Choc-chip Oat Cookies

Well, here's my offering for the Sweet and Simple Bakes challenge this month! Please click on the link on the right and look at all the other entries and grab the recipe too. These were lovely cookies and the mixture makes loads so there are plenty for hungry soccer teams and lunch boxes. They are really simple to make and although mine look much more 'rustic' that the challenge photo, it didn't stop them from being eaten!

I thought that the recipe seemed a bit familiar to me and as I was browsing through my copy of The Chocolate and Coffee Bible I came across the recipe but they were called biscuits and looked much rounder, flatter and crisper! Ah well! Anyway, the good thing about browsing 'The Bible" is I've discovered a load of new recipes to try especially in the pudding section and as we're moving into cooler times here I'm sure that they'll be welcome!

Lemon Ricotta Cake

O my goodness, this is so lovely, even if I do say so myself. Over at 'The Pantry' I've been hearing loads about ricotta cakes and reading about clever members who have even been making their own ricotta! Well, I do have to say that ricotta has rather passed me by until this weekend but will now be on the list. Why did I wait for so long?

This months BBC Australian Good Food magazine (Christmas subscription gift from Mum, Thanks Mum!) has a very simple Lemon Ricotta Cake recipe which inspired me to try it. It is so easy to make and I have to say that we didn't wait for it to completely cool before slicing it up and serving with a lovely dollop of sour cream. This is a keeper!

Lemon Ricotta Cake

1 cup (150g) self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

175g room temp butter

3/4 cup(165g) caster sugar plus 2 tbsp extra

grated rind and juice of 2 lemons

3 eggs, separated

11/4 cups(250g) ricotta

Preheat the oven to 180C or 160C fan. Grease and line a 19cm springform cake pan. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside. Cream butter and gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy. beat in lemon rind,egg yolks and ricotta. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggwhites until firm peaks form and then fold into the ricotta mixture. Fold in the sifted flour and half the lemon juice. Spoon the mixture into the cake pan and bake for an hour until risen and golden and a skewer comes out clean. Combine the remaining lemon juice with the extra sugar and heat to make a syrup, then drizzle over the hot cake. leave to cool in the pan for 1 hour and then transfer to a wire rack to completely cool.

This is so lovely and I'm looking forward to trying it with other citrussy combinations.

Super Soup!

I must say that I'm loving the new school year. Teen Boy is starting his HSC (Higher School Cert) and Little One is no longer so little as she's just started Year 7. So why am I loving it? Well, they're so into their homework that I have a whole load of free time to spend rattling the pans in the kitchen. Yesterday was no exception and from out of the oven came Nigella's Store cupboard Chocolate cake, Maria's Mincemeat wedges (http://thegoddesskitchen.blogspot.com/), Sal's Impossible Quiche (see below!) and from the stove top, a rather lovely cupboard soup plus the remaining green beans from the garden which got many accolades at lunch. The family have begged me not to forget this one so I'm putting it here for posterity!

Saturday Cupboard Soup

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tin creamed corn

1 tin canellini beans, drained

A handful of green beans, chopped

1 chicken stock cube

1 vegetable stock cube

five spice powder

Fry the onion in a little oil until translucent. Add the tin of creamed corn and 1 tins worth of water. Crumble in the stock cubes and add the green beans. Then add the canellini beans and a sprinkle of five spice powder. Bring to the boil and simmer until the green beans are tender. Adjust the seasoning and serve!

I'm sorry but there are no photos, the homework included a science project on digital cameras. However, here's one I did earlier!! My find in the sands at Uluru!