Pecan Brandy Syrup Cake
This is one of my older recipes and always makes up nice. It is great for a special occasion.
1 cup chopped pecans
3ozs cooking marg
4 ozs castor sugar
1 vanilla instant pudding
1/4 cup brandy
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup S.R. Flour
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Syrup
2 ozs marg
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp brandy

Sprinkle nuts over the base of a greased large ring cake pan. Into a medium sized bowl mix the softened marg and sugar and beat until creamy, then beat in eggs one at a time. Using a large bowl sift the flour and the instant pudding.
Add the egg mix to the ry ingredients, using a spoon and mix lightly. Then add the liquid ingredients and mix well by hand.(I used my balloon whisk) Carefully pour over the nuts.
Oven temp 180 C. Bake for 40 mins. remove from the oven and let cool in the tin for 5 mins then invert on to a wire cooling rack.
Syrup:
Melt marg, and stir in the water and sugar and boil for 5 mins stirring constantly. remove from heat and stir in brandy. Cool for 3 mins. Prick the top of the cake well and spoon syrup evenly over the top of the cake,and brush the sides. Continue adding syrup until all has been absorbed. Place onto a serving plate and decorate with whipped cream and whole pecans or grated chocolate.
"I do not have a large ring tin so I use my large round tin and spray(with cooking spray) a drinking glass straight sides and turn it upside down in the middle of the cake pan this forms the hole in the middle of the cake. Carefully remove glass when cake is cool."

Fruit Salad Slice
This is one of my Mum's favourite recipes, and my family seems to like it also, it is not hard to make so give it a try.
Base:
3/4 cup S.R.Flour
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Coconut
90 g melted butter
Topping:
1x 85g Pkt Lemon Jelly Crystals
1 tsp Gelatine
1 cup boiling water
1/3 cup Lemon Juice
1 x 400g Tin sweetened Condensed Milk
1 x 450g Can Fruit Salad (drained)
2 passionfruit

Base:
Line base & sides of a lamington tin with foil, then grease with butter. Combine sifted flour, brown sugar,
and coconut in a small bowl stir in melted butter until combined. Press evenly into prepared pan.
Bake in a moderate oven for 15 mins or until lightly browned. Allow to cool in pan
Topping:
Combine jelly Crystals and gelatine in a small bowl and add hot water and stir until dissolved.
Stir in Lemon juice and allow to cool to room temperature.
Stir in condensed milk and drained fruit salad, passionfruit and jelly mix and stir well until combined.
Gently pour on top of base and refrigerate until set then cut to required size pieces.

Uncooked Pavlova

This one is an easy one and much enjoyed by all. It sounds odd but give it a try
and you will soon be adding it to your favourite list.

3 tsp Gelatine
1 sml cup castor sugar
2 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup hot water
few drops vanilla essence

Dissolve gelatine in hot water and allow to cool (but not set) place all ingredients in
a large bowl and beat until light and fluffly and thick.( will have a shiny effect).
Make a circle on a greased flat plate and build it up to approx 2.5cm high then place
remainder is spoon fulls around the edge of the circle to form a wall.
Place in the fridge until required.
Then fill the centre with fruit salad and decorate with whipped cream and strawberries or
kiwifruit.

You can use a use a square or rectangle plate also.

Hope you enjoy this one it is different as when you say pavlova most people think
dry crunchy kind. This is soft and melts in your mouth.

This one is very yummy. I first made it when the boys went on a Scout camp(we were told they boys would need healthy snacks to eat on the way), but for some reason the Scout Master did not appreciate being cooped up on a bus with 30 boys who had had a feed of dried apricot slice.
Guess all is good in moderation.

Apricot Bar
1 cup chopped dried apricots
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup sultanas
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 x 400g condensed milk
1 tbsp brown sugar
60g unsalted butter
1/4 cup orange juice

1/.Place apricots, oats, sultanas, sunflower seeds, coconut and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside.
2/.Place condensed milk, sugar and unsalted butter in a saucepan and stir over a low heat until butter melts.
Increase heat to med and stir constantly until the mixture thickens and becomes a caramel colour. (this will take about 20 mins) There is no short cut to this step.
3/. Cool the caramel , then stir in the orange juice and add to the fruit mix. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
4/. Spread the mixture into a greased lined lammington pan 30cm x 20cm pressing it down firmly. Chill overnight or until set.
5/. Cut into small bars and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Pumpkin Soup
This is always popular and very easy to make.
I use my crockpot as I find it is easiest. You can cook the pumpkin in a saucepan.
1 kg Pumpkin
2 Onions peeled and chopped
4 cups Chicken stock (1 heaped tsp powder to 1 cup water)
1 cup Cream
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and cut pumpkin into chunks
place onion, pumpkin and beef stock in crockpot and cook until soft.
Allow to cool a little and then blend until smooth.
return to crockpot and add salt and pepper and cream and gently heat to required temp.
Can be sprinkled with nutmeg and chopped parsley to serve.
I have found that some pumpkins make a sweet soup and some have less flavour than others so you will need to determine which one suits you best.

I have found that if I peel the onions and put them in a plastic bag in the freezer while I prepare the pumpkin that way I don't cry when it comes time to chop them.

Chocolate Fruit & Nut Flan

This I have made on an off for quite a while, it is always popular, and once you have one piece you will go back for more.
It is not hard to make. So try it and people will think you are a fantastic cook.
Pastry:
45g Marg
30g Castor Sugar
1 sml egg
1/3 cup S.R. Flour
1/2 cup Plain Flour
pinch Salt

Filling:
I do this first and let the fruit soak while I get everything else ready.
120g Dried Fruit Medely
grated Orange Rind
1 tbsp Brandy

Topping
2 eggs
90g Marg
3/4 cup castor Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence
1/2 cup Plain Flour
1 cup small choc Bits
1 1/4 cups chopped Pecans or walnuts

Pastry:
Beat together marg ans sugar only until it is combined.
Add egg and beat lightly, add flours and salt sifted together and mix with a knife then use hands to combine into a ball.
knead lightly on a floured surface until smooth and roll out on a piece of greaseproof to fit a greased 20cm x 4cm fluted dish.
Place in the fridge for 30 mins. Then trim to fit dish.
For filling:
spoon fruit mix over the base of the pastry.
Topping:
Combine eggs, sugar, melted marg, vanilla and flour and beat until mixed. Stir in choc bits and nuts and stir until combined,
spoon over the fruit and bake at 160C for 45-50 mins.
Decorate with whipped cream and serve.

Hope you enjoy this one. I made it when we went out to dinner the other night and folks really liked it.

Beef Stew with Dumplings
This is one of the Childrens favourites, I watch for the meat to be on special and freeze it till needed.
I sometimes buy a piece of Topside roast and cut it up as it is often cheaper than the sliced stuff.

1.5kg Gravy Beef or blade or topside cut to 25mm pieces
1 large Onion diced
2 carrots peeled and chopped
1 parsnip peeled and chopped
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 dsp Beef stock powder
2/3 cup Gravy powder

Dumplings
6 heaped Tbsp SR flour
1 tbsp cooking Marg
Salt & Pepper
Milk



Put meat. vegetables, canned tomatoes and beef stock in crockpot (mine has a removable bowl), I do this at night and then put it in the crockpot in the morning. Let it cook on low all day. Blend gravy powder with enough water to make a paste and add to meat to thicken(it thickens as it heats).
To make dumplings:
Sift flour then chop butter in chunks and rub it in to the flour and some salt and pepper. Then use enough milk to make a sticky dough. Place chunks on top of stew (which has been thickened) and put the removable bowl in microwave for 4 mins with the lid on.
Then put it back in the crockpot base until needed.
Leftovers Freeze ok, or you can freeze meat and veg and make fresh dumpling when required or If only meat is left I make single serve pies.