Savoury Biscuits

Crispy cheese-flavoured biscuits are perfect accompaniment to a glass of wine or beer. They also make excellent companions to vegetable soup. The poppyseed crispbreads are also worth making as they go well with dips, pate or soft cheese flavoured with herbs. They are also delicious topped with smoked salmon or sardines. By making your crispbread you don’t have to stick by the rules and add flavour to suit your palate. Sometimes I swap the poppy seeds for caraway seeds, aniseed, fennel or sesame seeds. I use a little rye flour in the mixture as it gives the crispbread a slightly sour note, but use all plain flour, if desired. The crispy, salty, slightly spiced parmesan crackers crisps can be made without their rosemary stems, if desired. They are best eaten within a few hours of cooking.

Cheese Biscuits

175g plain flour
100g unsalted butter, chilled and finely diced
125g cheddar cheese, finely grated
50g parmesan, grated

Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the cheddar and parmesan. Mix well with your hands until the mixture forms a firm dough, then press into a ball. You may need a little water to make the dough hold together since cheeses and butters vary in their water content. Alternatively, place in a food processor and pulse until the mixture comes together. The dough should be dry but smooth and just hold together without being sticky. Divide the dough into two portions.
With a rolling pin, roll each portion between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 4-5 mm. Chill for 10–15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190C (fan forced 170C) and line an oven tray with baking paper.
Remove the top sheet of baking paper from each piece of dough and cut into shapes with a biscuit or pastry cutter. Carefully transfer the shapes to the prepared oven tray. Cook for 15–20 minutes, or until pale gold. Cool on a wire rack. Re roll any scraps of dough and cut and cook as above. Store in an airtight container. Makes 24–30

Poppy seed Crispbread

300g plain flour
85g rye flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Black pepper
1 free range egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
125ml (1/2 cup) water

Sift the flours and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the poppy seeds and a few grindings of black pepper. Mix the eggs, oil and water in a jug and then pour into the flour. Mix well, then knead on a lightly floured surface for About 4 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200C (fan forced 180C). Line two baking trays with non stick baking paper.
Divide the dough into two potions (keep one portion chilled while you roll out the other). Roll one half on a lightly floured surface until it makes a 24cm square. Fold the dough in half and then in half again and continue to roll until the dough is thin – it should be about as thin as fresh lasagne. The piece of dough will be about 40-45cm square. Cut the dough into 15 rectangles and transfer to the baking trays. Sprinkle with a little sea salt, if desired.
Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until slightly warped at the edges and golden. They should feel dry when ready. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and crisp. Repeat with remaining dough. Makes about 30

Parmesan wafers

About 12 rosemary stems (about 12cm long)
150g grated parmesan
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves
Pinch cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C (fan forced 180C). Line two baking trays with non stick baking paper. Combine the cheese, thyme and cayenne pepper. Using a dessertspoon, drop even mounds of parmesan cheese on the baking sheet. Use your fingers to pat the cheese into a thin circle about 4-5 cm in diameter. Lay a rosemary stem on the circle (like a lollypop stick). Make sure that none of the circles are touching.
Bake for about 5 minutes, or until bubbling and golden. Remove and cool slightly on the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Best served on the day they are made. Makes 12

Egg-free Baking

A friend has a severe egg allergy so I have tried various egg-free baking recipes for birthday treats. As with most things, a version with eggs is much better than without. That being said though, for egg-free these are pretty decent (the chocolate muffins fooled most people).

Egg-free chocolate muffins

2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 heaped tablespoons cocoa
150g caster sugar
100g dark chocolate chips
125ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil
185ml (3/4 cup) plain yoghurt
125ml (1/2 cup) buttermilk

Topping

150g dark chocolate, chopped
100g butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper muffin cases. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cocoa, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir in the chocolate chips. Combine the oil yoghurt and buttermilk in a large jug or bowl.

Add the liquids to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix with a large metal spoon until the dough comes together. Take care not to overmix – a few lumps is fine

Spoon the dough into the muffin cases. Bake for about 20 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

To make the topping melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a saucepan of hot water, stirring occasionally until melted. Chill until it starts firm up, then beat well with a wooden spoon to fluff up. Spread over muffins. Makes 12

Egg-free apple cake

100g butter, chopped
4 tbsp apple sauce
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
310g (21/4 cups) self raising flour
1 heaped tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
120g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
50g flaked almonds
Icing sugar, to serve

Heat oven to 160C. Grease a line the base of a 20cm round cake tin. Place the butter, apple sauce, syrup and vanilla into a heatproof bowl, add 300 ml boiling water and whisk with a fork to combine.

Sift the flour, baking powder, spice and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter mixture and gently mix until just combined. Transfer to cake tin and top with the chopped apple and almonds, lightly pushing into the batter. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the cake is well risen, golden and the top springs back when lightly touched. Cool in tin for 10 minutes before turning out to on a wire rack to cool. Serve dusted with icing sugar.

Cheese Biscuits

Cheese Biscuits
Crispy cheese-flavoured biscuits are perfect accompaniment to a glass of wine or beer. They also make excellent companions to vegetable soup.

175g plain flour
100g unsalted butter, chilled and finely diced
125g cheddar cheese, finely grated
50g parmesan, grated

Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the cheddar and parmesan. Mix well with your hands until the mixture forms a firm dough, then press into a ball. You may need a little water to make the dough hold together since different varieties of cheese and butter vary in their water content. Alternatively, place in a food processor and pulse until the mixture comes together. The dough should be dry but smooth and just hold together without being sticky. Divide the dough into two portions.

With a rolling pin, roll each portion between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 4-5 mm. Chill for 10–15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190C (fan forced 170C) and line an oven tray with baking paper.

Remove the top sheet of baking paper from each piece of dough and cut into shapes with a biscuit or pastry cutter. Carefully transfer the shapes to the prepared oven tray. Cook for 15–20 minutes, or until pale gold. Cool on a wire rack. Re roll any scraps of dough and cut and cook as above. Store in an airtight container. Makes 24–30

cheesecake 1

Best ever cheesecake

This is my best-ever cheesecake. The cooking time looks short, but this works perfectly, giving you a pale, light and softly set centre. It needs to be chilled well before serving so if you can, make it the day before you want to serve it. This is lovely served as is or with fresh berries or ripe fruit.

180g digestive plain sweet biscuits (about 10)
100g butter, melted
900g cream cheese, softened at room temperature
200g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
2 tablespoons plain flour
3 large free-range eggs, plus 1 yolk
200 ml (3/4 cup) sour cream
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Topping
200ml (3/4 cup) sour cream
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice

Grease a 23 cm springform tin and line the base with baking paper. Place the biscuits and melted butter in a food processor and pulse until the mixture comes together. Press the mixture into the base of the tin. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then bake in a preheated 180C (160C fan-forced) oven for 12 minutes. Allow to cool.

Increase the oven temperature to 200C (180C fan-forced). Place the cream cheese, sugar and flour in a bench-top electric mixer and beat until creamy and well combined. Add the eggs and yolk one at a time, and then beat in the sour cream, vanilla, lemon zest and juice. Beat for 2–3 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Pour the mixture onto the cheesecake base and smooth the top. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven to 120C (110C fan forced) and bake for a further 25 minutes or until just set in the middle. Turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven. When cool, combine the topping ingredients and spread over the top of the cheesecake. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving. Serves 8

Pistachio cupcakes

Ground pistachios give the cupcakes a lovely pale-green crumb and a sweet, nutty flavour. They are delicious simply dusted with icing sugar, or ice the cakes with lemon icing and decorate with a few extra pistachios.

50g (1/3 cup) unsalted pistachio kernels
125g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
125g unsalted butter, diced and softened at room temperature
finely grated zest 1 small lemon
125g (1 scant cup) self-raising flour, sifted
2 free-range eggs
2 tablespoons milk

Preheat the oven to 180C (fan forced 160C). Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper patty cases.

Place the pistachios and caster sugar in a food processor and pulse until ground. Place the butter, caster sugar mixture, lemon zest, flour, eggs and milk into a bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 3-4 minutes, or until just combined.

Spoon the batter evenly into the patty cases and bake for 15–20 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack, then ice with lemon icing and top with a pistachio nut. Makes 12

Lemon icing
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
30g butter, softened
1 tbsp lemon juice

Combine the sifted icing sugar, butter, 1-2 tbsp boiling water and lemon juice. Beat until smooth, adding more water or lemon juice if needed to give a spreadable consistency. Spread over the cupcakes. Decorate with a few extra whole and chopped pistachios, if desired.

Autumnal fruit and almond cake

You can use fresh or thawed frozen blackberries (or raspberries) for the autumnal cake; they may sink a little, but don’t worry too much as it is all about the taste. Dust the cake with a little icing sugar to serve, if desired. The success of this cake depends on the butter being nice and soft; leave it out of the fridge for about 6-8 hours for it to soften naturally.

 185g butter, softened at room temperature
150g caster sugar
150g (1 heaped cup) self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
100g ground almonds
2 free range eggs, beaten
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g fresh blackberries
2 tbsp raw or demerera sugar
2 tbsp flaked almonds
Preheat the oven to 180C (fan forced 160C). Grease and line the base of a 20cm springform or loose bottom cake tin.

Dice the butter and place the butter, caster sugar, flour, baking powder, almonds, eggs milk and vanilla into a bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 3-4 minutes, or until just combined. Fold in the 3/4 of the fruit.

Spoon into tin. Scatter with the remaining fruit, the raw sugar and the almonds. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until firm and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cook in the tin for 10 minutes, before cooling on a wire rack. Serves 8-10

Chewy chocolate chip cookies

280g (2 cups) plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
40g (1/3 cup) cocoa
250g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature, diced
185g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
150g brown sugar
2 large free range eggs, beaten
200g dark chocolate chips
 
Preheat the oven to 180C (Fan forced 160C). Line two baking trays with baking paper. Sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa and a pinch of salt into a bowl.

Beat the butter and sugars with hand-held electric beaters until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, alternating with a little of the flour mixture until combined. Fold in the remaining flour mixture, then stir in the chocolate chips.

Place tablespoons of the mixture onto the trays, leaving room for spreading (about 12 per tray). Bake for 8 minutes then remove and leave to cool on the tray for 2 minutes. You may need to bake a third tray if any mixture remains. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Makes about 30

brownies 2

Chocolate Brownies

The trick with brownies is not to overcook them – the top should feel firm to the touch, but the centre should still be a little soft when you insert a skewer or toothpick. The chocolate will continue to cook slightly for a few minutes after coming out of the oven.

Best ever brownies

300g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
300g unsalted butter, chopped
5 free-range eggs
350g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
150g plain flour
40g (1/3 cup) cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
100g dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 180C (fan forced 160C). Grease a shallow 20 cm x 30 cm baking tin and line with baking paper (leave a little overhanging the two long sides to help remove the brownies from the tin). Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Allow to cool.

Place the eggs, sugar and vanilla in an electric mixer and beat for 3–4 minutes or until pale and fluffy. Beat in the cooled chocolate mixture. Sift in the flour, cocoa, baking powder and a pinch of salt and fold in with a large metal spoon until smooth. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

Spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until dark brown and the top has formed a crust. It should be firm to the touch but still a bit fudgy. Allow to cool in the tin, then remove and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Makes 15–18