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These are tried, tested and much loved recipes. Our families and friends are always unselfish and devote themselves to taste-testing these delicious creations and demand them repeatedly time and time again.

Our aim is to share with you our favourite meals and the little tricks and tips we have learnt along the way.
Time is precious.
Food is expensive.

Both are resources too valuable to waste.

We want to share recipes that deliver delicious, nourishing meals - making the most of your time and ingredients.

Life is way too short for bland, disappointing food.
So ... Feed your inner cook - and Enjoy!

Friday 20 December 2019

Feed Others and Feed Your Christmas Spirit

Education is a fundamental right and Brisbane City Council has a wonderful Library network.  Regardless of age, education level or interests, you have a wonderful world of words and challenging ideas to explore.  Membership is free and unlocks borrowing privileges to thousands of books, magazines, electronic learning systems, internet access and a multitude of classes for all ages and abilities. Toddlers are encouraged to develop an early love of learning with books, rhyme singalongs and award programs designed to encourage lifelong learning and curiosity.
What better way to empower and educate our community.  Well done Brizzy. 

At Christmas, Brisbane City Council collects donations of tins of food for Queensland Foodbank who distribute to charities and community organisations to assist those in need.  

https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/things-to-see-and-do/council-venues-and-precincts/libraries/joining-a-library/library-amnesty-2019

Feed Your Inner Cook encourages you to Feed your inner Christmas Spirit by helping feed other people in our community.  Especially at Christmas, we reflect on our lives and consider what is truly important to us.  The act of giving, helping others and making someone's day a little lighter is, we believe, the essence of true Christmas spirit.

 

 














We wish you a truly happy Christmas, a day filled with love, silliness and memories.
Cheers!   Colleen and Mamma Marmalade


You might have to wear a silly hat, but there are always books to enjoy!

Thursday 19 December 2019

Help Feed Others and Feed your Christmas Spirit

Education is a fundamental right and Brisbane City Council has a wonderful Library network.  Regardless of age, education level or interests, you have a wonderful world of words and challenging ideas to explore.  Membership is free and unlocks borrowing privileges to thousands of books, magazines, electronic learning systems, internet access and a multitude of classes for all ages and abilities. Toddlers are encouraged to develop an early love of learning with books, rhyme singalongs and award programs designed to encourage lifelong learning and curiosity.
What better way to empower and educate our community.  Well done Brizzy. 

At Christmas, Brisbane City Council collects donations of tins of food for Queensland Foodbank who distribute to charities and community organisations to assist those in need.  

https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/things-to-see-and-do/council-venues-and-precincts/libraries/joining-a-library/library-amnesty-2019

Feed Your Inner Cook encourages you to Feed your inner Christmas Spirit by helping feed other people in our community.  Especially at Christmas, we reflect on our lives and consider what is truly important to us.  The act of giving, helping others and making someone's day a little lighter is, we believe, the essence of true Christmas spirit.

 

 














We wish you a truly happy Christmas, a day filled with love, silliness and memories.
Cheers!   Colleen and Mamma Marmalade


You might have to wear a silly hat, but there are always books to enjoy!

Sunday 15 December 2019

Jalapeno Cheese Ball

This cheese ball is all you need to have on hand in the fridge for unexpected guests or "bring a plate" requests over the festive season.  Nice flavour with hint of chilli but not too spicy for the more sensitive pallets.



Ingredients

1 box of Cream Cheese (250g) softened
2 Tablespoons sour cream
3/4 Teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 Teaspoon onion powder
1/4 Teaspoon black pepper
2 cups grated matured cheese (reserve 1/2 cup)
6 slices of bacon, cooked in the oven till crisp, chopped (reserve half)
2 fresh Jalapenos finely diced (reserve half)
1/2 cup chopped green onions (reserve half)

Method

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream and garlic and onion powder.
Beat on a low speed until smooth and creamy.
Add 11/2 cups of grated cheese, half the chopped bacon, half the diced jalapeno and half the green onion.
Combine your reserved cheese, bacon, jalapenos and green onions in a small snap lock bag and store in the fridge.

Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap on the bench, then lay a second on top.
Spoon the cheese onto this in a ball shape, bring the sides up to cover and form into a ball.
Refrigerate overnight.

20 minutes before serving, remove from the fridge.
Spread reserved cheese, bacon, jalapenos and green onions on a large plate.
Unwrap the ball from the plastic wrap and roll around in the reserved toppings.

Serve with favourite crackers or fresh bread,

Mamma Marmalade


Tuesday 10 December 2019

Shortbread - Sisters know best !


If you only have one shortbread recipe this is the one.  Given to me by my sister it hands down beats trying different interpretations because this is always a winner.

Ingredients

250g softened butter
110g caster sugar
250g plain flour sifted
125g rice flour

Preheat oven to 130 degrees C


Method

Beat butter and sugar in a small bowl until white in colour, add flours one desert spoon at a time (do not rush this process).

Roll teaspoonful's of the mixture and place on a greased oven tray, press down gently with a fork,

Bake for 10 minutes at 130 degrees C and then 15 minutes at 120 degrees C.  Depending on your oven you may need longer, lift the biscuit to see if the bottom is browned.  The top should remain pale.

Cool and enjoy with a cup of tea.


Mamma Marmalde

an encore of our favourite recipe
http://feedyourinnercook.blogspot.com/2013/04/shortbread.html

Thursday 28 November 2019

Christmas Cakes and Christmas Pudding Time HOHOHO




The Christmas decorations have been in the shops since August so it must be time to think of Christmas cooking.  
Every year I re-stock my bottles of dried fruit and soak them in Bundy Rum ready for my early November baking.  I was a bit slow this year but the cakes and puddings are done and look delicious.  I tried not to inhale whilst I was cooking - the aroma of rum soaked cooking was definitely in the air!



So here are the links to our favourite Christmas cake and pudding recipes
Turn on the Christmas carols and dance around the kitchen!
Enjoy and hohoho ! Colleen


http://feedyourinnercook.blogspot.com/2013/12/christmas-cake-nearly-as-good-as-nans.html




http://feedyourinnercook.blogspot.com/2013/12/very-steamy-dreamy-christmas-pudding.html
   




Cheers!  Colleen

Wednesday 13 November 2019

Is it really bread? Keto low carb bread rolls

If you follow a low carb or Keto diet, one thing that you may crave/miss is bread.  A lot of the alternates taste very eggy and number 2 son is not a fan. These bread rolls actually taste like wholemeal rolls.  In addition to tasting like bread they are super easy to make.
Winner all round!

I found them on Diet Doctor Bread Roll recipe So give them a try and let us know what you think.



Ingredients

5 Tablespoons (level) Ground Psyllium Husk
1 1/4 cups almond flour (available now in supermarkets)
2 Teaspoon baking powder
1 Teaspoon salt
2 Teaspoon cider vinegar
3 egg whites
1 cup just boiled water (I did not use the entire cup)
Sesame seeds to sprinkle on top

Method

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius
Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl
Add vinegar and egg whites to dry ingredients and stir to combine
With a hand mixer add the hot water, (only sufficient to make a "play dough" consistency), only beat for apporx 30 seconds no longer or dough will be tough.
Grease an oven tray
With moist hands form into 6 patties and place on tray.
Sprinkle the top with sesame seeds
Bake in the middle rack for 50 -55 minutes, until the bottom of the role sounds hollow if tapped.

Eggs benny here we come!

Mamma Marmalade









Wednesday 6 November 2019

Chickpea Pasta with mushrooms, spinach and Passata

I have been away from my house, my pantry and my lovely oven for a few months.  It has been a challenge to create nutritious interesting meals in a tiny kitchen with few utensils and limited fridge space.  

I stumbled across these new pasta products made from chickpeas and lentils. Naturally Wilbur was super excited to try these out.  This is not an advertisement - I purchased the products as I was keen to experiment as I quite liked Soyaroni pasta which sadly seems to have been discontinued. 

Packet directions recommend cooking chickpea pasta for 7 to 9 minutes.  Mine needed at least another 5 minutes.  Even with the additional cooking time it was still quite firm.  I also feel that it needs a very strong flavoured sauce to balance the sturdy taste of the chickpea.  I would try again and am keen to try the red lentil packet later on.

It is encouraging to see producers offering alternatives to wheat based staples so I will keep exploring and testing the options increasingly available. So, check out what's new at your grocer and try something different.  Happy exploring!    Cheers. Colleen

 

Ingredients    adjust volumes for number of people you are feeding

250 gram Chickpea casarecce shaped pasta    serves 3 to 4

onion - diced
garlic - crushed
splash olive oil
mushrooms
zucchini - diced
black olives - sliced
splash red wine (optional)
Anchovy fillets (optional)
baby spinach leaves
pinch dried chilli flakes
teaspoon Pesto (optional)
herbs roughly chopped -  eg -  rosemary, parsley, basil
Premade Passata
grated Parmesan cheese
pepper to taste 

Method
cook the pasta according to packet directions but taste and cook longer until tender.
Gently heat the oil and fry the onions and add garlic.
Add the zucchini, mushrooms, anchovies and dried herbs and stir to soften
Splash in the wine followed by the passata and allow to simmer
Finish with the the olives and soft herbs and pesto.
Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
Should be ready about same time as pasta.

Drain the pasta really well and stir into the passata sauce.
Serve topped with extra basil leaves and a scattering of Parmesan.

Enloy!  Colleen




Wednesday 30 October 2019

Pecan, Chocolate, Coffee Biscotti


Just in time for Christmas giving, I found this recipe from the very talented Belinda Jeffery.  The combination of chocolate and coffee elevate this Biscotti to new heights.  I love to give my friends a little home baking at Christmas, I feel it shows you care because you have gone to a little extra effort. So for all those friends on the "nice" list this is for you.




Ingredients

80g roasted pecans, halved (can substitute other nuts)
1 3/4 cups plain flour
3/4 teaspoon bi carb soda
3/4 teaspoon baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons of instant coffee granules
120g best quality dark chocolate, chopped
125g unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup caster sugar
1 large egg or 2 small eggs lightly beaten to get 75ml of egg (easiest to measure in a glass measuring jug)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Line a large oven tray with baking paper.
Combine the flour, bi carb, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.
Using a small sieve press the coffee granules through with the back of a spoon into the bowl, whisk for a minute to combine ingredients.
Add the pecans and chocolate and mix so they are coated with the flour mixture.
In a separate bowl beat the butter and caster sugar for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Add egg is slowly beating in between. 
Add the vanilla.
Combine the flour mixture above and fold until a soft dough forms.
Press the dough gently together and then divide in half and and place on oven tray. From into a log shape. 
Leave space between the 2 logs as the mixture will spread when baking.
Bake for 35 minutes or until golden.
Remove and leave to cool until just warm to the touch.

Turn oven down to 160 degrees Celsius and line another tray with baking paper.
Gently transfer the logs whilst still warm to a board and cut into approx 7 mm slices with a very sharp knife.  Do not try to cut too thinly or they will crumble.

Lay the slices flat on the prepared trays.
Return to oven and bake until crisp and golden about 15 minutes, turning them over half way through.

When ready remove the trays from the oven and leave the biscotti to firm up a little, then carefully transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

Store into air tight containers until ready to gift wrap and give to friends.

Delizio

Mamma Marmalade


Monday 14 October 2019

Ketopanna

I have several family members following a Keto or low carb diet so as not to deprive them of sweets, I have created this strawberry panna cotta for them to enjoy. I want to create a repertoire of Desserts that will fit with their Keto requirements and not be full of artificial sweeteners of  any kind.

Luckily in Australia it is strawberry season.

Ingredients

1 punnet of fresh strawberries (I am yet to experiment with frozen berries, but you could try)
1 cup of thickened cream
1 teaspoon (scant) of powdered gelatine
Vanilla pod or vanilla extract to taste

Method

Wash and thinly slice all the strawberries. Don't forget to remove and discard the green stalk.
Combine them in a small saucepan with a dash (1 tablespoon) of water.
Simmer until they break down, a few larger pieces are fine and look good in the puree to avoid that "mushy" look. This will take approximately 10 minutes on a low heat.

While the strawberries are cooking, place 3 teaspoons of water in a very small dish and then add the 1 teaspoon of gelatine. This will "bloom", stir to combine, it will quickly form a gel like consistency.
Remove the strawberries from the heat and set aside.

In another small saucepan, heat the cream until it just starts to simmer, a few small bubbles will start to appear on the surface. Add the vanilla.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the gelatine mixture, stir until it is well combined.
In small dishes place a measure of the strawberry puree, then pour in the cream and gelatine.
This recipe can make 6 small panna cotta's or 4 more generous.

Place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours to set.

Then serve and enjoy.

Mamma Marmalade


Saturday 28 September 2019

Cheese and Zucchini Scones

What could be more perfect than a lazy Saturday lunch in the garden.  These cheese scones are fast to prepare and go well with a hunt through the fridge to make up a ploughman's platter.  Ideal for school or work lunches, they freeze well.



Ingredients


1 small zucchini
2 cups Self Raising Flour
1 teaspoon caster sugar
1 cup coarsely grated mature or vintage cheddar
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
1 cup buttermilk (extra to brush)

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Butter and lightly flour a square cake or slice tin.

Coarsely grate the zucchini and squeeze all liquid out.
In a bowl, combine zucchini, flour, sugar, cheese, chives and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Gradually add the buttermilk and mix with a knife and then your hands until a soft dough forms, you may need to add extra flour if too wet.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 2 cm thick disk.

Use a scone cutter dipped in flour to cut out scones, place in tin.
Continue cutting and knead remaining dough until all scones are placed in the tin, approx. 14.

Brush with buttermilk.

Cook until golden approximately 18-20 minutes.

Serve with Ham, pickled onions, good cheese and chutney,


Mamma Marmalade

Wednesday 11 September 2019

Toad in the Hole

Comfort food at it's finest.  Combination of fluffy Yorkshire pudding and quality sausages with onion gravy.  This one pot wonder can be tweaked to suit your taste buds.





Ingredients

4 free range/organic eggs
1 sliced red onion
garlic clove, crushed
1/2 cup Self Raising Flour
1/2 cup Milk
4 of your best thick sausages
2 spring onions, chopped
Olive Oil
Salt

Method


Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius
In an oven proof dish place garlic, olive oil, onion an sausages.
Cook in the oven for approximately 10 minutes (or you can use already cooked sausages).

In a separate bowl, crack eggs and whisk, pour in a little milk and add a little flour at a time, whisking between each addition. Repeat until all mixture is combined.
Add a pinch of salt and chopped spring onions.

Remove casserole dish from oven and pour over egg mixture. Return to oven and cook for a further 15- 20 minutes.

Serve with onion gravy.

Mamma Marmalade





Monday 2 September 2019

Gooey Cheesy Vegetable Pasta - veggie odds and ends - fried all crispy oozy

Sometimes dinnertime needs to be relaxed, comforting and sneaky.  This is a great way to combine a big variety of veggies with some pasta and a little cheese – an easy way to use the last bits of the cauliflower or zucchini – so versatile. You can add bacon or shredded BBQ chicken if you wish, but the veggies are equally delicious on their own.  Enjoy!  Colleen

 


Preparation     10 minutes
Cooking           15 minutes

Ingredients
I have not included amounts as it depends on how many you are feeding –  leftovers are great reheated the next day too.

I usually chop/slice
Onion
Garlic
Zucchini
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Red capsicum
Spinach leaves
Green beans
Mushrooms  -   mix and match depending on what I left left in fridge

Option:  sliced pitted black olives
Sliced sun dried tomatoes
Finely sliced salami or pancetta or bacon or shredded BBQ chicken

Adding
Olive oil
Herbs – usually thyme or oregano - fresh or dried is fine 
then mint and parsley for garnish
Pinch of dried red chilli flakes and some ground black pepper

Boil some pasta - until al-dente   - I like to use spiral Fusilli  or  Penne ridged tubes

And some grated cheddar cheese (not an excessive amount)
And grated parmesan for garnish

Method
Boil the pasta until just al-dente.  Drain really well.

While the pasta is boiling, heat a little olive oil in a large pan and start frying the onion then add the garlic.
Add the sliced vegetables in order of hardness.  Usually cauliflower first etc etc then the softer ones such as zucchini.
Cook the meat through if using.
If using, stir in the sliced olives and sundried tomatoes.
Veggies should start to get golden and a bit crispy.
When pasta al-dente and well drained, toss through the almost cooked veggies and allow the pasta to brown a little too in the residual oil.
Finally stir the grated cheddar cheese and let it become oozy and golden and melt into the veggies and pasta.
Season to taste
Finish off with shredded mint and/or parsley and a final sprinkle of parmesan.
Eat!   Enjoy!  Colleen

Thursday 22 August 2019

Nut Case

Looking for a sweet treat that won't break the calorie budget? This toffee, macadamia Phyllo tart is the answer. You can vary the sweetness to your taste and by spraying the Phyllo pastry with olive oil you cut down on calories.






Ingredients

2 Tablespoons melted butter
2 Organic/Free Range Eggs
8 Teaspoon brown sugar
4 Tablespoons honey
1/2 Teaspoon vanilla
Chopped macadamia nuts or pecans (as many as you need to place in the base of the tart)
Olive Oil spray

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius
Combine all ingredients apart from nuts in a medium bowl.
Mix well.
Lay one sheet of Phyllo on a clean surface, lightly spray with olive oil spray, repeat with 3 more layers of Phyllo spraying in between each one and layering on top of the previous sheet.
Cut stack in half lengthways and then cut into 4 cross ways. Depends how big the muffin tin is.
Place each stack into greased muffin tin.

Place chopped nuts in the base of each and then pour in sufficient caramel mixture to cover nuts and come 3/4 way to the top of the Phyllo nest.

Bake in the oven for approx. 15 minutes, until Phyllo is golden and nut mixture bubbling.

Remove and cool.

Serve with ice cream or cream.

Mamma Marmalade

Note: You can use premade tart shells.



Wednesday 14 August 2019

Tray bake Harissa Bolognese

I was sceptical at first of the claim by Yotam Ottolenghi that your could make Bolognese without browning off the meat in a fry pan but not only was I enlightened but the result was spectacular. Now we have another delicious offering for those large family/friend gatherings other than boring old Lasagne.







Ingredients

700g beef mince (not diet needs some fat)
450g pork mince
1/3 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup harissa paste
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon ground coriander
1/3 cup olive oil
60g finely grated parmesan
60g finely grated Pecorino Romano
1 carrot peeled, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
2 large roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
3 cups chicken stock
100ml double cream
225g dried manicotti or cannelloni tubes, roughly chopped in half crosswise.
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Method

Preheat oven to 245 degrees Celsius (pretty hot).
Place the beef mince, pork mince, tomato paste, harissa, Worcestershire sauce, cumin and ground coriander in a large roasting pan with 1/4 cup of the oil and 2/3rds of the parmesan and pecorino cheese, freshly ground pepper and 1 3/4 teaspoon salt flakes.

Combine carrot, onion, tomato and garlic in a food processor and whiz to finely chopped. Add this to the beef mixture and stir to combine.
Place in a preheated oven for 25 minutes or until browned on the top and sizzling.

Reduce oven temperature to 190 degrees Celsius.

Use a wooden spoon to break the meat apart thoroughly, stirring into the liquid that has been produced.
Pour in chicken stock and cram on top of the meat mixture.
Stir in the dried pasta into the sauce until thoroughly coated, you need all the pasta wet so it doesn't burn.  Push as much under the surface as you can (you won't be able to submerge it all).

Bake in the oven, stirring halfway through the cooking time of 25 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Remove pasta bake from the oven, stir in the parsley and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Drizzle with a tablespoon of oil.

Bake for a further 8 minutes or until the top is crisp and brown.

Set aside for 10 minutes and then serve.

Yum Yum

Mamma Marmalade



Wednesday 7 August 2019

Simple Slow Cooked Beef Tomato Ragù

Perhaps a Stew that takes 4 hours to cook may not seem simple but most of the cooking is done in the oven and the result is meltingly tender meat matched perfectly with the intense richness of an aromatic mushroomy tomato sauce.

Like most slow cooked meals, it tastes even better reheated the next day.  For a change when serving the leftovers - Instead of accompanying with pasta, try thick slices of toasted sourdough.  Either way it will taste delicious, fill the house with tempting aromas and satisfy winter cravings.


Preparation     15 minutes
Cooking            30 minutes on stovetop then 3 ½ to 4 hours cooking in the oven.

Serves               6 – 8                 Served with pasta.

Ingredients

1.2  kilogram Beef Chuck Steak. Remove some of the thick fat then cut meat into 3 cm cubes.
 
HINT: After the large pieces of fat are trimmed off you should have about 800 – 900 gram meat.  Some fat will remain marbling the meat but I feel better removing the chunky fat.  (Don’t tell Nana).

Plain flour – for dusting – seasoned with a little salt and pepper. A few tablespoons at least.
1 – 2 tablespoons Australian Olive Oil
2 brown onions – chopped
2 cloves garlic – chopped
2 stalks celery – sliced
2 carrots – peeled and diced
Fresh thyme – 4 stalks
Rosemary – 1 stalk
800 gram tin Crushed Tomatoes
1 ½ cup Beef Stock – Salt reduced
½ - 1 cup water
a little less than ¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar – to your taste. You may like to use the full ¼ cup.
Splash Worcestershire Sauce
Maybe:  may need a handful of red lentils in last half hour if stew has not thickened.
250 gram mushrooms – sliced
½ bunch of Kale – trimmed from tough stalks then roughly chopped
Pepper and Salt – to taste
Parsley – finely chopped for garnish
Pasta to accompany (chunky type like rigatoni or penne)

Method

Preheat oven to 160°C

Place the seasoned flour into a large plastic bag.
Add the beef in batches.  Gently shake to dust with the flour.  Shake off the excess and set aside.
Use a heavy ovenproof casserole lidded pot.
Place the casserole pot on the stovetop.  Heat the pot then add the oil.
In batches, quickly brown the meat. Remove then reserve in a bowl until completed.

HINT: if you brown too much meat at once, it turns into a gloopy soggy mass. It is better to cook this amount of meat in 3 or 4 batches so you have more control over the browning.

Reduce heat, add a dash more oil and brown the onions then add garlic, celery and carrots.
Stir until softened slightly.
Mix in the stock, tomatoes and ½ cup of the water along with the thyme and rosemary stalks.
HINT: Be sure to loosen and stir in any caramelised bits off the base of pan when you start to add the stock.
HINT – count the number of stalks to make it easy to remove at end of cooking.

Mix through the Vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.  Simmer for 5 minutes stirring well.
Return the beef (and meat juices) to the pot. Mix well through.
Taste and add a little extra Balsamic it you like.
Bring to gentle boil. Stir well then remove from stovetop heat.  Cover with lid.

Place pot into warmed oven. 
Cook for 3 hours.
Then check the stew. If it is too dry add some more water.  If too sloppy, add a handful of red lentils.  
HINT:  a tight fitting lid keeps the moisture in but a looser lid will allow gradual steam loss resulting in a drier stew at this stage.

Add the sliced mushrooms and return to oven for 30 minutes.
Check again to ensure sauce is thick and lush.  Taste and adjust Pepper and Salt to your taste.
Add the chopped kale and return to oven for 10 minutes.  The meat should be meltingly tender and falling apart.

Before serving, remove the thyme and rosemary stalks.  Stir through the chopped parsley, reserving some for garnish.

Serve with cooked pasta – use a hearty style like rigatoni or penne.
You can mix the pasta through or serve the pasta topped with a generous spoonful of ragù.
Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan and the remaining parsley.

                                         Enjoy!    Colleen







Tuesday 23 July 2019

Lemon tart with finger lime caviar

Bush tucker is very trendy currently but the combination of finger lime and a classic lemon tart makes for an updated and slightly more fancy classic.

The recipe comes from a fundraising effort in Australia to help drought stricken farmers.  "Farmer Recipes and Stories from the Land" raises funds that go to the CWA - Country Women's Association who assist farmers struggling with drought.

This recipe was contributed by Cheryl Rennie











Ingredients

3 organic eggs
1/2 cup caster sugar
150 ml pouring cream
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 finger limes (optional)
1 frozen pack of sweet shortcrust pastry (I love Careme) defrosted or you can make your own or use a quality premade pastry shell.

Method

Blind bake pastry in tin of your choice.

Turn oven down to 160 degrees Celsius
In a bowl, whisk the eggs, caster sugar, cream and lemon juice.
Pour into pastry case (preferable if still warm)
Bake the tart for 20 -25 minutes or until the filling is just set in the centre.
Allow to cool in the tin.

When ready to serve top with squeezed finger limes.

Delicious

Mamma Marmalade


Note:

Finger limes can be stored whole in a container in the freezer to use all year round.  Just let them come to room temperature before squeezing out their gorgeous tangy citrus caviar.







Thursday 18 July 2019

Nigella's Panettone Pudding for Christmas or Christmas in July


Hidden at the back of my pantry is a Panettonne, saved especially for Christmas in July.  Every year I use this ingredient as the centrepiece for a delicious dessert.  This is one of my favourite recipes from Nigella   Easy to prepare ahead and a small slice is a festive indulgence.  Hope you and yours enjoy it too!

Nigella Panettone Christmas Pudding by Feed Your Inner Cook

Preparation  allow      45 – 50 minutes   plus   10 minutes just before serving
Serves                        14 approx

Ingredients
        
800 grams approx. panettone cut into 1 inch thick slices, using a serrated knife
6 tablespoons tuaca liqueur
2 large eggs
75 grams caster sugar
500 grams mascarpone cheese
250 ml thickened cream
125 ml marsala
75 grams marrons glacés (crumbled pieces) from a Deli  or some dried fruit chopped
125 grams chopped good chocolate chips or chocolate
100 grams shelled pistachios (chopped)
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

METHOD

Use about a third of the panettone to line the bottom of a 22 cm springform cake tin. Tear off pieces to fit snugly.

Drizzle over 2 tablespoons of the Tuaca so panettone lining is dampened.

Using an electric mixer whisk the eggs and sugar until very frothy

Slowly whisk the mascarpone and cream into the egg sugar mix.  Then gradually whisk in the Marsala until mixture is thick and spreadable.

Remove a cupful to another container, cover and put in the fridge; this is for the top layer, added just before you serve the cake.

Fold into the large mascarpone mixture, the marrons glacés, followed by ¾ of the chocolate chips and ¾ of the chopped pistachios.  The remainder is reserved for the topping.

Use half of this creamy filling to top the panettone layer lining the cake tin.

Use another third of the panettone slices to cover the cream layer. Dampen with another 2 tablespoons of liqueur.

Spoon on the other half of the cream mixture and spread it evenly. Then top with a third and final layer of panettone, covering the cream as before, and drizzle over it the last 2 tablespoons of liqueur.

Cover tightly with kitchen wrap, pressing down on the top a little to compress slightly, and put in the fridge overnight or for up to 2 days.

When ready to serve,
Remove cake from fridge, unmould and sit it on a flat plate or stand. Spread with reserved topping mascarpone mixture. Leave cake on plate as it will be too damp to move.

Scatter the top and sides with remaining chocolate and chopped pistachios and finally the red pomegranate seeds.
Enjoy!   Colleen