Anzac Biscuits

My other half is a BIG fan of the Anzac biscuits!  I make them often for the bickie tin. 

For those readers that are not from Australia or New Zealand the history of the Anzac is simple,  they are a war biscuit that was sent from home to loved ones during WW1 and WW2.  As they had to travel distance and time and still be fresh they couldn't have things like eggs in them. 

The name Anzac is the acronym for Australian New Zealand Army Corps from WW1.  The reason the 25th April is an almost sacred day to us is that at dawn on this day the Anzac's went ashore on the beaches of Gallipoli in Turkey where many hundreds of our Grandfathers, Great Grandfathers, Uncles and family members were killed, either on the beaches or in the trenches on the cliffs above.

My Grandfather was lucky enough to come home from Gallipoli although many were not.  Many Aussies and New Zealanders will be lucky enough to make the pilgrimage to Gallipoli in their lifetimes and many will not, where ever we are in the world we still stop at dawn on 25th day of April every year to remember those lost.

Lest we forget.

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup coconut
1/2 tspn bi carb soda
1 tbspn golden syrup
115g butter or margarine
2 tbspn hot water

In a bowl mix the all the dry ingredients.

Melt the butter/marg then add in the syrup, water and bi carb to the melted butter.

Pour the wet ingredients with the dry and stir until combined.

Spoon onto a baking sheet, I use a cookie scoop and pack the mix in,  you can roll spoonfuls into balls and bake in 180C pre heated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. 

Allow to cool.

"They shall not grow old, as we are left to grow old;

Age shall not weary them,

nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun

and in the morning.

We will remember them.

 

Lest we forget"

 

Lemon Meringue Pie

I love lemon desserts, they are so zesty and refreshing, I sometimes find some desserts to sweet or heavy but never this pie.

Mum's Cordon Bleu Lemon Meringue Pie is the best one I have found.  The filling is a lemon custard not a lemon curd and is just yummy, there have always been fights over the last slice of this pie since I was a kid.  Mum always wins!

1 x Sweet Pastry

Filling

600ml Milk
1 tbspn Sugar
2 tbspn Corn Flour
2 Egg Yolks
Zest and Juice of 2 lemons

Meringue

3 Egg Whites
6 tbspn Castor Sugar

Line pie dish with rolled pastry.  Rest for 30 mins in fridge and then blind bake until golden.

Heat the milk, sugar and cornflour, stirring until thickened, this should take about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in the egg yolks.  Return to the heat and stir until thickened, the mixture should resemble a custard, add lemon juice and zest.

Pour the custard into the cooked pie shell and bake  at 170C for 20 minutes.

While the filling is baking beat the egg whites until fluffy.

Add the sugar 2 tablespoons at a time while the mixer is running.  You will know the meringue is ready when it is glossy and when you pull the whisk out of the mixer the egg whites hold their shape. 

Another good test is to rub a small amount of the meringue between your fingers and you should not be able to feel any sugar grains, the meringue should feel smooth.

Top the pie with the meringue and sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over the top.  Bake at 150C for 20 minutes.

Allow to cool before serving.

 

Cinnamon Chocolate Swirl Teacake

 

I have been frequenting a number of other blogs on a regular basis now for a couple of years one of them Tasty Kitchen has been one of my favourites.  I found this recipe this week and well, no nice way to put it but I drooled!  Thanks to Laura @ My Friends Bakery we did love this recipe a lot.

 

As you can probably tell from past recipes I use a lot of cinnamon, two reasons really one, the other half loveeeeeeeeeeees cinnamon and two, I got one hugeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee jar of it from Costco last year and don't seem to have made a dent in it at all!

 

 

CAKE

 

145g butter melted

2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk

1 cup castor sugar 

1 1/2 cups milk

1 tspn vanilla paste

1/4 tspn salt

4 tblspn baking powder

3 cups plain flour

 

SWIRL

 

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 tblspn cocoa powder

2 tspn ground cinnamon

145g butter melted

 

GLAZE

 

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 1/2 tblspn milk

 

 

 

In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cocoa powder and ground cinnamon.

 

 

 

 

In a jug or bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, egg yolk, castor sugar, milk, and vanilla. Set aside.

 

In another bowl put the salt, baking powder, and flour, you don't need to sift this just stir it with a whisk this does the same job. 

 

Pour wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined.

 

 

Pour half of the cake batter into a pan 9"x13" lined with baking paper and spread to the edges. Sprinkle the cinnamon cocoa mixture over the cake batter evenly.

 

 

Drizzle the melted butter over the cinnamon cocoa mixture.

 

 

 

Pour and spread the remainder of the cake batter over the cinnamon cocoa layer.

 

 

 

Using a sharp knife, gently swirl the cinnamon cocoa layer into the cake batter by placing the knife upright in the cake beginning in one corner, and gently dragging and lifting the knife in different places. Do not over swirl.

 

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

 

 

Once cooled, mix the icing sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake.  If you still have any cake left hide it from the family!

Focaccia

I had a girls day out with my friend Momma H and Lawrence the other week, while we were chatting over lunch I asked MH if there were any recipes she particularly wished to see here.  MH asked for a bread recipe,  when I thought about it I realised that most people are intimidated by bread baking.  I thought I would start with something that doesn't need hours and hours of kneading.

This is the best recipe for those that wish to start making bread but think its too hard!

The recipe also doubles as pizza dough in our house and makes the best pizzas!

If you have a bread maker use it on the pizza dough setting and put the ingredients in order stated by the manufacturer.  If you are using a mixer use your dough hook, if your doing this by hand.... Good Luck! your a better person than me *giggle*

500g Pizza/bread or "000" Flour
300ml tepid water
1 tablespoon dried yeast
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

If using a machine put the water, salt and olive oil in the bowl, flour and then yeast.  Let the machine do the work.

 

 

If using the mixer put the water oil and yeast in a bowl with a pinch of sugar, mix and set aside for 15 minutes until frothy.  In your mixer bowl put the flour and salt.  When the yeast is foamy pour into the flour with dough hook on and motor on low, when the dough is mixed turn the machine to medium and allow to go for 10 minutes.

When kneaded oil the bowl, place the dough back in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or tea towel and set aside in a warm draft free place for 50 minutes.  Dough should double in size.

When risen "punch" down the dough and knead for 2 minutes,  put into pre oiled tray and stretch out to the edges.  Cover with tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 20 minutes,  the dough should again double in size.  Push fingers into the dough to make "dimples" brush with olive oil, sprinkle on salt flakes and any herbs you wish, or add olives and cheese.

Put into 200C pre heated oven for approximately 20 to 30 minutes to bake or until the bottom of the focaccia sounds hollow when tapped.