"Very Nice" Avocado Dip

Planning major renovations to a house involves many hours of decision making. Choosing materials, style, which wall should go, which shouldn't. You know, that sort of thing. When we renovated our house 12 years ago it was a little different. All the renovations which involved extensions outwards revolved around one thing - the avocado tree. Yes, I know now it seems stupid! The avocado tree had to stay and the extensions were worked around it which resulted in a one bay carport instead of two! Hmmmm, really stupid!

 So it would be very remiss of me not to showcase the tree of such importance. And yes, over the years it has provided ideal first baby solids, lots of breakfasts, lunches and dinners. It has supplied many family, friends, colleagues, neighbours and even the odd tradie with bags of fruit for weeks on end.

This tree is years old and is said to have been plant from seed. It reminds me of the mystical magical Faraway Tree in the children's tales by Enid Blyton, old, huge and gnarled providing goodies for those who live in it (or near it, in our case). I sometimes wonder if a cloud will stop over the top of the tree and we could climb up into it.

The fruit it bears is huge and luscious and is borne in great quantity. Every year as the fruits set we peer up into the branches and declare, "Oh, not as many as last year." But as the weeks of bearing and giving of fruit draws to a close, we have all had a fair share of avocado, for this year at least.

Yes, I do have a soft spot for our big, old tree that provides year after year. We are lucky indeed. Many have said we should sell the fruit because there is so much but when the tree gives so selflessly why should we reap financial rewards.
 Sometimes it is in the simple act of sharing the abundance that we find pleasure.

 This avocado dip is jotted down in an old school exercise book long before I ever had unlimited access to such luscious fruit and it is entitled "Very Nice Avocado Dip" so that's what I will call it.

Very Nice Avocado Dip

1 avocado
1/4 cup mayonnaise or sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons minced red onion or spring onions
1 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
1/2 - 1 teaspoon fresh chilli, to taste
salt and freshly ground pepper

Peel and deseed the avocado. Place in a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Process until smooth. If you want a chunky dip simple mash the avocado with a fork and mix in the remaining ingredients.

Serve with crackers, fresh bread or crackers as I have - flavour the crackers with chilli.

Apple Pie Polish style - Szarlotka - A Baker's Odyssey Personal Challenge #33

Today heralds the first day of our tropical winter!

Are we donned in thick coats, warm sweaters, long pants? Or even maybe a long sleeve shirt?
No, short sleeves are the order of the day, bare feet and enjoying the sun while gardening or simply reveling in the gorgeous sunny outdoors. The sun is warm without the sting of the summer. The cool air means household chores no longer seem so tiresome. Even the most grumpy of us become cheerful with this wonderful weather.

And when we take a break from our outdoor play, a hot coffee is a pleasure with something sweet on the side, freshly baked of course.

New season apples from our southern counterparts are at their prime and perfect for an apple pie. The perfect apple pie has a tender melting crust encasing sweet cinnamon scented apples and this old recipe for polish apple pie is just that. Just think about it lots of butter, egg yolks and sour cream - it must be good! 

Another in the series of the baking challenge by Marcellina in Cucina to bake through A Baker's Odyssey by Greg Patent.

This makes one big pie or as I did two smaller pies. Make this apple pie the day before you want to serve it to allow the flavours to meld together as one.

Szarlotka

A Baker's Odyssey by Greg Patent

Dough

5 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

250g (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into small pieces

6 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sour cream

Filling

1 1/2 kg (3.5lbs) apples

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Make the dough. Put the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in the bowl of the stand mixer. Add the butter and fit the mixer with the flat blade. Mix on low speed until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, about 3 minutes. In a small bowl mix together the egg yolks and sour cream until smooth and add to the flour mixture. Mix on low speed until it forms a firm dough. It will take a little bit of time but it will come together. You can work with the dough right away or let is rest wrapped in plastic over night. It will need to come to room temperate to be able to be rolled. Divide into two equal portions.

   

Prepare the filling. Peel and core the apples. The apple need to be shredded for this pie. You can either cut them on a mandolin  into thin slices then cut the slices into fine batons or you could grate the apples on the coarse side of a box grater or you can use the wicked contraption that I have which is like a mandolin but has another attachment which when added creates shreds out of your apples and you hands if you're not careful!

Mix the sugar, cinnamon and salt into the apples.

I used two 20 centimetre springform pans for my pies. 

Grease the pans well with butter. Heat the oven to 180C / 375F. 

Divide each portion of dough into two and roll two portions out to line the springform pans. Don't worry about the uneven edges.

Divide the apples between the pastry lined pans and roll the excess dough down over the apples. Then roll out the two remaining portions of dough large enough to cover the apples.

Lay the pastry round over the apples. Press the pastry together to seal. Prick with a fork all over.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes until pastry is golden brown and the pie smells gorgeous!

Dust with icing sugar and ...

 ...tuck in.

Not Your Regular Meat Pies - A Baker's Odyssey Personal Challenge #32

Has anyone been watching Shane Delia's Spice Journey on Australia's SBS television? 

Shane is an Australian chef with two restaurants in Melbourne who grew up in a large Maltese family surrounded by food. In the Spice Journey, Shane takes us on his culinary pilgrimage back to Malta then across the sea to Lebanon to the food and the land that has inspired him. His passion and love for the people, the culture and the food is palpable. 

In turn he has inspired me to turn the pages of A Baker's Odyssey by Greg Patent to a delicious Lebanese favorite, Fatayar, a delicious meat and onion filled pie laced with cinnamon and toasted pine nuts.  The dough used is the Basic Lebanese Yeast dough used in my previous recipes Talami and Lebanese Fried Dough. You could make a full quantity of dough and make all three! 

  

Try them with a dollop of yogurt and a squeeze of lemon and you won't be disappointed!
These are really good!

 Fatayar 
slightly adapted from A Baker's Odyssey by Greg Patent

Make 20 pies

Basic Lebanese Yeast Dough (find the recipe here)

Divide the risen dough into 20 balls and cover with a clean tea towel while you prepare the filling.

2 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 1/4 pounds (560g) beef mince
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup full fat yogurt
4 tablespoons salted butter, melted and kept warm
plain yogurt and lemon for serving

Fry the pine nuts in the butter until deep golden brown about 3-5 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the onion and the garlic and cook until just translucent. Add the mince and break up with a wooden small. Cook, stirring and breaking up the mince until browned.

Add the cinnamon, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside until just warm - about 20 minutes.

Stir in the pine nuts and yogurt. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Prepare two baking pans by coating with olive oil or lining with baking paper. Heat the oven to 450F/ 230C Take a ball of dough, dust the work surface with flour and pat the dough into a 3-4 inch circle then roll into a 5-6 inch oval.

Mound a scant 1/4 of filling onto the oval, spreading the filling out so that is come to about 1/2 inch from the ends and 1 inch from the sides. Bring up the sides of the dough and pinch in the middle then pinch the edges together from the middle to the back like you can see below.

Take the flap closest to you and bring it up and seal the edges  to form a upside down Y.

Continue with the remaining dough and filling arranging the pies on your prepared trays. When all you pies are ready check to see that all the seams are still closed and pinch those that have opened. 

 Bake for about 20 minutes. When ready remove from the oven and brush with melted butter several times.

Nigella's Chocolate peanut butter cheesecake

Nigella Lawson says this cheesecake is not for the fainthearted and she is right!

Take stacks of cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, eggs, peanut butter and some chocolate and you would expect nothing less..

It is good though!

"Kitchen" one of Nigella's more recent cookbooks is full of great and fun recipes - African drumsticks, butternut, rocket and pine nut salad, Venetian carrot cake and of course this cheesecake.

I was actually inspired to make it after spotting Nigella's cookalong competition on her site. Great cheesecake but I dare you to eat a whole slice!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Serves 10-12 - generously!

Have all you ingredients at room temperature

for the base:

200g plain sweet biscuits

50g salted roasted peanuts

100g dark choc chips

50g soft unsalted butter

for the filling 

500g cream cheese

3 eggs

3 egg yolks

200g castor sugar

125ml sour cream

250g peanut butter

for the topping

250ml sour cream

100g milk chocolate chips (I used dark)

30g soft brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 170C. In a food processor put the biscuits, peanuts, dark chocolate and butter. Process until it come together.

Butter a 23cm spring form pan and press the biscuit mixture onto the base. You can refrigerate it while you make the filling.

Clean out the food processor. Put all of the filling ingredients into the processor and whizz until smooth.

Remember to freeze the leftover eggwhites to make meringues, pavlova or macarons.

Use a good quality peanut butter.

Pour the mixture onto the base and bake for 1 hour. 

Check at 50 minutes - the top should be dry and set.

Take the cheesecake out of the oven to prepare the topping. Warm the topping ingredients in a small saucepan on a low heat. Stir well to mix. Spoon and spread the topping over the cheesecake. Be gently so you don't blend the two layers.

Return the cheesecake to the oven for 10 minutes.

 Let the cheesecake cool in the tin then cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.

Serve small slices because it is rich and indulgent!

No other words necessary!

 This has been entered into Nigella's Cookalong Competition.

Focaccia for our Soup

 

It had been a rainy Autumn afternoon. I had some thick, savoury pumpkin and carrot soup bubbling on the stove and all it needed was some bread to go with it.

 

 A glance a the clock.

 

Five o'clock.

Hmmm, could I do it?

 

I wanted focaccia - chewy, dimpled and topped with garlic.

This is what I came up with.

 

The dough quickly came together in the stand mixer with a dough hook attached and rose for less than one and a half hours, punched down, halved and spread over two well oiled oven trays where it was dimpled with the fingertips. Olives and garlic pressed into one, chilli and garlic pressed into the other.

A twenty minute rest while the oven heated to 200C. Then baked for 20 minutes until golden.

Dinner was just 10 minutes late but no one minded!

 

 

 

Fairly Quick Focaccia

 

2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

 2 1/4 cups warm water

2 tablespoons olive oil

600g bread flour

2 teaspoons salt

 

Dissolve the yeast in the 1/4 cup water and allow to stand a few minutes until bubbly. In the meantime measure the flour into the stand mixer bowl. Add the salt. Measure the warm water. By this time the yeast will be ready. Put the oil and the yeast into the flour/salt. Start the mixer and gradually add the water until it come together. You may not need all the water.

 

Knead with the dough hook for a good 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and with a pastry scraper ( I use a stiff spatula) scrap the dough off the sides of the bowl and bring together, using your hands to assist, into a rough ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

While your dough is rising prepare the toppings. Mine were halved black olives, sliced garlic, sliced chilli and salt flakes. You could try fried onion, parmesan cheese, herbs, tomatoes, capers, anchovies...oh the list goes on!

 

Half an hour before the dough is ready preheat your oven to 220C. If you have a pizza stone or two all the better.

 

Have ready to well oiled, I mean really well oiled, rectangular baking trays with only a small lip. Divide the dough in half, again I use the stiff spatula, and spread each half out onto each oiled tray.

Press out and dimple with your fingertips. Drizzle with extra olive oil.

Press your toppings into the dough.

 

 

Allow to rise for 20 minutes.

When ready pop your focaccias into the oven. Reduce the oven to 200C and bake for 20 minutes. They could benefit from a spray of water once or twice during the cooking but I didn't and they were still delicious.

Please remember when you remove your focaccia from the oven immediately take them off the baking tray and onto a cooling rack so they don't sweat and go soggy.

Cut into large squares for serving.

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

Look at this gorgeous serving plate my sister gave me for my birthday!

Isn't it delightful!

 

This is a wonderful serving plate that comes in two pieces - the glass plate and the shabby chic carrying tray. Purchased locally at the wonderful gift store, Heaven Scent Flowers and Gifts, our small country town is lucky to have some unique stores specialising in home wares and gifts, fashion, and food. We are spoilt for choice and really there is no need to go elsewhere.  Like other regional areas we are dependant on our primary industry, in our case sugar cane, to power our town. Buying local is important to us. So if you aren't already doing it, remember to look at the country of origin and support your local farmer wherever you are.

 

As you have guessed, I have no trouble supporting the local sugar industry!

My new serving plate was perfect for the chocolate tart I had prepared for our dessert. A really good chocolate tart can be elusive. The base has to be crispy but not hard, the chocolate filling smooth, rich and creamy and it should present well.

And if it's easy to make, well, that's a bonus.

This tart is all of that and more!

I first spotted it at The Yuca Diaries who adapted it from Dulce Delights. I put the two recipes together and adapted to suit myself. It's and easy no-fail, really, and looks like you have slaved away for hours.

 

Shhh, don't tell anyone. It'll be our secret!

 

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

 

 

For the base:

250g plain biscuits crumbs ( I used up whatever was lurking in the pantry - savoiardi, amaretti and some plain sweet biscuits all whizzed in the food processor)

50g ground hazelnuts

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/3 icing (confectioners) sugar

130g butter, at room temperature

 

Combine everything in the food processor and whizz until it all comes together. Coat an 11inch/28cm tart pan with a removable base with non-stick cooking spray. Then press the base mixture evenly over the base and sides using the back of a spoon to help you. You can let it set in the refrigerator.

 

 

 

 

For the filling:

350g dark chocolate, broken up

2 cups cream

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

50ml Frangelico liqueur

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Preheat you oven to 350F/180C.

Heat the cream until it bubbles (you can do this in the microwave). Add the chocolate to the cream and allow to sit for 3 or 4 minutes. Take a whisk and start slowly mixing the cream and chocolate until it is smooth and well combined. Cool a little so that the eggs don't scramble.

Add the eggs, vanilla, Frangelico and salt. Whisk well.

Pour this mixture into your prepared tart pan. I had a small, maybe a couple of spoonfuls, amount of mixture left over that didn't fit into the tart pan. Remember not to overfill because we need to add the topping. Carefully transfer to your hot oven and bake undisturbed for 25 minutes. Allow the tart to cool for about 15 minutes then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely.

 

Now, let's gild the lily.

 

For the ganache topping:

 

1/2 cup cream

120g dark chocolate, broken up

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon Frangelico

 

Heat the cream (again you can do this in the microwave) add the chocolate and allow to sit for a few minutes. Whisk to combine the chocolate and cream then add the honey and Frangelico. Pour this delicious mixture all over the top of the tart. Don't use anything to spread it. Just tip the tart around to spread the topping. This will result in a mirror like finish. Return to the refrigerator until ready to serve. Return to room temperature for maximum flavour.