When the 3 pack of Purpak unsalted gets put out on the kitchen bench first thing in the morning, you just know that some serious baking is about to go down.
After a sleep that would make a log look like an insomniac, I actually woke up feeling 3/4 human which is a massive improvement on yesterday. My team is on for this week’s morning tea at work so it was just as well my faculties were coming back to me because (friendly) competition is keen each week with menus planned weeks in advance and baking often commencing the weekend before. I’m in charge of the baked goods component of my team’s spread and I managed to make my two slices today. The cake is going to be happening tomorrow morning whilst Toddler SSG is at daycare.
The first slice I made was millionaire’s shortbread. It’s basically caramel slice with a shortbread base. I used
this recipe from AllRecipes UK.
Making the shortbread was not without its challenges. Namely how to line the base of my loose bottomed square cake tin. It gets me every time but after my second cup of tea, I got there.
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| www.woolworthsonline.com.au |
I’m a keen believer in the short cut whenever possible but I draw the line at caramel flavoured Top’n’Fill. I know it’s ready to use from the can and all but I’ve had horrible baking experiences with it. It tastes awful and looks awful and I could go on….
but it would be more far more pleasant to tell you that I spent a very soothing 25 minutes at the stove
stirring my caramel as the shortbread baked. I even got to use up that bottle of golden syrup I’ve had in the pantry since last year.
Caramelisation creeps up on you. Just as you think it’s never going to happen on your watch, that golden brown seeps through your pot and that caramel scent wafts upwards to kiss you. I’m using my Crofton (aka LeAldiCreuset) cast iron saucepan in this photo and I’m pleased to say that my caramel didn’t catch or burn at all. Also, my saucepan is still remarkably scratch and stain free about a year on from purchase. Not bad for $15.
Here’s my caramel easing itself across the just out of the oven shortbread.
And here’s a dilemma I had about what to do with my 200g block of Cadbury Dairy Milk when the recipe only required 100g of chocolate for the topping. Solution? 150g for the topping and 50 g for me!!
150g was just right for the size of my pan actually.
Pardon the uneven layers, but it all adds to the home made look, I guess. I’m just so relieved the caramel set and didn’t leak everywhere when I started cutting up the slice.
I’d forgotten just how sweet Dairy Milk is. I’m going to use dark chocolate the next time I make this. My caramel turned out super chewy so perhaps I did leave it a bit long on the stove.
The other slice I made this morning is a testament to the resourcefulness of the women of the CWA. Their
Sour Cream Apple Slice appears to be loved by everyone who’s ever eaten it or made it. The eaters love it because it’s like apple pie and the sour cream and cinnamon topping gives the whole thing a lighter taste than plain old double cream or ice cream. While the bakers love the simplicity of the recipe.
The base is simply a combination of a packet of butter cake cake mix, a cup of desiccated coconut and 125 of melted butter.
Which you mix and then press into a greased and lined slice tray to bake.
The topping that goes over the pie apple is two eggs and a small tub of sour cream. With cinnamon sprinkled over the top just before baking.
I got an extra large tin of pie apple because I love eating it microwaved with some sultanas and honey.
But back to the slice.
Here’s what mine looked like after some chilling time in the fridge.
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| Lunch – a Chinese chicken and noodle salad from… Costco!! A bargain at $5.99. |
In other food news, I’ve actually gotten through today without eating a single Hot Cross Bun. There were a few Easter eggs but being dark chocolate and all, I had to eat them for their antioxidants, didn’t I?
Did you bake this Easter long weekend?
