Apple Fritters [Pesach]

1 cup matza meal
3/4 cup milk
3 apples, peeled, cored and grated or chopped into small pieces
3 eggs
2 Tbsp oil for frying

Mix all ingredients together. Ladle the batter into the pan, like pancakes. Fry until golden brown on each side. Serve with cinnamon and sugar mixture [1/2 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp cinnamon]

Lemon Syrup Cake

125g butter
1 tblspn grated lemon rind
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1.5 cups SR flour
1/2 cup milk

Syrup:
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup caster sugar
Stir together until sugar is dissolved.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line base of 20cm round cake tin.
Mix all cake ingredients together in large bowl.  If too dry add more milk.
Spread mixture into cake tin.  Bake for 35-40 mins or until skewer comes out clean.
Leave cake in tin and prick with a fork or skewer all over.
Gently spoon syrup over cake.
Allow to stand until completely cold before turning out.

Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins

2 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
50g butter, melted
1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed
180g good quality white chocolate, roughly chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190 C. Place 12 large patty cases into a muffin pan. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and sugar.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, milk and butter. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients along with the raspberries and chocolate. Using a large spoon, mix until just combined.

3. Distribute the batter between patty cases and bake for 20-25 min, or until a skewer comes out clean and muffins are golden.

Fennel, Blood Orange and Sunflower Seed Salad

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper

2 medium fennel heads thinly sliced
3 blood oranges, peeled and segmented
1 cup sunflower seeds


In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the sliced fennel, toss to combine and chill for at about 1 hour.Add the orange sections to the fennel mixture and sprinkle with the sunflower seeds.
Toss very gently to combine. Arrange salad on a platter.

Blueberry Apple Cake

This recipe is Parev: contains no dairy products. And it's delicious!

4 Granny Smith apples OR 2x 410g canned apple PIECES

1 punnet blueberries

tablespoon caster sugar
flaked almonds
*********
1.5 cups raw sugar
4 eggs
1.5 cups SR flour
half cup lite olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:
Line cake tin with baking paper.
Peel and thinly slice apples.
Put into a bowl with the blueberries and a tablespoon of sugar.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla. Add flour and mix well. Fold in apple and blueberry mixture.  If using canned apple pieces, drain first. Top with flaked almonds.  Bake in moderate oven 180 degrees for approx 75 mins or until skewer tests clean.

Debbie's Apple Cake

I love this cake. Even Hanna likes it.....

First of all cut up about 6 large apples into neatish slices, put into a bowl and mix in about half a cup of caster sugar and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon powder. Mix well until apples are coated.

Line a large baking pan with baking paper, and spread the apples mixture evenly over the base.

Then mix up the cake batter, and spread evenly over the apples.

Bake in moderate oven for about 1 hour, test with a skewer.

Turn out upside down so the apples are on the top.

Cake Mixture:

230g butter or margarine, softened

1 cup caster sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 eggs

3/4 cup milk (or water)

2 cups self raising flour

Beat eggs and sugar well, then add remaining ingredients. Mix well, spread over apples and bake.

Raspberry Meringue Cream Torte

2 kg vanilla ice cream
300 g raspberries (fresh or frozen)
10 meringue nests, crushed
300 g raspberries, extra

Directions
1Line a 22cm round spring-form cake tin with plastic wrap.
2Allow ice-cream to soften but not melt, place one third of the ice-cream into cake tin's base, cover with half the raspberries, then half the meringues.
3Continue to layer ending with a layer of ice-cream.
4Cover with plastic wrap and freeze.
5To serve: remove from freezer, remove wrap & turn onto a large plate, top with extra raspberries

Lemon Coconut Cake

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 tbsp grated lemon rind
1 cup caster sugar
125g butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup milk

1. Preheat the oven to moderate (180C). Brush a deep, 20cm round cake tin with melted butter or oil. Line the base and side with baking paper

2. Combine the flour, coconut, rind, sugar, butter, eggs and milk in a large bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon until smooth.

3. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the centre of the cake. Set the cake aside for 3 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool. When the cake is cold, slice in half and fill with lemon curd, then spread with coconut icing and extra coconut to decorate.

Coconut icing
1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/4 cup lemon juice
Combine the icing sugar and coconut in a bowl. Add the rind and enough juice to make a stiff but spreadable icing.

Lemon Curd

2 egg yolks
1/3 cup castor sugar
30g unsalted butter
1 tsp grated lemon zest
50 ml lemon juice

Whisk egg yolks and sugar until well combined but not frothy. Tip into a heavy-based non-reactive saucepan and add butter, zest and juice.Stirring constantly, bring to simmering point over a medium-high heat (about five minutes). As soon as bubbles appear, remove from heat, still stirring. Allow to cool. Makes 1 cup.

Rhubarb Crumble

Serves 4
- 400g rhubarb, trimmed, halved lengthways and cut into 4cm lengths
- 200g demerara sugar (plus extra if needed)
- 100g porridge oats
- 125g self-raising flour
- 150g butter
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
- 75ml double cream

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Put the rhubarb in an ovenproof dish (about 22cm x 22cm, or the equivalent), sprinkle with 3 tbsp of the sugar (you might want to use a bit more if you’re cooking rhubarb that was grown outdoors) and 1 tbsp water.

In a bowl, mix together the oats, the remaining sugar and the flour. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Now add the golden syrup and cream and mix well. Tip onto the oat mixture and stir together. Spoon on top of the fruit, level out, then bake in the oven for 45 minutes until it’s set and golden brown.

Leave to stand for 10 minutes before eating, or you might burn your tongue. Cream, ice cream or custard are the obvious partners in crime.

Banana Bread

80g butter, softened
110g (just over half a cup) caster sugar
60g (about 1/3 cup) dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
275g ripe banana flesh, mashed well (about 4 small to medium bananas - just over 1 cup of flesh) 100g unsalted chopped walnuts
250g (just under 2 cups) SR flour
half a tsp bicarb soda

Grease and line a 20cm loaf tin or similar. Preheat oven to 180C.
Beat the butter with the sugars until very light and pale. Beat in the vanilla and egg. Fold in the banana and nuts.
Sift the flour with the bicarb soda and fold in. Pour into the loaf tin and bake for about 40-55 minutes or until coooked through. Test with a skewer.

Apple Strudel

Frozen puff pastry sheets

1 egg

1 tbsp. water

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. plain flour

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

2 tbsp. raisins/sultanas

Icing sugar (optional)'

1. Thaw the pastry sheets at room temperature for 40 minutes or until it’s easy to handle. Heat the oven to 375°F/180C. Lightly grease a baking tray. Stir the egg and water in a small bowl. Mix the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the apples and raisins and toss to coat.

2. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the sheet into a 16x12-inch rectangle. With the short side facing you, spoon the apple mixture onto the bottom half of the pastry to within 1 inch of the edges. Starting at the short side closest to you, roll up like a jelly roll. Place seam-side down on the baking sheet. Tuck ends under to seal. Brush with the egg mixture. Cut several 2-inch long slits 2 inches apart on the top.

3. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden. Cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Slice and serve warm. Sprinkle with icing sugar.

Orange Cake

250g butter or margarine

250g castor sugar

4 large eggs
1 tsp grated orange zest

250g self-raising flour

100ml freshly squeezed orange juice

Heat the oven to 170C/Gas 3.

Cream the butter and sugar well, until it is very pale and thick.

Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition, and the zest, if using.

Add the flour all at once, and beat well, then slowly add the orange juice, until it is incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, and bake for 50 mins - or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Orange Butter Frosting

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 cup icing sugar

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon orange and a little grated rind