Passionfruit slice

• Ingredients

• Melted butter, to grease
• 150g (1 cup) self-raising flour
• 85g (1 cup) desiccated coconut
• 100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
• 100g butter, melted
• 1 x 395g can sweetened condensed milk
• 125ml (1/2 cup) fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbs passionfruit pulp

1. Step 1
   Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a 16 x 26cm (base measurement) slab pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Line the base and 2 long sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing the sides to overhang.
2. Step 2
   Use a wooden spoon to combine the flour, coconut, sugar and butter in a large bowl. Use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl. Transfer to the prepared pan. Use a metal spoon to press firmly over the base. Bake for 12 minutes or until light golden. Set aside to cool.
3. Step 3
   Reduce oven temperature to 150°C.Use a balloon whisk to whisk together the condensed milk, lemon juice and passionfruit pulp in a large bowl until smooth and well combined. Pour into the pan and spread evenly over the base. Bake in oven for 15 minutes until just firm to the touch. Set aside to cool completely. Cut into slices to serve.

Aussie Potato Cakes

Aussie Potato Cakes

Ingredients

---

• 125g (4oz) flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 30g (1 oz) butter
• 250g (8oz) mashed potatoes
• enough milk to moisten
• butter for frying

How to make it

---

• Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add pepper then rub in butter with fingers tips. Make sure that the potatoes are finely beaten, blend in with enough milk to make a stiff dough. Turn onto a lightly floured board, roll out to about 5mm (1/4 inch) thick, and cut into rounds about 5cm (2 inch) in diameter. Pan fry in butter until golden brown on both sides. Makes 6 - 8

Christmas trifle

Christmas trifle 

Ingredients:

• 1pkt strawberry flavoured jelly
• 1 pkt lime jelly
• 6 cups milk
• 6 tbsp custard powder
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 600ml cream, whipped
• 1 punnet strawberries
• 1 tin (825g) sliced peaches
• 1 tin (425g) mango slices
• 1 swiss roll
• 1/2 cup or sherry or orange juice

Method:

Prepare jelly as per packet instructions and refrigerate.

Prepare custard as per instructions using the custard powder, sugar and milk. Refrigerate.

Whip cream and refrigerate.

When ready to assemble, drain the peaches and mango.

Slice the swiss roll and lay in the bottom of the bowl. Sprinkle over the sherry or orange juice.

Lay ingredients in the following order: Green jelly, half of the custard, peaches, red jelly, custard, mango and then cream.

Smooth the cream out and decorate the top with the hulled and halved strawberries.

Notes

• This recipe takes a bit of preparation but it's worth it in the end.
• You can make this the day before you need to serve it. I think it's actually better 24 hours later.
• You can exchange the sherry for orange juice for a child-friendly option.

Chiko Roll

Chiko Roll

Home made chiko roll recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp butter
• 1 cup green cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 celery stick, finely sliced
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 200g cooked lamb, finely diced
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 8 sheets spring roll pastry
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
•  vegetable oil for frying

Method:

Remove the spring roll pastry from the fridge to defrost.

Melt the butter on a medium heat in a frying pan.

Add the onion, cabbage, celery and carrot to the frying pan and cook until soft.

Add the lamb and the chicken stock cube and cook until heated through.  Add the flour and mix in.

Lay out 1 pastry sheet at a time keeping the rest under a moist clean tea towel. Lay 3 tablespoons of mixture at the bottom centre of the sheet and fold the sides in to the middle and roll.

Brush the end with egg to adhere to the pastry. Cover rolls with a moist tea towel. Repeat until all the mixture is used.

Heat the oil in a frying pan. It is ready when you drop a tiny corner of pastry in and it sizzles in the oil.

Add all of the spring rolls to the oil and cook until golden.

Drain on paper towel. Serve with sweet chilli sauce.

Notes

• These are delicious and fairly close to the real thing inside although I never remember the outside being crisp like these homemade ones.
• You could use a bit of leftover roast lamb leg, I got a mini rump roast and cooked it especially to make these. Keeping that pastry moist is very important and it dries just as fast as filo. I popped the leftover pastry back in the freezer for next time.

Anzac Cookies

Anzac Cookies

ANZAC COOKIES

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Baking Time – 20 minutes

Makes 16

 

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour

1 cup dessicated coconut

1 cup rolled oats

2/3 cup brown sugar

125g butter

1 tablespoon golden syrup

1 tablespoon honey 

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 tablespoon boiling water

 

Method

Preheat oven to 170C. Grease and line a cookie sheet with baking paper.

 

Place flour, coconut, oats and sugar in a bowl. Mix well. Place butter, golden syrup and honey in a saucepan over low heat until butter melt. Combine bicarbonate of soda and boiling water in a small bowl and add this to the butter mixture. Stir. Pour over oat mixture and bring all ingredients together.

 

Roll tablespoonfuls of cookie dough into balls and place on the cookie sheet, leaving at least 4cm around each cookie to allow it to spread. Flatten each cookie gently with the tip of your fingers.

 

Bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes until cookies are golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven, cool slightly on tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Don’t overbake them as they won’t be chewy in the middle if overbaked. The cookies continue to cook even after you remove them from the oven.  

Aussie Pizza

Aussie Pizza

50g thin ham, cut into 1" strips
100g bacon, cut into 3" long strips
1-3 eggs
150g mozzarella cheese
Mini Roma tomatoes (optional)

PIZZA DOUGH

Ingredients: 
240g bakers flour
150ml luke warm water
1 tbs olive oil
½ tbs sugar
¼ tsp salt
2-3g baking yeast

PIZZA SAUCE

Ingredients:
400g can of Roma tomatoes, or fresh
2 Tsp Olive Oil
2 Cloves fresh garlic -- chopped
Fresh basil and oregano
A little salt and pepper

Aussie Meat Pie

Aussie Meat Pie

Ingredients

2 sheets of frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 and 1/3 pounds beef or you can use ground chuck (mince) but the roasting beef is better

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

Gravy (bought or make your own)

Salt and pepper

milk for joining both bottom and lid of pastry

Easiest way to make this is with a slow cooker. I like to use left over roast beef and then just add the gravy to it and its only adding the pastry then. Cook beef either with ingredients above (minus the gravy) till it falls apart in the slow cooker and then add gravy to make it thicken.

For large family pie (as in the picture) spray some olive oil spray to keep it from sticking in pan and lay down the puff pastry and cut around to make it fit and bake in oven till golden brown and leave out to cool. Then add your beef mixture and place the other layer or pastry on top and include some vents for it to let the moisture out. Cook until pastry has risen and is golden brown.

ENJOY

In Australia we like to add tomato sauce (ketchup) to eat with it but its still awesome on its own.