Literary Baking

I'm reading a quirky little book at the moment (given to me to help with my recent recouperation) titled 'Lunch in Paris'. The subtitle reads: A Love Story with Recipes.... It's by Elizabeth Bard.

Ce La Vie.... Say no more.....

Not only is the storyline light, fresh and funny, but the recipes that intertwine the story line actually make you want to try them. There's a mix of both savoury and sweet and all sound tempting and do-able.

I was in the baking mode yesterday and had all of the ingredients necessary to try the yoghurt cake - a cake described as a blank canvas meaning you can top it with what you like - pear, apple, raspberry, tinned fruit etc. I had some frozen raspberries and I liked the idea of mixing some 'tart' with the sweetness of the cake batter.

I hope you enjoy it as much I did (yes, it's almost all gone, with the help of my housemate and a friend who came for lunch). Oh, and Audrey (my pooch) got a little bit as well.

Yogurt Cake
1 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek style)
1 cup sugar
pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used the seeds from a vanilla pod)
1/3 cup vegetable oil (light oil is best, I used rice bran oil)
2 eggs
1 & 2/3 cups plain flour
1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
zest of lemon
topping of your choice

Preheat your oven to 160 degrees. My suggestion is to NOT use fan forced.
Lightly brush oil over the inside of a 10 inch round cake pan.
Line with baking paper.
Mix together the yogurt, sugar, salt and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
Add the oil in a steady stream and whisk again til combined.
Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Add to the yogurt mixture, mix till combined then add the lemon zest.
Transfer to lined cake tin and top with chosen topping.
Bake in centre rack of oven for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the centre clean.
Lift cake from tin to cool.

Storage: as this cake gets moister with age, try to avoid storing in an airtight container. Best way to store is to wrap in aluminium foil and keep at room temperature.

And here's a picture.....

Hot Cross Buns & Dolomades....

I've been absent for a little while so thank you for bearing with me. Most of you will know that I recently underwent kidney transplant surgery which has been an outstanding success. Every day I think of the priceless gift I have been given and know that I am a very lucky person. My recovery is slow but just getting back into blogging if a significant step towards 'normal' life. So, enough catharticism (if that's a word).....back to the food fossicking... For me, Easter is a special time of year. I always have strong memories of waking on Easter Sunday and finding a gorgeous display of chocolate eggs waiting for discovery! Being a visual person, I think I was more enthralled with the foil wrapping which came in a myriad of colours than with the contents - they seemed to disappear all too quickly. Now as an adult, the joy of Easter still remains. As I wander through the streets of my neighbourhood in Brunswick, I am constantly reminded that I am in the bakery capital of Melbourne. Well, the Middle Eatern bakery capital of Melbourne anyway..... And now that we are getting close to celebrating Easter for whatever is represents to you, hot cross buns are an adult way (and relatively healthy way) of making sure you are still true to the spirit without missing out on the fun! Of course, don't let me stop you from getting stuck into your fair share of eggs too! I've got some Haigh's ones in front of me now. So, here a little recipe that you might like to have a 'crack' at! This one comes with experience and the end result was really quite special. They are hard to share. Buns 2 x 7g sachets of dried yeast - or 42g of fresh yeast 1/4 cup castor sugar 1&1/2 cups of warm milk 4 cups '00' plain flour (finer than your standard plain flour) 1 teaspoon mixed spice 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 60g butter 1 egg 3/4 cup sultanas (you can also add currants, mixed peel (yuck) or substitute chocolate if you like. Flour Paste for Crosses 1/2 cup plain flour 2 teaspoon castor sugar 1/3 cup water Glaze 1 tablespoon castor sugar 1 teaspoon gelatine 1 tablespoon water Cream yeast and sugar together in a small bowl - add milk, cover and stand in a warm place (eg turn your oven for say, 15 minutes and leave the door ajar with the bowl on the open door) for about 10 minutes or until mixture is frothy. Sift flour and spices into large bowl, rub in butter with fingers. Stir in yeast mixture, egg and sultanas, mix to a soft sticky dough. Cover with a teatowel and stand in a warm place again for about 45 minutes - the dough should double in size. It's quite amazing, really... Punch dough with your fist to take the air out of it. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, knead for about 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth, plus this is quite a therapeutic experience. (call me strange...) Divide dough into 16 pieces and knead each one into a ball. Place balls into greased 23cm square slab pan. Cover and stand in a warm place (again....) for 10 minutes or until the buns have risen to the top of the pan. Mix paste ingredients together and pipe crosses onto the buns. Bake in a hot oven (240 deg - slightly less if fan forced) for about 20 minutes. Once buns are cooked, combine glaze ingredients and brush across top. You can also use warmed apricot jam for this part of the recipe. NOTE: Fresh yeast can be bought from your local baker - even places like Bakers Delight and Brumby's can help. You will instantly taste the difference as the yeasty flavour is still very present with home cooked bread items. If savoury is more to your liking, check out George Calombaris' website which has a great recipe for Dolomades. Alternatively, head to the Prahran Market and visit Chaso's Gourmet Deli (Stall 705) in the Deli Hall - they, without doubt, sell the BEST dolomades in Melbourne. Warm them gently and enjoy. The flavour is sublime....! Happy Easter Everyone!