Eight Mile Plains, 2014 Stake Ball - Recipes

Following are the recipes that were used by Rachel Garcia and Hazel Hillier, who catered the food for our recent Stake Ball. If you scroll down you will find recipes for:

Citrus Tartlets  (pictured above)

Caramel Tartlets

USA - German Chocolate Cake

Pavlova

Meringues

Flour-less Honey-Almond Cake

Pear Wafers

Chocolate Mud-Cake 

Sticky-date Pudding

Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Peppermint Truffles

Chocolate Caramel Slice

New York-Style Cheesecake

(Photographs from the Ball)

Citrus Tartlets  

This is something that has been taken up by the café society. I’m not sure whether this is exactly what is sold in cafes, but it has a lovely taste anyhow.  A food processor makes mixing the pastry very easy, or if you don’t feel like making the pastry, you can buy ready-made cases.  The citrus filling can be kept in the fridge for several weeks.

Pastry:

1 1/3 cups pl. flour                            

3 tblspns caster sugar

125 gm butter                                   

1 tblspn iced water (approx.)

1 tspn vanilla essence

1.    Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and add the chopped butter.

2.    Rub with the fingers till it resembles breadcrumbs. (Or put into a food processor and mix till it resembles breadcrumbs.)

3.    Add iced water and knead (or mix) to make a dough.

4.    Wrap in plastic film and chill at least half an hour.

5.    Roll out thinly, cut out large circles and put into greased tartlet tins. (I use the shallow ones with rounded bottoms.) Chill another 30 minutes or more. (They can be left in the fridge overnight if necessary.)

6.    Heat the oven to 190C.

7.    Bake for 5 – 8 minutes. Cool.

Filling:

4 tblspns pl. flour                            

4 tblspns cornflour

grated rind 2 lemons                            

grated rind 1 orange

grated rind 2 limes                            

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup citrus juice from the above fruit       

90 gm butter

1/3 tin condensed milk                 
4 egg yolks, beaten

1.    Combine the sugar, juice, rind and well-beaten egg yolks in a small saucepan.

2.    Add chopped butter and stir over hot water till butter melts.

3.    Pour flours into a small bowl, add lemon mixture to make a paste and stir well. Gradually add the remaining liquid, stirring well after each addition.

4.    Pour back into the saucepan and stir over hot water again till the mixture thickens and almost boils.

5.    Cool till lukewarm. If the mixture is lumpy, despite your best efforts, just Bamix it. This will not affect the mixture’s setting ability.

6.    Add the condensed milk and stir well.                            

Caramel Tartlets

Use the citrus tartlet pastry. Put an unopened tin of sweetened condensed milk (ring pull is OK) in water to cover, at least 2.5cm above the tin, with a lid on the saucepan, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, so the water doesn’t evaporate too quickly, and check the water level every hour to make sure the tin is completely covered with water at all times!  Simmer for 2 1/2 hours if you are spooning the caramel in, or 2 hours if you are going to pipe it in. Never let it boil dry or it will explode!!

USA/German Chocolate Cake         

I always wondered why this was called a German chocolate cake, when it was an American recipe. The icing is what makes it distinctive, and is totally foreign to any German style of cooking. Then I discovered that “German” was the surname of an early American chocolate manufacturer. The original recipe used buttermilk, but I have successfully used lemon-soured milk.  For the Ball, a double batch of filling was made, and used to fill the middle as well as the top.              

                               

125 gm dark chocolate                     

125 gm butter

1 cup sugar                                     

2 eggs, separated

1 tspn vanilla essence                       

1 1/4 cups S R flour

1/2 cup milk                                   

 juice 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup water

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Mix the lemon juice with the milk.
3. Melt the chocolate in the water on medium heat on the stove or in a microwave on 50% power. Stir to mix.
4. Cream the butter with the sugar and vanilla essence. Add the egg yolks separately, beating well after each addition.
5. Add the chocolate and stir till blended.
6. Fold in the flour alternately with the soured milk.
7. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites.
8. Bake in greased and floured or lined 20 cm square tin for 40 minutes.
9. When cold, cover with the following topping.

             

Topping:

1/3 cup sugar                              

1/3 cup cream

1 egg yolk                                   

3 dsstspns butter

1 tspn vanilla essence                    

1/2 – 3/4 cup coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Combine all the ingredients except the coconut and walnuts in a small saucepan, and stir over medium heat till mixture boils and thickens.

Remove from heat and add the coconut and walnuts. Stir till blended. Cool a little. You may need a little extra coconut if the mixture is too thin.

(I doubled the filling, split the cake in half and put the filling in the middle as well.)

Pavlova

This quintessential Australian dish is named after Anna Pavlova, a Russian ballerina who visited Australia in the 1920s and 1930s. The New Zealanders claim it is their invention, as she toured there as well. I’ll leave the argument to the historians. Whichever it is, it is a great favourite in this country.

As with any meringue, it is essential that the eggs be at room temperature, and that no yolks are left in. Use an egg shell half to get out any that may have been dropped in accidentally.

4 egg whites                              

1 cup caster sugar

1 dsstspn cornflour                    

1 tspn white vinegar

1/2 tspn vanilla essence

1. Preheat the oven to 110C.
2. Beat the egg whites till they begin to get frothy, then gradually add the caster sugar and beat till stiff peaks form.
3. Gently fold in the remaining ingredients.
4. Spoon onto baking paper-lined biscuit tray in a circle shape, (you can use a 20 cm cake tin as a shape guide. Run round the diameter with a pencil and turn the paper upside down when putting the meringue on) making the sides a little higher than the centre. (You can use an icing pipe if you have one.)
5. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 100C and bake for another hour, or until the meringue is firm and not sticky.
6. When cold cover with 200 ml cream (whipped and sweetened with 2 tblspns icing sugar and 1/2 tspn vanilla essence.)
7. Add sliced fruit of your choice – usually strawberries, kiwi fruit and bananas in any combination, plus passionfruit. However, you can top with grated chocolate, tinned peach slices etc.

The filling was thawed frozen rapberries, blueberries and mango, that had been put on platters in the morning and sprinkled with icing sugar to macerate them. I piped small circles and then piped another circle around the perimeter to make mini pavlovas.

Meringues

It doesn’t matter how many egg whites you use for this recipe. Just remember you need 2 heaped tblspns of caster sugar for every egg white. Some recipes include corn flour as an ingredient but that makes the meringues drier, like ones from a cake shop.

Nor do you need the vinegar used in some recipes. I like this easy version, and my family love it when I have left over egg whites from some other recipe.

Egg whites for any kind of meringue must be at room temperature and completely free from egg yolk.

Instead of using two teaspoons, you can pipe meringues onto the trays.

2 egg whites                                    

4 heaped tblspns caster sugar

few drops vanilla essence

1. Preheat the oven to 120C.
2. Beat the egg whites till stiff, gradually adding the sugar. Add the vanilla essence.
3. Using two teaspoons (one to pick up the mixture and the other to scrape it onto the tray) put tspnsful onto greased or lined trays.
4. Bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and leave the meringues in there for another hour.

N.B. In humid weather, put the meringues in an airtight tin as soon as they are cold – otherwise they will get sticky. They might also take a little longer to cook – they should not be sticky at all.

Flourless Honey-Almond Cake

This is a gluten free, dairy free, cake.  Instead of flaked almonds on top - melted 2 Tablespoons honey, brushed it over and then covered that with cinnamon- an entire layer so that it covered the whole cake. This recipe was found on the eatingwell website, here.

Honey and almonds flavor this simple (and gluten-free) cake. It's lovely for afternoon tea or a spring holiday dessert. Be careful not to overbeat the egg whites—they should be white and very foamy, but not at all stiff or able to hold peaks. If you beat them too much, the cake may sink in the middle as it cools.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole almonds, toasted (see Tip)
4 large eggs, at room temperature (see Tip), separated
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping:

2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted (see Tip)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray the paper.
Process whole almonds in a food processor or blender until finely ground (you will have about 13/4 cups ground). Beat 4 egg yolks, 1/2 cup honey, vanilla, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer (or use a paddle attachment on a stand mixer) on medium speed until well combined. Add the ground almonds and beat on low until combined.
Beat 4 egg whites in another large bowl with the electric mixer (use clean beaters on a hand-held mixer or the whisk attachment on a stand mixer) on medium speed until very foamy, white and doubled in volume, but not stiff enough to hold peaks, 1 to 2 minutes (depending on the type of mixer). Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the nut mixture until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake the cake until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and gently remove the side ring. Let cool completely.
If desired, remove the cake from the pan bottom by gently sliding a large, wide spatula between the cake and the parchment paper. Carefully transfer the cake to a serving platter. To serve, drizzle the top of the cake with honey and sprinkle with sliced almonds. 

TIPS & NOTES:

Make Ahead Tip: Store the cooled cake airtight at room temperature for up to 1 day. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with almonds just before serving. | Equipment: 9-inch springform pan, parchment paper

 
Tip: To toast whole almonds, spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F, stirring once, until fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes. To toast sliced almonds, cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

 
Note: Eggs must be at room temperature for the proteins to unwind enough to support the cake's crumb. Either set the eggs out on the counter for 15 minutes or submerge them in their shells in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot) water for 5 minutes before using.




Pear Wafers

2 cups (440g) granulated sugar
2 sensational pears, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Place the sugar on a plate and press the pear slices into it. Place the slices on baking trays lined with baking paper and bake for 15 minutes, turn and cook for a further 15 minutes. Cool on wire racks until crisp. Pear wafers can be served with sorbet, ice-cream or panna cotta, or on a cheese plate with a strong blue cheese or as a petit four with coffee.

(This recipe was from Donna Hay recipes, here.)

Chocolate Mudcake 

(I made milk choc and dark choc mudcake- same recipe.  This cake is good made 3 days ahead- the flavours develop beautifully that way.) 

1. Melt in large bowl in microwave: 250g good quality chocolate, 250g butter, 400mL water. Whisk till smooth

2. Whisk in : 3/4cup sugar, 1 tblspn vanilla extract, 1 rounded tblspn cocoa, 2 eggs. 

3. Carefully whisk in 1 1/2 cups SR flour, in the same way you add flour when you make crepes- pulling a little in from the sides at a time, so that you avoid lumps. 

4. Bake 170C in greased cake tin (I use a 9" tin). You are looking for it to be mostly cooked, but still a little runny in the middle. It is not like other cakes where you test with a toothpick to see if it comes out clean- you want it to be not quite set, as that makes a lovely pudding-y cake. When completely cool, turn the cake out and pour on a ganache made from 200g chocolate and 1/2 cup cream melted gently together in the microwave.

Sticky Date Pudding 

1. In a saucepan, place 1 1/4 cups seeded dates with 600mL water. Bring to boil, remove from heat, add 1 tspn bicarb soda and blend with a stick blender until smooth. 

2. Cream 120g butter & 3/4 cup sugar. Add 2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups SR flour, 1/2 tspn vanilla. Whisk till smooth. Whisk in the date mixture and pour into a large, greased oven dish 

3. Bake until done- about 45 mins, 150C 

4. Caramel Sauce: Bring to boil and simmer for 3 minutes 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup cream, 130g butter, 1/2 tspn vanilla. 

5. When pudding is cooked, pour 1/2 the sauce over the pudding, and keep the other half for individual servings.

Chocolate Mousse

(This recipe was taken from taste.com, here.  The same recipe was used to make both the dark and the milk chocolate mousse - just change the chocolate.  

Ingredients

300g good-quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped
3 eggs
1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
1 tablespoon good-quality cocoa powder, sifted
300ml thickened cream, plus extra whipped cream to serve
Grated chocolate, to serve

Method

Step 1
Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the water). Stir until melted. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Step 2
Place eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat with electric beaters for 5 minutes, or until mixture is pale, thick and doubled in volume. Fold in cooled chocolate and cocoa powder until combined.
Step 3
In a separate bowl, whip cream until thickened (be careful not to over-beat). Use a large metal spoon to carefully fold the cream into the chocolate mixture, trying to keep the mixture as light as possible. Spoon into 6 serving glasses and chill in fridge for at least 1 hour. Remove from fridge 15 minutes before serving, then top with extra whipped cream and grated chocolate to serve.

Chocolate Peppermint Truffles     

(recipe from Cassandra Hunt)

2  375g packets of chocolate melts  (your choice of chocolate - dark, milk or white)

1/2 cup thickened cream

2  35g Peppermint Crisp chocolate bars  (Nestle brand), roughly chopped 

1.  Combine 1 pack of chocolate with cream in a heatproof bowl and place over saucepan half filled with simmering water.  Use a metal spoon to stir occasionally until chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.  Remove bowl from pan and add peppermint bars stirring thoroughly.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 6 hours or until firm enough to roll into balls.

2.  Line tray with baking paper.  Use a melon baller or teaspoon to scoop out 1 1/2 tsp of chocolate mixture and use hands to roll into a ball.  Place on tray.  Repeat with remaining mixture.  Place in freezer for 10 minutes or until firm.

3.  Place remaining chocolate in a medium bowl and place over the saucepan of simmering water.  Use a metal spoon to stir until chocolate melts and is smooth.  Remove from pan.

4.  Place truffle in the melted chocolate and coat well.  Remove form chocolate and place on lined tray.  Repeat with all truffles.  Set aside for chocolate to set.

Chocolate Caramel Slice

This is a cafe favourite and is found in many of them as well as in cake shops.  A home-made one will always taste better, however, especially when made with butter instead of margarine.

Base:

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

120g butter

1/2 tspn baking powder

1/2 cup coconut

1 tblspn golden syrup

Preheat oven to 180C.

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Melt the butter and add the golden syrup.

Pour onto the dry ingredients and mix well.

Press into greased or lined 18cm  x  28cm tin.

Bake for 15 mins.

Spread on the topping and bake another 15 minutes.  Cool.

Spread the icing over the cold slice.

Topping:

1 tblspn golden syrup

1 tin condensed milk 

1 tblspn butter

Melt the butter.  Remove from heat and add the other ingredients.  Stir till combined.  

Icing:

125g dark chocolate

1 tblspn butter

Melt the butter and broken up chocolate in the microwave at 50% power for 1 1/2 minutes or in a saucepan over hot water on the stove. 

New York Style Cheesecake 

(If you like this cake solid, as I do, you will find that the tip of this cake is brown.  If yoiu like ther look of a lighter-coloured cheesecake, the inside will be a little runny.  You can always pipe some cream around the edge if you don't like the darker colour.  All cheesecakes taste better the day after they are made as the flavours have had a chance to blend.)

Pastry:

1/2 cup S.R. flour

1/4 cup caster sugar

90g butter 

1 cup plain flour

grated rind of 1 lemon 

1 egg

1.  The easy thing to do is to place all ingredients except the egg into a food processor and blend till it resembles breadcrumbs.  Then add the egg and process till it becomes one ball.  You can knead the last bit on the bench-top.  If you have to do it by hand, use your fingertips to blend the ingredients as above, add the egg and knead till combined into a ball.  Wrap in plastic film and refrigerate about 20 minutes or until firm.  

2.  Roll out on floured bench until it is thin and place gently into greased 23cm spring-form tin.  The pastry should come to the top of the tin.

3.  Either prick all over the base with a fork, or cover with baking paper and pur in some dried beans and bake blind at 210C for 10minutes, or until the edges turn golden.  If you use beans, carefully remove the paper and bake again for another 2 minutes to firm up the base.  Cool.

Filling:

750g cream cheese

1/4 cup plain flour

grated rind 2 oranges

2/3 cup cream 

1 cup caster sugar

4 eggs grated rind 2 lemons

1.  Beat the cream cheese till smooth, using electric beaters.

2.  Add the sugar, flour, lemon and orange zest and beat until smooth.

3.  Add the eggs separately, beating well after each addition.

4.  Add cream and beat till combined.

5.  Pour into the pastry case and bake at 180C for 1 hour or until firm to touch.

For the Ball a biscuit base was used - approximately 18 Arnott's Butter-nut Snap biscuits, crushed, with 90g melted butter.  Press into greased tin in a thin layer, and chill while making the filling.  Put a biscuit tray under the tin when in the oven, as a bit of butter always seeps out.

Food Photos from the Ball

Happy cooking!  (and eating...  )