Shape biscuits

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
can add cocoa to chocolate biscuits

Method

1. Mix butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla thoroughly
2. Stir in flour, baking powder
3. Chill for at least 1 hour (this REALLY needs to be done). Make sure you cover with glad wrap or it will dry out. I usually put the mixture on glad wrap not in a bowl. 
4. Pre-heat oven to 180-200 deg C
5. Roll out dough on floured surface and cut shapes with cookie cutters
6. Bake for 6-10 minutes or until golden brown
7. Decorate biscuits with icing

This recipe was from a Spotlight book called 'The essential recipe guide - your favourites' and I use it all the time. If you don't leave the mixture in the fridge for 1 hour it is really hard to roll. When you take it out of the fridge it is a bit greasy.

Felicity Caterer

Mars bar slice

Here is another one for Easter. Really easy to make for gifts.

Ingredients

3 regular mars bars (not low fat) and not the mega size ones (around 65g each)
3 cups rice bubbles
85g butter

Method

1. Melt mars bars and butter
2. Add to rice bubbles
3. Press into a greased (or lined) tray
4. May be iced with chocolate icing or melted chocolate

Pamela Caterer

Choc chip pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup SR flour
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup (250ml) milk
1/3 cup small choc chips - plain label are fine!

Method

1. Make well in centre of dry ingredients and break egg into it. gradually add milk and stir in with wooden spoon (if it's too lumpy, use a wire whisk to get lumps out!)
2. Stand for an hour if you have time - less if you don't!
3. Pour about a quarter of of mixture into a greased frying pan so the pancake spreads to about 15 cms or so (6 + inches!).
4. Cook on medium high heat till bubbles form. Flip over and cook for 30 secs on other side.
5. Serve plain, with ice cream or a smear of butter!

To be really decadent, whack some more choc chips in a microwave safe just or cup, mix in half a cup of cream, heat gently and stir to make a choc sauce. Pour some choc sauce over choc pancakes!

This recipe is good enough to serve to guests, but is a sure winner with a family with boys in it because after all - it's chocolate!

Julie Houghton

Easy easy fudge

Getting ready for Easter? Here is a really easy fudge recipe that tastes great.

Ingredients

375g choc melts
400g of tin condensed milk
2/3 cup almonds (flaked or slithered)
1/3 cup raisins (or sultanas or I have even used mixed dried fruit)

Method

1. Put the choc melts and condensed milk in a microwave save dish and microwave for 2 minutes
2. Stir well, cook another 1 minute or until thick and glossy
3. Add nuts and fruit
4. Pour into 20cm cake/slice tin
5. Put into fridge to set
6. Cut into squares and serve

It can be a little sticky so you can put some icing sugar onto it to serve.

I have made this many times to take as an after dinner chocolate to friends for dinner and it always goes down really really well.

Felicity & Pamela Caterer

Cup Cakes - Patty Cakes - Fairy Cakes

These are the easiest and yummiest cup cakes. They are not too sweet; they taste a little like pancakes.

Ingredients

125g butter - melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups s.r. flour

Method

1. Beat all ingredients by hand or electric beaters.
2. Place spoonfuls into greased patty pans, muffin pans or patty cake papers.
3. Cook 180 deg C for 10-15 minutes.
4. Decorate as desired.

The icing I use is 1 cup icing mixture, food colouring and enough milk (or water) to make it a little runnier than a paste but not too runny otherwise it will not set. Also, to put onto cup cake, I put the icing into a ziplock bag and cut the tiniest bit off the corner instead of using a piping bag.

Yummiest Cottage Pie ever

Ingredients

1 tbs olive oil
1 brown onion, halved, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, trimmed, finely chopped
500g beef mince
2 tbs plain flour
500ml (2 cups) beef stock
1 dried bay leaf
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs tomato paste
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
4 (about 200g each) desiree potatoes, peeled, chopped
40g butter
125ml (1/2 cup) milk
Melted butter, to brush

Method

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft.
2. Add mince and cook, stirring to break up any lumps, for 5 minutes or until mince changes colour.
3. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until combined.
4. Add stock, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste.
5. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until sauce thickens. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
6. Meanwhile: cook potato in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Return to the pan with the butter. Use a potato masher or fork to mash until smooth. Add milk and use a wooden spoon to stir until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
7. Preheat oven to 200°C. Spoon lamb mixture into a 2L (8-cup) capacity ovenproof baking dish. Top with mashed potato and use a fork to spread over lamb mixture. Brush with butter.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until mashed potato is golden brown.

I found this recipe on the Taste website (http://www.taste.com.au/) and it was a Shepherd's Pie but I put beef mince instead of lamb so it is considered Cottage Pie.

Although it has lots of ingredients and steps, it was the yummmmiest cottage pie I have ever eaten.

Felicity Caterer

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

I cooked this cake the other day and it was yummy!

HersheysKitchens.com:

http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipes/detail.asp?id=184

Kathy Lawrence

Lemon cheesecake

Ingredients

Base:
1 cup plain sweet biscuits, crushed
1/3 cup butter, melted

Filling:
3/4 cup cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tsp finely grated lemon zest
6 tsp lemon juice
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp double cream, whipped

Method

Base:
Place the biscuits and butter in a bowl and mix to combine. Press the biscuit mixture over the base and up the sides of a well-greased 23cm flan tin with removable base. Bake for 5-8 minutes, then cool.

Filling:
Place the cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest and juice in a bowl and beat until creamy. Beat in the egg, then mix in the condensed milk and fold in the cream. Spoon the filling into the prepared biscuit case and bake for 25-30 minutes or until just firm. Turn the oven off and cool the cheesecake in the oven with the door ajar.

Chill before serving.

This recipe was adapted from one that used half orange and half lime zest and juice instead. I have made it a couple of times, and once substituted raw sugar for the brown sugar, and it turned out fine, possibly even a little firmer. It can be topped with toasted dessicated coconut (as per original recipe), but I made passionfruit butter to put on mine:

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
pulp of 4 passionfruit

Method

Place butter and sugar in the top of a double saucepan, mix. Blend in egg, then passionfruit pulp. Place over water simmering in the base of the double saucepan. Stir occasionally until mixture thickens, approximately 1/2 hour. Cool.

Naomi Absalom

Vegetable Gyoza

Makes around 20

Ingredients

Filling

2 cups finely sliced cabbage

½ cup grated zucchini (juice squeased out)

½-1 cup finely sliced spring onions (depending on taste)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
1 teaspoon grated ginger (I used from a jar)
1 teaspoon garlic (I used from a jar)
Salt and pepper to season
Gyoza wrappers (most asian supermarkets have them in fridge, there are recipes online to make the wrappers but I have not tried them...yet)

Method

To make filling:

1. Cook cabbage, zucchini and spring onions with a little oil
2. Combine sauce and add to pan with cabbage mix
3. Cook until sauce has mostly gone
4. Put in fridge into cool

To fold into wrapper:

1. When mixture cools, place desert spoon full mixture into middle of Gyoza wrapper
2. With your finger, wipe water around the edge
3. Fold both sides together and pleat around the edge

Cooking:

1. Place a little oil in a hot pan
2. Place the gyoza's (not touching) into the pan
3. When the base is slightly brown place a cup of water (or enough water to fill the bottom of the pan) and place a lid on for them to steam
4. While they are steaming make the sauce (1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or mirin)

Although there are lots of steps, they are very easy to make and taste great.

This recipe I have adapted from a traditional recipe I found online that included shiitake mushrooms and no zucchini (I just had some in the fridge to use up). I also adjusted some of the ingredients in the sauce from what I knew I would like.

These can also be made with pork, beef or chicken mince.

Felicity Caterer

Fruit muffins

Ingredients

3/4 cup white sugar
1  1/2 cup SR flour
1 teaspoon bi carb soda
1 cup sultanas
3 teaspoons mixed spice
60g margarine
1 egg
1 cup stewed apples

Method

Mix dry ingredients, add beaten egg, melted butter and apple mix.
Drop spoonsuls into muffin pan 3/4 fill.
Bake moderate oven for 12-15 minutes.

This is another recipe Mum makes at home that I took with me when I left. I have made it many times with apple (no sultanas), banana and a few other varieties of fruit (all tin fruit - squeeze out the liquid, some liquid fruit like tin peach, you need to add a bit more flour to compensate for all the liquid).

Felicity Caterer

Impossible Pie

Ingredients

At least 4 serves (more if you add a little salad)

4 eggs
2 cups milk
½ cup plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
125g margarine (melted)
Pasta (small pasta eg. swirls, macaroni etc)
See variation below for the other ingredients
Cheese

Method

1. Cook pasta (follow packet instructions)
2. Wisk eggs, milk then add melted margarine
3. Add flour and baking powder to wet mixture
4. Add one of the variations
5. Spread pasta in the bottom of a greased large dish then pour all mixture on top.
6. Sprinkle grated cheese on top
7. Bake in the oven until firm and cheese is golden brown

 Variations

• Corn and asparagus - medium sized can of drained corn and a can of asparagus, drained and cut into pieces
• Tuna - large can of tuna drained and medium sized can of corn drained (corn can also be added)
• Silverbeat/spinach - sliced into small pieces then dunked into boiling water to make it limp
• Bacon and tomato - cut bacon into small pieces, ensure there is not too much liquid in the tomato

Not sure where this recipe came from but it was always cooked at home (at least once a week). There is almost always left-overs to be reheated for the next night as it makes heaps. The reason that we called it impossible pie is because it is impossible to get wrong.

If you know more variations please write them below.

Felicity Caterer

Banana cake/muffins

Ingredients

125g butter or marg
1 cup castor sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas mashed (best when they are over-ripe)
2 cups SR flour
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
pinch salt
4 tablespoons milk

Method

1. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla then beat in eggs
2. Fold in mashed bananas and combine well
3. In a small dish, disolve soda with milk
4. Add milk mixture alternate with sifted flour to banana mixtre
5. Greeze and foil loaf tin, pour in mixture
6. Cook until cake comes away from the sides of the tin.

I have made these as muffins and when cooled I cut in half, butter then indivdually wrap and freeze. In the morning before work I take one out and by morning tea it is defrosted ready to eat.

I have no idea where this recipe came from, it was one that Mum always made at home.


Felicity Caterer