Recipes

In a lidded pot and melt the butter. Add the vegetables and Thyme.

Turn up the medium heat, give them a stir and lid the pot. Turn the heat down. Avoid colouring the vegetables. You are “sweating” the vegetables and they will need an occasional stir and this should take about 12 minutes until they are tender.

When ready, cool the mix a little and using a spatula turn the vegetables and the melted butter into your blender. Blend to a coarse paste. Cool this mix in the fridge.

In a suitable sized bowl place the mince, seasonings, nutmeg, egg yolks and the white breadcrumbs. Mix well.

Add in the chilled vegetable mix. Continue mixing until well combined. The mixture will have a sticky texture. Cover and refrigerate.

Meanwhile in a new separate bowl prepare the egg wash with the egg, milk and leftover egg whites

In a separate shallow dish place the flour, while the Panko crumb should be placed in another shallow dish. You will be crumbing the meat mix. Other terms used for the same process are “breading” and the French term “pane”.

Preheat your oven to 180c.

Divide the meat mix into four and form the portions into large meatballs.

In order pass the meatballs through flour, brushing off excess. Next the the egg wash and finally the crumb. Press the down crumb firmly (avoid wet spots) before placing the crumbed meatball on a clean tray.

While on the tray flatten the meatball to about 2cm thick and at the same time shape it into something similar to a pork loin cutlet or veal cutlet or an elongated kidney shape.

When all done place them in the fridge until you are ready to cook.

Heat the oil (medium heat) in a fry pan (about 3mm) and place the Pojarski Cutlets in. After about 3 minutes, when golden brown turn them and achieve the same on the other side.

Remove the cutlets and place on an oven tray and then the oven.

The cutlets should be cooked in around 20 minutes.

Accompanying sauces are Sour cream sauce and Roasted tomato sauce (recipes follow).

The cutlets were served with mashed potato and green beans wrapped in bacon.

Using your whisk lightly beat the egg whites until the whites have broken up and aerated slightly. You are NOT making pavlova.

Add ground nuts, icing sugar and flour. Stir until well combined.

Add melted butter. Mix well, for a couple of minutes until the butter is incorporated.

Regardless of what pans you are using, fill each mould to just below the rim.

Bake for about twenty minutes.

When ready (they should be springy to touch), let them cool for about 5 -10minutes, until you turn them out onto a wire rack.

Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Sift all your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar and salt) into a mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl use your whisk to break up the egg before adding the milk, oil and vanilla. Mix well

Make a hollow or well in the centre of the dry mix and pour in the egg mix. Whisk until combined. Use your spatula to scrape the batter down the sides of the bowl.

At this point you can fold in some other ingredients of your choice. See variations.

Divide the batter evenly into your pre-prepared muffin pan or paper patty-pans, no more than ¾ full.

Bake in your pre-heated oven for about 25 minutes. When done they should be springy to touch.

In your mixing bowl add the butter, icing sugar and vanilla. Use the paddle attachment on low speed to slowly combine the ingredients, before increasing the speed to medium. You are ‘creaming’ the ingredients.

After about two minutes will notice the colour becomes paler. Spatula down the sides of the bowl to make sure that all the sugar and butter have combined.

Add the egg yolks, one at a time. Continue mixing on medium speed until the egg yolk has blended in.

Mix the flour and almonds together and on slow speed add this dry mix to the creamed butter.

Mix until all your ingredients have formed dough. It shouldn’t take long – say about 30 seconds.

Place the dough in a bowl and cover or wrap in plastic wrap. “Rest” the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Set up for rolling the dough. You’ll need a rolling pin, a pastry sheet, a pastry brush, a little plain flour (to prevent the dough sticking), your choice of biscuit cutter shape and a palette knife.

Pre-heat your oven to 180c. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Turn the pastry out on your lightly floured pastry sheet. Use flour sparingly on your rolling pin.

Roll the dough out to around 8mm thick.

Using your cutter cut out the individual biscuits. Avoid the ragged edges of the rolled out dough. Transfer the shapes to the baking sheet.

Brush any excess flour off the dough scraps. Reform these scraps and repeat the process until all the dough has been used up.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until light brown in colour.

Slide baked shortbread onto a wire cooling rack.

Unless you are storing them in an airtight container dust with icing sugar and serve.

In your mixing bowl add the butter and sugars. Use the paddle attachment on low speed to slowly combine the ingredients, before increasing the speed to medium. You are ‘creaming’ the ingredients. After about two minutes will notice the colour becomes paler. Spatula down the sides of the bowl to make sure that all the sugar and butter have combined.

Crack the egg in a separate bowl and add to the butter mix along with the vanilla. Mix on medium speed until the egg has combined. Again use your spatula. The mixture will be a lot wetter.

In a separate bowl sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt).

On low speed now, add half of the sifted ingredients. Combine this first before adding the other half of the dry ingredients. Avoid over mixing. In fact you could probably mix the second lot in just with the spatula. Try and scrape all the mix off the paddle. The mix is ready and you have a couple of options:

Baking the cookies:

With the finished cookie dough you can mix in your favourite extra. It could chopped nuts, choc bits, dried fruits, smarties or other suitable lollies. It’s your choice.

To bake pre-heat your oven to 175c. Next either grease your baking sheets lightly with butter or line those same baking sheets with baking (silicon) paper.

Using a standard ice cream scoop (to ensure even size cookies), scoop the mix, so that is flush with the scoop edge.

Place the portions flat side down and flatten slightly with the back of a table fork.

The cookies shouldn’t spread too much but ensure that there is ‘space’ between each, say 2cm.

If you want larger cookies just combine two scoops before repeating the two previous steps.

Bake until the edges are golden brown. That should be approx. 10 minutes.

When ready remove from oven and after 5 minutes, slide them onto a wire cooling rack.

Serve freshly baked or store in an airtight jar for up to a week. Yes you can short term freeze the finished cookies.

For the base ingredients sift the flour into a mixing bowl and then mix in the brown sugar.

Rub in the butter and work the mixture to form dough.

Press this mix firmly into your prepared tray to form the base. Use the back of a soup spoon to press down the edges. Bake the prepared base for 10 minutes.

While the base is baking prepare the topping.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Add the eggs and combine well.

When the base is ready cover it with the topping mix evenly.

Return the slice to the oven and bake for a further 30 minutes.

Turn the tray after 15 minutes to ensure it cooks evenly.

When ready take out and leave to cool to room temperature. Give it an extra hour in the fridge before you attempt to turn it out and portion it.

Mix the dry ingredients for the base. Add the melted butter.

Press this mix firmly into your prepared tray to form the base. Use the back of a soup spoon to press down the edges. Bake the prepared base for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile combine all the filling ingredients in a pot and stir over medium heat until it is just simmering and it is thick and glossy – about 8-10 minutes.

Pour over the par-baked base and set aside to cool slightly while you make the topping.

In a bowl combine the topping ingredients.

Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the filling. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.

When ready take out and leave to cool to room temperature. Give it an extra hour in the fridge before you attempt to turn it out and portion it.

For the brownie melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl over hot water.

Stir in the sugar and vanilla essence. Mix well.

Stir in the eggs, one at a time, mix well.

Fold in the flour. Combine well.

Pour half this mix into the prepared baking tray. Set aside.

For the caramel, combine the ingredients in a pot, stirring over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until simmering, thick and glossy. Cool slightly.

To finish assembling the slice, pour half the caramel mix randomly over the brownie mix in the tray, before topping with the rest of the brownie mix. Finally pour the rest of the caramel mix, again randomly over the brownie mix.

With a skewer gently swirls the caramel mix through.

Place the tray in the oven and bake for 40 -50 minutes.

When ready take out and leave to cool to room temperature. Give it an extra hour in the fridge before you attempt to turn it out and portion it.

For the brownie melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl over hot water.

Stir in the sugar and vanilla essence. Mix well.

Stir in the eggs, one at a time, mix well.

Fold in the flour. Combine well.

Pour this mix into the prepared baking tray.

Place the tray in the oven and bake for 40 -50 minutes.

When ready take out and leave to cool to room temperature. Chill slightly. Turn out.

Meanwhile in a bowl melt the chocolate over hot water.

Gently stir in the sour cream. Mix well

Spread the icing evenly and let set before portioning.