Gift idea – Cookie Mix in a Jar August 29, 2009

• http://bakerella.blogspot.com/2009/08/mix-things-up.html
• http://myfivemen.blogspot.com/2008/03/cookies-in-jar-recipe.html
• http://www.akronohiomoms.com/archives/773
• http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/12/02/holiday-gifts-8-homemade-gifts-in-a-jar-with-free-printable-gift-tags/
• http://hallmarkladybugs.blogspot.com/2008/12/cookie-mix-in-jar-easy-economic-and.html
• http://www.dominosugar.com/content/158/baking_gift_ideas.aspx

Savoury Crackers (Biscuits) June 14, 2009

I made these crackers by adding multigrain mix (linseed, oats, rye, cornmeal etc.) that I bought from a store selling breadmaking supplies… to a cracker recipe I found in a magazine.   This made a tasty multigrain cracker, which I felt was more wholesome, but you can make it without this.

Ingredients:
1 cup wholemeal SR flour
Pinch Salt
3 tb butter
1/3 cup grated cheese
1 tb dried chives (or other herbs)
¼ cup water

Optional:
¼ cup multigrain mixture (or linseeds, bran flakes etc.)
dash of water extra

Method:
1). Put the flour and salt into a large bowl, and rub in the butter.
2). Mix in the cheese, chives and any additional grains.
3). Make a well in the centre, and add in the water. If you have added extra grains, you may need to add a little more water to make the mixture come together into a dough-like consistency (it should be fairly dry not sticky).
4). Knead until mixture has come together and is smooth.
5). Turn out onto a floured surface, and roll out as thin as you can, to about 2-3mm thick. Use cookie cutters (or cut squares with a knife) to cut shapes out and lay them on a greased or lined baking tray.
6). Brush the tops with milk, and bake in a preheated oven at 200ºC for 10 minutes, or until they are golden brown (mine in the image above were probably a touch overcooked).

Allow to cool completely before putting in an airtight container.

 

The dough can be a bit hard to work with, so thin and it’s a bit delicate……so click the “more” for my guide to working with it.

Spiced (Chai) Sultana Scrolls April 20, 2009

Ingredients:
1 cup wholemeal SR flour
1 cup white SR flour
2tb sugar
1/2 cup Butter (Softened)
1/2 to 1 cup sultanas
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cardamon

.

Method:

Mix together the ingredients in a bowl. Turn out onto floured board and knead. break dough into 4 pieces. Take each piece and press it into a rectangle (about 1cm thick). Roll the dough from one end. Cut the scroll in half, and place with cut side down onto a baking tray. Leave about 2cm between each if you want them to just touch, closer if you want them to form one large “pull apart”, or about 3cm apart if you want them to be separate. Brush lightly with milk and bake at about 180 until going golden on top and sound hollow to tap. Cover with a teatowel to keep them soft (I line a large serving bowl with a teatowel, slide the hot scrolls into this straight from the oven and put a teatowel on top) Best eaten while still warm (can be microwaved to heat them up)

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Rolling instructions (with pictures) below:

Cinnamon, Cardamon and Sultana Scones January 4, 2009

A recipe I was experimenting with to make something like a biscuit that had no egg in it (I have a friend who can’t have egg). It actually turned out nice – like a thick biscuit

Ingredients:
2 cups self raising flour
1/8c butter
3/4c milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon (finely) ground cardamon
handful of sultanas (you could use raisins)

Method:
1). Sieve the dry stuff into a bowl and rub in the butter until it does the breadcrumb thing.
2). Add the sultanas and milk… mix into a dough
3). Roll out onto a floured surface and use a sharp cookie cutter to cut out your desired shapes. Put on a greased baking tray. brush the tops with milk.
4). Bake for 15 mins.

Rosewater Cookies January 4, 2009

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp lemon extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp rose water
1/8 tsp salt
3 cup flour

 
Method:
1). Cream butter and sugar, beat egg and add this,vanilla and lemon. Mix the baking soda and sour cream together, add this to the mixture, with the rose water. Sift the salt and flour and mix this into the mixture.
2). Turn out on floured board, roll out into a sheet and cut biscuits out with a cookie cutter. Lay on a baking paper lined tray.
3). Bake at 160C for 15 to 20 minutes.

 
From http://www.gardenguides.com/how-to/recipes/cookies/rosewatercookies.asp

Lavender Cookies with Rose Water Icing January 4, 2009

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon crushed food-grade lavender*
1 1/2 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

 
Icing:
2 cups icing sugar
5 1/2 teaspoons water
6 1/2 teaspoons rose water

 
Method:
1). Cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs and beat well.
2). Add lavender, flour and baking powder.
3). Spoon out onto a baking paper lined tray, and bake at 190C for 10 mins.
4). Combine the icing ingredients together, and ice the biscuits after they have cooled.

 
 
* Be careful where you get the lavender from, do not use that which is packaged for pot purri as it may contain fragrant oils or be handled in unsanitary conditions.

 
From http://www.thespicehouse.com/recipes/victorian-lavender-cookies-with-rose-water-icing-recipe

Basic Biscuit Recipe January 4, 2009

Use this on its own or spice it up with fruit, choc chips, nuts or even a dob of jam on top.

 
Ingredients:
125g butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
1ts vanilla essence
1 egg
1 3/4 cup self raising flour

 
Method:
1. Beat butter, sugar & vanilla together.
2. Add egg and beat well.
3. Stir in the flour, beat well.
4. Shape mixture into desired shape and place on baking tray.
5. Bake at 200C for 15 mins.

Chewy Choc Chip Cookies January 4, 2009

Ingredients
50g (1 1/2 ox) Margarine
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 beaten egg
1 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup choc chips
1/3 cup slivered almonds (optional)

 
Method:
Preheat oven to 180 (350F)
Cream butter and sugar, then add egg and beat together. Mix in the flour, choc chips and almonds. Bake for 10 mins.

 
(From the “diabetes cookbook for the whole family“, published by diabetes Australia)

Choc Chip Biscuits January 4, 2009

This recipe originally meant to have a dob of jam on top, but mum tried it with choc chips instead and they were delicious!

 
Ingredients:
3/4 cup softened butter
1/4c sifted icing sugar
1tp vanilla essence
1/4 cup plain flour
1 cup self raising flour
1/4 cup custard powder
1/4 cup milk
chocolate chips

 
Method:
1). Beat butter, sugar and vanilla together until fluffy, fold in the flours and custard powder alternating with the milk. Add your choc chips.
2). Roll into balls and bake on a baking tray for 12 mins or until golden.

 
From “Fresh & Tasty biscuits and cakes” by R&R publications marketing pty ltd (which is such a delicious book, you should try and get a copy!}

Cinnamon Sugar biscuits January 4, 2009

This recipe makes delicious biscuits that taste like ginger bread, but with no ginger! They work well for cutting out with cookie cutters. (see note below)

Ingredients:
125g butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2tb golden syrup/treacle
1 3/4c plain flour
1/2c SR flour
2ts cinnamon
1/2 ts bi carb soda

Method:
1). Cream the butter and sugar.
2). Beat in the golden syrup and egg.
3). Mix in the flours, cinnamon and bi carb.
4). turn out onto a floured board, and knead. Divide the mixture into 2, wrap in plastic wrap and put into the fridge for 30 mins.
5). Roll out and cut shapes, then if desired, coat them in the sugar glaze (below).
6). bake for 10-12 mins at 180C.
Glaze:
mix 1 ts cinnamon and 1tb caster sugar. Separate an egg and paint the biscuits with egg white, then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. You can also mix the sugar, cinnamon and egg together and brush that on as is.

I will point out that this is hard to work with… particularly in summer… Unlike something like pastry, where you can roll it out and then lift it up to move it around… you can’t lift this once rolled out… and it can be hard to lift the shapes after you’ve cut them out… but, after much trial and error, I’ve worked out how best to work with it. Leave half the batch in the fridge, and break the batch you’re working on into smaller amounts. Roll out an amount (don’t try to move it once it’s rolled), cut your shapes, then use an egg lifter to slide under the cut shape, lifting it (and any surrounding dough) and flip it onto the palm of your hand. then you can pick off anything not part of the shape, and handle it without breaking bits off.

I have this flip method photographed for the cracker recipe (since that is likewise difficult to deal with), so see that here http://recipemama.wordpress.com/2009/06/14/savoury-crackers-biscuits/#more-834

If you want just round cookies, I’d suggest rolling it into a thick log and chilling it until its hard (about 20 mins), and then slice into thin slices.

Gingerbread People November 16, 2008

Ingredients:
125g softened butter
1/2 cup, packed, brown sugar
1/2 cup golden syrup
1 egg, separated
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tbs ginger or cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp bicarb soda

 
Method:
Beat butter and sugar until creamed. Add golden syrup and egg yolk, beat until combined. Stir in the sifted flour, spices and bicarb. Mix well then turn out onto a floured board and knead until smooth. Roll out, cover with baking paper and refrigerate for 30 mins. Then roll out to ½ cm thick. Cut out with cookie cutters, lay on a tray 3cm apart and bake at 180°C for 10 mins or until browned.

 
For icing – beat the egg white until peaks form. Gradually add 1 cup icing sugar and beat well. Divide into bowls and add food colouring. Ice the biscuits when cool.