Author Archives: Helen Jackson

Florentines

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Ingredients

  • 100g butter
  • ½ cup caster sugar
  • 1 cup cornflakes
  • ½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
  • ½ cup slivered almonds
  • 2 tablespoons sultanas
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons cream
  • 1 cup Hersheys semi sweet chocolate chips, melted

 

Method

Melt butter in a small saucepan and add sugar. Stir to dissolve sugar and bring
to the boil, gently boil for 1 minute. Crush cornflakes with your hand and
mix in a bowl with walnuts, almonds, sultanas, cream and flour. Mix in melted
butter and sugar. Place teaspoons of mixture onto baking tray leaving room
for spreading. Bake at 180 C for 10 minutes or until golden brown. With
a slice push edges of warm Florentines towards the centre to make each biscuit
more compact. Leave biscuits to cool on a wire rack. Ice bottoms of each
biscuit with melted chocolate and leave to set. Store in an airtight container.

 

Fresh Herb Scones

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups self raising flour
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 30g butter
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped chives
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped dill
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup water

 

Method

Preheat oven to 210 C. Sift flour, sugar and salt into basin and rub in butter, stir through herbs.
Pour in milk and enough water to make a sticky dough. Turn on to a lightly
floured surface and knead lightly until smooth. Pat dough out to approximately
2 cm thickness and cut into rounds with a 5 cm cutter. Place scones in a
lightly greased 20cm round tin and brush the tops with milk. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Fig And Ginger Jam

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From Nicki

Ingredients

1.25kg fresh figs, tailed and sliced

250g apples, peeled and sliced

60g preserved ginger, chopped

1.5kg sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 1/2 cups water

 

Method

Place all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook until jam reaches the setting stage when a little is tested in a saucer of cold water.
Pour into sterilised jars and seal.

 

Semi Dried Figs

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Ingredients

  • 2.2kg firm figs, stems removed
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons vinegar

 

Method

Wipe the figs and prick several times with a skewer. Place sugar, water and vinegar
in a saucepan and bring to the boil, add figs to the pan and simmer for
2 ½ hours. Drain figs and place on an oven tray. Place in an oven preheated
to 120 C and leave for 3 hours to dry completely. Figs can be stored in
refrigerator in an airtight container or frozen.

 

Figs In Syrup

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Ingredients

  • 3 cups water
  • ½ cup vinegar
  • 2 ½ cups sugar
  • 75g preserved ginger
  • 2 kg figs

 

Method

Place the water, vinegar, sugar and ginger in a saucepan and bring to the boil,
stirring to dissolve sugar. Simmer for 30 minutes. Wipe the figs and trim stems,
add to the syrup. Simmer for 2 hours and pack into clean hot jars.
Seal when cold.

 

Eggplant, Goats Cheese And Pesto Stack

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Ingredients

  • 2 eggplants
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • oil for frying
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 200g goats’ cheese
  • 2 red peppers, roasted, peeled and sliced into strips
  • basil pesto
  • 1 large handful rocket leaves

 

Method

Slice eggplants to get a total of 12 slices around 2cm thick. Sprinkle with sea
salt and leave to sweat for at least 30 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels.
In a bowl whisk together the balsamic vinegar, oil and salt and freshly
ground black pepper to make a vinaigrette. Slice the goats cheese into a
total of 6 slices and set aside. Heat enough oil in a saucepan to enable
the eggplant slices to deep fry. When oil is hot add eggplant and cook until
both sides are golden. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. To assemble
place a slice of eggplant on each plate (6), place a slice of goats cheese
on each and cover with a few strips of pepper, ½ teaspoon pesto and a drizzle
of vinaigrette. Top with another slice of eggplant and then a few rocket
leaves, another drizzle of vinaigrette and pesto. Serve at once (v)

 

Dumplings for Stew or Casserole

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup self-raising flour
  • 75g soft butter
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons horseradish sauce (optional)
  • 1/4 cup milk

 

Method

Mix breadcrumbs and flour in a bowl, rub butter in to make a coarse crumb mixture. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper and parsley. Add egg, horseradish and enough milk to form a dough. Knead until smooth. Roll into small balls and after beef has cooked for one hour place dumplings on top of meat. Cover and cook for a further hour.