The Start Menu » Treats

Quick Easy Ginger Beer (24 hours)

admin — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 01:30:15 +0000

2X 2.25 Coke bottles
2 litres (or just over) bottle of boiled/clean water
2 tablespoons of grated ginger
1 lemon (size doesnt matter much)
1 cup of sugar ¼ teaspoon of dried yeast

Using a plastic funnel, pour the sugar into the bottle.
Add the dried yeast to the bottle.
Mix the grated ginger and lemon juice together in a cup or other suitable piece of crockery.
Next you need to add the ginger/lemon mixture to the bottle using your funnel
Add the water to the bottle until it is about ¾ full, then put the cap on and shake the bottle until all the sugar is dissolved.
You then need to top the bottle up until there is approximately a one inch gap at the top. This gap is to prevent explosions once the yeast gets to work.
Put the cap on the bottle as tightly as you can, then place the bottle somewhere warm. I put mine in my airing cupboard. You’ll need to leave it for 24-48hours to let the yeast go to work.
Once the bottle is very hard, and can’t be squeezed, the ginger beer is done. It took 24 hours for my batch to be ready.
Place the bottle in the fridge overnight. This halts the yeast and stops the bottle exploding.
Once the ginger beer is chilled, pour it into the 2nd coke bottle through a sieve to remove lumpy bits.
Pour it into a glass and enjoy.

Notes: You really don’t want to leave that bottle in a warm place for any longer than 48 hours.

Stewed Plums & Ice Cream

admin — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 07:25:47 +0000

Ingredients

1.5kg Plums
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Water
1/2 t Cinnamon

Instructions

put water , sugar and Cinnamon into crock pot and mix well
Place plums into Crockpot, and turn on low
Place cooked plums into desert plate with ice cream & eat!The plums will hold shape well and are just a little tangy inside (though some people like that!) , feel free to add more sugar.

Recipe by Lisa Kingsbeer

Xmas Pudding Truffles

admin — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 21:21:05 +0000

This one is by Allie K. @alikat2k

Ingredients

1x Ernest Adams Christmas Pudding (325gm) (or similar size pre-made Xmas pudding)
1/2 Cup of Rum, Brandy or Orange Liqueur
1x Bag of Dark or Milk Chocolate Melts
1/2 Bag of White Chocolate Melts Glace Cherries or Red/Green lollies to decorate

Instructions

Crumble Christmas Pudding into a microwave proof bowl.
Pour over Alcohol.
Microwave on High for 4-5 minutes (depending on Microwave… 4 minutes @ 1200w works nice)
When cooled sufficiently, roll into balls. Should make about 12 balls.
Place in freezer on a tray & baking paper for no less than an hour.
Melt Dark/Milk chocolate according to the instructions on the packet.

Dip each partially frozen truffle into the chocolate and place on baking paper and allow to set at room temperature (putting in the fridge to set causes the chocolate to sweat and go all cloudy and yucky looking)
Melt the white chocolate according to the instructions on the packet. let it cool ever so slightly.
Take a level teaspoon of white chocolate and drip it on top, allowing the chocolate to slowly run off the teaspoon, giving it a custard dollop look.
Allow the white chocolate to again start setting.
After about a minute or so, place the decorations on top to make it look like a christmas pudding!
Allow the white chocolate to set fully at room temperature (again, not in the fridge… chocolate sweats!)
CONSUME OM NOM NOM NOM

Chocolate Sauce – Good for adding to Mochachino or Desert

admin — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 06:36:04 +0000

Ingredients

1 Cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/4 cup Cream (Optional)

Instructions

Stir all ingredients together
Boil 2-5 minutes on high stirring rapidly until sauce begins to thicken (sometimes may take a little longer)
Let it cool If you are using this as a desert topping, add the cream and stir it in, otherwise this stores nicely in the fridge as a nice additive to your morning coffee

Chewy Ginger Cookies

admin — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 10:01:01 +0000

Ingredients

150g butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
¼ cup molasses or Golden Syrup
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups flour
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. salt
extra sugar for rolling

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (200°C).
Cream the butter and the sugar.
Add the egg and stir in the molasses/golden syrup.
sift in the baking soda, flour, spices and salt
Shape into small (2 cm diameter) balls and roll in granulated sugar.
Place on greased cookie sheet. Do not flatten balls.
Bake for about 11 minutes.

Chocolate Oaty Cookies

admin — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 09:50:19 +0000

Ingredients

200g butter
1 lightly packed cup brown sugar
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbs milk
3 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Cream butter and sugars well
Add in egg and vanilla and beat.
Sift flour and baking soda and mix into creamed mixture with milk.
Add combined oats, raisins and chocolate chips.
Mix thoroughly.
Put small (about 2cm round) spoonfuls onto greased trays.
Neaten and flatten with a fork dipped in water.
Bake at 180C for 12 – 15 minutes.
Cool on trays for 5 minutes at least as these come out very crumbly.
Move to a cooling rack once they stick together.

Notes

The recipe makes a large batch (60-70) of crunchy, chewy and very yummy biscuits.

Bicotti – low fat easy base recipe

admin — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:31:16 +0000

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups of flour
1 Cup Sugar
1/2t baking soda
1/2t Baking Powder
1 pinch salt
3 Large eggs Icing sugar for rolling it in
Optional: nuts, ginger pieces, cherrys, cocoa etc

Instructions

Put all ingrediants in a blender and turn on low until mixed and doughy (or mix by hand)
Turn out into board and roll in icing sugar (this can be messy/sticky, do your best)
Split into 2 long thing rolls, put on baking paper on an oven tray.
Cook at 180C/350F for 15 minutes or until cake like (occasionally a little longer to firm up in the middle)
Slice into slices finger width thick lay slices on their side and re-bake for another 10-15 minutes at 150C/300F or until toasted/crisp on the outside.

Quick Notes

Most recipes contain a cup of oil or butter, I especially hunted down and tested this recipe which is low fat and easy.

These make an excellent gift wrapped in cellophane with a bow for christmas, or served with coffee. You can dress it up with a dunk in chocolate, or leave them as they are.

Additional Ingrediants:

Spices: 1/2 to 1t cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom or ginger all seem to taste great

Citrus zests and juice: 1t of lemon or orange zes and up to four T of juice can be added to the mix

Extracts: 1/2 to 1t of almond, pepermint, or vanilla extract can be added

Dried Fruits: cherries, cranberries,apricots,raisins, or currents can be rehydrated in water, fruit juice or alcohol, drained and added to the mixture.

Nuts: 1/2 to 1 cup shelled, peeled, chopped nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, etc) can be added to the mix