Desserts Down Under
One of my favorite things to do when I travel is to explore the local haunts of a place--the shoe stores, the cafes, the pharmacies (Who couldn't love British-based Boots?), and especially the grocery stores. How much better can you get to know the ways that people live daily?
I was talking to Martha, a Kiwi friend of mine, who was telling me about the Maori seasonings that are available there and are used in local cooking. Kelp pepper was one she mentioned. I'm so intrigued I've asked her to send me a smattering of samples. I can't wait to put them to use.
I've learned quite a bit about desserts Down Under lately. The four big ones I'm going to showcase here can easily be made in your own kitchen. No kelp pepper needed in these!
The Pavlova, or "Pav" is the national dessert of Australia, though the lore is that a New Zealand chef invented it. It is a large baked meringue with the middle hollowed out and filled with fruit and whipped cream. I used to make little mini pavlova cups for catered parties. I filled a pastry bag with meringue and made little cups with a straight tip, baked them, painted the insides with chocolate and then filled them with kiwis and raspberries (and sometimes mousse if I was feeling fancy).
Did you know that New Zealanders are the highest per capita consumers of ice cream in the world? Considering that their second most popular flavor after vanilla is Hokey Pokey, I can see why. Hokey Pokey is basically the crunchy sugary brittle part of peanut brittle without the peanuts: sugar, baking soda and golden syrup are the basic ingredients. Yum!
Lamingtons are another favorite. Chunks of sponge cake covered in chocolate and coconuts. They are hugely popular in both Australia and New Zealand and are seen widely in fund raising projects (like Girl Scout cookies), parties and supermarkets. If you don't want to make the sponge cake, simply buy some and dip and roll from there. Freeze your sponge to make cutting neat squares easier.
ANZAC biscuits have an interesting story behind them. Also referred to as ANZAC tiles or wafers, they are a crunchy (some say downright hard) cookie basically like an oatmeal cookie. ANZAC stands for "Australian (and) New Zealand Army Corps" and these hearty coconut oat cookies are said to have been invented by World War I soldiers or the women who loved them at home. Like many wartime recipes, they do not contain eggs; treacle or golden syrup serves as binding agents in these cookies. They are said to have originated from Scottish oatcakes, but the resulting recipe was meant to be able to withstand long travels on navy ships and merchant vessels. ANZAC biscuits are still used today in the Royal Australian Navy's MREs. Hikers (or "trampers") still pack them in their backpacks for quick energy or in case they get stuck somewhere. Those ANZAC tiles will surely hold up under the most severe of conditions!
It's to the back of Bourke to the Lucky Country, but have a Captain Cook at some recipes from Down Under, make yourself a nice bikkie anyway and bog in! She'll be right!
Made with kiwifruit or strawberries, heavy whipping cream, lemon juice, egg whites, salt, sugar, cornstarch
Serves/Makes: 6
- 3 egg whites
- 1 pinch salt
- 3/4 cup superfine sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 pint heavy whipping cream, whipped
- kiwifruit or strawberries for garnish
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the egg whites in a mixing bowl and add the salt. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
With the mixer running, slowly add the superfine sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form.
Combine the granulated sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Fold the mixture into the meringue along with the lemon juice.
Spread the meringue in a circle on the parchment lined baking sheet (you can pipe it for a decorative shape or use a spoon to swirl it). Place the baking sheet in the oven and reduce the oven to 180 degrees F (or the coolest your oven will go). Bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the meringue is dry. Turn off the oven and let the meringue sit in the oven overnight.
Remove the meringue from the oven and carefully transfer to a serving plate. Top it with whipped cream and fresh fruit just before serving.
Made with golden syrup, rolled oats, all-purpose flour, sugar, coconut, baking soda, salt, butter
Serves/Makes: 36
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup grated or flaked coconut
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons Lyle's golden syrup
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet.
Combine the oats, flour, sugar, coconut, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
Heat the butter and golden syrup (or treacle) in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted.
Combine the butter mixture and flour mixture and stir until well mixed and a dough is formed.
Using your fingers and a spoon, pack the dough into teaspoon-sized balls and place the cookies 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake at 325 degrees F for 10-13 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let stand for 3 minutes. Then remove the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.
Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to one week, or freeze for longer storage.
Made with butter, sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, flour, powdered sugar, cocoa, water
Serves/Makes: 24
***Sponge Cake***
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 2 cups self rising flour
***Chocolate Icing***
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking cocoa
- 1 tablespoon boiling water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup sweetened shredded or flaked coconut
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed. Gradually add the eggs, beating well to combine.
Stir in 1/3 cup of flour at a time by hand. Mix gently but thoroughly after each addition.
Place the sponge cake batter in the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Decrease oven temperature to 325 degrees F and continue to bake for 30 to 45 more minutes or until done. The top of the cake should bounce back when lightly pressed.
Remove the cake from the oven and place on a rack to cool.
For the chocolate icing: Sift together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl. Add the boiling water and vanilla and beat well. Add more water if necessary to get the desired consistency.
When the cake is cool, cut it into bars and coat the cake pieces on all sides with the chocolate icing.
Place the coconut in a shallow dish. Roll the lamingtons in the coconut to completely coat.
Place the lamingtons on a rack and let the icing set.
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