Date Maple Slice

This did come out of mum's handwritten cookery book - but it's a magazine cutout (perhaps from the 70s) and sorry I don't know which magazine for attribution - here's the recipe:

2 cups chopped dried dates
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
125 (4oz) butter
1/2 cupe castor sugar
1 egg
1 3/4 cup wholemeal plain flour
1/2 cup self raising flour
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons raw sugar

Grease a 23cm (9") square cake pan.

Combine dates, water, syrup and rind in a saucepan. Bring to boil, simmer, uncovered for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all liquid has been absorbed; cool.

Beat butter, castor sugar and eggs in a small bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. (Mixture may look to have curdled but will come together when the dry ingredients are added.) Stir in sifed flours; press mixture together.

Roll 2/3 of dough between sheets of greaseproof paper until large enough to cover bse of pan. Spread filling over base. Roll remaining dough between sheets of greaseproof paper until 3mm (1/8") in thickness. Cut dough into 2cm (3/4") wide strips. Arrange ina lattice pattern over the filling.

Brush top of slice with milk, and sprinkle with raw sugar.

Cook in a moderately hot oven 190C (375F) for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate oven 180C (350F) and cook for a further 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool in the pan before cutting.

GINGER biscuits

here's another of the recipes I grew up on with mum baking in the kitchen ... from her handwritten recipe book

GINGER BISCUITS

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 1/2 cup self raising flour
1 heaped teaspoon ground ginger
lemon juice

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add golden syrup and egg and mix well. Mix together sifted self raising flour and ground ginger. Add this flour ginger mix to the butter sugar syrup and egg mix. Add a little lemon juice for flavour (but not enough to make the mixture runny).

Spoon mixture onto greased baking trays a teaspoon at a time. Cook in a slow oven.

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.

MONTE CARLOS

INGREDIENTS

Biscuits:
125g (4oz) sugar
125g (4oz) butter
1 egg
vanilla essence
1 level dessertspoon honey
280g (10z) plain flour
2 level teaspoons cream of tartar
2 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda


Filling:
125g (4oz) icing sugar
30g (1oz) butter
vanill essence

METHOD

Preheat hot oven (approx 475F) and prepare greased baking trays. (I use baking paper).

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and beat well. Add honey and a few drops of vanilla essence. Sift dry ingredients three times. Add slowly to butter mixture, beating well after each addition.

Shape a rounded teaspoon of mixture into a ball. Place on greased tray and press down with a (floured) fork. Bake in a hot oven until golden brown (about 12 minutes).

When cool join two biscuits together with jam (I like raspberry for these biscuits) and the filling.

Filling: Cream melted butter and icing sugar and add a few drops of vanilla essence.

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.

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.

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)

Coconut Biscuits

There are lots of delicious ways to use coconut in sweet dishes. These biscuits are a simply no fail recipe. Hope you like them.

4oz (125g) butter
1 cup sugar
Cream with vanilla

Add 1 egg, then 1 cup self raising flour and 8oz (25og) desiccated coconut.

Roll into balls and press down with a fork on greased tray.

Bake in moderate oven 10 to 15 minutes.

Another family recipe from mum's old hand written recipe book

TWITTER SWAP recipe

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

@fridley thanks for sharing this recipe:

Cream 1 cup of margarine, 1 cup of brown sugar, and 1 cup of white sugar

Add 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla essence

Add 1 1/2 Cup of self raising flour, 2 cups of rolled oats, 1 packet of chocolate chips (I like to use dark chocolate chips)

Place spoonfuls on baking tray leaving room for spreading
Bake in medium oven for about 12 mins

You can add more rolled oats if they are spreading too much.
If you like them crunchy, cook them until they are a rich caramel colour.
If you like them chewy, cook them until firm. They will be a little soft when warm.

Gram's recipe says that this will make 72 cookies but this will depend on your self discipline... how much dough is eaten before it makes its way to the oven... and how small you make the cookies. James (@fridley) added up to 2 cups more oats than the recipe...

http://picasaweb.google.com.au/fridleyjames/PicsSharedOnTwitter?feat=directlink#5321548687545804130

Enjoy.