Plum Cake | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry opened the last present to find a new, hand-knitted jumper from Mrs Weasley, and a large plum cake.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
J.K Rowling

Harry Potter will always be a classic - along with Enid Blyton it was one of those stories that made me somewhat wish I had gone to boarding school as a child (though honestly, looking back it would have had to be a boarding school in the UK with a clear focus on magical studies). The characters in the books are constantly receiving parcels and surprises from those at home and it all seemed like such a thrill. Mrs Weasley’s presents always seemed the best as well - a hand knitted jumper? Yes please. Homemade cakes and fudge and all the warmth that could possibly be given.

The days are beginning to become a little warmer in Melbourne as the winter comes to an end, and it was in anticipation of an upcoming warm weekend that I, rather determinedly, stated I would be making a plum cake to eat in the park. What I did not factor in was an event at work that Friday night that resulted in finding myself at a nearby bar ordering an array of gin martinis late into the night. Nevertheless I persisted, I came home and somehow, in a rather tipsy state, made a plum cake that Friday night.

It was a crumbly, buttery, delicious mess of a cake. And we inhaled it the next day, wrapped up (who was I kidding - it’s still winter, it’s freezing) in jackets, perched in a nearby garden, tearing off chunks of the cake with our hands because neither of us thought that forks or spoons could possibly come in handy.

Plum Cake
Ingredients
5-6 plums, cut in half with the stone removed
130g butter
150ml milk
1tbsp apple cider vinegar
150g plain flour
100g almond meal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bi-carb soda
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch salt

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and prepare a 9” cake tin by greasing the sides and placing a circle of baking paper at the bottom.

2. Mix together the milk and the apple cider vinegar and leave top it for a few minutes until it begins to curdle.

3. Using either a mixer or by hand, cream together the butter and sugar until it’s light and well mixed.

4. In a seperate bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients and combine.

5. Add the milk and apple cider vinegar mix to the cream butter and sugar and combine briefly.

6. Slowly add the wet mix to the dry, mixing until well combined.

7. Pour the mix into your prepared cake tin and press the plus halves down on top into the batter. I like using quite a few plums in mine - so it’s really up to preference.

8. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Enjoy!

Apple Pie | On the Road

I went to sit in the bus station and think this over. I ate another apple pie and ice cream; that’s practically all I ate all the way across the country, I knew it was nutritious and it was delicious, of course.
On the Road,
Jack Kerouac

On the Road was one of those books that I picked up, as I’m sure many do, because I felt as though it had to be read. I would hear or see it referenced in conversation regarding something pretentious and inwardly curl in on myself in shame that I claimed to be an avid reader - but yet I had not read an apparent great American novel. So I read it. And, honestly, meh. I don’t dislike it - I understand the appeal, I understand the draw of Kerouac’s words and the story he tells. But I never thought it would be one that I would talk up in conversations years to come.

One thing that did stick with me however, is the love of apple pie within On the Road. It is a nutritious staple that screams all-American - and I desperately wanted to capture that in this recipe.

Was it delicious? Yes. Did it capture On the Road? Probably not. I think I would have to be eating slices while hitching my way through the various states of America and chain smoking to really bring about the ideals and emotions that are held within the slices of apple pie in On the Road.

*Note: They don’t have to be Granny Smith - I just always find a tart-y type of apple tastes better in pie.

Apple Pie
Pastry
550g plain flour
2 tbsp caster sugar
220g butter
185ml ice water
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp milk - for wash
1 tsp melted butter - for wash
Filling
6 large Granny Smith apples *see note
1 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp caster sugar
1tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence

Pastry

1. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl.

2. Break the butter into small pieces and sub into the flour mix until it is all combined with no lumps throughout.

3. Make a well in the centre and add in the ice water.

4. Mix well until the pastry comes together with no lumps.

5. Wrap in cling wrap and chill for around thirty minutes before using.

Filling

1. Peel and core apples. Dice the remaining into small cubes around 5cm wide and thick and place into a large mixing bowl.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until the apple pieces are all well covered.

Assembling

1. Use oil or butter to grease a 9” pie pan and preheat your oven to 200C.

2. Break your pie pastry into two parts, one slightly bigger portion than the other.

3. Take the bigger portion and on a lightly floured surface, roll out into a circle around 5cm thick and big enough so it will fit into a 9” pie pan (You want it to be thin - but not so thin that it breaks apart when you try to move it).

4. Layer the rolled out pastry onto the bottom of the pie pan, pressing it into the corners so it’s flat against the pan. Leave the excess pastry hanging over the side for the moment.

5. Grab your apple mix and fill the pastry crust - enough so that it reaches the top but doesn’t overflow.

6. Roll out the remaining portion of pastry - this part if up to you. You can either create a lattice top or cover the whole of the pie.

7. Once you’ve done whatever pie top you like, press the edges together, using either your fingers or a fork to firm seal around the edge of the pan. You don’t want this part to seperate as it cooks.

8. Trim the excess pastry from around the edge of the pie pan.

9. Combine the melted butter and milk and brush over the top of the crust liberally.

10. Pop it in the oven and cook for 25 - 35 minutes. Or 50 minutes if your oven is as terrible as mine.

11. Remove then the top is a nice golden brown - enjoy piping hot with ice-cream or cream.

Victoria Sandwich | The Flatshare

'Hi Leon, I don't know - I've not really thought about it like that, actually. My knee-jerk reaction is yeah, he's good for me. But then, I don't know. We were very up and down, one of those couples everyone's always talking about (we've broken up and got back together a few times before). It's easy to remember the happy times - and there were tons of them, and they were awesome - But  guess since we broke up I've only remembered those. So I know that being with him was fun. But was it good for me? Ugh, I don't know.
Hence the Victoria sandwich with homemade jam.
Tiffy xx'
The Flatshare
Beth O'Leary

I think that everybody can appreciate what it’s like to have housemates. Coming home to a house that may already be full of people, the smell of dinner beginning to waft from the kitchen and the scattering of shoes that have to be kicked away from the front door. It’s always a delight when you manage to find housemates that you get along with, whether that be mutual ignorance of each other or a tentative friendship that can grow.

In Beth O’Leary’s The Flatshare, main characters, Leon and Tiffy, have a seemingly ideal arrangement. Tiffy works days and has the flat and bed at nights. Leon works nights and has the flat and bed during the days. A somewhat ideal arrangement for a city as expensive as London. The Flatshare is a quirky and charming look into the lives of Leon and Tiffy, through the narration of both their personal lives and the multitude of notes they leave scattered about for each other.

One aspect of The Flatshare that I instantly connected with was Tiffy’s coping mechanisms of baking. Who doesn’t deal with any life issues that way? Had a bad day, bake a cake. It is possibly the best way to deal with any stressful situation. While Leon and Tiffy do tend to favour tiffin (a dessert I had never heard of until this read) I immediately jumped at the chance to try my hand at a Victoria sandwich.

Most of my memories associated with Victoria sandwiches are from my grandma. It was her go to cake - the lightest and fluffiest sponge you could ever imagine, layered with thick cream and fresh berries. Delicious. I may not have created something as good as my memories of my grandma’s version - but this one is pretty damn good.

*Notes: I always use Nuttelex as my butter replacement, but you can use whatever you have handy. Best to make the jam the day before or leave enough time to allow it to cool.

Victoria Sandwich
Ingredients
Cake
550g self-raising flour
350g butter *see note
350g golden caster sugar
400ml milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
Buttercream
70g vegetable shortening, softened
150g butter *see note
3 cups icing sugar
2 vanilla pods, scraped out
Homemade Strawberry Jam
400g frozen or fresh strawberries
2 cups white sugar
Juice of one lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
Decorations
Fresh strawberries (or any other berries you want, really)
1 tbsp icing sugar

Jam

1. If using fresh strawberries, mash up before placing them in a saucepan. If using frozen, just add straight into a medium saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice.

2. Keep the saucepan on a low heat, continuously stirring until the sugar is dissolved completely. If you’re using frozen strawberries, begin to mash them down with a fork during this time as they start to defrost.

3. Increase the heat until bubbling lightly. The jam will start to thick and become quite syrupy. Once it reaches the consistency you want, transfer it to a bowl and refrigerate until you’re ready to put the cake together.

Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C, and prepare two 8” cakes tins by greasing them well and placing a a square of baking paper on the bottom.

2. Stir together the apple cider vinegar and milk - leave to sit and curdle for a few moments.

3. In a large bowl cream together the butter and golden caster sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Sift in the flour, baking power and add in the vanilla extract and milk mixture. Mix until the batter is smooth with no lumps - but be careful not to over-mix. I did mine in my stand mixer and only mixed it for approx. 2 minutes.

5. Split the batter between the cake tins and place into the oven for 30 minutes. If a skewer inserted into the middle comes out wet, or the middle still looks a little wobbly, leave in for an additional 5 - 10 minutes.

6. After they’ve come out of the oven, leave them in the tins for at least 15 minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack. Leave the cakes to cool completely before attempting to put them together, otherwise the heat will melt the jam and buttercream.

Buttercream

1. While the cake is cooling it’s a great time to make the buttercream. Beat together the shortening and butter until it’s lightly and fluffy, and well mixed.

2. Gradually add in the icing sugar, mixing as you go and the vanilla seeds scraped from the pod.

3. The end result should be a buttercream that’s firm enough to hold the two cakes in place but not so firm it’s hard to spread.

4. If your cakes are properly cooled, it’s time to put it all together. Spread a layer of jam on one cake, and a layer of buttercream before sandwiching them together. You can also put fresh berries between the layers if you like as well.

5. Finish the cake off with a sifting of icing sugar and some berries on top. Absolutely delightful with a cup of tea!

Strawberry and Peanut Butter Ice-Cream | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry, Ron and Hermione strolled off along the winding, cobbled street. The bag of gold, silver and bronze jangling cheerfully in Harry's pocket was clamouring to be spent, so he bought three large strawberry and peanut-butter ice-creams which they slurped happily as they wandered up the alley, examining the fascinating shop windows.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
J.K Rowling

It was only a matter of time before I started on the absolute smorgasbord of food throughout the Harry Potter series. I’m sure that many other children, like myself, dreamed of getting to visit Florean Fortescue’s ice-cream parlour when first exploring the world of Harry Potter within the books. Everything within the pages always (and still does) seemed so magical - even the ice creams.

Even growing up in a coastal town of Australia, where ice-cream is practically mandatory in the summer months, I had never come across this particular flavour before. It seems so bizarre that, of course, it would only be available in a magical world. Looking at it more rationally now - peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwiches were very much a staple growing up, I just didn’t really seem to put the two together.

This recipe ended up being both delightfully fruity and refreshing (little benefit of having coconut milk instead of dairy) with hidden pockets of peanut butter throughout. It may be the beginning of winter in Melbourne, but it’s never going to be too cold for ice-cream.

*Note: I used coconut milk for this recipe, however you can sub with dairy cream/milk if you want

Strawberry and Peanut Butter Ice-cream
Makes approx. 550g
Ingredients
2 x 400ml can coconut milk (full fat) *see note
350g frozen or fresh strawberries
5 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp corn starch
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup white sugar
Big pinch salt

1. Place the container of the ice-cream maker into the freezer to pre-chill.

2. Put all ingredients into a saucepan, excluding the peanut butter, and heat gradually until it is simmering.

3. Stir thoroughly to ensure all sugar and cornstarch is dissolved and mixed in.

4. Remove from the heat and, using a fork or masher, squish all the strawberries roughly in the saucepan. It’s fine if there are chunks remaining - it’s more delicious in the ice-cream anyway.

5. Pour into the container of the pre-chilled ice-cream maker and follow the directions according to your particular machine.

6. Once it’s nice and thick (mine took around 30 minutes), remove from machine and begin transferring to a sealable container. While you’re doing this, you want to spread spoonfuls of the peanut butter throughout the ice-cream, ensuring an even distribution.

7. Freeze for around one hour before serving.

Bombe Alaska | The Bell Jar

'Oh-oh!' Betsy said sympathetically. She must have seen the tears that plopped down into my dessert dish of meringue and brandy ice cream, because she pushed over her own untouched dessert and I started absently on that when I'd finished my own. I felt a bit awkward about the tears, but they were real enough.
The Bell Jar
Sylvia Plath

It may be winter but my love for ice-cream, frozen yoghurt and generally any decadent frozen confectioner is not disappearing. A toasty on the outside, and chilly on the inside dessert seemed to be the perfect accompaniment for the vaguely dismal weather.

The Bell Jar is one of the first novels I read that seemed to stick with me - it was when I was sixteen and attempting to both embrace (what I thought) was my true nature via skinny jeans and lip piercings and still feel pretentious and somewhat arrogant by reading, what I deemed to be, books of consequence and feminist prose.

It was fascinating I think because of the somewhat new nature that the style of the book had. I was used to books with clear beginnings, middles and happy endings. Hobbits taking a ring to a volcano, Harry and the trio defeating Voldemort etc etc. This was one of my first looks at a book that didn’t feel the need to spell out every action that occurs, or to paint a traditional, in your face happy ending for the reader.

It’s an occasional re-read every now and then, sometimes when I’m feeling a little melodramatic and have the need to revisit a protagonist that captures that in a way. It was on one of my last reads that I began to take note of the food throughout - along with the stomach turning crab salad that is served during a luncheon, Esther also partakes of a dessert dish made from meringue and brandy ice-cream.

I am sure that the dessert served that night would have been a touch more elegant that what I made - I’m sure this recipe is just as delicious. I exchanged the brandy for rum because despite myself and my housemates have an extensive liquor cabinet, we did not have any brandy at the time.

*Note: I do not eat eggs, thus the chickpea meringue. Honestly, it’s delicious and probably tastes better than actual egg meringue. But if you really can’t bring yourself to it, just google a quick Italian meringue recipe and that’ll work just as well.

Chocolate Rum Bombe Alaskas
Makes approx. 8 - 10
Ingredients
Chocolate Rum Ice-cream
2 x 400ml can coconut milk (make sure it’s full fat)
2 tbsp corn starch
1.2 cup cocoa powder
1tsp vanilla extract
1 cup white sugar
Big pinch salt
60ml spiced rum (if you want to stay traditional, use brandy)
Italian Meringue *see note
1 x can of chickpea brine (aquafaba)
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar

1. Whisk together all your ingredients in a medium sized saucepan.

2. Heat on medium until warmed, stirring continuously as the mixture thickens (it is does not thicken add a little more corn starch in.)

3. Place the ice-cream mix into your pre chilled freezer bowl and leave to churn until the ice-cream thickens considerably (it took mine close to 40 minutes to thicken properly.)

4. Move bowl to the freezer once it has reached a good thickness - best to leave for a few hours to really freeze through at this stage.

1. Beat around 2/3 of the aquafaba in a mixer with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form.

2. During this, heat the remaining aquafaba and the sugar together in a saucepan - bringing the temperature as high as possible before the mixture starts to caramelise.

3. While the mixer is still going, slowly drizzle in the heated aquafaba and sugar into the meringue mix.

4. Add in the vanilla and beat on high until stiff peaks form.

5. You can either use a piping bag at this stage to pipe the meringue around the ice-cream or just a spoon to sort of build it up - either way it’s going to be delicious.

1. I just used my coconut cream cake recipe for the cupcakes and omitted the coconut - but you can honestly use any cake recipe and it’s fine, the real star of the dish is going to be the marshmellow-y meringue and booze-laden ice-cream anyway.

2. Slice your cupcakes in half so you’ve got nice even circles to work with. Each of these needs a good, round scoop of ice-cream on it, making sure that you leave space around the sides for the meringue to be piped up.

3. Carefully pipe or spoon the meringue around the ice-cream, it should be thick enough to hold it’s shape so that you can complete all of them in one go.

4. Now it’s the fun part, using a blow torch carefully toast the meringue until all sides are a nice golden brown.

5. And the best part of the entire process, eating it! Make sure to serve straight away.

Dutch Christmas Bread | The Goldfinch

Lifting the tops of the trays with a flourish. ‘Special Dutch Christmas bread,’ he said, pointing it out ironically. ‘Just for today.’ I’d ordered the ‘Festive Champagne Breakfast’ which included a split of champagne, truffled eggs and caviar, a fruit salad, a plate of smoked salmon, a slab of pate, and half a dozen dishes of sauce, cornichons, capers, condiments, and pickled onions.
The Goldfinch
Donna Tartt

The Goldfinch is really an incredible book - it draws you into the narrative of the main character in a way that shouldn’t be so fascinating, but is. The author, Donna Tartt, entices you deeply into the life of the titular character Theo and his struggles with the direction his life takes.

Another great thing about The Goldfinch is the absolute smorgasbord of food that Theo partakes in throughout the pages of the novel. Form western omelettes and home fries to caviar, fruit salad and smoked salmon pate. With so many choices it became increasingly difficult to narrow down what I would make from it (though I am sure that more from it’s pages will appear on this blog at some point in time). I ended up deciding on Dutch Christmas bread, a component of the delightfully indulgent breakfast that Theo orders on what he believed may be his last free day.

Also, because I wanted to know what Dutch Christmas bread was. A little bit of googling later and I came across the delicious looking Kerststol - a Dutch version of the more well known German stollen. A yeast-based bread filled with rum soaked fruits and nuts with pockets of marzipan or almond paste hidden within. I combined a few recipes online to come up with a vegan version that worked well - my first batch turned into a rock hard mess, but the second came out light, fluffy and deliciously warm.

Dutch Christmas Bread
Ingredients
Dough
1 1/2 cups of plain flour + 1 cup (you may need a little extra if the dough is too sticky etc)
1/2 cup milk
3 tbsp melted coconut oil
2 tsp active yeast
3 1/2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp water - warm
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cardamon
1/4 tsp ground gloves
1 tsp vanilla
Icing sugar - for decorating
Fruit Filling
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup dried apricots
3 tbsp dark rum
Zest of one orange
Almond Paste
1 cup almond meal
1 cup icing sugar
1 tsp maple syrup
3 tbsp cold water
1 tsp almond extract

1. Rough chop the dried apricots, walnuts and sultanas, combine with the zest and cover it all with the dark rum. Put it all in a sealable container and give it a good shake to make sure they’re all covered - these need to sit in the fridge for at least one night.

2. The almond paste should also, ideally, be made the day before. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until they all come together as a soft ball. You may need to add a little more powdered sugar if necessary. Wrap it up tightly in cling wrap and refrigerate.

3. Combine the active yeast, warm water and 1/2 tbsp of sugar in a mixing bowl. Leave for about ten minutes - until it goes quite frothy.

4. Add in 3/4 cup of plain flour to the yeast mixture, along with the remaining sugar, milk and oil.

5. Separately mix together 3/4 cup plain flour, all the spices, vanilla, salt and the soaked nuts and dried fruits (make sure you pat the excess liquid off these, otherwise they can make the dough too soggy).

6. Combine both mixes together and knead for 5 - 8 minutes, adding in additional flour if the dough feels too sticky. It shouldn’t be too dry - and should be able to be rolled into a ball easily.

7. Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean cloth - leave in a warm place to rise for around two hours.

8. Once the dough has doubled in size, place it back onto a lightly floured surface and give it a quick knead before pressing down into a rough rectangular shape - around 5cms thick.

9. Place chunks of the refrigerated almond paste over the dough - depending how much you want in there. Roll up the dough tightly from the side and press the seams together.

10. Place into an oiled bread tin and cover again, leaving to rise for another two hours.

11. Preheat oven to 170C.

12. Once the dough has doubled in size, bake it for around 30-40 minutes - checking to see if it’s done by how hollow the top sounds when tapping it.

13. Leave to cool for about 10 minutes, and decorated with a liberal sprinkle of icing sugar on top. Enjoy!