Three-way butter sponge

3 eggs
1c flour
3/4c sugar
1t baking pdr
1.5T melted butter with 3T milk

Beat eggs with sugar.

Add flour and baking pdr.

Warm milk and butter and add to mixture.

(For choc sponge, add 1 dessertspoon cocoa)
(For orange sponge add grated orange rind and ice with orange icing).

Bake in sponge tin for 20 mins at 170.

This was super easy to make, and cooked perfectly. I didn't ice it, just sprinkled with icing sugar. It is nice and moist and light....!

Compilation recipe books - how awesome! 'Apple Surprise'

Got a new recipe book yesterday - one of those 'Grandma gave one to me, so I will give one to you'...

This recipe is called

'Apple Surprise'

Seems kinda like a apple self saucing pud!

1C flour

1T sugar

1 chopped apple (I peeled mine too)

1/2C milk

1T melted butter

2t baking pdr

Mix together to form stiff dough (add milk a little at a time in case you don't need as much)

Put into greased baking dish.

Pour over....

1.5c boiling water

4T brown sugar

1T butter

Bake at 180 for 20-25 mins.

I will serve mine with cream!

Critique and photo to come as this is still baking...

Easy as, and tasty, 'Cheesy muffins'...!

2C self raising flour (or 2C flour, and 2tsp baking pdr)

2C grated cheese
1 lrg egg
1C lager or beer (flat or bubbly)
2T chutney (I used yellow picadilli)

Oven at 220

Mix the flour and cheese together in a bowl.

Using a fork, beat the egg in another bowl until yolk and white are thoroughly blended. Add the beer, stir briefly then pour into cheese and flour mixture.

Fold until flour is just dampened. Add some chutney at this stage so it stays in streaks (of colour)

Spoon into greased muffin tins. Bake for 10-15 mins.

Note: Do not use the last good beer in the fridge that the husband is looking forward to that Friday night after a hard days work....

(I have used both lager, and beer, and both taste as good. No chutney would = no flavour!)

Best ever 'curried stir fry beef'. Yum!

250g rump steak, thinly sliced into about 4mm strips
2tsp cornflour
1T soy sauce
1/2tsp sesame oil
2t worcestershire sauce
2T oil
1 clove garlic, sliced
2-3tsp curry pdr
1tsp sugar
1T water


Mix meat with cornflour, soy sauce, sesame oil, and worcestershire sauce. Leave to stand for at least 15 minutes, then stir fry in oil, in hot pan. Remove from pan as soon as it has lost its pinkness.

Add a little more oil to pan (to make 1T oil) if necessary.
Add sliced garlic, then curry pdr, then sugar. Add water if there isnt enough liquid to dissolve curry mixture.

Add meat, toss for no more than 1 minute, then serve on rice with veges.

Loads of flavour in this dish! Definitely a do-over!

Sauces and dips...

For the lads birthday dinner we had chicken nuggets and hot chips, and then I made some dipping sauces....

At the top is Aioli Sauce, red one in middle is Tomato Sauce (see previous posts), bottom one (yellow) is Mustard Sauce, and green one is Mint and Bean Puree.


Aioli Sauce Recipe
Easier than expected, and yummier too!
4 cloves garlic
2 egg yolks
1/4t salt
1C olive oil
2T lemon juice
1T chopped parsley
1t prepared mustard


Put all into food processor, and blend! Thats it.
Then use as required - on steaks, as dip, over cooked veges, in baked spuds... list is endless!


Mustard Sauce Recipe
This one is more work, and although recommended for boiled meats (corned beef etc) I think the edmonds recipe is better for that.


2t butter
1T chopped onion
1/2t dijon mustard
1/2t grainy mustard (I didn't have any, so used 1t dijon total)
1/4C white wine
1/4C water
2-3tsp extra butter or 2T cream


Melt butter in saucepan, with lid.
Add very finely chopped onion. Cover pan and cook gently until onion is tender.Stir in mustards, then add wine, and water, and boil briskly, stirring often until reduced in volume by half.
Beat in teaspoon lots of second measure of butter or cream (with a whisk). Stop when sauce is smooth enough to coat veges.


Could easily use extra onion in the mix. 


Mint and Bean Puree
I made this so I could say I had offered veges to the kids!


I got about a handful of mint and about 1.5 cups of frozen beans. Cooked them in a pot of water for about 5 mins (until tender) then put in food processor with some salt, and olive oil until it was a smooth creamy mixture.


The verdict was - not a whole lot of flavour - so next time I would add about twice as much mint, and some pepper, and maybe even cream and butter instead of oil... Tis all about experimenting!

No butter? Make some of these choc chip bikkies...

So, I wanted to make scones, but, I had a very small amount of butter that needed to be saved so I could use it for kids sandwiches. (Do scones use butter?!)


I googled recipes with no butter, and found a few variations. Most were either peanut butter or choc chip ones. So, 'cos I have a peanut butter hating child, I went with choc chips... she probably won't eat these either, but, there is more chance!


1 1/2C flour
1/2t baking soda
1/4t salt
1/4C sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2C oil
1 large egg
1t vanilla essence
1 1/2C choc chips
3/4C rice bubbles


Stir flour, baking soda, and salt together.
In another bowl, whisk sugars, oil, egg, and vanilla essence together.
Add flour mixture.


Stir in choc chips and rice bubbles.


Make into fairly tight balls and cook at 180 for 8-10 mins.


One suggestion was to add walnuts for flavour, but I didn't! (same amount as rice bubbles)


They turn out really yummy, thank goodness... 

The Birthday Cake

I used two cakes to create one large layered cake.
One is a rich mud cake, the other is a sponge cake...

Mud Cake
1T instant coffee
1/2C water
100g dark cooking chocolate (or choc chips)
100g butter
1C sugar
2T sherry, whisky, brandy (or I used cider!)
2 lrg eggs
1t van essence
1 1/4 C flour
1/2t baking soda


Oven at 150.


Warm instant coffee, water, broken up chocolate, butter and sugar until choc has melted and sugar is dissolved, stirring all the time (if using a pot) or intervals (if microwaving). Cool to room temp, then stir in the liquid (brandy etc).


Beat eggs and vanilla together.


Sieve flour and baking soda together, then combine the three mixtures. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and thinner than most cake mixtures.


Line a tin, and pour cake mix in.
Bake for an hour, then remove from oven and leave in tin for 10 mins before removing.


Dust with icing sugar and serve, or serve with cream or icecream....


3 Min Sponge
A very easy sponge!!


75g butter
2 lrg eggs
3/4C sugar
2T milk
1C flour
2tsp baking pdr


Oven at 175


Use a bowl big enough to hold the whole mixture.
Melt butter till just liquid. Add eggs, sugar and milk. Sift flour and baking pdr in.


Using electric beater or good hand beater beat until mixture is well mixed, looks creamy and is slightly paler in colour (about 40-60 seconds).


Pour into tin, and bake for 20 mins (I actually had to cook for about 30, so keep an eye on it).


More photos coming after we have cut the cake!


Windows were done with melted white chocolate piped into shapes.
Spiders were done with melted dark chocolate and make into shapes. Many deformed spiders were eaten in the process... !