Rum Raisin, White Chocolate, Ricotta Cake

Rum Raisin, White Chocolate, Ricotta Cake

This cake was prepared from a Karen Martini recipe found in one of the Sydney weekend newspapers. 

Preparation Time: 20 mins

Cooking Time:  1-1/4 hrs

Ingredients

• butter, for greasing, 100g (31/2 oz) freshly made white breadcrumbs, 160gms white chocolate roughly chopped, 
• 100g honey, plus 3–4 tablespoons for glazing, 
• 600g ricotta, 55g castor (superfine) sugar, 
• 5 large free-range eggs, 
• 200g thick plain yoghurt, 350g marscapone, 
• 1 lemon, zest finely grated, 
• 50mls dark rum
• 55g of raisins soaked in heated dark rum, 
• thickened or whipped cream, to serve

Method

• Preheat the oven (convection, not fan-forced) to 170°C (350°F).  
• grease the sides & base of a 26cm (101/2 inch) spring-form tin with butter & line with breadcrumbs.  
• Process the ricotta & sugar in a large food processor until smooth. 
• Add the eggs, one at a time, processing briefly after each addition.  
• Add the honey, yoghurt, marscapone & lemon zest.  
• Process until smooth, then add half the raisins & pulse once.   
• Pour the mixture into the tin, sprinkle with the white chocolate & the rest of the raisins & mix by swirling with a skewer.  
• Bake for 1 1/4 hours or until cooked.  
• Cool to room temperature.  warm the extra honey in a small saucepan over medium heat, then smooth over the tart to glaze.  
• Dust with icing sugar & serve warm with cream.

Chocolate Fruit & Oat Cookies

This recipe is as a result of a recent Miele Cooking Class after purchasing new ovens for home

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15
Freezing: Haven’t tried
Makes: Approx 20


Ingredients
125 g unsalted butter
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup golden syrup
1/3 cup sultanas
1/3* cup sliced dried apricots
1/3 cup slivered almonds
¾ cup self raising flour
1 cup rolled oats

Method
1. In a small saucepan combine butter, sugar & golden syrup. Stir over medium heat to dissolve sugar. Set aside to cool
2. Pre-heat oven to 180° C (conventional) or if using Fan Plus, then 160°.
3. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.
4. Pour the butter mixture over dry ingredients, stir to combine.
5. Spoon mixture onto trays, leaving room for cookies to spread.
6. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly golden.

Cool on trays.

Note:  After my first attempt wherein the cookies were a little dry, and after noticing that the teacher had arrived at class with a pre-prepared dough, I let the mixture rest for an hour before cooking them to give the rolled oats time to absorb the moisture from the liquid with which it was mixed.  This is NOT a necessary step.
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* The Miele recipe from which this comes uses chopped dates.

Banana and Date Loaf

2 cups self-raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2/3 cup (125g) fresh dates, pitted and roughly chopped
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup (2 large) mashed banana

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Grease & line a 24 cm x 13.5 cm loaf tin.
Sift flour, bicarb soda, & nutmeg into a large bowl. Add sugar and dates and mix until dates are well coated.
Combine milk, eggs and banana in a bowl. Fold into date mixture & mix until batter is well combined.
Spoon mixture into prepared tin. Bake 45-50 minutes or until loaf is cooked when tested with a skewer.
Cool for 5 minutes in tin, then turn out onto a wire rack.
Serve sliced and buttered or toasted.

I have been using this recipe for years. Originally, it was obtained from Sydney Markets.