Double Chocolate Fudge Brownie

I refuse to make excuses for the amount of butter, eggs and milk in this dish. It is on all accounts a Jenny Craig consultants nightmare served up with a side of homemade jam. Granted it is an excellent way to use up old bread, but that’s no longer the purpose for cooking this dish. I cook it because it tastes superb and makes me feel really good.

When it comes to dessert cookery,  I don’t like to travel to far outside my comfort zone, opting for the more memory educing, old fashioned favorites that my Nana’s used to prepare for our huge household. Apple crumble,  golden syrup dumplings, sago plum pudding and steamed apple puddings were among my favorites and most often requested Sunday dinner treat. Bread and butter pudding in all it’s enriched goodness has the ability to render me helpless when served warm with ice cream.

This version is great for slicing and toasting where the old school recipe has turned from a pudding into a cafe ready slice, with the only difference in the two being it’s appearance and deliver method. Slices are a lot easier to portion than a pudding, and  I am able to heat it through on a flat grill or sandwich press to give it back it’s crisp warm benefits so it can be kept in the refrigerator until required.

However, you can  use this recipe  either way, as a slice or as a pudding cooked in  a loaf tin or  cake round. The only other consideration I feel that I need to point out is to ensure the bread you are using is of top quality. I use an organic sourdough from  artisan bakers Brasserie Bread with crusts removed that is about 4 days old, the perfect way to use up rather than toss out. The only problem here is,  I rarely have any left over bread in the house as it gets scoffed up as soon as it arrives. I’ve taken to buying extra bread so I can luxuriate and allow father time to step in and stale it up for a dessert pudding treat.

Bread and Butter Slice Recipe

Recipe yields 8-10 thick slices

1  stale loaf of organic sourdough or similar, about 800gms in total weight
200 gms butter ~ softened so it’s spreadable
8 egg yolks
1500 mls milk
3/4 cup of caster sugar
1 vanilla pod ~ split and seeds scraped

If not already done so for you,  cut the bread into slices about 10cms in thickness and remove the crusts. Keep the crusts for breadcrumbs if desired.

Preheat the oven on fan bake to 180c. I use an Electrolux combination steam oven on interval steam set at 180c which gives  additional moisture and superior finish  to this recipe.

Using a pastry brush for quick even coverage, generously  brush the bread slices with butter on both sides.

Heat the milk, vanilla pod and seeds  over medium to high heat or induction setting 8 until the milk almost comes to the boil.

In a large metal bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until well combined and set aside.

As soon as the milk scalds or almost boils, pour directly on to the yolks and sugar, whisking furiously  to combine quickly and effectively. Remove the vanilla pod.

Pour the mixture back into a clean pot and return to the cooktop on medium heat or induction setting 6.

Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, cook-out the custard until the mixture coats the back of the spoon. Avoid bringing the mixture to the
boil as this will cause the custard to split.

When the custard is ready, remove from the heat and pour back into a  clean metal bowl, whisking to help cool the mixture down a little. Pour the
mixture  into a jug for ease in pouring on to the bread.

Grease a non stick loaf tin with butter and arrange a layer of bread on the bottom of the tin, slicing the bread if necessary to get it to fit snugly into the base of the tin. Pour some of the custard over the bread and repeat until all the bread and custard is used up and the loaf tin is full to the brim.

Place in the oven, with a tray under it to catch any drips and cook for 35-45 minutes until golden and slightly risen.

Remove from the oven and cool in the tin if using as a slice. You will notice that the loaf will deflate slightly, which is normal. If serving as a pudding, serve immediately with ice cream or pouring cream.

When I serve it as a slice I like to accompany it with dollop of home-made plum or strawberry jam.

THE  Banana Cake

Something strange has been happening in my house lately. I’ve taken to buying  hands of  deliciously ripe bananas and guarding them like a hawk. If one of my kids asks if they can eat a banana, they get a  resounding “No, they’re not for eating… yet”  The large bowl of yellow bananas sits tauntingly on the kitchen bench, teasing and tempting all that pass it by, but they know these bananas aren’t for eating… yet.  What could be so special as to halt the consumption of perfectly ripe bananas. Well,  BANANA CAKE of course.

First I bought you “Banana and coconut bread”,  then I introduced its brother “Banana and Chocolate bread” followed by their good looking sister “guilt free banana bread” Now I would like to introduce  you to the Granddaddy of all banana cakes and bread. Plain and simply put,  THE Banana Cake. This banana cake has caused me to reevaluate  our fresh fruit eating options, opting now  for snacks of pineapple, passionfruit and kiwifruit in  place of what would normally be a bite of creamy banana.

This banana cake is responsible for a long running feud between myself and my good friend Tina back home in New Zealand who reckons that her version of banana cake is superior to mine. A verbal game of badminton has been playing out between us via facebook   for some time now which has promoted me to up my game. I’ve taken banana cake making to a scientific level. The why, the which and of course the important how.

The first banana cake I ever made was from  the Edmond’s Cookbook, an iconic  and popular cookbook  found in almost every kitchen in New Zealand.  But I’m sorry Edmond’s Sure to Rise, this cake is far superior to your scantily written recipe. I’ve sought  the consultation of some of the worlds thought leaders on molecular gastronomy, Herve This and Harold McGee on the matter attaining to chemical reactions within baked goods in order to better understand the transformations that are taking place when the banana cake is being prepared and  cooking ~ also known as getting my food geek-on.

I came to  realize a very important point whilst researching the maillard reaction and other wonderful scientific observations and how it releates to banana cake baking  and that was the all important banana element itself. How important is it to leave your banana’s to go  brown naturally as opposed to assisting the process by squishing and  stuffing bananas into the fridge or freezer to speed up the browning process?

Firstly refrigeration under normal circumstances eg 2-4C actually slows down the browning process of the banana flesh. The banana skin will most certainly go brown but the ripening process of the banana will slow significantly. Freezing the banana  will certainly turn it mushy, but will not result in the banana ripening with the major noticeable difference in the banana being the loss in quality in  flesh of the banana.

The reason you want your banana to ripen, as opposed to going brown is that as the banana ripens, starch within the banana naturally breaks down into the sugars glucose, fructose and sucrose ~ making them sweeter! So leave your bananas well enough alone as they need the time left on the bench to convert their starch into the much more appealing sugar and assist you to Banana cake baking glory!

How long should you leave your bananas? Dependant on how ripe you buy them, a good week or so in a warm kitchen should about do the trick. If your kitchen is cooler, leave them longer.

All has been done in the attempt to perfect the humble banana cake recipe as there is a grand canyon of difference between a good banana cake and a great moist banana cake.  You be the judge, follow this easy recipe for yourself taking into account the notes and tips that will lead you to ambrosia like success. What might seem trivial to you, may actually be the difference between a parade in your honor or a half nibbled slice left on the plate.

THE Banana Cake

Ingredients

Makes 1 20-22 cm round cake

190g unsalted butter ~  cut into cubes and softened at room temperature

200g dark brown sugar

60g caster sugar

3 large eggs

4 very ripe mashed banana’s

3 Tbsp milk ~ brought to the boil

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

200g plain flour

130g cake flour

1/2 tsp salt

Method

Preheat the oven to Fan bake on 165 C/ 320 F. Ready the shelf in the middle of the oven.

Into a large bowl, or cake mixer bowl place the softened butter, dark brown sugar and caster sugar and cream well with a wooden spoon or cake mixer paddle until light and fluffy and the sugar begins to dissolve. This should take about  3 minutes of steady mixing.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. At this stage of the cake making process, mixing well is essential to fully incorporate the ingredients and it also helps to incorporate air into the mix which will assist the cake in rising upon baking.

Peel and mash the bananas well with a fork and mix them through the batter mixture. Bring to the boil the milk and stir into it the baking powder. You will notice the mixture becomes frothy, which is the bicarb soda reacting with the hot milk. This will help to get good rise out of the cake as it cooks.

Sift together the flours and baking powder and add to the mixing bowl along with the salt. Fold gently and evenly until combined, making sure not to over mix at this stage as over mixing could result in a tough rubbery cake.

Spray a 20-22cm non stick springform cake-tin with nonstick cooking spray and pour the batter into the tin. Tap gently to even out the mixture and place on a shelf in the middle of a pre heat oven.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack and serve The banana cake in big slices with butter, whipped cream or plain.

If you like this Banana cake post, make sure to share it with your friends!

Guilt Free Banana Bread Pleasures!

Would you believe it if I told you that you can have your banana cake and eat it too! Well, with this fabulous banana bread recipe that is exactly what you can do.  It’s not only sugar free but this banana bread is also free from butter AND oil. As a replacement of the sugar, agave nectar makes an appearance and we opt the butter out of the equation as well as the oil and replace them with yogurt and grated fresh pineapple.

Easy Banana Pineapple and Almond Bread

Not only is this banana bread delicious and easy to make, but it remains moist as well. Banana bread is a great treat to send to school with the little ones and just to spoil them a bit  more, why not make them into fun shapes as well? I love my BakewaresBest silicone moulds, which leaves the banana bread with a lovely shine and the shapes remain intact and perfectly formed once the bread is removed from the moulds. Take a look at the picture above and know why I’ve fallen head over heels for silicone moulds, and that’s not even mentioning how easy they are to store, clean and even travel with!

I made a ‘grown ups’ style loaf,  a couple of stars and a gingerbread person for the school age in the household who were most grateful and couldn’t wait to take them to school the next day. I plan on taking an extra large banana bread slice with me to the office tomorrow for some guilt free Monday morning munching.

Banana Pineapple and Almond Bread Recipe

Ingredients

4 very ripe large bananas ~ mashed well with a fork

125mls/ 1/2 cup of agave nectar

6 Tbsp unsweetened yogurt

6 Tbsp fresh grated pineapple and its juice

2 large eggs

1 Tbsp milk ~ boiling

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup of whole almonds ~ roughly chopped

2 cups of cake/pastry flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt flakes ~ coarsely ground

Method

• Preheat the oven on fan cooking at 350F/180C. As this banana bread recipe doesn’t require any creaming of butter and sugar it’s nice and fast so the sooner you the get the oven heating the quicker you can cook the banana bread!
• Into a large bowl mix together the banana and the agave nectar until well combined
• Add the yogurt, pineapple and eggs and continue stirring until the mixture has come together evenly
• Mix the boiling milk with the baking soda and add to the wet ingredients and combine well.
• Mix through the almonds and sift on the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Using a large wooden spoon, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the banana bread is well mixed in.
• Pour the banana bread mix into your molds and place in the oven. Remember that if your using silicone molds, this banana bread recipe is even MORE healthy as you don’t have to butter or grease silicone molds! If you are using metal molds make sure you grease the entire surface of the tins,  paying special attention to the corners which is where the bread tends to stick.
• Bake the banana bread mixture in the oven for 45 minutes for a large loaf or 20-25 minutes for small breads or shapes. The best way to tell if your banana bread is done is to insert a skewer into the center of the bread. If the skewer comes out clean the bread is ready.
• Allow to cool slightly on a wire rack before peeling back the silicone mold to reveal your gorgeous banana bread.

Olio Cafe Chocolate Chewy Biscuits

I first tried this little chocolate chewy biscuits treat whilst partaking in my first Kopi Luwak Experince at the Olio Cafe and Bar in Sydney’s St. Leonard’s. Kopi luwak is heralded as the world’s rarest and most expensive coffee and passionate coffee provedors Nicholas Aspros of Olio and Sam Gabrielian of Caffe Di Gabriel boutique coffee roasters have made it their mission to source the best and rarest coffee beans from the around the world and make them accessible to all.

Olios Kopi Luwak experience consists of an espresso or picillo of the famed brew served alongside a lime and ginger soda and these gorgeous little chocolate chewy biscuits flavoured with chocolate, ginger and almonds to complete the coffee journey.

I was so impressed with these little nuggets of chocolate chewy biscuits goodness that I begged Nicholas to share the recipe with me, which he more than happily agreed to do so. The perfect coffee accompaniment.

Olio Chocolate Chewy Biscuit

Ingredients

1 large free range egg

50g vanilla sugar

100g bittersweet chocolate

300g butter ~ cut into cubes

100g plain flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp grated ginger

40g slivered almonds ~ chopped

100g icing sugar

Method

• Into a large mixing bowl or with a cake mixer mix together the egg and sugar until the chocolate chewy biscuits mix is well combined and silky.
• In a metal bowl over a saucepan of simmering water melt together the chocolate and butter and stir to combine evenly.
• Cool slightly before incorporating the chocolate mixture into the egg and sugar and mix together well.
• Using a separate bowl combine the remaining ingredients and add to the wet ingredients, stirring carefully to combine.
• Cover the bowl with cling film and allow the mixture to rest in the fridge for 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
• When ready to cook, preheat the oven on Bake at 170C.
• If making small petite four style biscuits, form the chilled mixture into 3cm round balls and dust generously with icing sugar by rolling the balls through a bowl of icing sugar.
• Place the balls on a baking paper lined cookie tray and bake in the oven for 9 mins.
• Watch the cooking time carefully as the balls should be soft and chewy when cooked. Over-baking will result in crunchy biscuits which is not ideal for this style of cookie.
• Remove from the oven and allow the chocolate chewy biscuits to cool on a wire rack before storing for 3-4 days in an airtight container.

One for Taste,  Two for crunch, and three for dunkability.

A biscuit just wasn’t a bisucit unless it had serious hang time in your cup once it was dunked into the steaming brew.

If it softened and fell into your mug too soon, it was given the thumbs down. A few seconds before succumbing to the cup were usually passed by as well. But the biscuit that you could dunk, continue reading the morning paper without even so much as taking a bite, turn the page AND THEN chomp was a serious contender for Ultimate Biscuit Champion or U.B.C.

U.B.C. went to a little wee morsel known in my neck of the woods as “The Gingernut”. It was  the grand cookie contender as it ticked all the boxes when it came time to put the kettle on.

They were ever so tasty ~ a combination of sweet and spicy with  a substanital crunch. The ginger was prominent with a background of treacle for depth of flavor.

Since moving country, I have missed my U.B .C and it wasn’t until a recent Eureka moment over a classic Kiwi Cookbook that I came up with the challenge to create my own Gingernuts.

To get me in the mood I listened to the advertisement above, claiming “There’s no gingernuts taste quite the same, ask for Griffins Gingernuts by name…” Well I beg to differ Griffins…

photo by Ted_major

Gingernut Biscuits slash Cookies

Ingredients

125g unsalted butter ~ softened

50g dark brown sugar

2 Tbs golden syrup ~ warmed

1 Tbs molasses ~ warmed

1 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 Tbs boiling water

175g plain flour

3  1/2  tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

couple of fine grindings of black pepper

pinch of salt

Methodology

• Cream together the butter, sugar and just warmed golden syrup and molasses. Make sure the mixture is well combined and the butter has been fully incorporated into the sugar and syrup.
• Add the soda dissolved in water and stir in well.
• Sift together the flour, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and salt and mix into the wet ingredients.
• Stir to combine and then turn out on to a large piece of cling film, rolling up to form an even sized sausage. Make sure the cling film tightly covers the “cookie sausage” and leave to harden in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
• Preheat the oven on fan bake 180C/ 350 F
• remove the cling film from the dough and cut the dough into 5mm thick slices. Lay them on a parchment lined cookie tray and brush the tops lightly with cold water. Ensure that the gingernuts aren’t to close to together as they will expand upon cooking
• Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Watch they don’t get to dark as they burn quite easily.
• Leave to cool thoroughly on a wire rack before storing them in an airtight container.
• These biscuits improve with age so if you can leave them for a day before eating them, all the better. If you can’t manage it, I completely understand.

photo by andycoan

Its a kind of magic…

This nursery style pudding sits in the realm between steamed pudding and cake. A hybrid of the two eagerly combined to create a delectable pudding worthy enough to grace the dinner table, the kitchen table or the dining lap.

If you’re like me and find aromatic spices enticing, and syrupy molasses comforting, you will cherish this pudding du jour that can be churned out in a matter of minutes with a few simple twists of your whisk.

Gingerbread pudding

Ingredients

3/4 cup plain flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1  teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tsp  ground cloves

pinch freshly ground black pepper

50g  minced ginger

100mls hot water

75g / 6 Tbs dark muscavado sugar

1/3 cup grapeseed oil

6 tablespoons blackstrap molasses

pinch salt

1 large egg

photo by perry_marco

Procedure:

• Preheat the oven on Fan bake to 180C/350 F
• Grease a loaf tin or pudding basin with baking spray.
• Into a bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and spices and ginger.
• Whisk in the hot water, sugar, oil, molasses, and salt until well-blended and then sift in  the flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
• Lastly, add the egg and beat until incorporated. The batter will be thin and watery ~ not to worry! As it will firm up on baking.
• Pour into the tin and cook in the  oven for 30- 40  minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

• Serve the pudding warm by cutting into generous slices and pouring over some liquid cream or serve with a scoop of creamy ice cream. A warm silky custard would also work beautifully.

Serves 4-6 for dessert

Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe

This recipe is a first cousin to my wickedly popular Banana Coconut Bread with the  point of difference being the use of dark chocolate over thread coconut.

Does it make a huge difference? You bet it does !  Its TDF (To Die For)

For a double whammy in my house, we like to to cut the bread into gorgeous thick slices and grill for a minute or two in the sandwich press. The bread warms through nicely, the outside gets crisp from the grill bars and the chocolate begins to melt oh so seductively.

Ingredients:

4 large squeeshy, over ripe, brown and nasty BANANAS ~ mashed with a fork

125gms butter ~ softened

250gms/1 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs ~ beaten lightly

250gms/2 cups of plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

175gms of dark chocolate pieces

Methodology:

photo by adactio

Preheat your oven on bake or fan bake 190C/ 380 F.

Into a large mixing bowl combine the butter and sugar, followed by the banana mess, eggs and vanilla extract.

Toss in the chocolate and stir well to combine.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt straight over top of the wet ingredients and fold through. At this point you want to be careful not to over mix. Over mixing will excite the gluten in the flour  causing  your bread to became tough and gluey. So to keep the gluten from getting to excited, be gentle with this step and fold rather than mix furiously.

Grease a loaf tin ~ making sure all the corners are adequately covered so the bread doesn’t stick. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 1 hour.

Test the bread by touching the middle gently with your finger ~ it will bounce back when it is cooked. You can also test by placing a skewer into the bread. If the skewer comes out clean with no sticky batter on it ~ its ready.

Remove form the oven and allow the loaf to to cool slightly for 10 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cut into thick slices and serve warm with ricotta or cream

The day I found out my Grandma was gravely ill, I booked a flight back home to New Zealand  to be with her and then went straight into the kitchen to soothe my soul by baking her “World Famous in New Zealand” Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese  Icing.

The recipes origin remains somewhat  a mystery, but its destination was always a well planned route ~ my stomach!

The smell of this cake baking reminds me of how a visit to my Nana’s always started with a phone call from me to say ” I’m on way Nana. You got time to pop one of your delicious carrot cakes in the oven…?” She always did.

I love you Nana.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil or light olive oil

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup plain flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cups grated carrot

For the icing

1/2 cup icing sugar

60gms cream cheese

30gms unsalted butter

Delicious and moist when wrapped in this creamy frosting!

Methodology:

Preheat the oven to 160 C / 320 C

Into a mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla extract and beat well.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder and add to the wet ingredients , combining well.

Now mix in the cinnamon spice and grated carrot and pour the cake batter into a well greased cake tin.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes. The cake is cooked when a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean of any batter.

Allow to rest for 10 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack.

Cover the cake with the lemon cheese icing  once it has cooled completely.

To make the icing:

Soften the cream cheese and butter in the microwave on medium power for 30 seconds. Place the cream cheese, butter and icing sugar into a food processor and blend unitl the mixture is smooth and well combined.

Smooth generously over the cake and serve in thick comforting slices.

Lyndsay Jameson ~ Master Baker

Banana and Coconut bread proves squashed banana’s aren’t just for slipping on…

As a chef, I’m loathe to throw out food!

Anything  that resembles something edible gets used, re-hashed, turned into stock, made into muffins or smoked, deep fried, preserved and brined.

I once worked in a very busy breakfast restaurant were fresh bananas were used by the box load daily. Sometimes the bananas would sit in the hot kitchen a little longer than desirable to be used under hotcakes, so we would turn these bananas into gorgeous loaves of twinkling banana bread.

My heart starts to sing when I see bananas starting to ripen and brown. I like to help them along in their over-ripening process by squeezing and prodding them and placing them in the freezer to really push them along the browning up stage.

Once the bananas are fully ruined for “normal” peeling and eating, its time to turn up the heat in the oven and make some of these delicious banana loaves. I like to use thread coconut in mine which helps to keep the bread decidedly moist and the crumb tender.

Ingredients:

4 large squeeshy, over ripe, brown and nasty BANANAS ~ mashed with a fork

125gms butter ~ softened

125gms/1/2 cup caster sugar

125gms/1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs ~ beaten lightly

250gms/2 cups of plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1 cup of thread coconut

Methodology:

Preheat your oven on bake or fan bake 190C/ 380 F.

Into a large mixing bowl combine the butter and sugar, followed by the banana mess, eggs and vanilla extract.

Toss in the coconut and stir well to combine.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt straight over top of the wet ingredients and fold through. At this point you want to be careful not to over mix. Over mixing will excite the gluten in the flour  causing  your bread to became tough and gluey. So to keep the gluten from getting to excited, be gentle with this step and fold rather than mix furiously.

Grease a loaf tin ~ making sure all the corners are adequately covered so the bread doesn’t stick. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 1 hour.

Test the bread by touching the middle gently with your finger ~ it will bounce back when it is cooked. You can also test by placing a skewer into the bread. If the skewer comes out clean with no sticky batter on it ~ its ready.

Remove form the oven and allow the loaf to to cool slightly for 10 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely.