Homemade custard

Whoops! I am so overdue for a post!! I have been pretty busy these last two weeks, first going on a field trip for one of my papers and secondly preparing and doing my experiment to collect the data that I need for my dissertation. Unfortunately I only managed to collect half of what I need, so I will have to do one more day of data collection. To make things scarier, we were told today that there are only 8 weeks left until we have to hand in our dissertations. Eek! 

But of course I can't let that stop me making good food....

Up until earlier this year, custard to me was going to the cupboard, finding the custard powder, adding milk and cooking it up. Sometimes, if I wanted a really nice and creamy custard I may even add a few eggs. Because I relied on a package that had lots of numbers on it, it didn't really factor in as part of my whole food diet, it was more of a treat. However, because I really love custard, especially when I get sick, it made me determined to find a better way of making it. So I went searching on the internet and came away absolutely gobsmacked that I have been making it from a packet for so long.

It is so easy to make!!

I really didn't find it any more difficult than using pre-made custard powder. What's more, making it from scratch I know exactly what is in it and can use a more natural form of sweetner. Now I don't feel bad about enjoying custard all the time and it most definitely counts as a part of a real food diet.

Ingredients

2 cups milk (full fat works best)

2 Tbsp cornflour

1 tsp vanilla essence (or vanilla bean paste, which makes it taste awesome!)

1 egg

1/4 cup rice malt similar (or othe liquid sweet```ner)

In a small bowl whisk together the cornflour, egg and vanilla essence.

Place the milk in a pot and place over a medium-low heat unitl the milk gets nice and hot but not boiling. 

This next part you need to do quickly. Add the egg mixture and thoroughly whisk the mixture so that the egg white doesn't scramble. Keep whisking until the custard gets nice and thick.

Stir in the rice malt syrup, adding more or less to taste.

Serve immediately (Delicious with some grated chocolate)

Caramel and Salted Walnut Tarts

Phew! After a few really busy weeks at uni things are calming down just a tad. What I find quite interesting is that this week would still be a really busy week under my old standards, but I suppose it is all relative and I actually feel quite relaxed. What made things better is that I finally got a chance to get into the kitchen this weekend and make something exciting.

Today's post isn't quite so healthy, but because it is still made with completely 'real' ingredients I definitely think that they have a place on this blog. Besides, they were just far too delicious not to share. I have actually had a request to make them again this weekend. I know that salted caramel is a bit of a trend at the moment, so i thought that I would play around with those flavours. However, I thought that rather instead of salting the caramel, I would instead use the walnuts for this purpose. The result was delicious!!

Note: The caramel is more of a caramel custard so they are best kept in the fridge.

Ingredients
400g sweet, shortcrust pastry (made with butter is best!)

300ml cream
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 egg yolks
2 Tbsp cornflour

1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp coconut oil (butter will also work)
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and grease a 12 hole muffin tin (Depending on the size of your tin the recipe may make more or less than 12). Roll out the shortcrust pastry to around 5mm thick. Using a class cookie cutter (I used one the same size as the muffin tin hole to make them a small tart size), cut out circles. Gently press into the muffin tins and prick. Bake blind for 10 minutes or until cooked through.*Leave to cool.

*To bake blind, cover pastry in baking paper and use rice or beans to weight it down. These instructions may help.

While leaving bases to cool make the filling. Place the cream, brown sugar and vanilla in a saucepan. Over a low heat, gently heat together until the brown sugar has dissolved. Increase to a medium heat and continue to stir for 2-3 minutes. Whisk the eggs yolks and cornflour with a little milk together. Add to the cream mixture, stirring quickly so the egg doesn't scramble. Continue to cook over a medium heat until the mixture is thick.

For the walnuts toast them in a 180 degree C. oven for around 5 minutes (they should start to smell walnut-y). Place the hot walnuts in a bowl with the honey and coconut oil and mix to coat. Sprinkle with sea salt.

To assemble: Spoon the caramel mixture into the pastry cases and top with walnuts. Leave to cool before serving.

Better Made At Home- Bounty Bar Bites

I am all finished with my second week at uni. Apart from a couple of research proposals and some readings things haven't gotten too busy just yet. This have given me some time to think up ideas for the blog and do some experimenting in the kitchen.

I was thinking the other day, that while I try to have a relaxed attitude to food and not completely restrict myself to completely unprocessed foods, there are quite a few foods that I really like that are heavily processed and have a lot of sugar in them (yes I have a major sweet tooth). What really sparked my interest was a bounty bar. Wikipedia describes these delights as a coconut filling enrobed with milk or dark chocolate. What they are is freaking delicious! However, they are really quite a simple concept.

As they are one of my favourite chocolate bars, I was inspired to get into the kitchen and make my own! I challenged myself to make a version that was completely refined sugar free so that I could enjoy them without guilt. I have given you two versions in this post. One is completely refined sugar free and uses a chocolate coconut oil coating. The other uses normal semi-dark chocolate to coat it. To be honest the normal chocolate ones look better and do taste slightly better, but if you are trying to reduce refined sugars, the sugar free ones are more than satisfying.

This recipe is also linked to my last post about how much I love coconut oil. Coconut oil was the perfect ingredient to bind them together. You could potentially use butter as an alternative to bind the coconut but I haven't tried it so therefore cannot vouch for its taste or success.

So welcome to the first post in the 'Better Made At Home' series.

Ingredients
1 cup dessicated coconut
5 Tbsp melted coconut oil
2 Tbsp honey

In a medium bowl stir all of the ingredients together thoroughly until the coconut is binding. You may need to let the mixture sit for a few minuted for the coconut oil to firm up for this to happen.

Using a rounded spoon (I used my Tablespoon measure) scoop out the mixture and firmly press into a half circular shape. Alternatively you could try to mould it with your hands. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Either melt 4 rows of semi-dark chocolate or melt together 4 Tbsp coconut oil, 2 Tbsp honey and 4 tsp cocoa powder. If using the coconut oil option, let it sit to firm up until it is melted chocolate consistency.

Take the frozen coconut mounds and gently coat them in chocolate using two forks. Place back on the plate and then place in the freezer until completely set (about another 30 minutes)

Best Cream Scones ever!!!

I'm all done with exams!! I had my final exam this afternoon, so now it is just a case of waiting for results.  I have the next three weeks or so and I am planning some pretty ambitious baking projects. I will share them with you in my next recipe list.

We have a bit of a snow storm planned for Dunedin starting tonight and going through till tomorrow. If this happens like it says it will this will be quite a novelty as we have already had one good dumping of snow at the end if may. As I had recently injured my ankle, I couldn't really enjoy the last snow day (ok so I do become a little bit of a kid in snow as we don't get a proper snow fall that often) so I will be definitely be having some fun this time. I am also planning on making my sister some cookies that she requested for her birthday.

Anyway on to this recipe. During my study on Sunday morning I took a break to make these scones as I had a family lunch to take them to. I found the scone recipe in a school cookbook and as they were called Meola's Cream Cloud Scones I was definitely wanting to try them. This recipe is different to the scone recipes that I have made in the past as it uses straight cream instead of butter (this does make sense as butter is just churned cream).

Now I don't believe in counting calories for myself, but out of curiousity I thought I would input these into a calculator. They weren't nearly as bad as I thought they would be coming out at 180 calories per scone (just in case you were interested).

The first time round I followed the recipe and used apricots and sultanas for the dried fruit component. They were absolutely delicious!! I loved the base recipe and was already thinking up lots of possible flavour combinations.

Initially I had planned lemon and pistachio ones, but when I went to buy pistachios they were $8.99 for 100g. There was absolutely no way I was paying that on my student budget so I had to rethink. While making something else I came across cranberries and white chocolate chips and had a wee lightbulb moment.

I am still dreaming of different flavour combinations (caramel and hazelnut sounds pretty dreamy but may have to be a dessert scone). I'll update this post of I do try any more.

Makes 12 scones

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup cranberries (or apricots for variation)
1/4 white chocolate chips or drops (or sultanas for variation)
Zest 1 lemon
1 1/4 cups cream
1-2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C.

In a large bowl sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the sugar, cranberries, lemon zest and white chocolate and stir well with a fork.

Add the cream and still using the fork mix to form a slightly sticky dough. If the mixture is not wet enough add some milk.

Once combined, with floured hands knead the mixture in the bowl for a few minutes or until it all comes together in a big ball. Brush the melted butter on to the top.

Flatten on a a floured board till about 2cm thick and roughly rectangular. Cut the rectangle into 12 pieces (3 by 4). Arrange the scones on a baking tray lined with baking paper or a silicone mat.

Bake for 15-20 minute or until the tops are starting to brown.

Banoffee Cheescake Parfaits

More Banoffee?! Think of this recipe as being a companion recipe to my previous post, Banoffee Cupcakes. After making these cupcakes, I still had half a tin of condensed milk caramel and some bananas left over. When I needed something to take to my parents dessert, the idea of cheesecake came into my mind, but I didn't really have time to make a full-blown cheesecake.

Leaving my mind to plot away on the subject of food a little longer, the idea of parfaits popped into my head. Parfaits tend to be quick, easy and delicious. Hmm... why not a cheesecake inspired parfait? Layering up some biscuit crumbs, some caramel, banana and a cheesecake mixture I was drooling!

These parfaits also have the benefit of being a little bit lighter than a cheesecake too. This is thanks to some low fat cream cheese  and low fat yoghurt

Ingredients

6 large, plain biscuits

1/2 tin condensed milk caramel

2 bananas

250g lite, spreadable cream cheese

300g low fat vanilla yoghurt

2 Tbsp icing sugar OR 2 drops liquid stevia

1. In a food processor, whizz the biscuits to make crumbs.

2. Slice the banana into small rounds.

3. Place the condensed milk caramel in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften and stir till smooth.

4. In a large bowl, with and electric beater or whisk, whip together the cream cheese, yoghurt and sugar/stevia.

5. Taste and add a little more sugar if necessary.

6. In medium glasses, layer in the following order: a tablespoon of cream cheese mixture, the biscuit crumbs, caramel and then the rest of the cream cheese mixture.

7. Chill for an hour before serving.

Peanut Butter Cup Donuts

I remember a few months ago telling one of my good friends Victoria that I had got myself some donut pans. She got so excited at the thought that I could actually bake my own donuts so I promised her that one day she could come round and make some with me. Unfortunately we both got so busy with uni and life that it was only today during our easter break that she got the opportunity.

As Victoria is as big a peanut butter fiend as I am I knew that I had to introduce her to Ashley's amazing peanut butter cup donuts. I have made these once before and they turned out perfectly both times. The donuts themselves are fluffy and moist and the icing actually tastes like a peanut butter cup. Yum!!

If you are loving the sound of these but don't have donut pans stop panicking! You can make these in a muffin tin and ice them just the same.

Victoria (left) and I at high school when we both had leads in the school production of Les Miserables. She was Eponine and I was Cosette.

Makes 6 large donuts

Ingredients
1/2 cup oat flour (1/2 cup rolled oats whizzed in a food processor until it becomes flour)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup peanut butter, melted

1/2 cup chocolate chips or buttons
1 Tbsp peanut butter ( I like to use one with a little bit of salt in it for a more peanut butter cup taste)

1. Sift the flours, baking powder and salt together.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, the canola oil, milk and vanilla.
3. Whisk in the peanut butter.
4. Add the wet mixture to the dry and gently fold until just combined.
5. Spoon into greased donut or muffin tins.
6. Bake at 180 degrees C. for 15-20 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean but you don't want the donuts to be too dry.
7. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Melt the chocolate chips and 1 Tbsp peanut butter together in a bowl.
9. Dip the tops of the cooled donuts into the chocolate.
10. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until the icing is completely set.

I made Macarons!!

I am so proud of my mother and myself as we successfully made macarons yesterday. These puppies were not easy and took 3 attempts to get them right. The first mixture was far too thick and just turned out like wierd meringues. The second mixture was very nearly right but didn't have the wee foot on the bottom and true macarons really need that. Finally yesterday we got it right.

The macaron, not to be confused with coconut macaroons, are an almond biscuit sandwiched together with ganache or icing. The should have a crisp outside, but a nice soft inside. For the final recipe that actually produced proper macarons we used a recipe from Australian Masterchef and it used the Italian meringue method. This is where the meringue is made with a hot sugar syrup instead of just beating caster sugar in with the egg white. We tweaked the recipe a little and used some ground hazelnuts as well as the ground almond to give it a nice flavour.

Now some of the instructions may seem very pedantic, but these are a pendantic kinda thing. They require very accurate measurement, patience and practice.

Ingredients
55g egg whites plus another 55 grams egg white (110g total)
40ml water
150g caster sugar
75g ground almonds
75g ground hazelnuts (Or can use more ground almond)
150g icing sugar, sifted (Try to use good quality)
Few drops food colouring (Optional)

1. Let the egg whites sit on your bench for around 48 hours (Very Important!!)
2. Combine the water and caster sugar in a small saucepan.
3. Heat the sugar and water over a medium heat until it reached 121 degrees C (You'll need a candy thermometer).
4. Meanwhile, beat 55g of egg yolks until foamy.
5. Very very slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the egg white mixture and beat until thick and glossy. (Italian meringue won't go quite a stiff, it looked closer to soft peaks but stayed in the bowl when the bowl was held upside down.)
6. In a separate bowl combine the ground almonds, ground hazelnuts, icing sugar and egg yolks.

Cherry Icecream Pie

Just a wee note before I start the recipe. I'm heading away to Stewart Isalnd for a few days so it will be a wee while before I post again.

Yesterday was my birthday so I thought I would share my birthday dessert. While my birthday was on Monday we went out for family lunch on the Sunday and came home for dessert. Dessert was lemon lamingtons and this Cherry Icecream pie and it was good!! I particularly liked the base. I promise I did still have lots of fun on my actual birthday (even though I had to work). I had my Perfect Pancakes for breakfast topped with Strawberries and I believe that I ate Strawberries for breakfast lunch and tea. I love that Strawberries are a decent price again! Then in the morning I went shopping with grandma and she shouted me morning tea. Safe to say that I was feeling quite the bloated birthday girl :D. I will confess the elasticated pants came out on Sunday night.

Ingredients
1 420g tin cherries, drained
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cornflour
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp honey, melted
1 1/2 cups crushed malt biscuits or similar
4 cup low fat vanilla icecream (its softer)

1. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium saucepan.
2. Bring to the boil then simmer or 2 minutes, until thick, stirring constantly.
3. Cool completely.
4. Combine the butter and honey in a medium bowl.
5. Add the biscuit crumbs and mix until well combined.
6. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a 23cm pie dish. Bake at 180 degrees C for 8 minutes then cool completely.
7. Place 1/2 the cooled cherry mixture into a food processor.
8. Add the icecream and process until mixed.
9. Spoon into the cooled crust.
10. Cover with tin foil and freeze for at least 4 hours.
11. Chill the remaining cherry mixture to serve with the pie.
12. To serve: cut into 8-10 slices. Warm the cherry sauce with a little water to thin it and drizzle over the pie.

Deliciously Decadent Brownies

Since the last post was healthy and nutrious for your body I thought I could get away with posting this amazing recipe that is in no way nutritious for your body but definitely is for your soul. I was recently asked by someone to make them brownies for their birthday. I knew that they had to be amazing so i started trawling the internet looking for a recipe. The key for good brownies is butter, sugar, chocolate and a lot of it. I found this amazing recipe on Brown Eyed Baker and was sold by the picture.

I love food, especially fudgy yummy brownies! The trick with food like this is to sit down and really appreciate its chocolately goodness. This is not the sort of food I want to see you scoffing on the run!!

Makes 16 brownies

Ingredients
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
170g dark chocolate chopped (I used 70%)
170g butter, chopped into approx. 12 pieces
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar

1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees C.
2. Grease and line a 20cm square tin.
3. Whisk together the flour and salt.
4. Put the chocolate into heatproof bowl and sit the bowl over a pot of gently simmering water.
5. Slowly melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally.
6. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and add the butter.
7. Stir the mixture until the butter is melted (a few little bits don't matter)
8. With an electric beater or mixer beat the eggs and sugar until thick and pale, about 2 minutes.
9. Add the chocolate/butter mixture and beat until just combined.
10. Fold in the dry ingredients.
11. Pour the batter into the pan and even out the mixture.
12. Bake for 50 minutes or until the top is dry and cracked and a skewer comes out clean. (Keep a close eye on it after 40 minutes as you don't want to overcook it).
13. Leave the brownies to cool to room temperature, then cut into 16 squares.

Individual Pear Cakes

 

Here is a seasonal treat that is great served on a cold night with some custard and icecream. This is another item that was on my 200 list, adapated from 101 cookbooks.com. I decided to make individual cakes in muffin tins to make this a bit more interesting and it also makes it a great recipe for entertaining.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 cup wholemeal flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch salt

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 small pear cut into slices or chunks

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

2. Spray 8 muffin tins.

3. Mix flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.

4. With a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy and pale in colour.

5. Add the eggs and 1 Tbsp of the flour mix and beat again until well combined.

6. Fold in the rest of the flour mixture until just combined.

7. Transfer the batter into the muffin pans filling them 2/3 full (You may fill more than 9)

8. Place a slice or chunk of pear on top of each pan, pushing it down into the mixture.

9. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

10. Let cool for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.

Chocolate Meringue Pie

Need a dessert to impress that's not too hard to make? Would it be even better if you didn't have to feel guilty eating that dessert? Here is the solution, an amazing Chocolate Meringue Pie. We had a family dinner the other week, and while it wasn't really fancy it gave me an excuse to make this pie which I had been dying to make. I saw it myrecipes.com and thought it looked so good... and it was. It had a nice light crust, a beautiful moussy centre and a soft marshmellowy meringue.

The evaporated milk makes this pie pretty good for you, so you can enjoy more! Don't panic at the number of steps it's actually not too difficult to make.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups cookie crumbs
1/2 cup finely ground walnuts
1/4 cup melted butter

3/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 Tbsps Cornflour
2 cups lite evaporated milk (1 can was almost 2 cups, so I topped the last cup up with trim milk)
120g dark chocolate
3 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract

4 large egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius
2. For the crust, combine the first three ingredients, mixing well.
3. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a well greased 9 inch (23cm) pie tin.
4. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
5. Let cool completely.
6. For the filling, combine 3/4 cup sugar, cornflour and salt in a medium saucepan.
7. Whisk in the milk and add the chocolate.
8. Melt the chocolate and bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring constantly.
9. Cook for 1 minute, continuing to stir.
10. Remove from the heat.
11. Gradually add 1/2 cup of the chocolate mixture to the egg yolks.
12. Return the egg mixture to the pan and cook over a medium heat, continually stirring, until thick and custard-like.
13. Stir in the vanilla essence.
13. Spread the mixture into the prepared crust and cover with plastic wrap.
14. Reduce the oven to 160 degrees.
15. For the meringue, place the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in a large bowl.
16. Beat with a mixer at a high speed until foamy.
17. Add the sugar 1 Tbsp at a time, beating until it forms stiff peaks.
18. Add the vanilla and beat until just blended.
19. Remove the plastic wrap from the filling and spread the meringue on top, sealing to the edge of the crust.
20. Bake for 25 minutes.
21. Cool for 1 hour on a wire rack and then chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.