunchy shards of toasted pita bread. Drizzle with a  tangy, garlicky dressing.  There you have it.  A beautiful summer salad.

Sumac gives the dressing a lovely fresh, lemony zing. This pretty purple spice is ground from the sumac berry and is available from Herbies Spices and any good providore. If you don’t have access to sumac, a good substitute is sweet paprika and lemon zest.

FattoushSalad
Fattoush

Serves 6

1 baby cos lettuce, shredded
2 Lebanese cucumbers, chopped into large dice
4 tomatoes, chopped into large dice
8 long green spring onions, chopped
4 tablespoons finely chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander
pita crisps made from 2 pita bread rounds

Dressing

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sumac
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
a good grinding of pepper
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
100 ml lemon juice

MAKE the dressing  first. Whisk all the ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
PLACE chopped salad ingredients and pita crisps  into a serving bowl.
DRIZZLE with the dressing and toss to combine.
SERVE immediately.

chermoula lamb bbq

Barbecued Chermoula Crusted Lamb

4 lamb back strap fillets
1/2 cup chermoula

SMEAR the chermoula paste over a large shallow plate.  Add lamb and turn to coat well.
COVER with glad wrap and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
HEAT BBQ hot plate.  Add lamb and cook for 3 minutes on each side until seared. I like to place a sheet of baking paper under the lamb. Saves having to clean the hot plate later.
LOWER the BBQ lid and roast for a further 3-4 minutes using indirect heat  until pink.
REMOVE lamb from the BBQ  plate and set aside to rest for about 5 minutes.
SLICE the lamb on the diagonal and serve with a fattoush salad.

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Moroccan Pesto. Chermoula with Preserved Lemon

Posted on December 4, 2012 by thepaddingtonfoodie

ChermoulaIngredients

Chermoula. I like to think of  it as Moroccan Pesto. Brimming with the bold flavours of  the Middle East it certainly packs a vibrant punch. Take some coriander, mint and parsley. Pound together with chilli, garlic, ginger, cumin, paprika, turmeric and saffron.  Add a little salted preserved lemon for even more zing and zest.

It takes less than five minutes to throw together in a food processor, is wildly versatile and it keeps for a week or two in the refrigerator. Even longer in the freezer.

Traditionally used with seafood it also works beautifully as a marinade to enhance the flavour of chicken, lamb and  grilled or roasted vegetables.  Think eggplant, zucchini, capsicum, cauliflower, onion, sweet potato and pumpkin. Delicious forked through couscous, its gluten free cousin quinoa or any array of beans and pulses to create a tasty salad. Combine with pureed tomatoes and it transforms into a spicy sauce. The possibilities are endless.

My personal favourites?  Its a toss up between chermoula spiced grilled prawns or  lamb back straps on the barbecue. Closely followed by oven roasted chermoula salmon fillets en papillote.

Chermoula Paste

Chermoula With Preserved Lemon

Makes 1 cup

1/2 bunch coriander leaves and tender stems only, well washed
1/2 bunch mint leaves, well washed
1/2 bunch flat leaf Italian parsley leaves and tender stems only, well washed
4 long green spring onions,chopped
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 long red chilli, roughly chopped
big pinch of saffron
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons sea salt flakes
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, lightly roasted
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly roasted
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 preserved lemon, roughly chopped

COMBINE all ingredients in a food processor, spice grinder, or mortar and pestle. Process or pound to a rough paste.

IF making the chermoula ahead of time, transfer it to an airtight container and pour a thin layer of olive oil on the top. Seal and place in the fridge.

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Wrapped for Christmas. Festive Little Fruitcakes with Chocolate and Kahlua

Posted on December 3, 2012 by thepaddingtonfoodie

ChocChrisCakes

The countdown is on to the end of the school term. Three days to go before the long summer holidays  begin. This weekend was my last chance to get all those little end of year gifts organised. Somehow, despite the heat, a full schedule of sport commitments and a couple of cocktail parties thrown in for good measure I managed to find time to bake, decorate and wrap these gorgeous little chocolate fruitcakes. What a relief. Another item ticked off my burgeoning to-do list.

Thank you Nigella Lawson for your divine Chocolate Fruitcake recipe. Its to die for. An elegant but refined version of that old fashioned stalwart – the classic boiled fruitcake. A melting pot of Christmas textures and flavours. Prunes, cocoa, oranges and coffee flavoured liqueur produce a lush and almost pudding like cake. I stumbled across it a few years ago and was immediately attracted to its simplicity.  Needless to say with some idiosyncratic tweaking this has become my Christmas staple. The recipe is infinitely adaptable. From large and substantial Christmas Day centrepieces to individual pudding sized gifts.

It’s secret is in the boiling of the dried fruits before baking. Boil and bake. That’s all I had to do. Not too onerous at all. To cut the baking time in half I used cute little mini spring form cake pans. And for the decoration? Melted white chocolate. Dolloped artfully into the centre of the little cakes.  Chocolate covered coffee beans and gold and silver cachous. Strewn casually on top. Wrapped in cellophane. Tied with  ribbon and a gift tag. Pretty to behold. Rich, luscious and delicious.

ChocChristmasCakeOne

Festive Fruit Cake with Chocolate and Kahlua
Adapted from a recipe by Nigella Lawson

If making a gluten free version of this cake substitute the flour for an additional 1 1/2 cups of ground almonds. Without the flour the cake lacks a little structure but firms up beautifully when refrigerated.

Makes 1 large 25 cm round  cake or 8 small 12 cm round cakes

1 1/2 cups (350 grams) dried soft prunes, chopped
1 cup (185 grams ) raisins
3/4 cup (125 grams) currants
1/2 cup (60 grams) dried cranberries
175 grams unsalted butter
1 cup (175 grams) dark brown sugar
3/4 cup (175 ml) honey
1/2 cup (125 ml) Kahlua coffee liqueur
2 oranges, zest finely grated and juiced
1 teaspoon mixed spice
2 tablespoons good quality cocoa
3 free-range eggs, beaten
3/4 cup (75 grams) ground almonds
1 cup (150 grams) flour or substitute another 1 1/2 cups ground almonds for the flour if making a gluten free version.
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

To decorate

100 gram block white chocolate, melted
150 gram packet chocolate coated coffee beans
gold and silver cachous

PREHEAT oven to 150 C
GREASE and line one 25 cm round spring-form baking tin or eight 12 cm round mini spring form baking tins.
PLACE the fruit, butter, sugar, honey, coffee liqueur, orange zest and juice, mixed spice and cocoa into a large wide saucepan.
HEAT the mixture until it reaches a gentle boil, stirring the mixture as the butter melts. Let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes.
REMOVE the saucepan from the heat and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
AFTER 30 minutes, the mixture will have cooled a little. Add the eggs, flour, ground almonds, baking powder and baking soda, and mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula until the ingredients have combined.
CAREFULLY pour the fruitcake mixture into the prepared cake tin(s). Transfer the cake tin to the oven and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours for the large cake or 45 minutes for the mini fruitcakes. The top of the cake should be firm but will have a shiny and sticky look. At this point, if you insert a skewer into the middle of the cake, it will still be a little uncooked in the middle.
PLACE  the cake in its tin on a cooling rack. Once the cake has cooled completely, remove it from the tin.

To decorate

MELT the white chocolate and dollop into the centre of the cake.
TOP with chocolate-covered coffee beans in the centre of the cake and a sprinkling of gold and silver cachous.
WRAP in cellophane bags and tie with ribbon and a pretty tag if using as gifts.

 

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Summer in the City. Breakfast Smoothies with Fresh Fruit and Greek Yoghurt.

Posted on December 1, 2012 by thepaddingtonfoodie

BreakfastSmoothie

Its December First.  Hello Summer.  Another hot, humid, sticky day. We woke to a summer rain storm. Today’s headline in the Sydney Morning Herald reads “Summer in the City…and its Hot, Hot, Hot”.  Somehow I don’t think its going to cool down any time soon. Remember  Nat King Cole’s song Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer? Methinks those days have well and truly arrived.

Usually I begin my morning routine with a hot, frothy cappuccino. Not today. I need something smooth and cooling. A fresh fruit smoothie hits the spot.  So simple to whip up and perfectly refreshing.

Raspberry and Banana Smoothie

Serves 2

1 banana, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup Greek yoghurt

In a blender blitz banana,orange juice, raspberries and yoghurt until smooth.

Creamy Peach Smoothie

Serves 2

2 large ripe peaches, peeled and cut into chunks, juices reserved
1 cup Greek yoghurt
1/2 lemon, squeezed
generous drizzle of honey
4 – 6 ice cubes

In a blender blitz peach chunks and their juice, yoghurt, honey, lemon juice and ice until smooth.

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Balmy Summer Nights. Limoncello, Bombay Sapphire Gin and Basil Cooler.

Posted on November 30, 2012 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Another balmy night. One more day to go before the official start of summer. Let’s drink to that. Chill out and cool off with this very refreshing cocktail of gin, limoncello and basil. Build in a glass or better still a pitcher.

Limoncello, Bombay Sapphire and Basil Cooler.

For one very tall glass or two short

2 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
1 oz Limoncello
1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
tonic water
lemon slices and sprigs of basil to garnish
plenty of crushed ice.

BUILD in a tall glass half filled with ice.
TOP with tonic water.
STIR gently.
GARNISH with lemon slices and sprigs of basil.

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Chicken, Leek, Fennel and Mushroom Pot Pies with Peas

Posted on November 29, 2012 by thepaddingtonfoodie

The psychology of pie. Put a casserole, stew, braise or even a curry into a ramekin. Blanket with pastry.  Call it a pot pie. Watch it disappear. I learnt this trick to tempt fussy eaters a very long time ago. Distract them with a gorgeously puffed and golden pastry lid, and they will consume a dazzling array of tastes and flavours. Gather up any pastry scraps. Knead. Roll out. Stamp out shapes to dip into the pies. Bake. They’ll be sitting at the table before those pies are even in the oven.

I must confess I have been known to disguise unloved and unwanted leftovers as a pot pie. But…here’s a legitimate pot pie that is a firm favourite in this household.

Chicken, Leek, Fennel and Mushroom Pot Pies with Peas

Serves 6

1 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 kg chicken breasts, diced into large chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
50 g butter
2 leeks white part only, finely sliced
2 small fennel bulbs, finely sliced and fronds reserved
200 g swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups hot chicken stock
1 cup cream
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons tarragon, chopped
1/2 cup parsley
375 g packet all butter puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten with a splash of water to provide an egg-wash

PREHEAT oven to 180 C.
SIFT flour, paprika, pepper and salt into a bowl.
ADD chicken and toss well. Shake off any excess flour.
HEAT oil and butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Fry chicken in batches until sealed and golden. Set aside on paper towels.
REDUCE heat to medium. Add leeks, fennel and garlic. Cook until soft and translucent.
ADD mushrooms. Sauté until golden. Add wine to de-glaze the pan.
ADD cream and stock. Simmer gently for 5 minutes until sauce thickens and reduces a little.
RETURN chicken to the pan with the peas. Cook for a minute or so.
REMOVE from heat. Stir in parsley, tarragon and reserved fennel fronds. Allow to cool.
CHECK seasoning. Spoon filling into 6 ceramic ramekins.
REMOVE the puff pastry from the refrigerator.  Sprinkle lightly with flour and roll to 1/2 cm thick. Using your ramekin as a guide, cut 6 circles that are a little wider than the rim.
BRUSH each lid with egg wash and place egg washed-side down onto the top of each filled ramekin. Cut a small steam vent in the middle of each pie.
BRUSH the top of the pastry with egg wash. Bake for 20 minutes or  until pastry is puffed and golden and filling hot and bubbling.
SERVE with a green salad.

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Frugal Feasting. Spaghetti with Lemon, Chilli, Garlic and Pangrattato

Posted on November 28, 2012 by thepaddingtonfoodie

I looked in my pantry this afternoon. Like Old Mother Hubbard, my cupboard was bare. My saving grace? Half a loaf of sour dough bread, some freshly laid free range eggs courtesy of Gil and Pat’s chooks and a packet of dry spaghetti. Looks like its spaghetti with pangrattato and a poached egg for dinner.

Pangrattato. Grated bread. Italian for breadcrumbs. Poor man’s Parmesan. Peasant food perhaps but crisp, light, crunchy and delicious. Necessity truly is the mother of invention. In Italy, in one of those times when the poor were getting poorer and they couldn’t afford their beloved Parmigiano Reggiano to sprinkle on their pasta, they would use bread crumbs fried in olive oil and garlic instead.

Here’s a very simple yet modern interpretation of pangrattato. Frugal feasting at its very best.

Spaghetti with Lemon, Chilli, Garlic and Pangrattato

Serves 4

1/2 small loaf wood-fired sour dough bread
150 ml extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons
4 cloves garlic, minced
400g spaghetti
1 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 fresh long red chilli, finely chopped

For the Pangrattato

PREHEAT oven to 180 C. Tear bread into bite sized chunks, place on a small tray, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, then toss to coat. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Cool. Pulse in food processor until toasted bread resembles coarse crumbs.

For the Pasta

FINELY grate lemon zest into a bowl.  Juice the lemons and add to the zest with finely minced garlic and the remaining olive oil.
COOK pasta in boiling salted water according to the instructions on the packet until al dente. Drain well, then toss with the oil mixture. Stir in the parsley, chilli and half the pangrattato.
SERVE with a freshly poached free range egg and a generous sprinkling of the remaining pangrattato.

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Festive Baking. Lemon Gingerbread Stained Glass Heart Cookies

Posted on November 27, 2012 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Mmm. Gingerbread. I like my gingerbread loaded with spices and scented with lemon. Each Christmas the girls and I design and bake a Gingerbread House. Madness I know. Its a tradition we started when they were little and shows no sign of waning. This year their hearts are set on having stained glass windows in their gingerbread houses. Great concept girls. Of course it falls to me to think of a way to make it work.

Here’s my test run. Adapting a traditional gingerbread recipe to make cookies instead. And sneaking in some lemon and cardamom to freshen up the spices a little bit. No way was I going to assemble a whole house this many weeks out to Christmas. Using crushed boiled lollies in the cut out centres creates a lovely stained glass effect as the cookies bake and the lollies melt. I must confess I didn’t have treacle in the pantry either and wasn’t in the mood to rush out and buy some so I used golden syrup instead.

The result?  A lighter but equally delicious gingerbread cookie. Pretty enough to hang as an ornament on the tree.

Lemon Gingerbread Stained Glass Heart Cookies

Makes 2 to 4 dozen cookies, depending on how large you make them.

175 g butter
1 cup (175 g) soft dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons of golden syrup or treacle
4 2/3 cups (700 g) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp ground cinnamon
zest and juice (about 50 ml) of 1 lemon
2 medium free-range eggs
2 packets of boiled sugar lollies  for the stained glass centres, I used Lifesaver Five Flavours

PREHEAT the oven to 180 C. Line four baking trays with baking paper.
REMOVE lolly wrappers and separate lollies by colour. Use a mallet to lightly  crush into pieces.
PLACE butter, brown sugar and golden syrup into a pan over a very low heat, stirring until the butter and sugar have melted. Set aside to cool.
MIX the flour, bicarbonate of soda, spices and lemon zest in a big bowl.
BEAT eggs in a separate bowl.
ADD the butter mixture, eggs and lemon juice to the flour. Mix well, then use your hands to bring the dough together.
SPRINKLE a little flour over a clean work surface and knead the dough for a few minutes until smooth.
DIVIDE the dough into 3 discs.
For each disc repeat the following:
PLACE disc  between two large sheets of baking paper and roll to 1/2 cm thickness.
STAMP out cookies with  the larger heart shaped cookie cutter.
TRANSFER stamped cookies to a lined baking tray, about 2 cm apart.
USING the smaller cookie cutter  cut hearts into the centre of the cookies. Place the smaller heart shaped cookies on a separate lined baking tray.
SPRINKLE the crushed lollies into the hollowed-out heart shaped centres of the cookies.
IF the cookies will be hung as ornaments or decorations, poke a small hole in the top of each cookie before baking.
BAKE for 9 to 10 minutes. The lolly centres should be melted and bubbling and the cookies just barely beginning to brown.
REMOVE the baking trays from the oven and place on wire racks to cool. Allow the cookies to cool on the trays for at least 10 minutes to allow the lolly centres to set.
WHEN the cookies are completely cooled, remove and store in an airtight container. String with ribbon if you want to hang as an ornament.

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Little Miss Sunshine. Flourless Orange and Almond Torte with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting, Turkish Delight, Pistachio and Rose Petals.

Posted on November 25, 2012 by thepaddingtonfoodie

This joyful cake is inspired by Alla Wolf-Tasker’s flourless orange cake at the wonderful Wombat Hill House Cafe in Daylesford, Victoria. I remember being thoroughly mesmerised by the breathtaking prettiness of a slice of that particular cake. So much so I just knew, then and there, that I would need to recreate it for my daughters’ birthday party. Here is that one slice of  gorgeousness that inspired a birthday torte.

This cake radiates sunshine and happiness. My version?  Lemon cream cheese frosting studded with jewels of turkish delight, pistachio and rose petal. Blanketing a luscious flourless orange and almond cake. Layer upon layer of sweet and punchy middle eastern flavours.

A recipe for a flourless orange and almond cake can de found in one of my earliest posts For Grace. A Taste of the Middle East. Flourless Orange and Almond Cake. In keeping with the gluten-free nature of the cake, I have assembled the torte using a gluten-free icing sugar mixture in my frosting.  All topped with a delicious gluten-free turkish delight.

Flourless Orange and Almond Torte with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting, Turkish Delight, Pistachio and Rose Petals.

1 Flourless Orange and Almond Cake

1 quantity Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

75 g lemon and rose flavoured turkish delight, preferably gluten-free.
2 tablespoons pistachios, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon dried rose petals, chemical free

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

60 g butter, softened
160 g Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
3 cups (480 g) gluten free icing sugar mixture

BEAT butter, cream cheese and lemon zest in a small bowl until light and fluffy. At least 5 minutes.
GRADUALLY beat in icing sugar, ensuring it is well incorporated.

To Assemble the Torte

PLACE cake on serving plate.
SPREAD cake all over with the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting. Use a palette knife for a smooth finish.
CUT turkish delight into slivers with kitchen scissors. Scatter over frosted cake.
FINISH with a good sprinkling of chopped pistachios and rose petals.

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