Oh My pink lady

Just like a lady, this apple has a pink blush, it's quite unusual really, for an apple to have such a pink appearance. Apparently, it's a cross between the Golden Delicious and the Lady Williams. It's crips, sweet and tart-like. Perfect for making apple tart, pie or cake.

Apple and custard is like a marriage made in heaven, hence as one can imagine the amazing taste of the apple custard tea cake! The texture of these teacakes are really moist and soft, and the combination of moist apple on top and burst of custard in the middle of the cake just makes this cake a real winner. Perfect with a cup of tea.

Apple Custart Teacakes

For the cakes

Makes 12 minicakes

90g butter, softened, chopped

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup self-raising flour

1/4 cup custard powder

2 tbs milk

1 large unpeeled pink lady, cored and sliced thinly

1/4 cup maple syrup, heated

For the custard

1 tbs custard powder

1 tbs caster sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1. Make the custard: Blend custard powder and sugar with milk and extract in a small saucepan; stir over heat until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat and cover surgace with plastic wrap, cool.
2. Preheat oven to 180 degree celcius. Line a 12 hole muffin pan with paper cases
3. Cream butter, sugar and extract until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time until combine. Sift flour and custard over butter mixture and add the milk. Continue beating until well combine.
4. Divide half the mixture among cases. Top with custard. then remaing cake mixture to cover custard. Top cakes with apple slices, pressing slightly into cake.
5. Bake in oven for about 25 -30 mins. Cakes should spring back when cooked.
6. Brushed hot cakes with hot maple syrup. Turn into wire rack to cool. Serve warm with a cup of tea or cold with vanilla ice-cream.

Not so wicked after all

Almond is almost always being associated with good health. Any health magazines will tell you that almond is good for you. Infact, almond inself contain practically no carbohydates. Hence, cakes and cookies made from almond flour makes these desserts less wicked, but with a great taste and texture. In fact, these cookies smell heavenly even without any essence being used.

Almond Crisps

makes 34 small cookies

125g butter, soften
55g (1/4 cup) caster sugar
150g (1 cup) Self raising flour
30g (1/4 cup) almond meal
2 tablespoon almons flakes

1. Preheat oven to 200 degree celcius. Grease oven trays.
2. Beat butter and sugar in a small bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Stir in flour and almond meal. Mix with a metal spoon until combine.
3. Roll level teaspoon of mixture into balls; place on trays 5cm apart. Flatten lightly with foured fork to 1cm thick; sprinkle with almond flakes.
4. Bake about 10 mins, stand crisps on trays for 5 mins or less before transferring to wire rack to cool.
5. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Flatten dough with fork

Say Cheese

I can't think of anyone who doesn't like cheese,
It can turn the most tasteless pasta, soup or salad into a wonderful meal,
It goes well with savoury dishes, and it can also be made into a sweet, beautiful dessert.
Not all cheese is sinful and rich, ricotta and cottage cheese for examples, are light and they have a very unique texture.
Sweeter, richer cheese such as Mascarpone is great for Tiramisu, and my favourite type of cheese, the cream cheese is great for making cheesecakes, various frosting, and many many heavenly dessert.
Making such a rich dessert into something small, somehow manage to cut the guilt out of eating them, but then again, for such a wonderful cheesecake, it's hard to stop at one.
Anyway, life is too short to be counting how many one can have!! So, enjoy!

Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes

make 10 mini cheesecakes

Base:

150g Nice Biscuits

70g Butter, melted

Filling:

250g cream cheese

75g (1/3 cup)caster sugar

1 large egg (min 65g)

20ml (1tbs) lemon juice

100ml (5tbs) thickened cream

1. Preheat oven to 160 degree celcious, line a 12 cup muffin pan with 10 patty cases.
2. Crushed the biscuits until they resemble fine crumbs. Combine melted butter with crushed biscuits in a medium bowl. Coat crumbs evenly with butter.
3. Divide biscuits mixture evenly between the 10 patty cases. Press mixture firmly using the back of spoon.Set aside while making the filling.
4. Beat cream cheese and caster sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
5. Add the egg, lemon juice and cream, and beat until well combine.
6. Divide mixture evenly amount the prepared patty cases.
7. Bake cheesecakes in oven for 20 mins. The middle of the cheesecakes will be wobbly when hot and sink a little when cool.
8. Allow to cool on wire rack for 30 mins, and store in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
9. Just before serving, remove the patty cases, and top each mini cheesecakes with strawberry syrup and strawberry. Dusting with icing sugar and serve cold.

Step-By-Step

Combine crushed biscuit with melted butter

Press mixture firmly onto patty cases with back of spoon

Evenly filled each patty cases with filling, bake for 20 mins

Cool on wire rack before transfer to the fridge to chill.