Lucy's baking

 

Made By Lucy Williams aged 11

Maroccan Lamb Plait

I was sitting around for three days as I was sick . Even when I am sick I can't sit still. But in this case I wasn't able to move much and I sat and watched Sky Food channel. 

Bless Dean Brettschneider cotton socks. He showed how to make a sausage roll that was little bit more up market and taste beautiful. When it comes to sausage rolls, I am a sucker for them . I love my pastry.

 More to come . I haven't finished with this one yet.

Retro kiwifruit Cheesecake

 

 

 

 

You can use different fruits and matching jelly toppings with this recipe. For example, orange zest in a cheesecake with orange jelly and mandarins, or strawberry puree and strawberry slices with red jelly, or berries with blackberry jelly.

 

 

 

 

 250grams crushed biscuits plain or gingernuts.
1/2 tsp cinnamon
100grams melted butter
500grams cream cheese, softened
3/4 icing sugar
3 tsp gelatin,  plus 3 tbsp water
1 cup cream, softly whipped
1/2 cup kiwifruit,  mashed into a puree (approx 2 ripe kiwifruit)
2-3 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced
3 tbsps lime jelly crystals,  plus 1 cup hot water

 

Combine the biscuits crumbs, cinnamon and melted butter and press into the base of a spring form tin. Chill.

 

Beat together the cream cheese and icing sugar in a bowl until smooth, (about 3-5 minutes).

Sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a bowl and leave it to swell for 5 minutes. 

 

Warm over hot water, or on medium power in the microwave for 15 seconds. Stir until the gelatin has dissolved.

 

Beat the gelatin into the cream cheese mixture and quickly fold in the whipped cream and kiwifruit puree.

 

Pour the cream cheese mixture over the chilled base and return the tin to the fridge. Leave to chill for 2-3 hours, or until the mixture has set.

 

To serve,  dissolve the lime jelly crystals in hot water and let the jelly cool but not set. Arrange the sliced kiwifruit decoratively on top of the chilled cheesecake and spoon over the lime jelly.

 

 Allow to chill for at least 30 minutes until the topping has set before cutting the cheesecake and serve.

Classic Baked Cheesecake

See this recipe on pinterest

Sweet as.......

This baked Cheesecake is surprisingly easy to make and delicious served with a dollop of cream. This cheesecake is prefect made the day before serving as it tastes best when very well chilled.

250grams shortbread or ginger biscuits
100grams butter melted
500grams cream cheese
225grams sour cream
4 large eggs
1 cup of caster sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
Lemon slices and icing sugar to decorate

Step 1
Lightly grease and line the base of a spring form tin. To make the base, place the biscuits in a food processor and process until finely crumbled. Add the melted butter and mix to combine. Press evenly over the base of the tin and refrigerate until required.

Step 2
Preheat the oven to 140c To make the filling, place the cream cheese in large bowl and mix with an electric mixer until softened, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times to ensure all the cheese is softened.

Step 3
Add the sour cream, eggs, caster sugar and zest and beat until smooth,  scraping down the bowl several times in between mixing.

Step 4
Pour the filling over the biscuit base and bake for 1- 1  1/4  or until the topping is lightly golden and just firm to touched ( expect a little cracking on the surface). Cool completely before removing it from the tin . Chill before serving.  Decorate with a slice of lemon and dust it with icing sugar

Fritters

Tender fritters are great. I found a fantastic recipe for the all time corn fritter. No more cream corn. This recipe is the best.  This basic batter mix for any type of fritters you want to make from your normal corn to courgette to mussel fritters.  Great for brunch, lunch or in a smaller version you can serve it as a finger food at a party. I took this recipe and ingredients camping and serve this up for a great lunch. 

Basic batter mix
1 1/2 cup of self raising flour
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
Freshley ground pepper
3/4 cup of soda water.

For corn and Feta add to batter
2 cups corn kernels, 2 tbsp chopped mint, 1/2 cup crumble feta.

For Chilli Mussels add to batter
2 cups chopped cooked mussels, 1/4cup chopped coriander and 2-3 tbsp thai sweet chilli sauce.

For courgette and Pesto add to batter
 4 grated courgettes, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 2tbsp pesto.

Mix all ingredients until smooth. Stir in your choosen flavour ingredients.  Stand for 10 minutes.  Cook spoonfuls in 1/2 cm hot oil in a pan over a medium heat until golden brown on each side .

With corn fritters I serve them with slices of avocado and strips of crispy bacon and a bit of either plum sauce or chiil sweet sauce.

Chocolate Eclair Cake

I found this one on facebook but the only problem was it was done in oz's and pounds so I had to use Google and figure out the measurement . This turned out great.  Also this recipe called for that horrible whipped cream in a can. Use it if you have too but please think before using as it changes the whole dish.
This cake would be best to make first thing in the morning so it was completely set for your dinner party. It will the guest star of the night.
Who doesn't, like chocolate Eclairs are missing out on something special. For those people who don,t like sweet sweet dessert ,this is the one.
Unfortunately I would have to say my Dad would do his mouth movements, which always shows that he was not liking it. My mum took one look at these ingredients and said he wouldn't like it , mainly because of the Vanilla Instant pudding. To bad for him more for us.

1 cup of water
1/2 cup of butter ( 4 oz) ( 113grams)
1 cup of flour
4 eggs
1 pot of cream cheese
2 pkts of vanilla instant pudding
3 cups milk
250 mls Cream whipped with a little icing sugar just to sweeten the cream
Base.

In a medium saucepan add water and butter and bring to boil so the butter has melted. Remove from heat and sift the flour in and mix well . Add one egg at a time making sure the egg has been mixed in well before adding the next egg. Spread the mixture in cake tin evenly on bottom and up the sides of the tin . If you are using a non stick tin don't grease it, if not use only a little greasing as you want the side to stay up the sides. Bake this in a preheated oven at 200 c for 25 - 30 minutes. It only took 25 minutes so keep a eye on it . You don't want to over cook it . Now this will puff up in the centre don't be tempered to prick it, when it cools it will go down . Let this go completely cold before adding the step.
Filling
Whip the cream cheese in a bowl so that the cream cheese is soft.
Whip up the 2 pkts  of vanilla instant pudding with the 3 cups of milk until thick . Mix the cream cheese and make sure there are no lumps . I added this to the instant pudding in my mixer with the whipping tool . Place this in the fridge to set. Then add the mixture to the cooled base and spread evenly .
Topping
Whip the cream to thick and fluffy add some icing sugar to make it a little sweeter . This is optional . Either pipe the cream on or spread it roughly over the  filling . Leave in the fridge . Before serving drizzle over your favourite chocolate sauce .

Bacon wrapped Chicken breast with Cream cheese stuffing.

See this recipe on pinterest

This is a quick and easy recipe and you just need a side salad to serve with this meal.

4 boneless skinless chicken breast 

1 pot of cream cheese 

2-3 spring onions chopped

Bacon strips to cover the chicken

Preheat your oven to 180c

 

Slice the chicken breast in half to make it large and flatten and pound this until thin.

Mix together the cream cheese and chopped spring and place  this mixture at the nearest to one end of the breast. 

Roll the chicken up making sure that the cream cheese is concealed in the chicken.

Then wrap a piece of bacon around the chicken and tooth pick the bacon through the chicken so this does not unfold when cooking.

Place this on a rack in roasting dish and bake for 35- 40 minutes

let stand for 5 minutes and serve with a lovely fresh green and tomato salad.

Good Old Fashion Veggie Soup.

This was the soup that was taught to me when I was at school. It is coming up to that time of the year when it is now getting cold and time to have good old fashioned soup that can be made in a large pot, this can be a meal in it's self or just a quick snack and great to take to work for lunch. This is a soup you can add as many veggies or as little as you wish and can have meat or no meat. This is a basic soup you can make in many different ways. I simply do this with just bacon. I have made this with left over roast chicken meat  by adding the cooked chicken at the last minute.
This soup was the only way I could get 2 of my kids to eat their veggies. When the soup was made I would blend it into a creamy soup and add a little bit of  milk to make it creamy . If it was served  with the  lumps of veggies they would have turned their noses up at it.


Basic base to any good veggie soup. 

50 - 100 grams of Butter  ( depends on how large your saucepan or soup pot)
2 medium diced onions
3 large diced carrots
4 sticks chopped  celery
1 sliced leek
5 Strips of streaky bacon diced(optional)

Melt butter in pan and add above ingredients and mix well and cook on high for around 2  - 3 minutes  then add these following ingredients.

4 large diced potatoes
4 Med  diced Kumara  ( sweet potatoes)
1/4 diced Pumpkin
Hand full of chopped parsley
Salt and paper to taste.

Cook for further 3 Minutes then add water and stock.

Now this is where it up to you how much liquid you put in. I use 12 cups of water to 10 Tsp of chicken stock, bring to the boil then simmer until the potatoes are cooked. Taste this before serving as you might want to add some more salt or pepper. 
I sometimes add in veggie stock so that changes the recipe to 2 tsp's of veggie stock and 8 tsp of chicken stock.

Pumpkin Kumara and Potato Frittata

It's not very often I am stumped at what to make for a dinner . But there has been a time I was a bit worried. I found that my sister in-law and brother in-law were coming to stay and they had changed their diet to no meat. In the past it was never a problem and it was nice to have a meal without meat.
Everyone  dug in and emptied the dish accept for  my son, he ended up making his normal staple dinner, bacon and eggs with of course a side plate of chips.
I posted this photo onto Facebook and a comment was added to say feed your son meat he needs it.  


Pumpkin , Kumara and Potato  Frittata

Cooked pumpkin, Kumara and Potatoes, Diced and all the same size.
1 onion diced
1/2 block of Feta Cheese (I use Cows Milk)
8 - 10 Mushrooms sliced.
2 Garlic gloves sliced
Handful of spinach leaves
Grated Cheese to lightly cover top.

Place all above ingredients in a oven proof dish. Add the creams, eggs and salt and pepper to this dish. Making sure that the cream mixture almost covers all the veggies.

6-8 eggs
300mls of Cream
Plenty of salt and pepper to at taste
Finely grated Parmesan cheese.

Beat the eggs until all mixed in and then mix this to the cream. Then pour over the top of the veggies.
Grate parmesan cheese at the last mintues.


Bake in oven for 45 to 50 Minutes  at 180c. Let it stand for the egg mixture to cool a little so it is easier to cut. I found  with this I needed to grate some more parmesan cheese just after if Serve this.

My inspiration

FAMILY  Don't you just love them.

For these guys it's all about good food. These guy's were my inspiration to cook and bake and always get me to try new things. They were my worst critics.  Now one of my daughters has left home to start her own life  and it is nice to hear what she has been making . She was taught how to make my famous pumpkin soup before she left. She now has fans that love her soup thanks to her mum.

My mum taught me alot too and thanks to her I can now teach my kids about good food.
 

My mum would tell you though that I was a fussy eater and it was hard to feed me  . Which was true . But in the end I come out liking pretty much anything with one exception,no animal organs!
 

I will blog shortly with my famous pumpkin soup and my husbands all time favorite rack of lamb and many more of my favorite recipes.

Does this happen to you.......You've been invited to a dinner party and it's a BYO and you come along with a dish that you have made. People at the dinner start to say who made this, what's in this dish , do you have the recipe , was it easy , how did you make it. It 20 question and I start to feel a little big headed so much that by the time I get home from dinner I can't fit through the door, Ha Ha  just joking . No by the time the night is over I have written this down for a few of the quest or family,that is  if the dish was not complicated.

Now I can say it's on my blog here the site.  I hope you enjoy the recipes and by all means add a comment or ask a question . I hope I can help and of course inspire you all to start cooking / baking.

I try to pick easy recipes, as less to clean up and, it time that I  don't have, cause I have so many other things I like to do. Watch this space I will have another page on crafts and gift Ideas. Future plans.

Glazed Country Meatloaf

I remember a meatloaf that my mum made  and it was the best meatloaf I ever tasted. It had a self glazing sauce and it was both a savoury and sweet taste . Now you are talking years ago when I was a kid and yes it must have been very good . The funny thing my mum could never remember which book it came out of and we never had it again  . So now that I have  found a great recipe out of a book on pages 250  thanks to Annabel Langbein  . Now because of computers, Android Phones, Laptop . There is no reason now to lose a recipe.

300 g Mince Lamb, Beef or Pork ( I used Pork)
300g Sausage meat
1 Finely chopped onion
2 teaspoon dried mixed herbs or 2 Tablespoon of fresh herbs
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons tomato sauce or paste
1 cup of fresh breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 Large carrot grated
1 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper

Self sauce:

2 tablespoons mild mustard
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 tablespoons Soya Sauce
1 tablespoon of Honey





1 . In a large bowl mix together all ingredients. ( I use the bread mixing tool on my mixer to combine all the ingredients it makes the job a little easier).
2. Once combined fill your meat loaf tin.  ( This mixture can make two small meat loaves if you buy the throw away, loaf tins from the supermarket ). Pat     the mixture down.
3. Mix together the self sauce ingredients and pour over the meat mixture.
4. Cover the tin with foil or the lid that was provide with the throw away loaf tins and cook for 50 minutes. Remove the lids and cook for further 10 minutes..
Good old fashion meatloaf is a well loved favourite that is so easy to make and my kids love this on the night and then in there sandwich for the next days lunch.
Oh and my father and brother who loved this too as I pre made this for our camping holiday a couple of years ago for our lunches and it didn't last long with them sneaking a piece here and there. 

Waste not Want not.

MUM ALWAYS SAY

This is what I did with the left over pastry from my jam jams biscuits.
I sprinkled them with sugar and cinnamon and baked these at the same temperature 180c for 7 to 8 minutes until lightly golden brown .
Just the right amount of  a quick sweet treat with your coffee or tea.
My mother in law always ask if we have anything sweet to go along with her tea and as I never seem to have any thing left after a day of baking .  I have now found how to keep my biscuit jar full.
My daughter was not happy with me  at the end of this day when I used all the left over pastry . Why is it that kids love the raw pastry, puff or short sweet.  My mum always told me that if I ate raw dough it would give me worms . I must admit I have said this to my kids . Not sure if its true but I believed her .

JAM JAM'S

With these jam jam biscuits there was no need to write this recipe down . This is one easy way to make biscuits at the last moment . Especially when you find that its a morning tea shout at work the next day. Which seems to be  a weekly event. I saw this been done on TV and just quickly noted down these three ingredients . So here it is .

1 pkt of pre rolled short sweet pastry. 
1/2 a jar of your favorite jam
dusting of icing sugar
Yes that's it.


Now all you need to do is cut out with a round cookie cutter. Now this worked out to be, with using all the sheets to 60 Biscuits. Then with a smaller round cookie cutter , cut out in the center of only 30 of them . I used a icing pipe tip.

Now bake these for around 7 to 8 minutes . You only want them to start going golden brown in a preheated oven at 180c which is a moderate heat. Once done set them aside to completely cool. (Step 1 of the blog posted)

With half of the jam . Mixed this up to make it soft as this will help spread this evenly over the non hole  biscuits ( See step 2 of the blog posted)

Dust the other half of the biscuits  with icing sugar ( see  step 2)

Join the two biscuits together and you have your jam jams.
Enjoy.

The three steps

                                                                                

 Jam Jam's..... in three easy steps



Step 1



Step 2



Step 3