one perfect mess

Portuguese Custard Tarts

messyjessygrace — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 09:34:18 +0000

Well hello there! Remember me? It’s suddenly been more than three years since my last post, don’t ask me how that happened. For now let’s discuss these Portuguese Custard Tarts. This is a recipe that I have been playing around with a for a few years, and after many trials (I made 3 batches this week!), I think I have finally cracked it. I’ve combined various elements of multiple recipes to create my favourite type of tart; a crunchy caramelised surface that cracks with the first bite, giving way to a a creamy custard filling that is laced with vanilla bean, cinnamon and orange zest, all encased in a shell of crispy golden pastry (using store-bought puff pastry, because sometimes making pastry from scratch isn’t your priority!!). I’ve included as much detail as possible in the method, to help you master this decadent little treat. You can then eat 5 with a steaming cup of tea, as you mull over your latest isolation realisations…

Using a blowtorch to finish the tarts makes a real difference in taste and presentation. I haven’t managed to find a way to caramelise the sugar this effectively without using a blowtorch, but I would love to hear any creative ideas you have for this. One alternative could be to make a toffee by dissolving some raw caster sugar in water, boiling gently for a few minutes until dark brown, and then drizzling over the top of the tarts. Otherwise, I would highly support you investing in a blowtorch. In addition to adding a professional flare to many desserts, they are really, really, ridiculously fun.

I’m so excited to share this recipe with you, especially after such a long time away from the blog. I took what was intended to be a short break, as life was getting busy, and somehow that break evolved and morphed into a new routine that didn’t allow much time for the baking and blogging business. Life is always readjusting her goal posts, and there is an ever-evolving set of players that we attempt to rearrange and reshuffle in the hope of achieving some sort of balance. My balance shifted quite considerably in the last three years, as I decided to pull pack from some of my commitments and live a little more slowly. I have still been steadily baking and cooking away these past three years, but more so out of routine than leisure. This is in no way a sad thing, because even the most necessary of cooking is an absolute joy for me! But the pleasure of baking purely for the sake of baking is something I miss, and I am happy to be engaging with this again.

In the current crazy state of the world, I have found myself with much more time on my hands. COVID-19 has forced us to pause, stay home more, and go back to the drawing board in determining how we can best spend our days. Staring into an indefinite period of unaccountable time, I felt like I would quickly feel bored and restless and flat. My immediate instinct was that the ‘best’ way to spend my time would involve being busy, focussed and productive. However, I have quickly become accustomed to a new routine that largely evolves around sleeping, exercising, spending time with my family, gardening, reading and cooking. And my goodness it is a LIFESTYLE! It’s easy to feel like we should always be charging forth down the path of progress, but it is a real treat to give yourself permission to just slow down for a short while.

Although the world feels like a sad and lonely place at the moment, I encourage you to allow yourself to feel the small joys around you. Bake something for those you live with, practice a daily meditation, take long baths, read those books piling up by your bed. And reach out if you are struggling, because this is an unprecedentedly difficult time for many people, and we need to rally together now more than ever. In addition to the emotional impacts of putting life on hold, many don’t have the privileges of family nearby, a stable income and the luxury of having a little break. Be extra kind to those people, and support them in any way you can. I hope this recipe gives you all a much needed smile.

As a last note before you get baking, here are my top tips for achieving the perfect crispy pastry:

Refrigerate the custard until cold, before filling the tart shells. This means that cold custard hits the raw pastry, instead of warm custard which can make the pastry go soggy.
Pre-heat the oven at least one hour before baking. This will make sure the oven is well and truly at 190°C, to provide a very hot environment for the pastry.
After the tarts have finished baking, as soon as they are cool enough to touch, remove them from the muffin tray and leave them to cool completely on a wire rack. This will allow the pastry to retain its crispy texture, rather than going soggy from its own sweat while cooling down in the hot tray (gross).

Read on for the full recipe!

Portuguese Custard Tarts

Servings: 12 tarts
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Modified from this lovely recipe.

Preparation Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 1/2 hours

INGREDIENTS

Custard Filling

400 mL full cream milk
115 g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 egg yolks
20 g cornflour
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/4 cup raw caster sugar for sprinkling on top (or regular caster sugar if you prefer)

Pastry

2 sheets store-bought puff pastry
Butter for greasing tins
1/2 cup plain flour for dusting

METHOD

Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F fan-forced.
Generously grease a 12 piece muffin tray with butter.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cornflour until smooth, then set aside.
In a medium heavy-based saucepan, gently whisk the milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon on medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved.
Gradually pour the egg yolk mixture in a thin stream into the warm milk, whisking gently but constantly as you go. This is called ‘tempering’ the egg yolks, i.e. gradually cooking them by exposing them to gentle heat. It is important that the milk is warm and not hot, otherwise the eggs will scramble on impact! This step is much easier to coordinate if you have somebody to help.
Keeping the saucepan over medium heat, continue to gently whisk the custard for another 10-15 minutes until thickened. Take care to keep scraping down the sides, to avoid the custard burning and the eggs scrambling. If the custard seems to be thickening very quickly, turn the heat down a little.
Once the custard has thickened, take it off the heat, stir through the orange zest, cover and refrigerate to cool.
Meanwhile, slice 2 x square sheets of puff pastry into rectangles. Starting from one of the shorter ends of your rectangle, roll the sheets up firmly into logs. Cut each log into 2cm thick slices.
Lightly dust a clean surface with plain flour, and use a rolling pin to roll each slice into a 0.5cm thick round. Keep flipping the rounds over as you go, to ensure they don’t stick to the surface.
Gently drape the rounds into the muffin tin moulds, folding and pleating any excess up the sides. Ideally, try to aim for the rounds to extend about 0.5cm past the edge of the mould, to allow for some shrinkage when the pastry cooks.
Spoon the cooled custard into the pastry, and bake in the hot oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
As soon as the tarts are cool enough to touch, remove from the muffin tray and place on a wire rack to finish cooling. Allowing the tarts to cool in the air instead of the tin will help keep the pastry crispy!
*Optional: as soon as the tarts come out of the oven, before you have removed them from the tray, sprinkle the hot tarts with raw caster sugar. Blast the surface with a blowtorch for a few seconds until the sugar bubbles and melts and goes a lovely dark golden colour.

Store the tarts in an airtight container for up to 3 days, but best served warm and fresh soon after baking. Note that the pastry will start to go soft from day 2 onwards.

Peach and Pistachio Cake

messyjessygrace — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 03:59:47 +0000

‘Peach and pistachio; genius.’ I sat shaking my head, half in awe and admiration, half in disbelief that I didn’t come up with the idea myself. Over a lunch of falafel and bean salad and hommus and chocolate cake, I sat brainstoming baking ideas with a clever friend when she dropped this bombshell of a flavour combination. This particular marriage of fruit and nuts is something special; the sweet, ripe flesh of the peach is perfectly partnered by the distinctively charming flavour of pistachios, and the vibrant orange and green is so darn alluring and exotic. Served warm, this delightfully soft cake quite literally falls apart as undertones of almond, walnut and lemon zest blossom with each mouthful, all swathed in a delicate drizzle of lemon icing. Yes.

Apologies for the infrequency of blog posts this year, I’m still learning how to fit life into a seven-day week. Evidently the scale is always tipping one way or another as I prioritise different things at different times. But I’ll always be here baking away, even if it’s at a slower pace. I hope you enjoy this recipe, it’s a real favourite. I modified it from an Ottolenghi Apricot, Walnut and Lavender cake that is equally as spectacular. Please also feel free to gain a little zen from the zen plant in the photos that I bought in order to increase my zen. It’s very zenful yes? It’s also dying on me, which is tainting the zen. Excuse me while I go water it again..

Peach and Pistachio Cake

Servings: 8-10
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Modified from Ottolenghi’s Apricot, Walnut and Lavender Cake, published in Plenty More

Preparation Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 1/2 hours

GLUTEN FREE

INGREDIENTS

600 g fresh yellow peaches
220 g caster sugar
100 g ground almonds
185 g unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
2 tablespoons walnut oil (substitute with canola oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
100 g ground pistachio nuts (freshly grind in a food processor)
90 g plain flour/gluten free plain flour
finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Icing

100 g pure icing sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons lemon juice

METHOD

Preheat oven to 170°C/340°F fan-forced. Grease and line a 23cm cake tin.
Wash and dry the peaches, then cut them in halves, remove the stones, and cut each half into thirds. Arrange the slices in concentric circles on the base of the cake tin.
Beat the sugar, almonds, butter, walnut oil and vanilla in an electric mixer on medium speed for 5-10 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl every few minutes.
Add the eggs bit by bit, beating well between each addition until combined.
Remove the bowl and use a large metal spoon to gently fold the ground pistachios, flour and lemon zest through the batter until just combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin over the peaches. Smooth the surface with a butter knife or offset spatula.
Bake the cake on a central rack for 60-75 minutes, rotating after 30 minutes to ensure even baking. Cover with a foil dome if the cake starts to brown too quickly. The cake is cooked when a metal skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean but moist with a few crumbs.
Allow the cake to cool slightly on a metal rack for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the icing by whisking the icing sugar and lemon juice together until smooth. Once the cake is just warm enough to eat and the tin has cooled enough to touch, quickly and gently turn the cake out onto a serving plate and generously drizzle with icing. Serve immediately!

Store the cake covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days, but best served within 1-2 days of baking.

Crunchy Peanut Butter Brownies

messyjessygrace — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 11:29:13 +0000

I never get tired of trialling new ways to jazz up the faithful brownie, and this devilish little recipe is no exception. Using my favourite soft and fudgey brownie recipe, I’ve swirled slatherings of salty and crunchy peanut butter through the batter; the result is a bloody irresistible black and gold masterpiece.

Peanut butter holds a pivotal part of my soul. I smear it on carrots and celery, dollop it on weetbix and spread it on warm toast with honey. But it has certainly found its place nestled in the dark billowy folds of a warm brownie. While we’re on the subject of peanut butter, let me follow a thought here. There are several things in this world that make no sense to me, like coffee shops that close at 5, bras that cost more than $20 and the priorities of the Australian government. Near the top of my list is smooth peanut butter. Why take something as legendary as the crunchy peanut, and pulverise the life out of it until nothing of the original beauty remains? Leave the peanut with a little of its dignity, and never serve me smooth peanut butter. Also, please don’t buy those unmentionable brands that slip all sorts of fillers in their jars. You only need one ingredient to make a good peanut butter! Get in the kitchen and whip up these bad boys, you can thank me later.

Peanut Butter Brownies

Servings: 18 brownies
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Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

240 g good quality dark chocolate
170 g unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good quality cocoa powder
3 large eggs, plus one extra yolk
200 g caster sugar
60 g dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
120 g wholemeal plain flour (gluten free plain flour works just as well)
1/4 teaspoon salt
150 g good quality crunchy peanut butter

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 170°C/340°F fan-forced. Grease and line a (roughly) 28 cm x 15 cm slice tin.
In a medium heatproof bowl, stir the chocolate and butter over a pot of simmering water until almost melted. Remove from heat and stir in the cocoa powder until the mixture is smooth and all of the chocolate and butter has melted. Allow to cool until lukewarm.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs and sugar in a medium bowl on high speed for 5 minutes until light and creamy. Add the vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds.
Gently fold the cooled chocolate mixture through the eggs and sugar with a large metal spoon. Sift the flour and salt over the mixture, and carefully fold through until everything is just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Warm the peanut butter in a saucepan over low heat for 2 minutes, or for 30 seconds in the microwave. Spoon it in little blobs throughout the brownie batter, and then use the handle of a teaspoon to drag lines through the batter and gently marble the peanut butter. Bake on the oven’s central rack for 30-35 minutes until a metal skewer comes out clean but moist. Take care not to overcook the brownies, from the 30 minute mark they will quickly change from ‘fudgey’ to ‘cakey’.
Allow the brownie slab to cool slightly before lifting it from the tin, then cut into squares with a sharp knife. Best served warm!

Store brownies covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days, but warm just before serving.

Carrot and Coconut Cake

messyjessygrace — Sun, 14 Aug 2016 09:49:39 +0000

I have no idea where the past two months have gone. I am always vaguely aware that the older we get, the smaller a proportion of our life a month becomes. When we were five years old, a year felt infinite. But now, I’ve already made plans that lie six months ahead, and that time seems hardly a blip in the scheme of things. The years have become busy and blurred, and I often seem to find myself looking forward to a point several days or weeks or even months ahead. I’m trying vigilantly to stop this pattern, because it becomes too easy to wish life away trying to attain the next goal, experience the next milestone and arrive at the start of the next adventure. Life is now, and now is fantastic.

This Carrot and Coconut Cake is the epitome of scrumptiousness. Carrot cake is one of my all time favourites. When done well, it’s all you could ever ask for in a cake. Nutty, moresish, crumbly and moist, laced with ginger and cinnamon, bursting with pecans, sultanas and coconut, and clinging to thick slatherings of velvety lime cream cheese frosting. It is a cake to enjoy in the now. To savour and drool over and indulge in. And it’s gluten and wheat free! The cake itself is dairy free too, an added bonus for the lactose averted.

Emily Bronte said; ‘I try to avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward.’ When I’m feeling scattered and unsettled, I go for long walks through the hills, listening to contemplative music and looking only upwards. The shadowy black trees seem to glide past the clouds, and the biting wind stings my cheeks, and I can’t hear my footsteps or my breath or my thoughts. My whole universe consists of only myself, those reaching branches, and an infinite sky.

Dear mother hen surprised me yesterday by flying my sister home for the weekend, to coincide with my older brother’s weekend home. So for the first time in months, all six of my flock were under one roof. We’ve suddenly grown up, and time is shaping us and challenging us and taking us in different directions. But when we’re all together drinking tea by the fire, time stops, and it’s just glorious, ridiculous fun.

Shout out to my best friend who received this cake on her twenty-first birthday. A snapshot of this spectacular woman; gracious, creative, perceptive, unconditionally loving and admirably courageous. She is always reminding me to live for now, and to fall in love with life every day. Enjoy this cake and this day!

Carrot and Coconut Cake with Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

Servings: 10
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Preparation Time: 1.5 hours

Total Time: 2.5 hours

Whole recipe is gluten and wheat free

Cake is dairy free

INGREDIENTS

Carrot and Coconut Cake

Adapted from Donna Hay’s recipe

5 eggs
175 g brown sugar
400 g carrots (4 whole)
50 g sultanas
90 g pecans
50 g shredded coconut
420 g almond meal
1 teaspoon baking powder (gluten free)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons mixed spice
125 mL rice bran oil

Cream Cheese Frosting

100 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
200 g cream cheese
550 g icing sugar, sifted
zest of 2 limes (about 2 tablespoons)

To Decorate

fresh flowers, cut to have a 1-2 cm stalk (I used camelias, rosemary and jasmine)

METHOD

Carrot and Coconut Cake

Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F, and grease and line two 18 cm/7 inch cake tins.
Whisk the eggs and sugar on high speed for 10-12 minutes, until pale and thick and tripled in size.
Meanwhile, use a wooden spoon to combine the rest of the cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Pour half of the egg mix into the mixing bowl, and use a large metal spoon to gently but thoroughly fold it through the rest of the ingredients. Add the rest of the egg mix and repeat, folding extra gently the second time until everything is just combined.
Bake for 45 minutes, rotating after half an hour to ensure even baking. The cakes are cooked when a metal skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean but moist. Leave on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, and then turn out and leave to cool completely before frosting. Use a serrated knife to slice the domed tops off the cakes. It can help to refrigerate the cakes before doing this, if you have time.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Prepare the frosting while the cakes are baking. Beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed for 5-10 minutes until pale, thick and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl regularly.
Turn the beater to low speed, and gradually add the icing sugar spoonful at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the lime zest and then beat on high speed for 5 minutes until fluffy and smooth. Cover and refrigerate until the cakes have completely cooled and are ready to frost. You may have to give the refrigerated frosting another whip to get it back to a spreadable consistency before use.
Dollop a spoonful of frosting on your cake board or serving plate, and secure the first cake layer upside down. Dollop 1 cup of frosting onto the first layer, then spread evenly right up to 1 cm from the edge using a butterknife or small offset spatula. Place the second cake on top, and gently press it down from the centre to the edges. Don’t press too hard, or the frosting will ooze out!
Dollop another cup on top of the second layer, and spread to the edges. Decorate with fresh flowers.

Store the cake in the refrigerator. Decorate with flowers as close to serving as possible. Make sure the cake has been out of the fridge for at least half an hour before serving, to ensure the cake is soft and at room temperature.

Store the cake covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days, but best served within 1-2 days of baking.

Note: The cakes can be made up to 2 days in advance, and stored in an airtight container. Make the frosting on or before the day of serving, and store covered and refrigerated.

Brown Sugar Meringue Torte with Almonds, Dates, Figs and Honey Cream

messyjessygrace — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 12:15:40 +0000

Layers of crisp brown sugar and almond meringue nestle between clouds of whipped honey cream, fresh dates and soft dried figs, as warm honey cascades down the sides of this beastly yet elegant mountain of texture, colour and soulful flavour. And it’s easy. I’m all for easy recipes lately. Life is flying by way too fast, but I’m still determined to bake wherever I can. So that means I’m turning to recipes that can be planned ahead, prepared in sections and offer a low flop-risk. So voila!

The Australian winter is upon as, as are mid-semester exams. I’ve retired to my desk, fire roaring in the kitchen, rain pattering outside, wind whispering through the gums and kettle boiling every hour for another mug of motivation. I love this time of year, it allows me to fully indulge in wistful music, long wintry walks and early nights curled up in bed for a good ponder of life’s mysteries. Actually… I’ll admit I’m being slightly optimistic; I won’t last long before I start itching for the sun! But for now, I love that the hills are turning green again.

I made this torte for my Grandma. We just celebrated her 80th birthday, and as I watched her blow out the candles, I realised with a new clarity that she has experienced 80 years of surprises, achievements, doubts, losses, laughs, tears, tribulations, children, grandchildren and a whole lot of love. My Grandma is an incredibly gracious and thoughtful woman, and she carries all these experiences in her heart. But she shares these stories with me, and as I weave my way through adulthood I’m watching and learning from her. She is showing me what it means to be a woman who is certain in her sense of self, but compassionate, gentle and completely giving in her relationships. Grandma, you’re a legend and I love you.

Preparation Time: 1.5 hours

Total Time: 7 hours, or;

-Day before serving: 1 hour preparation + 2 hours cooking + overnight cooling

-Day of serving: 30 minutes preparation + 2 hours refrigeration

Gluten free

INGREDIENTS

Brown Sugar and Almond Meringue

100 g almonds
10 large egg whites, at room temperature (300 g)
550 g raw caster sugar

Honey Cream

1 L thick cream (the dollop kind)
1 tablespoon honey

To Assemble

400 g fresh dates, pits removed, thinly sliced
200 g soft dried figs, stalks cut off, thinly sliced
4 fresh figs
100 mL honey

METHOD

Brown Sugar and Almond Meringue

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F fan forced. On a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, roast the almonds for 10-15 minutes, until slightly browned and aromatic. Allow to cool slightly before blitzing in a food processor to a rough crumb.
Trace 4 x 28cm/11 inch circles on baking paper, and place them on 4 x separate oven trays. If you can’t fit 4 trays in your oven, just use 3 layers. Reduce the oven temperature to 110°C/230°F fan forced. Wipe out the bowl of your mixer. Pour in the egg whites, and whisk on low speed for 2 minutes until small bubbles form. Turn the whisker up to medium/high speed, and whisk for 5-8 minutes until very stiff peaks form. You should be able to hold up the whisker and see that the meringue does not move or flop at all.
With the whisker still going at medium/high speed, gradually add the sugar spoonful at a time, whisking well between each addition to ensure sugar dissolves.
Once all sugar is incorporated, continue to whisk for another 5-7 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Test this by rubbing a bit of meringue between your thumb and forefinger. If it feels gritty, keep whisking until smooth and glossy.
Use a large metal spoon to very gently fold the almonds through the meringue. Spoon 1/3 of the mix onto each tray, and work quickly and gently to spread the meringue to a rough circle using an offset spatula or rubber spatula. Try not to overwork the meringue.
Bake for 2 -2.5 hours, depending on your oven, until the meringues appear crisp and dry. Use the ‘tap test’ to check that the meringues sound hollow by gently tapping one against the tray, and once you’re satisfied, turn off the oven and open the door slightly, allowing the meringues to cool slowly in the oven for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Honey Cream

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the cream and honey on medium speed for a couple of minutes until stiff peaks form.

To Assemble

Secure the first meringue disk on your serving plate using a spoonful of cream, and top with one quarter of the cream. Spread the cream to the edges of the disk and sprinkle with one third of the dates and figs.
Place the second meringue disk atop the filling, and repeat the process until you get to the last disk. Top this disk with cream and quartered fresh figs.
Refrigerate the torte for at least 1 hour, until slightly soft. Just before serving, warm the honey over low heat or in the microwave, and drizzle generously over the torte. Slice with a sharp knife and serve.

The torte will keep covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days, but is best served the day of or the day after assembly.

Lemon and Raspberry Naked Layer Cake

messyjessygrace — Sun, 15 May 2016 11:36:55 +0000

A flower-adorned Lemon and Raspberry Naked Layer Cake! I made this delightfully pretty tower for a recent pot-luck dinner, after dreaming about its creation for a few months. Layers of light and zesty lemon cake are enveloped in slatherings of raspberry cream cheese frosting; the combination of sweet and zingy flavours is so simple but absolutely foolproof. And yum. Very yum. I also love naked cakes. They’re so unassuming and modest, sitting delicately in their light coat of frosting, giving admiring passers-by a peek at the beauty of their concealed layers. They also lend themselves wonderfully to decoration, and I had such fun arranging these seasonal blooms from my local florist atop the cake’s surface!

I promise this cake is very easy to put together. Although I usually prefer to use swiss meringue buttercream for its stability, I do love the tangy undertones of a good cream cheese frosting. Especially when its marbled with raspberries! Its only pitfall is that it can get a little sloppy at room temperature, so make sure to store this cake in the fridge up until half an hour before serving. If you’re struggling with the consistency of your frosting, add more and more icing sugar until it stiffens up. I once tried a cream cheese frosting on a 40°C day to serve to a large crowd of people at my Aunty’s 50th, and had to use a monstrous amount of icing sugar to get the frosting to hold in the heat… so have faith in that powdery white magic! Have fun

Lemon and Raspberry Naked Layer Cake

Servings: 15
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Preparation Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 3 hours, plus an additional 30 minutes at room temperature prior to serving

INGREDIENTS

Lemon Cake, adapted from this Better Homes and Gardens recipe

4 eggs
350 g white sugar
500 g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
300 mL olive oil
240 mL buttermilk
250 mL lemon juice (4 lemons)
40 g finely grated lemon peel (4 lemons)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

150 g unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
300 g cream cheese
850 g pure icing sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (1 lemons)
200 g raspberries (fresh, or thawed from frozen)

To Decorate

fresh flowers, cut to have a 1-2 cm stalk

METHOD

Lemon Cake

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F fan-forced. Grease and line two 18 cm/7 inch cake tins.
Beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed in an electric mixer for 7 minutes, until creamy and pale.
Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, gently whisk the olive oil, buttermilk, lemon juice, lemon peel and vanilla together for a few minutes.
Turn the electric beater to low speed, and alternate between adding 1/3 of the dry ingredients and then 1/3 of the wet to the egg mixture, beating gently between each addition until just incorporated. Do not over beat. After you add the last of the wet ingredients, turn the beater off and use a hand-whisker to gently work the batter until just smooth.
Pour the mixture evenly into the two tins. Bang the cakes on the counter a couple of times to remove any large air bubbles. Bake the cakes on a central rack for 30-35 minutes, rotating them after 20-25 minutes to ensure even baking. The cakes are cooked when a metal skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean but moist.
Allow the cakes to cool in their tins on a metal rack for 15 minutes, then turn out and leave to cool completely. Use a sharp serrated knife to slice off the domed tops, and halve the cakes to form 4 layers. Brush off any loose crumbs. If you have time, refrigerate the cooled cakes for half an hour or so before slicing them. This will make your life a lot easier!

Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Prepare the frosting while the cakes are baking. Beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed for 5-10 minutes until pale, thick and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl regularly.
Turn the beater to low speed, and gradually add the icing sugar spoonful at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the lime zest and then beat on high speed for 5 minutes until fluffy and smooth. Cover and refrigerate until the cakes have completely cooled and are ready to frost. You may have to give the refrigerated frosting another whip to get it back to a spreadable consistency before use.
Dollop a spoonful of frosting on your cake board or serving plate, and secure the first cake layer upside down. Dollop 1 generous cup of frosting onto the first layer, then spread evenly right up to 1 cm from the edge using a butterknife or small offset spatula. Sprinkle 1/4 of the raspberries over the frosting. Place the second cake layer down, pressing gently from the centre outwards to spread the frosting to the edges. Repeat the layering process with the frosting, raspberries and remaining cake layers.
Add the last 1/4 of the raspberries to the remaining frosting, and very gently and briefly swirl them through to marble the frosting. Frost a light coat over the entire cake. Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour, until frosting is firm to touch.

To Decorate

Use a clean metal spatula, butterknife or benchscraper to scrape back the surfaces of the cake, until the layers just show through the frosting. Practice arranging your flowers on a round plate, and once you’re happy with your design use a wooden skewer to poke holes in the surface of the cake for the larger flowers. Gently poke them in via their stalks, then arrange the smaller flowers around them. Voila!

Store the cake covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days, but best served within 1-2 days of baking.

Note: The cakes can be made up to 2 days in advance, and stored in an airtight container. Make the frosting on or before the day of serving, and store covered and refrigerated.

Brown Sugar Meringues with Roasted Rhubarb, Honey Mascarpone Cream and Pistachios

messyjessygrace — Sun, 08 May 2016 06:31:03 +0000

Spoiler alert: this here is a little cheat’s dessert. Prep is done in under an hour, no fancy qualifications required, looks pretty as a peach, and is so much fun to just absolutely demolish. Also it tastes pretty darn good. The slight tartness of the roasted rhubarb is offset by the honey mascarpone cream. Then there’s the slightly salty pistachios that flirt with the vibrant syrup drizzling down the sides. And did I mention that the crisp brown sugar meringue cradling the whole thing has a slightly caramelised flavour, and is so devilishly light and delicious? Who’s complaining?

Also, happy Mother’s Day! My marvellous Ma is currently galavanting off in New Zealand with Pa, trekking across vast rugged mountains and going to Gatsby-themed balls and generally living the high life. She and Dad fly home tomorrow, and I’m actually quite proud of them for leaping into this month-long holiday. It was the first trip longer than 3 days that they’ve taken together in the 25 years since they started breeding; ah parenthood! My mother is as passionate as she is humble, as fierce as she is gentle and as loving as she is loved. I can’t wait to floor her with a hug tomorrow night, thank goodness she isn’t too fragile…

Brown Sugar Meringues with Roasted Rhubarb, Honey Mascarpone Cream and Pistachios

Servings: 6
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Preparation Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 4 hours, or leave the meringues in the oven overnight

GLUTEN FREE

INGREDIENTS

Brown Sugar Meringues

225 g brown sugar
120 g fresh egg whites

Roasted Rhubarb

1.2 kg rhubarb, sliced into 2 inch lengths
2 oranges, juiced and zested
60 g raw sugar

Honey Mascarpone Cream

250 g mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon honey
300 mL thickened cream
80 g pistachio nuts, to serve

METHOD

Brown Sugar Meringues

Preheat fan-forced oven to 200°C/390°F. Line a deep roasting dish with baking paper, and pour the sugar in. Break up any lumps with a spoon. Bake for 7 minutes, until the edges just start to caramelise. Remove the sugar from the oven, and reduce the heat to 100°C/210°F.
Wipe out the bowl of your mixer. Pour in the egg whites, and whisk on low speed for 2 minutes until small bubbles form. Turn the whisker up to medium/high speed, and whisk for 5-8 minutes until very stiff peaks form. You should be able to hold up the whisker and see that the meringue does not move or flop at all.
Meanwhile, pulverise the sugar in a food processor for a couple of minutes to break up any lumps. With the whisker still going at medium/high speed, gradually add the sugar spoonful at a time, whisking well between each addition to ensure sugar dissolves.
Once all sugar is incorporated, continue to whisk for another 5-7 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Test this by rubbing a bit of meringue between your thumb and forefinger. If it feels gritty, keep whisking until smooth and glossy.
Gently spoon 6 piles of meringue onto a lined baking sheet, about 1/2-1 cup per meringue.
Bake for 2 hours, depending on your oven, until the meringues appear crisp and dry. Use the ‘tap test’ to check that the meringues sound hollow by gently tapping one against the tray, and once you’re satisfied, turn off the oven and open the door slightly, allowing the meringues to cool slowly in the oven until completely cooled (or overnight).

Roasted Rhubarb

Preheat fan-forced oven to 180°C/350°F.
Combine the rhubarb, orange juice and zest and sugar in an ovenproof dish. Roast for 30 minutes.

Honey Mascarpone Cream

Whisk the cream on medium speed for 5 minutes until stiff peaks form. Transfer the cream to another bowl, and whisk the mascarpone and honey on medium speed for 2 minutes until slightly thickened. Do not over-whisk the mascarpone, or it will separate.
Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the cream through the mascarpone. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.

To Serve

Plate up a meringue, and jazz it up with a spoonful of cream, some rhubarb and a sprinkle of pistachios.
Demolish.

Refrigerate the rhubarb and mascarpone cream in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Warm the rhubarb before serving. The meringues are best eaten within 1-2 days, stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Rainbow Sprinkles Cake!

messyjessygrace — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 07:22:26 +0000

This cake definitely deserves an exclamation mark in the title. And a few more here!!!!!! Because it’s just so darn happy! And pretty! And bright! This big guy is a mountain of rainbows and sugar, but his true beauty is in his simplicity. Four layers of my favourite soft chocolate cake sandwiched together with vanilla bean swiss meringue buttercream, millions of sprinkles and some ever-so-fancy chocolate freckles from Australia’s own Haigh’s Chocolates. It’s the kind of cake you bake when you’re buzzing and bursting with glee, but can’t be stuffed with extravagant flavours and technical flourishes. It’s just simple, honest, delicious goodness.

I have a lot to be happy about, and I am totally in love with life and the people it has given me. But sometimes it can be hard to be cheery and energetic and optimistic seven days a week. It often seems that we must display a brave face with unrelenting force; ‘Don’t sweat the small stuff’, ‘Focus on the power of positive thinking’, ‘It’s all mind over matter’. So I’ve been thinking lately; how can I define happiness so that it is realistic and sustainable? I like to focus more on attaining happiness as a kind of contentment. To me, being content encompasses a sense of calm amidst calamity, gratefulness amidst loss and strength amidst opposition. I often discuss these careful balances with my wise Pa (father/confidant/mentor/general legend). We’re in different countries at the moment, and have been emailing to compensate for our lack of late night chats at the kitchen table. He recently told me to remember that ‘the attainment of happiness requires courage’, and an ability to ‘retain faith in yourself’ and your decisions, even when life feels like one big shitstorm threatening to upheave your sanity and sense of self. And while these fundamentally important skills can sometimes feel impossible to demonstrate, I think a good start is to prioritise them.

Surround yourself with those who affirm and adore you, find and invest in meaningful relationships, cull the things that you don’t love/want/need and remember to always be your own best friend. That’s another little gem from Dad; recognise when you need to prioritise yourself. It’s not arrogant or selfish, it’s essential to your capacity for loving others. Have a bath. Walk through a forest. Lie in the sun. Listen to the rain. Eat some cake. Love without restraint. Be content, but don’t fear the days when you feel flat, frustrated or upset. Human emotion is vast and can be terrifyingly complex, so acknowledge that, validate it and address it, but don’t let it threaten your intrinsic sense of contentment. And if you don’t yet have that contentment, focus on finding it and owning it and treasuring it. It is awesome, and so are you.

Rainbow Sprinkles Cake!

Servings: 15
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Preparation Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 3 hours, plus an additional 1 hour at room temperature prior to serving

INGREDIENTS

Chocolate Cake, adapted from this Donna Hay recipe

375 mL water
185 g unsalted butter, cubed
80 g cocoa powder
450 g plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
600 g caster sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
185 mL buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Vanilla Bean Swiss Meringue Buttercream

15 large, fresh egg whites (450 g)
750 g white sugar
1020 g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and cool, but not cold (leave out of fridge for 15-20 minutes before use)
3 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
pinch of salt

To Decorate

200 g rainbow sprinkles
15 chocolate freckles

METHOD

Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 160°C/325°F fan-forced. Grease and line two 18 cm/7 inch cake tins.
Combine the water, butter and cocoa in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and stir gently until the butter has just melted.
Sift the flour, baking soda and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Pour in the cocoa mixture, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla, and whisk until the ingredients are combined and the batter is smooth. Do not over-whisk, only until the dry ingredients are just incorporated into the wet.
Pour the mixture evenly into the two tins. Bang the tins a couple of times on the counter. Bake the cakes on a central rack for 45-50 minutes, rotating them after 30 minutes to ensure even baking. The cakes are cooked when a metal skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean but moist, with a few crumbs but no wet batter.
Allow the cakes to cool in their tins on a metal rack for 20 minutes, then turn out and leave to cool completely. Use a sharp serrated knife to slice off the domed tops, and halve the cakes to form 4 layers.

Vanilla Bean Swiss Meringue Buttercream

In a large heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water, gently hand-whisk the egg whites and sugar until sugar has just dissolved and mixture appears white (5-10 minutes). Alternatively, use a candy thermometer to whisk until temperature of mixture reaches 70°C/160°F. Ensure you whisk gently but constantly, so that egg whites do not cook.
Transfer mixture to the large bowl of an electric mixer, and whisk on medium/low speed until meringue is thick and glossy and holds its peaks, and the bowl feels neutral to touch. It is very important that you whisk until the bowl no longer feels warm, otherwise the butter will melt when added. Whisk for 10-15 minutes, and if the bowl is still warm, turn mixer off and allow meringue to cool further. This will ensure you do not over-whisk meringue. Double check the temperature of the meringue by turning off the mixer, and dipping a clean finger into the centre of the meringue. It should feel room temperature.
Once cooled, swap whisk attachment for paddle attachment. With the mixer on its lowest possible speed, gradually add butter one cube at a time, beating for a few seconds between each addition. The buttercream will suddenly loosen and may appear thin or scrambled as you go, but just keep beating on low speed until all of the butter is incorporated.
Once all of the butter is added to the buttercream, continue beating on a low speed for a minute or two. The buttercream should be thick and glossy. If it is too thin, the butter was too soft when added, so refrigerate buttercream for 15 minutes to firm up and then continue beating. If it appears too thick or scrambled (literally like scrambled eggs!) the butter was too cold when added, so keep beating on low speed until buttercream is smooth. Add the salt and vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds.
Dollop a spoonful of buttercream on your cake board or serving plate, and secure the first cake layer upside down. Dollop 1 generous cup of buttercream onto the first layer, then spread evenly right up to 1 cm from the edge using a butterknife or small offset spatula. Place the second cake layer down, pressing gently from the centre outwards to spread the buttercream to the edges. Repeat the layering process with the buttercream and remaining cake layers.
Using a little of the buttercream, frost a crumb coat over the entire cake. This is a very thin coat, and you should be able to see the cake through the buttercream. It forms a seal around the cake so you don’t get crumbs in your pretty frosting! Refrigerate the cake for 20 minutes, until buttercream is firm to touch.
Frost the outside of the cake by dolloping the remaining buttercream on the top surface, spreading it out until it falls over the sides of the cake, and then spreading it evenly around the sides. Leave aside about 3 cups of buttercream to pipe on top.
Refrigerate cake for at least 30 minutes until buttercream is firm to touch. Use a clean metal spatula, butterknife or benchscraper to smooth the surfaces of the cake.
Use a 1cm diameter star piping tip to pipe 14-15 large stars of room temperature buttercream around the perimeter of the cake, and place a chocolate freckle in each star.

To Decorate

Take the cake out of the fridge and leave to soften slightly for 10 minutes. Press handfuls of sprinkles around the sides of the cake.

Store the cake in the refrigerator. Make sure the cake has been out of the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving, to ensure the cake and buttercream are soft and at room temperature.

Store the cake covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days, but best served within 1-2 days of baking.

Note: The cakes can be made up to 2 days in advance, and stored in an airtight container. Swiss meringue buttercream can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week, or frozen for up to 6-8 weeks. Before using it to frost your cake, allow it to cool to room temperature, then beat on medium speed using an electric mixture until it retains its silky, soft consistency. This can take up to 20 minutes, so be patient if the texture looks a little strange. For ease, if possible prepare the SMB immediately before you frost your cake.

Brown Rice Rainbow Salad with Grilled Salmon

messyjessygrace — Sun, 03 Apr 2016 10:00:17 +0000

Another swanky savoury recipe for your Sunday! I’m enjoying sharing these with you occasionally, because I do have some nifty dinner dishes stashed up my sleeve thanks to my foodie family. This is another one of Ma’s recipes, and always holds a special place on the table at family lunches, BBQs and picnics. I packed up a big container of this Brown Rice Rainbow Salad, topped with grilled salmon, and shared it with two of my most excellent friends as we lay sprawled out on a picnic blanket in a forrest garden a few weeks ago.

This salad is delicious just to look at. Full of colour, vibrance and fresh ingredients, it’s got crunch, crispiness, a little tang, lots of herbs and plenty of wholesome goodness. It’s goodness in a bowel. You could serve it up with any sort of meat or just on its own. It was delicious with grilled atlantic salmon as I’ve done in the recipe below, but feel free to embrace its versatility and call on it whenever you need a fast and fabulous dish to share! Have a lovely first week of April

Rainbow Brown Rice Salad with Grilled Salmon

Servings: 6-8
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Preparation Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

Rainbow Brown Rice Salad

200 g brown or mixed rice
100 g raw unsalted cashew nuts
30 g sunflower seeds
30 g pumpkin seeds
4 spring onion, finely sliced
1 red capsicum, finely diced
50 g currants
1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Dressing
- 1/2 orange, juiced
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 80 mL sesame oil
- 45 mL soy sauce

Grilled Salmon with an Asian marinade

6-8 fillets of Atlantic salmon (chicken or any other fish would work nicely too)
3 cloves garlic
100 mL sweet chilli sauce
100 mL soy sauce
1 lemon, juiced and zested
salt and pepper
splash of sesame oil

METHOD

Rainbow Brown Rice Salad

Cook the rice according to packet instructions, then set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F fan-forced. Spread the cashews over a lined baking tray, and roast for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl.
Mix together the dressing ingredients, pour over the salad and stir well to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve!

Store the salad covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. If possible, dress the salad a few hours before serving to let the dressing coat the other ingredients.

Grilled Salmon with an Asian marinade

Place the salmon in a medium bowl, add the marinade ingredients, and use your hands to massage the marinade into the meat. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Place a wok, griddle, BBQ or pan over high heat, and let the pan heat up for a few minutes. Add a splash of oil, then grill the salmon on one side for 3-5 minutes or until crisp on the underside, and opaque about half way up the height of the fillet.
Turn each fillet once only, and grill for another couple of minutes until crisp. If you like your salmon cooked all the way through, give it a couple more minutes before and after flipping.
Remove from the heat and set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Slice the fillets and serve warm with the salad.

You can start the salmon in the marinade up to 24 hours prior to serving. Once cooked, the salmon is best served warm but can be refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Pear and Dark Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

messyjessygrace — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 08:17:58 +0000

Happy Easter friends! I was strolling through the quaint little country town by my house this morning, and turned a corner to be met by the warm, spicy smell of fresh hot cross buns floating through the crisp air from the bakery nearby. My gosh it was lovely. For me, the start of Autumn is marked by dark and misty mornings, gentle forest rain and a warm hot cross bun, dripping with melted butter, aside a tall steaming mug of tea.

I love this season; there is something enchanting in the air that begs exploration, beckoning me on long wistful walks through the hills to ponder life and dream up new recipes. These Pear and Dark Chocolate Hot Cross Buns are a twist on a flawless classic, but they are wonderfully scrumptious in their own right. Glazed with maple syrup, the little darlings are soft, fluffy and packed with juicy pears and bittersweet chocolate. Amidst lots of family time, I intend on hitting the books hard this Easter long weekend in a feeble attempt to catch up on some pressing study. But today I decided to stop for a while and spend the afternoon baking with my lovely friend Ellie. She’s a devout One Perfect Mess follower, a whizz in the kitchen and a blast to bake with! She’s gone home now though, so I suppose I should start studying, but I sort of want to cozy up on the couch with my bellyful of hot cross buns and watch the rain. Surely I can just hit the books tomorrow…

Pear and Dark Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

Servings: 16 hot cross buns
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Preparation Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 3 hours

INGREDIENTS

Pear and Dark Chocolate Hot Cross Buns, adapted from a basic Donna Hay recipe

560 mL full cream milk
1.5 tablespoons dried yeast
165 g caster sugar
500g plain flour
450 g wholemeal plain flour
4 teaspoons mixed spice
2 teaspoons cinnamon
75 g unsalted butter, melted
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
2 firm beurre bosc pears, diced into 1cm cubes
250 g chocolate chips

Icing and Glaze

70mL water
25 g plain flour
30 g cocoa powder
100 mL pure maple syrup or warmed honey

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 40°C/100°F fan-forced to create a warm place for your dough to rise. If you have an alternative warm place, such as near the fire, you won’t need the oven just yet!
Gently heat the milk in a small saucepan until lukewarm. Add the yeast and 3 teaspoons of the sugar, whisk gently to combine, and leave for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to become activated.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the rest of the hot cross bun ingredients, except the chocolate chips. Pour the milk mixture into the large bowl, and use your hands to combine everything into a sticky dough. Add the chocolate chips once the dough has cooled down a little, and mix to combine.
Scoop the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead for 10 minutes until it becomes quite elastic. It should be a rather wet, sticky dough, so add a little more flour to your bench as you go to prevent it from sticking to the surface, but try not to dry out the dough too much.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled oven-proof bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and place in the oven for 1 hour to rise. The dough should roughly double in size.
Grease and line a 25 cm square cake tin. Tip the dough out onto the bench and roughly shape it into a square about 1-2 inches high. Cut the dough into 16 squares, then role each square into a ball and pack them evenly into the cake tin. Cover the tin with a damp tea towel, and leave it to rise again for another 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the icing by whisking the water, flour and cocoa powder together to form a smooth paste. Remove the buns from the oven once they have finished rising, and turn up the heat to 200°C/400°F fan-forced. Use a piping bag or plastic bag with a small corner snipped off to form the crosses by piping long stripes across your buns.
Bake the buns for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and puffy. Use a pastry brush to immediately and generously glaze the hot cross buns with maple syrup or warmed honey. Leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then lift out, pull apart, slice open and serve warm with butter and tea!

Store the hot cross buns in a cool, dry, airtight place for up to 3 days. Best served on the day of baking.