Old Fashioned Gingerbread Recipe
Ingredients
8oz (2 cups) plain flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4oz (1/2 cup) butter
2 teaspoons freshly ground ginger
5oz (2/3 cup) molasses (black treacle)
4oz (1/2 cup) brown sugar
5 tablespoons milk
2 eggs
Method
Turn on the oven and set to 160C or 325F. Place the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger in a mixing bowl. In a pan place the butter, molasses and sugar and heat gently until melted. Pour the melted mixture onto the flour and stir then add the eggs and milk and mix well. Pour into a greased, lined pan and cook for about an hour. Test with a toothpick or skewer to make sure it is cooked right through.
Sticky Gingerbread Recipe
Ingredients
10 oz plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons mixed spice
3 teaspoons freshly ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 1/2 oz black treacle
5oz butter
3 oz brown sugar
5oz golden syrup
1/4 pint milk
2 eggs
Method
Turn on the oven and set to 160C or 325F. Place the flour, baking powder, ginger and mixed spice in a bowl. Heat the butter, sugar, syrup and black treacle gently in a pan until melted then add to the flour mixture. Add the milk then beat the eggs and add. Mix well. Pour into a greased and lined pan and bake for approximately 1 1/2 hours until cooked right through.
Easy Wheat Bread Recipe No 1
Ingredients
3 lbs (12 cups) whole flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 oz butter
1 oz fresh yeast
approximately 2 pints (4 cups) warm water
2 tablespoons malt extract
1 tablespoon cracked wheat (optional)
Method
Add the yeast to some of the warm water and leave for about ten minutes. In a large bowl mix the flour and salt and then rub in the butter. Mix the malt extract with the rest of the water and pour into the flour then add the yeast mixture. Knead for about eight to ten minutes by hand or four minutes in a mixer using a dough hook or until the dough is smooth. Put into a clean bowl, cover with a cloth and leave to rise for about two hours or until it has doubled in size.
Place onto a clean surface dusted with some flour and knead again then divide into four and place in one pound bread tins. Brush the tops with water and sprinkle with some cracked wheat if you have it. Leave for about thirty minutes then place in a hot oven (220C or 425F). When the top is brown and turn out onto a clean cloth and tap the bottom. If it sounds hollow the bread is cooked, if not return to the oven for a few more minutes. This recipe makes four one pound loaves.
Easy Wheat Bread Recipe No 2
Ingredients
12oz (3 cups) white flour
12oz (3 cups) wholewheat flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 oz dried yeast
1 1/4 tablespoons sugar
3/4 pint (2 cups) warm water
1 1/4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Method
Add the dried yeast to warm water, add the sugar and leave for approximately fifteen minutes. In a large bowl add the flour, salt, and vegetable oil, then add the yeast mixture and mix well. Turn onto a floured surface and knead well for about ten minutes or use a mixer with a dough hook. When the dough is smooth and elastic place in a clean bowl, cover with a cloth and leave to rise until double its size. Turn out and knead again for a few minutes then divide into two and place on baking sheets or in bread tins. Bake at 230C or 450F until done. This recipe makes two loaves.
Easy Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
1 1/4 tablespoons custard powder
1/4 cup fine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg (separated)
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 oz gelatin
2 1/2 tablespoons water
2/3 cups double cream
Turn down the refrigerator to the coldest setting. Mix together the custard powder, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla extract and two tablespoons of the milk until smooth. Bring the rest of the milk to almost boiling and stir into the mix. Now heat the mix gently until it thickens. In a small bowl add the gelatine to the water and leave for thirty minutes. Place the bowl over some hot water and heat gently until all the gelatine is dissolved. Stir into the mix then place in the refrigerator for about an hour. beat the egg white until it is stands up in peaks then fold into the mixture carefully using a metal spoon. Pour the mixture into shallow trays and place in the ice box and leave for about thirty minutes until it starts to freeze. Place a mixing bowl in the ice bow or refrigerator to chill. Now remove from the refrigerator and place in the chilled bowl and beat well. Beat the cream until it thickens and fold into the ice cream mixture. Place in the ice box until frozen.
Easy Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe
For strawberry ice cream chop up frozen strawberries and add to the mixture before the final freeze.
Pineapple Ice Cream
1 pineapplejuice of 1 1/2 lemons
3/4 cup fine sugar
2/3 cup water
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
Scoop out the flesh from the pineapple over a bowl to catch the juice, keeping the shells for serving the ice cream. Mix together the pineapple flesh, juice and lemon juice. Place the water and sugar in a pan and place over a gentle heat to melt the sugar. Leave to cool then add to the pineapple juice mixture. Place in the ice box until nearly frozen then place in a cold bowl and beat well. Whip the cream and fold into the mixture. Return to the ice box until frozen. Serve in the pineapple shells.
No Bake Cream Cheesecake
Ingredients
Method
1 sponge cake approximately 6" by 4"
2 1/2 cups cream cheese
3/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon apricot brandy
2/3 cup candied peel
2 squares plain chocolate
Cut the cake horizontally into three layers. Mix together the sugar and cream cheese and add the brandy. Put half the mixture into the fridge. Break up the chocolate into pieces and finely chop the candied peel. Add to the remaining mixture and then spread onto one piece of the cake. Add the second piece of cake, cover with the mixture then add the third piece. Leave to chill then spread the mixture from the fridge on the top and sides and decorate with swirls of cream cheese and slivers of chocolate.
No Bake Raspberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
1 packet gelatin
1 cup graham crackers (crushed)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups cream cheese
juice from two lemons
1/2 cup fine sugar
For the Topping
6oz raspberries
4 tablespoons redcurrant jelly
Method
Dissolve the gelatin in 2/3 cup boiling water, add cold water up to 1 1/4 cups and leave until almost set. Mix together the crackers, sugar and melted butter and place in a 9" cake tin. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Mash the cream cheese, whip the cream until it thickens, then mix together the cream cheese, lemon juice, sugar and cream. Place in the cake tin then chill in the refrigerator. Before serving, top with the raspberries and spoon over the melted jelly.
When it comes to making cheese made from goat milk there is no one single recipe that you can try. This is because there are many different types that you can make. The soft spreadable variety is referred to as chevre and is perhaps the most recognizable type. However there are other cheeses you could opt to make too.
What makes goat’s cheese different from other cheeses is the three fatty acids contained within the milk, and these are capric, caproic and caprylic acid. These fatty acids aren’t present in cow’s and sheep’s milk in the same quantities which is why they taste different.
The milk is basically 90% water, which is referred to as being whey. Whilst the other, solid part of the milk is referred to as the curd. When we make goats cheese you need to separate the whey and the curd. There are two techniques for doing this however they both involve acidifying the milk. One of the methods is to add a type of bacteria to the milk and this bacteria then multiplies. This in turn causes the lactose to turn into lactic acid. More lactic acid is formed the longer the bacteria is allowed to stay active.
The other method uses vinegar or lemon juice as the acidifying agent to allow the separation of curd and whey to occur. When the vinegar or lemon juice is added to the milk you will be able to see this happen almost straight away. When you drain the milk you will end up with curd that is lovely and soft.
You will find that some kinds of goat cheese are not really suitable for making at home because they need special ingredients and such like. However there are some cheeses that you can make easily if you want to.
Ingredients
1 quart of goat's milk
1 cup buttermilk (active culture is a must)
2 tsp vinegar or lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt (fine)
Put the milk into a heavy pan and heat at a low temperature to 175 degrees. It’s important that you don’t allow the milk to boil and also make sure you stir the milk frequently. Also make sure that a skin doesn’t form on the milk. In order to ensure the milk remains at the correct temperature you can use a dairy thermometer.
Once the milk has reached 175 degrees, you can pour in the buttermilk and vinegar (or lemon juice) then remove from the heat. Keep stirring as the milk starts to curdle, this will happen within half a minute. You’ll then need to allow it to sit for 10 minutes or so.
Whilst you are waiting for the cheese to sit, you need to get a number of cheesecloth sheets over a colander then place the colander in a big enough bowl. The next step is to spoon the whey and curds into the cheesecloth so that the whey can drain out. Then leave it to sit for another 10 minutes.
Take the edges of the cheesecloth and gather them together at the top and tie with some string. Then attach it to a wooden spoon, the bag should then hang when you place the wooden spoon across the top of a bowl. Allow it to sit like this for 30 minutes so that all the why can drip out.
Take the string and cheesecloth away and place the cheese into a bowl. Put in the salt and mash it all up so that you end up with a smooth cheese. If you so desire, you can add in some flavourings such as herbs like thyme, rosemary and sage.
Feel free to eat the cheese straight away, alternatively you can press it into a ramekin then place it into fridge for 24 hours. Make sure you cover the ramekin with plastic to keep it sealed.
Serving the cheese is then very easy. All you do is place the ramekin upside-down on a dish and the slide it off the cheese. For presentation you can add a little side salad of green leaves. It’s really tasty with crackers and bread.
Baking doesn't have to be difficult or fancy. If you're looking for some really easy and tatsy fruit bun recipes then you should have a look at these. Please note that if you are using a fan assisted oven you will need to reduce the temperature of the oven a little, check with your oven's instructions for further details.
Apple Buns
This recipe is for 12 buns.
2 medium sized cooking apples
8 oz (225g) 100% wholemeal flour
Pinch of salt
Ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of Baking powder
6 oz (175g) of butter
2 oz (50g) raw brown sugar
1 egg (beaten)
Remove the core of the apples and then dice them up. Mix up the flour, salt, spice and baking powder in a bowl. Rub in the butter so that you end up with a fine crumbly mixture then add in the additional ingredients so that it's well mixed.
Take heaped spoonfuls of the mixture and place it on a baking tray that has been greased. Then bake it in an oven at 375 F for about 20-25 minutes so that it's golden-brown. Allow the buns to cool down a bit before placing them onto a wire tray.
Raspberry Buns
This recipe is for 12 buns.
12 oz (350g) of 100% wholemeal self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
4 oz (100g) of butter
4 oz (100g) of raw brown sugar
2 oz (50g) of currants
1 egg
2-3 tablespoons of milk
4 tablespoons of raspberry jam
Pu the flour and the nutmeg in a bowl and rub in the butter so that fin crumbs appear. Then stir in the sugar along with the currants. Beat up the egg and add it to the mixture along with some milk so that a firm dough is created. You then roll this dough to form 12 balls. Place them onto a baking sheet which has been lightly greased. Make an indent in each ball and then fill them with jam. Place them into the oven which is at 375 F for approximately 20 minutes so that they are golden and firm. Allow them to cool on a wire tray before serving.
Hot Cross Buns
1 lb of sugar
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1 oz of yeast
3 oz of castor sugar
1/2 pint of milk
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
4 oz currants
1 oz of candied peel
2 oz of melted butter
1 egg
Milk and sugar to glaze
Take the flour and salt and sieve it. Then cream the yeast with a teaspoon of sugar and tepid milk. Pour this liquid into a well that you have made at the center of the flour and then sprinkle with a little bit of flour. Cover the bowl and then place in a warm area for around 15 minutes, so that the yeast can begin to work. Add in the further ingredients and mix it up well. If you need to, you can add in a little more milk. Cover the bowl again with a cloth and allow the mixture to rise in a warm place for about an hour. The dough should have doubled in size.
Make the dough into buns and place them on a baking tray that has been greased. Then cut a cross on the top of each bun. Allow them to prove for 15 minutes and then brush the buns with a bit of milk and sugar as a glaze. Place the tray of buns in a hot oven that has been preheated to 450 F for roughly 15-20 minutes.
Lemon Buns
8 oz of self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
3 oz of butter
4 oz of sugar
Grated rind of 2 lemons
1 egg and milk to bind
Sieve the flour and the salt and then add the butter, sugar and rind. Then mix it with a beaten egg and milk so that it's a soft consistency. Then place them onto patty tins that have been greased and then place them into an oven that has been pre-heated to 400 F for about 10-15 minutes.
It's nice to be able to treat yourself now and again with some home made biscuits. All too often we take the lazy route of buying bisuits from the supermarket. So if you're looking for some easy but tasty biscuit recipes you might want to look at the couple below.
Bourbon Biscuit Recipe
6 oz plain flour
2 oz custard powder
1 oz cocoa
4 oz margarine or cooking fat
4 oz caster sugar
Preheat an oven to 400 F. Sieve the flour, custard powder and cocoa. Cream the fat and sugar and then stir in the egg. Add in the other ingredients and mix so that it's a smooth clear dough. Then roll it out thinly and then cut it into fingers. Sprinkle a little bit of sugar on the top prior to baking. Place them in the middle of the oven for about 15-30 minutes. When the biscuits have cooled down, you can place the two finger together with some chocolate glacé icing in the middle.
Chocolate Glacé Icing Recipe
2 oz of plain chocolate
1 1/2 tablespoons of hot water
6 oz icing sugar
Melt the chocolate in the water, add in the icing sugar and beat well so that it's smooth and can be easily spread.
Empire Biscuit Recipe
Originally, Empire biscuits were called German biscuits or Linzer biscuits. But because of WWII, it was renamed to Empire biscuits.
8 oz plain flour
4 oz butter or margarine
3 oz caster sugar
1 small egg
Glacé icing
Jam
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Mix together the butter and sugar but not to a creamy consistency. Add in the egg and mix well. Then add in the flour and rub it together so that it's crumbly. Place it onto a floured board and rub together lightly until a smooth paste has been formed. Then roll it out thinly and cut into small rounds. Place them onto baking trays and place them into the middle of the oven for about 15-20 minutes. When then have cooled down, you can sandwich two together with jam in the middle. The top them with glacé icing. If you want to, you can place a cherry in the centre of each biscuit
Glace Icing Recipe
8 oz of icing sugar
3 tablespoons of warm water
Flavouring and Colouring as desired
Sieve the icing sugar into a small bowl. Then add in the water and gradually beat until smooth and clear. If it's too soft, you can add in a little more sugar and if it's too stiff you can add in more water.
Most people in the world love oranges. They are so tasty and can be made into so many different dishes. Here is a recipe for a basic but yummy orange sandwich.
Orange Sandwich Recipe
6 oz of self-raising flour
4 oz of margarine
4 oz of caster sugar
3 eggs
Grated rind of an orange
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Then well-grease 2 sandwich tins that are about 7 x 1 inches. Sieve the flour, cream the margarine and sugar so that it's light and fluffy. Add in the egg little by little along with the flour, clearing well after each addition. Add in the orange rind and mix well prior to adding the rest of the flour. Mix lightly by thoroughly until it's smooth and clear. Pour it out into the tins and make sure the mixture is spread out evenly. Then bake it near the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes. When it's cooled down, you can place the sponge sandwich together with some orange cream then finish off with orange glacé icing.
Orange Cream Recipe
3 oz of unsalted margarine
4 1/2 oz of icing sugar
1 teaspoon of orange juice
1 teaspoon of grated orange rind
Cream the margarine and sieved icing sugar until light. Add in the rind and juice then mix thoroughly.
Orange Glacé Icing Recipe
12 oz of icing sugar
1 teaspoon orange rind
Orange juice
Sieve the sugar into a basin and add in the orange rind. Slightly warm the orange juice and add in a sufficient amount to make it a fairly thick coating.
Interesting Info About Oranges
For many people, oranges are a major source of vitamin C and lots of people enjoy drinking orange juice. However you should also remember to eat the segments of oranges too so that you can get the benefit of the fibre which is important too. In addition to vitamin c and fibre, you can also enjoy the benefits of potassium, folic acid, thiamine plus a small amount of calcium and magnesium.
It's believed that orange trees originated from S.E. Asia and it was apparently Columbus who brought the seeds back to the United States. It used to be that oranges were pretty expensive because it's was very difficult to grow in colder climates however they are now one of the most popular fruits to be grown today. In the US they are mainly grown in Florida, Arizona and California.
Stuffed Cabbage Leaves Recipe
1 lb of minced meat
1 oz of butter
1 teaspoon of chopped parsley
Some chopped mint (optional)
2 tablespoons of cooked rice
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon of sieved boiled onion
A pinch of mixed spice
A little stock or gravy
12 medium-seized cabbage leaves
Fry up the mince and cook lightly whilst stirring frequently so that the juices of the meat are absorbed. Then add in the butter. Mix in the herbs, rice, seasoning, onion and spice plus the stock and allow to cook for a further 5 minutes. Whilst this is cooking, you can be blanching the cabbage leaves by placing them in boiling water for a couple of minutes, then drain them. Put a spoonful of the filling into each of the cabbage leaves and roll it up to create a little package. Position each of the packages closely together in a casserole dish with stock, cover it and cook for 45 minutes at 350F.
Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe
6 large mushrooms
1 lb of sausage meat
2 oz of breadcrumbs
1 oz suet or shortening
Seasoning
Parsley
Egg to bind
2 oz butter
Take the skins off the mushrooms and remove the stalks. Place them in a basin and pour boiling water over them. Allow them to soak for a couple of minutes before removing them from the water and then allow them to drain. Take the sausage meat and form it into flat cakes and place the mushrooms on top. The mix the mushroom stalks that have been chopped, parsley, a little bit of egg and then stuff the mixture into each of the mushrooms. Place some butter on top of each mushroom before baking them in an oven that's been heated to 425F for half an hour.
Stuffed Pimentos Recipe
Cut the tops off some large green or red pimentos and the remove the seeds. Chop the top slices finely along with 2-3 onions then cook it up in some butter and oil. Make a tomato sauce using fresh tomatoes and then add in the pepper and onion mixture.
Cook up a handful of rice in the tomato sauce until tender then season it well. Stuff the peppers with this mixture and moisten them with some stock. Place the peppers in a dish with some butter and cook them over a low heat on top of the stove. Finish off the cooking by placing them in an oven at 350 F.
Just about every kitchen in the land has at least a few eggs in it. Eggs are simply so versatile, healthy and very quick to prepare. No matter how pressed for time or tired you are, cooking up some eggs require very little skill or effort. Here are a few recipes that make use of eggs that you might want to have a look at.
Scotch Eggs Recipe
1/2 lb sausages or sausage meat
4 hard boiled eggs
2 teaspoons of seasoned flour
A little piquant sauce
A little beaten egg
Breadcrumbs
Fat for frying
If you are using sausages for this recipe then you need to remove the skins to begin with. Then remove the shells from the eggs and dust them with the seasoned flour. Put a few drops of piquant sauce into the meat mixture and divide it up into four equal parts. Cover each of the eggs in the meat and make sure that it's in a nice rounded shape. Brush each one with the beaten eggs and then toss them in the breadcrumbs before frying in deep fat that is already hot.
You know when the eggs have been properly cooked when the gold a lovely golden-brown colour. Remove them from the fat and then drain them well. When they are cold you can then cut them in half and enjoy with a salad if desired.
Macaroni and Egg Casserole Recipe
4 1/2 oz macaroni
3 pints boiling water
Salt
2 oz salad oil
1 1/2 oz flour
1 pint milk
2 oz minced onion
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon piquant table sauce
3 oz grated cheese
8 oz cooked runner or French beans
3-4 hard boiled eggs
Boil the macaroni in the water with a little salt then drain it off and rinse with boiling water. Then blend the oil with the flour and stir in the milk and cook it up until it's thick. Add in the onion, mustard, pepper, sauce and 3 teaspoons of salt. Then take it off the heat and stir in 2 oz of cheese. Layer the macaroni, beans and sliced egg in a casserole dish. Keep some of the egg so that you can use it as a garnish.
Then pour the sauce over and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over it. Place the casserole dish in the oven which has been set to 350 F for half an hour. When this is done you should let the cheese brown under a hot grill. Use circles of hard boiled eggs for the garnish.
Curried Scramble Recipe
1 small onion (chopped)
Oil for frying
1 teaspoon of curry powder
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon of chopped parsley
3 tablespoons of milk
Salt and pepper
Buttered toast
Fry the onion and then add in the curry powder and fry it lightly. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat it all together. When it's cooked you can serve it on the hot buttered toast.
