blueberries Archives - Page 2 of 2

Parmesan and Blueberry Pound Cake with Lemon Icing

1|10|2014

For many years, on the last day of September I partied hard. I put on my brand new outfit, painted my lips, let my hair down and danced. Well actually, I did no such thing. Yes, I partied. With all my favourite people. I woke up to deep love, the sort of selfless affection that can come only from family. I got to hear familiar voices on the telephone that I wouldn’t normally hear all year round. I came back from work with flowers and presents that would fill up the entire backseat and boot of my car. I ate my favourite breakfasts, splurged on lunches and dinners were a thing to commemorate in the precious folders of my memory forever. I expected…and I received. Basically, I was spoilt.

In the last few years, since I became a mother, so much has changed. Yet a lot hasn’t. My birthday is still a day I start with the brightest of faces, the warmest of hugs, fewer phone calls but more heartfelt wishes. I eat what we all love as a family. My brand new outfit, matching shoes and lip colour have been replaced with comfortable wear that allow me to chase two little boys around the house. Instead of flowers, the backseat of my car is occupied by car seats where the two of my most precious beings sit, loudly singing ‘Happy Birthday’ for me in the cutest of voices. Thanks to technology, messages flow in from various different apps. I make sure I have checked all of them and replied. Some of them need an upgrade which I realise only at that instance. I still feel very celebrated, pretty overwhelmed and reflective in the last few hours of the day. But there is a difference. I don’t expect. I understand..appreciate and acknowledge. I feel gratitude more than ever, with each passing year. Quite a few times I tell my husband ‘I don’t believe it’s the same ‘me”. He nods understandingly.

There is no birthday without a cake. Though this really wasn’t the cake I ate (I mean, my birthday cake), I made it because I’ve been meaning to for a long time. This was my second attempt at making a parmesan cake. The first time, the flavour wasn’t strong enough and I baked it in a bundt cake pan. So I increased the parmesan, added blueberries, a lemon icing and honey drizzle this time. This is a fun cake. Quite easy to make but the flavours are a play on your senses…sweet…savoury…sweet…savoury..tart! Parmesan adds an extra something which is hard to describe. A hint of cheesy goodness and a slight acidity to the cake. If you are a fan of the sweet-savoury combination in food, this is a must-try. The lemon icing and honey drizzle balances out the acidity. You may want to cover the entire cake in icing if you don’t enjoy the saltiness in the cake. Overall, it is a delicious cake and best enjoyed warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice-cream on the side.

Parmesan and Blueberry Pound Cake with Lemon Icing
Serves 6-8

11/2 cups plain flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
75 g parmesan cheese, finely grated
180 g unsalted butter, room temperature, roughly chopped
3/4 cup castor sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I used a mix of both) Lemon Icing, to drizzle
Honey, to drizzle

Lemon Icing 1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted (another 1/4 cup if you want a thick icing)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Butter and line the base the of a 19 cm round cake pan with baking paper. In a medium bowl, place the flour, baking powder and parmesan cheese and mix gently together. In the bowl of your electric mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the butter till soft and fluffy. Add the sugar, little at a time till fully incorporated. Add the vanilla essence and eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and beat on medium speed till mixture is smooth and well blended. Gradually fold in the frozen blueberries with a wooden spoon. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with the back of the wooden spoon. Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove carefully from the oven. Stand in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once the cake has cooled down, drizzle or ice with lemon icing (recipe below). The icing thickens on cooling.

To make the Lemon Icing, place the ingredients together in a bowl and stir until combined.

Blueberry Pistachio Crumble Cake

30|03|2014

I’ve been a bit under the weather. I don’t enjoy being tied down to the bed so it was not the best of times for me. I love standing on my two feet even if it means standing long hours without a break so this was a kind of situation-imposed rest from which I was desperate to recover. Not being able to bake or photograph or shop for ingredients can affect me in a big way and I was really looking forward to some baking action.
Finally I did. After a whole week.

As it turns out, this is my 100th post. I’ve been slow that way. Taking a little over a year to reach here while also enjoying every bit of this journey. So it goes without saying that this had to be a cake post. I would have loved to do a fancy one with a few candles but honestly I didn’t have the stamina to do so. This crumble cake has been on my mind since months…I wanted to use pistachios in a crumble cake and I had pictured this rustic blue-green pairing so clearly in my mind that I could hardly wait for the cake to finish baking. I was almost certain the cake would look the way it did.

This is the kind of cake I enjoy baking and eating. Simple yet satisfying. There’s something so gorgeous about a crumble cake. Especially if the base is as moist and soft as this one. So many textures with each mouthful…almost like eating a cake and cookie together. And juicy blueberries tying the two layers together.
I blitzed the pistachios in the food processor in a way so as to keep a mix of finely ground as well as coarser crumbs in the crumble. They taste and look better. Any other nut would work just as well. Or any other berry in the cake.

Blueberry Pistachio Crumble Cake
Serves 10-12

Melted butter, to grease
200g butter, room temperature
3/4 cup castor sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup plain flour
3/4 cup milk
200g blueberries fresh or frozen (I used fresh)

Crumble Topping
1/2 cup plain flour
50 g butter, chilled and chopped into cubes
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup pistachios, skinned and ground to a coarse powder in the food processor

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Brush a round 20 cm spring form pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Line the base with non-stick baking paper. Place the prepared pan on a baking tray.

Using an electric mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Use a large metal spoon to fold in the combined flour and the milk until well combined.

Spoon into the prepared pan. Use the back of the spoon to smooth the surface. Arrange the blueberries on the top.

To make the crumble topping, place all the ingredients in a bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the mixture until the mixture contains large and small crumbs.

Sprinkle the crumble topping over the blueberry layer. Bake in oven for 1 hour 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve cake warm or at room temperature

Blueberry and Maple Syrup Pancakes with Bacon

20|10|2013

I simply love sweet-savory food combinations! When balanced well they can do wonders for your taste buds. What better than fluffy pancakes dripping in maple syrup with crispy salty bacon. And to tie them together juicy blueberries that are bit sweet..a bit tart!

I did tell you about our big Sunday breakfasts and brunches. This is one of the simpler dishes I make for my family with different combinations. With the abundance of seasonal blueberries, I couldn’t have thought of a better addition to my pancakes. I love the way they melt and ooze out when cooked with the batter.

These pancakes are smaller in size than normal ones so you can easily fry two at a time. Smaller stacks work for me. They look cute and cook faster so you can keep the plates coming out quickly when you have guests for brunch. In, Australia, we call them pikelets. You can substitute blueberries with two ripe mashed banana or even a cup of pumpkin puree. These are combinations that I use with the pancake batter.

So do you like food that combines sweet and savory? And which one is your favourite combination?
Without a doubt, Salted Caramel tops my list!

Blueberry and Maple Syrup Pancakes with Bacon (adapted with variation from Good Taste magazine)

11/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp castor sugar
1/2 tsp salt
125g blueberries
11/4 cups milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
30 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Bacon rashers, to serve
Extra blueberries, to serve
Maple syrup, to serve

Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and salt. Stir in the blueberries. Make a well in the centre and add the milk, egg and butter. Use a metal spoon to stir, until just combined.
Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Grease with butter. Pour 1/4 cup portions of batter into the pan (2 at a time). Cook for 1-2 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface. Turn and cook for 30 seconds or until cooked through.
Transfer to a plate. Cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
Serve pancakes with cooked bacon, extra blueberries and maple syrup.