:) Nothing beats a scone with jam & cream, hey Tracey.
Printable View
:) Nothing beats a scone with jam & cream, hey Tracey.
OOOH close call, but yeah they are great!!!
Okay I have found a recipe for Caramel Tarts and it says to use already prepared tart cases from the shops but I don't have any and couldn't be bothered going down to the shops again today so I am going to make them!!
Does anybody have a good tart case recipe??
TIA!!!!
No I dont sorry but if you happen to have some ginger nut biscuits in the house you can use these. Just get a muffin tray and lay one biscuit on top of each muffin hole and pop into a moderate oven until the biscuits "melt" into the hole (I think about 10 minutes). Take the tray out of the oven and leave until the biscuits become hard again. Take out of the tray and fill with the caramel. Very easy and very delicious!
Yep I think you can also so the same thing with butternup snaps if you don't like ginger (but I do!)
Nah I don't have either of those biscuits in the house!! When I buy them, they get eaten to fast by DH!!
Ooooh, butternut snaps ..... yum!
sounds very delicious..
Would you need to spray the muffen tray so the cookies dont stick?
And Amelia - do you want to share the receipe? I wouldnt mind a good receipe for carmal tarts.
Debbie - I still looking for a tart base recipe!! Once I find one and I make it I will let you know!!
I think Debbie ment the recipe for the caramel bit..not the cases recipe!!
Heres a biscuit pastry receipe from the common sense cookery book:
125g Butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup self- raising flour
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 egg
1. Cream butter and sugar
2. Add egge and beat well
3. Add sifted flours
4. Knead lightly
5. Roll out to size and shape required
6. Bake in a moderate oven 180 degrees for approx 20 minutes.
I havent used that one before but ive used another one in that book to make pastry for pies and it was yummmmo!
I know that kim but I have never made this recipe of the caramel before so once I make it and I know it works I will share it around!!
Okay I ended up making Choc-Caramel Slice.
The caramel was just 30g butter, 2 tbsp of golden syrup and a can of condensed milk!! Put all in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer continously stirring. Make sure you stir cause I burnt mine so it had little specals through it but still tasted real good!!
We just boil a can of condensed milk for 2 hours ..... voila! Done. Some people think it is dangerous to boil a can but my Nana had been doing this for 40 odd years and we have been doing it for over 10 years and never had any problems. Just cover the can with a tea towel while opening it with a can opener when it is finished.
Thats the same caramel recipe i use for Caramel Slice mmmm..
the base is 1 cups brown suger, 1 cup self raising flour, 1 cup coconut and 125g melted butter. Mix and put into foil lined lamington tin, bake for 15 mins 180 degrees, melt the caramel the same as you have, put it on top of cooked base, cook for a further 10 minutes in oven, allow to cool then cover with melted dark chocolate and allow to set! mmmmmmm its the best caramel slice ever! DH eats it all in 2 days!!
Kellxx - I woke up this morning once DH had left for work and I had forgot to pack him some last night and now 1/3 of it is already missing and I have had none so far!!! Lol
Amelia
I found this recipe on a website, most of the ingredients are stuff that you usually have in the cupboard, if not it's stuff that you can get and it will last ages anyway and you'll have them for next time.
I hope that this recipe will come in handy for next time.
Some tips- *the better quality chocolate you use, the better it will taste.
* If you have some whipped or thickend cream you can put whipped cream on top, tastes great.
* I heard that you can keep dessicated coconut in the freezer, this stops it going funny and will make it last forever.
Hope this can help. Steph
Little Caramel Tarts
Chef: Valli Little: Food Editor of Delicious Magazine
You need:
150g (1 cup) plain flour
1 cup dessicated coconut
200g (1 cup firmly packed) brown sugar
150g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease
395g can sweetened condensed milk
2 tbs golden syrup
125g good-quality milk chocolate
Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush two
12-hole non-stick mini-muffin pans with melted butter.
Combine the flour, coconut, sugar and butter in a bowl then use teaspoons of the mixture to line base and sides of each muffin hole. Bake in the oven for
5 minutes, then remove from the oven and gently flatten the mixture against the sides and base using your fingers or the handle of a wooden spoon.
Place the condensed milk and golden syrup in a saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly so the mixture does not catch, for 5 minutes until light golden and thickened. Set aside to cool slightly, then place a teaspoon of the caramel into each tart shell. Return to oven and bake for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool completely. Remove from pan and place on a wire rack.
Melt chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, then carefully spread over each tart. Set aside to cool completely
YUM YUM YUM!
Thats all I'll say ;)
We went to USA foods and bought some butterscotch morsels for Marc who is a butterscotch fiend and as its fathers day tomorrow I thought I'd make him something yummy. But also kid friendly because Paris was helping me cook.
So we made these:
Peanut Butterscotch Crispies
1 2/3 C Butterscotch Morsels (Substitute for 1 1/2 cup white choc melts & 1/4 cup golden syrup)
1/3 - 1/2 C Peanut Butter
3-4 Cups of Corn Flakes (You want the corn flakes to be covered very well)
Raisins (optional I didn't use them)
Melt the chocolate and peanut butter and golden syrup in the microwave until completely melted. Then combine with corn flakes. Put Tablespoons of the mixture onto greasproof paper on a tray, to form little mounds. Refridgerate until set. ENJOY :D Now whilst I haven't tried my substitute method I'm sure it would work fine ;)
*hugs*
Cailin
Adapted from the cookie book
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup super crunchy peanut butter
3/4 cup packed brown or light muscovado sugar
1/4 tsp bicarb soda
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups plain/allpurpose flour
2 cups chopped milk chocolate (I used coles belgian chocolate)
Preheat oven to 350F/180C
beat butter and peanut butter in a large bowl with electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and bicarb, beat til combined.
beat in egg and vanilla. beat in as much flour as you can wiht the electric mixer, and the remainder with a wooden spoon.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Place on an ungreased baking tray, 1 inch apart. Bake 8-10 mins until cookies are set and lightly browned underneath.
Cool.
Melt chocolate - I find the microwave best for this, I do it for 45 secs at a time, stir in between til its all melted.
Dip the cooled cookies in the cholocate, and place back on the tray. freeze or refidgerate to set.
YUM-O
Here is one of the "tupperware" recipes that I have come across, which sounded different and decadent.
The Tim Tam Slam
1 pkt choc cake mix
1 pkt choc instant pudding
1 cup lemonade
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1/2 pkt Tim Tams
Place all ingredients (except the tim tams) into the Bake2Basics large mixing bowl. Mix well with the Tupperware spatula.
When ingredients combined with no lumps place mixture into the TupperChef Kugelhopf. Then roughly break the tim tams up and push into the mixture.
Microwave on high for approx 10-15 mins depending on your microwave.
Leave to cool, and then serve....see how long it lasts!
Can't go past the good old Mars Bar Slice
4 Mars Bars chopped
90g butter
2 1/2 cups Rice Bubbles
1/4 cup dessicated coconut
Chocolate (either milk, dark or white)
Put Mars Bars and butter in a large pot and stir over low heat without boiling until mixture is smooth (it will separate a bit first but keep stiring). Stir in Rice Bubbles and coconut. Press mixture into a 19x29cm lamington pan and refrigerate for 1 hour. Melt chocolate and either drizzle or spread over the slice and let set. Cut into squares.
Then sit back with a cuppa and enjoy!
There's a few around here:
Mel's Fudge
Lemon Slice
No Bake Hazelnut Slice
Mars Bar Slice
Nigella's PB Slice
NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE SLICE
Makes 24
175g butter
3 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 packet digestive biscuits, crushed
½ cup desiccated coconut
½ cup raisins, coarsely chopped
250g dark chocolate melts for topping
1. Line a 17cm x 27cm slice tin with nonstick baking paper. Place butter, golden syrup and vanilla in a saucepan and heat until butter has melted.
2. Add cocoa, crushed biscuits, coconut and raisins and stir to combine. Press to cover the base of prepared tin.
3. Place chocolate melts in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water to melt. Stir until smooth, then spread over surface of slice to coat. Leave for 1 hour to set. Cut into bars with a hot knife. Store in an airtight container.
* If you don’t own a food processor, crush the biscuits for this recipe by placing them in a plastic bag and pounding them with a rolling pin.
Aunty Joan's orange slice
Cooking time: More than 1 hour
Course: Cakes/baking
INGREDIENTS
250g packet plain sweet biscuits, crushed
1 cup flaked coconut
1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
100g butter
Orange rind to serve
Icing
1 cup icing-sugar mixture, sifted
40g butter, softened
1-2 tablespoons orange juice
METHOD
1. Lightly grease a 20x30cm slice pan. Line base and two long sides with baking paper, extending paper 2cm above edge.
2. Place biscuit crumbs into a large bowl. Stir through coconut and rind.
3. In a small saucepan, combine condensed milk and butter. Stir over low heat for 2-3 minutes, until butter melts.
4. Blend into biscuit mixture, stirring until combined. Press mixture firmly into prepared pan. Chill for 20 minutes until firm.
5. Icing. In a small bowl, combine icing sugar and butter. Stir in juice a little at a time, beating to desired consistency.
6. Spread icing over base. Chill for 1 hour until firm. Using a hot knife, cut into squares. Serve topped with orange rind.
Makes 24
Apricot and coconut slice
Serving size: Serves 10 or more
Cooking time: Less than 30 minutes
Special options: Vegetarian
Course: Cakes/baking
INGREDIENTS
250g packet Scotch Finger biscuits, finely crushed
1 cup chopped dried apricots
1 cup desiccated coconut
395g can sweetened condensed milk
100g butter, chopped
50g white chocolate, melted
METHOD
Lightly grease and line an 18 x 28cm slice pan with baking paper.
In a large bowl, combine biscuit crumbs, apricots and coconut.
Combine condensed milk and butter in a medium saucepan. Stir over low heat for 4-5 minutes, until smooth. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well.
Press mixture firmly into prepared pan. Chill until firm. Drizzle top with chocolate. Chill until set.
Chocolate mallow slice
Serving size: Serves 10 or more
Cooking time: Less than 30 minutes
Special options: Kid friendly
Course: Cakes/baking
INGREDIENTS
250g packet plain sweet biscuits, finely crushed
¾ cup marshmallows, chopped into small pieces
¾ cup flaked coconut
¾ cup milk Choc Bits
395g can sweetened condensed milk
100g butter, chopped
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
150g milk chocolate, chopped, melted
METHOD
Lightly grease an 18 x 28cm slice pan. Line base and sides with baking paper.
Place crushed biscuits in a large bowl. Add marshmallows, coconut and Choc Bits.
Combine condensed milk, butter, cocoa and vanilla in a small saucepan. Stir over a low heat until combined.
Add milk mixture to dry ingredients, mixing well.
Press mixture into prepared pan. Chill for 30 minutes until firm.
Spread melted chocolate over slice. Chill for 15 minutes until set. Cut into squares using a hot knife.
Apricot cream cheese slice
Serving size: Serves 10 or more
Cooking time: Less than 30 minutes
Course: Cakes/baking
INGREDIENTS
185g plain biscuits, broken
90g butter, melted
¾ cup apricot nectar
1 tablespoon gelatine
375g cream cheese
½ cup caster sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
300ml carton thickened cream, whipped
Extra whipped cream and canned apricot halves to serve
METHOD
1. Lightly grease an 18 x 28cm slice pan. Line base and two long sides with baking paper.
2. Place the biscuits in a food processor. Process until they resemble breadcrumbs. Add butter and process until combined.
3. Press biscuit mixture firmly over base of prepared pan. Chill for 20 minutes.
4. Place nectar in a small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatine over the top. Warm over a low heat, stirring, until gelatine is dissolved — do not boil. Cool until mixture thickens slightly.
5. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in juice and apricot mixture. Lightly fold in whipped cream.
6. Pour over biscuit layer. Chill for 2 hours or overnight until firm. Serve cut into squares. Dollop with cream, top with sliced apricot halves.
I'll do a new post as I'm worried if this one is even going to let me post as it will have too much characters LOL!
These have to be the BEST chocolate brownies I have ever had. It is from a Better Homes and Gardens magazine and we had it at a BBQ last week - I had to grab the recipe from my friend as it's to DIE for! Enjoy...
DARK CHOCOLATE BROWNIES
Ingredients
200g unsalted butter
200g dark chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup cocoa, sifted
3 eggs
1 and a 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup plain flour, sifted
1/4 cup pure icing sugar
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line the base of a 20cm, deep, square cake tin with baking paper and grease sides.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, add chocolate and cocoa, remove from heat and stir until melted and smooth.
3. Beat eggs and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until mixture is thick and pale.
4. Add cooled chocolate mixture and sifted flour and fold through until just combined (don't beat).
5. Spoon mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
6. Stand tin on a wire rack to cool. When cold, turn out onto a flat surface and cut into 12 squares.
7. To serve, dust with icing sugar.
Note: I warm it up slightly in the microwave and then have it with a scoop of ice cream!
Love Bindy xx
Ok the other thread inspired me and per Holly's request...
Snickerdoodles - Betty Crocker recipe as posted on the *Squishyness* blog
(I have seen this recipe around quite a bit, as its an old american classic but this was posted on Amelita's blog so she inspired me :))
1 1/2 cups of Sugar
250grams of Butter
2 large Eggs
2 3/4 cups of Plain Flour
2 teaspoons of Cream of Tartar
1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon of Salt
extra 1/4 cup of White Sugar
extra 2 teaspoons of Cinnamon (I personally prefer more cinnamon but try it this way first and see what you like...)
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Beat the sugar, butter and eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium, till creamed nicely. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Shape into balls and then roll them in a 1/4 of a cup of sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon. Place on a lined baking tray and bake for 8-10 Min's. Immediately remove from baking tray and place on a wire rack.
I use my truffle scoop to create balls of dough and it makes about 2-3 dozen from memory.
Now I've shared you have to share... I'll post Martha's Lemon Sugar Snap Cookies (which I'm making tomorrow) after I've made them :D
This is the recipe that my mum gave me, I love it
400g grated zucchini
1 chopped onion
3 rashes bacon (or ham if you like)
1 cup grated cheese
1 cup SR flour
1/2 cup oil (you can get away with 1/4cup)
5 eggs beaten
Mix together and pour into a greased tray. Bake for 30-40 min in a moderate oven.
Nice and easy
Here's one I use... I can't say I follow the recipe exactly, but it's a starting point. I tend to use a lot less oil, for a start.
Zucchini Slice
5 x 61g eggs
400g zucchini – grated
2 medium carrots – grated
1 large onion, finely chopped
½ cup cold pressed olive oil
½ cup parsley, chopped
½ teaspoon lemon pepper or black pepper and sea salt
1 cup wholemeal SR flour
100g soft tofu/chicken/bacon/ham
Combine all ingredients, except the flour, until well mixed and then fold in flour until well blended.
Pour into oiled lamington tin (quiche dish?) and bake in a moderate oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
I made these yesterday and they are sensational. i had one for breakfast with my coffee. Is that bad!? :cryinglaugh:
WHITE CHOC AND MACADAMIA SHORTBREAD BISCUITS
2¼ cups plain flour
2 tablespoons rice flour
1/3 cup icing sugar
250g butter, cubed
¾ cup macadamia nuts, toasted, chopped
150g white chocolate
METHOD
Preheat oven to moderate, 180°C. Lightly grease and line 3 baking trays.
Put flours and sugar in a food processor. Wizz to mix. Add butter, pulse until mixture begins to resemble bread crumbs. Put into bowl, add nuts and choc. mix.
(Can add a teaspoon of water to help it hold together.)
Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls. Place onto prepared trays. Flatten slightly.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned.
Cool on trays.
Note- the original recipe sifted the flours and rubbed the butter in, but i was a mum in a hurry and they worked out fine!
:lol::lol::lol: You made me laugh with the triangle sugar wheels, sorry ! Yes definitely can't let DH win this one ! :protest: Right, here is a very, very easy recipe for buiscuts people will not beleive you made.
Good Old-fashioned Shortbread
Traditionally associated with Scotland, shortbread now has an international reputation. What is beautiful about this particular biscuit is that it is simple to make yet divine to taste.
INGREDIENTS
125g butter
60g sugar
375g plain flour
60g cornflour
pinch of salt
¼ cup caster sugar
METHOD
· Pre-heat the oven to 170C.
· Cream butter and sugar well (in a big mixer, if possible). Sift together dry ingredients. Add to the butter and sugar combo and mix to combine.
· Turn on to lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth. Roll out to 8mm and cut into about 6cm circles. A small glass or even egg holder is fine for this.
· Pour the caster sugar into a bowl and dredge one side of the biscuit in it. ***** twice with a fork.
· Cook for 20-25 minutes or until very faintly golden.
· Cool on a cake rack after resting on tray for a minute.
TIPS FOR BETTER BISCUITS
· Creaming is beating together butter and sugar to create a sort of whipped consistency. This is easiest done with softened butter in a bowl mixer. Assuming you use a large enough bowl for all the ingredients, this also makes these biscuits a one-bowl operation, reducing washing up. Creaming can be done with a hand-held mixer, but the butter can get stuck in between the beaters and will need to be scraped out a few times during the process.
· Remember your biscuits will keep cooking once they are removed from the oven - especially if left on the hot baking tray - so move them onto a wire cooling rack. It's often best to let them firm up for a minute or so before attempting this transfer.
· Ovens are peculiar beasts. Some run hotter than others, so always check your biscuits during cooking. I often remove half the biscuits a little underdone - in part as an insurance policy, in part because of constant experimentation to bake the perfect biscuit.
· I think butter is better, but the shortbread is also fine made with margarine.
· Always use vanilla extract, not vanilla essence. It's so much better this way.
· Accurate measurements tend to be more important in baking than other sorts of cooking. All spoon and cup measurements should be level, unless otherwise indicated in a recipe.
Tell DH to put up his dukes cause this is one battle he will not win ! :lol: GOOD LUCK
Nadine
Here is a couple of ideas for you.
Cheddar crackers
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cup unbleached flour; sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 dash cayenne pepper
2 cup cheddar; extra sharp,
Stir the dry ingredients into a bowl and then cut in the butter. Blend in the cheddar cheese with a fork until well blended. Mix in the remaining ingredients and shape into 5cm rolls. Chill for 30 to 40 minutes in the refrigerator and then slice each roll into slices about ½ cm thick. Bake on an ungreased oven tray at 180 degrees for about 10 minutes. Remove from tray and let cool. Store the cooled crackers in airtight containers in a cool place. They will keep for several weeks this way and if you freeze them, they will last indefinitely.
Savoury Cheese Biscuits
1 cup plain flour
125 g unsalted butter, small cubes
60 g extra tasty cheese, grated
60 g parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup chopped pecan nuts
sea salt
1 Preheat oven to 200C. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Place the flour in a medium sized bowl, add cubes of butter and rub with fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add both cheeses and the nuts and using your hand, knead the mixture together until well combined. 3 Divide dough in two. Take each half and roll each into a log shape about 4cm in diameter. Using a sharp knife cut log into 5mm thick slices and place on prepared oven tray 3cm apart. Sprinkle biscuit lightly with sea salt. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and crisp. 4 Remove from oven and stand the tray on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the biscuits from the tray and stand on a wire rack to cool. Cook's tip Make sure butter is wellchilled before using. If not, the butter will produce an overly soft, oily dough that will spread when baked.
Dusty, I made these yesterday and they turned out pretty good. I'm not a baker either, and I don't have any of that fancy stuff to bake with, just an oven and some elbow grease here and it worked a treat!!
Plain bickies:
125g butter, cubed
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup plain flour
1 cup self raising flour
Pre heat oven to 160 degrees. Line two baking trays with baking paper (I only have one, so did two batches) Beat together the sugar and egg until creamy (takes alot of effort doing it by hand!). Fold in the all of the flour, sifted, to form a soft dough.
Turn the dough out onto some baking paper and cover with another sheet. Roll dough out to about 5mm thickness (I used a can of spray oil as I don't have a rolling pin... :)). Using cookie cutters, cut the shapes you want and place on the trays.
Bake for 10-15 mins or until lightly golden. Cool on a wire rack.
*I also added a handful each of milk and white choc bits.
You can ice them of fill them if you want, here's some ideas.
Lemon Butter filling
Beat together 60g of soft butter and 1 cup of icing sugar until smooth. Add finely grated rind of 1/2 a lemon and 1-2 tsp of juice. Beat until spreadable
Vanilla Icing
Mix 1 1/4 cups of sifted icing sugar with 1 tbsp soft butter. Add 1/2 tsp of vanilla essence and 2tbsp of boiling water. Mix until smooth.
Choc fleck icing
Make vanilla icing as above and add 2tbsp of finely grated dark chocolate.
I hope you enjoy....:D
Netix (and Dusty!) - I never sift my flour ! If I'm using a bowl, I just run a whisk through it when adding it to the bowl, or if in an electric mixer, do a few high rotations on the mixer (Martha Stewart hint!).
I found my recipe book, here it is.
Expresso Biscuits
300g plain flour (approx 2 cups)
pinch salt
200g unsalted butter
150g castor sugar (approx 200ml)
3 Tblsp cocoa
1 Tblsp cinnamon
1 tblsp strong ground coffee
I actually use my food processor for this recipe ...
1. Rub together flour, salt & butter (in food processor, use the non-cutting blade thingy)
2. Add rest of ingredient, process until well mixed
3. Add 1/4 cup cold water slowly (this will bring the dough together)
4. Refrigerate while oven preheats to moderate heat
5. Roll dough out into a log approx 1" diameter. Cut into slices just under a cm wide
6. Place slices on tray lined with baking paper, press fork into top of slices to make a slight pattern.
Cook about 15 mins (or until they smell really yummy and are just slightly soft)
Cool on tray and then transfer to wire rack.
I also cheat and just take walnut-sized balls and press them into a ball then indent with fork.
They will make approx 30.
hi all
Dusty i love to cook especially biscuits and cakes, been cooking them since i was about 8 ( im 21 now) i have the best coconut macaroon recipe ever they great for gifts especially Xmas ( like little snow balls) and require no fancy cooking gizmos promise
Easy Peasy Macaroons
2 cups Dessicated Coconut
1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar (white/raw/caster doesn't matter i prefer raw)
1 egg
1 Tblspoon corn/plain/SR flour
optional food dye (green and red for Xmas)
combine dry ingredients, add egg and dye. mix with spoon (or hands) until combined, dont mix to much just til the egg is mixed in. Spoon Tablespoon amounts on greased/lined tray bake 180*C for 15 ish minutes until golden.
PS Dusty dont need to shape these just plop them on the tray and put 'em in the oven
I have a new favourite which is really easy, looks nice and only requires a bowl and spoon.
They are called Custard Creams but are a lot like a shortbread:
Preheat oven to 190C
Soften 185g butter (in the microwave for 12secs)
Add 1/2cup icing sugar and mix,
Add 1/3cup custard powder, mix
Add 1 1/4cups self raising flour and mix well.
Put a piece of baking paper on a tray or grease it. Roll teaspoonfulls into balls and place on the tray.
You can then make a variation of bickies in the one recipe by pressing 1/2 a glace cherry into the top, or a blanched almond, or a few choc chips or roll in crushed nuts or coconut. It makes one batch of biscuits into good looking selection without having to make lots of types. You could even drizzle melted choc over the top when they are finished baking.
Cook for 12 - 15 minutes. makes about 30.
Have fun!
i like shortbread made with rice flour the best, there are recipes around just with plain flour though if you prefer! :D
Just got this off ABC website, their recipes are usually pretty good....
Christmas Shortbread
Chef: Lyn Battle
Sweers Island
A real favourite at Christmas - buttery, melt-in-the-mouth shortbread is a delicious traditional Christmas treat. This easy recipe will help you to make your own Shortbread at home!
Degree of difficulty: Low
You need:
250 butter, unsalted
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 cups plain flour
½ cup rice flour
extra caster sugar to sprinkle on top
Method:
Preheat the oven to 'very slow' - about 150 deg C. Don't be tempted to cook the shortbread too fast.
Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
Beat the butter in a small electric mixer bowl until white and creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla essence and continue eating til the mixture increases in volume and goes a pale, creamy colour.
Add the sifted flour and rice flour, stirring in with a wooden spoon til well combined. Divide the mixture into two and knead each piece into a smooth, round ball.
Roll each ball out into a round flat 'cake' then mark lightly into segments with a knife and pinch a decorative pattern around the edges.
Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 50 -55 minutes or til a very pale golden colour. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
HTH! :D
A really easy biscuit that can also be used as a sweet pastry is as follows
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup plain flour
1 cup icing sugar
all sifted a few times
add 125grams soft butter and rub into the sifted flour/sugar
add 1 large egg and knead until all smooth, roll out and cut into christmas shapes
cook in a 180 degree oven for 10-15 minutes
Okay. Got her to bed. I've included some tips in each of the recipes to give you a bit of an extra help if you need it.
Classic Fruit Cake (from Body Shop Cookbook)
Serves 10-12
1 cup raw sugar
3 cups dried fruit (any fruit in cupboard)
1/2 cup sherry or 1/2 cup pineapple juice (I used sherry, I think its an essential Christmas cooking ingredient)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
250g butter
2 eggs
1 cup plain flour
1 cup self raising flour
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius, or 160 degrees for a fan forced oven.
In large saucepan, put sugar, water, fruit, sherry, nutmeg, bicarb soda and butter. Stir over low heat to combine. (Tips: Put butter in saucepan first, chopped roughly, so that sugar definately won't burn. Once butter has melted, you can turn the heat up a little. When the water heats up with the bicarb soda, it will start to foam up a bit which is just the bicarb doing its thing.).
Bring to the boil, then remove from heat. (I did mine on low heat all the way, so it took ages to come off simmer and actually boil!).
Cool for only five minutes, then add beaten eggs and flours. (Stir the mixture quickly when adding the eggs to make sure that they don't start to cook in the hot water mixture).
Pour into a lined and greased deep 22cm baking tin covered with aluminium foil. (I double lined the base of my tin- oil pan, put round of paper down, greased again, put second round of paper down. I used a springform tin 20cm diameter and only 7cm high and spray oil, marvelously handy for greasing bake ware! The foil is to stop the top of the cake from burning. I had to tuck the foil over the tin very well, so that the fan in my oven wouldn't blow it off.)
Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven, and leave to cool in tin for five to ten minutes before removing from tin, carefully peeling off paper, and leaving to cool completely on a wire rack. (I don't even own a wire rack, so have to make do with other kitchen bits and pieces positioned to do the job!)
To serve this cake, you could dust it with some icing sugar. Maybe mix the icing sugar with a small amount of cinnamon or nutmeg. Serve warm out of the oven, or heat slices in the microwave for 20 seconds or so, then with some single ('pouring' consistency cream, the most common cream in the supermarket), or some double cream. With double cream, you don't have to whip it. This is my most favourite cream, I always serve King Island cream with my Mississippi Mud Cake. Double cream is dearer than single cream, but a most delightful treat, and oh so rich!
Macadamia Apricot & White Chocolate Truffles
Makes about 50 (I managed 70, 1 1/2 to 2 cm diameter balls)
1 1/2 cups chopped dried apricots (I chopped mine fairly finely, and measured the amount after I had chopped them up)
2 tblsp brandy (I used sherry, didn't have any brandy)
300g white chocolate melts
30g butter
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
60g chopped macadamia nuts (did these the same as the apricots so there wouldn't be huge chunks of nut in the truffles)
1/2 cup desiccated coconut (I put in another full cup worth of coconut, as while the mixture was still warm I thought it was a bit too much chocolate and not much else. They still turned out well)
250g white chocolate melts, extra
50g dark melts (the extra white melts and the dark melts, I didn't use to coat the truffles with. I just rolled them in extra coconut, which I think is so much easier, and you don't have to worry about the truffles touching each other while the chocolate sets.)
(extra coconut for coating)
Combine the apricots and brandy. Leave for thirty minutes (I gave them an occaisional stir to make sure they all got some alcohol!)
Combine the white melts and butter in a heavy based pan, and stir over a (very) low heat until melted.
Combine condensed milk, nuts and apricot mixture in a bowl (you should do this before melting the chocolate so it doesn't burn or start to cool. Once chocolate burns, you have to throw it out, the same as if it gets water in it from a double boiler. I also misread the recipe when I made it, so added the coconut at this stage too. You can add it here if you wish, I think it was a good mistake).
Add chocolate mixture, stir well, refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll teaspoons of mixture (try to get a bit of chocolate, bit of apricot and a bit of nuts in each one), roll in extra coconut, and place on a tray, then refrigerate again 30 mins or until chocolate is set.
Coat balls in extra white chocolate that has been melted, refrigerate until set. Drizzle with dark melted chocolate, allow to set. (as I said before, I omitted this stage.)
Store in refrigerator.
Okay, I have to go and do some housework. I will try to post the other recipes later!
Well I didn't get much housework done! Steph only slept for an hour and half!
I have numerous rum ball recipes, one even has apricot jam in it. But I think I would most prefer this one. It seems the most like what I remember in rum balls. I got it from a book called The Australian Hostess Cookbook, from the early sixties I think.
Rum Balls
1/4 pound sweet biscuits, crushed (use something like Arnotts Marie biscuits)
1/2 tin condensed milk
1/2 cup coconut
1 level tblsp cocoa
2 dessertspoons rum
extra coconut (I would use the chocolate sprinkles that look like little ants, dollar sprinkles or something I think they are called??)
Crush biscuits, mix in condensed milk, coconut, cocoa and rum. Roll into balls and toss in extra coconut (or chocolate sprinkles). Store in refrigerator in a screw top jar.
Note: 1/2 cup chopped mixed dried fruits may be added if desired (if adding fruit, I would soak them in the rum for half an hour).
I may actually make these... When I finally get the Cherry Ripe Slice finished and off my bench. Once again, I am deviating from the recipe (I have trouble sticking to the originals), and instead of making them into a slice with the chocolate base, I'm going to make them in a mini muffin pan with a chocolate biscuit crumb base, with melted dark chocolate drizzled on the top. I'll post that recipe when I can. Steph is screaming at me again. Still.
Made the shortbread, came out PERFECT ... dh ate everything!!!!!!!!!
did not even had a chance to take a picture!!
I am making some for my mom and MIL and for my BIL and sisters on Monday - we have public holiday
Can't really chat now - have an 11 month old in desperate need ;P of my attention, otherwise she is wrecking my house!!!!!!
THANK YOU AGAIN!!!!!
Well done Nadine!!! All this talking of biscuits is making me hungry!
Alan, I just wanted to check, is there anything that you can't do? ;-)
Yup
I can't give birth ;)