Another Yummy and Easy Cake To Make!

Stumbled across this brilliant cake/dessert the other day which ticked all my boxes - simple, all pantry staples (for me anyway) , kids loved it, and it is absolutely delicious! I found it in the Stephanie Alexander 'bible' - The Cook's Companion!

Thought I might share it with you as it is so good - I have made it three times this week already. It's perfect for a dessert or afternoon tea - or anytime! And there isn't that much butter in it - it tastes like it should be very sinful - but it only has a small amount of butter in it.

We have renamed it 'Cizza's Lemon Cake' - (after my almost 13 year old son who now begs me to make it all the time and to name it after him)

filling
2 large eggs
1 cup castor sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons plain flour
base
75 g plain flour
2 tablespoons castor sugar
65 g cold butter, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 160C. Butter 18 cm springform tin. To make the base, briefly mix flour and sugar in a food processor, then add butter and process until mixture starts to form a ball. Press dough into tin with your fingers. Bake for 20 minutes until golden.
When base is nearly cooked, whisk eggs and sugar until well mixed but not thick. Stir in lemon juice, then sift in flour and whisk gently to combine. Remove base from oven and reset temperature to 150C. Pour lemon mixture onto base and bake for about 35 minutes until top is golden and feels a little springy. Cool completely before cutting into 3 cm wide slices. Serve dusted with icing sugar and with a dollop of cream on the side.

How to Solve the 'what's for dinner' problem ...

Just thought I would share one of my favourite websites with you. It has been my absolute saviour on quite a few occasions now.

I am just so hopeless and can never really plan anything ahead especially things like meals. The first thing the boys say when they come in from school is 'What's for dinner, Mum?". At this stage I haven't even thought about dinner, coz I am so busy sewing or blogging (much more important things than thinking about the dinner menu). So then the panic sets in wondering what in the world will I do with a fridge full of 'penicillan experiments' and four hungry males to feed. So now, I just log onto here and type in one or two of the ingredients that haven't yet turned into the experiment, hit the search button and lo and behold, all of these wonderful recipes come out.

They are all from the magazines Delicious, Good Taste, Food Ideas, Fresh (there could be more titles) so it is from a good range of mags. Click onto the one that takes your fancy, then hit print. Instant Menu!!!!

So now there shouldn't be any excuses for not having any ideas for dinner!!!!!!!!

Enjoy

Pink Monday

Pink is such a lovely colour. I think it would have to be my favourite. Baking day today - pink meringues for Mothers' Day. I am baking for the Mothers' Day Stall at our school on Thursday. Pink Meringues sell so well - they are so easy to package and so easy to make.

Alot of people seem to have a fear of making meringues, I used to as well, until I found this fantastic recipe, now if you promise not to tell my secret I will pass on the recipe -

2 large egg whites
1 and half cups of castor sugar
1 teaspoon cornflour
1 teaspoon brown malt vinegar
pinch of Cream of Tartar


Place all ingredients into a small bowl of electric mixer, turn on to low and then add 4 tablespoons of boiling water and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. At this stage I know it will look like it will never come together, but please persevere and trust me, I am not known as the meringue queen for nothing. Turn the mixer on faster and beat until it is stiff and glossy - If you own a kitchenaid - it doesn't take long maybe 5 minutes. If you have any other mixer you will need to beat everything for about 10 minutes.
Place teaspoons on lined baking tray and place in very slow oven (130C) or 110C - fanforced. One hour later turn off the oven and open the door and let the meringues cool before placing into air tight containers or beautiful jars like this one.

Good Luck. I have not had any flops with this.

PLEASE NOTE: to make them pink I use Queens Rose Colour food colouring (in Australia). Red food colouring does not give the same nice pink.

Here are some gorgeous roses from my garden. They smell just as good as they look, and they have a long vase life.

School Days and The New Addition to Our Family

Well, it was Grandparents Day at the school today. So off we go. The excitement had been building all week. The mums all had to bring a plate as they were expecting quite a lot of people, and you know how much grandparents can eat!!!! (I don't eat much, you know, is what I often hear").

I thought I would be very clever and make something that would appeal to our more senior citizens. So I made the passionfruit sponge. Here it is on the table of other goodies at the 'spread'. (sorry about the bad photo - but it is really hard to make a table at a school morning tea attractive unless I am in charge and therefore everything would be totally OTT!!!!!)

Now to Introduce the New Addition to our Family

I must admit, I did have a little help with the sponge. My gorgeous G (husband of a very long time) gave me something for my birthday that I have been coveting for years and years - a Kitchenaid Artisan Mixer. I couldn't believe it. So, of course, showing him how much I appreciate it, I have been making everything that I can for him and the boys (whether they like it or not).

So this is, as you will now understand, why I had to make the passionfruit sponge for the seniors. It was effortless I must say - I cannot believe the difference in beating things. It does it in about half the time. As for meringues - yum - very, very quick and easy. So Tam, blue and brown will be fine!!!!

As for the sponge - it was all gone - not one little crumb - a very successful day!!!

By the way the seniors had a wonderful time with their grandkids - which is really why we had this wonderful day.
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