My World Café - Australia

Australia

PAVLOVA - AUSSIE STYLE

4 egg whites (as fresh as possible)
good pinch of salt
1 heaped cup castor sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 level tablespoon cornflour (wheaten cornflour for preference)
˝ teaspoon vanilla essence
300 ml thickened cream, whipped
4 bananas
3 passionfruit
1 punnet strawberries

Preheat oven to hot. Cover a greased flat baking tray with gladbake or a split open oven bag. Grease well with butter, sprinkle with cornflour and tap off excess (the cornflour gives a nice dry surface under the pavlova.) Using an 18 cm cake tin as a guide, mark out a circle on the tray with a skewer.

Beat the egg whites and salt until stiff. Add sugar 1 heaped tablespoon at a time until all sugar has been added. When finished, the meringue should be thick and shiny. Stir in vinegar, cornflour and vanilla, stir gently then pile onto prepared tray. The mixture should stay roughly in the marked circle, simply smooth over the top (it is important not to make the mistake of scooping out the centre.) The mixture should be about 6 cm high for a good marshmallow centre. Drop oven temperature to low before placing the pavlova in the oven. Bake for 1ź hours. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes then turn upside down onto a serving plate. Remove paper or oven wrap carefully. The centre will sink slightly as the pavlova cools. When cold, fill with whipped cream and top with sliced bananas, passionfruit pulp and whole strawberries. Serves 8-10.

Thanks Sue!
Brisbane, Australia

ANZAC BISCUITS
The Anzac biscuit was introduced during the First World War as a tribute to 'the boys at the front.

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup plain flour
ž cup sugar
125 g cooking margarine or butter
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
3 tablespoons water

Put rolled oats, coconut, flour, sugar into a mixing bowl. Melt margarine and golden syrup together in a small saucepan over low heat. Mix soda with water in a small dish, add to margarine mixture and remove from heat. Pour into dry ingredients in the bowl. Mix well. Put onto well-greased baking trays in rounded teaspoons at least 5 cm apart as they spread. Bake in a moderately slow oven for 20 minutes. Makes 50. After removing from oven allow biscuits to firm up for a few minutes, then remove from trays with a metal spatula. When quite cold, store in an airtight container.

Thanks Sue!
Brisbane, Australia

LAMINGTONS
Baron Lamington, who was Governor of Queensland during the later part of the last century, has often been credited as the inspiration for these cakes. However, according to Australian painter, Lloyd Rees, the Lamington was invented by a teacher of cookery at the Central Technical College, Brisbane-Miss Amy Schauer. Miss Schauer named these cakes, not after Baron Lamington (who was very popular at the time) but as a tribute to his wife, the Baroness.

1 butter cake or slab sponge made the day before (see recipes following)
500 g packet icing sugar mixture
4 tablespoons cocoa
˝ cup boiling water
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups desiccated coconut

Place the cake in the refrigerator or freezer for about ˝ hour before icing. Cut into squares. Sift icing sugar and cocoa together. Make into a smooth icing with boiling water, butter and vanilla. Pierce squares of cake with fork and dips into dip chocolate icing for a few seconds, then toss into coconut. If icing becomes a little thick, heat over hot water or add a drop or two extra hot water to the icing. Lamingtons are best if allowed to mature in a sealed container for several hours before serving.

LAMINGTON BUTTER CAKE

125 g butter or cooking margarine
ž cup castor sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups self-raising flour
˝ cup milk

Line a greased lamington tin with greaseproof paper. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Fold in flour and milk alternately and beat well. Spread into prepared tin. Bake in a moderate oven for 30-35 minutes. Allow to stand for a few minutes, then turn out onto a cooler.

LAMINGTON SPONGE

3 eggs, separated
˝ cup castor sugar
1 cup self-raising flour
1 teaspoon cornflour
1 teaspoon butter
3 tablespoons boiling water

Line a lamington tin with greaseproof paper. Beat egg whites until stiff, then gradually beat in sugar. Fold in yolks, then add sifted flour and cornflour. Dissolve butter in boiling water and fold through. Pour into the prepared tin and bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes. Allow to stand for a few minutes, then turn out onto a cooler.

Note: A lamington tin measures 28 x 20cm (11 x 8 inches) and 3 cm (1˝ inches) deep.

Thanks Sue!
Brisbane, Australia

DAMPER
The Australian damper or bush bread cooked in the dying ashes of the fire is the essence of simplicity. Here's a good recipe to make a light and crusty damper at home. The quick method of mixing with a knife is worth trying.

4 cups self-raising flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
ž cup milk
ž cup water
beaten egg and milk to glaze tops

Sift flour and salt into a basin. Mix in the sugar, then make a well in the centre. Pour in the milk and water, and using a knife, mix quickly into a dough. Do not knead or mix with hands. The mixture will be very light if simply emptied out onto a lightly greased scone tray and shaped roughly into a round loaf with plastic plate scraper. Glaze with beaten egg and milk. Bake in a hot oven for about 45 minutes or until golden. Serve in thick slices with butter and golden syrup and thick whipped cream. Accompany with scalding hot mugs of billy tea.

To cook in a traditional camp oven

Double the recipe and knead slightly with a little extra flour into a round shape. Grease the camp oven dish well, place in dough, rounded side up. Cut a deep cross in the top. Cover with lid and bake in campfire ashes for approximately 30-45 minutes, depending on the heat of the fire.

To cook on a bush picnic

Make up original recipe, divide into two and knead lightly. Shape each piece into a small French roll. Wrap in double thickness of foil, leaving room for the mixture to rise. Bury in the ashes for about 20 to 30 minutes, turning over once. Unwrap and cut into thick slices.

Twisties

Pinch off pieces of dough and shape into thin rolls with palms of hands. Spiral round thick pieces of green stick (make sure the stick used is a non-poisonous variety). Toast over ashes for about 10 minutes. When cooked, remove stick and fill the centre with golden syrup or jam.

Thanks Sue!
Brisbane, Australia

BUSH RANGER BEANS
The down under version of Chilli Con Carne!

500 g minced steak
1 large onion
1 tablespoon garlic (bottled/minced)
1 - 850 g tin tomato pieces
1 - 440 g tin red kidney beans
1 packet Maggi Chilli Con Carne
1 large packet of corn chips
1 packet shredded mozzarella cheese

Saute onion and garlic in a little oil.Brown minced steak. Add tomato, kidney beans and Chilli Con Carne. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. In a deep bowl, place a handful of corn chips. Cover with mozzarella cheese to taste. Load up with Bush Ranger Beans. Wash down with your favourite red wine or ale.

Thanks Alex!
Adelaide, Australia

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