COFFEE CAKES.

Ingredients...125 gm of butter / marg, 110 gm of raw castor sugar, 2 eggs, separated, 3 tsp of instant coffee granules, 1 tbs of hot water, 100 gm of self raising flour, 2 tbs of milk. Ingredients for coffee icing.....1 dsp of instant coffee granules, 1 tbs of hot water, 1 cup / 160 gm of icing sugar. Preheat your oven to 160 deg C. Grease 3 x 12 hole mini muffin pans. Beat the butter / marg and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, until combined. Stir the coffee and hot water in a small cup until the coffee dissolves. Stir the flour, milk and coffee mixture into the butter mixture. Beat the egg whites in a small bowl with an electric mixture until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the cake mixture. Spoon 1 dsp of the cake mixture into the prepared pan holes. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans for 5 minutes before turning out, top side down, onto a wire rack to cool completely. Meanwhile, make the coffee icing....Stir the coffee and hot water in a small cup until the coffee dissolves. Place the icing sugar in a small bowl and slowly stir in the coffee until the icing is smooth. Spread the cold cake bases with the icing, allowing it to drip a little down the sides.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ?

Here are the answers to the November challenge: 1. Damper. 3. Rollmop. 2. Gelato. 4. Tiramisu. 3. Paella. 5. Zest. Here is my December challenge for you: 1. Also known as a 'winter mushroom'? 2. A person who does not eat meat or animal products including, butter, cheese, eggs and milk? 3. A very small measurement of salt or spice held between the thumb and index finger? 4. A dry yeast loaf filled with nuts, dried fruit and decorated with glace cherries, traditionally eaten at Christmas or given as a gift? 5. A creamy dessert made by mixing together Madiera/ sweet sherry, castor sugar, lemon juice and ground cinnamon, then whisking in thickened cream. Can be served by itself or as a topping ? 6. Cream cheese made from salted yoghurt? Merry Christmas... Happy New Year.

NUTTY SQUARES

Ingredients for the base...120 gm of butter / marg, 3 tbs of castor sugar, 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract, 1 cup of plain flour, 1 cup of rice bubbles, crushed. Ingredients for the topping....30 gm of butter / marg, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/3 rd of a cup of crunchy peanut butter, 1 and 1/2 tbs of cream, 1 and 1/2 tbs of plain flour. Ingredients for chocolate icing...90 gm of copha, 3/4 of a cup of icing sugar, 4 tbs of cocoa,2 drops of vanilla extract. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Line a 30 cm x 20 cm lamington pan with baking paper. Start with preparing the base by creaming the butter / marg and sugar together with the vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Add the flour and crushed rice bubbles and knead into a dough. Press the pastry into the base of the lined pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Leave the oven temp at 180 deg C. Combine all the ingredients for the topping in a small saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and a smooth sauce is obtained. Pour the topping sauce over the pastry base and cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until it is golden brown. Allow to cool in the pan. Once cooled, prepare the icing. Melt the copha in a medium bowl. Mix together the flour and cocoa and then mix into the melted copha with the vanilla extract. Leave to cool to a dipping consistency. Now turn out the cooled pastry base and slice into 4 cm squares. Dip a corner of each square into the prepared icing and leave on a wire rack until the icing has set.

RICE au GRATIN.

Ingredients....4 cups of vegetable stock, 1 cup of brown rice, 1 large onion, finely chopped, 400 gm of diced tomatoes, 1 tsp of sugar, 420 gm can of corn kernals, drained, 1 cup of frozen green peas, 1 cup of grated tasty cheese. Grease a 6 cup ovenproof / casserole dish. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Place the vegetable stock in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Stir in the rice, cover and cook gently until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender, stirring occasionally. cook the onions in a large frying pan with a tbs of oil and cook until the onion is tender. add the tomatoes and their juice along with cracked pepper and sugar. Stir gently over a low heat. Add the corn and peas to the rice, stirring through gently, spoon into the prepared dish and pour over the tomato mixture. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake in the preheated oven until lightly golden and heated through. Delicious.

CHOCOLATE SELF SAUCING PUDDING.

Ingredients....50 gm of dark chocolate, chopped, 60 gm of butter / marg, 2 tbs of cocoa powder, 2/3 rds of a cup of milk, 1 cup of self raising flour, 1/2 cup of castor sugar, 1/2 cup of firmly packed brown sugar, 1 egg, lightly beaten, icing sugar for dusting. Fudge sauce, ingredients.....1 and 1/2 cups of boiling water, 50 gm of butter / marg, chopped,1/2 cup of firmly packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease a 6 cup capacity ovenproof dish. Combine the chocolate, bitter,cocoa and milk in a medium saucepan. Stir over a low heat until the chocolate melts. Place the flour in a large bowl and stir in the sugars. Add the chocolate mixture and the beaten egg, mix well to combine. Spread the mixture into the prepared dish. Now, for the fudge sauce. Combine the water, butter, sugar and cocoa in a small saucepan. Stir over a low heat, without boiling until combined. Pour the fudge sauce over the back of a tablespoon over the surface of the pudding. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until firm. Serve the pudding dusted with sifted icing sugar. Best served warm.

SWEDISH FISH STEW.

Ingredients...750 gm of assorted fish fillets, skins removed, butter / marg for frying, 2 medium carrots, sliced, 2 medium onions, sliced, cracked black pepper to taste, 1 tbs of dried dill, 2 large all rounder potatoes, cubed,1 and 1/4 cups of vegetable stock, 3/4 of a cup of milk, 3 tbs of butter/ marg, melted, 2 tbs of plain flour, 1 tbs of chopped parsley, 1 tbs of minced garlic. Grease the bowl of your slow cooker and set the temperature on high. Slice the fish fillets into pieces. Fry the fish pieces in a little oil in a frying pan until the pieces are sealed, remove from the pan and transfer to your slow cooker. Add the carrots, onions, cracked pepper to taste, the dill, parsley and minced garlic. Mix 1 and 1/4 cups of vegetable stock with 3/4 cup of milk in a bowl add the melted butter/ marg and mix together with the flour. Slowly stir the liquid into your slow cooker and cover. Cook on high for 2.5 hours or until the vegetables are tender and the sauce slightly thickened. Transfer to a warmed serving dish. I served this spooned over steamed rice.

MARSHMALLOW PAVLOVA

Ingredients....4 egg whites, at room temp, 1 cup / 220 gm of castor sugaR, 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract, 3/4 tsp of white vinegar, 1 and 1/4 cups/ 300 ml of thickened cream, whipped, 250 gm of fresh strawberries, halved, 1/4 of a cup / 60 ml of passionfruit pulp. Preheat your oven 120 deg C. line an oven tray with baking paper and dust with cornflour, shaking off any excess. Mark an 18 cm round on the baking paper. Beat the cream with an electric mixer until thickened. Place the thickened cream in your refrigerator until required. beat the gg whites in a non metallic bowl with clean, dry beaters until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, beating until the sugar dissolves. Add the vinegar and vanilla extract, contiue beating until well combined. Spread the meringue into the circle on the baking paper. Build up the sides to 8 cm in height. Smooth the sides of the pavlova gently with the back of a spoon, smooth over the top of the pavlova. Bake the pavlova for 90 minutes, then turn off the oven and let the pavlova cool in the oven with the door ajar. Cut around the top edge of the pavlova, the crisp meringue will fall on top of the marshmallow centre. Top the pavlova with the thickened cream, strawberries and passionfruit. Enjoy!