MY ALL TIME FAVOURITE COOKIES

COOKIES

250 butter

250 sugar

2 large eggs

450 plain flour sifted with 2 tsp baking powder ( can be used self raising flour)

1 tsp vanilla

Oven 180c

Cream filling

75 g butter

200 g icing sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla essence


In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Then add the flour. It should be a soft dough not a runny or dry and crumbly. If the eggs are small add three eggs. 

Make in to balls with hands into desired size. you can make about 30 medium size cookies.

Arrange in a  lined baking tray 2 inches  apart. Bake until edges about to set ang golden colour about 25-30 mts. Leave on the tray until cool.

You can add 120g dark, white or milk chocolate pieces for chocolate chip cookies.

For cream filled cookies spread with the cream filling when they are completely cool.

To make the cream filling cream the butter and then add the icing sugar and vanilla. If the icing is dry add a couple of drops of water.

Cake baking secrets

Cake baking secrets

BANANA BREAD

 

We love banana bread. I love making quick banana bread for Sunday Breakfast/ Morning tea.!!! Aroma of freshly baked banana bread is irresistible..!! This is one of my favourite breakfast banana bread versions.




Oven 180c

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups self raising wholemeal flour.
1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup linseed meal

1 cup of mashed banana (two large or 3 small bananas)
1/4 tsp powdered cinnamon
1tbs. golden syrup
pinch of salt
1/4 cups pecan nuts or walnuts

 

Beat the eggs and pinch of salt with hand held whisk until light and airy. Add the sugar and keep on whiking. Mix through golden syrup. Then add oil and whisk it thoroughly.


 

Finally fold  the linseed meal, cinnamon and flour.
pour it into a it in to 23-25 cm/ 9-10 inch pan. Bake about 45 -50mts. or until skewer comes out clean.

Let it cool in the tray and cut and serve with butter. Yummy...!!!!

RED VELVET CAKE

My Fantasy with Red Velvet.., but I was always concerned with the amount of red food coloring in the cake. So  tried to colour with beetroot and raspberry extract, and this is what I got..!!

Ingredients

250 g. butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/4 cups plain flour
1/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
1tsp. white vinegar
1tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream
pinch salt

Beetroot and raspberry extract enough to colour (I pureed one small beetroot and handful of raspberries in the blender)

Preheat oven to 350/180. 

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat  vinegar and vanilla. Add the beetroot and raspberry extract to the desired colour. I pushed it through a fine sieve. Sift  flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt, add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Pour it into a one 23-25cm /9-10 inch baking tray or divided in between two trays. Bake 25-30 mts for two trays or 45-50 mts if using one baking tray until skewer comes out clean. Leave it until cool.  

For the filling I used white chocolate icing instead of traditional filling or cream cheese frosting..!!


White chocolate icing.

200 g butter
375 g. icing sugar
100 white chocolate

Beat the butter until fluffy and add the icing sugar gradually. Melt the chocolate and add to the icing mixture gradually.

WHOLE MEAL FLOUR BROWNIES

125 g butter

11/2 cups caster sugar

11/2 cups whole meal self raising flour
1/2  cup cocoa
1 cup chocolate bits
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Oven 170c

Melt the butter stir in sugar vanilla. 
Add  the eggs and whisk well. 
Make sure butter is cool before adding the eggs. 
Sift the flour with cocoa and fold it into the mixture. 
Finally stir the chocolate bits.
Pour it into a brownie pan and bake about 30-40 mts. or until skewer comes out clean.

MY ANZAC BISCUITS..!!

250g butter, chopped coarsely
4 tablespoons golden syrup
¾ teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoon water
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups desiccated coconut
2 cups plain flour(you can replace with wholemeal flour)
2 cups brown sugar

Preheat oven to 180°

Combine butter and syrup in a small bowl and heat until butter and syrup melt.

Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Pour over warm butter mixture and stir well to combine.

Roll rounded teaspoons of mixture into balls. Place about 4 cm apart on baking paper lined baking trays and flatten slightly.

Bake in preheated oven 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes on baking trays; transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. If you like crunchy keep couple of minutes longer..!!

This is the best ever I tried.!!
.

MY COFFEE CAKE

7 eggs

300 g butter

350 g plain flour with 3 tsp baking powder

350 g caster sugar

1 tbs strong coffee dissolved in hot water 

Cream butter and add the sugar gradually. Once it is nice 

and fluffy add the eggs gradually.Mix the flour sifted with 
baking powder. Bake in 180c oven for about 45-50 mts. 
Check before you take it out. I leave it in the oven after 
one big tray. This is the double quantity to get the layers 
high. Cut in half and make four layers.

ICING

150 g butter
300 g icing sugar

200 g block dark chocolate( I use dark eating 

chocolate)melted with some butter

If you like more coffee taste omit the chocolate and add 

some coffee instead.(coffee dissolved in some water to make 

a paste)

Beat the butter until soft and add the icing sugar. Dont add 

too much icing sugar it make the icing hard. Normally I put 
half of the melted chocolate in the icing first and make two 
layers and then add the rest of the chocolate to the icing. In 
that way I get two different layers of icing which I like much 
better!

FLOUR LESS CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CAKE

This is one  of my favourite cakes all around the year. 

300 g dark chocolate
150 g butter

6 eggs separated

200 g hazel meal (almond meal can be used instead of hazel meal)

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 tbs vanilla essence

Oven 180C

Break the chocolate place in a saucepan with butter and melt in low heat on stove top while stirring or in the microwave until chocolate melted. Remove from heat add vanilla and cool for about 5 mts.

Beat egg yolks and sugar together until mixture thick pale and creamy. Gradually add the chocolate mixture beating in low speed until just combined  and stir in the hazel meal.

In large clean bowl beat the egg whites until soft peak form. Fold the egg white mixture in to the chocolate hazelnut mixture with a metal spatula. Fold it gently until all well combined and pour into a 24cm spring foam pan and bake 45-50 mts or until skewer come out clean when tested. Cool in the tray in 5-10 mts and transfer into a wire rack.

Once cool can be topped with hot fudge sauce, chocolate ganache or just serve plain dusted with icing sugar and cocoa.

EGGNOG !!!!...

I love Old fashioned food. I made this last festive season, eggnog from the scratch and it was delicious. Recipe was very easy, Here is my version of EGGNOG!!

4 eggs separated

2 cups sugar

1 cup double cream

2.5 cups milk

4 tbs cognac

grated nutmeg

I preferred the cooked version. Cook four egg yolks in a double boiler with milk and grated nutmeg while whisking until thick and pale.Switch off the pan and add cream and cognac. Stir it well and refrigerate until well chilled. Once the custard is chilled whisk the egg white with sugar until and thick and foamy. Fold it into the custard until all mix through and and chill it for three four hours. Once well chilled serve it in glasses with grated nutmeg on top..!!!!