Lemon, and Passionfruit Curd

I was in Melbourne during the week, and came across the most amazing display of cakes in the window of the Hopetoun Tea Rooms in the Block Arcade.  Needless to say, I want to live in these tearooms.

The cake that caught my eye was the passionfruit tart.  Passionfruit is one of my favourite flavours, and passionfruit curd eaten straight from the jar is one of life's great joys.  I didn't manage to try a slice of the passionfruit tart as there was a queue to get in and I was on a lunchtime mission to David Jones.  However, it got me thinking about the versatility of curd. 

Apart from being the main feature of a tart, curd can be used as a base for fruit to sit in, spread between the layers of a plain cake for flavour, drizzled over the top of a pavlova, included as a layer in a crumble or a trifle, poured over icecream, and even spread on a piece of toast.  The beauty of curd is that it can add a citrus zing to an otherwise pedestrian experience.

Good curd is hard to find in Australia.  You often see recipes from overseas that require a jar of good quality curd.  However, most people here make their own.  As summer approaches, a jar of curd in the fridge is very handy thing.  Here are my recipes for passionfruit curd, and lemon curd.  Both curds keep in the fridge for about 3 weeks.

Passionfruit curd

2 eggs
170g can of passionfruit pulp in syrup
150g caster sugar
85g unsalted butter, softened

Put the eggs, passionfruit pulp, sugar and butter into a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Stir continuously over a gentle heat until the mixture thickens (about 10 minutes).  The mixture will continue to thicken as it cools.  When cool, pour into sterilised jars and refrigerate.

Passionfruit curd used as a dipping sauce for madeleines.

The key to a good lemon curd is strain, strain and strain again as there is nothing worse than getting a bit of lemon zest or clump of egg white between your teeth.

Lemon curd

3 eggs
2 large lemons
85g unsalted butter, softened
225g caster sugar

Zest and juice the lemons.  Put the eggs, butter, sugar, zest and strained lemon juice into a heatproof bowl over simmering water.  Stir continuously over a gentle heat until thick (about 10 minutes).  Strain the mixture into sterilised jars and then refrigerate. 


Lemon curd in sweet pastry tarts, topped with blueberries.



Gift wrapping with doilies

I knew this would have to come out sooner or later.  I like doilies. There, I've said it.  Here are some I have collected from Op shops over the years:

Doilies have been around for a long time, and apparently date back to the 11th century.  They reached their zenith in the 19th century and no Victorian drawing room was complete without a collection of dust- gathering doilies.  However, let's face it, doilies are no longer a popular decorating choice, except with some nannas. 

I like doilies because of their link the past, in particular, the role that needlework played in the creative lives of women.  It took a certain kind of woman who, after spending hours putting clothes through a mangle, wanted to sit down and crochet intricate patterns with cotton thread in failing light.  Sure, some of those women didn't have to work and, in between husband-hunting activities, could focus entirely on sewing a fine seam.  However, I like that, for a period in history, needlework was a skill that many women from all walks of life shared. 

All of the doilies I have collected have been made by machines.  But this does not detract from their beautiful patterns and textures. 

It also means that I don't feel guilty when I re-purpose them for gift-wrapping and card making activities. 

Using craft glue that is suitable for fabric, you can stick doilies onto just about anything.  Here are some ideas for bags and boxes:

For these cards, I cut out flowers from a table runner and glued them on:

You can even use a doilie to give a old t-shirt some interest:

Next time you are in an Op shop, I'd encourage you to go down to that dusty corner and find the old shoebox with the neglected doilies and hankies. After a soak and a wash, they can be given a new lease of life.

Lamingtons

Something happens to me at this time of the year, apart from hayfever, that is.  I experience feelings of Aussie-ness.   It happens when I hear the national anthem sung at the AFL Grand Final.  There's something about the national anthem at a big sporting event that makes me go a bit Aussie. And by Aussie, I don't mean I get a sudden urge to eat a meat pie, shout 'oi oi oi' from the rooftops, and think about changing my name to Kylie.  It is a feeling of being involved in a shared national experience and, in the case of AFL, watching a uniquely Australian game.  As the AFL Grand Final was yesterday, there is only one thing I can bake today - lamingtons! 

Lamingtons are one of the few "Australian" cakes, apparently originating from Queensland.  They are squares of sponge cake covered in chocolate and coconut.  Interestingly, lamingtons are one of the few cakes my mother never made.  We only ate them once a year when my primary school had its annual lamington drive. The school hall became a hive of activity for an entire day.  Huge slabs of sponges would be brought in from a commercial bakery, and a production line of volunteer Mums would cut, ice, roll and pack. Finished  batches would be ferried in washing baskets to classrooms for orders to be handed out.  It was a big day. Another big day is 21 July, which apparently is national Lamington Day.  Who knew?

Making lamingtons is a two day process as you need to make the sponge a day in advance.  This is important as the sponge needs a day to dry out, otherwise it is too soft to dip in the chocolate.  Bits drop off, believe me.

Lamington Recipe

250g unsalted butter, softened
330g caster sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
370g plain flour
5 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
250g dessicated coconut

For the icing:

500g icing sugar
50g cocoa powder
40g unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
150-250ml boiling water

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees celcius.  Grease a square tin and line the base with baking paper.  I use a 24cm by 24cm tin.

Beat the butter until light and creamy, then add the caster sugar in batches.  Beat thoroughly after each addition to ensure that the sugar dissolves.  Add the eggs one at a time and mix well.  Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined.  Sift the flour and the baking power, and add to the bowl, mixing until just combined.  Add the milk, and mix until smooth. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, and spread evenly.  Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.  Like all sponges, rest the cake in the tin for about 10 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.  When cool, wrap in cling film.

On the following day, cut the sponge into evenly sized squares.  As it is rare for a cake to come out of the oven with a completely even top, none of the squares will be perfect.

Make the icing by sifting the flour and cocoa into a large bowl.  Add the butter, vanilla essence and 150ml of the water.  Mix until smooth.  You may need to add a bit more water to get the right consistency, which needs to be somewhere between pouring cream and thickened cream.  If the icing is too thick, it won't drip off easily and lumps of the icing will slide off when you roll the squares in the coconut.  You will need to keep adding a little boiling water to the icing throughout the process to maintain the right consistency.

Set up a little production line with the squares, chocolate icing and coconut.  Using a skewer or fork, dip a sponge square into the icing, allowing any excess to drip off.

Then cover with coconut.

Place the squares on a wire rack to dry, which usually takes about 2 hours.

I use dessicated coconut but for a more shagadelic look, use shredded coconut.

There are several ways to serve lamingtons.  As is, or filled with whipped cream and/or strawberry jam.  Classic Australian.