Scones

Best served warm from the oven, with jam and cream.  These are really easy to make and can be on your table, ready to serve, in 20 minutes.  Serve with a nice cup of tea.

Ingredients

• 140 gms self raising flour - if you don't have self raising flour just take normal flour and add in 1 1/4 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp castor sugar
• 30 gms butter
• 120 ml milk + 60 ml water
• jam
• cream

Method

1. Sift the flour, castor sugar and salt together.
2. Cut in the butter and mix till the flour resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Make a well in the center and add the liquid mix.
4. With quick movements bring the dry and wet ingredients together, taking care not to overmix.
5. Transfer to a floured surface and knead gently.
6. Pat into a round circle, 2 cm in height, and using a 7 cm round cutter, cut into rounds.
7. Place on a lightly greased tray & brush the tops with milk
8. Bake for 18 - 20 mins in a 190 C preheated oven
9. Serve hot with jam and cream

Melting Moments

Such a simple biscuit to make - even a novice and cooking can confidently make this one.  The only thing to be careful of is the quantity you will consume.   The main ingredient is butter which gives it the shortbread like texture.  The cornflour gives it the 'melt in your mouth' flavour.  There is hardly any sugar to speak of.

Recipe

Adapted from Joy of Baking

100 gms flour

30 gms cornflour

pinch of salt

15 gms icing sugar

115 gms butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

icing sugar to sprinkle on top

• Sift the flour, cornflour and salt in a bowl
• Beat the butter, at room temperature, till light and fluffy.
• Mix in the icing sugar - if you beat this it will fly so mix in till incorporated - then beat the butter sugar mix till light and fluffy
• Add in the vanilla extract.  You could add in lemon rind at this stage.
• Fold in the dry ingredients, incorporating till mixed.
• Keep in a cool place to chill - at least an hour

• Line a tray with greaseproof paper, and preheat the over to 170 C
• Take small balls of the biscuit mix, and flatten slightly
• Bake for 12-14 min till edges turn slight golden
• Remove and keep to cool.  If you try and move them when hot they will break.
• Roll the cookies in a dish which has icing sugar.

These can be stored in a dry box for a week - if they survive that long.

Banoffee Pie

This one was made quite some time back and I never got around to posting the recipe or pic. This is a simplified version of the original Banoffee Pie.

The term Banoffee is derived from a combination of Banana and Toffee and is an old English Dessert. The base is normally a shortbread pastry crust. a filling of Dulce de Leche which is a caramalised condensed milk, covered with Sliced Banana and then topped with whipped cream. The Dulce de Leche can be made at home by cooking a can of condensed milk this thick and golden

My version is quicker and easier. Also I like to make small portions as everyone at my home wants a new dessert daily hence this was made in individual pie dishes.

I like to use caramel sauce instead of the Dulce de Leche as its faster to make.  Also I can them make a big batch and keep away to use with brownies, apple pies etc.

The recipe below serves 8 - 10 people so can be scaled down.  

Ingredients

250g digestive biscuits, crushed100g butter, melted
1 cup Dulce de Leche or 1 cup caramel sauce
4 small bananas
300 ml whipping cream, whipped


Method

Crush the biscuits in a ziplock bag and tip them into a bowl. Add the melted butter and mix well till it clumps. Line an 8" pie dish with the crumbs going up the sides also. Keep in the freezer to set

To make the Dulce De Leche

Empty the condensed milk into an oven-proof dish and tightly cover it with foil.

Make a water bath by placing the covered dish in a larger pan and filling it up with water to the 3/4 level. Bake at 220 C for 1-1.5 hours checking every 30 minutes on the water level and adding more as needed.

Dulce de leche is ready when the condensed milk it takes on a brown caramel-like appearance. Remove from the oven and whisk to smoothness. Let cool before storing.

To make the Caramel Sauce

60 gms sugar
20 ml water
30 gms water
35 gms cream

Place water and sugar in a heavy bottom pan and stir with a spatula over low heat till sugar dissolves

Add butter and stir to combine till butter has melted.

Let mix come to a boil and cook till a golden caramel colour

Remove from heat and add in cream. Mix will foam over. Using a whisk combine well

Return to low heat and cook for 10-15 min till creamy consistancy reached.

Assembling

• Spread the top of the frozen biscuit base with caramel or Dulce de Leche. 
• Then layer with sliced bananas
• Spoon the whipped cream on top covering the bananas.
• Decorate with grated chocolate or a slice of banana just before serving.

Rum and Raisin Cheesecake

What you need

1 1/2 cups chocolate biscuit crumbs

100g butter, melted

1 cup raisins

1/4 cup dark rum

500 gm Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup rum

3/4 cup caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

300g sour cream

1/4 cup caster sugar

4 tbsp gelatin + 1/4 cup water

100 gms melted chocolate

To make it

COMBINE biscuit crumbs and butter then press into a greased 8" springform pan; chill.

Soak the raisins in the dark rum and keep aside.

BEAT the cream cheese and sugar using an electric mixer until smooth. Add rum and vanilla beat until smooth. Mix in sour cream until well combined. 

Soak the gelatin in water and heat on low to melt. Mix into the cheese cream mixture.

Drain raisins and fold into mixture.

Separate the mix into 2 parts. Mix in the melted chocolate in one part, keeping the other white.

Pour the white mix over the biscuit base and keep to set for 10 min. Once slightly firm pour the choc mix over the white base.

Keep to set for at least 6 hours before serving.

Decorate as desired