I’m not a meat ball eater, but was inspired by my very old waitrose free ‘Seasons’ cooking magazine (back in the days when they didn’t have those weekend newspapers)  I made lamb kofta. My meat balls were simply minced meat with fried onion, garlic, ras el hanout & a drop of rose water, squidged together to form meaty spheres.  I baked these in the oven –  gallons of fat oozed out of them whilst they baked. They made washing the pan a bit of a nightmare, the kitchen stank of lamb fat all night. However, they were delicious, especially served with homemade flat breads and baba ganoush.

The June Daring Cooks’ challenge sure kept us rolling – meatballs, that is! Shelley from C Mom Cook and Ruth from The Crafts of Mommyhood challenged us to try meatballs from around the world and to create our own meatball meal celebrating a culture or cuisine of our own choice.

Download the printable .pdf file HERE

Prinsesstårta

This cake brought me back to my youth – a day trip to Ikea for flat-pack furniture, 39p hot dogs & car shaped sweets. On occasions I would try the green marzipan logs, but I have to admit I’ve never tried the Prinsesstårta.

This cake is a must-bake – it’s a lot easier than first appears! The sponge layer is really quite straight forwards, and so long as your cream is whipped up firmly, the dome should be easy to construct. I made a half recipe which served 8 generous slices (I dread to think how huge the original cake size must be…) However, with the half-sized cake, I wasn’t able to slice it into 3 so opted for a single layer at the bottom. I used fresh strawberries instead of jam, and flavoured my custard with Chia tea instead of Vanilla.

Cake, pre-marzipan

I didn’t make green marzipan, instead sprayed my white marzipan gold with some edible paint. Absolutely delicious – although did get tummy cramps after eating too much cream. Next time I’ll try to make a dairy-free version.

Recipe Source:
• Cake components and assembly adapted from Semiswede
• Custard method adapted from Tartelette

Korena of Korena in the Kitchen was our May Daring Bakers’ host and she delighted us with this beautiful Swedish Prinsesstårta!

Preparation time:
Vanilla Custard: 20 minutes hands-on, plus chilling (several hours or overnight)
Sponge Cake: 30 – 40 minutes hands-on, plus 40 minutes baking, plus cooling
Marzipan Covering and Rose: 20 – 30 minutes, depending on your rose-making skills (note: homemade marzipan recipe requires overnight refrigeration)
Prinsesstårta Assembly: 30 – 40 minutes, plus chilling if necessary
Equipment required:
• one medium and one large mixing bowl/stand mixer bowl
• balloon whisk
• medium saucepan
• fine mesh sieve
• 9” (23 cm) round springform pan or other deep 9” (23 cm) round pan
• electric mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment
• rubber spatula
• rolling pin
• cooling rack
• long serrated knife
• off-set spatula or long thin spatula
• paring knife
• parchment paper
• plastic wrap
• piping bag (optional)
• cake decorating turntable (optional)
Traditional Swedish Prinsesstårta
Servings: 8 – 10. Makes one 9” round cake.

Vanilla Custard
Ingredients
1 cup (240ml) heavy cream, divided
4 egg yolks from large eggs
2 tablespoons (30 ml) (15 gm) (½ oz) cornstarch
2 tablespoons (30 ml) (30 gm) (1 oz) granulated white sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract)

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, and egg yolks. Gradually whisk in ½ cup (120 ml) of heavy cream until smooth. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the remaining ½ cup (120 ml) of heavy cream and the scraped vanilla bean and bring just to the boiling point. Remove the vanilla bean pod, leaving behind the seeds. Slowly whisk the hot cream into the bowl with the egg mixture to temper the eggs.
2. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it becomes thick like pudding and just comes to a boil. The mixture must hit a boil for the cornstarch to properly thicken the custard, and also to cook out any starchy taste. If it starts to look curdled or lumpy, remove it from the heat and whisk vigorously until smooth, then return to the heat. As soon as it comes to a boil, remove it from the heat. If using vanilla extract, add it now.
(If desired, pass the custard through a fine mesh sieve before continuing.)
3. Pour the custard into a clean bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely cold. Can be prepared a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator.

Sponge Cake
Ingredients
Fine dry breadcrumbs for the pan (such as crushed panko)
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (240 ml) (225 gm) (8 oz) granulated white sugar
½ cup (120 ml) (70 gm) (2½ oz) all-purpose (plain) flour
½ cup (120 ml) (65 gm) (2¼ oz) potato starch (or cornstarch)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (5 gm) baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 with a rack in the lower third of the oven. Thoroughly butter a 9” (23 cm) round springform pan, line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper, then butter the paper. Dust the buttered pan with enough breadcrumbs to coat the bottom and sides, just like flouring a cake pan. Set aside.
2. Place the eggs and granulated white sugar in a mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed with an electric mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment until the eggs are tripled in volume and very light coloured and fluffy, about 5 minutes. The mixture should fall from the beaters in thick ribbons. Don’t overbeat the eggs – once they form thick ribbons and stop growing in volume, stop beating.
3. Sift the all-purpose (plain) flour, potato starch, baking powder, and salt into a bowl, then sift the flour mixture over the whipped eggs. With a balloon whisk, fold the flour into the eggs until blended, keeping as much air in the batter as possible. Use large, gentle yet confident strokes, bringing batter from the bottom of the bowl to the top. Once mixed, the batter should be quite thick and smooth.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spread it out evenly, and bake in the lower third of the preheated moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 oven for about 40 minutes or until golden brown on top, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the cake cool in the pan for a few minutes then run a knife around the edge and remove the sides of the springform pan. Don’t worry if it sinks a bit in the middle. Invert the cake onto a cooling rack and peel off the parchment paper. If the cake is lopsided, press gently to make it level, then allow it to cool completely before continuing. The cake can be made a day ahead and stored, well-wrapped in plastic, at a cool room temperature.

Marzipan Covering and Rose
Ingredients
10 oz (285 gm) marzipan
Green and yellow food colouring
Icing sugar, for rolling
Red food colouring

Directions:
1. Set aside a small amount of plain marzipan (about the size of a walnut) to make a rose for decoration. Knead the remaining marzipan on a surface dusted with icing sugar until it becomes softer and smooth (the warmth from your hands will help this).
2. Add a small amount of green food colouring (I used 3 or 4 drops of liquid food colouring) and knead it into the marzipan to get the desired shade of green. You might need to add a little more green or yellow food colouring to get the right colour – anything from pastel green to bright spring green (just not neon green!) Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate until you are ready to cover the cake (or store as directed on the marzipan package).
3. To make the rose, tint the reserved plain marzipan with a tiny bit of red food colouring to make it pink. Dust your work surface with icing sugar and roll the marzipan into a log. With a rolling pin, roll it out into a long ribbon, about 1” (2 ½ cm) wide and 1/8” (3 mm) thick. Use plenty of icing sugar so that the marzipan doesn’t stick. Press one long edge of the ribbon with your fingertip to thin it out slightly. Begin rolling up the ribbon, leaving the thin edge loose to form the petals of the rose. Start the roll off tightly, then loosen up as you go, pinching and gathering the marzipan to create creases and ruffles. Gently flare out the petals of the rose with your fingertip. When the rose is large enough, cut off any remaining marzipan ribbon. Pinch off the excess marzipan from the bottom of the rose and set aside to dry slightly.

Prinsesstårta Assembly
Ingredients
2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream, chilled
granulated white sugar, to taste (scant 1 tablespoon is plenty)
Sponge Cake, cooled
1/3 cup (80 ml) seedless raspberry jam (or regular jam pressed through a sieve to remove seeds)
Vanilla Custard, chilled
Marzipan Covering and Rose
Icing sugar, for rolling and dusting
Optional: melted chocolate, royal icing, or piping gel
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar to taste (keep in mind that the rest of the cake components are sweet, so the whipped cream should be very lightly sweetened at most) and continue whipping the cream until stiff. You want it to be sturdy enough to provide structure to the cake, but not over-whipped enough to make butter. Set the whipped cream aside.
2. With a long serrated knife, slice the sponge cake into three even layers. This cake is very delicate, so do this as carefully as possible. Use a gentle sawing motion to move the knife through the cake instead of trying to pull it through the cake. Use a spatula to help you lift off each layer after you cut it. Set aside the middle layer – this will become the top layer of the assembled cake as it is the most flexible and therefore easiest to bend into a dome over the whipped cream.
3. Place one of remaining layers on a cake board or serving platter and spread it evenly with the raspberry jam. Spread or pipe half the chilled custard over the jam in an even layer, leaving enough room around the edges so that it doesn’t spill over the sides of the cake.
4. Top the custard with another layer of cake. Spread or pipe the remaining custard evenly over it, again leaving some room around the edges.
5. Reserve ½ cup (120 ml) of the stiffly whipped cream. Pile the rest into a mound on top of the custard. Spread it into a thick layer with a thin, flexible spatula or off-set spatula, then hold the spatula at an angle to shape the whipped cream into a dome, piling it up in the middle of the cake as much as possible.
6. Place the final layer of sponge cake (the one cut from the middle of the cake) on top of the whipped cream. Do not press on the top of the cake – instead, gently tuck the edges of the cake layer into the whipped cream, so that they are flush with the cream. This will create a smooth, seamless dome on top of the cake.
7. Gently spread the reserved ½ cup (120 ml) of whipped cream over the entire cake to fill in any cracks and even out the surface. If necessary, refrigerate the cake to firm it up before continuing.
8. Dust your work surface with icing sugar and press the marzipan into a 6-inch (15 cm) disc (knead it a bit to warm it up first). Coat both sides with icing sugar and roll it out into a 14” (35½ cm) diameter circle less than 1/8” (3 mm) thick. Use plenty of icing sugar to prevent it from sticking. Alternatively, you can roll the marzipan out between two wide sheets of parchment paper (still use plenty of icing sugar).
9. Use the rolling pin to drape the rolled-out marzipan sheet over the cake and smooth it around the cake gently with your hands. If it seems like it wants to fold or buckle around the cake, gently lift and stretch it away from the cake with one hand while smoothing it down with the other. Trim the excess marzipan from the bottom of the cake with a paring knife or spatula blade.
10. If desired, cut leaves out of the scraps of green marzipan (you can knead in another drop of green food colouring to make the leaves a slightly darker green). Use a paring knife to score vein-like lines, then pinch one end of the leaf to give it some shape. Dust the cake with icing sugar, then place the marzipan rose and leaves in the middle of the cake. (You can also use melted chocolate, royal icing, or piping gel to pipe a design on top of the cake, if you wish.)
11. To serve, cut the cake into wedges with a large, sharp knife (run the blade under hot water and wipe it clean after every cut for neater slices). The cake can be served immediately but will be easier to slice after chilling in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Storage & Freezing Instructions/Tips:
The finished Prinsesstårta should be refrigerated until serving, and any leftovers refrigerated as well. Ideally the cake is eaten the day it is made, but will keep in the refrigerator for a day or so, after which it may lose its structural integrity and aesthetic appeal (but it will still taste good!)

Vegetables en croute / Vegetarian Cornish Pasty

Our lovely Monkey Queen of Don’t Make Me Call My Flying Monkeys, was our May Daring Cooks’ hostess and she challenged us to dive into the world of en Croute! We were encouraged to make Beef Wellington, Stuffed Mushroom en Croute and to bring our kids into the challenge by encouraging them to create their own en Croute recipes!

Download the recipes for beef wellington, stuffed mushrooms and a saucisson en croute Here

Unfortunately I don’t have any kids to encourage for this challenge, but I did consult my bump from time to time…In the early months all it wanted was orange coloured food and lots of potatoes. However, anything wrapped in pastry is almost guaranteed to be tasty, so got bump’s approval.

A rare spurt of energy overcame me, I made vegetarian Cornish pasties, and mushroom green curry rolls (and cleaned the house whilst they were baking in the oven). I even made the pastry from scratch! I slept very well that evening…

Mushrooms En Croute / Mushroom Green Curry Roll and a boiled egg

I can’t exactly say I’m crazy about Sarvarin – mine turned out to be a very dry & eggy brioche which was soggy on the bottom & dry on the top.

Lacking a bundt tin, I used a conventional cake pan and cut a hole in the middle.

I filled mine with pastry cream & greek yoghurt, and ‘decorated’ with strawberries, which looked a bit disturbing… Sadly this cake ended in my compost bin.  Really sorry, didn’t enjoy this months challenge, but at least I gave it a go!

Preparation time:

Sponge: 30 minutes
First Mixing and Autolyse: 35 minutes
Second Mixing: 35 minutes
Proofing: 2 to 3 hours
Shaping: 20 minutes
Final Rising: 1 to 1,1/2 hour
Syrup preparation: 15 minutes
Glaze preparation: 10 minutes
Pastry cream preparation: 30 minutes
Whipped cream preparation: 15 minutes
Baking: 40 minutes
Soaking: 1 hour
Glazing: 10 minutes

Equipment required:
• Scale or measuring cups and spoons
• Stand mixer with paddle and beater or hand held mixer with dough hooks and beaters or very motivated arms!
• Dough scraper or spatula
• Grater for lemon and orange zest
• Knife for lemon and orange peel
• Small bowl for the sponge
• Bowl for egg whites
• Bowl for yolks
• Small bowl for butter
• Saucepan for pastry cream
• Bowl for Pastry cream
• Saucepan for syrup
• Saucepan for the glaze
• Brush for the glaze
• 28 cm (11 inches) Savarin mold (springform or not)
• Cling film
• Cooling rack to let the cake drip
• Pan that fits under the cooling rack to catch the drippings
• Ladle
• Big bowl for soaking the Savarin

Savarin

Servings: 8/10

Ingredients
2½ cups (600 ml) (12-1/3 oz) (350 gm) bread flour
2 tablespoons (30 ml) water, lukewarm
6 (320 gm) large eggs at room temperature, separated
½ satchel (1½ teaspoons) (4 gm) instant yeast or 15 gm (½ oz) fresh yeast
4 teaspoons (20 ml) (20 gm) sugar
2/3 stick (1/3 cup) (80 ml) (75 gm) butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon (15 ml) (15 gm) (½ oz) orange and lemon zest (optional)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) salt
¼ cup (60 ml) (2 oz) (55 gm) butter for greasing the work surface, hands, dough scraper & baking pan

Directions:

Sponge
In a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lukewarm water, 3 tablespoons (1 oz) (25 gm) flour and yeast , cover with cling film and let rise 60 minutes

Dough
1.After 30 minutes put the egg whites in the mixer bowl and start working with the paddle at low speed adding flour until you have a soft dough that sticks to the bowl (about 2 cups or 270 gm) and work until it comes together , cover with cling film and let rest 30 min

2.Add the sponge to the mixer bowl along with a tablespoon of flour and start mixing at low speed (if you wish to add the zests do it now)

3.When it starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl add one yolk and as soon as the yolk is absorbed add one tablespoon of flour

4.Add the second yolk , the sugar and as soon as the yolk is absorbed add one tablespoon of flour

5.Raise the speed a little

6.Add the third yolk and the salt and as soon as the yolk is absorbed add one tablespoon of flour

7.Keep on adding one yolk at the time and the flour saving a tablespoon of flour for later

8.Mix the dough until is elastic and makes threads

9.Add the butter at room temperature and as soon as the butter is adsorbed add the last tablespoon of flour

10.Keep on mixing till the dough passes the window pane test

11.Cover the dough with cling film and let it proof until it has tripled in volume 2 to 3 hours.

12.You can prepare the Pastry cream now if you chose to use it, and refrigerate it

13.While you wait prepare your baking pan buttering it very carefully not leaving too much butter on it

14.Grease your dough scraper, your hands and your work surface and put the dough on it and fold with the Dough Package Fold two or three times around (5 folds twice or three times). Cover with cling foil and let it rest 15 minutes on the counter

15.Turn the dough upside down and with the help of your buttered dough scraper shape your dough http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta2_h6Qogp0 in a rounded bun

16.Make a hole in the center with your thumb and put it in the prepared pan

17. Cover with cling film and let rise in a warm spot until the dough reaches the top of the pan about 1 hour

18.Pre-heat oven to moderate 340°F/170°C/gas mark 3

19.Bake the Savarin for about 40 minutes until the top is golden brown

20.Meanwhile prepare the Syrup

21.When the Savarin is done take it out of the oven, let it cool and remove carefully out of the pan

22.You have two choices now : you can immerse it in syrup right now or you can let it dry out (so it will lose some of his moisture that will be replaced by the syrup) and soak it later on.

23.To immerse it in syrup it is a good idea to place it in the mold you baked it in (I’m afraid a spring-form one wouldn’t work for this) and keep adding ladles of syrup until you see it along the rim of the pan. Or you can just soak it in a big bowl keeping your ladle on top of it so it doesn’t float. Once the Savarin is really well soaked carefully move it on a cooling rack positioned over a pan to let the excess syrup drip

24.The soaked Savarin gains in flavor the next day

25.Whatever you decide the day you want to serve it glaze it and fill the hole with your filling of choice and decorate it. You can serve the Savarin with some filling on the side

Peach Flavored Syrup:

Servings: 1 savarin

Ingredients
1½ cups (350 ml) peach tea
1½ cups (350 ml) peach juice
1½ cups (350 ml) water
1 cup (240 ml) (8 oz) (225 gm) sugar
zest of one lemon
one cinnamon stick

Directions:

1.Combine tea, water, sugar, lemon zest and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil

2.Let boil 5 minutes and remove from the stove

3.When cooled a bit add the peach juice.

Pastry Cream and Chantilly:

Servings: 1 savarin plus some for serving

Ingredients
2 cups (500 ml) milk
¼ cup (60 ml) (2 oz) (60 gm) sugar
zest of one lemon
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
2 tablespoons (30 ml) (1¼ oz) (35 gm) cornstarch
¼ cup (60 ml) (2 oz) (60 gm) sugar
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream

Directions:

1.In a saucepan bring to a boil milk and sugar

2.In a bowl whisk together egg yolks, egg, cornstarch and sugar

3.Add the hot milk to the eggs one tablespoon at the time to temper it

4.Pour in the saucepan again and bring to a boil stirring constantly

5.When the cream thickens remove from the stove

6.Put cling film onto the cream (touching the surface) and cool

7.Pour 1 cup (250 ml) cold heavy cream in mixer bowl with the whisk attachment

8.Beat until whipped

9.Combine with the cooled pastry cream adding a tablespoon at the time of whipped cream until it gets to the right consistency. Or it looks right to you !

Glaze:

Servings: 1 savarin

Ingredients
2 tablespoons (30 ml) apricot Jam
2 tablespoons water

Directions:

1.In a saucepan mix jam and water and warm up
2.When the savarin is cool and soaked brush it with the glaze

Storage & Freezing Instructions/Tips:

You can store the dried savarin for 5 days in a closed container. If you have soaked it cover well with cling foil and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

I’ve finally got round to finishing this blog post from my travels to Malaysia and Singapore in November 2012.  Better late than never!

So I managed to escape my mum & Aunt to Singapore! The bus journey was a killer – 10 hours, with loo breaks and a lunch stop, but as it was the start of the holidays, the passport control at the Malaysian/ Singapore border was a bit crazy. I was scared that the coach would drive off without me! Luckily, I was fine. I arrived at the Golden Mile bus station & took a short walk into the heart of Singapore. I stayed at the Tree in Lodge, an eco-hostel situated in Bugis. I was too tired to find anywhere good to eat, I just popped into the nearby shopping mall and bought a Japanese take-out. I celebrated my escape with a can of Tiger beer at the hostel.

Day 8.

Breakfast was a basic self-service affair of cereal and toast.  I went on a morning walk to buy some soya milk as this wasn’t provided by the hostel, but it gave me a chance to view Singapore waking up. It was surprising how busy the eating places were at such an early time of the day, some people must eat out for every meal, including breakfast! It can’t be healthy…

I had arranged to meet up with my brother and his friends from church for lunch. We went to the hawker center near Dakota, I was excited to see such great variety! We went for a mixed platter of satay, seafood char kway teow washed down with dragon fruit juice, and a banana fritter to follow.

seafood char kway teow

satay

Glutinous rice parcels

Rice parcel hawker stall

Chicken hawker stall

Steamed sweet buns

Satay hawker stall

Satay

I was too stuffed to eat anything else that day, just grabbed a steamed bun from Bugis street market for dinner.

Day 9.

Wandered around Little india, saw this drinks vending machine where I tried out the apple flavoured collagen drink. It was quite pleasant – had a slimy texture but I was more focused on the benefits it would have on my aging skin.

Met up with my cousin Judi for lunch where I tried out French cuisine, Singaporean style. Sauveur, a busy café – dinning place on Purvis Street. We shared the angel hair pasta salad, fois gras & chicken risotto.

Dinky portion of risotto reminded me of a savoury rice pudding – it was a bit too creamy for my liking. However, the chicken was delicious.

I’d never tried fois gras, and I think this order was a mistake. However we were too polite to return this dish. The liver was minute and sat on a bed of lentils. It was flavour-some, tender & chewy in parts.

The pasta salad resembled a carefully presented oriental noodle dish, it was even topped off with the dried shrimp. Never the less, it tasted nice.

After our lunch, we went for ice-cream at the Shaw Tower. This ice-cream parlour was famous for it’s experimental flavours. I spotted salted egg ice cream, sweet corn & lapsang infused raisins on the menu…However, I wasn’t feeling that adventurous so we opted for a scoop of matcha and a scoop of chili chocolate ice-cream.

Continued walking around for a while before stopping off to eat (again!) this time, proper coffee & black currant tart in Drips Café, Tiong Poh Road. I had tried the local brew of ‘kopee’ from Toast Box but had found this as undrinkable black bitter water. However, the coffee in Drips was really smooth & aromatic, and the tart was probably one of the best tarts I’ve ever eaten! This café isn’t cheap, but I highly recommend a visit.

I also LOVE their mooncake cushions!

After a day of endless eating, I opted for a light dinner – fishball dumpling soup, and a ‘black pearl’ cake from Bread Talk – mochi pastry filled with sesame paste. My camara had run out of memory space so I didn’t manage to photograph this, but I did photograph another bun on offer – ‘bean bag’. Their product names are pure genius!

Day 10.

Spent the day checking out the Singapore Fashion scene. Paid a visit to Parco Marian Bay in Millenia Walk and wandered down Orchard Road (which was quite stressful and not that enjoyable). However, I did stumble across a vintage shop Becky Berry in Cathy Cineleisure where I bought a few things.

Lunch was a cheesy bun & a glass of unsweetened soya milk, followed by a red bean flavoured ice-cream sandwich (which wasn’t that nice).

Met up with Judi again for more coffee & cake, this time at Atomi, a Japanese designer homeware shop in the Mandarin Gallery off Orchard Road. I felt nervous dropping crumbs on their very expensive showroom chairs.

Feeling deflated after hours visiting endless shops – bored of seeing the same Korean designs, and fed up of pushy shop assistants who follow you around the store.

Dinner was at the Raffles Place hawker centre – flash cooked veg with tofu & noodles.

Day 11.

I decided to go on a morning walk around the Bugis area, taking photos of Singapore at Breakfast time. Picked up a watermelon juice and soya milk to put on my cereal.

agar desserts

Had a rather random invite from Judi to watch the Singapore Chinese orchestra play Christmas tunes in the lobby of Deutsch bank. I thought, why not?! I have to admit it wouldn’t be my first choice of activity, but I thought it might be fun. The musicians were incredibly skilled, and as well as playing the ‘clap along’ christmas songs, they played a varied repertoire of famous traditional Chinese pieces as well as some tango, it was quite beautiful. Afterwards, we went had pork & rice for lunch in the nearby shopping mall, followed by tea.

A wander through Club Street in China town lead us to Kki – a café, gallery & gift shop. We tried the milk cheese cake – at $7 this wasn’t cheap, but was well worth it! It was feather light with a delicate flavour.

In the evening I met up with another cousin & his family for dinner. We headed towards Arab street where we stopped off at a local Indian restaurant near the Mosque. We had a feast of curry dishes, flat breads & rice. My cousin had this unusual looking pink rose milk drink, which was sweet and fragrant.

Day 12.

My stressful journey back to KL began really early. I had a 3pm deadline to meet and the  traffic wasn’t doing me any favours. Finally made it back all hot & sweaty, only to find Auntie pottering around watering her plants. My mum was so pleased to see me – she had a miserable time arguing with her sister, who had banned her from eating coconuts. We went for a sneaky drink when my Auntie wasn’t looking.

Home cooking at last! I took the role of sous chef & kitchen skivvy whilst my Aunt barked out orders. We made a tofu dish & fishball vegetable soup & salad, and my Aunt had bought a salted baked chicken from a food vendor earlier. I gave my Aunt a small fair trade turtle toy key ring that I’d bought in Singapore which she absolutely adored – she was like my best friend after that! Dessert was fruit – lots of Rambutan, dragon fruit, bananas, mangosteen – my stomach was bursting! It was an enjoyable final meal, I was really looking forwards to returning back to the UK the next day.

I’ve been eating tonnes of cheese lately – the mild & stringy type, so was exited by this months challenge.  Unfortunatley, I was really pushed for time this month so only managed to make the simplest cheese recipe – homemade Paneer.

And here it is on a toasted potato cake, drizzeled with honey for a Moroccan style breakfast. Yum!

Homemade Paneer

Recipe source: The kitchn
yields about 1 1/2 cup

Ingredients:
8 cups (2 litres) milk (whole or 2%)
2-3 tablespoons (30-45 ml) lemon juice

Directions:
1.Line a colander with a double layer of cheesecloth.
If you’d like to keep the whey for another purpose, set the colander over a bowl to catch the whey. Otherwise, you can just set it in your sink.
2.In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, bring the milk to a boil. Keep an eye on it because it can boil over very quickly.
3.When it comes to a boil, turn off the heat and add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
4.Stir until the milk separates into curds and whey. If it doesn’t seem to be separating completely, add another tablespoon of lemon juice.
5.Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined colander.
6.When it’s cool enough to handle, gather the corners of the cheesecloth into a bundle and squeeze out as much of the excess liquid as you can.
7.To press it into a solid cheese, set the bundle in the middle of a plate with a good lip to catch the liquid that will be squeezed out. Put another plate on top and press until the bundle has flattened into a 1-inch (2½ cm) disk. Leave the plate on and weight it down with something heavy (like a few cans of tomatoes).
Press the cheese for at least 20 minutes, though an hour is ideal.
8.Drain off the liquid that has collected and unwrap the paneer.
9.Use or store immediately. The cheese will firm up even more in the fridge.

Francijn of Koken in de Brouwerij was our January 2013 Daring Bakers’ Hostess and she challenged us to make the traditional Dutch pastry, Gevulde Speculaas from scratch! That includes making our own spice mix, almond paste and dough! Delicious!

I’m not too sure how authentic my version of this pastry ended up tasting, I couldn’t find any ground mace, which I know is one of the vital ingredients. A bit of creativity with some nuts & seeds were needed to disguise the craggy top! This pastry was quite unusual – a layer of marzipan sandwiched between 2 biscuit layers. I hadn’t imagined making marzipan (or mousy-pan, as my mum calls it…) was so easy. This was a tasty treat, thank you Francjin for the challenge!

Dutch Pastry

Preparation times:
Making the almond paste: 10-20 minutes
Making the speculaas dough: 10-20 minutes
Waiting: 2 hours or a few days (your choice)
Assembling: 30 minutes

Baking: 40 minutes.
Cooling: a few hours.
Equipment required:
rolling pin
food processor (to grind the almonds)
clingfoil
shallow baking pan, 8×10 inch (20×26 cm) or round with a 10 inch (26 cm) diameter

Recipe Speculaas Spices
Speculaas spices can be bought in a store. But it’s more fun to make your own mixture, so that you can adjust the flavor. Here is a representative recipe from the extensive Dutch tradition.
cinnamon 40 to 60 % of the total amount
ground cloves 1 or 2 parts
mace ½ or 1 part
ginger ½ or 1 part
Optional:
white pepper ½ or 1 part
cardamom ½ or 1 part
coriander ½ or 1 part
anise ½ or 1 part
nutmeg 1 or 2 parts

A convenient way to mix the spices is as follows:
Take at least 1 or 2 teaspoons of ground cloves, ½ or 1 teaspoon of mace and ½ or 1 teaspoon of ginger.
Add to taste ½ or 1 teaspoon of white pepper, ½ or 1 teaspoon of cardamom, ½ or 1 teaspoon of coriander, ½ or 1 teaspoon of anise, and 1 or 2 teaspoons of nutmeg.
Measure or weigh the amount of spices you have now, and add an equal amount of cinnamon.
This method yields at least 4 and at most 18 teaspoons of spices, so if you plan to mix just a few spices, use bigger or more spoons to get a reasonable amount.
Take your time to smell the ingredients individually before you decide how much to add. And remember the proportions, that will make adjustments easier next time.
Store the spices airtight, dry and dark, they will not spoil for a long time.

Recipe Almond Paste
As we are going to make stuffed speculaas, we will need almond paste. You can buy it in a store, but homemade almond paste tastes better.
7/8 cup (210 ml)(125 gm)(4½ oz) raw almonds (or 1-1/3 cups (320 ml)(125 gm) (4½ oz) ground almonds)
5/8 cup (150 ml) (125 grams) (4½ oz) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (3 gm) lemon zest
Directions:
If the raw almonds still have their brown skins, remove them as follows. Bring water to a boil, add the almonds, cook them for one minute, drain immediately and let cool for a few minutes. Rub them between your fingers to remove the skins.
Grind the almonds for one or two minutes in a food processor, until you see nothing but very small pieces. (Or skip this step if you use ground almonds.)
Add the sugar, and grind for another one or two minutes. It must be very fine after this step.
Add the egg and let the food processor combine it – if it is powerful enough. Otherwise you will have to combine it with your fingers.
Store the almond paste in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Although the flavor gets better as days pass by, it is not wise to store the paste for too long, as it contains a raw egg. For the same reason you should not eat the paste unbaked.
To be safe, you could choose one of these options:
use egg powder and water to replace the egg (follow instructions with the powder)
use 50 ml of an other liquid, like lemon juice (in that case, leave the zest out)
add the egg just before you are going to bake the pastry
The paste can also be kept in the freezer.

Recipe Speculaas Dough
1¾ cups (250 gm) (9 oz) all purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (5 gm) baking powder
¾ cup (150 grams) (5-1/3 oz) brown sugar, firmly packed
a pinch salt
2 tablespoons (30 ml) (15 gm) (½ oz) speculaas spices
3/4 cup (1½ stick) (175 gm) (6 oz) unsalted butter
Directions:
Put flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and spices in a bowl.
Cut the butter in dices and add.
Knead until smooth.
Feel free to add a little milk if the dough is too dry.
Wrap in clingfoil and put in the refrigerator for two hours.
You can choose to make the dough a few days in advance, just like the almond paste, that will benefit the flavor. Freezing is no problem.

Assembling and baking the Gevulde Speculaas
Ingredients:
speculaas dough
almond paste
whole almonds without skins for decoration
1 large egg
shallow baking pan, 8×10 inch (20×26 cm) or, round with of diameter 10 inch (26 cm)

Directions:
1. Grease the pan.
2. Preheat the oven to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas 4
3. Divide the dough into two portions.
4. Roll out both portions on a lightly floured surface, until they are exactly as big as the baking pan.
5. Put one of the layers in the pan and press it lightly to fill the bottom.
6. Lightly beat the egg with a teaspoon cold water.
7. Smear 1/3 of the egg over the dough in the pan.
8. Roll out the almond paste between two sheets of clingfoil, until it is exactly as big as the pan, and put it on the dough in the pan. (If you chose to make the paste soft, you can smear the paste instead of rolling it.)
9. Press the paste lightly down to fit in the pan, and smear the next 1/3 of the egg over it.
10. Now put the second layer of dough on top of the paste, press it lightly, and make as smooth as possible.
11. Smear the last 1/3 of the egg over the dough.
12. Decorate the pastry with the almonds.
13. Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven.
14. Let cool completely in the pan, then cut it in portions as you like.
15. If you wrap the stuffed speculaas in clingfoil, after it has cooled completely, you can store it a few days at room temperature. Freezing is possible, but fresh speculaas tastes better.
Storage & Freezing Instructions/Tips:
Speculaas spices: store them airtight, dry and dark, and they will not spoil for a long time.
Almond paste: keep it in the refrigerator. Some people keep it there for months, but if it contains raw egg, I recommend not more than a few days. Can easily be frozen.
Speculaas dough: can be kept in the refrigerator for days, or in the freezer for months. But remember: fresh tastes better.
Stuffed speculaas: if you let it cool completely, you can wrap it in clingfoil and keep it a few days at room temperature. And again: freezing is possible, but fresh is better.

My mum called me up one day in November and asked me if I could accompany her to Malaysia in 2 weeks time, it was a rhetorical question and I couldn’t say no…It’s the first time in 19 years since I’ve been back to my mother’s homeland. My memories of Ipoh consisted of utter boredom during the 6 week summer break. Every day was spent in various living rooms whilst my mum, aunt & uncles nattered on in Cantonese, myself & my twin sister resorted to food & TV to combat the boredom. We would have the rare trip to the beach, cave or casino, but I can’t say that I really ever enjoyed my summer holidays in Ipoh. However, this week was my chance to remake better memories of Malaysia. We would fly to Kuala Lumpar and stay with aunt for a few days before heading north to Ipoh. To keep myself sane, I resorted to food photography.

Airplane food – Malaysian Airlines. Went for the vegetarian option out of curiosity. The food was actually quite good! Dinner was babaganoush, stuffed pepper with curried vegetables, bread roll & fruit salad.

Day 1.

Jet lagged cuisine at my Aunt’s house in Petaing Jaya (KL).  We had brought cereal from the UK as I knew 12 days of refined white food would leave us somewhat constipated. However, we hadn’t expected to be eating cereal so soon – my aunt hadn’t bothered cooking for us, so dinner was a bowl of cereal topped with fruit. This was pretty disgusting as we used creamer that was warm, lumpy and tasted of plastic,  as my Aunt didn’t have any milk.  Yum…

After that, I tried what reminded me of rice-krispie cakes, but was more like batter fried in stale oil that had been stuck together with syrup. I was so exhausted by the flight I was more than ready for bed.  However, my mum & aunt were like two giggling school girls at a slumber party, they didn’t stop talking until 3am!

Day2.

The pace of life in Malaysia is painfully slow…. By the time we arrived at this restaurant for breakfast, it was almost mid day. However, it was worth the wait. Vegetables & tofu stuffed with homemade fish meat was delicious!

Rice porridge

Che chong fun with fried onion. I was feeling wise about the cereal.

Local food stall in Petaling Jaya

In the afternoon I was free to roam! I ventured into the centre of KL for a wander around the shopping malls which left me feeling rather depressed, and got lost on my way home.

Dinner at a popular food stall that sets up every evening in a car park. They only have one thing on the menu, and when they’ve sold out they pack up & go. Tonight was homemade fishballs with homemade noodles in a soup. Simple, but delicious.

Day3.

My mum & I went on a pre breakfast walk around the local shop houses.  It was tradition for my mum to get her blood pressure checked every day, as they do it for free in the pharmacies. I was reluctant to take part, but the band was around my arm before I could say no…(my blood pressure is excellent). My mum, determined to be healthy stopped off at a herbal drink vendor and downed a pint of bitter herbal tea. I wasn’t so brave and went for the sugar cane.

Street stalls

‘Smelly bean’ vendor

Shops in Petaling Jaya – I was surprised to see a number of organic and health food shops.

The fruit here was amazing! Pomelo, mangosteen, bananas, rambutans…

Sticky rice cake filled with red bean (pink), coconut agar cake (white & green), tapioca cake (yellow) for breakfast

Had another afternoon exploring KL. I got lost, had my feet nibbled by fish, wandered around China Town, Little India & Bangsar, nearly got knocked over by a car (no pavements in KL!) and narrowly escaped a mugging by a mad woman. I don’t really like this place…

Dinner at another local restaurant.

The tofu was incredibly fresh & tender, covered in a sticky soya & caramel sauce.

Fresh fish, greens & rice.

Day 4.

I decided to go on a wander around the neighbourhood,  (foolishly without my map or phone) took a wrong turning & spent the next hour trying to find my way back! Street naming system makes no sense here…When I finally got back on track, I treated myself to a bubble tea. Very sweet lychee green tea with chewy tapioca pearls.

After hours of waiting around, our lift to Ipoh finally arrived. I was relieved to enter the cooler climates of the more northerly part of Malaysia, amongst lush rainforests and mountains. On the downside there were more mosquitos, which are attracted to me, despite wearing insect repellant! We knocked up at a local eating place, Marpoh which was crowded with locals. The decor was pretty basic, but the food was far from simple! We had a feast of local fish, pork knuckle cooked in soya vinegar, tofu & vegetables, five bean dish, and century egg soup. I was absolutely stuffed!

local fresh water fish dish

Pork knuckle cooked in soya vinegar

Day5.

The highlight of Ipoh life is eating. I won’t mention the dodgy hotel that my cousin booked us into accidentally. I was so short-tempered due to lack of sleep I wasn’t in the mood for taking photos of the hotel breakfast ( I had watermelon and american pancakes, passed on the noodle vegetable dish which was tepid and swimming in oil.) By the time it got to lunch time, I was really hungry. We were brought to the Woolley Food City in Ipoh Garden. Not wanting anything to fussy, I went for the popiah, which was like a soft tortilla wrap filled with glass noodles, vegetables & tofu, and drizzled with sweet chili sauce. We also had a portion of smelly beans & prawns on the side. My mum & Aunt are unashamed of their bodily functions, they happily ate away.

Ice kerchang for dessert – creamy coconut milk, peanuts & grass jelly is a winning combination for the hot humid weather, but this has to be eaten fast before it disappears into a slushy drink!

Squashed up in the back of a people carrier, my mum, aunt, uncle & cousins  headed out for dinner at Nonya restaurant in Ipoh. We ordered the set menu for 6. The food was incredible!

Tofu with fried onion & garlic

Green mango salad

Fried breaded chicken (far better than KFC!)

Day6.

After a stressful and un-enjoyable few days in Malaysia, it was time for me to escape to Singapore. My cousin, aunt & mum treated me to a Dimsum breakfast before I embarked my 10hr coach journey. We tried a few different types of bau – pork, chicken, vegetable, black sesame & red bean. They were bouncy & stuffed with delicious fillings, and sticky rice was lovely & comforting.

Although I couldn’t stand the weather and didn’t understand the culture, I did enjoy the food in Malaysia.

Happy twelfth night everyone! It’s officially the end of the festive season. Here’s a few of the highlights that I’ve been indulging in over the past 12 days…

Xmas lunch at my sister’s friend’s house

I normally don’t like sprouts but these were tasty!

Chocolate popping candy cake that my sister made

Homemade panettone for dessert

Kaya bun on my epic journey to Heathrow airport on Boxing day, made it to Cork in the end!

Cakes, Cork style

Irish icecream with wafers

Barry’s tea

Soya decaff latte with fairtrade dark chocolate kitkat

Boiled eggs, hotel breakfast

Bread & butter pudding at the English Market, Cork.

Homemade christmas cake with custard.

More homemade christmas cake

Homemade mince pies

Scrambled egg on marmite toast for New Years day breakfast

Exotic fruit salad, trying to start the year healthily…

But then came the homemade panettone…

Vegetable curry, rice & salad for new year’s day dinner with my parents.

Wishing you all a very wonderful 2013!

Homemade panettone ROCKS!  I love everything about this cake – the zesty aromas, the soft texture & buttery flavours.  Over the past 10 years or so, I’ve noticed this cake moving from the realms of the exclusive deli to the budget supermarket.  The £3.99 version is often on the dry side with a burnt flavoured crust, fine toasted & covered in jam. But definitely doesn’t do this cake justice. The more premium versions are just so pretty – amazingly stylish box, the mini ones even come with a ribbon so that you can hang them off the Christmas tree!  However, this was my first attempt of making panettone (and hopefully not the last!) The December 2012 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by the talented Marcellina of Marcellina in Cucina. Marcellina challenged us to create our own custom Panettone, a traditional Italian holiday bread!

Fortunately I had already a jar of homemade candied peel in my fridge as I had made mince pies the previous week. I had finally found a use for the orange that we sneakily plucked from a tree whilst on honeymoon in Seville, it was green at the time but had gradually ripened.

The recipe requires some good organisational skills, strong arms and a warm house.  As a serial multi-tasker (juggling 4 jobs) I can confirm that I am extremely organised.  On a day working in my home office, I took regular baking breaks in between  chirpy social media posts, formal emails, number crunching and trampolining. Beating cold butter into a bread dough is an excellent workout for your arms, and a guaranteed bingo-wing preventer.  The warm house was a bit more challenging – although I love living in a cute terraced house, I’m cursed with drafty wooden floorboards, single glazing & limited roof insulation. The bedroom thermometer says it all – I’m used to 12 degrees first thing in the morning, 13 if I’m lucky. The cold climate made beating in the butter which hadn’t softened at ‘Room Temperature’, really difficult.  I laughed at the idea of my dough ‘doubling in size’, I’d be lucky if there was any movement at all! Action was needed – I took my dough to the studio one day during a life drawing class when I knew there would be guaranteed warmth.  I nervously rested my dough near the radiators, hoping that the yeast didn’t get chilblains from the extreme temperature change.  I even resorted to hugging the bowls of dough up to my chest like a penguin incubating an egg.

The lack of tall baking tins forced me to improvise; I used large glass pickled gherkin jars.  I did try making panettone papers as described by this month’s host, but found rolling the dough in greased baking parchment just as effective and a lot easier.

I made 3 additional flavours to the original (and those who know me won’t be surprised of the flavours I used)

A green one made with the very last of my Matcha powder, filled with dates & candied peel, studded with pumpkin seeds. No more green cakes until I buy another tin

A chocolate chai latte flavoured one using cocoa, cinnamon and crushed black cardamom, filled with crystallized ginger & candied peel, topped with flaked almond.

An extreme chocolate one flavoured with lots of cocoa, a pinch of chilli powder, filled with cranberries & candied peel, topped with poppy seeds.

Good news – they grew in the right direction in the oven! Bad news – the tops were lopsided and lumpy, and burnt in places. I didn’t attempt to hang them upside down to cool as these were heavy as bricks! My panettone were cakey rather than bready, but still absolutely delicious!

Second panettone attempt involved accidentally modifying the recipe. Broken printer - I decided to work from memory as I was pretty confident that I could remember it…However, I got the measurements wrong. I added too much water in the sponge and the first dough. I tried to rectify this by reducing the egg content from two to one. My other modifications included:

-          Using a combination of olive oil & vegetable margarine instead of butter,

-           Reducing the sugar content  by 50%,

-           Using one entire egg instead of 2 egg yolks in the second dough.

The wetter dough was a joy to mix, but I had to add more flour to the final dough when kneading it.

I decided to play with the fillings of my second batch:

Dates soaked in Coffee with walnuts

Mulled wine infused cranberries & sultanas

Mini orange chocolate chip

The weather has got warmer so the yeast was happily releasing gasses & the dough was growing healthily, perhaps a bit too enthusiastic in some cases. My final panettone I left to prove during the day, unaware that my husband had turned on the heating, so I came back to a bulbous dome at the top of my gherkin jar. It grew further in the oven, with hilarious results, replicating what my husband described as a ‘Primitive fertility artefact’.  I brought this phallic symbol along to a Christmas lunch, my fellow diners nick-named ‘Penis Cake’.  Despite its unfortunate form, it was a tasty bake.

Preparation time:

Sponge
35 minutes

First Dough
mixing 15-20 minutes
rising time 1 -1 ¼ hours

Second dough
mixing 15-20 minutes
Rising time 2 ½ – 4 hours or overnight in a cool place

Final dough and rise
preparing and mixing 1 hour
rising 2-4 hours
Baking 40 minutes
Cooling 30 minutes

Almond Glaze extra 15 minutes

Candied Orange Peel
Prep time about 1 hour
Cooking time 3 hours plus resting time

Equipment required:

• Small bowl (for the sponge and soaking the raisins)
• Spoon
• Stand mixer with paddle and dough hook or wooden spoon, medium large bowl and arm strength
• Measuring cups, spoons and scales
• Plastic wrap
• Large bowl for rising the dough
• Paper towel to dry the raisins
• Grater
• Medium bowl for mixing filling
• Panettone papers or pans as above
• Food processor and spoon for Almond Glaze
• Cutting board for candied orange peels
• Knife for candied orange peels
• Saucepan for candied orange peels
• Wooden spoon for candied orange peels

Panettone:

Makes 2 Panettoni

Ingredients

Sponge
1 satchel (2¼ teaspoons) (7 gm) active dry yeast
1/3 cup (80 ml) warm water
½ cup (70 gm) unbleached all purpose flour

First Dough
1 satchel (2¼ teaspoons) (7 gm) active dry yeast
3 tablespoons (45 ml) warm water
2 large eggs, at room temp
1¼ cup (175 gm) unbleached all-purpose (plain) flour
¼ cup (55 gm) (2 oz) sugar
½ cup (1 stick) (115 gm) unsalted butter, at room temp

Second dough
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
2/3 cup (150 gm) (5-2/3 oz) sugar
3 tablespoons (45 ml) honey
1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon essence/extract
1 teaspoon (5 ml) orange essence/extract
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) salt
1 cup (2 sticks) (225 gm) unsalted butter, at room temp
3 cups (420 gm) (15 oz) unbleached all-purpose (plain) flour; plus up to (2/3 cup) 100 gm for kneading

Filling and final dough
1½ cups (250 gm) (9 oz) golden raisins or golden sultanas
½ cup (75 gm) (2-2/3 oz) candied citron ( I didn’t have this so I made it up with candied orange peel)
½ cup (75 gm) (2-2/3 oz) candied orange peel (try making your own; recipe below)
Grated zest of 1 orange
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 to 3 tablespoons (30-45 ml) (15-25 gm) unbleached all-purpose (plain) flour

Directions:

Sponge

1. Mix the yeast and water in a small bowl and allow to stand until creamy. That’s about 10 minutes or so
2. Mix in the flour.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to double in size for about 20 to 30 minutes

First Dough

By hand:

1. Mix the yeast and water in a large bowl and allow to stand until creamy. Again, about 10 minutes or so
2. Mix in the sponge and beat well with a wooden spoon
3. Stir in the eggs, flour and sugar.
4. Mix in the butter well
5. This should only take about 5 – 6 minutes
6. Cover with plastic wrap and allow double in size, about 1 – 1 ¼ hours

By Mixer:

1. In the mixer bowl, mix together the yeast and water and allow to stand until creamy. Again, about 10 minutes or so
2. With the paddle attached mix in the sponge, eggs, flour, and sugar.
3. Add in the butter and mix for 3 minutes until the dough is smooth and even.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and allow double in size, about 1 – 1 ¼ hours

Second dough

By Hand:

1. Be sure to have your dough in a large bowl as above.
2. With a wooden spoon mix in eggs, egg yolk, sugar, honey, vanilla, essences/extracts and salt.
3. Mix in the butter.
4. Then add the flour. Stir until smooth.
5. At this stage the dough will seem a little too soft, like cookie dough.
6. Turn it out and knead it on a well-floured surface until it sort of holds its shape. Don’t knead in too much flour but you may need as much as 2/3 cup (100 gm). Be careful the excess flour will affect the finished product.

By Mixer:

1. With the paddle mix in thoroughly the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, honey, vanilla, essences/extracts, and salt.
2. Mix in the butter until smooth.
3. Add the flour and slowly incorporate.
4. At this stage the dough will seem a little too soft, like cookie dough.
5. Replace the paddle with the dough hook and knead for about 2 minutes.
6. Turn out the dough and knead it on a well-floured surface until it sort of holds its shape.
7. Don’t knead in too much flour but you may need as much as 2/3 cup (100 gm). Be careful the excess flour will affect the finished product.

First Rise

1. Oil a large bowl lightly, plop in your dough and cover with plastic wrap
2. Now we need to let it rise until it has tripled in size. There are two ways to go about this.

• Rise in a warm place for 2 – 4 hours
• Or find a cool spot (64°F -68°F) (18°C – 20°C) and rise overnight
• Or rise for 2 hours on your kitchen bench then slow the rise down and place in the refrigerator overnight. If you do this it will take some time to wake up the next morning but I preferred this method.

Filling and Final Rise:

1. Soak the raisin/sultanas in water 30 minutes before the end of the first rise. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Now take your dough and cut it in half. Remember we are making two panettoni.
3. Combine all your filling ingredients and mix well
4. Press out one portion of dough into an oval shape
5. Sprinkle over one quarter of the filling and roll up the dough into a log
6. Press out again into an oval shape and sprinkle over another quarter of the filling
7. Roll into a log shape again.
8. Repeat with the second portion of dough
9. Shape each into a ball and slip into your prepared pans, panettone papers or homemade panettone papers.
10. Cut an X into the top of each panettone and allow to double in size.
11. Rising time will vary according to method of first rise. If it has been in the refrigerator it could take 4 hours or more. If it has been rising on the kitchen bench in a warm place it should be doubled in about 2 hours.

Baking

1. When you think your dough has only about 30 minutes left to rise preheat your oven to moderately hot 400°F/200°C/gas mark 6 and adjust your oven racks
2. Just before baking carefully (don’t deflate it!) cut the X into the dough again and place in a knob (a nut) of butter.
3. Place your panettoni in the oven and bake for 10 minutes
4. Reduce the heat to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 and bake for another 10 minutes
5. Reduce the heat again to moderate 325°F/160°C/gas mark 3 and bake for 30 minutes until the tops are well browned and a skewer inserted into the panettone comes out clean.
6. Cooling your panettone is also important. If you have use papers (commercial or homemade) lie your panettoni on their side cushioned with rolled up towels. Turn gently as they cool. If you have used pans cool in the pans for 30 minutes then remove and cushion with towels as above.
7. Panettone can also be cooled suspended. How to do this? Firstly you need to use papers (commercial or homemade), insert clean knitting needles into the bottom of the panettone in a X shape. Flip over and support the knitting needles on the edges of a large saucepan with the panettone suspended within the saucepan. Yep, a lot of trouble and I didn’t really find that much difference – maybe I took too long to insert the needles.

Almond Glaze for Panettone

Ingredients

1 cup (140 gm) (5 oz) whole blanched almonds
1 cup (125 gm) (4 ½ oz) confectioners’ (icing) sugar
2 tablespoons (18 gm) (2/3 oz) whole wheat flour
3 large egg whites
3 tablespoons (45 ml) good quality extra virgin olive oil
Few drops of almond essence, to your taste
Pearl sugar, flaked almonds or demerara (course crystal) sugar to decorate

During the final rise, prepare the almond glaze. Process almond, confectioners’ sugar and flour until the nuts are finely chopped and well blended. Mix in the egg whites, oil and essence. Process to combine. It is meant to be thick and glue like. All is well! When the panettoni are well risen carefully spread half the mixture over the top. Don’t worry about spreading it to the edges, in fact keep well away from the edges because the glaze will melt and spread. Bake as per the panettone recipe above.

Candied Orange Peel

Ingredients
9 thin skinned oranges
3½ cups (800 gm) (28 oz) sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) corn syrup (If corn syrup is not available you can use a dash of lemon juice or cream of tartar.)
Water as needed
Granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Wash and dry oranges then cut the tops and bottoms off.
2. Cut into 6 or 8 pieces vertically
3. Remove the flesh with a sharp knife and reserve for another use (or just munch on it)
4. Put the peels in a large saucepan and cover with water
5. Cook slowly over gently heat until the peels are tender – about ¾ hour to 1 hour
6. Drain and cover with fresh water. Sit for an hour or up to overnight. Drain
7. Into another large saucepan pour 2 cups of water. Mix in the sugar and the corn syrup.
8. Bring mixture to boil then add peels. Partially cover the pan.
9. Reduce heat to very low and using a candy thermometer adjust the temperature so that (212°F to 222°F) 100°C to 105°C is maintained. You may need to add extra water – I didn’t
10. After 2 hours has passed remove the lid and rise the temperature to (235°F) 110°C so that it boils and the water evaporates
11. Turn off the heat and wait until the bubbles subside
12. Scoop out the peels with a slotted spoon and place on a rack to cool and dry.
13. After a couple of hours the peels are ready to roll in sugar and store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. These will keep well for a few months in the bottom of your fridge.

Freezing/Storage Instructions/Tips: Once your panettone is thoroughly cooled, place in a large plastic bag or container and it will keep quite well maybe for a week. At first the panettone is soft and tender but after a day or two it becomes dry like the commercial variety. I found that the glaze kept the panettone a bit more moist. I didn’t freeze mine but I have frozen the commercial variety for a month or two.

Additional Information: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liGQB0B6OzM Video on making Panettone

How to make homemade Panettone papers:

Cut 6 long strips on baking parchment and arrange in a star pattern on a baking parchment lined oven tray. Staple the middle.

Place the Panettone dough in the middle

Wrap strips around the dough.

Make a collar out of baking parchment using a cake pan or saucepan to give the shape and staple in place.

Remove the collar from the cake pan and slip over the dough. Attach the strips of paper which cover the dough to the collar with staples.
Bake as directed without removing from the oven tray.
Looks rough but it works. Takes a bit of fiddling.