Two Awfully Sticky Dates...

This week I figuratively put my toe in the figurative water. I ventured out with not one, but two sticky dates. Reow.

Both had a lot in common. Dark, difficult to resist, tender yet coarse on the lips, and coped well under intense heat and pressure. Satisfying. Now, my partner and I have an agreement - we're both allowed to experiment. I like spontaneity, whereas my partner is more calculated with his choices. So I tentatively approached him with the news. How does one bring up the fact they're involved with TWO at the same time?!

Well, he got that handful of caution and threw it to the wind! He joined in! This is how things got a little ... sticky. But stickiness is difficult to avoid when cream and butterscotch sauce are involved.

Neither lasted long; though that comes as no surprise considering we've both got a track record of leaving no trace of the dental-caries-inducing desserts I bake. Especially considering sticky date pudding is one of our favourites...

What? Dessert -- pudding -- food? What did you think this post was about?!

Us. 

Here's some SFW evidence of the dark and saucy sticky date puddings I laboured over. The first is (supposed to be) a Sticky Date Roll from p196, the second is a Chocolate Sticky Date Cake from AWW Bake p50.

The sugar crystals are there because, for some reason, the recipe stipulates rolling the cooked cake in sugar before icing. The obesity epidemic is a myth.

Butterscotch - it is the best of sauces, it is the blurst of sauces

The chocolate was better, because woman opinion. The butterscotch cream is high on the list though.

As recommended: 
- Don't process the dates completely; I left the pits to be a bit chunkier second time 'round, and the date flavour was more pronounced.

-Don't bother using the expensive Cadbury's cocoa. Coles brand cocoa is a tad bitter, but that's fine in sugar-rich recipes like these.

- Make sure your blender is big enough to process the mixture. Though having hot-eggy-date mix spewed at you with impressive alacrity and precision makes a good story... if in doubt, divide the batch in two and process separately.

- You can freeze this cake in individual wedges for later. It'll keep for three months in the freezer, or a few days covered in the fridge. Microwave it for 30-40 seconds.

- You can keep the butterscotch sauce for up to a month, although it will solidify in the cold fridge. Just stir it every few days to, er, freshen it up/spread around the bacterial growth. Ahem.

- For the roll, use a proper pan. I didn't (HAVE YOU SEEN HOW EXPENSIVE SWISS ROLL PANS ARE THESE DAYS?!) use one; instead opting for a regular slice pan. It wasn't thin enough and didn't roll. Hence why the photo is decidely not roll-like.

- Don't drink the butterscotch sauce. More a snippet of good life advice than a recipe recommendation really.

The chocolate sticky date recipe is available from AWW's website here.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/3 cups (200g) coarsely chopped dried dates
1¾ cups (430ml) water
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
80g butter, softened
2/3 cup (150g) caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
1/3 cup (35g) cocoa powder
2/3 cup (70g) roasted pecans, chopped

Butterscotch sauce
1¼ cups (280g) firmly packed brown sugar
80g butter
300ml cream

HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS (Or simply, how to bake this cake)
1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fanforced. Grease deep 22cm-round cake pan; line base with baking paper.

2. Combine dates and the water in small saucepan; bring to the boil. Remove from heat, add soda; cover, stand 5 minutes. Blend or process until smooth.

3. Beat butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time (mixture will curdle at this stage). Transfer mixture to large bowl; stir in sifted flour and cocoa, then stir in nuts and warm date mixture, in two batches. Pour mixture into pan.

4. Bake cake about 1 hour. Stand cake in pan 10 minutes; turn onto serving plate.

5. Make butterscotch sauce; serve hot sauce with cake and whipped cream, if desired.  
Butterscotch sauce
Stir ingredients in saucepan over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Simmer, without stirring, 3 minutes.

Devour.

Don't overfill it like this. Trust me.

Whipped cream + a few tbs butterscotch sauce

Use a Swiss Roll pan. This is not a Swiss Roll pan.

Half-blend the dates for more texture.

Try not to eat it raw. Or do. I know I did - I mean, what?

FUN FACT: Most dates sold in Australia come from Iran. Iran ranks second in the world for production of dates.

Any other tips (or fun facts) to add?

Book Thievery & Pear and Almond Cake with Passionfruit Glaze

Earlier this year, I jumped on that metaphorical bandwagon and read a 'no.1 bestseller'. It's not like I'm pretentious and hipster-y and only read books you've never heard of - no, no. I will inhale pretty much anything, acclaimed or er, deemed incredibly shit. But I'll admit, I was a little apprehensive. Not that it wouldn't be enjoyable, per se. Just, what if the book doesn't live up to it's hype?!

*Confess Your Unpopular Opinion Time*

The Fault in Our Stars was one of those books. The bestseller that was supposedly "just the. greatest. thing. ever." Yes, "EVER." I read it. It wasn't. Disappointment ensued. :(

The bestseller I read was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

A reprint of the book.

Here's a recap for those under rocks: Death. Germany. WWII. Curius young girl. Foster parents. Book thievery (no prizes for connecting those dots). Literacy. War. Death. Sadness. Bittersweet happiness. Crushing wave of sadness. Death.

I heard about it through a forum on Mamamia. I picked it up while abroad. Oh man, having an English book in my hands after a few months engulfed by Chinese symbols. Sweet nectar of the gods.

But, then I reverted to super-daggy-tourist mode and left the book for later. I got major tsundoku, which here means, that excitement of getting a new book, then leaving it lying around. Cool word, hey?

Months later, I did jump that tsundoku hurdle and finished the Zusak stunner.

Okay, this wonderful arrangement of poetry and words, pressed and bound, loved and laboured, DESERVED to be a bestseller. Like Alice and the rabbit-hole, I fell in and was encapsulated by Zusak's characters the most. This book was abstract in many ways; noticeably, it lacked a personified 'antagonist'. Not even Death the narrator, typically portrayed as frigid and vacuous, was defined by his life-reaping ways. There were characters with a nasty streak, sure. Some of the Nazi league children, the sidelined soldiers, their actions were malicious. Although, these characters were just puppets to the ever-present, yet surreptitious, antagonist - the Nazi Germany theme.

It perforated every page, and it sculpted and defined the characters in the book. It was the forceful current which Liesel, Hans, Rosa, Rudy, Max were truly facing. Unlike a tangible character, this theme didn't regress; the school yard bully goes home, the Nazi ideology is unshakeable.

I believe this enabled we, the readers, to puncture each character's psyche. They were all wading in adversity, and this made them raw. Their refusal of the Nazi ideology, rare in their time, elucidates immense courage and strength. Arguably, this prods readers into sympathy, and that deeper literary connection. Zusak has painted the characters to life, and it's exceptional.

As it eventuated though, strength in the mind, but nay in body for the creatures of Himmel Street.

 

Rudy Steiner, Liesel Meminger and Rosa Hubermann in the film depiction. 

I could go on, but I've got sticky date to bake and demolish. I can't stop forcing this book down anyone and everyone's, er, throat (?) Perhaps in front of their eyes is more apt.

The Book Thief also set me up for major disappointment!! Everything I've read this year seems comparatively bland ... like poorly kneaded scone dough! Man, oh, man.

I think I have a book hangover. What about you?

I did manage to sorta-kinda cure it with a dee-lect-able Pear and Almond cake, coated with Passionfruit Glaze. Noms! It's on 134 page of AWW's Bake under 'Fruit Cakes'.

 

A few things I learned this week:

- Corn syrup is quite a mission to find. A mission I didn't fulfil. I used glucose syrup, which has the same gelatinous-inducing properties. Apparently 'Karo' works well, too. You'll possibly find it in IGAs or the Asian foods section.

- How to make everyone quiet for five minutes. This cake + ice cream.

- Almond meal is bloody extortionate! I'm a student.

 Alas, here goes! You'll need:

The Cake

• 4 passionfruit
• 185g butter, chopped (room temperature!!)
• ½ cup (110g) caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ cups (185g) almond meal
• ¼ cup (35g) plain flour
• 420g pears, halved (it's fate, 420g is the exact weight of tinned pears!)

The Passionfruit Glaze

• 1/3 cup (80ml) passionfruit pulp
• 1/3 cup (80ml) light corn syrup (I used glucose syrup)
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar

I used roasted almond meal. I unashamedly admit it was on special; damn it, $2 saved is $2 saved! Worked well though! It was more ... er ... moist (sorry for usage of that word).

1. Preheat your oven to around 160C conventional, 140C fan-forced. Line a 22cm springform pan.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Not fairy-floss-fluffy, more like cake frosting fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time - or you'll end up with a cottage-cheesy looking mixture. See my failure below.

I warned you I had questionable baking skills.

3. Sift the flour in the mixture, then stir in almond meal. PUT AWAY THE BEATERS. You want cake, not rock. Pour it into the prepared springform pan.
 
PRAISE ME! I lined this springform pan with baking paper to per-fec-tion. I have accomplished such mediocre dreams.

Mix and mess.

4. Top with the pear halves. 
The mixture has 1/4 cup flour, relying 1 1/2 cups almond meal for the bulk of the cake. One word: dense.  Despite the mixture's high viscosity, the pears (canned!) sunk while in the oven. I think I revealed a bit of primary school creative flair here - look at that stunning flower pattern. Reow.

5. The glaze was a sinch! Stir the ingredients in a saucepan until the caster sugar dissolves, bring it the boil, then turn it down to a simmer 'til it thickens.

Mine took ~ 4mins to get to a winter-sweater consistency ... yes, that's a recognised grade of consistency! Ahem.

I recommend pouring all of the glaze over the cake (once they're both cooled!) if you're going to eat it within two days. The glucose syrup is so thick it doesn't turn the cake soggy. Pinky promise. Plus, it makes for ultra-cool photos with gloss - photoshop free. ;)

Moist. Does that moistness creep you out?! Ha!

Serves one ... Okay, it serves 10-12 if you're feeling generous. Don't skimp on the ice cream.That sugar-free-paleo-fruiteo-weirdo "health plan" can start next Monday...

You can find a slighty-altered similar recipe from Australian Women's Weekly here.


It turned out wonderfully, this dessert. Although, the book-hangover-rebounds I've been reading, not so much.

So, have you read The Book Thief, and what did you think of it?! I think I'll have to give the film a go, and cross my fingers tightly it does the poised and articulated wordsmith-ing justice!

Until next week,

Grace

Peanut Brittle Biscuits and the Seven Stages of Bake Dysphoria

We're all guilty of doing it. Scrolling through blogs and wondering why your day-to-day life does not match the meticulously selected view of some bloggers' snazzy lives. Now, with the advent of Pinterest, you don't even need to READ anything; it's all just photoshop-fresh in front of you.

Like here:

 

Karen Carrasco on DailyCupofYoga

these pop up as well, reminding me of my questionable organisational skills (read: none):

 

Someone's flaunting it! From Design Your Revolution

and of course, this:

Lorraine Elliott's Macaron Ice-Cream sandwiches on Not Quite Nigella.

Damn it, internet. You make comparisons so easy. Hnnng.

Seeing things on my screen and then, in my case, on my plate usually triggers what I'd like to call the Seven Stages of Internet Imagery Dysphoria (Baking Edition!)

 

It's kinda a 'thing'. It lurks within average bakers. Hey, that's me!

1. Shock and Denial
"It's not even real. They've painted the shiney light reflections on it. Definitely."




2. Delusions of Grandeur
You buy the magazine, bookmark the page. High hopes in tow. "Pamela Clark did it. *dreams* *hopes* I. AM. THOR CAPABLE!"




3. Impatience
"SO. HUNGRY." Here, you start to wish you had just bloody bought a cake, instead of buying a recipe for a cake. This is especially so for recipes with PICTURES!




4.More Grandeur
Refer to 2. High hopes in tow, indeed.




5. Anger and Bargaining (When you can't quite recreate the Croquembouche like Matt and his cravat)
"*expletives* *angry butter cutting* *dramatic placement of saucepan*" or
"Pleeeeeeease. Will sell kidney for success"




6. Reflection and Loneliness
Will arise when looking at your, um, 'creation' baking. "Probably should've added that bi-card, hey?"

  


7. The Upward Turn; the Acceptance
"At least it tastes delicious!" Admit it, anything with THAT much sugar and butter cannot taste unpleasant. Eat it all. You can do it, Brucey.





Alternatively, your product does justice to the recipe. Disregard the steps above and replace with one-step: Happiness and Devouring the Entire Thing. ;)




Comparisons are a dangerous play-thing. If your baking is questionable, at least you're not this girl...

Have you experienced a similar delusion process?

I've been through the process before. Matter-of-fact, I did it this week when I made Peanut Brittle Biscuits ... three times.

First attempt: Overly cautious with the peanut toffee. I let the sugar-water boil until it turned to a not-even-golden hue. I just didn't want burnt toffee. It didn't affect the taste, but meant my biscuits weren't flecked with gold.

See? Flecked with white sugar clumps instead.

Still rolled well though. These are Joel's hands, by the way.

Second attempt: PERFECT toffee! I used crushed peanuts because they're cheaper, and it eliminates the need to crush them in a food processor yourself!

Ran out of bi-carb soda though. I metaphorically threw my hands in the air and said 'stuff it'. Turns out you can't just 'stuff it' to a leavening agent like bi-carb. Your biscuits will be sticky when dough, and rocks when cooked. Sigh.

Couldn't quite get it to spread evenly though! It set too fast. Any ideas?

Stay gold, pony boy.

DON'T OMIT YOUR BI CARB! It attaches itself to the air pockets created through sifting, whipping and folding. In the oven, the leavener allows these air pockets to rise and create a softer product. So, don't omit it. Rocks ain't fun, ya know!

Third attempt: Gone within a day. Praise me. ;)

So, as you can tell, I went through the stages this week. BUT because I am bored, have too much time, hungry, overly critical perservered, it all turned out in the end.

Tell me, do you have perfectionist tendencies too?

Until next week,
Grace

Passion(fruit) fuelled lime crime.

Like Alice and the rabbit hole, I fell into the glossy pages of AWW's Bake and, somehow, a few hours later emerged with bouncy-top, golden cupcakes ... and a renewed hope in this project.

I like to pretend I am a seriously busy student slash part time retail queen assistant. Coupled with my baking prowess, or lack thereof, I picked a beginner level recipe of ... *drum roll*

... Passionfruit and Lime Cupcakes!

And I didn't even suck!!

When I was younger (read: yesterday) I wanted to own a cutesy cafe. It would be a mishmash of High Tea elegance and vintage quirk with seriously stunning fare. The menu would be impeccably free of grammatical errata, and we'd always serve free-range eggs. Impressions count, you know.

While the thrill of styling and decorating my own cafe is confined to Pinterest, at least I get the fun of baking the menu. And these cupcakes would certainly make the chalkboard menu!

> Measure. Take the eggs and butter from the fridge a while before starting. They 'work' better at room temp.

> Mix it aaaaall together. Make sure the butter creams with the rest of the mixture. If it's straight from the fridge, it will just take longer and be rougher on your mixing arm (or electric beaters if you're Miss Modern).

> Spoon into cupcake cases, fill 1/3 of each case (or half for, ah, heavy tops). Allow hot chemistry to happen for 12mins. Use these twelve precious minutes to lick the bowl, spoon, beaters clean. Or you could just go ahead and lick the bowl, spoon and beaters. Own it, gurl.

> They're done when the tops are slightly golden, and spring back when lightly pressed. Just be cool. 

> Frost, ice, top. Go cray-zay. If you're making glace icing, keep tabs on the temperature. The icing is supposed to be warm, never hot. And because it's warm icing, you'll have to ice immediately, or it'll set and crumble/crackle in the bowl. You can add a bit more passionfruit syrup if the mixture starts to set while you're still going.

Verdict: Very simple to make! If you're baking for an occasion, this recipe yields around 18. The recipe is versatile and can be jazzed up as you like. Orange zest, granulated coffee, essences and so on. They're best eaten within 1-2 days (not an issue really).

What about you ... Have you ever dreamed of running your own cafe?

See you next week!

Grace