Australian Foods & History

[Bilby]

A couple of sites to check out our history and if I can find more info up to now sites as well.

http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/foodanddrink/

http://www.trinity.wa.edu.au/plduffyrc/indig/foods.htm

[Bilby]

"Never Fail" Pavlova
3 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon black (malt) vinegar
1 dessert spoon cornflour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven 121 degrees centigrade (250 degrees Fahrenheit).
Beat egg whites into very stiff peaks. Very gradually add the sugar, beating all the time. Gently fold in cornflour, then the vinegar and vanilla together.
Spoon out onto a foil covered tray and form into 7-8 inch (about 20 cm) circle. Sprinkle quickly with 1 heaped dessert spoon extra sugar and bake for 1.5 hours. Turn off heat and open oven door. Leave pavlova to cool completely before removing from oven.

Very gently peel foil away from bottom of pavlova. Store in a tightly sealed container.
When ready to serve, whip 300 ml cream with 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and pile into pavlova.
Quickly top with sliced banana and passionfruit, or any fruits of your choice and serve. Serves 6-8.

[Bilby]

Bushtucker recipe site with links to recipes.

http://www.benjaminchristie.com/recipes

[Bilby]

ANZAC Biscuits
4 oz butter or margarine
1 tablespoon golden syrup
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 ½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
1 cup rolled oats
¾ cup desiccated coconut
1 cup (4 oz) plain flour
I cup (8 oz) sugar Melt butter and golden syrup over gentle heat, add mixed boiling water and bicarbonate of soda.

Pour into mixed dry ingredients, blend well.

Drop teaspoonfuls of mixture on greased tray.

Bake in a slow oven (300°F) for 20 minutes.

Cool on trays a few minutes, remove and store in airtight containers when cool.

Makes about 4 dozen.on wire

[Bilby]

SPONGE CAKE
3 eggs
1/2 cup castor sugar
3/4 cup self-raising flour
1/4 cup cornflour
15g (1/2oz) butter
3 tablespoons hot water

Beat eggs until thick and creamy. Gradually add sugar. Continue beating until sugar completely dissolved.
Fold in sifted SR flour and cornflour, then combined water and butter.
Pour mixture into prepared lamington tins 18cm x 28cm (7in x 11in).

Bake in moderate oven approximately 30 mins.
Let cake stand in pan for 5 min before turning out onto wire rack.


CHOCOLATE ICING
3 cups desiccated coconut
500g (1lb) icing sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
(extra cocoa can be added, according to taste)
15g (1/2oz) butter
1/2 cup milk

Sift icing sugar and cocoa into heatproof bowl.
Stir in butter and milk.
Stir over a pan of hot water until icing is smooth and glossy.

Trim brown top and sides from cake.
Cut into 16 even pieces.
Holding each piece on a fork, dip each cake into icing.
Hold over bowl a few minutes to drain off excess chocolate.
Toss in coconut or sprinkle to coat.
Place on oven tray to set.

Cake is easier to handle if made the day before.
Sponge cake or butter cake may be used.
Can use store bought cake to use.

[cat lover]

"Never Fail" Pavlova
3 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon black (malt) vinegar
1 dessert spoon cornflour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven 121 degrees centigrade (250 degrees Fahrenheit).
Beat egg whites into very stiff peaks. Very gradually add the sugar, beating all the time. Gently fold in cornflour, then the vinegar and vanilla together.
Spoon out onto a foil covered tray and form into 7-8 inch (about 20 cm) circle. Sprinkle quickly with 1 heaped dessert spoon extra sugar and bake for 1.5 hours. Turn off heat and open oven door. Leave pavlova to cool completely before removing from oven.

Very gently peel foil away from bottom of pavlova. Store in a tightly sealed container.
When ready to serve, whip 300 ml cream with 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and pile into pavlova.
Quickly top with sliced banana and passionfruit, or any fruits of your choice and serve. Serves 6-8.


This sounds a lot like what we call meringue shells. Have you heard of those?

[Bilby]

Meringue shells are hard all the way through? They are probably similar but the meringue in a pav is hard on the outside and a bit gooey on the inside.
I must say I've never had any luck making one so I buy the shells and fill with the fruits I like. I should try again as practice makes perfect! LOL

[cat lover]

Yes they are hard all the way through. And if the day has high humidity it is very hard to make them! The pav sounds interesting with it being gooey on the inside. Thanks for sharing!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

It is not uncommen for one culture to steal ideas from another. lol

Bilby, keep the ideas coming. I liking seeing the Australian ideas of your country.

I noticed that Emu was on one of your sites. It is also popular to raise in Texas.You may see them being raised there, but not cooked there. Do you have any more recipes? These sound wonderful!

[cat lover]

Here we were talking about these yesterday and I got this recipe in an email today, thought I'd share it with you.

Lemon Beehive Meringues

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens


2 egg whites
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup purchased lemon curd
1 cup fresh loganberries, blackberries, or other berries


Let egg whites stand at room temperature in a large mixing bowl for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a pencil, draw eight 2-1/4-inch circles and eight 1-3/4-inch circles about 1 inch apart on the paper.* Turn paper pencil-side down on baking sheet; set aside. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Add lemon juice and cream of tartar to egg whites. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed about 7 minutes or until very stiff peaks form (tips stand straight) and sugar is almost dissolved. Using a pastry bag fitted with a medium (1/4-inch) round tip, pipe a flat base of meringue onto all of the circles on the paper. Pipe a ring of meringue onto edges of each of the 8 larger meringue rounds, building the sides 3/4 inch tall by piping a continuous coil of meringue to form a small shell. For tops, pipe a coil of meringue on smaller rounds to make a cone shape that resembles the top of a beehive. Bake 30 minutes. Turn off oven. Let meringues dry in oven, with door closed, at least 1 hour. Remove from paper. Place in an airtight container. Store in a cool, dry place up to 1 week. Just before serving, spoon 1 tablespoon of lemon curd into each bottom meringue shell. Place a few berries on lemon curd. Prop top of meringue beehive next to bottom. Makes 8 servings.

*Note: For free-form meringue shells without tops, make eight 3-inch circles on parchment. Use back of a large spoon to spread meringue over circles, building up sides to form shells. Bake as directed.

[megray]

Glad to have found this thread.
When I have some spare minutes,I will try and post some of my favourites!
Meg

[Marj]

One of my favourites is -
Opera Slice.
BASE.
1/2 cup Plain Flour. Melt butter and mix in dry ingredients.
1/2 cup S.R. Blend. Press into slice tin. Bake moderate oven
1/4lb. Butter for 15 mins.
1/2 cup Icing Sugar.
TOPPING.
1/3 cup sugar Melt butter, stir in sugar, vanilla and
1 oz. butter milk. Stir over low heat until sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk.
1/2 cup Slivered almonds.
1 cup mixed fruit peel or chopped dried apricots.

[Marj]

Sorry, must have pressed the wrong key.
For topping, Melt butter, stir in sugar, vanilla and milk.
Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add mixed fruit peel or dried apricots and almonds. Spread over base and cook further 10-15 mins. Cut into squares.
Above recipe is 1 oz. butter - not buttermilk.

[cat lover]

Sounds good! Going to copy it and give it a try another day, thanks for sharing!

[Bilby]

Oh DeBora DeBora, nuh uh we made it first LOL

Anna Pavlova was a Russian ballet dancer, when she came to visit Australia many years ago this dessert was made for her.

I have had Kangaroo but never tried emu. We are the only country in the world to eat the animals on our coat of arms LOL

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Oh DeBora DeBora, nuh uh we made it first LOL


You are so slow! lol

I have never had emu or kangeroo. I would be willing to try anything once.

[Bilby]

DeBora
Can I play the blonde card for being a bit slow?

Kangaroo has a different smell while cooking but tasted ok to me, I didn't tell the family till dinner was finished, you can buy it at the local grocery store and was cheaper per kilo than beef.

[Bilby]

One of our ex-premiers from Queensland, his wife made this recipe from the 1970's(?), it's what she's known for.

Pumpkin Scones

You need:
1 Tblsp butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup mashed pumpkin (cold)
2 cups Self raising flour
Method:
Beat together butter, sugar and salt with electric mixer.
Add egg, then pumpkin and stir in the flour.
Turn on to floured board and cut.
Place in tray on top shelf of very hot oven 225-250c for 15-20 minutes.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Thanks for sharing. I look forward to seeing more.

[Bilby]

Seeing another thread with biscits into slices reminds me that my MIL makes ANZAC biscuits in a slice tray and cuts them into squares, I have a great series of photos she took of ds2 making a batch at her house.

[Bilby]

How Australian is this, I don't know, but my kids love it.

Raspberry slice.

Pastry
60grams or 4 tabs butter/marg
1/4 cup castor sugar (fine white)
1 egg
vanilla
1 1/4 cups self raising flour
Topping
1/2 cup (approx) raspberry or any jam
1 cup coconut
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg

Pastry
1. Beat butter and sugar to a cream
2. Add egg and vanilla, mix well
3. Sift four and add gradually working to a stiff paste.
4. Press out evenly into a greased slice tray
5. Spread thinly with jam.

Topping
1. Beat egg and mix in coconut and sugar, mixing well
2. Spread coconut mix over the jammed surface.
3. Bake in a moderate oven until golden brown, approx 25mins
4. Cool slightly before cutting into squares.

*I also make it this way; Roll out pastry and with a round cutter cut circles
out of the pastry and line a gem tray (shallower than a muffin tray, slightly scooped).
Spoon in 1/2 (?) teas of jam, and sprinkle the coconut mix on top.
Bake as per instructions.
*Freezable

Moderate oven is 180*C = to 375*F (pretty certain)

[cat lover]

One of our ex-premiers from Queensland, his wife made this recipe from the 1970's(?), it's what she's known for.

Pumpkin Scones

You need:
1 Tblsp butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup mashed pumpkin (cold)
2 cups Self raising flour
Method:
Beat together butter, sugar and salt with electric mixer.
Add egg, then pumpkin and stir in the flour.
Turn on to floured board and cut.
Place in tray on top shelf of very hot oven 225-250c for 15-20 minutes.
Going to copy this one, I love making pumpkin anything!

[Bilby]

I tried to slip the pumpkin scone recipe past my hubby, he hates pumpkin, but alas he picked it LOL

[cat lover]

I usually stock up on canned pumpkin when it is on sale this time of year. Most times I can get two cans for any other time of the year of what it cost for one. I also like to get the small pie pumpkins and prepare my own. I've froze it before, but I hate to do that; it tastes so nice and fesh and almost takesthe frsh rtaste away by freezing it, so at that time I might as well use canned! LOL

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Bilby, you can count me in with your DH as a pumpkin hater. I have thought about why since I LOVE all the other veggies in the gourd family and I think I know why. I like my squash on the savory side and not the sweet side. Pumpkin is almost always served sweet.