Panettone Glassato - Glazed Panettone

Panettone -I loved this as a child and even now, as an adult..I remember Mum buying it when we were kids, mainly around Christmas as it is a traditional Italian Christmas cake...so light and delicious. We were always excited when she would buy this, time to all sit around the table and enjoy a piece, as we listened to her reminisce about when she used to eat it as a little girl in Rome.

for the starter:

1/3 cup milk, lukewarm

1 envelope (7g) active dry yeast

1/2 cup (70g) plain flour

for the dough:

6 Tb (85 g) butter, room temp.

1/2 teaspoon salt

60 g sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

2 cups (280 gr) flour

60g raisins

60g candied orange peel (I omitted this)

for the glaze:

60g almond meal

60g caster sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

1 egg white

60g flaked almonds

icing sugar, for dusting

Preparing the starter:

In a small bowl, whisk the yeast into the milk.

Stir the yeast mixture into the flour.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside to rise for about 45 minutes. It should triple in volume. I like to use the microwave with door shut...it is kinda like a bakers prover only a mini-version lol...

Preparing the dough:

When the starter is ready, in a mixmaster with a paddle, place butter, salt and sugar. Beat lightly. Add vanilla and beat to combine.

Add one egg and 1/3 of the flour. Beat to incorporate.

Continue adding the eggs one at the time, alternating with the flour.

Beat this compound until smooth.

At this moment the starter will be “spongy”, soft and fluffy. Add the starter to the mixer and beat to incorporate until smooth.

Combine the raisin and candied peel.

Transfer the dough to a buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise until double in volume, for about 2 hours.

When the dough is ready push it with your fist to let the air out.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead it, folding it on itself several times.

Transfer the dough to a 9 inch buttered spring-form pan. Press the dough lightly toward the edges, to cover the bottom evenly. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and set it aside to rise for about 2 hours. The dough will rise to the edge of the pan.

Preparing the glaze:

Preheat oven 375 F (190 C).

Place the almond meal and sugar in a bowl. Add cornstarch and egg white.

Stir to combine.

Finishing the cake:

When the dough is ready pour the glaze on top.

Spread it evenly on the cake. Don’t press on the surface of the cake to avoid deflating it.

Sprinkle the flaked almonds on the top.

Top evenly with icing sugar.

Bake for about 50 minutes or until the surface is golden and swollen.

Open the side of the pan, running a knife along the edges if necessary.

Transfer to a rack to cool.

The panettone can be stored wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.

Where has the time gone?

WOW I cannot believe it has been so long since I posted here, so I thought it would be an appropriate time for a revamp, open up the curtains and brush away the cobwebs!!...

I have been super busy, cooking still, yes, and loving it as always but just sooooo slack when it comes to bloggin' about it - with the kids keeping me occupied, my busy household and my work from home design thing I have on the boil - well, I don't have much time left for me to blog on! Buuuutttt I am really going to make a stellar effort from now on, you'll see ;) and if I slack off, well I will be hoping you all will gimme a swift kick in the behind lol!

Good to be back ((hugs))

Our Good Friday Feast

Well this took me a good couple hours to prepare, but oh so worth it - but as it was gobbled up fast, needless to say, I didn't have time to hunt around for the camera to visually document my efforts..so I will attempt to describe my efforts for you.

Firstly, I made an aoili, for those who do not know what this is..it is a mayonnaise loaded with garlic, squeeze of lemon juice and S&P and I let this sit in the fridge to allow all the flavours to infuse and intermingle whilst I prepared the rest of the meal.

Had a few squid tubes, which I cleaned up and then cut into calamari rings, these were then crumbed in breadcrumbs and gently cooked in hot oil until golden and crisp.
Peeled and cut some potatoes into cafe style thick chips, rinsed off excess starch and dried them.
Then I lowered these into the hot oil and cooked until they were crisp and gold on the outside and the insides were fluffy - the perfect chip!

After cooking the chips and draining any excess oil, I tipped them into a large bowl, dredged them in the rosemary salt I made and tossed them until they were coated in this delectably flavoured salt - they were divine - I don't think I could ever go back to regular salted chips!

To make my rosemary salt, I just threw into my mortar and pestle; a fistful of sea salt flakes, a couple branches worth of rosemary and some fresh lemon zest - and just pounded this until it resembled 'green salt'..this is an idea from one of the Jamie Oliver cook books, which one I couldn't tell you, they just seem to all blend into one big book now!

I also served this with the simplest of green salads..some lettuce leaves, herbs, olive oil, sea salt, cracked black pepper and some lemon juice...easyyyyyy and so yummy.

I assembled some calamari rings on the plate and balanced some rosemary salted cafe style chips next to the calamari, with a dollop of the aoili for dipping. Salad was served in a wooden salad bowl in the middle of the table for all to help themselves!..

"Sizzler" Style Toast

Have always enjoyed that toast you get from Sizzler..so I have recreated it here...turned out nice and golden and was gobbled up by my boys (My big boy and my little boy;) in record time!!!

SOOOOOOO easy and QUICK!

• 4 slices thick bread
• 1 Tb butter
• 2 Tb canola oil
• 1/2 C grated parmesan cheese

1. Butter both sides of bread.
2. Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese on a plate and press in the buttered bread to coat both sides.
3. Ensure even coverage.
4. Heat oil in a pan (ensure pan is well oiled for each piece of bread).
5. Fry both sides of bread, turning once.
6. Once golden brown - serve.
   

Very excited!

I have just been outside rejuventating my vegetable/herb patch..I have just kept it very simple this time around, and planted a whole bunch of red gourmet lettuce, green gourmet lettuce, genovese basil, sweet basil and some chives...My theme is a 'living salad' garden so I can go downstairs and pick my leaves and herbs as needed..

I am hoping to get a bigger area very shortly to grow much more so this will be great, I was growing more at one stage but with the severe water restrictions here in SE QLD well one must be very careful how much water one uses..BUT if I am careful and frugal with my water usage and water at the end of the day when evaporation levels are at their least - we should do OK!

So I was going to add a pic but really who wants to look at a photo of uninteresting dirt? I will wait until there is some action and I will take first snaps of the first signs of growth and every couple of weeks thereafter..WATCH THIS SPACE to see the progress of my living salad bowl!!

Hot Cross Buns

I got around to making my hot cross buns today - and after much research, decided to go with the recipe from the BBC..which seems the nicest I have seen.

They say to use lemon zest, but being out of lemons *shock, horror!* I had to use an orange which has worked lovely. I also grinded my own cloves and cinnamon for the 'allspice' and man, did it smell fragrant and heavenly, absolutely divine!

So here is the recipe for the hot cross buns :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/hotcrossbuns_397.shtml

And here are the photos of mine I took this afternoon..let me tell you - they are the yummiest, spiciest, fluffiest hot cross bun I HAVE ever eaten - once you try homemade you will never go back to the horrid store bought thing..ughhh yuck!

The recipe yielded 12 so I froze 6 and kept 6 out - hopefully they will last until Sunday!

Nonna's Sugo Di Carne ("Sauce of Meat"/Bolognese)

This is simply the best Bolognese sauce you will ever make. Don't be surprised if people on the street raise their noses in wonder as they pass your kitchen. The aroma in your house will be incredible, so be prepared for total greatness!

I was raised on this food, so many memories surround this meal for me. Now, I am raising my kids on the same food I was raised on - good italian cooking, so this recipe, passed on to me from my Mum, and to her, from her Mum (my Nonna) is being passed on to my kids - they LOVE it, so Grazie Nonna - milione baci per voi! xox

• 1 kg lean minced beef
• 1 large brown onion, peeled and diced
• 2 Tb olive oil 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 1 medium celery stick, finely chopped
• 1 C dry white wine (yes, I use white or red, doesn't matter)
• 2 tins (400g each) whole peeled tomatoes
• 3 heaped Tb tomato paste
• 2 C water
• sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
• handful of fresh basil, torn (if you have some)

1. Chop onions, carrots and celery finely, set aside.
2. Chop garlic, set aside.
3. Heat a pan on medium high heat, put in a lug of olive oil and add the chopped vegetables and garlic.
4. Saute this briefly until the onions turn opaque.
5. Add mince, break mince up, keep stirring and brown thoroughly.
6. Add 1 cup of white wine, this will create a wicked sizzle and will deglaze the pan and soften all the flavoursome bits on the bottom of the pan.
7. Allow it to reduce by approximately half and then add the salt and pepper and tomato paste, letting the tomato paste cook down a little bit.
8. Add tomatoes and water - put lid on and allow to slowly simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occassionally.
9. Just before serving, tear up the fresh basil and stir it through the sauce!
10. Serve with steaming hot pasta, and a good shaving of parmegiano reggiano..