Donna Hay Christmas Eve

Good morning my bloggy friends - I'm hosting Christmas Eve this year and have decided nearly on the entire menu. It's all from the Donna Hay SEASONS Cookbook. So keep your eyes out over the next week for some new recipes and photos being posted up.  The theme is gourmet bbq and salad with dessert.
Mmmmm.

On another note, welcome to some new followers! xxx

Never Fail Quiche

You simply cannot fail with this recipe!  The secret is the Self Raising Flour which gives it a light airy texture and allows the middle to cook all the way through without burning the bottom or edges.

Ingredients:

8 eggs

1c Self Raising Flour

1c grated cheese (any kind)

2tbl oil

1/2c cream (or milk)

2 spring onions or 1 red onion chopped finely

1-2 sheets of ready rolled shortcrust pastry

Salt and Pepper to taste

Optional: (for those who don't like it plain!)

Add whatever you like such as mushrooms, bacon, ham, spinach, corn, shredded zucchini or carrot

Method:

I cracked three eggs on the top before cooking for effect

Preheat your oven to 180 Celcius

1. Whip the eggs and SR Flour together until bubbly and the flour has dissolved.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

3. Oil and line the bottom and sides of a deep oven proof dish

4. Pour the mixture into the dish.  If you like, you can crack another couple of eggs over the top for effect

5. Bake for approx. 45 minutes on the middle shelf, or until a skewer or sharp knife comes out clean after being inserted.

Handy Tip

Egg shells are porous, and can absorb odours from the fridge, so always store eggs in their cardboard container.

Christmas Spice Cookies

 

It's that time of year again, and these Spice Cookies are a nice addition to the table.  They arn't particulary sweet which makes a nice change to a cookie, and when cooked properly have a crispy edge but a chewy soft centre. Yum!

Ingredients:

175g butter at room temperature

1c brown sugar, firmly packed

1/3c golden syrup

1 egg

2 1/4c plain flour

1tsp bi carb soda

2tsp mixed spice

1tsp ground nutmeg

1 tbl cinnamon sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven  to 180 celcius

2. Beat butter, sugar and syrup until pale and fluffy.  Add the egg and beat until combined.

3. Stir in the sifted flour, soda, spice and nutmeg.

4. Roll 2 heaped teaspoons of mixture into balls and place on a baking tray spacing them 5cm apart.  5. Press down slightly  (these cookies do not spread a great deal so if you want them flat you will have to flatten them this way)

6. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar

7. Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden brown.  Allow to cool.

*Cookies can be kept for a week in an airtight container.

Source: Good Food Ideas Magazine (Australia)

Pumpkin and Orange Muffins

A fabulous friend of mine generously gave me half of a huge left over pumpkin from Halloween.  

My only major problem was....what on earth to cook with it!  Traditionally pumpkin is used for a savory meal in Australia; served with a roast, or mashed and served with other vegetables.  But if you haven't tried it in a cake, muffin or pie....give yourself a pleasant surprise and give it a go.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice  Easy! Click here to find out how to make if you don't have any
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup canned pumpkin (I cooked and mashed my own)
1/3 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans(optional)

 

 

 

Directions:

1. Mix flour and spices in small bowl.
2. In large bowl, mix sugars, eggs and oil.
3. Add pumpkin, orange juice and zest, beat until well blended.
4. Stir in dry ingredients just until moistened.
5. Fill paper lined muffin cups 2/3 full.
6. Sprinkle each muffin with 1 tsp nuts.
7. Bake 20-23 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius
8. Cool. 


Where did I get this recipe?

Bermuda Tea Biscuits

Similar to a Scone, but not sweet at all.

I had a look around for different recipes from Bermuda and since I was in the mood for something cake-like, this one was the choice.  It is very similar to a scone, but not quite so high and there is no sugar in it.

This means you can either put some jam on the biscuit to sweeten, or if you wanted something savoury you could easily put grated cheese, ham or bacon on top.  Pretty versatile, and very quick to make.
 Yield for this recipe is 12.

Ingredients:

2 c. whole wheat or white flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. milk
1 egg, beaten

 

We ate ours with Blackberry jam. Yum

Method:

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter thoroughly, add milk and egg and stir. Add additional flour as needed to make the dough stiff enough to handle. Knead it a little, then roll out 1/2 inch thick and cut out with biscuit cutter. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

 

 

Banana Oat Cookies (Healthy!)

My Japanese friend Yuko prefers cookies that are not as sweet as we often make them in Australia, and so for those who don't like too much sweetness in their cookies, these are made without any sugar.  They are also flourless (using only almond meal) and rely on the banana and choc chips to sweeten.  If you really want to be good, use dark chocolate.

Ingredients

3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed 

1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/4 cup coconut oil, barely warm - so it isn't solid (or alternately, olive oil)
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar chopped

Method: 

Preheat the Oven to 180 Celsius

1. Mash the bananas and stir together with the vanilla essence  and oil (I used olive oil)

2. Mix in another bowl the remaining ingredients.

3. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, stirring well to mix

4. Roll into golf ball size balls and put onto a baking tray, squashing slightly.

5. Bake for just under 15 minutes and allow to cool.

Note that when rolling into balls, the mixture may be slightly crumbly. This is okay.

Easy Potato Salad

Perfect for taking to a BBQ, this potato salad is easy and quick to whip up in the kitchen.

Ingredients:
1kg Potatoes, peeled and cubed in 2cm
mayonnaise (approx 1/4 - 1/2 cup)
1 small lemon, juiced
1 small red onion cut finely
four slices of ham chopped into squares
3 spring onions, chopped finely
some fresh basil leaves, finely shredded

Method:
1. Place the potatoes in a saucepan and bring to the boil, cooking until done.  Soft but still able to hold their cube shape.
2.  Drain and transfer to a bowl.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, adding the mayo slowly until there is just enough (nothing worse than having too much mayo and you may even use less than this recipe outlines)
4. Season with salt and pepper. Serve

Delicious!  Even served semi warm this salad is lovely.

Options:
Add things like pineapple, left over chicken or salami for a twist.