Nostalgic Vanilla Slice

Vanilla Slice was my dad's favourite bakery treat. When I was in primary school, on Wednesday afternoon dad would come to pick me up and we would go to the bakery and get sausages rolls and vanilla slices and then go to the park.

Dad would always bring along my dog, Scampy, who was allowed to eat the pastry crumbs. The park had two big ponds that my dad said were craters made by meteorites….though on reflection I'm sure they were made by the City Council.

We would eat, then walk around the ponds and look at the ducks and water fowl and turtles. There were even eels in the pond. The ponds had a bridge between them and a gazebo nearby. Around the edge were huge bullrushes and in the centre of the pond there was a little island where ducks would lay their eggs. Scampy sometimes became over excited and chased the ducks. One day she even fell into the water. Wednesdays were always the best afternoons.

Lately I've been craving vanilla slice. I didn't realise how nostalgic this sweet bakery-style treat was until I had my first bite for dessert tonight.


Vanilla Slice with Passionfruit Icing
2 sheets puff pastry
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence (* or 1 vanilla bean)
1 cup corn flour
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 cups thickened cream
3 egg yolks
35grams butter, cubed

Slightly thaw the puff pastry sheets, line a baking tray with one piece of baking paper, place one puff pastry sheet on the paper. Place another piece of baking paper on top of the puff pastry sheet. Top the second piece of baking paper with the other slice of puff pastry. Top this puff pastry sheet with another sheet of baking paper (yep, that's 3 sheets of baking paper, 2 sheets of puff pastry!) Then on top of it all place another baking tray to weigh it all down. Put this layered ensemble into a 180 degree oven and allow to cook until the pastry is just puffed and lightly brown.

Combine 1/2 cup of milk and the vanilla essence (*if you have vanilla bean, at this point, in place of the essence, pour the milk into a small saucepan cut the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into the milk then add the vanilla pod. Cook on a low heat for about 5 minutes, then discard the pod).

In a large saucepan combine the other 1/2 cup of milk, sugar and flour. Whisk until smooth. Add the milk and vanilla to the flour mixture and cook on medium heat on the stove.

Stir constantly and allow to simmer. The mixture will become very thick (it's kind of like scrambled eggs/béchamel). Remove from the heat when thickened. Mix in the egg yolks and butter.

While the mixture cools, assemble one of the cooked puff pastry sheets on the base of a deep dish (about the same size as the puff pastry sheet but cut to size if necessary). Top the puff pastry sheet with the egg mixture. Place the other puff pastry sheet on top and refrigerate.

Passionfruit Icing
2 tablespoons passionfruit pulp
1 cup icing sugar

Slowly add the passionfruit pulp to the icing sugar, stir after each addition until icing is spreadable and at desired consistency. Pour and spread icing over the top layer of puff pastry and refrigerate. If icing is too thick, add a little water or melted butter. 

Christmas 2014

It wouldn't be Christmas without an update from the kitchen. In the past I have embarked on quite elaborate Christmas projects (which might not look like much, but after 2 bottles of bubbles it was a real effort) but this year I decided to avoid disaster and go with something more low key…..of course it was still wrought with disaster but on a much smaller scale.



Armed with my very Merry Mojito, I decided my baking gifts this year would be in the form of balls (insert mandatory "hehehe"). The standard Rum Balls of course, but I added in Timtam Balls and Mars Bar Balls as well. I think the Rum Balls were my best ever, the Mars Bars Balls were pretty plain but the Timtam Balls…..hold the phone Santa! These were TO DIE FOR.




I've had a lot of chocolate over the past few weeks. My birthday comes just a little to close to the end of the school year and Christmas so between November and January I am basically forced to push my body to the brink of diabetes. Timtam Balls = worth it!

I wasn't sure how to present all the balls (hehehe) but came across these cute little boxes in a party shop. The fact that they match my personal favourite Christmas colours was an absolute bonus.

The final part of my Christmas baking was to provide desserts for the family. I went with my Chocolate Mint Tart, Passionfruit & Mango Trifle and a standard Pavolva.

Merry Christmas! 

Chicken, Bacon & Corn Salad

Summery salads have been a bit of a thing in my kitchen lately. I'm loving this one. It's a salad that certainly doesn't leave me hungry and the honey mustard dressing is to die for. 

Chicken, Bacon & Corn Salad

1/2 cup frozen corn

mixed lettuce leaves

4 bacon rashers

chicken, cooked and shredded 

1 avocado, sliced

coriander to garnish

Cook corn in a frying pan until lightly toasted. Remove from pan and allow to cool. Dice bacon and cook in frying pan. While cooking make the dressing. When cooked, allow to cool then combine and toss all ingredients.

Dressing

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon lime juice

olive oil

In a small bowl, add mustard, honey and lime juice, whisk until creamy. Slowly add olive oil while whisking, keep adding olive oil until dressing is at desired thickness, taste and quantity (don't add more than 1/4 cup or other flavours will be lost)

Baked Chocolate Cheesecake

The smooth combination of white and milk chocolate cream on a dark chocolate base makes this a deliciously rich and sweet dessert.

Baked Chocolate Cheesecake
Base
250g chocolate ripple biscuits
70g melted butter
Filling
2 x 250g cream cheese
1 cup thickened cream - divided into 1/2 cup and two 1/4cups
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
180g milk chocolate
100g white chocolate

To make the base, blend the biscuits in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. Mix in the melted butter then press into the base of a spring-form pan and refrigerate while making the filling.

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.

For the filling: in a mixer combine the cream cheese, 1/2 cup of thickened cream, caster sugar and vanilla. Mix until light and smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Divide the mixture between two bowls.

Place the milk chocolate and 1/4 cup of thickened cream into a heatproof bowl and melt over a saucepan over simmering water. Once melted allow to cool then combine with one of the cream cheese mixtures. Pour over the base and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

While cooking make the white chocolate layer. Place the white chocolate and 1/4 cup of thickened cream into a heatproof bowl and melt over a saucepan over simmering water. Once melted allow to cool then combine with the other cream cheese mixture.

Remove milk chocolate cheesecake from the oven and pour white chocolate cream cheese mixture over the milk chocolate layer. Return to the oven for a further 20 minutes.

Allow the cheesecake to cool and then set in the fridge over night.

Bircher Muesli

Do you like breakfast? I have a love hate relationship with this morning meal. I despise cereal. I get bread guilts with toast. I'm finicky about eggs and bacon. I'm fussy about pancake toppings. Breakfast is a tricky thing.

I was one of those kids that took 45 minutes to eat one piece of toast and then spent the morning being lectured by mum about being late and wasting time. Stupid breakfast, getting me in trouble. In a bid to get me out the door in time each morning, mum forced boxed cereal down my throat (mostly in the form of Weetbix and Cornflakes). Child Me thought cereal was just tasteless mush. Adult Me thinks cereal is sugar fill expensive mush. I went through the liquid breakfast phase. Adult Me shakes my head pitifully at this, again such a waste of money and so much senseless sugar consumption.

So what's the solution? My perfect world? Eat banana bread for every breakfast! Reality: variety. I try to pre-plan all of my breakfasts. If I have variety I actually have something to look forward to instead of the same old box of expensive sugar coated processed grains.

While I hate cereal I LOVE oats. Porridge is my winter love. Bircher Muesli is the summer version. This is the perfect pre-plan breakfast because, to get the full flavour and texture development, it needs to sit in the fridge overnight. It is lovely with some dried fruit and seeds mixed through or topped with fresh fruit and honey.

Bircher Muesli
1 cup yoghurt
1/2 cup wholegrain oats
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 apple, grated
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
sprinkle nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight. Simple, easy breakfast is done!

Banana Bread for Two

Banana Bread For Two
My Banana Bread love affair has been documented in the past (and even past-er past) and honestly I am a little ashamed of this recipe. To me, banana bread is one of those things that there should be more of, not limited "for one" (or in this case "for two") portion sizes. Actually, that's how I feel about most food.

Anyway, this came about due to the fact that my poor body becomes a trash compactor on the weekend. I seem to fill my weekdays with smoothies, nuts and vegetables but in contrast, on the weekend, I am transformed into a sugar guzzling, carb craving maniac. I spend the majority of my weekends in stretchy pants and an awful mood brought about by a combination of sugar-crash and food guilt.

Enter portion control and a perfectly sized banana bread for a normal sized breakfast with a reasonable amount of sugar.

Banana Bread for Two
3 tablespoons wholemeal flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 egg, whisked
1 banana, mashed
1 tablespoon butter, melted
scattering of chopped walnuts
splash of milk (if necessary)

Pre-head the oven to 180s degrees.
Combine all the ingredients and spoon mixture into muffin or loaf pans.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until browned and cooked through.
Serve topped with yoghurt or ricotta, honey and more walnuts.

Prawn Chop Salad

Prawn Chop Salad
I'm really becoming an advocate of the spring/summer salad trend. It's a bit new for us as my husband has so frequently booed salads off our menu but he's somehow become more open minded and accepting of leaves for dinner.

This one was especially popular as he is a huge fan of prawns. I am not such a huge fan of prawns….or any seafood for that matter (see the fish taco saga of Hawaii) so this was a gamble for me from the very beginning. It worked out surprisingly well and was a quick and tasty weeknight dinner.

Prawn Chop Salad
Prawns
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
prawns
1 tablespoon butter

Melt butter in a frying pan. Add prawns and spices. Cook until prawns are golden in colour.

Salad
Avocado, sliced
Chopped baby spinach leaves
Chopped coriander leaves
1 zucchini, shredded
toasted peanuts

Combine all ingredients.

Dressing
1/4 teaspoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
sprinkle salt

Combine all ingredients.

Assemble prawns and salad components into sections of a serving bowl. Top with dressing when ready to serve.