Blossom Cottage

Chocolate Cake

A lovely friend gave me this eggless chocolate cake recipe.  Yummo!  Its called Mud Pie Cake

1 1/2 cups plain flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon bi-carb soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup cooking oil, 3 teaspoons vinegar, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, 1 cup water.

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, pour oil into a measuring device, add in vanilla and vinegar, pour the oil mixture onto dry ingredients, use the same device to measure one cup of water, add and mix ingredients.  Its easy peasy.. line a square or standard round cake tin, cook for approx 40 mins in 180 degree oven.

This one is for dh birthday today, Oscar and Bonnie are planning a trip to entertain and help out with the chores as poppy is on holidays.  They will be super excited to find a cake with trimmings fit for children and eggless, so Oscar can happily munch into it.

 

Cooking on Sunday

 Lovely goodies..  the chocolate biscuits are Afghans from my lovely frankie magazine - afternoon tea reciple book.. great recipes thanks to Mel , the others are old fashioned rock cakes (sultanas) which is a family recipe and apple teacake from the Better Homes and Gardens Feb magazine.

CROCHET .....a new skill learnt yesterday

On Saturday, I learnt a new skill.. my friend Erica taught me to read a crochet pattern from the sketch.  I always struggle with reading a pattern, once I persevered (for those who know me.. not much patience), it was easy peasy to read from the sketch.. well of course it was when Erica was sitting right next to me for advice..however after she left I managed to finish my trial piece, yes for those out there who pick up that the pattern is larger, we decided before I started that I was only going to make a small doily this time around.

Cooking with Bonnie

Bonnie came for a visit while mummy was working.. armed with her apron ready for cooking, there was no escape for nanna!  Pikelets first up.. and then some play dough that Bonnie had fun making!

Play dough..  1 cup plain flour, 1 tablespoon cream of tartar, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 cup cooking salt, mix together, add 1 cup boiling water with a few drops of colouring..  (mummy or nanna may have to stir the boiling water in initially- test to ensure dough is cool enough for your helper to continue with) Keep in an airtight bag.. 

 

Bikkies easy peasy

I had an early start for work today, getting home early was great.  I baked some jam biscuits and Anzacs

Raspberry Jam Cookies - nice and sweet - I cut the sugar down.

3 oz margerine, 4 oz sugar, 5 oz SR flour, raspberry jam (very sweet). Mix altogether, once butter is melted (I put the sugar in with the butter to dissolve it) spoon in teaspoon fuls.. onto baking tray.  Cook moderate oven until now glistening crystals are seen.

Anzacs

4oz butter, 1 tablespoon golden syrup, 2 tablespoons water, boil together

Tip over 1 cup plain flour, 1 teaspoon soda, 1 cup rolled oats, 1 cup coconut, 1 cup sugar (again I cut this back).. Teaspoon out onto tray.  Cook in moderate oven until brownish, leave on tray to cool.   Must say I always have trouble with the cookies flattening out as they are supposed to.. maybe a tad more water?

Scone Scrolls

These are just the basic scone recipe, 2 cups of SR flour, about 2 ozs butter rubbed into the flour and a bit of cream and water to make a dough consistency.  I then place it onto floured gladwrap or baking paper and roll out reasonably thin.. sprinkle cheese/bacon over and roll into lengths, cut the spiral into about 1/2 inch pieces.. I did half cheese and bacon.. the other half of the dough, I sprinkled with brown sugar and dotted with small pieces of butter and rolled up, a nice sugary scroll is formed, just cut in the same way. Suppose it depends whether you are a sweet tooth or have a savoury taste..

Moist Carrot Cake

I found this recipe in the weekend and thought I'd give it a go.. the walnuts give it a real nutty taste.  I've put the recipe in my recipe blog, you'll find the link on the sidebar...

Cooking

I got up early this morning and did some cooking - made bread in the breadmaker, one egg meringues and cream puffs. I wanted to make the latter two to put away ready for Izzy's Christening which will be soon.  I also made some scones (easy peasy) because my friend Gina (www.gingerbread.typepad.com) came to spend the day with me (thankyou Gina : ) 

I'll add the recipes to my Recipe Blog later on.

Chocolate Sponge Cake

This lovely light sponge recipe has been passed down to us by "Grandma".  I made two of them yesterday and filled them with whipped cream, iced the tops with chocolate icing, sprinkled with coconut.  My dh took me for a drive last week around the coast to Dover (Tasmania), its a lovely drive.. the main purpose was for dh to see how his staff were going with the roadworks for which he is the Co-ordinator for.  I felt a bit sorry for the guys who were working hard in the cold windy conditions.. so I cooked up the cakes for dh to take to work today - maybe brighten their days a little!  It is so cold here today that I am thinking perhaps I should have brewed them hot soup instead! 

Sponge Cake

4 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons heaped of plain flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 dessertspoon of cornflour

You can make plain or add, coffee essence with the egg yolks.. or 1 heaped desertspoon of cocoa with the flours...

Separate eggs and beat the egg whites until stiff, when stiff add the sugar and beat until a nice thick consistency, then add the egg yolks... if your adding coffee essence add that now with the yolks (I put it in the cup with the yolks) then sift the dry ingredients onto the top of the mixture, gently fold through with a spoon by hand the dry mixture, you will need to do this until you can't see any flour mixture.  Cook in a moderate oven (180 degrees C) or 375 degree farenheit... approx 20 mins... the cake will leave the sides of the cake tin and spring back when you touch it if cooked. 

I use 8 inch sponge cake round tin... It makes one really high cake or you can use two tins for a smaller cake. 

Another idea for plain cake is to set 1/2 a pkt of jelly in the tin after use, whop the bottom of the tin in a little hot water and turn onto the cut section of the cake.  (divide in two pieces like for adding cream) then place whipped cream and top half of cake over that, ice with vanilla icing or dust with icing sugar. 

Sausage Rolls & Jam Tarts

Nothing like home-made goodies.. these sausage rolls and jam tarts were delicious.  If your a pastry lover you may wish to have a go at making some.

Sausage meat, tomato and worcestshire sauce, a generous serve of relish, chopped onion and mix together - you can bind with an egg, but I didn't use one.  Spoon out onto pastry in sausage like strips and roll pastry over, then cut the formed sausage into about 5 smallish pieces..  Cook 200 degrees C until lightly browned..

With the left over pastry, I made these old-fashioned jam tarts, mum used to make them for us as kids..

Easy to make, spoon raspberry jam into centre of a smallish pastry square, fold pastry over and use a fork to stick down the edges - Cook in oven with the sausage rolls.

"The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts all on a summers day

The knave of hearts he stole those tarts and took them clean away"