Bee’s Kitchen

Preparation Time – 25 minutes
Cooking Time – 25 minutes

Makes – 12

Ingredients

60g butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup blueberries
1/3 cup raspberries
Icing sugar mixture, to dust

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Line twelve 1/3-cup muffin pans with cupcake cases.
2. Use an electric beater to beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in the flour and orange juice until just combined.
3. Spoon half the mixture evenly among paper cases and top with half the combined berries. Divide the remaining mixture among the cases and top with the remaining berries. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cakes spring back when lightly tapped. Set aside in the pan to cool slightly before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Dust lightly with icing sugar to serve.

Preparation Time – 40 minutes
Cooking Time – 20 minutes

Makes – 12

Ingredients

60g butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 cup low fat milk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees C. Line 12 x 1/3 cup muffin pans with cupcake cases.
2. Using electric beater, beat butter, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add mashed banana. Beat until combined.
3. Sift flour and bicarbonate soda over banana mixture. Add milk. Using a large metal spoon, gently stir until combined. Spoon evenly into prepared muffin pans. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until cooked through when tested with a skewer. Cool in pans for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Preparation Time – 30 minutes
Cooking Time – 20 minutes

Makes – 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

60g butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup milk

Lemon curd

1 egg, lightly whisked
50g butter
2 tsp lemon rind
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup caster sugar

Meringue

3 egg whites
3/4 cup caster sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line twelve 1/3-cup muffin pans with paper cases.
2. Use a mixer to beat the butter, sugar and lemon rind until pale and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the flour and milk, in alternate batches, and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
3. Spoon mixture into lined pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, to make the lemon curd centre, combine the egg, butter, lemon rind and juice and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat. Strain through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to cool and thicken.
5. Use a small knife to cut a V-shaped piece out of the top of each cake, about 1.5cm deep, leaving a 2cm-wide edge. Spoon the lemon curd evenly among cupcakes.
6. Place egg whites in a clean, dry bowl. Use a mixer to whisk until firm peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, beating well between each addition. Continue beating for 2-3 minutes or until sugar completely dissolves. Spoon meringue on top of each cake, using a round-bladed knife to shape in peaks over the cake and enclosing the filling. Use a small brulee gun to toast the meringue until lightly golden.

Happy Birthday to my big brother Anson!!

Preparation Time – 30 minutes
Cooking Time – 20 minutes

Makes – 24

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celscius line 12 cup muffin tin. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt; set aside. Mix milk and vanilla; set aside.
2. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy for 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer on low speed, add half of dry ingredients, followed by milk-vanilla mixture, then remaining dry ingredients. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool cupcakes 5 minutes in tin, then remove and cool completely on a rack.

Melt in your mouth Viennese Fingers are a perfect accompaniment for an afternoon tea break.

Preparation Time – 20 minutes
Cooking Time -15 minutes

Makes – 15

Ingredients

100 grams unsalted butter (softened)
20 grams icing sugar (sifted)
100 grams plain flour (sifted)
¼ tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
50 grams chocolate

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees C, line baking paper on two trays and set aside.
2. Cream together butter and icing sugar till pale, light and fluffy, then mix thoroughly flour, baking powder and vanilla essense. Spoon mixture into piping bag with medium nozzle, pipe out 15 fingers each being 4cm long.
3. Bake for 10-15 minutes until pale golden brown, set aside to cool.
4. Half fill saucepan with water, bring to boil, remove from heat and place bowl with chocolate over the saucepan, and stir until chocolate is smooth and melted. Dip a quarter of the finger into the chocolate and leave to set.

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From Wikipedia:

The pitaya (also known as pitahaya, dragon fruit, huǒ lóng guǒ, strawberry pear, nanettikafruit, or thanh long) is the fruit of several cactus species, especially of the genus Hylocereus, but also see Stenocereus. Native to Mexico and Central and South America, these vine-like epiphytic cacti are also cultivated in Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and Malaysia. They are also found in Taiwan, Okinawa, Israel, and southern China. The pitaya only flowers at night; they are large white flowers that are often called Moonflower or Queen of the Night.

The species Stenocereus gummosus in the Sonoran desert has been an important food source for Native American peoples. The Seri people of northwestern Mexico still harvest the highly appreciated fruit of the pitaya agria (Spanish), which the Seris call ziix is ccapxl “thing whose fruit is sour”.

• The red flesh variety is believed to be rich in antioxidants.
• The bonsai version of pitaya plants can be found in flower markets in Taiwan.
• The pitaya fruit is rich in vitamins.
• The pitaya fruit helps the digestive process.
• The pitaya fruit helps prevent colon cancer and diabetes.
• The pitaya fruit helps to neutralize toxic substances such as heavy metal, reduce cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.
• Consumed regularly the pitaya fruit can help against asthma and cough.
• The pitaya fruit can be grown without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

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During Christmas I had a bit of fun experimenting with making chocolate truffles, they’re beautifully rich and delicious treats and a lovely gift idea too.

I went with the traditional chocolate ganache centres (made with chocolate and cream), and decorated most with a thin shell of hard chocolate coating.

A few days ago, Edith emails me a recipe for Portuguese Custard Tarts I was thinking, okay I’ll try this one out later in the week. So here I am, coming out of hiding with a successful batch, a group of happy guinea pigs, and a long overdue post.

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Preparation Time – 30 minutes
Cooking Time – 20 minutes

Makes – 12

Ingredients

3 egg yolks
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 tbsp cornflour
3/4 cup cream
1/2 cup water
1 strip of lemon rind
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 sheet ready made puff pastry

Method

1. Preheat the oven to hot, 220 degrees Celsius. Grease a 12 hole (1/3 cup/80mL) muffin pan.

2. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a small saucepan until combined. Gradually whisk in the cream and water until smooth. Add the lemon rind, stir over medium heat until the mixture boil and thickens. Remove pan from the heat, remove and discard the rind, stir in the vanilla essence and then transfer the custard to a medium-sized bowl. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap (to prevent a skin from forming as the custard cools).

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3. Cut the puff pastry in half, stack the two halves on top of each other and then roll the pastry up tightly, and cut the log into twelve 1cm rounds. Lay pastry cut side up and roll each round to about 10cm width using a rolling pin. Press the rounds into the prepared muffin pans with your fingers.

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4. Transfer spoonfuls of the cooled custard into the pastry cases and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until browned well. Stand tarts for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool. Tastes best when served fresh!