C'mon, give us you recipes

[Matthew_T]

I have promised my dad that as I am going into college on Mondays and Tuesdays, that I want to start improving my cooking skills. As a result, I am going to be baking deserts and little treats for the family (4 of us).
I want to start off with simple, easy recipes to get me used to it (things like cold cheesecakes and muffins). So come on, give me some of your recipes.

 

[defy-one]

Come talk to me when you move onto authentic home made chicken curries

 

[Matthew_T]

Come talk to me when you move onto authentic home made chicken curries

My dad makes the curries in our house. And they are pretty nice as well (not as hot as I would like though).

 

[colly]

Bake them a cake or a sponge pudding.

Easy recipe.
Depending on the size cake you want. (Largish cake would take 4 medium eggs)

Weigh the eggs including shells. Then:
Same weight of Margarine
Same weight of sugar
Same weight of self raising flour

Method.
Mix together the margarine and sugar
Add the eggs one at a time (to prevent curdling) along with flour
Cream it together using a whisk or a wooden spoon

Take a well greased cake tin and line it with well greased grease proof paper
Pour in your cake mix and spread evenly across the tin
Put into a pre heated oven at Gas mark 4 /180degs
Cook for 20 mins or until firm to the touch in the centre
Remove from oven and let stand 5mins then turn out onto a wire rack to cool

If you didn't use too big a tin you can slice it in half and fill the middle with a jam of your liking. Lemon curd maybe?

Using the same recipe to make a sponge pudding.

Use a deep basin
Grease the basin well
Pour in jam (approx half a jar of jam) or use Golden Syrup
Pour in the cake mix
Cut a circle or grease proof paper grease it well and place on the mix to cover it
Cover the whole basin top in cooking foil
Smooth down around the edges
Tie with string underneath the lip of the basin with a string handle across the top
Place into a saucepan with water coming about 3/4 up the side of the basin
Bring to the boil and very gently simmer for between 1 and 1 1/2 hours depending on the size of the basin. make sure the water is kept topped up making sure the water doesn't pour into the basin.
When cooked remove from the pan using the string handle
Take off the foil cover and grease proof lid
Run a thin knife around between the basin edge and pudding to release it
Place a plate over the basin and with a deft bit of jiggery pokery using oven gloves or a tea towel turn the pudding and plate over together so the pudding drops from the basin onto the plate
Serve with custard and or cream

Millions of calories of course, but on a cold day ............................................

 

[Matthew_T]

Thanks Col.

 

[Reece]

Easy chocolate cheese cake

2x 200gtubs of soft cheese (I use tesco own)
400ml double cream
3tbsp caster sugar
Dry biscuits (I love using maryland double Choc cookies)
50g butter (I use unsalted)
1 heaped tbsp cocoa powder
2x Cadbury flakes


Method.

For the base

-Melt the butter in the microwave
- crush the biscuits
- lightly butter the cake tin ( I use one with. Removable bottom for ease of removing the cake)
- mix crushed biscuits and melted butter thoroughly ( I use a food processor)
- place mix in tin and spread evenly and firm it down then place in fridge while making the topping

For the top

- in a mixing bowl pour in the cream and caster sugar. Mix cocoa powder with a little water and add to cream and whisk until soft peaks Are formed. The more air you get the creamier the cheesecake will be
- in another mixing bowl add the 2 tubs of soft cheese and whisk until creamy
- then fold the cream mix into the cheese
- pour mix into the tin and spread evenly.
- crush the flakes and sprinkle over the top. Then leave in fridge for minimum 2hours to set

 

[Matthew_T]

Easy chocolate cheese cake

2x 200gtubs of soft cheese (I use tesco own)
400ml double cream
3tbsp caster sugar
Dry biscuits (I love using maryland double Choc cookies)
50g butter (I use unsalted)
1 heaped tbsp cocoa powder
2x Cadbury flakes


Method.

For the base

-Melt the butter in the microwave
- crush the biscuits
- lightly butter the cake tin ( I use one with. Removable bottom for ease of removing the cake)
- mix crushed biscuits and melted butter thoroughly ( I use a food processor)
- place mix in tin and spread evenly and firm it down then place in fridge while making the topping

For the top

- in a mixing bowl pour in the cream and caster sugar. Mix cocoa powder with a little water and add to cream and whisk until soft peaks Are formed. The more air you get the creamier the cheesecake will be
- in another mixing bowl add the 2 tubs of soft cheese and whisk until creamy
- then fold the cream mix into the cheese
- pour mix into the tin and spread evenly.
- crush the flakes and sprinkle over the top. Then leave in fridge for minimum 2hours to set

Thank you. I will probably use this method next week.

 

[penguinking9]

Foolproof shortcrust pastry:

20 oz flour (plain or self raising)
13 oz butter (or a mix of butter & lard)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder (yes, even if you've used self raising flour)
1 egg
1 tbsp vinegar
4 fl.oz milk

Method:
Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl and rub in the fat until the mix resembles breadcrumbs.
Combine the milk, egg and vinegar, add to the bowl and mix until combined. You may not need all the liquid.
Do not overwork.
Chill for at least 10 minutes before rolling out.

This pastry can be used for anything from jam tarts and apple pies to quiche and pasties and baked custard.

It's quite a large amount to make in one go (The recipe was originally from a regimental cook) but it will keep in the fridge for a while and will freeze well.

If you've got some milk that's gone off (we're talking sour here, not green and lumpy), you can use that and leave out the vinegar.

Scones:

2 oz English butter
8 oz self raising flour
1 oz caster sugar
2 oz dried fruit
1/4 pint soured milk (This is approximate, it will vary according to atmospherics. Sour in the same way as the pastry recipe)

Method:

Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Stir in the sugar and the fruit.
Mix into a soft dough with the milk, kneading lightly until just smooth.
Turn out onto a floured surface and roll out to about a 1/2inch thick
Cut into individual scones.
Place onto a preheated baking tray and bake at gas mark 8 for around 15 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack.
Best served slightly warm.

As my Dad is diabetic, we miss the sugar out of this recipe and add a bit more fruit.

 

[Sandra6]

I'm not really a baker, Mr6 and a couple of the little sixers are though their recipes are closely guarded secrets.
I have been known to whip up a good key lime pie though, and it's easy peasy limey squeezy.
You need either a shallow tin or a deep sided plate to put it on, grease first.
A packet of ginger biscuits -bashed to pieces.
roughly 200g of butter (marg) melted, then stir the biscuits into the butter, press down well into the tin and put in the fridge with a plate on the top to weigh it down.
One lime jelly - break into pieces and put in a container with a few teaspoons of water and microwave for about 20 seconds, until it melts.
Stir in a pot of double cream and give it a good whipping. Squeeze in the juice of a lime and grate some rind in with it.
Pour this onto the top of the biscuit base and leave to set for an hour or two in the fridge.
Then you can top with melted chocolate or whipped cream or anything else that takes your fancy.
You can do a similar dessert using strawberry jelly instead of lime, it's very pink!

 

[Arch]

Bake them a cake or a sponge pudding.

Easy recipe.
Depending on the size cake you want. (Largish cake would take 4 medium eggs)

Weigh the eggs including shells. Then:
Same weight of Margarine
Same weight of sugar
Same weight of self raising flour

Method.
Mix together the margarine and sugar
Add the eggs one at a time (to prevent curdling) along with flour
Cream it together using a whisk or a wooden spoon

Take a well greased cake tin and line it with well greased grease proof paper
Pour in your cake mix and spread evenly across the tin
Put into a pre heated oven at Gas mark 4 /180degs
Cook for 20 mins or until firm to the touch in the centre
Remove from oven and let stand 5mins then turn out onto a wire rack to cool

.

We make little sponge cake buns in individual cake cases, laced with soft fruit - raspberries or blackerries (blackberries are free at this time of year!). Make the mix up as normal, but as you put it in the tin (s) in spoonfuls, push the berries in so that they are evenly distributed. When baked, the berries form little jammy pockets. You can cut the sugar amount slightly, as the fruit adds sweetness. Delicious served still warm, with vanilla ice cream.

(Also, how to check when a sponge is cooked. Stick a knife into it, and if it comes out looking clean, the cake is done. If it comes out with mixture sticking to it, the cake needs a bit longer.)

 

[TheDoctor]

As Arch says, or you can listen to it. If it's making a fizzing noise, it's not cooked yet.

 

[Arch]

As Arch says, or you can listen to it. If it's making a fizzing noise, it's not cooked yet.

Or it's a bomb.

(but that's more unlikely).

 

[Matthew_T]

Thanks for the recipes guys. I will sure make a few of them.

 

[Saluki]

Foolproof shortcrust pastry:

20 oz flour (plain or self raising)
13 oz butter (or a mix of butter & lard)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder (yes, even if you've used self raising flour)
1 egg
1 tbsp vinegar
4 fl.oz milk

Method:
Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl and rub in the fat until the mix resembles breadcrumbs.
Combine the milk, egg and vinegar, add to the bowl and mix until combined. You may not need all the liquid.
Do not overwork.
Chill for at least 10 minutes before rolling out.

This pastry can be used for anything from jam tarts and apple pies to quiche and pasties and baked custard.

It's quite a large amount to make in one go (The recipe was originally from a regimental cook) but it will keep in the fridge for a while and will freeze well.

If you've got some milk that's gone off (we're talking sour here, not green and lumpy), you can use that and leave out the vinegar.

I don't use the vinegar myself.

Roll out pastry and cut to size and lay in a pie tin. Blind bake (use baking ceramic beads to hold the pastry down) for 20 minutes. Take out the ceramic bead things. Leave to cool.
Slice up a couple of nice, peeled cooking apples (scrumped ones are the best) and lay the slices in a decorative pattern around the pre-baked pastry in the tin. Add a couple of slack handfuls of nice blackberrys that you picked while walking the dog in the morning.
Cut another circular shape of pastry for the lid.
Dampen down the edges of the pastry already in the tin with some milk or some beaten egg.
Put pastry lid on, remembering to make a small hole in the top to let the steam out while cooking.
Glaze lid with previously beaten egg
Cook for half an hour or so until it looks cooked (a nice golden brown, not blackened and charred)

Serve with custard.

 

[penguinking9]

Ah yes, I forgot about the actual using it to make a pie part

We only use the vinegar because the recipe says so. It's something to do with souring of the milk making for a lighter pastry.

(I'm sure it'll work perfectly well with fresh milk, but I've never tried it that way)