Caramel crispies

Another one to get the kids involved with, lovely and sticky.

ingredients;

120g/ 4 oz marshmallows
120g/ 4 oz butter
120g/ 4 oz bar or slightly bigger of hard toffee or caramel, the brittle type.
rice krispies

method; melt butter,toffee and marshmallows in pot gently. Add rice krispies and press into a deep tray. allow to cool and cut into squares. Simple.

Sugar plums.

You will love these and kids love making them too.

ingredients;

180g/ 6 oz dessicated coconut
120g/ 4 oz icing / superfine sugar
90g/ 3 oz soft butter/ margarine
8 tsp evaporated milk
raspberry jelly crystals, or any flavour you like

method;

 mix all ingredients except jelly into a paste. roll into bite size ball and roll in jelly. set in fridge for 10 minutes if you get a chance with kids around. the same mix can be dipped into chocolate to give bounty bars.

another...

Ginger snaps


ingredients;


90g/ 30z butter
90g/ 3 oz soft brown sugar
90g/ 3 oz golden/corn syrup
2 tbsp ground ginger
2 tbsp black treacle / molasses
240g/ 8 oz self raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground mixed spice


method;

1. melt butter, sugar and syrups gently in pan.
2. mix dry ingredients together well.
3. add liquid to dry and mix well.
4. roll into small balls and bake at 180 deg c./ gas 5 for 15 minutes. Allow to cool. You must leave a lot of space aroound each one as they spread with heat.

More biscuits and a sweet or two...

Viennese Whirls 


ingredients;


180g/ 6 oz soft butter or margarine
180g/ 6 oz self raising flour
60g/ 2 oz icing/ superfine sugar
few drops vanilla extract


method;

1. cream sugar and fat till pale and fluffy.
2. stir in flour and add extract.
3. pipe onto floured tray and bake at 160 deg c. / gas 3 for 20 minutes. you can then sandwich together with buttercream or dip in chocolate or dust with sugar.

Some biscuit recipes...

In Scotland we are supposed to be famous for our baking of little biscuits and cakes but I think that the whole of the UK and especially England has the claim to fame on that one. Here are a couple of recipes that I find always work and please most people. I will try and put a few of my favourites up over the coming weeks, although with Christmas just around the corner and Halloween in a couple of weeks I may concentrate on the holiday recipes first. 

German biscuits, also known as empire biscuits

ingredients:

120g/4oz plain/soft flour

75g/2 ½ oz butter

30g/1 oz icing/ superfine sugar

seedless raspberry jam

glacé cherries

thick but runny icing made with water and icing sugar

method:

1. Rub together flour and fat. Add in icing sugar.
2. Knead into ball and rest in fridge for 20 minutes
3. Roll out to 1/16^th of an inch/5 mm thick cut into circles using cookie cutter
4. Bake on low heat, 160 deg c. gas 3 ½ till crisp but pale, about 25 minutes.
5. Allow to cool completely. Sandwich together using jam. Pour over icing and decorate with glacé cherry.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Melting Moments
   
   
   ingredients:
   
   
   150g/5oz plain/soft flour
   75g/2 ½ oz butter
   45g/1 ½ oz lard
   90g/3 oz caster sugar
   glacé cherries
   rolled oats or desiccated coconut to roll
   vanilla extract
   ½ egg, beaten.
   
   
   method:
   
   
   1. Cream sugar and fats together till fluffy and pale.
   2. Add egg and vanilla and beat well in.
   3. Beat in flour then rest mix for 20 minutes in fridge.
   4. Roll into small balls, just smaller than a walnut. Roll in oats or coconut, press slightly flat and decorate with cherry.
   5. Place onto lined/greased baking tray allowing plenty of room for spreading. Bake at 180 deg c. gas 4 for 25 minutes.
   
   
   I am told that these are a favourite with WRI and ladies circle meetings.
   
   
   
   

Chocolate Brownies

Chocolate Brownies

ingredients;

125g/4 oz softened butter

125g/4 oz dark chocolate

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

175g/6oz caster sugar

125g/4 oz plain/ soft flour

½ teaspoon salt

150g/5 oz chopped walnuts

Method;

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 deg.c.

2. Melt butter and chocolate in a bowl over simmering water.

3. Whip sugar vanilla and eggs in separate bowl until frothy.

4. Sieve in flour and salt in another bowl.

5. Beat egg mix into chocolate and fold in dry, use a metal spoon or your fingers to stir flour in as this will help to keep mixture light.

6. Bake for 25 minutes and allow to cool slightly before cutting. Serve warm, sticky and delicious. Enjoy.

Steamed Marmalade Pudding

Stevie's Marmalade Pudding

ingredients;

2 x 2lb/ 1kg Pudding bowls.

6oz/180gm fine brown breadcrumbs

6oz/180gm soft brown sugar, light or dark

2oz/60gm self raising flour

7oz/200gm butter, plus more for buttering dishes

10 tablespoons home-made whisky marmalade or good strong marmalade with a very large measure of strong whisky added.

5 large eggs

1 ½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda and a little water to dissolve

Method;

1. Butter dishes well.

2. Mix breadcrumbs, flour and sugar together.

3. Melt butter and marmalade and butter over gentle heat. Add to dry and mix well.
4. Whisk eggs until frothy. Beat into other mix.

5. Dissolve bicarbonate in a little water and stir in to main mix.

6. Divide mix evenly between 2 dishes . Cover tightly and steam for 2-3 hours. This pudding can be made and frozen and microwaves well. The marmalade you use is very important so don't wimp out and buy a sweet marmalade or lime marmalade it just doesn't work!

Sweet potato and chilli soup.

This is one of my most simple soups, it almost makes its-self!

Ingredients;


3lb/1.5kg peeled sweet potatoes, chopped.
1 onion, chopped
vegetable stock
1 jar of Peppadew/ sweet, spicy South African Peppers, you can get them in most supermarkets, they are the ones that usually come stuffed with cheese.

Method;


Place all ingredients into pot cover with stock , boil for 30 minutes until tender, blend in processor, pass through sieve if you don't like "bits". Serve.
You can add cream for extra richness or to reduce spiciness.

Butternut squash, apple and saffron soup

Ingredients;


1 onion, chopped
1 tbsn vegetable oil
2 butternut squash, chopped
3 green apples, granny smith, bramley, etc.
1/2 gram saffron
vegetable stock
1/2 pint/250ml double cream
pinch hot chilli flakes
salt to taste

Method;

1. Fry onions in oil till soft. Add squash and fry for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add chopped, peeled apples and saffron. cover with stock then bring to boil and reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
3. Purée mix with hand blender or processor.
4. Add cream and chilli and salt to taste. pass through sieve or re-blend after five minutes to get rid of chilli flakes. 

Fruit Curry

Malaysian style fruit curry

ingredients;

oil for frying

1 tsp ground cumin

3 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground fenugreek

hot chilli sauce to taste

2 mangoes, puréed

1 onion, finely chopped

double/heavy cream to taste, around 250ml/ ½ pint, you can use yoghurt.

250ml/ ½ pint passatta

1 tbsp plain flour

1 tsp crushed garlic

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

125ml/ ¼ pint coconut cream

a good mix of fresh fruit cut into large pieces. Use harder fruit such as pears, mango, pineapple, apples, etc. if you use bananas, kiwi, etc. you must add them after about 5 minutes cooking.

Method;

1. Mix all dry ingredients together.

2. Fry onions till brown and add garlic then curry powder.

3. Pour in mango and ketchup and cook for 5 minutes.

4. Add coconut, passatta and cream. Adjust seasoning to taste, you can add more ketchup, cream or mango to adjust the flavour. Add you hot sauce at this stage, there should be a bite but not overpowering.
5. Blend mix in food processor until smooth. Pour over fruit and heat for 5 minutes, add any softer fruits and cook for a further 2-3 minutes taking care that they don't break up. Serve with home-made naan bread, pilaf rice and chutneys. This sauce goes well with fish.