Here in Australia chocolate crackles are a childhood favourite. The earliest recipe appeared in the iconic magazine The Australian Women’s Weekly in 1937. The classic version, made with the breakfast cereal Kellogg’s® Rice Bubbles®, is set in a chocolate and copha mix with the addition of coconut. This version is for dark chocolate lovers. Line a muffin…… Continue reading double chocolate crackles
Category: sweet bites
date salami
Deb made this delicious date salami. Good with coffee or tea, as part of a cheese platter, or as a bite-sized snack any time. You will need ¼ of a cup each of chopped almonds and cashews and 2 tablespoons each of chopped pistachios and walnuts. Dry roast the nuts in a large frypan over…… Continue reading date salami
baci di dama
These crisp little Italian hazelnut biscuits (cookies), not too sweet and filled with dark chocolate, are perfect with a mid-morning coffee or afternoon tea. To make these biscuits you can toast, skin and grind the hazelnuts yourself. As I have an excellent supply of good quality nuts, I chose to use hazelnut meal. Combine 140g…… Continue reading baci di dama
leatherwood honeycomb
Leatherwood (Eucryphia lucida) is a species of tree endemic to Tasmania where this honey is produced. The dark amber honey has a distinctive aromatic flavour of spice with a floral afternote. I combined my organic leatherwood honey with vanilla in this honeycomb. Prepare a lined baking tray and have 3 teaspoons of sifted bi-carb soda…… Continue reading leatherwood honeycomb
home-made pistachio halva
Middle Eastern style halva was an exotic and much-loved treat of my childhood and I still love it. This type of halva is always made with some kind of nut butter, most often tahini (sesame paste). Lightly toast 50g (1¾ 0z) of pistachios until they are toasty and fragrant, chop them roughly and allow them…… Continue reading home-made pistachio halva
pistachio and fennel amaretti
Full of pistachios and fragrant with fennel, these Italian biscuits (cookies) are usually either hard and dry or quite soft. This version is somewhere in between with a crisp outer layer and a satisfyingly chewy centre. Preheat your oven to 160°C (320ºF). Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper. In a small dry frypan…… Continue reading pistachio and fennel amaretti
chocolates
I was researching sous vide cooking when I came upon some information on Serious Eats about tempering chocolate by that method. I had to try it. It was certainly easy but not absolutely necessary, as you can see in Three Ways to Temper Chocolate. My first attempt was nice and crunchy, melted nicely in the…… Continue reading chocolates
salty-sweet orange and tahini pretzels
Another delight from Honey & Co The Baking Book by Sarit Packer & Itmar Srulovich and my first (rustic) attempt at pretzels. Mix together 200g (7 oz) of strong white flour, 150g (5⅓ oz) of plain flour, ½ a teaspoon of salt and 3 tablespoons of icing sugar. Warm 140ml (4¾ fl oz) of milk to blood temperature…… Continue reading salty-sweet orange and tahini pretzels
vegan meringues
I was fascinated to learn that the water from chick peas (aquafaba), or in fact any legumes, behaves a lot like eggs in various recipes, including meringues. As you probably know by now, I’m not a vegan but I found these meringues amazing. They have a more interesting, nutty flavour than egg meringues and the mixture is…… Continue reading vegan meringues
ricotta doughnuts
Who doesn’t love a fresh hot doughnut? Here the taste of ricotta shines through and a drizzle of tangy lemon syrup is just perfect. Make the lemon syrup by heating ½ a cup each of lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup thickens a little. Depending on your lemons you may need…… Continue reading ricotta doughnuts
michelle picker cooks 