French Toast Casserole

 My new go-to for hosting brunch. Can prepare the day before then pull out of the fridge and bake. 

Ingredients

 * 1/2 loaf French bread, cubed (225 g)

* 1/2 cup butter (125 g)

* 1 cup packed brown sugar

* 6 eggs

* 2 cups milk

* 2 tsp vanilla

* 2 tsp cinnamon, divided

* 1 Tbsp brown sugar 

Method

Melt butter in  small saucepan. Add brown sugar and stir until all is dissolved. Once smooth, pour mixture into a greased 9x13 baking pan.

Spread bread cubes evenly over brown sugar mixture. 

In medium bowl, mix eggs, milk, vanilla, and 1 tsp cinnamon. Pour over bread cubes

Strawberry Pie

Adapted from here. 

Ingredients:

• 1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled

• 1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked

• 1 cup white sugar

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

• ¾ cup water

• ½ cup heavy whipping cream

  
  

  Method

  Arrange 1/2 of strawberries in baked pastry shell. Place remaining strawberries in a medium saucepan.

  Add sugar to the strawberries in the saucepan; place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
  
  
  Whisk cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. Gradually stir cornstarch mixture into boiling strawberry mixture. Reduce heat and simmer mixture until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
  
  
  Pour cooked strawberry mixture over berries in pastry shell. Refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 3 hours.
  
  
  Before serving, whip cream in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Serve with whipped cream
  
  

  
  

牛丼 (Gyu-don)

 An instant family favorite! Serves 4-5.

Ingredients:

• 2 onions, thinly sliced

• 500g beef, thinly sliced (ribeye or similar)

• 2 tsp sugar

• 2 Tbsp mirin

• 2 Tbsp soy sauce (or more - can add up to 4)

• 1 cup dashi (or beef/vegetable broth)

• 4 eggs

• 4 cups rice (cooked)

• Toasted sesame seeds 

• 3-4 stalks Green onion, sliced

Method: 

Sauté onions in vegetable oil until soft. Add beef and sugar, and cook until mostly browned. Add mirin, soy sauce, and dashing, and simmer 10 minutes.

In separate pan, fry 4 eggs, sunny side up. Remove from heat while still soft. 

Serve meat and sauce on bowls of rice. Add egg and green onions and sesame seeds as garnish. 

Coffee and Walnut Cake

 I haven’t made this yet but have really been wanting to try. Adapted from Nigella. She says to reduce the amount of coffee to 2 tsp in the sponge if making for the whole family.

Ingredients:

• 50g walnut pieces
• 225g fine sugar
• 225g butter, softened
• 200g flour
• 4 tsp instant espresso powder
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 4 large eggs
• 1 to 2 Tbsp milk

For buttercream:

• 350g powder sugar
• 175g butter, softened
• 2 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
• 10 walnut halves for garnish

Procedure:

• Preheat oven to 180°C
• Grease two 20cm round cake pans and line with parchment paper
• Blitz walnut pieces and sugar in in food processor until fine
• Add butter, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and eggs and mix to make smooth batter
• Add milk and pulse
• Divide batter evenly between two cake pans. Bake 25 minutes. Cool and turn out.
• To make buttercream: Pulse powder sugar in food processor. Add butter and process until smooth.
• Dissolve 2 1/2 tsp espresso powder in 1 Tbsp boiling water. Add to food processor and pulse to blend.
• Spread half the icing on the bottom layer. Place second layer on top and ice the top. Nigella recommends a “ramshackle swirly pattern” for a rustic look. Press walnut halves in a circle around the edge.

Victoria Sponge cake

 A delicious new take on a classic. The recipe has been adapted from here.

Ingredients:

• 250g unsalted butter (room temp)
• 250g brown sugar
• 4 eggs (250g)
• 250g flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

• 250ml (1 cup) heavy cream
• Jam for filling (strawberry)
• Powder sugar (for dusting)

Procedure:

• Preheat oven to 170°C
• Grease 2 20cm (8 inch) round cake pans and line with baking paper
• Cream butter and sugar with paddle attachment of Kitchen Aid until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time
• Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add slowly to Kitchen Aid bowl, stirring just until mixed.
• Divide batter evenly between two cake pans. Bake for 25–30 min, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool then turn out.
• Spread bottom layer with jam. Whip cream to soft peaks and spoon on top of jam. Place second layer on top and dust with powder sugar

Scones

 Simple, yummy scones. Serve with clotted cream and a pot of tea.

Ingredients:

• 350g self-rising flour (= 350g flour + 3 tsp baking powder + pinch of salt)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 85g butter
• 3 Tbsp fine sugar
• 175ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 egg, beaten

Procedure:

• Preheat oven to 220°C. Leave baking tray in the oven - you want it hot.
• Mix flour, salt, and baking powder in large bowl.
• Cube butter and mix into flour with your fingers or a pastry blender until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in sugar.
• Warm milk to about room temperature (about 30 seconds in microwave). Add vanilla and lemon juice.
• Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in milk. Stir to mix.
• Fold dough 2 or 3 times on a floured surface, then pat it flat, about 4cm high.
• Cut with a 5cm cutter. Brush tops with egg wash, then place on hot baking tray
• Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Homemade clotted cream

 Adapted from here. Pretty easy and satisfying, as long as you get the oven temp right. (My first try, I went by Celsius instead of Fahrenheit and nearly set the oven on fire!) Can also apparently do in the crock pot.

Pour 2 cups heavy cream into a casserole dish. Place in oven at 170°F (75° C) and leave, uncovered overnight (about 12 hours). 

Remove dish from oven. Once cooled, refrigerate 8 hours.

Skim off the top layer of thick cream. Stir clotted cream until smooth. If too thick, add some of the milk at the bottom of the dish (or some plain milk or cream).