Chocolate Swirl Ciambella

Recipe

❤ Chocolate Swirl Ciambella  

Easter Inspiration Week is here! And I can’t wait any longer to hatch my Easter treats.  First up - Chocolate Swirl Cake - adapted from a recipe by Anna Burki. Anna owns Brisbane’s landmark Pasta Manufacturer, Pasta al Dente, in West End for over 34 years.  She comes from the fairytale town of Alberobello in Puglia, Southern Italy. This cake is perfect for family and friends dropping in for a cuppa over the Easter long weekend. No fancy icing or fuss required.

Ingredients

250 grams caster sugar

300 grams self raising flour

200 grams unsalted butter, melted 

4 free range eggs, beaten well

½ cup full cream milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons cocoa &/OR  if making this after Easter use any left over Easter Eggs chopped up

finely grated zest of 2 oranges 

2 tablespoons of Boronia Marsala, a sweet fortified wine rich and creamy, not expensive and available from most bottle shops 

Method + Top Tips

Preheat oven to moderate 180°C (350°F). Grease and flour two small baba tins or one large baba tin (also known as kugelhopf with a hole in the centre).

Melt butter gently on the stovetop and allow to cool a little.

Beat eggs with an electric mixer.  Add sugar, vanilla, milk, butter, marsala and orange zest and mix until combined.  Add sifted flour and stir to combine with a large metal spoon. 

Pour ⅓ of the mixture into a separate bowl and add cocoa. Stir well to mix in. You may need a touch more milk added for consistency. Pour ½ of the original vanilla cake mix into the tin. Pour cocoa cake mix on top of this layer. Then finish with a layer of the remaining vanilla cake mix. e.g 3 layers - vanilla, choc, vanilla

Bake small cakes for approximately 30 mins and large cake for approximately 50 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly.

Place on wire rack to cool. Turn out of tin when cooled and dust with icing sugar or cocoa, as you prefer. Serve with whipped cream or mascarpone if desired.

Seasonal Jotting

 What a great time of year. Perfect outdoor weather. Spring in the Northern Hemisphere & Autumn in the Southern, this change of season makes me feel revitalised and fortunate in so many ways. 

Easter at Weka Weka means the citrus trees are loaded with new fruit, just waiting for the cold weather. We can finally bring some firewood inside the old Queenslander. Frosty nights won’t be too far away.

Freshly laid sugar cane mulch in the Orchard will keep up the moisture over our dry, sunny Winter.  And hopefully stop those pesty weeds.  The paddock is still lush and the lawn has finally stopped growing while we watch it. Mudgeeraba Creek is flowing fast and if we stop long enough on the edge a local platypus might pop up. The cold spring water running down from Springbrook Mountain is very refreshing. The snakes must have gone into hibernation. I didn’t even meet our resident carpet python this past Summer. 

The veggie patch is happy to farewell Summer and grateful for all the beautiful rain we’ve received. The baby cherry tomatoes, chillies and last of the passionfruit are delightful. I made a batch of Passionfruit Curd and Sweet Tomato Relish for the MFK Preserves Club today, both incredibly fragrant. Preserving is the best kind of therapy.

Update on March 30, 2012 by Susie

A reader asked via email about chocolate icing for this one.  I would suggest drizzling it over after cooling and chilling abit. This way the icing clings on and makes perfect drips too - very pretty.  Just a basic Choc Icing is best in this case - 2 cups (300g) of sifted icing sugar with ⅓ cup sifted cocoa powder (40g) and 2 tablespoons of boiling water - all stirred until smooth.

If you wish to swirl the cake mixture in the tin with a knife for a more marbled vanilla/choc effect that's great too.

mum's simple apple strudel

Recipe

❤ Mum’s Simple Apple Strudel

This one is all the evidence you need to prove a beautiful dessert doesn’t have to be time consuming, expensive or difficult. Pop it in the oven when you sit down to dinner - then enjoy a fragrant classic dessert 30 minutes later. 

My Mum uses a 400 gram tin of Pie Fruit Sliced Apples. I shouldn’t mess with her lovely recipe but I do prefer using freshly grated apple instead of tinned. This way you get to choose your own just picked variety at your local Farmers or Fruit Market. Today I’ve used Mutsu apples, just picked by Iventure Orchards in Cottonvale north of Stanthorpe. I bought them on Saturday morning at Palm Beach Farmers Markets.  I also like to add in some currants, citrus peel, glace cherries and extra spice. Sorry Mum! 

Ingredients

2 large or 3 medium green apples (variety of your choice - Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Mutsu or similar), coarsely grated   

OR 

1 x 400 gram tin of Pie Fruit Sliced Apples (perhaps use the tinned variety when the best of your local fresh apples have finished)

60 grams sultanas

30 grams flaked almonds + a dozen extra flakes for decorating

60 grams currants (optional)

30 grams citrus peel, chopped finely (optional)

30 grams red glace cherries, chopped finely (optional) 

½ cup caster sugar + 1 tablespoon extra for sprinkling

¼ teaspoon each of cinnamon, mixed spice and nutmeg

juice and zest of 1 lemon

6 sheets of Filo Pastry 

100 grams butter, melted for brushing

Method + Tips

Buy the freshest apples in season you can find

Take the Filo Pastry from the freezer and allow to defrost for at least 10 minutes. 

Preheat oven to moderately slow 170°C/150°C fan-forced (325°F) & line your baking tray with baking paper.

To make the Filling - Grate apples coarsely with skin on and put in a medium sized bowl.  Add sultanas, currants, almonds, citrus peel, cherries, sugar, spices, lemon rind and lemon juice. Stir all together to coat well.  Leave to sit for as long as you like, cover on the bench top with a tea towel.  If you like you can make this filling mix in the morning or day before even and pop it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.

When ready to assemble the strudel, strain the juice from the filling mix by pushing it with the back of a spoon through a colander. Retain the juice in a bowl underneath the colander so you can use it later if desired.

Remove Filo from its packaging.  Dampen a large clean tea towel and lie out flat on the bench, ready to place filo sheets on.  Take filo sheets, no need to separate them at this stage, and lie on ½ of the damp tea towel. Cover sheets over with the other ½ to prevent filo from drying out.  Melt butter on stovetop or microwave for 15 seconds.

Take first filo sheet and lay flat onto the baking paper on the prepared baking tray. Brush filo lightly with melted butter - especially around the edges.  Place a second layer of filo exactly on top of the first and brush lightly with butter again.  Continue this until you have 5 or 6 filo layers in a neat pile. 

Place filling in a long log along the length of the filo layers, leaving about 1cm from each end. Roll bottom layer over the log to cover and seal pastry edges with buttered pastry brush.  Your strudel will be approximately 4cm/9inch wide when finished.  Take top pastry layer and fold back on top of the bottom layer to close. (A bit like making a sausage roll) Turn in sides and brush all edges & top lightly to seal and help browning.

Sprinkle caster sugar along the top.  Arrange extra almonds on top in a flower-like pattern. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Serve warm with vanilla ice-cream.  Drizzle reserved juice from the filling mixture over ice-cream or strudel or both.  Dust strudel with sifted icing sugar if desired. Devour with friends or family.

Note: This same filling can also be used to fill shortcrust pastry cases to make easy French Apple Tartlets.  Also can be added to your muffin mixture. Tip: Avoid using puff pastry for strudel, filo is far superior for this dish. Good quality deli bought puff pastry is best.

Seasonal Jotting

Apples are harvested in all Australian States, with Victoria being our biggest producer. Our Aussie growers are so proud and respectful of their land - a superb environment for production that is free from the world’s worst pests, diseases and pollution. They certainly risk the elements, up against frost, hail and most recently the worst drought seen in several generations.

The majority of our Australian apple varieties are maturing NOW in Autumn. However newer hybrid varieties mean we can still buy fresh apples over a much longer period of time. Some growers are also trialling crops of old variety heritage apples and pears, are embracing organic farming and committing to the process of becoming BFA certified.(Biological Farmers of Australia)

A few weeks ago I mentioned our trip to the Stanthorpe Apple and Grape Harvest Festival. Stanthorpe is Queensland’s top pear, apple and grape growing region and well worth the drive.  Some farms in the area also produce figs, raspberries, strawberries, plums, blackberries, zucchinis, beans, cherry tomatoes, egg tomatoes, rhubarb and cherries. 

End result - baking inspiration overload! What to make; Apple Tea Cake, rich Apple Tart, Apple Charlotte, German Apple Cake, Torta di Mela (Italian Apple Cake) , Tarte Tatin - all fabulous dishes with fresh Aussie apples. Not to mention classics such as Baked Apples and Apple Crumble.  

In my revered cooking bible “The Schauer Australian Cookery Book”  Amy Schauer gives us 57 apple recipes to choose from! Perhaps we should just start at the very beginning. The original apple is claimed to be “the crabapple”. Perhaps plonk ourselves under that most glorious of trees and let life go by.  At least until afternoon tea time.

Deep Pink Crabapple Tree Flower in Spring

Update on March 20, 2012 by Susie

Autumn Apple Update from Iventure Orchards - "Great recipe & pictures. Unfortunately the Mutsu season for us is basically over (we only have a few trees of them), but we will have one of the parents, Golden Delicious on sale for the next few weeks. Other great cooking apples we can recommend to you are the Jonathan (yes, a red apple but wonderful flavour and my mum's favourite cooking apple for pies and crumbles), the Sundowner (available from late May), Lady Williams and of course Granny Smiths are always a sure bet for cooking as well.

Interestingly, other than the Jonathan, there are interfamilial relationships between all these apples..The Mutsu is half Golden Delicious as are both the Sundowner and the Pink Lady..the other parent of both of these is the Lady Williams....which itself is half Granny Smith!"

Update on March 21, 2012 by Susie

Another quick follow-up - this time from my lovely Mum.  I could almost hear it before the words were spoken...

"I think your addition of even a small amount of currants, rind and glace cherries makes the strudel taste more like XMAS Pudding than my traditional Apple Strudel. I'd keep to the pie apples with sultanas, almonds, lemon and cinnamon only." 

Mother/Daughter honesty, priceless! Thanks Mum for all your feedback. 

Gotta run before I'm tempted to write something like... 'do exactly as you wish lovely readers' OR 'let the apples be the hero of the dish' - in overdone My Kitchen Rules speak!  Susie

p.s a reader had a question about Australian puff pastry brands. Can't tell you which ones NOT to use but I do love  Careme Pastry if I'm not making my own.  Just click on the link for your local stockist. 

backyard basil pesto

Recipe

 ❤ Genovese Pesto Sauce

Mary Mary Quite Contrary, how does your basil grow?  My basil is happier than it’s been for months. After all that beautiful rain we were working like crazy at Weka Weka today. An overloaded ute of sugar cane mulch to spread and every weed variety known to mankind trying to spoil our fun.  A new plot of basil, only planted four weeks ago has me running for the deli tomorrow - a big block of Parmesan and bag of pine nuts please! Check out the rows of cultivated basil in Liguria, Italy.  And I thought ours at Weka was a bit special. Pesto anyone?

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with back of a chefs knife

50 grams pine nuts, macadamia nuts or walnuts (whichever you prefer)

120 grams freshly picked basil, stems removed (also try it with rocket if you like)

150-180 ml good quality extra virgin Olive Oil

50 grams Parmesan (Grano Padano or Reggiano) or Pecorino finely grated, plus extra shaved to serve 

Note: This makes enough pesto for a small batch ie. enough for generous serving of four pasta meals. Lovely also served with green beans and baby potatoes sliced thinly. You can easily double or triple this recipe.

Method + Tips 

Put garlic and nuts in a chopper/food processor and process until well ground. If you prefer using the traditional mortar & pestle that’s great too. Add in basil leaves and olive oil, a little at a time while still processing or pounding. When you have a thick puree stop adding the olive oil. Mix though finely grated Parmesan until well combined. Good Parmesan cheese is naturally salty so taste for seasoning before adding any extra salt.  

Cook pasta until al dente. Always reserve a little of the pasta cooking water. Henri & Anna Burke at Pasta al Dente West End have been making Queensland’s finest fresh pasta for 34 years. Alternatively try the pasta maker at your local weekend Farmers Markets or buy Barilla packet pasta Trenette or Spaghetti.

Return pasta to the pan, add cooked vegetables (optional), dollop pesto over pasta and mix well, using a little of the reserved water if necessary. Top with extra shaved parmesan & enjoy immediately. 

Tip: Always cover leftover pesto sauce in the jar with a thin film of olive oil on top to prevent oxidising and turning brown. Refrigerate until next time.

Seasonal Jotting

Pesto Sauce is the perfect gourmet solution to a bumper basil crop, either at home, next door at your neighbours or your local fruit shop. If you don’t have your own basil growing in a pot or your back garden - plant some very soon, before the weather cools down. 

InSeason Gourmet on the Gold Coast make an excellent feta & basil and feta & rocket pesto you’ll love, plus fab pita crisps, dips and spreads - stocked at good delis. 

A bowl of hot spaghetti tossed with fresh pesto & shaved parmesan is tonights dinner so easily taken care of. I’ll never forget a cheap & very cheerful youth hostel in Genova.  My bed for the night after a long and spectacular walk through the five coastal towns known as ‘Cinque Terre’.  Eating pesto in its traditional home of Liguria is a real treat.

Better yet, the satisfaction of making your own to the traditional recipe and perhaps even using our local macadamias instead of imported pine nuts. Always use the best quality extra Virgin Olive Oil you can afford. I buy local whenever possible - in this instance from Cominos Olive Groves in the Darling Downs.  Buon appetito.

giant freshwater crayfish

Seasonal Jotting

No one can dispute we are blessed in Queensland with superb local seafood. Queenslanders cook and plate up seafood very well at home. We are also spoilt with an abundant number of exceptional seafood restaurants across the State. Moreton Bay Bugs, Sand Crabs, King Prawns, fantastic local whiting, Pearl Perch, Barramundi ... just to name a ½ dozen. 

My Dad is and always has been the biggest seafood fanatic I know. It’s no wonder his oldest friend is Michael Gambaro - a name synonymous with Queensland seafood since 1953.  

I’ve lots of lovely seafood recipes I can’t wait to share with you. I’ll throw in a couple of classic Roman & Sardinian ones too from my nostalgic Italian longings. 

Until then, the reason for this posting was simply to share a couple of happy snaps my Mum took on a recent trip to Tasmania.  Perhaps a generous food blogger down there might like to share their ‘secret’ cray recipe with us.  

We are so proud of our Aussie produce - from our farms and the sea. Do you ever worry that species like this magnificent cray, the largest of its type in the world, might be lost forever one day? 

State boundaries and current ‘My Kitchen Rules’  rivalry aside, I’ll let the pics do the talking. 

Perhaps there are two Queenslanders tonight, wishing they hadn’t done so much talking this week?! Good luck tonight Peter & Gary on MKR.

 

Sweet Country Tomato Relish

Recipe

I’m thrilled to share this recipe with you. I can’t give credit where credit is due as I don’t know the lady who passed it on to me.

Seven years ago I started this baking and bottling adventure with a roadside stall. One hot Sunday, under the shade of my market umbrella (the local rainforest), a virtual stranger kindly shared her family’s best country preserve recipes. A terrific Mango Chutney and this wonderful Sweet Tomato Relish were two of them. They are still the simplest and best relish recipes I’ve come across. Bottle some soon - before the last of the peak summer tomatoes finish. This batch will delight you right through Winter.

❤ Sweet Country Tomato Relish

Ingredients

1.5KG (3lb) Ripe Tomatoes                       

¼ cup salt

500gram (1lb) Onions                      

Water

2 cups Brown Malt Vinegar            

2 cups Brown Sugar

1 tablespoon Curry Powder

2 teaspoons Dry Mustard Powder

¼ cup Cornflour

¼ cup Brown Vinegar (extra) 

½ teaspoon each of ground Nutmeg, Pepper, Cinnamon & Ginger

Method + Top Tips

Score the tops of tomatoes with a sharp knife to help loosen skins. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water. Allow to cool a little and remove skins. If you prefer your relish chunky with skins on, then don’t worry about this process. 

Thick slice tomatoes into a large plastic bowl. Peel & chop onions into small slices and add to the bowl of tomatoes. Cover with water, sprinkle with salt, mix through lightly and cover bowl. Stand overnight. 

The next day, drain all the liquid from the tomatoes and onions. Place in a large saucepan with the brown malt vinegar added. Bring to the boil uncovered.  

Add brown sugar & stir over low heat until sugar has fully dissolved.

Meanwhile, combine curry powder, mustard & cornflour, gradually adding extra vinegar to mix until smooth & lump free. Remove pan from heat & add cornflour/mustard mixture slowly, stirring until combined. 

Return pan to heat and stir until mixture comes to the boil.  Leave uncovered to cook for 35-40 minutes or until mixture thickens. 

Add spices five minutes before the end of cooking & mix in well. 

Stir frequently during cooking and pour into hot sterilised jars and seal immediately. Makes approximately 1½ litres (6 cups). Recipe can easily be doubled if you have a big jam pot.

Other tips: Sterilise jars in your dishwasher on its hottest setting to save time. Always use a large stainless steel, heavy based preserving pan. Never try to make relish or jam in a pot that’s too small.  Lightly butter the preserving pan before starting. Use a long handled wooden spoon for stirring.

During a hot Aussie Summer wait for a cooler than usual evening, a thunderstorm or the odd rainy day!  Preserving should be a labour of love that’s fun - don’t even think about turning on the cooktop during the peak of a Summers day.  The fun quickly expires. Have a good stainless steel jug for pouring out relish. Have your clean lids ready for immediate sealing. Use your largest, hottest gas burner for effective, speedy setting of relish and jams.

Seasonal Jotting

We grow a small quantity of tomatoes at the farm. Growing your own is so satisfying - however don’t you also love the produce of an experienced, specialist farmer. One who ignites passion for their crop - so much so that you can clearly see, hear and taste it. 

Like many of us in well populated areas on the East Coast of Australia, I’m spoilt here for choice when it comes to weekend Farmers Markets. Our closest are at Palm Beach , Mudgeeraba and Miami Organic Growers Market. Over the border in nearby Northern NSW the choice gets even bigger.

We seem more than happy to pay a bit extra for genuine farm produce - Lockyer Valley tomatoes and potatoes, Bayside berries, local herbs and greens, Stanthorpe apples and pears ...all the seasonal pickings.  Because we can tell at first sight this produce has a local farm story behind it. Not an import carton.

Just one example is Peter Sutton and his wife Carmel. They make the ordinary tomato extraordinary and visit several farmers markets around SEQ. They grow heritage tomatoes in the Lockyer Valley near Gatton. Peter used to be a dairy farmer and grape grower.  Now they grow several types of old tomato on the grape trellises. Their tomatoes come in all shapes, colours, sizes and flavours - ranging from green to yellow, pink, purple and even black.

I often buy a colourful mixed punnet and reserve these special beauties for a salad, bruschetta, margherita pizza or seafood pasta dish with lashings of local garlic & freshly picked parsley.

In the height of the season, I use the bigger toms (most often the Roma variety) to make double batches of the tomato relish above. This way we’ve got enough relish to use with cold meats, sausage rolls, chicken pie, burgers, frittata and any dish calling for a pretty side of preserved relish. With plenty left to give away.