Old Fashioned homemade Lemonade.

 OLD FASHIONED LEMONADE

Image by Jannis K from Pixabay.com

INGREDIENTS

6 lemons.

1 cup sugar

6 cups of cold water.

METHOD

1. Juice the lemons to make I cup of juice.
To get the most from your lemons especially if they are firm, put in microwave for about 10-15 seconds or  firmly roll the lemon on the bench before you cut the lemons.

2. In a jug,  combine 1 cup lemon juice, 1 cup sugar, 

3. Add 6 cups cold water. Stir. Adjust water to taste. Chill and serve over ice.

The advantage to this method is that

• it can be made quickly especially if you have cold water in the fridge 
• there is no heating on the stove on a hot day as the lemon juice actually dissolves the sugar.
• add lemonade or soda water instead to tap water  as an alternative.

ALTERNATIVE METHOD.

1. Juice the lemons and strain to make 1 cup of juice. Set aside.

2. Put one cup of water and one cup of sugar in a pot.  Bring to boil until the sugar is dissolve.

3.Add the strained lemon juice and stir.

4. Put mixture into a jug and put in fridge to cool.

5. When cold, add 5 cups of cold water to the jug an stir.  Serve straight away.

 APRICOT CUP CAKES 

OR 

APRICOT LOAF CAKE.

This recipe is a variation of an orange cake recipe that mum used to make.  She also used another orange cake recipe too which is also on the site.

The beauty about this recipe is that it is simple to make. You can make it also as cupcakes or in a loaf tin.

INGREDIENTS.

1 cup of Self Raising Flour

I cup sugar.

I egg. (room temperature).

20g butter ( room temperature)

1/4 cup diced apricots

1/4 cup apricot juice.

1/4 cup milk.

METHOD

1. Preheat oven at 180 degrees or 160 fan forced.

1. Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl EXCEPT BUTTER)

2. Melt butter on low heat on stove ( or melt butter in microwave).

3.Beat mixture for 1 minute until just combined. ( time it).

4. Add in extra apricot juice  slowly by tasting if you wish it to have a stronger flavour ( optional step). If you add in extra juice, do not be liberal with it in the one go- just add gradually and then taste.

5. Now beat for another 2 minutes ( even if you left step 4 out).

6. Put into prepared patty pans which are lightly sprayed.

7. Bake at180 degrees ( 160 fan forced) for 12-15 minutes for smaller patty pans or if you are using larger patty pans bake for 18-20 minutes.

NB If you make it in a loaf tin, bake for 35-40 minutes.

8. Cakes are ready when they come away from sides and come out clean.

9.Stand in the trays for 10 minutes before putting on wire rack to cool.

10. When cold, ice with apricot icing.

11. Decorate whilst icing is still wet as you wish.
Suggestion add 2-3 diced apricot pieces on the cup cakes whilst icing.

ORIGINAL ORANGE CAKE RECIPE.

The ingredients are similar )as above) but substitute the apricot juice for freshly squeezed orange juice and add in rind of 1/2 orange.

 SIMPLE APRICOT ICING

INGEDIENTS

1 and 1/2 cups of Icing Sugar.

30g softened Butter.

3 Dessert Tablespoons of Apricot Juice.

10 grams diced Apricots.( optional).

METHOD

1. Measure out Icing Sugar and sift into bowl.

2. Add Soft butter to the bowl.

3. Add Apricot Juice and diced apriocts.

4. Mx all ingredients until just  combined  

5. Taste and see whether you want to add some extra juice/icing sugar until you get the flavour you wish.

6. Beat until well combined and smooth so that it is spreading consistency.

Simple Passionfruit Icing

PASSIONFRUIT BUTTER ICING

I had watched Mum make passion-fruit icing for many years but had never made it myself until today.  Mum used to make a passion-fruit double checker sponge cake filled with whipped cream and topped with passion-fruit icing. We used to pick the passion-fruit from the garden.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 CUPS  Icing Sugar ( sifted).
• 25g Butter ( melted).
• 2-3 Tablespoons of Passionfruit pulp. (fresh).

METHOD

1. Sift  Icing sugar in a large bowl;

2. Cube softened butter and melt the butter over low heat..

3. Add the Passionfruit  Pulp to suit your tastel.

Today when I made it, I forgot to melt the butter.  So I added a tiny drop of water. I also use 3 medium size passion fruit.

Mum used to combine her icing by hand.  I used the mix master on a slow speed until combined and when I added the tiny drop of cold water, I increased the speed to medium to get a smooth spreadable mixture.  It worked perfectly.

This recipe is simple to do.and it has the potential to be adaptable to ice cakes, cup cakes, biscuits, or be a filling between a sponge or biscuits.  Just adapt the  quantity of the ingredients to suit your needs.  It tastes beautifu.

Chocolate butter cream icing.

CHOCOLATE BUTTER CREAM ICING

INGREDIENTS

• 200g Icing Sugar ( sifted).
• 200g Butter ( softened).
• 200g Chocolate.
• Pinch salt.

METHOD

1. Sift  Icing sugar in a large bowl;

2. Cube softened butter and put into bowl with icing sugar.

3. Put in a pinch of salt.
4.Melt chocolate in  a small bowl over a pot of boiling water. Make sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water.
Alternatively, melt chocolate on a very low heat in a small pot stirring constantly
or else melt chocolate in microwave at medium pace- stir constantly.

5. W\hen chocolate is melted, pour into icing sugar/butter mixture. Stir until combined. You can also use a hand beater  to mix. Remember, blend until combine making sure that the butter is thoroughly combined.

COMMENTS
If you use this to ice a chocolate cake, then put the decorated cake uncovered in the fridge until the butter cream icing firms.

Use a good quality chocolate for best results but choc melts work really well too.

If you have any left over, you can use the butter cream between two biscuits such as  lattice biscuits.  You can leave out this butter cream  on the bench to keep at room temperature for 2 days maximum.

Alternatively you can adjust the measurements  to suit your needs but keep the equivalent measurements eg 150g of the same ingredients or 100g of same ingredients.

Brandy Butterscotch Sauce

BRANDY BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

•  1/2 cup (100 grams) firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (125 millilitres) thickened cream
• 100-gram butter, chopped
• 2 tablespoon brandy

METHOD

1. Stir ingredients in small saucepan over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves;

2. bring to the boil.

3. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, without stirring, about 3 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly.

Chocolate Rice Bubbles Squares.

CHOCOLATE RICE BUBBLE SQUARES

Mum used to make these regularly.  

Recently I made another recipe with rice bubbles as part of the ingredients.  I wondered what I could possibly make to use up some of them. Then I remembered and found mum's chocolate rice bubble squares.  It brought back many happy memories.

Makes 24

INGREDIENTS

 3 cups Rice Bubbles

1 cup finely chopped dates

30g softened butter.

4 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons golden syrup

I teaspoon vanilla essence

100 g cooking chocolate

coconut for topping.

METHOD

1. Place Rice Bubbles and chopped dates in a large bowl.

2. Melt butter, sugar and golden syrup together in a saucepan.

3.Bring to boil, stirring occasionally.

4. Boil for 1 minute without stirring.  Remove from the heat, cool slightly then flavour with vanilla essence.

5. Melt chocolate over hot water.  

6. Add cooled golden syrup  mixture and mix well.  Pour into the dry ingredients and blend well.

7.Press into a greased 18cm square pan.  Sprinkle with coconut.

8. Chill until firm and cut into small squares for serving.

Fruity oat cakes.

FRUITY OAT CAKES

Mum used to make these regularly especially in the winter.  When we came home from school, there was often a batch in the oven and/or a batch cooling for our school lunches. Often, they did not get to the lunch box the next day.

Recently I made another recipe with rolled oats as part of the ingredients.  I wondered what I could possibly make to use up some of the rolled oats. Then I remembered and found mum's fruity oat cakes.  It brought back many happy memories.

Makes 24

INGREDIENTS

 4 oz softened butter.

6 oz Self Raising Flour. (sifted)

I pinch of salt

1/2 level teaspoon Nutmeg.
Be exact with this measurement as it is quite strong taste in the cake.

3 oz milk

4 oz Sugar

2 Eggs ( room temperature).

2 oz quick oats  ( or rolled oats- see note below)

1/2 cup of Raisins or Sultanas.  ( mixed fruit works if you are short on raisins or sultanas).

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 175 fan forced. 0r 375 degrees.

2. Prepare your Patty tin by lightly greasing with spray or just light grease your tray . Mum always greased her tray with butter.
If you prefer you could use small patty pans.

3. Measure out all ingredients before you begin.

4.Place  softened butter and sugar into the large bowl and beat until light and creamy. ( approx 5 minutes using a hand held mixer)

5. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.

6. Stir in the fruit and the oats.

7. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, salt and nutmeg. Be exact with the measurement of the nutmeg because it is quite strong taste through the cake.

8. Stir these ingredients into the cream mixture alternatively with the milk. Do not beat with the mixer, but stir by hand with using wooden spoon.

9. Place spoonful into greased patty pan tins. Mixture makes 24.

10. Bake at 170 C fan forces or 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked and lightly golden.

11. Remove from oven and let sit in trays for 5 minutes before removing from the patty pans.  Allow to cool on wire racks. 

12. If you can resist, wait until cool and make a cup of tea, put your feet up and enjoy.


NB: Quick oats are usually finer than rolled oats. If you have rolled oats, pulse the required into the food processor to give a finer texture.  However, do not pulse too much. A quick pulse will be enough.

I use my tupperware turbo chef to complete the above step- about 20 times of pulling the cord is enough. You dont want it to be too powdery.

Anzac slice.

ANZAC SLICE 

WITH CHOC-PEANUT BUTTER TOPPING

covid 19 adaptation for 2020

ANZAC SLICE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING.

My Dad and Grandparents on both sides were World War Veterans so Anzac day was a big day in our household.
Thank you dad and Pa's for the sacrifices you made to make our country safe at that time.

Want to make Anzac biscuits without having to roll them and getting hands sticky having in mind covid 19?

Why not make an Anzac slice instead.

You can add the choc-peanut butter icing as well to complete it or just enjoy your Anzac slice without it.

INGREDIENTS

 1 Cup Self Raising Flour.

1 Cup  Coconut

I Cup of Rolled Oats

I Cup of Sugar (brown preferred)

150 grams Butter 

2 Tablespoons  Golden Syrup.

I Egg.

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180g or 160 fan forced.

2. Prepare your slice tin by covering with foil and lightly greasing with spray or just light grease your tray.

3. In a large bowl measure out Self Raising Flour, Coconut, Rolled Oats and Sugar.
4.Place them all into the large bowl.

5. Combine Butter and Golden syrup in a pot.

6. Melt this mixture over stove on low heat. Do not bring to boil.

7. Light whisk egg in a separate bowl.

8. Pour butter mixture into large bowl along with the whisked egg.

9. Combine all these ingredients until well mixed using a wooden spoon.

10. Pour into prepared greased slice tin.

11. Spread and press down firmly using the back of the wooden spoon until mixture is packed firmly.

12 Place in oven on either 180 degrees or 160 fan forced. Get out of the oven when lightly golden. If you want it to be chewy leave a little longer.

13 Get out of the oven and allow to cool 
14 Cut into slices.
15. Put into airtight tin.

This is an adaptation of  one version of mum's recipe of Anzac biscuits.


VARIATIONS.
1. Use 125 grams of butter and add pecan nuts.( or any nuts you like).
2. Once cooled  but whilst slice is still warm but before slicing you can add a chocolate topping to it.
3. Allow topping to set before cutting into slices.
4. Use this recipe but instead of putting it into a slice tin,  use a cookie cutter or base of damp glass to make Anzac biscuits.  Put this on a biscuit tray and remember to allow them to spread.

TOPPING
1/2 Cup of dark choc chips ( You can use milk choc or white chocolate  too). I prefer to use Cadbury Melts myself.
2 Tablespoons of  Smooth Peanut butter.

METHOD
Heat  choc chips and peanut butter in a small saucepan on lowest heat,stirring consistently until chocolate is almost melted. ( this takes approx 3 minutes to get to almost melted on lowest heat).
2. Just before chocolate is melted, take off the heat.
3. Stir until smooth.
4. Spread evenly over cooled yet still warm slice.
5. Stand on bench for 5 minutes.
6. Put in fridge to set.
7. Once topping is set, remove from fridge, allow to come to room temperature and cut into slices.

Make a cup of tea and cup a slice and enjoy.