Banoffee Pie

Ingredients

  • 200g Butter, melted
  • 400g Light digestive biscuits, crushed
  • 150g Butter
  • 150g Dark brown soft sugar
  • 800g Condensed Milk
  • 3 Bananas
  • 300ml double cream for whipping
  • Chocolate shavings or cocoa powder, to dust

Equipment

  • 29cm loose-bottomed cake tin

Method

Make the base

Classic Banoffee Pie Step 1
Base made of 225g of digestives and 100g melted butter
  1. Put the crushed biscuits into a bowl with the melted butter. Mix it together thoroughly, then press the mixture into the base and sides of the tin.
  2. Chill for 10 minutes.
    • Has your base turned out too crumbly? Be sure to make sure it’s well chilled before you go to the next step – you can chill in the freezer if you’re short on time! 

Make the caramel

Classic Banoffee Pie
Caramel centre made from 75g of butter and 400g of condensed milk
  1. Place 75g butter and 75g sugar into a heavy based, non-stick saucepan over a low heat, stirring all the time until the sugar has dissolved.
  2. Add the condensed milk and bring to a rapid boil for about a minute, stirring all the time for a thick golden caramel.
  3. Spread the caramel over the base, cool and then chill for 1 hour.
    • If your caramel is too runny, you probably didn’t get it hot enough. The mixture needs to boil for 1 minute until it starts to thicken, but no more or it may catch and go grainy. To avoid it catching or going grainy, you should always use a heavy based, non-stick pan, keep stirring so it doesn’t catch and make sure you use a timer!

Assemble

Classic Banoffee Pie
Assemble the pieces
  1. Carefully remove the pie from the tin and place on a serving plate.
  2. Slice the bananas and place on top of the caramel, top with the softly whipped cream.
  3. For the perfect finishing touch, dust with cocoa powder or use grated chocolate to decorate the banoffee pie.
  4. Chill until ready to serve.

Chicken & Spinach Enchiladas

Ingredients

  • 100g mozarella
  • 50g parmesan cheese
  • 130g jarred marinated artichoke hearts
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 20g olive oil
  • 400g chopped canned tomatoes
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 – 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp dried oragano
  • 1-2 pinches cayenne
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 500g skinless chicken cut into strips
  • ground black pepper
  • 120g baby spinach leaves
  • 60g cream cheese
  • 6 tortillas or wraps
  • fresh coriander (garnish)

Chocolate Brownie Waffles

Makes 16 waffles

Ingredients

  • 4 cups unbleached flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 cups milk
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 1/3 cups semi-sweet mini chocolate morsels
  • 1 cup finely chopped walnuts/pecans

Method

  1. Combine the dry ingredients, and mix well
  2. Add the milk, eggs, and vanilla, and blend
  3. Stir in the melted butter until completely combined
  4. Fold in the chocolate morsels and nuts
  5. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes before cooking

Nutty Wheat Waffles

Makes 16 waffles

Ingredients

  • 3 cups unbleached flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups milk
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup finely chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts

Method

  1. Combine all ingredients and mix well
  2. Let batter rest for 5 minutes
  3. Pre-heat waffle maker
  4. Pour 2 cups of batter into the centre of the grid; spread evenly
  5. Close lid; when red/green light turns on, waffles are ready

Basic Waffles

Makes 16 waffles

Ingredients

  • 6 cups unbleached flour
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 cup baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 3 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Method

  1. Combine all ingredients, and whisk until well blended and smooth.
  2. Let batter rest for 5 minutes
  3. Pre-heat waffle maker
  4. Pour a little less than 2 cups of batter onto the centre of the lower grid; spread evenly
  5. Close the lid; when the red and green indicator turns on, the waffles are ready.

Waffle Mix Waffles

Makes 4 waffles

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups Waffle Mix
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Method

  1. Beat egg in a large bowl
  2. Add all other ingredients to the same bowl, and whisk until smooth
  3. Let batter rest for 5 mins before using
  4. Pre-heat waffle maker
  5. Pour all of the batter (about 2 cups) onto the centre of the lower grid; spread batter evenly using a heat-proof spatula, then close waffle maker
  6. When the red and green indicator light turns on, the waffles are ready.

Waffle Mix

Dry mix ready to make waffles.

Makes about 7 cups of mix; enough to make 16 waffles.

Ingredients

  • 6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup wheat germ
  • 1 cup whole milkpowder
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Method

  1. Using a whisk, combine all ingredients
  2. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Lemon Square

Lemon square with a custard-ish topping

A bit too sickly sweet really!

Don’t try this without a food processor
For 16-20 pieces

Ingredients

Base

  • 2 cups of flour (a little bit less)
  • 1/2 cup of icing sugar
  • 170g cold butter

Topping

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • rind of 1/2 a lemon
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice (2 lemons)
  • 1/4 cup self-raising flour

Method

  1. Turn oven to 160 degrees celcius
  2. Press a large piece of baking paper into a 23cm baking pan, folding the paper so that it totally covers the base of the pan and the sides (fold rather than cut so that the filling cannot run under the paper
  3. Measure the flour icing sugar and cold cubed butter into a food processor fitted with its chopping blade. Blend until the butter is chopped finely through the ingredients.
  4. Tip the mixture into the tin lined with baking paper and press down smoothly with the back of a large spoon or a fish slice/spatula
  5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until firm and straw-coloured. While the base is cooking, prepare the topping.
  6. Put the sugar in the (unwashed) food processor bowl with the lemon rind. Blend until the lemon rind is very finely chopped through the sugar.
  7. Turn oven down to 150 degrees.
  8. Add the eggs, lemon juice, flour. Blend until smooth.
  9. Pour onto the partly cooked base. Bake for a further 30 minutes until top is lightly browned and centre does not wobble if jiggled.
  10. Let it cool completely.
  11. Cut into squares. Keeps for 3-4 days.
  12. Optionally sift icing sugar over the squares just before serving.

Lemon Cordial

Makes a nice fizzy drink with soda water. Replacement for lemon squash in cocktails.
Keeps for several months.

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kgs sugar
  • 8 cups water
  • 6-8 lemons, rind and juice
  • 25g citric acid
  • 25g tartaric acid
  • 25g epsom salts

Method

  1. Bring the sugar, water, and grated lemon rind to the boil.
  2. Remove from the heat and add the joice and other ingredients immediately, stirring well until the acids, and epsom salts dissolve.
  3. Allow to cool a little then strain into bottles which have been cleaned thoroughly. Seal immediately with corks or screw-tops and store in a cool place.

After openinng, keep in the fridge.