LEMON POUND CAKE..with sour cream and lemon icing

454 grams butter, room temp.
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
4 cups plain flour, sifted
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
finely grated rind of 2 medium lemons


Preheat oven to 180 c. grease and flour large bundt tin
or  grease and line bottom of cake tin (I used a large round)

in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.

add eggs one at a time until well incorporated.

slowly add flour and milk alternating, beginning and ending with flour.
beat until well combined.

Stir in rind and vanilla.

spoon batter into tin . cook approx. 1 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted
in middle comes out clean.
(if cake is browning to quickly, lie a piece of foil lightly over the top.

cool in tin for 10 minutes then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

ice.

ICING

3 cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream
lemon juice

mix the icing sugar and sour cream together with enough juice
to make a spreadable paste.

spread over cake.

LEMON PEPPER CHICKEN....with lemony garlic sauce

6 chicken thighs (skin on)
5 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
1/4 cup cornflour
2 tablespoons olive oil

preheat oven to 180 c. line a baking tray with baking paper.

mix 4 teaspoons of lemon pepper seasoning with the cornflour.

press the skin side of each chicken thigh into the seasoning mixture.
make sure they are well covered.

in a large fry pan, heat the olive oil on medium heat.

add the chicken thighs skin side down and sprinkle across the top sides of the thighs
with the other teaspoon of lemon pepper.  cook for about 4 minutes until skin is
brown and crispy.

flip the chicken thighs over and cook for another 2 minutes  remove from heat.

put chicken thighs skin side up on the baking tray, place in the oven
and cook about 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked.

when the chicken is almost ready, make the sauce.

SAUCE

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon butter
5 teaspoons minced garlic
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
1/2 cup thickened cream
1/4 cup shredded tasty cheese
1/4 cup grated extra sharp parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice

in a fry pan, heat the olive oil and butter on medium heat.
add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant.

add chicken stock and lemon pepper seasoning. bring to boil.

add cream and cheeses and bring to boil, stirring.

reduce heat to simmer and keep stirring until the sauce is smooth. remove from heat.

stir in the 2 tablespoons lemon juice and serve.

CHOCOLATE BANOFFEE TARTS

1 packet chocolate ripple biscuits
1 can caramel top and fill
2 - 3 bananas, thinly sliced
300 mls thickened cream, whipped with 2 dessertspoons sugar

preheat oven to 180 c
you will need 2 half round patty pan tins for this.
(pic. in comments)

lay biscuits across the holes in tin.

heat in oven till biscuits are just soft.

press biscuits into holes to form tart shapes.

cool.

place a couple of slices of banana in bottom of each biscuit.

cover banana with caramel.

pipe or spoon on whipped cream,

place another slice of banana on top of cream.

NOTE; best to fill biscuits about just before serving. banana will go brown if left standing for too long.

pressed biscuits will store unfilled in an airtight container.

PEANUT BUTTER CARAMEL TARTLETS

1 packet chocolate ripple biscuits
1 can caramel top and fill
1 packet crushed peanuts

preheat oven to 180 c.

using 2 x 1/2 round patty pan tins (pic. below)
lay biscuits across the holes.

heat in oven till soft. remove from oven and push biscuits into the
holes to form a tart shape. cool.

fill each tart evenly with the caramel top and fill.

press 1/2 teaspoon crushed peanuts into the caramel.

ice and drizzle with ganache.

ICING

60 grams soft butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1 cup icing sugar

mix the peanut butter and butter together. add in icing sugar
and milk. stir till well combined.  pipe or spoon onto tarts.

GANACHE
50 grams dark cooking chocolate
30 ml thickened cream
12 grams butter

in a heat proof bowl over a pot of boiling water, melt all the
ingredients together, stirring until smooth,

using a teaspoon, drizzle over icing.

FOUR INGREDIENT FRUIT CAKE

3 cups cold black tea
1 kilo mixed dried fruit
1 cup crumbed walnuts
3 cups self raising flour

1/2 cup  cold black tea, extra

soak the mixed fruit in the 3 cups black tea
for 24 hours.

preheat oven to 160 c. grease and line bottom of 22 cm spring
form tin.

stir the nuts and flour into soaked fruit.

add the extra 1/2 cup of black tea if mix is too dry.
(some fruits soak up more liquid). I used the extra 1/2 cup.

spoon into tin.

cook for approx 1 1/2 hours or until a skewer comes out clean.

leave in tin for 15 minutes then remove to wire rack to cool.

PEPPERMINT FUDGE TRUFFLES

4 peppermint crisp bars
1 packet chocolate ripple biscuits
250 grams choc fudge sprinkles (from coles)
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3/4 cup dessicated coconut
1 tin condensed milk

approx 1 cup dessicated coconut, for rolling
green food colouring, optional

blitz the biscuits and place in a bowl.

crush the peppermint crisp (I leave them sealed in the packet
and use a rolling pin)

stir the cocoa, fudge sprinkles, coconut and peppermint
crisp into the crushed biscuits then stir in the condensed milk.
stir until well combined.

mix the coconut with about 20 drops green food colour.
stir till well coloured. (optional)

roll the mix into balls then roll in the coconut until well coated.
place in small paper patty pans if desired.

refrigerate till set.

keep refrigerated in an airtight container . remove balls from fridge about 15 minutes before needed.

CHERRY RIPE BALLS

5 cherry ripe bars
1 packet chocolate ripple biscuits
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3/4 tin condensed milk

dessicated coconut, for rolling


blitz the biscuits and cherry ripe bars and place in a bowl.

stir in the cocoa, then the condensed milk. stir until well combined.

roll into balls then roll in the coconut until well coated.

refrigerate till set.

keep refrigerated. remove balls from fridge about 15 minutes before needed.