CAKE TOPPINGS. (1).

The icing on the cake can make all the difference. Lemon Cream Cheese Icing.....this is the perfect icing for a carrot cake. Place 60 gm of cream cheese and 30 gm of butter/ marg in a small mixing bowl. Use electric beaters and beat until combined. add 1 tbs of lemon juice and 185 gm of icing sugar and beat until smooth. Chocolate Fudge Topping (1). Chop 150 gm of dark chocolate and place in a small saucepan with 90 gm of butter/ marg and 1/2 cup of condensed milk. Stir over a low heat until the chocolate and butter/ marg have melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool until thick and spreadable. Chocolate Ganache Topping (2). Combine 60 ml of cream and 150 gm of dark chocolate in a small saucepan. Stir over a low heat until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Pour the ganache over the cake, then smooth the top and around sides of the cake with a flat bladed knife. Coffee Buttercream Topping....this is the perfect topping for a butter cake. Dissolve 3 tsps of instant coffe granules/ powder in tbs of boiling water. Place 125 gm of butter/ marg and 1 and 1/2 cups of icing sugar in a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer beat until pale and creamy. Add 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract, coffe mixture and 1 dsp of milk and beat until smooth and fluffy.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW…?

The answers to May's challenge... 1. Nouget. 4. Corallini. 2. Pepita. 5. Brownie. 3. Icing. 6. Aerate. June's Quiz Challenge For You.. 1. Usually served as an appetiser, entree, between courses, or with a main meal, sometimes as a meal by itself? 2. A large, rough textured fruit that will not ripen once it is picked? 3. A bright orange root, similar to ginger. When dried and ground it is used to flavour curries and pickles? 4. An early Autumn pear, some call it a ' Williams ' pear? 5. An aromatic, oval fruit with a thin waxy green skin, jelly like centre containing a few small edible seeds? 6. A tangy spread and pastry filling made with butter, castor sugar, eggs and lemon juice?

BBQ SAUCE.

Ingredients......2 tbs of rice bran/ canola oil, 3 tbs og minced garlic, 1 onion, finely chopped, 170 gm of tomato paste, 180 gm of apple cider vinegar, 5 tbs of soy sauce, 5 tbs of golden syrup, 1 tsp of Chinese five spice powder, 1 tbs of mustard, 5 tbs of honey, cracked black pepper and 200 ml of chicken stock. Saute the onion in the oil until tender and translucent. Add all the other ingredients, except for the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Little by little add the stock until the sauce thickens, but keep stirring all the time. Store in an airtight jar. the sauce can be served warm or cold. Once opened store in your refrigerator.

HELPFUL TIPS FOR YOU.

1. For softened butter in a hurry, grate and set aside for 10 minutes. 2. to gewt rid of lingering kitchen odours, bake orang peel in a preheated oven set at 160 deg c for 15 minutes. 3. Freeze unused pastry in a zip lock bag to prevent it from drying out.

CHICKEN LIVERS IN RED WINE AND THYME.

Ingredients......250 gm of fresh chicken livers, 3 tbs of rice bran / canola oil, 2 tbs of finely grated lemon rind, 3 tbs of minced garlic, 4 tbs of red wine, 1 tbs of fresh chopped thyme, cracked black pepper, rocket leaves and crusty bread, to serve. Rinse the chicken livers under cold running water, pat dry with kitchen paper. Heat the oil and grated lemon rind in a frying pan, add the garlic and cook, stirring over a medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the chicken livers, wine and thyme. Season with the cracked black pepper and continue to cook for 5 minutes. TO serve, arrange the rocket leaves on a serving platter. Remove the pan from the heat and spoon the chicken livers over the rocket leaves. Serve with crusty bread.

THE MANOR RISSOLE PASTRY PUFFS

8 prepared and cooked Manor rissoles, 2 sheets of puff pastry, 4 tbs of sweet chilli sauce, 8 cherry tomatoes, grated tasty cheese to top pastries. Preheat your oven to 200 deg C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Slice each sheet of puff pastry into 4 equal squares. Place a tsp of sweet chilli sauce in the centre of each pastry square. Place a rissole on top and then turn the rissole over to make sure the rissole is lightly coated with the sauce. Fold the pastry square up around the coated rissole and top with a sprinkle of the grated cheese . Finish off the pastry puffs with a trimmed cherry tomato. Place the pastry covered rissoles on the prepared oven tray and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the pastry is golden and risen. Cool on a wire rack . The pastry puffs can be frozen.

CARROT AND HONEY OATMEAL BISCUITS.

These biscuits are seriously good and easily prepared. I found this recipe in a paper from the 90's and these are the measurements as printed, please make sure you use a 250 ml measuring cup. Ingredients.....1 cup of plain flour, 1 cup of wholemeal plain flour,1 dsp of baking powder, 1/2 tsp of bi carb of soda, pinch of salt, 3 tsp of ground cinnamon, 125 gm of butter/ marg, 1 cup of runny honey, 2 eggs, lightly beaten, 2 cups of coarsely grated carrot, 1 cup of sultanas, 2 cups of rolled oats, 2 cups of granulated nuts. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Line 2 oven trays / 1 large oven tray with baking paper. In a large bowl mix together the flours, baking powder, bi carb of soda, salt and cinnamon. Beat the butter/ marg until soft and creamy. Add the honey and continue to beat until thick and smooth. Add the beaten eggs a little at a time alternating with the flour mixture . Now with the beater running on slow add the carrots, sultanas, oats and granulated nuts, mix well. Place tablespoons of the mixture in rough clumps on the prepared tray / trays about 2.5 cm apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.