Wednesday morning tea platter was by special request - vanilla squares with passionfruit icing. The dilemma (something akin to the chewy or crispy Anzac debate) - passionfruit pips in the icing OR not? Easily fixed, double the mixture, make two batches, one of each. Not so easily executed with the quantity of custard needing to … Continue reading Vanilla Squares with passionfruit icing – the great icing debate

Here is the recipe as  taught to me by Anton Godressi. Baklava “Cigars” This is a great way to enjoy baklava, love this version. The cigar shapes makes the dish easy to portion and eat. 1 packet filo pastry (use the refrigerated version for best results, rather than the frozen) 500g butter, melted - approximately … Continue reading Baklava “Cigars”

Here's the much-requested recipe for Harissa Cake - recipe is by Anton Godressi, his family's traditional version.  It's extremely delicious and simple to make. Harissa Cake 2 cups semolina 1 cup desiccated coconut ½ cup sugar 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda 1½ cups plain yoghurt 1 cup (250g) melted butter ½ cup blanched whole, slivered or … Continue reading Harissa Cake

This is a one litre jar. This is asparagus just picked from the garden. Seems the hot weather agrees with something at least.

Today's Wednesday morning tea platter. The Harissa cake is tasty, even quite delicious, but not as good at the one that I tasted at the New Norfolk Market (Chick Pea Chef stall). Around the outside are hastily made Orange Butter Bars, a family favourite for decades. (Happy to provide the recipe if anyone should like … Continue reading Orange Butter Bars and Harissa Cake

A couple of weeks ago at the Banjo's New Norfolk Market I tasted a slice of traditional Lebanese Harissa cake for the first time. It was absolutely delicious. I've not been able to get there since, so today I just had to try to make one of my own. (Here it is, fresh from the … Continue reading Harissa Cake

A little experimentation early yesterday. Very large choc-orange cake topped while warm with an orange infused ganache. For good measure, used some of last year's cumquat syrup to make cumquat ice cream to accompany the cake.   With a few oranges left in the fruit bowl, them made crystallised orange slices. This Wednesday's morning tea … Continue reading Choc-Orange Cake

Pretty nice here at Molesworth today. The mist came right up and surrounded the house this morning. It's now retreating up to the hills - certainly not much not to like about living here.

This morning began, as it always does, with feeding our motley menagerie. In the wheelbarrow ready to go, a bucket of warm barley mixed with vegetable scraps, stewed fruit and cream for Priscilla pig, a jug of barley porridge for toothless ewe Doris who needs to be spoon fed, sheep pellets, apple slices for them … Continue reading A Spring Day of Weeding and Feeding

Oh happy day - I do love making cheese! Prep day today for the cheese making class here tomorrow. A batch of Halloumi is already fully prepared (we will do more batches in the class) plus feta is well on the way to being completed. After the butter episode of a few days ago where … Continue reading Cheese Making Bliss