Banana Custard Pudding

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups milk – see note

3 large eggs yolks

3 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3-4 bananas, ripe, mashed

dash of nutmeg

1/2 banana sliced, for serving

mint leaves

Method:

Put 1 inch of water in bottom of double boiler and bring to a simmer. In the top bowl of a double-boiler, combine the sugar, salt, and flour; stir to blend. Slowly stir in milk or half-and-half until smooth. Place bowl on bottom pot of double boiler containing just simmering water. Cook, whisking often, until the mixture begins to thicken.

In a small bowl, whisk the 3 egg yolks. Gradually, so as not to cook the yolks, whisk in about 1 cup of the slightly thickened hot milk mixture. (This is called tempering the yolks.) Pour the warmed egg mixture into the milk in the double boiler, stir in the vanilla and butter, and continue whisking constantly. Cook until custard is thick and smooth, scraping bottom frequently. Gently fold in mashed banana. Remove from heat, let cool slightly. Pour into dessert cups. Decorate with a sprinkle of nutmeg, a piece of sliced banana and a sprig of mint.

If you want to serve warm, serve immediately otherwise place custard cups in refrigerator and let chill until cold. The pudding is best the day after making it.

Note: Using half-and-half, or evaporated milk, makes a richer pudding.

Variations on Traditional Banana Custard Pudding:

Coconut Banana Pudding: Use coconut milk as 1/3 of the milk for the custard, and stir 3/4 cup shredded coconut into the custard. Complete recipe as above.

Strawberry Angel Layer Cake

Ingredients:
2/3 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
8 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 container strawberries
1 cup heavy cream, substitute whipping cream


Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 15 1/2-inch by 10 1/2-inch jelly-roll pan. Line pan with waxed paper; grease waxed paper. Into small bowl, sift flour and confectioners' sugar.

In large bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating just until whites stand in stiff, glossy peaks when beaters are lifted. Beat in vanilla.

Sift flour mixture, one-third at a time, over beaten egg whites; fold in with rubber spatula just until flour mixture is no longer visible.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Invert cake onto cutting board; carefully peel off waxed paper.

While cake cools, prepare strawberries and whipped cream. Set 5 or 6 smaller berries aside; reserve for garnish. Hull and slice remaining strawberries. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat cream and remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar until soft peaks form. Reserve 3/4 cup whipped cream. Fold strawberries into whipped cream remaining in bowl.

Assemble cake: With serrated knife, cut cake into 3 equal strips, about 10-inch by 5-inch each. Place 1 cake strip on platter; spread with half of strawberry whipped cream. Top with 1 more cake strip then with remaining strawberry whipped cream. Top with remaining cake. Spread reserved whipped cream on top of cake. Cut each reserved strawberry in half; use to garnish platter and top of cake. Refrigerate if not serving right away.

Recipe adapted from delish.com

Moist Carrot Cake

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of grated nutmeg
4 tbsp sweetened shredded coconut
4 large eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
2 1/2 cups finely grated raw carrots
5 ounces walnut halves, toasted and chopped
1 tsp butter, for the Bundt cake pan


Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 F (170 C) and place a rack in the center of the oven. Butter a 9-inch Bundt cake pan and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, shredded coconut and ground cinnamon. Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs with the sugars until the batter is thick and light colored.

Add the oil and whisk to combine.

Add the flour mixture and stir just until incorporated.

With a large rubber spatula fold in the grated carrots and chopped nuts. Pour the batter into the Bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 5 -10 minutes invert the cake onto a serving platter.

Vanilla Cupcakes

Makes 12

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups self-raising flour

½ cup caster sugar

175g unsalted butter, softened

150ml milk

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2½ cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat the oven to 175C. Line a twelve hole half-cup capacity muffin tray with paper liners.

Place all ingredients into a bowl of a mixer and beat on low speed until mixture just comes together. Increase the speed and beat for 4-5 minutes or until the mixture is thick, smooth and aerated. Spoon into the prepared tin, filling them two-thirds full.

Bake in the centre of the oven for about 25 minutes or until the cupcakes are firm and golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

For frosting, using the wire whisk attachment of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice.

Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and add the vanilla, mixing until incorporated. Whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.

Frost the cooled cupcakes using a small spatula. Decorate as desired.

You can store any unused buttercream in the refrigerator in an airtight container; let it come to room temperature and then give it a quick whip in the mixer before using.

Chocolate Caramel Slice

Ingredients:

85g butter, melted

2/3 cup self raising flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup dessicated coconut

Caramel Layer

400g (1 can) condensed milk

2 gloriously big tablespoons of golden syrup

1 tablespoon of butter

Chocolate Layer

125g best quality dark chocolate (you can use milk chocolate, but I find it way too sweet)

Line a 20 centimetre (8 inch) square tin with non-stick baking paper, being sure to leave excess paper overhanging to be able to lift the finished slice when baked. Preheat oven to 180C.

In a medium bowl, combine all base ingredients and press into prepared tin and bake for 15 minutes or until risen and golden brown. Allow to cool.

In a small saucepan, combine the caramel layer ingredients and cook over medium heat for around 10 minutes or until a light golden brown colour. Don’t forget to constantly stir with a whisk or spatula as you cook, or else it will get lumpy.

Pour the caramel filling over cooked base and return to oven. Bake until the caramel layer is just set – this should take 10 – 15 minutes or so. When done, remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or microwave and spread evenly over cooled slice. Once chocolate is set, cut into squares using a hot knife.

Recipe adapted from buttersugarflour.com

Mango Ice Cream Bombes

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 large ripe mango

180g (1 cup) reduced-fat vanilla ice-cream, softened slightly

180g (1 cup) reduced-fat mango frozen dessert, softened slightly

Method:

Line the base and sides of two 250ml (1-cup) capacity muffin holes with plastic wrap, allowing the plastic to hang over the sides (get as many creases out of the plastic wrap as possible).

Use a small sharp knife to cut the cheeks from the mango and carefully peel away the skin. Use a 5cm heart-shaped pastry cutter to cut 1 heart from each mango cheek. Place 1 mango heart in the base of each muffin hole.

Finely chop remaining mango flesh. Place chopped mango in a medium bowl. Add the ice-cream and frozen dessert and combine. Spoon ice-cream mixture into prepared muffin holes and smooth the surface with the back of the spoon. Fold over excess plastic wrap to cover ice-cream mixture. Place in the freezer for 4 hours or overnight until set.

Remove ice-cream bombes from the freezer. Using the plastic wrap as a guide, carefully lift the bombes from the holes. Turn the bombes onto a plate (heart-side up) and peel away the plastic wrap. Place bombes in the freezer for 1 hour.

Remove the ice cream bombes from the freezer 10 minutes before serving to soften slightly.

to soften slightly.

Recipe adapted from taste.com.au

Watermelon Squares

Ingredients:

one large watermelon, halved lengthwise

1/2 cup campari (optional)

Method:

Using a very sharp knife, slice the rind from the bottom of each watermelon half. The halves will now lay flat on a cutting board.

Working from top to bottom, trim the rind from the watermelon flesh in 4 cuts, creating 2 large squares. Cut each square in half to make 4 smaller squares. Cut the squares vertically into thirds. Rotate counterclockwise and repeat the cut. Rotate once more counterclockwise and cut into thirds again.

Place on dessert plates and serve each with 2 tablespoons of Campari, if desired.

Chocolate Marbled Health Squares

Makes 16

Ingredients:

150 gm dark chocolate with 70-75% cocoa solids, broken into small pieces

150 gm good-quality white chocolate, broken into small pieces

110 gm pecan nuts

110 gm ready-to-eat dried apricots

75 gm raisins

150 gm porridge oats

25 gm rice krispies (bubbles)

25 gm bran flakes, lightly crushed

1 teaspoon molasses syrup

150 ml condensed milk

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC / 350ºF. Prepare a non-stick oblong baking tin, 15 X 25.5 cm / 6 X 10 inches, and 2.5 cm / 1 inch deep.

Toast the pecan nuts on a baking sheet on the top shelf of the oven for 7 minutes, using a timer, then chop them roughly.

Chop the apricots to the same size as the pecans.

In a large bowl mix together the apricots, pecans and raisins, oats, rice krispies and bran flakes.

In a small saucepan, heat the molasses syrup and condensed milk until they’re warm and thoroughly blended.

Pour the milk mixture into the bowl, mix it all well with a wooden spoon.

Tip the mixture into the baking tin, press it down evenly all over and bake in the centre of the oven for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Leave it to get quite cold.

Meanwhile, melt the white and dark chocolate separately in heatproof bowls set over pans of barely simmering water, making sure the base of the bowls doesn’t touch the water.

When the cereal mixture has cooled, loosen the edges with a palette knife and turn it out, upside down, on to a board.

Using a tablespoon, put spoonfuls of the dark chocolate all over the top of the cereal cake, leaving space in between.

Then do the same with the white chocolate, but this time fill up the gaps.

Take a small palette knife and, using a zigzag motion, swirl the two chocolates together to give a marbled effect.

Lift the board and gently tap it down on to the work surface to create a smooth finish.

Chill in the fridge for about 1 hour.

Use a sharp knife to cut it into 16 bars.

Moist Devil's Food Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (pans)
3/4 cup dutch process cocoa (powder plus more for pans)
1/2 cup boiling water
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs (lightly beaten)
3 cups cake flour (sifted, self raising)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk

Mrs Milman's Chocolate Frosting:

24 ounces Nestle semisweet chocolate morsels
4 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon light corn syrup

Method:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange two racks in center of oven. Butter three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment. Dust bottoms and sides of pans with cocoa powder; tap out any excess. Sift cocoa into a medium bowl, and whisk in boiling water. Set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on low speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down sides twice. Beat in vanilla. Drizzle in eggs, a little at a time, beating between each addition until the batter is no longer slick, scraping down the sides twice.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk milk into reserved cocoa mixture. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour and cocoa mixtures to the batter, a little of each at a time, starting and ending with flour mixture.

Divide batter evenly among the three prepared pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center of each layer comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes, rotating the pans for even baking. Transfer layers to wire racks; let cool, 15 minutes. Turn out cakes, and return to racks, tops up, until completely cool.

To make Chocolate Frosting:Place chocolate morsels and cream in a heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until combined and thickened, between 20 and 25 minutes. Increase the heat to medium low; cook, stirring, 3 minutes more. Remove pan from heat.

Stir in corn syrup. Transfer frosting to a large metal bowl. Chill until cool enough to spread, about 2 hours, checking and stirring every 15 to 20 minutes. Use immediately.

Remove parchment from bottoms of cakes. Reserve the prettiest layer for the top. Place one cake layer on a serving platter; spread 1 1/2 cups chocolate frosting over the top. Add the second cake layer, and spread with another 1 1/2 cups frosting. Top with third cake layer. Cover outside of cake with the remaining 3 cups frosting. Serve.