Pizza

I'm not normally a fan of tuna on pizza, but i have to use what I had available at home.  It turned out tasting really good...

Ingredients

For the dough

-  2 cups strong bread flour
-  1 1/2 tsp dry yeast, mix with 1/3 cup warm water
-  1 tsp salt
-  1 tsp castor sugar

Topping

It's pizza - use whatever you like!!!  haha

I used tomato paste to line the then added sun-dried tomatoes, sliced calamatta olives, tuna and mozzarella cheese.

Directions

1. Combine the dry dough ingredients, then gradually add the water with the yeast and knead for several minutes.
2. Put in a greased bowl covered with cling wrap and allow to double in size 1-2 hours.
3. Punch down the dough and and roll out to the size of your pizza base.
4. Apply the toppings and cook on 180C for 7-10 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Croissants

Making croissants is a bit like making puff pastry.  Not so difficult, quite a lot of fun to make and a nice taste at the end...

Ingredients

-  2 cups plain flour
-  1 1/2 tsp dry yeast
-  1/4 cup of cold water
-  1/4 cup of cold milk
-  1 1/2 tbls unsalted butter soft
-  1 tsp salt
-  3/4 cup of butter for the layer of butter for the pastry rolling
-  1 egg for egg wash

Directions

1. Combine the flour yeast and salt.
2. Add the milk and water gradually and beat using a dough hook if you have it.
3. Knead a little and wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate overnight.
4. Next day roll out the dough and using the butter layer follow the puff pastry making style of folding, rolling and refrigerating.  Repeat 3 times then refrigerate overnight.
5. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut into triangles as below.
6. Roll up each portion from large end to the point and lay out on a baking sheet.
7. Apply egg wash and allow to stand for up to 2 hours.  The croissants will rise.
8. Bake on 200C for 15 minutes.  Cool and ...

Enjoy!!







The dough after several rolls and folds



Cut into triangles



Rolled out ready for cutting



Croissants before allowing to rise







After 2 hours and ready to go in the oven







Baked Fish Chinese style

Apologies for making you stand on your head for this one.  Baked fish is fantastic.  The combination of juices and the soy sauce, oyster sauce and flavours from the ginger and lemon grass make this dish truly amazing.

Cook the fish covered for about 10 minutes at 190C.   Times will vary according to the thickness of your fillet, but just check that it is flaky and then it's cooked.

Enjoy!!





The bottom of the dish is lined with lemon grass and ginger





Atop that with sauteed mushrooms and sliced capsicum





Round the edges with sauteed prawns.  Lay the raw fillet of fish and top with auteed onions



Chocolate Swirl Marble Cheesecake

Made this chocolate swirl marble cheesecake last week for some colleagues' going away.  Rich in creamy texture with a topping of peanut butter...

Used a 99% fat free Nestle Sweetened condensed milk in the filling instead of sugar.  It is offset by plenty of evil so don't worry... Lol

Ingredients

For the crust

-  1 packet of Arnotts Milk coffee biscuits

-  150g butter melted

-  2 tablespoons of granulated sugar

For the filling

-  500g cream cheese

-  1 can of Nestle sweetened condensed milk

-  1 cup of whipping cream

-  1 tsp vanilla essence

-  3 eggs

-  100g semi-sweet chocolate melted

For the topping

-  4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

-  2 tablespoons cream

-  1/2 cup icing sugar

Directions

1. Crush the biscuits in a plastic bag.  Combine with the sugar and melted butter
2. Form a base on an 8" springform pan and cook at 140C for 10 minutes.  Remove and cool
3. Beat the cream cheese till fluffy and add the condensed milk, cream and remainder of ingredients.
4. Add the eggs one at a time until well blended
5. Separate 1 cup of the filling and combine with the melted chocolate.
6. Pour the filling into the pan, layering with the chocolate combined mix.
7. Use a knife to swirl and combine the layers
8. Cook on 200C for 10 minutes then 140C for a further 45 minutes.
9. Allow to cool for an hour in the oven and then transfer to the fridge for a further 6-8 hours.
10. The topping can be prepared in advance by combining all ingredients on a low heat until smooth. 
11. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
12. Remove the springform pan and then using a piping bag, pipe the topping in a desired way.

Enjoy!!

Just some of the ingredients

Lattice Slice

Lattice slice is like a cheesecake sandwich.  Quick and easy to make and a great snack idea.

Ingredients

-  1 x 250g pack of cream cheese (i used 99% fat free one here)
-  125g unsalted butter (softened)
-  125g castor sugar
-  1 tsp vanilla essence
-  2 tsp lemon juice
-  1 sachet of gelatine (2 tsp, pour over 1/4 cup of hot water and let set)
-  1 to 2 packets of Arnotts Lattice biscuits

Directions

1. Beat the cream cheese, butter and sugar until creamy.
2. Add the gelatine, vanilla essence and lemon juice and beat well till combined.
3. In a flat rectangular dish tile half the lattice biscuits, sugar side down.
4. Pour the mixture over the biscuits
5. Apply another tiled layer sugar side up creating the sandwich.
6. Refrigerate for 30 minutes until set
7. Cut into squares a serve up your cheesecake sandwich.

Enjoy!!

Almond Shortbread Biscuits

Shortbread biscuits are great to dunk in a cup of coffee.  My first attempt at them made about 5 dozen of these little bell shaped cookies.

Ingredients

- 2 Cups Plain flour

- 250g unsalted butter (softened)

- 100g fine brown sugar (if you like more sweet make it 125g)

- 125g ground almonds
- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp almond essence

Directions

1. Cream butter and sugar
2. Combine the dry ingredients
3. Add the essence and dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix well.
4. Combine the dough and need a little.  Put in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm.
5. Pre-heat oven to 150C (140C for fan-forced)
6. Roll out the dough and flatten about 1/2 inch thick.
7. Use a cookie cutter of your choice to shape the biscuits.
8. Place on a lined tray and cook for 12-15 minutes until the cookies are firm to touch.
9. Take out of the over and let cool on the tray for a while before transferring to sealable container.

Enjoy!!

Only a few ingredients needed

Coarse dough which will firm in the fridge