Dossie's Cinnamon Sponge

Mum was a reasonable baker! We grew up at home on only home cooked treats. Her older sister Aunty Dossie (Harris) though, that was a different matter. WOW, could she cook. Everything on her dairy farm was made from scratch. Everything tasted delicious. The pantry was lined with bottles and jars of home preserves from the excess of each season. I can still taste the icecream that she whipped by hand, made fresh from the cream of her own cows. Every Australian country woman could (and most still can) make a sponge cake. That's what you serve when special visitors come. "You whip up a sponge".

Some special recipes in mum's hand written book are designated: (Dossie's). This is one of those recipes.

3 eggs
small 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup arrowroot
2 teaspoons (plain) flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon syrup
(I tested this with golden syrup from the era and my knowledge that is what the I think the recipe meant)

Beat the eggs and sugar for 20 minutes (that's what it says!). Add dry ingredients then fold in 1 teaspoon syrup.

Bake in sandwich tins in a moderate oven for 7 - 10 minutes.

CHOCOLATE SQUARES

you know where most of my recipes comes from - this one in mum's old handwritten book - is so badly stained and used it took me quite a while to decipher - but here it is - JUST FOR YOU!

4oz (125g) butter
1 small cup brown sugar
1 egg
vanilla essence
1 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup dried fruit (chopped dates, raisins or dried apricots)

Cream butter and sugar; add egg and vanilla, then dried fruit. Sift flour with baking powder and add to mixture. Cook in a Swiss Roll tin in a moderate oven for 30 minutes. When cold cover with chocolate butter icing.

Becca's Saffron Ring

generous pinch of saffron threads
2 sprigs lemon thyme
(optional grated lemon rind)
1/2 cup milk
4oz (125g) butter
1/4 cup yoghurt
3 eggs
1 cup castor sugar
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
pinch of salt

Place sprigs of lemon thyme in scalding milk off the heat. Strain, place in a clean saucepan with the saffron and bring to back heat. Add cubed butter to the milk; heat slowly until the butter has melted and remove from heat. (Do not boil) Bring back to room temperature. Mix the yoghurt into the milk and butter.

Grease 8" (20cm) ring pan and line base with baking paper.

In a large bowl, whisk whole eggs and gradually add the castor sugar, making sure the sugar dissolves between each addition. Alternatively add sifted flour, and butter mixture, (1/4 each time) to the eggs and sugar base. (Add optional grated lemon rind) Whisk until light. Pour into prepared ring tin.

Bake in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes. Allow to stand a few minutes, before turning out to cool.

Serving suggestions: lemon icing or with carrot lemon & raisin compote, yoghurt or honey ice cream.

Lemon Yoghurt Cake

Lemon yoghurt cake with peach and blueberry salad 

This cake is inspired by the wonderful cookbook writer Claudia Roden. Her Middle Eastern books are so fabulous. I had the pleasure of cooking breakfast for her once at Australia's national produce celebration The Harvest Picnic. And it was truly an honour. This recipe was collected at a local farmers market and supplied there by Country Valley. Shared, with thanks ... 

4 large eggs, separated 

100 g (3 1/2 oz / heaped 1/3 cup) caster (superfine) sugar 

3 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour 400 g (14 oz / 1 3/4 cups) Greek-style yoghurt 

grated zest of 1 lemon

 

icing (confectioners') sugar for dusting 

whipped cream 

6 ripe peaches, cut into wedges 

155 g (5 1/2 oz / 1 cup) blueberries 

55 g (2 oz / 1/4 cup) caster (superfine) sugar 

grated zest of 1 lemon 

1 vanilla bean 

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Grease a 22cm (8 1/2 inch) spring-form cake tin with butter and line the base and side with baking paper. 

 Beat the egg yolks with the sugar to a thick, pale cream. Beat in the flour, then the yoghurt, lemon zest and lemon juice until it is thoroughly blended. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the yoghurt mixture in two batches. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes, or until cooked when tested with a skewer. (Check the cake after 30 minutes, and cover with foil if over browning.) Unclip the spring-form tin and slide the cake onto a wire rack to cool. 

Meanwhile place the peaches, blueberries, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice in a bowl. Split the vanilla bean lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Add these to the fruit salad and toss all the ingredients until combined. Cover the bowl and set aside at room temperature to macerate for several hours. Transfer the cake to a serving plate and dust with icing sugar. Serve wedges of cake with peach and blueberry salad and a dollop of whipped cream. 

Serves 6

CINNAMON TEA CAKE

60g (2oz) butter
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 egg
1 cup self raising flour
1 teaspoon vanilla essence (or paste)
1/3 cup milk

topping (extra)
15g (1/2oz) butter
1 tablespoon castor sugar
1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar, add egg and vanill then flour and milk. Cook in moderate oven for 15 to 20 minutes. While cooling on cake tray, make topping.

Melt extra butter and brush on top of cake. Mix extra castor sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle on cake.

Delicious while warm. Still delicious when cool.

ARROWROOT biscuits

125g (4oz) butter
125g (4oz) arrowroot
125g (4oz) icing sugar
2 eggs
125g (4oz) flour

Beat butter to a cream, add beaten eggs and stir in flour. After beating the mixture well, add the finely sieved arrowroot and icing sugar.

Roll out and cut into oval shapes, place on greased tray, prick with a fork, and bake for 1/2 hour in a slow oven.

Custard Creams

This family recipe is taken from mum's handwritten cookbook (of recipes that were swapped over the kitchen table and the back fence and even included as a note in a letter). It dates to the 1960s at latest, even perhaps earlier. Enjoy!

Biscuits:

6oz (180g) butter
6oz (180g) self raising flour
2oz (60g) icing sugar
2oz (60g) custard powder

Cream butter and icing sugar. Fold in sifted dry ingredients. Place teaspoons on greased tray or form into small balls and press down with a fork. Bake at 425F for 10 to 12 minutes.

Filling:

2oz (60g) butter
4oz (120g) icing sugar
2 tablespoons condensed milk
vanilla essence
yellow colouring

Cream butter and condensed milk and slowly add icing sugar, then vanilla and colouring (you can leave the colouring out if you like). When cold, join two biscuits together with filling.

Jam Drops

Mum baked all the things we grew up on - it wasnt unusual - it was how she grew up and how all her family were fed. On their dairy farms, it was an afternoon ritual to stop each day for afternoon tea, and the biscuit barrell was always filled with home baked goodies! Another of those family recipes, probably at least 50 years old.

3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 egg
Jam

Cream butter and sugar, add egg and flour. Roll out and form into small buns. Make a hole in the centre and put in jam and close round the jam. Bake on greased tray in moderate oven.

Patty Cakes

Cupcakes is a newer term for what mum called Patty Cakes ... this recipe won prizes 50 years ago (this was just a list of ingredients - no instructions apart from temperature + cooking time)

95g (3oz) butter
95g (3oz) castor sugar
2 well beaten eggs
190g (6oz) self raising flour
3 tablespoons milk

Cream butter and sugar. Add well beaten eggs one at a time. Add flour, then milk alternatively. Place mixture in patty cases.

Cook in moderately hot oven (425F) for about 15 minutes.

Walnut Fruit Bread

3 egg whites
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 cup plain flour
4oz (125g) walnuts
2oz (65g) preserved ginger
2oz (65g) green glace cherries
2 oz (65g) red glace cherries
2oz (65g) glace pineapple

Beat egg whites until soft peaks from, gradually beat in castor sugar, beating well after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Fold in sifted flour, whole walnuts and roughly chopped ginger and glace fruits.

Spread into greased (10" x 3") bar tin. Bake in a moderate oven 30 to 35 minutes or until just firm. Cool out of tin.

When cold, wrap in aluminium foil, put aside for one or two days. Using a very sharp knife, cut bread into wafer thin slices. Put slices on to oven trays and bake in slow oven 45 minutes or until dry and crisp. Makes about 40.

Date Delight

185g butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups self raising flour
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 cup dates
grated rind of a lemon

Mix all the dry ingredients together.

Add melted butter and honey and mix well.

Add eggs.

Press into greased slice tin (cooking times based on 11" x 7" approximately).

Bake in a moderate oven for 25 minutes until brown.

Notes: (1) lemon icing complements the ginger and date (2) if preferred replace ground ginger with ground cinnamon

Dad's Favourite Date Slice

1 cup chopped dates
1 cup coconut
1 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup sugar
125 g (4oz) butter
1 egg

Add melted butter to sifted flour and other dry ingredients. Mix well. Add lightly beaten egg. Press into greased tin and bake for around 20 minutes in a slow oven. (mum's slow varies - i'd say this should be from experience moderate to slow around 140C - time will depend on the size of the tin)

Cut into fingers when cold.

EASY slice

This recipe has been made in our family for over 40 years. It seems (as the name suggests!) almost too easy...

1 cup self raising flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup coconut
125g (4oz) butter

Melt butter and pour over dry ingredients. Mix. Cook in slice tin in moderate oven 15 - 20 minutes.

Ice while hot - chocolate or lemon

enjoy...

Date Crunchies

There are a wealth of recipes we grew up on as kids in mum's old hand written cook books. I don't remember anything being bought from supermarkets or shops. Everything was made at home. Here's another of those family recipes to share with you.

8oz (250g) flour
12oz (375g) dates
4oz (125g) rolled oats
6oz (190g) sugar
5oz (160g) butter
grated lemon rind
2 - 3 teaspoons water

Heat chopped dates, rind and water until soft. Pour melted butter over the flour, sugar and rolled oats mix.

Spread half the oats mixtured in greased slice tin and press down firmly. Spread the softened date mixture over the bsed. Sprinkle the rest of the oats mixture over the top.

Bake in a moderate oven for 1 hour. Wait until quite cold before cutting into fingers.

Dossie's Chocolate Cake

Aunty Dossie was one of my first cooking inspirations. When I was younger I would go and stay on her dairy farm where I had my first 'farm to table' experiences. In fact, it was those authentic and truly fresh flavours that ignited my interest in cooking. She is no longer with us, and here is her Chocolate Cake recipe, shared in her memory.

125g (4oz) butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons coconut
1 heaped cup Self Raising Flour
3 level tablespoon Drinking Chocolate

Besat butter and sugar, add milk and vanilla, then chocolate, flour and coconut.

Put into a greased sandwich tin. Bake in a moderate oven.

The recipe is simple and economical and most probably at least 40 to 50 years old.

Boiled Chocolate Cake

It is such a delight to read and cook and taste the recipes from my childhood. These all came from mum's old hand written cookbooks, from recipes that were passed over a kitchen table and a cup of tea, posted from relatives or swapped over the backfence.

Bring slowly to the boil, stirring continuously:
1 cup water
2 tablespoons cocoa
125g/4oz butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Allow to cool.

When cold, stir in 2 well beaten eggs, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 2 cups self raising flour.

Pour into greased tin and bake in a moderate oven for 35-40 minutes.

Boiled (and moist) Fruit Loaf

Sometimes these old family recipes seem a bit old-fashioned when I check out the latest food magazines, TV shows or food blogs. They are however my old favourites, and the favourites I was brought up on and all come from mum's handwritten old recipe book, from recipes that were shared and passed on pieces of paper over the kitchen table, over the back fence, and sometimes in a letter ... how things have changed!

Put 1 cup water, 1 cup raisins, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 cup sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and cool.

Add 1 cup self raising flour, pinch of each salt, ground nutmeg and allspice, with 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. Mix. (The mixture will be rather runny).

Pour into a well greased loaf tin and cook in a moderate oven until the edges are coming away from the tin. Leave for a few minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.

Varations: try mixed fruit, or dates instead of raisins - I'm going to add a little bit of dried apricots or dried figs in with the raisins next time ...

Salted Peanut Biscuits

A very simple recipe that was used in our family for the last couple of generations - good food for kids (little or big):

1 cup self raising flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup corn flakes
1 cup sugar
125g butter
1 egg
30g salted peanuts

Melt butter and add to beaten egg and sugar. Mix in dry ingredients and peanuts.

Place spoonfuls on greased tray and bake in moderate oven 15 to 20 minutes.

Golden Crunchies

Mum made these for us when we were kids. And, the recipe now comes to you from her hand written recipe book:

Golden Crunchies

2 cups self raising flour
1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
125g butter
125g sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 dessertspoon golden syrup

Heat milk, bicarb of soda and golden syrup. Beat butter and sugar until creamy then add hot liquid. Stir in sifted flour.

Drop teaspoons on a greased tray allowing room to spread. Press down with a fork. Bake in moderate oven 10 to 15 minutes. While still hot lift on to cooling rack.

(note from Becca - I make the mixture more rounded like a ball before placing on tray and pressing with a fork)

GEM scones

for anyone that's new - these are old family recipes from mum's handwritten notebooks - the kind of things I grew up on as a kid and she grew up on when she was a kid - enjoy!

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 large cup self raising flour
1/2 cup milk
vanilla

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add milk and egg, then sifted flour.

Have gem irons heated and greased. Cook in hot oven about 10 minutes.