Frances makes Nigella's macaroons

November 11, 2011

These turned out pretty good - firm on the outside and chewy on the inside.

Preheat the oven to 200 C.

In a bowl mix together:
200g ground almonds
1 cup of caster sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamon
2 egg whites

You can use a mixer but just a fork or spoon does fine. My paste was a bit gloopy so I added some rice flour. Drop teaspoon fulls onto a greased baking sheet. Leave room for spreading. Press a blanched or sliver of almond on the top of each macaroon, bake for 10 minutes.
Thanks to Sarah M for Nigella's recipe.

 

 

 

Coconut shortbread by Frances

November 4, 2011

Makes 18
1 c all-purpose flour
¼ c rice flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 c granulated sugar
¼ c desiccated coconut
½ c/125 g chilled unsalted butter cut into pieces (I used olive oil spread)
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp almond extract (didn’t have any)

Preheat oven to 180C and lightly butter a baking sheet or line sheet with baking paper.
Sift together flours, salt and sugar into a bowl, then sift together into another bowl. Add coconut and butter and mix in until crumbly. Add the extr...


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Frances makes Alessandra’s balsamic onion bread

October 18, 2011

This made a yummy half-time snack during the All Blacks’ whipping of the Wallabies in the RWC semifinal (20-6)!

It comes from Alessandra Zecchini’s book Savour.


Dough
250 ml warm water
2 1/2 tsp active yeast granules
1/4 tsp sugar
500 g high-grade flour
pinch salt


Filling
1 med red onion
20 g butter
pinch salt
1 tsp Aceto Balsamic di Modena (aged 12 yrs, if you have it)
1 tsp sugar (to add if you are not using real balsamico)


Put warm water, yeast and sugar in large bowl, and set as...


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Frances’s cheese straws

October 17, 2011


I had a strange hankering for good ol' cheese straws tonight. That crunchy, cheesy, salty hit. Also it's my turn for the office morning tea so I'm serving these plus a date loaf.


2 cups all-purpose flour (I used spelt and white)

2 cups grated cheese

3/4 cup butter or butter substitute (about 180g)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Grease or line a baking sheet with ...

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Anna’s chocolate and coffee cream puffs

October 17, 2011


Choux pastry

½ c flour
pinch salt
55 g butter
½ c boiling water
2 eggs

Glossy chocolate icing
115 g icing sugar

55 g dark chocolate
1 tbs boiling water


Preheat oven to 220 C, line baking tray with baking paper and dust with flour. Sift flour and salt onto piece of waxed paper.
Put butter in a saucepan over low heat and pour on the boiling water. As soon as its melted, remove from heat and tip in all the sifted flour and salt.

Beat with wooden spoon until smooth, then ret...


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Frances's gluten-free vegan date loaf

October 10, 2011

No eggs, no wheat but still tastes great. The brown sugar and dates caramelised.
I found this recipe on bestrecipes.com.au that doesn’t use eggs.

1 c chopped dates
2/3 c brown sugar or even less
60 g dairy free spread or butter

1 c boiling water
1 and 3/4 c gluten-free flour

1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb of soda

2 tsp vanilla essence

You could also add chopped walnuts and ginger if you're feeling spicy.

Put dates and sugar in bowl then add margarine. Pour in boiling water, stirring until ma...


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Steve and Emily's stuffed bread

October 9, 2011

Steve and Emily made this for Ginny's indoor birthday picnic - deeelishis!
Emily says: The dough is a really simple bread I make all the time for pizza and flat bread and stuffed bread. It has quite a lot of yeast and sugar so it rises fast which is good because we always seem to be in a hurry.

Bread dough
4 cups high grade or strong flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup warm water 
1 tbsp active yeast
1 tbsp sugar

Dissolve sugar and yeast in water and leave until frothy. Mix into flour and add more...

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Frances's childhood chocolate slice

October 5, 2011

This slice reminds me of my childhood, making it with my cousin Suzanne. A hit with the kids - and adults.

base:
2 c self-raising flour
3/4 c sugar
2 c dessicated coconut
2 tbs cocoa
250 g melted butter

icing:
1 c icing sugar
2 tbs cocoa
75 g butter or margarine
2 tbs hot water
I also added some lemon juice, you could also add few drops of peppermint.

Mix together all base ingredients until well combined. Press into slice tin. Bake for 20 min at 180 C. Remove from oven and let cool a little. Make chocolat...
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Frances's pear & pecan tart and spinach & cheese pinwheels

October 3, 2011


I have an music video edit session going on in our dining room – what can I feed two hungry media types? Pre-rolled puff pastry to the rescue! Only three sheets left so I made one pear and pecan tart and some spinach and cheese pinwheels.

For pear and pecan tart: peel 3 pears, cut into slices and toss with handful of pecans, some brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger. Spread evenly over pastry sheet, folding up the edges. Baste with some melted honey; you could also brush...


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Ginny's chocolate apple cake

October 1, 2011

Rich and spicy cake for any occasion!

2 21/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
4 tsb cocoa powder (more if you want it richer chocolatey)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 c butter
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/2 c water
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups soft brown sugar
2 cups apple (peeled and grated)
1 cup chocolate chips, chunks (dark!)


heat oven to 160C
cream butter and sugar in a mixer (or beating), then add eggs, then oil and water and vanilla (it''l be really liquid
sieve together: flour, cocoa, baking ...
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WELCOME 2 BAKE CLUB -
MAY THE CAKE B WITH U

EST. 2010

Frances C loves to bake. She's also a freelance editor and DJ. She shares some of her adventures, culinary or otherwise, on Instagram.


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