Saturday, May 18, 2013

Nigella's Italian Applie Pie


From my favourite cook, Nigella's book "Nigelissima" and her Italian Applie Pie (recipe below). I was worried how this had turned out....but it actually tasted delicious.

Italian Apple Pie

Serves 8

7 tablespoons soft unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
12/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt
3/4 cup superfine sugar
2 eggs
Zest of 1 lemon (preferably organic)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 tablespoons milk, at room temperature
3 pink lady apples, or any crisp eating apple (approximately 1 lb. in total)
1 teaspoon light brown, cane or turbinado sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200C). Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy, then beat in the eggs, followed by the flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla lemon zest and milk until you have a batter with a soft, drooping consistency.
Halve one of the apples, the peel, chop and core one of the halves into approximately half-inch cubes, add these to the batter and stir in. Pour your batter into the springform pan.

Quarter and core the remaining apples (including the unused half), leaving the skin on, then finely slice them and arrange in pleasing concentric circles on top of the cake batter. Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle this over the apples, then bake for 40-45 minutes, by which time the cake should be risen and golden. Pierce with a cake tester, which should just have a few crumbs sticking to it when removed.

Let cool for one hour, before removing the spring form. Cut and serve warm, or leave to cool completely.

xxx Bardrama

Princess Sofia's Heart Biscuits


For my dearest girlfriend's daughter's 1st birthday, I baked these heart shaped shortbread biscuits. I topped with a (store bought) flower, stuck on with a little touch of icing.

Yum.

xxx Bardy

Pink Salted Caramel Macarons

My dear friend Jess & I decided to take on the daunting task of Adriano Zumbo's macarons! We had success....though the piping nozzle we had was a little small so we had to make snail macarons ; )
They were delicious all the same & can't wait to venture on and try them again!

We used Zumbo's cookbook, but you can get some of his macaron recipes here: http://www.eatlove.com.au/chefs/adriano-zumbo/16/recipes/ 

xxx Bardrama

Jacqui's Cupcakes for her Naughty-cal Hens Night!




Here are some delicious cupcakes I made for my dear friend Jacqui's hens night. As it was on board a fabulous boat on Australia day, the theme was "Naughty-cal". I dressed up these babies with pirate flags and sprinkles. The cupcake flavour was one of Jax's faves - chocolate coca cola. Derricious.

Although my own recipe is modified from this, you can get the idea from here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chocolatecolacake_7614 

xxx Bardy likes it hardy