Recipe adapted from www.donnahay.com.au

Serves 10-12

225g unsalted butter, softened
275g caster sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs
300g self raising flour, sifted
35g cocoa, sifted
3/4 cup (180ml) buttermilk
1/4 cup (60ml) red food colouring

Cream Cheese Icing:
187g unsalted butter, softened
375g cream cheese, softened
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted


Preheat oven to 160C. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm round cake pan with baking paper. Make sure the baking paper extends 5cm higher than the tin.

Using a large bowl of an electric mixer, place the butter, sugar and vanilla, beat on medium speed for 8-10 minutes, scraping down the sides every few minutes, until the mixture is pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, scraping down the sides after each addition.

Add the flour, cocoa, buttermilk and food colouring, beat on low speed until just combined. Spoon the batter into your prepared cake tin, spread it out gently and smooth the top with a spoon or palette knife.

Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes-1 hour and 30 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, beat in to combine. Add the icing two spoonfuls at a time, beating until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl every now and then when adding the icing sugar. Use a serrated knife, cut the cake in half horizontally. Place the bottom layer on a serving plate, cut side up, spread with some of the cream cheese icing.

Top with the remaining cake, ensuring cake is cut side down. Spread a thin layer of the icing all over the cake. Refrigerate for 20 minutes, this will stop all of the crumbs from going into the icing. Once the thin layer has set, spread the cake all over with the remaining icing. Refrigerate until the icing has set.

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Recipe adapted from www.averiecooks.com

Makes 12

170g unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups plain flour
1/4 cup Instant Vanilla Pudding
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Pinch salt
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup M&M's
1/2 cup M&M's, extra

Use the large bowl of your free standing mixer, and the paddle attachment. Add the butter, brown sugar, caster sugar, egg and vanilla to the bowl. Beat on medium-high speed for about 4 minutes or until well combined. 

Remove your bowl from the mixer stand, scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the flour, pudding mix, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Mix it in with a metal spoon until just combined.

Add the chocolate chips and the M&M's (not the extra M&M's), mix it in until the are well mixed in.

Using your hands form 12 equal sized cookies. Roll into balls, place in a baking paper lined container, flatten slightly.

Using the extra M&M's, add them evenly to the tops of each slightly flattened cookie. Cover the container with a lid or with cling film, refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours.

Preheat your oven to 175C/155C fan forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Place the cookies on the prepared baking tray, leave space for them to spread, I usually bake 6 at a time. Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size, mine were large so I baked them for 20 minutes. The edges need to have set and the tops just set and golden.

Allow to cool on the tray for 5-10 minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool completely where they will continue to firm up. Keep baking the remainder or leave them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, and bake fresh when needed.

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Adapted from 'The Essential Seafood Cookbook'

Serves 4-6

500g raw medium sized prawn
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons Tom Yum Paste
1 lemongrass stalk, sliced in half lengthways
2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, sliced
2 tablespoons tamarind puree
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon chopped red chillies
4 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
1/2 head broccoli, cut into small florets
6-8 mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons grated palm sugar
2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, for serving
Rice Vermicelli Noodles, for serving


Peel the prawns, leaving the tails on. Place the prawn heads and shells in a large saucepan. Remove the dark vein from the prawn, it comes out easily when you pull it gently from the head end. Place the cleaned prawns in a bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed.

Pour the oil in the saucepan with the shells and heads. Over medium heat, cook the prawn shells and heads for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. The colour of the prawn heads will turn a deep orange.

Add 1 cup (250ml) water and the Tom Yum paste to the prawn heads, stir, bring to the boil, cook for 5 minutes, or until reduced slightly.

Add 8 cups (2 litres) more water, the lemongrass and ginger, bring to the boil, simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the soup into another pot, discard the rest.

Add the tamarind puree, turmeric, chilli and lime leaves to the prawn stock, bring to the boil, simmer for 2 minutes. Add the broccoli and mushrooms, cook for 2 minutes. Add the prawns, cook for 1 minute, or until pink.

Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar.

Serve with rice vermicelli noodles and sprinkled with coriander leaves. 

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​I have tried a few Cottage Pies over the years and I have never loved any of them. They were all sweet-ish, had too many vegetables-even for my liking, they all contained Worstershire sauce, which although I don't completely dislike, I just am not a real fan of the flavour. They just were not special in any way.

Then I saw Manu Feildel's recipe on the cover of Taste magazine. Had a read of the ingredients and thought I'd give it a try. His version seemed more like the food I grew up on, no Worstershire sauce, not a ridiculous amount of vegetables in it either. Now I know if your kids don't eat vegetables you'd try to sneak them in, but my kids love vegetables so I don't sneak them in unless it is to improve the flavour of a dish. To this dish I added mushrooms, not for nutritional value, but because I love the flavour they add to a dish.

So I have to say my family LOVED this recipe. It was truly a lovely dish. For something so simple to make with very simple ingredients, to taste this good, was really exciting.

Manu's recipe was for individual cottage pies, I chose to double the recipe and make a large family sized pie. By doubling the recipe, cooking the mince took longer, as there was more liquid to reduce. But this is easily something you can prepare earlier, then just make the mash when you need to serve it. Make sure the mince mixture cools before adding the egg, as it will scramble, and mix it in quickly when you do add it, to prevent scrambling from happening. 

Now for the mash, this was the most perfect mashed potato I have ever had the pleasure to try, as soon as I mixed in all of the ingredients I new it would be fabulous. It was smooth, it was rich, it was AMAZING. I will forever be making this mash for my family. Add the milk in slowly, you may not need it all, add only as much as is needed to make the mash creamy but not a sloppy mess. Also Manu pipes the potato on to the mince and I do it to, it looks pretty, but sometimes could I be bothered to do this, no, but this mash is so brilliant, you can  gently dollop it all over the mince and then it allows you to carefully swirl it about with a spoon to make it look nice, as pictured here below.

​Manu's recipe uses beef mince, I as a rule use combined pork and beef mince in most of my cooking, I find it gives a lighter flavour, so use whatever you prefer. He even says you can use finely chopped leftover cooked beef-I however did not try this, but think I will next time I have leftovers).

Over all this was a great family friendly dish I will definitely be making again and again.

Recipe adapted from Manu Feildel's recipe in Taste magazine

Serves 4
1 tablespoons olive oil
80g unsalted butter
1 brown onion, finely chopped
3 French eschalots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
600g pork and beef mince
6 button mushrooms, finely chopped
1 large tomato, finely chopped
2 sprigs of thyme
500ml salt reduced beef stock
1/2 teaspoon vegeta (optional)
1kg Desiree potatoes, peeled, coarsely chopped
200ml milk
2 eggs, 1 separated
2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves


Heat the oil and 20g of the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, eschalots and garlic. Stir for 5 minutes or until the onions have softened.

Add the mince, cook, stirring, breaking up lumps as you stir it. Cook for 5 minutes or until the mince browns. Add the mushrooms, stir them through for 2 minutes.

Add the tomato and stock. Add the leaves from the 2 sprigs of thyme. Season with pepper, add vegeta now, if using. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, simmer for 25 minutes or until the liquid is nearly evaporated. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Set aside to cool.

While the mince is cooling, cook the potato. Place the potatoes in cold water, season with salt. Bring to the boil and cook for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain well.

Use a ricer (if you haven't got one, buy one, it is the best thing for making mash perfect) or potato masher, mash the potato well. Add the milk, 1 egg yolk and the remaining 60g butter. If you use a ricer stir this through the potato, if using a masher continue mashing the butter into the potato, until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and white pepper.

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan forced.

Add the whole egg and reserved egg white to the mince mixture, stir it through quickly so it doesn't scramble.

Now spoon the mince mixture into four 500ml (2 cup) ovenproof dishes or one large 2.5 litre dish. Smooth the top.

Spoon the mash into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm nozzle. Pipe mounds of mash over the mince to cover the mince. I actually used a spoon to gently dollop it on instead, easier, then I just swirled the potato around carefully to make it look nicer. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and thyme.

​Bake for 35 minutes or until the potato topping is golden and crispy.

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Makes 1.5 cups

2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
  ¾ cup (165g) caster sugar
  1/3 cup (80g) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  Zest and juice of 2 lemons

  Place the whole eggs, yolks and sugar in a small to medium sized saucepan, whisk until smooth.

Add butter, juice and zest, place pan over a low heat. Whisk continuously until thickened.

Strain through a sieve into a hot sterilized jar. 

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Recipe adapted from Julie Goodwin's Cookbook 'The Heart of the Home'

Serves 6
100g salted butter, softened, but not melted
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons herbs of your choice, chopped finely
1 loaf Turkish bread or 1 x 35cm French Baguette


Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan forced. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Combine the butter, garlic and herbs in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, using a fork mix it all together well.

If using a Turkish Loaf: Split the Turkish Loaf in half horizontally. Place on your baking tray cut side up. Spread the butter evenly on both halves, don't add too much butter, it will over take the bread and you will get an oily mess.

Bake, buttered side up for 8-10 minutes or until the butter has melted and the edges have become golden, you want a bit of crunch.

If I want to quicken things up, if after the 10 minutes the edges are not golden, I turn the oven to the fan grill setting, then I grill the bread until the edges are golden, but if you do this, keep watching it as it goes from golden to burnt very quickly.

For a French Baguette: Cut bread into 2.5cm thick slices without cutting all the way through. With a knife place 1-1.5 teaspoons of butter into each slice you made. Wrap the loaf in aluminium foil. 

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the butter has melted and the bread is crisp.
​
Cut into pieces and serve hot.​

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Adapted from Bill Granger's Cookbook Bill's Food

Makes 8-10 slices

250g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
125g unsalted butter, softened
250g caster sugar
4 medium sized ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
175g dark or milk chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan forced. Grease and line with baking paper a 19 x 11cm loaf tin.

In a mixing bowl beat the butter and caster sugar with electric beaters until well mixed and creamy.

Add the eggs, beat until just blended. Add the bananas and vanilla extract, mix until combined.

Add the flour and baking powder, now using a spoon, mix until nearly combined. Add the chocolate chips, and mix until combined. Do not over mix.

Pour banana bread batter into prepared tin, level the top. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Leave in the cake tin for 5 minutes, then remove from tin and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

​Serve in thick slices.

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Base:
1 cup (150g) plain flour
1 cup desiccated coconut
3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
125g butter, melted

Filling:
1 cup unsalted cashews, toasted
1/2 cup (125ml) golden syrup
125g butter, melted
2 x 400g cans sweetened condensed milk

Topping:
2 teaspoons salt flakes
200g dark cooking chocolate
2 teaspoons vegetable oil


Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line with baking paper a 20cm x 30cm baking tin. Make sure the baking paper comes up the sides, this helps when slicing.

In a medium sized mixing bowl place the flour, coconut, caster sugar and butter. Stir the mix together until well combined.

Pour the mixture into your prepared tin. Using your hands press the mixture evenly into the tin. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool, while you make the filling. 

Roughly chop up the cashews, I like bigger chunks, you may like it finer. Place on a baking paper lined tin and roast in the oven for 5 minutes, give it a stir and roast for a further 5 minutes until they just start to brown. Alternatively you can put them in a clean frying pan over medium-high heat and stir until they start to colour.  Scatter the cashews evenly over the base.

To make the filling in a medium sized saucepan place the golden syrup, butter and the sweetened condensed milk. Over low heat, stir this for 6-8 minutes or until thickened slightly.

Pour over the base and bake for 20 minutes or until golden dots have covered the entire surface. Allow to cool for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the salt flakes evenly on the slightly cooled caramel

To make the topping: place the chocolate and oil in a small heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, make sure the bowl does not touch the water. Stir until the chocolate has melted.

Spread the chocolate mixture over the salted caramel, spread it around to cover the whole surface. Refrigerate for 6 hours or until set. I like to leave it in the refrigerator overnight to set.

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Recipe adapted from www.taste.com.au

Serves 4

2 teaspoon peanut oil
4 green (uncooked) blue swimmer crabs
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 fresh long red chillies, deseeded, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup (60ml) tomato sauce
2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon brown sugar
6 green shallots, ends trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally
1/2 cup firmly packed coarsely chopped fresh coriander
Steamed Jasmine rice, to serve


Prepare the crab first: Below the photos and instructions for preparing the crab was taken straight out of 'The Essential Seafood Cookbook", in the book the crabs are cooked, you need the raw crab. (When I make it again I will take my own photos as I am not one to take other people's food photos and call them my own.)

Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until just smoking.

Add the crab and stir the crab around, cover the wok with a lid for around 30 seconds. After 30 seconds uncover, stir the crab around again, cover. Repeat, stirring occasionally, covering, for 6-7 minutes or until the crab is just cooked, the crabmeat will turn white when cooked.

Add the garlic, chilli and ginger, stir fry through the crab for 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, sweet chilli sauce, sherry, sugar and chicken stock, stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce boils and thickens slightly.

Remove from the heat , add the shallots stir through the crab. Add half of the coriander and stir through the crab. Sprinkle over the remaining coriander.

Spoon rice into serving bowls, top with the chilli crab, make sure you add some sauce to the rice. Serve immediately.

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