Strawberry Pizza

For the Sweet Dough:
3 cups plain flour
1 tsp powdered yeast
2 tsp vanilla powder
1/4 Cup caster sugar
2/3 cup yoghurt
2/3 cup warm milk
3 tbsp melted butter

For the Filling:
1 cup strawberry jam
1/2 cup sliced roasted almonds
300g fresh strawberries
1/2 cup small white marshmallows
1/2 cup chocolate chips
100g white chocolate

For the Dough: Beat all the ingredients together, until the dough forms a ball around the dough hook. Continue beating for another 5 minutes, at low speed, until you obtain a soft smooth dough. Oil a large bowl well and place the dough inside it. Brush the surface with a little oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough stand for 1 hour, until double in volume. Press the risen dough down to let the air out, and place it in a well buttered 30cm pie pan. Press down to cover the bottom and sides.

Spread a thick layer of jam over the dough, leaving a 2cm gap round the sides. Sprinkle with sliced almonds. Wash, clean and slice the strawberries. Arrange the strawberries and marshmallows over the almonds. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and grate the white chocolate to form shaving over the pizza. If you like coat the sides of the pizza with a little egg yolk, for a nicer golden brown colour. Bake the pizza at 180C for 20-25minutes, until the dough at the sides is golden brown.

Melt-and-Mix Chocolate Chunk Mud Cake

200g butter, chopped
300g good-quality dark chocolate
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup caster sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup self-raising flour
pure icing sugar, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease a 6cm deep, 20cm (base) round cake pan. Line with baking paper.
2. Place butter, 200g chopped chocolate and hot water in a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH (100%) for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every minute with a metal spoon, or until smooth. Add cocoa to warm chocolate mixture. Stir until smooth. Stir in vanilla, caster sugar and egg. Sift flour over chocolate mixture. Stir gently to combine.
3. Pour half the batter into cake pan. Chop remaining chocolate and sprinkle half over batter. Top with remaining batter and chopped chocolate. Bake cake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre has moist crumbs clinging.
4. Allow cake to cool completely in pan. Remove and dust with icing sugar. Serve.

Variation: You could ice the cake with rich chocolate icing or spread with ganache, if you prefer.

Note: This cake keeps well for up to 1 week stored in an airtight container lined with baking paper.

Source
Super Food Ideas - September 2005, Page 90
Recipe by Janelle Bloom

Passionfruit Curd Cupcakes

Photo by Julie O’Malley

Passionfruit Buttercake:
90g butter, softened
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (150g) SR flour
1/4 cup (60ml) passionfruit pulp (3-4 passionfruit)

Passionfruit Curd:
2 eggs, beaten lightly
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup passionfruit pulp
60g butter, chopped coarsely

Decorations:
85g pkt passionfruit jelly
1 cup (250ml) boiling water
1 cup (80g) desiccated coconut
1/2 cup (125ml) thickened cream, whipped

Make Passionfruit curd:
Combine ingredients in a small heaproof bowl, place over a small saucepan of simmering water, stir constantly until mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat.
Cover tightly, refrigerate curd until cold.

# Preheat oven to 180c/160c fan-forced. Line 6 hole texas or 12 hole standard muffin pan with paper cases.
# Beat butter, sugar, eggs and flour in a small bowl with electric mixer on low speed until ingredients are just combined. Increase speed to medium, beat until mixture is changed to a paler colour. Stir in passionfruit pulp.
# Divide mixture among cases, smooth surface.
# Bake large cakes about 25 minutes, small cakes about 20 minutes. Turn cakes onto wire rack to cool. Dissolve jelly in the water. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set to the consistency of unbeaten egg white. Remove cases from cakes. Roll cakes in jelly, coating all over. Roll in coconut, place on a wire rack over tray. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
# Cut cakes in half, fill with curd and cream.

Griddled Aubergines (eggplants) with Feta, Mint and Chilli

Photo by Rebecca Payn

2 large aubergines, each cut thinly, lengthwise, into about 10 slices
4 tbsp olive oil
250g feta cheese
1 large red chilli, finely chopped, deseeded or not, depending on how much heat you want
large bunch fresh mint, finely chopped, with some saved for sprinkling over at the end
juice of 1 lemon
black pepper

1. Preheat the barbeque or griddle to a high heat.
2. Brush both sides of the aubergine slices with the oil, and cook them for about 2 minutes each side until golden and tender.
3. Crumble the feta into a bowl and stir in the chilli, mint and lemon juice and grind in some black pepper. You don’t need salt, as the feta is salty enough. Pile the end third of each warm aubergine slice with a heaped teaspoon of the feta mixture and roll each slice up as you go to form a soft, stuffed bundle.
4. Place join side down on a plate, and sprinkle with a little more mint.

Makes 20 rolls.