Chocolate Vegetables

 
 
from The Bread Book by Linda Collister and Anthony Blake

Notes by the author:
This loaf is quite delicious and simple to make, but it does take 13 days, including three days to make the starter.  I quickly discovered it is a good idea to write down the date of Day 1 or you can easily lose your place in the recipe. You will end up with enough starter to give away two portions, keep one for your next loaf and have one to bake. You cannot easily use easy-blend dried yeast or dried yeast granules to make this. Eat this bread within three days of baking , or freeze for up to one month.

Makes 1 large loaf

STARTER:
280g (10 oz) unbleached plain flour
15g (1/2 oz) fresh yeast

FOR DAY 1 AND DAY 5:
200g (7 oz) sugar
140g (5 oz) unbleached plain flour
230ml (8fl oz) milk

FOR FINISHING LOAF:
200g (7 oz) sugar
85g (3 oz) sultanas
280g (10 oz) unbleached plain flour
110ml (4 fl oz) vegetable oil
60g (2 oz) walnut halves or pecans, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
few drops vanilla essence
2 eggs, size 3, beaten
2 Bramley apples, peeled, cored and diced (I use Granny Smith in Australia)

TOPPING:
100g (3 1/2 oz) light muscovado sugar
110g (3 1/2 oz) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

22.5 x 32.5 cm (9 x 13 inch) cake tin or roasting tin, well greased.

To make the starter, put the flour in a large non-metallic mixing bowl and make a well in the centre.  Crumble the fresh yeast into the well, then pour in 455 ml (16 fl oz) water and stir, using a wooden spoon, until the liquid is smooth.  Stir in the flour to make a sticky batter.

Cover with a damp tea-towel and leave on the kitchen table or work surface so the batter absorbs the yeasts naturally present in the air.  Stir once a day for each of the next 3 days, redampening the towel each day.  The starter will then be ready to use.

To make the dough, stir the starter you have made, or any starter you have been given.

Proceed as follows:
  Day 1     Add the sugar, flour and milk to the starter.  Stir well, cover with a damp tea-towel and leave overnight.
  Day 2     Stir well and re-cover with a damp tea-towel.
  Days 3 and 4     Do nothing but re-dampen the tea-towel each day.
  Day 5     Stir well and add the same quantities of sugar, flour and milk as for Day 1.  Stir well again, cover with a damp tea-towel and leave overnight.
  Day 6     Stir well and re-cover with a damp tea-towel.
  Day 7, 8 and 9     Do nothing but re-dampen the tea-towel each day.
  Day 10     Stir well and divide the mixture into 4 portions.  Give 2 portions to friends with instructions, keep 1 portion for your next batch (see below) and use 1 portion to make the loaf.

To make the loaf, preheat the oven to 180C (350F, Gas 4).  Put your portion of starter mixture in a large mixing bowl and add the sugar, sultanas, flour, vegetable oil, nuts, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, vanilla essence, eggs and apples.  Thoroughly combine, then put into the tin and level the surface.  Sprinkle over with the muscovado sugar, then drizzle over with the melted butter.  Bake for 30-40 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Turn out and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

TO KEEP THE STARTER:
Add 1 teaspoon sugar to the portion of starter you are going to keep for your next loaf.  Stir well, then store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 1 week.  To make a fresh loaf, begin at Day 1, using this starter.

Note:  These amounts of starter and ingredients also fill two 455g (1 lb) greased loaf tins, two 12-hole American-style muffin trays.

My Notes:
- It is a very sweet loaf that turned out differently each time but still tasty. 
- I have considered adding ginger and dates instead of apple and cinnamon,  just haven't tried it yet. 
- If the starter separates while on the bench it is fine.  Really, unless it goes mouldy or smells really off instead of yeasty, it survives even sub-tropical Qld heat.
- The portions of starter fit nicely in old 375g butter containers for giving to friends.
- My aunt has successfully frozen this, then defrosted in fridge slowly and off she went again.
- The author had a friend who also tried orange rind and prunes.

Good luck!
 
 
from my good friend, Brenda in Hobart, Tasmania

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup SR flour
1 cup plain flour
pinch salt
2 teaspoon mixed spice
125g butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
1/2 cup buttermilk (I have used plain milk with no problem)
1/2 cup well mashed bananas
1 egg, beaten

1. Mix together sugar, flours, salt and spice.  Cut butter into pieces, rub into flour etc until mixture resembles crumbs.  Press 1/2 into a greased 23cm square sandwich tin.

2. Dissolve the bicarb soda in the buttermilk, stir in mashed bananas and beaten egg.  Beat this mixture into the remaining half of the crumb mixture. Pour into tin.

3. Bake in a moderate oven for 40-45 minutes, leave for 5-10 minutes in tin and then carefully turn out.
 
 

http://www.recipezaar.com/The-Best-Brownies-54225
 Recipe note: These brownies are not cake-like. They are more moist and gooey. I always undercook them a bit because we like them very moist.

My note: As usual the tablespoons have been adjusted to suit Australian standards.

SERVES 10

Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour

Directions
1    Preheat oven to 350°.
2    Mix oil and sugar until well blended.
3    Add eggs and vanilla; stir just until blended.
4    Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
5    Stir dry ingredients into the oil/sugar mixture.
6    Pour into greased 9 x 9 square pan.
7    Bake for 20 minutes or until sides just start to pull away from the pan.
8    Cool completely before cutting.

Recipe note: I usually double the recipe and bake in a 9 x 13 pan. If you double the recipe, you will need to cook longer than 20 minutes.

 
 

original source

Please note: I have adjusted measurements to suit Australian standard measurements.  I could just link to this recipe but I keep having to adjust it mentally.  I am also concerned that I could lose this lovely recipe if the original source disappears.)

Heat oven to 180 deg C.

In large bowl (I use my Kitchenaid mixer) mix:

2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
1 cup rice milk (or soy or regular, of course)
1 egg

until blended, then beat for 2 minutes. Spread in greased 13x9 pan.

Spread evenly over top:

1 can well-drained sour cherries (not pie filling!!
or
1 cup frozen blueberries
or
1 cup cranberries
or
I use about 2 cups of pie apple slices

Sprinkle evenly with this streusel:

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon oil
(I melt 3 tablespoons of butter in the microwave and use as much as looks right)

lightly tossed together with fork.

Bake until set and edges are lightly browned, about 40 minutes.

 
 

from The Australian Womens Weekly Muffins mini book, 2001

Ingredients:
1 cup coarsely chopped seeded dates
1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon bicarb of soda
2 cups self raising flour
1 cup plain flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons finely ground orange rind
1 egg, beaten lightly
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup cream
40g butter

Method:

* Preheat oven to moderately hot (200 deg C).  Grease 12 hole muffin pan.
* Combine dates and water in medium saucepan, bring to a boil.  Remove from heat, add soda; stand for 5 minutes.
* Sift dry ingredients into large bowl; stir in date mixture and remaining ingredients.  Spoon mixture into prepared pan.
* Bake in moderately hot oven for about 20 minutes.  Serve warm with caramel sauce.
* Caramel sauce - Combine ingredients in medium saucepan, stir over heat without boiling, until sugar dissolves.  Simmer without stirring for about 3 minutes or until thickened slightly.

Makes 12
Per serving 18.4g fat, 1929kJ

 
 

from Dollars and Sense by Alison Holst, C.J. Publishing Pty Limited

For about 50 biscuits
125g butter
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
1 cup self-raising flour
1 1/2 cups malted wheatflakes (I use 6 weetbix and crush them)

In a pot big enough to hold the mixture melt the butter.  Allow it to cool and add the sugar and cocoa.  Mix well.  Add vanilla and egg and mix again.  Put flour and wheatflakes on top and stir through.  Shape into squashed balls and place on a lined tray.  Bake in a moderate oven for 10-15 minutes.  Watch that the bottom doesn't brown unless you like really crunchy biscuits. 

Please note this is my method, not the author's.  Will retype this later more accurately.

 
 

from Muffins (The Australian Women's Weekly mini series) published by ACP Publishing Pty Limited

2 ½ cups self-raising flour
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
410g can pie apples
1 egg
2/3 cup buttermilk
½ cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to moderately hot.  Grease 12 hole (1/3 cup) muffin pan.

Combine flour, sugar and cinnamon in large bowl; stir in apple, then combined egg, buttermilk and oil.  Spoon mixture into prepared pan.  Bake in moderately hot oven for about 20 minutes.

Approx 11.8g fat; 1130kJ per muffin