Christmas Cheer Cocktail Recipe

Be careful! Very Alcoholic!

Christmas Cheer

350 ml Cointreau

450 ml Vodka

200 ml lime juice

800 ml cranberry juice

200 ml icy cold water

Mix together ingredients and chill in freezer one hour before serving. Serve with ice and a twist of lime. Makes 2 litres - around 20-25 drinks.

Pumpkin Carving

Halloween seems to become bigger and bigger each year in Australia. This year, with the day falling on a Saturday, it seemed that lots of people, young and old, were embracing the festivities and dressing up for trick or treating.
Out of curiosity, Mindi decided to carve a pumpkin for the first time. It turned out to be a bit of fun, and the flesh that was scooped out was used to make some delicious, very Australian, pumpkin scones - you can get the recipe from Gourmet Traveller here

Spring Lunch

A few pictures and a yummy recipe we made to celebrate Spring.

Dandi Spring Salad

Ingredients - Serves 4

350 g Farfalle

1 bunch Asparagus, ends snapped, cut into thirds

50 g Baby Spinach

¾ Cup Frozen or Fresh Peas

2 cups Broad Beans, unpeeled

80 g Feta (we used Australian), crumbled

½ bunch Mint, shredded

½ Lemon, juiced

¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Method:

Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Cook Broad beans and end and middle asparagus pieces in salted boiling water for 3 minutes. In the last minute add in the Asparagus tips and peas. Drain and refresh veggies in cold water. Drain and refresh pasta in cold water. Peel outer skin from broad beans. Place cooked veggies, pasta and spinach leaves in a bowl and toss with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to combine. Sprinkle with feta and mint and enjoy the flavours of Spring.

Bon Apetit!

ANZAC biccies!

This ANZAC day we have been getting into the spirit of things early by baking yummy chewy ANZAC biscuits. We love how they make the kitchen smell, and how they taste fresh from the oven, but mostly we love the history behind these delightful treats. ANZAC biscuits are an ongoing legacy of the support given to the Australian and New Zealand soldiers during World War 1 by concerned wives, mothers, girlfriends and sisters. They are incredibly easy to make and your friends and family will love them!

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Stir in the oats, coconut and brown sugar. 

Put the butter, golden syrup and 2 Tbs water in a small saucepan. Stir over a medium heat until melted (or place in microwave for 60 – 90 seconds). Stir in the bicarbonate of soda. 

Pour the butter mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined. 

Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls. Place on the trays, about 5cm apart. 

Press with a fork to flatten slightly. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. 

Set aside on the trays for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack (if you don’t gobble them up immediately!) so it cools completely.

You can make friends with friands

Today's post is Mindi's favorite thing to bake, friands. They are delicious, easy, and look amazingly professional when dusted with a little icing sugar. Try these out as the perfect afternoon tea snack!

Orange & Poppy Seed Friands

Makes 12 Friands.

Ingredients

1/2 cup plain flour (or gluten free plain flour, for gluten free friands)

1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted

1 cup almond meal

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Zest of 1 orange

Juice of 1/2 orange

5 egg whites, beaten till lightly frothy

150g melted butter (or nuttelex for dairy free friands)

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease 12 friand moulds or line moulds with friand cases

Sift Flour and icing sugar into a large mixing bowl. Stir in almond meal, poppy seeds and orange rind.

Stir in egg whites, melted butter and juice.

Divide mixture evenly among friand moulds. Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.

Dust with icing sugar and eat warm or wait til cool and dust.

Friands can be stored for up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge, or frozen and reheated.

Variations: Jaffa Friands - Omit the poppy seeds and add two heaped tablespoons of cocoa powder for yummy choc- orange flavour. Lemon & Poppy Seed Friands - substitute orange rind and juice for lemon rind and juice.

Plum Time

With all the fruit literally raining upon Mike & Vivienne's property, Caroline felt the need to get into the kitchen and make use of it. Having been given the wonderful old cookbook, The Greta Anna Recipes, the recipe for Plum Cake was the perfect solution for the abundance of plump plums lying around. Recipe and images below, bon appetit!

Easter Baking

Now that we are all significantly recovered from Easter chocolate binging (and congratulations if this wasn't the case for you) we thought we might share a special recipe which Caroline stumbled across in her Grandma's very well used cookbook from 1950. It is for a traditional Easter Simnel Cake. Not only does the cake look spectacular - but it tastes absolutely amazing! Like a light Christmas cake but WAY better!! The effort to bake this is well worth the reward of eating it. So pull out your Dandi Pini and get baking! Click here for the full recipe and instructions.

Easter Simnel Cake - Recipe from Granny Brooks

100g softened butter
½ cup brown sugar
1 tbs golden syrup
1 egg
2 cups of self raising flour
1 tsp mixed spice
350g dried mixed fruit
100g dried apricots
2 tbs apricot jam

Almond icing
360g of icing sugar
100g almond meal
1 tsp. vanilla essence
2 tbs of lemon juice
1 egg

Preheat oven to 180’C. Grease a 17cm round cake pan, lining the base with baking paper.

Place icing ingredients in a bowl and mix. Knead on a clean surface until smooth. Wrap in plastic and set aside.

Beat together butter, sugar and golden syrup until pale and creamy. Add egg and beat until just combined. Add flour and mixed spice and stir to combine. Stir in mixed fruit.

Spoon half the mixture into the pan and smooth surface. Use a rolling pin to roll out 1/3 of the icing into a 17cm disc. Place icing on top of mixture and spoon remaining fruit mixture over the icing, smoothing the surface as you go.

Bake in oven for 30 minutes then reduce to 150’C for a about 1 ½ hours. Remove and cool.

When cold, brush the top of the cake with heated jam. Divide remaining icing in half, using one portion roll out a 17cm disc and place on top of cake. With the remaining almond mixture roll 11 egg shaped balls and arrange on top of the cake.

Place under grill on high until golden. Serve with tea, love and dandi napery!

.