Australian Recipes
ANZAC BISCUITS
Ingredients
Makes about 4 dozen
120 g butter
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1 lightly rounded teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 cup rolled oats
90 g desiccated coconut
120 g plain flour
225 g sugar
Method
1. Preheat oven to 150°C and grease 3 baking trays.
2. Place the butter and golden syrup in a saucepan and melt over a low heat.
3. Mix the bicarbonate of soda with the boiling water and add to the butter.
4. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and add the butter mixture. Mix well.
5. Place a teaspoon of the mixture at a time onto the greased baking trays. Allow room for spreading.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden. Leave to cool on baking trays, lift off trays, place on a wire rack. Store in airtight containers.
BIRTHDAY CAKE
This is a moist buttery cake suitable for icing and decorating with candles for a birthday. It can also be cut in half and filled with whipped cream.
Ingredients
120 g butter (very soft)
1 1/4 cups castor sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 heaped cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup milk
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line 2 sponge cake tins.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together until mixed. Lightly beat eggs in a separate bowl.
3. Add half the flour, half the eggs and half the milk and mix well. Then add the other half of the ingredients. Beat thoroughly for 5 minutes (if using an electric mixer put all the ingredients into the bowl and beat for 5 minutes).
4. Pour into greased and lined tins.
5. Bake at 180°C for approximately 20 minutes.
6. Cool on a cooling rack before icing and decorating.
CHRISTMAS CAKE
Ingredients
250 g raisins
50 g blanched almonds
50 g glacé cherries
50 g figs
250 g currants
250 g sultanas
50 g mixed peel
150 mL brandy or pineapple juice
300 g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
250 g butter/margarine
150 g brown sugar
4 eggs
Method
1. Preheat oven to 150°C.
2. Prepare the fruit: cut raisins in half; and chop almonds, cherries and figs into small pieces.
3. Mix currants, sultanas, raisins, mixed peel, almonds, cherries and figs together. Pour brandy or juice over mixture and leave to soak.
4. Sift flour, salt, baking powder and spices together.
5. Beat together the butter and sugar until light.
6. Beat 4 eggs well then add gradually to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix well.
7. Add fruit and nuts to the flour mixture and stir well.
8. Place in a well-lined tin. Turn oven down to 140°C and cook approximately 2 hours. Leave to cool in tin. Store wrapped in foil.
Emily's Mum's recipe
CHRISTMAS PUDDING
Ingredients
for 6 large servings
185 g raisins
1 cooking apple
3 eggs
125 g butter (from refrigerator)
185 g soft white bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon plain flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
pinch salt
185 g sultanas
60 g mixed peel
185 g sugar
2 tablespoons brandy
Method
1. Chop raisins and peel and grate apple. Beat eggs in a bowl. Shred butter.
2. Place bread crumbs in a mixing bowl, sift over the flour, spices and salt.
3. Add butter, fruit and sugar.
4. Beat eggs and brandy together. Add to the other ingredients and mix thoroughly. The mixture should be fairly soft.
5. Spoon into a buttered 18 cm pudding basin. Cover the basin with a circle of foil and tie securely with string. Make a handle over the top of basin with string for easy lifting.
6. Lower pudding into sufficient boiling water to come half-way up the sides of basin. Boil steadily for five hours. As the water evaporates refill with more boiling water. Do not allow to go off the boil or boil dry. Boil for a further 1 1/2 to 2 hours on the day it is served.
7. Serve with whipped cream.
Note: This pudding will keep in the refrigerator for twelve months.
Emily's Grandma's recipe
PAVLOVA
Ingredients
3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 level cup of castor sugar
1 dessert spoon corn flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 teaspoon vinegar
For the filling
285 mls cream
2 teaspoon castor sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
250 g strawberries
4 or 5 gooseberries (kiwi fruit)
6 passion fruit
1 banana
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 210°C.
2. Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric beater till they are quite stiff. Add most of the castor sugar, a spoonful of a time, beating well to dissolve.
3. Sift in the corn flour with the last spoonful of sugar then fold in the vanilla.
4. Add vinegar and fold in well.
5. Draw an 18 cm circle on greased greaseproof paper. Place on a greased baking tray. Sprinkle lightly with corn flour.
6. Spread the meringue mixture to cover the circle, sharping it into a cake or pie shell.
7. Turn oven down to 100°C and place meringue in the cooler part of the oven. Bake until crisp and dry (about 1 1/2-2 hours). When cooked open the oven door and cool before removing the meringue. Peel away the paper.
8. To make the filling: whip the cream and sweeten lightly with castor sugar and vanilla. Hull and clean strawberries, slice them in half if they are too big. Peel and slice Chinese gooseberries. Cut the passion fruit in half and scoop out pulp. Peel and slice the banana. Immediately sprinkle lemon juice over fruit to retain colour. Fill the top of the meringue with the whipped cream and place the prepared fruits decoratively on top. (If the fruits given are not available substitute fresh or tinned pears, mandarins and pineapple.)
Claire's Mum is an EXPERT with this recipe!!!!! We love it!!!!!!!!