Jaffa Cheesecake for Father's Day

My very savvy grandfather purchased a unit at Burleigh on the Gold Coast back in the 70s, before the Gold Coast had really become the place to be. Since then that unit has become the gathering point for our whole family and I can remember many happy christmases with aunts and uncles and my 4 cousins. Now we are all grown up and between us my cousins and I have 6 kids of our own.

This past father's day we all (18 of us) gathered again at the park over the road from our grandparent's unit (and right next to the beach). It was N's first father's day and a really special day all round.

Being the cheesecake queen I of course made a cheesecake to share. N wanted a jaffa cheesecake (choc-orange) and I was happy to oblige. I started with Dorie's Tall and Creamy Cheesecake and added the zest and juice of 1 orange to the filling, a chocolate biscuit base and decorated with whipped cream and jaffas. I totally forgot to take any pics on the day so I dressed up the mini I made with the leftovers. Yum!

I am such a fan of this particular recipe. Despite loads of cream cheese (4 packs!) it makes a soft, fluffy and somehow light cheesecake that doesn't weigh you down.

And for the all-important father's day pressie ...

Oscar and I had a fun afternoon at Inky Feet where we ended up with some lovely keepsakes including mugs, wall tiles and a clock. Lucky we didn't leave it any later than 3 months because his feet would have been too big. They only just made it as it was! Grandpa got a mug with red feet and they were each filled to the brim with homemade Espresso Chocolate Truffles.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Chocolate Souffle

Is it just me or is it really hard to photograph a souffle?? Nevermind, this was my first time making one and I'm more excited by the fact that it actually worked!

Souffles have always seemed really daunting and the sort of thing you would only ever order in a restaurant. I made a half recipe and that gave us 4 good servings. It puffed up beautifully but I think it would have looked more souffle-ish if I had collared the dish. Next time.

The taste test ...

Yum! Light, sweet, intensely chocolatey and definitely moreish. Next time I will try individual souffles and now that I have mastered the technique I would love to try a savoury version as well. Watch this space!

Thanks to Susan of She's Becoming DoughMessTic for a great pick this week. I probably wouldn't have made it on my own. You can find the recipe on her blog.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Espresso Cheesecake Brownies

Being on a bit of a brownie bender at the moment I was happy to see another brownie pick this week. And the fact that these were cheesecake brownies was just another reason to smile! I seem to be leaving TWD to the very last minute these days. I whipped them up about 2pm today and got my photo out on the verandah in the last few moments of daylight.

The taste test ...

Boy, these were rich! A big thumbs up from my number one taste tester but he's right, you definitely can't have more than 1 piece at a time. I did make the sour cream topping intending to serve it on the side but to be honest they don't need anything else.

Thanks to Melissa of Life in a Peanutshell for this week's pick. Make sure you vist her blog for the recipe and some gorgeous pics!

Daring Bakers August - Dobos Torte

The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

I have to admit I was a little daunted by this recipe but wow, what a result! The Dobos Torte is a layered sponge and chocolate buttercream cake with caramel and hazelnuts. I only made some slight changes to the recipe, using flaked almonds and scorched (chocolate covered) almonds to decorate. I also brushed each layer with Pom Pomegranate and Cherry Juice which added a little burst of freshness to each bite.

I had a brainwave when it came to assembling the torte. Normally my layer cakes are pretty wonky, with each layer slip-sliding all over the place even when I try to hold them in place with skewers etc. This time I assembled the cake inside a springform pan. I used the base of an 8" pan as the template for my sponge layers. As they shrunk a little while baking they fit perfectly inside the pan leaving a slight gap around the edge. I spread the buttercream right to the edge on each layer so that when it came to unmold the sides were essentially iced already and my layers were perfect.

My only hiccup was with the caramel wedges for the top of the cake. The recipe said to use the best looking cake layer for the top but I chose my worst one because all the others were perfectly cooked and even and I wanted them for my layers. I sliced my cake into 12 even wedges and spaced them just a few millimeters apart on a baking sheet. My caramel was very foamy and didn't seem to spread out much as I poured it over the cake wedges so I just kept pouring more and more on. Suddenly there was way to much and it ran off the edges into a big toffee puddle. I decided to leave it exactly as was and break it into pieces including the extra bits.

Seemed like a good idea in theory, but it was really hot that day and my wonderfully majestic caramel fans wilted and sagged in the heat.

The taste test ...

I was worried this would be too rich but it was actually very light. Delicate sponge layered with fluffy, almost mousse-like buttercream. Our least favourite part was the caramel. Even though I adore citrus I didn't like the lemon flavour at all here - it didn't seem to complement the cake. Plus by the time we came to eat, the caramel had completely lost it and was a sticky, pull-your-teeth-out mess. Most of it got left on the plate. Nonetheless I would definitely make this again (minus caramel). It was fabulous!

Thanks to Lorraine and Angela for a great challenge. This is something I would never have attempted on my own! You can find the recipe here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Creamiest Lime Meringue Pie

or The Pie Which Almost Wasn't Made.

We're having a pig of a week around here. N is home with the flu all week on doctor's orders (could be swine flu, hence the pig remark. Yeah I didn't think it was funny either but my fever made me type it!). I of course got sick as well almost immediately. What made it all really fun was the heatwave we're having in Brisbane at the moment. I hate the heat at the best of times but to be suffering through 35 degree days, in winter, with a high fever and a grizzly baby as well? Not fun.

Nonetheless, I am a baker. So I soldiered on and baked. But I did make a few minor stuffups from not reading packets or the recipe properly.

I decided to go with a crumb crust for this pie and used my standard recipe which is a 250g packet of sweet biscuits with 125g melted butter. I chose rice cookies for the base this time as they are made without wheat but didn't realise the packets are only 200g not 250. No wonder it was swimming with butter! I chucked in some cornflakes to soak up the excess and carried on.

I kinda forgot what I was making and pressed the crust only over the base of my springform pan not up the sides as well. That came back to bite me later as the filling started to ooze when I unmolded it. So I stuck the whole thing in the freezer for a couple of hours and that worked like a charm.

Our griller is separate from the oven and is no where deep enough to put a pie like this under to brown the meringue. So I drew an 8" template using the base of a baking pan and made a disc of meringue. I baked it at 180 degrees C for15 minutes until it was nicely browned and then plopped it on top of the filling. Done!

I only got one semi decent photo because it was quite late by this stage and still about 30 degrees and my pie was starting to soften like icecream and get the wobbles.

The taste test ...

AWESOME. I had my doubts but this really was the creamiest meringue pie ever. Often the fillings for these are gelatinous and a bit sweet. This was smooth and creamy and zingy from the lime and ginger. I would love to switch it up next time and use the cream filling as a topping for pavlova with lots of whipped cream and fruit. Delightful.

This week's recipe was chosen by Linda of Tender Crumb. You can get the recipe on her blog!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Applesauce Spice Bars

This week's TWD was picked by one of my favourite bloggers, Karen of Something Sweet by Karen. She chose Applesauce Spice Bars and I really loved the sound of them - fruity, spicy and with a caramel topping. Luckily I wasn't disappointed in the taste either.

I think I underbaked these slightly but it didn't do any harm other than make them really hard to cut. I think I also under-did the topping as it never really firmed up (which would make it absolutely delicious on vanilla icecream!).

The taste test ...

De-lic-ious. I wasn't expecting it to be so cakey but I guess these are cake bars rather than a slice which would tend to have a crunchier base. Next time I would chop up the raisins and add a bit more spice. I probably would still double the topping (as I did this time) but would only use half on the bars and save the other half for dessert. Definitely a winner!

Make sure you visit Karen's blog for the recipe and no doubt some gorgeous photos as well.

Cappuccino Brownie Bites

Oh brownies, you have completely sucked me in with your dense, fudgy texture and amazing chocolately taste. One bite and I am immediately thinking of other flavour combinations to make you even more mind-blowingly delicious.

Although you are all gone now, we shall be meeting again soon little cappuccino brownie bites. Indeed we shall ...

Cappuccino Brownie Bites
Adapted from Brownie Buttons on p106 of Baking from My Home to Yours

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain flour
Pinch of salt
60g butter
60g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 heaped teaspoon instant coffee dissolved in 1-2ts boiling water

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Lightly butter a miniature muffin pan. Whisk together the flour and salt. Melt the butter, chocolate and brown sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over very low heat, stirring frequently with a heatproof spatula and keeping an eye on the pan so nothing overheats or burns. When the mixture is smooth, remove from the heat and cool for a minute or two.

Stir in the vanilla, egg and coffee into the chocolate mixture. When the mixture is well blended, add the flour and stir only until it is incorporated. You should have a smooth, glossy batter.

Spoon the batter equally into the muffin cups (they will be almost full). Bake for approx 14 minutes or until the tops of the buttons spring back when touched. Transfer the pans to racks to cool for 3 minutes before carefully releasing the buttons. Cool to room temperature on the racks.

Topping - whip 1/2 cup pure cream with 1 tbs icing sugar until peaks form. Use a piping bag to pipe onto the top of each brownie bit. Sprinkle the tops with cocoa.

Enjoy!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Brownie Buttons

How is it that some things just taste so much better in miniature form? This week Jayma of Two Scientists Experimenting in the Kitchen selected Brownie Buttons, and what fabulous little bites of deliciousness they are!

I've had my issues with brownies over the years and quite honestly they would be the last thing I would choose to make and eat. It's not that I dislike them exactly - they just don't excite me. Unlike Megan for example! When Dorie's book arrived, I wondered why there were so many brownie recipes taking up space.

However, I have finally seen the light! These cute as a button brownies were rich, fudgy and subtly flavoured by orange zest. I had zero issues with them. They even came out of the pan perfectly. The only problem was they disappeared too quickly so I need to make some more!

Because I only have 1 mini muffin pan I made just 12 brownies and baked them for 14 minutes.

The taste test ...

YUM!

Thanks Jayma, I will definitely be making these again.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Banana Bundt Cake

This week Mary of The Food Librarian chose the Classic Banana Bundt Cake. If you've read Mary's blog you'll know this wasn't a huge surprise - she is the queen of the bundt!

After reading the P&Q for this recipe I decided my current bundt pan wouldn't be big enough (and I was right, this cake was huge!) so we went on the hunt for a new one at Kitchenware Plus down at Loganholme. For a kitchen gadget junkie like myself this place is nirvana! I found a Wilton bundt pan within a few minutes. Perfect. Then I checked the price ... $84.95!! For a cake pan?? Granted it's a great brand and clearly great quality too but that is just ridiculous. I ended up going with a 12 cup silicone pan for just $27.95 instead.

This was a breeze to whip up but I was really annoyed with myself for not buying bananas ahead of time and letting them ripen up. All the bananas I found were a little green and even after a night sealed in a paper bag there were still no where near what I would have liked.

I made the recipe exactly as stated except for using half regular and half gluten free flour. I also accidentally added baking powder instead of baking soda but that didn't seem to do any harm!

The taste test ...

This is one moist cake! I was a little worried as it took FOREVER to cook (about 90 minutes instead 65-75). It just didn't have quite the banana hit I was hoping for but that will be easy fixed for next time. The lemon glaze was delicious too.

Thanks Mary, great pick!

Daring Bakers July - Milan Cookies

The July Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.

I love cookies so was really happy with this month's picks. I used to make marshmallows pretty regularly as a kid for school fetes etc so I opted to make the Milan Cookies first. Unfortunately I then ran out of time to make the Mallows this month.

Let me just say, the recipe makes a lot of cookies. A LOT. I would suggest you make a half batch unless you are feeding an army or you will end up throwing out some mixture like I did.

While cookies don't seem particularly 'daring' these did test my piping skills - I ended up with lots of irregular blobby shapes but by the end was doing pretty well. The ganache was absolutely delicious but then I love fruit and chocolate together. The only change I made was to add just 2 ts each of the vanilla and lemon essences instead of 2 tablespoons (?!?!?).

The only thing I didn't like was just how cakey these cookies came after they cooled down. I was hoping for something with a bit of crunch. That said they were still yummy and got the thumbs up from my taste testers!

Milan Cookies
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website

Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: 0 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min
Serves: about 3 dozen cookies

12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups (312.5 grams/ 11.02 oz) powdered sugar
7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon extract
1 1/2 cups (187.5grams/ 6.61 oz) all purpose flour

Cookie filling:
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 orange, zested

1. In a mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar.
2. Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
3. Add the flour and mix until just well mixed.
4. With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip, pipe 1-inch sections of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart as they spread.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.
6. While waiting for the cookies to cool, in a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream.
7. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, whisk to melt chocolate, add zest and blend well.
8. Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools).
9. Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top.
10. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.

TWD: No Blanc-Manger but a BIG Birthday Carrot Cake

Today is the fourth day of my new (but temporary) eating plan. On the advice of my naturopath and in an attempt to make Oscar and I feel a bit better I am completely cutting out gluten and dairy products for 2 weeks. Considering my 2 favourite foods are bread and cheese that is a really big deal! I have tried to do this before but have always caved before long. This time, because I am doing it for Oscar's sake, it is a lot easier and I am seeing benefits already - no headaches, sleeping better and Oscar is throwing up less which is so fantastic I can't even tell you.

But what that means is no TWD for 2 weeks either. I didn't see the point in trying to make a gluten free, dairy free and most likely flavour free blanc-manger so I am bringing you one of my TWD rewinds.

Way back in March I offered to make a birthday cake for my mother in law. I handed her BFMHTY and told her to pick anything she liked. To my delight she picked Bill's Big Carrot Cake!

I made the cake exactly as per the recipe and ended up with 3 perfect looking 8" cakes. I wrapped them well and left them overnight. I was a little worried though as the tops were a little sticky the next day and they were very greasy to touch.

The taste test ...

This was one of those times where you know everyone loves it because there is total silence around the table! I love carrot cake anyway but this really was delicious - light, fragrant and packed with flavour. The cream cheese icing was the perfect complement but next time I would add more lemon juice. All in all, a winner!

Bill’s Big Carrot Cake
From Baking: from my home

For the cake:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
3 cups grated carrots (about 9 carrots, you can grate them in food processor fitted w/ a shredding a blade or use a box grater)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
½ cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden) or dried cranberries
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 large eggs

For the frosting:
250g cream cheese, room temperature
120g unsalted butter, at room temperature
450g confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup shredded coconut (optional)
Finely chopped toasted nuts and/or toasted shredded coconut (optional)

Getting ready:
Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 140 degrees celsius fan forced. Butter three 9-x-2-inch round cake pans, flour the insides, and tap out the excess. Put the two pans on one baking sheet and one on another.

To make the cake:
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir together the carrots, chopped nuts, coconut, and raisins. Working with a stand mixer beat the sugar and oil together on a medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Gently mix in the remaining ingredients. Divide the batter evenly among the baking pans.

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a thin knife inserted into the centers comes out clean and they are just starting to come away from the sides of the pans. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes and turn them out. Cool to room temperature right side up.

To make the frosting:
Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is completely smooth. Beat in the lemon juice.

To assemble the cake:
Put one layer top side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of baking paper. Use an offset spatula or a spoon to smooth the frosting all the way to the edges of the layer. Top with the second layer, this time placing the cake stop side down, and frost with the remainder of the coconut frosting or plain frosting. Top with the last layer, right side up, and frost the top and the sides of the cake. Finish the top with swirls of frosting. If you want to top the cake with toasted nuts or coconut, sprinkle them on now while the frosting is soft. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes, just to set the frosting before serving.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Brioche Plum Tart

Having mastered the Kugelhoph previously I was delighted that Denise of Chez Us picked Brioche Plum Tart this week. Brioche? Phaw, too easy!

That said I'm still always unsure whether I've stuffed up the dough as it is extremely soft and gooey for most of its resting and slapping down stage. But after an overnight rest in the fridge it was really easy to play with.

I used tinned plums with plum jam, brown sugar and pecans and added a sprinkle (maybe a tablespoon) of ground almonds to soak up any excess juice from the plums.

The taste test ...

Rich and buttery brioche with sweet, slightly tart plums ... definitely a winning combination! The crust did get a little darker than I would have liked, and I already tented it after just 10 minutes instead 20 as per the recipe. However even the dark bits were delicious. This got the thumbs up from all my taste testers and my mind is swimming with other possible toppings.

And seeing this blog is called food.baby here is another pic of Oscar, this time in his new Bumbo seat which he loves! It gets him right in the thick of the action at the table. Definitely a little foodie in the making :)

Brownies - ok NOW i get it

My first attempt at the Tribute to Katharine Hepburn Brownies from this week's TWD has been bothering me. So today I made them again and while I have never really been a brownie fan, NOW I get it. These were fan-freakin-tastic!

Things I did differently this time:
- used an 8" pan I bought especially
- baked for 25 minutes at 160 deg C then another 5 mins at 150
- left them to cool in the pan completely
- used Green & Black's Organic Maya Gold chocolate (dark chocolate with orange, cinnamon and nutmeg flavours)

This time around I had a brownie which was densely fudgy with a rich, complex flavour. I would actually go so far as to say these are the best brownies i've ever had. Woo hoo!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Katharine Hepburn Brownies

This week's pick was chosen by the fabulously talented Lisa who designed the new TWD logo! As an Australian I'm also excited to have discovered her blog Surviving Oz. Lisa chose Dorie's Tribute to Katharine Hepburn Brownies and I was keen to have a go at these, having sat out the last brownie challenge due to Oscar's arrival.

I consider brownies to be quintessentially American so they were the perfect pick for the fourth of July. As the 4th is also my grandma's birthday I killed 2 birds with 1 stone, so to speak. I really wanted to take something nice as she is in hospital at the moment and could do with some yumminess.

I don't have an 8" pan so had to go with a 9" metal one. To compensate I dropped the temperature by 10 deg C and baked for 25 minutes. Basically what I ended up with was a very flat chocolate slice, definitely not a brownie. It was cooked to almost dry on the edges and very well done in the middle.

It was too late to make anything else so I did take them down the coast to my grandma.

The taste test ...

The flavour was awesome - richly chocolate-y with a subtle cinnamon/coffee hit in the background. It was only the texture that was off. And to be honest if I'd just called it a chocolate slice and slathered some icing on the top no one would have known it was a stuff up! I would like to make these again sometime, tweaking the cooking temp and time. Despite my reservations they were a definite hit and a great addition to our birthday lunch of party sausage rolls, mini quiches, cupcakes and birthday cake in a surprisingly comfy visitor's lounge in the hospital.

Oscar even had a new outfit for the occasion!

Make sure you check out Lisa's blog for the recipe.

UPDATE - I made these again and they were awesome! Check it out here!

Tuesdays with Dorie: (Not So) Perfect Party Cake

Hmmmm. I have a real problem with recipes that include the word 'perfect' in the name. To me that is just setting it up to be a spectacular failure! Carol of mix, mix… stir, stir chose Dorie's Perfect Party Cake this week and I made it for a special occasion, N's grandparents coming up from Melbourne to meet their very first great grandchild!

I made the cakes the day before and was a little disappointed at how little they rose. I followed all Dorie's advice including using new baking powder but I do have a dodgy oven so I'm sure that was my fault. I wrapped them well and left them overnight.

The next morning was a flurry of activity as I tried to get the frosting made, cake decorated and us all ready to leave mid-morning. I've never actually made a meringue buttercream before so was really pleased that it all came together so easily, no curdling here! I had heard a few people say this buttercream recipe was a little too heavy on the butter but I decided to make it as-is because I was a newbie. Well, let me say it was WAY too heavy on the butter for my liking and I actually felt a bit sick after eating it and needed something to take the taste away.

My cake slicing and decorating skills suck too (you can see from the bottom photo just how uneven my layers were!). I put the jam on the layers first so had major problems trying to smooth the buttercream over the top. In the end I wet my hands and smoothed it over the top using my fingers, kind of like working with clay. I did the same thing around the edges, pushing the buttercream into all the gaps like wall putty. I wasn't going to use coconut on the edges as it's not my favourite thing but it worked wonders in covering up my less than perfectly smooth cake!

The taste test ...

First bite for me was great! Then it went downhill. It was just so rich. Everyone else loved it though and the combination of lemon and raspberry flavours is always fantastic. I was originally going to fill the layers with whipped lemon curd cream and in hindsight that would have been better option. So the verdict? I'm really on the fence here. While I didn't love it, it was very well received and I know people had seconds. So maybe it was just me. N only had one piece also though and considering his sweet tooth that is pretty telling.

I hope everyone else's cake was more 'perfect' than mine! Make sure you visit Carol's blog to see her version and to get the recipe.

Daring Bakers June - Bakewell Tart…er…Pudding

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.

I love this sort of recipe - homey and a little bit old-fashioned. The type of thing that doesn't take too long to whip up but looks and tastes absolutely delicious. A good thing too because I didn't get around to making it until tonight!

I used chunky black cherry jam and a little less almond essence than the recipe said. We served it with big dollops of thick custard, but cream or icecream would work well too.

The taste test ...

I was a little worried about the tart being too almond-y because while we love almonds both N and I hate amaretto. I left out the almond essence in the pastry and used only 1/4ts in the frangipane and that amount was spot on for us. The cherry jam was the perfect complement to the other flavours. My only complaint would be that the pastry didn't cook through properly. I was surprised the recipe didn't call for it to be blind baked. It also took longer to cook than stated but I blame that on our dodgy oven. All in all, a tasty end to our dinner!

Bakewell Tart

Sweet shortcrust pastry :

225g plain flour
30g sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
110g unsalted butter, cold
2 egg yolks
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)
15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside. Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough. Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Frangipane :

125g unsalted butter, softened
125g icing sugar
3 eggs
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract
125g ground almonds
30g all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.

To assemble:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Roll out the pastry to line a 23cm tart tin. Trim the excess pastry then place in the freezer for 15 minutes. As soon as you remove it, spread the base with 250ml of jam or curd of your choice. Top with frangipane and bake for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, remove it from the oven and top with a handful of flaked almonds, then return to the oven for the last five minutes of baking. Allow to cool slightly before serving (you want warm not hot).

Tuesdays with Dorie: Coconut-Roasted Pineapple Dacquoise

Wow. Seriously WOW. Andrea of Andrea In The Kitchen chose this amazing concoction and I'm so glad she did. I was a little daunted by this recipe as I don't make meringues very often and I find white chocolate very overrated. But boy was I pleasantly surprised. In fact I think this may be my favourite TWD recipe of the 47 I've made so far!

Basically what you have is an almond and coconut meringue with white chocolate ganache and roasted pineapple. I explained it in just those words to our friends who were over for lunch and I sounded like a contestant on Masterchef bringing their invention test dish to the judges. (Are there any other Aussies totally addicted to this show?!)

Anyway, I did have a few problems making this, mostly because I was incredibly tired and I didn't start making it until dinner time. Big mistake.

The drama started when I had made the meringue and as I came to spread it on the trays realised I was out of baking paper. N offered to get some more but I was in meltdown mode with Oscar and didn't want him to leave. I stupidly decided to go with greaseproof lunch wrap instead. I'm sure you can guess what happened. It superglued itself to the base of the meringue. HUGE thanks to N who spent probably a good half hour picking off the paper in teeny tiny little pieces!

I managed to avert a catastrophe with the baking. I always bake using the convection setting on our microwave as our only other option is a dodgy 30 year electric with broken seal (made worse by the fact that the last time we used it the loose end of the seal was actually inside the oven touching the element and we nearly burned the house down). While the recipe called for baking at 100 degrees our oven has preset temps of either 70 or 130. I went with 130 and only belatedly realised maybe they wouldn't take 3 hrs to cook at a higher temperature! I checked them at 2hrs and pulled them out immediately.

I'm a little bit funny about white chocolate. What with it not actually being chocolate at all and tasting sickly sweet. This time I went with Green & Blacks Organic and hallelujah! That stuff is dangerous and we ate our leftover half a block while prepping dinner.

The taste test ...

Oh. My. God. I think I have now found my go-to dinner party dessert! The contrast between the chewy, slightly crispy meringue, smooth as silk ganache and bite of the pineapple was sensational. Rich but not sickly, this is one awesome recipe. I did just a half batch and it made 6 generous serves. We had barely finished eating when we tried to think of the next occasion I could make this for. Definitely no leftovers with this one.

Make sure you check out Andrea's blog for the recipe!

Coffee Chocolate Fondants

I have a soft spot for chocolate fondants and seeing them made on Masterchef during the week reminded both N and I just how long it's been since we made any (maybe 3 years?!).

This is a Curtis Stone recipe which we found on the UK Good Food Channel website. My notes are in red.

Coffee Chocolate Fondants
Serves 4 (just 4 serves would have been ENORMOUS - there was enough mixture for 8 generous serves using 1 cup ramekins)

250 g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids broken into pieces
250g Butter
30g instant coffee (we had a 50g jar of Moccona and it seemed excessive to use more than half the jar! So we only added a few teaspoons and could barely taste it)
5 Eggs
5 egg yolks
125g Sugar
75g plain flour, sifted

1. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, suspended above a pan of simmering water.

2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan.

3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the melted chocolate and butter. Add the coffee and stir until well-blended.

4. In a separate large mixing bowl, ideally using an electric whisk, whisk together the eggs, yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy.

5. Pour the egg mixture onto the chocolate mixture and whisk together until smooth.

6. Add the flour, whisking until well-mixed.

7. Transfer the chocolate mixture into 4 (8!) well-buttered ramekins or dariole moulds, cool and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

8. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas 6.

9. Bake the chilled fondants for 10 minutes. (Ours needed 12 minutes and probably could have done with another minute or 2 to make them easier to remove from the moulds. Next time would grease and also line the bases of the remekins with baking paper as the centres stuck a little). Serve warm from the oven.

The taste test ...

In a word - decadent. Not something you'd want to eat everyday but as a treat it was absolutely divine. Rich and smooth with a deep chocolate flavour boosted by the coffee. The middles were fabulously oozy! Perfect served with a big scoop of vanilla icecream.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Parisian Apple Tartlet

Oh what a great month of TWD picks! The lovely Jessica of My Baking Heart chose the Parisian Apple Tartlet this week. It is a dessert that you can whip up in just a few minutes using ingredients you will likely already have on hand. With just puff pastry, apples, butter and brown sugar, this is definitely a case of the results being greater than the sum of its parts!

The taste test ...

You can probably already tell I was a fan of this one! Simple, elegant and truly delicious. We served ours with a scoop of french vanilla ice cream. I love having both hot and cold elements to a dessert. We will be making this again!

Thanks to Jessica for a fab choice. Make sure you check out her blog for the recipe.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Cinnamon Squares

Tracey of Tracey's Culinary Adventures choses Cinnamon Squares this week. What a great recipe to ease back into TWD after a month off! It was made and out of the oven while Oscar was sleeping.

I was a little hesitant intially at just how much cinnamon was in them. Although being called 'Cinnamon' Squares that is just what you would expect! I made them exactly as per the recipes and had no problems with it being dry as some others did.

The taste test ...

I was a little 'meh' at the first tasting although my other taste testers gave enthusiastic thumbs up. However I had a second taste the next day straight out of the fridge and loved it! Somehow all the flavours had melded and mellowed. The chocolate icing was fabulous. I do think I should have cut it into 12 or even 16 squares rather than 9 as it was incredibly rich!

Thanks for a great pick Tracey! You can find the recipe on her blog.