EGGNOG RECIPE

Try this deliciously creamy free Eggnog Recipe to warm you up for the holidays. Eggnog is a sweetened dairy based beverage, traditionally made with milk and or cream, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, beaten eggs, brandy, rum or whisky and is popular throughout the United States and Canada, and is associated with winter celebrations such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year. 

Ingredients


4 cups milk
5 whole cloves
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 egg yolks
1 ½ cups sugar
2 ½ cups light rum or brandy or whisky
4 cups fresh cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg


Method

• In a saucepan combine the milk, cloves, ½ teaspoon vanilla essence and cinnamon and heat over a low heat for 5 minutes, slowly bring the milk mixture to a boil.
• In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar and whisk together until fluffy. 
• Whisk the hot milk mixture slowly into the eggs and pour the mixture into a saucepan. 
• Cook over a medium heat, stirring continuously for 3 minutes, or until thick. 
• Do not allow the mixture to boil. 
• Strain to remove the cloves, and allow to cool for about an hour.
• Stir in your choice of alcohol, cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla essence, and nutmeg. 
• Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Serves 12

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QUEEN OF HEARTS STRAWBERRY TARTS

This free Queen of Hearts Strawberry Tart Recipe is a great treat to serve at children’s birthday parties or tea parties! Mmm a delicious shortcrust pastry base filled with strawberry jam! Very easy to make!

Ingredients


Shortcrust Pastry 
250g cake flour
5 Tblsp icing sugar
125g butter
1 extra large egg yolk
4 Tblsp ice water


Filling
125ml strawberry jam
1 Tblsp castor sugar, to sprinkle


Method

• In a mixing bowl using an electric beater, mix the flour, icing sugar and butter together until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Add the egg yolk and pulse to combine. 
• Add enough cold water to form a soft dough.
• Cover the dough with cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
• Roll out the pastry to 5mm thickness.
• Cut out rounds to line 12 small tart tins or a muffin pan.
• Cut out 12 small heart shapes from the leftover pastry
• Spoon 2 tablespoon’s of jam into each pastry shell, top with hearts and sprinkle over with castor sugar and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden.
• Allow to cool before serving.

Serves 4

POTATO CHEESE & SPRING ONION CAKES

This free Potato Cheese & Spring Onion Cakes Recipe is so quick and easy to make! These are great to serve as finger foods when entertaining guests! Feel free to add some bacon to give the potato cakes an extra special flavour.
        

Ingredients


1 bunch spring onions, sliced
6 medium sized potatoes, cooked and peeled
125ml mature cheddar cheese, grated
2 tbsp dijon mustard
125ml flour, for dusting
a little oil, for frying
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tomato sauce, for serving


Method

• Roughly mash the spring onions, potatoes, cheese and mustard together and season.
• Shape mixture into fat sausage shapes and dust patties in flour.
• In a frying pan heat 1 – 2cm of oil and fry the cakes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through.
• Drain the cakes on kitchen paper towel.
• Serve with tomato sauce.

Variation


Fry 100g of diced bacon until crispy and add to the mixture.


Serves 6

TOFFEE APPLE RECIPE

This free Toffee Apple Recipe is such a fun recipe to make with your kids… Very quick and easy to make!

Ingredients

12 small red or pink lady apples
12 wooden skewers
4 cups white sugar
375ml water
250ml golden syrup
15ml red food colouring
buttered wax paper


Method

• Wash and dry the apples. 
• Insert a wooden skewer into the stalk-end of each apple. 
• Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and heat slowly, stirring continuously to dissolve all the sugar crystals before the mixture begins to boil. (Remove all the sugar crystals on the sides of the saucepan with a wet brush). 
• Add the golden syrup and boil until just before the hard crack stage stir occasionally, otherwise the syrup will crystallise. 
• Add the red colouring and mix well. 
• Remove the saucepan from the stove and place into a larger saucepan with enough boiling water to reach halfway up.
• Return to the stove and reduce the heat so that the water in the outer pan only just boils. 
• Dip the apples in the syrup, coating them well, allow most of the syrup to drip back into the saucepan. 
• Dry the skewered apples slightly by gently turning them back and forth. 
• Place on buttered waxed paper, and allow to dry completely. 

Variation:

• Use green apples and green food colouring instead of red for green toffee apples.

Makes 12 toffee apples

FISH FINGER BITES

This amazing free Fish Finger Bites Recipe is a great way to introduce seafood to kids & they are a great source of protein, they also make an awesome party snack!

Ingredients


3 slices bread, (stale bread is best)
6 Tblsp flour
1 Tblsp ground coriander, (optional)
2 medium eggs
400g firm white fish fillets skinned (e.g. hake) 
2 Tblsp butter
2 Tblsp vegetable oil
6 Tblsp PnP tomato sauce, to serve


Method

• Remove the crusts from the slices of bread, place in a food processor and blitz to make fine breadcrumbs. Tip the crumbs on to a plate.
• Place the flour and ground coriander on a separate plate and season with salt
• Whisk the eggs lightly in a mixing bowl.
• Cut the fish into thick finger-sized pieces, coat in flour, dip into the egg and finally coat with breadcrumbs.
• In a large frying pan heat the butter and oil over a medium.
• As soon as the butter starts to foam, add the fish bites and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until crispy and golden.
• Serve with tomato sauce to dip.

Serves 6

BILTONG

Make your very own biltong at home with this easy step-by-step free Biltong Recipe. People in other countries call this beef jerky!

Ingredients


Brine:
60 ml white wine vinegar
3 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce


Biltong:
1.2kg topside, or silverside, cut into lengths


Spice Mix:
1 Tblsp semi-coarse sea salt
60 ml brown sugar
1 Tblsp BBQ spice or peri-peri
125ml coriander seeds, toasted and coarsely ground
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper black pepper

Utensils:
1 lamp with a 40 watt daylight bulb (don’t use a high wattage bulb as it will waste electricity)
Electric fan (If you live in a hot, dry area, the fan and lamp won’t be necessary).
Paper clips
Newspaper or foil
Clothes rack or something suitable for hanging meat


Biltong Making Tips:


Use good quality meat, like topside (with the hood removed) or silverside (with the eye removed).
Remove all visible sinew from meat and trim off excess fat.
Cut meat into thinner, smaller pieces to promote even drying (1.5-2cm thick, 4-5cm wide and 10 -15cm long is optimum).
Always cut meat along the grain as you’ll be cutting it across the grain when you eat it.
Marinate/brine meat for at least 4 hours (or up to 2 days) to allow flavour to be absorbed.
Make sure you hang biltong in a cool and well-ventilated spot, out of reach of animals and biltong thieves!
Drying time depends on the moisture levels of the air where the biltong is hanging. The drier the air, the sooner it’ll be ready. 


Step 1:

• Pour the vinegar and Worcestershire sauce into a roasting tray.
• Toss meat in brine to coat and then place the meat in a single layer.

Step 2:

• Mix all the spice mix ingredients together.
• Thoroughly coat meat with spice mix and press spices into the meat.
• Turn meat over and repeat until all the spice mix is used up.
• Allow marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning as regularly as possible.

Step 3:

• Cover area below hanging surface with foil or a thick layer of newspaper.
• Place lamp just in front of hanging area (hot air will rise and be blown over the biltong by the fan).
• Bend paper clips to form hooks. Place a hook into each piece of biltong. 
• Hang biltong 5cm apart on clothes rack.
• Position fan to blow over biltong.
• Dry for 4 -7 days with lamp and fan and until desired dryness is reached.

Makes about 12 pieces of biltong

BANANA ICE CREAM

Banana Ice Cream is the bomb! Try this free Banana Ice Cream Recipe to make your very own homemade ice cream! Made with bananas & buttermilk which is a lot healthier than ice cream bought in the shops! Very quick & easy to make!


Ingredients


5 large bananas, peeled, sliced and frozen
1 cup buttermilk, chilled

Method

• Place the bananas in a blender.
• Add the buttermilk and blitz until a smooth consistency is reached.
• Serve immediately as is or with a sprinkle of chopped nuts.

Variations:


Drizzle a little dessert liqueur over the ice cream when serving.


Serves 4

APRICOT CRUMBLE TREATS

This free Apricot Crumble Treats Recipe makes the most delicious tea time treats! Sticky caramelised apricot jam between a crunchy shortbread base and crumble on the top! Feel free to substitute the apricot jam for strawberry or any other jam for a variety of flavours mmm!

Ingredients


250ml apricot jam
750ml self-raising flour
3/4 cups brown sugar
1 extra large egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 pinch salt
250g margarine, softened


Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• In a large mixing bowl add the flour, salt and margarine and mix well.
• In a separate bowl beat the sugar, egg and vanilla essence.
• Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and fold in to form a dough.
• Take one third of the dough and refrigerate. 
• Press the remaining two thirds of the dough flat into a greased, rectangular baking dish that is about 30cm x 20cm and at least 6cm deep. 
• Spread the jam evenly and thickly across the dough.
• Take the chilled dough and use a grater to grate it evenly over the jam.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until the topping is nicely browned
• Allow standing for 5 minutes, cut into squares before it cools.

Makes about 12 squares depending on the size.

APPLE & CINNAMON MUFFINS

This delicious free Apple & Cinnamon Muffin Recipe is great when you need to whip up something quickly… The bran flakes make these muffins high in fibre… Lovely to serve with tea!

Ingredients


Muffins:
1 ½ cups bran flakes
1 ½ cups self-raising flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup apple, grated
375ml milk
125ml avocado oil
2 extra large eggs
1 Tblsp vanilla essence
1 tsp cinnamon


Topping:
125ml brown sugar

Method

• Preheat the oven to 190°C.
• Line 2 muffin pans with paper cases.
• Mix all the muffin ingredients together, be careful not to over mix.
• Spoon the muffin mixture into the paper cases in the muffin tins.
• Sprinkle a little sugar over the muffins and bake for 20-30 minutes or the muffins have risen and cooked through.

Makes 24

FRUIT & NUT BISCOTTI

Biscotti are very crunchy Italian biscuits/cookies, which are great to dip into coffee or wine. Biscotti means ‘twice baked cookies’. Biscotti contain nuts and sometimes dried fruit is added. Try this amazing free Fruit & Nut Biscotti Recipe!

Ingredients


60ml butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup castor sugar
3 extra large eggs
250g organic flour
3ml bicarbonate of soda
125ml seedless raisins
180ml sultanas
180ml mixed nuts


Glaze:
1 egg
1 Tblsp water
2 Tblsp castor sugar, plus extra for sprinkling


Method

• Beat the butter, vanilla essence and castor sugar together.
• Add eggs one at a time beating after each addition. 
• Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir though.
• Place dough on a floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly sticky.
• Divide dough into two and shape into logs.

Glaze

• Mix the egg, water and castor sugar together and brush logs with glaze.
• Sprinkle with a little extra castor sugar. 
• Bake in a preheated oven at 150°C for 20 minutes and cool for 3 hours.
• Slice into 1cm thick biscuits. 
• Preheat oven to 150°C (fan on).
• Lay biscotti in a single layer on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes or until crisp, turning halfway through baking time.

Makes about 50

THREE CHEESE SCONES

This free Three-Cheese Scone Recipe is quick and easy to make and don’t forget the best part Ohh sooo cheesy with a hint of cayenne pepper! Lovely to serve with a nice cup of tea or coffee. Feel free to add some bacon and sweet corn for an even tastier scone.

Ingredients


1 cup cake flour, unsifted
10ml baking powder, sifted
3 tblsp butter, softened at room tempreature
50g mature cheddar cheese, grated
30g Parmesan cheese, grated
30g gruyere cheese, grated
125ml milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten the milk
5ml cayenne pepper, or a little more if you like it spicy
5ml salt
15ml chives, finely chopped


Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°C. Make sure the oven rack is high up in the oven.
• Place softened butter in a large mixing bowl, add the flour and mix together with your finger tips until mixture resembles bread crumbs.
• In a mixing bowl add eggs and milk and beat slightly.
• Place all three cheeses, baking powder, cayenne pepper, chopped chives and salt into flour mixture and stir to combine.
• Add milk and egg mixture and stir in well.
• Grease a muffin pan and drop spoonfuls of cheese dough into each muffin cup.
• Bake at 180°C for about 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Makes 12

GIANT CHOCOLATE SMARTIE MUFFINS

This free Giant Chocolate Smartie Muffin Recipe is deliciously chocolaty and colourful great for kids parties!

Ingredients

Muffins:

50ml cocoa powder

50ml milo

50ml boiling water

500ml cake flour

15ml baking powder

150ml brown sugar

50g Albany chocolate, chopped

50g milky bar, chopped

1 egg

300ml ideal low fat evaporated milk

125ml butter

White Chocolate Icing:

125g icing sugar

500ml icing sugar

100ml melted milky bar

Dash of vanilla essence

1 box of Smarties to decorate

Method

Muffins:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• Line 12 large muffin tin hollows with large paper cups.
• Blend the cocoa powder and Milo with the boiling water to make a paste. Leave to cool.
• Sift the flour and baking powder together and add the sugar and chocolate and mix well.
• Whisk together the egg, evaporated milk, cocoa paste and melted butter and add this mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix gently taking care not to over mix.
• Spoon the batter into the paper cups, filling them three quarters of the way.
• Bake the muffins for about 20 minutes or until done and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Leave to cool and decorate with the white chocolate icing and Smarties.

Icing:

• Beat the butter with the icing sugar.
• Add the melted milky bar and vanilla essence. Beat well.

Makes 12 large muffins

APPLE & MINT RAITA

Raita is a Pakistani/Indian condiment made with yoghurt, seasoned with herbs and spices, you may also add some grated/minced vegetables such as cucumber, onions, and carrots. This free Apple & Mint Raita Recipe is lovely to serve as a side dish with hot curries or as a dip with party snacks. Raita is served chilled and helps to cool the palate when eating spicy dishes. 

Ingredients


2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
250ml mint leaves, stems removed and washed
pinch of salt
1 clove garlic, peeled
small pinch of green masala 
45ml lemon freshly squeezed lemon juice 
60ml (¼ c) plain yoghurt


Method

• Put all the ingredients except the yoghurt in a food processor and blend.
• Stir in the yoghurt, garnish with mint leaves and serve with hot curries, kebabs or party snacks.

Makes 1 cup

LEMON SQUARES

Try this lovely free Lemon Squares Recipe that will make your mouth with a divine sweet but tart lemony flavour!

Ingredients


Base:
250g butter at room temperature
85g icing sugar
625ml cake flour


Topping:
2 – 3 lemons
4 eggs
400g castor sugar
5ml baking powder


Method

• Grease a deep cake tin (23cm x 23cm x 4cm) with butter and line the bottom with grease baking paper.
• Beat the butter and icing sugar until light and creamy.
• Add 500ml of the flour to the creamed mixture and beat or knead with hands until it forms a dough ball.
• Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared cake tin and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• Place the cake tin into the oven and bake the crust for 15 minutes and remove from the oven and set aside to cool while you prepare the topping.

Topping:

• Grate the zest of 2 lemons with a fine grater.
• Juice the lemons (about 90ml required).
• Beat the eggs and castor sugar until well combined.
• Add the remaining cake flour, baking powder, lemon zest and juice, beat well.
• Pour the mixture onto the baked crust and return to the oven for about 30 minutes or until the topping has set.
• Allow to cool in the cake tin, dust with a little icing sugar and cut into squares.

Makes 12 – 16 squares

GINGER SHORTBREAD

If you love ginger then this free Ginger Shortbread Recipe is for you… This recipe is very easy & makes the most divine Ginger Shortbread… Best served with a nice hot cup of tea or coffee!

Ingredients


500g butter
250g castor sugar
500g cake flour
250g corn flour
60ml glace ginger in sugar syrup, drained & finely chopped


Method

• Preheat the oven to 160°C and grease two rectangular (20cm x 30cm) baking tray.
• Cream the butter and castor sugar together until light and creamy.
• Sift the cake flour and corn flour together and add the ginger.
• Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly until a dough is formed.
• Divide the dough mixture and press into the baking trays.
• Prick the dough with a fork and mark out bars or squares.
• Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown.
• Sprinkle castor sugar on the top after baking.

Makes about 30 squares or bars

QUICK COCONUT ICE

When time is limited and you need to make something quick and easy try this free Quick Coconut Ice Recipe!

Ingredients


250ml icing sugar
900ml desiccated coconut
1 tin condensed milk
5ml vanilla essence
1ml cream of tartar
1ml salt
few drops of food colouring


Method

• Mix the icing sugar, coconut, condensed milk, vanilla essence, cream of tartar and salt together.
• Press half of the mixture firmly on the base of well-greased 25 x 15cm dish.
• Colour the remaining half light pink with the food colouring. Knead the mixture well.
• Press the pink mixture firmly onto the white layer.
• Refrigerate to harden.
• Cut into 4cm x 4cm squares.

Makes 24 pieces

CHOCOLATE COCONUT CLUSTERS

Looking for something quick and easy to make when your time is limited….Try this awesome free Chocolate Coconut Cluster Recipe!

Ingredients


125g margarine
½ cup cocoa
3 cups oats
1 cup desiccated coconut
2 cups sugar
½ cup milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
Pinch of salt


Method

• Place the margarine, sugar, cocoa and milk into a saucepan and boil for 5 minutes on a low heat until all ingredients have dissolved.
• Boil for a further 5 minutes on a high heat until the mixture starts bubbling.
• Add the boiling mixture to the oats and coconut and mix.
• Drop teaspoonfuls onto grease proof paper and allow to cool and set.

SPINACH ROSTI

Try this free Spinach Rösti Recipe for a delicious alternative to the Basic Potato Rösti. Although basic Rösti consists of nothing but potato you can add ingredients such as onions, cheese, spinach, zucchini’s, apples or fresh herbs. The grated vegetables are shaped into balls or patties and are most often pan fried, but can also be baked in the oven for a reduced fat cooking method.

Ingredients


100g baby spinach leaves, finely chopped
200g potatoes, peeled & grated
200g baby marrow’s/zucchini, grated
80ml cake flour
100ml grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, whisked
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
60ml oil
extra grated Parmesan to garnish


Method

• In a large mixing bowl mix the spinach, potatoes and baby marrow’s together.
• Stir in the flour, Parmesan cheese and egg until well combined.
• Season the mixture with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Heat a little oil in a frying pan and drop dollops of the mixture into the pan and fry until golden brown and cooked through.
• Place the cooked Rösti’s on paper towels to absorb the extra oil, keep warm while you cook the rest of the mixture.
• Sprinkle the Rösti’s with a little Parmesan cheese or top with a fried or poached egg and some button mushrooms lightly fried or grilled with a little butter.

Interesting fact: Rösti was originally a common breakfast eaten by farmers in the canton of Bern all over Switzerland, today is is eaten all over the world.

Serves 2 – 4

CHELSEA BUNS

This free Chelsea Bun Recipe makes the most decadently sweet & delicious Chelsea Buns… Great to serve at tea parties!

Ingredients


Buns:
210ml lukewarm milk
60g butter
445g white bread flour
5ml salt
40g sugar
7g instant died yeast
1 large egg, lightly beaten


Filling:
30ml butter
50ml apricot jam
50g soft dried apricots, chopped
100g raisins
5ml ground cinnamon
5ml ground mixed spice
50g brown sugar
100g pecan nuts, chopped


Topping:
100g sugar
60g butter
60ml milk
60ml honey


Method


Buns:

• Mix the milk and butter in a saucepan and heat until the butter is melted.
• Remove from the heat and cool until lukewarm.
• In a large mixing bowl mix the flour, salt, sugar and yeast together.
• Mix the dry ingredients and beaten egg into the milk mixture to form a soft dough.
• Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.

To knead: Fold the dough in half towards you and then push down and away using the heel of yourhand. Give the dough a quarter of a turn and repeat the kneading process, until the dough is soft and elastic. Alternatively you can use a food processor with a dough hook at a low speed.


Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size.


Filling:

• Knead the dough again for a minute and then roll out onto a lightly floured surface to form a 40 x 22cm rectangle.
• Melt the butter and apricot jam and brush over the dough.
• Sprinkle with fruit, spices and half the nuts.
• Starting at the long side, tightly roll up the dough like a swiss roll.
• Cut into 9 even sized slices and place them next to each other in a greased, square 20cm baking tin.
• Cover the tin with a damp cloth and allow the buns to rise until they have doubled in size.

Topping:

• Heat all the ingredients for a minute or until all the sugar has dissolved.
• Pour the topping mixture over the buns after they have risen and sprinkle with the remaining nuts.
• Immediately bake in a preheated oven at 190°C for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing from the tin and breaking apart.

Alternative filling: 100g chopped dark chocolate, 100g chopped pecan nuts and 100g brown sugar.


Makes 9

BAR ONE SPRING ROLLS

Oh my goodness everyone has to try these decadent Bar One Spring Rolls. Phyllo pastry bursting with melted chocolate toffee these are sure to satisfy anyone with a sweet tooth! Substitute the Bar One Chocolate for any chocolate that has a toffee chocolate centre.

Ingredients


3 sheets phyllo pastry, cut in half lengthways
90g butter, melted
2 x 100g Bar One chocolate
100ml cream
100g chocolate chopped


Method

• Lay the pastry sheets out onto a cold surface and brush with butter on both sides.
• Divide each bar of chocolate into 3 pieces.
• Place a piece of Bar One on a phyllo sheet and roll up like a spring roll.
• Refrigerate while you preheat the oven to 200°C.
• Bake the spring rolls for 15 to 20 minutes until golden.
• Heat the cream and chopped chocolate until melted completely and pour over the spring rolls.
• Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Serves 6