Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Sorry for the lack of posts in the last 2 years.  We have had some testing times in our household.  Mum moved in to stay while her house was built,  Crash test dummy 1 was really a fly in fly out with work and Crash test dummy 2 well he has grown up and has his own life.  Add in a dog to the mix and the cats didn't really love it.  There were some ups, some downs and a lot of laughs in the middle.

Mum has now moved into her house, taking the dog with her, CTD 1 is back home full time and CTD 2 well he's still all grown up and visits occasionally.

So I have 2 CTD's here for breakfast and I have wanted to try this recipe for a while, bonus I have all the ingredients in the fridge, so here goes nothing...

Update:  Straight from the CTD's mouths... Approved and a keeper!

3/4 cup Milk
1/2 tspoon BiCarb Soda
1/2 cup Ricotta
Grated zest of one lemon
1 tblspoon Canola Oil
1 tblspoon Caster Sugar
1 Egg
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tblspoon Butter, melted
2 tblspoon Lemon Juice
1 cup Self Raising Flour plus 2 tblspoons extra

Whisk together milk and bicarb.

Add lemon zest, sugar, oil, vanilla, egg and butter.  Whisk together.

                                     

Add ricotta.

Whisk together until smooth.

Add flour and mix until still lumps of flour showing.

Add lemon juice and mix until just incorporated.  Let sit for 15 minutes.

In a fry pan or on a griddle cook to desired size.

Turning when there are bubbles appearing throughout the mix and the edges are set.

Serve with butter and maple syrup.

Savoury Muffins

Yay I am back.  

It has been a while since I posted anything new around here.

We have been through many changes around the house let alone the kitchen.  The kid is no longer a kid, he's now 22 (shock horror), the other half has moved work locations, (same job new site) and my Mum and her dog Rodger have moved from Melbourne and are living with us while she builds a place of her own.

As you can tell it have been a bit manic around here.

Ali my wonderful hairdresser and I were having a great chat last week about my lack of providing wonderful treats and the blog being a bit quiet,  this is the promised recipe for Ali.

With the long hot summer and crops failing we decided that everyone needs to start eating seasonal food that is affordable and healthy.  Basically we solved the worlds problems (as usual).

I was given some Wholemeal Self Raising Flour to trial, this is the resulting recipe.

275gm Wholemeal Self Raising flour

1 teaspoon Baking powder

1 teaspoon Salt

100 gm Grated tasty cheese

50 gm semi dried tomatoes, chopped

1 small handful of parsley, chopped

50 gm olives, sliced

50 gm butter, melted

250 ml milk

1 egg

Pre heat oven to 200 C.

Chop the semi dried tomatoes and slice the olives.  I patted the olives dry just keep the mix from getting sloppy.

In a bowl place your flour, baking powder, salt, cheese, parsley, tomatoes and olives.

Toss everything in the flour to coat, This helps to stop everything sinking to the bottom.

In a jug, melt the butter, add the milk and egg and beat together.

With a spoon fold the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined.

Using an ice cream scoop, this gives you even distribution of batter, scoop into prepared cupcake pans.

Top with a little grated cheese and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, remove and cool.

Serve with soup or on their own for breakfast or lunch.  Heat in a microwave and butter for maximum enjoyment!

White Chocolate, Strawberries and Cream Cake

Sorry about the serious lack of posts.  I was intending to only take August off, I promise!  

The last couple of years have been full on with Scott and my Dad being so ill, I kind of hit a wall and lost my Mojo.  Great news!  I found my Mojo, it was behind the fridge 😂

Mum has moved in and not only is it Cat drama central it is now Cat Dog drama central, as with Mum comes Roger the dog.  Future pics of Roger the Lodger to follow.

This cake is one I had to adapt from another out of necessity, I wanted a chocolate cake and can no longer eat milk or dark chocolate 😢 it gives me heartburn.  White chocolate doesn't!

110g unsalted Butter, chopped
250g White Chocolate, chopped or bits
2/3 cup Caster Sugar
1 tspn Vanilla paste
2 Eggs
1 tspn bicarbonate of soda
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/3 plain flour, sifted

3/4 cup boiling water

Pre heat oven to 180C. I just line the base of 2 x 20cm spring form round tins, I use non stick tins.

Place the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and place over pan of simmering water (making sure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water), stir until the chocolate and butter are melted and combined.  Allow to cool slightly.

Place chocolate mixture in bowl of electric mixer with the sugar and beat until well combined and if you are me and cannot wait for the cooling of the chocolate in the first step just beat a little longer until cooled.

Combine the sour cream and bicarb in a bowl.

Add the vanilla and the eggs one at a time until combined.

Add the bi carb mix to the chocolate mixture.  Fold in the flour until just combined.  Pour in 3/4 cup of boiling water in and beat slowly until smooth.

Divide the mix between 2 cake tins and bake for 25 to 30 mins or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 5 to 10 mins then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Fill with strawberries and whipped vanilla cream.

August

It is a little mad in the kitchen at the moment, so in an effort to not turn into the selfie above, I have decided to take a couple of weeks to recharge and just "be".

Just August I promise!

More new and improved recipes to share from September.

Ricotta Cake

I have been wanting to make this cake for a while, I saw it on Pintrest and liked the look of it.  I also took the chance to make my own Ricotta and use that as well.

The other half who has trouble eating some cakes as they are too dry, found this easy to eat and very moist.

If you have the chance make your own ricotta as it is very easy to make and much nicer than the stuff from the supermarket.

Cake:

2 1/2 cups plain flour

1 1/2 cups caster sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

60 gm butter, cubed

1 cup milk

3 eggs

1/2 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Ricotta Mixture:

500 gm Ricotta

1/2 cup caster sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Cinnamon sugar to dust

In a mixing bowl place the ricotta, sugar, eggs and vanilla paste.

Mix to a smooth batter and set aside.

In your second mixing bowl place flour, baking powder and soda, sugar and salt.

Mix together until the butter looks like small peas.

In a mixing jug place your milk, eggs, oil and vanilla paste, whisk together.

With your mixer running on the lowest setting pour your wet ingredients into your dry.  Mix until just combined and smooth.

Pour the batter into your lined cake tin.  I used 2 x 20 cm square cake tins or you could use one 9 x 13 inch tin.

Either gently pour or spoon the ricotta mixture over the top of the cake batter.

I sprinkled cinnamon sugar over the top of one at this stage and left the other without.  Bake in a 180C pre heated oven for 40 - 50 minutes.

While still hot sprinkle again with cinnamon sugar.

Allow to cool and serve.  This is nice cold or warm with ice cream.

Barney Banana Icy Poles

I don't know about you, but, I love the old Barney Banana Icy Poles from my childhood.  They were fantastic and unlike others they were made with REAL bananas not flavouring.  These went down a treat with the Crash Test Dummies, they finished this batch and I missed the photo op of the finished product.  * I finally got a picture of the finished product and how appropriate that Stewie looks like he's about to eat it!

They are quick and easy to make and if you do them last thing at night while they kids are asleep and then surprise them the next day with a treat!  Or hide them for yourself 😍

These are my $1.50 yes you read that correctly! Ice Pole moulds I got from Kmart.

2 large bananas, pureed

400 ml cream, lightly whipped

1 tablespoon caster sugar

Puree the bananas with your stick blender.

Lightly whip the cream and sugar with your stick blender you still want it to be pouring consistency.

Mix the cream and banana together.

Pour into your moulds.

Stick in the sticks.  Freeze overnight or for 6 hours.