SAND CAKE

Ingredients .....1 cup of self raising flour ,1 dsp of cornflour / custard power, 125gm of butter/ marg ,3/4 cup of castor ugar , 2 eggs lightly beaten ,1/4 cups of milk . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Grease and line the base of a 20 cm round cake pan with baking paper . Place all the above ingredients in the bowl of your electric mixer and beat until pale and creamy . Now spread the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan . Cook for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean . Let the cake stand for 5 minutes in the pan before turning out to a wire rack . This cake is perfect for freezing and can served plain or topped with your favourite icing .

CHICKEN , CORN AND RICE CAKES

Ingredients .....2 cups of cooked rice ( long grain ) , 1 onion peeled and finely chopped , 1 cup of flour season mixed with 2 t5bs of Italian herb mix , 150 gm of chicken mince , 1/2 cup of corn kernels ( drained ) ,2 tbs of sweet chilli sauce, 1/2 cup of canola oil ,1 egg lightly mixed ,extra flour for coating ,sour cream or Greek yoghurt and chopped parsley for serving . These savoury cakes are very easily made . Combine the cooked rice , chopped onion , seasoned flour , chicken mince , sweet chilli sauce and egg in a bowl. Form the mixture into 6 large or 12 small patties and coat them lightly in flour . Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat . Arrange the patties in the pan and cook for 5 minutes on each side . You can serve these patties warm or cold .

THE MANOR FRUIT CAKE

The ingredients....1 x 225gm can of crushed pinepple (undrained ),225gm of butter/ marg, 3/4 cup of firmly packed sugar,725gm of dried mixed fruit, 3 beaten eggs ,1 cup of self raising flour ,1 cup of plain flour ,1/2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda , 1 tsp of baking powder, 1 tsp of almond extract ,1 tsp of lemon essence , 1 tsp of ground cloves , 1 dsp of mixed spice. Preheat your oven to 160 deg C . Lightly grease a 23cm cake pan and line the base with baking paper . Place the crushed pineapple with juice in a med/large pot along with 225gm of butter/ marg, 3/4 cup of brown sugar and the mixed fruit . Bring the fruit mixture to a slow boil and then remove from heat and set aside to cool down to room temperature . When the mixture is sufficiently cooled please stir through the remaining ingredients with a wooden spoon . Pour into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 90 minutes , or until skewer inserted comes out clean . Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack .

MEATBALLS IN PEANUT BUTTER SAUCE .

Ingredients ....500gm of topside steak , flour for coating , 2 tbs of chopped /dried coriander 2 tbs of peanut oil . The peanut sauce ...1 tbs of bush curry ,3 tbs of crunchy peanut butter ,1 tbs of tightly packed brown sugar ,1 tbs of lemon juice , 1 and 1/4 cups of coconut milk . So let's get started .....Roll the beef mince into golf ball sized rolls and roll in the flour to coat . Place the 2 tbs of peanut oil in a large pan and cook the meatballs over a medium heat until golden brown and cooked through . Remove the cooked balls from the pan and drain on kitchen paper . To prepare the peanut butter sauce , drain of the oil from the pan retaining about 1 tbs of oil , add the peanut butter and stir into the oil over a low heat . In a separate bowl mix together the coconut milk , curry powder , brown sugar and lemon juice , incorporate this mixture with the oil and peanut butter in the pan . Increase the heat and bring to the boil , stirring constanly ,then reduce the heat and simmer till the sauce thickens . Return the meatballs to the pan with the sauce . To serve sprinkle with coriander and serve over a mixed grain and or a green salad .

PRESERVED ORANGE SLICES

These orange slices can be used in trifles , cake fillings , cheesecake toppings . The orange slices will keep in the refrigerator for 6 months . I got the idea for this recipe from preparing the whole orange cake .. The ingredients you need .....2 whole oranges ( I chose 2 thin skinned oranges) , wash and dr,the shiny round oranges ) . I placed the 2 whole oranges in a pot and added water to just cover he oranges and placed the pot over a medium heat and bought the water with oranges in to a slow boil . Simmer for 2 hours . Remove the oranges from the water . Place 3 cups of castor sugar into the reserved liquid and stir over a low temp until the sugar is dissolved , do not boil , about 60 minutes Then stir in 1 cup of apera dessert wine . Continue to simmer for 20 minutes . Slice the cooled oranges and place slices into cleaned jars and pour over the simmered liquid . Seal the jar/ s . Any syrup left over can be bottled separately and used to spoon over cakes or ice creams .

LEMON SOUR CREAM CAKE

Ingredients ........250 gm of softened butter/ marg, 1 tbs of finely grated lemon rind, 440gm of castor sugar, 6 eggs, 180 gm of sour cream, 300gm of plain flour, 35gm of self raising flour, 80 gm of pine nuts, 1 tbs of demerara sugar and 90gm / 1/4 cup of warmed honey. You will need 23cm / 9" square pan. Grease the pan and line it with baking paper, extending the baking paper 2" over the sides. Preheat your oven to 160 deg C. Beat the butter/ marg,lemon rind and castor sugar in the bowl of your electric mixer until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl beat together the eggs and stir in the sour cream, the flour mixture and add to the mixing bowl with the butter mix and mix to incorporate. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and place in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Combine the nuts and sugar in a small bowl. Now remove the cake from the oven and sprinkle over the nut and sugar mixture , pressing down gently. Bake for a further 45 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven when a skewer inserted comes out clean. Stand cake in the pan for 5 minutes before turning top side up onto a wire rack. Warm the honey and drizzle evenly over the hot cake. Let cool before serving with Mascarpone.

SLOW COOKED PUMPKIN AND DUMPLING CASSEROLE

Ingredients.....500gm of butternut pumpkin ,peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces . 2 x 400gm cans of diced Italian tomatoes , 2 x 400gm of mixed beans ( drained ) , 2 cups of sliced mushrooms , 1 cup of water , 2 tbs of minced garlic , 2 tbs [ of dried Italian herb mix ), cracked black pepper . Place the above ingredients in a greased 4-5 litre slow cooker . Cook on low for 8.5 hours or high 4.5 hours . Ingredients you need for the dumplings ..... 1/2 cup of plain flour , 1/3 cup of polenta , 2 tbs of dried grated Parmesan cheese , 1 tsp of baking powder , 1/2 tsp of paprika , 1 beaten egg , 2 tbs of milk , 2 tbs of canola oil , 1 dsp of dried basil . To make the dumplings , mix the flour , polenta , Parmesan , baking powder, paprika in a medium bowl. Stir well and make a well in the centre . In a small bowl mix together the beaten egg , milk , canola oil and basil and add the combined mixture to the well . Spoon 2 tbs mounds of the batter in single layer on top of the pumpkin mixture in the slow cooker . Cook on high for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the dumplings comes out clean .