Sunday, December 7, 2014

Quick Custard Squares.

Normally Custard Squares requires sheets of flaky puff pastry but this recipe uses cream Crackers instead. It may seem a little weird to do this but it works. And it is a lot quicker to do it this way.
Cook your custard until it has thickened but still runny enough to pour into your tin.
The Passion fruit gives the icing a tropical flavour which cuts through the sweet custard.

Quick Custard squares
Equipment
·      Loaf tin
·      Baking paper to fit
·      Sharp knife
·      Mixing bowls
·      Wooden spoon
·      Whisk
·      Pot
·      Measuring cups/spoons
Ingredients
6 plain square cream cracker biscuits eg (Huntley and Palmers)
4 Tbsp custard powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence

Icing
1/2 cup Icing sugar
1 tsp passionfruit pulp
1  tsp hot water
Method
Line loaf tin with the baking paper.
Use 6 (3 bottom, 3 top) square crackers to line a loaf tin.
Mix custard powder to a smooth paste with a little of the milk.
Separately heat the rest of the milk then add the sugar.
With a whisk, stir in the custard powder paste and continue to heat and stir until boiling and thickened. Remove from heat and add vanilla essence then pour custard over crackers.
Top with remaining crackers, leave until cool, then refrigerate until quite cold and set.

Icing
Combine the icing sugar with passionfruit pulp and hot water and mix until smooth.
Spread over cooled crackers after they set.

Place back into the fridge. Cut into squares when set.

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Beef Burgers and Oven Fries.

Better than McDonalds!!
Cook it yourself.

Beef Burgers and Oven fries.

Equipment
·      Chopping board and sharp knife
·      Small pot
·      Sieve
·      Small fry pan
·      Mixing bowl
·      Whisk
·      Measuring cups/spoons
·      Oven dish
·      Fish slice
·      Peeler

Ingredients
·      2-3 potatoes
·      Beef mince, 1 ramekin
·      Onion, 1/2, finely chopped
·      Breadcrumbs, ¼ cup
·      Egg, 1/2, beaten (1 egg per table)
·      Seasonings (salt, pepper, herbs)
·      Buns, 2 per pair
·      Cheese slices, 2
·      Oil for frying

Method
1.    Wash, peel and wash the potatoes. Slice into wedges or chips.
2.    Bring to the boil for 5 minutes in a small pot with salted water and allow to dry out in the sieve.
3.    Arrange on the oven dish, oil and season. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
4.    Add mince, onions, breadcrumbs, beaten egg and seasonings all into a bowl and mix together.
5.    Divide the mince into 2 even amounts and flatten into patties.
6.    Heat up an oiled fry pan and fry the patties until they are brown on either side.
7.    Place on the oven dish and finish cooking in an oven.
8.    Cut the buns in half then add the burger patties and other fillings.

9.    Make presentable and serve.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Lemon Coconut slice.

A basic slice recipe. You should be able to do this by yourself.

Remember:

  • measure out correct amounts (don't forget anything and don't add too much of anything).
  • Spongy slice indicates when it is done, as does a nice golden brown colour.
  • Only add a small amount of water/lemon juice to make the icing.

Lemon Coconut Slice
Equipment
·      Round Slice tin with baking paper
·      Measuring cups/spoons
·      Mixing bowls
·      Wooden spoon
·      Sieve
·      Cooling rack
·      Zester or grater (1 per table)
·      Juicer (1 per table)
Ingredients
·      Butter, 50g, melted
·      Castor sugar, ½ cup
·      Egg, 1, beaten
·      Lemon rind, 1 tsp (1/2 a lemon)
·      Flour, ½ cup
·      Baking powder, ½ tsp
·      Coconut, 1/4 cup
Lemon Glace Icing
·      Icing sugar, ½ cup
·      Lemon juice, 1 Tbsp
·      Coconut, 1 Tbsp
Method
1.    Preheat the oven to 1750C.
2.    Grease and line slice tin with baking paper.
3.    Mix together the melted butter and sugar, then the egg and lemon rind.
4.    Sieve in the flour and baking powder, then mix in the coconut.
5.    Spread the mix into the slice tin and pack down.
6.    Bake for 25 minutes in the middle of the oven. It should have risen, be spongy and light brown in colour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on rack.
7.    Make the icing by sieving the icing sugar and pouring in the lemon juice and mixing well until spreadable. Add a little hot water if too dry.
8.    Carefully spread the icing on the cooled slice.
9.    Sprinkle the coconut over the icing.
10. Cut into squares/slices and serve.



Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Filo Triangles (Mince, vegetable and cheese).

Filo pastry is very fragile to work with but can produce amazing results. Once you know how to handle the pastry correctly then you can produce these quickly and with a variety of fillings.

Filo Triangles (Mince and Vegetable)
Equipment
·      Oven tray
·      Small fry pan
·      Mixing bowl
·      Wooden spoon
·      Measuring cup
·      Chopping board and knife
·      Pastry brush
Ingredients
·      Filo pastry (4 sheets- 2 per person)
·      Butter, 25g, melted in ramekin
·      Cheese, 1 Tbspn
·      Mince, 1/4 cup
·      Frozen Mixed vegetables,1/2 cup
·      Onion, ½ sliced
·      Seasoning (small pinch of salt, pepper, herbs, curry powder)
·      Oil for frying
Method
1.    Slice the onion and fry in a little oil until soft.
2.    Add the mince first, brown then add the mixed vegetables into the fry pan and cook until soft.
3.    Mix this together with the cheese and seasonings in a mixing bowl. Allow to cool.
4.    Melt the butter in a measuring cup in the microwave.
5.    Lay out the filo pastry and brush each sheet lightly with butter, using the pastry brush.
6.    Lay the 2 sheets of pastry on top of each other and cut 4 strips (down the long side).
7.    Place a small amount of filling on the bottom of the pastry and fold triangles up the strip.

8.    Place folded side down onto a greased oven tray and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 1900C.