Walnut and orange snowballs

This is my last holiday recipe and also the last post of the year – now it’s time to finish up wrapping the presents and start preparing the food for Christmas Eve.

I wish you all wonderful holidays – thank you for keeping me company in 2009. I hope to see you all here in January!

xx

Walnut and orange snowballs
from Donna Hay magazine

250g unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup (105g) icing sugar, sifted
1 cup (105g) walnuts, finely chopped
finely grated zest of 1 large orange
2 ½ cups + 2 ½ tablespoons (375g) all purpose flour, sifted
icing sugar, sifted, extra, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 10-15 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add the walnuts, orange zest and flour and beat in slow speed until combined.
Roll two teaspoonfuls of the dough into balls, place onto prepared baking sheets 5cm (2in) apart and flatten slightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes then dust well with the extra icing sugar.

Makes 55 – I got 42

Chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies

No Christmas food series would be complete without a gingerbread recipe – these are from Martha’s website and they are delicious!

I placed the cookies in little bags and tied them with a red ribbon: they are going to be one of the gifts to my coworkers – I hope they like them!

Are you making edible gifts this year, too? I’d love to hear about them.

Chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies

196g (7oz) best-quality dark chocolate
1 ½ cups + 1 tablespoon (220g) all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
½ cup (113g/1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup (88g) dark-brown sugar, packed
½ cup unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar

Chop chocolate into 6mm (¼in) chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.
In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 ½ teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 2.5cm (1in) thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.
Preheat oven to 165°C/325°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper. Roll dough into about 3.7cm (1 ½-in) balls; place 5cm (2in) apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 2 dozen – I used 1 leveled tablespoon of dough per cookie and got 42

Cinnamon candy canes

Oh, yes, more Christmas recipes – and get ready, because there are still a few more to come. :)

These cookies are easy to make - and shape, I promise - and the granulated sugar adds a nice sparkle to them. The recipe comes from DH mag #24, the first issue of that magazine I ever got and it was a present from my good friend Valentina. After taking a look at that issue, I immediately subscribed and became addicted – but that you’ve already noticed. :)

For more holiday inspiration, check the lovely Paul’s beautiful Christmas countdown.

Cinnamon candy canes
from Donna Hay magazine

¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (184g) unsalted butter*
1 cup + 1 ½ tablespoons (218g) caster sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 ½ cups + 2 ½ tablespoons (375g) all purpose flour
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 egg white, lightly beaten with a fork
granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Place butter, sugar and cinnamon in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the flour, egg and egg yolks and process until a smooth dough forms – my processor wasn’t strong enough to process the dough, so I prepared it on my Kitchen Aid using the paddle attachment. Lightly knead the dough, divide in two parts and wrap each one in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Roll 1 leveled tablespoon of the dough to form a log (roughly 10cm/4in long). Carefully bend the top to form a candy cane and place onto prepared sheets, 2.5cm (1in) apart. Repeat with the remaining dough. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool.
Brush the canes with the egg white and sprinkle over the sugar. Store the cookies in an airtight container for 2-3 weeks.

* the recipe wasn’t specific about the temperature of the butter, so I used it cold but not too firm (left it out of the fridge for 20 minutes or so)

(Note: pregnant women should not eat raw egg white)

Makes 40

Dark chocolate, cinnamon and hazelnut truffles

A quick look at my sweet recipe index and you'll notice that I don’t make truffles very often – I love working with chocolate, but mostly stick with cookies and cakes. To me, truffles are such a special treat they call for a special occasion as well – like that gorgeous pair of shoes you’ll only wear on your birthday or anniversary. :)

These were made for a special someone, a dear friend of mine who happens to be crazy about shoes, too – let’s just say that her last name could pretty much be Bradshaw. :)

Dark chocolate, cinnamon and hazelnut truffles
from Donna Hay magazine

450g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped
1 ¼ cups (300ml) heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
40 hazelnuts, roasted*
1 cup (90g) cocoa powder

Place the chocolate, cream and cinnamon in a saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and smooth. Pour into a lightly buttered 1 liter-capacity dish and set aside to cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm enough to roll.
Roll teaspoonfuls of the mixture into rough balls. Press a hazelnut into the middle and roll to enclose.
Place the cocoa on a baking tray, place the truffles on the tray and gently shake to coat.

* place the hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast in a preheated 180°C/350°F oven for 5 minutes or until lightly golden. Place the hot hazelnuts in the fold of a tea towel and rub back and forth to remove the skins.

Makes 40 – I halved the recipe and got 25 truffles

Nigella's Holiday hot cake

Checking the movies on TV last Saturday I was really glad to see “The name of the Rose” would be aired that night – I’d forgotten how much I love that film.

I’d also forgotten the idea of making Nigella’s hot holiday cake – I told you I wouldn’t wait till Christmas, but apparently my brain did not record that info. :)

The dessert is delicious and all you’ll need is a bowl and a wooden spoon. The spice flavor is strong, so cut it back a little if you’re not a big fan.

Nigella's Holiday hot cake
from here

Sponge:
1 cup + 1 tablespoon (150g) all purpose flour
100g light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon mixed spice
½ cup (120ml) full-fat milk
¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil
1 egg

Topping:
200g light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon mixed spice
6 teaspoons unsalted butter, room temperature
500ml boiling water

350ml heavy cream, whipped, to serve

Preheat oven to 220°C/428°F and place a baking sheet on the shelf.
Start by making the sponge: place the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, ground ginger, mixed spice, milk, oil and egg in a large bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon.
Pour into a greased, round baking dish (23cm diameter x 6cm deep). Set aside.
Now, the topping: in a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, ground ginger and mixed spice sprinkle over the batter in its baking dish. Dot the butter on top and pour the boiling water over the mixture – don’t worry, it will work out in the end.
Put the dish on the baking sheet in the oven for 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving, and make sure you scoop out the sauce beneath the sponge in the dish. Serve with the whipped cream.

Serves 6-8

Creamy tuna and chickpea salad

During the holidays we tend to go a little over with all the eating and drinking: I know I get carried away with making the food and end up eating more than I should. And kudos to those who can control themselves – God knows I’ve tried to be one of them, but got to the conclusion that it’s never gonna happen. :)

Lucky me I also love salads and they are perfect for our tropical Xmas – this is a very quick and simple idea, from DH's website.

Creamy tuna and chickpea salad
from Donna Hay magazine

¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and cracked black pepper
1 x 400g can chickpeas (garbanzos), drained and rinsed*
2 x 185 g cans tuna in olive oil, drained
1 spring onion, finely sliced
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped if too large
80g arugula leaves
olive oil
flatbread, to serve

Place the mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir to combine. Add the chickpeas, tuna, spring onion and parsley and toss to combine. Drizzle the arugula with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place it by the creamy salad.
Serve with crispy flat bread or toasted sourdough croutons. Alternatively, wrap in flatbread or lavash for a portable meal.

* I soaked 1 cup dried chickpeas overnight and cooked them for 40 minutes

Serves 2

Pear fritters

I find her exaggerated, bizarre and creepy, but have to admit it: whoever chose her stage name had a brilliant idea. :)

Here’s another brilliant idea: involving fruit slices in batter, frying them and then dusting with cinnamon sugar. Yum!

Pears were delicious, and I’m guessing apples would be wonderful, too – you can find the original recipe here, but I’ve adapted it to avoid having too much batter left. If there’s some, fry in small portions, by spoonfuls, and dust in cinnamon sugar as well:

Pear fritters
from Donna Hay magazine

1 cup (200g) caster sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup + 1 tablespoon (150g) self-rising flour
1 egg
2/3 cup (160ml) milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon caster sugar, extra
vegetable oil, for deep frying
2 Williams' pears, thinly sliced, seeds removed
all-purpose flour, for dusting

Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside.
Place the flour, egg, milk, vanilla and extra sugar in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Heat the oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat until hot. Dust the pear slices with plain flour and dip in the batter – you might want to use the back of a spoon to make sure the batter sticks to the pear slices. Deep-fry, in batches, for 2–3 minutes or until golden and crisp on both sides. Remove from the oil and place over some paper towels to remove excess oil.
Toss the hot pear fritters in the cinnamon sugar to coat and serve.

Makes about 20

Spiced sable rounds with eggnog glaze

Today’s cookies are a proof that there’s still kindness in the world – people who will do something nice for someone else even though they live on the other side of the planet.

I bookmarked one recipe last January already thinking of making it for the holidays. But when I reached for it on my del.icio.us a couple of weeks ago the link no longer worked... Google showed me someone on Flickr who had made those cookies and I asked her if she had the recipe posted somewhere – she didn’t, but was kind enough to send it to me by email. Isn’t that sweet?

Anastasia, thank you for sending me this great recipe – the cookies turned out delicious! I wish I could send some your way.
xoxo

Spiced sable rounds with eggnog glaze

Cookie dough:
1 ¼ cups (282g) unsalted butter, cold and coarsely chopped
1 cup + 1 ½ tablespoons (218g) caster sugar
2 eggs
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
4 cups + 4 tablespoons (600g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Glaze:
1 egg
1 tablespoon brandy
1 tablespoon dark rum - I used white
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
2 cups + 2 ½ tablespoons (300g) icing sugar, sifted
freshly ground nutmeg, for scattering

Beat butter and sugar in an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine. Add lemon zest, spices, flour and baking powder and mix until just combined. Divide dough in four equal parts and form each one into a log that is a little more than 3.5cm (1 ½ in) thick. Wrap well in baking paper and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 180°C; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Unwrap one of the dough logs (keep the others in the fridge) and slice it into 6mm (¼-in) rounds. Place onto prepared baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes or until just golden – mine needed 15 minutes for staying in the fridge for 24 hours.
Repeat with the remaining logs.
Make the glaze: whisk egg, brandy, rum and vanilla paste (if using a vanilla bean, scrape the seeds with the back of a knife and add to the bowl) in an electric mixer for 5 minutes or until pale and fluffy. Add the sugar and whisk until thick and pale.
Spread icing over warm cookies then scatter with a little nutmeg and cool on a wire rack. Let glaze set completely before storing the cookies.
Cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 90 – I halved the recipe and got 48

Labna (yogurt cheese)

Do you remember my homemade ricotta? That recipe is wonderful – I’ve received comments and emails from many of you who have tried it too, with great results. I have made it dozens of times already and used it in both savory and sweet dishes. I thought it was about time I tried another recipe from Donna Hay’s cheese making spread (issue 35), especially after seeing the wonderful cheeses my friend Ana Elisa has been making lately.

If you liked the ricotta, you’re gonna love the labna: it’s even easier to make – no cooking involved, no need for a thermometer – and tasted really good. I highly recommend it.

Labna (yogurt cheese)
from Donna Hay magazine

2 cups (520g) plain, full fat yogurt
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
olive oil to cover
¼ cup fresh oregano leaves
½ teaspoon black peppercorns

Place the yogurt and salt in a bowl and stir to combine. Line a sieve with fine muslin and place over a deep bowl – the bottom of the sieve should not be in contact with the liquid released from the yogurt. Pour the yogurt mixture into the sieve. Cover, set aside in the refrigerator and allow to drain for 5 days, removing the liquid every once in a while.
Roll 2 teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place in an airtight jar. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Add the oregano and peppercorns and cover with oil*. Store the labna in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

* the olive oil coating may solidify in the refrigerator so allow the labna to return to room temperature before you serve it.

Serves 4

Eggnog brûlée

Last Saturday I tuned in for my weekly dose of Ms. Lawson and they aired one of her Christmas episodes – which I confess to have seen three times already, without an ounce of guilt; she got me into holiday spirit even more with her delicious food. My holiday recipe series continues and after the spiced brigadeiros I present you eggnog brûlée.

Don’t be surprised by the hard caramel crust on top of the dessert: I don’t own a torch and therefore tried Donna Hay’s hint of running a hot spoon over the sugar topping; that failed miserably, but I was decided to have a brûlée topping no matter what – even if I had to make some caramel on the side and pour over the custard. It was a matter of honor, after all. :)

Eggnog brûlée
from Donna Hay magazine

2 cups (480ml) heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoons brandy
5 egg yolks
¼ cup + ½ tablespoon (56g) caster sugar
1/3 cup (66g) caster sugar, extra

Preheat the oven to 150°C/330°F. Place the cream, vanilla seeds and bean, cinnamon and brandy in a saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to a boil.
Place the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Discard the vanilla bean and cinnamon sticks and slowly pour the cream mixture over the egg mixture, whisking well to avoid cooking the eggs.
Return to the saucepan and stir over low heat for 6-8 minutes or until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon – do not let boil. Pour the custard into four ½ cup (120ml) capacity ovenproof dishes and place in a deep baking dish. Pour enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake for 15-20 minutes or just until set. Remove from the oven, set aside to cool completely then refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.
Top each brûlée with the extra sugar and gently run a hot metal spoon* or brûlée blow torch over the top until sugar caramelizes – since I don’t own a torch and the spoon-technique failed, I prepared some caramel and poured over the set custard.

* the spoon might get permanently tarnished

Serves 4

Almond, vanilla and raspberry friands

The egg white saga goes on: what to do with all those poor egg whites left from the almost insane ice cream making going on in my kitchen? I did bake a batch of meringues last Saturday, but they ended up in the garbage can. I’m glad Julie Le Clerc’s adorable book was around – these friands are delicious.

Speaking of sagas, I don’t get all the hate towards “New Moon” – sure, it’s no “Raging Bull”, but that doesn’t mean it’s crap, either. I haven’t read the books but adored the movies, despite Bella’s annoying inferiority complex. Not to mention that Taylor Lautner is oh, so cute. :)

Almond, vanilla and raspberry friands
from Little Cafe Cakes

175g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup (100g) ground almonds
6 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (210g) icing sugar, sifted
½ cup (70g) all purpose flour, sifted
1 cup (105g) raspberries, fresh or frozen – I used frozen

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F. Butter well 10 mini cake or muffin pans.
Place the butter, ground almonds, egg whites, vanilla, icing sugar and flour in a large bowl and stir just until combined.
Spoon the mixture into prepared pans – they should be just over ½ full. Top each friand with 3-4 raspberries. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow to stand in pans for 5 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack.

Makes 10 – I halved the recipe, used 1/3 cup (80ml) capacity muffin pans and got 7 friands

Teriyaki chicken noodle salad

Having a little sister is a lot of fun but it also brings upon you a strong sense of responsibility.
One day, when she was 3, we were at McDonald’s – the horror, the horror – because she wanted a burger. While I was ordering the food, she told the clerk she wanted her burger without the beef! I’d recently stopped eating meat but did not even know she knew about it – until then, I’d never thought that I could actually influence someone else. And that’s why I try really hard to be a good role model for her.

I must confess I was never interested in Asian food – out of sheer ignorance – but that changed after spending time with my lovely friend Valentina; we had such delicious meals that I came home decided to add an Asian spin to my cooking. This salad was my first attempt – a wonderful influence by you, Tina. :)

Teriyaki chicken noodle salad
from Donna Hay magazine

1/3 cup (80ml) soy sauce
¼ cup (44g) brown sugar
½ cup (120ml) dry white wine
6 chicken thigh fillets, trimmed – I used breast
270g soba noodles, cooked and drained
2 Japanese cucumbers, thinly sliced
2 spring onions (scallions), sliced
1 cup coriander leaves
¼ cup (60ml) rice vinegar
salt

Place the soy sauce, sugar and wine in a non-metallic bowl and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add the chicken and toss to coat.*
Heat a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Cook the chicken, reserving the marinade, for 1-2 minutes each side. Add the marinade to the pan and cook for a further 3-4 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and sticky – add a little water, if necessary. Slice and set aside.
Place the noodles, cucumber, onion, coriander, vinegar and salt in a bowl and toss until well combined. Divide the noodle salad between bowls and top with the sliced chicken to serve.

* I recommend marinating the chicken for longer – 30 minutes or so – for a deeper flavor

Serves 4

Spiced brigadeiros

When I was little and heard people saying that “time flies”, I’d usually think “what are these people talking about?” – I guess it only started feeling that way to me after I turned 20. Now my baby sister is a year away from going to college... Well, you get the picture. :D

Holiday season is here again – even though sometimes it seems that Christmas was last month – and my tree is already decorated; time to start thinking about the food.
To me, spices are a synonym of holiday food and I thought that adding them to a Brazilian candy would make a wonderful combination – I was pretty glad with the result, especially after my last squashed brigadeiros. :)

I used Paula’s wonderful brigadeiro recipe as a guide and substituted the chocolate for cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

Spiced brigadeiros

1 can (395g) sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup (80ml) heavy (whipping) cream
½ heaping tablespoon all purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter + a bit extra for buttering the plate
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
granulated sugar, for rolling the candy

Butter a large plate and set aside.
Mix the condensed milk, cream, flour, 1 tablespoon butter, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon in a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 15 minutes – when the bottom of the pan starts to show and the mixture is a bit thicker, remove from heat and immediately pour into the prepared plate. Set aside to cool completely, then refrigerate to make rolling easier.
Roll small portions of candy into balls (lightly butter your palms to do it), roll through the granulated sugar and place into fluted paper cups.

Makes 32

Banana and dried cranberry tea cake

I know, I know... Another banana post in less than a month – please bear with me and my full-of-bananas-freezer. :D

This recipe comes from a book a bought several months ago but only recently became addicted to – and with a whole chapter devoted to bananas, I’ll be using it again soon. :D

Banana and dried cranberry tea cake
from Baking by Flavor

2 cups (280g) all purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ cup (83g) dried cranberries, coarsely chopped if too large
8 tablespoons (113g/1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons (28g) shortening, room temperature
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups mashed ripe bananas blended with ¼ cup sour cream – I used yogurt

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F. Butter the insides of a 22.5x12.5x7.5cm (9x5x3in) loaf pan* and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon onto a medium bowl. In a small bowl, toss the cranberries with 1 teaspoon of the sifted mixture.
Cream butter and shortening in the large bowl of an electric mixer on moderate speed for 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and beat for 2 minutes longer. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl frequently with a rubber spatula to keep the batter even-textured.
On low speed, alternately add the sifted mixture in three additions, with the mashed bananas-sour cream blend in two additions, beginning and ending with the sifted ingredients. Stir in the cranberries. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, mounding it slightly in the center.

Bake the tea cake for 55 minutes or until risen, set and golden and a wooden pick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached to it. Cool the loaf in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes, unmold it onto another rack and cool completely – turn the cake so the top is upwards. Dust with icing sugar.
Let the tea cake mellow for at least 2 hour before slicing it.
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

* I halved the recipe, used a 8x19x5cm loaf pan and baked the cake for 30 minutes

Makes about 12 slices

Ovaltine thins with cinnamon sugar

After a visit to Lizzie’s beautiful blog – if you still don’t know it, stop reading me and go check her amazing cookies – I started feeling a little nostalgic: she posted a Calvin & Hobbes strip, and I absolutely love Calvin & Hobbes. It reminded me of when I worked as a teacher and one of my lovely students gave me two Calvin & Hobbes books as a gift - Ana Paula, if you’re reading this: xoxo. :)

Back then I did not bake as much as I do now – with two jobs and working Saturdays, it was a bit difficult – but my students were such special people I would gladly bring them cookies every day. And I’d start with these bars.

Ovaltine thins with cinnamon sugar
slightly adapted from Donna Hay magazine

1 cup + 1 ½ tablespoons (218g) caster sugar
1/3 cup (100g) Ovaltine
2 ½ cups + 2 ½ tablespoons (375g) all purpose flour, sifted
2 eggs
¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup (100g) caster sugar, extra
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F; lightly butter a 30x40cm (12x16in) baking tray and line it with non-stick baking paper, leaving a 2.5cm (1in) overhang*.
Place the sugar, Ovaltine and flour in a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the eggs, butter and vanilla and mix until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs – I used an electric mixer in low speed.
Press the dough into the prepared baking tray, filling it completely.
In a small bowl, combine extra sugar and cinnamon. Brush the cookie dough with the egg white and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden – mine baked for 35 minutes.
Allow to cool in the tray for 10 minutes, then carefully lift it out of the pan – I had trouble lifting the huge uncut cookie from the pan; after a few tries, I slid a thin metal removable bottom (from another baking pan) under the foil and removed the whole thing from the pan.
Cut into rectangles/bars.

* I used a 26x40cm pan, lined with generously buttered foil

Makes 24

3 years of blogging call for chocolate-mayonnaise cupcakes with raspberry cream

There was a birthday celebration at home yesterday, but not mine nor Joao’s – this very blog turned 3!

I cannot believe it’s been that long – so many posts, recipes and photos... Not to mention the wonderful people I’ve met, virtually or personally, because of the blog. The comments and emails I get from you make me really happy and willing to improve my skills and learn more. Thank you for keeping me company all this time! You're the best!

I’d been meaning to bake these cupcakes for months – was intrigued by the addition of mayo to the batter, instead of butter – but thought they deserved a special occasion; this is certainly one. :D

Chocolate-mayonnaise cupcakes with raspberry cream
cupcakes from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey, frosting from Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes

Cupcakes:
1 cup (140g) all purpose flour
1/3 cup + ½ tablespoon (33g) cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup (200g) caster sugar
1 large egg
½ cup mayonnaise (not low-fat)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cups (160ml) boiling water

Raspberry cream:
112g (4oz) unsweetened frozen raspberries, thawed, with the juices
1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
¼ cup (50g) caster sugar
1 teaspoon rosewater

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 180°C/350°F. Line one standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper cupcake liners*.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine the sugar and egg and beat with an electric mixer set at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the mayonnaise and vanilla just until combined. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in half the flour mixture until just combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add half the boiling water and beat at very low speed just until the batter is smooth, 5-10 seconds. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat just until combined, 5-10 seconds longer. Beat in the remaining water – the batter will be somewhat thin.

Divide batter among the prepared cupcake cups, filling them about 2/3 full. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Make the raspberry cream: put the raspberries and their juices in a small non-reactive saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, mashing the berries with a large spoon, until they give up all their juices, 6-8 minutes. Let cool, then strain through a sieve to remove the seeds. Add the sugar and rosewater and stir until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
In a chilled bowl, with chilled beaters, whip the cream until stiff. Fold in the raspberry purée.

When the cupcakes are completely cool, frost them generously with the raspberry cream and serve.

* I used 1/3-cup (80ml) capacity pans

Makes 12

Choc chip salted butter caramel ice cream

Today’s post is a short one: I almost sliced off the tip of my middle finger, so it’s pretty difficult to type. :(

All I’ll write is: make this ice cream. Right now, if possible.

Choc chip salted butter caramel ice cream
from the ice cream Wiz

2 cups (480ml) whole milk
1½ cups (300g) caster sugar
4 tablespoons (58g) salted butter
scant ½ teaspoon sea salt (I used Maldon)
1 cups (240ml) heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
140g dark chocolate, finely chopped

Start by making an ice bath by filling a large bowl about a third full with ice cubes and adding a cup or so of water so they're floating. Nest a smaller metal bowl (at least 2 quarts/liters) over the ice, pour 1 cup (240 ml) of the milk into the inner bowl, and rest a mesh strainer on top of it.

Spread the sugar in a medium saucepan in an even layer. Cook over moderate heat, until the edges begin to melt. Use a heatproof utensil to gently stir the liquefied sugar from the bottom and edges towards the center, stirring, until all the sugar is dissolved. (Or most of it—there may be some lumps, which will melt later.)
Continue to cook stirring infrequently until the caramel starts smoking and begins to smell like it's just about to burn. It won't take long. Once caramelized, remove from heat and stir in the butter and salt, until butter is melted, then gradually whisk in the cream, stirring as you go – be extremely careful, for the caramel will bubble like crazy once the cream is added; you might want to step away from the pan.
The caramel may harden and seize, but return it to the heat and continue to stir over low heat until any hard caramel is melted. Stir in 1 cup (240ml) of the milk.

Whisk the yolks in a small bowl and gradually pour some of the warm caramel mixture over the yolks, stirring constantly. Scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan and cook the custard using a heatproof utensil, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom as you stir) until the mixture thickens. If using an instant-read thermometer, it should read 71-77°C (160-170°F).
Pour the custard through the strainer into the milk set over the ice bath, add the vanilla, then stir frequently until the mixture is cooled down. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or until thoroughly chilled.
Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
While ice cream is freezing, melt chocolate in clean metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring frequently, then transfer to a 1-cup glass measure. When ice cream has finished churning, carefully pour chocolate in a slow stream directly onto ice cream as it churns and continue to churn 30 seconds (chocolate will harden in streaks). Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

Because of the caramel in this ice cream, once churned and frozen, it'll remain nice & creamy (as shown in David’s photo.) To make it firmer, crank up your freezer a bit or store it in a shallow pan.

Makes 1 generous liter (quart)