Sunday, September 20, 2015

Quick Custard Squares.

These can be made in about 30 minutes if you are quick. We use cream crackers instead of the pastry. 


Quick Custard squares
Equipment
·      Loaf tin
·      Baking paper to fit
·      Sharp knife
·      Mixing bowls
·      Wooden spoon
·      Whisk
·      Pot
·      Measuring cups/spoons
Ingredients
6 plain square cream cracker biscuits eg (Huntley and Palmers)
4 Tbsp custard powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence
Icing
1/2 cup Icing sugar
2 tsp passionfruit pulp
1 1/2  tsp hot water
Method
Line loaf tin with the baking paper.
Use 6 (3 bottom, 3 top) square crackers to line a loaf tin.
Mix custard powder to a smooth paste with a little of the milk.
Separately heat the rest of the milk then add the sugar.
With a whisk, stir in the custard powder paste and continue to heat and stir until boiling and thickened. Remove from heat and add vanilla essence then pour custard over crackers.
Top with remaining crackers, leave until cool, then refrigerate until quite cold and set.

Icing
Combine the icing sugar with passionfruit pulp and hot water and mix until smooth.
Spread over cooled crackers after they set.

Place back into the fridge. Cut into squares when set.

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Food Academy- Vanilla Cupcakes.

Remember to cream the butter well, then mix in the sugar and mix well. Then the eggs and mix well. Then the vanilla and mix well. Finally the flour and milk and carefully mix.
Make sure your icing is the right consistency, thick enough to make shapes but runny enough to pipe.

Making cupcakes can be an art form!

Crabapple Bakery's Vanilla Cupcakes
Makes 12
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
100g softened unsalted butter
 3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
Method:
Preheat oven to 170. 
1.     Line a 12 hole muffin trays with cupcake papers.
2.     Sift together the flour and baking powder. 
3.     In a separate bowl, cream the butter for 1-2 minutes. 
4.     Add the caster sugar a third at a time, beating for 2 minutes at each addition. 
5.     After the last addition, beat until the mixture is light and fluffy and the sugar has almost dissolved. 
6.     Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition or until mixture is light and fluffy. 
7.     Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.
8.     Add a third of the flour to the creamed mixture and beat on a low speed until combined. 
9.     Add half of the milk and beat until combined.  Repeat this process. 
10.  Add the remaining third of the flour and beat until thoroughly combined; do not over beat as this will toughen the mixture.
11.  Spoon mixture into cupcake papers, filling each about three-quarters full. 
12.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted comes out clean. 
13.  Remove cupcakes from the trays immediately and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before frosting.


Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Lasagne

This is simple but involves a few steps to produce it.
First we make the mince sauce, then boil the pasta. Next is the white sauce which becomes the cheese sauce. Finally layer the pasta with the mince and cheese sauce, top with breadcrumbs and put in the oven to crisp up.

Lasagne
Equipment
·      Pot and lid
·      Sieve
·      Sharp knife and chopping board
·      Small fry pan
·      Measuring cups/spoons
·      Oven dish
·      Mixing bowl
Ingredients
·      Lasagna pasta, 2 cup
·      Salt, a pinch
·      Beef mince, 1 ramekin
·      Onion, ½ sliced
·      Garlic, 1-2 cloves, crushed and chopped
·      Tomato puree, 3 tsp in ½ cup water
·      Oil, a small squirt
·      Seasonings (salt/pepper)
·      Butter, 25g
·      Flour, 2 Tbsp
·      Milk. 1 cup
·      Cheese, 3 Tbsp
·      Herbs, pinch
·      Breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup
Method
1.    Preheat oven to 1750C.
2.    Bring a pot ¾ full of water to the boil. Lid on.
3.    Add a pinch of salt.
4.    Add the pasta, stir and bring back to the boil.
5.    Boil, uncovered for 15 minutes or until pasta “al dente”. Drain through sieve and leave in mixing bowl. Squirt a little oil onto the pasta to stop sticking.
6.    Heat up the fry pan with a little oil (medium heat).
7.    Add the onion and fry until soft.
8.    Add the mince, garlic and seasonings and cook through (5-10 minutes). Add tomato puree with water. Leave to reduce on low heat.
9.    Place the butter in the pot and melt.
10.  Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes until frothy.
11. Take off the heat and add the milk, stirring all the time. Return to heat.
12. When the sauce is thick, add the cheese and herbs. Mix through and remove from the heat.
13. Layer the pasta, meat and sauce in the oven dish.
14. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top and bake for 15 minutes.

Monday, September 7, 2015

Food Academy- "Making your own Pasta"

Making Pasta

Egg Pasta
Ingredients
·      Strong flour (lots of gluten), 1 cup
·      Salt, ½ tsp
·      Olive oil, 2 tsp
·      Eggs, 2 (beaten)
    Spinach/ tomato puree for colour (optional)

Method
1.    Sieve the flour and salt together.
2.    Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the oil, colour and beaten eggs.
3.    Mix and knead to form a smooth dough.
4.    Cover the dough and allow to rest at room temp for 30 minutes.
5.    Roll out and cut into required shapes.

Basic Bacon and Tomato sauce
Ingredients
·      Onions, ½ ,diced
·      Garlic, 1 clove, crushed
·      Tomato, ½ tin
·      Bacon pieces
·      Fresh basil, 3 leaves, chopped
·      Salt and pepper
·      Olive oil
·      Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup

Method
1.    Heat up a small fry pan.
2.    Add a little olive oil and then fry the onions until soft.
3.    Add garlic and tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes.
4.    Add the Basil leaves, season and remove from the heat.
5.    Boil the fresh pasta for about 3-5 minutes in lots of salted water and drain.
6.    Arrange on a plate and pour the sauce over the top.
7.    Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the top and serve.