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In these recipes I use metric, simply because things like cups, pints and fluid ounces vary depending on where in the world you happen to live. I'm using cups and teaspoons for volumetric measure, but again these are metric cups (250 ml). I leave it to you to convert metric into whatever you're happy to cook with, but for the record, here are my equivalent measurements:
Glaze: Just before putting bread in the oven, brush beaten egg over the dough for a shiny glaze.
Dissolve the sugar in the warm water in a large bowl. Sprinkle the dried yeast onto the water and leave until activated. Add the flour (optionally substituting 2 to 3 tablespoons of the white flour for gluten flour, which will improve the texture of the bread), salt, milk powder and oil and mix to a dough. Knead for at least 15 minutes, until dough becomes light and elastic. Leave to prove in a covered bowl in a warm place for about an hour or until the dough has doubled in size. Knead again for another 10 to 15 minutes, shape into loaves or buns and leave to prove again until one and a half times the original size.
Bake at 200°C for 40 minutes, or until a light brown crust has formed.
Dissolve the sugar in the warm water in a large bowl. Sprinkle the dried yeast onto the water and leave until frothy. Add the flour, and mix to a dough. Knead for at least 15 minutes, until dough becomes light and elastic. Leave to prove in a covered bowl in a warm place for about an hour or until the dough has more than doubled in size. Knead again for about a minute, or just enough to get any large air bubbles out. shape into loaves or buns and leave to prove again until doubled in size.
Bake at 180°C for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a light brown crust has formed.
Preparing cake tins: There are many ways to prevent cakes from sticking to the baking tin. One is to buy non-stick tins, but they're not always non-stick, and they're not always good quality either. Another is to line the tin with buttered baking paper. But I always use this method: butter the inside of the tin, and then sprinkle a small handful of flour into it. Shake the tin so that the flour is evenly spread over the butter. I've never had a cake stick yet, they always fall neatly out of the tin.
How to tell if your cake is done: Probably the most well known way is to prod a thin, clean metal skewer into the centre. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If the skewer still has goo stuck to it, it isn't done (although it is important to remember that very sticky cake recipes won't ever come completely clean). Another way is to put your ear to it (after taking it out of the oven, of course!) and listen to the little noises it makes. if it is still making bubbly noises, it needs more time, whereas a done cake will just hiss. Alternatively, when the cake is done, the sides come away from the tin, and the top springs to the touch. If your fingertip leaves a dent, it needs more time. If your cake is black, crispy and smoking, you have either left it too long, or you set your oven to grill instead of bake.
Throw it all in a bowl or food processor and beat until combined. Turn into a medium round cake tin and bake at 180°C for about 40 minutes.
This sounds so unusual, yet the zucchini does for chocolate cake what carrot does for ginger cake - it lends a beautiful, moist texture. Shamelessly pinched from Alison Holst's recipe.
Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs one by one with a little flour to prevent curdling. Add vanilla essence and yoghurt, then sift in the dry ingredients in batches alternating with the grated zucchini. Pour into a prepared cake tin and bake at 180°C for about 45 minutes, or until done.
I have no idea who Shirley is, but this is a cracker for desserts with ice cream and raspberries.
Melt butter and chocolate over hot water until combined. Add sugar, eggs, sifted flours and optional hazelnuts. Spread into a small round cake tin and bake at 180°C for about 35 minutes or until firm.
This is the famous recipe from the Edmond's Cookbook.
Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla essence, beat until smooth. Mash the bananas, and mix in along with the baking soda dissolved in the boiling milk. Sift the remaining ingredients and add, mixing until just combined.
Turn into a medium round cake tin and bake at 180°C for 30 to 40 minutes.
Cream the butter and sugar together, add spices and beat in eggs one at a time. Heat the milk, and add the golden syrup to it and stir until combined. Add this alternately with the sifted flour. Dissolve the baking soda in the warm water and stir in.
Pour into two loaf tins and bake at 150°C for 1 hour or until done.
Melt together over boiling water or low heat, until smoothly combined. Use when it has cooled to a thick pouring consistency. Add a little cream for a thinner icing, also ideal as a chocolate sauce.
Sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl. Mix with enough water to a spreading consistency slightly stiffer than required, then add the softened butter and beat.
Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Add flour, whisk to form a paste or roux, stir and cook for 1 minute until frothy. Add milk, whisk and heat gently, stirring, until thickened and smooth. The amount of milk can be varied - less for a thicker sauce, more for a thinner one.
Cheese Sauce: Remove white sauce from heat stir in 1 to 2 cups grated cheese. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
Parsley Sauce: Add a handful of chopped parsley. This makes a great sauce on vegetables.
Brown Sauce: Cook the butter-flour gently, stirring constantly, for about 10 to 15 minutes longer or until medium brown, and substitute beef stock for milk.
Put the peppercorns and cider vinegar in a pan and simmer until the vinegar has reduced to about a tablespoon. Add the stock and white wine, and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix the ground mustard in a little of the cream to make a paste, and add with the rest of the cream. Simmer for 2 - 3 minutes, season to taste. Keep warm, and just before serving stir in the butter in small knobs for a smooth texture.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, and gently saute the garlic and onions. Add the beef mince, and fry until browned. Add the tomatoes, tomato concentrate, water and herbs, and simmer over low heat until the fluid has mostly reduced (about 30 minutes). Season to taste, add the vinegar and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
Slice the bacon and chicken into 5 mm strips. Thinly slice the garlic and mushrooms. Boil the fettuccine in plenty of water until just tender. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a saucepan and saute the bacon, chicken, garlic and mushrooms until lightly done. Add the flour to coat and cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cream and wine and stir until slightly thickened, then combine with the cooked fettuccine, chicken, bacon and vegetables.
There are many variations on this recipe - here is one of my favourites. This one is made using uncooked sheets; they cook in the oven by absorbing liquid from the rest of the dish.
Make the Bolognese sauce from the recipe above. Meanwhile, Cook the spinach in a little boiling water for about 5 minutes, or until wilted. Drain, then add the egg, 2 cups of the medium cheese and basil and mix until combined. Layer a casserole dish with alternating layers of spinach mixture and Bolognese sauce, with lasagne sheets in-between, starting with spinach and ending with Bolognese. Top with the remaining medium and Parmesan cheeses and season.
Bake at 200°C for about 30 minutes or until the lasagne sheets have cooked (test their tenderness with a fork) and the topping is golden brown.
Variation: An interesting variation is to use cooked lasagne strips (about 25 cm x 5 cm or so), and roll them up with spoonfuls of spinach mixture into parcels. Place these parcels into the casserole dish, cover with the Bolognese sauce and top with the cheeses. This one needs a little less baking time, say about 20 minutes.
Here is another favourite variation.
Heat the clarified butter, and fry the chicken and pepper over medium heat until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Saute the garlic and onion in the remaining butter. Add the mushrooms and sage, and stir for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft. Add the wine and stock, simmer for about 15 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix the cooked chicken with the ricotta cheese. Layer a casserole dish with alternating layers of chicken mixture and mushroom sauce, with lasagne sheets in-between, starting with chicken and ending with mushroom sauce. Top with Mozzarella.
Bake at 200°C for about 30 minutes or until the lasagne sheets have cooked (test their tenderness with a fork) and the topping is golden brown.
So quick and easy to make, and fantastic for an instant lunch with salad or for midnight pangs! Great flatting grub.
Beat the eggs and milk in a large bowl. Gradually beat in the flour to make a batter. Stir in the corn and seasonings. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and fry spoonfuls of mixture in a pan over a medium heat. Turn over once and serve immediately.
Variations: This basic fritter recipe can be adapted to almost anything. Add as much as you like of any of the following ingredients: minced garlic, finely diced onion, grated potato, grated cheese, etc.
Dad taught me how to make this as a first cooking attempt.
Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water until tender. While that is cooking, drain the tuna and make the cheese sauce from the recipe above, and include the tuna water in the sauce. Combine the drained macaroni, cheese sauce, tuna and peas together in a large oven dish. Top with sliced tomatoes, grated cheeses and salt and pepper.
Gently grill or bake at 200°C for about 10 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crispy.