My local bookstore recently had an eye-catching window display for Kylie Kwong's new book, It Tastes Better - let's just say it involved chicken eggs & straw, but really grabbed my attention. And rightly so. It's a beautiful book, featuring 100 simple and vibrant recipes, created with sustainable produce in mind. I've got a few recipes to share with you over the coming weeks, so stay tuned! First up is "Mum's Butterfly cakes" (the perfect post for a Sunday, right?):
{ Mum’s Butterfly Cakes }
"When I was growing up my parents held many dinner parties, and I always loved to help with the cooking. Mum would delight her guests with 12-course Cantonese style banquets, somewhat curiously completing the meal with an array of very Australian cakes and sweets! Mum’s butterfly cakes have won the hearts of many over the years – and now her gorgeous granddaughter Indy shows every sign of following in her grandma’s footsteps…"
250 g butter
1 cup (220 g) caster sugar
2 eggs
2½ cups (375 g) unbleached self-raising flour
1 cup (250 ml) milk
1 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthways and seeds scraped out
300 ml whipping cream
icing sugar, for dusting
blueberries, to serve
1. Preheat oven to 190°C.
2. With an electric mixer or a wooden spoon, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating each in until well combined. Add sifted flour, milk and vanilla and mix until smooth.
3. Spoon mixture into patty tins lined with paper patty cases. Bake towards the top of the oven for about 15–17 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove cakes from patty tins and allow to cool.
4. Slice tops off cooled cakes, and fill cakes with freshly whipped cream. Carefully cut tops in half and arrange these ‘butterfly wings’ on the cream. Sprinkle a handful of blueberries on and around each cake, then dust with icing sugar before serving.
(Makes 30)
Click here to buy It Tastes Better (Book Depository). Click here to buy It Tastes Better (Booktopia).
