Afghans! Yum!

Afghans mmmm..... I don't know many people who don't like these little morsels. Always a good little baking, and eating, project for a long weekend. This recipe is from the little known but very competent Recipes from Edna's Kitchen compiled by the Mid Canterbury Federation of Women's Institutes (for all you old school out there, that's the new name for the Women's division of Federated Farmers.) One of the best things about this recipe is most of the quantities are given in cups and spoons rather than needing to weigh everything: easy to whip up in a hurry before friends come around. Here is the other recipe I make in case you want a comparison. 

Edna Low's Afganettes
makes about 19 medium sized bisuits

125g butter
half a cup of sugar
1 cup of flour
1 dessertspoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup cornflakes

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C.

Cream the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Fold in the coconut and cornflakes, followed by the shifted flour, cocoa, and vanilla. 

The is the opposite order of mixing to most recipes, but I think it softened the cornflakes in the final biscuit. It does take extra mixing to combine! 

Using wet hands, roll spoonfuls into balls and place onto a lined baking tray. Flatten each one a little using the back of a wet spoon. 

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, then I left mine on the tray to cool. 

While they cool, mix up a chocolate icing from 1 teaspoon of butter, a generous tablespoon of cocoa powder, a couple of tablespoons of hot water and enough icing sugar to make a spreadable, but not runny icing. If you add too much icing sugar and the mixture is too dry, just add a few drops of water until you get the consistency you want. 
Spread the icing onto each biscuit and top with the traditional walnut half. 

Now put on the jug, switch on the coffee machine - if it's not on already! - and invite your buddies around for a natter. Have a great weekend!  

Tasty Little Plum Tartlets

Every year I make a lovely Plum tart using the beautiful fruit from the Plum Trees planted all those years ago by the Sisters of Mercy when they founded Villa Maria College. I have no idea of the variety; only that it's old and the fruit is a deep purple colour all the way through. In previous years I have made a family sized tart, but this year I decided on some cute little tartlets instead. 

Little Plum Tartlets

Pastry:
300g plain flour
200g butter
100g caster sugar
4 tablespoons cold water

Using a food processor, blend the flour, butter and sugar until they resemble crumbs. 

With the motor of the processor running, add the cold water a tablespoon at a time until a ball of dough starts to form. 
Take from the process, press into a ball, wrap in plastic food wrap and chill for half an hour at least. 







For the tarts:
18 medium sized red fleshed plums
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Preheat the oven to 180deg. C

Wash, halve and remove the stones from the plums. 

Cut the chilled pastry in half. Roll out the pastry half between two sheets of baking paper until it is about 4 to 5mm thick. 

Turn the pastry onto a floured surface and cut out 7cm fluted rounds using a pastry cutter. 

Place these into greased muffin pans. You should have about 36 rounds. 

Blend the extra flour, sugar and allspice. Place a half teaspoon of this flour mix into the bottom of each pastry case. 







Now place a plum half into each one. 

Bake for approximately 15 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the plum bubbly. 

While still warm gently remove from the muffin tins and cool on a wire rake. 
The tarts will soften on standing, and are best served promptly dusted with icing sugar. 

If you don't want to make so many, just halve the number of plums and pop half the pastry into the freezer for later. 

Yummy Cinnamon Oyster Recipe

I do love a good old-fashioned Cinnamon Oyster. Almost as much as the great bargain vintage find I used to make them in. I couldn't believe my luck to find a cute pair of old-fashioned molded trays, on sale for the paltry sum of $4 each at the Darfield second-hand store (it's on the main street at the west end of town - small town, you can't miss it). I thoroughly recommend popping in if you happen to be out that way. 

My late Grandmother used to make excellent Cinnamon Oysters. She was a superb cook who took great care and pride in her craft. So when I found these beauties I knew exactly what to make with them. This recipe makes 12. If you don't have a fancy tin, any standard muffin tin will do the trick.

Cinnamon Oysters

2 eggs - at room temperature
100g caster sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
60g flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

For the filling:
1 cup cream
3 tablespoons icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

Preheat the oven to 200deg. C. and grease or spray 12 oyster or muffin tins well.

Beat the eggs and sugar until pale, thick and at least doubled in volume. 

The mixture should fall into ribbons when the beater whisk is raised. 








Shift the dry ingredients twice to ensure no lumps remain. 












Using a spatula fold the dry ingredients into the egg and sugar, taking care not to deflate the mixture. 

Put tablespoon lots into the greased molds. 

Bake for 10 minutes until they spring back when pressed in the centre. 











Leave to cool for just 2 or 3 minutes before removing from the tins and placing flat side down on a cooling rack. 

Once cold cut in half and fill with the whipped cream and icing sugar. Dust with extra icing sugar and serve. Yummy! 

Date, Orange and Cinnamon Scones at Tailing Time

There is nothing more delicious than a freshly made scone. Here is another variation of the date scone. Just for a little change, this one has cinnamon and orange zest and juice. I made these for afternoon tea to take 'down the paddock' to the tailing party.

Date, Orange and Cinnamon Scones

1 cup dates
juice and zest of an orange
1 egg, topped up with milk to 200ml of liquid 

2 1/2 cups plain flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
100g butter

Preheat the oven to 200deg. C.

Place the dates, orange zest and juice into a small pot and using a medium heat stir until the dates start to break up and the mixture thickens. Set aside to cool.










Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Rub the butter into the flour. 


Measure out the egg and milk and add it to the dates and mix well.

Make a well in the centre of the rubbed in flour and butter, and pour in the egg, milk and date mixture. 

Gently stir to combine, then turn out onto a floured board. 

Coat with a thin layer of flour and gently press out into a rectangular shape. 

Using a floured knife, cut into squares. 


Place onto a floured baking tray and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until golden and risen. 

The scones should sound hollow when tapped on their bottoms. 

Serve warm with butter. For all the really hard core date scone fans, here is another version I have made previously.

I also made these open sandwiches by mashing hard boiled eggs with a little melted butter and seasoning, then spreading it onto a sliced walnut loaf. I topped it with a simple tomato, capsicum and onion salsa dressed with a simple vinaigrette style dressing.

A perfect, tasty afternoon tea for the hungry tailing party.

More treats with our Buddies - Banana & Brown Sugar Scones

We often like to give Little Miss 4 options about what food she might like to eat or serve. This tactic can sometimes back-fire: "Mummy I would like to have chips and dip for tea", try talking a 4 year old out of that. Sometimes it turns out well "I'd like toast with carrots for breakfast". And sometimes she comes up with some genuinely interesting ideas. This is the one we made for afternoon tea with our buddies.

Banana and Brown Sugar Scones

2 cups plain flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
120g butter
1 egg
enough milk to top the egg up to 3/4 cup of liquid
1 banana

Preheat the oven to 200deg. C and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the brown sugar and stir the mixture to combine.

Grate the butter into the bowl and toss with the flour to separate the butter. Using your fingertips rub the butter into the flour until the fixture resembles crumbs.





Crack the egg into a measuring jug and top up with milk to 3/4 cup of liquid. Whisk to combine.

Cut the banana into small cubes and place into the milk mix to prevent it from browning.






Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Pour in the milk and banana mix and gently fold together using a table knife.









Turn out onto a floured board and form into a neat square. Cut into 9 even sized squares using a floured knife.










Place onto the lined baking tray and bake for 15 minutes until golden and well risen. The bottom of the scones should sound hollow when tapped.

We served ours with whipped cream. My father suggested honey as a good accompaniment.

Enjoy your week!

Afternoon Tea Treats for our Buddies - Spiced Chocolate Cake



One of the best things about the holidays is catching up with all the buddies we don't get the time to see during the school term. The other good thing is having enough time to bake a lovely afternoon tea for our visitors. Little Miss 4 just loves entertaining her buddies. They are all so grown up now; its doesn't seem that long ago that we all turned up to the Belfast Plunket room lugging our babies in their capsules.
This is one of the baked treats we made for them:

Spiced Chocolate Cake with Lemon Butter cream and Strawberries

Dry Ingredients:
1/2 cup caster sugar (this is the first measure of sugar)
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons mixed spice
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon malt vinegar
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3/4 cup neutral tasting vegetable oil - grape seed or canola
2 egg yolks

Meringue:
2 egg whites
1/2 cup caster sugar (second measure of sugar)

Preheat the oven to 180 deg. C and line  and grease either a 25cm ring tin or a circular tin.











Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Whisk the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl.










Make the meringue by beating the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the second measure of caster sugar until a soft meringue is formed.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Using a whisk, gently and gradually combine into a smooth batter.

Using a spatula, fold half the meringue mixture into the cake batter. Once combined fold in the second half of the meringue, taking care not to deflate the mixture.









Pour the batter into the prepared tin. My ring tin is quite small so I had enough cake batter to make four little heart cakes as well.







Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes until well risen and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Once baked leave in the tin for 15 to 20 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.









Lemon Butter cream

180g butter
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
the juice and rind of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons boiling water

Beat all the ingredients except the boiling water until pale and fluffy. All the boiling water and beat again. The water makes it a lighter frosting.

Slice the cake in half and spread with butter cream. Put the top on and frost again. Garnish with strawberries and it's ready to go!

Two of our lovely little buddies waiting for their cake! This recipe makes a lovely light and moist cake that everyone will enjoy.

Spicy Cranberry and Raisin Pinwheel Scones

It's no secret that I recently had a milestone birthday. If there is one thing we all learn with age, it's that it is not the things we accumulate over our lifetimes that matter, it's the friends we make along the way. I can hardly believe I'm forty! That's like twenty twice! How did that happen? I had a great birthday week celebration with family and friends. 

I whipped up these scones for one of my most fabulous old friends and her beautiful family when they popped round to our house for a catch up.

Spicy Cranberry and Raisin Pinwheel Scones

Scone Mix
2 cups plain flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
100g butter
1 egg 
enough milk to top up the egg to make 200ml of liquid
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Filling
1/2 cup Raisins
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter - melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon mixed spice

Preheat the oven to 200deg. C and line a baking sheet with baking paper.

Start by making the spicy fruit filling: Melt the butter and stir in the remaining filling ingredients. Put aside while you make the scone dough.









Sift flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Grate the butter into the flour mix and add the brown sugar; then rub the butter in with your finger tips until the mixture resembles crumbs.

Whisk the egg and milk mixture together. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the egg mixture.





Use a table knife to gently combine the ingredients until just mixed. The mixture should be quite wet.










Sprinkle some extra flour onto a sheet of plastic food wrap. Turn the scone dough out onto the wrap and use a gentle floured hand to spread the dough into rectangular shape. 







Evenly spread the spicy fruit filling onto the scone dough.










Use the plastic wrap to help roll the dough into a 'sushi roll'.

Make sure the join is on the underside, and with a sharp floured knife cut the scone roll into 3cm slices. Try not to squash the roll shape.

Place the scones onto the baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until well risen and golden brown.



The best way to test a scone for doneness is to tap the bottom and listen for a hollow sound - then you know it is cooked.

Time to switch the coffee machine on and get the butter out!