EASY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

1 jar red enchilada sauce
2 1/2 cups store bought barbecue chicken, shredded
1 1/2 cups shredded tasty cheese
250 grams cream cheese, room temp
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
10  tortillas

extra shredded tasty cheese


preheat oven to 180 c. Spray 13 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray.

spread 1/3 of the enchilada sauce across the bottom of baking dish.

in a medium bowl, mix chicken, cheese, cream cheese and seasoning mix with spoon
until well combined.

spread the filling onto each tortilla. roll up each tortilla tightly and place seam
side down in baking dish.

drizzle with remaining enchilada sauce. sprinkle with the extra cheese.

cover the dish with foil and cook for 15 minutes. uncover and cook
until bubbly and lightly browned.

serve with sour cream and avocado.
we like salsa with them as well.

CORNBREAD

 1 cup self raising flour flour
 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
 1 teaspoon salt
 1 cup cornmeal (polenta)
 1 1/2 tablespoons caster sugar
 1 cup milk
 1/4 cup canola oil
 1 egg

preheat oven to 200 c.  grease and flour a small loaf tin.

place all dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl.

place milk, oil and egg into another bowl and mix to combine.

pour the wet into the dry and mix until well combined.

pour mix into loaf tin.

cook 25 - 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

leave in tin for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack.

serve warm or at room temperature.

PAVLOVA


6 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/3 cups caster sugar
3 teaspoons cornflour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon white vinegar

300 ml thickened cream, whipped
2 peppermint crisp. crushed


preheat oven to 200 C. draw a 24 cm (diameter) circle on a sheet of baking paper.
place, pencil-side down, on a baking tray. dust lightly with 1 teaspoon cornflour.

using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl until soft peaks form.
add sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating constantly until thick and glossy.

add the cornflour with the last tablespoon of sugar.

fold in the vanilla and vinegar.

spoon meringue onto baking paper. shape into a circle, using the pencil mark as a guide, with a
slightly higher edge and a low centre.

reduce oven to 100°C. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until dry and crisp.
(my ovens a bit wonky, took 2 hours).

turn off oven and leave oven door open.

cool completely in oven (pavlova may sink during cooling).

slide pavlova onto a serving plate and cover top with whipped cream.
sprinkle with the peppermint crisp.

CHOCOLATE ECLAIRS

50 grams butter, chopped
3/4 cup water
1 cup plain flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten

300 mls whipped cream


preheat oven to 200 C. line two baking trays with non stick baking paper.


place the butter and water in saucepan  and stir over medium heat until it comes to the boil.

remove from heat and using a wooden spoon quickly beat in the flour.
return to the heat and continue beating with the wooden spoon until mixture forms a ball and
leaves the sides of the pan.

remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.

using an electric mixer, gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition.
the mixture should be thick and glossy.

spoon the mixture into a piping bag and pipe thick lines onto the baking tray,
allowing room for spreading.

cook for approx. 20 minutes or until golden and hollow sounding when tapped.

remove from oven, and using a skewer, make a little hole in the base of each
eclair then return to the oven for 5 minutes to dry out further. cool completely.

using a piping bag with a long nozzle, press the nozzle into the end of each
eclair and pipe in some whipped cream.

if no piping bag, split each eclair in half and fill the bottom with some cream
and place the top back on.

ice each eclair with chocolate icing.

ICING

2 cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa, sifted
1 tablespoon soft butter
milk

mix all the ingredients together with enough milk to make a spreadable
paste.

SOUR DOUGH SULTANA BREAD

400 grams sour dough starter
400 grams water
800 grams plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 heaped teaspoon bread improver
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon mixed spice
2 tablespoons cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon dried yeast

375 grams sultanas


IF YOU HAVE A BREAD MACHINE, place all ingredients except sultanas,
in the order listed and set on the dough setting.  after it's been
kneading for 10 minutes, add the sultanas.

when machine has finished, remove the dough from the bread machine
and tip dough onto floured board.

knead till smooth then divide in half. place into 2 non stick loaf tins.

cover tins with a tea towel and place into a warm place to rise for 1 hour.

heat oven to 250 c.  cook bread for 10 minutes on this temp. then reduce heat
to 200 c. for  20 minutes.

remove from oven and glaze if desired.

GLAZE
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons boiled water

stir together until sugar is dissolved.  brush over top of hot bread.

IF NO BREAD MACHINE, place all ingredients except sultanas, in the order
listed, into  a large bowl.

mix until all comes together and all ingredients are well combined.

knead well until dough is smooth and elastic (you can use an electric mixer with dough
hook to do this as well)

knead in sultanas.

place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in a
warm spot to double in size.

when risen, punch down, divide in half and place into 2 non stick loaf tins.

cover tins with a tea towel and put back in to a warm spot for 1
hour to rise again.

heat oven to 250c. cook bread on this setting for 10 minutes then reduce temp
to 200 c. and cook for another 20 minutes.

TO MAKE A SOUR DOUGH STARTER...

DAY 1  in a large bowl, place 113 grams plain flour and 113 grams water.
stir till combined.
cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot.

every 12 hours add another 113 grams flour and 113 grams water and mix well.

do this for 5 days.   it should be bubbly and smell sour.

make some bread, discard what you don't need but keep 113 grams.

you keep this starter going by starting at day 1 again

PROFITEROLES

75 grams butter
1 cup water
1 cup plain flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs

preheat oven to 200 c. line trays with baking paper.

in a medium sized pot, bring water and butter to boil.

add flour, stirring quickly, until mix comes away from sides of
pot and starts to ball up.

remove from heat and stir in vanilla and sugar.

using an electric mixer, beat in eggs one at time, beating well
after each addition.

drop big heaped teaspoons of mix onto the trays.

cook for 30 minutes until golden. remove tray from oven, prick each
profiterole on two sides with a skewer and put tray back into oven for
5 more minutes.

cool completely on wire racks.

fill and ice.

CUSTARD FILLING

250 mls thickened cream
1/2 cup icing sugar
250 mls pauls extra thick vanilla custard

whip the cream with the icing sugar.

stir in the custard.

use a piping bag with a nozzle to fill the profiteroles.

if no piping bag, cut a hole in the top, just big enough to spoon the custard cream
in.

ICING

2 cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa, sifted
1 tablespoon butter
milk

mix the icing sugar, cocoa and butter with enough milk to make a
spreadable paste.

drop teaspoonfuls across the tops of the profiteroles.

store in an airtight container in the fridge.

LEMON CREAM COOKIES

226 grams butter, softened
85 grams cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
finely grated rind 1 lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 1/2 cups self raising flour

preheat oven to 180 c.

if using a cookie press use non stick ungreased trays.
if using spoonfuls, line trays with baking paper.


using an electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese together
until combined.

add the sugar and beat till creamy.

add egg, juice and rind and beat till well combined.

turn mixer to low and beat in flour, in 4 additions,
until well combined.

refrigerate dough for 20 minutes.

use a cookie press or roll dough into walnut size balls
and flatten lightly with a fork.

cook for approx. 8 minutes (pressed) or until just starting to brown.

cool on trays for 5 minutes then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

pipe or spoon a little filling onto 1 biscuit and sandwich together with
another. continue with rest of biscuits.

store in an airtight container.

FILLING

4 cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons soft butter
lemon juice

mix the icing sugar and butter together with enough lemon juice
to make a spreadable  paste.

I also just piped some icing on the top of single biscuits
and sprinkled with sour sprinkles...for the kids.