Sticky Date Pudding
December 27, 2016 Sandra
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Serves 10.

180g Dates, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 60g butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 cup self-raising flour.

  1. Preheat oven to 180C . Grease ten of the holes in two 6-hole muffin trays.
  2. Put dates in one & a quarter cups of water in a pot and bring to the boil.
  3. Add baking soda and stir until dates start to break  up. Set aside to cool.
  4. Beat butter &  brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add cooled date mixture and fold in sifted self- raising flour.
  5. Spoon mixture into muffin trays and bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Serve with butterscotch sauce, and whipped  cream, or ice cream.

1/2 cup brown sugar, 25g butter & 100 ml cream.

  1. to make butterscotch sauce, bring brown sugar and butter to the boil in a pot in a pot, taking care not to let it burn. Add the cream and continue to boil until sauce is a golden brown and thick.

 

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Triple Chocolate Courgette Muffins – Fiona Carter
December 25, 2016 Sandra
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3 med courgettes, 125g butter, 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of wholemeal flour, 1/3 cup cocoa, 3 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp cinnamon,  1/2 cup  brown sugar, well packed, 1/2 cup dark choc chips, 1/2  cup white  choc chips,  3/4 cup milk, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla essence.

Makes 12 – 15  muffins

Preheat oven to 180C . Place paper  cases into muffin tins. Top & tail courgettes, grate & place in a sieve over a bowl.  leave to drain.

Melt butter & cool a little.

Sift flours, cocoa, baking powder & cinnamon into a large  bowl. Tip wholemeal husks remaining in sieve  back into bowl. Stir in sugar , breaking up any lumps.

Place  1/2 grated courgette into a clean tea towel. Wrap up like a sausage & wring excess moisture out. REpeat with second half.

Measure out 2 cups of grated courgette & add to flour mixture along with chocolate. Mix the ingredients together til the courgette is coated with flour.

In a smaller bowl , lightly whisk the milk, egg, & vanilla together, Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the melted butter then the milk mixture.  Briefly mix til just combined. Place 1 heaped dessertspoonful of mixture into each muffin tin.

Bake 20 – 25 minutes until cooked. Cool for 5 – 10 minutes before removing from the tins,

 

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Triple Chocolate Muffins
December 25, 2016 Sandra
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70g Butter, 1 cup self-raising Flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tbsp cocoa, 1/4 cup caster sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup each dark & white choc bits, 1/4 cup milk, 2 eggs , 1/2 tsp vanilla essence.

Preheat oven to 190C

  • Place the butter in microwave bowl , cover and microwave on high for a minute for 1 minute.
  • Sift the flour , baking powder and cocoa into a large bowl, add the caster sugar, brown sugar, and choc bits and stir well.
  • Beat the milk , eggs and vanilla.
  • Pour the milk and butter into the flour mixture and quickly mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
  • Spoon the mixture into muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes , or until firm.
  • Allow to cool for 5 minutes before  taking out of the moulds.
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Chickpea Curry
December 25, 2016 Sandra
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6 tbsp vegetables oil,  2 onions (sliced),1 tsp finely  chopped fresh ginger, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp crushed fresh garlic , 1 tsp chilli powder (or just a little , depending on your taste)  2-3 tbsp fresh coriander leaves,  150 ml water, 1 large potato, 1 400g canned chickpeas , drained, 1 tbsp lemon juice.

Heat the oil in a large heavy based saucepan. Add the onions and cook , stirring occasionally, until golden. Reduce the heat , add the ginger , ground cumin, ground coriander, garlic, chilli powder,  coriander,  and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Add the water to the mixture in the saucepan and stir to mix.

Using a sharp knife , cut the potato into dice then add with the chickpeas to the saucepan. Cover and leave to simmer , stirring occasionally, for 5 -7  minutes.

Sprinkle the lemon juice over the curry. Transfer to serving dishes and serve hot.

I personally add some chopped up chicken  to the dish when cooking the onion.

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Never-fail Chocolate Cake
December 25, 2016 Sandra
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400g dark chocolate , 360g unsalted butter, 360 caster sugar , 6 tbsp plain flour, 6 eggs  & icing sugar for serving.

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Melt the chocolate, butter, and sugar in a double boiler over a gentle heat , stirring often until the mixture is smooth then remove from the heat.

Add the flour and stir the mixture until smooth.

Add the eggs one at a time , beating the mixture  well with a whisk or an electric beater after each addition.

Pour  the mixture into a lined 20cm square cake tin.

Bake the cake  in the oven, centre shelf for 15 mins , then turn the oven down to to 150C  and bake for a further 40 minutes.

Turn off the oven , leave the door closed and allow the cake to slowly cool.

To serve , turn the cake out of the tin and dust with icing sugar.

Anna’s Tips

Sometimes I add a pinch of ground cinnamon  and cardamon to spice it up.

If you slightly under-cook the cake it will set like fudge in the fridge.

 

To decorate place three spoons across the top of your cake before sprinkling with icing sugar for a pretty decoration.

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Stove-top Pizza
December 25, 2016 Sandra
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1 cup self-raising  flour, 1 cup plain flour,  1 good pinch of  salt, 1 rounded tsp of  dried yeast, 1 tsp honey, 1 cup luke warm water, 1 cup pasta sauce of your choice, 1 cup of grated cheese & topping of your choice.

Combined all dough ingredients in a frying pan  and mix well.

Press dough using the tips of your fingers, until the base of the pan is covered.

Spread the pasta sauce onto the dough taking it as close to the edge as possible.

Add other toppings of your choice.

Place the pan (with the pizza inside ) over medium heat and cover, making sure the vents are closed. Cook 5 minutes.

Turn lid to open side steam  vents, reduce heat to heat to medium low and cook for further 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and egg flip lift  pizza from pan onto a board or serving dish.

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No-Bake Caramel Rolo Cheesecake – Jane’s Patisserie
December 25, 2016 Sandra
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Biscuit Base

  • 150g Digestive biscuits
  • 150g  Golden Oreos/ Vanilla Crunch biscuits
  • 125g Butter, melted.

Cheesecake Filling

  • 500g Cream Cheese ( you can use 250g Mascarpone, 250g Philadelphia)
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 100g Icing sugar
  • 150g caramel (Highlander or Carnations )
  • 300 ml Double Cream
  • 175g Rolo sweets , chopped up.

Decorations

  • Caramel drizzle
  • Rolo sweets
  • Whipped vanilla cream

Method

  • Blitz the biscuits in a food processor, and mix  the biscuits with the melted  butter. Spread on the bottom of a cake tin and press  down firmly. Leave to set  in the fridge while you make the rest.
  • Using an electric mixer, whisk together the cream cheese, vanilla, icing sugar and caramel until smooth and lump free.- this could take 30 seconds or so, I whisk it at a medium speed (6/10).
  • Pour into the mix the double cream and continue to a whisk for a couple of minutes until it is very thick and mousse like. This could take 3-4 minutes, depending on your mixer, but you have to stick at it- it will hold itself completely when finished.( like a meringue).
  • Chop the Rolo’s up into quarters and fold through the cheesecake filling. Spread  over the biscuit base and leave to set in the fridge for 5 -6 hours, or preferably overnight.
  • To decorate the cheesecake , top with a drizzle of caramel and whip up some spare cream with a touch of vanilla and pipe round the edges. sprinkle on some Rolo’s  and chocolate  pieces.

 

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Lemon Blondie
December 25, 2016 Sandra
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Ingredients

melted butter, to grease.

150g white chocolate, coarsely chopped.

100g butter, chopped.

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Juice of 2 lemons

190g (1 & 1/4 cups)  plain flour

1/2 cup coconut

155g (3/4 cup) caster sugar

1 tsp salt

finely grated zest of 2 lemmons

Icing sugar, to dust.

Instructions

  1.  Preheat oven to 160C
  2. Brush a 16 x 26 cm square tin with melted butter and line with non-stick baking paper, allowing the sides to overhang.
  3. Pop the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl over over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water ( make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water).
  4. Use a spoon to stir  until the chocolate melts and mixture is smooth.
  5. Leave to cool for a few minutes.
  6. Whisk the eggs , vanilla essence and lemon juice together in a bowl or Jug..
  7. Stir the egg mixture in to the Chocolate mixture until well combined.
  8. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the sugar, salt, coconut and lemon  zest.
  9. Add the chocolate mixture and stir to well combined.
  10. Pour  into the tin.
  11. Bake for 35 minutes or until crumbs cling to a skewer inserted into the centre. ( Do not overcook!).
  12. Set aside in the tin for 6 hours , or overnight to cool.
  13. Dust with icing sugar.
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Punch
December 25, 2016 Sandra
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1 bottle of Vodka

2 litres of Pineapple Juice

3 litres of Orange Juice

2.5 Lemonade

1 bottle of bubbly wine.

Mix all together

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Moon Cakes
December 25, 2016 Sandra
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Pastry

3 cups flour,  7 g instant dry yeast.  1/2 cup oil,  1 cup of warm water , salt.

2tbsp extra flour mixed with oil to make a runny paste.

Filling

300g pork mince, 2 spring onions, soy sauce, salt, oil.

Slice spring onions into thin strips, add to mince. Mix well. Add in some soy sauce, salt & oil.(all to taste) marinate for a while.

Add the yeast & salt to the flour and mix together. Make a well in the middle and add the oil and water. Mix to smooth dough. leave for 20 minutes or so to rise.

Get a spoonful of dough, flatten into a pancake, paint with the paste and place a tsp spoonful of the meat mixture in the middle. Fold edges over and stick together. Try and form into a ball with the meat in the middle.

Dry fry on a medium heat till they are golden brown on each side . cover while cooking and drip in a little water after you have turned them over.

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