Beer Bread (Basic)

Ingredients :
500g Self Raising Flour
5ml Salt
1 x 340ml Beer of your choice

Method :
Sift Flour and salt together, add beer and combine.
Knead until dough is smooth.
Put dough in bread tin and let it stand for 20 minutes.
Bake at 190 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes.
Allow to cool before serving.

Additional ingredients (fried bacon bits, grated cheddar cheese, or some herbs like chopped rosemary/thyme) may be added to the ingredients to add another dimension to the taste.

Sweetcorn tart

Ingredients :

4 tbsp margarine
4 tbsp sugar
4 eggs
3 tbsp Maizena
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Aromat (or equivalent seasoning)
1 ½ cups milk
2 cans cream style sweet corn
grated cheddar cheese (optional)

Method :

Mix all ingredients, except milk and sweet corn.
Add milk and mix well. Pour into greased 30cm oven dish. Stir in corn.
Bake at 180°C for +/- 40 minutes.
Serve warm.

recipe sweetcorn tart

Mosbolletjies (Must buns)

Mosbolletjies are buns originating from the Cape winelands (South Africa), where they were made from dough leavened with must (or "mos" - the juice of the grape in the first stages of fermentation) instead of yeast. If fresh grapes were not available, raisins were used instead.

Ingredients:
500ml (300g) raisins with seeds
600ml lukewarm water (+/-)
2,5kg cake flour
800ml warm milk
375g butter
15ml salt
400ml (320g) sugar
30ml whole aniseed

Preparation:
Chop raisins in a food processor.
Add lukewarm water and leave, covered to ferment for four days.
When the raisins have risen to the surface, the yeast (or must), is ready.
Strain yeast through a muslin cloth and keep the strained liquid.
Discard raisins.

Prepare a yeast mixture by adding 250ml of the flour to the liquid and mixing to a thin batter.
Beat slightly, cover, and leave in a warm place until the mixture doubles in size.
Add the warm milk to the butter and allow to stand.
Sift the remaining flour and salt together.
Add sugar, butter mixture, yeast mixture and aniseed, mixing well.
Add more milk if necessary.
Brush surface of dough with melted butter, cover, and leave to rise in a warm place overnight.
Knock down, cover, and again leave to rise in a warm place until dough has doubled in size.
Shape dough into balls and pack tightly in greased bread baking tins.
Brush with melted butter.
Leave in a warm place to rise until double in size.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180C (350F) for about 1 hour or until golden brown.

recipe mosbolletjies baking

Lemon Cheesecake

Ingredients :

Biscuit base :
1 cup crushed digestive biscuits
1/3 cup butter, melted

Filling :
½ cup (100 grams) cream
juice of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon lemon rind, grated
1 cup cream cheese (preferably Mascarpone)
½ cup castor sugar

Lemon sauce :
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon corn flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon rind, grated
½ teaspoon butter
2 - 3 drops of lemon essence
a drop of yellow food colouring (optional)

Method
Mix the biscuit crumbs with the melted butter and press the mixture into the base of a 17.5 cm loose bottomed pie dish. Chill until firm.
Whisk the cream in a clean dry bowl till soft peaks form. Keep aside.
Mix the lemon rind, lemon juice, cream cheese and sugar till smooth. Fold in the whipped cream gently so that it does not curdle or split.
Spread the filling over the biscuit base and chill until firm.
For the lemon sauce, combine the sugar with ½ cup of water in a saucepan and heat till the sugar is dissolved. Dissolve the cornflour in 2 tablespoons of water and add it to the sugar syrup. Heat stirring continuously till the mixture thickens. Add the butter and mix well. Cool and add the lemon juice, lemon rind, lemon essence and yellow food colouring . Mix well and keep aside.
For the garnish, remove the cheese cake from the mould and place on a serving plate. Pour the lemon sauce on top and refrigerate again.
Serve chilled.

recipe lemon cheesecake

Rich, dark chocolate cake

by Janet Anderson

Ingredients :
2 cups sugar
1 ¾ cups flour
10 mls of powdered instant coffee
¾ cup cocoa powder
1 ½ teas of baking powder
1 ½ teas bicarb
1 teas salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup cooking oil
2 teas vanilla
¾ cup boiling water

Method :
Pre-heat oven to 180C.
Sift dry ingredients in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, add together milk, eggs, oil and vanilla and beat well and then fold into the flour mixture.
Mix in the boiling water. The mixture will be thin at this point so don’t be alarmed.
Pour into 25cm pans and bake for 30- 35 minutes.
Test with skewer for readiness. Skewer should come out clean.

Butter icing

Ingredients :
Sift the icing sugar, 125 mls cocoa and 10 mls of coffee together
100 grams soft butter
5 mls vanilla
milk

Method :
Beat butter till soft. Add 100 mls of the icing sugar and then the vanilla. Continue adding icing sugar mixture slowly and alternate with tiny amounts of milk until you get a fluffy icing. Take care not to add the vanilla or milk too early else the mixture may curdle.
Spread on the cake and decorate with glace cherries or other trimmings of your choice

recipe chocolate cake baking

Orange Cake

by Janet Anderson

Ingredients :
4 eggs
200g sugar
Rind of one orange
240g cake flour
20ml baking powder
2ml salt
5ml vanilla essence
125g butter
250ml milk

Method :
In a saucepan, heat the milk and butter until just before boiling point.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs one by one, adding the sugar slowly
When the egg mixture is light and fluffy, fold in the orange rind.
Sift in the dry ingredients and work the hot milk into the mixture.
The mixture will appear quite thin, but that is how it should be.
Transfer the cake mixture into 2 x 25cm cake tins and bake for 20 - 25 minutes at 180C.
Test with a skewer - cake should still be moist - do not overbake else the cake may become too dry.

Icing :
Beat 100g of margerine, icing sugar, the juice of one small orange and grated orange rind until light and fluffy.

recipe Orange cake baking

Black Forest Cake

by Janet Anderson

Ingredients :
2 cups of Self Raising flour
125 mls of cocoa powder
5 mls of baking powder
5 mls of bicarbonate of soda
1 ml salt
2.5 mls vanilla essence
2 cups of sugar
2 eggs
310 mls buttermilk
125 vegetable oil

Method :
Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla essence together until light and fluffy.
Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together and add to the egg mixture.
Mix the buttermilk and oil together and fold into the egg/flour mixture.
Transfer mixture into two 25cm greased cake tins.
Bake at 180C for 35 minutes..
Wait for about 5 mins after removing from the oven before you loosen the sides and turn out the cakes onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely and then slice once through each cake layer to make 4 layers.

Topping and filling
Ingredients :
300 mls fresh cream
75 mls icing sugar
Kirsch Liquer (cherry liquer)
200 g canned / bottled sour cherries
A paste of 5ml cornflour mixed with a little cold water.
Flaky or grated chocolate

Method :
Drain about 250g of cherries in a sieve, gently squeezing out the juice. Reserve the juice.
Place half of the cherries in a saucepan and add 30mls of Kirsch and 20mls of the juice from the cherries and bring to a simmer.
Thicken the mixture with the cornflour and allow to cool completely - this will form part of the cake topping.
Sprinkle the 4 layers of cake with 100 mls of Kirsch.
Beat the cream and icing sugar together until stiff.
Start stacking the cake by speading about a 5th of the cream mixture on each layer, placing the uncooked half of the cherries on top of the cream on the second layer.
Once all 4 layers have been stacked, take the cooled cherry mixture and place in the centre of the top layer, spreading evenly (about 2 - 3 cm from the edge).
Use the last 5th of the cream to pipe rosettes around the edge.
Lastly, sprinkle the chocolate flakes over the top of the cake.

recipe Black Forest cake

Eliza Acton's Bakewell Pudding

Elizabeth 'Eliza' Acton (1799 - 1859) was an English poet and cook who produced one of the country's first cookbooks aimed at the domestic reader rather than the professional cook or chef, Modern Cookery for Private Families. In this book she introduced the now-universal practice of listing the ingredients and suggested cooking times with each recipe. Her recipes are still in wide circulation. See the next post for one of the poems written by her, "I Love Thee".

Ingredients :
250 - 750g mixed preserves
10 eggs, yolks only
225g sugar
225g butter
ratafia (a liquer or cordial flavored with peach or cherry kernels, bitter almonds or other fruits)
lemon brandy or other flavouring, to taste

Method :
This pudding is famous not only in Derbyshire in England, but in several of the northern counties, where it is usually served on all holiday-occasions.
Line a shallow tart-dish with an inch-deep layer of several kinds of good preserve mixed together, and intermingle with them from 50 - 80g of candied citron or orange rind.
Beat well the yolks of ten eggs, and add to them gradually 225g of sifted sugar.
When they are well mixed, slowly pour in 225g of good clarified butter, and a little ratafia or any other flavour that may be preferred.
Fill the dish two-thirds full with this mixture, and bake the pudding for nearly an hour in a moderate oven.
Half the quantity will be sufficient for a small dish.
Bake in moderate oven, ¾ to 1 hour.

Note. This is a rich and expensive, but not very refined pudding. A variation of it, known in the south as an Alderman's pudding, is considered superior to it. It is made without the candied peel, and with a layer of apricot-jam only, 180g butter, 180g of sugar, the yolks of six, and the whites of two eggs.

recipe Eliza Acton bakewell pudding baking

Rich Fruit Cake

Ingredients :
50g glace cherries
45ml brandy
850g fruit cake mix
50g almonds
225g cake flour
2ml salt
2ml mixed spice
1ml freshly grated nutmeg
225g unsalted butter
225g sugar molasses
4 extra large eggs
15ml molasses
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Grated rind of 1 orange

Method:
Rinse the cherries in a strainer to remove the syrup, allow to dry then finely chop them.
Add the fruit cake mix and mix well.
Sprinkle the brandy over and give the fruit another mix, cover and leave standing overnight.
Finely chop the almonds and put to one side.
Grease a cake tin of about 20cm in diameter then cover the bottom and sides with grease-proof paper.
Tie a double layer of brown paper around the outside of the cake tin.
Sift the cake flour, salt and spices together the following day.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and smooth.
Beat the eggs and work it into the butter mixture, a bit at a time.
In between, fold some of the flour mixture into the butter mixture if it appears that the butter/egg mixture wants to separate.
Fold the remaining flour mixture in, a little at a time.
Fold in the fruit mix, almonds and the rest of the ingredients.
Transfer the mixture into the cake baking tin and smooth over the top, until even.
Cover the cake with a double-layer of grease-proof paper with and pierce a little hole in the middle.
Place the cake on a double layer of brown paper on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for about 4½ hours in a preheated oven at 140C.
Toe test if the cake is done, pierce the cake with a knitting needle, skewer (or other testing implement) and if the needle comes out dry, then the cake is done.
Allow the cake to cool off in the tin for about half an hour.
Tip the cake onto a cooling rack and sprinkle some brandy or rum over, when the cake has completely cooled.
If the cake is wrapped in grease-proof paper, it could keep for about 6 months in the cupboard or up to a year in a freezer.

recipe fruit cake baking

Chocolate Chip cookies

(courtesy of Neiman Marcus)

Ingredients :
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method :
1.Preheat oven to 150C (300F). Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds)
2.Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds.
3.In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips.
4.Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

recipe chocolate chip cookies biscuits baking

Corn Muffins

Ingredients :
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
1 egg, lightly beaten

Method :
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Grease muffin tins for 9 muffins.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder,
and salt.
Add butter and mix until crumbly.
In a separate bowl, mix the milk and cream with the egg and fold in the liquid mixture into the flour mixture.
Spoon into tins filling to the top.
Bake about 25 - 30 minutes.

recipe corn muffins muffins baking

Aniseed Rusks

Ingredients :
375g butter or margarine
470ml sugar
4 large eggs
4x500g self raising flour
15ml aniseed
10ml salt
2.5ml crème of tartar
1 litre warm milk

Method :
Melt the butter(or margarine) together with the sugar, allow to cool then beat the eggs into the melted butter.
Sift the dry ingredients together, then add the warm milk and beaten eggs.
Add the aniseed and make into a dough and allow to stand for 5 minutes thereafter.
Roll the dough into little balls and place ,against one another, into 2 greased bread baking pans of about 22 x 12 cm.
Bake in a preheated oven of 180C for about an hour or until done.
Allow to cool, then separate - if the rusks have not dried and hardened sufficiently then they may be placed on a baking tray and put back into an oven at 100C for a further 1 - 2 hours (leave the oven door slightly ajar).

recipe aniseed rusks rusks baking

Orange and Raisin Loaf

Ingredients :
Juice & rind of one orange
250ml raisins
1 egg, lightly beaten
30ml melted butter
500ml cake flour
5ml baking powder
2ml baking soda
2ml salt
125ml sugar
100g finely chopped pecan nuts

Method :
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Grease a bread baking pan with butter or margarine.
Add the orange juice, orange rind and raisins to 250ml of water.
Mix the melted butter and egg then add to the orange mixture and mix well.
Pass the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together, through a sieve.
Add the sugar and chopped pecan nuts and work through.
Add the orange juice mixture and mix well.
Transfer the cake mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake for 60 minutes or until done.
Allow to cool on a cooling rack before slicing.
Serve with butter.

recipe Orange and Raisin loaf baking

Banana Loaf

Ingredients :
125g butter
250g castor sugar
2 extra large eggs
30ml yoghurt or buttermilk
5ml vanilla essence
6 ripe, mashed bananas
60ml chopped nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts)
250g cake flour
5ml baking soda
1,5ml salt

Method :
Cream the butter and castor sugar until light and fluffy.
Lightly beat the eggs with a fork and add it, together with the yoghurt and vanilla essence, to the butter mixture.
Fold the mashed banana and nuts into the mixture.
Pass the flour, baking soda and salt twice through a sieve and then mix well with the banana mixture.
Grease a bread baking container with butter and transfer the mixture into it.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 50 - 60 minutes until golden brown and firm.
Allow to cool before slicing.

recipe banana loaf baking

Hot Cross buns

(Hot cross buns are traditionally made/bought and eaten over the Easter weekend but these can be enjoyed all year round. If desired, the "cross" on the bun (symbolic of the crucifixion) may be left off when making these buns, other than over Easter)

Ingredients :
450g white bread flour
80g butter
10g sachet of yeast
5ml salt
10ml ground cinnamon
10ml mixed spice
50g castor sugar
100g dried fruit cake mix
50g chopped dried apricots
1 large egg, beaten
300ml warm milk
50g cake flour
Honey or syrup

Method :
Sift the bread flour in a large dish and work the butter in with your fingers until the mixture resembles large bread crumbs.
Stir the yeast, salt, spice, sugar and fruit into the mixture.
In a separate bowl, mix the egg and milk then pour into the flour mixture until a stiff dough is formed.
Place the dough on a floured surface and knead it well for about 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into 12 equallly sized pieces and mould each one into a bun shape with your hands.
Place on a greased baking tray and lightly cover with a tea towel and leave standing in a warm place until the buns have risen to double their size.
Mix the cake flour and water and make a cross on top of the buns, using a piping bag or some other piping utensil.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 180C until done.
After removing the buns from the oven, brush warm honey or syrup over the top and allow to cool.

recipe Hot Cross Buns buns baking

Melktert (Milk tart)

(South African favourite)

(I guess there are variations of this tart made all over the world, but this is the traditional Dutch way of making it, as introduced to the Cape back in the days of the Dutch settlers)

Ingredients :

Pastry :
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup Self raising Flour
Pinch salt
25ml iced water

Filling :
500ml milk (2 cups)
1 stick cinnamon
25ml butter
50ml sugar
2 Eggs
50 ml Cake Flour

Method :

Pastry:
Beat the margarine(butter) and the sugar together.
Work in the flour and salt.
Add the water and work to a soft dough.
Wrap up and chill until required.

Filling:
Boil the milk in a pot with the cinnamon stick.
Mix together the sugar and flour and once mixed, stir in the hot milk slowly.
Return to the heat and cook for 15 minutes with the lid of.
Remove from heat and stir in the butter.
When cool, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg has been added.
Line a 22cm tart baking dish with the pastry and pour in the filling mixture.
Sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar and bake in a preheated oven at 200C for 20 minutes.

recipe melktert milk tart baking

Oatcakes (Standard)

Ingredients :
250 gm oatmeal
pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoon butter or margarine
some hot water

Method :
Mix oatmeal, salt and baking soda together in a bowl.
Make a well in the centre and pour in the melted butter.
Add a little hot water to the butter and gradually mix into a stiff paste adding water where necessary.
Roll out on a floured surface to about 3 - 4mm thickness then cut into circles using a biscuit(cookie) cutter or you could use a suitably sized glass.
Place on a floured baking tray and bake in a hot oven for 20-30 minutes until the cakes are crisp and have turned a light, golden brown colour.

recipe oatcakes baking

Scones

Ingredients :
750ml all purpose flour
15ml baking powder
2 eggs (one for eggwash)
cooking oil
250ml milk
a pinch of salt
37.5ml butter

Method :
Work the butter into the flour.
Add the egg, milk and a little cooking oil and mix well.
Knead well until the dough becomes stiff and roll out on a floured surface to thickness of about 1.5cm.
Use a 5cm biscuit(cookie) cutter to form the scones and place on a greased baking tray.
Brush some eggwash on the top of the scones and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C for 10 - 12 minutes.
Serve with your favorite topping or filling (eg. strawberry jam and whipped cream, butter and cheese ...... etc.)

recipe scones baking

White Bread (Basic)

Ingredients :
1kg white bread flour
15ml salt
10ml sugar
1x10g sachet instant dried yeast
20g butter
625ml luke warm water

Method :
Sift the flour, salt, yeast and sugar together.
Work the butter into the dry ingredients.
Add the luke warm water and mix into a soft dough - more water may be added if the dough has not reached the desired consistency.
Knead the dough until soft and elastic.
Place the dough into a mixing bowl that has been lightly coated with oil and cover with a tea towel for about 20 minutes.
After the dough has risen, knead one more time and divide the dough into two equal portions and spread into two bread baking containers that have been greased with butter.
Cover and place in a warm area to allow the dough to rise to double it's size - usually takes between 30 - 40 minutes.
Lightly brush with water and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C for about 35 minutes.

recipe white bread bread baking

Pancakes

Ingredients :
3 x 250ml sifted flour
3 eggs
½ tsp salt
37.5ml sunflower oil
10ml sugar
400 ml mik or water
cinnamon sugar

Method :
Place the flour into a mixing bowl and add the eggs, salt, sunflower oil and sugar.
Add a the milk or water, a liitle at a time until the consistency of the mixture becomes smooth and without any lumps.
Preheat a pan (non-stick, peferably), add a teaspoon of the cooking oil and move the pan about until all of the base is completely covered with the oil.
Ladle some of the pancake mixture into the pan and wait until the top of the mixture in the pan appears to have a "dry" appearance before flipping over.
After removing the pancakes from the pan, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and roll it up.
Could be served with your favourite topping or filling (eg. maple syrup, honey and lemon juice, sliced strawberries and cream or with your favourite jam).

recipe pancakes