Carrot Cake

This is for Alison.

Ingredients

500 ml cake flour
10 ml baking powder
10 ml ground cinnamon
5 ml mixed spice
5 ml salt
4 eggs
125 ml butter
62,5 ml vegetable oil
375 ml cator sugar
25 ml water
5 ml vanilla essence
200 ml chopped pecan nuts
500 ml grated carrots


Method

1. Sift dry ingredients together
2. Whisk butter, oil, sugar and water together until light and creamy
3. Add well beaten eggs gradually, mix well.
4. Add essence and fold in dry ingredients.
5. Stir carrots and nuts in.
6. Bake in a ringtin or a loaftin at 180 degrees C for 35-45 min.
I make cupcakes with this. It will make 30 cupcakes. (bake for 12 minutes)

Icing

125 g butter
500 g icing sugar
2-3 T plain smooth cottage cheese.

Cream together, when it gets too stiff, add a table spoon cottage cheese. Mix well. Add cottage cheese until the icing has the right consistency to spread on the cake.

Fudge

This fudge is worth every minute you spend stirring the mixture.

Ingredients

950 ml caster sugar
250 g butter
250 ml milk
1 tin condensed milk (397 g)
10 ml karamel essence

Method

Place caster sugar, butter and milk in a big saucepan, heat mixture slowly while stirring, for sugar to dissolve.
Add condensed milk.
Boil for 40 to 60 minutes, stir continually.
To test if the fudge is ready, drop a small quantity into cold water, let it cool slightly. If it forms a soft ball that can be rolled between your fingers, the mixture is ready.
Remove from heat, stir caramel essence into the mixture.
Beat with a wooden spoon until mixture is thick and smooth.
Grease a baking tray 23 X 25 cm.
Pour fudge into tray.
Allow to cool, cut into squares before it cools down completely.

Croissants

INGREDIENTS

1 packet instant dry yeast
1 c cake flour
325 ml lukewarm water
1 egg
3 additional cups of cake flour
225 ml butter

Glaze
1 egg yolk
15 ml milk

METHOD

Mix yeast with 1 c flour in a small bowl.
Place milk, sugar salt and egg in a big mixing bowl, add yeast and flour mixture.
Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.
Knead lightly until smooth.
Cut butter into six slices.
Roll out the dough to about 15 mm thick.
Place three slices of butter in the middle of the dough and fold the edges over to cover the butter.
Place the remaining three slices on top and fold dough to cover the butter completely.
Turn dough 90 degrees and roll out to approximately 15 mm thickness again.
Repeat the folding and rolling another four times.
The butter must still be striping through the dough.
Cover dough and place in fridge for one to six hours before rolling and forming croissants.
Divide the dough into two even pieces.
Roll out in a circle approximately 250 mm in diameter. Cut into 8 to 10 wedges.
Roll each croissant loosely from the base to the tip. Ensure that the tips are at the bottom. Form each into a semicircle.
Place onto an ungreased baking sheet. Whisk egg yolk and milk together and brush each croissant with it.
Leave to prove at room temerature for 30 minutes.
Bake at 180 degrees C for 20 minutes.
Serve hot or allow to cool on a cooling rack.
Makes 16 to 20 croissants.

Chocolate Eclairs

This is for Werner.

Pastry

2/3 cup cake flour
45 g butter
Pinch of salt
150 ml water
1-2 eggs ( I always use 2)

Sift flour and salt together.
Bring the water and butter to the boil.
Add the flour to the water and butter and beat wit a wooden spoon until there are no lumps left, cook for 1 or 2 minutes and remove from heat. The mixture should have formed a smooth ball. Let it cool slightly.
Add the lightly beaten eggs and beat thoroughly.
Place teaspoonsful of the mixture on a greased baking tray. Leave enough space in between.
This will make bitesize eclairs or profiteroles.
Bake @ 180 degrees C for 25 - 30 mintes.
Remove from oven and prick a hole in each to allow steam to escape.
Leave on a cooling rack to cool.

Filling

125 ml cream
1/2 t vanilla essence
1 t sugar

Whisk together until stiff.
Fill the eclairs with the cream.

Topping

Melt 100g slab of chocolate and spread over the eclairs.
Place in fridge until chocolate has hardened.

Fish Cakes

Ingredients

1 c steamed fish (any fish of your choice)
1 c cooked potato (mashed)
1 Medium onion chopped
1 T chopped parsley
1 T butter
2 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Bread crumbs to roll the fish cakes in.
Oil for frying

Method

Mix all the ingredients, except the crumbs.
Form into cakes and roll in the bread crumbs.
Place in the fridge for at least an hour before frying in hot vegetable oil.
Fry 3 to 5 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the cakes.
Serve with chips or salad.

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Hints and Tips

When making fish cakes let the fish and potato cool down completely before mixing the ingredients. The mixture will be much firmer and easier to form.

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Naomi

Ginger Loaf

Ingredients

3 c cake flour
3 t ground ginger
Pinch of salt
1 c oil
1 c lukewarm water
3 eggs
1 c sugar
2 t mixed spice
1 t baking powder
1 c golden syrup
1 t bicarb in 1/4 c water

Method

Put all the ingredients in a bowl. Beat together until mixed well.
Grease 2 loaf tins.
Divide the mixture between the 2 loaf tins.
Bake @ 180 degrees C for 50 minutes.

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Hints and Tips

To increase butter, add 300 ml boiling milk to 500 g butter. Allow to cool slightly. Beat with a wooden spoon.

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Naomi

Marinated Garlic Fish

Ingredients

1 kg frozen fish fillets (fresh fish can also be used)
Salt and pepper
Cake flour
2 beaten eggs
Sunflower oil for frying
8 garlic cloves
4 small green chillies
1 T dried parsley
500 ml water
250 ml brown vinegar

Method

Season fish porsions with salt and pepper.
Toss the fish porsieons in the flour.
Dip each porsion in the beaten egg.
Fry the fish in oil until golden brown and cooked.
Place the cooked portions in a large dish.
Chop the garlic and chillies. (remove the seeds form the chillies)
Fry the garlic and chillies.
Add the water and vinegar and heat and cook for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook a further 3 minutes.
Pour mixture over fish. Cover and leave to marinate at least five hours in the refrigerator.

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Hints and Tips

Rub fingers with half a lemon to remove vegetable stains.

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Naomi

Curry

This is a very mild but tasty curry.

Ingredients

1/4 t of each of the following:

Mustard seed
Fennel powder
Caraway seed
Sesame seed
Chilli powder
Turmeric
Paprika

1 T masala
2 sticks of cassia
2 bay leaves
2 t fresh ginger and garlic mixed
1 t salt
1 chopped onion
1/2 olive oil
2 chopped tomatoes (skin removed)
Potatoes
500 g meat of your choice (mutton, chicken or beef)

Method

Fry onion, garlic and ginger in olive oil until onions are soft.
Add the rest of the ingredients, except for meat and potatoes. Fry for a few minutes then add the meat and potatoes.
Turn the heat low, cover the pot and let it simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the meat is tender.
Do not add water.

Serve with rice and sambals.

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Hints and Tips

To remove tomato skins easily, cover with boiling water and let it stand for a few minutes. Drain and cover with cold water. Pull skins off. The tomato will still be firm enough for slicing.

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Naomi

Ginger Biscuits

Ingredients

12 c cake flour
5 c sugar
500 g golden syrup
4 t bicarb
4 t cream of tartar
500 g butter (room temperature)
6 eggs
2 level T ground ginger
1 t salt

Method

Mix dry ingredients with butter until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Mix eggs and syrup and add to rest of ingredients.
Knead into a dough.
Form balls the size of wallnuts and place on a baking sheet. (allow enough space between biscuits).
Flatten balls with a fork.
Bake at 200 degrees C for 10 to 15 minutes.

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Hints and Tips

Improve the taste of white sauce served with fish, by adding a pinch of ground ginger to it.

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Naomi

Lasagna

Pasta

500 g green lasagna sheets

Cheese Sauce

Ingredients

50 ml butter
50 ml cake flour
5 ml salt
500 ml milk
250 ml grated cheddar cheese
2 ml mustard powder

Method

Melt butter over low heat, add flour and stir to mix.
Add milk gradually to prevent lumps from forming. Stir continuously.
Cook until sauce thickens.
Remove from heat. Add cheese, mustard and salt. Stir until cheese has melted.

Meat Sauce

Ingedients

500 g mince
125 g chopped bacon
1 large chopped onion
1 garlic clove
1 greenpepper
1 celery stick
1 carrot
1 small tin tomato paste
500 g chopped tomatoes
5 ml salt
2 ml pepper
150 ml dry redwine (or water)
Tobasco sauce
125 ml grated cheddar cheese
12,5 ml oil
12,5 ml butter
1 bayleaf
2 ml marjoram
2 ml oreganum

Method

Fry meat, bacon, onion, garlic, celery and carrot for 6 minutes.
Add rest of ingredients and simmer for 1 hour.

Layer pasta sheets, meat sauce and cheese sauce. End with cheese sauce.
Sprinkle cheese on top.
Bake @ 180 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serve with fresh rolls and a salad

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Hints and Tips

Smooth Icing

Sift icing sugar before making icing to prevent lumps.

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Naomi

Brown Pudding

Ingredients

1 c cakeflour
2 T butter
1/4 c sour milk
1 1/2 t bicarb
2 T golden syrup
2 c water
1 c sugar

Method

Melt butter and syrup. Mix all ingredients with melted butter and syrup, except water and sugar.
Boil water and sugar together until sugar dissolves.
Pour syrup into a greased ovenproof dish. Spoon batter into the syrup.
Cover the dish with a lid or aluminium foil.
Bake @ 180 degrees C for 30 minutes.
Serve hot or cold with cream, ice cream or custard.

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Hints and Tips

To peel boiled eggs easily. Plunge the eggs into cold water after boiling.

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Naomi

Mustard

Ingredients

2 eggs
4 T sugar
Salt
3 T dry mustard powder
1/2 c vinegar

Method

Whisk eggs, sugar. mustard and salt together. Add vinegar.
Cook over a low heat until mixture thickens. Stir constantly.

This is delicious on meat sandwiches and it can be used as a dip for meatballs and viennas on a snack tray.

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Hints and Tips

Onions

If you are short of onions, substitute it with a few teaspoons of onion soup powder.

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Naomi

Bran Muffins

Ingredients

4 eggs
500 ml sugar
190 ml cooking oil
4 c bran
600 ml milk
4 c cake flour
25 ml baking powder
1 ml salt
5 ml vanilla essence
250 g chopped dates
1/2 c chopped pecan nuts (optional)

Method

Beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add oil and mix well.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
Spoon mixture into a greased muffin tin.
Bake at 180 degrees for 30 minutes.

Coffee Biscuits

Biscuits

Ingredients

8 c cake flour
1 c sugar
500 g margarine (I use butter)
2 t bicarb
3 heaped t coffee powder disolved in 1/2 c boiling water
1/2 c golden syrup
1 t vanilla essence
Pinch of salt

Method

Beat butter and sugar together until creamy.
Mix bicarb with coffee and syrup. Stir into butter mixture.
Add flour and mix to a stiff dough.
Roll out and cut into shapes. Place onto a baking tin. Bake in a preheated oven @ 200 degrees C.

Filling

Ingredients

1/2 tin condensed milk
1/2 tin butter
1 c sugar

Method

Boil ingredients together until the mixture comes loose from the sides of the pan. It will take plus minus 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir 1 t vanilla essence into the mixture.

Sandwich the biscuits together with filling. You have to work fast as the filling will go hard when cold.
The filling is extremely hot, so take care not to burn.

Naomi

Meatballs

Ingredients

750 g mince
2 ml mixed herbs
1 ml ground cloves
7 ml salt
1 ml pepper
2 thick slices of bread (crumbed)
125 ml milk
25 ml vinegar
Flour to roll the meatballs in.
Oil to fry meatballs

Method

Mix all the ingredients, except flour and oil. Form into balls and roll in the flour.
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the meatballs until brown on all sides.
Cover the pan and cook until meatballs are done.
Make gravy with it (see previous post for gravy powder)
Serve with spaghetti, rice or mashed potato.
The meatballs can be served as a snack. Omit the gravy and serve with a mustard dip.

Naomi

Millionaire's Shortbread

Ingredients for Shortbread

4 c flour
1 c icing sugar
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 c butter (do not use margarine)

Method

Mix all the ingredients to a smooth dough.
Press evenly into an oven pan.
Prick the dough all over with a fork.
Bake @ 160 degrees C for about 35 minutes.

Ingredients for Topping

1/2 tin condensed milk
1/2 c butter
1/2 c sugar
2 T golden syrup

Method

Boil the ingredients together for 5 minutes.
Take from heat, add 1 t vanilla essence and mix well

Pour topping over shortbread. Allow to cool slightly.
Melt 100 g plain chocolate and spread very thinly over the topping.
Cut the shortbread into squares and place in the fridge overnight.

Pecan Nut Pie

Easy and very delicious.

Ingredients

1 c pecan nuts (crushed)
12 Salticrax biscuits (crushed)
1 c castor sugar
3 egg whites (whisked until soft peaks form)
1 t vanilla essence
1 t baking powder

Topping

250 ml cream
1/2 t vanilla essence
2 t castor sugar

Method

Mix all the pie ingredients together and pour into an oven proof dish.
Bake @ 180 degrees C for 35 minutes.
Allow to cool completely.

Beat the topping ingredients together until stiff.
Spread over the top of the pie.

Naomi

Pineapple Fridgecake

This is a very light and fluffy fridgecake. As most of the recipes I have placed so far, it is very easy to make.

Ingredients

1 packet Tennis Biscuits
1 tin Ideal Milk (chilled)
2 packets lemon jelly
2 c boiling water
1 tin crushed pineapple

Method

Mix the jelly with the water. Leave to cool to the point of setting.
Whisk the ideal milk until stiff. Add jelly and crushed pineapple.
Line a square pie dish with a layer of Tennis Biscuits.
Pour 1/3 of the jelly mixture on top of the biscuits.
Layer biscuits and jelly mixture and end with jelly mixture.
Crumble a few biscuits over the top and refrigerate.
It is best eaten the next day.

Naomi

Apple Cake

This is basically an apple pie, but it is very,very good. I can have this for breakfast, lunch and supper.

Ingredients

3 T butter
1 c sugar
3 eggs
1/4 c milk
1 c cakeflour
1 t baking powder
salt
1 tin pie apples

Method

Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and milk and beat well.
Sift dry ingredients together and add to egg mixture and mix well.
Pour mixture into an ovenproof dish.
Place apples on top of the batter. And push down lightly.
Bake 30 - 40 minutes @ 180 degrees.

Sauce

1 c sugar
1 t vanilla
1 c cream ( I sometimes replace the cream with Ideal Milk)

Boil together for 10 minutes and pour boiling hot sauce over the hot cake.

Serve hot or cold with cream or ice cream.

Naomi

Three Bean Salad

This recipe comes form a booklet I bought many years ago. It is quick to make and it will keep in the fridge for at least two weeks. It is good with cold meats and with pies.

Ingedients

1 tin green beans
1 tin baked beans
1 tin butter beans
1/2 c vinegar
1/2 c sunflower oil
1/2 c brown sugar
1 green pepper chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 T chopped parsley
1 T chopped sweet basil
1 t mustard powder

Method

Drain the beans. Mix with green pepper and onion.
Mix the rest of the ingredients and pour over beans. Mix well.
Place in a container and seal. Keep in the fridge for at least 8 hours for the flavour to develop.

Naomi

Pumpkin Pie

This recipe comes from a friend that I worked with for many years and in the years we worked together we swapped recipes by the dozens. This is so easy to make. I just adjusted the temperature and baking time, as I found that baking it at the given temperature and time it tends to burn on top and it is still raw inside.

Ingredients

Cooked butternut chunks
1 c selfraising flour
1 c sugar
1 t baking powder
1 c cream

Method

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and cream together until it is a stiff dough.
Place the butternut chunks in an ovenproof dish.
Spread the batter evenly over the butternut.
Bake at 160 degrees C for approximately 45 minutes.
Serve as a sidedish with Sunday lunch.

Naomi

Apple Cake

I got this recipe from a friend many years ago. Whenever I make this it is sometimes breakfast, lunch and supper for me. I love apple tart and cake.

Ingredients

2 T butter
1 c sugar
3 eggs
1/4 milk
1 c cake flour
1 t bakingpowder
salt
1 tin pie apples (410g)

Method

Beat butter and sugar until creamy.
Add eggs and milk. Beat well.
Sift dry ingredients into the mixture and beat well.
Pour into a greased pie plate.
Arrange apples ont the batter and press into the batter.
Bake 30 - 40 minutes at 180 degrees.

Syrup

1 c sugar
1 t vanilla
1 c cream

Boil together for 10 minutes.
Pour over hot cake.

Serve hot or cold with cream or ice cream.

Asparagus Tart

This recipe comes from a very old and trusted recipe book. It is nice as a light meal with salad.

Crust

1/2 c cake flour
1/2 c strong cheddar cheese
60g butter

Mix all ingredients together with a fork and press into a pie plate.

Filling

1 c asparagus
1 c milk
1 T butter
1 T flour
1 egg
1/2 c grated cheddar cheese

Make a white sauce with the butter, milk and flour. Add the beaten egg to the white sauce.
Place the asparagus on the crust and pour the white sauce over.
Top with grated cheese mixed with bread crumbs and a little melted butter.
Bake at 190 degrees C until golden brown.

Naomi

Apple Crumble

This recipe is the only apple crumble I have ever made, and I don't think I need to look for another recipe. This is absolutely devine. I cut this recipe out of a magazine many years ago and I stuck it in a book. It was there for many years before I actually attempted to make it.

Crust

60 ml butter
25 ml cooking oil
37,5 ml sugar
5 ml vanilla essence
1 egg (beaten)
250 - 300 ml cake flour
10 ml baking powder
Pinch of salt

Filling

1 tin pie apples (385 g)
37,5 ml sugar
50 ml sultanas
25 ml fine apricot jam
12,5 ml candied peel
12,5 ml lemon juice
4 ml cinnamon

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
Grease an ovenproof dish with approximately 1 litre volume.
Cream butter, oil and sugar together.
Add egg and vanilla essence.
Sift the flour, bakingpowder and salt together.
Mix with a fork to a soft dough.
Press approximately half the mixture into the dish. Refrigerate the rest of the dough. I usually bake the crust for approximately 5 minutes before I sppon the filling in. It prevents the crust from being soggy after it has been baked.
Simmer all the ingredients for the filling together for 5 - 10 minutes. Stir continuously to prevent the mixture from burning.
Spoon the filling into the crust.
Grate the rest of the dough over the mixture, spread evenly over the top.
Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.
Serve it hot or cold with cream.

Naomi

Gravy Powder

I was asked to place this recipe. There are no hard and fast rules to this and you can change the ingredients as you wish - maybe you want more of one of the ingredients.

Ingredients

1 Small box Bisto gravy powder
An equal quantity of Maizena (equal to the quantity of Bisto)
2 packets brown onion soup
1 packet cream of tomato soup
1 packet oxtail soup
1 packet cream of mushroom soup
1 packet spring vegetable soup

Method

Place all the ingredients in a container, shake well to mix.
Use this mixture to thicken and flavour gravy.
To make gravy for pies, take 2 teaspoons of the mixture and mix with a little cold water to a paste. Add to 1 cup boiling water and turn the heat down. Let it simmer for a few minutes until cooked.

Naomi

Mutton Chops with a Difference

This recipe is as easy as can be.

Ingredients

Mutton Chops
Brown Onion soup powder

Method

Pat the soup powder onto the chops. Wrap chops individually in aluminium foil.
Place the parcels in a preheated oven at about 150 degrees C for approximately 1 1/2 hours.

Serve with vegetables of your choice.
The chops can be substituted with any meat of your choice - such as T-bone steaks or rumpsteak.

Easy Trifle

You can use your imagination on this. The ingredients are my favourites, but you can change it to what you prefer.

Ingredients

1/2 packet finger biscuits (Boudoir)
2 packets jelly (I use one green and one red)
Thick custard (approximately 500ml)
1 tin fruit ( I use fruit cocktail)
Cream
Flake chocolate
Pecan nuts
Glace cherries

Method

Break biscuits into pieces and place in the bottom of a bowl.
Mix the jelly according to instruction on packet.
Pour one colour directly onto the biscuits and leave to set.
Place the other jelly in the fridge to set.
Pour custard over the jelly and biscuits.
Drain fruit and arrange on top of the custard.
Stir the rest of the jelly to break it up, place on top of the fruit.
Whisk cream with one teaspoon vanilla and one teaspoon of castor sugar.
Decorate the trifle with the cream.
Crush the flake and sprinkle over cream
Sprinkle nuts over and arrange a few cherries on top.
This trifle is enough to serve 6 - 8 people.

Naomi