Gluten free brownies

I had a group of friends over for supper the other night, one friend has gluten free requirements. I found  the most wonderful, easy and very yummmmmmy brownie recipe on the Taste.com.au website. Please see the link below for the recipe.

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/17650/chocolate+fudge+brownies+wheat+and+gluten+free

Felicity

Cream cheese tree or cob loaf dip

For non festive dip this is good served in a hollowed out cob loaf or something similar. But for Christmas, take the time and make it look like a tree!!

Ingredients

1 block cream cheese
1 tub sour cream (full fat for both to help it set)
Box of frozen spinach
I packet Spring Vegetable Soup

Method

Mix all ingredients together. (This is where it gets fiddly).
Make a cone shape out of baking paper (much like a piping bag if you were going to ice something) and fill it to the top.
Put in the fridge overnight.
Unwrap and sprinkle parsley over all of it (fresh or dried). You might need to roll it around a bit to get a good tree shape.
Put it into the freezer for a few hours so it hardens a bit.
You can decorate it with capsicum and a cardboard star!
It’s a bit messy when you are doing it, but it looks great in the end!

Naomi Hobbs

Recipes

I have run out of recipes to upload.

Question: (please post your comments below, easiest way is write your name in the comment and post it as anonymous)

If you are given 500g mince and a can of tomatoes

- What would you do with them?
- What other ingredients would you include?

Hedgehog

Ingredients

1/2 cup (125g) butter
2/3 cup caster sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons coconut
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup chopped walnuts and glace cherries (I never put these in but you can if you really want to)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups crushed sweet biscuits (just buy a pack of marie biscuits or something and throw them all in, it doesn't really matter how much there is)

Method

1. Collect ingredients.
2. Melt butter and sugar, add cocoa and mix well.
3. Remove from heat and stir in coconut and egg.
4. Add walnuts, cherries and vanilla.
5. Stir in biscuit crumbs and mix well.
6. Press into greased pan and chill.
7. Cut into fingers.

From 'Cookery the Australian Way'

Naomi Absalom

Pastry

Does anybody have a never fail sweet or savoury pastry recipe? I tried a sweet pastry that failed badly so I would love to know one that works.

If you have any requests or cooking hints and tips, please let me know, the aim of this blog is to share.

Fresh Pumpkin Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients

500g pumpkin
250g carrots
6 cups stock (or stockcubes and water)
can of tomatoes (undrained)
1 onion
Fresh Basil

Method

1. Dice pumpkin and carrots, bring to the boil in stock and cook until soft.
2. Cook tomatoes and onion in small pan over low heat until onions soften a little.
3. Add tomato mixture to pumpkin mix and puree until smooth.
4. Add chopped fresh basil and season to taste.

Note:
This soup has a little magic in it as it seems to be not only a hearty winter soup but also somehow seems light and fresh enough for summer meals. The kids love it (don't even question the vegetable-ness of it) and the no dairy aspect makes it a winner too -great for kids with allergies!
 
Alison Farr-Handley

Meringue Smash (also known as Eton Mess)

Meringue smash is also pinched from my Mum, but I have seen it sometimes in restaurants known as Eton Mess....presumably it was served at that illustrious boys' school!!

Meringue Smash (also known as Eton Mess)

Serves 6

1. Crush 6 meringue nests (or any equivalent quantity of any meringues, bought or home made)
2. In large bowl, mix 250 mls of thick pure cream, or whipped cream, plus 200 mls of plain low fat yoghurt.
3. Mix half a punnet of strawberries and half a punnet of raspberries, sprinkled with sugar.
4. Combine the whole lot, and then spoon into dessert dishes.

Variation

Use any berries you fancy! (and reduce or increase quantities to suit your needs)
 
Julie Houghton

Beef & Bacon Casserole

Serves 6

Ingredients

750g blade steak (trimmed and diced into 2.5 cm cubes)
4 rashers lean middle bacon (trimmed)
3 medium onions – chopped into large chunks
4 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced chilli
250g jar tomato paste
2 cups water
3 beef stock cubes
1 cup red wine
250g Button mushrooms

Method

1. Heat a large pan sprayed with cooking spray. (I use a large French Casserole)
2. Cook onions until lightly browned. (It is often good to add 1 of the stock cubes and extra ½ cup of water here. The water evaporates as the onions soften and the stock cube adds to the caramelizing effect)
3. Add garlic and chilli and mix in.
4. Add steak and cook, stirring until brown.
5. Stir in wine, tomato paste, water and stock cubes (only add two cubes if you used one with the onions but add both cups of water)
6. Simmer, covered for 45mins (I find it is especially tasty if cooked on low in the oven for over an hour)
7. Stir in mushrooms & cook further 10mins.

Alison Farr-Handley

Passionate Grapes!

Passionate Grapes was a summer desert my Mum invented about 20 years ago and we all loved.

Passionate Grapes

Serves 4

Wash 250 gms of seedless green grapes, place in bowl with 2 passionfruit.
Stir well, and spoon into dessert glasses. Serve with a dollop of cream.

Variations

If the grapes are not quite sweet enough, warm a small amount of brandy and honey in the microwave for 10 secs, stir, and then mix through the grapes.

If you want it to look spectacular, use seedless red grapes and green grapes - I call this variation Christmas Grapes!

Julie Houghton

Lemon Cordial

This recipe is sourced from a friend of my mother in law!

Ingredients

2kg sugar
50g Tartaric Acid (NOT Cream of Tartar!)
Juice of 6-8 lemons
Peel of ½ the above
A little less than 3 pints of boiling water

Method

1. Pour boiling water on all the ingredients and stir until sugar is completely dissolved. (a plastic bucket is perfect for this).
2. Cover with a tea towel and leave until cold (overnight or at least 12 hours).
3. Remove peel and strain mixture through sieve. (You will want to push some of the mushy bits through to get all the yumminess)

Makes around 3-4 bottles

Alison Farr-Handley

Cirtus Almond Bread

I found this recipe years ago in a magazine years ago and cut it out. A few people have told me variations that I have added down the bottom instead of almonds and lemon./lime also see the note down the bottom.

This is a great biscuit to give as a present (and is usually quite expensive to buy in the shops).

Citrus Almond Bread

Ingredients

2 egg whites
1/3 cup caster sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons finely grated lime rind
3/4 cup plain flour
1 cup almond kernels

Method

1. Grease an 8cm x 26cm bar pan (I use a normal slice tray and roll the almond bread before the oven)
2. Beat egg-whites and sugar in small bowl with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, or until mixture is thick and sugar dissolved
3. Stir in remaining ingredients; mix well. Spread mixture into prepared pan
4. Cook in a moderate oven, 180 deg C, for about 30 minutes, or until lightly browned; cool in a pan. Remove from pan; wrap in foil, stand overnight.
5. Using a serrated knife, cut into very thin slices. Place slices in a single layer on oven trays.
6. Cook in a slow oven, 150 deg C, for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp; cool. Store in an airtight container.

Note:

I only use one type of citrus, usually lemon and put some extra juice in too, but you will need some extra flour to compensate the liquid

Variations I have tried:

- Red and green cherries for christmas
- Ginger pices (this was for Mum)
- Hazlenut instead of almond

If you have more suggestions please comment below.

Felicity

Woolworths/Safeway Fresh Christmas edition

If you can get your hands on a copy of Woolworths/Safeway Fresh free magazine, December Christmas edition the Jam Drops on page 81 are great. They are made with custard powder with the flour which make them quite light.

The recipe says it makes 30 but mine didn't make anywhere near that many.

Has anyone tried other recipes from this magazine?

Felicity