March 2012

You are currently browsing the monthly archive for March 2012.

Pear Vanilla Bean Brûlée Tarts + Pear Crisp

March 29, 2012 in Pastries | 20 comments

Pear Vanilla Bean Brûlée Tarts + Pear Crisp

As my harshest critic, I rarely, no, NEVER, make statements of this nature however the time has come where I have finally blown my own mind; ladies and gents, this has to be one of the most fabulous thing I’ve ever created.

No, really.

I was invited to take part in Australian Pears’ What Can You Pair with a Pear competition for Australian Pear Month and naturally I couldn’t resist the challenge; from a very young age I never enjoyed the pear (I’ll put it down to an amazing aversion to soft fruit) but lately I’ve been sneaking pear into my salads to shed the irrational reluctance. Also, have you ever experienced the joy of receiving fresh produce via courier? Feels good, man.

Pear Vanilla Bean Brûlée Tarts + Pear Crisp

A few ideas for a new pear dish included salads and poaching etc however I ended up a little carried away so this may be a little lengthy for the Australian Pears were after (err, sorry!). For those wanting to try this recipe; I prepared the crisp, crème pâtissière and pastry on one day one, baked the tart shells and filled them on day two and blow-torched on day three.

The pear flavour isn’t overwhelming but instead offers a massive hit of freshness behind the crème pâtissière. The tart shells are buttery and sweet and of course the brûlée provides a shardy crack and amazing crunch. And as for the embedded pear crisp; well, it’s like eating magically charred toffee pear. It’s one of those rare occasions where completely winging it resulted in complete success! The only thing I’d considering trying for next time is using a little more pear purée. This recipe makes four 12cm tarts, or, many little tartlets.

Pear Vanilla Bean Brûlée Tarts + Pear Crisp

Pear Vanilla Bean Brûlée Tarts + Pear Crisp
(an original recipe)

Pear crisp
1/2 pear

Pear crème pâtissière
2 Williams pears, peeled, cores removed
200ml cream
1/2 vanilla bean
100g (approx. 5) egg yolks
100g caster sugar
60g corn flour
70g butter

Pastry
200g flour
60g pure icing sugar
Pinch of salt
120g cold butter
30ml cold water

Assembly
1 cup sugar

For the pear crisp
1. Preheat oven to 100°C.
2. Slice pear along its cross section and very finely slice with a mandolin. Transfer to baking tray and bake for 2-3 hours, checking occasionally, until pieces have dried out. Store in a sealed container until use.

For the pear crème pâtissière
1. Roughly chop pears and purée in a food processor. Push through a fine sieve.
2. In a separate bowl combine egg yolks, sugar and cornflour and whisk until combined.
3. Over medium heat place pear purée, cream and scraped, split vanilla bean and stir continuously. Heat until just beginning to boil. Slowly pour mixture into bowl of yolk mixture to temper then return to pan and heat. Again, whisk continuously until beginning to thicken, this should take a few minutes.
4. Decant into another bowl, remove vanilla bean husk and cover with plastic wrap until cool enough to touch. Gradually add cubed butter, whisking after each addition.
5. Return plastic wrap and place in fridge to cool completely.

For the pastry
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Combine flour, icing sugar and and salt in a food processor. Cube butter, add to mix and process once more. Add the cold water and once again process until mixture forms a ball. Remove, form into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for a few hours (or until cool if you’re in a hurry).
3. Roll out pastry, stamp out circles and prepare into tart greased tart tins. Fill with pastry weights (or rice, or beans) and bake for 15 minutes. Remove weights and bake for a further 15 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove from tart tins and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the assembly
1. Carefully spoon pear crème pâtissière into tart shells until just overflowing. Flatten with a palette knife and allow to cool and set in the fridge for at least a few hours. Once ready (the surface will have firmed up) sprinkle with an even layer of sugar and scorch with a kitchen blow-torch until toffee has formed. Place a pear crisp round in the centre, sprinkle with more sugar and again scorch with blow-torch until toasted and embedded. Serve immediately with additional pear crisps on the side.

Pear Vanilla Bean Brûlée Tarts + Pear Crisp

Or rather; enjoy immediately. Happy Australian Pear month!

Coconut Scones + Malibu Cream + Lime Curd

March 21, 2012 in Bread + Baking | 8 comments

Coconut Scones + Malibu Cream + Lime Curd

Despite being a self-proclaimed “lover of baking” to my friends it’s really rather disturbing how narrow my repertoire really is. Before today I’d never made a scone before… I believe the trouble lies in my apathy for the familiar, if it’s been done I don’t particularly care for it. So, I winged it a little and came up with this cute twist on a traditional recipe.

But before we get into that here’s a little “housekeeping”.


I was given a wonderful opportunity to write a review for SBS Food a couple of weeks ago as a Featured Blog Reviewer and my little piece is up and ready to be enjoyed by all. So check it out! I’ve written about a really gorgeous book, plus the review features my square-cropped, pasty-ethnic face. Oh yeah.

Malibu Cream + Lime Curd

Here’s my recipe for coconut scones. Crumbly and delicious. Below-mentioned condiments are optional however encouraged and of course any fruit jam you may have on hand will work fantastically too. I’ll pull any excuse to bust out my Malibu Cream, a concoction I stumbled across as a happy, pandan-driven accident months ago. It rules.

This recipe will make around 8 scones with cream and curd to spare.

Coconut Scones
300g flour (around 2 1/2 cups) + more for dusting
100g caster sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
75g butter, room temperature
60ml coconut milk
60ml cream
1 egg
1/2 cup flaked coconut (plus more for dusting)
2 tbs milk

Boozy Malibu Cream
240ml (1 cup) cream
30ml Malibu (coconut rum)

Lime Curd
Juice of 2 limes
2 egg yolks
40g sugar
60g butter, cubed

For the coconut scones
1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Grease and line a shallow baking dish.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Cube butter and rub into the mixture until even. Add the coconut milk, cream, egg and flaked coconut and work with your hands until just combined (overworking the scone mixture may end in disaster).
3. Decant sticky mixture onto a well-floured board and flatten to a 2cm thickness. Sprinkle with more flour, and, with your scone cutter, remove rounds and transfer to the greased baking dish. When arranging the raw scones ensure they fit snuggly and their sides are gently pressed against one another. Brush surfaces with a little milk and sprinkle over additional coconut flakes.
4. Transfer to oven and allow to bake for 15 minutes.

For the boozy Malibu cream
1. Lightly whip cream and Malibu in a small bowl until just thickened.

For the lime curd
1. Combine lime juice, egg yolks and sugar and whisk well. Transfer to a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir continuously and gradually add cubes of butter until beginning to thicken (this should take only a few minutes). Remove from heat, continue to stir for 30 seconds more and transfer to a jar or container of your choice. Chill in the refrigerator.

For the assembly
1. Carefully halve your scone. Add a dollop of Malibu cream and a lick of lime curd and enjoy.

Coconut Scones + Malibu Cream + Lime Curd

And yes, I am well aware this combination of cream and curd results in a little faux-egg atop your scone. SOZLOL!

EDIT: Just had one of these with strawberry jam. OH BABY.

Tags: , , ,

Spiced Banana Bread Stack + Pecan Brittle

March 14, 2012 in Bread + Baking, Candy | 9 comments

Spiced Banana Bread Stack with Pecan Brittle

You’ll have to forgive me, I’m not entirely sure what I’m blogging about.

Is it a loaf? Faux-pancakes? A funky little dessert plate fit for a café’s afternoon tea menu?

I really don’t know. But what I do know is that I can’t wait to sure my super moist spiced banana bread recipe with you! Although I give most store-bought banana breads the benefit of the doubt as to whether they use real bananas as opposed to artificial banana flavouring, too often I come across a slice that’s crazy doused in sugar. Now don’t get me wrong, sugar is my everything, however being a good (half) Cypriot girl I eat my bread and toast with honey and lots of it. So, in this recipe, I’ve substituted lashings of sugar for pinches of subtle spices. It’s not your average banana bread but who wants to eat average anyway? It’s a one-bowl recipe and dairy free too, so, shout outs to my pressed-for-time and lactose-intolerant bros.

Pecan Brittle

Oh yeah, then I made some pecan brittle and served it with a little marscarpone cream on my bread. I was styling this straight after eating lunch so I doubt I was in the correct mindframe to be dealing with this banana wonder. I’ve been spending a lot of time with my camera lately so I was probably desperate for a plate of tower-esque food to play with in Lightroom. Since I’m a little undecided on this you must, must let me know; does this stack look even remotely appetising? If not, it’s cool, ignore it and focus your attention on this nice loaf photo below. Okay? Okay. But do let me know please. Ahhhhhh.

Alana's One-Bowl Spiced Banana Bread

Alana’s One-Bowl Spiced Banana Bread
4 overripe bananas
2 cups flour
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bi-carb / baking soda
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Pecan Brittle
1/2 sugar
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup roughly chopped pecans

For the Banana Bread
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Unravel overripe bananas and mash in a bowl.
3. Combine all remaining ingredients and beat until just combined.
4. Grease a loaf tin and fold a piece of baking paper over the edges (this makes it much easier to remove later). Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
5. Allow to cool in tin for 10 minutes then remove and place on wire rack. Serve with honey, pecans and a cup of tea, OR…

For the Pecan Brittle
1. Prepare baking paper on an oven tray.
2. Place sugar and water in a small pan over medium heat and allow to boil until it begins to turn a slight amber colour. Give it a quick swirl, remove from heat and stir through chopped pecans.
3. Working quickly, pour mixture over baking paper and allow to cool. Once hardened, smash into shards.

To serve
1. Slice banana bread and, if you like, lightly toast. Stack and serve with a spoonful of lightly whipped cream or marscarpone and a sprinkling of pecan brittle.

Alana's One-Bowl Spiced Banana Bread

And there you have it, my spiced banana bread served two ways! How fancy.

Tags: , ,

Cheese + Wasabi Soufflé

March 2, 2012 in Savoury Meals | 9 comments

Cheese + Wasabi Soufflé

Last week in my usual university holiday, half-asleep, cooking-show-surfing television daze I discovered an ingredient I’d never heard of before; wasabi powder. Embarrassingly, my mind was blown. Finding intense flavours in powdered form is just so exciting as it’s a nice way to introduce wonderful, new flavours to food without destroying the science behind delicate pastries and such. I bought a little tin when I was out and about next but not before an encounter with a somewhat condescending staff member who insisted this powder would be “too super hot” for me (sigh, it’s so difficult being a pasty ethnic sometimes. I will teach you how to chili). I assumed I’d do the usual macaron thing with this stuff (stay tuned!) however I came up with a dish a little more relevant to my lunchtime hunger today.

Most cheeses would be fine in this; I used some cheddar as it was the only cheese I had at home (don’t judge… I cook for myself and not for my blog; I just happen to blog about my what I cook :}) but I’d recommend a nice pecorino, it should go down a treat. Maybe even something smokey. Who knows, go nuts with it!

Cheese + Wasabi Soufflé

Savoury soufflés are more forgiving then their sugar-dredged counterparts due to their naturally “lumpy” nature; a good thing for those who are a little daunted by making these. There’s no need for ultra-flat surfaces here! Just wonderfully rustic deliciousness. This recipe will make around 4-6 soufflés, depending on the size of your ramekins.

Cheese + Wasabi Soufflé

50g butter (plus more for greasing ramekins)
3 tbs flour
1 cup milk
1 cup grated cheese of your choice
4 eggs
2 tsp wasabi powder
Breadcrumbs
Salt to taste (this entirely depends on your choice of cheese)

1. Preheat oven to 190°C. Separate eggs into two bowls. Prepare ramekins by greasing with butter and dusting with breadcrumbs.

2. Place butter and flour into a small pot over medium heat until butter has completely melted, around a minute.

3. Add milk and stir continuously until the mixture pulls away from the pot. Reduce heat and add egg yolks one at a time, vigorously stirring until each is completely combined.

4. Remove from heat and add cheese, wasabi powder and salt and once again stir to combine.

5. Beat separated egg whites until peaks form. Add half to the cheese mixture and gently fold to combine. Repeat with the remaining egg white.

6. Carefully pour soufflé mixture into ramekins leaving 1cm from the top. Run your finger around the rims to tidy and ensure they will rise neatly. Top them with additional breadcrumbs and grated cheese, if you like.

7. Place ramekins on a baking tray and bake for around 20 minutes. Serve immediately!

Cheese + Wasabi Soufflé

Good lunch. Good day!

Tags: , ,