Some months back Tea mentioned a book from Murdoch Press called Bake It. I came across it when browsing in a book store recently. However this is a reprinted copy, and I personally feel not as well presented as the previous book. It is a smaller size - about the size of a novel. It does have some great recipes though.
I also found it really irritating that some of the recipes have the ingredients on one page and you need to turn the page for the method. Which is fine I guess if you indulge in a bit of mise en place and get all your ingredients together and measured out before continuing with the recipe. I don't always do that. In fact I rarely do that. And yes I know that's bad practice. And yes some days I mess up the recipe because I don't do that. But that's just how I do things in the kitchen.
ORANGE AND PRUNE RICE CAKE (adapted from Bake It)
1 vanilla bean
200 gr (7 oz/1 cup) medium grain rice
1 litre ( 35 fl oz/4 cups milk)
2 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
4 eggs, lightly beaten
170 gr (6 oz/3/4 cup) caster sugar
200 gr (7 oz) fresh ricotta cheese
60 gr (1/2 cup) slivered almonds
Prune filling: 200 gr (7 oz) pitted prunes
115 gr (4 oz/1/2 cup) caster sugar
125 ml (4 fl oz/1/2 cup) orange juice
METHOD
To make filling - soak prunes in 2 1/2 cups boiling water for 30 minutes. Add prunes and water to orange juice and sugar and bring slowly to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes, or until prunes are soft. Cool the prunes in the liquid, then strain, reserving the liquid.
Split vanilla bean down centre and scrape out seeds. Put beans and pod into a saucepan with rice and milk. Bring slowly to a simmer, then cook over medium-low heat for 15 - 20 minutes, or until rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Set aside, covered for 20 minutes, or until cooled slightly. Remove vanilla pod.
Preheat oven to 170C (325F).
Lightly grease an 18cm (7 inch) round spring form cake tin and line base with baking paper. Wrap a piece of foil around the outside of the tin and up the sides to completely seal it.
Combine the zest, eggs, sugar, ricotta in a bowl and, using a wooden spoon, stir until smooth. Add the egg mixture to the rice and stir to combine.
Pour half the rice mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Arrange the prunes on top, pour over the remaining rice mixture and scatter the top with the almonds. I forgot the almonds, so when serving I sprinkled some crushed praline over the top. Which I think was better anyway.
Put cake tin into a roasting pan and pour enough boiling water into pan to come half way up sides of cake tin. Bake 50 minutes or until cake is firm in the centre. Cover the cake with foil half way through cooking if it browns too quickly.
Meanwhile, put the reserved prune liquid into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by one third. Cool the rice cake in the tin. Unmold onto a serving plate and serve with whipped cream and the syrup.
UPDATE: This post was written before Tea's post about sharing recipes. I subbed orange juice for the alcohol. I also forgot to add the slivered almond before baking, so added a topping of crushed praline.
