Saturday, July 10, 2010

Kylie’s Chai Latte Cookies

Ingredients
2 x sachets of Instant Chai Latte
1 tbsp boiling water
125g butter, softened
165g brown sugar
1 egg
225g plain flour
 
Directions
1) Blend contents of latte sachets with boiling water
2) Beat butter, sugar, egg and latte paste with an electric mixer until combined
3) Stir in sifted flours in 2 batches
4) Knead dough on floured surface until smooth
5) Roll dough between 2 sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick
6) Slide onto tray keeping between the baking paper, cover with a tea towel, and refrigerate for 30 minutes
7) Preheat oven to 180° (160° fan forced)
8) Cut dough into squares with a knife (can use cookie cutters if you like)
9) Bake 12-15 minutes (mine took 14 mins in a fan forced oven)
10) Cool on wire racks
11) Eat & Enjoy!

Polka Dot Cookies

Ingredients
250g butter, softened
165g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
335g plain flour, sifted
Smarties or M&M’s to decorate
 
Directions
1) Preheat oven to 180° (170° fan forced)
2) Place butter and sugar in a bowl and mix with electric mixer until pale & creamy
3) Add the vanilla and egg yolk and beat until well combined
4) Add the flour and mix until a smooth dough forms
5) Roll 1 tbsp of dough at a time into balls and place on prepared baking tray, allowing room to spread
6) Flatten slightly and press smarties/M&M’s into each cookie (Smarties lose their colour and the M&M's crack, so it is up to you which you use)
7) Bake for 10-15 minutes or until light golden (mine took 14 minutes in fan forced)
8) Cool on wire racks
9) Eat & Enjoy!

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients
1 ¼ cups plain flour
1 tsp bicarb soda
1 heaped tsp baking soda
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup sunflower oil
1 egg
400ml buttermilk
salt
 
Directions
1) Sift flour, bicarb of soda and baking powder
2) Add sugar, egg, oil, buttermilk and a pinch of salt
3) Blend together with a hand mixer until smooth
4) Cook as per normal pancakes
5) Serve with maple syrup or your favourite pancake topping
6) Eat & Enjoy!

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Peanut Butter Choc Chip Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup (260g) crunchy peanut butter
1 cup (200g) brown sugar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (185g) dark choc bits
 
Directions
1) Preheat oven to 200°C
2) Combine peanut butter, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and egg in a bowl.
3) Stir in choc bits.
4) Roll teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on the prepared tray. Press lightly with a fork.
5) Bake for 8-10 minutes or until light golden (watch this as my oven only took 7 minutes)
6) Leave to cool on the trays then place into an airtight container.
7) Eat & Enjoy!

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Ingredients
500 g unsalted butter
125g good quality dark cooking chocolate
2 cups icing sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp salt
4.25 cups flour
½ cup white sugar (in a separate bowl for later)
 
Directions
1) Preheat oven to 165 degrees
2) Melt the butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly
3) Once melted, stir smooth and transfer to a large mixing bowl
4) Add the powdered and white sugar and stir thoroughly. Set aside to cool
5) When the mixture is cool enough that it won’t cook the egg, add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition (you can use the electric mixer for this part)
6) Mix in the vanilla, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.
7) Add flour 1 cup at a time mixing thoroughly with a wooden spoon
8) Once dough is completely mixed through, roll in dough balls of approx 2.5 cms
9) Dip the balls into the bowl of white sugar and coat
10) Place dough balls on baking tray and flatten slightly with your hand - even though they are small only put 12 to a tray as they will spread out
11) Bake for 10- 15 minutes, depending on your oven. Mine took about 13 minutes
12) Allow to cool on a wire rack
13) Eat & Enjoy!

NOTES:
- This recipe makes between 8 and 10 dozen cookies, depending on the size, so allow a lot of cooking time
- for added chocolate flavour remove 1 Tbsp of flour and replace with 1 Tbsp of powdered cocoa
- mix through a handful of chopped nuts for that extra crunch

Kylie’s Green Vegetable Soup

Ingredients
1.5L of vegetable stock
2 large leeks, roughly chopped
6-8 spring onions, roughly chopped
2 large potatos, cubed
10-12 large silverbeet leaves chopped
2 sprigs of fresh spearmint leaves
Handful fresh parsley leaves
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup cream
Handful tasty or parmesan cheese
 
Directions
1) Put all ingredients other than the cream and cheese into a pot and bring to the boil.
2) Simmer until all vegetables are cooked through
3) Remove from heat and blend with a stick blender
4) Put back on heat and add cream and cheese
5) Simmer until cheese melted
6) Eat & Enjoy!

Sticky Date and Toffee Pudding

Ingredients

The Pudding
200g dates, stoned and chopped
1.25 cups water
1 tsp bicarb soda
60g unsalted butter
¾ cup castor sugar
2 free range eggs
1.25 cups self raising flour
½ tsp vanilla essence
½ tsp ground mixed spice

The Sauce
2/3 cup brown sugar
125g unsalted butter
1 cup cream
Few drops vanilla essence
 
Directions

1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees
2) Butter an 18cm square cake tin and line base with baking paper
3) Combine dates and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil., Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 5 minutes or until dates have softened
4) Remove from heat, stir in bicarb of soda and allow to cool
5) Sift the flour and spice together
6) In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
7) Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition
8) Fold in the flour, dates and vanilla gradually
9) Pour into prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes until cooked (test with skewer)
10) In a saucepan combine all the sauce ingredients and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes
11) Pour a little of the sauce over the hot cake and put back in the oven for a few minutes to let the sauce soak in
12) Remove cake, cut into squares, and serve with the extra sauce
13) Eat & Enjoy!

Lentil & Rice Pilau

Ingredients
1 cup long grain rice
200g lentils (I used brown) (they need to be ‘nearly cooked’ before starting)
3 tblsp vegetable oil
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
 
Directions
1) Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add rice & lentils, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until they’re tender. Drain and set aside.
2) Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add garam masala, cumin & coriander and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes
3) Add rice & Lentil mixture and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes longer.
4) Eat & Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Croquettes with Tangy Salsa

Ingredients

The Croquettes
1.5kg of sweet potato
1.5 cups basmati rice
0.5 cup wild rice
6-8 spring onions, finely chopped
2 Tblsn grated fresh ginger
8 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup cashews, lightly toasted and finely chopped (using a food processor is fine)
Polenta
Olive oil
Good salt & Freshly ground pepper
Good pinch chili powder

Tangy Salsa
Grated rind and juice of 4 lemons
½ bunch chopped coriander leaves
4 Tbsp desiccated coconut
2 green chillis, deseeded and finely chopped
2 tomatos, very finely diced

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 200 degrees
2) Peel and chop sweet potatos into even sized chunks approx 4-5 cms
3) Toss through with some olive oil, sat, pepper and chili powder.
4) Lay out in a baking pan and bake for 45 minutes till soft and just starting to caramelise at the edges.
5) Remove from oven and allow to cool
6) Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add 1/5 tsp salt and the rice and return to the boil
7) Leave to simmer for 20 minutes until the rice is tender. Drain in a colander, rince with cold water, and put aside in a large bowl
8) Mix salsa ingredients together and set aside
9) Mash the cooked potato
10) Add the potato to the rice along with the spring onions, ginger, garlic and cashews. Season with salt and pepper. Mix together well.
11) Form the mixture into flat croquettes and coat with the polenta
12) When ready to cook, heat a frypan and add enough oil to coat the bottom lightly and heat till the oil is hot
13) Add a couple of croquettes. Fry on one side till crisp and brown the repeat on other side.
14) Serve with tangy salsa
15) Eat & Enjoy!

NOTE: This mixture makes a lot of croquettes, but can be frozen either cooked or uncooked.

Classic Salad Dressing

Ingredients
½ cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp sea salt
A few grinds black pepper

Directions
1) Put all ingredients in a screw top jar
2) Shake well
3) Serve over favourite salad
4) Eat & Enjoy!

NOTE: Can be stored n fridge or cupboard
Shake well before each use

Chocolate Crackles

Ingredients
4 cups rice bubbles
1 cup icing sugar
200g copha
4 tbsp cocoa powder
Various sprinkles

Directions
1) Put all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir through till completely combined
2) Put copha in a saucepan and melt over a low heat
3) Remove from heat and allow to cool
4) Pour over dry mixture and stir until well combined
5) Put into patty pans and put favourite sprinkles on top
6) Allow to set in fridge - approx 30 minutes
7) Eat & Enjoy!