Date and Walnut Rolls

Carol writes:

For the recipe, click here

Classic Victoria Sponge

Nadia writes:

For the recipe, click here

Apple and Cinnamon Cake

Juanita baked this cake in a beautiful, ornate bundt tin. This cake has a crisp crust and a lovely moist texture with a dense crumb and luscious apple filling. Not overly sweet, this cake was perfect for afternoon tea, especially with a dollop of cream.

For the recipe click here.

Blow me a kiss...or three

Sherrise writes:



For the recipe, click here

Retro Sandwiches..I wouldn't bother again!

Christina writes: mum says that no Supper Party would be complete in her day without a platter of sandwiches. Usually a selection of curried egg, ham and hot english mustard, mock chicken and asparagus rolls. So, given the theme of this Cookteasers event, I decided to make the asparagus rolls, mock chicken, and try a recipe from an American Gourmet magazine for Ham paste. The results...well the asparagus rolls were mushy, we are now so spoilt with fresh asparagus, why did I imagine going back to the canned stuff could be a possibility? And the Ham paste...should have just whizzed up polony and brown sugar in the Magimix. I do stand by Mock Chicken. A tasty savoury egg and tomato mix, for me a nostalgic family favourite.

For the recipes, click here.

"Come with me to zee Casbah..."

February saw Cookteasers heading east - as in the Middle East - to experiment with the wonderful cuisine on offer from Morocco to Afghanistan...talk about "rocking the Casbah!"
Held at Sherrise's lovely home and surrounded by her exquisite collection of Moroccan and Turkish artefacts, it was a fabulous afternoon of sensory delights.








The Menu:

• Trio of Beetroot, Chargrilled Eggplant & Split Pea and Coriander Dips, served with Turkish Bread

Les concocted a delicious and diverse threesome of dips

• Lamb Koftah with a Cucumber, Mint and Lemon Yoghurt Sauce



• Dolmades



• Walnut Baklava



• Konafa



• Poppyseed Cookies



• Saffron and Pistachio Orange Tea Bread

Served with authentic iced Turkish Apple Tea.

Our first annual cookie swap...Delicious!

Five Cookteasers stepped up up to the challenge of a cookie exchange, and here are the fabulous results.

From left and clockwise (click on the links for the recipes): Nadia's Soft Ginger Cookies - warm spices and the crunch of sugar were the highlight of this chewy cookie; Christina's Chocolate Wonders - held a surprise of white chocolate chips and dried cranberries; Sheridan's Aunty Val's Shortbread - sweet and crumbly this classic was cooked from Sheridan's late Aunty Val's recipe; Carol's Cashew Butter Cookies - delivered a big crunch with moreish nutty flavour, and in the centre, Sherrise's Stained Glass Cookies - delicate flavour with glossy lolly centres in an assortment of Christmas designs and colours.

Cookie Monsters, eat you heart out!

Who knew a circa 1970 pate recipe could be so good?

Sweet & Petite: Sheridan concocts a floral delight.

Juanita bakes Pissaladiere...and has us fighting for the leftovers!

The tale of two tarts: Carol plays games with our tastebuds.

Tricky, tricky Carol... For this Cookteasers' meeting, she actually baked two versions of this tart, one using high quality dark chocolate and the other, good ole Club.

Could we tell the difference and which did we prefer???
Chocolate Tart

Recreating a childhood memory

Christina writes: Growing up in the 1970's, my annual ballet concert was something I looked forward to every year. Mum always made fabulous costumes (one year she actually made fairy wings out of gladwrap!) and my whole family came to watch. Now, this seven year old was never particularly talented in the dance area, but I always put my best foot forward because I knew that my Gran would reward me with a box of Callard & Bowser Dessert Nougat. I can still remember the delight in opening the individual pieces from their silver wrappers and biting into the rice-paper covering to find soft chewy nougat, toasted almonds and pieces of turkish delight. Sadly the company was sold many years ago, and that delicious confection is now a distant memory.

So my mission was to recreate this childhood treat, and you know what? I think I did a bloody good job. My Gran would be proud!

Almond Nougat - for the recipe, click here

Let them eat brioche...which is apparently what poor old Marie Antoinette really said...

Nadia writes:
Here is my recipe for brioche. I am breaking a Cook Teaser rule here by making something I've already made before. Does it count that I haven't made brioches for a few years? I really wanted to attempt a souffle but after the week I've had... but to put my life in perspective, the author of the book I got this from, Rick Curry (who is actually a Jesuit monk - what a surprise, given the title) was appointed by his abbot to apprentice to the monastery baker in order to eventually take over when this other guy retired. So I'm reading the book and there is this off-hand (the use of that word will become very 'punny' in a minute - brace yourselves) comment about how some of the recipes are a little difficult as he only has one arm... Are those Jesuits blessed with the sickest sense of humour out, or what?! I mean - really. It's all very Zen when you think about it.

So... an oldie but a goodie...


For the recipe, click here

Nadia feels vindicated

Nadia writes: So - just want to ask you all a question: Does this month's cover of delicious. magazine remind you of someone's recent attempt at making a crepe cake a la Martha Stewart??? Is there just a slight resemblance between the chocolate crepe cake pictured left and a certain chocolate crepe cake made by yours truly? Does it not look almost exactly like my feeble effort of months past? The feeble effort I berated myself over, for not achieving Martha's towering heights of crepey-ness?
Well, when I walked past the news-stand today and this magazine-cover caught my eye, I thought, "Golly, doesn't that look familiar?" Sure, they used an espresso-coffee filling and I used Dulce de Leche but man, it sure looks like the crepe cake I made once I cut into it.
So this could mean a couple of things.

1. The food editor of delicious. magazine reads Martha Stewart's website, tried to make that damned chocolate crepe cake, f**ked it up but thought - "Damnit, the food photographer's getting paid by the hour so let's just photograph that sucker the way it is!"
   Or more likely:
2. The food editor of delicious. magazine reads the Cook Teasers blog and got inspiration from our efforts.

#2 is way more likely, doncha think?

Million Dollar Muffin, Baby!

What a sad job it is to be the Cook Teaser photographer. Having to take goodies home with me because I forget to take the camera with me...wonder how long it will be before the others realise my devious plan...wait... did I type that out loud??

Christina's Prize Winning Raspberry and White Chocolate Mufffins. Warm from the oven, oozing the tart red berries, mixing with the ooey-gooey white chocolate...this recipe is actually banned in some states.

She da bomb!

Christina was recently awarded First Place for two (count 'em - TWO!) of her entries in the Royal Show. The judges in a fit of sugar-induced madness, failed to recognise the sheer genius of the Lime Bars she entered and although giving good feedback, neglected to give her a prize - what is WRONG with these people!

However, she won, and deservedly so, for her ultra-delicious Date Slice - pictured above - and devoured in a gluttinous frenzy by the photographer (hmm-mmm, wonder who that was?). The other First Place went to her entry in the Fruit Muffin section for her Raspberry/White Chocolate Muffins, which said photographer is hoping she will hurry up and bake so that photographer can have another Cookie-Monster-moment - but with muffins instead of cookies.

We are LOVIN' this technology, people!

Just discovered all sorts of wonderful things to play with at Slide.com - check it out for yourself!

Here is my handle... Carol explains her exquisite teapot

Carol writes: The teapot was christened today for the inaugural Cook Teasers high tea experience. For the past 8 years this pot has been taking up room in my sideboard, needless to say not much tea is consumed in my house - the ice buckets get a good working out though!!
My Aunties in Holland presented this to us for our wedding day. You can not actually purchase the teapot but rather you have to collect Douwe Egbert Coffee Coupons for redemption.
I was so chuffed with the comments about the pot that I have taken to drinking tea and have used it since. Les laughed at the fact that I had a teapot and was actually making tea, as she has only ever been offered champagne and the occasional glass of white wine at my house (and that’s only when we run out of the bubbles!).

The opiate of the masses: Les bakes Orange Poppyseed Roll

Half a point? Juanita cooks Artichoke & Potato Frittata

This recipe, which tastes wonderful, is - believe it or not - a recipe from that company that uses the 'Points' system for helping you track what you eat (so you can eat that chocolate sundae as long as you eat nothing for the next 62 days - yeah, I can deal with that!).
Juanita tells us that this frittata is half a point a serve (it's supposed to feed 8, so don't get excited at the thought that you can hoe into the whole thing yourself - you need to share!)

For the recipe, click here