Recipes I love

GINGER NUTS

These end up being really crunchy and delicious not jaw breaking like the ones you buy in the shops!

Ingredients
125 g butter
1 cup caster sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1 egg
2 cups self-raising flour
3 teaspoons powdered ginger ( added another 1 or 2 more as I am a ginger freak)
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Extra sugar

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C or 160°C fan-forced.
2. Prepare biscuit trays by greasing or covering with silicone paper.
3. Sift flour, ginger and bicarbonate of soda together.
4. Cream butter, sugar and golden syrup.
5. Add egg and beat to mix.
6. Fold in sifted flour, ginger and bicarbonate of soda.
7. Roll teaspoon sized amounts into small balls, dip into extra sugar and place on tray sugar
side up.
8. Leave plenty of room for spreading.
9. Bake for 15 minutes until nicely browned.
10. Leave to cool on tray for a few minutes until the biscuits harden.


THE BEST BROWNIES RECIPE

Ingredients
Melted butter or margarine, for greasing
125g butter, chopped
200g (1 cup, firmly packed) soft brown sugar
125g dark chocolate, chopped
3 eggs
50g (1/3 cup) plain flour
35g (1/3 cup) cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
150g (1 1/4 cup) walnuts


Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease an 18 x 28cm cake tin with the melted butter or margarine and line the base of the pan with non-stick baking paper.
Place butter, brown sugar and chocolate in a large saucepan and stir over medium heat until well combined.
Remove from heat and beat in the eggs using a wooden spoon.
Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder into the chocolate mixture and stir until well combined. Stir in the walnuts.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes ( I cook this for 20-25 minutes as I like my Brownies gooey) or until firm and until a few crumbs cling to a skewer when it's inserted into the centre.

I've also added pistachios and macadamia nuts for a delicious twist

MANGO SWIRL CHEESECAKE

Servings: 12-16

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/3 cups unsweetened coconut
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tsp. lime zest
1 cup (2 sticks/8 oz./226g) unsalted butter, melted

Fruit Filling:
2 tbsp. (1/4 stick/1 oz./28g) unsalted butter
2 fresh mangoes, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. lime zest
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Cheesecake Filling:
1 lb. (two 8 oz. packages/16 oz./453g) cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup mango puree, fresh or canned
2 tbsp. sour cream
1 tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tbsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs

Mango Swirl:
1/2 cup mango puree, fresh or canned
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
Instructions:
1. For Crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Combine flour, graham crumbs and coconut with sugar and lime zest. Stir in melted butter and blend until even and crumbly. Press into the bottom and an inch up the sides of an ungreased 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned around edges and allow to cool. Wrap bottom of pan will foil and place in a baking dish that has at least a 2-inch lip. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F/150°C.

2. To Prepare Fruit Filling:
Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add mangoes, sugar, lime zest, lime juice, ginger and nutmeg. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, until fruit is tender and juices have evaporated. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and spread into bottom of baked crust.

3. For Cheesecake Filling:
Beat cream cheese in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with electric beaters until smooth and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Add sugar, flour and salt and beat again scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Mix in mango purée, sour cream, lime juice and vanilla and blend well. At this point, there should be no lumps - if there are, beat again until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, and scraping bowl thoroughly. Pour cheesecake into prepared pan.

4. For Mango Swirl:
Whisk together mango purée, sugar and egg yolk. Drizzle or spoon over cheesecake, and with a skewer or paring knife swirl the puree through. Take cheesecake in baking dish to oven door. Pour boiling water around pan to come up halfway. Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Halfway through cooking, crack the oven door for 10 minutes then complete cooking. Turn off oven, crack oven door, and let cheesecake cool to room temperature. Chill overnight in springform pan.

5. To serve, run a paring knife around the edge of the cheesecake and remove ring.

Makes 12 to 16 servings.

SMOKED SALMON DIP

200g pkt smoked salmon
1/2 cup (125g) mascarpone
1/3 cup (85g) whole-egg mayonnaise
2 spring onions, trimmed, thinly sliced
1 tbs finely chopped dill
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tsp horseradish cream
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1. Place the salmon in the bowl of a small food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and gently stir until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
2. Spoon salmon mixture evenly among two 1-cup (250ml) capacity ramekins or serving bowls and smooth the surface. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours to set and develop flavours.