Sticky Date and Pear Cake

It is pear season in Australia, which means they're very cheap at the moment.
Pear cakes are on top of the list of my favourites; this-one belongs to the special group of irresistible-ones.

Ingredients:
1 cup dates (dried)
1 cup water
1 tsp baking soda
125 g butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 large (or 2 small) egg
3 ripe pears, peeled and diced
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups SR flour
Topping-
3/4 cup brown sugar
60 g butter
1/2 cup cream (35% fat)

Method:
Boil dates, water and baking soda for 2-3 minutes; take off the heat, slightly mash with a fork and let it cool.
Preheat oven to 170*C; prepare 20-22 cm cake tin, line with baking paper.
Beat butter, sugar and egg until light and fluffy. Add pears, flour, cinnamon and date mixture. Mix well. Pour into the tin and bake for 50-60 minutes. Take out and let it cool.
For topping- boil all ingredients in a heavy bottomed pan. Take off and let it cool.
Take the cake out of tin and pour topping over it. Slice the cake and enjoy!

'Ljepljivi' kolac sa Datulama i Kruskama

Sezona je krusaka u Australiji, sto znaci da su trenutno jako jeftine. Kolaci sa kruskama su mi medju najdrazima, a ovaj pripada skupini neodoljivih.

Potrebno:
1 solja datula (susenih)
1 solja vode
1 k sode bb
125 gr maslaca
3/4 solje secera
1 vece (ili 2 manja) jajeta
3 zrele kruske, oguljene i sjecene na kockice
1 k cimeta
1 1/2 solja samodizajuceg brasna
Preliv-
3/4 solje braon secera
60 gr maslaca
1/2 solje slatke pavlake / vrhnja (35% masnoce)

Nacin:
Kuhajte datule, vodu i sodu oko 2-3 minute; smaknite, viljuskom izgnjecite blago i ostavite prohladiti.
Ukljucite rernu na 170*C; pripremite obruc (20-22 cm) i oblozite ga neprijanjajucim papirom.
Miksajte maslac, jaje i secer dok ne postane pjenasto. Ubacite kruske, brasno, cimet i smjesu sa datulama i lagano izmijesajte. Uspite u kalup i pecite 50-60 minuta. Prohladite.
Za preliv- prokuhajte sve sastojke, smaknite s vatre i ostavite hladiti. 
Postavite kolac na servirajucu posudu, prelijte sa prelivom. Rezite i uzivajte!

Sticky Date Pudding

Very simple dessert, adored by my boys.

Ingredients:
Pudding / cake-
1 1/2 cups dried dates
1 1/4 cups water
1 teas baking soda
1/4 cup butter
2 large eggs
1 teas vanilla
1 1/4 cups SR flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
Butterscotch sauce-
3/4 cup + 2 teas brown sugar (180g)
1 cup + 2,5 Tbs cream
1 Tbs + 1 teas golden syrup
2 Tbs +1 teas butter
Method:
Put dates and water into a saucepan, bring to boil. Sprinkle baking soda over it, put butter pieces inside, cover it and switch off.
Preheat oven to 170*C. Prepare a cake tin.
Mix eggs, vanilla and sugar in another bowl, add cooled date mix and flour.
Mix well, pour into the cake tin and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Butterscotch sauce-
Cook (stirring) all ingredients for short time, or until melted. Pour 1/3 of this hot sauce over cake, which you have pricked (with a skewer or toothpick) all over the surface. Let cake cool. After both cake and sauce have cooled, place cake onto serving dish; pour another 1/3 of sauce over it. Last 1/3 of sauce leave for serving, along with whipped cream.

Preliveni 'ljepljivi' kolac od datula

Brz i jednostavan za napraviti - obozavan od strane mojih djecaka.

Potrebno:
1 1/5 solja (270 g) datula
1 1/4 (310 ml) solja vode
1 k sode bb
1/4 solje (60gr) maslaca
2 veca jaja
1 k vanile
1 1/4 (185 gr) solje samodizajuceg brasna
2/3 solje (150 gr) braon secera
Buterskoč preliv-
180 gr braon secera
300 ml krema (slatka pavlaka)
25 ml 'Zlatnog' sirupa
25 gr maslaca
Nacin:
Stavite datule i vodu kuhati; kada prokuha iskljucite, ubacite sodu i maslac, poklopite i ostavite hladiti.
Pripremite kalup za kolac, ukljucite rernu na 170*C.
Miksajte secer sa jajima, dodajte datule i brasno. Dobro promijesajte. Uspite u kalup i pecite 35-40 minuta, ili dok ne bude peceno.
Preliv-
Kuhajte sve sastojke kratko (mijesajuci). Izbockajte kolac sa cackalicom, pa ga prelijte sa 1/3 preliva. Ostavite hladiti i kolac i preliv.
Nakon izvjesnog vremena (kada je hladno), stavite kolac na posluzavnik, prelijte ga jos jednom 1/3 preliva. Zadnju 1/3 preliva ostavite za sluziti, zajedno sa umucenom pavlakom.

Date and Oat Crumb Squares

Another quick and easy dessert.

Ingredients:
-Crust
185 g oats (flakes)
185 g flour 185 g brown sugar
1 teas cinnamon
1/2 teas baking soda
50 g walnuts, chopped
225 g butter, cut into small pieces (cold,from fridge)
-Filling
500 g dates, chopped
185 g brown sugar
150 ml water
1 teas vanilla
Method:
First make filling. Put all ingredients into a saucepan and cook until soft.
For crust, process all dry ingredients, add cold pieces of butter and process until crumbs form. Spread half of this into a slice pan (20 x 30 cm), press slightly with spoon or your hand. On top of this spread filling, then follow with another half of crumbly mixture. Bake 20 minutes at 160*C in a fan forced oven.


Datule i Zob u Kockama

Potrebno:
-za 'korice'
185 gr zobi (presovane pahuljice)
185 gr brasna
185 gr braon secera
1 kasicica cimeta
1/2 kasicice sode BB
50 gr sjeckanih oraha
225 gr putera, hladnog, sjeckanog
-za fil
500 gr datula
185 gr braon secera
150 ml vode 1 kasicica vanile
Nacin:
Najprije napravite fil, tako sto cete sve sastojke staviti u serpu i poklopljeno kuhati dok ne omeksa.
Za kore, sve sastojke osim putera pomijesajte, zatim dodajte puter i vrhovima prstiju trljajte dok se ne formiraju mrvice. Elektricna sjeckalica je idealna za ovo, ukoliko je imate. Polovinu ove smjese istresite na tepsiju (20 x 30 cm), pritisnite blago rukama ili kasikom. Preko ovoga istresite datule, pa onda drugu polovinu zobenog tijesta. Pecite 20 minuta na 160 -170 *C.

Apple, Date and Caramel Cake

I love baking cakes...but I usually don't eat them.
This is one of exceptions!

Ingredients:
2 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped
200g finely chopped dates
1 teas baking soda
1 cup boiling water
125 g unsalted butter, soft
1 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teas vanilla essence
1 cup flour
1/2 cup SR flour
pinch of salt
50 g roasted nuts (your choice), chopped
Topping:
120ml milk
90 g butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teas vanilla
110 g nuts, flaked

Method:
preheat oven to 180*C. Prepare a 22 cm cake tin.
Place apples, dates, soda and boiling water in a saucepan, bring to boil and let cool.
Beat butter and sugar, mix in vanilla and egg; sift flour and salt, fold in with apples mixture and nuts. Spoon into cake tin.
Bake for 50-60 minutes.
10 minutes before the cake is ready prepare the topping-
Heat milk and butter in a saucepan, add vanilla sugar and nuts and cook for 5-8 minutes.
When cake is ready take out, flatten the top and pour the topping over it.
Return to oven for 10-15 minutes, until the topping is golden brown.
Serve with cream (optional!).




Karamel torta sa jabukama i datulama

Potrebno:
2 jabuke srednje velicine, sjeckane
200 gr datula, sjeckanih
1 kasicica sode bb
1 solja vrele vode
125 gr putera, omeksalog
1 solja sitnog secera
1 jaje
1 1/2 kasicica vanile
1 solja brasna
1/2 solje samodizajuceg brasna
malo soli
50 gr oraha/ljesnika/badema (po izboru)
Preliv:
120ml mlijeka
90 gr putera
3/4 solje braon secera
1 kasicica vanile
110gr oraha, krupno sjeckani

Nacin:
Zagrijte rernu na 180*C. Pripremite 22 cm obruc za torte.
Stavite isjeckanu jabuku, datule i sodu bb u posudu, prelijte vrelom vodom i prokuhajte. Ohladite.
Mutite puter sa secerom, dodajte vanilu i jaje. Dodajte brasno,orahe, so i mjesavinu sa jabukama.
Prerucite u obruc i pecite 50-60 minuta.
Zadnjih 10 minuta pecenja pripremite preliv - Zagrijte mlijeko i puter, dodajte secer,vanilu i orahe i kuhajte 5-8 minuta, dok se malo ne zgusne.
Izvadite tortu iz rerne,malo zaravnajte povrsinu, prelijte karamel prelivom i vratite na jos 10-15 minuta u rernu.
Mozete sluziti sa kremom ili bez, po vasem izboru!