Sunday, April 25, 2010

Super easy chocolate chip cookies

This is a really quick and simple chocolate chip cookie recipe. It will make about 12 biscuits but the recipe can easily be doubled.

Ingredients:

60g butter or margarine

1/2 cup Castor sugar

1 egg

3ml vanilla essence

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

200 ml chocolate chips (or one slab broken into small chunks)

Method:

preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius
grease baking tray or line with baking paper (I recommend the baking paper, it makes life a lot easier)
cream butter and sugar together until soft
beat in the egg
sieve in dry ingredients
mix in chocolate chips
mix well to form a dough

it should look like this

roll small pinches if dough into balls, place on baking tray and flatten with a fork

Like this

bake for 12 to 15 minutes (Keep an eye on them they burn very easily!)
remove from oven and allow to cool and harden.


Mmm... Cookies....

Enjoy!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Nice Carrots

Need a quick easy side dish that everyone will enjoy? try these nice carrots.
Essential skills: None

Essential equipment: potato peeler

Ingredients:

Carrots (as many as you need, generally 2 per person)

1 large teaspoon butter or margarine

1 teaspoon sugar (preferably brown sugar but not essential)

Method:

top and tail and peel carrots  and cut into strips or rounds
place in a pot of boiling water and boil for about 15 - 20 minutes, until soft
drain off water and place carrots in serving dish. 
add butter and sugar and stir until it is all melted and dissolved and carrots are evenly covered (you may need more sugar depending on the sweetness of the carrots).
Enjoy!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Easy as pie lemon meringue

This is a great easy dessert and is always a big hit when having people over.


Essential skills: separating eggs

Essential equipment: electric beater

Ingredients:

1 packet marie biscuits

150g butter or margarine

2 eggs separated

1 tin condensed milk

Juice from 3 lemons (about half a cup)

2 tablespoons sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees centigrade

Crush marie biscuits and place in a pie dish.

Melt butter and pour over crushed biscuits. Mix together and press flat to line the pie dish.

Place condensed milk in a large bowl, add lemon juice.

Separate eggs, add yokes to condensed milk and lemon juice and stir well until blended.

Place egg whites in a small bowl and beat with electric beater, while slowly adding sugar, until it forms soft peaks.

Pour condensed milk mixture over biscuit base.

Gently spoon egg whites over filling.

Place in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until top goes golden brown.

My tip: Rather use too much lemon juice than too little. It is not as nice if it is too sweet.

Variations: leave off the egg white topping, add a tub of cream cheese to the condensed milk mixture and you have a fantastic lemon cheesecake.