Lemon and Poppy-seed cake

200g butter 
1 cup sugar 
3 eggs 
1 tsp vanilla essence 
1/2 cup milk 
Grated zest of lemon 
2 tbsp lemon juice 
2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder 
6 tbsp poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 160C. Grease and line a 23cm round tin with baking paper. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla, milk, lemon zest and juice, mixing to combine. Stir in flour, baking powder and poppy seeds until evenly combined. Spoon mixture into prepared tin and smooth top. Bake 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. 

Lemon Syrup
2 tbsp lemon juice 
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon

In a pot combine all ingredients. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. While cake is still warm, prick with a skewer all over and spoon over Lemon Syrup.

via taste.com

Feijoa Jam

1kg Feijoa, peeled
1/3 cup water
800g sugar
1tsp ginger powder
3Tbs lemon juice

Bring water and feijoa to the boil in a pan, and cook until the fruit is tender. Add sugar, lemon juice and ginger and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Boil until the jam will set. Test by spreading a spoonful of jam on a cold plate (start testing after about 10 mins of cooking time). Bottle in hot sterilised jars while the mixture is hot.

To sterilise jars
Preheat oven to 120C. Clean jars well with hot soapy water and rinse well. Let drain then place upright on oven tray. Place in oven and heat for 20mins. Fill while hot with hot jam. Boil lids in saucepan for 10mins then let drain.

Ninja Turtle- Michelangelo Cake

Cake I made for Cody's surprise 30th birthday party. I made it at home in Albury and we took it up in the Esky to Newcastle in the car! I chose to make him orange (Michelangelo) randomly and Michelangelo is Cody's favourite Ninja Turtle luckily!

Mocha Truffles

3/4 cup thickened cream
30g butter
400g dark choc, chopped
3 tsp coffee liqueur
400g white choc, chopped
2 tsp vege oil
1 Tbs instant coffee powder, extra

Heat cream and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until just boiling. Remove from heat. Add dark choc to mixture, do not stir. Stand at room temperature for 5mins. Stir until smooth. Stir in coffee and liqueur. Transfer choc mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until mixture is firm enough to roll. Line 2 oven trays and using 1 1/2 tsp of choc mixture roll into small balls (make sure hands are cold). Put truffles on prepared trays, cover and freeze 30mins or until firm.

Microwave white choc and oil uncovered on medium for 2-3mins, stirring every minute with a metal spoon until melted. Stand 5mins to cool. Use 2 forks to dip truffles, one at a time, in melted chco. Let drip, then place back on trays. Stand at room temperature until almost set. Sprinkle with coffee powder, then refrigerate 30mins or until set.

Pistachio Lime Balls

250g butter, softened
Rind of 2 large limes, finely grated
1/2 cup pure icing sugar
2 cups plain flour, sifted
1 cup roasted pistachio nuts, coarsely ground
Green sugar
Icing sugar, extra

Beat butter and lime rind in large bowl until pale. Add icing sugar and beat. Add flour and beat until combined. Add nuts and use a wooden spoon t o mix until dough comes together. Preheat oven 180C. Line oven trays. Roll dough into small balls, then roll in green sugar to coat. Put balls on trays and flatten slightly. Refrigerate until form, approx 15mins. Bake 1 tray at a time for 12-15mins or until bases are light golden. While biscuits are hot, sprinkle with extra icing sugar. Stand 10mins on trays then transfer to wire rack to cool.

Coconut Snowballs

200g white chocolate
1/3 cup cream
100g blanched almonds, chopped
1 cup sponge cake or macaroon finger biscuits, crumbed
1 1/2 cup shredded coconut

Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water, or in the microwave, stirring every 20secs. Fold in cream, almonds and biscuit crumbs. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. Roll teaspoons of the mixture into balls and then roll in the coconut, place on a lined tray and refrigerate.

Key Lime Pie

150g plain sweet biscuits (Granita)
75g butter, melted
4 egg yolks
395g can sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbs finely grated lime rind
1/2 cup lime juice
whipped cream and finely grated lime rind, to serve 

 Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Process biscuits until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in butter. Press mixture over base and side of a 3cm-deep, 20cm (base) glass or ceramic pie dish. Bake for 10 minutes or until base is light golden. Cool. Using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks in a bowl for 3 to 4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in condensed milk, lime rind and lime juice. Pour mixture over crust. Bake for 12 minutes or until mixture has just set. Remove from oven. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until chilled. Cut into wedges. Serve with cream and lime rind.

Via taste.com.au

Lemon Meringue Pie

1 1/2 cups plain flour 
2 Tbs icing sugar mixture 
125g butter, chilled, coarsely chopped 
2 1/2 Tbs iced water 

Lemon filling 
1/3 cup cornflour 
1/2 cup water 
1 cup fresh lemon juice 
2 cups caster sugar 
60g butter, coarsely chopped 
4 eggs, separated

Sift the flour and icing sugar into a large bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the water and use a round-bladed knife to stir until a dough forms. Use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl. Turn onto a sheet of non-stick baking paper and roll out to a 5mm-thick disc. Use the pastry to line a 23cm (base measurement) pie dish. Trim excess pastry. Cover the pastry with baking paper. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Fill the lined dish with pastry weights or rice. Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and pastry weights or rice. Bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until crisp and golden. Set aside to cool completely

Meanwhile, to make the lemon filling, combine the cornflour, water, lemon juice and half the sugar in a saucepan. Use a balloon whisk to stir over medium heat for 4 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for a further 1 minute. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter and egg yolks. Transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 3 hours or until cooled completely.

Preheat oven to 190°C. Use an electric beater to beat the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 tablespoonful at a time until the mixture is thick and glossy. Step 6 Spread the filling over the base of the pastry case. Spoon over the meringue mixture and spread to the edge of the pastry. Use the back of a spoon to create peaks. Bake in oven for 5 minutes or until the meringue peaks are light golden. Set aside to cool completely. Serve.

Via taste.com.au

Carrot Oatmeal Cookies

2½ cups all-purpose flour 
1 tsp. baking soda 
¼ tsp. salt 
 ½ tsp. ground cloves 
2 tsp. ground cinnamon 
1 cup oats 
¾ cup brown sugar 
¼ cup granulated sugar 
225g butter, softened
2 large eggs 
2 tsp. vanilla extract 
2 cups grated carrot (3-4 carrots) 
½ cup coconut 
¾ cup chopped walnuts 
powdered sugar 
milk

Preheat oven to 175º C. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon and oats. Mix well and set aside. With a mixer, beat together sugars and butter in a large bowl. Add eggs and vanilla and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add carrots, coconut and walnuts. Blend until combined. Batter will be lumpy. Add flour mixture and blend at a low speed until just combined. Do not overmix. Place tablespoons of mixture onto greased oven trays and bake for 13-15 mins. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Add saltanas, extra nuts and carrot. Make mixture very lumpy.

Spinach and Ricotta Lasagne

White Sauce
225g butter
16 Tbs plain flour
2L milk, warmed
1/2 tsp salt
White pepper

Melt butter in a saucepan and then remove from heat. Add the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook over a low heat for 1min, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat. Gradually add the milk and stir until smooth. Return to a medium heat and stir until boiling. Lower the heat and stir for 1min. Flavour with salt and pepper.

1kg Spinach

500g ricotta cheese

2L white sauce (as above)

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Nutmeg

2 Tbs grated parmesan

Salt and Pepper

Lasagne sheets

Wash spinach and drain. Put spinach in boiling water and cook for 2mins. Strain water off and refresh the spinach under cold water. Squeeze out most of the water. Chop it up and set it aside. Place the ricotta in a bowl and combine with 1.5L white sauce, 1 cup grated cheese, nutmeg, parmesan, salt and pepper and spinach. In a lasagne dish, layer spinach-rocotta mix with lasagne sheets (plenty of spinach-ricotta mix per layer). Cover the top layer with the remaining white sauce, sprinkle with 1cup shredded cheese and bake in a moderate oven for 45mins, or until golden brown.

From The Kinglake Cookbook, Chris Owen

*Can be bland (need lots of pepper, maybe relish to serve?)

ANZAC Biscuits

2 cups rolled oats

2 cups plain flour 

1 cup sugar

1 cup coconut

4 Tbs golden syrup

200g butter or marg

1 tsp bicarb soda

2 Tbs boiling water

Mix dry ingredients (oats, flour, sugar and coconut). Melt syrup and butter together. Mix soda with boiling water and add to melted butter and syrup. Add to dry ingredients. Place tablespoons of mixture on greased tray. Bake slow oven (150°-160°) 20mins.

Feijoa and Apple crumble

75g butter
½ cup flour 
¼ cup coconut 
¼ cup rolled oats 
½ cup soft brown sugar 

12 ripe feijoas, peeled and sliced 
2 apples, peeled and sliced
¼ cup of sugar

Preheat the oven to 180°C. To make the crumble combine all ingredients. Place the fruit in a baking dish, mix with sugar and water. Top with the crumble mixture. Bake for 35-40 mins, until fruit is cooked and crumble crisp and golden.

Can double recipe

via

Gnocchi with creamy tomato and bacon sauce

2 x 500g pkt potato gnocchi 
300ml light thickened cream 
4 Tbs water 
2 Tbs tomato paste 
12 shortcut rindless bacon rashers or ham, thinly sliced 
300g semi-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced 
80g toasted pine nuts 
80g (2 cup) baby spinach leaves

Cook gnocchi in a large saucepan of salted boiling water following packet directions or until tender. Drain. Meanwhile, heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until crisp. Stir in combined cream, water and tomato paste. Add tomato and pine nuts. Add the gnocchi and spinach and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the spinach wilts. Season with pepper. Divide among serving bowls to serve.

Can swap bacon for 350g mushrooms.

Via Taste.com

Apple and Pear Studel

2 apples, sliced
2 pears, sliced
2 Tbs caster sugar
1/2 tsp lemon rind
pinch ground cinnamon
4 Tbs water
6 sheets of pastry

Stew fruit with sugar, lemon and cinnamon, cool. Layer 3 pastry sheets together, fold in half, spoon fruit mixture along centre. Fold in ends and sides over fruit. Place on paper-lined baking tray, bake in hot oven (240C) 7mins each side or until browned. Serve with custard.

Makes 2 

Oaty Sultana Biscuits

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup sultanas
1/4 cup SR flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbs honey
20g marg

Combine oats, sultanas, sifted flour and sugar in bowl. Stir in combined egg, honey and marg. Place Tbs sized mixture 3cm apart on lined baking trays, press with fork. Bake moderate oven (180C) 15mins until golden brown.

Makes 16

Fruity Cookies

2 cups wholemeal SR flour
1 tsp cinnomon
1 tsp nutmeg
4 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs dried apricots, finely chopped
2 Tbs dried apples, finely chopped
2 Tbs sultanas
2 Tbs olive oil
4 eggs
2/3? cup skim milk

Sift dry ingredients into bowl, stir n fruit. Make well i centre, add oil, egg and milk, stir until combined. Place 2 heaped Tbs mixture 5cm apart on non-stick oven trays. Bake in moderately hot oven (200C) 15mins or until lightly browned. Cool on trays.

Makes 16

Toasted Museli

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup unprocessed bran
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup dried apple, chopped
4 Tbs sultanas
2 Tbs honey
2 Tbs water

Combine oats, bran and fruit in a bowl, stir in combined honey and water. Spread mixture onto oven tray, bake 120-150C 45mins, or until toasted, stirring occasionally.

Curried Meat Loaves

250g minced steak
250g sausage mince
1 onion, diced
1 Tbs curry powder
1/2 cup breadcrumbs or flour
salt
pepper
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 egg

Combine minced steak, sausage mince, onion, curry powder, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper in bowl. Mix well. Combine tomato sauce and lightly beaten egg, add to meat. Mix well. Form meat mixture into 2 or 3 loaf shapes. Put into shallow baking dish and bake in moderate oven 40mins, brushing occasionally with pan drippings. Remove from oven, pour off excess fat. Pour glaze over meat, bake further 15mins, brushing occassionally with glaze.

Tomato Glaze

125g can tomato soup

2 Tbs brown sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 tsp curry powder

salt

pepper

Combine all ingredients in saucepan, stir over medium heat until sauce boils.

Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables

1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 zucchini, halved and sliced
equal amount of summer squash, quartered and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 package (500g) gnocchi
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 

Garlic Bread

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add squash and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is crisp-tender, 4 to 5 mins. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until juicy, about 2mins. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook gnocchi according to package instructions. Reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid, drain gnocchi and transfer to skillet. Toss gnocchi, adding enough cooking liquid to create a sauce. Remove from heat and stir in basil, cheese, butter, and lemon juice. Serve with garlic bread.

Sub butternut pumpkin or other veg instead of squash.

from Martha Stewart