The Monday Morning Cooking Club @ BakeClub and a Custard Chiffon Cake

fressing [Yiddish], eating for the pure joy, obsession and love of it. 

Custard Chiffon Cake

When I think about the meaning of fressing, I feel I have been practising this concept for much of my life. I believe food is something that should always be enjoyed. Food and the recipes that accompany it play a large role in our lives. Apart from being sustenance, food can bring people together, be the centre of a celebration, be a comfort, and become an heirloom.

The concept of fressing and the importance of food is strikingly clear when one looks at the two books produced by The Monday Morning Cooking Club. Both books provide wonderful recipes and focus on the people behind the food and the recipes. It is obvious that food and cooking has and continues to play an important role in the lives of all who have been involved in these books. Through the act of sharing these recipes we are shown how food has brought joy, been loved and fuelled obsessions.

The six women who make up The Monday Morning Cooking Club have focused on the idea of recipes being heirlooms, and have a strong desire to preserve recipes that would otherwise be lost if not written down. Through the act of sharing these many recipes, we have been allowed into the lives and kitchens of the curators and contributors of these books. This in turn, preserves these family recipes, and places these cherished family memories into a collective heirloom in which anyone can share. 

At a recent BakeClub event, I was able to see three of The Monday Morning Cooking Club in action. Baking recipes from their books, but also speaking about The Monday Morning Cooking Club process, evolution and the idea of ‘heirloom baking’. Despite the original book idea being around fundraising for charity, the project had delved into preserving recipes from their community. The concept of recipes as heirlooms is firmly entrenched in The Monday Morning Cooking Club collective and one can only feel privileged that so many families personal food memories and heirlooms, have been shared. 

Cakes & Baked Goods from the Monday Morning Cooking Club event at BakeClub

Cakes & Baked Goods prepared by the Monday Morning Cooking Club. BakeClub event held at the Flash in the Pan Studio. 

After attending the Monday Morning Cooking Club event at Bake Club, and tasting their amazing food, I decided to attempt the Custard Chiffon. When I first tasted it, it was so light, spongey and sweet. It was pure joy. To me, it also exemplified the notions of fressing and heirloom baking and I hope they don’t mind me sharing this wonderful recipe here.

For this recipe you will need an angel cake tin with a removable base. It is also a great idea to find a bottle whose neck will fit into the centre of the tin. You will need this to invert the cake on after it has finished baking. The whole process might seem a bit strange and involved, however the effort put into this cake really pays off.

Custard Chiffon Cake

Ingredients: 

175 g self-raising flour

35 g custard powder

1 tsp cream of tartar

6 eggs (large), separated

345 g caster sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

170 ml warm water

80 ml vegetable oil 

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Have your angel cake tin ready and nearby but do not grease it. The tin should not be a non-stick tin as the cake needs to cling to the sides of the tin as it cooks. 

In a small-medium bowl, sift the flour, custard powder and cream of tartar three times. 

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with 1 cup of the total sugar, until pale and creamy. If you have a free standing mixer with a paddle attachment, use this attachment for the egg yolks and save the whisk for later. Once pale and creamy, add the vanilla. Place the oil and water in a jug and along with the sifted flour mixture, add to the yolk mixture while the mixer is beating on a low speed. Beat only until just combined. 

Using a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites using an electric mixer until soft peaks have formed. Add the remaining sugar, and whisk until the peaks are stiff (but not dry). 

Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites with a metal spoon. Continue to gently fold until the mixtures are just combined. Do not over mix. 

Transfer the mixture to the cake tin and bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. 

Immediately upon removing the cake from the oven you must invert the cake (stand it upside down). Using the hollow centre of the cake tin, place the cake upside down on the neck of a bottle and leave to cool. This process will stop the cake collapsing. This is also the reason for not greasing the tin, as you don’t want the cake to slide out at this stage. If the cake is under baked, it may also slide out at this stage! So be sure it is fully cooked before removing from the oven. 

Once the cake is completely cool, use a small serrated knife to cut the cake out of the tin. Start with the outer sides then lift the cake out using the bottom of the pan. Then carefully cut the cake off the base of the tin. 

To serve, sprinkle with icing sugar if desired.  

Custard Chiffon Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream & Dried Edible Flowers

Original Recipe from ‘The Monday Morning Cooking Club’ by Merelyn Frank Chalmers, Natanya Eskin, Lauren Fink, Lisa Goldberg, Paula Horwitz and Jacqui Israel, p.35 (2011).

Originally Posted July 5, 2014.

Passionfruit Biscuits (Egg Free)

This recipe has been adapted from the Rose Biscuits I made a little while ago. After making those biscuits, it got me thinking about other flavours I could make. I didn’t take long to choose passionfruit as the next flavour, and the fact that passionfruit season is coming to an end only made me want to try it more!

On the first attempt of these I used vanilla extract in the biscuits, and passionfruit pulp for the icing. They were nice, however the sweetness of the vanilla competed with the passionfruit flavour. When I made them again, I strained some passionfruit pulp and added it to the biscuit mixture. While the difference was fairly subtle, it allows the passionfruit to be the dominate flavour, which is definitely what I wanted! If you don’t want to strain the passionfruit pulp, you can leave it out or add no more than a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the mixture. 

Ingredients: 

200g unsalted butter, softened

100g golden caster sugar (or caster sugar)

200 g plain flour, sifted

100g almond meal

2 tablespoons strained passionfruit pulp (no seeds) 

Ingredients for the Icing: 

2-3 tbsp passionfruit pulp

2 cups icing sugar 

Method: 

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius, and line two baking trays with baking paper. 

In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and strained passionfruit pulp until all combined. Add the sifted flour and almond meal and mix until combined. 

Using a teaspoon, take spoonfuls of the mixture and roll into balls and place on the baking trays. Flatten the balls a little so they form fat round discs. 

Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until slightly golden. Cool biscuits on the trays or on a wire rack. 

Once the biscuits are cool, place the sifted icing sugar in a medium bowl. Add two tablespoons of passionfruit pulp and mix until the icing is the consistency of a smooth paste. Heat in a microwave for 10 seconds, and continue mixing. If the mixture is too dry, gradually add more of the passionfruit pulp. Add more sifted icing sugar if the icing becomes too runny. If the icing won’t combine well, heat it again for no more than 10 seconds in a microwave. Spread some icing in a circular motion on top of each biscuit and leave to dry for a couple of hours. 

Makes approx. 36-38 biscuits. Store in a airtight container.

Originally Posted June 4, 2014.

Vegetable Risotto with Quinoa (Gluten Free)

Those who know me well, know that I love a good risotto. It is the only dinner related dish that I make consistently, and will order risotto about eight times out of ten when out for dinner. It’s not that I don’t like other things, its just that I really like risotto! I first started making it when I was about 16 or 17, and since then have come up with numerous recipes. Most of the time the ‘recipes’ I come up with are really just my attempt to use ingredients we already have at home. Most of the recipes I make, end up having some proportion of prosciutto, parmesan cheese (or similar) and lots of herbs. 

I first made this recipe after having a chicken dish from Nigella Lawson’s book ‘Nigellissima’. This Nigella dish had roasted capsicums and leeks cooked in the same pan as a chicken. To me the vegetables are the best part of the dish, and I thought they would make a good addition to risotto. 

I only recently started adding quinoa to my risotto recipes. I thought it was a good idea to make the dish healthier and more filling. To be perfectly honest I’m not a big fan of quinoa, and I have found that adding it to risotto is the only way I can eat it! While the combination  of quinoa and capsicums is really nice in this dish,  if you can’t stand the idea of eating quinoa (and I totally understand that!), just substitute the quinoa for more arborio rice. 

Ingredients for Roast Capsicums: 

2 tbsp olive oil 

2 red capsicums (larger sized)

2 orange or yellow capsicums (larger sized) 

3-4 garlic cloves, crushed 

Ingredients for the Risotto: 

1 tbsp garlic oil 

2 leeks, washed and chopped (white part only)

1 cup arborio rice

1/2 cup mixed grain quinoa, rinsed

1 cup dry white wine

1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock

8 slices prosciutto (approx.), roughly torn

1/2 cup parmesan cheese (or similar), finely grated

1 bunch basil, washed and roughly chopped (leaves only)

Method: 

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Cut up capsicums in to thick strips, discarding the seeds. In a large ovenproof dish, place one tablespoon of oil, then add the capsicums. Crush the garlic over the capsicums and drizzle over the remaining olive oil. Toss the capsicums and garlic, so everything is fairly evenly coated with oil. Place in the oven to roast for at least an hour. Keep an eye on the capsicums during this time and move them around in the tray so they cook evenly.

After the capsicums have been roasting for 20 minutes, start the risotto. Heat a large heavy based pan on the stove, on medium heat. Add the garlic oil and leeks, and cook the leeks down until they are soft. Once the leeks have softened, add the arborio rice and quinoa, and stir to coat the grains. Add the white wine and turn the heat down so the wine gently simmers, but does not boil. Allow the wine to be absorbed. Once the wine has been mostly absorbed by the grains, add the chicken stock. Stir briefly to ensure that none of the grains are stuck to the bottom of the pan, then place the lid of the pan on loosely. The risotto should not boil, only gently simmer at the very most. Keep an eye on the risotto and if it starts to boil or simmer too much, turn the heat down. Stir occasionally, and the grains should absorb most of the liquid in about 40 minutes. 

Once the capsicums are cooked, leave them in the oven on a low heat to stay warm until ready to add to the risotto. 

Once most of the liquid in the risotto has been absorbed (after 30-40 minutes), add the capsicums, basil, cheese and prosciutto and stir to combine. Turn the heat off and allow the risotto to sit for a minute before serving.

Serve with extra prosciutto, parmesan or basil as desired.

Makes 6-8 portions. 

Originally Posted May 28, 2014.

Granger & Co London and Ricotta Hotcakes with Banana and Honeycomb Butter

Before eating at Granger & Co, I had experienced Bill Granger’s restaurants only one other time. At the time, the trek into Surry Hills for breakfast was far to daunting to do on an empty stomach, and I therefore had to eat something before I left. This unfortunately meant I wasn’t super hungry once I arrived in Surry Hills, and thus only ate coconut bread. I realised my mistake when my breakfast companion ordered the Ricotta Hotcakes with Banana and Honeycomb butter, and it looked amazing. My coconut bread, as nice as it was, seemed to pale in comparison. 

Coconut Bread at bills, Surry Hills. 

About a year after this first experience, I was lucky enough to find myself in London, where Bill Granger has opened a restaurant in Notting Hill. I was absolutely determined that we go there at least once. It might seem odd to go to a restaurant in another country that serves similar if not the same food to the one at home. But after my previous experience, I thought that the opportunity to go there was not to be missed. Not only because the food is excellent, but the distance to get to Notting Hill was a lot less than the distance to get to Surry Hills at home! Thus more achievable on an empty stomach! 

On our first full day in London (yes, I was THAT keen), Mum and I caught the tube to Bayswater Station and took the short walk along Queensway and Westbourne Grove to reach Granger & Co. We were seated immediately, despite the restaurant being very full. Which was lucky, as I was obviously starving at this point! I had already decided I was going to order the Ricotta Hotcakes, and Mum ordered the Sweetcorn Fritters. Both meals were great, and according to Mum, the coffee ended up being the best she had on our whole holiday. 

Ricotta Hotcakes with Honeycomb Butter at Granger & Co, London.

Once we were home I ended up finding the recipes for the Ricotta Hotcakes and the Sweetcorn Fritters. Both recipes work really well and are just as nice as eating them in one of Bill’s restaurants. The Ricotta Hotcakes are quite a decadent breakfast with the honeycomb butter, and would definitely be worth making for a special occasion.

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups ricotta 

3/4 cup milk

4 eggs, separated

1 cup plan flour

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

unsalted butter,  for cooking

bananas, to serve

Ingredients for the Honeycomb Butter 

250g unsalted butter, softened

100g honeycomb, crushed

2 tbsp honey 

Method: 

To make the honeycomb butter, place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until combined. Using plastic wrap, shape into a log and leave to chill in the fridge. 

For the hotcakes, mix the ricotta, milk and egg yolks in a small bowl. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a larger bowl. Mix the ricotta mixture with the flour until just combined. 

Using an electric mixer and a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Using a large metal spoon, fold the egg whites into the batter in two batches. Be gentle whilst doing this otherwise the egg whites will go flat. 

Using the butter, lightly grease a fry pan. On a medium to low heat place two tablespoons of the batter per hotcake, and cook for about two minutes on the first side. The first side will be cooked when it is golden in colour and the top side shows some small bubbles. Cook on the other side and continue until all the batter is cooked. Whilst cooking the hotcakes, you might want to preheat an oven to about 100 degrees Celsius and place cooked hotcakes on a tray, to keep them warm. 

Serve hotcakes with cut up banana and a slice (or two!) of honeycomb butter. 

Makes about 10. 

Original recipe can be found in ‘bills Syndey Food’ by Bill Granger (2000), p.22.

Granger & Co can be found at 175 Westbourne Grove, London. 

Granger & Co London.

bills in Sydney can be found at 359 Crown St Surry Hills and 433 Liverpool St Darlinghurst.

*Update 11/10/14 - new bills Sydney location at Bondi Beach (79 Hall St). 

bills, 359 Crown St Surry Hills, Sydney. 

Originally Posted May 25, 2014

Nigella Lawson's Brownies

As promised, order is restored after the first savoury post, with another lovely baking recipe! And you can't get much more sweet and decadent than a chocolate brownie! Definitely makes up for eating vegetables. Even if they were pureed in soup with bacon! Its a tough life, haha. 

Considering I don’t really eat chocolate, I have made a surprising amount of chocolate things this year. I guess when your baking for other people, chocolate is hard to go past. 

After making the brownies by Bill Granger back in March, I was interested to see what another recipe would turn out like. I of course, could not go past a Nigella Lawson recipe. 

When I first made these I think I cooked them a little longer than Nigella stipulated. The brownies were more cake-y, than fudgy, however it was commented that they tasted exactly like Sara Lee chocolate cake, which was considered a good thing!

Ingredients: 

150g unsalted butter 

300g light muscovado sugar

75g cocoa powder

150g plain flour

1 tsp bicarb soda

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

150g milk chocolate, roughly chopped into chunks 

Method: 

Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Line a baking tin/tray measuring approx. 25cm/5cm.  

Melt butter over a low heat in a medium saucepan. Once melted, add sugar and stir to combine. 

Sift the cocoa powder, flour and bicarb and stir into the pan. Once it is mixed in, remove from heat. The mixture will be quite dry at this point. 

In a jug, whisk the eggs with the vanilla extract and then add to the brownie mixture. 

Stir in the chopped chocolate and immediately pour mixture into prepared pan. Cook for 20-25 minutes. The idea is to have the brownies still a bit wobbly when they come out of the oven, and a skewer inserted into the centre of the brownies would not come out clean. 

Place the tin on a cooling rack, and allow to cool a little before cutting the brownies. 

Original Recipe from ‘Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home’ by Nigella Lawson, p.217 (2010). 

Originally Posted May 19, 2014.

Tomato & Bacon Soup

This is the first savoury recipe I have posted so far. By now, some of you may be questioning whether I eat or cook anything savoury at all! Do not despair, here is proof that, at least sometimes, I cook something that is actually viable to eat as a proper meal! However, to ‘make up’ for this savoury post (and after not having posted any recipes in a couple of weeks), I will also be posting a sweet recipe this evening. Just to keep things in balance, because in my mind no meal is complete without a little sugar afterwards!

This is my go-to Winter soup. It is very easy to make and only gets a bit messy when you use the blender to whiz it up! Though if you don’t have a blender or food processor, a stick blender or something similar would do. The tomato flavour is rich and goes well with parmesan and crusty bread. The bacon element adds bulk and substance to the soup, which is great if you want it to be more than just an entree. This recipe makes about 2.5 litres of soup, but can be easily halved to make less. 

Ingredients: 

2 tbsp olive oil 

2 large onions, chopped

6 cloves garlic, crushed

6 bacon rashers, chopped

x2 800g tins diced tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 chicken stock cubes, crumbled/crushed

2 cups water

Method:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions, garlic and bacon and stir over a medium heat for about 3 minutes or until the bacon is cooked and the onions are softened. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, stock cubes and water. 

Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes (uncovered). Allow the soup to cool down, then process in a food processor. This may have to be done in batches depending on the size of your processor. Then transfer back to the saucepan and heat to serve. 

Original Recipe from The Australian Women’s Weekly Starters and Soups, p.115 (1989).

Originally Posted May 19, 2014.