:: Easy Kitchen Competition::

Zyliss Cheese Grater Ultimate Giveaway

:: Megann’s  Kitchen ::

:: one of two Zyliss cheese graters available to win from Kitchenware Direct ::

Extract from Megann’s Easy Kitchen

“I have to say there are some items & products in my kitchen I simply couldn’t live without. They are things that I rate highly in efficiency & quality. I am going to bring a few essential items to you under a title Easy Kitchen. It is aimed at products in the kitchen that make my life just that little bit easier, & hopefully yours too. They are a few items that I believe help a kitchen to work like a dream, so please enjoy my new Easy Kitchen in the new year!”

Megann

My personal Giveaway criteria

The products that I am offering as giveaways at this stage have been generously contributed by companies that meet a strict criteria. These aren’t just any products, no no. These ultimate kitchen pieces are currently used & loved in my kitchen. I simply want to pass on to you what I believe every kitchen should have.

 

the Competition Sponsor

Welcome to Megann’s Kitchen’s VERY FIRST ultimate giveaway. Kitchenware Direct has kindly provided us with some Zyliss products being from Easy Kitchen’s first post of the ZylissClassic Fine Drum Cheese Grater. Click through to find some Zyliss products on Kitchenware Direct’s web site at a fantastic price here plus read the Megann's Kitchen review here.

:: the image of the current model available to WIN! ::

the Competition Details

Simply leave a comment at the bottom of this post or my facebook page answering this simple question- in approximately 25 words or less:

“What quality kitchen product makes your everyday life oh so Easy & why?”

Like this competition? Don’t forget to sign up for Megann’s Kitchen e-newsletter, facebook page or join the blog site to find out about more fantastic giveaways! See right of screen.

:: milling some perfect cheese ::

Terms & Conditions

• There are two chances to win: Kitchenware Direct has provided us with 2 amazing Zyliss Classic Fine Drum Cheese Graters, thank you!
• The competition commences 11:59pm A.E.S.T on Sunday 5th February 2012. Entries close 11.59pm A.E.S.T on Wednesday 29^th February 2012
• Good NEWS! You can enter as many times as you like.
• Each individual entry will be judged based on literary and creative merit, then placed into a draw of 10 finalists. The winning 2 entries will be extracted from a draw of 10 finalists, based on chance.
• Prizes are not transferable or exchangeable & cannot be taken as cash.
• The total RRP of the prize is $32.95 x2
• Winners will be announced on Megann’s Kitchen blog site, facebook page. Keep on clicking in to see if you are a winner!

·         Competition is only open to Australian residents.

Thank you everyone... & good luck!

UPDATE

The Competition has now Closed!

:: competition winners - Lis & Melissa ::

Congratulations to Lis Meehan & Melissa Hales for their fantastic entries! The Zyliss Cheese Grater will be sent to you soon from our friends at Kitchenware Direct!  


To make it completely fair... I took the names off the entries & my husband & I went through & chose the top ten, placing them into a draw. His hands did the honour of picking the winners from the finalists :) It was so much fun being able to give my readers a prize, I can't wait to do it again!


A special mention to Jasmine1485 for your entries, thank you! Also, to Nattie - the food processor you described on the FB page sounded simply amazing & full of love. I hope mine is like that one day.

:: Friendly Friands ::

Friands of Love

:: Megann’s Kitchen ::

:: valentine's day raspberry friands ::

It was February in 2009 that I first made these Friands inspired by Donna Hay’s Classics Cookbook 2. It was the time of the devastating bushfires in Victoria & one of them threatened my hometown of Myrtleford in the Alpine Shire. Many of my friends & loved ones were on high alert. All of them were fighting – fighting the fire in the Country Fire Authority (CFA), fighting for their homes & fighting for the town that I know & love. I felt so helpless being so far away. What could I do? I decided to hold a bake sale to raise money for the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal who had a bushfire appeal. I took a selection of baked treats to both my work and my husband’s & due to the generosity of the contributors we made almost $500!

I just love Friands – because of their name, they make me think of my friends & the people that I love in life. I have continued to make these gorgeous treats time & time again just adoring the simplicity of them. They can come in the guise of blueberry as well, one of my favourites, but this time I made red raspberry ones for my friend & Valentine. Mick – I heart you... in friands!

125g butter

1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
1 cup almond meal
1 ½ cups icing sugar sifted
¾ cup plain flour sifted
½ tsp baking powder
5 egg whites of large eggs
1 punnet of fresh berries

Preheat your oven 180°C (350°F).  Pre-prepare by greasing & flouring a friand or muffin tin (this time I chose a heart shaped silicone mould). Place the butter & vanilla over low heat, melting it & allowing it to bubble until it starts to go just golden in colour. Set aside to cool slightly.
Place almond meal, icing sugar, flour & baking powder in a bowl & stir to combine. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in the egg whites, and stir until just combined. Add the melted butter mixture & fold again until just mixed in. Spoon approx 2 tablespoons of the mixture into each prepared mould, then place chosen berries on top by gently pushing them in until they are just poking up from the mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden & springy on top but still moist in the centre. Leave to cool for 10 minutes & turn out onto a wire rack.

:: makes approximately 10 gorgeous friands.

:: beating egg whites to a soft peak ::

:: folding through the eggwhites into the mixture ::

To Serve

:: Simply dust with icing sugar. For an extra indulgence, I sometimes like to warm them & add a dollop of double cream. Ooooohhhh!!!

:: my little kitchen helper ::

:: cleaing up the dishes ::

Kitchen Notes
::  As mentioned, you can choose any berry that you like! I have used blueberries, strawberries & raspberries all successfully. You could also try blackberries or peaches. 
:: I also like to make mini friends for my toddler – he loves to help make them as well! 
:: Whenever you have leftover eggwhites, friends are a great solution. Eggwhites can keep up to two weeks in the fridge if in a sealed container. 
:: Friands freeze very well. These make for a great lunchbox snack as they thaw just in time for morning tea as well as holding their shape. 
:: Replace the flour with a gluten free substitute to make friands for coeliac friends.

:: strawberry friands cooling in a mini muffin tin ::

Friand

:: The friand pastry, which has become popular in Australia & New Zealand appears to have been based on the French financier; however, Australian & New Zealand friands typically have additional flavourings such as fruit, coconut, chocolate, and nuts. Australian & New Zealand friands are also typically baked in oval shapes.

:: making mini strawberry friands ::

:: A financier is a small French cake, often mistaken for a pastry. The financier is a light, moist teacake, similar to sponge cake, and usually contains almond flour, crushed or ground almonds, or almond flavoring. The basis of the cake itself is beurre noisette (brown butter), egg whites, powdered sugar and flour. Financiers are often baked in shaped moulds. The name "financier" is said to derive from the traditional rectangular mould, which resembles a bar of gold. Another theory says that the cake became popular in the financial district of Paris surrounding La Bourse du Commerce (the former name of the Paris stock exchange).

:: flavourful raspberry friands ::

Financiers are often served topped with whipped cream, berries, or other fruit, and served accompanied by ice cream or other frozen confections. Financier pans are traditionally rectangular; however, other shapes are not uncommon.

Source

:: The origins for the “friand” is sourced from Wikipedia.

I would also love to see your Megann's Kitchen Creations/photos of recipes that you have made on Megann’s Kitchen Facebook! 

:: Lemon Divine ::

The best ever Lemon Tart

:: Megann’s Kitchen ::

:: the best ever lemon tart ::

Ahhh, Melbourne. The food love of my life. If there was one thing I used to love about working in the cafe scene was the sensation of ordering a sweet lemon tart to accompany my always perfect latte. CafeSegovia in Melbourne's Block Arcade would have to be where my obsession started. The small, yet busy cafe, was not only a source of income for me during some penny pinching years whilst studying, but owners also dutifully fed me with generous staff meals & treats. I have to admit, I wasn’t the greatest waitress in the world, but working there was some of the happiest times I can remember. It was a carefree environment full of laughter where simply working the Friday Jazz nights or hearing the newly released Santana’s ‘Smooth’ (yes, it was summer of '99 if I recall!) over & over on the stereo would fill me with joy.

:: pouring the mixture into the blind baked pastry ::

I came across this divine, yet relatively easy, recipe in Stephanie Alexander’s Cooks Companion once when I had too many lemons & I knew instantly it was the one which would transport me back to one of my favourite places of employment. The luxuriously smooth lemony curd is ideal for a hot Summers day dessert to cut through the empowerment of any meal & to finish it off with perfection. Not to mention the lively green mint with the golden lemon looks very Australian for Australia Day on the 26^th January!

Pastry - check... lemons - check... other fridge/pantry items - check.... 
now let's go!

1 quantity sweet shortcrust pastry

3 large lemons

6 eggs

250g caster sugar

200 ml cream

1 tsp vanilla bean paste or seeds of 1 vanilla bean

pure icing (confectioner's) sugar to dust

Line a 24 cm loose-bottomed tart pan with pastry, then bake blind at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes. Remove pastry weights & parchment paper then bake for another 5 minutes, until just cooked through. Reset your oven to 160°C (320°F).

:: preparing the mixture ::

Zest and juice the 3 lemons. Combine eggs & sugar until well combined, then add the zest & lemon juice & stir. Add cream & vanilla seeds/paste & mix well using a whisk. Pour into just-baked pastry case and bake for 35-45 minutes until almost set & just turning a golden blonde on top. Cool in tin for at least 30 minutes before serving however, as it's a custard base, it's ideal chilled in the fridge for at least an additional 30 minutes to allow it to fully set. Serve dusted with icing sugar and with thick cream.

Serve

:: I like to serve my lemon tart with double thickened cream & a light dusting of icing sugar.

:: adding a festive touch ::

Style

:: I couldn’t help myself this festive season when I made this recipe- I cut out some white chocolate stars & piped some of the remainder melted white chocolate over a slice to present. To garnish I used some baby mint leaves to accentuate colour & freshness.

:: lemon fresh ::

Kitchen Notes

:: Short of time & don’t want to make your own pastry? For a home-made result I highly recommend the amazingly gourmet Carême VanillaBean Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (located in speciality food stores, such as Essential Ingredient) - or Pampas Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (located in Supermarkets). This pastry is incredible... hand-made in their kitchens just for you.

:: As it is a loose bottom tin, I like to place it on a tray to remove & place back in the oven with ease. This way there is no chance of you accidentally breaking the crust of your pastry by putting your hand through the base!

:: Remember that the lemon filling will continue to set upon cooling.

Update
:: Today I made it with rather sweet lemons & found 250g of caster sugar to be too much - you can easily adjust the sweetness of your tart by simply adding less sugar - approximately 200g of caster sugar (give or take) in this circumstance. 
:: I place any leftover lemony egg mixture into oven safe dishes (try tea cups) with some rasberries sprinkled on top & bake for 25-30 minutes as a chefs/toddlers treat! Yummy.

:: freshly baked easy lemon tart ::

Dedicated to Owen Brokensha

:: Sharing fond memories of my life-long friend: he used to come & visit me on my break at Cafe Segovia for a coffee, dessert & a little gossip. It was tremendous working so close by each other!

From Stephanie Alexander, The Cook's Companion, 1996.

I would also love to see your Megann's Kitchen Creations/photos of recipes that you have made on Megann’s Kitchen Facebook! 

 

:: Shortcrust Heaven ::

Never Fail Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

:: Megann’s Kitchen ::

:: preparing to blind bake the never fail sweet shortcrust pastry ::

This recipe is the ultimate Sweet Shortcrust Pastry for tarts. It holds its form perfectly & the shrinkage is minimal. Why? I think adding the egg yolks are the secret. I find that it is also a little more forgiving than others. Just when I think I have completely ruined my pastry attempt by adding too much water, over handling the mixture or even over baking it turns itself around & I end up looking at a successful tart in wonderment.

Another key element in pastry is to have quick hands. Make sure that your mind doesn’t wonder off whilst using the food processor or over kneading it on the bench top. The less handling the better where pastry is concerned! Remember that & you will have brilliant pastry every time.

I first found this recipe in a Delicious Magazine from one of their regional Cafe adventures. I love the fact that it isn’t from a celebrity chef/cook, but someone more like me who, in another lifetime, would run a rustic & homely cafe in the beautiful Alpine wine region in North East Victoria. Yes, my own cafe truly would be an adventure!

250g plain flour

100g chilled unsalted butter, chopped

100g caster sugar

2 egg yolks

A pinch of salt

2-3 Tbs chilled water

Place the flour, butter, sugar & salt in a food processor. I use my ever so trusty KitchenAid. Pulse in the food processor until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the two egg yolks & whilst blending, add 2-3 Tbs of chilled water until the mixture comes together. When the mixture just combines into a ball (see picture), stop the processor & form a disc in your hands. Wrap in cling wrap & chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. 

:: adding the egg to the flour mixture ::

Preheat oven to180°C (350°F). On a lightly floured surface with cling wrap below, roll the pastry until it is 3-5mm thick. With the cling wrap still attached to the pastry, carefully lift & line a greased 28 cm loose-bottomed tart pan with pastry, then trim with the heal of your hand. Chill for 10 minutes in the freezer or 20 minutes in the fridge. Remove the cling wrap, prick the pastry with a fork then line with parchment paper & fill with pastry weights. Bake blind at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes. Remove pastry weights & parchment paper then bake for another 5 minutes, until just cooked through. Reset your oven to your desired temperature for recipe filling. 

:: resembling fine breadcrumbs ::

:: process til pastry forms a ball ::

:: cover in cling wrap & chill ::

:: I use biscuit & pastry flour ::

Kitchen Notes

:: As it is a loose bottom tin, I like to place it on a tray to remove & place back in the oven with ease. This way there is no chance of you accidently breaking the crust of your pastry!

:: Don’t skip the resting/chilling process! It is essential to stop the shrinkage of your pastry.

:: I always roll my pastry onto a large piece of cling wrap. This helps a great deal when transferring to your desired baking tin.

:: In lieu of pastry weights, you can use uncooked rice, dried beans or even small, clean polished pebbles.

:: I have also made this pastry a day in advance, simply keeping it chilled in the refrigerator as a rolled ball, wrapped in cling wrap.

:: Remember, quick hands! Especially in a warm room- you don’t want the butter to melt.

:: Keep the remainder of the pastry for biscuits or styling accents to your tart/pie.

:: while cling wrap is on, remove pastry with hand then chill ::

:: prick the pastry evenly with a fork ::

Quick Kitchen

:: Short of time & can’t make your own pastry? I keep a couple boxes of Carême Pastry in my freezer for such occasions & your guests will be none the wiser. Carême Vanilla Bean Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (located in specialty food stores, such as Essential Ingredient) is incredible & their All Butter Puff Pastry is second to none.

:: I recommend Pampas Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (located in Supermarkets), however don’t be fooled into the low fat option. It turns out quite tough & biscuit like instead of the wonderfully short texture that you are aiming for. Full butter please!

:: a perfectly blonde pastry ready for desired filling ::

I would also love to see your Megann's Kitchen Creations/photos of recipes that you have made on Megann’s Kitchen Facebook!