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Ingredients

Makes 9 large or 16 small squares

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan
6 ounces coarsely chopped good-quality semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a buttered 8-inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper, allowing 2 inches to hang over sides.

Butter lining (excluding overhang); set pan aside.

Put butter, chocolate, and cocoa in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until butter and chocolate are melted.

Let cool slightly.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl; set aside.

Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat on medium speed until pale, about 4 minutes.

Add chocolate mixture; beat until combined.

Add flour mixture; beat, scraping down sides of bowl, until well incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top with a rubber spatula.

Bake until a cake tester inserted into brownies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 35 minutes.

Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out brownies; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

Just to make it different than normal , I added some orange zest and some white choc chip chunks and so now it tastes like a Terry’s choccie orange.

Ingredients

Makes 16

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch cocoa
1 tablespoon finely ground espresso beans
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees with two racks spaced evenly apart.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift together flour, cocoa, and espresso beans; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine the butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes.

Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture, scraping down sides of bowl twice.

Roll 2 1/2 tablespoons of dough between the palms of your hand to form a ball.

Place on prepared baking sheet; repeat with remaining batter, spacing cookies two inches apart.

Using a dinner fork, press tines into dough, and gently press into biscuit shape. Bake biscuits just until firm to the touch, 12 to 15 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Serve these dessert biscuits with coffee ice cream.

Ingredients

Makes about 4 dozen

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
8 ounces white chocolate, chopped
7 ounces dried apricots,chopped (1 1/2 cups)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, oatmeal, and baking soda in a medium bowl.

Cream butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy.

Reduce speed to low.

Add salt, vanilla, and eggs, and beat until well combined, about 1 minute.

Add flour mixture gradually, beating until just combined.

Stir in chocolate and apricots.

Cover, and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.

Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.

Bake until cookies are golden brown around the edges but still soft in the center, 14 to 16 minutes.

Let cookies cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes.

Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool. Cookies will keep, covered, for up to 1 week.

Prep time:
20 mins + 12 hours standing
Cook time:
15 mins
Makes:
4 large jars

3-4 tlarge cucumbers, very thinly sliced (about 12 cups)
4 large onions, peeled and very thinly sliced
½ cup salt
3½ cups sugar
4 cups white vinegar
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp celery seed
2 tbsp mustard seed
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Place sliced cucumber and onions in a large, non-corrosive bowl, sprinkle with salt and cover with cold water.

Leave at least 12 hours then drain off all liquid.

Place the sugar, vinegar, turmeric, celery, mustard and garlic in a large pot and bring to the boil over high heat.

Add the drained cucumbers and onions.

As soon as the liquid boils remove from heat and spoon into sterilised jars, leaving 1cm at the top.

Screw down tightly with plastic lids and store in a cool place.

Ingredients

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir together oats, flour, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.

Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add oat mixture; mix until just combined. Mix in raisins.

Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart.

Flatten slightly.

Bake until golden and just set, about 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks using a spatula; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 30-45 mins

Serves 6-8 – freezes well

50g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds, finely ground
750g beetroot, cut into small pieces
750ml chicken or vegetable stock
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Soften onion in butter and oil, add cumin seeds. Add beetroot chunks and then add stock. Simmer for 30 mins, or till beetroot is tender. Puree the soup, return to the pan and season. Serve with a swirl of crème fraîche or yogurt and a few toasted cumin seeds on top.

canbnot wait until I’m back in NZ

“This recipe is marked ‘never to be replaced’ at bills. A Jamaican bread, it would originally have been served with saltfish relish, but lime marmalade works well with it, too”.

Serve for brunch, afternoon tea, or as a rustic pudding. The batter can be kept in the fridge for two days before baking, and the bread can be frozen for future use.

Ingredients
Feeds 4 to 8. Takes 1 hour 30 mins.

2 eggs 300ml milk
1tsp vanilla extract
280g plain flour
2tsp baking powder
2tsp ground cinnamon
180g caster sugar
150g desiccated coconut
75g unsalted butter, melted
Icing sugar for serving
Butter for serving

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas mark 4. Lightly whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a bowl, add sugar and coconut, and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre and gradually stir in the egg mixture until just combined. Add melted butter and stir until the mixture is just smooth, being careful not to overmix.

Pour into a greased and floured 21cm x 10cm (8½in x 4in) loaf tin and bake for one hour, or until an inserted skewer comes out dry.

Leave in the tin to cool for five minutes, then remove to cool further on a wire rack.

Slice into 2.5cm thick slices. To serve, toast the bread, dust with icing sugar and serve one or two slices per person, with butter. It’s also nice untoasted.