Chocolate Caramel Slice

A slice that is simple to make and keeps well. Great for morning and afternoon teas.

Makes 24 pieces

For the Base

50g plain flour

50g self-raising flout

60g desiccated coconut

75g light brown sugar

65g butter, melted and cooled

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the base and sides of a shallow 18cm x28cm tin with a piece of non-stick baking paper, allowing the paper to extend about 5cm above the sides.

Sift the flours together into a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the coconut and sugar and make a well in the centre. Add the butter and use a wooden spoon to stir until well combined. Use the back of a spoon to press the mixture firmly over the base of the lined tin. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly coloured. Set aside.

For the filling

2 x 395g tins condensed milk

115g golden syrup

60g butter, chopped

Combine the condensed milk, golden syrup and butter in a small saucepan. Use wooden spoon to stir constantly over low heat for about 10 minutes, until the mixture boils and darkens in colour slightly. Immediately pour over the pastry base. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool in the tin.

For the topping

125g dark chocolate, chopped

20g butter

Combine the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water). Stir with a metal spoon until the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

Spread the topping over the cooled filling. Set aside at room temperature until the chocolate sets. Cut into squares or fingers to serve. 

Tips:

On warm days, you may need to put the slice in the refrigerator to help the chocolate set.

This slice will keep in an airtight container, layered with non-stick baking paper, in a cool place for up to 5 days (like it's going to last that long, right!?!). Refrigerate slice if the weather is warm. 

Peach and Strawberry Cobbler

 

Here is yummy dessert from the Whispering Canyon Cafe at Disney's Wilderness Lodge Resort.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

For fruit

570g               Peaches, firm but ripe (about 5), peeled, pitted, cut into 1 inch thick wedges

340g               Strawberries, hulled

1/3 cup           Sugar

1tbls                Cornstarch

For topping

1 cup              Plain Flour

½ tsp               Baking powder

Pinch             Salt

230g               Unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup              Sugar

2 large            Egg Yolk

1 tsp                Lemon Peel, grated

1 tsp                Vanilla Extract                     

Vanilla ice cream

Method

Make fruit:

1. Preheat oven to 190C.
2. Butter 20cm square baking dish.
3. Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Let stand until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
4. Transfer to prepared dish.

Make topping:

1. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl.
2. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until smooth.
3. Beat in egg yolks, lemon peel and vanilla.
4. Add flour mixture; mix just until moist dough forms.
5. Spoon dough on top of fruit, spacing evenly.
6. Bake until juices bubble thickly and topping in golden, about 55 minutes.
7. Cool slightly and serve with ice cream.

Portuguese Tarts

Ingredients

2 egg yolks and 1 whole egg

115 g castor sugar

2 tbsp corn flour

230 ml cream

170 ml milk

2 tsp vanilla paste

1 sheet (150g) puff pastry
  

Method

Mix the eggs, castor sugar and corn flour in a pan until smooth. 

Add the cream and Milk. Cook until custard thickens and starts boiling. 

Turn off heat and add the vanilla paste.

Pour custard in a bowl and cover with some cling film or baking paper to prevent a skin forming. Cool completely.

Cut the pastry sheet in half. Place one half on the other. Roll up from the thin end until the pastry forms a little ‘sausage’. Let stand for the joins to adhere. Cut out equal small slices (out of one roll, you should be able to get about 12 slices). Turn each slice onto their side so you can see the spiral layers of pastry. Roll out each slice into a flat round shape approximately 10cm in diameter and put in a greased muffin tin.

Fill each base with custard. Bake at 200-220 C for 20 – 25 minutes. 

Serve warm or cold.

Review: Lunch at Movida

 

I was recently lucky enough to enjoy lunch at MoVida. Frank Camorra has a reputation for serving up some of the best tapas in Australia, and from my experience I have no reason to dispute the claim. If you are in Melbourne, my advice is to treat yourself and book a table. Just be aware that you often have to book 12 weeks in advance for weekend reservations. But trust me, it’s worth waiting 12 weeks! And while you are waiting, here are some photos of the dishes we ordered.

Aceitunas
Marinated Green Olives with Citrus, Garlic and Thyme

Complimentary bread and olive oil

Croqueta
Fried silky Croquete flavoured with Jamon and Egg

Bomba
Catalan Potato filled with chorizo

Pincho de tortilla

Organic egg potato and onion tortilla

Roast lamb cutlet 

Encased in a Catalan pork & paprika pate

Confit pork belly 

with Escabache puree and Piparra peppers

Carillera de buey
Slowly braised beef cheek in Pedro Ximenez on parsnip puree

Churros con Chocolate
Spanish doughnuts with rich drinking chocolate

Everthing tasted as good as it looks. My favorites dishes? The Croqueta, which was crispy on the outside and silky smooth on the inside and the Braised Beef Cheek, which was wonderfully rich and just fell apart on my fork. And am I the only one who thinks that every meal should end with churros and chocolate?