Banana-Macadamia Sponge Cake

This banana cake is very similar to my previous Banana Sponge Cake but with added macadamias in it and a crunchy topping of macadamia brittle to make it extra special.

Macadamia Brittle:

100g caster sugar
2 tbsp water
50g macadamia
pinch of salt

• Place caster sugar and water in a frying pan over medium heat.
• Swirl the pan occasionally (do not stir) until sugar dissolved and light golden.
• Add in macadamia and salt, spoon around to coat.  When nicely golden, pour onto a sheet of baking paper to set.
• Once cooled, pound the brittle finely using a mortar and pestle.

Ingredients for the cake:

3 eggs
45 g coconut sugar
35 caster sugar
200g mashed bananas
20g sour cream or yogurt
zest of an orange
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
100g corn oil
150g self-raising flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
50g macadamias, chopped roughly

• Preheat oven to 180 deg C.  Line the base of a 7" x 7" square pan.
• Sift flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.
• Whisk eggs and sugars with an electric beater on high speed until pale and thick and reaches ribbon stage (when the whisk is lifted, the batter should falls back slowly onto the surface, leaving a trail).
• Reduce speed and beat in oil in a slow and steady stream.
• Add in mashed bananas, sour cream, orange zest and vanilla extract.
• Fold in flour mixture and macadamias.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan and drop the pan onto the benchtop to eliminate any large air bubbles.  Then sprinkle crushed brittle over the batter.
• Bake for 20 mins at 180 deg C.  Then reduce oven temperature to 160 deg C and continue to bake for 35 mins.
• Drop the pan onto the benchtop to prevent the cake from shrinking.
• Cool the cake in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Pulled Pork Sliders

This is a fuss-free recipe which is perfect for a relaxed get-together with family and friends.  And no cutlery required - that means less washing and cleaning! Remember there is a saying about good food tastes better when eaten with the hands?   Just get lots of napkins ready and wrap your hands around these mini burgers and dig into the tender and juicy pork loaded with crunchy coleslaw. 

This is a very simple recipe that uses 4 main ingredients - pork shoulder, root beer (I substituted with Sarsaparilla), onion and garlic.  Put everything into a slow cooker and let it braise for at least 6 hours and you'll have the most tender and juiciest meat.  This no-fuss recipe makes enough to feed a crowd of 7 - 8 people.

Ingredients: 

1.5kg pork shoulder

375ml Sarsaparilla (equivalent to Sarsi in Asia) 

1 big onion, cubed

3 cloves garlic, smashed

freshly ground black pepper

salt, to taste

375ml barbeque sauce (of your favourite brand)

20 mini buns (or any bread roll of your choice) 

Coleslaw

• Sear the pork in a frying pan until brown on all sides.  
• Place the pork, onion and garlic into the slow cooker and pour Sarsaparilla over the meat.  
• Cover and cook on High heat for at least 3 hours then turn down to Low heat and let it cook until the meat is tender.
• Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred it using 2 forks.
• Drain liquid and set aside (to be added into the shredded meat if it is too dry).
• Return shredded pork into the slow cooker and stir in barbeque sauce. 
• Continue heating on Low heat for a further 30 - 45 minutes.  Or keep warm until serving time.

Coleslaw: 

1/2 head of red cabbage, shredded

1 carrot, shredded

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

dash of pepper

• Toss everything together.
• Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Hawaiian Bread Rolls

... after final proofing

... with egg white glaze

... with pineapple puree glaze

Ingredients:

Tangzhong:  *  (Refer here for instructions on how to make tangzhong)
25g high protein flour or bread flour
125ml water

Main dough:
400g high protein flour or bread flour
70g plain flour
100g caster sugar
1/4 tsp salt
15g milk powder
6g instant yeast
1 egg (54g without shell)
220g crushed pineapple or pineapple puree
15g desiccated coconut
all the tangzhong *
35g olive oil

Glazing:
beaten egg white
3 tbsp pineapple puree + 1 tbsp honey

• In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine all the main ingredients except olive oil.  Add in tangzhong and knead until well combined.  Then add in oil and continue to knead until dough is smooth and elastic and leaves the sides of the bowl.
• Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with cling wrap and allow to rise until double in size.  
• Punch down the dough to release trapped air.  Divide dough into 20 equal portions.  Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
• Roll each portion of the dough into a ball and place onto a baking tray.  Cover and leave them to rise until almost double.
• Preheat oven to 180 deg C.
• Brush the rolls with egg white and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove rolls from the oven and brush the surface of the rolls with pineapple puree, then bake for a further 10 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove rolls from the oven and transfer onto a wire rack to cool.