See how Kathy saved only the healthiest CBB recipes.

All of you talented cooks will have to repost....

For those who missed these uniquely autocensored measurements:
1 teasthingy = 1 teaspoon
1 tablesthingy = 1 tablespoon.


Jennie's Double Chocolate Devil's Food Cake Oct 27 03 8:56 pm
Oops. The board told me that it hadn't posted this, so I tried it again! Here's another choccy cake recipe for you to try. Hope you like it.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE
Grease and line two 9 inch non-stick cake pans.
Oven - Gas mark 3 1/2
Prepare for ten minutes fast stirring.
I use a 10 oz mug to measure 3/4 cup sunflower oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups SR flour
3/4 cup milk 3 eggs, well beaten
9 tablespo*o*ns cocoa
1 teasthingy vanilla essence
1/2 tsp salt

In large bowl, mix sugar, cocoa, oil, vanilla until smooth and glossy. Stir in the eggs, vigorously. Sift salt into flour, and add flour a tbs at a time, alternately with the milk. Pour into cake pans, cook in middle of oven for approx 30 mins, but longer if needed. Turn out onto wire racks and allow to cool.

Make a large amount of chocolate butter cream. Then, melt a large block of dark chocolate, and beat into the butter cream. Quickly sandwich the cakes together, and then coat the sides and top of the cakes. The surface will be rough, but it still looks quite attractive. Serve with positive featherbeds of whipped cream, or just double cream. Equally good at tea-time or as a pudding.

* Last Edit: Oct 27th, 2003, 8:58pm by Jennie +

Kathy_S Oct 30 03 11:39pm
What temperature is Gas Mark 3 1/2?
Is this one of those cakes that's done when the toothpick comes out clean?

Rachael P Oct 31 12:29 pm
It's moderate - about 325F or 160/170C

Jennie Oct 31 1:53pm
The cake is cooked when it comes away from the edges of the tin, and when, if you press it lightly, not heavily, in the middle of the cake, the mixture springs back up. Try it, it's very light in texture, but also very richly flavoured.


KB’s recipe for Anzacs, 11/14/03 8:55 p.m.
4 1/2 oz. (1 c.) rolled oats
4 oz. (1 c.) plain flour
8 oz. (1 c.) sugar
4 1/2 oz. (1 c.) desiccated coconut (powdered)
4 oz. (1/2 c. or 1 stick) butter
1 tbsp. golden syrup (corn syrup)
1 1/2 tsp. bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp. boiling water

Combine rolled oats, sifted flour, sugar, and coconut. Combine butter and golden syrup (corn syrup), stir over gentle heat until melted. Mix soda with boiling water, add to melted butter mixture, stir into dry ingredients. Sthingy dessert sthingyfuls of mixture into greased oven trays; allow room for spreading. Bake in slow preheated oven, 150 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes approximately 3 dozen.

Jennie’s pasta dish
Take a serving of wholewheat pasta, and cook. It MUST be wholewheat. Then a tables*p*o*o*n of olive oil in a frying pan or saucepan. Add a small chopped onion, two pieces of garlic and cook till almost tender, add chopped peppers and a chopped deseeded chilli,and allow to soften. Pour over the cooked pasta and eat. It's very filling and tasty. If anyone tries it, please let me know how you like it.

* Last Edit: Jan 8th, 2004, 11:58am by Jennie +


Rachael’s traybake Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 8:51 pm

*licking fingers and brushing off crumbs*

OK - here it is - this will make enough for one traybake tray - it's a lot but people love it in work etc! I lightly grease it but not sure whether you really have to ...
1 teacup (whole) milk (but I always use semi as that's all I have)
2oz unsalted butter (again - I use salted if that's all I have!)
2lbs sugar (yep - not a misprint)
1 x 400g Nestle condensed milk
1 tablespoon golden syrup
few drops vanilla essence

Use large saucepan - this stuff boils up like a horror movie!

1. Melt butter & sugar with milk
2. Once dissolved add condensed milk and syrup
3. Bring to boil and simmer
4. And simmer and simmer - keep stirring (important) with wooden spoon - colour will eventually change from quite pale golden to browny, yummy ... this will take longer than you think ... 20 mins or so? All depends but keep stirring!
5. When's it ready? Hmmm - good point! The trick is to take it off the simmer, add the vanilla and beat it like crazy until it stops boiling (bubbles gone - damn thing keeps going!) - it's kind of ready if you can take some on the back of spoon and if it goes gritty/granuly if you scrape against pan ... but it's all trial and error!
6. Pour into tray and leave to cool - you'll know you've got it right if the last bits you scrape out of pan are already solidifying in tray! I usually take it off heat to beat 2-3 times but I'm quite impatient!
7. Let it cool thoroughly before cutting up - it retqains heat for quite a while Top tips: - this stuff is damn hot - be careful! - do not immediately shove in water to soak - scrape off every last bit onto plate - not asethetically pleasing but v yummy - cook's privilege!

Liss’s Aubergine and Mozarella Lasagne

Ingredients:
Lasagne
aubergine*
big chunk of mozarella
tomatoes (tinned)
onion
garlic seasoning (basil, pepper etc)
olive oil

Method:
1. Make standard tomato sauce (chop onions and garlic etc; fry in olive oil until going brown, add tinned tomatoes and any seasoning and simmer).
2. Slice aubergine to about 2-4mm thick. Cover in salt, leave for a while, then rinse.
3. Fry aubergine slices lightly until browned.
4. Slice mozarella to about 2-4mm thick.
5. Get out your handy dandy lasagne dish. Put in a layer of tomato sauce.
6. Layer with lasagne; then more sauce, then aubergine, then mozarella. Season with fresh basil, and continue layering. Finish off with tomato sauce.
7. Cover with foil and cook at 200C/400F/GM6 for about 40-50 minutes.

Notes: This makes enough for 6/8 people. Make sure you have plenty of tomato sauce. If you can't be bothered to make it, you can just use the bottled stuff you get in the supermarket.

*aubergine = eggplant

LizB’s Double Chocolate Devil’s Food Cake
Here it is. The cake is light in texture, but has a rich flavour.

Grease and line two nine inch square cake tins, even if they're non-stick. Use a coffee mug as a measure, or use American cups. If using A.cups, use two eight inch sandwich tins.
Ingredients:
1.5 cups SR flour
1.5 cups caster sugar
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup sunflower oil
9 tablespoons cocoa
3 eggs, well beaten
1.5 teaspoons vanilla esssence
1/2 tsp. salt

Put sugar & cocoa in mixing bowl and mix well. Stir in the oil, then add the beaten eggs and vanilla essence. Then add the flour a tablespoon at a time alternately with the milk. The mixture should be smooth and glossy. Divide between the cake tins. Cook at Gas mark 3.5 or electric 175 degrees for about 30 minutes.

To decorate, make up some butter icing with plenty of cocoa in it, then beat in at least 4 ounces of plain chocolate. Decorate the cake with this fairly quickly as it tends to set firmly.

Chelsea’s Chocolate Crispies –
(we always called them cracklets at home, but nobody else ever seems to know what I'm talking about)

bring saucepan of water to boil
sit bowl containing chocolate in top of saucepan and turn down to simmer
when chocolate has melted stir in rice krispies until coated
spoon into individual cases and leave to set

Lyanne: Or you can melt the chocolate in the microwave, or use cornflakes instead of rice crispies, or shredded wheat (which makes a good birds nest cake for mini eggs).

Cheese straws by PatMac
Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2004 6:54 pm Post subject:

They are a very short pastry with cheese in them, cut into sticks and baked till straw colour. We serve them as snacks.

My recipe below - I'll bet you have the same and call them something else, though I can't find them in any of my American cookery books.

Ingredients

6oz flour about 170 g or around 2/3 cup
3oz butter about 85 g or around 1/3 cup
3oz of grated Parmesan, about 85g or around 1 cup
3oz of grated Gruyere, or whatever hard cheese you have available
2 egg yolks
A pinch of Cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste.

Method:

1. Sieve the flour and add the seasoning. rub in the butter with
fingertips, add the grated cheese and enough egg yolk to turn
the mixture into a thick paste.
2. Flour a board and roll out the pastry so that it is roughly
a quarter of an inch thick.
3. Cut into thick straws and bake in a preheated oven
at 180 degrees C (gas mark 4).
(the stronger the cheese the better!)

_________________
Castor oil: Triacylglycerol from Ricinus communis containing hydroxy-fatty acids.

I also took a backup a while ago

posted below...

I have started it off with a recipe that Cumbrian Rachel posted in the Chalet School Cookbook thread.

I found my Be-Ro book when tidying my room up....

So here it is, the recipe for Australian Crunchie:

225g (8oz) margarine
150g (5oz) caster sugar
75g (3oz) desiccated coconut
75g (3oz) crushed cornflakes
1 x 15ml spoon (1tbsp) cocoa
150g (5oz) Be-Ro self raising flour
100g (4oz) chocolate melted (optional)

1. Heat oven to 180C, 350F, Gas Mark 4. Grease a swiss roll tin 31 x 21cm (12.5 x 8 inch).

2. Melt the margarine over a low heat.

3. Stir in the sugar, coconut, cornflakes, cocoa and flour. Mix well.

4. Turn into the tin and level with a knife. Bake for 20mins.

5. When almost cold cut into squares or triangles.

6. Cover with melted chocolate if wished.

Last edited by Kathye on Mon Nov 29, 2004 12:52 pm; edited 1 time in total


#2: Author: Rosea, Location: Edinburgh Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2004 9:26 am


I haven't tried this recipe (not a ratatouille fan myself) but I have made lots of things from the same cookbook.

1 large aubergine (about 300g/10 1/2 ounces)
5 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves crushed
4 courgettes sliced
800g/ 1 lb 12 oz canned tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1 bouquet garni of 2 fresh thyme sprigs, 1 fresh basil sprig, 1 bay leaf tied in a 7.5 cm/ 3 inch piece celery
salt and pepper
basil leaves for garnish

1. Coarsely chop aubergine, place in colander, sprinkle with salt set aside for 30 mins. Rinse well under cold running water to remove salt and pat dry with kitchen paper.

2. Heat oil in large flame proof heavy based casserole over medium heat. Add onions, lower heat cook stirring occasionally about 10 mins until softened and light golden brown

3. Add garlic, continue fry 2 mins till onion tender

4. Add aubergine, courgettes tomatoes with can juices, sugar and bouqet garni. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to very low, cover and simmer 30 mins.

5. Taste and adjust seasoning if ness. Remove and discard bouquet. garnish wih basil leaves and serve immediately.

Serves 4-6. Preparation 40 mins cooking time 45 mins (or so they say anyway)

Hope it works!

ETA: just checked in another cookbook and if like me you didnt know, a bouquet garni is tied in muslin.


#3: Author: Sarah_K, Location: St Albans/Leicester Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2004 1:55 pm


Carolyn and a couple of other people asked for the recipe of the Chocolate Cookies I brought to the Gathering, they're affectionately known around our house as the More Chocolate than Cookie Cookies

Ingredients
175g Plain Chocolate, chopped
100g Unsalted Butter, cut into pieces
2 Eggs
100g Sugar
40g Brown Sugar
40g Flour
40g Cocoa Powder
1tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
500g (approx) Mixed Chocolate chopped into small pieces

Recipe
Preheat the oven to 170 C/325 F. Grease 2 large baking sheets. In a medium saucepan, over a low heat, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat to cool slightly.
Beat the eggs and sugars until thick and pale, 2-3 minutes. Gradually pour in the melted chocolate, beating until well blended. Beat in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt just until blended. Stir in the mixed chocolate pieces.
Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough on the baking sheets at least 4 inches/10 centimetres apart, flattening the dough slightly. You will only get 4-6 cookies on each sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the tops are shiny and cracked. Do not overbake or they will crack when removed from sheet.
Remove the baking sheets to a wire rack to cool until the cookies are firm, but not too crisp, THEN transfer each cookie to the wire rack to cool completely. Continue to bake in batches. Store cookies in an airtight container (if there are any left!)


#4: Author: Kathryn, Location: Kyabram (north of Melb) Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2004 7:38 am


Here's a recipe for gravy that does not involve the scrapping of dishes and is vegetarian to boot (prompted by discussion in CS Cookbook thread).

Vegetarian Gravy
1 onion finely chopped
a few mushrooms chopped finely
garlic
soy sauce
water (usually about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon of cornflour or flour
1 tablespoon of white sugar

Cook the onion, garlic and mushrooms in butter until soft (or until browned)
Add the flour and sugar. Cook for a little bit
Add a little water and mix with flour/onion mixture. Don't put too much water in at the start as it will go lumpy. Make sure that all water is mixed with the mixture before slowly adding more water.
Once all the water is added, slowly add the soy sauce until the water/flour mixture turns brown.
Taste and add more soy sauce if you want.
If it is too thin for your liking just boil a bit and reduce it.

The quantities are variable and simply depend on how oniony or mushroomy you like your gravy!

Enjoy


#5: Author: Kat, Location: Swansea Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 5:20 pm


Oops, forgot you were waiting for the recipe Jennie! Here is my Mum's - please use it well.

Welsh Cakes

8 oz Margerine
7 or 8 oz Caster Sugar (it's what it says!)
1 lb S.R Flour
Currents and Sultana's - optional
2 Eggs, beaten not stirred

Rub margerine in flour, add the sugar, fruit (optional) and the 2 beaten eggs. Mix to a stiff dough. Roll out and cut with pastry cutter. Cook on griddle over a low heat. Ready when a light golden brown


#6: Author: Kat, Location: Swansea Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 5:22 pm


Ok, after Ally has threatened to brutally kill me in a number of equally painful ways, I am now going to post the recipe for my Chocolate Slice. Happy cooking!!

*****************************************

Crush 1/2lb (approx. 250g) Rich Tea biscuits with rolling pin/suitable equivalent. (I tend to double bag them and stand on them - very satisfying! As is bashing them with the rolling pin admittedly!)

Melt in pan:

4 oz Margerine
2 Tablespoons Golden Syrup
2 Dessertspoons of Brown Sugar
2 Dessertspoons of Cocoa Powder

Optional: 2 oz raisins

Turn off gas, then add the crushed biscuits. Mix together thoroughly, so none of the biscuits show their original colour (should be totally covered in the saucey stuff). Spread mixture into a ready-greased swiss roll tin.

Melt 1/4lb milk and 1/4 lb plain chocolate together, and spread on to biscuit mixture.

Leave to set in fridge, before slicing up into suitable sizes - 'large' usually works best!

******************************************

I find that leaving the mixture to cool in the fridge for a few minutes before adding the chocolate makes it spread easier. I also use just milk chocolate and not plain, and no raisins. All up to you!!

Last edited by Kat on Wed Feb 23, 2005 3:50 pm; edited 1 time in total


#7: Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2004 1:43 pm


Thanks for the recipe, Kat. I'll try them this weekend.


#8: Author: Rachael, Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2004 10:16 am


Pear & Ginger Crumble for 6
(had this on Sat night after doctoring a recipe for apple crumble because we have a glut of pears - it was yummy - a real winter warmer cos the ginger gives it much more depth)

Ingredients
4oz plain flour
2 oz butter
1 oz demarara sugar
5 oz ginger bicciess (crushed into fine crumbs)
1 kg pears
stem ginger to taste (I recommend one nugget per person)
(Yes - I know I'm mixing pounds and kilos but I can't remember offhand!!)

Prepare the fruit and if it's a bit hard (like homegrown pears can be), poach them in a little water and normal sugar (just a few tbsps of water with enough sugar to melt in) along with the finely chopped stem ginger and some of its syrup - not for too long though cos the fruit will shrink!

Lay out in cooking dish

Rub flour and butter together with fingertips until mixture resembles breadcrumbs
(top tip - make sure butter is straight from fridge and chopped into small bits - if you quickly cover it with the flour, it shouldn't go all melty and yukky)
Add the crushed ginger biccies and demarara sugar, mix and sprinkle on top of fruit

Cook in pre-heated hot oven for approx. 30 mins until the top looks cooked!!

Serve with custard ...


#9: Author: Kathye, Location: Laleham Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2004 10:32 am


RECIPE FOR MEXICAN LASAGNE

I leave out the chilli pepper if people are not keen on chilli's as this just makes it extra hot !
Also I don't like olives but chopped up small in this recipe tastes really good.

1 jar of Enchilada sauce (‘Discovery’ brand is good but any will do)
1 jar or carton of Tomato Passata
4 large Tortilla wraps (usually in the bread section rather than the ‘Mexican’ area)
2 pre cooked chicken breasts
100g Monterey Jack cheese (from the deli counter) (or Edam if Monterey Jack is not available)
100g Red Leicester cheese
1 small jar or tin of pitted black olives
1 clove garlic
1 onion
1 chilli pepper

Finely chop chicken, onion and chilli add to a mixing bowl, crush garlic and add to bowl.
Finely chop black olives (reserving a few for the topping) add to the mixture.
Grate cheese and add to the mixture (reserving some for the top) - mix all these ingredients together.
In a separate bowl mix half the tomato passata and the whole jar of enchilada sauce
Pour 1/3rd of the tomato mixture into the chicken mixture and stir.

Take the first tortilla wrap, coat both sides with some of the remaining tomato mixture and place in the bottom of the dish, add 1/3rd of the filling mixture and spread out evenly. Add the next wrap once again coating both sides with the tomato mixture. Continue layering finishing with the 4th wrap. Pour the remaining sauce over the top and spread out. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and garnish with olives.

Bake for 20-25 mins gas mark 5 or 190


#10: Author: Kathye, Location: Laleham Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2004 10:35 am


Chilli’n’Cheese Spirals

Another one for Chilli fans...

200g / 4 oz cream cheese
200g / 4 oz cheddar cheese
2 red chillies
3 spring onions
Half red pepper
8 pitted olives (optional)
2 Large floured dinner plate size Tortilla wraps



Using a food chopper finely chop the onions, red pepper, chillies and olives, combine in a bowl. Grate the cheddar cheese and add with the cream cheese – mix all ingredients well.

Divide the mixture between 2 tortillas – spread evenly over surface and roll each one up. Wrap each in cling-film. Refrigerate for one hour. Slice into 1cm slices and serve.


#11: Author: Tassie_Ellen, Location: Tasmania, Australia Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2004 10:59 pm


Here's one I discovered during my hunt for diabetes-friendly cakes etc. It has a medium GI rating and not much fat. The yoghurt makes it very moist - and it's SOOO yummy. As the dieticians would probably say, enjoy in moderation

RASPBERRY YOGHURT CAKE

125g spread (dairy-free if you can get it, otherwise canola works too)
1/2 cup soft brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups SR flour
100g raspberries (pref. frozen, as they hold their shape better)
1/2 cup low-fat natural yoghurt


Preheat oven to 180degC and line a loaf pan with baking paper or foil wrap.

Cream spread and sugar in medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well each time. Add flour, raspberries and yoghurt, fold gently until thoroughly combined.

Place in prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer poked in the middle comes out clean. Stand cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool on a rack.

ICING

Place 65g cream cheese (softened to room temperature), 1/2 cup icing sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice in a small bowl and beat until smooth.

Spread over top of cold cake and refrigerate for about an hour to allow icing to firm.


In our house I'm lucky if the cake lasts 24 hours


#12: Author: Sophoife, Location: down under Down Under Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2004 4:50 pm


Anna's Lemon Biscuits

Don't laugh, they're really yummy.

½ lb (500g) self-raising flour
¼ lb (250g) butter, room temperature if possible (chop small if not!)
¼ lb (250g) sugar (plain white is good)
1 egg
1 tsp lemon essence

Cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Add flour gradually, mix well, add egg, mix well. You should have a dough-like substance now. Knead in bowl, then take a chunk, roll out to about 3-4mm thick, cut out shapes. Repeat with chunks of dough until you have no more to roll out! Dough should be pale buttery yellow btw.

Put biscuit shapes on pre-greased baking tray, bake in moderate oven (180ºC or whatever that is in ºF) for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire tray. Re-use baking tray to bake more biscuits, until all are done.

Biscuits can be eaten plain, iced with lemon icing, or as two stuck together with a small dollop of lemon curd. If you have a real sweet tooth, ice the stuck-together ones as well!

Lemon Icing

1½ cups sifted icing sugar
20g (1 tbsp) soft butter
grated rind of 1 lemon
40mL (2 tbsp) lemon juice (basically the juice of the lemon whose rind you've just grated)

Using a wooden spoon, mix icing sugar with butter and grated lemon rind. Add lemon juice and mix until smooth. Use as desired. Works for cakes and biscuits.

Biscuits are a lovely buttery shortbready texture and really do melt in the mouth if you don't over-cook them.

Last edited by Sophoife on Sun Jan 16, 2005 7:35 pm; edited 1 time in total


#13: Recipe for Homemade Bailey's Author: Mollio, Location: Ireland Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2004 1:31 am


Hello everybody,

Any time I've been browsing the board and come across people offering comfort or going to a party, it seems you like your drop of Bailey's - so I thought I'd post a recipe for it. Very easy and quick.

Bailey's Irish Cream

1 large cup of whisky,
1 can of condensed milk,
1 can of evaporated milk,
A few drops of glycerine,

Mix them all together.

Add chocolate essence BY THE DROP for colour.

Drink and enjoy.


#14: Author: Chelsea, Location: Your Imagination Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 3:41 pm


This is really very yummy - even if it does look kinda yucky! It makes alot of cake! I used green, red, and blue food colouring because the the green made the cookie crumbs look very green.


CAT LITTER CAKE RECIPE
1 box spice or German chocolate cake mix
1 box of white cake mix
1 package white sandwich cookies
1 large package vanilla instant pudding mix
A few drops green food coloring
12 small Tootsie Rolls or equivalent

SERVING "DISHES AND UTENSILS"
1 NEW cat-litter box
1 NEW cat-litter box liner
1 NEW pooper scooper

Prepare and bake cake mixes, according to directions, in any size pan.
Prepare pudding and chill.
Crumble cookies in small batches in blender or food processor. Add a few drops of green food coloring to 1 cup of cookie crumbs. Mix with a fork or shake in a jar.
Set aside. When cakes are at room temperature, crumble them into a large
bowl. Toss with half of the remaining cookie crumbs and enough pudding to make the mixture
moist but not soggy.
Place liner in litter box and pour in mixture.

Unwrap 3 Tootsie Rolls and heat in a microwave until soft and pliable.
Shape the blunt ends into slightly curved points. Repeat with three more
rolls.
Bury the rolls decoratively in the cake mixture.
Sprinkle remaining white cookie crumbs over the mixture, then scatter green crumbs lightly over top.
Heat 5 more Tootsie Rolls until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the
cake and sprinkle with crumbs from the litter box. Heat the remaining Tootsie Roll
until pliable and hang it over the edge of the box.
Place box on a sheet of newspaper and serve with scooper.[/img]


#15: Author: RroseSelavy, Location: Oxford, UK Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2005 10:49 pm


Mmm, cake, cookies, Baileys & gravy - not together, obviously, but I think you've covered all my favourite comfort foods

Anyway, there's a new recipe every month on my website at:

http://valhalla.fateback.com

But my favourite is Mocha Muffins...

Ingredients
75g unsalted butter or margarine
75g chocolate (half milk and half plain)
75g granulated sugar
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
75g self-raising flour, sifted
For the ganache:
125g chocolate (Again, I use half milk and half plain)
50ml double cream
1tbsp instant coffee granules

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius, gas mark 4. Line a deep 6-hole muffin tray with paper cases. (Or use 14 normal fairy cake cases). Place butter and chocolate into a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water until melted.

2) Remove bowl from heat and stir in the sugar. Then gradually beat in the eggs. Finally, fold in the flour. Spoon enough of the mixture into the paper cases until each is half full.

3) To make the ganache, place the chocolate (minus a couple of pieces for decoration), cream and coffee in a heatproof bowl and melt over a pan of simmering water as above. Once melted and gooey, stir thoroughly.

4) Spoon half a teaspoon of ganache into each muffin case, then top up with the remaining cake mix. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes or until springy to the touch. (BEWARE fan ovens!)

5) Transfer to a wire rack to cool, and top each muffin with remaining granache and grated chocolate. Serve warm as the ganache solidifies. (The muffins can be refrigerated and warmed for 30s over a pan of simmering water before serving).

6) Any remaining ganache can be made into solid chocolates by spooning it into an ice cube tray and refrigerating for an hour.

Enjoy!




#16: Author: Kate, Location: Ireland Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2005 11:00 pm


Easy College Homemade Pizzas

It's not truly a recipe, as it's too easy, but it's the best healthy (ish!) thing for hungry college students that can't cook. And it's handy for mums as well, kids love these.

You need:
an onion
olive oil or butter or whatever you fry with
sliced cooked ham (one or two slices)
mushrooms (three little ones, or one big one)
a tin of tomatoes (or real ones, but tinned are easier)
salt/pepper/spices (if you want, I don't use them)
pitta bread (wholemeal or white, whatever)
grated cheese (low-fat will not work)

other options: cooked chicken, pineapple, sweetcorn, peppers etc

Warm the oven to about Gas 7/8 or 200 degrees celsius.
Dice your onion, fry in the oil until soft. Not on too high a heat or they will BURN.
Dice your mushrooms, fry until brown and nice-smelling.
Chop the ham, throw it in.
Add in optional ingredients (NOT THE PINEAPPLE YET!)
Throw in the tin of tomatoes.
Cook until it's boiling, then simmer until it's thickened up.
Spread on your pitta bread.
NOW you can put the pineapple on top.
Put your grated cheese on the top.
Cook in the oven for about ten minutes until the cheese is fully melted.
You can also grill them, but you'll probably need to toast the pittas first.

Extra sauce will keep in the fridge for a few days.


#17: Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 9:09 pm


After todays requests, here are lots of recipes for ice cream
Raspberry Sorbet
1lb raspberries
6oz sugar
2 egg whites

Sieve the raspberries and measure the amount of water needed to make the puree up to 1 pint - do not mix the puree and water together. Dissolve the sugar in the water and bring to the boil, boil uncovered for 10 minutes, stir into the raspberry puree and leave to cool, then pour into a 1 pint ice-cube tray and freeze until it has a mushy consistency. Whisk the egg whites until thick and foamy, but not dry, and fold into the puree, return to the freezer. If possible then rebeat after approx 8 hours.

2lb of fruit fills 2l ice cream container.

Note: strawberries/mangoes/tayberries can be used, use less sugar.
Pineapple produces interesting results (but someone liked it )


Very Rich Lemon Ice Cream (not available today)
8oz caster sugar
8 egg yolks
15 teaspoons lemon juice
half pint double cream

Note - if you do 4 x this quantity you will use about 450ml lemon juice but you need to taste it and judge for yourself anyway.

Put the sugar on an enamel plate or baking tray and heat through in the oven or under the grill. You will need to stir it round part-way through. Put the yolks in a large bowl, pour on the hot sugar and whisk at once until thick and light. Put the lemon juice and cream in a bowl and whisk until the cream forms soft peaks, fold into the egg mixture, turn into a 2 pint container. Freeze.


Jo and Bernard's Yoghurt Lemon Ice Cream
10fl oz cream
10fl oz yoghurt
10fl oz lemon curd (n.b. 1 jar = 12fl oz)

Lightly whip the cream, stir in yoghurt and lemon curd and freeze!


Chocolate Ice Cream
2pts cream
12 egg yolks
8oz sugar
7fl oz water
24oz (600gram) white, milk or dark chocolate (better to use good quality eg Cadbury than supermarket cheap stuff)
The recipe suggest making all 3 types and then layering them in a bread tin lined with cling film - but that sounds like hard work!

Put sugar and water in a pan, heat gently until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil and simmer for 2 mins. Break up chocolate, place in blender with hot sugar syrup and blend until smooth. Add egg yolks and blend again. Transfer mixture into a bowl. Lightly whip cream. Fold (if you try and use a mixer to do it it curdles) into the chocolate mixture, pour into containers and freeze.



Brown Bread and Brandy Ice Cream (again not available today)
4oz brown breadcrumbs
4oz demerara sugar
1pt double cream
at least 8tbsp brandy (to taste!)
2 egg yolks

Mix crumbs and sugar together. Spread out on a baking tray and bake, stirring frequently at mark 5/375F/190C for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool.
Whisk cream until it holds in soft peaks, then whisk in brandy and egg yolks and the cold crumbs. Spoon into a container and freeze.

Gooseberry and Clotted Cream Ice Cream
500g gooseberries topped and tailed
4tbsp water
75g caster sugar
150ml whipping vream
120ml clotted cream

Simmer gooseberries, water and sugar for 10 minutes or until they are soft. Use a blender and process until smooth, pass through a sieve. Cool, then chill.

Whip the cream to soft peaks, and fold into chilled puree.
Freeze for 4 hours (if you have time and energy beating after 2), then fold in the clotted cream and re-freeze.


Rhubarb and Ginger Ice Cream
5 pieces of stem ginger, roughly chopped
450g trimmed rhubarb, sliced
115g caster sugar
2tbsp water
150g marscapone
150ml whipping cream

Simmer rhubarb, sugar and water unil rhubarb is just tender and still bright pink.
Use a blender and process till smooth (then chill if you have time).
Mix everything together and freeze (as this is one of the firmest ice creams when frozen, it may be worth re-beating it regularly during freezing, but I didn’t )


#18: Author: Ray, Location: Bristol, England Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2005 5:33 pm


As promised, here's the recipie for Dark Side Cookies - all amounts are given in American cups or ounces.

NB Converting from cups to ounces isn't an exact science - all the conversion factors were taken from an online source and the proportions do work (anyone at the Gather that's just finished can testify to that!!!), even the ones that look a little weird!

• 1 1/2 cups (6 1/2 oz) flour
• 1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz) unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) butter or margarine
• 1 (7 oz) cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 48 undrained maraschino cherries (about one 10 ounce jar)
You can substitute with any form of small soft fruit - I used regular cherries (de-stoned!) and mandarin orange segments
• 1 (6 oz.) pkg. semisweet chocolate chips
I used roughly 3oz of milk chocolate chips and 3oz of plain chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 a cup is just under 1/4 of a pint - I don't have an exact conversion for this amount as I have an American measuring jug!

In a mixing bowl combine flour and cocoa, set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed about 30 seconds or until softened.

Add sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Beat till well combined.
Add egg and vanilla. Beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Shape dough into one inch balls, place on ungreased baking sheet. Press down center of each ball with thumb. Drain maraschino cherries, reserving juice. Place a cherry in the center of each cookie.

In a small saucepan, combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk, heat until chocolate is melted. Stir in four teaspoons of reserved cherry juice.

Spoon about one teaspoon of the frosting over each cherry, spreading to cover cherry.

Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven about 10 minutes or until done. Remove to wire rack to cool. Makes approx. 48 cookies.
[/i]

_________________
Not to put too fine a point on it, say I'm the only bee in you bonnet, make a little birdhouse in your soul
--------------------------------

Can I add something? Delete if not! Just overexcited by my cooking skils lol

Spicy Pasta Bake - for LizB and any other non protein people!

This used mainly left overs and most veg can be substituted for other things.. just this is what i had.
Serves 2 hungry people!
100g pasta shells (or similar)
1 leek
1 courgette
half a cauliflower
1 green pepper
1 red chilli
2 cloves garlic
1 tin tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp mixed herbs
1 tbsp worcester sauce
salt and pepper

I used cheese but for liz like no protein types, breadcrumbs could be substituted.
Method:
1) preheat oven to 180c
2) parboil the pasta till slightly soft.
3) chop the courgette, leek, green pepper and cauli into chunks and layer up in a oven proof dish.
4) chop the chilli and garlic finely and sprinkle over the top of the veg.
5) salt and pepper to taste over the top of the veg.
6) mix together the tomatoes, puree, worcester sauce and herbs in a jug
7) drain the pasta and layer over veg
pour the tomato mixture over the top and sprinkle cheese/ breadcrumbs over the top. more pepper to taste.
9) cook at 180 for 30 ish minutes until bubbling and browning on top. (may need to go at higher temp depedningon oven!)

EAT!!
Chilli can be omitted if you don;t like spicy food.

_________________
'Mary-Lou covered the last part of her journey in a series of goatlike leaps that landed her almost on top of them, drawing a protest from Tony of "Here! Look out, you moke!"' Three Go to the CS p15.

This is adapted from a veggie student cookbook - I will give their way (which is also super) and then say how I changed it

Easy-As-Vegetable-PIE!

Ingredients:
300g flour
150g butter
1 pack frozen veg
1 can soup (mushroom or tomato or whatever you like)

Method:
Mix frozen veg with soup. Leave for a minute.
Rub/mash butter into flour until crumbly in texture. Add a drop of water. Bring together into a dough with your hand. Roll out and press into ovenproof dish. Fill with veg mix. Cover with more rolled out pastry. Prick top and bake for half an hour.

I left out the soup and used: 2 parsnips, 5 onions, 1 can of peas and 1 can of butterbeans. These I partly boiled before shoving them in the pie. I also added dried mixed herbs to the pastry at the crumby stage and it was yum. Also, I didn't have a pie dish so I baked it in a saucepan, which are heatproof anyway. It makes about enough to slice into five fine triangular slices. And is almost nicer eaten cold than hot

Chocolate chip cookies

8 oz flour
6 oz sugar
1/2 bag chocolate chips
4 oz (melted) butter
1 egg

Combine them all & mix well; spoon-drop onto a greased baking sheet and bake at 350 fahrenheit (gas 4) for 8-10mins.

--

Yummy. If you don't want them as rich and sweet, substitute margarine for the butter and use less sugar! They are quite sweet.

_________________
Read all about my travels in South America...

Apple Lasagne
875g cooking apples
30g butter
60g caster sugar
30g raisins
1/4 tsp mixed spice
6 sheets lasagne
30g finely chopped walnuts
custard
whipped cream to serve

Peel, core and slice apples. Put in a saucepan with butter, sugar and a little water. Cook for 10 minutes, or until soft. Stir in raisins and mixed spice. Preheat the oven to 190C (375F/Gas 5). Butter an oven proof dish. Meanwhile, in a large pan of boiling water, cook lasagne. Drain. Layer lasagne and apple mixture in the dish, ending, with a layer of apple. Pour custard over apple. Sprinkle with walnuts. Bake in oven for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with icing sugar and searve with cream.

_________________
‎"To have a second language is to have a second soul." Charlemagne
"Two languages in one head? No-one can live at that speed!" Eddie Izzard

Chocolate cake was always more of a miss than a hit at home, but this Kiwi standard cake seems pretty foolproof. I made it this evening and despite using 2 tablespoons of baking powder instead of 2 teaspoons , it's turned out quite well.

Chocolate cake
2 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons of vanilla essence
1 cup cocoa
1.5 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
1 cup of milk
3 eggs
175g butter

Cream butter & sugar together.
Add eggs beating well after each one and add vanilla essence
Sift flour, cocoa & baking powder together and fold into mix. Alternate with milk.

Bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees for 50-60 minutes

Icing
2 cups of icing sugar
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1/4 cup of butter
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla essence
boiling water to mix

Sift icing sugar & cocoa. Stir in butter & vanilla essence. Add water to give a spreadable consistancy.

Christmas cake.

This makes a nice change from the usual dark fruit cake. It can be made a few days before Christmas, and is nice and moist because the fruit is soaked well before baking.

Gas 3.5 for one hour, then 2.5 for two hours. Electricity 170 for one hour then 160 for two hours.

250 grammes butter
250 gr. soft light brown sugar or golden caster sugar
5 large eggs
2 tbs golden syrup
the grated rind of one orange
375 gr plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
spices - as you like approx 2 tsp
1 kilo exotic fruits, dried. I use a mixture of mango, pears, peaches, pineapple, apricots, paw-paw and glace cherries
100 gr. pistachio nuts - or any nuts that you prefer.
Cointreau

14 days before baking, cut the fruits into small pieces and put in a large bowl, along with the pistachio nuts and cover with Cointreau. Allow to soak for 14 days.

Grease, double-line an 8 inch cake tin and then wrap brown paper or thin cardboard round the outside.

Cream the butter until light and fluffy, then beat in the sugar until well mixed. beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the grated orange rind
and the golden syrup.

Sift the dry ingredients together two or three times to make sure they are well mixed, then fold into the creamed mixture.

Fold the fruits into the mixture, ensuring that they are evenly distributed.

Put the mixture into the tin, making sure that it is pressed well down. put in ooven to cook. Check after an hour, turn the oven down a little. If the cake is browning, put a piece of greased greaseproof paper over it to stop it catching.

I never ice this cake, but I do cover it with marzipan. It looks good if brushed with well-beaten egg-white and then sprinkled with edible silver glittery stuff.

_________________
Carpe diem, carpe noctem, carpe pecuniam et exe, celerrime.
A certain edge when she spoke of Mrs Maynard, certainly, but, after all, not everyone could love Joey.
'Life,' said Marvin, 'don't talk to me about life!'

Had to share this recipe. I have made lots of cheesecakes in my time (baked and fridge) and this is the BEST. I love baking and my friends have confirmed that this is a hit. So please make and enjoy.

Sour – cream cheesecake

Crust
1 packet tennis biscuits, crushed (you could use digestive biscuits too)
125 ml (1/2 cup) butter, melted

Filling
4 jumbo eggs (I use organic free-range)
250 ml (1 cup) sugar
60 ml (1/4 cup) lemon juice
3 tubs (250g each) smooth cottage cheese
1 container (250 ml) cream
125 ml (1/2 cup) cake flour

Topping
1 container (250 ml) sour cream
45 ml (3T) castor sugar
5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence

Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Grease a 23cm loose bottomed cake tin with butter or spray and cook.
Mix the crushed biscuits and melted butter and press into base of prepared tin.
Whisk the eggs and sugar until light and thick. Add lemon juice while beating continuously. Add cottage cheese, cream and flour and mix.
Pour mixture into tin. Bake for 10 minutes at 180C and then reduce heat to 140 C and bake for another hour or until filling is firm, but slightly soft in center (normally 1hr10 is perfect in my oven).
Remove cake from tin when cold and transfer to serving platter.
Mix all ingredients for topping and pour over cake.
ENJOY!!!
Love, Jo

Sweet Potato Soup.

Two pints of stock (any flavour)
1 largish onion, finely chopped
Two large carrots
Three large -ish sweet potatoes

Peel and chop carrots and sweet potatoes, and add tosaucepan with the onions. Bring to boil and then simmer for 40 minutes or so. When all veg are cooked, allow to cool for a few minutes, then put in a food processor/blender and whizz round until smooth. If you don't have a blender, it can be sieved, though it's better to mash the veg first if you're doing this.

When it's as smooth as you want it to be, put back into saucepan, add salt and pepper to taste and a good sprinkling of tarragon.

Reheat and serve with granary bread.

This is quite a sweetish soup, if you prefer it to be more savoury, leave out the carrots. It's full of fibre so it's also good for us.

_________________
Carpe diem, carpe noctem, carpe pecuniam et exe, celerrime.
A certain edge when she spoke of Mrs Maynard, certainly, but, after all, not everyone could love Joey.
'Life,' said Marvin, 'don't talk to me about life!'

Hello, hope I'm not being too forward, but I thought I would share a recipe for a delicious chicken pie! *suddenly feels like the evil woman from Chicken Run* Ah well, tastes nice:

300g cooked chicken breast
250g puff pastry
1 medium onion
1 carrot
125g chicken stock
90ml milk
50g butter
2 tablespoons plain flour
Salt
Black pepper

Cut the chicken into bitesize pieces.
Peel, slice and cook the carrot.
Preheat the oven to 220dCentigrade.
Melt butter in saucepan.
Finely chop onion, cook gently in butter for 10 minutes.
Add flour and stir well.
Add half the milk, stir well, add the rest, continuing to stir constantly.
Add the stock and stir until the sauch is smooth and simmering (it should be quite thick).
Remove from the heat and stir in the carrot.
Allow to cool.
Stir in salt, pepper and chicken to taste.
Divide the pastry approximately 65% to 35%.
Roll out the large piece for the base of a 3cm deep and 20cm diametre pie tin.
Add the chicken mixture.
Roll the rest of the pastry for the lid.
Cut 3cm gap in lid and brush with milk.
Bake at 220dCentigrade for 20 minutes.
Turn down to 190dCentigrade for a further 30 minutes.
--- if the pastry browns early then cover the lid with foil for the rest of the time.

KathyrnW's wondrous biscuits:

These are fabulous, and so quick to make and bake. They are brilliant for when you want to bake something but you have no eggs in. And they are a base for any flavour biscuit you like.

150g butter or marg
150g sugar
225g flour
1 tablespoon milk

1. Preheat oven to 190oC and line a couple of baking trays with parchment
2. Beat the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until light and flour, then work in the flour and milk to make a stiff dough
3. Add in your flavouring*
4. Roll dessertspoonfuls of mixture into balls and put onto baking trays. Squash them down with a fork so they make a disk about 1cm thick.
5. Bake for 10-14 minutes. They should only be a light tan colour and still squidgy in the middle.

*Flavourings: Kathryn made them with smarties and it takes 3 tubes. I made them with a teaspoon of cinnamon and half a Tesco bag of sultanas (about 200g I think) and they were lovely - for this mix brown sugar is nicer than white in the recipe. I have also substituted the butter with peanut butter and stirred in a crushed bar of bournville (dark chocolate) and that went down a bomb too. All very yum and quick and worth doing!

_________________
[size=75]"Somehow, he felt, as he had never felt before, the want of a woman to sit facing him as he read a new book on pulmonary complaints." (Jean of Storms)

Chocolate Brandy Cake

This is my most favourite thing to make and then instantly consume (well, not instantly - sadly it needs to set). Seem to have made it about half a dozen times in the last couple of months, and thought I might share the joy...

Ingredients

1/2 lb butter
1/2 lb dark chocolate (70% cocoa is best)
1/2 lb decimated digestive biscuits
2 eggs
3 oz caster sugar
raisins
brandy/rum/apple juice
(glace cherries)
(walnuts)

Method

1. Soak raisins in brandy/rum/apple juice overnight/for several hours
2. Crush digestives into smithereens
3. Melt together chocolate and butter
4. Whisk together sugar and eggs
5. Mix together ALL of the above
6. Add chopped cherries and/or walnuts, according to taste
7. Refrigerate for several hours

_________________
dont ever tell me
insects are any more liberal
than humans

I'm just going to have to learn how to cook, thats all . Doesn't look very complicated, just rather yummy! I can feel a new hobby coming on!

CBC doesn't even count as cooking... it's just mixing, is what it is. Mixing and melting and crushing... *happy sigh*

_________________
dont ever tell me
insects are any more liberal
than humans

Dairy free choolate tart (also works fine with dairy products!)

This is basically a pastry case either home made and cooked empty or bought, filled with chocolate. Makes one large tart or 12 small ones. Yum!

Pastry (however you make it or ready made if you prefer)

8oz flour
2oz soya spread/butter substitute
2oz lard
2tsp water

Grease a pie dish ready for the pastry. Because this is cooked empty you will also need baking paper and beads or beans to fill the case with so it keeps its shape.

Sieve flour into bowl. Cut fat into small cubes and rub lightly into flour until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Make a well in the middle and add a little bit of water until pastry is soft but not sticky. Cover lightly and rest in fride for approx 15mins. Roll out and put into pie dish. Cook until it looks ready! Take it out and leave to cool.

Filling

1 bar DARK chocolate (approx 200g)
2oz soya butter/spread
4tbsp soya milk

Melt butter in saucepan. Break chocolate into small square and add to liquid butter. When melted start adding the milk a tablespoon at a time, stirring it until smooth. It might go funny and lumpy when you first add the milk but keep stirring and it will all mix together.

Pour liquid chocolate into pastry case and leave to cool. Once cooled to room temperature you will need to put it in the fridge until completely set.

Enjoy!

You can add orange/vanilla/mint/alcohol to the chocolate mixture for extra flavour, or decorate as you please.

_________________
of course I don't look busy - I did it right the first time

Apple Cheesecake
Serves 12 (Or 4 if you are us!)

1 1/4 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (crush about 20 cookies in a plastic bag with a rolling pin) I often add some plain digestive to this
1/4 cup unsalted butter -- melted
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese – softened (Philadelphia!)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 (16 ounce) can Apple Purree (I use a tin of Apple pie filling)
4 eggs
3/4 cup chilled whipping cream (need to whip it with 2 teaspoons sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the cookie crumbs and butter. Press evenly on the bottom of a 9" spring form pan inches. Bake 10 minutes, then let cool.
Reduce oven temp. to 300 degrees.
In another large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, the cinnamon and ginger on medium speed until smooth. Add apple puree. Now add in the eggs, one at a time on low speed. Pour into the cookie crumb pie shell.
Bake your cheesecake until center is firm, about 1 1/4 hours. Cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours. (but in your case, you did it two days prior at least)
To loosen cheesecake from the sides of the pan, unbuckle the side and carefully remove. Serve a dollop of whip cream on the cheesecake.

My comments in red

_________________
Not to put too fine a point on it, say I'm the only bee in you bonnet, make a little birdhouse in your soul
--------------------------------

The Traditional Guernsey Gâche recipe


1lb plain flour
½lb Guernsey butter
12oz sultanas
2oz mixed peel
1oz fresh yeast
1tsp sugar
1tsp salt
½ pint warm water

1) Sieve togetrher the flour and salt and stand the bowl in a warm place.
2) Cream together the yeast and sugar, add a little water and leave in a warm place for a few minutes.
3) Rub the fat into the flour, make a well in the centre and add the yeast mixture and gradually add the rest of the water to make a very soft dough.
4) Lastly fold in the fruit.
5) Cover and leave to prove in a warm place for one and a half to two hours.
6) Turn the mix into a 1lb loaf tin.
7) Bake for thirty minutes at 220°C (Gas seven), then lower to 200°C (Gas 6) for a further thirty minutes.
Serve sliced, possibly toasted, and buttered.

That's one version but there is another using completely different quantities of fruit and also using eggs. So just in case you want to try something a bit different here it is :

The alternative Guernsey Gâche recipe!

1½lbs wholemeal or plain flour
1½lbs Guernsey butter
Two eggs
4oz candied orange peel
1lb sultanas (or currants if preferred)
¼ pint of Guernsey milk
2oz yeast
Pinch of salt
2oz dark brown sugar

1) Wash and dry the dried fruit.
2) Cream together the butter and sugar, add the eggs and then mix in the flour.
3) Warm the milk, add the yeast and a pinch of salt.
4) Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the milk mixture. Stir well.
5) Add the fruit and then knead the mixture like bread.
6) Leave the dough to rise for two hours somewhere warm, before knocking back and kneading again.
7) Grease a loaf tin and put in the mixture, before transferring to a moderate oven for one hour until the top is golden.

_________________
Carpe diem, carpe noctem, carpe pecuniam et exe, celerrime.
A certain edge when she spoke of Mrs Maynard, certainly, but, after all, not everyone could love Joey.
'Life,' said Marvin, 'don't talk to me about life!'

Just had to share this. A calorie shared is a calorie halved, as they say. I've always found millionaire's shortcake too much effort, but this version is perfect. Health warning - if you haven't got a sweet tooth you could feel queasy just reading this.

4 oz butter
4 oz sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup
Large tin condensed milk

(Here comes the clever bit) 2 packets shortbread fingers. Preferably the posh scottish ones in a tartan packet, but I used Asda's.

Large slab of milk chocolate

1. Arrange the shortbread in close rows in a buttered trayback size tin. Don't leave gaps between them and get them as close to the edge of the tin as possible. (Otherwise you get bits of orphaned toffee and chocolate goo dribbling down the sides, and you might not know what to do with that.)

2. Put first 4 items in a largish saucepan on gentle heat and boil, stirring all the time, until thick and sticking to the side of the pan. If you don't stir thoroughly enough you get brown bits appearing in it - don't worry - just keep stirring. This takes 15 to 20 minutes, though my recipe says 10.

3. When cooked pour it carefully onto the biscuits. Lock children out of the kitchen while you scrape the saucepan. The toffee layer on the biscuits should be about 1cm thick. Leave until nearly cool.

4. Melt the chocolate in microwave, and pour over the toffee. Lock children out of kitchen while you scrape the melted chocolate bowl.

5. Cool until chocolate is set and cut into fingers along the edges of the biscuit fingers.

I think I invented this and I have no idea what to call it. It is DELISH eaten for dinner/supper/tea/whatever you want to call it Quantities are variable.

5 or so apples, any type
2 big onions, any type (try and have roughly the same chopped quantity of onions and apples)
dried herbs (sage is ideal but I used oregano and it was superb)
600g potatoes (around 10 small ones)
150g cheese (any type but I used SMOKED which was divine)
spray oil (or real oil, whichever)

Turn on the oven now! Dice the onions and apples and put them in a roasting dish, mixed with some dried herbs and a tiny splash of water. Let them in there for as long as it takes you to wash the spuds, no need to peel them, just slice them lengthways so as to make thin ovals. Take out roasting dish, mix up the apples and onions with a spoon, make one layer of spuds like scales of a fish. Put back in oven and leave there for as long as it takes you to either break up or grate the cheese (I tore apart slices). Take out of oven and layer the cheese on top of the half-done spuds. Then straightaway put the last of the spuds over the cheese in a layer. They may not cover the cheese completely - this is grand. Sprinkle some herbs and black pepper over the top; spray with oil and shove back in oven for around 15 minutes. Take out when the top layer is browned. Leave cool for around ten minutes and then slice and eat!

Serves four very generously.

If you are doing Weightwatchers there are 16 points in this whole dish, 4 points per serving, which is nice and low

_________________
[size=75]"Somehow, he felt, as he had never felt before, the want of a woman to sit facing him as he read a new book on pulmonary complaints." (Jean of Storms)