Cumquat Marmalade

 

Ingredients

1. 2 cups kumquats, sliced ( some seeds removed)
2. 4 cups water
3. 1 1/2 cups sugar

 Directions

1. Slice the kumquats and put them in the water (in a pan that can be used on the stovetop). Let this stand overnight.
2. The next day, put the pan on the stovetop and boil the fruit until it is tender. Then pour the fruit mixture into a bowl and let stand for another night.
3. On the third day, transfer the fruit/water mixture to a cooking pot and add 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Add brandy if used. Boil this mixture until it jells (about 45 minutes).
4. Pour into warm, sterilised jars and seal.

NUTELLA COOKIES

The main ingredient is Nutella but there’s only 3 more ingredients in this recipe for a simple chocolate cookie.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Nutella
• ½ cups Sugar
• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1 whole Egg 

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 350 F OR175C
  Blend all ingedients together well. Form into 1″ balls. Place on a cookie sheet. Press down firmly with the bottom of a glass. Bake 7-8 minutes or until set. Cool.
  
  

  

  
  

JAM TARTS

Ingredients

• 110g plain flour
• 50g unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup jam
• Icing sugar, to dust
•  

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Sift flour into a bowl and add a pinch of salt. Use your fingers to rub in butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 1 tablespoon of very cold water and use a fork to mix together, then add a little more chilled water until the mixture forms a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out on a lightly floured surface and use a round pastry cutter to cut out 6 circles. Use a small, heart-shaped cutter to cut 6 hearts from the excess pastry.
2. Grease six 6cm loose-bottomed, fluted tart pans. Use the circles to line the pans, then refrigerate for a further 10 minutes. Line the pastry shells with baking paper and fill with rice or pastry weights. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and weights, fill the tarts with jam and place a pastry heart in the centre of each tart. Bake for a further 8 minutes. Allow to cool before dusting with icing sugar.
   
   
   

RED VELVET CUP CAKES

 Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1  bottle Red Food Color
• 2 teaspoons  Pure Vanilla Extract

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 (8 ounce) / 280 grams package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons  Pure Vanilla Extract
• 16 ounces / 450grams caster sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F OR 180 C. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Do not overbeat. Spoon batter into 30 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely. Frost with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting.
4. Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat cream cheese, softened, butter, sour cream and Pure Vanilla Extract in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in  sugar until smooth. 

 

Strawberry Jelly Roll or a Strawberry Roulade

Prep Time: 6 hours, 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 6 hours, 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla, divided
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3 plus cups caster sugar
• milk, optional
• 1/3 cup strawberry jam (the kind without whole berries in it)

Preparation:

Early in the day, or the day before serving, preheat oven to 375 degrees F or 190 C. Grease jelly roll pan (15x10x1-inch). Line with parchment paper and grease again. Spread clean dish towel on work surface. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Set out a wire cooling rack.

With a wire whisk, combine flour and baking powder. Set aside. Separate eggs. Set whites aside. With an electric or stand mixer, beat yolks with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla on high for 5 minutes until thick. Add 1/2 cup sugar gradually until combined. In a clean and very dry bowl and beaters, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Carefully, fold (using figure eight motion) yolk mixture into whites. Sprinkle flour mixture on top. Fold until just combined. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. It's done when center bounces back when touched. Loosen sides of cake from pan. Carefully, dump cake onto prepared dish towel. Quickly, trim any rough or uneven edges. Tightly, but carefully, roll cake and towel from short end. Place on rack to cool.

To prepare frosting, sift* powdered sugar. Cream butter and powdered sugar. Beat on high until smooth. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Combine. If too thick, add milk a tablespoon at a time.

To finish Strawberry Jelly Roll Cake, stir strawberry jam well. Unroll and remove dish towel. Spread jam on cake. Spread frosting over jam. Re-roll cake and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Strawberry Jelly Roll Cake serves 6 to 10 people.

RASPBERRY BAR COOKIES

Here's a scrumptious recipe 

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup raspberry jam, seedless

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F or 180 C. Grease 8-inch square pan, set aside.
2.  In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk. 
3. Add rest of ingredients except jam. 
4. Stir until large crumbs form.
5.  Press 2 cups of mixture into prepared pan. 
6. Spread jam to 1/4 inch of pan sides. 
7. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over top. 
8. Lightly press crumbs into jam. 
9. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until brown around edges. 
10. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. 

Servings 16 to 25 depending on size of bars cut.

CHERRY STRUDEL

There are many varieties of strudel in the Balkans, ranging from poppyseed, raisin and honey, to sweet cheese, apple and cherry. Unlike some strudel doughs, this Bulgarian cherry strudel or chereshata shtrudel is not made with yeast. It is rolled out thinly to produce a flaky crust rather than a puffy one.

Makes 10 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• Dough:
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 10 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup warm water
• .
• Filling:
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 pounds Bing cherries, washed, stemmed and pitted
• 3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, egg, 1/2 cup melted butter and water. Mix into a smooth, pliable dough. Wrap with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
   
   
2. Place rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 200 C degrees. In a large bowl, combine walnuts, sugar, cherries and breadcrumbs. Reserve.
   
   
3. Place a  sheet of parchment paper (or tea towel) on a flat surface. Dust it lightly with flour. Roll the dough as thinly as possible until it covers the entire parchment paper (and, in the case of a tea towel, until you can see the design on the cloth through it).
   
   
4. Lightly brush the edges of dough with water. Spread the cherry filling on the dough, leaving a 1-inch unfilled border on all sides.
   
   
5. Using the parchment paper or tea towel to lift the dough, fold the sides in first, then the bottom. Continue rolling away from yourself until you have a nice cylinder.
   
   
6. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, shape into a horsehoe and brush with remaining melted butter. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Dust strudel with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.