LEMON OOEY GOOEY CAKE

CAKE
1 packet greens lemon cake mix*
113 grams butter, melted
2 large eggs

TOP
2 cups icing sugar
250 grams cream cheese, room temperature
2 large eggs
finely grated rind 1 lemon




preheat oven to 180 C. line a 30 x 24 cm (approx) baking dish with baking paper, leaving some over hanging the ends for easy removal.

in a large bowl, mix  all the cake ingredients until well combined. spread the batter evenly across the
bottom of the baking dish.

TOP

using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, cream cheese, eggs and lemon rind together until
well combined.

pour the cheese mix on top of the cake layer, spreading it evenly across the top.

cook for 30 to 35 minutes. The centre should still be gooey and will look undercooked.

let cool in the dish for 15 minutes then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

dust with some of the icing sugar from the cake mix.

*or any lemon packet cake.

STEAK WITH PEPPERS


1 kilo round steak
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
2 onions
5 teaspoons minced garlic

SAUCE
2 packets gravox brown onion and garlic gravy
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups water
4 tablespoons soy sauce


cut the steak into strips. put aside.

chop peppers and onion into 1 inch pieces.

add 2 tablespoons of oil to a large frypan and saute onion and peppers until
onion is translucent.

add minced garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes.  put aside.

in another pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on high heat.  add meat and quickly cook
until just brown, about 1 minute. REMOVE FROM HEAT.

Combine sauce ingredients in a jug and mix well.

return pan with vegetables to medium heat and add sauce mix.  stir till thickened.

add meat and any juices to the vegetables and stir to combine. cook for another minute
or till meat is heated through.

serve with rice

JALAPENO POPPERS


20 wooden toothpicks

250 grams cream cheese, softened
40 grams cheddar chilli cheese, finely grated (refer pic.)
20 jalapeno peppers halved lengthwise, seeded
2 packets coles streaky bacon (refer pic.)


preheat oven to 190 c. line baking tray with baking paper.
soak toothpicks in small bowl of warm water to prevent burning.

in small bowl, mix the cheeses until well combined. spoon mixture evenly into jalapeno halves.

cut each bacon slice in half. wrap 1 piece of bacon around each stuffed jalapeno half. secure with soaked toothpick and place on baking tray.

cook for 25 minutes or until bacon is cooked, cheese lightly brown and jalapenos have a slight crunch.

serve warm.

LEMON APPLE CRUMBLE CAKE

2 cups self raising flour
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
finely grated rind 1 small lemon
400 gram can pie apple

preheat oven to 180 c. grease and line bottom of 24 cm
springform tin.

place everything except the apples in a bowl.

using an electric mixer, beat until well combined.

pour into tin and place apple across the top.

sprinkle crumble all over the top of the cake.

cook for 45  minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched
and skewer comes out clean.


CRUMBLE
1/2 cup plain flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
56 grams butter, at firm room temperature

stir together the flour, sugar, oats and cinnamon. rub in the butter until
well combined.

good served warm with custard.

CHOCOLATE MUD CAKE

250 grams butter
250 grams dark cooking chocolate
2 teaspoons instant coffee
185 mls hot water
2 cups caster sugar

1 cup self raising flour
1 cup plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
1/2 cup cocoa

4 Eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup milk


preheat oven to 150 c. grease and line 24 cm springform tin.


place coffee, hot water, butter, sugar and chocolate in saucepan and stir
over low heat until melted and smooth.

sift flours, cocoa and bicarb into a large bowl.

lightly beat oil, eggs and milk together in a separate bowl then mix  into the dry ingredients.

add half of the saucepan ingredients to the mix and whisk till well combined
then whisk in the rest.

pour into tin.

cook for 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours or until a skewer comes out with just a few sticky crumbs.

cool in tin for 10 minutes then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

top with ganache.

GANACHE

250 grams dark cooking chocolate
1/3 cup thickened cream.

in a heatproof bowl over a pot of boiling water, melt the cream and chocolate
together, stirring till smooth.

allow to cool and thicken then spread over top of cake.

decorate as desired.

I used chocolate butter cream, chocolate sprinkles, mini oreos and strawberries.

GINGERBREAD APPLE CAKE

115 gm butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

400 gram tin pie apple



preheat oven to 180 c. grease sides and line  bottom of 24 cm springform tin.


using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar.

add vanilla, egg and applesauce.

with mixer on low, beat in dry ingredients

spoon 3/4 mix into tin and place pie apple across the mix,
not quite to the edges.

place the rest of the mix in blobs over the apple.

cook for approx 50 minutes or until a skewer comes
out clean.

cool in tin for 10 minutes then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

glaze if desired.

GLAZE

1 cup icing sugar
30 mls milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

mix all together until smooth and spoon over cake.

allow to harden.

ORANGE CHOC CHIP COOKIE DOUGH TRUFFLES

113 grams butter
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
finely grated rind 1 orange
2 cups plain flour
1 can condensed milk
1 cup dark choc chips
orange food colour, optional

500 grams (approx.) dark cooking chocolate
for dipping


line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar.

beat in condensed milk and rind then flour.

stir in choc chips and food colour.

cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate till firm.

roll into 1 inch sized balls and place onto baking tray.

refrigerate again until firm.

in a heatproof bowl over a pot filled with a little boiling water,
melt chocolate.

using a fork, dip each ball in chocolate and place back on tray.

refrigerate till set.

when ready, re melt  chocolate left in the bowl, then place the
chocolate into a ziplock sandwich bag.  cut a small hole in a
corner and drizzle chocolate over the top of each truffle.

refrigerate.

store in airtight container in the fridge.

PEANUT BUTTER M & M BARS


227 grams butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups plain flour
2 x 180 gram packets  M & M's

preheat oven to 180 c.
grease and line a 9 x 13  baking dish with baking paper

using an electric mixer, beat together  butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

add the egg, peanut butter, and vanilla.

turning the mixer to low, add the flour and beat till well combined.

stir in 1 1/2 packets of M & Ms.

press cookie dough into baking dish.

press the rest of the M & M's into the top of the dough.

bake for 20 to 25 minutes. until golden on top.

cool completely in dish.

CHICKEN WITH SUN DRIED TOMATOES AND BASIL

1 1/2 kilo chicken tenders,
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, diced
4 teaspooons garlic, minced
1 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
4 tablespoons cornflour
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons cold butter
1 cup thickened cream
salt and pepper to taste
15 grams fresh basil, chopped

1/2 - 1 cup extra sharp parmesan cheese, or to taste, (optional)


trim chicken and season with salt and pepper.

in a large frypan, add oil and saute chicken until  cooked through.
remove from pan and cover to keep warm.

using the same pan, add garlic and onion, saute on low heat until onion is translucent.

add in the chopped sun dried tomatoes.

add flour.  stir until smooth.

stir in the stock and white wine.   allow to reduce slightly.

stir in the cold butter then the cream.

add salt and pepper to taste.

add back the chicken. add parmesan if desired

stir in the chopped basil then turn off the heat.

serve.

ECLAIR SLICE

3 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup corn flour
pinch salt
2 eggs +1 egg yolk
4 teaspoons Vanilla Bean Paste
40 grams butter

600 ml thickened cream

2 1/2 packets milk coffee biscuits

TOPPING
300 grams dark cooking chocolate
225 mls thickened cream


grease and line a 9 x13 baking dish with baking paper, leaving
some overhanging the ends.


combine half of the caster sugar, cornflour, salt and eggs in a large bowl, mixing until well combined.
gradually whisk in half a cup of milk until smooth. set aside.


in a saucepan, combine remaining milk and sugar and heat until it begins to boil.
immediately remove from heat and pour a small amount of hot milk mixture into egg mixture, whisking well.
continue until all milk and egg mixture is combined.

return mix to saucepan and on medium heat, whisk constantly until mixture come back to the boil.
remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and butter.

transfer to a large bowl and cover surface of custard with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming.
refrigerate until completely cool.

once custard is cool, whip cream until soft peaks form.
gently fold the cream into the custard 1/2 at a time, until well combined.


place a layer of biscuits in the bottom of the tin, cutting to fit, then spread with
a layer of custard cream mixture, continue with 3 more layers. finish with a layer of biscuits.
refrigerate while preparing ganache.


in a heat proof bowl over a pot with a small amount of boiling water,
melt the cream and chocolate together, stirring.

put aside to cool until thick, then spread thickly over chilled slice.

refrigerate for at least 10 - 12  hours before serving.

CHEESY SPINACH AND SALAMI STROMBOLI


57 grams butter, melted
2 tbsp sugar + 1 tsp
2 cups milk, lukewarm
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1  egg, lightly beaten
4 1/2 cups plain flour
1 heaped teaspoon bread improver
1/4 tsp salt

200 grams fresh spinach
2 teaspoons garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
200 grams feta cheese
100 grams salami
450 grams "perfect italiano" pizza plus cheese


place the milk into a bowl and stir in the yeast and 1 tsp sugar let stand for 5 minutes.

stir in the butter, egg, flour, sugar and salt.

knead the dough for about 15 minutes. the dough will be soft and sticky.

form the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm,
draft-free spot until doubled, about 1 hour.

ALTERNATIVELY.. if you have a bread machine, make the dough set on the dough setting.
follow the same directions as above for adding ingredients.

when the dough is almost ready....

in a frypan, saute the garlic in the oil until fragrant.
add the spinach until just wilted.  put aside.

punch the dough down and tip out onto a well floured board.

roll out to a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.

sprinkle 200 grams of the pizza cheese over the dough then top that with the spinach.

crumble the feta cheese over the top of the spinach.  next place the salami over the
feta. finish with another 200 grams pizza cheese.

starting on a longer side, roll the topped dough up like a swiss roll.

gently lift and place the roll on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

once on the tray, bring the two ends of the roll together to form a circle.
pinch the two ends together.

using a sharp knife, make slits in the top of the circle, all around. don't cut all the way through.
cover with a teatowel and let rise for another 3/4 hour.

heat the oven to 180 C.

brush an egg wash all over the stromboli. (beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon water).

sprinkle with the rest of the pizza cheese.

cook for  30 - 35  minutes, or until it's golden and cooked through.

cool for a few minutes before slicing.