The Australian Women’s Weekly Food Issue 52

My love affair with baking started early, I think that I was about six years old. Pikelets and packet cakes were my specialty, then as a teenager I was baking from scratch, making desserts for Mum and Dad’s dinner parties – they were so elaborate in the 1970s and ’80s! What I loved most about baking was the instant gratification that I received; it was something that I could create that made the people I loved happy. It made me happy, too. So you can probably tell by my reminiscing that this issue was a joy to put together. If you’re beginning your baking journey, we’ve got the ultimate brownie and blondie recipes (page 10), or for the passionate bakers among us try our chocolate croissant and traditional boiled bagel to…

OVER BROWNING Cooking time too long Use the recipe cooking time as a guide only and check on cakes 15 minutes before the time given, as each oven varies. Check how accurate your oven temperature is with an oven thermometer. If it runs hot, you will need to reduce the temperature, however it is best to get a professional to recalibrate it. Cake too high in the oven The top of a cake should sit in the centre of the oven. The type of cake pan We prefer pans made from aluminium as it is a great conductor of heat and produces an even golden crust. Pans with non-stick coatings, or that are anodised or made from stainless or tin tend to accelerate cooking times, best results are obtained by reducing the oven temperature and cooking…

FRESH OFF THE PRESS Freshen up your mornings with the new Kuvings C7000 Professional Juicer, $799. Quiet, easy to use (and easy to clean!), the machine creates a refined juice from whole fruit and vegetables. Delicious! Go to kuvings.com.au for more information. CLEAN DREAM A washing machine you can control from your smartphone? Genius! Hoover’s 8.5kg Washing Machine, $1499, is the perfect blend of the latest technology and functionality you need in a reliable machine. Check it out at hooverappliances.com.au GIVE IT A GO! Don’t be put off by the knobbly skin, custard apples have a soft, sweet flesh that’s perfect on its own or in your morning smoothie. A custard apple is ripe when you gently squeeze it and it gives slightly, similar to an avocado. You can speed up the ripening process by…

ONE-PAN TRIPLE CHOC BROWNIE PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR 15 MINS (+ COOLING) SERVES 16 150g butter, chopped300g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped12/3 cups (370g) brown sugar3/4 cup (110g) plain flour¼ cup (35g) self–raising flour3 eggs, beaten lightly1/2 cup (120g) sour cream2 teaspoons vanilla essence180g white chocolate, chopped100g milk chocolate, chopped 1 Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Lightly grease a 20cm x 30cm slice pan with baking paper; line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 2cm over sides. 2 Stir butter and 200g dark chocolate in a large saucepan over low heat until melted. Remove from heat and cool slightly. 3 Stir in sugar, then combined sifted flour. Stir in combined eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Gently stir through 3/4 of chopped chocolates. 4 Pour mixture into pan and level top. Sprinkle with…

White Wings Premium flours are triple sifted, saving prep time and making them an essential ingredient for over 120 years. Choc-coated peanuts are often referred to as scorched peanuts. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt flakes after baking, if you like. The addition of lemon curd adds a fresh zingyness to this blondie. Store at room temperature as the condensation in the fridge will cause the meringue to breakdown. We used Werther’s Original Chewy Caramels for this recipe. Lightly spraying a spoon with oil will help prevent the caramel from sticking to the spoon. For extra chocolate indulgence, serve the brownie drizzled with warmed Nutella. It’s important that the cream cheese is at room temperature so it incorporates smoothly with the other ingredients.…

Cake pro We’re thrilled New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern used The Australian Women’s Weekly Kids’ Party Cakes to make her daughter Neve’s first birthday cake. “I highly recommend cakes you can cover in coconut – it hides almost everything!” she wrote. Jacinda, there’s always a place for you in the Test Kitchen! COOK OFF The incredible team at Nambour Village News created this gorgeous display (complete with taste test!) of our June slow-cooking issue. The newsagency must have smelt absolutely delicious that day! Visit us on Instagram @womensweeklyfood and tag us #cookwiththeweekly, follow us on Facebook or drop us an email at awwfoodmag@bauer-media.com.au and show us what you’re cooking.…