Oven fresh

Don't bring out the oven just to bake birthday cakes. These delicious treats give you reason enough to bake away

Don't bring out the oven just to bake birthday cakes. These delicious treats give you reason enough to bake away

Mushroom Quiche

Ingredients

Crust
>>1 cup refined flour (maida)
>>60 grams butter, chilled, chopped

Fillingu00a0u00a0
>>225 gms fresh button mushrooms, thinly sliced
>>1 tbsp olive oil
>>1/2 tbsp butteru00a0
>>1 garlic clove, crushed
>>1/2 tbsp lemon juice
>>Salt to taste
>>Black pepper powder to taste
>>1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, finely choppedu00a0
>>2 eggsu00a0
>>3/4 cup fresh cream
>>1/4 cup freshly grated processed cheese

Place flour and butter in a food processor and process until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. If mixing by hand, rub butter in with fingertips.
While the processor motor is running, add drops of iced water until dough holds together.u00a0 If not using a processor, mix with a knife or a wooden spoon. Or can mix with hands and make dough without kneading much. You will need approximately two and a half tbsp of water.
Press dough into a ball, wrap in a greaseproof paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling or shaping.
Place a baking tray in the centre of the oven and preheat to 190u00b0C/375u00b0F.u00a0
Roll out the dough to half-centimetre thickness and transfer to a greased nine-inch tart pan. Trim the edge. Prick the base all over with a fork.u00a0
Heat olive oil and butter in a pan on medium heat and stir in the mushrooms, garlic and lemon juice. Add salt and black pepper powder and cook until the mushrooms give out moisture. Raise the heat and cook until the mixture is dry.
Add coriander leaves and adjust seasoning.
Whisk the eggs and cream together. Add mushrooms and mix. Sprinkle cheese over the base and pour the mushroom filling over it.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes or until puffed and brown.u00a0
Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Brownie Cheesecake

Ingredients
>>1 cup refined flour (maida)u00a0u00a0u00a0
>>1 tsp baking powderu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
>>100 gms dark chocolateu00a0u00a0u00a0
>>90 gms butteru00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
>>3/4 cup caster sugaru00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
>>2 eggsu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
>>1 tsp vanilla essenceu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
>>1/2 cup walnut kernels, choppedu00a0u00a0u00a0
>>Oil for greasing

Filling
>>1 tbsp gelatine
>>225 gms unsalted cheese spread
>>2/3 cup yogurt
>>7 tbsp sugar
>>1 tsp vanilla essence
>>2 egg whites

Method
Preheat oven to 180 u00b0C/ 350 u00b0F. Grease an eight inch spring form cake tin.
Sift flour and baking powder.u00a0
Combine chocolate and butter in a large microwave bowl and soften, uncovered, for minute on Microwave HIGH (100%) or alternatively melt it in a double boiler.u00a0u00a0
Beat in sugar, eggs and vanilla essence and blend well. Add the sifted flour and walnuts and mix well.u00a0
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
Allow brownie to cool in the tin.u00a0u00a0
To make the filling, take gelatine in a bowl and add five tbsp water and set aside for two to three minutes. Stand the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the gelatine is completely dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly.
Beat cheese spread, yogurt, sugar and vanilla essence together in another bowl till well blended.u00a0 Add the dissolved gelatine and mix.
Whisk egg whites in a clean bowl till stiff. Fold it into the cheese mixture and spoon it over the brownie base in the tin. Level the surface. Chill in a refrigerator for at least four hours or until set.
Remove the cheesecake carefully from the tin and transfer onto a serving plate.
Cut into wedges and serve.

Cheese Crispies

Ingredients
>>3 tbsp grated processed cheese,
>>1 1/4 cups refined flour (maida), sifted
>>60 gms butter, softened
>>1 egg
>>1 tsp sugar
>>1/2 tsp salt
>>1/8 tsp paprika
>>1/8 tsp nutmeg
>>2 tbsp cream
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Method
Preheat the oven to 200u00b0C/400u00b0F. Grease a baking tray.
Mix together the grated cheese, butter, cheese, egg, sugar, salt, paprika, nutmeg and cream in a bowl. Add flour and mix into a dough.
Roll out the dough to half-inch thick rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Cut into nine-inch long and half-inch wide strips, twist and place a little apart on the greased baking tray.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight tin.

Strawberry Fairy Cakes

Ingredients
>>1 1/4 cups refined flour (maida)
>>1 1/4 tsps baking powder
>>100 gms butter
>>1/2 cup caster sugar
>>3 eggsu00a0

Decoration
>>50 gms butter
>>1 cup icing sugar
>>3 drops of strawberry flavouring
>>A little red colouring (optional)
>>A little strawberry jam
>>Silver balls
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Method
Preheat oven to 190u00b0C/375u00b0F.
Sift flour and baking powder together.
Cream the butter and sugar together, then beat in eggs and flour. Mix well.
Spoon into individual greased muffin moulds and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
When they have cooled a little, remove from the tins onto a cooling tray.
To decorate, make a strawberry butter icing by creaming butter, icing sugar, strawberry flavouring and colouring together.
When soft and well mixed, spoon into a piping bag with a star nozzle.
Slice the top mound of the cake and cut into two.
Pipe strawberry icing on the base and place the cut cake pieces over the icing in the shape of wings.
Pipe jam on the wings in a decorative manner. Place some silver balls around the jam design and serve.u00a0

Shopping list for next week

Lettuce Pinwheels
> 100 gms cheese
> 1 unsliced whole fresh bread loaf
> 1 bottle mayonnaise
> 1 bunch lettuce
> 1 pack white pepper powderu00a0

Subzi Envelope
> 600 gms refined flour
> 100 gms cabbage
> 100 gms cauliflower
> 100 gms green peas
> 100 gms French beans
> 1 green capsicum
> 1 pack garam masala powderu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
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Chilli Mushroom Fried Rice
> 1 pack fresh button mushrooms
> 1 bunch spring onions
> 1 pack MSG (optional)
> 1 bottle soy sauce
> A few green chillies

Blueberry Muffin
> 2 eggs
> 1 bottle blueberry jam
> 1 bottle vanilla essence
> 1 pack baking powderu00a0