Apple, Oat and Almond Muffins
Ingredients:
2 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup almond meal
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 large apples, grated (fine to leave the skin on)
1/2 cup natural yoghurt
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
I love making muffins because it's so easy. No need to get the mixer out and risk waking the baby. And it's so basic that even pesky toddlers can help. Dry ingredients in a large bowl, liquid ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk the liquid ingredients together and add to the dry ingredients. Don't over mix or your muffins will be rubbery. Spoon into greased muffin tin (or you can line with little muffin cases) and bake at 180 degrees C for about 20 minutes or until tops are browned.
Simple and delicious.
Makes 12 medium sized muffins.
Chocolate Slice
Ingredients:
1 cup plain flour
1 cup coconut
2 tbs cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
185g butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
Icing:
1 cup icing sugar
2 tbs cocoa
1 tsp butter
1-2 tbs hot water
Sift flour and cocoa into a large bowl. Add coconut and sugar. Melt butter and allow to cool slightly, before adding this with the vanilla to the dry ingredients. Mix to combine and then press into a greased and lined slice tin. Bake at 180 degrees C for approx 20-25 minutes.
When cool, ice with chocolate icing and decorate with hundreds and thousands, chocolate sprinkles or more coconut.
Choc Fudge Self Saucing Puddings
Ingredients:
1 cup self raising flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbs cocoa
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbs butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
100g dark chocolate, chopped
Sauce:
1 3/4 cup boiling water
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbs cocoa
Lightly grease 4 large ramekins (or 6 small ones). Place in a deep baking dish. Fill the baking dish with an inch or so of water (about halfway up the sides of the ramekins).
Sift flour and cocoa into a mixing bowl. Add sugar. Melt butter and allow to cool slightly, then add butter, milk, egg and vanilla and mix to combine.
Pour mixture evenly into prepared ramekins. Top each pudding with dark chocolate pieces.
In a separate bowl, combine boiling water, brown sugar and cocoa. Carefully pour or spoon over the top of the puddings and then bake at 180 degrees C for approx 25-30 minutes (40-50 minutes if making one large pudding) or until tops are firm.
Serve dusted with icing sugar and ice cream or cream on the side!
Date Loaf
Ingredients:
2 cups dates, roughly chopped
180g butter, chopped
3 cups self raising flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 tbs maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp bicarb
1 tsp vanilla
In a heat proof bowl or saucepan combine dates, butter, syrup and vanilla. Pour over boiling water and let stand for a few minutes.
Sift flour into a large bowl. Add sugar and cinnamon.
Add bicarb to hot water & dates mixture and stir. The mixture should froth up slightly. Add this to the to the dry ingredients, along with the eggs, and stir until just combined.
Pour into two greased and lined loaf tins, cover loosely with foil and bake at about 170C for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for further 10 minutes or until browned nicely on top. Test loaves with a skewer - if skewer comes out clean they are cooked, if not you may need to bake them a little longer before testing again.
Best served warm, spread with a little butter or cream cheese.
I like to make two loaves - one to eat now, and one to freeze. If you want to make a single loaf, just halve the recipe.
Gingerbread Men
Ingredients:
125g butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 cup self raising flour
With an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and honey until pale and creamy. Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
Sift in flours and spices, then stir together until mixture forms a soft dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead for a minute or so until smooth. Form into a disc shape 2-3cm thick and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate about 20 minutes.
Once dough is firm, roll out (on a floured surface) to about 4mm thickness. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters and place on trays lined with baking paper. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 150 degrees C.
Eat as is, or once cool, decorate with icing.
Icing:
1 egg white
1 1/2 cups icing sugar (or enough to reach desired consistency)
Food colouring
Beat egg white until light and fluffy. Gradually add icing sugar and beat until mixture is smooth and shiny.
Place into a piping bag (I like to use a snap-lock bag and just snip one corner off) and decorate your biscuits. You can also add smarties, jellybeans, sprinkles or cachous, whatever you want really.
Vanilla Satins
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tbs sour cream
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups plain flour
Cream butter, sour cream, and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat well.
Gradually stir in sifted flour and mix to form a soft dough.
Turn onto lightly floured surface and shape into a flat disk shape about 2-3cm thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Line two baking trays with baking paper.
Once firm, roll out on floured surface to about 5mm thick. Cut shapes with cookie cutters and place on baking trays (not too close). Return to the fridge for another 10 minutes before baking.
Bake 180 degrees C for 10-12 minutes or until *just* firm to the touch. You do not want them to start turning golden.
Can be eaten as is, or decorated with icing.
This recipe made 24 heart shaped biscuits.
