For those who love a good homemade cake but don't love sifting flour and icing sugar (is it really necessary?) and enjoy a shortcut (do I need to wait hours for my eggs to reach room temp?), Emelia Jackson's baking bible First Cream the Butter and the Sugar breaks down the steps that truly matter and dispenses with those that don't. Packed with advice for every level of home baker, this is the modern baking reassurance you need, whether it's the night before the birthday party or just a Sunday afternoon for baking something sweet to get you through the week. Here's a sweet sample.
Crumpets. Photo / Armelle Habib
Crumpets
Makes 8
I had never had a home-made crumpet until Jock Zonfrillo made them on MasterChef Australia. Intrigued, I went home that night and made them straight away. Home-made crumpets, eaten while still warm, are a work of art. Serve them smothered in so much butter and honey that it drips down your chin as you eat them.
300ml lukewarm full-cream milk 5g instant dried yeast 1 tsp caster sugar 180g bread flour Pinch of fine salt 1 tsp baking powder
1. Combine 100ml of the warm milk in a bowl with the yeast and sugar. Set aside until the yeast has activated and bubbles appear in the milk, around 5–7 minutes.
2. Add the remaining warm milk, flour, salt and baking powder and whisk until smooth. This is more of a batter than a dough, so don't be alarmed by how runny it is. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for 45 minutes or until the mixture is foamy (it won't double in volume like traditional doughs).
3. The trick to making perfect crumpets is really in the cooking. I start on a high heat to establish the bubbles and then reduce it to low to allow the crumpet to cook through without burning the base. It does take some practice to figure out what works best.
4. Place a greased frying pan over high heat. Spray the insides of eight 7cm ring moulds with oil and place them in the hot pan. Gently spoon the crumpet batter into the moulds, being careful not to deflate too much of the air in the batter, and immediately reduce the heat to low. Cook for 4–5 minutes or until bubbles appear in the crumpets and the tops are dry – much like when you cook a pancake.
5. Remove the moulds, flip the crumpets and cook for 30–60 seconds or until the tops are a really light golden brown. Remove from the pan. Serve warm.
Oat and raisin cookies. Photo / Armelle Habib
Oat and raisin cookies
Makes 20
I don't know what it is about an oat and raisin cookie that does it for me. Maybe it's the toasty oats and buttery goodness. Maybe it's the pops of sweetness from the raisins through the almost savoury flavour of the cookie. Maybe I've convinced myself that they're okay to eat for breakfast because, really, they're just the solid version of porridge. Whatever it is, I am obsessed with these chunky oat and raisin cookies, my numero uno go-to when I'm feeling like a tasty little afternoon morsel.
225g unsalted butter, softened 200g light brown sugar 100g caster sugar 2 eggs 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste or extract 200g plain flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground nutmeg ½ tsp sea salt flakes 180g rolled oats 130g raisins or sultanas
1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line two baking trays with baking paper or silicone baking mats.
2. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until pale and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix to combine, scraping down the side of the bowl and the beater to ensure the egg is completely incorporated and there are no streaks of butter.
3. Gently stir in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, spices and sea salt until just combined. Add the rolled oats and raisins and stir until just combined.
4. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out even-sized balls of the dough and place them on the baking trays, leaving plenty of space for the cookies to spread.
5. Bake the cookies in batches for 12–15 minutes or until the edges are a perfectly golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the trays before transferring to your plate.
I much prefer a baked lemon tart to a lemon curd tart – I find that the baked tarts are often silkier, set in a similar manner to a custard tart, and are luxurious all round. This one can be topped with meringue, or not, and served with a dollop of cream.
23cm baked sweet sable pastry shell (see recipe below) Lemon curd filling 360ml lemon juice 360g caster sugar 320ml thickened cream 4 eggs 4 egg yolks 4 lemons, zest only
1. Preheat the oven to 160C.
2. For the filling, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve to remove any lumps. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and stir over low heat until it reaches 65–70°C on a sugar thermometer.
3. Pour the filling into the baked tart shell. If you see any air bubbles, you can lightly run a blowtorch over the top of the tart to pop them.
4. Bake the tart for 20–25 minutes or until the filling has just set but the middle still has a wobble. Allow the tart to cool at room temperature before chilling it in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.
Mix it up: Any citrus is a go here … use blood orange, orange, mandarin or grapefruit. Just remember to taste the filling before baking. Lemons are highly acidic, so if you're using another citrus fruit you might need to add a pinch of citric acid to get the same result.
SWEET SABLE PASTRY Makes one 30cm tart shell or two 23cm tart shells
180g chilled unsalted butter, cubed 100g icing sugar 1 tspvanilla bean paste Pinch of salt 2 egg yolks 300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 1 egg yolk, extra, for brushing
1. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter, icing sugar, vanilla and salt for about 2 minutes or until the ingredients are combined (but not creamed) and no big lumps of butter remain. It will take a couple of minutes to break down the chilled butter. Scrape down the side of the bowl a couple of times.
2. Add the egg yolks and mix for another minute to bring the mixture together. Add the flour and mix until the dough just comes together.
Turn the dough out of the bowl and use your hands to bring it together into a ball. Flatten the pastry into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 1–2 hours (preferably overnight).
3. Put the chilled pastry on your lightly floured bench. You may need to knead it slightly to bring it back to a pliable consistency and to ensure the temperature of the dough is even throughout. Roll out the pastry until it's 2–3 mm (1⁄16–1⁄8 inch) thick and about 5 cm (2 inches) larger than the tin or tins (just a guesstimate works here – don't go getting out a ruler!). Trim away any uneven edges to reduce tearing, and reserve any left-over pastry. Drape the pastry over your rolling pin, gently lower it into the tin and press it into the edges.
4. Put the pastry in the fridge to chill for a further 15–20 minutes before baking (or overnight if you're extra prepared!).
5. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the pastry with baking paper and weigh it down with baking weights or rice.
6. Bake the pastry for 35–45 minutes for a 30 cm tart shell, 30–35 minutes for two 23 cm tart shells or 8–12 minutes for mini tart shells, removing the paper and weights halfway through cooking. You want the pastry to be a beautiful, deep golden brown all over.
7. If you find any little holes in your pastry case, fill them with some of the left-over pastry and return the pastry to the oven for 2 minutes – if you don't, the filling will leak out of the shell.
8. Finally, egg wash the hot pastry – whisk the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons water and evenly brush it over the surface. The residual heat will cook the egg wash and seal the pastry. Allow the pastry to cool completely before filling.
