Crunchies

Ingredients

310ml (1¼ cups) flour
310ml (1¼ cups) breakfast oats
310ml (1¼ cups) coconut
185ml (¾ cups) White Sugar
20ml (4 teaspoons)Golden Syrup
125ml (½ cup) butter or brick margarine
5ml (1 teaspoon) bicarbonate of soda
45 - 60ml boiling water

Method

• Combine dry ingredients.
• Melt the Golden Syrup and butter together. Combine the bicarbonate of soda with the water and add to the butter mixture.
• Mix together with the dry ingredients.
• Press the mixture into a Swiss roll tin (or for a thicker crunchie, bake in a square 20cm x 20cm tin) and bake for 20 minutes at 150ºC. Gently press down the sides if they seem to rise too much.
• When light brown, remove from the oven and cut into squares. Switch off the oven. Return crunchies to the oven, for about 10 minutes to dry out.
• Allow to cool before removing from tin.

Creamy Fudge

Ingredients

900g (4½ cups) Brown Sugar
300ml (1¼ cups) milk
30ml (2 Tablespoons) Golden Syrup
100g brick margarine
397g can full cream sweetened condensed milk
5ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla essence

Method

• In a heavy based saucepan dissolve the sugar in the milk over a low heat.
• Add the syrup and the margarine. Bring to the boil and boil for 2 - 3 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the condensed milk. Bring to the boil again and boil steadily until it reaches the soft ball stage (when a little syrup is dropped into iced water it forms a ball which flattens of its own accord when picked up with the fingers. About 25 - 30 minutes).
• Remove from the stove and add the vanilla essence. Beat continuously until the fudge begins to thicken and is almost at setting point. Pour into a greased 27cm x 17cm pan. Cut into squares when almost hard.

Caramel Popcorn

Ingredients

20ml butter or brick margarine
375ml Brown Sugar
90ml cold water
6 cups popped popcorn

Method

• Melt the butter and add the sugar and water.
• Stir over moderate heat until dissolved, then bring to the boil. Cover with a lid, cook for about 3 minutes, or until the steam has washed the sugar crystals down from the sides of the pot.
• Boil until soft ball stage has been reached (when a little syrup is dropped into iced water it forms a ball which flattens of its own accord when picked up with the fingers. About 25 - 30 minutes).
• Remove from heat and pour over popcorn, stirring gently to coat completely.
• When cool enough to handle, mould into balls or lollipops, and insert a small stick, if desired.

Buttered Brazil Nuts

Ingredients

500ml (2 cups) White Sugar
125ml (½ cup) water
30ml (2 Tablespoons) Golden Syrup
185ml (¾ cup) White Sugar
125g unsalted butter
15ml (1 Tablespoon) white vinegar
500ml (2 cups) whole Brazil nuts

Method

• Line two biscuit trays with baking paper.
• Combine sugar, water, syrup, butter and vinegar in a medium, heavy-based pan. Stir over medium heat, without boiling until butter has melted and sugar has dissolved. Brush sugar crystals from the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Bring to the boil, reduce heat slightly, then boil without stirring for about 20 minutes (or until a teaspoon of the mixture dropped into cold water reaches soft crack stage - 138ºC). Remove from heat immediately.
• Using a wooden spoon, dip each whole nut into the butterscotch mixture. Place onto prepared trays to set, Store between sheets of greaseproof paper in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.

Gingerbread People

Ingredients

125g butter or brick margarine
125ml (½ cup) Brown Sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
625ml (2½ cups) plain flour
5ml (1 teaspoon) bicarbonate of soda
15ml (3 teaspoons) ground ginger
40ml (2½ Tablespoons) Golden Syrup

ICING:
125ml (½ cup) Icing Sugar, mixed with a little boiling water to make a small quantity of glacé icing.

Method

• Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add egg and beat well. Gradually add sifted dry ingredients and syrup, mix well, knead lightly. Divide dough into 6 portions, and roll each portion till 3mm thick.
• Cut out gingerbread figures with special cutters or cut around cardboard shapes with a sharp knife.
• Bake in a moderate oven (180ºC) for 10 minutes. Cool on trays.

Lamingtons

Ingredients

VANILLA SPONGE:
500ml (2 cups) Castor Sugar
4 large eggs
250ml (1 cup) oil
5ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla essence
750ml (3 cups) flour, sifted
15ml (1 Tablespoon) baking powder
250ml (1 cup) milk
Desiccated coconut for coating

CHOCOLATE COATING:
500ml (2 cups) White Sugar
250ml (1 cup) hot water
45ml (3 Tablespoons) cocoa powder
15ml (1 Tablespoon) butter or brick margarine

Method

VANILLA SPONGE:

• Whisk castor sugar and eggs in a mixer until light and fluffy.
• Add oil and vanilla essence, mix well.
• Add sifted flour and baking powder to mixture alternatively with milk.
• Pour the creamed mixture into a greased oven tray and bake in a preheated oven at 180ºC for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Allow to cool and cut into squares.

CHOCOLATE COATING:

• Heat sugar, cocoa, butter and water until bubbly.
• Allow to cool, dip sponge squares into sauce and roll in coconut.

Honeycomb

Ingredients

375ml (1½ cups) White Sugar
90ml (6 Tablespoons) Golden Syrup
30g brick margarine
5ml (1 teaspoon) bicarbonate of soda

Method

• Place the sugar and the syrup in a heavy-based saucepan. Stir to combine, then slowly bring to the boil.
• Add the margarine and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil, and boil for 3 - 4 minutes.
• When the mixture begins to turn brown, remove from the heat.
• Sieve in the bicarbonate of soda, then stir until the mixture froths up.
• Pour the frothing mixture into a greased 22cm square pan. Leave to set until cold and hard.

Macaroons

Ingredients

2 egg whites
¾ cup Castor Sugar
1½ cups desiccated coconut
200g dark chocolate, melted

Method

• Preheat oven to 150ºC. Line two oven trays with baking paper. Beat eggs whites in a small bowl until firm peaks form. Add sugar gradually, beating well after each addition and until sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick and glossy.
• Transfer to a large bowl and add the coconut. Using a large metal spoon, fold gently until the ingredients are just combined. Drop level tablespoons of the mixture onto the trays, about 5cm apart. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool completely on a wire rack. Dip bases in melted chocolate and allow to set.

Koeksister

Ingredients

500ml (2 cups) cake flour
20ml (4 teaspoons) baking powder
3ml (½ teaspoon) salt
25ml (5 teaspoons) butter
125ml (½ cup) sour milk or buttermilk, or water and lemon juice Oil for frying

SYRUP:
1kg White Sugar
500ml (2 cups) water
2 pieces of ginger, bruised
2ml cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
Grated rind and juice of ½ lemon

Method

• Sift together the dry ingredients and rub in the butter with the fingertips, or cut it in with a pastry blender.
• Mix with the liquid to a soft dough which can easily be kneaded. Use more liquid if necessary.
• Knead thoroughly until small bubbles form under the surface of the dough, cover with a damp cloth and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
• Roll to a thickness of 5mm and cut into 5mm strips 7cm long. Place ends of three strips on top of the other, press together and plait. When plaited, press the ends together again.
• Fry in hot, deep fat (170ºC) until done and golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper for a moment and then immerse in ice cold syrup.
• Remove, allow excess syrup to drip off, and leave to dry on a wire rack.

SYRUP:

• Put all the ingredients into a saucepan. Heat, while stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Cover and boil for one minute.
• Remove the lid and boil for a further 5 minutes. Do not stir.
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool thoroughly in a refrigerator if possible.

Peanut Brittle

Ingredients

75g brick margarine
340ml (11/3 cups) White Sugar
125ml (½ cup) Golden Syrup
250ml (1 cup) boiling water
325ml (1½ cups) salted peanuts

Method

• Put margarine, sugar, syrup and water into a pot. Dissolve sugar over a gentle heat.
• Turn up heat and boil mixture for half an hour, do not stir. To test if ready, drop a little of the mixture in cold water. If it is ready it will set hard and will crack when broken.
• Remove pot from stove and stir in nuts. Pour into a greased tin (roughly 20cm x 20cm) and allow to set.

Muffins

Ingredients

2 eggs
125ml (½ cup) oil
185ml (¾ cup) Brown Sugar
500ml (2 cups) milk
250ml (1 cup) wholewheat flour
375ml (1½ cups) cake flour
500ml digestive bran (or an extra 250ml wholewheat flour)
5ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla essence
1ml salt
10ml (2 teaspoons) bicarbonate of soda
250ml (1 cup) dried fruit cake mix
250ml (1 cup) chopped dates

Method

• Whisk eggs, oil and sugar together.
• Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
• The mixture should be allowed to stand overnight in an airtight container.
• Half fill greased muffin tin pans with the mixture.
• Bake at 180º C for 10 - 15 min.

Buttermilk Rusks

Ingredients

300g brick margarine
250ml (1 cup) oil
500ml (2 cups) Huletts SunSweet Brown Sugar
2 large eggs
500ml (2 cups) buttermilk or maas
250ml (1 cup) wholewheat flour
750ml (3 cups) breakfast cereal bran flakes
1kg (7 cups) flour, sifted
40ml (8 teaspoons) baking powder
5ml (1 teaspoon) salt

Method

• Melt the butter, oil and sugar in a saucepan and allow to cool. Beat well until thick.
• Beat in the eggs one by one, then beat in the buttermilk. Add all the dry ingredients and stir until blended.
• Pour the mixture into two loaf tins or one large roasting tin lined with oiled greaseproof paper.
• Bake at 180ºC for 1 hour. Turn out, and leave to cool. Cut into rusks.