Easy Peasy Shortbread

Now I am all for an easier life when it comes to cooking and this recipe provides me with that. It is one from a Women's Weekly cookbook that I have had for many, many years, and it produces the most buttery and sweet shortbread for very little trouble.

You can have this in you oven within about 5 - 10 minutes and in your tummy in about 45 minutes.

So it is a good recipe to keep for when you have unexpected guests or just what something to eat with your cuppa.

Melt and Mix Shortbread

250 gm unsalted butter , melted, 360 gm plain flour, 40 gm custard powder, 55 gm caster sugar, 35 gm icing sugar

Preheat oven to 180.c. Line a 18 x 28 cm (7" x 11") tin with baking paper.

In a large bowl place all the dry ingredients, mix together with a wooden spoon. Add the melted butter, stir until it is well mixed together. Place into the tray and using your hand, the best piece of equipment, flatten in the tray.

I then use a spatula to make the surface smooth, then cut into slices and using a fork prick each piece.

If you want to make them even more special you can sprinkle them before baking with a little bit of caster sugar.

Bake 20 - 30 minutes, depending on your oven, until lightly golden. Remove from the oven but leave to cool in the tray. While still hot recut into slices. When cold remove from tray and store in an airtight container.

Anzac biscuits and chocolate slice

My husband is good at surprises, not necessarily good ones, but surprises never the less.

His latest was delivered 2 days ago, on the day we returned from a short holiday. It started like this Husband " Do you have many slice recipes that are easy to make" My reply "yes, what do you want it for ?" Husband "Well I am off to a meeting on Friday night, do you think you can make a slice for me to take" Me "Well I can make the chocolate, coconut slice that I have made for years, will that do ? Husband "Yes , what about the anzac biscuits you make, can you make some for Saturday. "

So what was I doing at 7.45am this morning - making slice and biscuits. As it was all cooked and dishes done by 8.45am, I have decided that perhaps this is a good time to bake instead at the end of the day, when I am tired.

The Chocolate Slice Recipe - from The Big Book of Beautiful Biscuits by Womens Weekly

Chocolate Fudge Bars

Base

1 cup plain flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup coconut, 1 tablespoon cocoa, 185 gm butter - melted, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 egg

Icing

1 cup icing sugar, 2 tablespoon cocoa, 30 gm butter - melted, 1 1/2 tablespoon hot water, coconut

Sift dry ingredients into a bowl, add butter, vanilla and egg.Mix together. Press mixture into the base of a parchment paper lined 28cm x 18cm lamington tin. Bake 180.C for 20 minutes. Cool in tin. Ice and sprinkle with coconut. When the icing has set cut into bars.

Icing

Sift icing sugar and cocoa into a small bowl , add butter and water, mix together.

Anzac Biscuits - from Like Grandma Used to Make by Readers Digest

1 cup plain flour, 1 1/4 cup rolled oats, 2/3 cup sugar, 3/4 cup desiccated coconut, 125 gm butter, 2 tablespoon water, 2 tablespoons golden syrup or honey, 1 teaspoon bi-carb soda

Preheat oven 150.c, line trays with baking paper. Sift the flour into a bowl. Add sugar, rolled oats and coconut. Combine butter, golden syrup/honey and water in small saucepan or microwave proof bowl, melt butter over stovetop or in microwave. Working quickly add bi-carb to butter mixture stir into the dry ingredients. Place desertspoonfuls onto trays flattening a little allow room for spreading. Bake 7-8 minutes then turn trays and bake further 5 minutes. Cool on trays, as they cool the biscuits will harden.

Daring Bakers Challenge February 2011

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

Well my first ever Daring Bakers challenge, the days disappeared before I realised that I had to start cooking, but I made it in time !

The result, a beautiful creamy but not too sweet panna cotta and sticky chewy florentine biscuits, both a hit with my husband and daughter.

Panna Cotta Recipe - by Giada De Laurentis

Ingredients

I sachet unflavoured gelatin ( 1 tablespoon - 15 ml - 7 grams) 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk

3 cups (720 ml) cream 1/3 cup (80 ml) honey 1 tablespoon (15 ml) sugar

pinch of salt 1 vanilla bean split in half seeds removed

Additional flavourings - food grade lavender buds and rosewater

Pour the milk into a chilled bowl, I placed a small glass bowl in the fridge while I was measuring out the other ingredients. Place cold milk into the bowl then sprinkle the gelatin over evenly. Leave for 5 minutes for the gelatin to soften.

Pour the milk into a saucepan, over medium heat, heat mixture until hot NOT boiling. I whisked every couple of minutes, it took about 5 minutes.

Next add remaining ingredients, leaving it on the same heat, whisk until sugar and honey have dissolved and mixture hot again NOT boiling. About 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. At this stage I placed a generous third of the mixture including the vanilla pod in a glass bowl, the other third in another bowl to which I added 2 teaspoons of lavender buds and to the remainder in another bowl I added two capfuls of rose water.

Leave for 10 minutes. Pour the vanilla and rose panna cotta into seperate glasses/ramikens. For the lavender one I strained the lavender buds pressing them to extract as much flavour as possible. I retained a few to sit on top of the panna cotta, so that you could see it was lavender. Set in fridge 6 hours or overnight. Garnish and serve, I garnished the rose panna cotta with rose petals.

Nestle Florentine Cookies

Ingredients

2/3 cup (160 ml) (150 gm) unsalted butter 2 cups (480 ml) (160 gm) quick oats

1 cup (240 ml) (230 gm) granulated sugar 2/3 cup (160 ml) (95 gm) plain flour

1/4 cup (60 ml) dark corn syrup 1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk

1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to moderatley hot 190.C (375.F). Prepare baking sheets with silpat or baking paper.

Melt butter in medium saucepan, then remove from the heat. - I did this in a large jug in the microwave.

Add remaining ingredients to melted butter, mix well.

Drop tablespoons full, three inches (75 mm) apart, onto your trays. Flatten slightly with the back of the tablespoon.

Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, or until biscuits are golden. Cool completely on cake rack or baking sheets. I used the baking paper they had cooked but moved them a bit so they wouldn't stick to the paper when cool.

Melt chocolate in the microwave ( 1 - 1 1/2 minutes) or over a double boiler, ensuring that the water isn't touching the bottom of the bowl.

Use the chocolate to sandwich the biscuits together or as I did spread some chocolate over the top.

Enjoy !