JAM THUMBPRINT SCONES

Ingredients.......1 and 1/2 cups of self raising flour, 30 gm of butter/ marg, 1/2 cup of milk, 1/4 cup of strawberry jam, icing sugar to dust. Preheat your oven to 200 deg C. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Mix together the flour with a pinch of salt in a medium bowl and add the butter/ marg. Rub the butter/ marg into the flour with your fingertips. Make a well in the centre and add the milk. Mix with a flat bladed knife, using a cutting actio until the dough comes together in clumps. With floured hands until the dough comes together, lift out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a smooth ball. Please dough not knead the dough or the scones will be tough. Shape the dough out to about a 2 cm thickness. Use a 4 cm cutter and cut into rounds. Gather the trimmings and shape into a 2 cm thickness without handling too much and cut into more rounds. Place the scone rounds close together on the prepared tray. Make a deep indentation in each scone round with your thumb and fill each cavity with the jam. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until they are risen and golden brown on top. Dust with icing sugar to serve. I serve these with a dollop of cottage cream topped with a dob of strawberry jam.

MINI LAMB MEAT LOAVES.

Ingredients.....500 gm of lamb mince, 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs, 1 egg lightly beaten, 1 onion, grated, 1 zucchini, grated, 1/4 cup of pine nuts, 2 tbs of chopped parsley, 1 tbs of worcestershire sauce, 1 cup of tomato pasta sauce. Preheat your oven to 200 deg C. LIghtly grease an ovenproof dish. In a bowl, combine the mince, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, zucchini, pine nuts, parsley and Worcestershire sauce. Season to taste with cracked black pepper. Roll into 4 oval shaped meat loaves. Place 1 tbs of grated cheese in the centre of each meat loaf and reshape the meat loaves. Place the meat loaves in the prepared oven proof dish. bake in the preheated oven until browned, then pour over the pasta sauce and sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese. Continue to bake until the cheese has melted and the loaves are cooked thropugh. Serve with vegetables and or a salad.

ZUCCHINI AND POLENTA PATTIES WITH TOMATO SAUCE.

Ingredients....2 cups of water, 1 and 1/2 cups of polenta, 2 zucchini, grated, 1/2 cup of finely grated Parmesan, 1 tbs of finely chopped rosemary leaves, (8 cooked chipolatas and a green leaf salad to serve, optional.) Tomato Sauce....30 gm of butter/ marg, 1 small leek, finely sliced, 2 tbs of minced garlic, 400 gm can of diced tomatoes, 2 tbs of rice bran / canola oil. Bring the water to the boil in a medium saucepan over a high heat. Pour in the polenta and reduce heat to medium. Cook stirring until all the water is absorbed. Stir in the zucchini, Parmesan and rosemary. Season to taste with cracked black pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, allow to cool and then divide into 8 even sized patties. To prepare the tomato sauce, melt the butter/ m arg in a frying pan over a medium heat. Saute the sliced leek and garlic until the leek is tender. Add the tomatoes and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens, set aside and cover to keep warm. Heat half the oilin alarge frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the patties, in two batches for 3 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towelling , cover to keep warm and repeat with remaining oil and patties. I like to serve the patties with the cooked chipolatas, warm sauce and salad leaves.

CAKE TOPPINGS (2).

Ginger And Lemon Glace Icing.... Place a 1/3 rd of a cup of icing sugar in a small bowl, add 1/2 tsp of ground ginger,20 gm of butter/ marg, 1 dsp of milk and 1 tsp of lemon juice. Mix to form a paste. Place the bowl in the top of a steamer saucepan, which has simmering water in the bottom pan. Stir the icing until smooth and glossy. Remove the bowl from the heat. Drizzle the icing over the cake or spread with a knife dipped in hot water for even covering. Do not reheat the icing. Lime Icing...... Place 2 cups of icing sugar, 80 gm of softened butter/ marg and 2 tbs of lime juice in a mixing bowl and mix with a wooden spoon, adding 1 tbs of water if the mixture is too dry. Spread the icing over the cake with a flat bladed knife. Orange Glace Icing....... Place 1 cup of icing sugar into a heatproof bowl, add 10 gm of softened butter/ marg, 1 tsp of grated orange rind and enough orange juice to make a soft pouring consistency. Place the bowl in top of a steamer saucepan , which has simmering water in the bottom pan. Stir until the icing is smooth and glossy. Remove the bowl from the heat, drizzle the icing over the cake and let it run down the sides. Butterscotch Frosting.... Place 20 gm of butter/ marg in a small saucepan with 95 gm of soft brown sugar. Stir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves, simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 1/3 rd of a cup of sour cream, stir through and set aside to cool. Place 100gm of cream cheese in a mixing bowl and beat with electric beaters until light and creamy. Gradually add the cooled butterscotch mixture, beating well after each addition. Caramel Icing.... Place 1 and 1/2 cups of icing sugar, 1 tbs of milk, 2 tbs of golden syrup, 30 gm of butter/ marg in a medium bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Spread over the cake with a flat bladed knife.

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. 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. 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.