Monday, 1 April 2013
Toffee Apple Tart - a teaser.....
I've been feeding people again. It seems that is what I'm good at! I fed them Toffee Apple Tart today. Recipe coming soon....
Sunday, 31 March 2013
Caravan Biscuits for the holidays! (Dairy free, egg free, vegan and can be gluten free)
This recipe is the result of my mum clipping recipes in the 1970's. She is pretty sure this one originally came from the fabulous people at Good Housekeeping, and its served us well over the years! (We don't know why they are called Caravan biscuits though! Any ideas, please let me know?)
These biscuits, or cookies if you prefer, are slightly crunchy, chewy in the middle and full of knobbly oaty bits. Naturally vegan with the use of vegan margarine, they can also be gluten free if you use gluten free flour and add a 1/4 tsp xanthan gum.
Chuck a few handfuls of raisins or chopped cherries in and you have fruity, oaty biscuits, and boy are they good!
Caravan Biscuits
Makes 20
Ingredients
1. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cream of tartar together and set aside.
2. Beat the margarine to soften in a classic batter bowl and add the sugar. Beat in.
120g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
large pinch salt
large pinch cream of tartar
120g vegan margarine (I use Pure Spread Sunflower)
120g sugar
120g rolled oats
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
2 tsp hot water
2 tablespoons syrup
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C
1/2 tsp baking powder
large pinch salt
large pinch cream of tartar
120g vegan margarine (I use Pure Spread Sunflower)
120g sugar
120g rolled oats
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
2 tsp hot water
2 tablespoons syrup
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C
1. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cream of tartar together and set aside.
2. Beat the margarine to soften in a classic batter bowl and add the sugar. Beat in.
3. Add the oats and stir to combine.
4. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the hot water in a pinch bowl.
5. Warm the syrup slightly then measure it out using a measure all cup.
6. Add to the margarine and sugar mix. Beat in.
7. Add the flour and mix until well combined.
8. If the mixture is very solid you can warm it slightly in the microwave to make it easier to handle, and then form small balls. If too warm leave it to cool slightly before you handle it.
9. Place on flat stoneware (I used my rectangle stone, and my medium stone) and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.
10. Bake at 180°C for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden. Don't let them get too dark of they will be bitter!
11. Allow to cool slightly on the trays before removing to a cooling rack.
4. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the hot water in a pinch bowl.
5. Warm the syrup slightly then measure it out using a measure all cup.
6. Add to the margarine and sugar mix. Beat in.
7. Add the flour and mix until well combined.
8. If the mixture is very solid you can warm it slightly in the microwave to make it easier to handle, and then form small balls. If too warm leave it to cool slightly before you handle it.
9. Place on flat stoneware (I used my rectangle stone, and my medium stone) and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.
10. Bake at 180°C for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden. Don't let them get too dark of they will be bitter!
11. Allow to cool slightly on the trays before removing to a cooling rack.
Sunday, 17 February 2013
Garlic pizza bread (egg / dairy free and vegan)
I often have left over pizza dough when I make pizzas with my pizza base recipe and have been making this garlic bread to accompany the meal as a way to use up the dough. Plus its a really lovely addition to the table.
I cook my pizzas and bread on Pampered Chef Stoneware as the bases are crispy and the food is cooked beautifully evenly. Plus the stoneware keeps the pizza and bread warm right to the last slice! And its crispy not soggy.
Make up your pizza dough recipe and then divide in three. Use two balls to make pizza bases and the other to make a the garlic bread below.
Ingredients
1/3 portion of pizza dough
2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp Mixed dried herbs, or chopped fresh herbs if you have them
Rock salt
Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Roll the dough out on a Medium round stone with a baker's roller until nice and thin.
2. Crush the garlic into a pinch bowl using the garlic press (the beauty of our garlic press is no peeling needed!). Add the olive oil and herbs with the adjustable measuring spoons and stir well.
3. Pour over the dough and spread it out with the back of a spoon to cover the whole dough up to 1/2 cm from the edges.
4. Sprinkle with rock salt.
5. Make slashes in the dough with a sharp knife and place in the oven for 8-10 mins till golden brown. Leave on the stone to keep warm as you eat, and cut with the pizza cutter.
Don't go kissing too many people afterwards unless they shared this with you!
I cook my pizzas and bread on Pampered Chef Stoneware as the bases are crispy and the food is cooked beautifully evenly. Plus the stoneware keeps the pizza and bread warm right to the last slice! And its crispy not soggy.
Ingredients
1/3 portion of pizza dough
2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp Mixed dried herbs, or chopped fresh herbs if you have them
Rock salt
Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Roll the dough out on a Medium round stone with a baker's roller until nice and thin.
2. Crush the garlic into a pinch bowl using the garlic press (the beauty of our garlic press is no peeling needed!). Add the olive oil and herbs with the adjustable measuring spoons and stir well.
3. Pour over the dough and spread it out with the back of a spoon to cover the whole dough up to 1/2 cm from the edges.
4. Sprinkle with rock salt.
 |
| Dough all slashed and oiled up and ready to go. |
5. Make slashes in the dough with a sharp knife and place in the oven for 8-10 mins till golden brown. Leave on the stone to keep warm as you eat, and cut with the pizza cutter.
Don't go kissing too many people afterwards unless they shared this with you!
Thursday, 14 February 2013
Happy Valentines Day!
Just a quick post to say Happy Valentines Day!
I made these today in my Pampered Chef square brownie pan - I love it sooo much.
I used my basic cake mix with blueberries added (I just chucked in a few handfuls I had in the fridge) and then made a buttercream icing with some mashed up blueberries added.
I cut out the centre of the top cake using the heart cutter from the creative cutters set and then added some icing between two cakes and in the heart shaped hole. Yum!
I made these today in my Pampered Chef square brownie pan - I love it sooo much.
I used my basic cake mix with blueberries added (I just chucked in a few handfuls I had in the fridge) and then made a buttercream icing with some mashed up blueberries added.
I cut out the centre of the top cake using the heart cutter from the creative cutters set and then added some icing between two cakes and in the heart shaped hole. Yum!
 |
| Happy Valentines Day! Blueberry cakes in the square brownie tin. |
Monday, 11 February 2013
Pita Breads (Egg free/Dairy free and Vegan)
I've got myself a new camera, and I've spent the last month playing with it rather than blogging! However, I'm now ready to rock and roll as I've managed to get the hang of the camera and I've read my way through a tonne of info including the wonderful Plate to Pixel by Helene Dujardin. I also have benefited from some short and sweet photography lessons from my wonderful photographer brother Hamish Campbell.
This is the first of my posts with the new photos and I think you really can tell the difference.
So here we go.....
The Pita Bread recipe I used is pretty basic and I was so excited to see it work - I can't believe it does! How does it do that puffy thing? I can't understand it, but I love it.
I've got a brand new Rectangle Stone that I was desperate to try out too, so this was the first recipe I did on it. I gave it a little rub down with a bit of vegetable oil first before using it, and it worked perfectly. The stone gives a lovely even heat and the breads stayed warm for ages while we had our soup and went back for another!
Ingredients
1 tsp dried yeast
350g strong bread flour
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
210ml water
Extra flour for sprinkling
Oiled clingfilm to cover
Method
1. If you have a bread maker then bung in all of the ingredients and put the machine on a pizza dough or basic dough setting. Or use a mixer with a dough hook if you have one. If not, mix all the ingredients in a Classic batter bowl until they form a dough, and get kneading for about 10 mins on a lightly floured surface. The dough should be smooth and elastic at this point.
2. If using the mixer/machine now place the dough on a lightly floured surface and divide it into ten pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball.
3. Cover the balls of dough with lightly oiled clingfilm and leave to rise for about 10 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
5. Place the dough onto the rectangle stone or other flat stone such as the medium round stone, and flatten slightly.
6. Roll each one out using the baker's roller into a slightly oval shape. Sprinkle with a little flour.
7. Leave to rest for a further 10 minutes, or if you are like me just bung them in the oven because you can't wait!
8. Bake for around 10-14 minutes - mine took 12 minutes for the ones on the top shelf and 13 for the middle shelf! They should be lightly browned and puffed up.
9. You can leave them on the stones or remove to a stackable cooling rack to cool.
I enjoyed mine with a fabulous sweet potato and lentil soup. It warmed me right to my toes on a cold winter day!
These Pitas keep for about 2 days in a sealed container and toast up nicely, or you can freeze them too.
This is the first of my posts with the new photos and I think you really can tell the difference.
So here we go.....
I've got a brand new Rectangle Stone that I was desperate to try out too, so this was the first recipe I did on it. I gave it a little rub down with a bit of vegetable oil first before using it, and it worked perfectly. The stone gives a lovely even heat and the breads stayed warm for ages while we had our soup and went back for another!
1 tsp dried yeast
350g strong bread flour
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
210ml water
Extra flour for sprinkling
Oiled clingfilm to cover
Method
1. If you have a bread maker then bung in all of the ingredients and put the machine on a pizza dough or basic dough setting. Or use a mixer with a dough hook if you have one. If not, mix all the ingredients in a Classic batter bowl until they form a dough, and get kneading for about 10 mins on a lightly floured surface. The dough should be smooth and elastic at this point.
2. If using the mixer/machine now place the dough on a lightly floured surface and divide it into ten pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball.
3. Cover the balls of dough with lightly oiled clingfilm and leave to rise for about 10 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
5. Place the dough onto the rectangle stone or other flat stone such as the medium round stone, and flatten slightly.
6. Roll each one out using the baker's roller into a slightly oval shape. Sprinkle with a little flour.
7. Leave to rest for a further 10 minutes, or if you are like me just bung them in the oven because you can't wait!
8. Bake for around 10-14 minutes - mine took 12 minutes for the ones on the top shelf and 13 for the middle shelf! They should be lightly browned and puffed up.
9. You can leave them on the stones or remove to a stackable cooling rack to cool.
I enjoyed mine with a fabulous sweet potato and lentil soup. It warmed me right to my toes on a cold winter day!
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