Staple2

Plum and vanilla cake 

TOPPING

ninety grams (3/4 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour

hundred grams unsalted butter, chopped into small pieces

ninety grams (1/3 cup) caster (superfine) sugar

CAKE

hundred and eighty grams unsalted butter, softened

two hundred and fifty grams (1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar

three eggs, lightly beaten

one teaspoon vanilla extract

one hundred and eighty five grams (1 1/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

two teaspoons baking powder

five hundred grams fresh plums, halved and seeded

 

one/ Preheat the over to 180 celsius.

two/To make the topping, place the flour butter and sugar in a bowl and rub with your fingertips until crumbly. I prefer to do do this in a food processor! 

three/ To make the cake, cream the butter (melt it a bit in the microwave) and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract. Sift the flour and baking powder in the bowl and fold into the mixture. Spread into a 24cm greased or non-stick springform cake tin.

four/ Top with the halved plums with the cut side up. Sprinkle with the topping and bake for one hour, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. 

five/ Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for ten minutes. 

Serves ten to twelve

Raspberry white chocolate muffins

three hundred grams plain flour

two teaspoons baking powder

hundred and fifty caster sugar

one egg

one teaspoon vanilla extract

two hundred and twenty five ml milk

fifty grams unsalted butter

hundred grams raspberries (fresh or frozen) 

hundred and ten grams white chocolate 

twelve muffin cases

one/ Preheat the oven to two hundred degrees

two/ Chop the chocolate roughly into small chunks. 

three/ Sift flour, baking powder and sugar into a large bowl. 

four/ Melt the butter. (I use the microwave for approx. 30 seconds)

five/ In a seperate bowl crack the egg, whisk in the vanilla extract, milk and melted butter. Stir the liquid mixture into the dry mixture. Mix quickly with a fork, don`t overmix! This is not a cake mix, we don`t want the mix to look nice and smooth. 

six/ Fold in raspberries and white chocolate. Stir gentle as raspberries will be easily damaged.

seven/ Line a muffin tin with muffin wrappers. Fill the wrappers for one thirth. Cook for approx. thirty minutes or until muffins are risen and firm.

Makes twelve

Simple apple cake
 

one and a half cups self-raising flour

three quarters caster sugar 

one hundred and twenty five grams butter, softened

one teaspoon vanilla extract

two eggs 

half a cup milk

two apples, cored and thinly sliced

two tablespoons demerara sugar
 

one/ Preheat oven to hundred and sixty degrees. Place flour, sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs and milk in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until just combined. (You can easily do this by hand) 

two/ Spoon half the mixture into a greased tin lined with non-stick baking paper. Put a layer of apples and then pour the rest of the mixture on top and layer with the rest of the apples. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar. 

three/ Bake for forty five minutes or until the cake is cooked when tested with a skewer.

Serves eight to ten.

Lemon and parsley crusted fish

one cup breadcrumbs 

one garlic clove, roughly chopped

half a cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

finely grated zest from one lemon

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

two tablespoons olive oil

four thick white fish fillets (mahi mahi, blue eye, red emperor) 

one// Preheat the oven to two hundred and twenty degrees. Place the breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and half the olive oil in a food processor and pulse to just combine until you have pale green breadcrumbs. 

two// Place the fish on a baking tray lined with baking paper and press some crumbs over the top of each piece of fish. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and bake for ten minutes, or until the crust is golden and the fish is just cooked. 

three// Serve with lemon wedges, steamed greens and mashed potatoes. 

Serves four. 

Salted Caramel Chocolate Slice

Chocolate Base
one hundred and twenty five grams butter, chopped coarsely

one hundred and fifty five grams dark eating chocolate, chopped coarsely

one egg

two thirds of a cup caster sugar

three quarters of a cup plain flour

one quarter of a cup self raising flour

Salted Caramel Filling

three hundred and ninety five grams canned sweetened condensed milk

thirty grams butter

one quarter of a cup golden syrup or treacle

two teaspoons coarse cooking salt

Chocolate Glaze

one hundred and eighty five grams dark eating chocolate, chopped coarsely

fifty grams butter

one// Preheat oven to one hundred and eighty degrees. Grease and line a thirty centimetre rectangle tin with baking paper, extending paper over sides of tin.

two// Stir butter and chocolate in medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool.

three// Beat egg and sugar in a small bowl with electric mixer until thick and creamy. Stir in chocolate mixture and sifted flours. Spread mixture into pan and bake for ten minutes. Remove from oven.

four// Meanwhile make caramel filling by combining ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat until mixture thickens and becomes caramel in colour.

five// Pour caramel filling over base and smooth with a spatula. Bake for eight minutes then cool for ten minutes before refrigerating until cold.

six// Make chocolate glaze by melting the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat until smooth. Spread over caramel and refrigerate for two hours at least before cutting.

Makes approx twenty four depending on slice size. 

Double chocolate cupcakes

Frosting

two and a half cups icing sugar, sifted

hundred grams unsalted butter, at room temperature 

forty grams unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

three tablespoons whole milk

one// Beat the icing sugar, butter and cocoa in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk or just a food processor) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.

two// Turn the mixer down to slow speed. Add the milk to the butter mixture a little at a time. Once all the milk has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed. Beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, about five minutes. The longer the frosting is beaten, the fluffier and lighter it becomes. 
 

Chocolate cupcakes

hundred grams and two tablespoons plain flour

two and a half tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

three quarters cup caster sugar

one and a half teaspoons baking powder

a pinch of salt 

fourty grams unsalted butter, at room temperature

half a cup whole milk 

one egg 

one quarter teaspoon pure vanilla extract

shaved chocolate, to decorate

one// Preheat the oven to one hundred and seventy degrees. Put the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.

two// Whisk the milk, egg and vanilla extract together in a bowl, then slowly pour into the flour mixture, beat to combine and turn the mixer up to high speed to get rid of any lumps.

three// Turn the mixer down to a slower speed and slowly pour in the remaining milk mixture (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth. Do not overmix.

four// Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for twenty minutes, or until the cake bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

five// When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the chocolate frosting on top or use a piping bag. Decorate with the chocolate shavings. (or like chocolate vermicelli or silver balls, smarties…)

Makes twelve.  

Apple, blueberry and banana crumble

half a cup of butter

half a cup of caster sugar

one teaspoon vanilla extract

one egg

one cup self raising flour

one cup plain flour

two apples, grated

one cup blueberries

one large banana, thinly sliced 

one// Preheat the oven to hundred and eighty degrees. Process the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, egg, self raising flour and  plain flour in a food processor until you get a sandy consistency.

two// Press half of the mixture in a lightly greased pie dish. Spread the grated apple, blueberries and banana over the base. Put the remaining pastry on top. Bake until cooked and golden.
 

Serves four. 

* You can replace these fruits with any kind you like. For example pear, mango, passion fruit, peaches… 

Beetroot, potato & kumara pizza with rosemary

 two beetroots, trimmed

one kumara 

two potatoes

fifty grams unsalted butter 

one onion, finely chopped

three garlic cloves, finely chopped 

one quarter cup sour cream

three quarter cup pure thin cream

one teaspoon mustard

one cup finely grated parmesan 

two lebanese breads 

two rosemary sprigs, leaves picked 

two hundred and fifty grams vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, halved

one tablespoon olive oil

balsamic glaze, to serve 

one// Preheat the oven to two hundred degrees and line two baking trays with baking paper. Place each beetroot on a piece of foil and drizzle with two teaspoons water. Wrap beetroot in the foil and secure to make a parcel, then roast for about fifty minutes until almost tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Remove from the oven and cool, then peel and slice five mm thick.

two// Place the kumara and potatoes in a large saucepan of salted, boiling water for fifteen-twenty minutes until starting to soften but the centres are still firm when pierced with the tip of a knife.  Drain and cool. Peel and slice 5 mm thick. 

three// Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic, then cook, stirring, for five-six minutes until softened. Stir in sour cream, cream, mustard and parmesan. Season. Remove from heat and cool completely. 

four// Spread half the cooled cream sauce over one Lebanese bread, then top with half the beetroot, kumara and potato slices. Scatter with half the rosemary leaves and tomato. Season. Repeat with remaining Lebanese bread and toppings. Drizzle each pizza with olive oil, then place on tray and bake for fifteen-twenty minutes. until golden and crisp. Drizzle with the balsamic glaze and serve immediately. 

Makes two pizzas. 

Classic brownie

four hundred grams dark chocolate, chopped

two hundred and eighty grams unsalted butter

two cups brown sugar 

six eggs 

one cup plain flour

one// Preheat oven to hundred and eighty degrees. Place half the chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and smooth. Allow to cool slightly.

two// PLace the sugar, eggs and flour in a bowl with the chocolate mixture and mix to combine. Stir through the remaining chocolate pieces and pour the mixture into a lightly greased twenty x thirty centimeter tin lined with non-stick baking paper.

three// Bake for thirty-thirty five minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in tin and cut into squares. ( TIP: Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream) 

Serves eight.  

Banana breads

one quarter cup firmly packed brown sugar

thirty grams almonds, chopped

three hunderd seventy five milliliters sour cream

one teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 

hundred and twenty five grams unsalted butter, melted

one cup caster sugar 

two eggs, lightly beaten

one and three quarters cup plain flour 

one teaspoon baking powder

one teaspoon ground cinnamon

two ripe bananas, mashed 

one// Preheat oven to hundred and eighty degrees celcius. Grease and line two mini loaf tins (or two ten x eighteen centimeter loaf tins) with baking paper. Use a small bowl to mix together the brown sugar and almonds. Set aside.

two// In a large bowl, mix together the sour cream and bicarbonate of soda, set aside for five minutes ten stir in the melted butter, sugar and eggs. In another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Gradually fold in the sour cream mixture, followed by the bananas. 

three// Pour the mixture equally into the prepared tins and sprinkle the brown sugar on top. Bake for about an hour-hour and a half or until a skewer comes out clean. (the mini loafs take less time to bake, so keep an eye on them) Set aside and cool in tins for about twenty minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

Makes about twenty four slices/loafs. 

Spinach and prosciutto baked eggs 

eight slices prosciutto 

hundred grams baby spinach leaves, blanched

sea salt and cracked black pepper

four eggs

thirty grams grated Parmesan


one// Preheat oven to hundred and eighty degrees Celsius. Lightly grease four x hundred and fifty millilitre ovenproof dishes. Line the sides of each dish with two slices of prosciutto, add the spinach, salt and pepper and crack an egg into each. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for nine minutes or until the egg is starting to set. Remove the foil and top each egg with parmesan. Bake for a further two minutes or until the cheese is melted and the prosciutto is crisp.

Serves four. 

Vegetable lasagne

two eggplants, cut lengthways

one red onion, roughly chopped

two capsicums, cut in large pieces 

two zucchini, sliced in rounds

five hundred grams pumpkin, cut into thin slices

one tablespoon olive oil

five hundred ml passata

handful of fresh basil, chopped

handful of baby spinach leaves

five hundred grams ricotta 

pinch nutmeg/pinch cinnamon

thirty grams parmesan

four hundred gram tin lentils, rinsed and drained 

one// Preheat the oven to two hundred degrees Celsius. Grill the eggplant on a bbq or grill pan until soft. Combine the onion, pumpkin, zucchini and capsicum with olive oil, salt pepper and a little cinnamon. Put on a baking tray/dish and roast for thirty minutes or until soft, then remove from the heat.

two// Fold through the lentils, passata and basil. Layer the eggplant to line the base or a large baking dish. Top with half of the roasted vegetables. Place another layer of eggplant over the top then proceed with the final vegetable filling. Finish off with the final layer of eggplant.

three// Combine the ricotta, nutmeg and a handful of baby spinach leaves into a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Spread over the top of the eggplant followed by a light grating of parmesan. Bake for thirty or forty minutes until golden and heated through. 

Serves six.