Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Sinful first!

A while back this recipe was sent to Matt Preston of The Age and he published it with a gorgeous pic taken by Marina Oliphant when they tested the recipe
Marina's picture below followed by my recipe.



http://www.theage.com.au/news/epicure/tried-trio/2005/08/08/1123353245725.html

Caramel, Macadamia and Hazelnut slice
INGREDIENTS
Base:
150g (1 cup) plain flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
60g (1/2 cup) hazelnut meal
90g (1/2 cup) brown sugar
90g dark chocolate
80g unsalted butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
Topping:
100g hazelnuts
395g tin condensed milk
2 tbsp golden syrup
50g butter
100g macadamia nuts
100g dark chocolate,melted
METHOD
· To make the base: Sift flour and cinnamon into a bowl. Stir in hazelnut meal and sugar.
· Melt chocolate and butter together and cool. Add to dry ingredients when cooled. Add egg and mix well.
· Press mixture into lined and greased tin (a standard 18x28- centimetre tray or similar) and bake for 15 minutes at 180C.
· While the slice is baking, toast hazelnuts in the oven for eight minutes.
Remove and de-skin by placing in a brown paper bag and rubbing furiously.
- Remove base from oven. Have a cup of tea and bit of a sit with the paper while it cools to room temperature in the tin.
· To make the topping: Mix condensed milk, golden syrup and butter in saucepan and heat, stirring until it almost boils.
· Pour mixture over the base and top with nuts.Bake for 15 minutes and leave to cool.
· Drizzle lines of the melted chocolate over the top until covered with a lacy coating of chocolate.Cut with a bread knife.

When artistic creativity fails me

I turn to the kitchen. Cooking up a storm fills the void sometimes and the results are worth it. My personal outlook on food changed a while back due to some health issues but the over riding fact is now I am healthier than I have been in years,
This is not going to be a daily blog or possibly even weekly but I will post a recipe a week if time permits.
Most easy and healthy, some decadent and naughty but I subscribe to the philosophy that one of my tutors imparted.
To be an artist means to totally immerse yourself in the qualities of life. And food is an important quality of life.
Bon Appetit!