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Peanut butter biscuits for an autumn afternoon
The weather has turned in my part of the world and my thoughts have turned to food that warms the body and the soul. These peanut butter biscuits are quite plain in their appearance and are made with simple ingredients that would be in many people’s pantries. My recipe is based on one from a Women’s weekly biscuit cookbook that I tweaked for my taste. This cookbook was a staple for my generation – most of my friends had a copy, and all were well used! This recipe is also so low tech and easy that you don’t even need electric beaters, just a wooden spoon for mixing. The biscuits are nutty and tender, and just the thing with a cup of hot chocolate on an autumn afternoon. I used to make them for school lunches, but alas, there are so many kids with nut allergies nowadays, we save these for home. Makes about 24 biscuits 125g butter, softened Finely grated rind of 1 lemon 1/3 cup caster sugar 1/3 cup brown sugar pinch of salt 1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter 1 1/4 cups plain flour 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda Preheat oven to 160 C. In a medium sized bowl beat together the butter, lemon rind, sugars salt and peanut butter, using a wooden spoon. Add the flour and bicarbonate of soda and mix together to form a fairly stiff dough. Roll spoonfuls of the mixture into walnut sized balls and place onto a baking tray that you have lined with silicon paper. Press down and flatten the balls with the tines of a fork. Place in the oven and cook for 10 – 15 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and when they have cooled a little, place on a rack until cold. Store in an airtight container. These biscuits will keep for around 5 days. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Sugar plums poached in verjuice
Sugar plums are beautiful, sweet little plums that have their short season in late summer and early autumn. I could not resist buying them when I saw a box for sale in the fruit shop. They are delicious to eat fresh, because their skin is not at all bitter, but are also gorgoues poached. I felt like Maggie Beer as I got out the verjuice, vanilla and raw caster sugar to cook them this afternoon. I split the plums in half and prised out the seeds, but you could cook them whole if you wanted. Serve them with thick cream, or on your breakfast granola, or just on their own. You could even make a fruit crumble with them. Endless possibilities. Serves 4 500g sugar plums, washed 1/3 cup raw caster sugar 1/3 cup verjuice 1 vanilla bean Split the plums in half and carefully take out the seeds. In a shallow pan place the caster sugar, verjuice, vanilla bean and plums and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or unti the plums are soft but not falling apart and the liquid a little syruppy. Eat warm or at room temperature, with thick ream or greek yoghurt. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Buttermilk chicken with crunchy fennel slaw
This recipe is my take on American southern fried chicken, where chicken pieces, usually on the bone, are marinated in buttermilk, coated with crumbs and deep fried. I’ve gone for a much lighter approach by pan frying in a little oil and butter, but used the buttermilk, along with whole-grain mustard, to marinate chicken breasts, and Japanese panko breadcrumbs as my coating. The result is almost unbelievably tender chicken, and the subtle aniseed-like fennel and sweet apple in the slaw are a food marriage made in heaven. I’ve come slowly towards fennel, as in my childhood, aniseed was a studiously avoided flavour. I was the child who peeled off the layers of licorice in licorice all-sorts and left them for my father to eat, while gobbling up the sweet candy layers. Ouzo is still a bridge too far, but a baby fennel bulb, sliced very thinly, is now a taste I adore. The dressing on the slaw is also very light and uses buttermilk and Greek yoghurt rather than mayonnaise, so no guilt is necessary. If you are making ahead, don’t add the dressing until just before serving. The purple cabbage will share its colour with the dressing and turn it a pinky-purple. Pretty, but it’s nice to see all the bright colours of the carrot and parsley as well as the deep purple cabbage. This makes a great meal for a Friday night dinner and movie. Serves 4 4 small chicken breasts, about 150 g each 1/2 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard 100 g panko breadcrumbs (in the Asian foods aisle in most supermarkets) sea salt and black pepper 1/4 cup canola oil 1 tablespoon butter Place the chicken breasts in a glass dish with the buttermilk and mustard and stir to coat well. Cover and leave in the fridge for about 30 minutes to marinate. Put the breadcrumbs onto a plate and then lift the chicken out of the marinade and coat well with the crumbs. It’s good if you can do this a little ahead of time and put the chicken back into the fridge for about 20 minutes. Heat the oil and butter in a shallow, non-stick frying pan until sizzling. Cook the chicken over a medium heat for 6 – 8 minutes each side, or until the coating is crispy and golden and the chicken cooked through. The cooking time does depend a little on how thick the thickest part of the chicken is. Season with salt and pepper then slice the chicken horizontally into 4 or 5 pieces and serve with the slaw. Fennel slaw: 2 cups finely sliced purple cabbage 1 cup finely sliced baby fennel (this is about 1 bulb) 1 cup julienned carrot (about 2 medium carrots) a handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped 1 sweet, red apple, julienned and tossed with the juice of 1/2 lemon 1/3 cup buttermilk 2 tablespoons Greek yoghurt 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard Combine the cabbage, fennel, carrot, parsley and apple in a medium-sized glass bowl. In another small bowl mix together the buttermilk, yoghurt and mustard. Just before serving, toss the dressing through the slaw.
Lemony baked chicken with thyme
I love the flavour of lemon because it gives the most amazing sharpness to both sweet and savoury foods, bringing out the best in the ingredients it is paired with. In this recipe a juicy lemon is sliced into wedges and then roasted with chicken, tomatoes, baby peppers and thyme until the chicken is tender and the lemon caramelised and bursting with tangy juices. Serves 6 750g skinless chicken thigh fillets olive oil, sea salt and black pepper 1 small bunch of thyme 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes 6 – 9 baby peppers in a mixture of colours, cored but left whole (or 1 red and 1 yellow capsicum cut into large chunks) 1 large lemon, cut lengthwise into 6 wedges Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Place in a roasting pan with the tomatoes, lemon and peppers, Sprinkle over about a dozen sprigs of thyme and then drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Bake in a 180 C oven for around 30 minutes, or until chicken is tender and lemons have nicely caramelised on the outside. Place on a large platter and scatter over a few more sprigs of thyme. Serve with a green salad and cous cous with herbs and green chilli. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Spring vegetables
“It is a very beautiful day. The woman looks around and thinks: ‘there cannot ever have been a spring more beautiful than this. I did not know until now that clouds could be like this. I did not know that the sky is the sea and that clouds are the souls of happy ships, sunk long ago. I did not know that the wind could be tender, like hands as they caress – what did I know – until now?” Unica Zürn There are so many things I love about spring. The gradually lengthening days; gardening; cloudless skies, with warmth but not yet heat or humidity; flowers and strawberries and new honey and asparagus and the palpable sense of rejuvenation and re-invigoration all around. Today at the fruit shop I found the first asparagus of the season, along with some baby zucchini, snow peas and sugar snap peas, crisp and sweet and inviting. Cooked until just tender and tossed with a little butter and a sprinkle of sea salt, they were delicious and representative of all that is wonderful about spring vegetables. Any combination of new vegetables is beautiful cooked this way – the only thing to be aware of is not cooking them for too long – tender crisp is how they are best, and brings out their sweetness and delicate flavour. Serves 4, as an accompaniment 2 bunches asparagus, trimmed and cut in half 250 g baby zucchini, halved lengthwise 125 g sugar snap peas 125 g snow peas, trimmed 1/4 cup snow pea sprouts 20 g butter sea salt Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil. Cook the asparagus, zucchini, sugar snap and snow peas for 3 – 4 minutes until just tender. Drain and immediately toss in the butter and season to taste with the sea salt. Scatter over the sprouts and serve. Delicious with fish, or chicken, or just with chewy bread smeared with goats cheese or ricotta and herbs. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Butter-braised fennel
There is something deeply satisfying in this super simple dish which enriches the anise flavoured fennel with butter and earthy thyme. It takes a surprisingly long time to cook, but the wait is worth it as the fennel melts in the mouth and the natural sugars caramelise beautifully in the butter, adding gentle charred notes. It is wonderful with fish or chicken or pork; or topping bruschetta that has been rubbed with garlic and spread with ricotta. Before the warm weather comes we’ll be feasting on this dish at our place at every opportunity. Serves 4 as an accompaniment 2 medium-sized fennel bulbs 50 g butter sea salt 1/2 lemon fresh thyme and fennel fronds Preheat oven to 180 C. Place a 20 cm square ceramic or glass oven-proof dish in the oven with the butter until it is melted. Meanwhile, trim the stalks of the fennel bulb and cut the bulbs into 6 – 8 wedges, depending on the size of the bulbs. Take the dish out of the oven and place the fennel in a single layer, turning over to ensure each wedge is covered with a light coating of the melted butter. Season well with sea salt and bake for 1 – 1 1/2 hours, until the fennel is very soft, and golden brown, carefully turning over a couple of times during the cooking. Place the fennel carefully in a serving dish and scatter over some fresh thyme leaves and fennel fronds. Squeeze about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice into the buttery juices remaining in the dish and mix well. Drizzle over the fennel and serve. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Fresh asparagus with hazelnuts (and a soapbox)
Yesterday I found in my fruit shop some fresh asparagus. I eagerly grabbed two plump bunches, and some hazelnuts, and when I got home steamed the asparagus, made a browned butter and hazelnut dressing and was transported to heaven. Tender crisp, sweet and nutty, they were perfect. You might wonder why I am rhapsodising about fresh asparagus when it is available all year round. But this was the first asparagus available for many months that was grown here, and as I consciously only buy Australian asparagus, and only eat it during its season, it has been a long wait. In Australia, asparagus grown here is first available from mid-September, and by the end of January the season is pretty much over. So if you eat asparagus during the remainder of the year, it is most likely from Thailand or Peru. Think about the cost to our planet from the fuel expended to get asparagus here from Peru. Think about what a pittance the Peruvian and Thai farmers must be paid to enable us to purchase asparagus at a reasonable price. Think about whether you really need to have asparagus all year round – or pomegranate, or stone fruit, or strawberries. When we eat fruit and vegetables out of season we lose so much. We lose the anticipation of waiting for new season vegetables, and the delight when they appear in the fruit shop display; we lose that sense of having something special because it is only available for a limited time; we lose on price, because imported vegetables are often more expensive; and we lose on flavour – no vegetable that has been harvested, stored and flown here from the other side of the planet can taste anywhere as good as the same vegetable in the right season, grown less than 100 kilometers away. Take delight in fruit and vegetables when they are in season, most beautiful, and economical. Educate yourself and find out the provenance of what you buy. And learn the pleasure of waiting. You will be amply rewarded. Serves 2 2 bunches fresh asparagus 1/2 cup hazelnuts 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon lemon juice sea salt Preheat oven to 180 C. Roast the hazelnuts on an oven tray in a single layer for 15 minutes. Tip them out onto a clean tea towel and fold the tea towel in half to cover the nuts. Roll your hands vigorously over the tea towel to dislodge the hazelnut skins. Rub any remaining skins off with your fingertips, then roughly chop the hazelnuts. Fill a large frying pan with about 2 cm of water, season with salt and bring to the boil. Place the asparagus in a single layer and cook for about 3 – 4 minutes, until bright green and tender. Meanwhile bring a small pan to a high heat, add in the butter, and cook until the butter foams and begins to brown a little. Toss in the hazelnuts and then the lemon juice. Remove the asparagus from the water and place on a serving dish. Pour over the hazelnut butter and serve immediately. Beautiful with fish or chicken, or even on its own with some good chewy bread to mop up the butter.
Slow roasted pork belly with apples
Rich and unctuous, with a crispy crackling, pork belly is a spectacular dinner party dish and the pan fried apples and spiced sauce are wonderful partners. It’s important to cook the pork long and slow to help render out most of the fat, and end up with meltingly soft flesh. But then the last part of the cooking needs to be at high heat, to enable the skin to become crisp – the essence of great pork is the crackling! Serves 6 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 1 1/2 tablespoons salt 1.5 kg pork belly, skin on 1 bulb fresh fennel 3 carrots 6 granny smith apples 40 g butter 2 cinnamon quills 3 star anise 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup verjuice Coarsely grind the spices and salt in a pestle and mortar. Score the skin of the pork at about 1 cm intervals, being careful to not cut into the flesh. Rub the spice mixture into the skin of the pork, and then set aside in the fridge, uncovered for about 3 hours. This will help to draw moisture out of the skin and help get a crispy crackling. Cut the fennel bulb into 1 cm thick slices and cut the carrots in half lengthwise. In a large heavy based roasting pan lay the fennel and the carrots across the base and then place the pork, skin side up onto the vegetables. Bake at 140 C for 2 hours. Turn the heat up to 220 C and roast for another 30 minutes until the skin is crispy. Take out of the oven and rest for about 15 minutes. While the pork is resting, peel and core the apples and then cut in half. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the butter. When it starts to foam add the apples, cinnamon and star anise and cook for 3 – 4 minutes. Add the brown sugar and verjuice and simmer until the apples are cooked, but not collapsing, and the sauce almost syrupy. Carve the pork and serve with the apples and a drizzle of the sauce. Wine choice: A full bodied red wine is perfect with this dish. I’d suggest a shiraz, which has the depth and intensity to match the richness of the pork. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Chocolate self-saucing pudding (best ever)
Chocolate self-saucing pudding is the ultimate winter comfort food – fudgy and rich and warming. There are lots of recipes available for this pudding, as it is an Australian staple. My recipe however, has a little more cocoa than the standard ones, because I love the chocolate to predominate. Try to get some dutch process cocoa; it’s really superior in taste. The pudding is best served piping hot with cream or vanilla ice cream, and is a perfect finale to a family dinner. At our place I like to make it when we are having a roast dinner and put it into the oven just as we sit down to eat our lamb. Then it’s ready just at the right time for dessert. Serves 6 1 cup self-raising flour 1/3 cup caster sugar 3 tablespoons cocoa 1/2 cup milk 45 g butter, melted, plus a little extra 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla sea salt 1 cup brown sugar 3 tablespoons coca 1 cup boiling water Heat oven to 170 C. Grease the base and sides of a 6 cup capacity pudding dish, either rectangular or oval, with the extra butter. In a medium-sized bowl combine the flour, caster sugar and 3 tablespoons of cocoa. In a jug whisk together the milk, melted butter, egg and vanilla with a pinch of salt. Don’t miss out the salt – it enhances the flavour of chocolate immeasurably. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingerdients in the medium-sized bowl and beat togathr with a wooden spoon until well combined. Spread the poudding mixture into the dish. In another small bowl mix together the brown sugar and remaining cocoa, and then sprinkle over the top of the pudding mixture. Pour over the boiling water, drizzling onto the back of a spoon, first, so as to cover the pudding evenly. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pudding is cooked. The sauce will sink and the pudding rise to the top (a wondrous experience for children). Dust with icing sugar and serve hot, with cream or ice cream. Printable version: Chocolate self saucing pudding Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Chocolate chip pecan cookies and the pleasures of baking
“The measuring and mixing always smoothed out her thinking processes – nothing was as calming as creaming butter – and when the kitchen was warm from the oven overheating and the smell of baking chocolate, she took final stock of where she’d been and where she was going. Everything was fine.” Jennifer Crusie It is rainy and cold in my part of the world today and when I came home after my morning of errands I made these cookies for my husband and daughter, who are both studying hard and glued to their respective desks. Unhurried time is one of the things that makes baking pleasurable, rather than a chore that needs to be done so that lunch boxes will be able to be filled for the coming week. As I carefully chopped the chocolate and nuts, creamed the butter and brown sugar, and rolled the dough, I felt a deep peacefulness that came from this nurturing act, and from knowing that there was nothing else that needed to be done, no other demands on my time, only this task that I chose to accomplish. The cookies were made with love and tasted wonderful; rich and chocolate-filled, chewy, but with the subtle crunch of the nuts, and just the right amount of salt to counter the sweetness. I am sure you have your favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe, but if you feel the need for something a little different, why not try these. I’d love to hear what you think of them. Makes about 30 180 g soft butter 120 g brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 300 g self-raising flour 200 g dark chocolate roughly chopped 130 g pecan nut pieces Preheat oven to 165 C. Line 2 shallow baking trays or cookie sheets with silicon baking paper. In a medium-sized bowl beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt together until creamy. You can use a mixer or do it by hand. For me there is something wonderful about doing this by hand, but it does require that the butter is nicely soft for the task to be truly satisfying. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add half of the flour and combine well. Once well incorporated add the remaining flour, the chocolate and the pecans and mix together gently until all the flour is incorporated and the chocolate and pecans evenly distributed. Using a tablespoon, scoop out spoonfuls of mixture and roll them into a ball with your hands. Place on the trays, with some space for spreading between them. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until lightly golden and cooked. They should still have a little give, but this will ensure they are gooey and chewy and scrumptious when they have cooled a little. Serve them warm or cool completely and store in an airtight container. They will keep for 4 or 5 days.
Rich flourless chocolate cake
Cake baking is best when it can be deeply enjoyed – no pressure of time; no interruptions; and no requirement that it turn out perfectly. Just relaxed time in the kitchen and the bringing together of beautiful ingredients to create something wonderful. This chocolate cake was the result of a holiday afternoon baking session. The house was filled with the rich aroma of dark chocolate and coffee, and it was a gorgeous way to spend time on a rainy day. It’s a very simple cake to make, but really needs the best ingredients – dark chocolate with at least 60% cocoa solids and real dutch process cocoa, organic eggs, real vanilla extract, and a really good espresso. It is very rich so a small slice is plenty. Serve it for dessert with some thick cream, and a perfect flat white on the side. Serves 10 – 12 200g almond meal 250g dark chocolate 185g butter 1/3 cup dutch process cocoa 60 ml espresso 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pinch salt 6 eggs 1 1/4 cups caster sugar Preheat the oven to 160 C. Line the base of a 22 cm diameter spring form tin with silicon paper, and lightly grease the sides with a little butter. In a medium sized glass bowl melt the chocolate, butter and cocoa over a saucepan of simmering water. Add the espresso, vanilla and a pinch of salt and stir until silky smooth. In another medium sized bowl whisk together the eggs and sugar until well combined. Stir in the almond meal and then the chocolate mixture. Pour carefully into the prepared tin and bake for 45 – 50 minutes. The edges should look a little crispy and the centre should be just set. After 10 minutes carefully remove the outside of the tin and leave to completely cool. The middle of the cake will be fudgy and squidgy and sumptuous – and a rich, dark brown. Serve in smallish slices with a little thick cream on the side. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation