This is one of my favourite desserts because it takes so little effort and you can make it well ahead of time – the perfect set and forget dinner party dessert. I like a hint of Bailey’s Irish Cream in my mousse, but this can be omitted if you’re serving it to children or swapped for any other liqueur of your choice – creme de menthe for a choc-mint or Cointreau for a choc-orange mousse would both work well.
Ingredients (serves 8) 300g good quality dark chocolate
50g butter
3 eggs, separated
1-2 tblspns Bailey’s Irish Cream (optional)
¼ cup caster sugar
300ml thickened cream
Method Melt butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over a low heat until smooth. Remove from heat.
Stir in egg yolks, one a a time, and Bailey’s liqueur. Transfer to a large bowl and leave to cool.
Beat egg whites in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating until it dissolves between additions.
Beat cream until thoroughly whipped and thick. Gently combine with the chocolate mixture and then fold in the egg white mixture in two batches, taking care not to over-mix the mousse.
Divide mousse among eight ½-cup serving dishes (I use glasses). Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate until set (at least 2 hours).
Serve with fresh raspberries. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from The Australian Women’s Weekly Best Food Desserts.
Population: approx. 555,000 in the Sarajevo metropolitan area
Famous for: the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand triggering WW1, the 1984 Winter Olympics, the Siege of Sarajevo
Fun fact: Sarajevo was the first European city to have a full-time electric tram network through the city
The Latin Bridge, Sarajevo, at sunset
Day 6 We had another very early start and boarded the Topdeck bus from Belgrade at 7.20am. Drove for a few hours on a mixture of highways and narrow 2-way roads (sometimes getting stuck behind tractors filled with watermelons!) and had a quick morning tea break. It was already very warm so Laura and I got an icy pole each which turned out to be 18+ alcoholic mojito calippos.
We drove for another couple of hours through increasingly windy and hilly terrain and were lucky to have another efficient border crossing from Serbia to Bosnia & Herzegovina. Had our lunch on the bus and arrived just out of Srebrenica at the site of Srebrenica Genocide Memorial.
Srebrenica Genocide Memorial with gravestones as far as the eye can see
We had some time to wander around the memorial to over 8,300 victims (and counting – remains are still being found) of the July 1995 massacre and I was horrified to see how many youths were among the murdered; including infants and toddlers. As we were there only a few weeks after the anniversary, there were several fresh graves visible of victims whose remains were found in the year since the last anniversary, and many flowers and tributes on the graves. We also visited a small gallery at the site of the memorial which featured haunting images of victims and the aftermath of the genocide and did a masterful job of putting faces to the atrocity and making it feel real.
From there, we walked across the road to a former battery factory where thousands of Bosnian refugees were held during the Yugoslav War under the ‘protection’ of the United Nations. We had time to explore the exhibits in the factory including more graphic and haunting photographs and several damning photos of anti-Bosnian graffiti by the Dutch United Nations peacekeepers. Laura and I had always been very pro-UN, but this museum gave a very different account of the role of peacekeepers and their utter failure to protect the innocent during the Yugoslav war.
Graffiti in the Battery Factory
We then went next door to the newly opened Srebrenica Documentation Centre to hear the heart-wrenching story of a Srebrenica survivor who had lost several family members in the conflict and watch a documentary featuring very confronting real footage of the massacre. We had another half an hour to explore the rest of the museum before boarding the bus to Sarajevo.
Needless to say, visiting Srebrenica was a very confronting, draining and emotional experience, but something I would recommend doing at some point in your life. For me, I found it incomprehensible that this is something that was allowed to occur during my lifetime. Even more incomprehensible to me, is the fact that ‘the Butcher of Bosnia’, Ratko Mladić; the man recently convicted of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity and sentenced to life imprisonment for his role orchestrating massacres, torture and rape during the Yugoslav war, is considered a hero by many and whose “portrait adorns bars and office walls in Bosnia and Serbia…[and] name is sung at football matches” (Vulliamy, The Guardian).
Visiting made me feel very ashamed of how little I know of the conflicts that are occurring around me now and determined to educate myself better on them having seen first-hand the horrific consequences of apathy.
For more information about the Srebrenica Massacre (which I highly recommend you educate yourself on), see here or take a virtual tour of Srebrenica here).
8372 victims and counting…
After checking in to our hotel, we were dropped in downtown Sarajevo for our walking tour. We saw the river, main fountain, the location of Franz Ferdinand’s assassination, the Cathedral and walked through the bazaar until we reached the restaurant we were going to for dinner.
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Sarajevo
Dinner was delicious – chicken and vegetable soup, grilled chicken with rice and potatoes and baked apples filled with spiced walnut and whipped cream. After such an exhausting and draining day, no-one had the energy to stay out late so we all opted to take the bus straight back to the hotel after dinner.
Pretty lanterns in the Grand Bazaar
Day 7 Had a sleep-in (6.20am!) and headed down to breakfast which featured delicious local specialties such as dates and turkish delight.
Travelled about 30mins on the bus to the Sarajevo Tunnel Museum. We watched a 15 minute documentary about the Siege of Sarajevo and the building of the ‘tunnels of hope’ which acted as the city’s lifeline to the outside world when it was surrounded by hostile Serbian forces in the 1992-95 siege. We then heard from a lovely local who had spent her childhood hiding in an underground cellar through the siege.
We had a chance to look through the siege museum on the site which was fascinating, especially seeing what rudimentary tools were used to build the tunnels that saved the city – including spoons! We also got to walk through 25m of the original tunnel which terrified me, but showed just how small and basic the lifesaving tunnels were.
The remnants of the ‘tunnels of hope’
After being dropped back in downtown Sarajevo, a small group of us went to Sarajevo City Hall to admire the stunning Ottoman inspired architecture:
and stunning stained-glass ceiling of the newly rebuilt Hall (the original was bombed and burnt in 1992 during the Siege, destroying over two million books and manuscripts).
We spent time in the City Hall Museum which showed the best and worst of Sarajevo’s history between 1914 and 2014 and then walked back through the bustling bazaar, shopping for souvenirs and enjoying a delicious and very cheap lunch.
Some of the beautiful items on offer in the bazaar
We walked through the city to the Avaz tower for amazing views over Sarajevo before heading back to the hotel for a rest.
Views over Sarajevo from the Avaz tower
To end our time in Sarajevo the tour group went to a gorgeous authentic Bosnian restaurant in the bazaar for dinner where there was enough food to feed more than double the number of people!
Overall, I thought Sarajevo was a really cool city with a lot to offer – I can see why Lonely Planet ranked it as one of the top cities of the region. The food was outstanding both in terms of deliciousness and value for money, the locals were friendly and helpful and despite the sad recent history of the country, there was a perceptible sense of optimism and hope for the future. As corny as it sounds, I feel like I left Bosnia and Herzegovina a better and more informed person than I was when I arrived and I know that my experience at Srebrenica will stay with me for the rest of my life.
Bobsled Track (Image credit: Trover)
Top 5 Things to Do in Sarajevo
Explore the Old Bazaar and pick up some beautiful souvenirs while you’re there
Visit the stunning City Hall to admire the architecture as well as visit the museum
Indulge in local specialties such as ćevapi, burek, baklava, turkish delight and turkish coffee (as well as crowd pleasers like fresh ice cream)
Visit the funky graffitied Sarajevo bobsled track from the 1984 Winter Olympics (note: best to go in a large group as there are gangs in the vicinity who have been known to target tourists, but a group from our tour went and had no trouble)
Take a day-trip to Srebrenica or the Tunnel Museum to better understand Bosnian history
This lemon curd could not be easier to make. Honestly. It takes 5 minutes and uses a microwave (the horror!!)
I have tried many recipes for lemon curd in my time, and can honestly say that this is far and away the tastiest, easiest and most luscious. You will want to slather this stuff on EVERYTHING – pikelets, bread or between sponge cake layers, tartlets (like these mini lemon meringue pies), ice cream or on a spoon right out of the jar (not that I would ever do anything as undignified as that). It is liquid gold.
Ingredients (makes approx. 2½ cups) 1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 cup fresh lemon juice (approx. 4-5 lemons)
Zest of 2 lemons
½ cup (115g) butter, melted
Method Whisk together the sugar and eggs in a large microwave safe bowl until thoroughly combined. Whisk in lemon juice, zest and melted butter.
Cook in the microwave on full power for 50 second intervals, whisking after each interval. You will know your lemon curd is ready when it coats the back of a metal spoon (approximately 3-5 50 second intervals).
Pour into a sterile jar or container and allow to cool to room temperature before covering it with a lid and storing it in the refrigerator.
Keeps for ~2 weeks.
Adapted from My Baking Addiction microwave lemon curd.
These adorable mini lemon meringue pies make entertaining simple. I use bought miniature pastry cases, filled them with the simplest ever homemade lemon curd and topped them with a dollop of meringue – delicious! The best part is, the recipe makes more lemon curd than is required for the pies so you will have plenty to use in cakes, on scones, to give as a gift, or to eat with a spoon (no shame!)
Note: for best results, make the lemon curd the day ahead
Ingredients (makes 32 mini pies) For the lemon curd 1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 cup fresh lemon juice (approx. 4-5 lemons)
zest of 2 lemons
½ cup butter, melted
30 x 5cm tart shells (I use the Baylies Epicurean Delights brand)
2 egg whites
½ cup caster sugar
To make the curd,whisk together the sugar and eggs in a large microwave safe bowl until thoroughly combined. Whisk in lemon juice, zest and melted butter.
Cook in the microwave on full power for 50 second intervals, whisking after each interval. You will know your lemon curd is ready when it coats the back of a metal spoon (approximately 3-5 50 second intervals).
Pour into a sterile jar or container and allow to cool to room temperature before covering it with a lid and storing it in the refrigerator.
To assemble the pies, preheat oven 200°C (180°C fan-forced).
Place egg whites in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, beating until it dissolved between additions. Spoon meringue into a piping bag with a large star tip nozzle.
Place pastry cases onto a baking tray and carefully fill each with lemon curd. Pipe stars of meringue onto each pie.
Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the meringue is lightly browned.
Lemon curd recipe adapted from My Baking Addiction and meringue recipe from 9 Honey Kitchen.
Happy Birthday to me! Bakerholics Anonymous is 5 years old today 🙂 In celebration of the anniversary I am posting one of my favourite biscuit recipes: melting moments. This version has a tangy passionfruit buttercream which helps cut through the deliciously buttery biscuit – yum!
Ingredients (makes 25) 250g butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup icing sugar
1½ cups plain flour
½ cup cornflour Passionfruit Buttercream 90g butter, softened
¾ cup icing sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pulp of 3 passionfruit
Method Line oven trays with baking paper.
Beat butter, extract and sifted icing sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gently stir in sifted flour in two batches.
Preheat the oven to 160ºC.
Roll teaspoons of mixture into balls and place ~2.5cm apart on the trays. Flatten slightly with a fork.
Bake biscuits for 15 minutes or until lightly golden on the bottom. Stand 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Make butter cream by beating butter, icing sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Stir through passionfruit pulp. If the icing is too runny, add more icing sugar.
Sandwich biscuits with butter cream. Dust with extra icing sugar and enjoy.
Note: if you do not have passionfruit, add more vanilla extract to make a vanilla buttercream or add 1 teaspoon each of lemon juice and finely grated lemon rind to make lemon buttercream.
Recipe from Grandma, adapted from the Australian Women’s Weekly
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and that always gets me in the mood for all things red velvet. Over the years, I’ve posted several red velvet recipes; my favourites being red velvet crinkle cookies and red velvet cupcakes. Today, I present to you my red velvet waffles with a cream cheese glaze. These are extremely quick and easy to make as they use a boxed cake mix, although you could certainly make a cake batter from scratch if you prefer. These waffles are perfect to spoil a loved one (or yourself!) this Valentine’s Day.
Ingredients (makes 6 waffles)
1 x Betty Crocker Devil’s Food Cake mix (or equivalent)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons red food colouring (or until you are satisfied with the colour) Cream Cheese Glaze
115g cream cheese, softened
60g butter, softened
1½ cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup milk To serve
Raspberries
Sugar hearts (optional)
Whip together the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in the icing sugar, vanilla and milk and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
Make cake batter according to the instructions on the box (I use the vegetable oil and milk options). Add cocoa, vanilla and food colouring and whisk until smooth.
Heat your waffle iron according to the manufacturers’ instructions. Spray the waffle iron with cooking oil and then pour the waffle batter onto the iron so that the grid is covered. Cook (I use level 3-4) until the waffles are cooked through and crisp on the outside.
Repeat with the remaining waffle batter.
Serve waffles warm drizzled with the glaze and topped with berries and sugar hearts. Enjoy!
Inspiration from Pinterest, glaze recipe adapted from Kevin Is Cooking.
My family has a thing for Baileys. It’s our go-to after dessert liquor, holiday staple, and even the name of our dog!
Our adorable Bailey girl ♥
These waffles celebrate all things Baileys and are the perfect decadent Christmas morning breakfast (or any other breakfast, because every day is worth celebrating, right?!) They would also work well for dessert, perhaps served with chocolate sauce (#cleaneating).
Waffles (makes 8 large square waffles) 2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons white sugar
½ cup canola oil
1 cup milk
1 cup Baileys Irish Cream
Whipped Cream 1 cup thickened cream
¼ cup Baileys Irish Cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons icing sugar
Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
Whip the egg whites in a medium bowl with a handheld beater until stiff peaks form.
In a separate bowl, combine egg yolks, sugar, oil, milk and Baileys. Pour into the well in the centre of the dry ingredients and mix until there are no more lumps.
Gently fold in the whipped egg whites.
Heat your waffle iron to a medium-high heat and spray generously with cooking oil. Pour the mix into the waffle iron and cook until golden brown. Repeat with remaining mixture.
While the waffles are cooking, make the Baileys whipped cream by beating the cream, Baileys, vanilla and icing sugar with an electric mixer until very thick.
Serve waffles with whipped cream and berries. Enjoy!
Famous for: Novak Djokovic, Rakija (very strong fruit brandy), ‘splavs’ (floating river nightclubs)
Fun fact: Belgrade’s name translates to “White City”
A cute umbrella covered cafe in the heart of Belgrade
Day 4 We got up bright and early to make our journey from Budapest to Belgrade and were lucky to have very smooth and efficient border crossings (both out of Hungary and into Serbia). We arrived in Belgrade around 2pm and checked-in to our hotel, Belgrade City Hotel.
The rain that had followed us all day eased as we headed out to meet our local guide, Ivan, and start our driving/walking tour. As we drove, I was struck by how grey and grotty the city seemed (especially in comparison to beautiful Budapest), with its prevalence of Brutalist Communist-era architecture and graffiti epidemic. I also found it incredible how visible Serbia’s turbulent history remains to this day, particularly the damage from the 1999 NATO bombings.
Visible wreckage remaining from the 1999 NATO bombings
We arrived at the outside of the Museum of Yugoslavia and Tito’s burial place which, again, was not the most picturesque venue, however Ivan was very entertaining and educational (if somewhat biased) and I learnt a lot about Serbian and Yugoslav history.
Museum of Yugoslavia
Our next stop (after a terrifying drive through manic Belgrade traffic ft. steep hills and impossibly narrow roads) was top of my Belgrade to-do list, the Church of Saint Sava. The outside was gorgeous and I was expecting an equally beautiful inside…
The enormous Church of Saint Sava
… before learning that despite construction starting in 1935, the inside is not even close to being finished!
The unfinished inside of the Church of Saint Sava
Fortunately though, the crypt below the Church satiated my desire for beauty – dripping in gold with stunning mosaics and chandeliers.
We then drove into the city centre and started the walking component of the tour. We walked to the Kalemegdan Fortress and explored there for a while, where we saw the ancient walls, lots of tanks and weaponry (including the cannon that ‘started’ WWI), the victor monument and views over the Sava and Danube rivers.
Stambol gate to the Kalemegdan Fortress
View of the Danube and River Sava from the Kalemegdan Fortress
We walked back to the bus, said goodbye to Ivan and drove back to our hotel. After freshening up, we walked to an adorable little restaurant near our hotel called Zavičaj for a group dinner.
At the recommendation of our trip leader, Laura and I both ordered what was like a chicken schnitzel roll stuffed with bacon and cheese and a salad on the side. While perhaps not the healthiest, it was delicious and the value for money was unreal – we could have easily shared one and it was crazily cheap. The drinks were also fabulous value – my Somersby pear cider cost ~$2.50! Being the eve of my Birthday, our trip leader had organised for a piece of cake with candle to be brought out to me and had the whole restaurant sing happy birthday. I was highly embarrassed but also touched that she had gone to that effort. From there, we went to a cool hipster bar for drinks before heading home to bed.
Day 5 – My Birthday! Woke up to lots of lovely Birthday messages 🙂
Went to the hotel’s restaurant for the buffet breakfast (which appropriately included cake!) Laura and I walked into the centre of the city which took only around 10 minutes from our hotel. We wandered through the city, visiting Republic Square, Student’s park, Prince Michael Street, the theatre and lots of fountains.
Republic Square
We sat down on benches by the main drinking fountain, people watching, listening to some excellent buskers and then using the free wifi to FaceTime Mum. After exploring the city a little more we walked to the Bohemian Skadarlija area of the city for lunch.
Hilariously and by total coincidence, we chose the sister restaurant to the one we had dined at the night before which happened to have an identical menu! Still, knowing what great value it was, we weren’t deterred and shared the grilled chicken shish kebabs and a Serbian burger (which turned out to be a beef patty). For dessert we shared some delicious baklava.
Cheap food = happy campers
Very full, we wandered back to the hotel and chilled out there for a couple of hours (napping for Laura, journalling for me). After a few games of Head’s Up, we organised to go to dinner at a highly rated Opera theatre themed restaurant called Little Bay. We invited a few others (which then turned into half the group!) and made our way there.
The restaurant was very accommodating and obligingly made a ‘super table’ for us so we could all sit together. The food was delicious – Laura and I shared two dishes; slow cooked beef cheeks with celeriac puree, glazed carrots and caramelised onions, and chicken and mushroom filo triangles. For dessert Laura had a white chocolate cheesecake with lemon ice-cream and berries and I had a slice of chocolate ganache tart with orange mousse and vanilla ice-cream.
We then walked back to our hotel (splitting ways with some of the group who went out clubbing) and went to bed.
My birthday dinner at the opera-themed Little Bay Restaurant, BelgradeMy delicious dessert
Overall, Belgrade was a big surprise and a reminder of how important it is to not judge a book (or city) by its cover. While it looks like a grungy, gritty city from afar, if you look a little closer you find pockets of beauty, like the cute little umbrella street, hanging flower baskets and some lovely classical buildings. The locals were friendly and welcoming and many seemed delighted to have tourists who were interested in their country’s history. Finally, it is an incredibly affordable travel destination and the food was outstanding – how I wish you could get meals of that quality for that price back home!
Top 5 Things to Do in Belgrade
Visit the Church of Saint Sava (including the crypt)
Explore Kalemegdan Fortress at sunset for lovely views
People watch on Prince Michael Street
EAT – good, affordable food is everywhere, but the Skadarlija district is particularly renowned
Party on the ‘splavs’, floating nightclubs, lining the river. We didn’t as it was a Monday and Tuesday night while we were there and we were still a bit jetlagged, but they look amazing.
This savoury tart is a delicious and easy way to eat your greens. I always associate it with spring picnics (which it is perfect for!) but it is also a great midweek meal or work/school lunch.
Ingredients (Serves 4-6) 200g Greek feta, crumbled
1 leek
20g butter
160g baby spinach leaves
½ cup sour cream
½ cup thickened cream
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons shredded basil leaves
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
Method Preheat oven to 200ºC. Cut the leek in half and thinly slice the white and pale green part to achieve 1 cup full.
Melt the butter in a saucepan and lightly sauté the leek over a medium heat for 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Add spinach to the saucepan, cover and cook until wilted. Take off the heat and then press leaves into a strainer to remove excess moisture.
In a bowl, combine sour cream, cream and eggs. Add the feta, leek, spinach and basil. Stir will and season to taste.
Line a non-stick rectangular quiche pan (35cm x 13cm) with the two pieces of pastry, overlapping slightly, and gently push the pieces together in the middle to seal the pastry case. Trim excess pastry. Lightly prick the pastry base with a fork and place the quiche pan onto an oven tray.
Bake the pastry case for 5-10mins until it has started to colour and puff.
Pour in prepared filling and bake for 30-35mins until firm and golden in the centre.
Remove from baking tray and allow to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!
It feels a bit cheeky to call this a recipe as it’s so easy and basically impossible to mess up, but it’s been my most requested ‘recipe’ among my friends and it’s about time I shared it. Adjust it to suit your palate (no two guacamoles I make are exactly the same), but here is the basis of the guacamole that features prominently at most Bills gatherings. We usually serve it with salted corn chips, but it also works well with flavoured Doritos, crackers, veggie sticks, or my sister’s weird but delicious favourite, salt and vinegar chips. Of course it is also a perfect addition to tacos, burritos and nachos.
Warning: once you make it for your friends, you will never be allowed to bring anything else to a party… ever!
Ingredients (makes enough for 1 packet of corn chips) 2 ripe avocados
1 medium sized clove of garlic, finely diced
2 teaspoons tomato, finely chopped
3 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons sweet chilli sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (optional)
Salt
Pepper
Coriander leaves, to serve
Corn chips, to serve
Ft. Adelaide Crows scarf in the background because it’s AFL Grand Final Day!!
Cut up the avocados into small cubes and scoop into a medium sized bowl. Mash gently with a fork until mostly squashed but with some lumps (I prefer the term ‘texture’) remaining.
Dice the garlic (making the pieces as small as possible) and tomato and add to the avocado. Gently stir through with the fork.
Add in the lime juice, sweet chilli sauce and tabasco sauce (if desired). Stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Taste it and add more of any of the ingredients until it’s balanced and to your liking.
Transfer into a small serving bowl, top with a couple of coriander leaves and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Emma, my neighbour from Canberra.
And because it’s always stuck in my head, enjoy the horrendously catchy ‘Guacamole Song’ here!!
Bakerholics Anonymous 