Parkin (BBC Good Food)

Ingredients

200g butter, plus extra for greasing
1 large egg
4 tbsp milk
200g golden syrup
85g treacle
85g light soft brown sugar
100g medium oatmeal
250g self-raising flour
1 tbsp ground ginger

Method

1. Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Butter a deep 22cm square cake tin and line with baking parchment. Beat the egg and milk together with a fork.
2. Gently melt the syrup, treacle, sugar and butter together in a large pan until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat. Mix together the oatmeal, flour and ginger and stir into the syrup mixture, followed by the egg and milk.
3. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 50 mins – 1 hr until the cake feels firm and a little crusty on top. Cool in the tin then wrap in more parchment and foil. 
4. Keep for up to five days before eating if you can – it’ll become softer and stickier the longer you leave it, up to two weeks.

Recipe from BBC Good Food

Basic almond nougat

20 min prep

30 min cook

Ingredients
4 sheets (about 15.5 x 23.5cm each) edible ricepaper
200g blanched almonds
560g (2 1/2 cups) sugar
80ml (1/3 cup) water
500g glucose syrup (Colonial Farms brand)
2 egg whites, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla essence

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Line an 18 x 28cm slab pan with baking paper, allowing it to overhang the sides. Place 2 sheets of the rice paper in the base of the lined pan & reserve balance 2 sheets for the top of the nougat. 
2. Toast the almonds in preheated oven for 7-10 minutes or until light golden. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Chop and set aside.
3. Place the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Use a wet spoon to spoon the glucose syrup into the pan. (To soften glucose in the microwave, see microwave tip.) The glucose prevents crystallisation and helps to ensure the nougat has the correct texture. 
4. Place the pan over medium-low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon, brushing down the sides of the pan occasionally with a pastry brush dipped in warm water, until the sugar dissolves (this will take about 10 minutes). 
5. Fill the sink with 10cm of cold water. 
6. Place the egg whites in a large, clean, dry heatproof bowl. 
7. Place a sugar (candy) thermometer in the pan. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and boil, uncovered, without stirring. When the syrup reaches about 120°C, use the whisk attachment on an electric stand beater to whisk the egg whites until firm peaks form. It is important to use a stand mixer because, unlike a hand-held electric beater, it has a motor powerful enough to beat the nougat mixture.
8. When the sugar syrup reaches 140°C, immediately remove the pan from heat and place the base of the pan in the sink of cold water for 5 seconds, or until the bubbles subside. This stops the syrup temperature increasing (the temperature of the syrup determines the texture of the nougat. When the syrup is cooked to 140°C, a chewy nougat results; if the syrup is cooked to 150°C, a harder nougat results). 
9. With the beater on medium speed, slowly pour hot syrup into the egg whites in a thin, steady stream. Don't pour the syrup down side of the bowl or onto the whisk as it may set before being incorporated into egg whites.
10. Once all the syrup is incorporated, whisk for a further 3 minutes or until the mixture is thick and glossy. 
11. Use a wooden spoon to mix the almonds and vanilla essence into egg white mixture until well combined. It is important to work quickly or the nougat will begin to set. Also make sure the nuts and vanilla essence are at room temperature - if they are cold, the mixture will set too rapidly, making it difficult to transfer to the pan.
12. Quickly pour the nougat evenly into the lined pan using a spatula to scrape down the side of the bowl. Use the spatula or the back of a spoon dipped in hot water to spread the nougat evenly into the pan and smooth the surface. Place the remaining rice paper or piece of greased foil over the top of the nougat and press down gently. Set aside in a cool, dry place for 6 hours or until set.
13. Lift the nougat from the pan and place on a cutting board. Remove baking paper or foil (if using rice paper, don't remove it, as it is edible). Use a serrated knife in a sawing motion to cut the nougat crossways into 3cm-wide pieces and then cut each piece into about 4cm lengths. 
14. Place nougat in a clean, dry airtight container, separating layers with non-stick baking paper. Keep in a cool, dry place for 1-2 weeks or in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. If storing nougat in the fridge, bring to room temperature before serving.

Almond Nougat

Ingredients

200 g Almonds 

125 g sugar 

125 g honey 

1 egg white

Instructions

1. Boil almonds for 3 mins. Drain & remove the skins.
2. Roast the almonds for 10-15 mins at 170°C.
3. Whisk the egg white until thick consistency.
4. Add the sugar & honey to a pan over low heat, whilst mixing constantly until sugar is dissolved.
5. Remove the sugar mix from heat & add the egg white into the pan slowly.
6. Whisk the mixture over low heat until well incorporated.
7. Remove from heat & add warm almonds to the mixture & mix well.
8. Pour in moulds & allow to cool, then refrigerate for 12 hours.
9. Cut into squares & store in air tight container.

Recipe from Vargasavour Recipes

Parkin (Ginger Cake)

Ingredients 

1½ cups steel cut oats (pulsed in food processor) 

¾ cup all purpose/plain flour 

1½ tsp baking powder 

2 tsp ginger powder 

1 tsp all spice 

¼ tsp nutmeg 

¼ tsp salt 

¼ cup golden syrup or corn syrup 

⅔ cup black treacle or molasses 

¾ cup brown sugar 

½ cup butter 

¼ cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped 

1 egg, lightly beaten 

2 Tbsp milk 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Grease an 8” x 8” baking tin. 
2. Measure out the steel cut oats and put through a food processor to break down. The oats should not be a flour and some chunks should remain. 
3. Add all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and combine: flour, oats, ginger, nutmeg, all spice, salt, and baking powder. 
4. In a small saucepan add in butter, brown sugar, black treacle/molasses, golden syrup/corn syrup. Stir until the butter and sugar have melted, making sure not to boil. Then remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. 
5. Pour the warm sugar mixture into the dry ingredients, and stir until combined. Then stir in the crystallized ginger pieces, the egg, and milk. 
6. Pour the batter into the baking tin and bake in the oven for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Use a toothpick to check if it is fully baked - it is ready if it comes out clean. Allow the Parkin to cool in the baking tin for a few minutes. 
7. Then turn it face down onto a cutting board, slide the baking tin out, and remove the parchment paper. 
8. Allow the parkin to cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting into equal sized squares. Store in an airtight container and ALLOW IT TO REST FOR 2-3 DAYS. It takes this time for the flavor and sticky texture to fully develop...it WILL be worth the wait so be patient!

Recipe from Susu's Cookbook

Shortbread

Prep 15 mins

Bake 35 mins
Total 50 mins
Yield 2 dozen shortbread wedges

Ingredients
16 Tbsp (227g) salted butter, at cool room temperature*
1 cup (113g) confectioners' sugar
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp almond extract, optional, or the flavor of your choice
2 cups (240g) All-Purpose Flour

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C. Lightly grease two 9" round or 8" square cake pans. If you worry about the shortbread possibly sticking in your particular pans, line them with parchment and grease the parchment.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, and extracts, then beat in the flour. The mixture may seem a little dry at first; keep beating until a stiff dough forms. If necessary, dribble in up to 1 tablespoon of water to bring the dough together. 
3. Divide the dough in half (if you have a scale, each half will weigh about 300g), and press each half into one of the prepared pans, smoothing the surface with your fingers or a mini rolling pin. If you're having trouble pressing the shortbread flat in the pan because it's sticking to your fingers, cover it with a piece of plastic wrap and push on the wrap. Remove the wrap before baking.
4. Use a fork to prick (dock) the dough all over; this allows any steam to escape, and prevents the shortbread from bubbling as it bakes. Prick the dough in a random pattern, or create a pretty design.
5. Bake the shortbread until it's a light golden brown across the top surface and a deeper golden brown around the edges, about 35 minutes.
6. Remove the shortbread from the oven and turn it out of the pans and onto a clean work surface.
7. Immediately cut the shortbread, while it's warm; if you wait until it's cool, it won't cut easily. Using a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut each round into 12 wedges. If you've baked squares, cut each square into four smaller squares, then cut each of those into thirds to make a total of 24 strips (12 per pan). Transfer the shortbread wedges or strips to a rack to cool.
8. Serve as is, or garnish as desired (see "tips," below).
9. Store shortbread, well wrapped, for up to a week; freeze for longer storage. The flavor improves as the shortbread ages.

Tips from our Bakers

1. In this case salted butter is preferred because, with no liquid in the recipe, it's impossible for added salt to disperse itself fully through the shortbread dough; you end up with unpleasantly gritty bits of salt in each bite.
2. Vary the flavor of your shortbread with the following simple additions.

• For ginger shortbread: Add 1/3 cup finely diced crystallized ginger and 1 teaspoon ginger.
• For butter-pecan shortbread: Add 1/8 teaspoon butter-rum flavor and 1 cup finely diced toasted pecans.
• For chai-spiced shortbread: Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cardamom, and 1/8 teaspoon cloves.

1. Want to garnish your plain shortbread? Drizzle the baked wedges or strips with melted caramel, or spread them with melted chocolate and sprinkle with nuts. Or set aside two cookies and spread the remainder with a thick layer of jam or preserves; crumble the reserved cookies and sprinkle the crumbs lightly over the jam-topped cookies.
2. Want to make shortbread drop cookies? Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Flatten each ball of dough to about 3/8" thick; use the bottom of a drinking glass, the tines of a fork, a cookie stamp, or whatever implement you think will make a pretty pattern. Bake the cookies for about 25 minutes in a preheated 300°F oven, until they're set but not really beginning to brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on the pans or on a rack. Yield: about 4 dozen small (1 3/8") cookies.

Recipe from King Arthur Baking Company

Perfect Banana Bread

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 1 hr 5 mins
Total Time 1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients
⅓ cup (80g) butter, melted
4 large ripe bananas, mashed (1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups)
¾ cup (165g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups (186g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Prepare an 8x4-inch loaf pan by spraying with nonstick spray.
2. Melt butter and set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork. (You can use up to 5 regular sized bananas or 6 small bananas in this recipe.)
4. Add butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Mix well.
5. Add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix until ingredients are JUST incorporated. (Be careful not to overmix.)
6. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
7. Bake for 45 minutes. (Cover with aluminum foil if browning too quickly.)
8. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with crumbs, but not wet batter.

Nutrition
Calories: 288kcal

Recipe from I Am Baker

Thai Holy Basil Stir Fry with Beef (Pad Kra Pao)

Ingredients

6 cloves garlic
3 Thai chilies, or as many as you can handle
¼ cup chopped mild red chilies, (see note 1)
⅓ cup julienned mild red chilies
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
12 oz ground beef, regular or lean
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted beef or chicken stock or water
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 ¼ cups holy basil or regular basil leaves, (see note 2)

Cooked Jasmine rice for serving
3 eggs, for fried eggs (1 per person)
Oil for frying eggs, as needed

Prik Nam Pla (optional condiment)

1-2 Thai chilies, chopped
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp lime juice
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced or chopped (optional)

Notes

1. Mild red chilies are for colour and flavour, while the Thai chilies are for heat. Traditionally we use spur chilies (prik chee fa) for the mild peppers, but red anaheim or mini bell pepper will work. Regular red bell pepper flesh is a little thicker and more watery than ideal, but it will also be fine if that's the only thing you have! 
2. Italian basil is my preferred substitute if holy basil is unavailable. Thai basil can also be used, and the dish will be just as tasty, but I find that the flavour of regular Italian basil is closer to that of holy basil.

Instructions
For the Prik Nam Pla

1. Add chopped Thai chilies and garlic into a small bowl, then add the fish sauce and lime juice. Let this sit while you make the stir fry.

For the Stir Fry

1. In a mortar and pestle, pound the Thai chilies into a fine paste. Add the garlic and the chopped mild chilies and pound into just a rough paste.
2. Heat a wok or a large skillet over high heat, adding about 1 tablespoon of the oil if your beef is lean. Once the wok is very hot, add the beef and spread it out. Sear the beef without moving it until the underside is browned. Toss the beef, and notice how the beef will start to release quite a bit of liquid - keep stirring until all of this liquid has evaporated, and the beef starts to sizzle in its own fat. Once the beef is sizzling, allow it to cook without stirring for 15-20 seconds to brown the beef further and develop flavour, then toss, and repeat the browning 1-2 more times.
3. Turn the heat down to medium, push the beef to one side of the pan, and if there isn’t much fat in the pan, add a little bit more oil just so there’s enough to saute the garlic. Add the garlic and chili paste and sauté in the oil for 30 seconds until aromatic and the garlic starts to turn golden, and then toss it with the beef.
4. Turn the heat up to high and add about half of the stock or water, fish sauce, sugar, and black pepper; toss to mix well. Add the julienned mild chilies and toss for 30 seconds; if it’s looking too dry, add more of the stock or water.
5. Turn off the heat, add the basil and mix just until wilted. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more sugar or fish sauce as needed, and add a little more water or stock if it feels too dry. Set this aside while you fry the eggs.

For the Crispy Fried Eggs

1. To fry the eggs Thai-style, I recommend frying them 1 at a time to prevent them from sticking to each other. There are 2 options for frying eggs:
2. For crispy whites and semi-set yolk: Add about ¼ inch of frying oil to a small nonstick frying pan and put it over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the egg and allow the egg white to bubble. Use a spoon to occasionally baste the top of the egg with oil to cook the yolk. Once the whites are crispy and browned around the edges and the yolk is set to your liking, you can remove it from the pan.
3. For eggs with crispy whites and runny yolk: Separate the egg white and the egg yolk. Add about ¼ inch of frying oil to a small nonstick frying pan and put it over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the egg white and let it fry until the edges start to turn brown. Use your spatula to push the middle of the white down to make an indent for the yolk to sit in. Once the egg white is browned around the edges, carefully place the yolk into the indentation, and use a spoon to baste some oil around the edges of the egg yolk to help it stick to the egg white. Remove from the pan and allow to drain.
4. To serve, put jasmine rice on a plate, spoon the pad kra pao over half of the rice, and top everything with the fried egg. You can then drizzle the prik nam pla on top of the egg when ready to eat.

Recipe from Thai Hot Kitchen

Tom Yum Goong (Red version)

Ingredients

350g medium sized shrimp, shell-on, head-on if possible
4 cups water (or use 3 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock if not using shell on shrimp)
2 stalks lemongrass, bottom half only (see note)
10 pc galangal, cut into thin rounds
6 kaffir lime leaves
Thai chilies, to taste
½ cup evaporated milk
3-4 cups oyster mushrooms, straw mushrooms, or another Asian mushroom
¼ cup Thai chili paste (nam prik pao)
3 Tbsp fish sauce
¼ cup lime juice
A big handful of chopped sawtooth coriander (culantro) or cilantro

Instructions

1. Rinse shrimp well, then peel and devein them (see video for a cool deveining trick!) and place all heads and shells into a stock pot. Put the pot over medium high heat and saute the shrimp shells until stuff that sticks to the pot starts to brown slightly. It should smell like shrimp on the grill! 
2. Add water, scrape off the browned bits that are stuck to the pot, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Then, use a slotted skimmer to remove the shells, making sure to drain off as much of the liquid as you can. 

If using chicken stock, start from here:

1. Smash lemongrass and cut into chunks. Roughly tear the kaffir lime leaves. Finely chop the chilies or pound in a mortar and pestle into a paste.
2. Bring the stock to a simmer, then add lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and chilies (if you pounded the chilies, rinse the mortar with some of the stock to make sure you get all the chili bits into the pot). Simmer for 5 minutes. Note: The herbs are not meant to be eaten, so at this point you can either fish them out, but I like to leave some in there for garnish. Just be sure to tell your guests not to eat them!
3. Add evaporated milk and bring to boil. Add mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes or until mushrooms are done.
4. Add chili paste and fish sauce, and stir to dissolve the chili paste. Add shrimp meat and cook just until done, 30 seconds or so. 
5. Turn off the heat and let the soup cool down slightly, just for a minute, so it is not simmering or boiling. Add lime juice while stirring.
6. Stir in sawtooth coriander or cilantro, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Recipe from Thai Hot Kitchen

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

500g ground chicken
1 small onion, diced
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh garlic, minced
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
4 Tbsp hoisin sauce
soya sauce, to taste
1 Tbsp, sriracha sauce

salt & pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp oil
1 8oz can of water chestnuts, diced
fresh green onion
1 head butter lettuce

Method

1. Brown minced chicken in oil on medium heat (3-5 mins) & drain excess fat.
2. Stir in onion, sesame oil, fresh ginger, garlic, rice wine vinegar, hoisin sauce & soya sauce until onions are translucent.
3. Add sriracha sauce (or gochujang) to taste & cook until sauce thickens.
4. Turn off heat & add water chestnuts & fresh green onion & stir in.
5. Serve with butter lettuce.

Mini Pavlova

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 15 pavlovas

Ingredients
For Pavlova:

6 large egg whites, room temperature
300 g granulated sugar
2 tsp corn starch
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

For Cream:

350ml heavy whipping cream (very cold)
2 Tbsp granulated sugar

For Topping/Decor:

950 g fresh fruit, blueberries, kiwi, raspberries, sliced strawberries, etc
15 Mint leaves , for garnish, optional

Instructions

How to Make Pavlova:

1. Preheat the Oven to 225˚ F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using your stand mixer, beat 6 egg whites on high speed 1 min until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, gradually add 1 1/2 cups sugar and beat 10 min on high speed, or until stiff peaks form. It will be smooth and glossy.
2. Use a spatula to quickly fold in 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice and 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract, then fold in 2 tsp corn starch and mix until well blended.
3. Pipe meringue into 3 to 3 1/2 inches wide nests onto the parchment paper using a Wilton 1M Tip. Indent the center with a spoon to allow room for cream. Bake at 225˚ for 1 hr and 15 min then turn the oven off and without opening the door, let meringue in the hot oven another 30 min. Outsides will be dry and crisp to the tap and very pale cream-colored and insides will still be marshmallow soft.
4. Transfer the pavlova with the parchment paper onto the counter or a cookie rack and allow it to cool to room temp. Once cool, you can top them with whipped cream and fruit or store in an airtight container for 3-5 days at room temperature (in a low humidity place).

How to Make Frosting and Assemble Pavlovas:

1. Beat cold whipping cream with 2 Tbsp sugar in the cold bowl for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until whipped and spreadable.
2. Pipe frosting onto the pavlova and top with fresh fruit.*

Recipe Notes
*These should be enjoyed within 4 hours of assembly.

Recipe from Natasha's Kitchen