Your eyes are not fooling you… you are finally looking at a new post on Butter Sugar Flour. It has been 3 months since I last uploaded anything and I know that is a really poor effort. I’m sorry! Thanks to all those lovely readers who sent me emails of concern asking how I was and where I have been (lots of: “are you okay?” “is everything okay?” “ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?!”). I’ve had a rather rough start to 2010 and things are much better, but there is still a lot that needs to improve! I am staying as positive as I can though, which is the only way to be! :)

Since this is my first post for 2010, I might as well share a few of my goals for this year. I wouldn’t say they are new year’s resolutions, but just things to strive for. They aren’t listed in order of importance:

To get out of Australia…

I don’t mean permanently as I do love my hometown of Melbourne very much, but I do want to begin travelling internationally this year (although I haven’t ruled out moving abroad in the coming years). I haven’t been overseas since I was 10 years old and thirteen years is a very long time to stay in the confines of my island country! I need to explore this wonderful earth of ours, see the sights of the world, experience different cultures and just have some fun! I am actually considering a two month holiday in the coming months, to USA and Europe. Hopefully it works out!

Potential disasters in the kitchen…

I aim to be more experimental in terms of food and baking this year. I don’t mean really crazy and wacky flavour combinations, but more so trying out more and more recipes (especially from my big cookbook collection) and to not be afraid in trying something, even though it looks very difficult and daunting… At the moment I have a list as long as my arm of recipes I want to try. Just to name a few: rhubarb and blueberry jam, chai creme brulee tarts and lemon curd crepe cake – yum!

Looking through the viewfinder…

I really want to improve on my photography this year and really grow into a specific style. I want to be a better photographer, I want to know the complete ins and outs of my beast of a camera and I am just really keen to keep on learning about anything and everything related to digital photography: lighting, composition, workflow, post processing, flash work – all of it. I carry my camera everywhere with me now, and although it gives me a sore shoulder, I never miss out on a photo opportunity! I have also recently joined the Beyond Snapshots team as a photography intern/assistant and am really excited to see what I will be able to learn from this role. A portfolio is in the works this year too…

Blog, what blog?

This blog needs some attention! I want to update more often (and I will) and it is in dire need of a makeover which needs to be done ASAP! The theme you are looking at now was meant to be a temporary fix for only a few weeks whilst I worked with several web designers, but due to timing and “creative differences”, nothing ever happened. I considered hiring another web designer to help me change the blog, but I’ve decided to tackle it on my own. It’s time to get my geek on! Wish me luck!

I have a few other personal and career goals on my “let’s do it in 2010″ list, but I think they’d be pretty boring to share. What I will share with you is a recipe for raspberry marshmallows. It is the exact same recipe as the passionfruit marshmallows featured on this blog and are just as delicious. This recipe is so versatile, you could make any fruit-flavoured marshmallow you want, may strawberry, blueberry or peach. It is a foolproof recipe that I have made many, many times before.

Raspberry Marshmallows

300g raspberries

500g caster sugar

20g powdered gelatine

2 eggwhites

snow sugar, for dusting (Snow sugar is icing sugar with vegetable fat, cornflour and dextrose added to prevent the sugar from absorbing moisture and dissolving. Icing sugar/confectioner’s sugar is a suitable substitute if you can’t obtain snow sugar)

1. Lightly grease and line a 17cm x 25cm shallow cake pan an dust base liberally with snow sugar.
2. Place the raspberries in a small pan and cook over medium heat, smooshing them with a spatula. Cook until they fall apart, let cool and pass through a sieve. You should get around 200ml of puree. Combine the puree with gelatine in a bowl and set aside.
3. Combine caster sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan and coojk over low heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves, then increaseheat to medium and cook for 5-10 minutes or until syrup reaches 125C on a sugar thermometer. Remove from heat, add passionfruit mixture to syrup and stir until gelatine dissolves. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, whisk eggwhites and a pinch of salt until frothy. Gradually add passionfruit mixture, whisking continuously on medium speed until mixture has doubled in size, then slowly decrease speed and mix until mixture is warm (about 40C). Pour into prepared cake pan, and using a lightly oiled spatula, spread evenly, then dust top liberally with snow sugar. Stand at room temperature for 3 hours or until firm. Using a sharp, serrated knife dusted with snow sugar, cut marshmallow into squares and roll in snow sugar to coat.

Store in an airtight container between sheets of baking paper at room temperature for up to two weeks.

“YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HAWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!” That’s me screaming with excitement as I left university this afternoon (an internal scream of course). It was my final exam of the year and I have never looked more forward to the end of semester than I have this year. When I decided to go back to uni part time coupled with full time work, I didn’t think it was going to be a breeze, but I didn’t think it was going to be as tough as I have experienced. I have learnt a lot in my studies over the last two semesters and have thoroughly enjoyed the weekly discussion with my peers, but I spent way too many weekends reading and studying at the library and fighting peak hour traffic on Tuesday nights to get to lectures on time. There were also too many nights where I had to come home after a full day of constant meetings, emails and headaches to complete an assignment late into the night. Suffice to say, Linda was not a happy girl!

Now that school is over, I finally have some more time up my sleeve! I’m looking forward to summer, going to the beach, catching up on reading and exploring photography more (my camera has been idle and gathering dust on my bookshelf). More time up my sleeve means more time with Z, friends and family, lazy days and just having more time to do whatever the hell I wish to. I’m going to start another blog with a my sweet friend Amanda too which is rather exciting! I will also get to spend more time baking and blogging, sharing more yummy recipes like this upside down pear and ginger cake. It’s sticky, it’s moist and has just the right amount of sugar and spice.

So three cheers for finishing school and celebrating with yummy cake! Hip hip hooray!

Upside Down Pear Ginger Cake

Adapted from a recipe found on Taste.

1 and 2/3 cups brown sugar

250g butter, melted

4 medium pears, cored, peeled and cut into 2cm slices

1 cup golden syrup

2 eggs

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

big pinch of salt

2 and 1/2 cups plain flour

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

200ml buttermilk or sour cream

1. Preheat the oven to 160C (140C if fan forced). Grease and line a 23cm square cake pan.
2. Sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the base of pan. Pour 1/3 cup butter over the sugar and arrange the pear slices in a single layer over the butter and sugar.
3. In a large bowl, combine the remaining butter, eggs, sugar and golden syrup. Sift in the flour, spices, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Fold through the buttermilk or sour cream. Pour this batter over the pears.
4. Bake for an hour and half or until cooked through and tested with a skewer. Stand for 10 minutes before turning out. Serve warm or cold.

Dear Summer,

I really, really miss you. Melbourne is now well and truly into it’s winter season and boy, am I already over it. I know I shouldn’t complain since Winter is pretty bearable, but I want you here NOW! You’re only five months away, but it seems like way too long to wait for some warmth and energy. I am eagerly anticipating your arrival like a little kid awaits Santa come December.

I am not as content as I can be in this current season, with the short days and chilly winds of July kind of  getting me down. I hate waking up with no sunlight streaming through my window, I hate leaving work at 5.30pm to drive home in complete darkness and although I do love my winter scarf collection very much, I really just want to throw on a pair of shorts and have my flip-flops permanently stuck to my feet. I want to be at the park at yet another BBQ, eating yet another burnt sausage in plasticky white bread and downing a beer or two. I want to go indulge myself in the gorgeous fruits of the season: peaches, apricots, nectarines, mangoes, cherries, strawberries, melons, plums… oh I could go on and on.

I do admit, sometimes you can get on my nerves. It sometimes gets so hot, it gets so sticky, so exasperatingly unbearable with the sun burning down so fiercely that I then wish for you to go away, but I do want you here.  I love the sunshine. I love the longer, leisurely days. I love the happiness you bring.

I made this batch of raspberry ice-cream to remind me of what you’re all about. Endless days, warm nights and good times with great friends. I miss that.

Come back soon.

With love,

Linda xox

Raspberry Ice-Cream

Recipe from David Lebovitz’s ‘The Perfect Scoop’, probably one of the best ever ice-cream books I have ever read/used.

1½ cups (375ml) of half-and-half (this isn’t available in Australia, so I substituted 1 cup for milk and ½ cup cream)

1 cup (200g) caster sugar

1½ cups (375ml) heavy cream

4 large egg yolks

1½ cups (375ml) strained raspberry puree (I used frozen ones)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Warm the half-and-half (or alternative) and sugar in a medium saucepan. Pour the cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer over the top.
2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
3. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Mix in the raspberry puree and lemon juice, then stir until cool over an ice bath.
4. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator, but to preserve the fresh raspberry taste, churn the ice cream within 4 hours after making the mixture.

Thirty things that make me smile…

A perfectly baked sponge cake with jam and cream.

Photographing in natural light.

Reminiscing about my first kiss.

Soulful music.

Eating anything wrapped in pastry.

Laughter and uncontrollable giggles.

Receiving a compliment from a stranger.

Birthday and festive season celebrations with family.

Deep and meaningful conversation with close friends.

The kind of love that makes your heart ache when you’re not with them.

Ice-cream in summer anytime of the year.

Kindness. Gentleness. Understanding. Patience.

That look on someone’s face when they open up their gifts.

Farmers’ markets and fresh, seasonal produce.

Shopping until my feet hurt and so much money is spent.

Cupcakes with frosting and sprinkles.

Making new friends.

Flicking through design magazines for inspiration.

A coffee made from ground beans, perfectly steamed milk and served at the right temperature. Then drinking another one.

Fruit smoothies with honey.

Being loved for who I am.

Spending hours and hours in a bookshop, trying to find the right book to take home.

Turning the mobile/laptop off and being disconnected.

Being appreciated and acknowledged.

Log fires, hot chocolate and marshmallows in winter.

Watermelon, floral dresses, flip-flops, last minute BBQs and trips to the beach in summer.

Finding that perfect dress/top/skirt/jeans/shoes that actually fit for a bargain price.

The sense of accomplishment when something difficult has finally been completed.

Reading a book from beginning to end in one sitting.

Thick slices of banana chocolate bread, still warm from the oven…

Banana Chocolate Bread

250g plain flour

2.5 teaspoons baking powder

big pinch of salt

125g dark or milk chocolate, finely chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup caster sugar

2 large eggs

4 large, ripe bananas, mashed (don’t add anymore bananas – it will be too stodgy).

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Grease and line a loaf tin and set aside.
2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir through the chocolate.
3. In a larger bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and banana.
4. Gently combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and be careful not to overmix.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
6. Cool on a wire rack, but eat it warm. It tastes good toasted the next day too :)

Sunday is my favourite day of the week in winter. It’s the perfect day to stay indoors, curled up on the sofa with a warm blanket, a mug of hot tea and a little something sweet to nibble on. That “little something sweet” for this Sunday is this really lemony blueberry cake. I first saw it on Deb’s blog a year ago but had never tried to make it until this morning.

Read more »

To tweet or not to tweet? That is the question that has been on my mind for the last few weeks or so (well that and “should I pay $3000 for a new MacBook Pro?”). It seems that Twitter is “like, the coolest thing everrrrr” right now and I’m wondering if it’s worth jumping on the bandwagon. Do people actually want updates on what I am doing? Do I want to hear about Oprah gushing about puppies, or when Ashton Kutcher reaches his two million followers or what my boss’ wife made for dinner last night or what every other person in the world is doing at that very second? I know it’s a great networking tool and understand that technology is just evolving by allowing us to communicate and connect  with each other more easily, but do we really have to go this far now?

It’s similar to the Facebook phenomenon. Everyone seems to be on Facebook, making ‘friends’, joining common groups and generally spending hours stalking ex-boyfriends/ex-girlfriends/potential partners/friends you wish death upon. Don’t get me wrong, I have a Facebook account and I quite like it. I can see what my friends and family are up to, from those that live down the road, to workmates I see five days a week, to family on the other side of the globe. It’s great… but  the constant status updates of pure drivel from everyone are really starting to do my head in. Worthy examples include:

‘Amy just ate a bowl of milk-less cereal’

‘Christine wore purple socks today!’

‘Kevin is waiting for the 501 bus’

I either have really dull ‘friends’ or just really unimaginative ones, haha! But seriously, before Facebook and Twitter came along, who would have thought to share with the world every boring detail of our lives?

But back to the original point, to tweet or not to tweet? Do I join? Hmm… not sure yet. Maybe I should only follow people who actually compose interesting tweets (but we all know that the majority don’t!).  I’m a bit unsure at this point, but I reckon if I joined today, my first tweet would be:

Hungry? Get this French toast in your belly. You know you want to :) http://tinyurl.com/r6avpd

French Toast with Spiced Pears

Serves 4.

3 eggs

½ cup milk

1 tablespoon caster sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

8 thick slices of white bread

butter, to fry

Pears

3 large pears, peeled, cored, quartered

30g butter

¼ cup brown sugar

good splash of maple syrup

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

maple syrup, to serve

1. For pears: in a small saucepan, melt butter until slightly foamy and the crackling noises stop. This is the water coming out of the butter. Add pears, sugar, cinnamon and maple syrup and mix well. Cook over moderate heat until pears are cooked through.
2. For French toast: in a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Melt a tablespoon or so of butter in a large non-stick saucepan. Wait until foamy, then dip the bread into the egg mixture, place into hot pan and fry until golden brown. Repeat with remaining bread.
3. To serve, place the French toast on a plate, topped with pears and extra maple syrup.

Cream, vanilla ice-cream or plain yoghurt make nice accompaniments.

*Update: 9 October 2009 – Considering this post, I’ve actually joined Twitter now. Follow me @_lindanguyen_ if you are a fellow foodie or friend.

Last month, my full-time job was made redundant (thanks global financial crisis!) and being unemployed for five weeks prior to Christmas has made it tough in the money stakes, but luckily Mr. VISA has since come to my rescue.  For the last fortnight, I have been ringing up the credit, running around like a headless chicken and narrowly avoiding car bingles as I fought with the million other shoppers for a parking space, to buy presents for family, presents for friends, presents for my boyfriend (whoo, Guitar Hero World Tour!), presents for several Kris Kringles and finally, to keep myself sane, a small present or two for me (a pretty scarf and a Moleskine diary). Phew!

Money troubles aside, I do love the festive season as I get to spend time with my family and friends, enjoy summer at it’s best and in true Australian tradition, I love to eat the copious amounts of food at the numerous BBQs which frequent my December calendar. There’s nothing that says Christmas more to me than a few burnt sausages, a juicy slice of watermelon for dessert and a suntan from sitting outside eating all day.

Although unemployed and having lots of “spare” time up my sleeve,  I have been rather slack in the baking department and I didn’t do any Christmas baking this year. No gingerbread house/men, no shortbread, no sweets. Although a blessing in disguise for everyone’s waistlines and arteries, I still feel a little guilty. So today, on New Year’s Eve Eve, I made a big batch of passionfruit marshmallows to share with my family and friends who missed out on the usual goodies that I make. These marshmallows are the most fluffiest, softest and tastiest morsels of sweetness they will ever encounter so hopefully all is forgiven!

Hope you’ve all had a wonderful Christmas and here’s to a Happy New Year! :)

Passionfruit Marshmallows

Recipe by pastry chef Catherine Adams of Rockpool found in the December 2007 edition of Gourmet Traveller.

180ml passionfruit juice (you’ll need around 10 passionfruit)

500g caster sugar

20g powdered gelatine

2 eggwhites

snow sugar, for dusting (Snow sugar is icing sugar with vegetable fat, cornflour and dextrose added to prevent the sugar from absorbing moisture and dissolving. Icing sugar/confectioner’s sugar is a suitable substitute if you can’t obtain snow sugar)

1. Lightly grease and line a 17cm x 25cm shallow cake pan an dust base liberally with snow sugar. Combine passionfruit juice with gelatine in a bowl and set aside.
2. Combine caster sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan and coojk over low heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves, then increaseheat to medium and cook for 5-10 minutes or until syrup reaches 125C on a sugar thermometer. Remove from heat, add passionfruit mixture to syrup and stir until gelatine dissolves. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, whisk eggwhites and a pinch of salt until frothy. Gradually add passionfruit mixture, whisking continuously on medium speed until mixture has doubled in size, then slowly decrease speed and mix until mixture is warm (about 40C). Pour into prepared cake pan, and using a lightly oiled spatula, spread evenly, then dust top liberally with snow sugar. Stand at room temperature for 3 hours or until firm. Using a sharp, serrated knife dusted with snow sugar, cut marshmallow into squares and roll in snow sugar to coat.

Store in an airtight container between sheets of baking paper at room temperature for up to two weeks.

I. LOVE. GRANOLA.

Yep, I love it so much, I had to declare it in capital letters. I know everyone else does too. My first granola recipe is one of the most popular recipes visited on my blog and I thought another version might be appreciated.

What I love about this particular granola recipe is that it’s sweet without being overpoweringly sweet, it has that warm homely smell of cinnamon and vanilla, the apricots had a different textural dimension and it has the perfect amount of crunch. Delicious for breakfast in the morning with yoghurt, yummy as an on-the-go snack and yummy with milk for a late-night treat in front of the TV.

Enjoy!

Apricot Granola

I particularly don’t like clumpy granola, but if you do, simply ensure that you firmly compress the granola into the trays before you let it cool. Then, once it’s cool, you can break it up into clumps.

7 cups rolled oats

2 cups slivered almonds

1 cup brown sugar

¾ cup raw sunflower seeds

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

? cup vegetable oil

½ cup honey

1½ tablespoons vanilla extract

1½ cups diced apricots

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line two large baking trays with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, almonds, sugar, sunflower seeds and cinnamon. In a small saucepan, heat the oil and honey over medium heat until just simmering.
3. Pour the liquid mixture over the oat mixture and thoroughly combine with your hands (careful it’s hot!) until everything is coated. Spread the mixture onto the prepared trays.
4. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, stirring every ten minutes to ensure even browning. Bake until golden brown. Stir in the apricots as soon as you remove the trays from the oven. Allow to cool completely on trays.

Nothing makes me happier than sunny, warm weather, exploring open spaces, taking photos in magical light, spending quality time with my boy and indulging in good food and wine. Luckily for me, I was able to have all of it on the weekend.

I have just returned from a weekend getaway to the Yarra Valley in Victoria’s north-east. This place is known for its lush greenery, wonderful regional produce and fabulous wineries. It is only 45 minutes from Melbourne, yet it feels like a totally different world and is a fantastic place for a foodie/wino to visit, even if it’s just for the day.

The weather was so lovely and warm and on our last day there, I wanted to finish with a simple dessert which wouldn’t take too much time to prepare.

As there is nothing better than seasonal fresh fruit, we happily consumed a big bowl of fresh local strawberries with a rich cinnamon mascarpone cream. Just perfect for Spring!

I hope you enjoy the random photographs that I shot whilst in the Yarra Valley too :)

Strawberries and Cinnamon Mascarpone

500g strawberries, washed

250g mascarpone cheese

a few big tablespoons of icing sugar

ground cinnamon

1. Mix the mascarpone with the icing sugar and cinnamon to taste.
2. Serve with the strawberries. That’s it!

Regular readers would have noticed that the frequency of my baking and blogging has dwindled down to either once a month or even more. I used to bake up a storm, trying several recipes a week and posting at least once a week. I have just been so lazy in the winter months, uninspired and really low on the creativity front. There’s just something about winter, the depressing weather and dreariness of it all which manages to somehow zap my energy levels and eagerness to be as inventive and creative as I can be.

Now that spring has arrived, bringing with it warmer weather and more sunlight during the day, I seem to be happier, re-energised and re-inspired in all almost each key facet in my life: relationships, health/fitness, work and of course my photography and baking.

Also, starting this week, my blog will be updated more regularly, with hopefully more creative recipes, photographs and posts. I also have the intention of changing the layout of my blog too, with a new colour scheme and banner, but this won’t be implemented until the new year I think. I’ve played around with a few ideas in my head, but I need to work out all the geeky stuff first (i.e. moving from Wordpress.com to Wordpress.org and getting my own host), then I can work on the creative.

So, with all that out of the way, my first spring-inspired recipe is the one I am going to share with you today: little mandarin, almond and chocolate cakes. Such a mouthful to say for a tiny cake, but they are so delicious, you wouldn’t care what they are called. The best thing about this recipe too, is that you make it all in the food processor without too many additional bowls, spoons and utensils to wash!

These cakes are so deliciously moist, with the perfect balance of sweet and fruity (the mandarin), nutty and fragrant (the almond) and a small hit of chocolate without overpowering the other flavours. It is also the perfect recipe for those who are gluten intolerant and cannot digest gluten. It can be made into little cakes for afternoon tea as I have done, or made in a big tin, served in slices with double cream and mandarin segments on the side for a fancy, but easy dessert.

Little Mandarin, Almond and Chocolate Cakes

Adapted from Claudia Roden’s recipe for Orange and Almond Cake.

4 medium mandarins (honey murcotts are ideal)

6 eggs

250g almond meal (if you blitz whole almonds yourself, you get a wonderful pebbly texture in the cake)

250g caster sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

150g dark chocolate, finely chopped

50g slivered almonds

icing sugar, to dust

1. In a saucepan, cover the mandarins with water and bring to the boil. Cook for about 45 minutes or until they are soft (they will most likely split). Allow to cool until you can handle them with your fingers.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease 2 x 8 mini loaf tins and set aside.
3. Chop up the mandarins and remove the seeds. Place the mandarins in a food processor along with the eggs, sugar and almond meal. Whizz until combined.
4. Stir through the chocolate and divide the cake batter into the prepared tins. Sprinkle over the slivered almonds and bake for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
5. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Makes 16.

* This post is dedicated to my boyfriend Z who always pushes me to be the best I can be. Thank you always for your encouragement and support.