SAVOURY TOAST

Ingredients........1 cup of grated tasty cheese, 2 eggs, well beaten,1 tbs of Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp of sweet paprika, 300gm of bacon pieces, 8 slices of buttered bread. preheat your oven to 200deg C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Mix together all the ingredients and spread over the buttered bread slices. Place on prepared baking trays and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until crisp.

HOMEMADE GIFTS

Thank you Maureen and Roel for my really appreciated gifts. The fresh vegetables from Roel's garden and your homemade dried tomatoes, dried lime slices, dried lemon slices, dried orange slices, chocolate dipped dried orange slices, and dried basil. A homemade oven mitten and card along with chocolates, all beautifully presented in a lovely gift box. To add to my gift , Maureen walked in with a plate of freshly baked, warm scones...and a tub of home whipped cream. I brewed the coffee !! Never under estimate the value of homemade gifts, I was truly spoilt.

ROCK CAKES

Ingredients......225gm of plain flour, 1 dsp of baking powder, 115gm of butter/ marg, 85gm of soft brown sugar,85gm of mixed dried fruit, finely grated rind of 1 lemon, 1 egg lightly beaten, 1- 2 tbs of milk, 1 dsp of castor sugar. Preheat your oven to 200 deg C. Lightly grease 2 baking trays and line with baking paper. In a large bowl mix together the flour and baking powder and rub in the butter/ marg using your fingertips. Stir in the brown sugar, mixed dried fruit and the grated lemon rind. Add 1 tbs of milk to the lightly beaten egg and stir into the flour mix, adding a little more milk until you have a moist, firm dough. Spoon small heaps of the mixture onto the prepared trays. Sprinkle with the castor sugar. bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and firm. Use a flat knife to transfer the rock cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

CHICKEN WITH SOY SAUCE

Ingredients.......8 pieces of chicken with the skin on, 100ml of soy sauce, 200ml of tamari, 100ml of kepac manis, 2 and 1/2 tbs of Worcestershire sauce, 2 and 1/2 tbs of butter/ marg, cracked black pepper to sprinkle. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Lightly grease a bvaking dish. Place the chicken pieces in the dish , skin side up. Mix together the sauces with 100ml of water. Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken pieces and divide the butter/ marg and place a knob on each piece of chicken. Bake in the preheated oven for an hour or until the chicken is cooked through and the skin crispy. Baste halfway through and add a little water if the pans is too dry. Serve the chicken with sauce from the pan with a steamed grain , salad or vegetables of your choice.

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Ingredients.......Pastry, 4 tbs of butter/ marg, 150gm of plain flour, 2 tbs of cocoa powder, 2 tbs of golden castor sugar, 25 gm of almond meal, 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten. Ingredients...Filling, 2 eggs separated, 75gm of golden castor sugar, 350gm of cream cheese, 25gm of cocoa powder, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 150ml of thickened cream, icing sugar for dusting. Preheat your oven to 160 deg C. Grease with cooking oil a 20cm/ 8"round loose based cake pan. First let's make the pastry, mix together the flour and cocoa powder in a medium bowl and rub in the butter/ marg with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and almond meal. Add the the lightly beaten egg yolk and a little water to form a soft dough. Next roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Carefully remove to and line the prepared cake pan. Chill in your refrigerator for 30 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the filling. Beat the egg yolks and and sugar together in the bowl of your mixer until until thick and pale. Beat in the cream cheese, almond meal, cream, vanilla extract and cocoa powder until well combined. Now beat the egg whites in a dry clean bowl until stiff. Stir a little of the egg white into the cheese mix, then fold in the remainder. Pour this mixture into the pastry case. Bake in the preheated oven for 90 minutes or until well risen and just firm to touch. Remove from the oven and carefully run a knife blade around the side of the pan and remove the circular side. To serve dust with a sprinkle of icing sugar.

POTATO FRITTERS

A few years ago we made these potato fritters in Tuesday cooking class, they were really popular. Ingredients......3 medium sized potatoes, 1 small onion, peeled, 1 tbs of plain flour, chopped fresh parsley, cracked black pepper, 1 egg lightly beaten, oil for frying. It is up to you whether you peel the potatoes, I never peel them, preferring to wash and dry them. Grate the potatoes and onion into a bowl. Add the flour, parsley, cracked pepper to taste and mix in the beaten egg. Heat a little oil in a frypan over a medium high heat. Drop tablespoons of the mixture into the pan and cook until brown, then turn and brown on the other side. Lower the heat and continue to cook until cooked through.

CREAM FILLED BRIOCHE BUNS

Ingredients......500gm of plain flour, 1 tsp of salt, 250ml of milk, 1 dsp of instant dried yeast, 40gm of castor sugar, 6 egg yolks lightly beaten, 150gm of room temp butter/ marg, 115gm of warmed honey, 40gm of flaked almonds. Cream Filling Ingredients.......500ml of milk, 1 dsp of vanilla bean paste, 6 egg yolks lightly beaten, 100gm of castor sugar, 90gm of honey, 50gm of cornflour mixed with 50ml of milk to make a paste. Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of your mixer. In a medium saucepan warm the milk till just warm then add the yeast, sugar and stir to dissolve. Then add the beaten yolks and whisk together. Place the paddle attachment on your mixer, pour in the liquid mix over the flour and beat for 5 minutes on a medium speed, increase the speed and add the butter bit by bit. The dough will be ready when it comes away easily from the side of the bowl during the beating process. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside in a warm place for 2 hours or until more than doubled in size. Line 2 baking sheets/ trays with baking paper. Punch down the risen dough and turn onto a lightly floured work bench. divide the dough into 12 potions and form into ball shapes about 6cm diameter. Place 6 balls on each prepared baking sheet/ tray. Preheat your oven to 200deg C. Leave to rise again in a warm spot for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Brush the tops of the buns with the warmed honey and sprinkle with the flaked almonds. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven or until they sound hollow when tapped on their base. Cool on a wire rack. To make the cream filling, place the milk in a small saucepan, add the vanilla paste and bring to a simmer. Place the egg yolks, sugar, honey and cornflour mixture until pale yellow. Mix the egg miture and hot milk together and beat until well combined. Place the combined mixture in a clean saucepan and cook over a medium heat until thick. Scrape into a medium bowl and cover with cling wrap and allow to cool. Place the cooled cream filling in a piping bag fitted with a nozzle. Pierce each brioche bun and squeeze in as much cream filling as you can. These are delicious...!!