Oozy chocolate sourdough toastie

This is no ordinary toastie – more like a sinful chocolate snack. It’s an amped-up version of French toast, layered with slivers of banana and dotted with melting chocolate chips, and is best devoured hot and fresh. The molten, magnificent mess that’s created between two sweetened slices of bread is unbelievable. This is bound to be bookmarked as a favourite.

INGREDIENTS

• 75ml full-cream milk
• 120ml sweetened condensed milk
• 100g whole eggs
• pinch of sea salt
• pinch of ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp grapeseed oil
• 8 slices day-old sourdough bread, crusts removed
• 2 bananas, thinly sliced lengthways
• 80g good quality milk chocolate chips

METHOD

1. Put the milk, condensed milk, eggs, salt and cinnamon in a bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish.
3. Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
4. Dip each slice of bread in the condensed milk mixture, then place in the frying pan and cook both sides until golden brown.
5. Remove from the heat.
6. Arrange the banana in an even layer over four of the bread slices, sprinkle with chocolate chips, then sandwich together with the remaining bread.
7. The toasties are best made fresh and served immediately.

For best results:

• Don’t use bread with large air pockets.
• Have all the elements ready to go before you start frying the bread.

Next level:

• I love replacing the banana with fresh or sauteed pineapple.

Serves 4

Comforting glazed marble loaf cake

Never underestimate a simple cake. Marvel at the hypnotic vanilla and cocoa swirl of this light loaf cake’s marbled centre. With an added touch of sweetness from the understated but seductive glaze, you’ll be cutting a slice for afternoon tea, an after-dinner snack, and perhaps even a cheeky breakfast.

INGREDIENTS

• 200g unsalted butter, softened
• 350g caster (superfine) sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of sea salt
• 200g whole eggs, at room temperature
• 195g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 90ml full-cream milk
• 25g Dutch-process cocoa powder

Glaze

• 30g unsalted butter
• 60g caster sugar
• 60ml water
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

1. To make the marble cake, preheat the oven to 160C fan-forced (180C conventional). Grease a 21 x 11cm loaf tin and line the base with baking paper. You can also use an 18–20cm round or square tin.
2. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy, starting on medium speed and gradually building up to high speed – scrape the side of the bowl as required.
3. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the eggs.
4. Gradually add the egg to the mixer, starting with just a dessertspoonful at a time. Mix well after each addition to prevent the cake mixture separating.
5. Weigh 180g of the mixture and set aside to create the chocolate batter. The remaining mixture will be used to create the vanilla batter.
6. Sift 160g of the flour with ¾ teaspoon of the baking powder, then gradually fold them through the vanilla portion of the butter mixture, alternating it with 70ml of the milk and ending with the final flour addition. (This helps prevent the mixture separating.) Once all the flour is incorporated it is important to stop mixing, to prevent the cake becoming tough once baked.
7. Sift the remaining flour, with the cocoa powder and the remaining baking powder, then fold it through the reserved chocolate portion of the butter mixture, alternating it with the remaining milk.
8. Alternate spooning the two mixtures into the prepared loaf tin and zigzag the handle of a dessert spoon from one end of the batter to the other, to create marbled layers.
9. Bake for 55–60 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
10. For the glaze, combine the butter, sugar, water and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil.
11. Simmer for 1 minute before brushing the glaze over the warm cake while it is still in the tin.
12. Once the cake has cooled, remove it from the tin.
13. The loaf can be frozen for up to 4 weeks, or stored at room temperature for no more than 5 days.

FOR BEST RESULTS

• It’s important to beat the butter and sugar really well, ensuring they are light and fluffy and the sugar is dissolved.
• Before starting the cake, warm the eggs to body temperature by placing them in a bowl over a water bath. Gently move the eggs around while they warm.
• When alternating adding flour and milk, always start with a bit of flour.

Serves 8

This is an edited extract from Chocolate All Day by Kirsten Tibballs, Murdoch Books, RRP $49.99. Photography by Armelle Habib. Buy now