Honeycomb

When done correctly, honeycomb is quite an easy recipe. I got this recipe from the ‘Friendly Foods’ book written by the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Allergy Unit.

Ingredient:

·         1/3 Cup of Sugar (55 g)

·         2 Tbsp of Golden Syrup                                                       

·         2 Tsp of Water

·         1 Tsp of Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Powder)

Method:

1.            Grease a 28 x 18cm tin ( 11 x 7inch)                      

2.            Put the sugar, golden syrup, and water into a large saucepan over low heat

3.            Stir until the sugar is dissolved

4.            Bring to the boil and boil for 7minutes

5.            Remove from heat and quickly add the Bicarb Soda

6.            Stir quickly and pour into the prepared tin (TIP: Do not move the tin while the Honeycomb is setting

7.            Mark into pieces while still warm or break into pieces when completely set

HINT: Store in an airtight container

I hope you enjoyed your honeycomb J

Chocolate Meringues

This is the simplest recipe on the planet! Be warned that these are not standard meringues. You don’t have to add the cocoa, however, without it; they will just be standard meringues. 

Ingredients:

·         3 Egg Whites

·         ¾ Cup of Sugar

·         ¼ Cup of Cocoa (TIP: add more cocoa for more colour)

Method:

1.      Preheat oven to 150° and cover 2 baking tray s with baking paper

2.      Beat the egg whites until they become foamy

3.      Add the sugar and continue beating for 7-10 minutes or until sparkling and soft

4.      Add the cocoa and continue beating until the chocolate brown colour appears

5.      Using a piping bag, squeeze out tablespoons of the mixture onto the trays

6.      Continue until the trays are full

7.      Bake in the oven for 15- 20 minutes (TIP: if they are not ready, leave them in the oven until a golden brown colour appears)

8.      Remove from the oven and leave until they are cool

9.      Add berries and ice-cream and Enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed you Chocolate Meringues J

Gingerbread Stars

Ingredients

·   110g brown sugar

·   175g caster sugar

·   225g unsalted butter, softened

·   2 eggs

·   1 tsp vanilla extract

·   450g plain flour

·   1 tsp baking powder

·   1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

·   55ml full-cream milk

·   Smarties, to decorate

Method

1. Place the sugars and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer (or use an electric hand beater), and beat until pale and fluffy.
2. Use a whisk to beat together the eggs and vanilla in a jug, then gradually transfers to the butter mixture, a little at a time, beating between each addition (this prevents the mixture from curdling).
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, soda and a pinch of salt over the mixture, then use a metal spoon to carefully fold together until there are no lumps of flour in the mixture.
4. Gradually add the milk, stirring until you have a soft dough (don't add too much milk or it will be too sticky). Use your hands to roll the mixture into 2 (about 30cm long) logs. Wrap each in plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour.
5. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lightly grease 2 large non-stick baking sheets or trays.
6. Use a serrated knife to cut 5mm-thick discs from the dough and use a rolling pin or the flat of your hand to slightly flatten each disc. Transfer to the baking sheets, leaving space between them as they will spread on cooking.
7. Press 3 or 4 Smarties into the top of each biscuit and bake for 8-9 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown. (They will still be a little soft at this stage so transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.)

Gingerbread Men

Gingerbread Men are a great idea to get the kids involved in baking. It will really bring out the creative side in them! But beware because this recipe can become difficult if you don’t follow the recipe. So keep reading beyond the ingredients.

Ingredients

• 125g of Butter
•  ½ Cup of Brown Sugar
• 1 Egg Yolk
• 2 ½ Cups of Plain Flour
• 1 Teaspoon of Bicarbonate of Soda
• 2 ½ Teaspoons of Golden Syrup
• 3 Teaspoons of Ground Ginger

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°
2. Cream Butter and Sugar together until light and fluffy
3. Add Egg Yolk to the mixture and beat well
4. Sift Flour, Ground Ginger and Bicarbonate Soda and add to the mixture
5. Add Golden Syrup
6. Kneed the mixture Lightly then roll it out using a rolling Pin (If you don’t have one, use a spatula)
7. Cut out the gingerbread men using cookie Cutters
8. Bake for 15minutes

Royal Icing

• 1 ½ Cups of Icing Sugar
• 1 Egg White
• 4 Drops of Lemon/ Lime Juice
• Food Colouring

Method for Icing

1.      Sift Icing Sugar, Beat in egg white

2.      Beat until ready piping bag

3.      Add the drops of lemon/lime juice and your choice of food colouring

4.      Let the Cookies cool before adding icing

Hope you enjoyed your gingerbread men J

Apple & Cinnamon Muffins

Apple and Cinnamon muffins are one of my favs. I make them so much I have memorized the ingredients and method! I love this recipe because it is so simple to make J

Ingredients

• Melted butter or margarine (optional), for greasing
• 300g (2 cups) plain flour
• 1 tbs baking powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 150g (3/4 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
• 2 medium (about 375g) Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled, chopped
• 125g (3/4 cup) seedless raisins
• 125g butter or margarine, melted, cooled
• 2 eggs, lightly whisked
• 185mls (3/4 cup) milk                                                

Method

Remember to read the Method carefully.

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Prepare your ingredients. You will need a muffin pan. They are available in trays of either 6 or 12. Non-stick muffin pans are wonderful to use as they don't need greasing. Line the pans with paper muffin cases.
2. Sift the plain flour, baking powder and cinnamon together into a large bowl. Stir in the brown sugar, apples and raisins until well combined.
3. Whisk together the butter or margarine, eggs and milk until well combined. (TIP: Blending the wet ingredients before adding them to the flour mixture makes it easier to evenly combine the two.)
4. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a large metal spoon until just combined. It is important that the ingredients are only just combined. If the mixture is over-mixed, the cooked muffins will have a tough texture.
5. Spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin pans.
6. Bake the muffins in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. To test if they are cooked, insert a skewer into the centre of one - if it comes out clean, it is ready. If not, cook for another 1-2 minutes before testing again.

Hope you enjoy your muffinsJ

Blueberry Muffins

Making muffins can either be easy or hard. If you miss a step or ingredient, you will have a disaster in your hands! But once you know the how to's and what not's, muffins are a simple recipe that are perfect for when the kids come home from school.

Ingredients

·         2 Cups of Self Raising Flour

·         ½ Cup of White Sugar

·         2 Eggs

·         1/3 of Vegetable Oil

·         1 Cup of Sour Cream

·         1 Cup of Fresh or Frozen Blueberries (You can use different berries for different muffins.  (E.g. Cherries, Blackberries or even Choc chips.)

Method

1. The method to making muffins is, as always, important. Make sure you read the instructions carefully and follow them just as they are. Seriously!
2. Preheat your oven to 180°
3. Combine flour, sugar, eggs, sour cream and oil into a bowl and mix. (TIP: Make sure you don’t mix too much or the muffins will be hard and chewy. Just mix until combined)
4. Gently fold in the blueberries. (TIP: if you are using frozen berries, make sure you leave them in the freezer until you are ready to use them or they will be wet and soggy!)
5. Spoon the mixture into the muffin tin cases. (TIP: Fill them up ¾ full. If you fill them to the top they will overflow when you bake them.)
6. Bake for 25 minutes until cooked through.

Hope your muffins turned out well. J

Brownies

Brownies are my sisters' favourite recipe! So I make it a lot, and I’ve pretty much perfected my recipe! Hopefully you will to. To begin we start with:

Ingredients

• 200g of unsalted butter, chopped
• 200g of dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup of plain flour
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder

Remember to follow the method exactly as it says!

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190°C. Line a 5cm deep, 18cm (base) square cake pan with non-stick baking paper.
2. Heat butter, chocolate and sugar in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Add eggs and vanilla to chocolate mixture. Mix well. Sift flour and cocoa over chocolate mixture. Stir to combine.
4. Pour brownie mixture into pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until just set. Set aside to cool.
5. Once cooled, spread the icing across the brownies then lift out.
6. Wrap in plastic wrap. Place into an airtight container. Stand for 1 day. Cut into pieces and serve.

Icing

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons cocoa
• Heavy cream or half and half
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Method

1. Sift powdered sugar and cocoa into a mixing bowl.
2. Add vanilla and enough cream to be of desired spreading consistency.
3. Follow steps 5 & 6.

Hope you enjoy your browniesJ

Rocky-Road

Rocky-Road was pretty easy to make. Just follow the method and you should be fine. Seriously!

Ingredients

·         125g butter, cubed 

·         100g dark chocolate, well chopped 

·         1 tbsp golden syrup 

·         1 egg, lightly beaten 

·         ½ cup caster sugar 

·         ¼ cup cocoa powder 

·         ¹/³ cup chopped almonds 

·         ¹/³ cup chocolate bits 

·         250g packet wine biscuits, broken into small pieces 

·         1 cup mini marshmallows

Method

Make sure you remember to follow the method completely.

1. To begin line a 17cm x 27cm slice tin with non-stick baking paper, leaving an overhang on all sides.
2. Place butter, chocolate and golden syrup in a bowl and microwave to melt. Stir to combine, then whisk in egg, sugar and cocoa.
3. Stir in the almonds, chocolate bits, broken biscuits and marshmallows. Transfer mixture to prepared tin and, using the back of a spoon; press the mixture into the tin.
4. Cover and refrigerate until set. Cut into small squares using a hot knife.
5. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Hope you enjoyed your rocky road J

Coconut Ice

Coconut Ice 

(makes 64)

Ingredients:

·         5 ¼ cups of Icing Sugar

·         2 ½ cups of Desiccated Coconut

·         395g of Sweetened Condensed Milk

·         1 Egg white (beaten lightly)

·         Pink Food Colouring

Method:

1. Grease and line a square cake pan (19cm deep) with baking paper
2. Sift icing sugar into a large bowl. Stir in the coconut and then slowly stir in the condensed milk and the egg white
3. Divide the mixture in half. Tint half with a light pink colouring. Press the pink mixture into the pan and then top it with the white mixture.
4. Cover and refrigerate for about 3hours or until set before cutting into squares