The best sponge recipe

For our Christmas Day  dessert I settled on a new trifle recipe from House & Garden Issue No. 256 December 2015, it looked fabulous!
Not wanting to use a bought sponge I decided to have another go at making my own sponge.
A couple of years ago one of my dear friends, Bernice, said she had a 'never fail' recipe that had been handed down to her through generations of bakers. It sounded like my kind of recipe and I filed it away.
A few weeks ago I finally got around to making it.
I was told to use a large roasting pan (greased with dripping, and floured) but decided to just butter and line the tin with baking paper, leaving out the dripping!
The result was absolutely the best sponge I have ever produced. 
Once slightly cooled, and with some trepidation, I removed my sponge from the tin, cut it in half, wrapped it in cling film and placed it in the freezer to make the trifle on Christmas Eve.
A sponge was always something my mother used to make with ease! And to honour her memory this Christmas I had hoped to create a fabulously soft perfect sponge. (In a few days time it is the 5th anniversary of her death, I will always miss her).
In previous blogs I have attempted a sponge roll which have all cracked, but this recipe rolls beautifully (apparently).
Bernice says 'take this sponge straight out of the oven and while still hot, remove from tin and turn out onto a damp tea towel. At this point spread with jam and roll it up. When cool unroll the sponge and fill with cream, and roll up'. Mmmmmmm, easier said than done.
I will let you know how I get on in another blog post.
Anyway, back to this great sponge recipe.  It is so simple, it's ridiculous....and so very tasty.
Cream Sponge  
 5 eggs
1 level cup of sugar
Beat together until thick and creamy
Gently fold in sifted
1 level cup of flour
1 tsp baking powder 
Lastly fold in 1 tbsp of boiling water
Pour batter into a greased floured pan ( I lined mine with baking paper to be on the safe side!)
Bake 180 degrees C  for 10-15 minutes on fan bake.
Watch it doesn't over cook, it should spring back a little when you gently press the top.
It can be cut in half and filled with cream and whatever summer fruit you may have. And ass Bernice has said, it will feed a crowd nicely.

It's so soft and tasty!

This is the final result using a House and Garden recipe from Dec '15 Issue 256

.  It's fab!

Post Christmas

The day turned out to be perfect in the end. In fact, the nicest day in a while in Welly. The sun shone while a breeze gently washed our garden setting. The 'inside' Christmas table lay idle. Instead we made our way down to the deck in our garden and wiled away 5 hours of eating, drinking and enjoying (an often) lively conversation and each others company.
It was a seafood themed lunch and as part of the menu I made individual smoked salmon terrines. They were a triumph and definitely a dish to make again. I didn't pour the chilli sauce over the terrine, but served it to one side. (The recipe can be found here http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8359/smoked-salmon-and-avocado-terrines

The baked salmon was also fabulous! I took the 'salmon by its fins' and baked it to perfection in our kettle BBQ. The salmon stuffing ended up as a mixture from Jamie Oliver and a 'tried and true' recipe from my friend Deb. The lemon, herbs and thinly sliced fennel made a delicious side dish for the salmon, along with Oamaru Jersey Benny potatoes and fresh French beans.
Our guests made the desserts, a gorgeous berry terrine (by Delia Smith http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/european/english/a-terrine-of-summer-fruits.html).
It was a joy to photograph and eat - served with runny cream and yoghurt!

along with a wonderful nutty Christmas pudding, generously drizzled with runny cream.

This post is purposely full of adjectives. While we missed having our families with us, we all agreed it really was, 'one out of the box'. One of those magic summer days we will always remember!

My seaside themed Christmas

I have been having some fun over the past few days as I put my beach themed Christmas together. Although we can see a lot of the ocean from our house, we live on a hill some distance from an actual beach. Don't get me wrong, I love our view and never tire looking at it but it would be nice to own a place right by the sea.
I have always fancied myself having a beach house, a place to escape to over the summer, where I could invite all my family and friends to visit and where I could chill out while my man goes fishing every day to catch our dinner. Mmmmmm.....
I do have quite a few lovely memories of visiting such places. Not at the house right on the beach but a place close to the beach with the sound of the sea gently washing onto the shore (in Fiji). And one lovely holiday at a typical elderly Kiwi bach very close to a lake, in fact about 10 paces from the water's edge. I slept in what was the converted boat shed complete with big soft bed enveloped by a much needed mosquito net. A truly magic, quiet, relaxing holiday near Rotorua. In more recent years, a lovely weekend away to a beach house on the Kapiti Coast (mostly spent inside due to the inclement weather), idly away the time reading, playing board games sipping on some superb wines.
As of today I have not achieved the dream of actually owning a beach house but I can certainly keep on dreaming!
To help with my beach themed Christmas, I decided to make some decorations, to (hopefully) help create the right ambience for our Christmas day seafood lunch.
I searched the internet for ideas and made up a few myself. A trip down to the beach at Owhiro Bay later, you can see the results. A good friend of mine helped (in a huge way - thank you Julia!) by lending me her Christmas beach themed decorations. Have a look at what else they can offer at Christmas Treesy Peasy. https://www.facebook.com/ChristmasTreesyPeasy
I should probably go and buy a proper 'live' Christmas tree, but my little retro (1970's) tree has so many memories for me I couldn't really leave it in its box!
Looking at the final result, my general feeling was that I needed my much more talented artistic daughter Becky to help me!
But every time I look at my efforts I have a little chuckle..... it's the small things that can make us happy....

Made by Becky

Made by Becky

Made by Becky

Have a merry Christmas everyone!

   

The children's animal party

While recently in Christchurch I was enlisted to help with my grandson T's 5th birthday party. The party had an animal theme and it was so well done I felt compelled to write a blog about the experience. T's Mum (my daughter) does it all, she is so clever and I am very proud of her.

During the year, for each birthday (thank goodness they only have two children!) she spends hours planning the day for them. (Backed up on the day, by a very helpful and understanding hubby). I have told her she should go into the event planning business as she has built such a reputation for wonderful children's parties.

The invites, themed food, table decorations and themed surroundings (complete with a monkey on a swing), the dress up outfits and the small favour bags - all done with such amazing thought and detail and on a very tight budget!

From the paper 'animal nose' cups to the strawberry mice and alligators in a jelly swamp - she creates such a wonderful experience for the children (and adults!).

I especially loved making the snail scones. A simple scone dough rolled out, smeared with Marmite and grated cheese, rolled up, baked and when cooled - a couple of pretzels added for their antennae. Such fun and they were really tasty!

She also made the party activities - pin the tail on the giraffe, pass the parcel, and a Pinata in the shape of a Red Eyed Tree Frog!?? Oh boy did the little guests love giving that a whack, especially when it gave up the goodies inside!

Throughout the afternoon the weather threatened to spoil the day. And almost on cue (at the end) the heavens opened up and the festivities were topped off by a sudden down pour - we had to take refuge in the gazebos but it didn't seem to matter - it was all part of the jungle experience!
I am not sure who enjoyed the party more, the children or the adults. Roll on the next one!

Christmas time - what it means to me

I have been trying to feel a little more 'Christmassy' and having just returned from a week in Christchurch - I think the feeling has finally kicked in.
In more recent years I have thought of the Christmas season as more of a time for sharing, a time to feel grateful and a time to reflect. This week was no different, as I had the opportunity to spend time with my southern family and friends. And, yes often this time was spent over fabulous food and a glass of wine or two.
One such friend gave me a beautiful Christmas note about our lasting friendship, a friendship that has not been dulled by distance or time. We met over thirty five years ago. Over that time we have each experienced times of great stress, sadness and change (some of it our own making!). And now, over lunch (with that behind us), updating each other and sharing news on how proud we are of our families, our past and current achievements (in work, study and the community) and our current contentment in our homes and life in general.
I think as you get older 'things' don't seem to mean so much to you. Don't get me wrong - I like nice baubles and receiving presents (and quaffing great wine) - but I would give them away in a blink of an eye if I had to chose between 'things' and my relationships with family and friends.
Actually I think I am becoming a bit of a bore with Christmas shopping. I don't really enjoy it as much as I used to. For me it just seems so jolly commercial and the malls so over whelming.
Recently my daughter came up with a new way for the grandchildren to receive a family gift in 2014. A special voucher for one on one 'date' with an Aunt or Uncle to do something fun and inexpensive like making a tree hut, spending time in the garden, or exploring the sea shore for treasures or making a dress up outfit for a special occasion. I really like that idea, it should be encouraged.
Where I can, I would much prefer to make my own gifts. Which is what I have done again this year... grapefruit marmalade, Christmas cakes, a Ginger Loaf and Christmas mince pies. (A thought -  next year I might even have a go at making my own Christmas mince).
My sewing machine has also been kept busy making little girls dresses, swimming bags and the latest grandchild received his special Nana Santa sack.
In the past I made mini Pecan pies and Christmas mince pies too, using short crust pastry. But last week I decided to bake them in my sponge kisses tin using puff pastry. A nice change and a huge hit. I just have to remember to grease the tins a bit more - the failed ones were 'dug out', quickly cooled and eaten by moi!
There is one little luxury I adore at Christmas. The season is short but they are sure to get me in a Christmassy mood. And they always remind me of my mother who also adored them. Cherries! They have to be those big fat dark, dark, juicy crimson ones. It just so happened we found them this week in a cherry orchard stall while travelling back from Christchurch. Only half of them made it home to Welly! Popped in the fridge, they are nicely chilled and the perfect snack to enjoy on a warm summers day. A kilogram just about does it for me until next year!

help yourself straight out of the tin

 

Marlborough cherries - yum!

In search of the perfect chocolate cake..

While on a baking binge of 'never fail cakes' and in pursuit of making a number of requested chocolate cakes for two significant birthdays and a few dinner parties, I have been very busy trying to find the best chocolate cake recipe ever! It has been a lot of tasty fun and I have solved a mystery or two along the way.
To give you a little background. My 'fall back' for a chocolate cake has always been my 1970's Eggless Chocolate cake but to be honest it really doesn't get even close to the perfect variety nowadays, it is now a very boring cake! Not rich enough and not enough chocolaty flavour.
You will recall I made the Drunken Chocolate Torte and posted my feedback on that beauty. To do a test run on another birthday cake I also made Seagers Chocolate Mud Cake http://joseagar.com/recipes/collection:the-cook-school-recipes/. At the time Deb was overseeing the making of said cake (she was staying with us). Once cooked (during our taste test) we agreed the cake didn't taste quite right. When I checked on this later I discovered there had been an error in the original recipe book and 1 3/4 c sugar was missing from the cake. Mmmmmm... that will explain it. And the ganache should have had 750grams of chocolate instead of 150gms. To be quite honest that error did not matter so much but omitting the sugar from the cake was fairly significant. Mystery of the salty cake solved!
In spite of this 'boo boo' both cakes were more than edible but some of my foodie mates (and dinner guests) found the Torte a bit too sweet. I probably didn't need the drunken syrup bit drizzled on the side! As it turned out, the sweetness in the Mud Cake was more about the chocolate 'filling' and the ganache rather than the cake part.
In my research I found a similar Mud Cake recipe to Jo Seagars on the Chelsea Sugar website. It may be worth a try as it uses low GI sugar. http://www.chelsea.co.nz/baking-and-recipes/23/chocolate-mud-cake-with-chocolate-ganache-icing.aspx.
Unfortunately both of the recipes I tried required quite a bit of time and skill.... which of course I have in abundance when the recipe is correct, but when scheduling baking and allowing plenty of time to focus on the job at hand, time can be a little challenging for me (so much to do, so little time...). I still had not found that perfect chocolate cake....
Deb and I talk a lot about food, that is eating and creating it!! she certainly shares my love for both. This Chocolate Cake recipe came from her cake repertoire, one that has never failed to please and it is so easy to make, that is, it doesn't take the whole day to assemble. As she had no idea where the recipe or the name of the cake came from, my research uncovered it here http://annabellewhite.com/lady-glenorchys-super-simple-chocolate-cake/  My suspicions proved correct, it originally came from the Southland area (or to be precise - Central Otago) and ended up in Canterbury, it is now firmly in the Capital Living baking file of favourites.

cake right way up

As you can see it is a large cake so really great to serve at a large gathering or party. You can do a bit of forward planning as it has the added advantage of freezing well (un-iced of course). I am about to test this tip as I have made it again today to take down to Christchurch for Henry's 5th birthday dinner in a couple of weeks.
Lady Glenorchy Chocolate Cake

2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

1 cup plain yoghurt

¾ cup cocoa

200gm melted butter

2 tsp baking soda

1 ½ tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt

3 cups self-raising flour

1 cup strong black coffee (3 tsp instant) cooled

Place all ingredients in the order listed into the food processor and process 1 min. Pour mixture into a large greased cake tin.

cake turned upside down

Bake 160 C 1 ¼ hrs

I used a greased 23cm round tin (with removable base lined with baking paper), or you could use a large greased cake mould ring tin, do not turn out until cold.

This is a moist cake and apparently it has never failed. Worked well for me. I find it easier to ice the cake if it is turned upside down, you tend to get a better finish. When it is ready to be eaten I will use the following recipe. This is the correct list of ingredients.

Ganache – Jo Seagar – The Cook School Recipes

180 ml milk

225 ml cream

750 grams chopped dark chocolate (I use Whittakers)

Place all ingredients in a medium sized saucepan, stir gently over a low heat until it comes to a boil, make sure the chocolate is melted and the mixture smooth. Cool to a room temperature.

To cook and dance, for love

These last few weeks have been a bit too busy in our household but despite that I am a very happy camper. This month produced a significant birthday for me. I wanted to celebrate this milestone with my friends and family so we arranged a party at our home. However, to add to all of the excitement, in early January a wedding proposal came from my beloved chap which I happily accepted.
While all were assembled at said party it was announced by our able MC that we secretly tied the knot on my birthday a few days before and we were now officially husband and wife. So in a nutshell I am very happy.

my wedding bouquet

People talk about this feeling as 'when the stars and moon are in alignment', there I am.
Back to the party. There were three (not negotiable) pillars to my party arrangements, great food, excellent wine and there must be dancing! ( I love to dance and decided one of my 2013 New Year resolutions was to dance more, to heck with the way I might look - think Kath Day-Night....).
However, to another love - creating in the kitchen. The menu was decided and the week well planned to ensure all was ready for the day. The suspense of keeping such a wonderful moment secret was not easy, however all the cooking and baking leading up to the party kept my mind and hands busy! During the week we also had house and dinner guests to feed (which included a vegetarian). Although some of the party 'starters' were catered for by Gipp Street Deli which were just fabulous - thanks to Sam and his talented team...

Caramelised onion tarts

my selection of tried and true recipes over the week did not let me down,

1960's party non-alcoholic punch

Devils on Horseback
Orange Hummus with bread
Carrot and Harissa dip
Potato and Fennel Tart
Peter's Five Egg Fruit Cake - Alison Holst (made as a birthday cake - ended up our wedding cake)
Drunken Chocolate Torte
Chocolate Mudcake Cake (Jo Seager's)   - omg - it took 2 days to make, but the end result....!
The Preservatory Apricot Slice
Bulgar Wheat and Courgette Salad
Roasted Potato Salad
Johnson's Coleslaw
Smoked salmon on wholemeal blinis (Ruth Pretty's recipe) 

and my lovely 'new' sister in law made us a Lemon cake (must get that recipe Elaine - lots of compliments), Vietnamese Salad and Quinoa Moroccan Salad.
At the party we complemented the salads with a huge ham on the bone and fillet steak from our local butcher (ably dressed and cooked by my wonderful friend and assistant Deb), deliciously cooked chickens from the caravan at Moore Wilson's and armfuls of wonderful fresh bread and huge rounds of cheese from Gambonis. There were so many kind helpers on the day, the cake was expertly decorated, table set and final touches made which greatly assisted in ensuring everything ran smoothly.
So over the week we hosted two dinner parties and a celebration party catering for 45 people. Very little was left over which just astounded me, I thought we may have over catered! We also ran out of the punch - everyone loved it! (Note to self - next time more food, more punch!) The good news was everyone had a great time and there is some wine and bubbles left to enjoy over the next few months. Thank you to everyone who helped me celebrate.
A magic week  full of family, friends, food, wine, love, great weather and of course dancing. I am truly blessed......

cake topped off with a great retro cake decoration

The 'leaving' celebration dinner

A leaving celebration dinner? I suppose it could be misconstrued our friends were pleased to see us (and our dog) leave after 2 weeks staying with them. Our dowager dog was a little unfriendly and ungrateful towards their hospitable young playful dog and she stayed in her room and out of his way where possible!  Anyway, they announced they were holding a leaving dinner for us. I love cooking but I especially love having food cooked for me. And any excuse to enjoy D's fine cooking is fine with me. She said it was to be a little retro and a little of the 'different, unusual, nice' -  still fine with me I said, really, really looking forward to it I said!  We were not disappointed.
First course was a classic crayfish and prawn cocktail, SO YUM!

The crayfish reminded me of happy summer camping holidays at south Beach in Kaikoura - a place well known for its scenic beauty where the mountains meet the sea and of course for the plethora of seafood available. In those days crayfish was not the price of a small car and if you were lucky enough to know someone who dived, you could cook them really fresh straight from the sea. As we passed through Kaikoura on our way home, I planned to grab a photo for this blog but unfortunately the weather was cloudy and overcast. In spite of that I was pleasantly surprised when I got home, unaware of it at the time the shot of the bay in the 'milky' sun included a seagull in flight, I  really like it.

Second course was a middle eastern flavoured dish D had experienced at a restaurant, she worked out the ingredients and made it for us. I just love pomegranates, such a beautiful colour and I am so pleased they seem easier to get nowadays.

This dish is so surprisingly simple and delicious.

Smear dessertspoon of hummus onto dinner plate

Add lamb mince well cooked with seasoning, cumin, garlic and pomegranate molasses

Sprinkle chopped parsley and coriander on top

Add pomegranate seeds as a garnish

Serve with flat bread

Finally dessert, vanilla ice-cream softened and blended with rose water with Turkish Delight ( D included a few maltesers) stirred through, frozen in a mould and served decorated with a gorgeous garnish of pomegranate seeds - in season right now -  just wonderful!
All washed down with a number of perfectly matched wines.

The chewy Turkish delight was heaven in the ice-cream

I want to give this recipe my twist as my daughter gave me a box of chocolate coated Turkish Delight at Christmas. She knows it is my favourite and has given me a box at Christmas  for as long as I can remember. I think pistachios would look and taste good too so I think I might try that option.
I need to buy a jelly mould, the only one I have is a antique glass one in the shape of a rabbit, which is perfectly appropriate for children's parties but not so for grownup dinner parties, I don't think it would look quite right!
Watch this space and in the meantime, thank you again D and M for your wonderful hospitality and friendship over the holidays. 

Hometown party

I have spent the last week in my 'hometown' staying with a dear friend and her family- complete with cat, dog and man of the house, all providing heaps of entertainment. I have spent my time catching up with 'old' friends, my family and my sleep. In spite of the recent searing heat in Canterbury (I am really not used to it now that I live in temperate Welly!) and while I miss the man (a lot), this last week has been bliss in so many ways, I am now officially relaxed and stress free, the warmth of the weather and friendship has rejuvenated my spirit. No climbing around dusty furniture (from renovations), no early starts to go to work, no watching the clock and no worries. And I have my man arriving on Thursday to complete the bliss.
The main reason for my early arrival in Christchurch was to help with my oldest grandchild's 5th birthday party. Her actual birthday is the 23rd December, her brothers is 28th December and with Christmas it has always been a very busy time for mother and father organising parties, Christmas celebrations and holidays! Sensibly my daughter decided to celebrate said 5th birthday - early. My task for the Fairy themed party was to create a plate of edible 'birds nests' made with chocolate crackles and a few little speckled jelly beans. Mission accomplished with much excitement and help from the two grandies.

Party in a lovely old hall unaffected by earthquakes!

Every item is colour themed!

Chocolate crackle birds nests

It was a wonderful day, for a very special little girl. I also had the joy of taking her (this week) to her second school visit, she starts in the first term 2013. A bit of a milestone for her parents and her Nana!

The party table