GINGERBREAD XMAS TREES

Ingredients

60g (2oz) butter

2/3 cup golden syrup

1 ¾ cups plain flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon mixed spice

¼  teaspoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon milk

2 tablespoons plain flour, extra

Icing

Egg white

1 ½ cups icing sugar

lemon juice

Procedure

Melt butter over low heat in a medium-sized saucepan, add golden syrup, bring to the boil, remove from heat; stand 10 minutes.

Add sifted dry ingredients and milk, stir with a wooden spoon until smooth, cover, stand at room temperature for 2 hours; mixture will become thicker during this time.

Turn mixture onto surface dusted with the extra flour, knead lightly, working in only enough of this flour until mixture loses its stickiness.

Roll out to a thickness of about 1 cm, cut shapes, form a uniform ball with the scraps, then roll again, cut more shapes. Repeat until all the dough has been used.

Place shapes on a lightly greased baking tray, leaving enough space between each shape for spreading.

Bake in a moderate oven for 8 – 10 minutes. Allow to cool on trays, then lift on to a wire rack to completely cool.

Sift icing sugar into a bowl, add egg-white, mix to a smooth paste by adding lemon juice to give a consistency for piping. Place into a piping bag and decorate the shapes. If adding other decorations, place onto piped icing immediately if they are to stick. Allow to dry at room temperature until the icing has set hard.

EFFIE’S TIRAMISU

2 egg yolks

50 gm sugar

200 gm Mascarpone

grated rind of half lemon   

grated rind of half orange

2 egg whites, beaten stiffly

150 gm finger biscuits

approx. 150 mL sweetened strong coffee

1-2 tablespoons coffee liquor or Cognac (or Rum)

chocolate powder, to sprinkle on top of dessert

Beat egg yolks and sugar till light and creamy.

Add Mascarpone, lemon and orange rind and beat until all is mixed well together.

Carefully fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.

Line the base of a gratin form, approx. 12 x 24 cm, with finger biscuits and pour half the coffee liquor, or Cognac flavoured coffee, carefully over the biscuits, and then spread with half the Mascarpone mixture. Cover the Mascarpone cream mixture with the second half of the biscuits and pour the rest of the coffee mixture carefully onto the biscuits.

Spread over the remainder of the Mascarpone mixture.

Should be left in fridge for at least 1 hour, and before serving sprinkle with chocolate powder. 

EFFIE’S CHOCOLATE ROULADE

6 eggs, separated into 2 bowls

6 oz (170 g) castor sugar (I use 5 oz –5 ½ oz;140-155g)

6 oz (170 g) chocolate, dark semi-sweet (Club)

3 ½ tablespoons water

Filling: 1 x 300 ml bottle of thickened cream

Oven pre-heat to 375^oF (190^oC) gas, 400^oF (205^oC) electric

Melt chocolate in a bowl with water. Stir until smooth. Beat egg whites till glossy and firm (I prefer the egg whites soft peak). Beat yolks with castor sugar till at ribbon stage, add melted chocolate and mix well with metal spoon. Add beaten whites and fold into yolk mixture. Pour mixture into Swiss roll tin, which has been lined with 2 thicknesses of greaseproof paper and brush with melted butter (I use” Gladbake” and skip the butter).

Place in the centre of the oven for approx 25-35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Turn out onto greaseproof paper scattered with icing sugar and trim all crusts off. Spread with whipped cream. Roll gently with the aide of the paper or tea towel. Sieve icing sugar over the top (don’t worry about the cracks, all roulades crack!)

Best made 8 hours before filling and rolling (this is not necessary as I have made it at the last minute and it is still OK) Can be made 2-3 days in advance.

Creamed roulade freezes well.

CATHYs SANFRANCISCO STROGANOFF

4 oz butter

1 ½ Kg diced round steak rolled in flour with salt & pepper

440 g tin of tomato soup

1 red capsicum

250g mushrooms

splotch of Worstershire sauce

1 beef stock cube

½ cup water

1 clove garlic

2 onions

1 tablespoon oil

Fry onions & garlic in the oil and 1 oz butter, add rest of butter and brown meat in small lots. Add the rest and cook slowly for about 1 ½ hours. Take care to stir frequently as it will stick to the bottom of the pot and burn!

You can add some sour cream before serving to make it a bit more creamy. If you are catering for fussy eaters, fry the mushrooms separately and serve them on top for those who want them!

Cate’s Pasta Sauce

500g lean topside mince

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large onion (optional), finely diced

1 700g jar “Classic Tomato Cooking Sauce”

1 700g jar Tomato Cooking Sauce with grilled Summer Vegetables or similar substitute.

Cook garlic and onion in olive oil until soft then add mince and cook until brown. Gradually add the tomato sauces, mixing well and simmer covered for about 1 hour.

I usually freeze meal size portions.

This makes enough for 4 meals for 2 people

CATE’S CUMQUAT MARMALADE

I make this marmalade using whatever quantity of cumquats are available at the time.

Cut cumquats in half across the “equator”, squeeze juice and pips into a strainer over a bowl to catch the juice. Slice the 2 halves finely into another bowl. Repeat with all the fruit. Combine finely sliced fruit and juice. Add enough water to just cover the fruit.  (Very little water is usually required) Tie pips into a cloth bag and submerge bag into fruit. Cover and leave at room temperature overnight.

Place the contents of the bowl into a saucepan over medium heat, bring to the boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes until the fruit is soft.

Measure the sugar to be the same volume as the chopped fruit and juice. Add the sugar gradually to the simmering fruit and pips, stirring constantly until dissolved. Boil slowly, stirring frequently, until the jam sets on a cold plate – about 30 minutes.

Bottle while hot in sterilised jars and lids.

CATE’S ALMOND SHORTBREAD

125g   Butter

180g   Plain Flour

30g     Corn Flour

60g     Caster Sugar

100g   Slivered or Flaked Almonds

Vanilla to taste, I use a good glug , about 10mL

Soften butter (I usually do this in the microwave).

Stir in the sugar, add vanilla.

Stir in the flours. I don’t sift the flours, but feel free to add that step if it makes you feel better.

Stir in the almonds.

Roll the mixture into walnut size balls and place on baking tray. Press the balls slightly flat with the prongs of a dinner fork.

Bake in a low-moderate oven for about 20 minutes until slight colour change, as for any shortbread recipe.

Allow to cool before dipping in your favourite melted chocolate. I use a bag of “no-name” choc-bits melted in the microwave with a small piece of copha.      This gives a hard setting consistency.

Enjoy

I usually make a double quantity as they don’t last very long!!!!!!!!!

BEV’S CHICKEN AND WHITE WINE STEW

AUDREY LEMON SHORTCAKE

BOILED CHOCOLATE CAKE