Better Homes and Gardens Australia — December 2017

FESTIVE BAKING

STEP 1 Preheat oven to 170ºC
fan-forced (190ºC conventional).
Grease four 7.5cm round cake tins
with cooking oil spray. Line base
and sides with baking paper.
STEP 2 Put eggs into a large bowl
and whisk until fluffy. Pour in milk,
butter and syrup and whisk until
well combined. Stir in sugar, ginger,
mixed spice and bicarb. Sift in flour
and cocoa and stir until combined.
STEP 3 Pour batter into prepared
tins. Bake for 45 minutes. Set aside
for 5 minutes before turning out onto
a wire rack to cool completely. Trim
off peaked tops to create a flat top.
STEP 4 Meanwhile, to make cinnamon-
spiked cream cheese frosting, put
cream cheese in a large bowl and beat
with electric hand beaters on high
speed until smooth. Add icing sugar
and cinnamon and beat on low speed
until incorporated, then beat on high
for 1 minute or until fluffy and creamy.
STEP 5 Meanwhile, to make the
chocolate ganache, put chocolate in
a heatproof mixing bowl. Heat cream
in a small saucepan over medium heat,
until just simmering. Immediately pour
over chocolate and stir with a hand
whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool.
STEP 6 Assemble 1 cake at a time. Cut
cake into 3 even discs. Spoon 1 Tbsp
of cream cheese onto 1 disc, spread
to cover top, repeat with a second
disc. Put 1 disc on top of the other,
frosting side up. Top with remaining
disc. Spoon 2 Tbsp of frosting onto the
top of the stack and spread all over to

Chocolate ginger cakes Brownie cookies

COOK'S TIP

For smaller bite-size cookies,

roll dough into 2 teaspoon-sized

balls and bake for 8 minutes.

cover top and sides of cake to form

a thin crumb coat. Transfer to fridge

while assembling remaining cakes.

STEP 7 Repeat Step 6 with remaining

cakes and part of the frosting.

Chill cakes for 20 minutes.

STEP 8 Use the remaining frosting

to cover cakes completely, then

refrigerate for a further 15 minutes.

STEP 9 Drizzle a little of the chocolate

ganache over the top of each cake,

allowing sauce to drizzle down

sides. Decorate with chocolate-

coated coffee beans. Each cake

will serve 2 people as dessert, or

4 people as a sweet-treat snack.

BROWNIE COOKIES

Preparation time 20 mins

plus 40 mins chilling

Cooking time 10 mins

Makes 18

200g dark chocolate,

finely chopped

50g butter, chopped

2 free-range eggs

2⁄ 3 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ cup plain flour

1 Tbsp cocoa powder

¼ tsp baking powder

Cinnamon sugar, to serve

STEP 1 Preheat oven to 180ºC fan-

forced (200ºC conventional). Line

2 oven trays with baking paper.

STEP 2 Put chocolate and butter

into a large heatproof bowl set over

a medium saucepan of simmering

water, stirring occasionally until the

chocolate has almost melted. Remove

pan from heat, remove bowl from

pan and set aside for 5 minutes.

STEP 3 Meanwhile, put eggs, caster

sugar and vanilla into the bowl of

an electric mixer and beat with

whisk attachment on high speed

for 5 minutes or until thick and

creamy. Pour chocolate into egg

mixture and sift in flour, cocoa and

baking powder. Gently stir until just

combined. Chill for 40 minutes.

STEP 4 Roll 1 Tbsp of dough into a

ball, and transfer to a prepared tray.

Press down with the back of a fork to

flatten slightly. Repeat with remaining

dough to make 18, arranging the balls

3cm apart on trays. Bake for 9 minutes

• they will still look a little bit wet, but
  that’s OK, that’s what will give them
  their soft brownie centre. Set aside
  on trays to cool completely. Serve
  cookies dusted with cinnamon sugar.

CHOCOLATE AND RAISIN

PUDDINGS WITH SALTED

CARAMEL SAUCE

Preparation time 20 mins

Cooking time 45 mins

Makes 8

Melted butter, to grease,

plus extra 100g

½ cup caster sugar

2 free-range eggs

½ cup sultanas

½ cup raisins, roughly chopped

¾ cup self-raising flour

¼ cup cocoa powder

3 tsp mixed spice

¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Salted caramel sauce

1 cup caster sugar

100ml water

24 BHG DECEMBER 2017