Sunday, July 17, 2011

Profiterole Cake


Choux Pastry
60g butter
2/3 cold water
2/3 flour (plain)
3 eggs beaten lightly

Combine butter and water in a saucepan over a medium heat.  Melt butter for about 3 minutes untill mixture is just boiling.
Reduce heat to low add flour and stir over low heat for about 3 minutes untill the mixture comes away from the sides of the saucepan and forms a ball.

Let mixture cool for about 5 minutes.  Reserve 2 teaspoons of beaten egg in a cup. 
Add rest of the eggs to the slightly cooled mixture.  Beat with a wooden spoon untill mixture forms a glossy dough and drops from the spoon.

Pre-heat oven to 220deg C.
Line two trays and drop level tablespoons of mixture onto the tray about 6cm apart.
Place tray into the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes then remove cut a small slit onto the bottom of the balls and put them back on the tray upside down.
Place tray back into an mod oven (180) for about 5 minuted to try out the middle.
Cool on tray.
Repeat for the second tray.

The middle of the Profiteroles can be filled with a thick custard, cream, melted choc.  Today I used choc spread and cream.  I piped warmed choc hazelnut spreat into half of the ball and then filled the rest with vanilla cream.
Once they are all filled place them onto a serving platter and drizzle with chocolate sauce. I then drizzled toffee over the top just cause I felt like it.

Easy Chocolate Sauce

100g milk chocolate (I use the coles brand of eating chocolate for baking)
100g dark chocolate
1/2 cup thickened cream

Place chocolate pieces and cream into a microwave bowl and zap for 1 to 2 minutes on medium heat untill chocolate has melted and smooth.  Stiring regually.

Put aside for about 15 minutes untill mixture has cooled and thickened.



Monday, July 4, 2011

Vanilla Ice-cream

Vanilla Ice-Cream


1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups thickened cream
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (or vanilla paste)
4 egg yolks
110g sugar

Heat milk, cream and vanilla in a saucepan until almost boiling,
In a large bowl whisk yolks and sugar until well combined.
Whisk milk mixture into egg mixture.
Poor egg mixture back into saucepan and stir on low heat until mixture thickens
and coats the back of your spoon. 
Poor into bowl (stainless steel works well) and cool.


Once cool put mixture into fridge and chill for a few hours.
Then pour into ice-cream maker and make manufactures instruction.

If you do not have a an ice-cream maker beat mixture and put in freezer, do this every 15 min until it is the right consistency.

If you wish to add anything to your ice-cream such as lollies, crunchy bars, choc chops add it now then put it in a container in the freezer.

I use the left over egg whites to make Meringue.

Meringues


4 egg whites
240g caster sugar
1/2 teasp vanilla extract
100 & 1000's

Pre-heat oven to 150deg C.  Line two baking trays.
Beat egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form, gradually add sugar little at a time.
Make sure sugar has dissolved between additions beat in vanilla (add colour now if you want to colour the meringues)
This has been coloured pink
Place Meringue into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.  Pipe onto the baking trays sprinkle 100's and 1000's.

 Miss 8 piping Meringues

Bake for about 45 minutes.  Turn oven off, leave the door slightly ajar and allow the meringues to cool completely in the oven.
Store in an airtight container.

I usually make these to use up the left over egg whites I have left over after making Vanilla Ice Cream.
These are great for a quick Dessert crush them up with yogurt or ice-cream and, fruit.  Also great on top of Sundays or banana splits.
This is an easy recipe for kids.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Cheesy Puff Triangles

These are very quick and easy and a great way to use up left overs.  I had left over bacon, spinach and a block of feta cheese that I had to use by Wednesday.  They are also a kid fav my 5 year old who does not eat cheese or veggies eats these.

This recipe can be changed to suit your tastes and what you have in the fridge.
I packet of feta or ricotta cheese.
a hand full of grated tasty cheese.
1 egg
Bacon chopped
Baby spinach chopped
Puff pastry (I find 2 sheets is a good size of my family of 5)

Method
Take puff pastry (or filo) out of freezer and leave on bench to defrost, line baking tray with baking paper.
Fry bacon and add chopped spinach and cook till spinach just wilts. (you don't have to do this but I like my bacon crispy, if using left over cooked chicken or ham you don't need to do this step)
Mix cheeses and egg together then add bacon/spinach to the cheese mixture.


Leave to cool.
Cut Pastry into 4 squares (8 if you want little ones for appetizers)



Put a spoonful of mixture into the middle of each squares and fold the square in half to make a triangle press edges together well. Brush with a small amount of milk and bake in a mod over until golden brown.




I have made veg only ones, mushroom, chicken and asparagus, ham, pizza.