ANZAC Biscuits

recipe one on the left - recipe two on the right

I am going to do two recipes for this post.
Both are from advertising material that comes through our letterbox.

Recipe one

Ingredients 
125 g butter 
¼ cup golden syrup 
½ tsp baking soda 
1 tbsp hot water 
½ cup plain flour 
½ cup sugar 
1 cup desiccated coconut 
1 cup rolled oat 

Preparation 
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. 
Melt butter and golden syrup in a saucepan large enough to hold all the ingredients. Remove from the heat. 
Dissolve baking soda in hot water and mix into the melted ingredients. 
Mix flour, sugar, coconut and oats together until combined. Mix into the butter mixture until well combined. 
Using a measuring tablespoon, take spoonfuls of the mixture and place on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Press with a fork to flatten – allow room for spreading. 
Bake for 10–12 minutes or until golden. 
Leave on the oven tray to cool and firm up before moving to a cooling rack. 

This recipe was contributed by Robyn Martin in the “New World” catalog. You can actually find the recipe here.  She makes an interesting comment on how she changed recipes for her to cook/mix it all in one pot instead of creaming the butter and sugar etc. I have made different versions of ANZAC biscuits and they have all been melt in the pot ones.

Recipe two

Ingredients 
115g butter 
1 Tbsp golden syrup 
1 tsp baking soda mixed with 2 Tbsp boiling water 
1 cup sugar 
1 cup desiccated coconut 
1 cup rolled oats 
¾ cup plain flour 
1 cup chopped walnuts 

Method 
1. Preheat oven to 140°C, not fan bake. 
2. In a medium sized pot, melt butter and golden syrup. Add baking soda and stir well. Remove from heat. 
3. Add sugar, coconut, oats, flour and walnuts stirring the mixture until well combined. 
4. Line 2 baking trays with paper. Roll the mixture into dessert spoon size balls leaving a space in between each. Gently flatten with a fork. 
5. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then swap the trays around for even cooking for a further 10 minutes. Remove and let the biscuits sit for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. 

Makes approximately 25 biscuits.

This recipe was from the Countdown flyer. It can be found here.  There is no reference as to where they got it from.

Both recipes were good but I must admit I liked the second one with the added walnuts although this is a twist on the original recipe. The instructions for both are easy to follow and I would recommend either to anyone looking for a recipe.

Chocolate, Honey & Nut Slice

Base

170g Butter, softened 
2/3 cup Sugar 
½ tsp Vanilla Essence 
1¾ cups Flour 
¼ cup Cocoa 
1 tsp Baking Powder 1

Topping
100g Butter 
½ cup each: Sugar, Honey 
2 cups Mixed Nuts 
150g dark or milk Chocolate, chopped

Method 
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line an 18cm x 28cm baking pan with baking paper. 
To make the base: cream butter and sugar with an electric beater until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla essence and beat again. Sift in the flour, cocoa and baking powder and mix until evenly combined. Press into the base of the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes. 

To make the topping: melt the butter, sugar and honey together in a saucepan over a low heat. Bring the mixture slowly to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. 

Sprinkle the nuts and chocolate over the hot base. Pour over the honey mixture. 

Reduce the oven temperature to 150ºC and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Leave to cool in the pan. Cut into small pieces to serve. 

For a chocolate pecan version, replace the mixed nuts with pecans. 

 Courtesy of Food Magazine. Recipe by Sandra Kinniburgh.

This recipe came recently in a Countdown catalog at Easter.
As I was having family come to visit I wanted to make some goodies for nibbles and afternoon tea.
I thought I would try this before filing it away in the large plastic bag!.

It was a recipe that required a few different steps and to be honest was not really yummy although Carl seemed to munch on a few slices. The honey taste was strong so it may have been the honey I used. It was from some friends who have their own bees so no particular brand of flavour. I think I would use the darkest type of chocolate too to give it a darker colour and flavour so to speak if I was to make it again.

Nutty Rhubarb Muffins

Muffin Ingredients:

¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup buttermilk or sour milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 beaten egg, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour

½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup diced rhubarb
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Topping Ingredients:
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
½ tsp. cinnamon


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Grease and flour 12 muffin cups, or line with papers
Mix together brown sugar, buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla; set aside.
Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt; stir in rhubarb and nuts.
Combine just until completely moistened.
Pour into muffin cups.
Mix topping ingredients sprinkle over tops
Bake about 20 minutes.

These are a lovely nutty flavoured muffin but slightly dry. I found it was nicer with a thin spread of butter. I used some old milk in the fridge. (I keep milk that has gone off and use it for baking.)

I will add this to my list of muffin recipes.

To make your own sour milk - add 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk.

Courgette Fritters

Ingredients 

2 medium courgettes, grated 
2 tbsp self-raising flour 
25g parmesan, finely grated 
1 tbsp olive oil 

Method 

1. In a bowl, combine the grated courgette, flour and parmesan. 
2. Shape into walnut-size balls, then flatten. 
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil.  Fry the fritters for 2-3 mins on each side until golden brown. 
4. Serve straight away with a dollop of hummous.

I have been given lots of zucchinis which is just another name for courgette.
So I hunted through my bag of recipes to try and found this one. I was home alone for tea tonight so it gives me the opportunity to just try some easy things that Harry wouldn't normally like.
As promised I followed the recipe as to the instructions thinking this was going to be a very easy tea.

They tasted OK but they were not a fritter, but just a sloppy mess.
I googled to see if I could find it on line and sure enough there it was. Yes I had all the ingredients correct but most people had the same issues as I did and they all had to either add more flour or an egg and/or squeeze the grated courgette or just generally alter the recipe a lot.
I will not be using this recipe again but thought I would post it here.

I obtained it from the free magazine Urban and Country March 2014 but it is also here.
If you follow the link and scroll down the page you will see all the comments about this recipe you might just like to read if you want to try this.

Spicy Apple Cake

2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup sugar
125gr Butter, Melted
2 eggs
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
¾ cup chopped walnuts
icing sugar, to dust.

1.  Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 22cm round springform tin. Line base with baking paper. 
2. In a mixing bowl, combine apples and sugar, mixing until apples are coated with sugar. Stand for 2-3 minutes. Stir in melted butter and eggs. 
3. Sift together dry ingredients, stir into apple mixture. Stir in raisins and half the walnuts 
4. Spoon mixture into prepared tin. Sprinkle remaining walnuts over top of cake. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until cake springs back in tin for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or cold, dusted with icing sugar. 

I was given this recipe by a lady who bakes a plate for morning tea at our Church’s Mainly Music session. I have had it for sometime and as I have been given lots of apples I thought it was time to try it.

I followed the recipe as given. I probably had the sugar and apple standing for about 5 mins as I was doing other things. I beat the eggs into the melted butter before pouring this over the apples.

I had this warm for an after dinner treat and then cold through the week (yes I ended up eating the whole cake!!). I kept it on the plate in the photo covered in cling film and it was good for the week so a great keeper.

As I already knew what this cake was going to be like and still liked it when I made it! I will be keeping this recipe

Edmonds Toasted Muesli

¼ cup oil
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup honey
3 cups rolled oats
½ cup coconut
½ cup EDMONDS Wheat Bran
½ cup EDMONDS Wheat Germ
½ cup sesame seeds
½ cup sunflower/pumpkin seeds
½ cup chopped nuts
1 cup dried fruit

1. Preheat oven to 150°C
2. Put oil, sugar and honey into a saucepan. Heat until sugar dissolves.
3. In a bowl, combine rolled oats, coconut, wheat germ, wheat bran, seeds and chopped nuts.
4. Pour oil mixture over the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
5. Tip into a large roasting dish. Bake 30-40 mins of until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
6. Leave to cool before adding dried fruit. Makes about 6 cups.

I forgot that I was supposed to follow the recipe to the “t’ so to speak.
I used canola oil as I only had that or olive oil and wasn’t keen to use the stronger flavour of olive oil.
For this recipe I melted the oil, sugar and honey in a jug in the microwave for about a minute stirring it twice.
I combined all the other ingredients except the dried fruit in a roasting dish and then poured the liquids over the mix and stirred it thoroughly.
I wasn’t sure how much sunflower and pumpkin seeds to put in so I used about 1/3 cup of each.
I ended up roasting the muesli for 40 mins stirring it three times during cooking.
I used sultanas and chopped apricots for my mixed fruit.

This has a nice nutty flavour and is one I will make again.

Bran Muffins

1 cup Edmonds Standard Grade Flour 
I tsp Edmonds Baking Powder
 ½ tsp salt 
2 tsp mixed spice 
1 ½ cups Edmonds Wheat Bran 
¼ cup sugar 
1 tsp Edmonds Baking Soda 
 Approximately 1 cup milk 
1 Tbsp butter, melted 
1 Tbsp golden syrup, melted 
1 egg beaten 
½ - 1 cup sultanas 

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. 
2. In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, mixed spice, wheat bran, sugar and sultanas. 
3. Dissolve baking soda in milk. Blend in the melted butter, golden syrup and egg. 
4. Pour liquids quickly into the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. 
5. Spoon batter into lightly greased muffin trays. 
6. Bake for 12 – 15 mins or until golden brown and baked. Makes 12 

I have few recipes for bran muffins with or without sultanas. I just thought I would try another to see if it was any better. Even the ingredients are similar. This was off the back of a packet of Edmonds Wheat Germ
I followed the recipe but actually found it better to melt the butter and syrup, beat in the egg quickly and then add the milk and baking soda (I had already mixed) and then gave it a good beat with a folk. I found I needed to use a cup of milk and my sultanas were a heaped half cup measure. 

These were a nice recipe and I will make one of my own again soon to see if I can decide which one I prefer.