Indiabite – Food Recipes

Ingredients (serves

• 2 x 425g cans peach slices, drained
• 2/3 cup ground almonds
• 400g packet traditional English teacake mix
• 3 eggs
• 80g butter, softened
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup apricot jam

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 20cm (base) round cake pan. Arrange peaches in pan. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons almonds.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat cake mix, eggs, butter and milk until combined. Increase speed to medium for 2 minutes. Fold through remaining almonds. Spread over peaches.
3. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Heat jam in microwave on HIGH (100%) power for 30 seconds. Brush over peaches. Allow to set. Serve.

Ingredients (serves

• 2 apples
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 250g caster sugar
• 250g unsalted butter
• 1 2/3 cup (250g) self-raising flour
• 4 eggs
• Icing sugar, to dust

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (not fan-forced). Grease and line base of a 23cm springform cake pan.
2. Peel and core the apples, and cut into segments. Toss the apples in lemon juice and half the cinnamon, then set aside.
3. Take 50g each of the sugar, butter and flour, place in a bowl with the remaining cinnamon and rub together with your fingertips.
4. Place eggs and remaining sugar in an electric beater and beat until very light and fluffy. Melt remaining butter and pour into egg mixture. Sift in remaining flour, then fold in carefully until combined.
5. Pour into the pan, and carefully lay the apple slices over top. Sprinkle with the crumble mixture and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve dusted with icing sugar.

Ingredients

• 1 bought plain double unfilled 18cm-diameter sponge cake
• 450g (3 cups) icing sugar mixture
• 125ml (1/2 cup) hot water
• 8 drops red liquid food colouring
• 170g (2 cups) desiccated coconut

Method

1. Use a large serrated knife to level the top of each sponge cake. Cut each sponge into 12 wedges. Trim the crusts from each wedge.
2. Sift icing sugar into a large heatproof bowl and place over a medium saucepan of simmering water. Add the hot water and food colouring and stir with a whisk for 5 minutes or until smooth and runny. Place the coconut on a plate.
3. Use 2 forks to dip each cake wedge in the icing to coat. Shake off any excess and place cake in the coconut. Use your fingers to roll the cake in the coconut to evenly coat. Transfer to a wire rack and set aside for 15 minutes to set.

Notes & tips

• You can make these lamingtons up to 2 days ahead. Store in single layers between sheets of non-stick baking paper in an airtight container. Sponge cakes are available from the bakery of most supermarkets.

Ingredients (serves

• 240g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (220g) caster sugar
• 1 tbs vanilla extract
• 6 egg yolks, plus 1 egg for brushing
• 2 1/2 cups (375g) plain flour, sifted
• Compote of fresh fruit and thick cream, to serve

Method

1. Cream butter and sugar in an electric mixer until very pale and light.
2. Add the vanilla and yolks and beat until combined, then add the flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and mix again until combined.
3. Press the mixture into a 30cm greased, loose-bottomed tart pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 180°C. Remove cake from fridge, then use the tines of a fork to mark a crisscross pattern on the top of the cake.
5. Beat remaining egg and use to brush cake, then bake for 45 minutes until cooked and golden.
6. Cool slightly, remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Serve with a compote of fresh fruit and thick cream.

Ingredients (serves 14)

• Melted butter, to grease
• 2 x 250g pkts Arnott’s Marie or Morning Coffee biscuits
• 250g butter, chopped
• 2 tbs caster sugar
• 35g (1/3 cup) cocoa powder
• 3 eggs

Method

1. Lightly brush a 20cm round (base measurement) cake pan with melted butter to grease. Line the base and side with non-stick baking paper. Place 6 biscuits in a plastic bag and seal. Use a rolling pin to pound until finely crushed. Transfer to a large bowl. Use your hands to break the remaining biscuits into small pieces. Add the pieces to the crushed biscuit in the bowl.
2. Combine the butter, sugar and 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts. Place the eggs and remaining cocoa powder in a bowl. Use a fork to whisk until combined.
3. Add the butter mixture to the egg mixture and use a fork to mix until a sticky chocolate sauce forms. Pour the chocolate sauce over the biscuit pieces and mix until well combined. Spoon the mixture into the pan and use the back of a spoon to press firmly. Place in the fridge for 2 hours or until firm. Cut into slices to serve.

Ingredients

• 125g butter, softened
• 150g (2/3 cup) caster sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 225g (1 1/2 cups) self-raising flour
• 125ml (1/2 cup) milk
• 95g (1/2 cup) dark choc bits (Nestle brand)
• 1 x 19g tube red glossy decorating gel (Cake Mate brand)
• 1 x 120g pkt black licorice (1 metre) (Fyna brand)
• 12 green Smarties (Nestle brand)
• 60g (1/4 cup) white sugar
• 3-4 drops orange liquid food colouring, to colour
• 1 x 19g tube black glossy decorating gel (Cake Mate brand)

• Butter icing

• 125g butter, softened
• 230g (1 1/2 cups) icing sugar mixture
• 1 tbs milk, at room temperature
• 2-3 drops orange liquid food colouring, to colour

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 12-hole (80ml/1/3-cup) muffin pan with patty cases.
2. Use an electric beater to beat butter, sugar and vanilla essence in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, until combined. Use a large metal spoon to fold in flour and milk, separately, in two batches each, until well combined. Stir in the choc bits.
3. Spoon mixture evenly among the lined pans. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from oven and stand for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack. Set aside for 30 minutes or until completely cooled.
4. To make the butter icing, use an electric beater to beat the butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add icing sugar and beat until the mixture is very pale. Gradually add milk and beat until well combined. Divide icing between 2 small bowls. Add orange food colouring to 1 bowl and stir to combine. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap and set aside until required.
5. To make cat-face cakes, spread the plain butter icing evenly over 6 of the cakes. Use the red gel to draw a cat nose and mouth on each cake. Cut 12 triangles from the licorice for ears and 12 long, thin strips for whiskers. Use the green Smarties to form the eyes and top each Smartie with a small dot of red gel.
6. To make the jack-o’-lantern-face cakes, spread the orange butter icing evenly over the remaining cakes. Place the sugar and orange food colouring in a plastic bag and rub together to colour the sugar evenly. Sprinkle the coloured sugar over the cakes. Cut the remaining licorice into eyes, mouth and stalk. Arrange on cup cakes to form a face. Use black gel to draw a zigzag across the top of each cake.

Notes & tips

• prep: 30 mins (+ 5 mins standing & 30 mins cooling time)
• You can prepare these cakes to the end of step 3 up to 1 day ahead. Cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container. Continue from step 4 up to 6 hours before serving.

Ingredients

• 6 slices sponge (butter) cake
• 1 tbs brandy
• 6 x 1/2 cup (125ml) individual tubs good-quality vanilla ice-cream
• 4 eggwhites
• 3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
• Icing sugar, to dust

Method

1. Use a pastry cutter to cut circles out of the sponge slices slightly larger (about 8cm) than the base diameter of the ice-cream tubs. Place sponge circles on a baking tray, leaving plenty of space in between, and drizzle with brandy. Unmould the ice-creams onto the sponge bases (you can leave them at room temperature for a few moments to soften enough to ease them out), then return both to the freezer for at least 1 hour. (You can do this days in advance. The firmer they are, the better.)
2. Preheat the oven to 230°C.
3. Place the eggwhites in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until soft peaks form, then slowly add the sugar and continue to beat until a thick and glossy meringue.
4. Remove the ice-creams from the freezer and, working quickly, spread the meringue over the ice-cream and sponge making sure that there are no gaps. (The snowballs can be refrozen at this stage for up to 2 days.) Place in the oven and bake for 2-3 minutes until golden. Remove and sit a snowball in the centre of each plate, dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.