Surprise Biscuits

This recipe was given to me by a neighbour. They are the only biscuits her 98 year old Mother in Law ever made.  She said she had no idea why they were called surprise.   After making them several times, I think I know.  To the basic recipe, you can add almost anything.  What a surprise. ,!

These are , left, Peanut butter, right, Chocolate with added chocolate chips. 

From the basic recipe, I have made

Ginger nuts

Choc Chip

Monte Carlos

Coconut 

Can’t wait to try

Seeds and spices

Jam drop

Peanut, (3 heaped Dessertspoons of crunchy peanut butter)

Double Chocolate ( 15 to 20 g Dutch cocoa powder and 1 handful of both dark choc chips and white choc chips.)

Wholemeal .

Basic recipe

170g sugar ( I use raw caster )

113 butter g,  room temperature. 

225 g Self Raising flour,

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla ( optional)

Method

Set oven 170 ff

Cream butter and sugar, 1 minute, speed 4, ( scrape down after 30 seconds)

Add egg, mix, 30 seconds, speed 4

Add flour, 30 seconds, speed 4

Add vanilla if using, 10 seconds, speed 4.

Using a teaspoon or a spring loaded 4 cm ice cream scoop, place dough onto lined baking sheet.

Bake 15 minutes or until brown around edges. 

Leave on tray for 5 minutes and then on wire rack to cool.

Notes

To add extra ingredients, add after basic mixture is completed.

Ginger nuts, 2 Tablespoons of both ground ginger and golden syrup.

Choc Chip, a small handful of each Choc Chips, and chopped Walnuts and dried Cranberries. 

Monte Carlos, butter cream and Raspberry jam. 

Ginger and Molasses, 2 Tablespoons ground ginger and 1 tablespoons of BOTH golden syrup and molasses.

I usually make double of the basic mix and make 2 different flavours.

The basic mix makes about 36 biscuits

They keep well for a week in an airtight tin. 

These are Monte Carlo and Choc Chip. 

Flavour Bombs.

Flavour Bombs are intensely flavour pastes and sauces that can be frozen and added to Chicken, Pork, Beef, Veal or Tofu.
They can be added to food to be cooked in Slow Cookers( Crock Pots), Tray Bakes, TMX or Casserole dish in oven.
Make in bulk and freeze according to number of serves.
As I test more generic flavours, I will add to the list.
Number 1, a simple Bomb
This makes enough for 4 large serves, ( I used 1/2 to make 2 serves)

1 Tablespoon each of Sweet Chilli sauce, Soy sauce, Maple Syrup,
1/2 Tablespoon TMX Veggie stock.
Mix together.

Add Chicken Thighs ( trimmed and cut in half) to Slow Cooker, add paste and stir. ( no liquid)
Turn pot on and select slow, medium or high , depending what suits your time frame.
Add mushrooms when chicken is nearly  cooked and peas when cooked.
Thicken with 2 teaspoons of Cornflour mixed with a little water.  .

Reheats well.

Serve with rice or mashed potato.

Flavour Bomb 2. A High Octane Bomb, used 3 ways.
Basic flavours with the addition of either, Stock Or Tomato Or Coconut milk. OR a mixture of liquids.  You decide.

This baked Chicken has Flavour Bomb, Coconut Milk, Diced Tomatoes and stock.

This vegetarian tray bake of Pumpkin has a Flavour Bomb and Diced Tomato added. Sweet potato, Carrot, Zucchini or Eggplant, or a mixture would be equally nice. I added chick peas and Meredith Feta.

Ingredients
You can use fresh or paste from a tube or jar.  No particular flavour dominates.  So add more of a particular flavour if you wish.
1 Dessertspoon of each
Garlic
Ginger
Lemongrass
Red curry paste
Soy sauce

1 teaspoon of Chilli flakes

Zest and juice of a large fresh lime. 2 limes if small.

Mix all together and place in a small Zip lock bag. Freeze.

When require, remove amount suitable for quantity of veggies or protein.  Add stock, diced tomato or Coconut milk.

Examples.
1 large Chicken, 1/2 Flavour Bomb, 1 tin of Coconut milk, 1 cup of stock.
Place chicken in baking pot with lid, pour mixed ingredients and bake covered 30 minutes. Hot oven.
Remove lid , baste and cook for further 30 minutes brown chicken.
Serve with carb of choice and green veggies or salad.
Note
Because I used Organic Coconut milk it had the cream floating on top. I put the Flavour Bomb, coconut milk and stock in the TMX and cooked it at 100 degrees/ 10 minutes/ speed 2.
Then tipped over the chicken.
When cooked this will produce a mild flavoured sauce.  Do a taste test and if a stronger flavour is required, stir a bit more of the FB in.

Baked Pumpkin. Tray Bake
Chunks of pumpkin ( or other veggies ) pre roasted until nearly cooked.
Mix together  1/2 Flavour Bomb (  or less depending on quantity of veggies) with 1 tin of diced tomatoes and 1/2 tin stock.
Pour over veggies and bake until fully cooked. .
                            OR
Mix raw veggies with FB and tomato mixture, cover with foil and bake until cooked.  Uncover and brown under grill.
Note
I added a tin of chick peas to dish and served with Meredith Feta.

Garden Greens and Quinoa Pilaf

I have a very large Chinese Cabbage ( Wombok) that is a bit moth/grub eaten.  I don’t want to waste it is truly organic.  FOOD52 had a recipe for ‘One Pot Kale & Quinoa Pilaf’, that could be adapted to suit my purpose.

I converted the recipe to TMX and made a smaller amount. 

The recipe as presented makes 4 serves as a side. 

Ingredients

60 g Quinoa, washed

Large bunch of greens, ( my cabbage (Wombok)  weighed 200g but could easily double this. )

Oil, 1 Tablespoon of oil of choice.  I used Walnut. 

1 lemon, zest and juice

2 Tablespoons of green onion tops, sliced

1 Tablespoon of roasted Pine nuts.

1 to 2 Tablespoons of Goat Cheese. ( I used Marinated Meredith Feta ) 

Salt and Pepper. 

Instructions 

Mix oil, Lemon, onion tops, in serving dish and set aside. 

Place 1 litre of water into TMX bowl and place basket with Quinoa into bowl.

Depending on what greens are used, separate stalks from leaves. 

Set greens aside except for Kale. 

Kale leaves are added to Quinoa and steamed for 18 minutes. Stems discarded. 

Chinese cabbage ( Wombok)  , stems finely sliced and added to Quinoa and leaves shredded and added in last 5 minutes. 

Silver beet, same as Lombok. 

Baby spinach added in last 5 minutes. 

When steamed, mix greens through Quinoa and tip onto oil mix in serving dish.

Fold together and serve with Pine nuts and feta on top. 

Can be served cold or at room temperature.  Adding Pine nuts and Feta just before serving.

    

Kefir Bark

I love my Kefir.  It is so easy to make and carries so many good bacteria. The problem is that I don’t want to heat it as this will kill most of the good bacteria. I have made Lemon Icecream which is lovely.  What else?
When I saw a recipe for frozen yoghurt bark I thought I could probably make same with thick Kefir. if your Kefir is thin you may have to strain it .  You can use several layers of Chux, a Jelly bag or cheesecloth.
Spread the Kefir into baking paper placed on a flat tray that will fit Flat into your freezer.

The additions are up to you.
I used dark chocolate , ginger infused coconut flakes and caramel balls.
When ready, freeze.  Serve while frozen or partially defrosted.
I will cut into 16.