Ginger Nut Biscuits

August 4, 2015 By

For as long as I can remember my family have been buying ginger nut biscuits. The traditional flavour and tough texture which can withstand a dunking into liquid helped this classic withstand the test of time. While I’m not claiming this recipe is healthy I have recently read about the health benefits of ginger so we have been trying to incorporate it into more and more recipes.

The ginger nut biscuit or ginger snaps as they are often referred to in the U.S. are  simple biscuits flavoured with powdered ginger and usually a variety of other spices, most commonly cinnamon, molasses and nutmeg. They’re fairly spicy biscuits, but the taste develops in your mouth, ending with a wonderful ginger taste. When Brooke makes these biscuits, she uses cinnamon to enhance the spicy flavour, as she is also rather partial to Speculaas, a Dutch spiced shortcrust biscuit.

When baking the biscuits you want them to be a rich golden brown. Cooking for 15 – 20 minutes will leave you with biscuits that are a lovely balance between snap and chew, rather than “teeth-breaking”, like so many store-bought ones. The golden syrup also helps give the biscuit its texture.

The simple ingredients and easy steps make these biscuits the perfect treat to make on a cold winters day to have with a cuppa. Plus your house will smell amazing!

If you love this ginger nut biscuit recipe then be sure to check out our recipes for florentine biscuits, oatmeal raisin cookies, melting moments with jam.

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Ginger nut biscuits – Recipe Instructions

Ginger Nut Biscuits
 
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The Ginger Nut or Ginger Snap as it is often referred to in the U.S. is a simple biscuit flavoured with powdered ginger.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: English
Serves: 24
Ingredients
  • 150g butter
  • 250 g sugar
  • 1 tablespoon golden syrup
  • 1 egg
  • 250g flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
  2. Mix together butter and sugar until pale and creamy.
  3. Mix in golden syrup, egg and combined dry ingredients.
  4. Roll into balls, roughly 1 heaped tablespoon and place on lined baking trays allowing enough room for biscuits to spread. Do not flatten.
  5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until rich golden brown.
Filed Under: Baked Goods Tagged With: , , , ,

Tuscan Baked Beans Recipe

June 1, 2015 By

This post is a recipe for Tuscan Baked Beans. Last weekend Brooke and I decided it was time try a new cafe for breakfast and ventured out to Hawthorn, where we had a delicious breakfast at Who’s Harry? If you are in the area I would highly recommend stopping by – even just for a coffee. The staff were very friendly and the menu offers more than enough options to please many. While Brooke couldn’t look past the corn fritters and halloumi on the menu, I opted for poached eggs and toast with a side of house made baked beans. The baked beans were delicious! Packed full of Mediterranean flavour, they were the perfect accompaniment for a chilly morning.

The only problem for Brooke, she had a little food envy and the next morning was on a mission to make some homemade beans for breakfast. Now this recipe is not traditional baked beans, but the flavour was great given how quick it was to make!

Simply cook up some brown onion, celery, and garlic together with a tin of whole tomatoes and some tomato paste. Crush the tomatoes slightly before adding in a few sprigs of fresh thyme and the beans. Simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes, trying not to stir too much as you don’t want to make the beans mushy. In the last minute throw in a handful of kale (or spinach) for a bit of colour. The kale will wilt within seconds.

Brooke plated her delicious Tuscan baked beans on some crusty Noisette sourdough with a few pieces of crispy prosciutto to top it off!

If you are looking for another savoury breakfast option then check out our savoury muffin recipe.

Tuscan Baked Beans RecipeTuscan Baked Beans RecipeTuscan Baked Beans RecipeTuscan Baked Beans Recipe

Healthy Tuscan Baked Beans – Recipe Instructions

Tuscan Baked Beans Recipe
 
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Delicious Tuscan baked beans served on crusty Noisette sourdough with crispy prosciutto to top it off!
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • ½ brown onion, finely diced
  • 1 celery stick, finely diced
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tin whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 tin beans, drained and rinsed
  • 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 2 cups Kale (shredded) or spinach
Instructions
  1. In a medium pot, sauté the onion, celery and garlic with a little olive oil for a couple of minutes till soft.
  2. Add tomato paste and tinned tomatoes, stirring and slightly crushing the tomatoes.
  3. Add in the thyme, leaving the springs whole.
  4. Add the beans, stir and leave to simmer for 10 minutes on a low heat. (Try not to stir the beans too much).
  5. Remove from the heat and gently stir through the kale.
  6. Serve with crusty bread or as a side.

 

Filed Under: Breakfast and Brunch Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Grilled Peaches with Ricotta and Balsamic Glaze

March 9, 2015 By

I love stone fruit season and this summer has brought an abundance of local ripe peaches. Brooke is partial to a white peach, while my preference is a yellow peach so we decided to just buy some of each. I’ve got to admit that I had never thought to grill peaches, but when Brooke and I tried some grilled peaches at The Queen Victoria night market they were so good Brooke decided to give them a try at home. These grilled peaches with ricotta and balsamic are simple to prepare and they also look great!

Grilled peaches make an excellent dessert to serve at dinner parties because they are so quick and easy, giving the chef ample time enjoy a wine or two. Topped with fresh creamy ricotta cheese and a drizzling of a balsamic glaze, you will feel spoiled but appreciate how fresh and healthy this dessert is.

If you like fruit-based desserts then be sure to check out our Tasty Apple and Rhubarb Crumble or Fresh Fruit and Custard Tart Recipe.

Ricotta and Balsamic GlazeGrilled Peaches with RicottaGrilled PeachesGrilled Peaches with Ricotta and BalsamicGrilled Peaches with Ricotta and Balsamic

Grilled Peaches with Ricotta and Balsamic Glaze
 
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Grilled peaches topped with whipped creamy ricotta cheese and a drizzling of a balsamic glaze and fresh mint to serve.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Australian
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 3 ripe peaches, halved with pits removed
  • 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese whipped
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar glaze
  • fresh mint
Instructions
  1. Lightly olive oil a grill pan and heat on med-high. When the grill is nice and hot, grill each half peach for 4-5 minutes per side.
  2. Placed peaches on a plate with cut side facing up.
  3. Lightly whip your ricotta in a bowl to make the texture light and fluffy.
  4. Place a dollop of approximately 2 tablespoons of fresh ricotta cheese in the center of each peach half and drizzle with balsamic glaze.
  5. Top each peach half with mint.

 

Filed Under: Desserts and Sweets Tagged With: , , ,

Basil Pesto Recipe

February 8, 2015 By

Brooke and I love basil pesto. We love how tasty and versatile it is – you can stir it through a pasta, use it as a pizza sauce, use it as an accompaniment to roast dishes – it’s a great all-rounder!  This simple basil pesto recipe is all those things and more.

While there is an abundance of different styles available in jars at the supermarket, basil pesto is simple to master at home. It requires no cooking, and has few ingredients. There are generally only five ingredients – basil, of course, pine nuts and garlic, plus olive oil and Parmesan cheese. This recipe uses a food processor to speed up the preparation time instead of the traditional method of pounding using a mortar and pestle.

Like everything in cooking it’s the quality of the ingredients is what makes a great pesto. We managed to get everything we needed from the Prahran Market.

If you are looking for some other savoury dips or spreads then check out our recipes for Sweet Potato Hummus or Simple Guacamole.

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Healthy Simple Basil Pesto – Recipe Instructions

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Basil Pesto Recipe
 
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Basil pesto recipe made with only five ingredients - basil, pine nuts and garlic, plus olive oil and Parmesan cheese.
Author:
Recipe type: sauce
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 2 cups basil leaves
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ¼ cup (45g) toasted pine nuts
  • ⅓ cup (35g) finely grated parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup (125ml) olive oil
Instructions
  1. Place the basil, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped.
  2. While food processor is running, gradually add the oil in a thin, steady stream until well combined and a smooth paste forms. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  3. Transfer to an airtight container and pour over a little extra oil to cover the pesto surface (this will prevent the basil from oxidising and turning black).

 

Filed Under: Preserves and Condiments Tagged With: , , ,

Sweet Potato Hummus

August 18, 2014 By

I love snacking. It’s one of my favourite past times. If I am watching the footy, a movie, or if friends are coming over, there must be snacks. Chips and dips are always a crowd pleaser and so easy. Now I do love guacamole, but this recipe for healthy sweet potato hummus with its spicy flavour is definitely one of my new favourites.

Hummus is so easy to make and for some reason, it can be an expensive dip in the shops, even though it uses low-cost ingredients. To add a little sweetness and colour to our recipe we use roasted sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are great as they are full of beta-carotene, are low-gi and work great with spices like cumin and ground coriander.

To make this recipe we use a basic hummus recipe and spiced it up using cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika along with the roasted sweet potato. After roasting the sweet potato first, simply add this to the remaining ingredients, blitz in the food processor and voila! Homemade sweet potato hummus!

We usually serve the sweet potato hummus with crackers, some fresh vegetables or if we have some time, some of Brooke’s homemade green onion flat bread!

If you are looking for other dips and spreads then check out our Basil Pesto Recipe or Simple Guacamole Recipe.

Sweet Potato Hummus IngredientsRoasted Sweet Potato HummusSweet Potato Hummus RecipeSweet Potato Hummus RecipeSweet Potato Hummus Recipe

Healthy Sweet Potato Hummus – Recipe Instructions

Sweet Potato Hummus
 
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Sweet potato hummus made with cumin, coriander and smoked paprika along with the hero ingredient roasted sweet potato.
Author:
Recipe type: Snack
Cuisine: Greek
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 1 can of chickpeas, washed and drained
  • 400g sweet potato, roasted
  • 3 -4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice
  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1½ tsp cumin
  • 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 ½ tsp ground coriander
  • ground sea salt, to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 180 °C. Bake the sweet potato in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour. Once the sweet potato is golden and soft in the middle it is ready. Allow to cool.
  2. In a food processor, combine remaining ingredients with cooled sweet potato and puree. Scrap down the sides of the food processor as you go. You can thin the hummus with a little water if necessary. If you are sensitive to spice, season gradually.
  3. Serve fresh, or refrigerate in an airtight container, up to 1 week. Serve with crudités or crackers.

 

Filed Under: Snacks Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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