Gum drop Cookies

200g butter, marg softened

125g gumdrops, chopped

200ml Sugar

250ml oats

2ml Salt

5ml vanilla essence

1 large egg

310ml / 175g cake Flour

3ml Bicarb of Soda

Makes about 32 

Preheat oven to 180’c

Cream Sugar & butter till soft and fluffy, add vanilla essence and egg beat well.  Sift the baking powder, bicarb of soda and salt together then add to the butter mixture.  Add oats and sweets and mix well.

Drop teaspoonfuls onto a prepared tray, leaving enough space between them for spreading. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Melting moments

1ml salt

60ml custard powder

625ml Cake flour

250ml icing sugar

375g Butter / margarine

Preheat oven to 180’c and prepare baking trays.

Makes about 4 dozen

Beat icing sugar and sugar together.  Sift in salt, custard powder, and flour together.  Mix well to form soft dough and shape into balls and bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly brown.

Ginger biscuits

30 Sugar for rolling

200g butter / margarine

250ml sugar

2ml salt

3ml ground ginger

1 large egg

15ml Milk

3ml cinnamon

5ml Bicarb of soda

625ml Cake flour

60ml honey or syrup

Preheat oven to 180’c and prepare baking tray.

Makes about 3 dozen

Mix butter and sugar together then add eggs in one at a time, then milk and honey/syrup. Sift in flour, ginger, bicarb, salt, cinnamon and add to butter mixture.  Mix to fom a soft dough, shape into balls and roll them in sugar and press with fork.

Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly brown.

Crunchies

30ml Syrup

500ml Cake flour

10ml baking powder

10ml bicarb of soda

375ml sugar

200g butter/margarine

2ml salt

500ml oats

250ml coconut

125ml Digestive bran

Preheat oven to 180’c and prepare baking tray.

Makes about 2 dozen

In a bowl sift flour, bicarb, salt and flour together then oats, coconut and bran.  In a small pot melt butter, syrup butter and mix with flour mixture.  Press down into a square tin and bake for about 10 minutes.  Once cool cut into blocks.

Butterscotch cookies

330ml Chopped pecan or walnuts

250g Margarine / butter

3ml Bicarb of Soda

5ml Baking powder

375ml brown sugar

2 large eggs

5ml Vanilla essence

875ml cake flour

Preheat oven to 180’c and prepare baking trays.

Makes about 4dozen

Mix eggs, butter and sugar together till light and fluffy then add vanilla essence. Sift the baking powder, bicarb and flour together then nuts and add to the butter mixture. Divide mixture in 2 and roll in greaseproof paper and refrigerate until hard,  slice into 1cm cookies and bake for about 15 – 20 minutes.

Tip:  These cookies are ideal for making a tart base mixed with 15ml margarine / butter

Shortbread stars

15ml Milk

2ml Salt

250g Butter

500ml cake flour

5ml vanilla essence

5ml almond essence

125ml castor sugar

Preheat oven to 160’c and prepare baking trays.

Makes about 2 dozen

Beat sugar and butter together till light and fluffy add sifted flour, and baking powder alternating with the milk.  Using a piping bag, pipe out star shapes onto the tray.  Bake for 14-16minutes or until light brown.

Variation: Dip one side of the cookie into melted chocolate.

Jam Cookies

500ml Desiccated coconut

500ml Cake flour

10ml Baking powder

200ml sugar

200ml Apricot jam (maybe more)

45ml water

30ml castor sugar

125g Butter

3 large eggs

500ml Cake flour

Preheat oven to 180’c and prepare patty pans.

Makes 18

Sift flour, baking powder salt and castor sugar together then rub butter in with your fingers then add egg yolks and water and mix to form soft dough. Roll dough into 3mm and press about 6-7cm diameter circles with a cookie cutter.  Press into pans, fill up with apricot jam.

Topping: Beat sugar and egg whites, coconut and spoon a tablespoon on top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Variation: Jam can be change to any jam you prefer.

Chocolate Biscuits

150g Chopped dark chocolate

200g Butter, margarine

500ml Self-raising flour

125ml Sugar

80ml Brown sugar

2Large Eggs

5ml Vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 180’c and prepare baking trays.

Makes about 5dozen

Beat sugars and butter together till light and fluffy then add vanilla essence and eggs.  Sift flour in and stir in chocolate.  Drop teaspoon full’s onto prepared trays and bake for 12 minutes or until lightly brown.

Lemon Meringue

CASE:
1 x 23cm pastry case, made from short crust pastry

FILLING:

100ml White Sugar

Juice and grated rind of two lemons

300ml water

60ml (4 Tablespoons) corn flour, dissolved in 45ml (3 Tablespoons) water 4 egg yolks, lightly beaten

MERINGUE:
4 egg whites at room temperature
185ml (¾ cup) Huletts White Sugar

Preheat oven to 150’c and prepare dish

Combine the lemon juice, rind, water and sugar.  Heat, stirring till the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the dissolved corn flour and egg yolks, and continue cooking till the mixture is thick (about 5 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand for a few minutes..

Spoon into the pastry case.

MERINGUE:  Beat the egg whites till stiff. Gradually beat in the sugar. The mixture should form stiff, dry peaks. Pile the meringue on top of the lemon filling, taking care to cover it completely.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until the meringue has set and is golden brown.

TIPS: 

When making meringue, your utensils must be squeaky clean and bone dry.
You may wipe the bowl with lemon juice to remove all grease if required.

Macaroons

2 egg whites ¾ cup  Castor Sugar 1½ cups desiccated coconut 200g dark chocolate, melted Preheat oven to 150ºC. Line two oven trays with baking paper.  Beat eggs whites in a small bowl until firm peaks form. Add sugar gradually, beating well after each addition and until sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick and glossy. Transfer to a large bowl and add the coconut. Using a large metal spoon, fold gently until the ingredients are just combined. Drop level tablespoons of the mixture onto the trays, about 5cm apart.  Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Dip bases in melted chocolate and allow setting.

Sticky Caramel Apples

3 medium apples

Batter

Oil for deep frying

200ml cake flour

2Large eggs

2ml Salt

15ml oil

100 warm water

Sauce

125g Butter /margarine

125ml Fresh cream

250ml brown sugar

Peel and core apples and slice into 8-12pieces each.

Batter:  Sift salt and flour, add oil, water and mix well.  Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into mixture and mix to form a smooth batter, allow setting for 35 minutes.  Dip apples in batter and deep fry until brown.

Sauce: heat sugar, butter until sugar has dissolved, add cream and allow o boil.  Pour sauce over the apple pieces must be served start after.

Tiramisu

2 large eggs, separated
10ml (2 teaspoons) cocoa powder

30ml (2 Tablespoons Castor Sugar
10ml (2 teaspoons) brandy (extra)
250g (1 tub) mascarpone cheese
185ml strong black coffee
60ml (¼ cup) brandy
125g (1 packet) finger biscuits


Mix the coffee and the brandy together in a cup. Dip both sides of half the packet of biscuits into this mixture and arrange in the bottom of a shallow round or square dish. Cream the egg yolks and castor sugar together until thick and pale yellow. Add the additional 10ml brandy and the mascarpone cheese to the egg mixture and mix until smooth. Beat the egg whites until stiff, and fold into the cheese mixture. Pour half the mixture over the biscuits. Dip the other half of the biscuits in the coffee and arrange on top of the cheese mixture and then pour the balance of the cheese mixture over the top.

 Place in the fridge for 4 hours to set and sprinkle with cocoa just before serving. 

Crumpets

Oil for Frying

60ml Sugar

7ml baking Powder

2ml salt

250ml Cake flour

125ml Milk

30ml butter/margarine melted

2 Large Eggs

Beat sugar, eggs together then add sifted baking powder, flour mix well then add milk and melted marg. 

Drop spoonfuls in a heated pan, and fry till both sides are lightly brown.

Serve with butter, Syrup, jam.

Variation: Add four mashed bananas for banana crumpets

Macaroni & Cheese

1 packet 500g elbow macaroni cooked 250g soft  velveeta cheese 1 can cheese soup 1/2 stick butter 1 tsp. salt 500ml cold milk Mix all ingredients together.  Cook on low for 1 hour and stir. You can add meat, bacon, mushroom if you like

Hot Milk sponge cake

4 xlg Eggs

5ml vanilla Essence

100g Butter or margarine

310ml castor sugar

250ml Milk

500ml cake flour

15ml baking powder

Basic Icing

100g Soft Butter

500ml Icing Sugar

Colorant of your choice

5ml vanilla essence

30ml Milk

Chocolate Icing

100g Soft butter

30ml Milk

2ml Vanilla essence

30 Hot water

30ml Cocoa powder

500ml Icing Sugar

Preheat oven to 180’ c and prepare two round cake tins 20cm

For the sponge: Cream the eggs and the sugar till light and fluffy.  Sift baking powder and flour and add to egg mixture.

In a saucepan, heat the milk and the butter. Do not boil the mixture.  Stir milk mixture and vanilla essence into the batter.  Spoon into prepared tins when cooled cut into shapes.

For the icing: mix ingredients together till light and fluffy and spread over cake, and decorate with your choice of decorations.

Variation:

Chocolate cake – Add 50ml Cocoa powder to the dry ingredients and 5ml flavourant to the batter.

This cake recipe can be double to make larger cakes.

Basic Biscuits

2.5ml (½ teaspoon) vanilla essence
500ml (2 cups) cake flour
250g butter or brick margarine
250ml (1 cup) Castor Sugar
1 egg


Preheat oven to 200’c and prepare baking trays.

Cream butter and add castor sugar gradually, beating continuously. Beat egg and vanilla essence together and then add to the butter mixture, and beat further. Sift the flour 3 times and add to the butter mixture. Mix thoroughly. Shape into biscuits and place on a greased baking tray. Bake for 8 - 12 minutes, until golden brown.

Makes 100 biscuits.

VARIATIONS:

Ginger Biscuits:
Add 5ml ground ginger to the flour. Decorate each biscuit with a piece of melon or ginger preserve before baking.

Coffee Biscuits:
Dissolve 10ml of instant coffee into 10ml boiling water. Add to the butter mixture. Decorate with a coffee bean before baking.

Cherry Biscuits:
Push halved glacé cherries into each biscuit before baking.

Coffee Biscuits:
Dissolve 10ml of instant coffee into 10ml boiling water. Add to the butter mixture. Decorate with a coffee bean before baking.

Decoration:
Dip one half of each biscuit in melted chocolate (or drizzle over the top) and leave to set on a wire rack, or simply spread with made up icing.

Granadilla Éclairs

2 large eggs

125ml Cake flour

125ml Water

60g Butter

Filling

115g granadilla pulp

60ml icing sugar

250ml fresh cream

Preheat oven to 200’c and prepare baking tray

Makes a dozen

In a saucepan melt butter in water and allow boiling.  Sift flour in and stir with a wooden spoon until a ball forms in the middle of the pot. Leave to cool a bit and add eggs and mix until mixture is smooth.   Pipe onto tray and bake for 15minutes or until puffed and light brown. Cut a slit in the éclairs and place back in the oven to dry out.

Filling: Beat cream until still adding sugar and granadilla pulp, spoon into éclairs and dust with icing sugar.

Variation: Fill with whipped cream and chocolate icing:  50g chocolate melted 15ml butter and 375ml icing sugar.

Traditional Shortbread

Extra castor sugar

2ml Salt

250g Butter / margarine

125ml Mazina (Corn flour)

625ml cake flour

125ml Castor sugar

Preheat oven to 130’c and prepare baking tin. 16cmx26cm

Makes about 2 dozen

Mix butter and castor sugar till light and creamy then add sifted remaining ingredients. Press down into a baking tin and prick with a fork.

Bake for about an hour, cut into fingers while hot.

Delights

2ml Salt

20ml Baking powder

450g Butter

5x 250ml Cake flour

1can Condense milk

250ml Castor sugar

5ml lemon or almond essence

Preheat oven to 160’c and prepare baking trays.

Makes about 7 dozen.

Beat sugar and butter together till light and fluffy, add essence and condense milk and mix together well.  Add all remaining ingredients together and mix well to form a soft dough.  Roll into small balls and press down with a fork. 

Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly brown.

Cheese and herb Puffs

15ml Butter, melted

250ml Self raising flour

5ml baking powder

1ml salt

125ml Milk

1 Large egg

250ml Grated cheese

10ml fresh or dried parsley

2ml Mustard Powder

Preheat oven to 200’c and prepare muffin tin

Sift flour, mustard powder, baking powder, parsley and salt together and then cheese.  Whisk egg, milk and melted butter together then add to the dry ingredients.  Do not over mix.  Spoon mixture  into muffin trays and bake for 10-12minutes.

Best served warm

Butternut Rusk

375ml Mashed butternut

750ml Boiling water

5ml Cream of tarter

10ml Salt

40ml Baking powder

375ml Sugar

325g Butter / Margarine

3 large eggs

7x 250ml (1kg) Brown bread flour

Preheat oven to 180’c and prepare loaf tins baking tins

Makes about 6 dozen

Mix water, sugar, butter until sugar has dissolved, and allow cooling then adding eggs.  Sift flour, cream of tartar, salt and baking powder and add to egg mixture add the reaming flour in the sieve to resemble a runny mixture. Add butternut then pour into tins and bake for an hour.

Allow to cool before turning onto wire rack and cutting into thick slices.  Allow the rusk to dry out in a warmer drawer over night.

Tip: Cut slices with an electric knife. Allow the Rusk to dry out completely before cutting.

Pineapple Cake

80ml Milk

750ml Self Raising flour

2 Large eggs

250ml castor sugar

125g margarine / butter

Filling

60ml custard powder

440g Crushed pineapple

250ml castor sugar

2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 180’c and prepare baking tins.

Cake: Mix butter, sugar and eggs together and mix well.  Add sifted flour in turns with milk.  Divide into 4 portions into baking tins.  Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown. 

Filling:  Boil pineapple eggs, sugar for about 2-3 minutes till stirring consistency.  Mix custard powder with a little water and mix with pineapple mixture and allow boiling till thick.  Allow cooling.

Spread filling over the layer of cake stacking on top of each other, crumble the remaining layer on top of the top layer. Store over night in a airtight container before serving.

Quick Milk Tart

Crumb crust made with 1 packet of crushed Tennis biscuits and 125g butter, melted.

FILLING:
2 eggs
45ml (3 Tablespoons) cornflour
45ml (3 Tablespoons) flour
3ml (½ teaspoon) vanilla essence 500ml (2 cups) milk
Piece of cinnamon stick
60 - 100ml White Sugar, depending on personal taste
30ml (2 Tablespoons) butter
Cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

CRUST: Combine the crushed Tennis biscuits and the melted butter, and press into a pie dish.

FILLING: Heat the milk with the piece of stick cinnamon to just under boiling point. Meanwhile, lightly beat the eggs with the sugar, and then add the corn flour and flour. Pour the hot milk onto this mixture, stirring rapidly. Return the mixture to the heat and cook, stirring till the mixture becomes very thick. Thorough stirring is important to prevent the mixture from catching on the bottom of the pan, and to prevent lumps. Off the heat, add the essence and add the butter. Stir well till the butter is melted. Pour the mixture into the prepared tart crust.

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Quick & easy Beer bread

500g Self-raising flour

5ml Salt

5ml Sugar

1tin (340ml) Cold beer

Preheat oven to 180’c and prepare loaf tin. 

Sift flour, salt, and sugar.  Empty COLD   beer into dry ingredients and mix well.  Spoon mixture into loaf tin and bake for about an hour.

Variations:

Add 1tin kernel corn and 250ml grated cheese

Add 9 cloves of crushed garlic cloves and 50ml chopped parsley

Malva Pudding

Here is another Malva Pudding, it’s still a favourite. 250ml (1 cup) cake flour 5ml (1 teaspoon) bicarbonate of soda Pinch of salt 15ml (1 Tablespoon) brick margarine 125ml (½ cup White Sugar 1 egg 15ml (1 Tablespoon) apricot jam 15ml (1 Tablespoon) vinegar SAUCE: 185ml (¾ cup) cream 5ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla essence                125g brick margarine 185ml (¾ cup) White Sugar 65ml water Preheat oven to 180’c and prepare oven dish.                Cream the margarine and sugar. Add the egg and blend well. Add the apricot jam and vinegar. Mix well. Sift the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Pour into dish about. Cover the dish with a lid or foil and then bake for about an hour. While the pudding is being made make the sauce SAUCE: Boil the margarine, sugar and water Remove from the stove and then add the cream and the vanilla.                Pour over the hot baked pudding. Serve with ice-cream or custard.

Chocolate Brownie Squares

125ml (½ cup) brick margarine
125ml (½ cup) Brown Sugar
2 eggs
250ml (1 cup) self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
60ml (¼ cup) cocoa powder

ICING:
45ml (3 Tablespoons) margarine
45ml (3 Tablespoons) milk
60ml (¼ cup) cocoa powder
250ml (1 cup Icing Sugar

Preheat oven to 180’c and prepare square baking tin

Sift the flour, salt and cocoa powder together. Cream the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Fold the sifted dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Turn into a tin and bake for 35-40minutes or until the centre of the cake springs back when lightly pressed. Allow to cool in the tin.

ICING:

Sift the cocoa powder. Melt the margarine and add the cocoa. Cook over low heat for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Add milk and sifted icing sugar. Mix thoroughly and spread over cake in the tin. Leave to set and cut into squares.

Banana Bread

125g brick margarine
125ml (½ cup White Sugar
3 eggs
Pinch of salt
Pinch of bicarbonate of soda
10ml (2 teaspoons) baking powder
45ml (3 Tablespoons) milk
3 bananas
3ml (½ teaspoon) vanilla essence
400ml (1⅔ cup) flour

Preheat oven to 180’c and prepare loaf tin

Cream the margarine and sugar with a wooden spoon. Add the unbeaten eggs one at a time and beat thoroughly. Mash the bananas with a fork and add to the mixture with vanilla essence. Do Not over mix, Sieve the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder and add to the mixture with the mill and mix.

Place the mixture in the tin and bake for ½ an hour at 180ºC. Reduce heat to 140ºC and bake for a further ½ to ¾ of an hour, or until nicely browned and baked through. To test if ready, push a skewer or knitting needle into the loaf. If this comes out clean the cake is ready. If some of the cake mixture sticks to the skewer, the cake needs more baking time.

HINT:
The banana bread is best if you keep it for a few days before eating

Apple tart

PASTRY:
200g cold butter or brick margarine, cubed
1 egg
60ml (4 Tablespoons) water
750ml (3 cups) flour, sifted
Pinch of salt
60ml (4 Tablespoons) White Sugar

FILLING:
Juice and rind of one lemon
30ml (2 Tablespoons) Brown Sugar
5ml (1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges or 1 small can of pie apples.
Approximately 375ml (1½ cups) water for poaching

Preheat oven to 190’c and prepare pie dish.

Place the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor, add the butter and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Lightly beat the egg and add the water. With the motor running add the water/egg mixture to the flour mixture. Process until the mixture forms a ball. Divide the pastry in half, place one half in the freezer and the remaining half in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before using. Press the pastry from the refrigerator onto a lightly greased baking sheet to resemble a heart shape. Bake for 5 minutes.

Remove from oven.

Poach the apples in the water and lemon juice for 5 - 8 minutes. Drain and leave to cool slightly. Arrange the apples on top of the pastry heart. Mix the brown sugar and ground cinnamon and sprinkle over the apples. Grate the pastry from the freezer over the apples to cover completely. Push the overflowing pastry up on the sides to seal in the apples. Bake at 190ºC for 10 - 15 minutes or until the pastry is lightly browned.

Dust with sifted icing sugar before serving with cream or ice cream. 

Black Forest Cake

• 5ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla essence
• 275ml boiling water
• 500ml (2 cups) flour
• 375ml (1½ cups) White Sugar
• 20ml (4 teaspoons) baking powder
• 60ml (4 Tablespoons) cocoa 
• 1ml salt
• 4 eggs, separated
• 275ml oil

Preheat oven to 180ºC and prepare two 20cm cake tins with wax paper.

Sift dry ingredients together, in a separate bowl beat egg yolks, oil and vanilla essence together, and then combine with dry ingredients with boiling water. Mix well.   Whip egg whites until stiff with an electric beater and fold into mixture. Pour batter into prepared tins and bake for 25 - 30 minutes. Once cool, slice each cake in half using string or nylon line

Drizzle each layer with a little liqueur (cherry or Kirsch) to moisten (optional). Then spread each layer with whipped cream and drained black cherries. Finally top with the remaining cream and whole cherries and decorate with Chocolate curls. 

Lamingtons

VANILLA SPONGE:
5ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla essence
750ml (3 cups) flour, sifted
500ml (2 cups) Castor Sugar
4 large eggs
250ml (1 cup) oil
15ml (1 Tablespoon) baking powder
250ml (1 cup) milk

CHOCOLATE COATING:
500ml (2 cups) White Sugar
15ml (1 Tablespoon) butter or brick margarine
250ml (1 cup) hot water
45ml (3 Tablespoons) cocoa powder

Desiccated coconut for coating

VANILLA SPONGE:

Preheat oven to 180’c

Beat castor sugar and eggs till light and fluffy then add oil and vanilla essence, mix well. Add sifted flour and baking powder to in turns with the milk.  Pour mixture into a greased oven tray and bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool then cut in even size blocks.

CHOCOLATE COATING:

In a saucepan heat sugar, cocoa, butter and water till sugar has dissolved completely.  Once the mixture has cooled dp each sponge block then roll in coconut.