For the past few months I have been looking for recipes that I remember eating when I was a kid. You know, the stuff that you eat today that reminds you of what 'Grandma used to make'. The things that make you giddy and smile to remember the simpler times, when your mouth wasn't quite big enough to cram in a whole piece of cake, or your mother was constantly dabbing away at the cream all over your fingers and face.
Baking has had a resurgence in popularity lately, and things to me seem a little too primped and technical. I am looking for the good old fashioned things, sponge cakes with jam and cream, pies with home made pastry and sticky gooey caramel fillings (Even if I can never bring myself to try boiling a can of condensed milk to make caramel - kids don't try this at home). All the good stuff that we remember eating as kids, is the stuff I am yearning for today.
As you know I am quite the fan of little individual baked treats. Even though I love a grand layered cake at the best of times, these are easy and fun to bake, look sweet, petite and best of all, when it comes to serving you don't have to have the 'who's going to cut the cake' argument.
Jelly cakes have become my latest little love. I used to eat these as a kid and have had a craving for them in the past few weeks. They are these delightful little patty cakes, filled with cream and rolled in semi-set jelly and coconut. They look so dainty and pretty. Making them again brings back so many fond memories.
I love them piled high on a pretty plate and shared among friends.
Perfect with a lovely hot cup of tea.
Jelly Cakes - Recipe adapted from Taste.com.au
60g butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup milk
85g packet of Port Wine jelly crystals
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cold water
3 cups dessicated coconut
1/2 cup thickened cream, whipped
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 12 x 2 tablespoon capacity patty pan. (Oil spray is perfect for greasing these pans) Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add
egg, a little at a time, beating until well combined. Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Gently fold in half the flour and half the milk. Repeat with remaining flour and
milk.
Spoon about 1 tsp of the mixture into patty pan. (You may need more depending on the size of your patty pans - if you use muffin pans, use a tablespoon of mixture) Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a skewer
inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool cakes on a wire rack.
Cut each cake in half horizontally. Sandwich halves back together using 1 teaspoon of cream. Place in refrigerator for 10-20 mins. (I find this step really helps the cream to adhere the cake halves together and makes them easier to roll in jelly and coconut. You could also freeze the cakes at this stage if you wish and jelly/coconut later).
Stir jelly and boiling water together in a bowl until crystals are dissolved.
Stir in cold water. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until cold and slightly thick.
Place coconut into a large bowl. Roll cakes, 1 cake at a time, into jelly. Gently shake off excess jelly. Toss cakes in coconut
until well coated. Place onto a lined tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes or
until set.
These cakes freeze well. Just pull out of the freezer and place on a plate for 20-30 mins to reach room temperature. Great for when you have company coming and want to have a little special something that looks like you have slaved all morning away on!
Feel free to experiment with different jelly flavours. I especially like Port Wine because it gives the cakes a lovely pink hue.
Until next time...
Kitty xx
I love old kitchenware. I get deep pleasure wandering around Op Shops and Junk Stores and finding pieces to fill my kitchen with. Vintage things are so full of history and were really made to last. I enjoy digging around and finding old collectible pieces, imagining where they came from, and what stories they could tell.
I was in a bit of a stinky mood today, so I decided the tonic would be to take myself Op shopping. I was feeling lucky and I always like to follow my instincts.
It was a busy Thursday. There were people everywhere. I giggled to myself as I watched a lady in the car park attempting to stuff a large wooden toy trunk into the boot of her car without success. I was thinking out aloud, 'Should have thought that one out a little better lady' and then thought that if it were me, I would have done whatever I could to get that trunk home, come hell or high water.
When Op shopping, my usual modus operandi is to go to the clothing section first, but today I went straight to Bric-a-brac. I am glad I did because it was there I found this wonderful old Nelly Ware cake canister.
Isn't it delicious! OK, maybe I am a little over zealous, but for $5 I knew I absolutely had to have it. I mean, being a self-styled baker, how could I not get excited?
As I continued browsing, a lady rushed up to me saying 'WHERE DID YOU FIND THAT? ARE THERE MORE? I COLLECT RETRO! I MUST HAVE IT!' to which I felt like replying 'You can prise it off my cold, dead fingers lady' (I told you I was in a stinky mood!). Instead I smiled sweetly and said 'Bric-a-brac, I guess today is my lucky day!' and I merrily skipped away. (Well, in my head that's what I did).
I went to the cashier to pay and then she was all over me like a rash, wanting to know if I knew what it was, how valuable Nelly Ware is these days, how hard it is to come by, and that her Nanna had one just the same that she wished she had kept and was disappointed that she didn't. At this point I couldn't wait to get out of the store!
I am so happy I bought it, it really made my day and dissolved my crummy mood! I am certain it will be quite at home with all of the other retro and eclectic pieces in my kitchen that all have their own stories to tell.
Until next time...
Kitty xx
I love to eat. Possibly as much, if not more than I love to cook. I discovered my Holy Grail of cheesey goodness the other night at a Christmas Party - Baked Cheese Cobb. Wow! This dish blew my mind. I have never been so happy to be invited to a party! I could not stop myself eating it!
So let me give you the background. I was at a friends Christmas Street Party and my their Nanna made a baked cheese cobb. I watched in awe as it was presented (in my mind ceremoniously) and placed upon the table, all bubbly and golden with a lovely cheesey crust that was just begging to be broken into with a crisp crouton. I think the last time I saw a cobb dip was when I was flicking through Mum's old dog-eared copy of the Women's Weekly cookbook, which I am sure was from the 70's.
Upon tasting, I had no words, I could not speak! It was ooey, it was gooey, it was stringy and reminiscent of fondue. Wow! (again!) I wanted to abscond with it immediately to a quiet corner with a spoon and gorge myself stupid on it!
At first I was very encouraging of those who would dip crackers into the cobb and how they shared my sentiment of how wonderful it tasted. However as it quickly began to disappear I would shoot flinty glares at whoever approached... I wanted it all to myself - and I had to get the recipe.
Nanna Galwey was very delighted to share the recipe - something I thought was going to be a close guarded family secret, handed down through the generations, but a friend told me she saw it featured in a recent women's magazine, which doesn't sound as nostalgic, but you can't have everything!
I am more than happy to share this wonderful recipe with you here, just as Nanna Galwey was happy to share it with me. Bear in mind it was given to me in cook's shorthand, but it is so simple it virtually makes itself. I made it for the first time myself yesterday for our own Christmas Street Party, and I am sure if you make it you will get the kudos I enjoyed as well.
Nanna Galwey's Cheese Cobb
2 cups of grated tasty cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 pk Philadelphia cream cheese, at room temperature
3-4 rashers bacon, chopped
1 can creamed corn
1 cobb loaf, centre hollowed out (reserve for croutons)
Be sure to select a nice crusty loaf that will hold up to being filled.
Cut around the top of the cobb and scoop out the middle of the loaf, being careful not to cut away at the sides. Reserve this bread to make croutons. Take all remaining ingredients and mix together.
Spoon mixture into your hollowed out cobb. (Inquisitive dog optional). Bake in oven at 170c (160c fan forced) for 45 mins. Serve with crackers or croutons.
To make the croutons, simply slice reserved bread into bite sized chunks or slices. Arrange on an oven tray, spray lightly with oil and place in oven to dry out for approx 15-20 mins. You can easily do this while you have your cobb cooking, just be sure not to forget about them! (You can toss the bread in olive oil, garlic and herbs if you wish, but it is nice to let the cobb do the talking).
I am sure with a little experimentation the possibilities are endless with this recipe. I am sure it would be nice with a mixture of Gruyere and Emmenthal, some spinach and artichoke, even used as a sauce over cauliflower and broccoli... I am feeling a kitsch 70's fondue vibe here...
Until next time...
Kitty xx
