Monday, March 3, 2008

Chocolate Zucchini Cake & Chicken's Feet

Last night after mtg we all stayed back for tea. There were some friends from Australia there, so Carol had cooked a huge spread. Willie's family came too. Main included rice, lotus roots with chicken, chicken with ginger & garlic, curry (was told it wasn't spicy so tried a wee wee bit and it nearly took the roof off my mouth!), another chicken dish and a dish that looked like it just had chicken bones in it, but upon closer inspection I discovered it was chicken feet in a gravy, ugggggh, needless to say I gave that dish a miss. I mean what is there to eat on chicken's feet? I was told it was a delicacy, hummm, acquired taste I'd say. When I asked what do you actually eat on them, I was told oh just the skin!

I made a chocolate zucchini cake for dessert with a large bowl of whipped cream (they don't do that sort of thing here which is amazing because they sure like cream!!). They were very brave and sampled the cake even though it had zucchini in it (mind you it looked a lot better than chicken feet).

I had to go to 3 supermarkets before I found zucchini's but it was worth it :-)

Here's the recipe - it's an Alison Holst one.

125gm butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup yoghurt
1/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups (350gm) grated zucchini
1/2 - 1 cup small pieces of chocolate (optional)

Prepare a 25cm square pan or roasting pan by lining it with two crosswise strips of baking paper.
Beat the butter with the sugars until light and creamy. Do not hurry this step. Use a mixer or food processor.
Add the eggs one at a time, with a spoonful of the measured flower to prevent the mixture curdling. Add the vanilla and yoghurt and mix well.
Sift the dry ingredients together. Stir in, with the grated zucchini.
Turn into the prepare pan.
Sprinkle surface with the small pieces of chocolate if desired.
Bake at 170 deg C for 45 minutes, or until centre feels firm and a skewer comes out clean.

2 comments:

Penny said...

I've put zucchini in carrot cake too - good way to use up a glut.

Spicy hot curry mmmmm
Chicken feet no thanks

Anonymous said...

And I thought you would be learning to cook the local delicacies so you could bring all the recipes back home here!! Surely a party at 815 with hot spicy chicken feet would be much attended by all....do you have your choc mousse receipe with you? Meant to get it before you left.