Vanilla Cupcakes

This recipe is from the Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Book, which is definitely worth buying if you love cupcakes! This recipe makes twelve cupcakes, but it can easily be doubled to make more. The vanilla buttercream frosting can be coloured and flavoured to add a new twist, if you like. Think strawberry, orange blossom, rose water, peppermint or chocolate.

For the cupcakes:
220 grams plain flour
1 teapsoon baking powder
100 grams butter, softened
210 grams castor sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
½ cup milk

For the vanilla buttercream frosting:
100 grams butter, softened
¼ cup milk
4 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 teapsoon vanilla extract

Sift the flour and the baking powder into a small bowl. In a separate bowl, cream the butter for 1-2 minutes. Add the castor sugar a third at a time, beating for 2 minutes after each addition. After the last addition, beat until the mixture is light and fluffy and the sugar has almost dissolved. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Add a third of the flour to the creamed mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Add half of the milk and beat until combined. Repeat this process. Add the remaining third of the flour and beat until thoroughly combined; do not over-beat as this will toughen the mixture.

Place cupcake papers into a cupcake pan and the spoon mixture into the cupcake papers, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from the pan and immediately cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before frosting.

To make the vanilla buttercream frosting, cream the butter 1-2 minutes. Add the milk, vanilla extract and half of the sifted icing sugar, and beat for at least 3 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the remaining icing sugar, and beat for a further 3 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy and of a spreadable consistency. Add extra milk if the mixture is too dry or extra icing sugar if the mixture is too wet.

Add any flavourings or colourings as this stage. Spread the frosting over each cupcake and decorate with sprinkles, cachous and sugar flowers.

Olive and Rosemary Grissini

Grissini look quite tricky and time consuming to make, but I promise you they're not - they're really easy. They're great with a Campari and soda before dinner, as part of an antipasto platter, or any time you just need something to munch on.

500 grams bread flour
10 grams salt
10 grams sugar or honey
15 grams dry yeast
15 mls olive oil
2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped
50 grams black olives, chopped
250 mls water
1 tablespoon olive oil, extra
1 tablespoon sea salt flakes

Preheat your oven to 170˚C.

In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients, and then add the rosemary, olives, and olive oil. Mix well, aerating the flour with your hands. Slowly add the water, combining until a rough dough is formed. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead on a floured surface until smooth (about 5 minutes).

Return the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave the dough in a warm spot, until it has doubled in size.

Once doubled in size, remove the dough from the bowl, and gently knead for 1 minute. Divide the dough in half and roll into a rectangle. With a knife, cut 1cm strips along the width of the rectangle. Roll each strip with your hands quickly, to form a grissini approximately 20cm long. Transfer the grissini to a tray covered with baking paper, leaving a little room between each.

Leave the grissini to prove for 10 minutes in a warm place. Brush the grissini with the extra olive oil and sprinkle with the sea salt. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden and crisp.

Linguine Con Le Vongole (Linguine with Baby Clams)

Vongole are small clams (sometimes called pippis) and are available from most fishmongers. This dish, which can be found throughout southern Italy, is best served with the clams still in their shells.

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves large of garlic, chopped
small handful of parsley, chopped
¼ teaspoon chilli flakes
1 kilogram vongole
500 grams linguine
lemon wedges, to serve

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the garlic, parley and chilli. Cook on a very low heat for around 3 minutes, so that the oil becomes fragrant, but the ingredients don't colour. Add the clams and cook over medium-high heat, shaking the pan frequently, until all the clams have opened (around 5 minutes). Discard any clams that have remained closed.

Meanwhile cook the linguine in plenty of salted boiling water until just al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the clams and toss over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, adding a little of the cooing water to moisten if necessary. Serve the pasta in warmed bowls with lemon wedges on the side.

Pikelets

I used to make pikelets with my mum after school when I was little. She used to cook them with gee, which is clarified butter. Gee has all the flavour of butter, but doesn't burn, so it's perfect for cooking pancakes and pikelets. Serve pikelets with an absurd amount of double cream and you favourite jam.

1 cup self-raising flour
1 small pinch salt
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
⅔ cup milk
30 grams melted butter
ghee or extra butter for frying
Place the flour, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the egg. Gradually stir in the milk and melted butter. Beat until smooth.

Use a large spoon to drop the mixture into a buttered non-stick frying pan. Watch for small bubbles to appear on the surface and check to make sure underside is lightly browned.

Flip over and cook lightly on the other side.

Serve with lots of jam and double cream.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I love chicken noodle soup. It's perfect for those cold winter Saturday nights, or when you are sick in bed with the flu. Using homemade chicken stock makes all the difference in this recipe.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 leek, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 stick of celery, sliced
1 litre homemade chicken stock
1 large chicken breast
100 grams of small pasta shapes or noodles
2 tablespoons parlsey, chopped
2 spring onions, finely sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Heat the olive oil in a large pot, and gently fry the leek, carrot, celery and garlic until softened. Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Plunge the chicken breast into the soup and reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer the chicken breast for around 5-7 minutes, or until cooked.

Remove the chicken breast from the soup and shred into small pieces, using either your hands, or a pair of forks. Return the chicken to the soup and bring back to the boil.

Add the pasta, and cook until al dente, before stirring in the parsley and spring onions. Taste, adding salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve in warm bowls with plenty of crusty bread.

Risotto with Red Wine and Sausages

This rich risotto is real 'curl up on the couch with a glass of red' food - perfect for a cold wintery night in. Serve with a green salad if you feel the need.

4 Italian pork sausages (the ones with fennel are really nice)
2 tablespoons butter (NOT margarine)!
1 onion, finely chopped
300 g Aborio rice
¾ cup red wine
5 or 6 cups of chicken stock, kept hot
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat leaf parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of freshly grated Parmigiano

Skin the sausages, and heat a non-stick frying pan. Pinch small sections of the sausage into the pan. Fry gently until crusty and golden, then completely drain off the oil and keep in a warm place.

Melt the butter in a heavy pan, add the onion and cook until it softens. Add the rice and toss until well coated, stirring constantly. Add red wine and allow to bubble and be absorbed by the rice for 2 minutes, stirring.

Add half a cup of stock to the rice and stir until it is absorbed, over medium to low heat.

Add another half cup of stock and stir constantly but calmly with a wooden spoon until it is absorbed.

Continue for about 10 minutes.

Add the sausage pieces to the risotto and stir through, then continue the process of adding stock for another 10 minutes.

Start tasting the rice ti determine how much more time and stock is needed. Add the remaining stock a ladle-full at a time and cook for another 5 -10 minutes, until rice is cooked but not soft, and there is a general creaminess to the sauce.

When the rice is cooked, which will take 30-35 minutes all up, taste for salt and pepper, add parsley and parmigiano cheese, stir and cover. Bring to the table but leave for 5 minutes before uncovering.

Serve with a little extra grated Parmigiano on top.

Chocolate Chip Chilli Cookies

This recipe comes from the recent Women's Weekly 'Cookies' cookbook. I must admit, the main reason I bought this book was for this recipe and it doesn't disapoint! The call for making candied chillies might seem like a complicated step, but the result is definitely worth it. These cookies are best eaten warm, while the chocolate is still warm and gooey.

For the biscuits:
250 grams butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup caster sugar
¾ cup bown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
2 cups plain flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
400 grams dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

For the candied chillies
¼ cup caster sugar
¼ cup water
4 fresh red thai chillies, finely chopped
First, preheat the oven to 180˚C and line two baking trays with baking paper.

Now make the candied chillies. Stir the sugar and the water in a small saucepan over heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the chilli and boil for 2 minutes. Cool and strain, discarding the syrup.

Now make the biscuits. Beat the butter, vanilla extract, sugars and egg in a bowl with an electric mixer until light an fluffy. Sift in the flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda in two batches. Then stir in the candied chilli and the chocolate.

Roll level tablespoons of the cookie dough into balls and place on on the baking trays about 5cm apart. Bake for about 12 minutes or until cooked and cool on trays.

Store in an airtight container.