Baking, Desserts, Eating In, Winter Food

Sticky Date Scrolls with Brandy Glaze and Butterscotch Sauce

June 1, 2017
Sticky Date Scrolls in Pan

It’s getting colder in Melbourne. As the temperature drops, the days get shorter and are filled with more rain, there’t nothing I like better than baking. Sticky date pudding is one of my favourite desserts and I love the smell of baking chelsea buns which inspired me to make sticky date scrolls.

These sticky date scrolls, sweet and delicious are a fantastic weekend baking activity. Though they will take a few hours, if you include the time for the dough to rise, you will be rewarded with pillowy soft scrolls with the deep sweetness of sticky date pudding which is made even better by the butterscotch sauce.

Sticky Date Scrolls with coffee and baking pan

A whisky glaze (well I did say it was a weekend baking project) and warm butterscotch sauce make these sticky date scrolls a wonderful winter treat. Have them with a cup of coffee or tea while sitting back and catching up on your favourite TV show, that is what lazy weekends are for after all.

If stored in an airtight container, they will keep well too and you can take them to work to spoil your coworkers (or just keep them at home for an after dinner treat).

2 plates of sticky date scrolls with butterscotch sauce

 

Sticky Date Scrolls with Brandy Glaze and Butterscotch Sauce

7 g sachet dried yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon plain flour
1/2 cup milk, warmed
2 1/2 cups plain flour, sifted, plus extra for kneading
125 g butter, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar, extra
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

Filling
60g butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup dates, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon mixed spice

Glaze
1/4 cup golden syrup
1 tablespoon brandy

Butterscotch Sauce 
2 cups Soft Brown or Dark Cane Sugar
250ml cream
50g butter
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

  1. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Combine the yeast, sugar and flour in a small bowl. Gradually add the milk and stir until smooth. Cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for 5 minutes or until foamy.
  3. Place the 2 1/2 cups flour, butter, sugar and mixed spice in a food processor with dough blade and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg, lemon rind and yeast mixture and mix together until it almost forms a dough.
  4. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes or until the dough is smooth. Shape into a ball and place in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 1 hour or until well risen.
  5. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Beat together butter, brown sugar, ginger and mixed spice until light and creamy.
  6. Give the dough a hard punch in the centre with your fist and knead for 2 minutes until smooth. Roll out to a 40 x 25cm rectangle. Spread the butter mixture all over, leaving a small border along one of the longer sides. Sprinkle, the chopped dates over the butter mixture.
  7. Roll the dough, lengthways tightly and evenly into a swiss roll type log. Cute the roll into 8 pieces.
  8. Arrange scrolls, close together, on the baking tray, placing the seams inwards. Flatten the scrolls slightly. Cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes to rise. Preheat the oven to 210 c
  9. Bake the buns for 20 minutes or until well browned.
  10. In the last 10 minutes of baking, prepare the glaze by placing golden syrup and brandy in a small pot and cook over low heat until syrup is melted and glaze is runny. Remove from heat and when scrolls are out of the oven, brush them generously with the glaze. Place on a wire rack to cool.
  11. To make the butterscotch sauce, combine all ingredients in medium pan, stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved and butter melted.
  12. Serve scroll, with a generous helping of butterscotch sauce.
Dinner, Eating In, Winter Food

Slow Cooker Lamb Shank Soup

May 11, 2017
Slow Cooker Lamb Shank Soup in Pot on patterned towel with wooden spoon and bread

With winter looming, days getting shorter and nights getting longer, many of us don’t want to be in the kitchen for hours (or even 30 minutes) after a long day at work and a cold commute home. The humble slow cooker is the hero of many a weary person, and this slow cooker lamb shank soup is deliciously warming and comforting.

Continue Reading…

Dinner, Eating In, Lunch

Vegeta Baked not Fried Chicken and Sweet Potato Chips

May 26, 2016

Fried chicken is probably one of my favourite foods. Unfortunately it is not the healthiest of foods to have as a favourite and it is sometimes hard to replicate the crispiness that you get from deep frying when baking in the oven.

The humble cornflake has helped me in this and once the crumb is well seasoned you will be adding this to your repertoire. I used Vegeta Chicken Stock to really enhance the chicken flavour and it worked very well. As a regular stock user, Vegeta Stock is a great pantry staple to have on standby and just 1 teaspoon produces a flavourful 500ml of liquid stock which is great for soups, stews and curries.

I also used Vegeta Vegetable Stock to boost the flavour of the sweet potato chips and what we got was delicious crispy sweet potatoes with a lovely herby vegetable taste. Now that I’ve had Jonathan having a product like this to deliver fast, tasty, and healthy dishes is a real bonus.

I served the chicken and sweet potatoes with a green salad but this would work with wilted spinach or a coleslaw.

crunchycornflankechickenplate

A range of Vegeta Stock was given to me at no cost, but all opinions expressed are my own.

Vegeta Baked Not Fried Chicken 
An original recipe from Eating With Katie

 

6 chicken drumsticks
2 eggs
3 cups cornflakes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 1/2 teaspoons, smoked paprika
2 1/2 teaspoons Vegeta chicken stock powder
1 tabelespoon olive oil

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180C and line an oven tray with baking paper
  2. Pour cornflakes into a medium size bowl and using your hands crush the flakes until you are happy with the crumb size.
  3. Add the thyme, oregano, smoked paprika and Vegeta chicken stock powder and mix through the crushed cornflakes.
  4. In a seperate bowl, beat the eggs.
  5. Dip the drumsticks in the beaten egg and then roll in the cornflake mix. Place the drumsticks on the baking tray.
  6. Using a pastry brush, gently brush oil over the drumsticks.
  7. Bake for 45 minutes.

Sweet Potato Chips with Vegeta

4 sweet potatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons Vegeta Vegetable Stock
1 tablespoon olive oil

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180C
  2. Cut the sweet potato into chips or wedges and parboil until slightly soft. Drain.
  3. Add the olive oil to a baking tray and place in the oven for 5 minutes so that the oil gets hot – this will help give the chips a crispy skin.
  4. Take tray out of oven and quickly add the chips along with the Vegeta Vegetable Stock. Toss
  5. Bake for 45 minutes.
Baking, Eating In

Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Filling

February 8, 2016
chocolatesaltedcaramelcake

As growing pregnant lady (this explains my radio silence) my cravings have steadily increased. The craving for chocolate has become quite strong, and I often have to take an afternoon walk to go get a slab of chocolate. This chocolate cake recipe which I found here hits the chocolate craving spot every time. It is deliciously moist  and decadent. Chocolate lovers be warned.

Continue Reading…

Dinner, Eating In

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

May 4, 2015
slow cooker pulled pork taco

One of my favourite things in life, is to walk through the front door and be welcomed by the smell of dinner. The smell of a chicken roasting in the oven or a bolognese sauce simmering on the stovetop, for example, are smells that envelope and comfort me. Sadly since both Nathan and I work and are sans a live in chef so this is not something I am greeted with on a regular basis. Unless I use my slow cooker.  Continue Reading…