Food Year’s Resolutions

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If you’ve been following me on instagram, twitter or facebook over the summer months (or winter months, as it may be for you) then you’ll know that I’ve had a lazy and fabulous foodie time.

Christmas was full of baking and crafting (and good intentions to share recipes with you, which fell by the wayside)…

craft and baking

Since Christmas, I’ve done a spot of preserving.

So far this month, I’ve made: a saucy three sugar strawberry jam, an apricot jam, and apricot infused vodka and a beetroot relish.

I must say, I use the term ‘jam’ loosely, and yes, with pun intended.  These are the type of jams one would use in desserts.  They are not breakfast jams.  When I learnt how much sugar was in jam, I think I came to the realisation that perhaps jam should never really be a breakfast food.  In any case, the consistency of my jams lend themselves perfectly to being mixed through ice-cream or yogurt or being brushed over cake layers.

Jam

I will share these recipes with you in the coming days.  But, today, I want to focus on my food resolutions for 2013.

Last year was a really great food journey for me and I have a feeling that 2013 will be even better.  Highlights of 2013 for me included: learning to cook Authentic Chicken Satay on my spontaneous trip to Singapore, conquering some amazing Middle Eastern flavours (including delicious Briouats, an amazing Chicken Tagine and an Almond Honey Spiced Syrup Cake), and creating the Chocolate Cherry Meringue Pudding Cake.  Oh, and who could forget that health kick stretch I did – which resulted in those Gluten-Free and Sugar-Free Chocolate Cupcake?

There are a few things on my cooking bucket list that I would like to tick off.  So here are my food resolutions for 2013:

  • master pastry (an attempt best left to winter)
  • perfect custard (with the view of making mind-blowing ice-cream)
  • learn to make a cheese
  • make bread
  • cook a whole fish, perfectly
  • experiment with jellies
  • increase my Mexican street food street cred
  • study Italian, German, Spanish, Czech and Austrian food….

Well, that last one is a bit of a clue to a trip we’re planning on taking soon.  I hope to document our food travels and share them with you.  One thing I really loved about our trip to Singapore was that I came home with a souvenir I could really use and share – new skills in the kitchen!

What are your 2013 food resolutions?  I’d love to hear all about them!

Cookie Monster Cake

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I cannot wait for the day when I have children to bake for.  There is something about children’s birthday cakes, in particular, which I find overwhelmingly exciting.

Don’t jump to conclusions.  I’m afraid the bulge at my belly is just the result of my cooking.  Once you get married, the whole world appears to be on baby-bump-watching-duty.  At ease, people!  Children are not in my immediate future.  But, that doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate a good children’s birthday cake….

There is someone in our office who we’ve affectionately dubbed the Cookie Monster.  Whenever there are cookies, we can count on her to snaffle them up.  The irony, of course, is that she couldn’t be a more healthy and athletic person.  She earns each cookie devoured by excelling at nightly club sports.  I am in awe of her for this.  I don’t really earn my cookies.  Rather, I follow the mantra that if I’ve baked them, then they only contain calories for others and when I eat them, they are calorie-free.  That’s fair, right?

Naturally, when it was the Cookie Monster’s birthday, what else could I possibly make, if not a Cookie Monster Cake.

Cookie Monster Cake - www.heikeherrling.com

The best part about this cake, was that it was high impact, for little effort and time.  No baking – just assembling really.

In my humble opinion, it wouldn’t be a Cookie Monster Cake if it wasn’t a cake full of cookies.  So essentially, I made a Choc Ripple Cake (alternating between Chocolate Ripple Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies and whipped cream).  I covered the whole thing in blue tinted whipped cream.  I then cover this in a mixture of regular blue sprinkles and blue sparkly sprinkles.  The two types of sprinkles together really gave off the look of real fur.  The sparkly sprinkles looked a bit like cellophane confetti and it really gave depth to the fur.

I did all the assembly on a light blue deep plate dish I have – which made it sturdy and easier to transport.

To really make the character, I added a cookie munching mouth and wide eyes which scream *who? me?*.  The same look my colleague gives when she is busted with her hand in the cookie jar!

For the eyes, I melted white chocolate and dolloped it onto baking paper which had two circles drawn on the underside for a guide.  Once that was starting to set, I added two milk chocolate chips for pupils.

I left the whole thing in the fridge overnight and – voilà – out came the Cookie Monster Cake!

Cookie Monster Cake - www.heikeherrling.com

Great for giggles, but it tasted good!

Review – Palazzo Versace, Le Jardin – High Tea

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Every now and again, a touch of luxury for no reason is called for in life.  Society’s focus always seems to be on doing things for the betterment of body or mind – people will tell you that you’ll feel relaxed if you go for a run or read a book.  But, to me, it’s just as important to make time for the betterment of your soul.    Luxury for no reason is for the soul.

Luxury can take many forms.  Often for me, it takes the form of turning up my favourite tunes and dancing around the kitchen whilst cooking and singing, in a fashion which is all together too blushable to describe.  It’s an Occupational Health & Safety nightmare.  What can I say, I like to live dangerously.

By far, one of my favorite ways to find luxury is in my oldest and dearest friends.  There is luxury in sharing their company.  Time together is always full of heartfelt laughter and smiles which make my ears hurt!  Once we finished university, we couldn’t have gone on more distinct pathways – both in career choice and location.  So being separated makes time together a super-charged luxury.

Hubby and I are currently taking a week-long break on the Gold Coast, which is only an hour and a bit from Brisbane, our home town.  My gorgeous girlfriend, M, who is keeping a place marker for us in Brisbane, made the journey down to see me.  M is, hands-down, the warmest, sweetest and most luxurious friend a gal could have.  She has the same effect on an establishment as freshly baked muffins – you just can’t help but smile in her presence.  Plus, she always has the best ideas for fabulous places to go – this time it was High Tea at Palazzo Versace!

Name: Palazzo Versace, Le Jardin
Website: http://www.palazzoversace.com.au/le-jardin
Location:  Sea World Drive, Main Beach, Gold Coast, Queensland

I didn’t want to stick out like a sore thumb tourist by taking my grownup camera, so these photos are taken on my phone and therefore, just assume, it’s far more beautiful than this (which it was)!

high tea

What did we eat?  The Fashionista High Tea

Palazzo Versace Le Jardine

The menu read: Deliciously light scones with Bonne Maman preserves and whipped King Island double cream… and it’s no word of a lie.  They are deliciously light scones.  Bonne Maman jams are always a treat and I know of no better cream than King Island double cream.

Palazzo Versace Le Jardine

There was an assortment of lovely sandwiches, served with a roasted capsicum dip which was delicious.  The sandwiches were lovely and fresh.  A frequent issue that I find with high teas is that the finger sandwiches are often prepared in advance and therefore dry on top and soggy on the bottom.  These sandwiches did not suffer that fate.  They were fresh-as-a-daisy and delicious.  I particularly loved the thought which had obviously gone in to matching bread type with fillings.  For example, the multi-grain bread with brie, turkey and cranberry was a lovely texture match.

Palazzo Versace Le Jardine

The menu read: Heavenly selection of tailor made designer pastries, featuring cake pops, macarons, cupcakes, a fresh fruit tartlet and more.  And again – not a truer word were spoken.  This photo does not do the colour on this plate justice.

The luster dusted cupcakes were as delicious as they were pretty.  Full of cinnamon and other spices, they were light, fluffy and not too sweet.

We both agreed that the macarons were some of the best we’ve had.  They packed a beautiful berry punch.  The coffee éclair, lemon meringue tart, fruit tart and chocolate mouse filled chocolate sponge lamington were all delightful treats.  And the cake pops… oh the cake pops… who knew cake pops could have so much elegance?

I was well aware that the marble, no-expense-spared, ornate environment had me swooning well before the food came out.  Ordinarily I’d find that much marble and sparkle a bit over the top.  It is not a décor I’m generally drawn to.  But, it had been done with oodles of taste.  Plainly put, the place was beautiful.

I easily could have forgiven ordinary food for the experience of sitting in such a fabulous and comfortable spot.  But, there was no need to make excuses for the food.  Because the food, like the place, was a tasteful and elegant balance between extravagance and subtlety.  There was not a fault to find.

What did I drink? 

Pineapple Cardamom Crush

I considered having the more traditional champagne accompaniment to our high tea, however, as it happens, I’m not much into champagne.  But I do love to watch a good mixologist in action!

Palazzo Versace Le Jardine

A mix of Cognac, Chartreuse, pineapple, cardamom syrup and lemon juice.  It was delicious.  Cognac is not something I’m ordinarily drawn to, but pineapple juice is my holiday drink and thus, being on holidays, this was the drink for me.  I felt über sophisticated drinking this baby.  Although I could have done with a straw, but I’m willing to forgive this oversight.

Lady grey tea

A Ronnefeldt tea, this lady grey was a lovely floral tea, with hints of citrus.

Would I recommend it? 

Yes.  It exceeded my expectations and was the best high tea I’ve had.  The service could have been a tad more attentive – but I’m splitting hairs.  The food was sublime and it was a generous serving size for a high tea.
 Palazzo Versace Le JardineThis outing was a bit more luxury than is ordinary for me, but it made for a fabulous way to start the holiday… and gee it tasted good!

Lemon curd and blueberry sanga – a take on the Victoria Sponge

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Once upon a time, I feared sponge cakes.  I had a few bad experiences with sponges of a temperamental nature.  They were teases really.  You know the kind.  The kind which get all worked up after you’ve fluffed their egg whites, aerated their flour and handled them with delicate fingers, before they deflate into a sunken frown.  Somehow, by looking at the recipe, I just knew that Victoria was going to be different.  Victoria was going to be no fuss. Victoria was going to be sweet and gentle, but confident in herself.  Victoria wasn’t going to collapse in fear of her début… she was going to shine.  And shine, she did.

Recipe from the trusty Australian Women’s Weekly’s Bake cookbook.  This recipe works best when all ingredients are at room temperature.

Ingredients
250g softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
4 eggs
1/3 cup (80ml) milk
2 cups (300g) self-raising flour (sifted)
1 punnet blueberries
lemon curd

Preheat the oven to 180°C (or 160° fan-forced).  Grease and line two deep 20cm round cake pans with baking paper.

Beat butter, vanilla and sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time before beating in milk.  My mixture curdled at this point because my milk was straight from the fridge.  But, once I started adding flour it was all fine again.

Stir sifted flour into mixture in two batches.  Don’t overwork the batter at this point.  But, thankfully, you also don’t need to be as gentle as some sponges require here either.

Divide the mixture evenly between the two pans.  I weigh what goes in each pan to make sure it turns out even, because I use to always think they were about the same and then end up with one skinny cake and one fatter cake, which took a different duration to cook.

Gently smooth out the cake batter.  I usually lightly oil the back of a spoon and use that to edge the batter about evenly until the batter is flat, or slightly raised around the edges (to accommodate the fact that the middle of the cake will rise).  This stops the batter sticking to the spoon and makes it easier to work with.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Turn sponges out, top side up, onto a baking paper lined cake rack.  Lining the rack helps to stop the sponge sticking, or getting cake rack lines on the cake.

Once completely cool, sandwich the cake bottoms together with curd and berries and dust the top with icing sugar.

If I had my time over, I would have spooned curd on both layers, so that they stuck better together.  My top cake sat on top of the blueberries and wasn’t firmly stuck to the bottom layer, making it difficult to cut and serve.  I think a bit more curd would had done the trick.

I’d recommend using a large serrated knife to cut this cake in a light sawing manner, as it helps to keep the layers together.  I cut the whole cake in half to begin with, as that made it easier to then cut neat and even slices.

 

Lemon Curd

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Spring is a time for foraging farmers’ markets, whipping up wonderful treats and prancing along to picnics in the sun.  But, with summer and swimwear on the horizon, it’s also the time to unshackle the kitchen from nasty ingredients such as… and I hate to say it… butter.

So, when the gals and I got together to forage the farmers’ market and whip up wonderful treats, ahead of prancing along to our picnic in the sun – we found a recipe for lemon curd that was butter-free!  A much lighter alternative than the usual recipe… but it tasted good! I assure you!  Trust me, don’t be alarmist, it has all the good stuff – lemon and sugar and eggs!

In truth, this butter-free recipe was the sacrificial lamb, to allow us to gorge on other nasty treats like heavenly, gooey and stinky cheese, fig and nut bread and Jamón Serrano.  I like to think of this lemon curd as the carbon offset you can buy nowadays when booking flights.  Just a little something to make yourself feel better about the unintended consequences of your indulgence.

We found this treat-of-a-recipe on Food.com and we send our thanks to the contributor, Mandy, for sharing this gem.

Ingredients
1 cup fresh lemon juice (the recipe suggests you could make it on lime juice, and we added some fresh orange juice with the lemon and it was delicious)
grated zest of the lemons, oranges, or limes you use (avoid the white part, which is bitter)
1 scant cup of sugar
3 farm fresh eggs at room temperature (the bright orange colour of our curd came from the vibrant egg yolks we used)
seeds from 2 vanilla pods, or equivalent in extract or paste
sterilised jars for storage

In a small saucepan, over a medium heat, dissolve sugar into juice and add zest.
Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly pour the slightly cooled lemon/sugar syrup into the egg. Beat for 2 minutes then slowly transfer back into the slightly cooled saucepan.

Heat slowly over a low heat, stirring constantly, until it just starts to bubble at the edges and begins to thicken.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Transfer to a container and store in the fridge.  Alternatively, if you’re looking to prolong the curd’s life, pour warm curd into warm sterilised jars and screw down the lid immediately, allowing it to cool sealed.

To sterilise jars, place clean jars and lids into an oven set between 90-120°C until hot.  Carefully remove from the oven and fill and seal whilst hot (or the same temperature as the curd).  I prefer jars with metal lids, that are plastic coated on the inside and have a visible dent on the top which, when sealed hot, sucks inwards and when opened pops out, as this popping is a surefire way to know the contents is fresh.

I’ve since used the remaining curd to fill a sponge cake with blueberries.  I’ll have to share that recipe with you soon because it was delicious, albeit, not summer swim-suit friendly (but, I guess you can’t have everything in life).

Check out these other interesting ways to use lemon curd: