Pasta with potato, beans and pesto

Recipe from Perfect PastaImages by Yasmin

Use the recipe for making pasta/fettuccine previously to enable this dish to be created. In this post I will show you one way to serve your homemade pasta. This recipe is vegi-licious! No meat required.

Ingredients:

• 600g small new potatoes, halved or quartered
• 250g broccoli, cut into small florets
• 1/2 cup  shelled broad beans, peeled or 350-400g in pods
• 175g fine green beens, topped and tailed
• 2 zucchini, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 300g fettuccine or tubular and hollow pasta shapes (homemade)
• sprigs of fresh basil to garnish

For Pesto:

• 3-5 cloves garlic, coarsley chopped
• 2 tblsp pine nuts
• 100g fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parnesan
• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 2 ripe tomatoes, diced
• salt

Method:
Cook the potatoes in boiling water for about 15 minutes or until they are tender but not soft. Add the broccoli, broad bean, green beans and zucchini, simmer together for a further 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the homemade pasta in boiling water for 2-4 minutes or until al dente. If not using homemade pasta, cook in boiling water for 10-15 minutes.

Make the pesto while the vegetbles and pasta are cooking. Using a food processor, add all ingredients except for the oil and whiz to paste. Gradually add the oil through the feed tube with the motor running.
Drain the pasta and vetgetables  and toss both together. Top with the pesto, garnish with sprigs of basil, scattering them over the top. Serve immediately.

Homemade Pasta

Recipe and Images by Yasmin

For my birthday last year I received a pasta machine!!! However, these holidays have been the only opportunity thus far to use the machine and make my very own fettuccine!!! As a first timer, my first tip is to give yourself PLENTY of time before the designated dinner time to prepare the meal. My second tip is to prepare pasta with another person, I find that it is helpful to have two sets of hands rather than one. My third tip is two lightly flour both sides of the rolled out pasta before putting it through the part of the machine which cuts the pasta. This ensures that the pasta won't become stuck in the machine and bunch up when coming out because it is stuck to the sides. Taking all of these tips into account when making pasta is VERY helpful. Upon my second attempt this holiday at making pasta I produced the perfect fettuccine! My friend and I were dancing around the house we were so excited!!! The fettuccine we produced was picture perfect! Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of the pasta before cooking it; however, the first time I made pasta I did take photos before cooking it. This means you will see the not so perfect first attempt at pasta rather than the picture perfect pasta, but it all tastes good anyway! I hope you are all successful in your attempts at making pasta. The best part about pasta is that you can add anything to it to serve. However, before I teach you how to make a meal out of pasta, I will devote this post to mearly teaching you how to prepare and cook plain fettuccine. Enjoy!

Before beginning the Recipe I would like to type out an excert from my new pasta recipe book which explains the ingredients.

Flour Special flour for making pasta may be 100% durum wheat semolina, such as an aithentic Italian flour called doppio zero (double zero). Other types may be a combination of durum wheat semolina and ordinary flour. Alternatively, use unbleached strong (bread) plain flour or plain wholemeal flour, or a mixture of unbleached strong plain flour and buckwheat  or rice flour. A small portion of soya flour will boost the protein content of the pasta.

Eggs Although much commercial pasta is made with just flour and water, most homemade pasta includes eggs. Standard medium eggs are ideal.

Oil Olive oil is authentic. Since the amount used is small, it Will not have a great impact on the fat content of a dish.
Salt fine sea salt offers the best flavour.



Fettuccine

Ingredients:

• 500g bakers flour
• 4 eggs or 320ml of water

Method:
The basic recipe per person is: approx. 125g of wheat flour and 1 egg (at room temperature). For 4 people, this equates to 500g of wheat flour and 4 eggs. Water can also be used in place of eggs. 1 egg = approx. 80 ml of water. For this particular recipe do not add any salt.

Pour the flour into a bowl and add the eggs/water into the middle of the flour. Mix the eggs with a fork until they are completely blended with the flour. Knead the mixture with your hands until it is completely homogenous and consistent. If the mixture is too dry add some water. If the mixture is to moist or soft and some flour. Remove the mixture from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured table. Cut the piece of dough into smaller and more manageable sized chunks before putting it through the pasta machine.

If you don't own a pasta machine simply roll the dough with a rolling pin and cut it into long thin strips of pasta.

When using the pasta machine, simply feed it through the rolling end a few times to ensure it is thin and smooth (with no holes or bubbles). Then lightly flour it both sides before feeding it through the cutting blades. This ensures the perfect slices of fettuccine. Repeat this step until all of the dough has been used.

Boil water in a big saucepan. Once the water has come to the boil, add the fettuccine. Cook the fettuccine on high for 2-4 minutes. Drain the fettuccine and place in a bowl for flavouring which will be found in the next post.

Vegetable Pie

Recipe and Images by Yasmin

This is a delicious and healthy dish for dinner or lunch; a boxing day delight! Although the many vegies, this pie is sweet in some sections because of the sultanas which give the dish a nice sweet kick! I would recommend this pie to anyone, as my family knows - I love pies!!!

Ingredients:

• 2 sheets puff pastry
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
•  1/2 cups sultanas
• 3 tsp curry powder
• 2 medium carrots grated
• 1 onion grated
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 125g grated cheese
• 2 cups broccoli
• egg for glazing
• seasame seeds

Method:
Line pie tin with sheet of pastry. Combine  remaining ingredients and place in pie shell. Cover with pastry and bake in moderate oven until golden.

Vanilla Slice

Recipe from '100 Favourite Muffins and Slices'
Photo by Yasmin

Dear followers,
Sorry I haven't been blogging recently, I've been so caught up in school work and life - not having any time for myself. However, since it is the holidays, I will try to post as many delicious treats as possible - particularly Christmas Treats. First, however, I do owe my readers the long awaited recipe for Vanilla Slice. Personally, I don't like custard so this slice doesn't appeal to me, though I know you will enjoy it. I am told it is delicious! Merry Christmas and enjoy cooking my tasty treats!

Cheers,
Yasmin


Vanilla Slice

Ingredients:
Base:

• approx 200g flaky pastry

Filling:

• 1/2 cup vanilla custard powder
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 1/4 cups milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Icing:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2 tsp softened butter
• lemon juice or passionfruit pulp to mix

Method:
Heat oven to 190'C fanbake. Line the base and sides of a loose bottom square baking pan.

For base, roll the pastry out thinly to make two squares each about 2cm bigger than the pan. Prick the pastry evenly all over. Place the two pastry squares on an oven slide and bake for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. Trim the cooked squares of pastry to fit the loose-bottomed baking pan. Place on square in it.

For filling, mix the custard powder and the brown sugar together in a heavy bottomed, medium-sized saucepan. Add the milk and stir well until well combined but not foamy. Cook gently over low heat for 2-3 minutes, until the custard thickens. Next, whisk in the beaten eggs, and the vanilla. Again, stir constantly until the custard thickens, then pour it evenly over the pastry in the baking pan. Cover the hot custard with the other pastry layer immediately. Refridgerate until cold.

For icing, put the icing sugar and butter in a bowl. Stir in small amounts of lemon juice or passionfruit pulp until you get icing of spreadable consistency. Ice the top layer of pastry and leave it to set. Cut into squares using a sharp knife.

Serve: from the refridgerator, with coffee or tea, or fo dessert. Store sqaures which are not eaten the day they are made in the refridgerator and eat within the next two days; if they last that long!!!

Vanilla Slice

I will post the recipe that goes with this picture in the coming weeks, but I just though this photo was too cute to not post immediately!!! I hope you have pets like this adorable budgie to enjoy! His name is Pip and he just turned 9yrs old. Still as cute and FAT as ever!

Blood Orange Cheesecake

Recipe and Images by Yasmin

I had some left over cream cheese in the fridge today and I thought it would be a nice idea to make some cheesecakes for dessert. As I raided out fruit bowl for something to add flavour to the cheesecake mixture I saw and orange. I thought that was perfect to go in my cheesecake but when I cut it in half to juice it I saw that it was actually a Blood Orange. I still used it and the end result was delicious! I would recommend this recipe to anyone - it is one of my best!

Ingredients:

• 225g Cream Cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 blood orange, juiced
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten (room temperature)
• 1 tsp. vanilla essence
• tart cases (can be bought at local supermarket)
• Fresh fruit, to decorate (optional)

Method:
Preheat your oven to 180C. Beat the cream cheese with the sugar. With the mixer running, slowly add the eggs, blood orange juice and vanilla. Arrange tart cases on a tray. Fill 3/4 (1-2 tblsps) of cases with the mixture. Bake for 15 minutes and leave to cool. When completely cooled (or after refridgeration), decorate with fruit (optional). Serve for afternoon or morning tea or dessert with a bowl of mixed fruit.

Lemon Cheesecake

Recipe and Photos by Yasmin

Today I felt like being distracted from my assignments and exams so I decided to bake a cheesecake, just because I could! Then I discovered halfway through that I did have an occasion; a friend was coming over! So it all worked out in the end! It was my best cheesecake yet! It is presented a little differently with the base, but it still tastes delicious; the best part about this base is that you don't need a cheesecake tin! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
For Pastry:

• 100g chilled butter
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• Zest of half a lemon
• 50g icing sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tblsp chilled water

For filling:

• Zest of half a lemon
• 300g cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup caster sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten (room temperature)
• 3-4 tblsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• fresh fruit, to decorate

Method:
For pastry: Using a food processor, pulse butter and flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add lemon zest and icing sugar, pulse for 1 minute. Combine the egg and water in a separate container. With motor running, slowly pour water mixture into the food processor. The mixture should stick together making dough. Remove. Roll into a ball in glad wrap. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven 220'C. Prepare an oven proof dish. On a flowered board, roll out pastry to fit the cooking dish. Blind-bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and reduce temperature 180'C.

For filling: Beat zest of half a lemon, cream cheese and sugar together in a food processor. With motor running, slowly pour in the eggs, lemon juice and vanilla. Check that the consistency is smooth and not too liquidly. Pour mixture into blind baked base. Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly brown on top. Refrigerate and decorate with berries. Serve with ice-cream.

Zucchini, Cheese and Chorizo Twist

Recipe from Recipes magazine
Images by Yasmin

This is a truely scrumptious dinner! It's texture is similar to rizotto, but in pastry! This meal is perfect for taking a plate or dinner over to someone's house to share, it is really big and very filling. Dig in!

Ingredients:

• 3 large zucchini
• 2 tblsp vegetable or olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup cooked long-grain white rice
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped chives
• 2 sheets of frozen shortcrust pastry, thawed
• 100g packet of chorizo slices, or 1 chorizo sliced
• 3-4 hard boiled eggs, peeled, halved
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 tsp sesame seeds

                                                                         (Uncooked)                                                                       

                                                                          (Cooked)

Method:

Preheat oven to 180'C fan forced. Grease and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Coarsely grate zucchini; using hands, squeeze out excess liquid. Heat oil in large frying pan over moderate heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir mixture for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add zucchini; cook for 2-3 minutes or until zucchini begins to wilt. Drain excess liquid. Cool to room temperature. Add rice, cheese and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well.

Place pastry on prepared tray. Allow the ends to overlap for approximately 4cm (this will make the dinner longer to hold all of the filling).  Gently press pastry together to seal. Arrange chorizo slices in centre of pastry, leaving a 7-8cm boarder. Spread half of the zucchini mixture over chorizo, top with hard boiled eggs, then remaining zucchini mixture.

Using a sharp knife, make cuts at 2cm intervals in the pastry surrounding the filling. Bring ends up to enclose filling and bring alternating strips up over filling to enclose. Brush with egg, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden. Remove tray from oven. Stand for 5 minutes. Slice to serve.

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.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Recipe and images by Yasmin

This is a family recipe that has been well shared among friends as well. It is truly delicious dessert for any gathering that I guarantee will stir a good conversation. This recipe requires minimal fuss and ingredients but still produces fantastic results. It really does.. Tickle Your Taste buds! For even more flavour in this dessert add one can of passion fruit pulp and syrup or two passion fruit. This gives an excellent kick to the citrus flavours.
NOTE: For future cooking reference, this pastry can be used for any pastry desserts - just remove the lemon zest. It produces a very steady dough for molding on the dish and extra decorations on the top of pies.

Ingredients:
Pastry:

·         100g chilled butter

·         1 1/2 cups plain flour

·         1/2 lemon of grated zest

·         50g icing sugar

·         1 egg, lightly beaten

·         2 tblsp chilled water

Filling:

·         tin of sweetened condensed milk

·         2 - 3 egg yolks

·         juice of to lemons

Meringue:

·         3 egg whites, at room temperature

·         1/2 cup Castor sugar

Method:
Using a food processor, pulse butter and flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add lemon zest and icing sugar, pulse for 1 minute. Combine the egg and water in a separate container. With motor running, slowly pour water mixture into the food processor. The mixture should stick together making dough. Remove. Roll into a ball in glad wrap. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven 220'C. Prepare an oven proof dish. On a flowered board, roll out pastry to fit the cooking dish. Blind-bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and reduce temperature 180'C. For filling, combine ingredients into a bowl. Then pour into the partially cooked pastry base. Cook for approximately 15 minutes. For meringue, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add Castor sugar while beating, until stiff and glossy.

Spoon meringue over the top of the cooked filling. Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the meringue is lightly browned. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream and ice cream.

Apple Pie

Recipe and Photos by Yasmin

This is a classic dish that everyone should make at some point in their life, whether it is with your Grandma or your Grandchildren. This dessert, for me, isn't as much about the soft texture of the apples complimented by the sweet flavour of cinnamon and sugar, it is about tradition. Rain or shine, hot or freezing, without fail, I will make this dessert when my Grandma comes and visits from Melbourne. It is a tradition that strengthens our love and makes each other happy. My Grandma is the woman who taught me how to make this dessert by letting me stand by her side and peel the apples and roll the pastry. She is a major factor that made me who I am today and helped develop my love of cooking. Although I am older and more experienced in the cooking department, and my Grandma has become less capable, our tradition and bond is tighter than ever. Nowadays, when she visits (as she is at the moment) I am the one who makes this beautiful dessert for her and she is the one to judge if it is made with enough Grandma love. I hope everyone enjoys making Apple Pie as much as I do, and enjoys sharing this dessert all year round, but especially at Easter (as shown through the bunny on the table cloth!) with you much loved family.

Ingredients:
Pie:

• 20 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup milk, to brush
• 2-4 tsp sugar, to dust
• 2-4 tsp cinnamon, to dust
• short crust pastry (home made preferably - see recipe below)

Pastry:

• 100g chilled butter
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 50g icing sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2-3 tblsp chilled water

Method:
For Pastry; using food processor, pulse butter and flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add icing sugar and pulse for 1 minute. Combine the egg and water in a separate container. With the motor running, slowly pour water mixture into the food processor. The mixture should stick together making dough, if not add more flour until it comes together as a dough. Remove and cover in nonstick wrap. Form it into a ball shape. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

For Filling; stew apples by placing them in a large pot. Fill just a little bit of the bottom of the pot with water, to start the softening of the apples when boiled. Boil the apples and then turn down the heat and let them simmer. Constantly check the apples to see if they are soft. Once softened remove from heat and allow to cool.

Remove pastry and place the ball of dough on a floured mat. Take 3/4 of the dough to be the base and roll out in a circular shape until wide enough to fit the pie dish and go over the edges. Spray the pie dish with cooking canola spray and lay the rolled pastry on it. Add the stewed apples but do not overfill the dish. Using the 1/4 of dough left roll out in the same way as the base to use as the top of the pie (it is always better for the base to be thicker than the top). You can leave the top as a whole circle to cover the pie or you can cut the pastry into strips and create a laced top pie. If there is extra pastry hanging over the edge of the pie then cut it off with a sharp knife and use it to create patterns on top of the pie. For assistance in the decorations, use shape cutters. When placing the top pastry to the pie, brush milk on the edges to help the two pastry sheets to stick together. Then, using a fork, press the fork prongs around the edges of the pie to make sure the two sheets are stuck together and to complete the pie's appearance (as shown in the photo below). To finish, brush the top of the pie with milk and then dust with sugar and cinnamon (this allows the sugar and cinnamon to stick to the pie top).

Bake in the oven at 160'C fan forced for 40-45 minutes. When golden brown on top, remove and allow to cool a little before serving. Serve with cream and/or ice-cream and a dusting of cinnamon over everything (optional).

Zucchini, Ham and Cheese Cups

Recipe from Recipes+
Photos by Yasmin

This is a very unique and clever idea. Essentially this recipe is just another form of mini quiche; however, instead of using pastry to hold the filling, you use ham! I didn't have enough ham for all the mixture this recipe makes so I used pastry cups as well as ham cups. This is the first of my real Easter recipes I'm posting, not because it looks like anything to do with Easter, but because on Easter my family shares a big and beautiful BBQ breakfast which will include this savoury snack. In this way it is linked to Easter. Feel free to share with me what you do on Easter. Do you have a nice breakfast too, or perhaps a special dinner, but more importantly what do you eat while enjoying you family or friend's company? I wish everyone a very happy Easter. Alleluia!
TIP: For something a little different, use pancetta or salami instead of ham or pastry. Also, to make this snack healthier, add other vegetables as well, such as grated carrot or thinly diced capsicum.

(Left side is ham, Right side is pastry)

Ingredients:

• 24 (200g) slices shaved leg ham (or pastry)
• 2 large zucchini
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup cream (I used skim milk instead)
• 2/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 4 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (or normal sized tomatoes cut into small slices)
• Mixed salad, to serve

Method:
Preheat oven to 160'C fan forced. Grease a 12 hole mini quiche tray (more if needed). Line each hole with 2-3 overlapping slices of ham to shape the nests. Coarsely grate zucchini; using hands, squeeze out excess liquid.

Whisk eggs and cream in a medium sized bowl. Stir in zucchini and cheese. Spoon mixture into prepared holes. Top with tomato. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked. Remove from oven. Stand for 5 minutes. Serve with salad.

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 and Lime Cheesecake

Recipe from Favourite Muffins, Biscuits, Cakes and Slices
Image by Yasmin

(Serves 8)
I am very proud of my efforts with this cheesecake because it is the first cheesecake I have ever made. During  the process I faced a few speed bumps, but all turned out well in the end. So you don't worry while baking this cheesecake I shall tell you my hicups and how to over come them. Firstly, when you press the biscuit base into the removable base make sure that it climbs a little up the sides of the tin - otherwise once you have poured in the cheesecake mixture it will start leeking out the sides!!! If this does begin to happen - as it did with me - place the tin on to a baking tray and then into the oven. In this way it will have something pressing on the base so the leeking stops. Secondly, don't worry if the mixture seems really runny once everything has been added, if you are concerned add a little bit more cream cheese, condensed milk and cream. Once it has cooked it will set and become firm. Thirdly, after folding in the whipped cream the cheesecake mixture seems very lumpy, when it doesn't appear lumpy in the photo provided. Once again don't freak out, it is meant to look like that at this stage. While it is cooking the cream seems to melt, spread out and blend in with the rest of the mixture. Lastly, if the cheesecake starts to get dark spots on the top where it has overcooked, and the rest is not yet firm, simply rotate the tin in the oven and try to forget about it!!! Keep in mind that you can't get it perfect first time everytime, even if it doesn't look exactly as it does in the picture, remember it will still taste fantastic all the same! Good Luck!

Ingredients:
For Base:

• 1 cup plain sweet biscuits, crushed
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

For Filling:

• 3/4 cup cream cheese, softened
• 2 tblsp brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest
• 1 1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest
• 3 tsps orange juice
• 3 tsps lime juice
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tblsp double cream, whipped

• desicated coconut, toasted, to decorate
• whipped cream, to serve 

Method:

For base, place biscuits and butter in a bowl and mix to combine. Press the bisuit mixture over the base and up the sides of the well-greased 23cm flan tin with a removable base. Bake for 5 - 8 minutes at 180'C fan-forced, then cool.

For filling, place the cream cheese, sugar, orange and lime zests and juices in a bowl and beat until creamy (may start to get lumpy here due to cream cheese). Beat in the egg, then mix in the condensed milk and fold in the cream (large lumps will form). Pour the filling into the prepared biscuit case and bake for 25 - 30 minutes or unti ljust firm. Turn the oven off and cool the cheesecake in the oven with the door ajar. Chill before serving., Serve decorated with the toasted coconut and cream.

Cheesecake (lime) Tarts

(fills roughly 12-18)

Recipe from Ruth Gilmore and Yasmin
The original recipe is below for this delicious cheescake; however, it is very simple to modify to suit the flavour wanted. As I love citrus flavours, I replaced 1 tsp of vanilla essence with the juice and rind of 2 limes. This can also be flavoured with the juice and rind of any citrus fruit. Be sure though not to make the mixture too runny. Another variation to the original recipe is serving the cheesecake in larger tart cases with fruit on top, serving it as a dessert with ice-cream and dusting it with icing sugar and lime zest. You can decorate and serve it however you please; be creative.

Ingredients:

• 225g Cream Cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup caster sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten (room temperature)
• 1 tsp. vanilla essence
• tart cases (can be bought at local supermarket)
• Fresh fruit, to decorate (optional)

Method:
Preheat your oven to 180C. Beat the cream cheese with the sugar. With the mixer running, slowly add the eggs and vanilla. Arrange tart cases on a tray. Fill 3/4 (1-2 tblsps) of cases with the mixture. Bake for 15 minutes and leave to cool. When completely cooled (or after refridgeration), decorate with fruit (optional). Serve for afternoon or morning tea with a bowl of mixed fruit.

Fruit Mince Pie

Recipe from The Margaret Fulton Cookbook
Image by Yasmin

This is a favourite family recipe for Christmas morning and afternoon tea or a snack. It is beautiful plain or with lemon icing (see Icing and Sauces page).

Ingredients:
Fruit Mince (only need half):

• 12 oz. (2 cups) seedless raisins
• 8 oz. (230g or 1 cup) mixed peel
• 8 oz. (230g or 1 cup) sultanas
• 1 lb. (455g or 2 cups) apples, peeled
• 2 oz. (60g or 1/4 cup)glace cherries
• 4 oz. (115g or 1/2 cup) blanched almonds
• 8 oz. (230g or 1 cup) currants
• 2 cups (12 oz.) brown sugar
• 1 lemon
• 1 small orange
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
• 4-6 oz. (115g-170g) butter, melted
• 3 oz. (85g or 1/3 cup)brandy or rum

Biscuit Pastry:

• 3 oz. butter
• 1/3 cup (2 oz.) castor sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 quantity fruit mince (above)
• icing sugar

Method:

For Fruit Mince:
Chop raisins, mixed peel, half sultanas, apples, cherries and almonds finely (or put through a mincer.) Add rmaining sultanas and currants. Stir in brown sugar, grated lemon and orange rind, the juice of 1 lemon, spices, butter and brandy. Mix well and put into a large jar. Cover and chill. Stir every day for a week. Fruit mince cannot be kept for a few weeks in refridgerator. Note: Brandy may be replaced with the juice of 1 orange but mixture cannot be made in advance.

For Biscuit Pastry:
Cream butter and sugar well. Add egg and beat well. Sift flour with baking powder and stir into butter mixture. Knead lightly on floured board. Chill for 1 hour, roll out thinly and cut into rounds to fit patty tins. Cut the same number of smaller circles for tops of pies. Line greased patty tins with larger pastry circles. Moisten edges with beaten egg and put 1 heaped teaspoon of Fruit Mince into each. Make a slit in each pastry top or cut with a small star cutter. Top each filled patty tin and press edges of pastry well to seal. Glaze with beaten egg. Cook in a moderate oven (350'F or 150'C fan-forced) for 20-25 minutes until pale brown. Remove from oven and dust with icing sugar or ice with lemon icing.