Author: Joanne

recipe · Uncategorized

Polenta Cake (With Pine Nuts, Raisins & Figs)

JoanneLeave a comment

Whenever I see a recipe with an unusual twist to it, curiosity gets the better of me. I just have to try it out. This Polenta Cake recipe did not disappoint!

It is, without a doubt, the most unusual cake I have ever tasted. In fact, it seems wrong to call it a cake! It appears to have a rather savoury flavour at first, which is followed by a sudden burst of  “sweet” when biting into the figs & raisins.

Before trying this recipe I would recommend making sure you have the large, 23 cm cake tin required – you will need it.  A spring form tin is the best to use. This is not a small cake & would be an ideal choice for serving a large crowd of friends.

Next time I make the Polenta Cake, I will try adding perhaps just 2 tablespoons of the fennel seeds, as the aniseed flavour is quite overpowering in flavour, even for an aniseed lover like myself!

When eating leftovers, I would also recommend warming the cake slightly again, as the beautiful flavours are brought out by warmth in the cake.

Polenta Cake (With Pine Nuts, Raisins & Figs).
400 g polenta
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
60g butter
2 eggs
100g pine nuts, toasted
150g raisins
150g figs, sliced
3 tablespoons fennel seeds
4 tablespoons raw sugar
250g plain flour

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C and grease & line a 23cm cake tin.

In a large saucepan, bring to the boil 850ml water & gradually pour in the polenta whilst stirring the water constantly. Lower the heat to simmer, add the olive oil & salt. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir the polenta regularly as it will become very thick. Remove the pan from the heat & stir in the butter.

Add beaten eggs & stir the mixture well. Add toasted pine nuts, raisins, figs, raw sugar & fennel seeds & mix thoroughly. Stir the flour into the mixture.

Spoon into the prepared tin & press in firmly. To smooth the top of the cake you may need to use your hands. Decorate the top of the cake with some extra toasted pine nuts, if desired.

Bake for 40 minutes, using a cake tester to make sure it is cooked through. Take out of the cake tin while still warm. Best served warm, when the flavours of the cake are most prominent.

Polenta Cake
Australia · gardening · herbs · pecan nuts · Uncategorized

Seasons Changing…In The Garden

Joanne1 Comment

The air has been changing of late. Although there have been some hot days recently, we have had a few cooler days this week, along with cooler nights. The fresher air tempted me to venture out into my garden last week, to survey the damage of a long hot summer on my beloved garden.

To my surprise, there weren’t too many casualties. The weeds were running rampant in parts of the garden, but were easily removed due to a recent downpour of rain, which had soaked the earth, enabling the weeds to come out with ease. I had feared that I had lost my Camellia Sasanqua, which seemed to have totally disappeared, however the weeds may have actually protected it from the elements as it seems to have remained unscathed!

On Sunday afternoon, my 12 year old son & I made a trip to our local nursery. Although still quite a hot day, my boy enjoyed ducking in & out of the sprinkler system set up at the nursery! We arrived home an hour & a half later, laden mostly with various herbs that we had chosen.  The late afternoon weather was extremely kind to us, cooling down beautifully so that we could plant all of our newly purchased treats!

So far we have planted new batches of thyme, sage, coriander, basil, dill, both flat leaf & curly parsley & my son’s favorite, chocolate mint! My chives, peppermint & rosemary plants had survived summers onslaught of heat. I have new plants of cherry tomatoes, a huge family favourite, & was thrilled to find a number of new tomato plants had popped up throughout the garden, where my son had stood to eat freshly picked tomatoes last year!

My lemon, grapefruit, lime trees all have the beginnings of small fruit on their branches & the pecan nut tree has an abundance of nuts on it, which are starting to ripen & fall from the branches now! The outer casing of the nut is easily removed by hand, then a gentle tap from a small hammer on the shell breaks open the inner shell & there you have beautiful, freshly grown pecan nuts!

The photo to the right is one I took just before Christmas, showing the green pecan nuts starting to develop. They have now turned brown & will drop from the tree when ripe. I have a delicious Pecan Nut Pie recipe, which I will be posting here shortly!

It is such a pleasure to watch the trees & plants grow in my garden & I am even more thrilled that the weather is now cooling down. Sunburned limbs are not a good look on anyone!

The simple pleasures in life really are the best. All I need is my garden tools, a fine day, a few new plants to add to my collection & I’m set! With the gentle sound of the wind-chimes rattling away in the breeze & the occasional visit from a baby Magpie or Pheasant Coucal, what could be better?

Australia · recipe · traditions

Ice-Cream Christmas Pudding

JoanneLeave a comment

Living in a warm climate at Christmas time can have some definite disadvantages, the most obvious for me being that I have never experienced a white Christmas!

However, on the bonus side, how many people in the northern hemisphere would have had the inclination to experience the pure joy of finishing off their Christmas dinner with a sumptuously divine ice cream Christmas Pudding? This is but one of the advantages of life in Australia.

It was only about ten years ago that I first made this summer Christmas pudding. It has become a tradition since then and Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without it. (Mind you, I also make a traditional pudding, which can be eaten with hot custard).

Ice-Cream Christmas Pudding

Ice-Cream Christmas Pudding

1/2 cup chopped raisins

1/2 cup sultanas

1/2 cup currants

1/4 cup glacé cherries, chopped or whole

1/4 cup mixed peel

1/4 cup chopped dried apricots

1/4 cup brandy, rum or fruit juice

1 litre softened chocolate ice-cream

1/2 cup blanched almonds, toasted & chopped

1/2 cup cream

Thickened cream to serve.

Combine all of the dried fruits in a bowl, and add the brandy, rum or fruit juice. Stir the liquid through the fruit & leave to stand, covered, overnight. (Don’t be tempted to add extra alcohol as the pudding will not freeze successfully with any addition to the specified amount.)

The next day, mix together the soaked fruit, softened ice cream, almonds & cream. Stir well to combine, then pour into a 5-litre pudding bowl.

Cover & freeze overnight, or until required.

To remove the pudding from the bowl, immerse the bowl for a few seconds in some hot water. Turn the bowl over onto a serving plate.

Serve with thickened cream or cold custard.

cooking · herbs · Muffins · recipe

Sweet Potato & Herb Muffins

JoanneLeave a comment

On the first day of the school holidays, my 12-year-old son was so happy! With school finally over for the year, summer here and Christmas just around the corner, my boy, like many other school-aged children, has a lot to be thankful for!! 🙂

My boy has his priorities right too. The first day of the holidays had him inviting his best mate since kindergarten over to our place for a sleepover.

These two boys have been partners in crime for years! With their heads together, they concocted their plans for the next 2 days, which included, on day one, swimming and alternating between playing cricket in the back garden and watching it on television. Later that afternoon and with wallets filled with their combined pocket money, they took themselves up to our local service station, returning half an hour later with all the supplies they would need for their planned day of fishing the following day.

When lunchtime arrived on day one, both boys were looking for something light but substantial to eat, so I baked another family favourite for them –

Sweet Potato & Herb Muffins.

You will need 2 mixing bowls.

Combine in the first bowl –

2 cups self-raising flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

200 grams of grated tasty cheese

1  1/2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

Pepper to taste.

In the second bowl, combine –

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 cup cooked & mashed sweet potato

Beat together well, then pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir to just combine, without over-mixing.

Place about 1/4 cup of the mixture into each cup of a well-greased muffin tin.

Bake in a pre-heated 220-degree oven for approximately 15 minutes. This mixture makes 12 muffins.

Cool the muffins slightly in the tin before turning out. They are absolutely delicious when eaten while still warm, cut in half and with a dollop of fresh butter on top!

Any leftovers, if they aren’t all devoured immediately, can be re-heated to enjoy the next day. 🙂

Note – If you prefer, the sweet potato can be substituted with 1 cup of cooked and mashed pumpkin.

Bananas · chocolate · cooking · Muffins · Uncategorized

There’s Nothin’ Like a Muffin!

JoanneLeave a comment

School’s out for the year and what better way for a 12 year old to celebrate the Grand Finale of his primary school years than with a freshly baked batch of Chocolate & Banana Muffins.

A firm favourite in our household for a number of years now, these mouth watering muffins fill our home with one of the most comforting aromas of all!

Chocolate & Banana Muffins

Stir together in a large bowl –

2 cups self-raising flour

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon salt

In another bowl, mix together –

100 grams melted butter

1 cup milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 cup (2-3) mashed bananas

Tip the bowl of well combined wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold together until the flour mixture is moistened. Don’t overmix.

Thoroughly grease a muffin tray, or alternatively place 12 muffin patty cases into the muffin tray.

Divide mixture evenly between the 12 muffin cases, about 1/4 cup per case.

Bake in a pre-heated oven, 220 degrees, for approximately 12-15 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly in the tin before turning out.