Sharks in Speedos (Week 8 - Australia)

I was flying out to Australia to work, my first trip. The man next to talked about all the things that could bite and scare me; when he went to the loo his wife leaned across and simply said "Take notice, its only the sharks in speedos you need to watch out for." Good advice, but neither of them prepared me for the birds, all the times I was out there I got attacked by a bird - different ones, not the same one repeating his attack - on one accession the bird perched on my glasses and pecked my forehead, and no shark in speedos came to my rescue!

 

As for the food, I loved the date pudding - the best in the world and I am still trying to locate a dish like it; the Hairy Bikers Sticky Date cake is the closest I have come to food perfection. I tried the kangaroo and emu, but didn't fancy having them again (or inflicting them on the family) for this challenge. As it is February, it is too cold for a BBQ and the southern hemisphere are pretty good at these, so instead it had to be something else. I had tim-tams when I was working in Australia, and found them recently in my local supermarket, so I made my husband experience a tim-tam explosion. If you love dunking biscuits, this is a must. Bite (and eat) opposite corners off. Put the bitten off corner into the mug of tea and suck through the other cut off corner. As soon as the tea hits your lip put the whole tim-tam into your mouth and the whole thing will explode. I am not a dunker, but even I enjoyed this experience!

 

I discovered that my Mums old 'Women's Cook Book' dating from the 1960's has recipes from around the world and in there were lamingtons, which reminded me of little French fancies. They looked quite straightforward to make but I would not be awarded any prizes for presentation. I didn't use coconut as we don't really like it, instead I used chocolate vermicelli and whilst it was maybe a bit too much, it was very tasty. I did came across a recipe for date scones, although they were not a patch on our scones, we all found them a little dry. The family meat pie was a hit, although my husband was being picky with his score as he reckoned it needed more veg to accompany it (I just did carrots) little did he realise that it had tomatoes and leeks in the pie too. Nevertheless, it was a hit. The Anzac biscuits from my Mums cookbook were a nice find too, but yet again my husband felt that with raisins in they would score a 10 - however, I said the point of this was to replicate Australian food and Anzac biscuits do not have raisins in, plus they should be a littler harder than mine. But he would not have any of it. Secretly, I agree with him. I think I have discovered the perfect oat and raisin cookie recipe by undercooking Anzac biscuits! The inside out pie was different, we preferred the one with a pastry case on it though. Next week it is the Netherlands (Holland) where I think we may have finches.....

 

 

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Date Scones……………………………………………………………53
Meat Pie....................................................................83
Lamingtons................................................................66
Inside out Pie.............................................................63
Anzac Biscuits............................................................86

 

Wanted to cook:

Peach Caramel Crumble
Damper

 

Date scones recipe

 

These date scones are a classic recipe that you can whip up for afternoon tea and were created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot. They are perfect for those occasions when you have guests dropping by.

 

Prep Time: 7 mins. Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:
150ml milk
150ml cream
1 egg
3 cups self-raising flour
3 tbsp caster sugar
1 cup dried dates, chopped
1/4 cup milk (for glazing)
1 tsp sugar

 

 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
2. Whisk the egg, milk and cream together until combined.
3. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar and dates together.
4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir to bring the dough together.
5. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead until the dough just comes together. Pat into a 2cm thick round. Cut scones out and place on the tray.
6. Combine the 1/4 cup of milk with the teaspoon of sugar and brush over the tops of the scones. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden.

 

Family meat pie recipe

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 sticks celery, chopped

600g beef mince

2 tablespoons tomato paste

400g can diced tomatoes or ½ jar passata

1 tbsp cornflour

3/4 cup beef stock  

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp barbeque sauce

1 teaspoon dried thyme

salt and pepper to season

frozen puff-pastry, thawed

Short crust pastry

1 egg

 

Method:

1.  Preheat the oven to 180°C. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion, carrot and celery for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the mince and cook for a further 5 minutes or until mince is browned.
2. Stir through the tomato paste, tomatoes or passata, mix the corn flour with a little cold water and add with the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, barbeque sauce and thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes, most of the liquid should have evaporated

 

Decision time:

• You can either make individual pies, or a big pie. The recipe will make 1x24cm pie or 4x8cm pie dishes. 
• You can also make it a pie with a top and bottom (short-crust at the bottom, puff at the top or short-crust for both, which is what we do) , or just with a top (puff pastry)

 

1. Pour the meat mixture into the pie dish(es) and carefully cover with pastry sheet. Press down the pastry edges, trim excess, brush with egg and cut a slit in the centre of the pastry.
2. Bake for 25 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden brown.

 

• The meat sauce can be made the night before I want to serve the pie.
• Cool before serving, as the filling is very hot when they come out of the oven.
• You can add a few frozen vegetables to the filling mixture

Recipe created by combing Melissa Hughes and jennifer Cheung’s recipes.

 

 

 

 

 

Lamingtons

Ingredients

4oz butter

10oz Self Raising flour

6oz castor sugar

2 eggs

Vanilla essence

A little milk

Pinch of salt

Raspberry jam

 

For the coating:

7oz sifted icing sugar

1oz cocoa

4oz desiccated coconut

3 tbsp boiling water

 

 Method 

1. Cream the butter and sugar with the vanilla. Add the eggs gradually and beat well. Fold in the sifted flour and salt alternately with the milk to keep the mixture the correct consistency.
2. Spread it into a prepared 8in square or 6x8in oblong cake tin and bake for 50-60 minutes in a moderately cool oven.
3. Next day, slit the cake through the centre and spread it with the raspberry jam. Place the two layers together again and cut into 2 inch squares.
4. Put the icing sugar in a bowl, make a well in the centre and add the cocoa. Pour the boiling water slowly o to the cocoa and at the same time stir with a wooden spoon, gradually working in the icing sugar. Add more water if necessary. Keep the icing thin by standing it over a bowl of hot water.
5. (Now the messy bit!) Put a square of cake on the prongs of a fork and dip it into the chocolate icing. Allow any excess to drip off, and then toss the cake into the coconut.
6. When quite set, store in an airtight tin.
    
    

 

Inside Out Pie

 

This is another recipe from my mum’s old cook book from the 1960’s; incidentally the book was the source of the Lamingtons too.

 

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1lb mince beef

1 egg

1 tbsp chopped parsley

2oz soft white breadcrumbs

Tomato halves (optional)

Bacon (optional)

Salt and pepper

For the filling:

½ pint white sauce

4oz sweet corn kernals (I used a tin of sweet corn)

½ cup cooked peas

1 ½  cup cooked diced carrots

 

Method 

 

1. Mix the mince, crumbs, parsley, seasoning and egg together and press it evenly on to the bottom and sides of a deep 8inch diameter oven ware plate.
2. Combine the sauce and vegetables, season well and put into the uncooked meat case.
3. Cover with a piece of greased proof paper and bake in a moderate oven for 30 minutes.
4. Garnish with grilled tomatoes and bacon
    
    

 

Anzac Biscuits

From Mums old cook book, makes 24

Ingredients

2oz butter

½ level tsp bicarb of soda

1 tsp golden syrup

4 oz caster sugar

1 tbsp boiling water (I put in 2 as it was very dry)

3 oz plain flour

4 oz rolled oats

(In future I will add some raisins) 

 

 Method:

1. Melt the butter and syrup in a pan. Dissolve the soda in the water and add to the butter and syrup.
2. Stir into the dry ingredients and mix well. Put on to a greased tray in small heaps, allowing room for the mixture to spread. Bake for 10 minutes in a cool oven.
3. Lift on a cooling tray before they became set.
   NB: I needed to add more melted butter and syrup to the dry ingredients; which makes them soft, (and very yummy) although they are meant to be crisp.
    

 

Peach Caramel Crumble

Again, this came from Mums old cook book.

Serves 8

1 lb can sliced peaches

 2 oz moist brown sugar

 ½ pint milk

 1 oz butter

 1 oz flour

 1 egg

  

For the crumble topping

2 oz self-raising flour

1 oz moist brown sugar

1 oz butter

Pinch of salt

2 oz cake crumbs (or use rolled oats)

1 oz coconut (optional)

 

Method 

1. Strain the liquid from the peaches and put the peaches into an oven-ware dish. Melt the butter in a pan, add the sugar and stir for 1 minute.
2. Stir in the flour, cook for 1 minute, then add the milk and cook over the flame until the mixture boils.
3. Allow to stand a little, then stir in the egg-yolk and cook, but do not boil. Beat the egg-white stiffly, and then fold it in, Pour the sauce over the peaches.
4. Sift the flour and salt, rub in the butter, mix in the remainder of the ingredients and sprinkle on top. Bake for 20 minutes in a moderate oven. If the peach juice is thickened it can be used as an accompanying sauce.
    

 

Damper

 

I have included two recipes, as one included sugar, plus I felt it seemed a little like a scone mix. Might try and cook it over a fire during the summer:

 

Source: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/12308/damper

Ingredients

450g self raising flour

Pinch of salt

80g butter, chilled, cubed

185ml water

 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200c. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Add the water to the flour mixture and use a round-bladed knife in a cutting motion to mix the mixture just comes together, adding 1-2 tbsp extra water if the mixture is a little dry. Use your hands to bring the mixture together.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Shape into an 18cm disc and place on a tray. Use a sharp knife that has been dipped in flour to mark 8 wedges on top. Dust the damper with a little extra flour and bake in the preheated oven for 30minutes or until the damper is cooked through and sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Transfer to a wire rack for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

=

 

Source:  http://www.food.com/user/30716

Ingredients

2 ¹⁄₂ cups plain flour

5 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup milk, fresh,powdered (or you can just use water)

 

Method

 

1. The best way to make this is to mix together the dry ingredients then add the liquid and butter and mix well and then knead it for about 5 minutes. Then wrap it in a double layer of greased foil and place it in the coals of the campfire, poking it in and retrieving it a bit later hoping it's done.
2. To cook it in the oven preheat to 350 degrees F.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and mix well. Rub or cut in the butter. Stir in the milk to form a dough.
4. Shape into a flattened ball and place on a greased baking sheet or in a round cake tin and bake for about 30 minutes.
5. Eat it straight away while still hot in thick slices with butter, golden syrup, jam or vegemite.