Pepita sprinkled carrot cake!

ingredients 

1 cup oil

1 cup (125g) brown sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 ½ cups (225g) self raising flour

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 cups grated carrot, firmly packed (approximately 4)

Icing

500g cream cheese, softened to room temperature

2 cups (250g) pure icing sugar

1 orange, zested and juiced 

1 cup Pepita's, optional

to do

Preheat conventional oven to 175˚C.

Combine oil and sugar in a medium sized bowl and mix until well combined. Add eggs and whisk for a further 30 seconds or until well combined.

Combine flour, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon in a bowl. Add flour mixture and carrots to the wet mix; stir until combined.

Lightly grease and line a 20cm cake pan with baking paper. Pour cake batter evenly into cake pan.

Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Set aside to cool for 10-15 minutes before inverting cake onto a cake cooling rack.

Icing: Using a bench mixer; beat the cream cheese and icing sugar for 2 minutes or until light and creamy. Add orange zest and juice and continue mixing until combined.

Spread cream cheese icing over cooled cake and sprinkle with Pepita's.

Try...making individual muffin sized cakes for a simply delicious dessert. 

cream filled delights

The new sweet kid on the block, cream filled biscuits are the new in vogue treat. Try this quick and easy recipe instead of the usual cutesy cupcake next time your stuck indoors whilst the weather is cool!

Cream filled oat delights

makes 12-14 filled biscuits

prep time 10 minutes

cooking time 15-18 minutes

Ingredients
180g butter, softened
220g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup plain flour
3 cups rolled oats

Icing:
250g cream cheese, softened
500g pure icing sugar
1 tablespoon honey, optional

Pre-heat oven to 175C.

Beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add vanilla and egg, beat until well combined.
Add salt, cinnamon, flour and oats; stir until just combined.
Roll tablespoonfuls of the cookie mixture together and place each one 3 cm apart onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Flatten cookies slightly using a fork.
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on a tray for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire cake cooling rack and cool completely before icing. 

Icing – beat cream cheese on high for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add icing sugar and honey, beat until combined.

Spoon a teaspoonful of icing mixture onto the flat side of one biscuit and press a second biscuit onto the icing, sandwich together. Set aside and repeat with remaining biscuits and icing.

tip - replace caster sugar with brown sugar for a darker colour and richer flavour.

love amie x

Cinnamon to warm the soul...

Re-visiting an old but familiar favourite, the Cinnamon friand.

Co-insiding with the current and unpredictable weather changes, my food mood has suddenly been aching for some baking.

Cinnamon friands are deliciously moist, slightly sweet and best eaten straight from the oven when they oooze only cinnamon.

These little darlings will brighten even the foggiest of moods.

love amie x

Pan Cannellini beans and eggs

Growing up baked beans were a regular fixture in my families repertoire; hidden in a blanket of bread and toasted into an all time favourite the 'jaffle' or served as an accompaniment to a Sunday breakfast. The Heinz baked beans were all we knew until one day I stumbled upon freshly made baked beans and since I could call myself a 'baked bean snob'.

Does that make me a food snob? Or maybe just a more well informed foodi that has tasted something much tastier than the canned version of baked beans and prefers the fresher version!

A little South American cafe (Made) in Flemington (Melbourne) used to make the most delicious pan beans with eggs. Inspired by this and another gal pal who shares a baked bean addiction like I, here is a very quick, easy and nutritious breakfast packed with protein, fibre and flavour to keep you going all day long.

Pan Cannellini beans and eggs
Breakfast of champions!
Serves 2 little champions
prep takes 5 minutes
cooking takes 10 minutes

ingredients
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 x 410g can cannelini beans, rinsed thoroughly
1 x 410g can tomatoes, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 eggs

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
salt and pepper to taste

some fun
Heat oil in 2 small non-stick fry pans over medium heat. Add half the onion and garlic to each pan and cook until fragrant.
Pour beans and tomatoes evenly between the two pans and add a bay leaf to each one. Stirring, bring both pans to a gentle boil and reduce heat to simmer.
Make a hole in the middle of each pan using a silicone spatula and crack an egg into each hole. Place a lid on top and cook for a further 3 minutes or until egg is cooked.
Sprinkle with parsley, Parmesan, salt and pepper.
Serve with fresh bread.

love amie x

the cabbage patch kid

Heading home for Christmas was surrounded by excitement and joy this year. My sister's and their children, my niece's and nephew would all be home to spend a lovely few days together at my parents house in the country.

The newest addition to the family, Harry aged 11 months was eager to help Pa Ewie in his beloved and 'neat as a pin' vege patch, newly nicknamed 'the cabbage patch kid.' He helped water the strawberries, which were his favourite and pick the lush cos lettuce with his teeny tiny hands. He was seen at times stuffing whatever he picked straight into his mouth but that never bothered Pa Ewie...

Green Gertie Christmas Salad

ingredients

dressing

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice (from mum's lemon tree)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt and pepper, to taste

green Gertie's salad

cos lettuce, washed, torn (from Pa Ewies garden)

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh herbs, chopped - parsley, dill, coriander, basil

shaved Parmesan, to serve

fun

In a medium bowl whisk together all the dressing ingredients until well combined and set aside.

Add greens to a salad bowl, drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with Parmesan.

love amie x

Pavlicious Pavlova

A perfect Pav!

Is there such a thing?
Pavs have long been a favoured dessert in Australia and New Zealand and the tussle over recipe ownership still lingers unwanted like a bad taste in your mouth.
This humble 'Aussie' Pavlova is a simple recipe never straying too far from its origins. It's a recipe even with its imperfections (cracks) is still enjoyed and easily hidden under a blanket of soft and fluffy cream with delicious amounts of berries. You too will be in Pav heaven (like my friend!).

Pavlova
ingredients
6 egg whites
pinch cream of tarter
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
300ml pure cream
mixed berries; raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries


fun
Preheat oven to 120C for fifteen minutes.
Line a flat baking tray with baking paper and trace around the edge of a 20cm cake pan to use as a guide.
Add egg white and cream of tarter to a very clean mixing bowl and beat on high until soft peaks form. Add tablespoonfuls of sugar beating well between each addition until mixture is thick, glossy and sugar has dissolved. Rub a little of the mixture between your finger tips to test if sugar has dissolved.
Spoon the meringue mixture onto the pre-prepared tray using the traced cake pan baking sheet as a guide.
Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes, allow to cool in oven.
Beat cream until thick and fluffy. Spoon cream over pavlova and sprinkle with berries.


Tip - Replace berries with sliced mangoes or bananas.


love amie x

pancakes

Pancakes are fun to eat at any age. A little maple syrup and some strawberries or lemon and sugar make a perfect accompaniment to this all-time favourite sweet treat.

All you need is a bit of flour, eggs, milk and butter then away you go...

love amie x