FINGER LICKIN' FRIDAY

Deep-fried Eggs

As some of you may be aware, a boiled egg (seasoned well) and a big bowl of baby peas is my favourite meal. It sounds very simple, and it is, but I think I've just found a way to spruce it up! Welcome, deep-fried egg. It's pretty much what you'd expect, but, at the same time, it's surprisingly awesome. Crunchy shell, soft white and that gooey, inky yolk. Season the flour well because salt and pepper are best friends with eggs!

What you'll need:
1 egg, lightly beaten (to coat)
50ml milk
1/4 cup plain flour
1/4 cup bread crumbs
4 eggs (to cook)
Salt and pepper
Vegetable or peanut oil (about 1 litre)

What to do:
Combine the 4 lightly beaten eggs with the buttermilk in a shallow bowl. Place the flour in another shallow bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Add the bread crumbs to another shallow bowl. 

Set a saucepan of water on the stove to boil. Once boiling, add the remaining 4 eggs. Cook for 5 minutes and remove. Run the eggs under cold water until they feel cold. Carefully peel the eggs - the white should be just cooked.

Place a frypan over medium-high heat and fill about 2cm deep with oil. While this is heating, roll each egg in the flour, egg/buttermilk mixture and finally, in the bread crumbs. Rest on a plate until the oil has heated. (Test it by dropping in a breadcrumb which should sizzle immediately.)

Fry each egg for around one minute, turning, until golden all over. Drain on paper towel and enjoy!

APRICOT & HAZELNUT BREAD

Apricot & Hazelnut Bread with Brie

SITTING down to do an assignment is never as easy as it sounds. I sit opposite the kitchen and am always surrounded by food magazines. Often I give myself permission to cook something (and fuel up of course) or read the newest magazine before studying, but one thing just leads to another. Today, I sat down with textbooks by my side but the first page I opened to was filled with recipe ideas I had scribbled down during lectures this week. I have been wanting to make a fruit and nut bread for a while and today seemed the perfect time. 

The dough itself is super easy to make and the end product holds a wonderful balance of flavours. The loaf forms a beautiful crust which is enhanced by the crunchy little flecks of sugar. The dense yet crumbly inner is studded with jewels of toasty hazelnut and sweet, golden apricot. A sliver of creamy brie on a warm slice of this bread is unimaginably good. The light earthiness of the brie is a compliment to the scrumptious flavours contained in this loaf. 

What you'll need:
1 cup hazelnuts
250g apricots, chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
3 cups self-raising flour
100g butter, melted
1 cup milk
1 egg
Extra milk
Extra flour
Raw sugar
Brie, to serve

What to do:
Add half the hazelnuts and all of the apricots to a large bowl. Chop the other half of the nuts roughly before throwing them in too. Add the flour and make a well in the centre. Pour in the melted butter and use a knife to mix in a slicing motion. Add the egg and milk and mix together again using the knife.

Tip the dough out onto a clean, floured work surface and flour your hands. Knead until the mixture is not as moist and it becomes nice and smooth. Shape into a ball and press down to flatten out a little. Score the top a couple of times and paint with the extra milk. Sprinkle over the raw sugar and transfer the dough to a lined baking tray.

Bake for 35 minutes and remove from the oven. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. If in doubt, a skewer inserted should come out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving warm with brie. Enjoy!

EAT

Photographs by Ell.


Sottiles Cafe in Ashgrove is a place I have found to be a delight. Surrounded by trendy shops and a fresh fruit & vegetable shop, this establishment has a very modern but casual atmosphere. They serve Italian food of a delicious standard and I'm told the coffee is great too. The service was fast and simple, we got what we needed when we wanted it.


The prices are very reasonable, averaging $15 - $25 per meal. I'm sure many other places would be charging much more than $14.50 for such an amazing duck and mushroom risotto! It is more of an entree size but trust me, you don't need much more of such a rich and filling dish. (I took Josh, le boyfriend, along and this dish was filling for him!) That fresh, vibrant herb oil is a nice addition that cuts through the richness. Each serving has a generous amount of duck that has been braised so well it literally just melts in the mouth. Unlike other risotto's I have had, the rice is not gluggy at all - each grain sits separately from the others and is cooked to bouncy perfection.


The pizzas also seem to be great size, each topped with simple flavours that make an impact. Josh had the pizza on our second visit, I'm told you can really tell they are wood-fired. We agree that this flavour always adds to the genuine Italian-ness of pizza.


Often I find myself craving the risotto and, lets face it, who doesn't love Italian? Yep, sometimes you just need to take a trip to Sottiles. How unfortunate!


Score: 4/5 (Simply because I haven't ventured from the duck risotto!!)
Address: 1/10 Stewart Road, Ashgrove, QLD 4060

SAUCY CHOCOLATE MERINGUE KISSES

Photographs by Ell.

Saucy Chocolate Meringue Kisses

Crunchy, chewy, chocolatey delights. These meringues are always a little treat and they're perfect for sharing. They're easy enough to whip up and delicious when served with a nice warm chocolate sauce! I'm sure they'll be a favourite amongst your family and friends too.

What you'll need:

3 egg whites

3/4 cup caster sugar

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

200g chocolate

1/2 cup thickened cream

1 teaspoon baileys (optional)

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 150C and line 3 baking trays with non-stick paper.

Beat the egg whites on high until stiff peaks form, usually 3-5 minutes or until the whites are foamy and do not drip at all from the beaters when they are lifted out.

Beat on medium, sprinkling the sugar in gradually. Once all the sugar has been added, beat on high for 8-10 minutes. It should be super white and glossy. Put a sieve over the meringue and push the cocoa through it to remove any lumps. Use a spatula to fold it in gently.

I piped drops of the meringue onto the trays but you could use a teaspoon to drop it on and push it off with your finger to get the shape. Either way is fine, and don't worry about spacing them too far apart as they shouldn't spread - 2cm between each meringue is perfect.


Put these trays into the oven and bake for 10-15minutes or until the outside is hard and crunchy. Turn the oven off and leave them in for 5 minutes. Remove them from the oven and cool completely before taking them off the tray. When they have cooled, place them into a serving bowl or onto a plate.


In a microwave proof bowl, combine the chocolate and cream and microwave for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until the chocolate has melted and you have a smooth, glossy mixture. Stir in the Baileys if you want it.


Pour the chocolate sauce into a couple of bowls and enjoy!

FINGER LICKIN' FRIDAY

Photograph by Ell.


Chocolate Meringue Pie


Introducing my sweet-toothed spin on the good ol' meringue pie. This one is full of chocolatey goodness and while its textures vary, they tie this cute creation together perfectly. I added a touch of luxe by piping on the meringue and adding a few sparklers at serving to really set it off. I hope you enjoy my Chocolate Meringue Pie as much as I do.


What you'll need:
250g chocolate biscuits
125g butter, melted
200g milk chocolate, broken up
1/3 cup thickened cream
1/4 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (optional)
5 eggwhites
1 1/2 cups caster sugar


What to do:
Preheat the oven to 130C. Put a sheet of baking paper over the base of a 20cm spring form pan before placing the spring form side on and clipping it into place. Grease the sides.


Process the biscuits to a fine crumb using a food processor. Add the butter and process again until blended. Tip this mix into the greased pan, pressing it down and out toward the edges firmly. It should be relatively thin as you need to have enough to push up the sides of the pan to make a shell. Once you have it up the sides, even it off and ensure the base and sides are of even thickness. Set aside in the fridge.


Put the milk chocolate and cream in a microwave proof bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir well. If the chocolate hasn't melted, microwave for another 30 seconds and stir well. Repeat the 30 seconds again if needed. When the chocolate has melted stir the hazelnut spread in if you want it. Pour this into your shell and put it back in the fridge.


Use an electric mixer to beat your egg whites on high until stiff peaks form. Gradually spoon in the sugar and beat until thick and glossy. To achieve the effect shown in the picture, your egg whites must be stiff. Test this by getting a spoonful of meringue and turning the spoon upside down over the bowl. If the egg whites cling on the spoon they are strong enough to pipe. If they are runny you can have another go at beating them or simply spread the meringue over the ganache and skip to baking.


If you've got good whites and you're confident in piping, put the meringue into a nozzled piping bag and snip the end. Begin pipping drops of meringue close to each other on top of the ganache. The best way to do this is to apply pressure and as the ball builds up, ease the pressure and pull away. You should be left with this droplet shape. Once you have covered the pie with drops, start on the next layer. With this layer the new drops should sit on top of any gaps left. Since your egg whites were stiff enough, your drops should stand up now just as they do in the picture when cooked.


Bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until golden. Turn the oven off and leave it in there to cool completely. This will minimise any risk of the meringue collapsing. Once cool, store in the fridge until serving. Enjoy!

FINGER LICKIN' FRIDAY

Photograph by Ell.


Cookies & Cream Cheesecake


I made this cheesecake a couple of years ago for a birthday. People had seconds and we all enjoyed the company and conversation this cake bought; safe to say it was a hit! It's rather easy to make too.


What you'll need:
250g Arnott's Chocolate Ripple (or another crunchy chocolate biscuit)
125g salted butter, melted


2 x 250g cream cheese, softened and chopped into cubes
2/3 cup castor sugar
1/2 cup condensed milk
1/4 cup thickened cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (essence or paste)
1 packet of Oreo cookies


What to do:
Put a sheet of baking paper over the base of the 20cm spring form pan before placing the spring form side on and clipping it into place. Grease the sides.


Place the chocolate biscuits and melted butter in a food processor. Process until the biscuits are crumbed and the butter has mixed in to make a chunky paste. Tip this mix into the greased pan, press it down and out toward the edges firmly. It should be roughly 5mm thick so you should have enough to push up the sides of the pan to make a shell. You can see in the photo that the shell doesn't need to be too thick - it will set and hold together. Just try to push it up as high as you can whilst keeping an even thickness and height. Pop it into the fridge to set.


Put the cream cheese in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Add the sugar, condensed milk, cream and vanilla. Beat until super smooth!


Chop half the oreo's into small pieces. Chop the other half into bigger bits; thirds are a good size, but quarters are fine if you'd prefer. Carefully mix these biscuits into the cream cheese mixture. I love seeing the little crumbs and random bits in there!


Spoon the mixture into the shell carefully. Be careful not to damage your perfectly sculpted edges by pouring mixture onto it or dinting it with the spoon. Once all the mixture has been spooned in carefully spread it out to make a nice, even surface. Put the cheesecake into the fridge for at least 2 hours to set.


Melt about 150g milk chocolate and pour into a piping bag - a plastic freezer bag or ziplock bag is fine too. Snip the corner off and pipe up, down and across repeatedly to achieve the desired thickness and look. (Keep in mind the closer you cut to the corner, the thinner your piping will be. It is much easier to build thickness than to reduce it!) Once decorated, pop it into the fridge for just a little longer or until ready to serve! Enjoy :)

CHEWY CARAMEL & VANILLA BEAN TART

Photographs by Ell.


Chewy Caramel & Vanilla Bean Tart


The caramel and vanilla bean combination makes for one of the most delicious tarts I have ever eaten. The nutty shortcrust pastry adds a whole new dimension to this beautiful tart filling. And let me assure you, making your own toffee and pastry is totally achievable. Perfect for any occasion, this tart will be a hit with everyone!


What you'll need: 

1 1/2 cups caster sugar

1 cup water

100mL milk

100mL thickened cream

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

165g salted butter, softened and chopped into cubes

2 tablespoons golden syrup

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Vanilla ice cream to serve

Pastry:

125g butter, softened and chopped into cubes

1 egg

90g icing sugar

30g almond meal

250g plain flour

What to do:

Start by making the pastry. In a food processor, combine the butter, egg, icing sugar and almond meal. Process until the butter has been mixed in and everything has come together. Add flour and process for a little longer until well combined. Lightly flour a work surface and knead pastry until it is smooth and you can roll it into a ball. This should take 2 minutes at the most. 


Cover in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (longer if possible). Preheat your oven to 180C and grease a tin - use a 24cm tart tin or spring-form pan as these will allow you to remove your tart without any accidents! 

In a saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves or the syrup comes to a boil. LEAVE IT ALONE. Seriously, do not stir it and do not scrape any sugar off the sides of the pan otherwise it will crystallise! 


When the syrup has turned a light golden colour and/or reduced to almost half of what you started with turn the heat off. This usually takes about 10-15mins, but just keep an eye on it. Do not stir it yet. Remove the saucepan from the hot plate and let it cool while you complete the next part.

In another saucepan, combine the milk, cream and vanilla. Bring this to a simmer - it should be bubbling around the edges and steaming. Using a clean metal spoon, stir about a third of this hot mixture into the sugar syrup. Mix well! Add half of the remaining milk to the syrup and stir before adding the last of it. Keep stirring until combined. 

Add each cube of butter, stirring well after each addition. Then stir in the golden syrup. You should now have a golden, caramelly sauce. Pour into a heat proof bowl and set aside.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll it out between two layers of baking paper. It should be about 5mm thick. Place it on top of your tin and measure up to make sure your pastry will fit in the tin. (This is also a good time to practice how you will put your pastry in.) After making any adjustments, remove the top layer of baking paper and flip your pastry into the tin - the baking paper side should be facing up. Push your pastry right into the tin, trim any excess but leave the baking paper on. Pour rice in on top of this and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden. 

Remove the baking paper filled with rice from the tart shell and discard. Whisk the beaten eggs into your (now) cooled caramel sauce. Pour the caramel filling into the tart shell and bake for 30-40 minutes or until cooked and especially golden brown. Refrigerate for a couple of hours to let the filling set. Dust with icing sugar and serve with ice cream. Yum yum!

FINGER LICKIN' FRIDAY

Photograph by Ell


Brioche


I've had a lot of trouble finding brioche in my local bakeries so I decided to make myself a loaf! It turned out rather well. Brioche is a deliciously sweet and dense bread, perfect for afternoon tea or special breakfast treats. 


What you'll need:
1 sachet/7g dried yeast

• 1/4 cup warm milk

• 1/4 cup caster sugar

• 2 cups plain flour

• Pinch of salt

• 3 eggs, lightly whisked

• 125g soft butter, cut into small squares

• (1 egg, lightly whisked, extra)

• 
  

• What to do:

• Put yeast, warm milk and 1 tbs of the caster sugar in a small bowl and swirl until just combined. Set aside for 5 minutes or until frothy.

• 
  

Combine the flour, remaining sugar and pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Add the yeast mixture and eggs. Use an electric mixer to combined.

Add 1-2 pieces of butter to the dough and beat until well incorporated. Gradually continue to add butter cubes, 2-3 at a time, and keep beating until well incorporated. The mixture should be very glossy. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until dough doubles in size.

Preheat oven to 180C and grease a bread tin. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 2-3 minutes or until smooth. Divide into 3 even portions and roll each portion into a smooth ball. Place each ball in the pan - they should be sitting next to eachother looking super snug. Set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes to rise.

Brush the brioche with extra egg. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Serve warm with butter and jam.

PS: Keep this recipe handy if you can't find Brioche in your town.. I've got another amazing recipe you'll need a loaf for.

FINGER LICKIN' FRIDAY

Photograph by Ell.


Sundaes


As George Calombaris' lovely Mum once said, "if you have a sweet tooth, you must nourish it." I almost live by this slogan and yet I surprise my dentist with "perfect teeth" every time. (To be honest, I think I surprise myself most!) Anyway, call me crazy because I'm not a big fan of ice cream but this white chocolate fudge sauce is totally amazing with it. The addition of berries make this sundae one of my favourite desserts - and it is so simple.


What you'll need:
1 x 395g can condensed milk
180g white chocolate, broken up or chopped
Vanilla ice cream
Berries of your choosing


What to do:
Put the condensed milk and white chocolate in a saucepan.
Stir continuously until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy.
Spoon it over your ice cream and berries and enjoy!