Modern Australian

Now we are six! Celebrate this auspicious occasion with this delightful sssssnakey ssssix cake, by the Australian Women's Weekly. The birthday boy or girl will be delighted!

Keeping time: 3 days. Note

You'll never have plain old mashed potato again after this delicious bacon and cheesy potato bake.

White ready-made fondant (it’s the traditional icing used on wedding cakes), silver luster and cachous can be found at specialty baking and cake-decorating stores. Note

A row of clown faces on a party table decorated with streamers and party whistles would look great. Pushing the “hair” into the cakes is a bit fiddly, and needs to be done about an hour before the party. You will have enough cake mixture left over to make about another five clowns , you’ll […]

Children of all ages will be delighted with a cake that makes one of their favourite games good enough to eat. Note

These peaches will keep for 1 week stored in an airtight container in the fridge. After 2 days, the liquid will increase by half, and the flavours will intensify. Make sure the fruit is covered in the poaching liquid. Keep any leftover poaching liquid to poach other fruit, or reduce to a syrup by simmering […]

Using slightly under-ripe plums gives them a higher pectin level, which helps the paste to set. Note

Bacardi or dark rum can be used, though the slightly darker rum has a stronger flavour. Note

You will need 2 x 180g packets of Allen’s Killer Pythons for this recipe. Note

To keep the coconut free of chocolate drips, spread out half the coconut in a tray and coat half the lamingtons before using the remaining coconut for the remaining lamingtons. This gives the lamingtons a clean look. Lamingtons can be frozen for up to 3 months. Note

Vanilla-infused vodka can be bought from an alcohol store or made at home. To make vanilla-infused vodka, combine 250ml vodka and 2 split vanilla beans in a glass jar, cover; stand for about 5 days or until the vodka is infused with vanilla flavour. Discard vanilla beans before using the vodka. Guava juice is available […]

Slice will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Note

Equipment 25cm (10-inch) round cake pans 35cm (14-inch) round wooden cake board Smoothing tools 2cm (¾-inch), 1.5cm (¾-inch) and 1cm (½-inch) round cutters fine artist’s paint brush We used the end of a 1cm piping tube to cut out the smallest dots. What a fun cake this is to have at a party -­ a […]

You could buy 4 x 75g salmon fillets instead of the larger fillet. The yellow beans add some colour to the dish; if unavailable use green beans. Note

Sweet chilli relish is available in most supermarkets and delicatessens, or other any chutney or relish would be suitable. Note

The seafood can be prepared the night before, as can the dressing. Refrigerate seafood and dressing until you’re ready to start cooking. Note

A deep purple-red spice ground from berries grown on a Mediterranean coastal shrub, sumac adds an astringent flavour to both raw and cooked food. It suits poultry, meat and fish as well as it does a salad. Its piquancy was long only associated with Middle Eastern foods, but these days it is used in many […]

Use any rice you like for this recipe, just make sure it’s cooked properly so every grain is separate. You could use about 3½ cups of cold leftover rice if you happen to have it, if not cook, rinse and drain the rice the day before the picnic. Keep the rice in the fridge. Assemble […]

The cake pops are fiddly to make, but are well worth the effort. We used little sugar roses, bought from the supermarket, to decorate the wedding cakes. Note

We used blue-eye in this recipe, but any white fish fillet will be fine. Peri peri, also spelled piri piri, is a hot chilli sauce used in African, Portuguese and Brazilian cookery. It is available from gourmet food stores and most major supermarkets. Note

You will need about 1⅓ cups (265g) of uncooked rice for this recipe. Note

You’ll need to buy about three packets of conversation hearts to get 16 pink hearts. Note

Syrup can be made the night before and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. Note

It is fine to use just the one 300ml carton of cream for the mocha sauce. Note

You’ll have ¾ cup of the cake mixture left over, enough for another three cup cakes. Note

Recipe is best prepared as required. Note

If kipfler potatoes are unavailable you can use baby new potatoes. You could also use aïoli, a garlic mayonnaise, instead of plain mayonnaise, and lemon juice instead of warm water to jazz this salad up. Note

You can buy the roast beef, already cooked and sliced, from any deli. Make the coleslaw the night before, and make the sandwich at lunch time the next day. Use whatever cabbage you like; we used red cabbage, but try the chinese variety (wombok), it’s easy to shred finely. Note

Equipment you will need to make this recipe; 30cm round wooden cake board, 15cm round wooden cake board, smoothing tools, 3 wooden skewers, 2 paper piping bags, 5-petal plunger cutter set (small, medium and large), vinyl mat, ball tool, and 2 fine artist’s paint brushes tweezers. The cherry blossom is the symbol of Japan, as […]

You can replace the pork medallions with lean pork fillet. Use a vegetable peeler to slice the carrot lengthways into thin ribbons. The pork can be served warm or cold. Reheat the pork, covered, in a microwave oven on HIGH (100%) for about 1 minute. Note

Use green peppercorns in brine if you can’t find the dried variety, rinse then drain them thoroughly before using. You need to soak eight bamboo skewers in water for at least an hour before use to prevent splintering and scorching. Any firm white fish fillet, such as ling or blue-eye, can be used in this […]

This bright and colourful lime curd, coconut and mango cake is the perfect summertime treat.

Adding avocado to this open sandwich not only adds a rich creamy flavour, it also increases its nutritional value. Avocados are a rich source of potassium and healthy monounsaturated fats that help to lower cholesterol. Use a loaf of ciabatta bread if turkish bread is not available. Note

For this recipe you will need about 12 passionfruit to make 80ml of pulp. This type of cake is best made on day of serving. Note

We used whole pink snapper in this recipe, but you can use any whole white fish. Note

Keeping time: 3 days. Note

This delicious herb-marinated pork fillet is perfect enjoyed with a side salad, or some steamed veggies for a quick and tasty family dinner.

Use a 26cm x 35cm baking dish 35cm square cake board. Cake can be made and covered with butter cream a day before the party. Top with popcorn and finish the cake up to three hours before the party. Be sure to remove toothpicks before cutting and serving the cake. Note

You need to cook 200g pumpkin to get the required amount of mashed pumpkin. Note

Velouté, a white sauce made from roux (a cooked butter and flour mixture) and stock, is one of the five “mother” sauces in French cooking from which all other sauces are derived. Note

You need two large (460g) overripe bananas to get the required amount of mashed banana. Note

Serve this cake warm. Note

Hot chocolate flakes are usually sold in the coffee section of the supermarket. Note

This recipe would also work really well with apple. serving idea Note

You could also add some coarsely chopped fresh coriander or finely chopped fresh chilli to the corn salsa. Couscous, the North African cereal made from semolina, lends an intriguing crunch to the coating on the chicken. Note

Equipment 30cm (12-inch) round wooden cake board 15cm (6-inch) round wooden cake board Smoothing tools 3cm x 3.5cm (1¼-inch x 1½-inch) scalloped cutter 3 wooden skewers 2 paper piping bags Tape measure Fine artist’s paint brush 2.5cm (1-inch) perspex measure Tweezers Pale minty green and soft dusty pink blend together for a sweet old- fashioned […]

Store slice in an airtight container for up to a week. Note

It is important that the chocolate moulds are thoroughly cleaned and dried before using. You will need to buy three 50g packets of Smarties. Work quickly while making chocolate numbers, as the chocolate tends to set quickly. You may need to resoften the chocolate in a microwave oven for a couple of seconds, if this […]

Pork neck is a moist, tasty cut which pot-roasts really well. This is an easy way to cook; make sure the pan you use has a heavy base for even cooking and a tight-fitting lid. Note

You could make the combination while cooking the purées; freeze, in 1-tablespoon portions in ice-cube trays, covered, for up to 1 month. Freeze remaining creamed corn in 1-tablespoon batches in ice-cube trays, covered, for up to 1 month. Reheat frozen portions in a microwave oven on MEDIUM (50%) power until just warmed. Note

This delicious cake is both cheesecake, and margarita cocktail. For when you've just had one of those days.

Black Cats and vanilla Milk Bottles are found in Allen’s Party Mix. Pink and oranges Nerds are found in Wonka Neon Nerds. Note

Panang is the English adaptation of the Thai word “phanoeng” or “panaeng” meaning curry. The paste is a complex, sweet and milder variation of an authentic Thai red curry paste, which is especially good with seafood. Some commercially prepared curry pastes can vary in heat and flavour. Add less than recommended until you can determine […]

We used the firm, non-astringent persimmon variety (fuji fruit) in this recipe. Note

Pickling spice is a mixture of mustard seeds, black peppercorns, dill seeds, allspice and bay leaves. It is available from the spice section in most supermarkets. Note

Literally meaning “composed salad”, the ingredients in this dish are layered on top of each other, rather than being tossed together, and the dressing is drizzled over the top. Note

This decadent chocolate coffee cake layered with vanilla mascarpone cream piled high with sweet syrupy marsala-soaked dates is almost too beautiful to eat. Almost.

Pepitas, dried pumpkin seeds, are available hulled or unhulled, raw or roasted. Most people here usually eat them as a snack or in a homemade muesli, but in many other countries they are commonly ground into meal for use as a sauce thickener. Note

Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least an hour before using to prevent them from scorching during cooking. Cut skewers to an appropriate size using scissors, if they are too long. Note