Spiced Christmas Biscuits

Recipe from 'Woman's Weekly Christmas Entertaining'
Images by Yasmin

This biscuit is very similar to gingerbread biscuits in flavour except that it has a jam mixture between the two layers of biscuit. I thought it would be sickly sweet; however, it isn't even that sweet! It is a soothing taste of the traditional gingerbread spices which are complemented by the subtle taste of jam. Delicious! Revolutionary! The heart of Christmas!

Ingredients:
Biscuit:

• 1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour
• 3/4 cup (165g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 150g butter, chopped coarsely
• 1 egg yolk

Jam filling:

• 1 tsp gelatine
• 1 tblsp water
• 1/3 cup (110g) strawberry or raspberry jam

Icing:

• 1 egg white
• 1 1/2 cups (240g) pure icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Method:
Process the flour, sugar, spices and butter until combined. Add egg yolk; process until combined. Knead dough on floured surface until smooth. Cover; refridgerate for 30 minutes.

Divide dough into quaters; roll ewach quater to 3mm thickness. Refridgerate with layers divided by baking paper.

Cut shapes (squares, angles, stars etc.) from refridgerated layers. Cut shapes from the centre of half the squares etc. Use the centre dough to make more biscuits. Place biscuits on trays; bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on trays.

For jam filling, using a bane marie process, sprinkle gelatine over water in the bane marie. Stir until dissolved. Add jam to gelatine mixture; stir well.

Turn base biscuits upside down so the flat side is facing up. Spread about 1 tsp of jam filling in the centre of each biscuit; top with the cut-out biscuits. Press lightly.

For icing, lightly beat the egg white in a small bowl until frothy. Beat in the sifted icing sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until combined. Stir in the juice. Keep surface of the icing tightly covered when not in use. Place the icing in a dispodable piping bag; snip a tiny amount from the tip of the bag. Drizzle the biscuits with icing; stand on wire racks until set.

Scones

Recipe from NMAA Cooks
Images by Yasmin

I love having scones, jam and cream with friends. It is such a delight to catch up in the holidays and have good, simple food to jumpstart the conversations. I wish everyone a happy holiday and to keep safe.

Ingredients:

• 250g self-raising flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tblsp powdered skim milk (optional)
• 1 tblsp butter
• 1 cup milk
• milk or egg yolk for glazing
• jam and whipped cream, to serve

Variations:

• Yoghurt: Use yoghurt instead of milk or 1/2 yoghurt and 1/2 milk
• Cheese: Add 2 tblsp grated cheese
• Date: Add 1/2 cup chopped dates and 1 tblsp sugar
• Egg: Crack an egg into measuring cup, fill to 1 cup with milk, beat together before mixing into flour
• Wholemeal honey: Use wholemeal self-raising flour, omit butter and add 2 tblsp honey dissolved in the milk
• Savoury: Add 2-3 tblsp finely chopped cooked bacon, 2 tblsp finely chopped cooked onion, 1 tsp curry powder, and 2 tblsp finely chopped parsley

Method:
Heat oven to 220'C fan forced. Grease scone tray or oven slide. Sift flour, salt and skim milk. Cut butter into flour and using fingers rub in lightly. Mix to a soft dough with milk. Turn on to a floured surface and knead slightly. The less the dough is handled, the lighter the scones will be. Flatten out with heel of hand to approx 2-3cm in thickness. Stamp out with scone cutter or glass dipped in flour. Place scones touching each other on tray, glaze tops with milk or egg yolk. Bake 8-10 minutes. Serve with jam and cream.

Jam Drops

Recipe from NMAA Cooks
Image by Cath Muscat

This is an old time classic which I would like to revive for old times sack. This was one of the first recipes I made by myself and I thought I was so clever!!! If you are going to teach your children, grandchildren or neighbours children how to cook, I would recommend starting them of with this recipe and the simplicity cake recipe. If you are just starting this is definately one to try!

Ingredients:

• 60g butter
• 60g sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• jam

Method:
Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add egg and flour and beat well. Put small teaspoons on ungreased tray. Press hole in centre. Fill hole with any type of jam. Bake for 10 minutes in hot oven.

Belgium Bars

Recipe from 100 Favourite Cakes and Slices
Images by Tammy

This is a delicious slice/bar to eat with friends for afternoon tea. I have passed this recipe on to many of my friends and they have all loved it and found it truely addictive! It is a very sweet slice and I have always found it to taste similarly to gingerbread, but maybe that is just me. You'll have to try it and tell me what you think!

Ingredients:
Base:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 200g softened butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 2 cups plain flour

Filling:

• approx. 1/2 cup jam (of your choice)

Icing:

• 2 cups sifted icing sugar
• 25g softened butter
• approx. 3 tblsp lemon juice or water
• red jelly crystals or coloured sugar

Method:
Grease or line with baking paper a large baking tin. For base, measure the brown sugar, softened butter and egg into a large bowl or food processor. Mix well, then add all the dry ingredients except for the flour. Mix again then add and mix in half the flour. Add the remaining flour and mix well. Divide dough into 2 parts, refridgerate in a plastic bag until firm enough to roll. Roll each half out to fit your pan (if you like, work the dough between sheets of floured waxed paper or plastic to prevent sticking).

Place the first sheet in the prepared baking pan and neaten the edges. Spread it with a thin layer of jam, then cover with the second sheet of dough. Prick in a few places.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until the centre is firm when gently pressed. Cool, ice as below and cut into bars.

For icing (if desired), mix icing sugar, butter and enough lemon juice or water to make it fairly soft. Spread evenly over the cooked mixture. If you like, sprinkle a few jelly crystals (or some coloured sugar) on the icing in rows.

Post Competition

Hello everyone!

I would just like to inform everyone about the recipe sharing that is happening on Taste of Pearl City. It is an 'Anyone Can Cook' competition which ends this friday. It is a really great way to share you simple and quick recipes with everyone and gather some great ideas too! All you have to do is go to this website: http://tasteofpearlcity.blogspot.com/ and follow the linking process. It is really simple and fun! I hope you get the chance to look and enter! There are some prizes too! I have already entered the following recipes:

Coconut Loaf with Passionfruit Sauce










Scrolls










Incredible Pie












Pasties












These are some of my favourites!!! I hope you share your simple and quick favourites as well!

Cheers,
Yasmin

Pasties

Recipe and Images from Yasmin

This is a very simple dinner to prepare when live is hectic and there are many busy and late nights. This is a meal perfect for when you don't feel like making something that takes a while to develop a great flavour, is filling and healthy. If there are any left over puff pastry sheets to fill with the meat filling, simple sweet pasties can be prepared as well. The list of fillings possible for this pastry design is endless, so have a go at mixing your favourite sweet and savoury flavours to produce something simply delicious. If serving this meal as a dinner, be sure to serve with a beautiful garden salad. I apologise in advance for this inartistic photo of the meal, we were in a hurry to eat and I couldn't prepare a decent setting for the meal. It is eaten so quickly it is hard to capture it on camera!!!

(cooked savoury pastie)

Ingredients:

For Savoury:

• 1-2 carrot
• 1-2 zucchini
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 potato
• 1 cup green beans
• 1 cup corn kernells
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 300-500g minced beef 

For Sweet:

•  2 -3 dessert spoons of jam
• 1 apple, thinly sliced and cored
• 1 cup dried fruit (of choice)
• 1/2 cup coconut 

 (Uncooked Sweet Pastie)

Method:

Take frozen puff pastry sheets out of freezer and separate, allowing to defrost on the bench.

While pastry is defrosting, prepare savoury filling. Into a large bowl, grate carrot, zucchini, sweet potato, potato, beans and corn. Add partially defrosted minced meat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Using bare hands, thoroughly combine the savoury filling. 

Using a sharp knife, divide the mostly defrosted pastry diagonally, to create two triangles. Place a small handful of the uncooked mixture in one end of a triangle piece of pastry. Mold this to fit into the triangle shape, leaving about 1-2cm room around the edges to allow room to fold the pastry. Grab the other corner of the triangle and drag it over the filling to match the triangle shape, this is symmetrical. Press down on the folded pastry to seal the triangle shape pastie. Fold over the edges of the triangle and press again to secure (this should make sure that the pastie won't open and the contents spill). Lastly, twist the ends of the triangle, as it is just excess pastry.

Continue until all filling is used. As each pastie is made, place it on an oven tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Cook for 20-30 minutes on 180'C fan-forced.

If there is leftover pastry either cut it into triangles, as done for the savoury pasties, or leave it as a square to then fold into a rectangle (as shown in picture). Prepare a sweet filling. Smooth jam over pastry. Cover with coconut, thinly sliced apple, currants, sultanas, dried apricots and/or dates. Fold symetrically, using the same method as before, whether it is a triangle or rectangle, except, for the rectangle, cut a few slits in the sides (as shown in the photo).

Cook for 20-30 minutes at 180'C fan-forced.

Apple and Cinnamon Cake

Recipe from Cake Bible
Photos by Yasmin

This is a very simple tea cake. It doesn't have much flavour but is very moist and perfect for tea, coffee or a snack. If you have a sweet tooth and aren't a fan of simple flavours then serve this cake with a jam of your choice. You can eat it like a scone with the jam by cutting the cake in two or you can serve it on the side of the cake (as shown in the photo) and eat it with the cake, like with a dessert. This recipe isn't in any way a festive Easter cake, however it is delicious to eat on Easter Monday in the peace and quiet of your home.

Ingredients:
Cake:

• 1 cup self raising flour
• 2 tblsp castor sugar
• 3 tblsp softened butter
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup milk

Topping:

• 200g green apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (or more if desired)
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1 1/2 tblsp butter, melted

Method:
Preheat oven to 180'C. Prepare cake tin. Sift flour and sugar into a mixing bowl. Add butter and cut into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the egg and milk. Beat to a smooth batter. Pour into the prepared bake tin.

Combine the apple, cinnamon and cornflour in a bowl - to coat the apple slices in flavour. Arrange on top of the cake batter. Drizzle butter over the top. Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Cool in the tin on a rack. Remove from the tin when cooled and serve.

Scrolls

Recipe and photos by Yasmin

Scrolls are a brilliant invention. It is the simplest of recipes; needing only two ingredients and a constant ratio of 1:2 - 1cup of buttermilk to 2cups of Self Raising Flour. From this you can be as creative or subtle as intented; however, the result is undyingly satisfying. I have made this snack or lunch many times before today, yet today is somewhat special because I am sharing a memorable cooking experience with a longtime friend. A caring primary school friend visited and we prepared this dish, alongside many others, as we prepared a feast to celebrate the end of Lenten fasting. As a beginner we made scrolls, followed by the main meal of Chicken and Corn Pie, and finishing with afternoon tea of Apple and Cinnamon Cake and lastly dessert being Incredible Pie. This was a VERY filling and enjoyable experience - as every cooking session should be. I regard my kitchen and cookbook as an old friend as I embrace the task ahead, rather than some people today who believe cooking is a burden and a nuisance. I hope you enjoy the first of many recipes being posted after my Lenten break. It is both sweet and savoury - a perfect balance to start.

Ingredients:

• Buttermilk (a carton)
• Self Raising Flour
• Fillings of choice

Filling Combinations:
Sweet:

• Plum Jam, shredded coconut, shredded apple and sultanas (as featured in photo)
• Shredded apple, cinnamon and sugar
• Nutella and choc chips
• Apricot jam, diced apricots and shredded coconut
• Strawberry Jam and mixed dried fruit
• White chocolate and passionfruit pulp
• Honey and sliced banana

Savoury:

• Vegimite and cheese
• Shredded ham, cheese and pineapple
• Salami, ham and cheese
• Semi-dried tomatoes, low fat feta cheese, ham, salami and cheese

Method:
In a bowl, combine 1 cup of buttermilk and 2 cups of flour with a fork until a soft dough forms. Flour a mat and rolling pin and roll out the dough until 1-2cm thick. Spread with a filling of your choice, sweet or savoury. Pick up pastry from one end and roll it up to the other (as shown in the photo above). Once the dough is now one big scroll, use a sharp knife to cut the scroll into 2-3cm slices. Place these lying flat on a non-stick baking tray as you cut (as shown in the photo below). Cook in an oven at 180'C fan-forced 4 for 20-25 minutes. Once cooled a little, serve.

This process can be repeated until all of the buttermilk is used. It makes approximately 2 1/2 batches. For the half batch make sure the measurements maintain that ratio of 1:2, in this case it will be 1/2:1. If you don't simplify the ratio evenly, then the dough will either be too sloppy or too hard.

Orange Cake Bites

Recipe and Images by Yasmin

I was so excited about preparing this sweet snack because I invented the recipe. What gave me this idea was founded by my mother for two reasons. One, I was originally baking a cake for her birthday and it turned out as a flop - but it still tasted fantastic, too good to waste. Which leads to reason number two, I saved the cakes and turned them into little balls of goodness, as my mother suggested. To do this I gathered a basic idea for additional ingredients from an ancient and falling apart cookbook (which is no longer in print!), called Nmaa Cooks.

This recipe was an experiment but turned out to be a success! Remember that you can always salvage previous errors in cooking, the bin doesn't need to be fed!! Another example of a way to salvage this cake catastrophy would be to make a triffel, but if you decide to do this be sure that the cake is spongy enough and not a complete flop (like mine!). I encourage everyone to have a go and see what you can do with a bit of a mess, have fun! HINT: Make sure with this recipe that the mixture isn't sloppy or too moist, otherwise it will fall apart. If it is too moist then simply add more almond meal or, if none is left, and enough quick cook oats and oatbran to allow the mixture to stick firmly together.

Ingredients:

For cake pieces:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cups plain flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk 

For snack mixture:

• 470g orange cake (made from ingredients above and method below)
• 100g sugar
• 115g almond meal (more if needed)
• 2 tblsps hot apricot jam
• 1-2 tblsps orange juice
• rind of half an orange
• desicated coconut, to coat
• oatbran and/or quick cook oats (if needed to combine mixture)

Method:

For Cake: cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy, in a large glass bowl. Slowly add whole eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Stir in vanilla extract. In another bowl, mix flour with baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to the creamed ingredients, while alternatively adding milk. Grease and flour two round cake tins and evenly divide mixture between both. Cook in an oven at 180'C fan-forced for 20-30 minutes (longer if needed). Remove from oven and turn onto wired racks to cool. Then refridgerate for at least one day.

For snack mixture: Use hands to crumble cake mixture into a big bowl, until it looks like bread crumbs. Using a wooden spoon, combine sugar, almond meal and orange rind to the cake. Stir in jam and juice until thoroughly combined. At this stage if mixture is too sloppy or moist add as much oatbran and quick cooking oats as required, until firm. In spoon fulls, roll mixture into balls and then roll in desicated coconut to coat. Place balls into a tupperwear container and refrigerate for 24hrs until hardened.

Orange and Blueberry Muffins

Recipe from Favourite Muffins, Slices and Cakes
Images by Yasmin
(makes approx. 12-16)

The smell of this muffin in the oven began a frenzy around my house. Everyone was asking what I was baking, but due to the sweet sent on oranges, they had already half guessed; Orange and Blueberry Muffins. Only recently have I begun to expand my selection of recipes to muffins. This was because my mother had always warned me when we ate coffee and cake together in the shops that the selection of cakes and muffins can often be dry; something she couldn't stand. For this reason I tended to stray away from muffins because I knew she didn't particularly like them. Now that I am a more confident cook I am happy to spend the whole weekend baking muffins, cakes and slices to my hearts content and not worry about over-cooking. I really enjoyed this muffin and am soon going to make a classic dessert in muffin form; Sticky Date Muffins! My stomach is already rumbling!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 orange
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 125g butter, chopped
• 1 egg
• 185g plain flour
• 170g caster sugar
• 1 tsp bi-carb soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 125g frozen or fresh berries

Method:

Preheat oven to 200'C fan-forced. Peel the rind from the orange, remove all pith, and cut the rind into small pieces. Remove membrane and seeds from orange and cut the orange into segments. Place orange rind and segments, orange juice, butter and egg in a food processor and process until well combined (mixture will curdle). Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Sift together flour, sugar, bi-crab soda, baking powder and salt, add to orange mixture and lightly mix. Batter should be lumpy. Fold in the berries. Divide batter between 12-16 greased muffin tin, filling 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 180'C fan-forced until cooked and golden. Cool on wire racks. Serve.

Jam Rings

(makes about 15)

Recipe from I Love Sugar
Images by Yasmin

This recipe has come with a collection of recipes in my newest book called I Love Sugar. It was given to me by my darling sister in Japan for Christmas, so I was just dieing to start baking. For some variation to the original circle biscuit design, I cut the biscuits in the shape of a love heart - because I love my sister and baking! This thought can be applied to any cutter shape as long as it is large enough to cut out a hole in the centre. Be warned though, this recipe is extremely calorific! Recommended only 1-2 per sitting and keep a glass of water handy!!!

Ingredients:
Biscuit (base and top):

• 225g butter, softened
• 140g caster sugar, plus extra for dusting (or icing sugar)
• 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 280g plain flower (approx 2 cups)
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten

Filling:

• 55g butter, softened
• 100g icing sugar
• 5 tblsp jam (of your choice), warmed (more if needed)

Method:
Put the butter and caster sugar into a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon, then beat in the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Sift the flour and salt into the mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Halve the dough, wrap in cling wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190'C fan-forced. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

Unwrap the dough and roll out between 2 sheets of baking paper. Stamp out 30 biscuits using a cutter shape and divide evenly on the trays (making sure there is enough tops for bottoms). Before placing half the biscuits on to the tray, cut out the centres with cutters and roll out some more biscuit bases and tops. Space well apart on tray to allow for spreading.

Bake in the preheated oven for 7 minutes, then remove and brush with egg whites and sprinkle with caster sugar. Bake for a further 5-8 minutes, until golden brown. Leave to cool on the baking trays for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to the wire racks to cool completely.

For filling, beat the butter and icing sugar together in a bowl until smooth and combined. Spread the filling over the whole biscuit and top with a thin layer of jam. Place the ring tops on top and press gently together.

Coconut Slice

Recipe from 100 Favourite Muffins and Slices by Simon and Alison Holst
Images by Yasmin

This is recently my most favourite slice. It is very cheap to make, tastes fantastic and only requires everyday ingredients in a normal household. The only downside is that personally I have not yet mastered how to make this slice without it being a little bit messy to eat. My HINT is: Don't spread too much jam on the base - it is absorbed and makes it soggy and sloppy. Also NOTE: this slice is very hard to cut up into slices - it splits easily - edge pieces are the hardest to cut.

                                                                                      

Ingredients:

Pastry:                                                                                                

• 1 cup plain flour                                             
• 75g cold butter                               
• about ¼ cup cold water                                                                     

Filling:

• 1/2 cup raspberry jam
• about 1/2 cup currants or sultanas

Topping:

• 175g butter                                     
• 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla flavouring
• 3 large eggs
• 3 cups coconut                                                                                                                        

Method: 

Heat oven to 220°C  (210°C fanbake). Spray 23cm square pan with non-stick pan. For pastry, put flour and cubed butter in the food processor, then process in bursts, while adding water in a slow stream. Refrigerate dough 5-10 minutes while you mix the topping. For topping, soften but do not melt the butter. In the unwashed food processor or bowl, mix butter with the sugar, vanilla and eggs, then mix the coconut. Roll out pastry to cover the base and sides of the pan. Spread it with jam and dried fruit.

Drop the topping over it in blobs (Topping will spread during cooking). Bake for 10-15 minutes, then turn down to180°C (170°C fanbake) and cook for 15-30 minutes or until the topping has browned evenly, and the centre feels firm.

Serve:

Serve warm for dessert with whipped cream or ice-cream, or cool completely before cutting into pieces of the desired size. Store in a shallow container between layers of paper, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.