No fuss apple tart

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This is a fantastic recipe sure to impress.

250g very soft butter (but not melted)
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
400g can watties simply apple
(I always stew my own apples usually 6)
Icing sugar to serve

In a bowl of a food processor beat together the butter, caster sugar, egg, vanilla until creamy and well mixed.

Add flour and baking powder and stir or pulse to mix well.

Press
two-thirds of the mixture into a lined loose bottom cake tin.

Spread over the drained apple.

With floured hands dot the remaining dough over the top.

Bake at 190c for 40mins or until golden.  Leave to cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes. Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream or ice cream.

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Quick chocolate brownies

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125g butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup less 1 tablespoon flour
5 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 chopped walnuts (optional)

Mix the brownies in a medium sized pot.

Melt the butter until it is liquid but not hot.

Remove from the heat and beat in with a fork the sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder.

Stir in the chopped nuts if using.

Pour mixture into a lined slice tin, and smooth the surface.

Bake at 180c for 30 minutes or until firm in the centre.

Cut when cold.

Dust with icing sugar.

Note:
I usually sprinkle mini mm's on the top or chopped white chocolate prior to baking.

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Rice fool proof !!

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Rice has not been my friend over the years... to wash or not to wash ?? sometimes it would be ok other times more a sticky wallpaper paste consistency ! I found this recipe and perfect rice every time, don't do anything else with the rice, just stick to the recipe !!!

1 1/2 cups basmati rice ( straight from the bag)

2 1/4 cups boiling water
1/2 teaspoons salt

Serves 4

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to the boil.

As soon as it boils, cover with a tight fitting lid and reduce to the lowest heat to cook for 12 minutes.

Turn off the heat and leave to steam, still covered, for a further 8 minutes.


DO NOT LIFT THE LID AT ANY TIME DURING COOKING.

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Smoked fish pie

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Potato and cheese topping
500g agria potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 carrot peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic chopped
1 knob of butter
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1/2 cup grated tasty cheese

Leek
1 tablespoon butter
1 leek, trimmed and sliced
1/4 cup water

White sauce
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons plain flour
2 cups milk
1-2 teaspoons mild curry powder

Pie filling
300g smoked fish flaked
3 hard boiled eggs roughly chopped
2 tablespoons capers, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 220c. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.

Cook potatoes, carrot and garlic in pot of boiling water until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash with butter, milk and chives, season to taste with salt and pepper.

While vegetables cook prepare the rest of the meal. put the eggs on to boil.

Melt butter in a large frying pan on medium heat and cook leek for 2-3 minutes. Add water, cover and leave to cook for 5-6 minutes or until leek is slightly caramelised. For the white sauce, melt the butter with the leeks, then add flour and cook, stirring, for one minute.  Gradually add milk while stirring continuously to avoid any lumps forming.  Add curry powder and gently simmer sauce, stirring frequently, until sauce has thickened (2-3 minutes)

Add smoked fish, hard-boiled eggs and capers (if using) to the pan of leek sauce, mix and season to taste with salt and pepper. transfer to a large casserole dish, top with mash and sprinkle over cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes until heated through and cheese has melted.

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Sousy Sues - Moorish cookies

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These are a moorish ginger cookie a bit like a cross between a ginger nut, hokey pokey,
and an afghan.  These are a favourite with my family, I have no idea where the name is from, I found this recipe a number of years ago in a Radio Rhema Recipe book.

115 g butter
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 Tablespoon golden syrup
1 teacup flour
1 cup cornflakes
3/4 cup sugar
1 dsp milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Pre-heat oven to 180c
Cream butter and sugar.
Place ginger, milk and golden syrup in a saucepan, stirring until it boils, add baking soda.
Pour heated mixture into creamed butter and sugar.
Add sifted flour, salt and cornflakes and min to combine.
Roll spoonfuls onto a lined/greased tray and flatten with a fork.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.

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Easy lemon loaf

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This is the easiest recipe ever, moist and delicious.

4oz butter softened
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons milk
1 1/4 cup self raising flour
2 eggs
Pinch of salt
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 180c

Put all ingredients into a bowl minus lemon juice and beat for five minutes.

Put into a lined loaf tin and bake for 45 minutes.

While the loaf is still hot dissolve 3 tablespoons of icing sugar with the lemon juice.

Prick holes into the top of the loaf and brush the lemon juice icing sugar mix over the top.

Leave in tin to cool.

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Ginger loaf

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This is a gorgeous moist loaf that will stay fresh for several days, this recipe makes a large loaf or two small ones.

4oz butter softened
6oz sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup golden syrup
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
14 oz flour
2 teaspoons ginger

Preheat oven at 180c

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs.

Gently heat milk and golden syrup.

Dissolve baking soda in water add to creamed mixture then add syrup and milk alternately with sifted dry ingredients.

Mixture will be quite runny.

bake for 1 hour or until skewer comes out clean.

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Brown sugar meringues

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This is a super easy recipe and soooo yummy !

150g egg white (5 eggs) at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup caster sugar
sliced almonds to sprinkle (optional)

Preheat oven to 140c

Line 2 trays with baking paper

Put room temperature egg whites into a grease free dry mixing bowl, begin beating with electric mixer until soft peak stage.

Mix the sugars together in a separate bowl making sure the brown sugar is lump free.

Gradually add the well mixed sugars one big spoonful at a time till the sugar is all mixed in.  Beat till thick at full speed.

Place large spoonfuls of the mixture on the trays allowing room for them to spread.

Scatter the tops with sliced almonds if desired.

Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.

Turn the oven off and leave meringues in the oven overnight.

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Oven baked chicken risotto

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This is a simple quick

delicious risotto full of flavour.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion finely chopped
100g bacon sliced
500g thigh fillets, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon lemon rind
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes (optional)
2 cups arborio rice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 litre (4 cups) campbells real chicken stock
parmesan to serve

Preheat oven to 180c

Heat oil in a large flameproof, ovenproof dish over medium heat.

Cook onion and bacon for 2 minutes, add chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add garlic, lemon rind, rosemary (and chilli if desired) and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add rice then cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Mix tomato paste and stock in a jug and stir well to combine.

Pour over rice, bake uncovered for 35 minutes or until rice is just tender and liquid has almost been absorbed.

Stir through parmesan if desired.

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Raspberry almond cake

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This is a yummy moist and fluffy cake, a favourite at home and work.

4 eggs

1 cup caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 cup self raising flour

150g butter melted

1 cup almond meal (ground almonds)

250g frozen raspberries

preheat oven to 160c

Place the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a bowl of an electric mixer and whisk for 8-10 minutes until tick, pale and tripled in volume

Sift the four over the egg mixture and fold through then fold through the butter and almond meal

Pour the mixture into a slice tin lined with baking paper and top with the raspberries

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer

Turn out onto a wire rack to cool

Dust with icing sugar

Note: You could also use fresh or frozen blueberries.

1 teaspoon of baking powder added to a cup of plain flour is equal to 1 cup of self-raising flour.

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Creamy Chicken and Corn Burritos

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1 1/4 cups loosely packed fresh coriander leaves
310g canned corn kernels, rinsed, drained
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cups grated cheese
1 cup (240g) light sour cream
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 x 20cm flour tortillas


Preheat oven to 200C. Oil a large ovenproof dish.

Coarsely chop 1/4 cup of the coriander. Combine chopped coriander, corn, chicken, 1 cup of the cheese, sour cream, garlic and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl and season.

To make burritos, divide chicken mixture on the centre of the tortillas; fold in each side to enclose the filling and roll up. Place burritos in dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake uncovered, for 25 minutes or until browned lightly.

Sprinkle with remaining coriander and serve.

Note: These are quite spicy you may want to try half the cayenne pepper especially for children.

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Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding

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60g butter
1/2 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/4 cocoa
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
2 cups boiling water

Preheat oven to 180C

In a deep oven proof dish melt butter and stir in flour, caster sugar, first measure of cocoa, milk and vanilla essence. Beat until smooth.
Scatter brown sugar and second measure of cocoa over the batter in the dish and gently pour water over the top.

Cook for approx 40 minutes.

Serves 4

Note: I often add more cocoa to the batter as some brands of cocoa seem to have less cocoa content than others making a pale batter with less flavour.

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Pancakes

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It took many recipe trials to find this fantastic pancake recipe and it was worth it !

3 x eggs
600ml milk
170g caster sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder

Break eggs into a large bowl

Add milk and whisk until well combined

Add flour, sugar and baking powder, beat until smooth

Rest for an hour covered in the fridge then beat batter with a spoon until dripping consistency

Heat a pan and grease with butter,  add 1/3 cup of mixture flip when bubbles appear on the surface and continue to cook till brown.

I find its best to eat them straight away although you could put them in a warm oven covered with foil until they are all cooked. I usually have two pans going at once with one per pan as we make them quite large.

This is a generous recipe it is more than enough for a family. Don't be disheartened if the first one is not great....this is usually how pancakes and pikelets are, after the first one is cooked the rest are light and fluffy.

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Frustrated with recipes that simply dont work...

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After many many hours and ingredients wasted on recipes that just don't work, I began to wonder if anyone had ever tested them prior to print or do they just take a pretty picture for the recipe book and move on to the next recipe ? I was so frustrated after spending a Sunday afternoon making custard tarts that tasted like quiche that I called Mum and I told her I was going to make a recipe book for recipes that actually work, she told me to start a blog. So here I go....

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