some new art

Mary's jam tart

Mary's jam tart

Sunday, July 22, 2012

10:00 AM

1 cup flour

1 cup coconut

3 Tablespoons sugar

Pinch of salt

100gram of Margarine

Rub margarine into dry ingredients

Press into pie pan (you can save a bit for sprinkling on top)

Stir jam of choice in bottle to make it easier to spread and spread a generous amount on the pie base

Sprinkle saved base over top

Bake at 300 for 45 minutes

PS I find 3/4 of each enough for a pyrex pie plate

Icing recipe/ frosting recipe

Carol's Icing recipe

Saturday, July 21, 2012

11:42 AM

2 pounds Powdered sugar (icing sugar)

1/2 cup hot water

1 1/2 cups crisco (lard)

1 teaspoon flavoring like vanilla or crème bouquet

Pinch of salt

Beat all together till light and fluffy

Butter flavored crisco will make light yellow frosting and 1/2 butter and half regular will make cream

Meringues

Meringues

Thursday, July 19, 2012

10:16 AM

1 egg white

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 Tablespoons boiling water

8oz castor sugar (can use American regular sugar)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

Put sugar, viegar and water in bowl

Add egg white and whip till thick

Add vanilla and baking powder

Beat 1 minute

Pipe onto baking sheet

Place in oven warmed to 350 and switch oven off

Check back in about an hour

Fruit cake

Fruit cake

Thursday, July 19, 2012

10:03 AM

1 pound  fruit I use a mixture of glace' and raisins both regular and golden

1 cup water

3/4 cup sugar 1 stick of margarine or butter

Place the above in a large pot and bring to the boil

Boil 5 minutes

While cooling add spices

4 ml of cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon mixed spice

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon instant coffee

Add 2 well beaten eggs

Add

 chopped nuts or peanut butter about 1 heaped tablespoon

2 cups of flour

1 teaspoon Bicarbonate

 You can add cherries and nuts without changing the other quantities

 Bake @300 for about an hour or till skewer comes out clean

Remove from oven and pour over it 2 capfuls of brandy if you like while still hot

Aunt Cynthia's cheese puffs

Aunt Cynthia’s cheese puffs

2 cups flour

3 ½ teaspoons baking powder

Pinch salt

1 teaspoon powdered mustard (prepared is fine too)

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cups grated cheese

Mix together in a bowl, then in separate bowl, mix

1 egg

3 Tablespoons oil

1 ½ cups of milk

Together now “cut it into” the dry ingredients by pouring it in the center and using a smooth blade knife (butter knife) cut through and turn the dough over till it is mixed. Don’t overmix or you will “kill” the baking powder

Spoon into mini muffin pans and bake 400 * for about 7-8 minutes till lightly golden may take a bit longer if your muffin pans are bigger

Banana Bread

Banana bread

3 ripe bananas

1/3 cup oil

2/3 cups of sugar

Mix above well in large bowl

Add

2 eggs

½ cup chopped nuts or 2 heaped tablespoons peanut butter

1 cup flour  (your choice)

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Pinch of salt

Bake in loaf pan at 375 degrees about 45 minutes till golden and cake tester comes out clean

Rain

Rain

We have been having a lot of rain of late. Almost as if there is a tropical storm hanging around. I am not complaining mind you, as we need the rain and it mostly doesn’t bother me much except when a thunder clap goes off right next to my house and I jump, oh what 6 -8 inches in the air. But still we are being blessed and it is fun. Well yesterday I walked to the mail boxes at the end of the street as usual and boy was it busy everyone was out and about in the few bits of sunshine we were having.

Firstly (about that jumping thing I mentioned well) I was strolling past my neighbor’s house and suddenly there was a huge rustle right next to me. I looked at the tree and there sat Mr. Woodpecker in all his splendor. His plume was bright red and he just sat there and looked at me, even when I spoke to him he just hopped around in much the same place, turning his head to get a better view. Perhaps he was wondering why my hair was so boring and white.

 Then the squirrels were out and about and also not in too much of a hurry or scurry to escape my approach, almost as if the weather had them drugged into a false sense of complacency. I almost tripped over a butterfly, who was ambling along, about a foot above the path and seemed to be following the path ahead of me. Made me think of that line in the movie with Meg Ryan about the butterfly getting on the subway and getting off at Sachs to buy a hat. ( from you’ve got mail)

Then I saw soooo many birds and they were all calling and chirping and making a huge racket, it was wonderful.

A few days ago I did see the hawks and the squirrel dancing down by the mail boxes. I saw the hawk swoop and thought, oops there goes a squirrel, but no. the hawk missed and returned to it’s perch in a low branch to watch. Then it tried again and this time the squirrel reared up and actually sort of attacked the hawk and it backed down and went back to its perch.  That was when I noticed a second hawk. He squirrel made a mad dash for the tree and they both chased it around the trunk as t scurried up and into the thicker part of the tree that they can’t get into. I was really amazed and thought, wow I would never have thought the squirrel could win that one. Maybe it is because I am suspecting that is the enchanted clearing.

Well it is where the mushroom circle was last week. I mean I wonder why they always grow in a circle. Have no real clue but have noticed it often. Actually there is a mushroom circle in my neighbor’s yard right now. The one down the road and this one too have something in common. They seem to develop on one side thicker and larger than the other and I wonder is this a class difference like living on the wrong side of the circle?

Well it is that time of day and the thunder storm is rolling past my window chatting away and periodically scarring the whillies out of me. I am glad the guys came to mow today and managed to get it done in the sunshine window.

 Well hoping your summer is as fun as mine

Milk tart

Milk tart

I cheat and use a pie shell already made like Pillsbury roll out and bake

Bake the pie shell empty and then fill with the following mixture

4 Tablespoons sugar

1 pint of milk (2 cups)

3Tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with a small amount of cold milk to a thin paste

Pinch of salt

2 Tablespoons of butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs separated and beat the whites like for meringues. Beat yolks separately

Bring the milk and butter and salt to a boil stir in the vanilla and sugar then remove from heat and add the yolks and then the cornstarch stirring all the time. It should thicken almost immediately if not return to the heat and stir on low till it thickens. Then fold in the egg whites and pour into the pie shell. Sprinkle with cinnamon and cool. Keep refrigerated till you serve it. Best served same day.

Rusks

Rusks

4 cups of flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup sugar

8 teaspoons baking powder

 Sift all the above together or place in a bowl and whisk to add air. (You can add raisins or aniseed or substitute a bit of the flour say ½ cup for Muesli or granola)

 Rub in ¼ # (one stick for the Americans) butter or margarine

Mix 1 cup of Milk and 1 egg together then add to the mixture (you can use Buttermilk)

Make into balls and place in well greased cake pan or pan with high sides

Bake for 35-40 minutes @375 degrees till golden

Allow to cool

Break balls apart and cut in half. Lay on a cookie sheet and dry in low oven about 200 degrees but watch them from time to time. When dry store in airtight container. Serve with a hot drink like hot tea or coffee. Dunking is the acceptable way to eat these. Also used for allowing babies to chew on for teething.

Enjoy