The Kitchen Coquette Magazine + 12 Day Giveaway

And at long last here it is folks. The Kitchen Coquette 12 Days of Christmas Magazine.(Cue round of applause) Any technical glitches in opening and reading this please let me know. Starting from tomorrow there are some great prizes to be won. Before you hit the comment button - there are a few wee tasks to be completed to go into the running. But they'll be worth it - think wine, reading books and some stylish threads. Oh yes good times to be had by all.


The competition starts tomorrow December 1 and will finish December 12. All winners will be selected at random or by the sponsors and all winnings posted December 13 so they reach you safe n sound by Christmas.


I hope you enjoy it. Xoxo

Open publication - Free publishing - More christmas

What the F*&k Should we Cook for Dinner?

A new video showcasing a recipe from Kitchen Coquette and from what I hear one of the more popular chapters. What the f&*k should we cook for dinner.

It's the Kitchen Coquette 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway

I realise I have been a little quiet on the recipe front of late but hopefully have a few things to make up for it. We are launching an online magazine in the next 48 hours with Christmas recipes for you as well as some fantastic giveaways - beach reads, cookbooks, some designer threads and wine from our lovely friends at Debortoli in the Yarra Valley.


For now, a sneak peak...fruit mince doughnuts.

I need a speech therapist.

I had vowed not to listen to one radio interview in case it jinxed further interviews - nothing worse than hearing yourself - you automatically respond with "surely I don't sound like that". I of course didn't take my own advice and cannot believe I sound like this. This is one of the interviews I did with the ABC - interviewed by the lovely Richard Aedy. So can anyone recommend a good speech therapist?


http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2011/11/lms_20111108_0933.mp3  

Chocolate and salted caramel brownies from Kitchen Coquette

I know you are probably going to tell me to pipe down with my “first world” problems, but I really, truly do believe that a decent wedge of decadent, gooey and bad-for-me-in-every-way brownie makes the world a better place.

You see brownie, cut into slabs the size of a world atlas, has the capacity to raise the spirits. Intense and squidgy, it can keep you weirdly sated for hours, thanks to its take no prisoners calorific content. And made with the proper amount of chocolate, it’s a stayer; wrap it in foil, pop it in your bag/desk drawer/under your pillow and this is without a doubt the friend with benefits. It sticks around, in its prime, for days.

I don’t generally hold my head high with many of my recipes. Truth be told I get very nervous, waiting each day for someone to email, twitter or facebook me to tell me I am a fraud; that my recipe is no good, their delicate confidence in the kitchen wrecked thoughtlessly by my inadequate construction. But I do, hand on heart, claim this brownie is worthy of your time. Is it better than others? Probably not, but it is definitely as good as any other recipe you’ll find out there. It has the requisite delicate crust and a centre that doesn’t know if it wants to be cake or the texture of mud after the last day of Splendour in the Grass. The flavour is intense. Even more so thanks to a hit of salted caramel. And it will make you a better human being. If only for a moment thanks to the sugar high, and definitely for a few days afterwards, as you share its goodness with family and friends.

INGREDIENTS
Brownies:
175 g (6 oz) dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids), chopped
185 g (6 1/2 oz) unsalted butter, cubed (hate to sound like a Francophile but French butter is best)
440 g (15 1/2 oz/2 cups) caster (superfine) sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
150 g (5 1/2 oz/1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour

Caramel glaze:
125 ml (4 fl oz/1/2 cup) thickened cream
440 g (15 1/2 oz/2 cups) caster (superfine) sugar
125 ml (4 fl oz/1/2 cup) water
60 g (2 1/4 oz) unsalted butter, cubed
2 tsp sea salt flakes
2 tsp powdered gelatine combined with 60 ml (2 fl oz/1/4 cup) cold water (sprinkle over the water to make it easier to blend)

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F/Gas 3). Grease a 22 x 30 cm (8 1/2 x 12 inch) baking tin.

For the brownies, melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Add the sugar and stir until smooth. Remove from the heat. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the eggs and vanilla, then stir in the chocolate mixture. Add the flour and stir gently until well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes until crisp on top and allow to cool in the tin.

Prepare the caramel glaze by warming the cream in a small saucepan over low heat until hot, not boiling. In a separate saucepan, combine the sugar and water, place over medium–high heat and cook, without stirring, until the sugar reaches a dark amber colour. Carefully add the cream and butter and stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and mix in the gelatine liquid.

Pour the caramel glaze over the brownies and cool until the caramel just sets. Sprinkle over the sea salt flakes and slice into bars or dive straight in with a spoon.

The belle of Rozelle

The concern I have with finally buying a house in Rozelle(other than the mortgage which I will be paying off for the REST OF MY LIFE) is the hop, skip, and a jump to Zumbo locale.
I did a drive by just to see the sold sign and look what ended up in my hands. It was some late night concoction of the Zumbo team so when I purchased this delight, the name was unknown, the ingredients indeterminable. But I will tell you this. It was fruity, zingy, sweet and totally and completely indulgent. And I loved it. Part watermelon and ginger juice, part trifle, part crumble and meringue...Hello neighbour...So very pleased to meet you.

The mind boggles

I wondered what to write with this post, but truly I am lost for words and I feel the picture says just enough. These are the best two I could find. Mercedes, Abercrombie and Caughtneigh must be too long to fit across the label. 
And yes that is actually a spelling - check it out here 

Playing with recipes

I've been helping a friend develop some recipes for a small soiree she is holding. The desserts are all I've done so far, the theme is loosely middle eastern and I thought I'd share the recipes here.


Spiced almond milk with turkish delight doughnuts

Milk
1 cup milk
1 tbsp mannanuka honey
1 tsp chai tea ( I used T2 mix)infused into 1 tbsp boiling water
4 tablespoons full fat yoghurt
3 tablespoons almonds, roasted

Doughnuts

7g yeast (I havent tried this recipe with active yeast yet but will let you know if you need more or less when I retest)

200g plain flour

200ml milk

15g unsalted butter
pinch salt
2 tsp natural vanilla extract
4 eggs room temperature

6 squares of turkish delight cut into small cubes, placed in the freezer to harden

vegetable oil for deep frying
vanilla sugar to coat


Spiced almond milk
Combine the milk, honey, chai tea and yoghurt in a bowl. Blitz the almonds in a food processor until finely crushed. Stir this through the milk mix. Place in the fridge until chilled.
Doughnuts
Place the milk, butter, vanilla and salt in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.Remove from heat and add the yeast. Set aside for five minutes or until foaming. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cover and allow to double in size (about an hour).Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth and glossy.Stir in the pieces of turkish delight.
Pour mixture into a doughnut mould then fry the doughnuts in a deep fryer,or a large saucepan 3/4 full of oil. Dust in vanilla sugar to coat.
Pour the chilled almond milk into glasses, top with a doughnut and serve.


Vanilla bean pavlova with saffron poached cumquats

Vanilla bean Pavlova
6 eggwhites, room temperature
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp cornflour


Saffron and sugar poached cumquats
1 cup cumquats, blanched
1 pinch saffron threads
150g sugar
150g water


Preheat oven to 100C.
For the meringue whip the eggwhites with a pinch of salt until soft peak. Add the vanilla bean,vinegar and cornflour. Dollop onto baking paper placed on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 1 hr 15 minutes. Leave in the oven, turned off, until cool. 
For the cumquats, combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and place over medium heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. Add the cumquats, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, add the saffron threads and steep for 10 minutes.
To serve, whip a touch of the saffron cumquat poaching liquid through some cream. Serve an individual pavlova with some of the cream and topped with cumquats.

GT

I've finally had five minutes to catch my breath and thought I'd post what I've been up to for the last little while like some cooking for the latest issue of Gourmet Traveller  - their Greek issue. When you are busy in the kitchen, you don't often get to see too much of the shoot so it's nice to know your cooking has done the food editors great recipes justice. Here is a quick peek.

Launch and cookbook giveaway

Cover Kitchen Coquette

Kitchen Coquette officially lands on the bookshelves of all fine bookstores today. To celebrate there is a wee giveaway on the delightful blog Daily Imprint and a quick interview with yours truly. Check it out and good luck winning a book!

daily imprint: kitchen coquette by katrina meynink + cookbook giveaway!

Also for overseas friends, I am getting a list of where the book is available and will post shortly. So far I know it is available in the UK, New Zealand and Singapore. Watch this space.