Pear and Cranberry Loaf

I highly recommend this loaf from Better Homes and Gardens recipes May 2009. Pictured above is the delicious result. Here's my lazier version for people with low concentration spans.

Ingredients
2 Pears
1 cup of craisins
125g of soft butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
2/3 cup of caster sugar( I use a quarter of a cup but I am dieting)
1 and a half cups of Self Raising flour
1/2 cup of buttermilk


Preheat oven to 180ºC (Does anyone ever really do that>?)

Peel, core, cut up pears.

Throw into your mixing bowl butter eggs and vanilla and mix for 3 minutes( I lasted about 40 seconds, come on Better homes and Gardens 3 minutes takes ages...boring.....)

Chuck in flour and buttermilk, stir until thoroughly combined.

Throw in the pears and cranberries, combine then tip entire contents into a lightly greased loaf tin.

Cook for 30- 35 minutes

Poke it with a skewer to see if it is cooked through, now I know you all know how to do that. Then devour! (thats the bit I am really super good at)

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Custard Cupcakes

Ingredients

4oz butter
1/4 cup of caster sugar
1/4 cup of custard powder
2 eggs beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup of low fat milk
2 cups self raising flour

Chuck everything in a bowl and mix
spoon into patty pans
cook in a moderately hot (about 180ºC or less if fan forced) oven 10 to 15 minutes
Top with favourite frosting

This recipe is a more crispy flaky texture. Melt in your mouth. Modify it yourself and let me know how you have improved it.

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Irish apple cake

Irish Apple Cake

A recipe sent to me from Elsie

I have copied the recipe and tips exactly as it was sent to me. Thanks Elsie!

IRISH APPLE CAKE.
Take three cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped into dice. (4 if they're small)
125 grams of butter or marg. also chopped into dice.
125 " sugar
225 " SR flour
1 egg, beaten.
About 250 mls of milk.Don't bother to rub in the butter, just mix the whole lot together with enough of the milk to make a sticky sort of dough and spread it into a cake tin about 28cms x 19cms and about 5cms deep. It'll be lumpy but that doesn't matter.
Sprinkle the top with sugar & cinnamon.
Bake at 180c for about 35 mins (maybe a little longer) until it's golden on top and springs back to the touch.
Test with a cake skewer if you like.A friend, to whom I gave the recipe, spreads the top with lemon icing.
I like it because I can chuck it together with my eyes shut in about 10 minutes and it always goes over well.
Great when unexpected visitors come and stay for tea.

Modified Version for the chubbies among us(thats me, definately not Elsie and her husband, not an ounce of fat on them, dont you just hate that some people can eat cake and never get fat.....)
Ingredients
3 - 4 apples peeled and cubed
60 grams butter cubed
60 grams sugar
1 egg
250 mls lite milk
Follow same directions as Elsie's above.

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Cereal Rocks - Modified Chocky Rocks

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Impossible Pie

This is a one pan meal recipe given to me by Pam from the craft shop in August 07 and I reckon I have used it way over 10 times already.
Delicious hot or cold

IMPOSSIBLE PIE - Pams Version
Ingredients
4 Eggs
1 1/2 cup of milk
3/4 cup of pastry mix
1 cup of bacon diced
1 cup of grated cheese
1 cup of grated onion

Directions
Mix together eggs, pastry mix and milk
Add everything thing else
Mix thoroughly
pour into a 20 x 20 lasagna dish
Bake in moderate oven for 30 - 40 mins until golden or until knife comes out clean.
Optional extras- I also add a grated zucchini and a grated carrot.
Pam likes spring onions instead of Onions
No meat is necessary or you can put cut up sausages to make a variation of Toad in the Hole (Another family favourite)

Yummo!

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Buckeye recipe for Aussies

This is what they should look like

Picture courtesy of All Recipes

Buckeye Balls recipe translated for Aussies

INGREDIENTS
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs (Arnotts Marie Biscuits)
1 cup confectioners' sugar (Icing Sugar)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (Cole's choc melt buds worked the best)
2 tablespoons shortening(oil) (I never add it, too lazy)

DIRECTIONS
Combine peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs(Marie biscuits), and confectioners' sugar(Icing sugar) in a bowl or a food processor until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Roll teaspoonfuls of peanut butter mixture into balls. About the size of a Large marble Refrigerate until ready to dip in melted chocolate.

In Australia FREEZE THEM until ready to dip
Melt chocolate chips and shortening together in the top of a double boiler until very liquid. Using a tooth pick, dip each ball into chocolate leaving just the very top of the ball exposed. Set on a greased cookie sheet, setting each ball on the peanut butter end. Refrigerate(FREEZE) until the chocolate is firm. They only take about 5-10 mins to thaw here. I use the freezer because they tend to melt way too quick in our Summer which is when I make them.

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