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

Buttermilk pancakes

two cups plain flour

three teaspoons baking powder

one pinch salt 

two tablespoons sugar

two eggs, lightly beaten

three cups buttermilk 

seventy five grams unsalted butter, melted

unsalted butter, to grease pan

one// Place flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in bowl. Stir to combine. Add eggs, buttermilk and melted butter.  Whisk to combine. Don`t worry about lumps at this stage.

two// Brush a small portion of butter in a medium-sized non-stick pan over medium heat. Laddle four tablespoons of batter into pan. Cook for about two minutes until bubbles appear on surface of pancake. Turn pancake and cook other side for one minute. Transfer to a plate and keep warm while cooking remaining pancakes.

three// To serve, stack pancakes on a plate and top with strawberries, yoghurt and maple syrup. 

Serves six. 

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. 

Mango Sorbet

three quarters of a cup caster sugar

one and a half cups water

flesh of four mangoes

quarter of a cup greek style or natural yoghurt

one// In a saucepan, boil sugar and water for two minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool.

two// In a food processor process the mango flesh and yoghurt until smooth and creamy. Stir through the cooled sugar syrup

three// Transfer to a container and freeze for at least 6 hours, stirring every hour until frozen.

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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… 

Rhubarb

about seven stalks of rhubarb, washed and chopped

half a cup sugar

two tablespoons of water

one// Put the rhubarb, sugar and water in a saucepan. Let it simmer on a low heat for about twenty minutes. Stir occassionally  until it starts falling apart. 

Serve it just by itself as dessert, add it to porridge, with yoghurt or muesli or on a toast.

Serves four.  

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.  

Baked banana split with warm chocolate sauce

six large bananas

two hundred grams dark chocolate, chopped

two tablespoons golden syrup

two tablespoons brown sugar

fifty grams unsalted butter

one tablespoon thickened cream

Vanilla ice-cream and chopped toasted pecans, to serve



one// Place the unpeeled bananas in a large frypan and cook, turning occasionally, for five-ten minutes until skin is black. (not burned) Allow to cool slightly.

two// Meanwhile, place chocolate, syrup, sugar, butter and cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, without stirring, until melted, then stir until combined and glossy. Set aside.

three// Place bananas on plates, split open skins and drizzle with chocolate sauce. Serve with ice-cream and nuts. 

Serves six. 

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. 

Banana and Blueberry Pancakes


two eggs
two cups of milk
two tbsp vegetable or canola oil
two cups of flour
two tbsp sugar
one tbsp baking powder
one large overripe banana, mashed
three quarters of a cup of blueberries, halved
icing sugar, honey, maple syrup to serve

one// In a large mixing bowl combine the egg, milk and oil. Whisk until foamy.

two// In another bowl combine the flour, sugar and baking powder. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and whisk until combine and the mixture is smooth.

three// Add mashed banana and blueberries to the mixture and gently fold through.

four// Heat, on medium heat, a large non stick fry pan or spray fry pan lightly with non stick cooking oil. Pour a quarter of a cup of batter into the centre of the frypan. Allow the mixture to spread naturally.

five// When the surface of the batter begins to bubbles and the ends begin to dry out, using a spatula flip pancake to the other side. Cook for another minute or so until pancake is golden brown then remove.

six// Repeat with the rest of the batter. Serve with extra blueberries, banana, syrup, icing sugar. Enjoy.

Serves approx. six