Dish 40 - HamBob's Angel Biscuits

HamBob's Angel Biscuits

Ingredients:

1 cup buttermilk
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp (or 1 envelope) active dry yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup warm water (100oF-110oF)
3 - 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup shortening

Method:

1. Mix buttermilk and baking soda together.
2. Mix yeast, sugar, salt and water together. Let stand until foamy.
3. Combine flour and shortening, stirring with a fork until mixed well. Mix in buttermilk mixture. Mix in yeast mixture (dough will be wet.) Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (approximately 1hr).
4. Pat out dough to 1/2-inch thickness on a heavily floured board. Cut biscuits with a 2-inch cutter. Place on a baking sheet and let rise 20 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 400oF.
6. Bake biscuits 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.
   

Notes: I don't know if I did something wrong, but at step 4. the dough was really, really wet. I therefore sprinkled flour on top of the mixture before patting it down, or else it would have just stuck to my hands in a really bad way. If you try this recipe, please let me know how you go! The original recipe suggests that you "split and fill with thinly sliced country ham."

Recipe Source: Emailed to me by my aunty, who sourced it from a "Sunday insert". She suggested it goes really well with the family's homemade applebutter, so I tried it... and it was fantastic! My aunty also suggested that this goes well with chilli!

Angel Biscuit with the "Leible Homemade Applebutter" - delicious!

Dish 38 - Pumpkin Fudge Brownies

Pumpkin Fudge Brownies

Ingredients:

1/3 cup applesauce (no sugar added)
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup plain flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup cocoa*
1/2 cup choc chips
1/4 tsp Cinnamon

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350oF.
2. In a large bowl, mix all wet ingredients together.
3. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder*. Stir until well-blended.
4. Fold in chocolate chips.
5. Spread batter into greased pan (9x9in) and sprinkle with cinnamon.
6. Bake 20-25 minutes, until a fork inserted into the middle comes out clean.
   

Notes: *the cocoa made the brownies, well, very "cocoa-y". I would suggest reducing the amount of cocoa used but this is a matter of taste. If you are worried about tasting the pumpkin, well you can't! They just taste like chocolately goodness! Admittedly, I preferred my other brownie recipe to this one, but wouldn't be opposed to making this again, with reduced cocoa.

Recipe Source: From Savvy Eats

Dish 34 - Grandma Ellie's Brownies

Grandma Ellie's Brownies

9 6&1/2-in Pieces

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 sq (2oz) unsweetened chocolate (I used good quality Nestle 70% cocoa dark cooking chocolate)
1/2 cup butter or margarine (if you use unsalted butter, add 1/4 tsp salt to recipe)
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350oF and grease a 7x7-in square pan.
   
2. In a metal bowl over a saucepan of boiling water, melt the chocolate and butter until smooth. Remove from heat.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix well.
4. Pour into pre-greased pan and even out mixture.
5. Bake in oven 25 minutes and test with a toothpick to ensure it's done.
6. Enjoy!
   

Recipe Source: Grandma Ellie's recipe book, with additional instructions from a delightful cousin!

Dish 26 - Thai Chicken Patties

Thai Chicken Patties

Serves 4-6; Prep Time: 20min; Cooking Time: 15min

Ingredients:
400g chicken mince
1/4 cup slice water chestnuts
2 Tbsp red curry paste
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 egg white
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup beans, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp kaffir lime leaves
1 Tbsp oil for pan frying
Jasmine rice, to serve
Sweet chilli sauce, to serve

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients in a non-metallic bowl until well mixed.
   
2. Form the mixture into golf ball-sized pieces, then flatten slightly.
   
3. Shallow fry in hot oil until golden brown on both sides.
4. Serve with rice and sweet chill sauce on side.
   

Notes: I couldn't find the lime leaves, so these weren't added and I think the patties were fine without. Big Spring ABSOLUTELY loved this dish and couldn't get enough! I thought they were pretty good as well! By themselves, I found the patties were a little fishy, but combined with the rice and sweet chilli sauce, the flavours were well balanced.

Recipe Source: Woolworths Local Supermarket Catalogue

Dish 19 - Cheese, Corn and Bacon Polenta Muffins

Cheese, Corn & Bacon Polenta Muffins

Prep Time: 25min plus 30 mins standing time; Cook Time: 30min; Makes: 12

Ingredients:

Olive oil cooking spray for greasing
1/2 cup polenta
1/2 cup milk
3 bacon rashers, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 Tbsp caster sugar
310g can corn kernels
125g can creamed corn
100g butter, melted
2 eggs
50g block tasty cheese
1 cup grated cheese

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Spray a 12-hole muffin tin with oil. Combine polenta and milk in a bowl. Set aside for 20 minutes. Heat a small frying pan on a medium heat and spray with oil. Add bacon and onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Remove from pan.
2. Sift flour into a large bowl. Add sugar, corn kernels, creamed corn, butter, eggs, bacon mixture and polenta mixture and stir until combined. Spoon 1 heaped tablespoonful into each muffin hole. Cut cheese block into 12 cubes. Put 1 cube in each hole Divide remaining batter between holes. Sprinkle over grated cheese.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until puffed and golden. Stand for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Serve.
   

Recipe Source: A bonus/removable "Say Cheese" recipe booklet from the Better Homes and Gardens magazine (promotional literature from Kraft)