Cherry Slice

Another of mum's old recipes...

1/2 packet Morning Coffee Biscuits
1 tin condensed milk
1/2 lb coconut
pink / red food colouring
4oz copha
3oz red glace cherries
4oz cooking chocolate

place biscuits to line a lamington type tin
melt 3oz of copha and add to this chopped cherries, condensed milk, coconut & colouring. spread over biscuits
melt other 1oz copha with chocolate, pour and spread
freezes well, in summertime keep in fridge or freezer

Mum's Foolproof Scones

this recipe came from a friend of mum's, who gave it to her as her original scones were such bricks the chooks wouldn't eat them LOL (now you know why i can't make pastries and doughs etc, it's genetic hehe)

Foolproof Scones
(any idiot can make them! ;))


350g Self Raising Flour (2 ¾ cups)
½ cup Cream
1 tab Icing Sugar
milk as needed

Heat oven to 250’C.
Mix flour, cream, icing sugar to a dough. Add a little milk if needed.
Sprinkle some flour on a bench and roll out to approx. 1 ½ “ / 4cm thick.
Cut scones with a round cutter and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Be sure to place the scones touching each other.
Brush the tops with a little milk and cook until golden brown on top.
Let cool slightly and enjoy!

Mum's Quiche Lorraine

this is for one large quiche, but is also fabulous made into mini quiches - just use more pastry and cut out rounds big enough for your cupcake / muffin tray.

shortcrust pastry for your quiche dish (1 sheet of frozen for one large quiche)
1 large onion, chopped
3 bacon rashers, chopped
2 tabs chopped parsley
3 eggs
375ml evaporated skim milk
litte nutmeg & cayenne pepper
1 cup grated cheese

grease your quiche / pie dish and line with pastry. trim off any overhang.
gently fry the onion, bacon and parsley. place into the pastry
mix together eggs, milk, spices. pour over onion / bacon mix.
sprinkle with cheese

bake in 425'F / 220'c oven for 10 minutes, then reduce to 400'F (?'c) for 20 minutes

serve with green salad and crusty bread

Meatloaf

Here's another I can't believe I havne't posted this yet! this recipe came off EB but is very very similar to the one mum used when we were growing up.

meatloaf is something we generally only have a few times a year - generally in winter - and when i make it i make it low fat and full of grated veg, and i make it into smaller loaves. usually i double the meat mix and make 4 meatloaves. i cook them for the first part of the cooking then freeze 3 of them. i then make the full mix of the sauce to go over the half quantity of meat. when i use the frozen ones i just need to make more sauce and cook for the last little bit.

Meatloaf
500gm sausage mince *
500gm mince meat
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs **
2 onions finely chopped
1 dessertspoon curry powder
salt, pepper
1tbsp chopped parsley
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water

barbecue sauce
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup tomato sauce ***
2tbsp worcestershire sauce ****
1tbsp vinegar ***
2tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp coffee powder
15g marg/butter *****
1tbsp lemon juice

Meatloaf: Combine all ingredients, mixing in the combined milk and water last. Place in greased loaf tin (I actually also line the tin with bacon !) Bake in moderate oven for 30 mins, remove. Bring all sauce ingredients to the boil, simmer 5 minutes. Drain fat from meatloaf and baste with sauce, return to oven for further 45 mins basting frequently with sauce.

* i don't use this, i just use extra fine mince instead (pork or veal mince would be good too) I also add 2 carrots & 2 zucchinis grated.
** I used to sub this with oatmeal. for gluten-free use GF breadcrumbs
*** make sure yours is GF if needed
**** not GF, used a splash of tamari instead
***** i don't use this at all

I am going to make this week's in muffin tins, inspired by dani :)

Spiced Cous Cous

Spiced Couscous (mum's version)

Serves 4 - 6

Really refreshing for summer - serve with Moroccan Chicken

1 tab extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tspn ground cumin
1/4 tspn salt
3/4 cup water or chicken stock
1/2 cup couscous
2 tabs chopped mint and/or parsley
2 ripe tomatoes, seeded & cubed
2 tspns lemon juice

1. heat oil, add ground cumin. heat through until fragrant.

2. add salt & stock and bring to the boil.

3. stir in the couscous and let the mixture stand, covered, off the heat for 5 minutes.

4. fluff mixture with fork and stir in mint, parsley, tomatoes and lemon juice.

5. season to taste.

Moroccan Chicken

Grilled Chicken with Moroccan Spices (mum's version)

Serves 4 - 6

An easy recipe from Karen’s mum.
Great to BBQ, serve with Spiced Couscous.

3 cloves garlic
2 tabs extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tspn ground cumin
1 tspn ground ginger
1 tspn coarse salt
1/2 tspn each ground paprika and cinnamon
freshly ground black pepper to taste
4-6 chicken breasts or pieces
butter, melted

1. wipe chicken pieces and remove excess fat

2. combine all spice mixture ingredients in large bowl. add chicken and coat with mix. marinate one hour.

3. arrange chicken on a hot oven grill and brush with melted butter.

4. grill over moderate heat for 10 minutes, then turn and cook for a further 6 minutes

German Cookies

here's another i can't believe i haven't posted on here. this was given to mum by a family friend and while it is a little fiddly and time consuming it is perfect for christmas. be careful when they're in the oven as they overcook easily!

the kids like to help me cut them out

These cookies are lovely and spicy (even though there's no spice in them *lol*)

1 lb (approx 1 kg) SR flour
1/2 lb (approx 250g) brown sugar
2 tabs treacle
1/2 lb (approx 250g) butter or cooking margarine
1 egg
1 tspn bicarb soda
(add 1/2 tspn cream of tartar if you only have plain flour)
jam - raspberry or whatever flavour you prefer.

Method:
* rub butter into the dry ingredients
* mix to a paste with the egg & treacle
* knead well
* roll out (quite thin) and cut into rounds (or stars would be perfect for christmas!)
* cook in a mod oven (190-200'c / 375-400'F) for 10-15 minutes
* while warm stick two cookies together with jam (raspberry or whatever you like!)

Mum's Boiled Fruit Cake

I can't believe I haven't blogged this already - how remiss of me!!!! Mum always makes this for christmas, and occasionally in between (when she can be bothered lol) . i like to make them as gifts for people (as they are quite expensive to make) and often people ask for the recipe.

I've put my name down to bake for ryan's preschool's fundraising cake stall, however when i was putting it in my calendar today i realised that i will be away that weekend! (ahhhh queensland, child free weekend, i CANNOT WAIT). so then i didn't know what to make that would still be fresh after being made on wednesday, but not sold til saturday - they're after cakes and slices so i was assuming that biccies and cookies and toffees etc were out.

anyway, what i'm going to do is to make a batch or two of this (it stores really well), cook in muffin tins (so enough for probably 2 serves), wrap in cellophane with a nice ribbon :) should be good :D

this cake is also ok to decorate (not made too far in advance as it's fairly moist). i decorated one years ago for christmas as a trial run for our wedding cake, but unfortunately that was before we owned our first digital camera!


Mum’s Boiled Fruit Cake

2 cups raisins
2 cups sultanas
2 cups currants
1 cup water
250g butter / margarine
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
1 cups SR flour
1 cup plain flour
1 ½ tspn bicarb soda
1 tspn mixed spice
3 tabs brandy

Put fruit, water, sugar & butter in saucepan. Boil & simmer. Take off heat & let cool slightly.
Add flour, spice, soda, eggs, brandy.
Grease & line cake tin. Cook in a slow oven (150’C / 300’F)

Potato, Bean & Bacon Salad

POTATO, BEAN AND BACON SALAD
one of mum's :)

500g beans. trimmed and cut into 5cm pieces
500g potatoes
2 medium tomatoes. cut in wedges
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 rashers bacon cut into strips
1 tab margarine
1 medium onion
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup chopped parsley


Cook beans in large saucepan. Remove and drain. Add potatoes and simmer till tender (15mins). Drain, peel and slice

Put beans in middle of dish. Arrange potato slices and tomato wedges around. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

In small frying pan sauté bacon in butter until crisp. Add onion and cook till tender. Add vinegar. Heat till boiling. Pour over beans, pots and toms.

Sprinkle with parsley....toss together just before serving

Mum's Tomato Relish

This is a fave of both geoff and my dad (though geoff likes his with indian and dad has his on sandwiches lol)

originally posted here

from my mum:

cut up tomatoes and onions, add salt.. stand overnight.

next morning pour off brine. almost covere with vinegar, bring to boil, then add sugar and stir well. take curry, mustard, cornflour and mix to smooth paste with a little vinegar. sir into mixture until it thickens. boil from 1/2 to 1 hr.

Add cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger. stir well.

bottle while still warm

Full quantity Half

2.7kg toms 1.35 kg toms
900g onions 450g onions
700gms sugar 350gms

* 1 cup salt

1 tab curry 1/2 tsp curry
1 dspn mustard 1/2 dspn mustard
3 tbs cornflour 1 1/2 tab cornflour
1 tsnp cinnamon 1/2 tspn cinnamon
1 tspn nutmeg 1/2 tspn nutmeg
1 tspn ginger 1/2 tspn ginger

* 1 cup of salt is too much.......maybe about 1/3 cup.....can always add more later if needed

receipe can be adjusted for different quantities of tomatoes and onions

haha the only time i've made it (my dh loves it and mum had run out of supplies for him to steal) she didn't tell ME that a cup of salt was too much! believe me it IS WAY too much LOL blerg, it was nearly inedible...

she always keeps it in jars from Rose's Lime Marmalade :)

More Fete Treats...

just a few more recipes before we head home - we came to M&D's place at 9am this morning to catch up with some old family friends, and we are still here at 4pm lol

Peanut Brittle
Put 2 cups light brown or granulated sugar into a saucepan and stir til brown (caramel).
Then add 1 tab butter and 1 cup raw peanuts.
stir and boil few moments longer.
pour onto wet marble slab & spread thin with 2 forks.
break when cold

Simple Toffees
1 lb sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 tspn cream of tartar
1 tspn vinegar

place all ingredients in saucepan. stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture boils. do NOT stir once mixture boils.
boil until syrup becomes honey coloured then remove from heat immediately (if prefer drop small quatity into cup of cold water for testing set)
pour into greased 6" square tin and mark into squares as it cools. when cold break into squares and top with nuts or coconut
this mixture is ideal for putting into paper cases for the favourite 2c toffees (2c!! LOL)

Pickles

Choko Pickles
3lb Chokoes
1lb onions

cut up and soak for 24 hrs and covered with water and 1 cup salt, cook til soft

2 1/2 cups sugar - add to pickes
2 cups vinegar
1/2 cup flour
1 tab mustard
1 tab turmeric
1 dessertspoon curry

mix together and add to pickles and before taking from heat add
1 tab golden syrup and stir.

Mustard Pickles
2lb cauliflower, chokoes, green tomatoes or a mixture
1 lb onions
1/2 lb beans
1 tspn salt
enough vinegar to cover (1 - 1.5 pints)
1/2 tspns spice
1 cup golden syrup
12 cloves
12 peppercorns
1 tab each mustard, curry powder and plain flour

cut vegies into pieces, put in basin and stand overnight.
put vinegar, spice, syrup on to boil. adding cloves and peppercorns in muslin bag.
drain vegies. add to boiling vinegar. boil 20 mins or until crisp. remove bag. blend mustard, curry and flour with vinegar. add & simmer 10 mins. bottle in warm jars and seal when cool.

hmmm these instructions don't make that much sense to me, i need mum to explain LOL

OK, turns out mum has never made either of these so if anyone has any tips please do share :)

Macaroni Bake

this one has no instructions - i'm assuming you would gently fry the first4 ingredients, mix everything togther in an oven proof dish and back in a 160-180'c oven til the pasta is cooked.

3oz butter
1 onion
1/4 cup celery
1/4 cup capsicum
1/2 cup creamed corn
250g macaroni (uncooked)
3 eggs
1 cup tasty cheese, grated
2 1/2 cups milk
S&P

Sweet Treats for fetes and parties

more of mum's old recipes

Marshmallows
2 cups sugar
1 tab gelatine
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup boiling water

add cold water to sugar, then dissolve gelatine in hot water. add to sugar and beat til thick. set in shallow tin. cut into squares. roll in coconut.

FRENCH JELLIES
2 lbs sugar
1 pint water
2-2.5 oz gelatine
pinch cream of tartar
food colouring
soak gelatine in half of water. place sugar, cream of tartar and remaining water in a saucepan. boil until dissolved. add soaked gelatine and boil for 20 mins. add colour. pour into wetted trays and allow to set overnight. cut into squares and roll in castor sugar.

Coconut Ice
6 oz coconut
4 tabs sweetened condensed milk
12 oz icing sugar
1 drop cochineal

mix condensed milk and icing sugar. stir in coconut (mixture should be very stiff) and divide into two parts. tine one half with cochineal. shape into 2 identical bars and press firmly together. dust plate with icing sugar and leave on this til firm.

Chocolate Roughs
Chocolate Coating
3oz copha
1/2 cup drinking chocolate
melt copha over gentle heat - it should be barely warm, not hot. add gradually to drinking choc. stir til smooth

Chocolate Roughs
add 1 cup of coconut to chocolate coating (above). place in small heaps on greaseproof paper. Stand in cool place to set.

Crumpets

oooh i've been wanting to try these! we hardly eat crumpets because you can't buy them without the dreaded 282 preservative.

1 lb flour
1 egg
1/2 pint milk
1/2 oz compressed yeast *
1/2 tspn salt

crumble yeast into a bowl
add slightly warmed milk and egg
gradually beat in flour and salt until smooth
add extra milk
stand in a warm place and allow to rise for 1 1/2 hours
heat frypan to 380'F (?) and grease lightly
pour into crumpet rings in heated frypan
cook until brown underneat and firm on top

some classics from 1962

i'm at M&D's and thought i'd type up a few of mum's recipes. these ones are from mum's 1962 frypan book, and the pikelet one is the best!

Pikelets
1 cup SR flour
pinch salt
1/4 tspn bicarb soda
2 tab sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup sour milk or fresh with 1 tspn vinegar
dessertspoon butter, melted

sift dry ingredients
add sugar, egg, milk and butter
beat until smooth and thoroughly mixed
place by dessertspoonful into electric frypan heated to 380'F
cook until bubbly and brown underneath
turn to brown

Fritter batter
1 cup SR Flour
1 tspn baking soda
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

sift dry ingredients
add hmmmmm hard to read.... i think it's egg yolk and milk and beat until mixed
add stiffly beaten egg white

note: this makes a fairly stiff batter which is good for moist food as as something i can't read LOL so i assume you can add more milk to batter dryer foods. we use to use this one for leftover roast meat, serve with homemade relishes or chutneys, or tomato sauce.

cut foods to required size
dip in batter and shake off excess
fry in electric frypan heated to 400'F. i can't read it but you would need to put butter or oil in to fry in
turn when brown underneath

An old favourite!

This recipe is really yummy, despite coming from a 1960's Sunrise cooking booklet my mother had ;) (I left out the very politically incorrect salt to taste in the recipe btw)

Bavarian Beef Crust Pie

Beef Crust
500g lean beef mince
3 tabs tomato sauce
1/2 cup day old breadcrumbs (boiled rice can be used)
1 onion, chopped
1 tab chopped parsley
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch mixed herbs

Rice Filling
2/3 cup white rice
1/4 cup chopped green capsicum
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or a tin, drained and chopped)
250g shredded cheese
pinch cayenne pepper

Method
Combine all crust ingredients. press onto bottom of a 9" (22-24cm?) pie plate. bake in moderate over 30 minutes. Remove from oven and drain any excess fat.

cook rice in boiling water for 12 minutes, adding capsicum for the last 5 minutes, drain. add tomatoes, half the cheese and cayenne pepper. mix well.

spoon rice mix into meat crust and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

return to oven and cook for a further 20 minutes.

CHICKEN JAMBALAYA

this is one of geoff's favourites. my mum makes it just for him - awwwwww! it's not one of my faves, not sure why! it's ok though lol

4 chicken breast fillets
2 tabs olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 clove garlic crushed
1 small green pepper, chopped
410g (13oz) can tomatoes
2 small chicken stock cubes, crumbled
2 cups water
1 cup risoni pasta
1/4 tspn chilli powder
1/2 tspn season pepper
1/4 tspn dried thyme leaves
100g (3.5 ounces) leg ham, chopped
1/4 cup black olives, chopped

Cut chicken into 1 cm strips. Heat oil in pan, add chicken, cook stirring, until lightly browned and tender; drain chicken on absorbent paper.

Add onion, garlic and pepper to pan, cook, stirring until onion is soft. Stir in undrained crushed tomatoes, stock cubes, water, pasta, chilli, pepper and thyme. Bring to boil, simmer, covered for about 10 mins or until pasta is tender.

Add chicken, ham and olives to pan, simmer covered for further 10 mins or until most of liquid has been absorbed.

Serves 4

Mum’s Christmas Pudding

220g raisins
220g sultanas
110g currants
110g shredded peel (we don't add this)
100ml 1/8 pint or 2 1/1 fl ounces rum or brandy
250g butter
250g brown sugar
4 eggs
200g plain flour
blanched almonds
pinch salt
1/8 tspn bicarb soda
1/2 tspn spice
110g fine white breadcrumbs

Put fruit in bowl , add brandy and soak overnight.

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs. Mix well. add almonds. sift flour, soda, salt, spice and add to mixture alternatively with soaked fruit.

Cook 3-4 hours and another hour on day of serving.

i volunteered to make the pudding a few years ago - what a disaster! unfortunately mum cna't be bothered these days :( I LOVE this pudding!!!