*PALEO* Lamingtons!

So you know that craze that's going around? The "Paleo" craze? No?

Basically it's a new-fangled diet (or rather...an old diet), which is based upon the supposed foods which palaeolithic humans ate thousands of years ago. It's a diet free of grains (i.e. wheat, rice, oats...etc.), sugar, foods high in starches (like potatoes or corn), dairy products, and other processed foods.

The concept is to eat a diet which is high in protein and healthy fats, and low in sugars and carbohydrates.

At first, it sounds daunting. I mean, I instantly began to think about all the foods I couldn't eat; pizza...cake...pizza...

However, I was actually so surprised about the amount of recipes I found which were deemed "paleo". True, I'm not following the diet super strictly - I have been living off of mango smoothies a little - but I've been doing just as much baking as before, with excellent results :)

Take, for instance, these lamingtons I made for Australia Day. I will admit, they're not at all like the fluffy, sweet, chocolatey creations you can buy for a few dollars at Coles; but they come pretty damn close, especially if you're not used to eating a lot of sugar.

And, if you feel slightly alarmed by the whole "paleo" idea, just think of these as being grain free, gluten free, sugar free and dairy free lamingtons. Actually, on second thoughts, that doesn't really sound too appetising. You get my gist, though...?

(Recipe adapted from Eat Drink Paleo because I'm not smart enough to make it up myself)

Paleo Lamingtons:

Sponge:
3 eggs
1/2 cup of tapioca or arrowroot starch
3/4 cup of almond meal
1 teaspoon of baking powder
A generous 1/2 cup of coconut oil
1/4 cup of honey
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Icing:
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
2/3 cup of coconut oil
2 tablespoons of honey
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 tablespoons of coconut milk (I'm lazy, so I just used regular milk)

1 1/2 cups of dessicated coconut

1. For the sponge: Beat together the coconut oil, honey and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs for a good five minutes until thick and foamy, then add the coconut oil/honey/vanilla in a thin stream.
2. Using a whisk, fold in the baking powder, tapioca and almond meal until just combined.
3. Pour the mixture into a lined lamington tin (approximately 20cm by 30cm) at 165C for 20 minutes.
4. For the icing: Combine the cocoa, coconut oil, honey, vanilla and milk and whisk until smooth. It is quite a runny mixture.
5. To assemble: Cut the sponge in half lengthways. Spread chocolate icing on one half and top with the other half of the sponge, so you have one giant lamington-sandwich sort of thing going on.
6. Cut your giant sandwich into whatever size lamingtons you like. I cut it into 2cm-wide fingers, then cut each of those fingers in half again. Set up the icing in a bowl, and the dessicated coconut in another bowl or spread on a plate. 
7. Dip each lamington first into the chocolate, then cover it completely with coconut. They taste best if they've been left for a couple of hours for the chocolate to soak in a little, and will become quite firm if they're stored in the fridge.

So there you go. Lamingtons probably aren't the best introductory recipe to paleo-ism, but that's what I felt like and this is my blog. Deal with it! Hahaha, I kid :) Thanks for reading, and make sure you tell me what you think if you get a chance to make these beauties!

Crumpets.

Can I just say, I've never looked forward to the holidays as much as I have this term. I don't really know why, but I was so excited for school to finish, even if it is only for the next two weeks.

And what better way is there to celebrate finishing 3/4 of the year? By making home made crumpets, of course! What do you mean, throw a party or hang out with friends? No, crumpets are all you need in life. Well, crumpets, chocolate and a good book, maybe.

To get back to my story, I was actually so surprised at how easy these things are to make. They have yeast in them, so I guess you could classify them as bread, but they basically are the same as pancakes. Honestly, give them a go - they taste so much better than the store bought ones! :)

Crumpets

1 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons of plain flour
2 tablespoons of dry milk powder
1 teaspoon of instant dried yeast (3g)
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of room temperature / lukewarm water
1/4 teaspoon of bicarb soda

1. Mix together the flour, milk, yeast, sugar and salt. With an electric mixer, beat in 3/4 cup of water on a low speed. Raise the speed to medium, and beat the batter for five minutes.
2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and leave in a warm place to rise for an hour, or until doubled in size.
3. When it has risen, mix the bicarb soda and extra water together and stir into the batter - it will be full of bubbles, but then it will deflate - and leave it to rise for another half an hour, or until almost doubled in size.
4. Grease some egg rings with oil or ghee (just as a sidenote, ghee (clarified butter) is amazing for frying pancakes and things in), and heat up a frying pan. Pour or ladle a little of the batter into each of the egg rings, until they are half full. Leave to cook until bubbles rise and the tops are no longer glossy. urn over and let them brown a little on the other side.
5. To serve: toast the crumpets lightly in a toaster until the outsides are crisp and the insides are still soft, the slather them with butter and honey. To store: they are best eaten on the day they are made, or they can be well wrapped and frozen for as long as you want. 

Apologies and Tomato Chutney.

Wow.

Okay, I'll admit it: you guys have been sorely neglected. Two months since I last gave you a new post? Utterly ridiculous.

However, in my defence, I have been writing a 25-page-long Ancient History assignment (why oh why did I choose Ancient History?) and reading Les Miserables. That, my friends, is a long book - but totally worth it :)

However, seeing as I have a German exam in, like, an hour, I'd better get cracking with the recipe. For some reason, people in our house have a tendency towards consuming large amounts of chutney on their sandwiches - so much so, that Mum was buying practically a new jar every week. I have no idea why this is so, but I decided, why not just make our own? It's way cheaper, easier, and makes more than what we would usually buy. Basically, what I'm saying is, I've made this recipe so many times I can do it with my eyes shut, so why don't you guys give it a go? :)



Tomato Chutney

1 kilo of ripe tomatoes, peeled (see Note for how to peel tomatoes)
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 cup of apple cider vinegar
1 large clove of garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon of salt
A sprinkle of cayenne pepper (I've learned from experience that it's hotter than you'd think - if you don't like spicy things, then stick with a sprinkle)
1 teaspoon of ground ginger

1. Dice the peeled tomatoes and combine in a big pot with the sugar, vinegar, garlic, salt and cayenne pepper. 
2. Bring the mixture to a slow simmer and cook, stirring, until the syrup thickens a little and the tomatoes are reduced to a sort of pulp. This can take from 45 minutes up to 2 hours.
3. Add the ginger and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the chutney from the heat and ladle into hot sterilised jars.
4. Keep in the refrigerator; makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Note: To peel tomatoes: cut a cross-shape in the base of the tomatoes (the opposite end from the stem). Place the tomatoes in a pot of boiling water and let them boil for about 30 seconds, or until the skin begins to blister and peel off. Move them into a colander in the sink and run cold water over them while you peel the skin off with your fingers. Make sure there are no blemishes or mould growing on them - if there is, then cut it out. To sterilise jars: making sure the jars have been washed and are completely clean, place the jars and their lids in an oven at 100C for around 5 - 10 minutes. Please note, though, that if you put cold glass jars straight into a hot oven, they will crack, so put them in the oven when it is cool and warm the oven up with them inside.

ANZAC Biscuits

For anybody who hasn't yet noticed, it's Anzac day today. I'm pretty sure most people know what Anzac day is, but for those who don't, here's a brief summary:

The 25th of April was originally a day of remembrance for the soldiers in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli and World War I. Today, Anzac Day is a day of remembering and honouring all of our soldiers who have "served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations...and the contribution and suffering of all those who have served."

Anzac biscuits, however, were the biscuits which the wives of the soldiers sent overseas because they kept well and didn't spoil easily when being sent over. I've been researching them, actually, and they're really quite interesting: for instance, did you know that it is illegal to sell them as Anzac "cookies"? Because the term "Anzac" is protected under Australian law, to sell them you have to use the word "biscuit", and use an original recipe. Also, the biscuits don't have any eggs in them - during WWI there was a shortage of eggs because all the poultry farmers left to fight in the war.

So there you go. You learn something new every day! Or, at least, I do...maybe you already knew all this stuff. But I thought I'd give you my recipe for Anzacs, because they're actually one of my favourite cookies biscuits :) And so easy to make, too!



Anzac Biscuits

1 cup of rolled oats
1 cup of plain flour
1 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of desiccated coconut
150g of butter
2 tablespoons of golden syrup
2 tablespoons of boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons of bicarb soda

1. Combine the oats, flour, sugar and coconut in a large bowl. Melt the butter and golden syrup together in a small/medium saucepan.
2. Mix the boiling water and bicarb soda together, and then stir into the butter mixture (this is my favourite part - it goes really bubbly). Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well.
3. Roll spoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on greased or papered baking trays. Allow room for spreading!
4. Bake at 150C for 15-20 minutes, or until golden.

Can we just talk about how cute this Bunnykins mug is, with the billy and campfire? I love it :)

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.

Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,

They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

Lest we forget.

I am so proud to be Australian.

Little Carrot Cakes

Hallo.



Getting straight into things, it's not may fault. I didn't do it, I swear. No, really: all holidays I wanted to write you up a nice little post, but could I? Nope.

You see, the last day of school, I had an Ancient History exam (I don't know why I took Ancient History, but I did. Back to the story), and we had to use our computers for this exam; long story short, our teacher put a program on our computers to stop us going on the internet during the exam and it was never properly taken off.

For two weeks.

Oh well. No internet for two weeks? I guess I lived...but enough about me (*she says on her own personal blog*), what did you do in the holidays? I have to say, I'm really looking forward to a day off on Anzac day - I've been at school for one week, and I already want the holidays to come again, haha :P

Well, anyway, here you guys go: I made these cupcakes ages ago, but forgot to post them, and it's such a great recipe. Like, seriously, the best carrot cake ever. Trust me!



Little Carrot Cakes
4 eggs
3/4 cup of vegetable oil
1/2 cup of applesauce
1 1/2 cups of sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla essence
2 cups of plain flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
2 teaspoons of bicarb soda
2 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
3 cups of grated carrots (possibly about 4-6 large-ish carrots)
3/4 cup of chopped walnuts (or pecans)

1. Beat together the eggs, oil, applesauce, sugar and vanilla with electric beaters. Slowly stir in the flour, baking powder, bicarb soda, cinnamon and nutmeg until well blended, then add the carrots and nuts.
2. Spoon the mixture into individual patty cases, and bake in a preheated oven at 160C (fan-forced), for approximately 25-30 minutes.
3. Ice each cupcake with a generous amount of cream cheese icing (a recipe of which you can find here).

And that's it! How easy?

(I completely forgot to watermark these pictures. Ignore my lack of professional skills...)

Hot Cross Buns

Ohhhhkay. So, it's been a while.
Sorry.
(I wonder how many of these posts have started similarly to this one?)

So, funny story, I actually made these hot cross buns weeks ago.
Another funny story, I completely forgot to put sultanas in them.
A third funny story? I've had so many assignments / tests / homework that my brain has really just been like "assignment, revision, test, sleep, more assignment, homework, sleep, sleep, sleep". So...yeah. That's my excuse as to why I've not uploaded this earlier - you can decide how much of it is truth :P

But it's all good, guys. I've managed to find time to type this out, I'm listening to the Les Mis soundtrack, and I just finished To Kill A Mockingbird (such a good book. Go read it. Now.)

So yeah - here we go, just in time for Easter! Just make sure you remember to put sultanas in.

Hot Cross Buns

4 cups of flour

1 generous teaspoon of mixed spice

1/2 generous teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of salt

60g of butter

1/4 cup of currants or sultanas

30g of fresh yeast OR 7g / 2 1/4 teaspoons dried yeast

1/2 cup of caster sugar

1/2 cup of lukewarm water

1/2 cup of lukewarm milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

4 tablespoons of self-raising flour

2 tablespoons of cold water

1/4 teaspoon of gelatine

2 tablespoons of water

1 tablespoon of caster sugar

1. Sift the flour, mixed spice, cinnamon and slat into a bowl. Rub in the butter, then mix in the currants or sultanas. Make a well in the mixture.
2. Mix the yeast and sugar with a little of the warm water until dissolved, then add the rest of the water and the milk. Add the yeast mixture with the beaten egg to the flour mixture, and stir to form a soft dough.
3. Turn onto  lightly floured board, and knead until smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball, place it into a clean, greased bowl, and turn over so that the top is greased. Cover and leave to rise for about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.
4. Turn the risen dough back onto the floured board, press out into a rectangle until 1 cm thick, and cut into 16 equal pieces (for large buns) or 20 equal pieces (for smaller buns). Shape each piece into a small ball.
5. Place the buns on lined baking trays, cover, and leave to rise for a further 20 - 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, make the mixture for the crosses by mixing the self-raising flour and water together to make a thick paste. Spoon into a piping bag or Snap-Lock bag with the corner cut off. When the buns are fully risen, make a slight indentation in the shape of a cross on each bun, with a knife. Pipe the paste onto the buns in the shape of crosses, and bake for 15 minutes at about 200C. 
7. To make the glaze, sprinkle the gelatine over the water in a small saucepan over a low heat. Once the gelatine is softened, add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Brush this glaze over the hot cross buns as soon as they come out of the oven. 

(Just to note: I made these hot cross buns weeks ago. Meaning, I wrote half of this three weeks ago, and it's been sitting up in a tab on my computer for all of that time and I only just finished typing it up. I apologise. And I blame exams.) 

  

Blood Orange and Rosemary Marmalade

I don't like marmalade. It tastes like jam, but it's got orange peel and pith in it. Ugh.

However, I love making it. I love making jams, and jellies, and preserves, and, well, marmalade. Maybe that's just me, being old fashioned - but I think it's fun.

I've actually made this marmalade before, but I think that was about two years ago, because we kept missing the blood oranges. I mean, seriously, they're in season for about a week, and if you miss them like I kept doing, you have to wait another whole year before they come back again (which sorta sucks, but whatever).

So, here it is. The promised post. It would have been sooner, except I was away on holidays (they were really nice, I'm glad you asked), and I had no internet, not to mention no computer or marmalade, so I couldn't do it then. Sorry about that.

I'll shut up now and give you the recipe.

Blood Orange and Rosemary Marmalade

6 blood oranges, sliced very finely
1 lemon, sliced just as finely
2 cups of water
Between 3 and 5 cups of white sugar (don't worry, I'll explain later)
3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
A few sprigs of fresh rosemary

1. Put the finely sliced oranges and lemon into a big pot with the water. Cover with a cartouche (I'd never heard this word, but when I googled it, Google said to cut a circle of baking paper two inches bigger than the pot you're using, scrunch it up and then pull it back out flat again - and there you have it. Apparently it helps reduce the amount of liquid that evaporates or something), the lid, put on a low heat and let it boil for a hour.
2. After an hour, test the rind - you should be able to squeeze it easily between your fingers. Take the pot off the heat, and measure out the liquid&pulp&rinds (basically, measure out how many cups not-quite-marmalade you have). For every cup of mixture, use 3/4 cup of sugar. For example, if you have 5 cups of mixture, you'd have 3 1/4 cups of sugar. 
3. Put the sugar and mixture back into the pot, and add the red wine vinegar and rosemary. On a medium-high heat, bring to a slow simmer and let it cook for 20-25 minutes. Test to see if the marmalade has gelled by dropping some of the liquid onto a cold (as in, it's-been-in-the-freezer cold) plate, and push your finger through it. If it has little wrinkles, or if it seems to be the regular consistency for marmalade, then take the pot off the heat and ladle into sterilised jars. Keep in the fridge.

(Note: if you're unsure about how to sterilise jars, here's a link that explains it pretty well)