Chocolate Nut Brownies

I cannot remember who gave me this chocolate chip cookie recipe but I think it was Aunty Joy. I know it wasn't mum as then I would remember her making them for us. They are another one of those yummy slices that you just love the taste of.

PREPARATION:

125 g butter
1 small cup SR flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I use pecans or walnuts)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup cocoa

Sift flour, salt and cocoa together. Melt butter in small saucepan then let cool. Beat eggs until thick and creamy. Add the sugar gradually then stir in the butter and dry ingredients. Lastly add the nuts and vanilla essence. Spread in a greased and papered slice tin. Cook in moderate oven for 30 minutes.
Spread a little chocolate icing over the top while still hot as this will keep it thin and give it a nice glazed shine. Cool in tin then cut into squares. These are great in lunch boxes or for an afternoon tea party.

Shortbread Walnut Dreams

This ia another shortbread cookie recipe given to me by Aunty Joy who is one of the best home cooks that I have known. Especially when it comes to sweets things. Try these and you will keep making them over and over as they are delicious.

PREPARATION:

500 g butter - at room temperature
500 g SR flour
250 g icing sugar
250 g chopped walnuts

Cream butter and sugar well. Work in the sifted flour and then add walnuts. Roll into little balls and press down with a fork on a greased oven slide. Bakin in hot oven for approx 10 minutes. You can always halve the recipe if you want less shortbreads. However as they are so yummy you probably won't want to do this.

Cream Puffs

My dad didn't do a lot of cooking when I was growing up but the one thing that he always used to make was cream puffs. He always mixed it by hand and they would turn out beautifully. I have made them both by hand as well as using an electric mixer and I have to say that they have both turned out really well. You can always turn these into chocolate eclairs if you wish and they will be just as good. For chocolate eclairs just form them into log shapes and add very thick custard to the centres and then add the cream. Coat with melted chocolate and you have wonderful chocolate eclairs. I sometimes ice them with coffee icing instead of the melted chocolate so alternative ones are also great. If I am doing them for a party, I make much smaller cream puffs and eclairs and be warned, make plenty as you will have the guests coming back for more.

PREPARATION:

1 cup SR flour
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
4 eggs

Boil water and butter together in a large saucepan. stir in the sifted flour until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Allow to cool for several minutes and then add eggs, 1 at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Drop in large teaspoons on a hot greased slide which you have sprinkled a few drops of cold water on. This helps with the rising as it creates steam. Bake in a hot oven 15 - 20 minutes or until golden on top and the centre is starting to dry out a little. When cold, scoop out any remainly soft centre and fill with whipped cream then sift some icing sugar over the top. I always add a teaspoon of icing sugar to the cream before I whip it as I prefer a slightly sweet taste to the cream to balance the very bland pastry taste.

Judy's Lemon Pudding

This ia another one of Judy's recipes that she gave to me about 20 years ago. She made it at one of her famous dinner parties and I just had to have it for my own file. Once you have made this you will keep going back to it again and again. It is truly delicious and such a light and fluffy dessert.

PREPARATION:

1 tablespoon butter - at room temperature
2 tablespoons SR flour
1 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs - separated
1 lemon

Finely grate the lemon rind and then squeeze the juice into a cup. Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer. Add flour then lemon juice and grated rind. Add egg yolks and milk and lastly fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. I usually fold them in with a wooden spoon or a knife. Never beat with electric mixer as it will overbeat it. Pour into a greased dish and place this in a baking pan of cold water so it reaches approx half way up the side of your dish. Place in oven and bake slowly for about 1 hour. Serve with whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream. This recipe will serve four.

Apple Squares

A friend gave me this recipe that she found in a magazine and tried it to discover it was really yummy and easy to make. I tried it and found I loved it also and I am sure that you will love it as well if you take the time to make it.

PREPARATION:

340 g packet vanilla cake mix
1 cup desiccated coconut
125 g butter, melted
400 g pie apple
300 g carton sour cream
2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
1 egg lightly beaten

Preheat oven to moderate 180 degrees. Lightly grease an 18 x 28 cm slice pan. Line base and sides with baking paper. In a large bowl, combine cake mix and melted butter. Press into prepared pan and bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden. Cool slightly then press apple over the base. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and egg then pour over apple and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for a further 15 - 20 minutes until set. Allow to cool in pan then cut into squares and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Makes about 20 squares and are great to serve for an afternoon tea party or even for dessert.

Mum's Shortbreads

Another one of my mums very simple and easy to make shortbreads. She always added either cherries or walnuts on the top of them before cooking and they were always to be found in the cookie barrel on top of her refrigerator. When my children were little, whenever we visited mum's home, they would stand in front of the fridge and point up to the bikky barrel for one of her shortbreads.

PREPARATION:

350 grams plain flour
125 grams icing sugar
125 grams custard powder
350 grams butter

Cream butter and sugar and then add the flour and custard powder that has been sifted together. Make into small balls and place on greased cold oven slide. Press down with a for and add either a half glazed cherry or half a walnut on top. Bake in a moderate oven until a pale brown colour. Cool on rack and enjoy.

Mum's Strawberry Shortcake

I can still remember my mum making this up whenever she wanted to treat dad to a special dessert, which in our house we always called pudding. You can buy shortcrust pastry shells from the freezer section in your supermarket but if you take the time to make this recipe you will be so glad you did as it is just so much better than any frozen ones. You will never find any from a supermarket that tastes as good as this one does and fresh is always so much nicer.

PREPARATION:

2 eggs
60 grams arrowroot
2 grams SR flour
125 grams butter
125 grams sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 small lemon - finely grated
few drops vanilla essence

Cream butter and sugar together. Break in the eggs, one at a time and beat for 5 minutes. Sift flour, arrowroot and baking powder together and mix into the bowl. Add lemon rind, vanilla essence and the milk as needed, a little at a time. Pour mixture into a flan tin and bake in moderate oven for approx 30 minutes. Turn out on clean surface an when cooled fill with strawberries which have been set in a strawberry jelly (jello) and when set, decorate with fresh cream. You can add a teaspoon of icing sugar to the cream if you desire just to give it a slightly sweet taste.
1/2 teaspoon baking powder