Leafy - but wet

During the week I went to Eltham and visited Susie and her family.

the old Midland Hotel, oposite the railway station

  I left Castlemaine in brilliant sunshine,

Castlemaine Railway station

but on Wednesday it rained,

 and rained,

 and rained some more.
 
Susie is heaps better, but still not allowed to drive, so we stayed inside, and talked, swapped recipes, and played Scrabble. She beat me, too!

 I took the opportunity to take a photo of this quilt, a bit blurry, but you get the idea...

 and couldn't resist this. Susie is well known for her love of purple, and people give her stuff...

One of the recipes we talked about was Savoury Chops, a Good Thing to make when nights are cold...

Savoury chops
brown 6-8 barbecue lamb chops in a little oil, add a finely sliced onion, then pour over the following mixture, mixed in this order -
1tsp salt, 1 tsp dry mustard, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 1/2 cup water.
Simmer until chops are tender, and serve with mashed potato and a green vegetable.

You'll find Worcestershire sauce in the supermarket near the tomato and barbecue sauces. It keeps for years.

Fried tomatoes

It's fun to write about family history and days gone by, but even better to connect with real live family.
We've just spent a couple of days with Betty and Shirley, two of our Niewand cousins who travelled over from Minyip to visit.
My sister and I played tourist guide - our landscape is very different from the flat Wimmera country - and showed off the Art Gallery, Buda Historic Home & Garden, and the Aladdin's cave that is the Restorer's Barn. Three of my daughters lunched with us at Skydancers Cafe & Nursery, also making connections with rellies we don't see so often. A lovely couple of days!

Now it's Friday, so time to interrupt the family saga with a recipe -

In one of the Little House on the Prairie books (can't remember which one) Laura Ingalls Wilder described the early settlers serving tomatoes for dessert, with cream and sugar. I've never tried it myself, and it sounds a bit odd, but I have had tomato salad with a creamy dressing, and that definitely works.

This serves to remind us that tomatoes, like many of our 'vegies' are indeed fruit - think capsicum, zucchini, or pumpkin - and sometimes they are improved by adding a little sugar to the seasonings. Tomato sandwiches are definitely more 'tomatoey' with a sprinkle of sugar, ditto grilled tomatoes.

This is worth remembering now that the weather is warming up,and the tomatoes are ripening - lots of tomatoes!

Maybe you plan to make sauce, and tomato salad is nice these warm nights, but here's another idea - you could make Fried Tomatoes.

This couldn't be simpler, and makes a good Sunday night supper dish.

You'll need a large, high-sided frying pan (or a big pot). Slice a large brown onion, and soften it in a little oil. Then add chopped tomatoes, lots and lots of them - they will cook down considerably. Season with salt and pepper, a pinch of mixed dried herbs and a spoonful of sugar.
Simmer until reduced by at least half, and beginning to caramelise. This takes a while, and requires regular stirring so they don't burn. When you reckon they're done, taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve on toast.

You could fry some bacon with the onion, and add some crushed garlic, and basil or other fresh herbs, and maybe some chopped capsicum if you have some, but it's delicious with just the tomatoes and onion.

Katie's broccoli salad

For a variety of reasons, I haven't had time to blog lately, so I'm playing catchup today.  Here's your Friday recipe -

photo from Wikipedia

We are constantly told that broccoli is Good For Us, and we should eat it often. I do my best - we probably have it once a week or so - but it can be teeny bit boring.
My daughter Katie has a solution; she makes this broccoli salad, and it's always popular at family gatherings.

You will need:

2 big heads of broccoli, cut into very small florets and the stem cut up into tiny pieces
¼ purple onion, chopped fine
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup sultanas
3 rashers of bacon, cut finely and fried until crunchy

Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise (real egg mayonnaise, not sweetened)
Apple cider vinegar to taste (start with 1 tab)
Sugar to taste (start with 1 tspn)
Mix well until sugar is dissolved

Mix all together and add dressing.

Thanks for sharing, Katie!

Update: Katie says - "I must give credit where it's due, to Hugh's sister-in-law Melissa, who made it for us when they visited a few years ago. It's travelled far and wide, this recipe (because it's so yummy)."

Paradise slice

Gillies Pie and cake shop in Bendigo used to make Paradise slice, but they stopped :-(
I was sad about this, and decided to make my own version, based on a cake my mother used to make.
This is a slice with a pastry base, topped with a light fruit cake, and it's yummy.

 Preheat oven to 180C, grease and paper a 19 x 29 cm slice tin.

 For the base - 125g butter, 2 cups SR flour, 1 cup light brown sugar
Mix flour and sugar, rub in butter to make a fine crumbly mixture.
Press 1/2 the mixture into base of tin. (if you have scales, use them to evenly divide the mixture by weight - otherwise, it's easiest to make two batches of the mixture, using half the ingredients)

The cake - to remaining half of mixture, add
1 well-beaten egg, 2/3 cup milk,
1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice,
and 1 cup mixed dried fruit.
The mixture will be a bit sloppy, that's OK.
Spoon it onto the base, and bake for 45- 60 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Allow to cool in the tin, then ice with pale pink icing, and sprinkle with 100s and 1000s.

This is Mum's original recipe - she called it Armenian Spice Cake.

Preheat oven to 180C, grease and line an 8" square tin (20cm or therabouts)

For the base - mix 2 cups plain flour, 2 tsps baking powder 2 cups light brown sugar.
Rub in 1/2 cup butter (125 g) until you have fine crumbs.
Place half the mixture in the bottom of the prepared tin, and press down well.

Cake mixture - 1 tsp carb soda, 1 cup milk, 1 beaten egg, 1 tsp ground nutmeg.
Dissolve soda in the milk, add the beaten egg and nutmeg, and stir into the remaining crumb mixture.
Pour onto the base, and bake approx 1 hour, until firm when tested.

When cool, ice with white buttercream icing, and sprinkle with nutmeg. (or may be decorated with chopped walnuts if desired.)

BTW, Gillies still sell the best meat pies from their shop on the corner of Williamson St. and Hargreaves Mall, and just a block away, also on Williamson St., the Eaglehawk Bakery sells a wonderful version of Beesting Cake. Just in case you're peckish...

Fried rice

This recipe would probably horrify a Chinese cook, but it works for me. I don't have a wok, and it's really not necessary to use one. I prepare all the ingredients, and then combine them in a large pot.

This amount will serve 3 people.

Ingredients
1 cup Jasmine rice
1 medium onion (or use spring onions)
3 rashers bacon
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups frozen vegies - peas/peas and corn/frozen mixed vegies.
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
any other vegies you like - broccoli florets, sliced mushrooms.

Method
Cook the rice according to directions on the packet (I prefer the absorption method)
When it's done, fluff it up with a fork, and put aside.

Heat a frypan and add a little oil. Beat the eggs lightly and pour into the frypan, cook gently until set. Remove the resulting omelette to a plate and chop roughly. Set aside.

Fry the onion, mushrooms (if using) and bacon in the same pan. When cooked to your liking, transfer to a large saucepan or a deep frypan. Add the rice and egg, stir gently to combine.
Mix in a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce - you can add more at the table, if needed.

Lightly steam the frozen vegies, celery and broccoli, (I do them in the microwave) and add to the pot.

You're done! Either reheat gently on the stove top, or by the bowl in the microwave.


40 Bags update - I'm plodding along with this, still de-cluttering the kitchen, haven't removed a lot of stuff in the last couple of days, unless you count grease and dust - I have too much open shelving!
The Resident Grandson took down the cover of the exhaust fan today, it's currently soaking in a bath of washing soda. And he washed scrubbed the wall above the stove, a huge improvement.

Tipsy trifle

I've been neglecting the blog over Christmas, a bit preoccupied with making biscuits, wrapping presents, and general celebratory activities.
Our family gathering on Boxing Day was a lovely day as always - a chance to catch up with all our nearest and dearest, exchange presents, and eat heroic quantities of festive food.
There were prawns. There was cold ham, turkey and chicken, and a bewilderment of salads.

For dessert, I usually contribute a dish of trifle, but this year I made hot toddy sauce instead. We also  had pavlova, David's wonderful home-made icecream, Susie's divine sticky date pudding, and a huge platter of Katie's organic cherries and apricots.

photo from Masterchef

Despite this, Some People were disappointed by the lack of trifle. So I offer this recipe, so they can make some for themselves - and so can you, it's not very difficult.
Trifle is often referred to as "Tipsy trifle", and stories abound of people getting drunk on it. My recipe has just half a cup of sherry, so you'd have to eat the entire dish to get even mildly tipsy... probably best not to give it to the kiddies, though.
I've read that the Italians call it "Zuppa Inglese" (English soup). This is not intended as a compliment.

Ingredients
1 purchased Swiss Roll (this is not about the quality of the cake)
1 medium-sized tin of Pineapple Pieces in Natural Juice.
1/2 cup Sherry (I use McWilliam's Cream Sherry)
packet of Port Wine or Raspberry jelly
300 ml jar of whipping cream
Thick vanilla custard (made with custard powder)
Method
Make up the jelly according to directions on the packet, place in the fridge to set.
Slice the Swiss Roll, and roughly cut into cubes. Strew in the bottom of a large bowl.
Drain the pineapple, saving the juice.
Arrange the pineapple pieces on top of the Swiss roll chunks.
Mix 1/2 cup of pineapple juice and 1/2 cup of Sherry, and drizzle over the cake and pineapple.
Make a thick custard according to directions on the packet, using 2 cups milk, 3 tablespoons custard powder, and 1 tablespoon sugar.
Pour custard over the soggy cake and pineapple, and place in the fridge to set.

 Just before serving, chop the jelly roughly with a knife, and arrange on top of the custard. Decorate with whipped cream. (Jelly round the edges, whipped cream in the centre - or vice versa)
Enjoy the sweet, sloppy decadence...

You can use other fruit, too - peaches, apricots, berries - and decorate the top with fruit or shaved chocolate or nuts.

Hot toddy sauce

 

Dried fruit has always been part of traditional Christmas fare, but today many of us find plum pudding and brandy sauce a bit of a challenge.
Here’s a lighter alternative for your Christmas dessert, a fruity sauce to serve over icecream.

Ingredients
3 heaped tabs Golden Syrup, 1 cup water, 1 tab arrowroot powder, 2 tabs brandy or rum.
1 tab each of chopped almonds, cherries, raisins, sultanas, currants, apricots, and peel. (or use mixed dried fruit) 2 tabs lemon juice.
Method
In a saucepan, heat the golden syrup, and allow to boil for 3 minutes.
Blend arrowroot with a little water, and add to golden syrup with the rest of the water. Add spirits and stir until boiling. Remove from heat, stir in mixed fruit, almonds, and lemon juice. Stir well and pour into a clean jar. Store in fridge.
To serve, reheat  and pour over vanilla icecream. May be garnished with whipped cream.
Notes
Best made a couple of days ahead, to allow the flavours to mellow. You can double or triple this recipe, which will keep for months. Sherry works too…

Rabbit stew

As a child, I ate a lot of rabbit stew. The meat was free, and properly cooked, it's delicious. Rabbit meat is virtually fat-free, and therefore a healthy source of protein.
Any chicken casserole recipe can be adapted to use rabbit instead, if you're lucky enough to find a source.
Before cooking your rabbit, there's a couple of things you need to understand.
Rabits are muscular little creatures, and the meat needs long slow cooking to tenderise it. And it can be a bit gamey, so soaking it first is a good idea.
This is how Mum prepared rabbit stew.

Cut the rabbit into portions, and soak in cold, salted water, for at least an hour.
Dry the meat, and brown it in a frying pan. Remove and place in a heavy pot.

Then fry a roughly chopped onion and several rashers of bacon in the frypan. Add these to the pot with the rabbit. Pour some hot water into the frypan, and scrape up all the brown bits. Pour this water over the rabbit in the pot, and add a pinch of mixed herbs and two or three thickly sliced carrots.
Cover and simmer gently for about 1 + 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender - will depend on the age of the bunny.
Remove the meat to a plate, and thicken the gravy with flour, and a dash of Parisian essence if liked.
Serve with mashed potatoes and peas or beans.

Parisian essence was a browning agent, made, I think, from caramelized sugar. You probably can't buy it now. Today I would use Gravox as a thickener. Sliced celery would be a good addition, and a  slurp of red wine would also go well.


A bit of history (from Wikipedia)
Everyone blames Thomas Austin for the rabbit problem in Australia. He released 12 wild rabbits, specially imported from England, on his property, Barwon Park, near Winchelsea, Victoria, in October 1859 for hunting purposes. Many other farms released their rabbits into the wild after Austin. At the time he had stated, "The introduction of a few rabbits could do little harm and might provide a touch of home, in addition to a spot of hunting."^[5] 

Aussies have been hunting them ever since!

But rabbits were first introduced to Australia by the First Fleet in 1788. They were bred as food animals, probably in cages. In the first decades they do not appear to have been numerous, judging from their absence from archaeological collections of early colonial food remains.

However, by 1827 in Tasmania a newspaper article noted ‘…the common rabbit is becoming so numerous throughout the colony, that they are running about on some large estates by thousands. We understand, that there are no rabbits whatever in the elder colony' [i.e. New South Wales]^[2]. This clearly shows that a localised rabbit population explosion was underway in Tasmania in the early 19th century. At the same time in NSW Cunningham noted that '... rabbits are bred around houses, but we have yet no wild ones in enclosures...’ He noted that the scrubby, sandy soil between Sydney and Botany Bay would be ideal for farming rabbits^[3]. Enclosures appears to mean more extensive rabbit-farming warrens, rather than cages. The first of these, in Sydney at least, was one built by Alexander Macleay at Elizabeth Bay House,'a preserve or rabbit-warren, surrounded by a substantial stone wall, and well stocked with that choice game'^[4]. In the 1840s rabbit-keeping became even more common, with examples of the theft of rabbits from ordinary peoples' houses appearing in court records, and rabbits entering the diet of ordinary people.

So rabbit has been an integral part of Australian cuisine since the first white settlement. Many a farmer has cursed them, and they have caused untold damage to the environment and the economy. Still, they're damn good eating!

Simple muffins

The Resident Grandson had a sudden yearning for muffins, and asked for a recipe. He wanted them NOW, so I fell back on the basic recipe for Little Cakes. It goes like this -

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 cup  milk
1 + 1/2 cups SR flour

Method
Line 2 x 6 cup muffin tins with paper liners, heat oven to 200C
Warm the sugar slightly in the microwave, add butter and beat well. Beat in eggs and vanilla, then milk. Lastly stir in the sifted flour. Share out between paper cases. Bake for approx 15 mins, until just brown on top. Allow to cool a little, and ice with chocolate icing. Eat.

Modifications
TRG only made half this quantity, and mixed them by hand with a wooden spoon. He added 1/2 cup of choc chips, which sank a little, but nobody minded. It's not a true muffin recipe, so they were very light and spongy, and utterly delicious.

This is the recipe I used for quick and easy cupcakes years ago; I used to add some sultanas, and sprinkle brown sugar on top - no need for icing. Or you can make them plain, and ice them fancy...

Homemade pizza

Yesterday I tried a new recipe, for The Easiest Pizza in the World, found at Everybody like Sandwiches.  A no-rise, no knead dough? I didn't think it would work, but to my amazement, and the delight of the Resident Grandson, it worked a treat!  Here's the recipe

the easiest pizza dough in the world
1 packet of yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 c warm water
2 1/2 c flour
1 t honey
1 t salt
2 T olive oil
2 T fresh rosemary, chopped (optional)
cornmeal
Preheat oven to 210C. In a large bowl, add in the yeast and warm water and stir until the yeast dissolves. Add the flour, salt, honey, rosemary (if using), and olive oil and stir with a wooden spoon vigorously until combined. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle cornmeal onto a walled baking sheet and press dough into it until thin. Add toppings of your choice and bake for 20-25 minutes until pizza crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.

Notes
I followed the recipe pretty much as written, but  left out the rosemary. I didn't have cornmeal, so just floured an ordinary baking tray and pressed (well actually, rolled) the dough out to cover it. Next time I'll divide the dough in half and make 2 smaller pizzas.
I used bread flour - cos I had some - and would again.

This is the yeast I used - it keeps for ages in the fridge. That's a lot of yeast for the amount of flour, but there was no yeasty taste. And it was cooked all the way through, the bottom was lightly browned, and it didn't stick to the tray.

It made a very large pizza (leftovers tonight) but it was delicious! Will definitely be doing this again!

 I used the toppings requested by TRG, and they were expensive - Leggo's pizza sauce, red onion, some capsicum, hot salami, and Mozzarella cheese. But I could make a much cheaper version, I'm sure.
Next time I'll add the honey and oil to the liquid, and then stir in the flour, sifted with the salt.
The dough was a bit sticky when mixed, I had to work in a bit of extra flour. And I did knead it, just a little...

Now I'm wondering, what else could I do with this dough? Top it with bacon, pineapple and cheese, maybe?
And if I baked it without any topping, and maybe left it a trifle thicker, would I have Turkish bread? Then I could make some Anybean Hummus! (see below)

Or, what if I rolled the dough out, spread it with say, pesto, rolled it into a sausage, and sliced it - pesto rolls?
And then there are sweet possibilities - cinnamon scrolls, perhaps? If you experiment with this, let me know!

This handy little idea comes from Grill a Chef, the blog of chef Joshua Stokes

Anybean Hummus
1 can of beans
1 splash of an acid (citrus or vinegar)
a handful of nuts
some salt
some pepper
a pinch of a spice or an herb
a glug of oil

Spin the ingredients you have chosen in a food processor until smooth. Taste. Adjust. Taste again. Adjust until satisfied. Serve as you would any other hummus that you have purchased at the market... but would not feel as rewarded eating.

Oh, and if you like recipe-surfing, try this - Food Gawker

Trevor's salad

When the weather warms up, we dust off the salad recipes. This is a recent addition to the repertoire, which I first tasted at grand-daughter Lucy's 18th birthday party. Made by her Dad, Trevor, it was the perfect foil for the curry dishes served that night. Turns out it goes with everything, it's ridiculously easy to make, and doesn't need a dressing!

Ingredients
mixed lettuce leaves
 fresh tomatoes
small continental cucumber
3 or 4 spring onions
small tin crushed pineapple(in natural juice)
pepper and salt

Method 

slice the lettuce leaves (think salsa)

dice the tomatoes

slice the cucumber lengthwise in quarters, then chop

slice the spring onions (scissors are fast)

drain the pineapple

Mix all ingredients in a salad bowl, add enough pineapple juice to moisten,

season generously with salt and pepper.

(no quantities given, you can make this for 2 or 10)

Two for the price of one today - this is a salad my mother used to make, and it's still a regular feature of our Christmas lunches.

Orange and onion salad.


oranges, peeled and sliced
salad onion, finely sliced - or red onion, or spring onions
mayonnaise (some of us like the old Condensed Milk mayo with this)
Delicious with cold chicken or ham.




S'pose I'd better give you the mayo recipe too, but this is really only for lovers of condensed milk...


Condensed milk mayonnaise
1/2 tin Nestles condensed milk
1/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup oil
1 level tsp. mustard powder
1/2 level tsp. salt

Method
blend mustard & salt with a little vinegar, stir into condensed milk, add rest of vinegar and stir. Slowly add oil, stirring until combined and thickened.
This keeps for a long time in the fridge.
What you do with the remaining condensed milk is your affair...

Friday favourites

Carrot cake

This is the best carrot cake recipe I know.
 It's a large cake; you'll need at least a 20 cm square pan, or a large deepish slice tin.
It's dairy-free, too.


Preheat oven to 180C, grease your pan, cut baking paper to fit the bottom.

Ingredients
2 large eggs (60 g)
1/2 cup oil (I use canola)
3/4 cup raw sugar
2 cups (about 300 g) grated carrot
 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 + 3/4 cups SR flour
1/2 teasp bicarb. soda
1/4 teasp each of cinnamon and nutmeg

 Method
Prepare carrots & walnuts - a food processor is faster than grating the carrots. Walnuts can be placed in a plastic bag and crushed with something heavy - rolling pin, chopping board.
Beat eggs, sugar and oil until light in colour
Mix in carrot and walnuts, then stir in flour (sifted with soda and spices) stirring only until combined.
Pour into tin, bake 30-45 mins, or until a knife inserted in the middle come out clean.(Who remembers when Mum used a straw to test cakes??)

When cold, ice with white icing, sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg. The icing would be nicer with a teaspoon or so of butter, but then it wouldn't be dairy-free, would it? Your choice. Lemon juice is good for mixing the icing, too...

When life hands you lemons...

...make Lemon Butter!

If you have lots of lemons, this is a Good Thing to do with them.
But if you have to buy your lemons, avoid nice shiny fruit that has been waxed - your local fruit shop might have wax-free lemons.
I know the wax used on fruit is supposed to be "food grade" and harmless, but I don't fancy eating any, all the same.
Lemon butter's easy and quick to make in the microwave - no more endless stirring of a hot saucepan!
You will cook the mixture in short bursts, stirring between times. I use a wire whisk.

This recipe, from my daughter Susie, has more sugar than most, which means it will keep for ages.(as if!)
Prepare your jars first - small jars are best. They should have lids that will make an airtight seal. Baby food jars are good. (This recipe will fill 7-8 small baby food jars). Jars and lids should be clean and perfectly dry.

You will need
a 1.5 litre capacity microwave-safe jug
A wire whisk is useful if you have one...
4 eggs, well beaten.
4-5 lemons (you need 1/2 cup of lemon juice)
500g sugar
125g butter

Method
Grate rind from lemons, then squeeze the juice, discarding seeds.
Place sugar, butter, rind and juice in microwave jug, cook on high for 1 minute.
Remove and stir, cook another minute. Remove and mix in the beaten eggs.
Then cook in approx seven x 30 second bursts, removing and stirring each time. Mixture should expand and develop lots of tiny bubbles. When it reaches this stage, don't be tempted to "give it one more go" - it may boil over!
Pour into jars, topping up as the bubbles subside a bit. Put the lids on immediately, so the heat creates a seal as the mixture cools.
Store in the fridge. Delish on hot buttered toast, or a filling for tarts or sponge cake.
Maybe you could make a lemon version of the Butter Sponge from last week?

Friday favourites

Orange cake (butter sponge)
This is a lovely light, fine-grained cake. It's not a real sponge cake (I'm not very good at those) but it's easy to make, especially if you have an electric beater. A hand beater will do the job, just takes a bit more muscle power.
Preheat oven to 180C, grease and paper a 20cm round or square pan.

Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup SR flour
3 eggs
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons melted butter
grated rind of 1 orange
Method
Mix sugar and sifted flour in a basin, add eggs, then milk, orange rind, and lastly melted butter. Beat well for 3 minutes (mixture should get lighter in colour) Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, turn out onto a wire cooler.
Orange icing
Icing sugar, 1 tsp butter, rind and juice of  1 orange. Mandarin segments make a nice decoration.

Variations 
1. flavour with 1 tsp vanilla essence, ice with chocolate icing, sprinkle with coconut.
2. Spice cake - add 2 tsps cocoa, 1/2 tsp cinnamon. 1/2 tsp nutmeg (sifted with flour).
3. Add one or two passionfruit to cake mixture, and also to the icing.


You can also split the cake (slice it horizontally) and fill with whipped cream.
When I had lots of people to feed, I used to make double the quantity, and bake it in a baking dish (roasting pan).

Friday favourites

Drop scones

Also known as pikelets, these are a handy thing to know about if you've run out of bread, or have to feed a hungry horde at short notice.
A little lower on the culinary scale than Proper Scones (which are an Art Form, whereas any dill can make drop scones) they still make an excellent vehicle for jam and cream, or butter and honey, or whatever else you fancy. This is the recipe I've always used, from the old Aerophos cookbook, c.1953.

Ingredients
2 cups SR flour (I used one each of white and wholemeal flour)
1/4 tsp salt, 1 level tablespoon sugar
2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups milk, 2 tablespoons melted butter (or 1 tab. oil)

Method

Mix flour, salt and sugar in a basin.
Beat eggs, add milk.
Make a well in the flour, add milk/egg mixture, stirring to blend.
Lastly stir in butter or oil.
You'll probably need more milk if you use wholemeal flour.
Drop spoonfuls (a soup spoon is good) on a heated, ungreased (non-stick) pan. I used an electric frypan set at 180C.
Turn with a spatula when bubbles form on the surface and start to break.
Remove when done, and repeat.
 This quantity makes about 3 dozen drop scones, depending on size.
Towards the end, I added a grated apple to the batter, and ate the first one sprinkled with sugar, and a little cream added. Delicious!

A slight problem about these Friday recipe posts is being overcome by the urge to actually make whatever you're writing about, like today (and last week) It's a habit the Resident Grandson thoroughly approves of...

Pancakes are related to drop scones, beginning with a batter, and cooked in a frypan. But pancakes, apart from being larger, should be thin and delicate and tender. For this you need a different recipe, and a slightly different method. This recipe comes from one of the Moosewood books, and is pretty much foolproof.
I use a 20 cm nonstick pan for these, over a moderate flame.

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour, 1 cup milk, 1 egg, 1 tab oil, 1/4 tsp salt.

Beat everything in a blender until smooth.
No blender? follow the instructions for drop scones, but beat very well, then allow mixture to stand for 1/2 an hour.
(You may need to add more milk or water to thin it down again)
Heat a few drops of oil in the pan, pour in about 1/4 cup of batter, swirl it around in the pan.
When the top is just about set, flip over and brown the other side. Repeat.
You may need to experiment a little to get just the right temperature; the first one or two pancakes may not be quite perfect.
Sprinkle with castor sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice, roll and enjoy.

In Paris, street vendors cook your pancakes while you wait, huge, paper-thin ones, spread with apricot jam, or Nutella, and wrapped in a twist of white paper. Mmmmm!

Friday favorites

Potato Boston bun

This keeps fresh for a couple of days, and is far nicer that the commercial kind.

But it is very sweet - I can't eat a lot of it.

Preheat oven to 180C and grease and paper two loaf pans, or two 18-20cm round tins.

 Ingredients
small packet of instant mashed potato (100-125g)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup mixed fruit
1 cup milk
2 cups SR flour

Method
In a large saucepan, make up mashed potato according to directions on packet. Stir in sugar and salt.
The mixture will liquefy (fascinating). Add mixed fruit and milk, then flour. You should have a fairly stiff, sticky dough - adjust quantities of flour and milk as needed.

Divide between two tins, and bake for about 40-45 mins, or until a straw or skewer comes out clean. Wait five minutes or so, then turn out onto a wire rack. When cold, ice with pink icing and a sprinkle of coconut. Serve sliced and buttered.

Friday favourites

Today's recipe is an old family favourite - Chocbit biscuits. The recipe came from a Fairy margarine promotion, published in the Sun newspaper some time in the 1960s. I used to make dozens of these biscuits to take on our annual beach holidays - though they never lasted the full three weeks! The recipe is as I found it, except for a reduction in the amount of sugar. And of course I never used margarine, always butter. I've always included the sultanas, but purists can omit them.

Chocbit biccies

Preheat oven to 190C, line biscuit trays with baking parchment.

Ingredients:
125g butter,
3/4 cup sugar,
2 eggs,
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2 rounded cups
SR flour (10 1/2 oz or 330g)
1/2 cup sultanas, 3/4 cup Nestle chocbits

Method:
Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix in sultanas and chocbits, lastly flour. Place level tablespoons of mixture on tray, and bake 15-20 minutes, until lightly coloured, turning trays around as necessary.

I'm adding a bonus recipe today, these were also a holiday favourite. Always popular with lovers of peanut butter, these are sooo good, crisp and crumbly when new baked.

Peanut butter biscuits
Preheat oven to 180c, line trays with baking parchment.

Ingredients:
125g butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tabs peanut butter (any kind -
I like crunchy)
1 egg, 1 heaped tablespoon coconut
large cup SR flour, 1/4 tsp salt.

Method:
Cream butter, sugar and peanut butter, beat in egg.
Stir in coconut and the flour, sifted with salt.
Roll into balls and flatten with a fork. Pace well apart on tray - they spread.
Bake until lightly coloured, watching carefully so they don't burn.

Last time I made these, I added 1/2 cup of sultanas, I think it was an improvement.

HINT: Most biscuit recipes allow a bit of tinkering; mixture too dry? add a little milk. Too sloppy? add a spoonful of flour.
But note: the amount of sugar in both of these recipes has been reduced a little - don't be tempted to cut it further. Sugar is a humectant, and a reasonable amount is needed to maintain the moisture level of baked goods. Just sayin'.

Friday favourites

Egg and bacon tarts.

I love this recipe, so easy, and no pastry involved - a version of Impossible Quiche.

Preheat oven to 220C/400F. Thoroughly grease a large 12 cup muffin pan (or two 6 cup pans)

Ingredients
4 large eggs,     1 1/4 cups milk ,    2/3 cup SR flour,
150g bacon pieces,     50g grated tasty cheese,
4 spring onions, finely chopped     a sprinkle of (dried) mixed herbs      salt to taste (remember the bacon and cheese are salty)

Beat eggs, add milk, stir in flour until reasonably smooth, then add bacon pieces (no need to cook them first) cheese, onions and herbs.
3/4 fill muffin pans with the mixture. They will puff up when cooked, but flatten out again as they cool.
Bake for 20 mins, turning after 15 mins.  Allow to cool slightly and run a knife round the edges to remove - they are inclined to stick. Makes about 16-18.
You can vary this by leaving out the cheese, and adding other goodies like mushrooms, asparagus, or red capsicum.
You can also bake this in one large pan, which will take longer. In that case, grease and line the container with baking parchment.
This recipe works best in metal containers, as the bottom doesn’t brown well otherwise. Bon appetit!

Friday favourites

With all that jam at their disposal, plus fresh eggs, this was always a popular recipe when ladies were requested to *take a plate.

Coconut jam slice

 Preheat oven to 180C, grease & paper a 19 x 29 cm  tin

Ingredients

 80g butter

1/4 cup castor sugar

2 egg yolks
1 tab cold water
vanilla
1/2 cup wholemeal SR flour
1/2 cup plain flour

1/3 cup  jam

2  egg whites, beaten until stiff

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup coconut
Method 
Cream butter and sugar, beat in egg yolks, water & vanilla, add flours, sifted together.
Spread in base of tin, level with the back of a spoon, prick well with a fork. Bake until just cooked, about 15 mins.
Remove from oven, spread with jam of your choice.
(Raspberry is good, apricot is nice too. Experiment)
Beat eggwhites until stiff, beat in sugar, stir in coconut, spread on top of jam.
Bake a further 10 mins, or until top is golden brown.Cool in tin, cut in squares when cold.

Some recipes skip the step of par-baking the pastry, but in my experience, this results in a soggy base or a burnt topping. Just sayin'.

In New Zealand, this is known as 'Louise Cake'. I'd love to know who Louise was...

*Take a plate or ladies, a plate, refers to the Australian custom of asking women to provide a plate of food for afternoon tea or supper at local functions.

Friday favourites

On Tuesday night my daughter Janet joined us for dinner, and by request, I made scalloped potatoes. This is almost embarrassingly easy, and adaptable to any quantities. Here's how I made them - quantities will depend on the number of people you're feeding, and the size of your dish. I use an 8" square Pyrex dish - it needs to be at least 2" deep.

Scalloped potatoes
You will need - scrubbed potatoes
a large onion
2-3 rashers of bacon
tasty cheese
milk (full-cream is best, but skim is OK too) 

Method
Preheat oven to 200C, and lightly grease your dish. 
Chop the onion and bacon, slice the potatoes thinly. Arrange a layer of potatoes on base of the dish, scatter with chopped onion and bacon.
(I don't add salt, the bacon and cheese are salty enough, but you could add pepper.)

Repeat, then add a third layer of potatoes. Three layers are enough - you want a good ratio of potato and crusty cheese topping. If you need a larger quantity, make a second dish. Leftovers are delish!
Top with a thick layer of grated cheese. Pour in milk a little at a time, enough to come about half-way up the sides of the dish.
To reduce cooking time, I microwave it for about 5 minutes on High, but you don't have to.
Bake for approx 45 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through.
Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.
A green salad goes well with this.

Troubleshooting - if the cheese topping is browning too much before the spuds are done, move it down a rung in the oven, and place a baking tray on the shelf above. Don't be tempted to protect it with foil - it sticks to the cheese!