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PLEASE NOTE:
All EggFree Baking recipes use standard (all-purpose, plain) flour unless stated otherwise. I do not use self-raising flour at all.
I do use high grade (strong) flour in bread recipes and some fruit cake
JEANETTE'S EggFree MERINGUES
This is modification of Orangold’s recipe which was developed from my EggFree MARSHMALLOW recipe below.
NOTE: Soy Protein Isolate unflavoured powder can be found in health and sports shops. It can also be bought over the internet.
6 Tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
scant ½ tsp xanthan or guar gum powder
1 tsp soy protein isolate unflavoured powder
2 tsp (extra) soy protein isolate unflavoured powder
2½ Tbsp cold water
1 tsp cider vinegar
½ tsp vanilla essence or paste
Place a Teflon liner or sheet of baking paper on a large oven tray.
Place the caster sugar, zanthan or guar gum and first measure of soy protein isolate unflavoured powder in a small bowl and combine. Set aside.
Place the second measure of soy protein isolate unflavoured powder in a small electric cake mixer bowl, add the water then whip at high speed until the volume increases and mixture forms soft peaks. This can take as long as 10 minutes.
Add the cider vinegar and vanilla and whip until the mixture form stiffer peaks.
With the mixer on medium speed add the caster sugar mixture a tablespoon at a time, incorporating well between each addition. The mixture will whiten and form stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted at the end of beating.
Either drop 12 – 14 blobs of meringue mixture (or fill a piping bag and pipe 12 – 14 swirls) on the prepared baking tray.
Bake (fan bake is best) at 110°C (230°F) for 50 – 60 minutes or until meringues are firm to the touch.
Cool, before removing from oven tray.
The meringues can be sandwiched together with whipped cream, or raspberry jam, or with a chocolate icing with a teaspoon of orange zest added to it. Passion fruit icing would be good, too.
Makes 12 – 14 halves (6 – 7 joined meringues).
TIP: Stand the meringues upright on an cake airing rack after you have sandwiched them together so they stay in place (IE: the top meringue doesn’t slide to one side as the icing dries).
VEGAN MERINGUE NESTS OR SHELLS
Make up the meringue recipe above.
Depending on what you require the nests or shells for mark out circles (or ovals) of the appropriate size on baking paper.
4 – 5cm (1½ – 2 inch) nests for finger food size
7 – 8cm (about 3 inch) dessert size
Either pipe out rounds of meringue, starting in the centre and piping in a spiral then pipe an edge to the nest.
OR drop a dollop of meringue mixture inside the marked circle and spread it to the edge then with the back of the spoon shape into a nest.
Bake as above recipe.
Fillings:
Fresh kiwifruit, strawberries, de-seeded grapes, raspberries, berries, cherries, or slices de-stoned fruit – mango, peaches, etc.
Pudding mixes
Yoghurt
Sauces:
Berry couli
Chocolate
Passion fruit pulp
VEGAN MERINGUE PARFAITS
suitable cream, whipped
strawberries (reserve some for topping)
a few spoons of icing (confectioners) sugar (optional)
blueberries (reserve some for topping)
meringues, broken into rough chunks
Mash the strawberries roughly with a few spoons of icing (confectioners) sugar.
Whip the cream in a medium size bowl.
Add the crushed meringues and berries and gently fold together.
Spoon the mixture into parfait glasses or bowls and decorate with the reserved berries.
OR mash all the fruit, adding a splash of Creme de Cassis to the mixture, then freeze in ramekins for several hours.
To turn out, run a warm knife round the edge of the ramekins and up-turn on an individual dessert plate.
Serve with a berry fruit coulis or sauce.
NOTE: A mixture of berries may be used instead of just strawberries and blueberries.
JEANETTE'S EggFree MACAROONS
I’m very pleased to be able to bring this recipe to you after a number of trial and errors. This recipe does not rely on sweetened condensed milk therefore they look like real egg based macaroons.
6 Tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
1 tsp soy protein isolate unflavoured powder
½ tsp baking powder
scant ½ tsp xanthan or guar gum powder
2 tsp (extra) soy protein isolate unflavoured powder
2½ Tbsp cold water
1 tsp cider vinegar
½ tsp coconut essence or extract
1 cup desiccated coconut
Place a Teflon liner or sheet of baking paper on a large oven tray.
Place the caster sugar, zanthan or guar gum, the first measure of soy protein isolate unflavoured powder and baking powder in a small bowl and combine. Set aside.
Place the second measure of soy protein isolate unflavoured powder in a small electric cake mixer bowl, add the water then beat to remove any lumps.
Add the cider vinegar and coconut essence and whip until the mixture is foamy.
With the mixer on medium speed add the caster sugar mixture a tablespoon at a time, incorporating well between each addition. The mixture will whiten and have a velvety smooth texture because the caster sugar has dissolved when the beaters are lifted at the end of beating.
Gently fold in the desiccated coconut with a metal spoon.
Drop 10 – 12 blobs of macaroon mixture on the prepared baking tray.
Bake (fan bake is best) at 110°C (230°F) for 40 – 50 minutes or until macaroons are cooked when one is broken in half.
Cool, before removing from oven tray.
Makes 10 – 12 macaroons.
Keeps well in an airtight container.
NOTE: I find it is easier to start off with an electric hand held beater then swap to an electric cake mixer as the volume of the macaroon mixture increases.
CONDENSED MILK CHOCOLATE CAKE
I’m sure your first reaction will be the same as mine – a cake made with condensed milk must be very, very sweet. Believe me it is not.
In this recipe I wanted to find out if Lite sweetened condensed milk could be substituted and what would be the effect. The answer to the question is yes it can be used as a substitute. The sweetness is reduced even further and the texture is a little closer.
I also wanted to find out if oil could replace the butter. Yes, it can. So if you need to watch your cholesterol that is a help.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
200g melted butter OR1/3 cup oil
1 x 400g can regular OR Lite sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or essence
1 cup water OR (coffee for a Mocha cake) OR (orange juice for a Jaffa cake)
Preheat oven to 150°C (350°F). Prepare an 20cm (8 inch) round springform tin OR an 20cm (8 inch) ring tin or brundt mould.
In a large bowl sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda. Make a well in the center.
Melt butter and condensed milk in microwave bowl and stir until combined or heat oil and condensed milk gently on stove top stirring continuously until blended.
Stir in the vanilla.
Pour the wet ingredients along with the water (or coffee or orange juice) into the well of dry ingredients.
Combine and spread in prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Allow to cool in pan.
Cover with chocolate icing if desired.
JEANETTE'S EGGFREE MARSHMALLOWS
I have been experimenting with agar agar for the past 4 years. This Easter I was determined to conquer an egg free marshmallow recipe.
And at last – the first successful homemade egg free marshmallow recipe on the internet.
Now you can eat this favourite confection once again.
EGGFREE MARSHMALLOWS
- This recipe takes about thirty minutes to make. Then after allowing an hour for it to set at room temperature it is ready to eat. Eat them within a couple of days.
- Agar agar jells are a dream to work with as they remain runny enough so you don't have a gloppy mess to work with. If you work too slowly you can gently reheat the jell and it will return to a liquid state.
- Whatever you do, don't lift the beaters from the bowl while the motor is running unless you want a snow storm in the kitchen.
- Put the used utentsils to soak in warm water after completing the recipe.
NOTE: This recipe requires at least a handheld electric beater and preferably an electric cake mixer.
¾ cup sugar
1 Tbsp cornflour or cornstarch
5 tsp powdered agar agar (not flavoured)
¼ cup palm sugar (grate if in a block form)(see notes below)
2 Tbsp glucose powder (optional)
1½ cups water
2½ Tbsp soy protein isolate (see notes below)
¼ tsp baking soda
1/3 tsp tartaric acid
¼ tsp sea salt
1/3 tsp gum (zanthan, guar or acacia)
6 Tbsp cold water
2 tsp vanilla essence or extract
Spray a 30 x 20cm (12 x 8 inch) Swiss roll pan well then dust with potato, corn or tapioca flour.
In a medium size saucepan place the sugar, cornflour, agar agar, palm sugar and powdered glucose, if using, and whisk until combined. Whisk in the water and heat, stirring, until the mixture comes to the boil. Cook at a rolling simmer for 15 minutes stirring from time to time. Remove saucepan from the heat and carefully add the vanilla essence (or peppermint or raspberry essences if wished – see notes below).
In the meantime, sift the dry ingredients into a medium size bowl. Add the water and beat until increased in volume and fluffy-ish (about 10 minutes). Set aside.
With electric beaters or cake mixer running, carefully pour 1 – 2 Tbsp of agar mixture into the fluffy mixture to slacken it. Add another 1 – 2 Tbsp of agar and repeat. Now you can safely pour the rest of the agar mixture in at a steady stream until it is all used up (this should take no longer than 2 minutes – any longer and the agar could start to jell). Continue beating the mixture until it is warmer than lukewarm and risen in volume (cooler than that and it will start setting in the bowl).
Spread into the prepared Swiss roll pan. Cover with a sheet of baking paper and press down lightly to smooth the surface and get mixture into the corners. Set aside to cool and firm up (about an hour).
To turn out, remove the baking paper. Dust a chopping board with potato, corn or tapioca flour or desiccated coconut. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Then holding the pan of marshmallow upside down above the dusted board give it a sharp jerk downwards keeping your fingers out of the way. The marshmallow will drop out onto the board. With a sharp knife cut the marshmallow into squares. Coat each individual square well with potato, corn or tapioca flour, cocoa powder or desiccated coconut.
The marshmallow is now ready to eat. If you want to keep it overnight leave it to air on a bench (covered with a paper napkin) at room temperature.
VARIATIONS:
MINT MARSHMALLOWS – Omit the vanilla essence/extract. Add 1 – 2 teaspoon peppermint essence/extract and tint the mixture pale green with a few drops of vegan friendly colouring.
RASPBERRY MARSHMALLOWS – Add 1 -2 teaspoons raspberry essence/extract until the marshmallow is pale pink.
Makes 40 – 50 marshmallows.
NOTES:
- Make sure you are using unflavoured soy protein isolate not hydrolysed soy protein which has MSG in it. Soy protein isolate can be bought in the health or sports shops or over the internet.
- Palm sugar can be obtained at supermarkets or Asian groceries. I love the flavour it imparts and it also helps to disguise the agar and soy protein flavours or use Muscovada or Demerara sugar if you wish. If you are unable to source any of these just use 1 cup of plain, raw or golden sugar.
- Tartaric acid can be exchanged for citric acid.
- Guar, zanthan or acacia gums can be bought in supermarkets and health food, or bulk bin shops or over the internet.
- Glucose powder is available in supermarkets but it's cheaper at bulk bin shops.
- Baking soda is bicarbonate soda.
TIP: I prefer to use potato flour to coat the marshmallows. Potato starch liquefies at a low temperature so does not need further heat processing to cook the starch particles unlike cornflour.
SAGE ADVICE: Don't attempt to make any sort of marshmallows (geletine or non-geletine ones) in damp weather as they won't be anywhere as successful as ones made on fine sunny days.
Some ways to use this marshmallow recipe.
TOASTED MARSHMALLOWS
We have just lit the fire for the first time this year. It couldn't have come at a better time so that I could test this recipe and I'm delighted to report it toasts beautifully.
CHILDREN'S PARTY CONES
As this recipe is quickly made and sets in an hour it is ideal for a child's party.
For a party instead of placing marshmallow in a Swiss roll pan to set spoon into vegan ice cream cones and sprinkle with hundreds and thousands or chocolate hail.
S'MORES
Make your S'mores your favoutite way – Eat…mmmm…yum.
FREE RECIPES:
The recipes below are a selection of recipes from our EggFree Baking Publications for you to sample. Many are my personal favourites.
The Baking 101 sub menu contains the Ingredients and Substitutions page from the books with helpful hints to get you started. Remember you're welcome to get in touch with me via the contact form should you run into difficulties.
Please note: I prefer to use the fan bake function in my oven. If you want to use this option you will need to lower the suggested temperature by 10 – 20ºC.
For your convenience the ingredients in each recipe have been listed in order of use.
When making the two-step cakes recipes there are several ways of combining the wet ingredients together:
* put the wet ingredients in a bowl and beat them with a fork or whisk
* put them in a milk shaker and shake vigorously
* put them in a beaker or jug and stick blend them
* whiz them in a processor
Choose whichever one suits the volume you are dealing with. My preferred options are to use a plastic milk shaker for smaller amounts or the stick blender for larger amounts.
IMPORTANT NOTE: I have only named the basic ingredient in the recipe, IE:
Milk: The choice is yours to use soy, rice, nut or cow's milk.
Oil: You can use Canola, rice bran, safflower, etc.
Sugar: Where a certain sugar improves the flavour or appearance of the baked item it has been specified. You may use whichever sugar you prefer.
Vinegar: I use white vinegar but have used cider and white wine vinegar on occassion. You may use lemon or lime juice if you wish.
EGG FREE O J MUFFINS
These breakfast muffins make a good start to the day with a healthy amount of bran and raisins and a satisfying spicy flavour.
1½ cup wholemeal flour
¾ cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground mixed spice
½ tsp ground allspice
pinch salt
1/3 – ½ cup sugar
1/3 cup bran flakes
½ cup raisins
½ cup milk
2 tsp vinegar
½ cup oil
1¼ cups orange juice or drink
Sift the flours, baking soda, spices and salt into a large bowl. Add the sugar, bran flakes and raisins. Make a well in centre.
Combine the milk, vinegar, oil and orange juice. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. And stir until just moistened.
Spoon into a 12 hole muffin tin. Bake at 190°C for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden. Stand 5 minutes then remove to rack to cool. Makes 12.
Please Note: It has been brought to my attention that in some countries branflakes can contain cyanobalamin a derivative of eggs so do remember to read those labels. Substitute oat bran or desicated coconut.
EGG FREE HIDDEN JAM MUFFINS
Who doesn't like a surprise every now and again.
2¼ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
½ – 2/3 cup sugar
¾ cup (1 x 75g pkt) ground almonds
1½ cup milk
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla essence
100g butter, melted (or ½ cup oil)
½ cup jam, for filling (see notes below)
Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Add the sugar and ground almonds. Make a well in centre.
Combine the milk, vinegar and vanilla essence. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and add the melted butter. Stir until just moistened.
Half fill the muffin holes with the batter. Place a teaspoon of jam in centre and cover with the remaining muffin batter.
Bake at 190°C for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden. Stand 5 minutes then remove to rack to cool.
Makes 12.
Dust with icing sugar to serve.
NOTES: Suitable jams to use – apricot, raspberry or mixed berry, or plum jam with ½ tsp
of cinnamon stirred through it.
Or use a teaspoonful of tangy apricot filling.
PEACH MELBA MUFFINS
Dame Nellie Melba, a world acclaimed Australian opera singer, professional career spanned from 1886 to 1926 when she gave her final farewell concert. Peach Melba, a concoction of peaches and raspberries with ice cream, was created by Auguste Escoffier in her honour in the early 1890’s.
This is my take on the theme.
Crumble topping:
¼ cup sugar
3 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp butter, chopped up /or oil
For the muffins:
1¾ cups flour
1½ tsp baking soda
pinch salt
½ cup fine semolina
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp vinegar
½ cup oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
1½ cups firm but ripe peaches, diced small
1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen don’t thaw them)
To make the crumble topping:
Either whiz in a food processor until it resembles breadcrumbs or put in a small bowl and rub the butter or oil into the sugar and flour with the fingertips.
For the muffins:
Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the semolina and sugar and make well in centre.
Combine the milk, vinegar, oil and vanilla essence. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir together. Add the diced peaches and raspberries and stir into the mixture quickly.
Spoon into paper cup lined 12 hole muffin tin.
Liberally sprinkle the crumble over the muffins.
Bake at 190°C for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden. Stand 5 minutes then remove to rack to cool.
Makes 12.
NOTE: To gild to lily, a teaspoon of cream cheese can be placed in the centre of each muffin before it’s cooked.
Canned peaches, drained and blotted with a paper kitchen towel may be used in place of fresh peaches.
BROWN SUGAR SHORTBREAD
One Christmas years ago I decided to try making brown sugar shortbread. This is the unchanged recipe. The only difference is that I now roll it in raw sugar giving it a decorative edge that most people comment on approvingly.
1¾ cups flour
pinch salt
¾ cup brown sugar
175g butter, softened
¼ – 1/3 cup raw sugar for sides, see recipe
Put the flour, salt and brown sugar in the processor. Add the softened butter. Process until the dough starts clumping together. Tip onto a bench and knead until it comes together. Form into a round log approximately 25cm long.
Place a sheet of lunch paper half as long again as the log on the bench beside the log. Scatter raw sugar evenly over the paper in front of the log. Roll the log back and forth over the raw sugar evenly coating the sides then wrap up in the paper.
Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour before cutting into 7mm slices. Place on greased oven tray. Prick with fork.
Bake at 170ºC for 15 – 20 minutes until just starting to colour. Makes 35.
Stores well in airtight container for weeks.
Freezes well.
BROKEN BISCUIT FUDGE CAKE
This recipe dates back to a time when commercial bought biscuits were sold loose by the lb. or part lb. (pound) out of big square tins. The shop keepers sold off the broken ones in the bottom at a cheaper rate and wily housewives made broken biscuit slices.
125g butter or margarine
2 Tbsp milk, your choice
2 Tbsp cocoa
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 packet plain biscuits, broken not crumbed
½ cup sultanas, chopped nuts or chopped ginger
In a saucepan heat the butter, milk, cocoa, brown sugar and vanilla until melted and mixed together.
Remove from the heat add the broken biscuits and fruit or nuts.
Press into a greased 20 cm square tin. Chill in refrigerator.
Cut into 18 small fingers.
Store in the refrigerator.
NOTE: You can chocolate ice this if you wish before you cut it up.
Or desiccated coconut can be sprinkled over the top and lightly pressed in before it is chilled.
TIP: To break up the biscuits put them in a plastic bag and seal the end. Take a rolling pin to them but stop before you turn them all into crumbs.
CREAM SCONES
This is the scone recipe I use when visitors come and I want a nice light scone ideal for Devonshire tea.
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
3 Tbsp icing sugar
½ cup cream
½ cup milk
extra milk, for glaze
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and icing sugar into a medium size bowl.
Make a well in the centre and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix to a soft dough with a fork.
Turn onto a floured bench and knead lightly 5-6 times. Pat out to 2cm thick.
Using a cutter cut into 6cm rounds. Arrange close together on a greased oven tray.
Rest 10 minutes.
Brush the top of the scones with milk then bake at 190ºC for 15 – 20 minutes.
Wrap in a tea towel to cool.
Makes 8.
Serve warm with butter or with jam and cream – Devonshire Tea style.
TIP: The old fashioned way to cool scones was to put them on a clean tea towel covered wire rack. The edges of the tea towel were then flipped over the scones. It’s still a good way to prevent them from drying out.
WHEATGERM PIKELETS
Pikelets and scones have been the housewifes stand by for more years than I can remember. Like scones pikelets are quick to put together and quick to cook. Serve them for morning or afternoon teas or make larger ones for brunch and serve them stacked up and drizzled with a blueberry compote.
1 cups flour
¼ cup wholemeal flour
¼ cup wheat germ
1½ Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
pinch salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
1 tsp golden syrup
25g butter, melted OR ¼ cup oil
extra milk, as needed to make a dropping batter
Sift the flours, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium size bowl. Add the sugar and stir in.
Combine milk, lemon or lime juice, golden syrup and melted butter or oil.
Make a well in dry ingredients and add the milk mix. Using a fork or whisk stir until it forms a smooth batter.
Mix in the melted butter if using. The mixture may need a little more milk to make it a dropping consistency.
Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into a sprayed hot frypan or griddle. When a lot of bubbles appear all over the surface turn over and cook the other side. Cook until golden.
Transfer to wire rack to cool.
Makes 24 x 7cm ones.
Serve with butter or cream cheese and a fruit pate.
SAGE ADVICE: Pour the batter from the very tip of the spoon to get perfectly round pikelets.
TIP: Wipe the frying pan or griddle surface with a paper towel after several batches are cooked and re-grease the surface to prevent them sticking.
WHOLEMEAL DATE LOAF
This recipe in a magazine many, many years ago has become a family favourite. The versions below are the ones I’ve made to ring the changes.
1 cup chopped dates
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
25g butter, chopped
1 Tbsp golden syrup
1 cup boiling water
1 cup flour
1 cup wholemeal flour
Put the chopped dates, baking soda, sugar, golden syrup and butter in a medium sized bowl. Add the boiling water and leave to cool.
Sift the flours and stir into cooled date mixture.
Put into a prepared 11 x 22cm loaf tin.
Bake at 180ºC for 1 hour.
Leave in tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
Better if kept for a day before cutting into it.
Serve sliced and buttered.
Keeps for a week.
Freezes well.
WHOLEMEAL DATE AND WALNUT LOAF
Replace 1/3 cup of the dates with chopped walnuts.
WHOLEMEAL APRICOT LOAF
Replace the dates with chopped dried apricots.
BUTTERFLY CAKES
These little cakes were a favourite of Mum’s when visitors were coming for afternoon tea. I’ve made them eggless and think they are just as nice.
2 cups flour
2/3 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
2 pinches salt
1 cup caster sugar
100 ml oil
2 tsp golden syrup
1 cup milk
4 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla essence
paper cup liners
Place a paper cup liner in each cavity of a 12 hole muffin tin.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium size bowl. Stir in the caster sugar and make a well in the centre.
Combine the oil, golden syrup, milk, vinegar and vanilla then pour into the dry ingredients. Beat for 2 minutes until the mixture is smooth.
¾ fill prepared muffin tin. Bake at 180ºC for 15 minutes or until cooked.
Stand for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
To Serve:
Slice the top from each cake with a sharp knife then cut the slice into 2 “wings”.
Pipe or put a dollop of whipped cream on the cut surface and arrange 2 “wings” on top. Dust with icing sugar.
Makes 12
Personal Note: When I was a child these were traditionally served on a paper doily lined cake plate.
GINGER KISSES
Ginger Kisses are a favourite item in supermarket bakery departments. Now you can make your own. Whenever I bake them they are devoured with gusto.
60g butter
½ cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp golden syrup
¼ cup warm water
1 tsp instant coffee powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp vanilla essence
6 Tbsp yoghurt
2 Tbsp oil
1½ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp mixed spice
¼ tsp ground cloves
Put the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a saucepan and heat until the butter melts.
Combine the warm water, coffee powder, baking soda, vanilla, yoghurt and oil.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and spices into a medium size bowl and make a well in the centre.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and stir well.
Spoon the batter into a piping bag with a 12mm diameter nozzle. Pipe 3cm button shapes on prepared oven trays (or use two teaspoons to drop batter into the trays).
Bake at 160ºC for 13 – 18 minutes, take them out before they dry out too much. Leave on the tray for a few minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool.
When cool sandwich together with caramel filling.
Makes 15 – 16 kisses.
Freeze well.
Caramel Filling:
50g butter
3 Tbsp milk
7½ Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
¾ cup icing sugar
Put the butter, milk, brown sugar and ground ginger in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for a few minutes. Take off the heat and add stir in the icing sugar.
Cool to lukewarm the use to sandwich 2 kisses together with a generous amount of filling – use twice as much as you think you will need.
NOTE: Although these are nice the day they are made I think they are even nicer the day after, and the day after that, and…
ORANGE AND POPPY SEED CAKE with ORANGE SYRUP
Who doesn't like a syrup cake. Served warm it makes a great dessert cake or cooled completely a nice afternoon tea cake.
2¼ cups flour
1½ tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1½ cups sugar
¼ – 1/3 cup poppy seeds
½ cup semolina
1 cup milk
¾ cup oil
zest 1 orange
½ cup orange juice
1½ Tbsp lemon juice
Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar, poppy seeds and semolina. Make well in the ingredients.
Combine the milk, oil, orange zest, orange and lemon juice. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Put into a prepared 23cm springform tin.
Bake at 180ºC for 55 – 60 minutes or until cooked when tested.
Remove the cake from the oven and spoon over the hot syrup.
Stand for 10 minutes before removing from the tin. Cool.
Orange syrup:
¾ cup sugar
1 cup water
1 orange, zested
1 lime leaf (optional), Use scissors to cut in thin strips across the width of the leaf
Simmer the syrup ingredients in a small saucepan for 15 minutes then pour over the hot cake.
NOTE: If you don’t possess a zester, peel the orange thinly with a vege peeler then cut into thin strips with a sharp knife.
NUTTELLA CHEESECAKE
This recipe is a personal favourite and I find it impossible to refuse an extra piece even when I know I should.
Base:
70g pkt hazelnuts, toasted
125g chocolate biscuits
100g butter, melted
Process the hazelnuts until resembling fine breadcrumbs. Add the chocolate biscuits and process to crumbs. Add the butter and whiz to mix in.
Tip into a 20cm springform tin and press the crumbs over the base and up the walls for 3 – 4cm. Chill while making the filling.
Filling:
250g cream cheese, softened
250g Nuttella or other hazelnut spread
200g dark milk chocolate, melted
¼ tsp salt
1 – 2 tsp hazelnut essence (optional)
Process the cream cheese until smooth. Add the Nuttella, salt and hazelnut essence if using and process until smooth. Add the melted chocolate a few spoonfuls at a time and whiz until smooth, scraping down the walls as necessary. Put into prepared biscuit base and chill until set.
Pipe the top with chocolate (see grid topping below) and leave it to set.
Serves 8 – 10.
Chocolate Grid Topping:
Melt 50g dark chocolate over hot water or in the microwave. Meanwhile tuck a small plastic bag into a drinking glass and fold the surplus down the outside of the glass. Spoon the melted chocolate into the plastic bag and twist the top to seal in the chocolate. Remove the bag from the glass and cut a tiny corner off the base of the bag to form a nozzle (it’s better to cut too little the first time). Place the bag in your hand and gently squeeze fine drizzle lines in one direction over the cheesecake using your other hand to steady your piping hand. Give the cheesecake a quarter turn and drizzle lines in the opposite direction. Chill until serving time.
NOTE: If you’re out of chocolate biscuits substitute plain biscuits and add 1-2 Tbsp cocoa powder.
2-3 tablespoons of hazelnut coffee flavouring can be substitutes for the hazelnut essence.
MINI LEMON TARTS
These delicious little tarts are another personal favourite and are an eggfree adaptation of Jo Segar’s Lemon Tassies.
Pastry:
1 cup flour
½ cup icing sugar
125g butter, softened
Put all the ingredients in the bowl of a processor and whiz until it clumps together.
Roll into 18 small balls and press each one into a mini muffin tin recess with a floured thumb and work the pastry right up to the top of each cavity.
Chill for 30 minutes while making the filling.
Filling (makes 1½ cups):
1 cup sugar
½ cup water
1 tsp golden syrup
2½ Tbsp cornflour
¼ – 1/3 cup lemon juice
5 – 6 Tbsp mascarpone cheese or (vegans) almond nut butter
Put the sugar, water and golden syrup in a small saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
Mix the cornflour to a paste with lemon juice in a small glass. Pour into the boiling sugar syrup and stir until it is thickened. Cool to lukewarm.
Either transfer to a processor or use a stick blender in the saucepan and whiz in the mascarpone or the nut butter until smooth.
Barely 2/3 fill each pastry cavity with the lemon filling.
Bake at 180ºC for 15 – 20 minutes or until pastry is golden.
Stand for 5 minutes before carefully easing out of tins and sitting on a wire rack to cool.
Makes 18 tarts. Store in an airtight container.
To serve they can be left plain or dusted with icing sugar.
NOTES: The tarts can be given a dusting of icing sugar as soon as they are removed form the oven.
Try using lime, tangelo, grapefruit (not Poorman’s orange), or sieved passionfruit instead of the lemon juice.
CITRUS TARTS
Make up the filling with ½ lime and ½ lemon juice.
GOLDEN TARTS
Make up the filling with ½ orange and ½ lemon juice.
TIP: The filling only uses about ¼ -1/3 cupful. The remaining curd can be spread on pikelets, scones or bread in place of honey or jam.
Or use as a coulis under a slice of Lemon Dessert Loaf Cake (recipe further on down page) or one of the café style cakes.
CELEBRATION FRUIT CAKE
Fruit cakes date back to the Middle Ages when dried fruits first arrived in Britain. While this is a lighter cake than my Ginger Ale cake it’s just as moist.
1½ kg mixed dried fruit (see note below)
1/3 cup orange juice
¼ cup brandy, sherry, whisky or extra orange juice or be a devil and use all booze.
½ cup water
2/3 cup oil
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla essence
½ tsp almond essence
1½ cups flour
1 cup wholemeal
pinch salt
1 tsp baking soda
1½ tsp mixed spice
1 cup brown sugar
1 – 3 days before you plan to make this cake put the mixed dried fruit in a plastic container and add the orange juice and brandy, sherry or whisky. Cover and leave to maturate, stirring from time to time.
On the day of making add the water, oil, vinegar and essences to the fruit.
Sift the flours, salt, baking soda and mixed spice into a large bowl. Stir in the brown sugar and make a well in the centre. Stir in the wet ingredients and mix well.
Spoon into a double papered prepared 23cm springform or a 20cm square tin.
Bake at 170C for 1½ hours. Cool in tin standing on wire rack.
Keeps well.
Freezes well.
NOTE: Use some or all of these dried fruits – glace pineapple, pear, red and green cherries, craisins, citrus peel, sultanas, currants and Australian raisins.
TIP: Change the lunch paper in the container every week especially if it takes longer than a few weeks to eat it.
Spread cake batters to the edge of the tin. It also helps if you hollow the centre of the batter a little for a more even rising.
CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE
I hesitated to call this recipe a sponge cake but everyone who has tasted it insists on calling it one. It’s light, moist and has a nice texture – see what you think.
The modern sponge made with eggs came into being during the early 1800’s. Ones made without eggs came into their own when times were tough – wartime, the depression.
2¼ cups flour
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
7 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
350 ml water
Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into a medium size bowl. A second sifting helps, too. Add the sugar and make a well in the ingredients.
Add the oil, vanilla, and water to dry ingredients and beat in with electric beaters until batter like.
Pour into 2 x 20cm prepared sandwich tins. Bake at 160°C for 20 – 25 minutes or until they spring back to a light press with a finger. Don’t over-cook or cakes will dry out.
Stand for 10 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the tin then turn out on wire rack to cool. Don’t remove the tin liner until the cakes are cool to prevent cracking.
To assemble: Scatter 1 – 2 Tbsp caster sugar over the area on the serving plate where the cake will sit. Place one cake top side down on the sugar coated area, keeping the better looking of the two cakes for the top layer. Fill and decorate as desired.
Keep in the refrigerator once filled.
Serves 8 – 10.
NOTES: The sponges can be sandwiched together with jam and whipped cream and the top dusted with icing sugar, or covered with cream and decorated.
Or fill with Nutella hazelnut spread and dust top with icing sugar or cover with whipped cream and grated chocolate.
Or make a buttercream frosting and use it to sandwich the sponges together. Double the quantity of frosting if you want to cover the top as well.
Buttercream Frosting:
125g butter, softened
1½ cups icing sugar
2 Tbsp milk
Cream the butter until it has turned pale (best done with an electric beater). Gradually add the icing sugar and milk until the mixture is light and fluffy.
BLACK FOREST GATEAU
Make up the sponges as per the recipe until filling the cakes stage.
To assemble: Spread whipped cream over the base sponge and place 300g morello (or jar of similar) cherries, well drained, over the cream, pressing down lightly. Cover with the remaining sponge. Spread whipped cream over the top (and sides if desired), and decorate with 8 – 10 maraschino cherries (with stems on).
Shaved or grated chocolate can also be sprinkled over the top, if desired
NOTE: Brush some Kirsch over the base of each sponge before assembling if desired.
If you don’t have maraschino cherries on hand, reserve some morello cherries from the filling and use them to decorate the top.
LEMON DESSERT LOAF CAKE
A dense, well flavoured loaf cake that is a change from the usual desserts.
2 cups flour
1¼ tsp baking soda
1¼ cups sugar
2 -3 Tbsp lemon zest
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup lemon juice
¼ cup oil
Sift the flour and baking soda into a medium size bowl. Stir in the sugar and lemon zest. Make a well in the centre.
Combine the milk, lemon juice and oil. Stir into the dry ingredients.
Put into a prepared 12 x 23cm loaf tin.
Bake at 180ºC for 55-60 minutes or until cooked when tested.
Stand five minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
Serves 8-10.
Serve sliced or cut into wedges and place on a lemon couli (use the remains of the lemon curd filling for Mini Lemon Tarts).
Decorate with whipped cream and a sprig of mint.
LIME DESSERT LOAF CAKE
Substitute limes in place of the lemon juice and zest.
For more Egg Free recipes go to www.meatandeggfree.com
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