Passionfruit and lemon syrup cake

If only you could grab a piece and taste! You would know then just how good this moist, flavourful cake really tastes. I fear that my words alone do not do it justice. You'll just have to trust me then and take my word for it. This cake rocks! One piece will never be enough. And I'm not just saying that. Convinced yet?

I've always loved passionfruit. Right from my childhood days in Durban when we had a vine growing over an arched trellis in our front garden bearing granadillas (the term for passionfruit in South Africa). We could walk under the purple hued jewels hanging from the vines, taking in their fragrance as they ripen. Now in Australia I find them in the greengrocers all year round at very reasonable prices too. They wrinkle as they ripen and are delightfully exotic in taste.

I've used passionfuit often as a colourful addition to fruit punches but it brings on a whole new flavour to a cake. A very moreish flavour!

This recipe is adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly magazine. The cake is light, moist and fantastic! Certain to disappear very fast off your plates.

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Rainbow cookies with M&M's or Smarties

Everybody has a little childishness in them still. The kind of feeling that you get when you get handed a colourful rainbow cookie with little rounds of coated chocolate dotted on its surface. When the biggest dilemna you face is whether to capture a chocolate piece in your mouth with every bite or to save the choc pieces as little treats in-between bites of the cookie (like I do)!

These delightful cookies are so yummy and the recipe is foolproof! They look the picture of a fun biscuit too with its colourful appearance really warming up any plate or hand it's placed on.

They would go very well at a children's party or in the cookie jar for a sneaky adult snack at anytime!

You could use either M&M's or Smarties and can also change the colours you place on the cookies to suit the occasion. Try red for Valentine's day, green and red for Christmas, orange for Halloween... just use your imagination!

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Cupcakes for all

Everyone loves a cupcake. A miniature cake in your hand. Mess-free and fuss-free. Handy serving portions to easily pass around.  Easy to store and great for picnics too. They can be dressed up for high tea or casually left unadorned for easy outdoor treats. There's a cupcake for any age, for any occasion.

I have a basic cupcake recipe that I manipulate to suit the occasion. Piped, coloured butter icing to top it off creates a pretty finish but isn't absolutely necessary to fully enjoy these flavoursome treats.

I sometimes add cocoa or coconut to this cupcake mixture as well. You could also flavour with orange or lemon zest if desired.

I recently made these blue marbled cupcakes by colouring half the cupcake mixture with blue food colouring and then marbling the two colours together in the cupcake liner. Be imaginative!

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Pecan nut cookies

I love sitting outdoors in the warm winter sun. I love it more when there's food to accompany the view as well. Sydney is one of the most beautiful cities I've seen. The Sydney Harbour bridge provides a fitting backdrop to a late afternoon tea with freshly-made cookies in my local park. The air is crisp but the sun is warm, a perfect winter's day.

I love nutty cookies. I have made these particular cookies many times, using different nuts or combinations thereof. I've used pecan nuts for this batch but have also previously used almonds. Walnuts, hazelnuts or even various mixed nuts would go just as well too. I have topped each pecan nut cookie with an almond here as my husband really loves them.

These cookies are great with tea or coffee or even on their own. A light dusting of icing sugar creates the prefect balance between sweet and nutty.

You can whip up a batch in ten minutes and with only ten minutes baking time, there's no excuse not to have cookies with tea!

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Malaysian Chicken Curry

Curry used to be synonymous with daily life when I was growing up. Almost anything could be turned into a curry. From canned pilchards to bananas and from jackfruit to baked beans. If it had an oil base, involved the use of Indian spices and was aromatic, the suffix "curry" was added to it! It's needless to say that the fragrant smell of curry would often waft through our house. Guests would often arrive being greeted by these aromas, a great way to whet your appetite.

This particular curry was inspired by a recent trip to my local Malaysian restaurant, "The Drunken Geisha" in Pyrmont, Sydney. (Yes, it's Malaysian not Japanese). Their chicken curry which was served with fresh roti canai was arguably the best I've ever eaten. There was a huge blend of spices evident in the curry. Aniseed, cinnamon and coconut were very apparent. I researched recipes online for Kari Ayam and found that there were various kinds of Malaysian chicken curry. My version uses the basic essential ingredients, lemongrass, a lot less oil and some coconut milk.

The result was a spicy and delicous curry. I would have loved to have eaten it with fresh roti canai but have opted for rice here instead as the easier option.

I have used numerous spices in this recipe, probably the most essential are cinnamon, aniseed and curry leaves. Try to use fresh curry leaves if you can, it does make a huge difference to using the dried version.

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Melanzane parmigiana (Baked eggplant with parmesan)

There's a certain vegetable that always calls out to me in the greengrocer. Its' shiny aubergine skin tempting me to pick it up and say, "This one's coming home with me!" I simply can't resist buying eggplants. One or two always seem to end up in my shopping basket. 

My use of this unusual vegetable over the years has changed just as much as I've changed the name I call it. I used to call them aubergines in England, melitzana in Greece and brinjals in South Africa. From making brinjal curry in Durban, to moussaka in Athens and now to melanzane parmigiana in Sydney! 

I loved ordering this vegetarian dish in Italian restaurants so much that I decided that I had to learn how to make it myself. It's basically layers of grilled or fried aubergine slices, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and parmesan. It's then baked for about half an hour and best eaten hot with crusty bread and a salad or olives on the side.

I have read quite a number of recipes for melanzane parmigiana and there are various versions of this dish. This recipe is my interpretation of what I have read and tasted.

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Apple pie

There couldn't be a more comforting dessert than warm apple pie served with smooth, thick custard and rich vanilla ice-cream. Hot and cold in one mouthful. The crispy shortcrust pastry contrasting with the sweet soft apple filling. Delicious!

Apples are in abundance right now, their glistening skins blushing in the fruit shops in beautiful colours.
They're great to eat on their own of course as a very healthy snack, but with a little effort can be transformed into little handfuls of absolute delight!

Apple pie has become a winter staple in our home, especially for those cosy winter evenings when all you want to do is cuddle up in front of the television. Store bought pies are no comparison for home-baked taste.

I have made apple pies with both puff pastry and shortcrust pastry. I find that puff pastry allows more flexibility with shapes and presentation. Shortcrust pastry though provides perhaps a better taste with the apple filling.

Serve with custard and/ or ice-cream for a very memorable treat!

"Apple" has always been a popular choice in our household! A celebratory "Apple" iPie for the apple of my eye's latest Apple acquisition!

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Gambas Pil Pil (Sizzling garlic and chilli prawns)

When it rains it pours in Sydney. This is the first rainy day I remember all year. I'm driving home in torrential rain, grateful that everyone else is driving slowly too. All I can see are the rows of red tail-lights glistening ahead on the wet road and suddenly I'm reminded of England. The wet roads, the traffic, the dark sky and the rain! I have just purchased half a kilo of fresh green prawns from Sydney Fish Market and can't wait to cook them. As I sit in my car, in the rain, listening to "Clocks" by Coldplay, I'm reminded of our favourite tapas dish that we used to love in a Spanish restaurant in London. Feeling nostalgic as I am at this moment I decide that that's what we're going to have for dinner tonight.

Now the beauty of this delicious dish is that it is so quick to make. It takes less than five minutes! It has just seven basic ingredients that don't require much preparation at all. I've used fresh, cleaned, deveined prawns with the tails intact.

A good few slices of bread is definitely needed to lap up the delicious juices.

Prepare this dish immediately before eating. It's meant to be brought to the table sizzling.

Alter the quantity of garlic and chilli to your taste. My quantities are merely suggestions. Garnish with parsley and serve with warm bread to dip in the delicious juices. Enjoy!

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