Overnight cinnamon sugar waffles

I love a Sundays. I especially love Sundays when they start with delicious sugar crusted waffles. I prefer waffles to have yeast in them. They result in an ultra fluffy interior with a crisp golden crust.

This recipe is started the night before and left to do all the magic while you sleep. Meaning Sunday morning you can roll out of bed, pour yourself a coffee and start waffling.

Ingredients

1 cup milk

50g butter, chopped

¼ cup warm water

1 ½ teaspoons dried yeast

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 ½ cups plain flour

1 egg

¼ teaspoon baking soda

melted butter, to brush

½ cup caster sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

maple syrup, to serve

Method

The night before, place the milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring until the butter has melted. Set aside. Place the water, yeast and sugar in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes or until foamy. Add the flour, egg and milk mixture and mix to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight+. Remove the waffle batter the next morning, add the baking soda and whisk to combine. Preheat your waffle iron on medium. Lightly brush with butter and pour in ¼ cup of batter. Cook for 6 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Meanwhile place the sugar and cinnamon on a large tray. When hot press the waffle into the sugar and set aside. Repeat with remaining batter to make 10 waffles. Serve drizzled with maple syrup. Makes 10. 

*If you don’t have overnight for your waffle batter to rise, set it aside at room temperature for 2-3 hours or until doubled in size.

Japanese prawn & ginger cabbage pancake

Literally translating as “fried stuff you like”, okonomiyaki  is just another reason why I'm in love with Japanese food. My version of this cabbage based savoury pancake is simple, easy and quick to prepare. Like its namesake suggests you can mix and match with flavours you like - try thinly sliced pork belly, shredded chicken, scallops, add leek, sprinkle with seaweed or serve with traditional sweet Japanese barbeque sauce. Easy, healthy fast food, fried as you like it!

Ingredients

2 cups (300g) plain flour

½ cup (75g) corn flour

1 teaspoon salt flakes

1 ¾ cup water

2 eggs

500g white cabbage, shredded

2 umboshi plums, seeds removed and finely chopped

¼ cup pickled ginger, chopped

12 large green prawns, peeled and chopped

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

vegetable oil, to brush

bonito flakes and Japanese mayonnaise, to serve

Method

To make the batter place the flours and salt in a large bowl. Add the water and eggs and whisk until smooth. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes. Add the cabbage, plums, pickled ginger, prawns and half the spring onions and mix until combined. 

Place a non stick frying pan or flat grill pan over medium heat and lightly brush with oil. Spoon a quarter of the mixture into the pan and spread to a 15cm circle. Cook for 6-7 minutes. Turn and cook for a further 5 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Repeat with remaining batter. To serve drizzle with mayonnaise, sprinkle with bonito flakes and remaining spring onions.

Makes 4.

Perfectly imperfect custard sponge

Sometimes the best things come from our mistakes. This custard sponge cake is one of my favourite culinary mistakes ever made. Ironically, I find it hard to follow a recipe and years ago found myself in the midst of a recipe fail. I was attempting to make an impossible pie, however skipped ahead while reading and forgot a crucial step. Instead, with a few tweaks here and there over the years, I came up
with this delicious sponge like cake. With an ever so fluffy texture and utterly delicious custard flavour my perfectly imperfect custard sponge was born.

Ingredients 
100g unsalted butter, chopped
2 cups (500ml) milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs, separated
¾ cup (165g) caster sugar
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 cup (150g) plain flour, sifted
icing sugar, to dust
ground cinnamon, to dust

Method 
Preheat oven to 160C (fan forced). Place the butter, milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring or until the butter has melted. Set aside. Place the egg yolks and half the sugar in a large bowl and whisk until combined. Add the milk mixture and flour to the egg yolk mixture and fold until just combined.
Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until stiff peaks form. Add the remaining sugar and vinegar and whisk for until stiff and glossy. Working in batches fold the egg white into the egg yolk mixture until just combined. Pour into a 26cm x 12cm lined loaf tin* (or 2 20 x 10cm) and cook for 45 minutes, or until risen, cracked on the top and with a slight wobble. Set aside for 10 minutes, before refrigerating until cold. To serve, dust with sugar and cinnamon.

Serves 8-10.

*This cake will puff and rise to the very top of the loaf tin so make sure you line the baking paper to the top. It will sink when it cools.