Ingredients (serves 12)
- Melted butter, to grease
- 130g (1 1/4 cups) almond meal
- 75g (1/2 cup) self-raising flour
- 200g butter, at room temperature
- 215g (1 cup) caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
- 4 eggs
- 2 x 300ml ctns double cream
- 2 x 250g punnets strawberries, washed, hulled, sliced lengthways
-
Caramel sauce
- 12 soft caramels (such as Pascall Columbines)
- 80ml (1/3 cup) pouring cream
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a round 20cm (base measurement) cake pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Line the base and side with non-stick baking paper. Combine the almond meal and flour in a bowl.
- Use an electric beater to beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition until combined. Use a large metal spoon to fold the almond meal mixture into the egg mixture until well combined.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake in oven for 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Set aside in the pan for 10 minutes to cool before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, to make the caramel sauce, combine the caramels and pouring cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the caramels melt and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Use a balloon whisk to lightly whisk the double cream in a medium bowl until the cream thickens slightly. Use a large serrated knife to cut the cake in half horizontally. Place the base of the cake, cut-side up, on a cake stand. Spread half the double cream over the cake and top with half the strawberries. Repeat with the remaining cake, double cream and strawberries. Drizzle over the caramel sauce and serve immediately.
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Ingredients (serves 4)
- 220g (1 cup) caster sugar
- 500ml (2 cups) water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 mandarins, peeled
- 8 1.5cm-thick slices Madeira cake
- 30g (1 1/2 tbs) butter, melted
- 125ml (1/2 cup) double cream, to serve
Method
- Place sugar, water and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan. Stir over low heat, uncovered, for 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add mandarins. Simmer, uncovered, turning mandarins twice during cooking, for 10 minutes or until soft. Use a slotted spoon to transfer mandarins to a large plate and cover to keep warm.
- Place the syrup over high heat and bring to the boil. Boil, uncovered, without stirring, for 5 minutes or until the liquid reduces by half.
- Meanwhile, preheat a chargrill on medium-high heat. Brush both sides of cake slices with melted butter. Reduce heat to medium, add half the cake slices and cook for 1 minute each side or until golden and heated through. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil. Repeat with remaining cake.
- To serve, divide the cake and mandarins among serving bowls. Drizzle with the syrup and serve with a dollop of the double cream.
Notes & tips
- Leftovers: use the cinnamon sticks in casseroles
- Use the Madeira cake to make trifle
- Use the cream to make sauces or serve on seasonal fruit
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Ingredients (serves 6)
- 1 x 350g pkt frozen Sara Lee Chocolate Cake
- 1 x 50g bar Nestle Violet Crumble
- 80ml (1/3 cup) thickened cream
- 70g (1/3 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
- 6 scoops vanilla ice-cream
Method
- Thaw the cake following packet directions. Use a sharp knife to cut the Violet Crumble bar lengthways into thin shards.
- Place cream and sugar in a saucepan over low heat, and stir until sugar dissolves. Simmer, stirring, for 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, cut the cake into 6 equal portions.
- Divide the cake among serving plates and drizzle over caramel sauce. Top with ice-cream and sprinkle over the Violet Crumble. Serve immediately.
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Ingredients (serves 4)
- 4 x 160g skinless blue-eye fillets
- 2 tbs lemon juice
- 2 tsp sumac*
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 eggplant, cut into 2cm cubes
- 1 red capsicum, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
Method
- Place fish in a shallow bowl with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and toss to combine. Sprinkle with sumac, cover and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, deep frypan over medium heat. Add the eggplant and capsicum, and cook, stirring, for 8 minutes or until the capsicum is almost tender.
- Add the coriander and cumin, and stir to coat. Add the tomato, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the eggplant is tender but still holds its shape and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the sesame seeds. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Wipe out the frypan with paper towel.
- Heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat in the frypan. Add the fish fillets and cook for 3-4 minutes each side until just cooked through.
- Just before serving, stir the parsley leaves and the remaining lemon juice into the spiced eggplant. Divide the eggplant among 4 bowls or plates and top with the sumac fish fillets.
Notes & tips
- * Sumac is a Middle Eastern spice available from supermarkets and spice stores.
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Ingredients (serves 
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
- 2 slices white bread, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 500g thick boneless white fish, chopped
- 1/2 cup plain flour
- 1 cup dried breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- 1 cup mayonnaise
Method
- Beat 1 egg in a bowl. Add saffron. Set aside for 10 minutes. Process bread, two-thirds of the garlic and 1/4 cup parsley in a food processor to fine crumbs. Add fish. Process until combined. Remove to a bowl. Stir in saffron mixture, and salt and pepper.
- Place flour and breadcrumbs into separate dishes. Whisk remaining eggs in a bowl. Roll teaspoonfuls of fish mixture into balls. Coat in flour. Dip into egg then coat with breadcrumbs. Place onto a plate. Cover. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 160°C. Pour oil into a saucepan to half-fill it. Heat over medium heat until a cube of bread dropped in browns in 10 seconds. Cook fish balls, 4 at a time, for 2 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack. Keep warm in oven while cooking remaining fish balls.
- Combine mayonnaise with remaining garlic and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with fish balls.
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