Eccles Cakes

Eccles Cakes

I combined two recipes to make these tasty little morsels. I used the Sour Cream pastry recipe from the Forum Thermomix cite, and Delia Smiths' mother's recipe , for the filling and method.

Set oven 220c.


Sour Cream Pastry...adapted from Maggie Beer's recipe by Meganjane.

Process in TMX for a few seconds,(until it looks like Breadcrumbs)
200g chilled butter
250 plain flour, then add
120g sour cream (1/2 cup), process for a few seconds on speed 3/4.until crumbly.
Tip out onto a floured board and pull it together. Chill for 20 mins.

Filling.

75g butter
150g soft brown sugar
150g currents
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg
grated rind of 1 large orange
50g chopped mixed peel

To finish off

milk
sugar

Place sugar and rind (removed with vegetable peeler) into TMX bowl and zap speed 7 for 10 seconds.
Add softened butter and cream 3 mins. on speed 4. scrape down sides.
Add rest of ingredients and incorporate on REVERSE, with aid of spatula. Speed 4 for 1 min.


Roll out pastry until thin
Cut into 24 circles with scone cutter, (8cm)
Place 1 teaspoon of filling in center of circle.
with milk, brush around 1/2 of circle.
Pull sides together.
Then the 2 ends to enclose the filling.
Turn the parcel over and lightly press the parcel to about 1/2 cm. thick.
Place on lined baking tray, and repeat until all the filling is used up.
Brush with milk , sprinkle with sugar and make 3 slashes with a sharp knife across the surface of each cake.

Bake for 15 mins. or until golden brown.

Makes 24.

Any left over pastry can be frozen.

Honey Snap Biscuits.

Honey Snap Biscuits.

These are similar to the Malt biscuits. I made 36 Biscuits for less than $2! They are crisp and have a nice Honey flavor.

130g. butter.
90g. raw sugar.Plus extra.
1 rounded Tablespoon of honey.
1 rounded Tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk.
1 cup of S.R. flour.

Set oven 180c. FF

Place sugar in bowl and grind to a fine powder, about 1 min. on speed 7. Scrape down sides.
Add softened butter, and cream 4 mins at speed 3. Scrape down sides.
Add condensed milk and honey, speed 3 , 2 mins.
Add flour, and mix on REVERSE, speed 3 for 30 seconds.

Using a small icecream scoop, (3cm.) put small mounds onto lined baking trays.
With a glass with a flat base, dip glass into sugar and then onto each Biscuit.

If you wish, you can press an almond in to each biscuit.

Bake 15 mins. Cool on trays for 5 mins and then on wire rack.

Malt Biscuits

Malt Biscuits

I made these between baking 2 loaves of bread. They are quick, easy and tasty. The recipe was on a scrap of paper that was torn out of the Age several years ago. It has Gail Thomas's name on it.

125g. butter
90g. raw sugar, and extra for topping.
1 Tablespoon malt extract, liquid.
1Tablespoon sweetened condensed milk.
1 cup S.R. flour
90g of sultanas if you wish. (I left these out as I wanted a very plain biscuit )

Set oven for 180c, FF

Place raw sugar in bowl of TMX and zap to make like caster sugar.
Add softened butter, and cream 4 mins. on speed 3, scrape down bowl.
Add milk and malt and mix, speed 3 , 2 mins.
Tip in flour and on REVERSE mix for 30 seconds.

Using a small icecream scoop,(2 1/2cm.) or a teaspoon, place small mounds on to lined baking trays. (makes 28)
With a glass with a flat base dip base into extra sugar and lightly press on to each biscuit.

Bake for 15 mins. Cool on tray for 5 mins. and then on wire rack.

KFC coating , revisited

I have previously posted a recipe for KFC coating for Chicken. This revised version, has a much crunchier coating, and a more spicy flavor. It could also be used for pork or seafood. A further possibility is that it can be shallow fried or shallow fried and finished off in the oven. An advantage for me is that I can use the buttermilk which is a by-product from making butter. The method for getting a better coating was inspired by "Cook's Illustrated", magazine. The spices used, I experimented with to get a mix that I liked. Feel free to experiment

There are 4 steps

1. Soak chicken in Buttermilk mix
2. Make spice mix
3. Make flour mix
4. Cook in pan on stove top for breast OR in fan for short time and then in oven for the pieces.



This list looks extensive, but makes enough for several coatings, Keep in an air tight container.

All measurements are in Australian Tablespoons. 20g or 2/3oz.

1 Tablespoon White pepper
3 " Black pepper corns
2 " Salt
1 " dried Greek Oregano
1/2 " of each - cumin, cardamon, cloves, nutmeg,
pepper flakes, paprika, garlic powder, allspice,celery seed.
Place all in TMX bowl and zap on 7/8/9 until a fine powder. Set aside.

2 cups of plain flour
2 Rounded Tablespoons of spice mix
2 Tablespoon of buttermilk.
1 tablespoon of Baking Powder
Mix together with fingers until small lumps form.

Chicken...Use skinless chicken breast sliced into flat slices about 1cm. thick. OR USE
Pieces with skin and bones in, or a whole chicken cut into 8 pieces.
(skinless chicken can be used but will be a little dryer.)

Buttermilk.....1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups . Mixed with 1/2 Tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, pinch of Cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of paprika. In a glass or plastic bowl, pour this mix over the Chicken and place in fridge for from 1 hour to overnight.

Dip into lumpy flour mix and fry in oil, (I used rice bran oil) over medium heat, until lightly brown for pieces and place in oven to finish cooking. 15 to 20 mins. @ 175c. Or for ......
Skinless breast pieces, dip into lumpy flour mix and shallow fry until golden, turn and cook other side.

For GF coating, replace flour with 1/2 corn flour and 1/2 potato flour.

Magic Cooking Products

Magic Cooking Products

I recently bought a pack of tin liners. The pack contained 1 square tin liner, 1 round tin , 1 loaf tin liner and 6 muffin pan liners. They cost about $30. They are similar to tray liners that I have been using for about 15 years. I think they are well worth the investment. I have bought several packs and will split them up and give to people will individual needs. Contact Julie on 0438 7768 99

Milk and Honey Bread

Milk and Honey Bread

With the purchase of the TMX last year, I thought that I would get over my obsession for Cook books. Fortunately/ unfortunately this has not happened. My latest is 'Earth to Table, Seasonal recipes from an Organic Farm'. By Jeff Crump and Bettina Schorman.
Bettina is a passionate bread baker. In this book is a recipe that I just had to try. I have halved the recipe to make just 1 loaf It is a slightly sweet loaf with a very fine crumb. Kids love it.

460 g. bread flour.
1 teaspoon salt. ( I don't add this as I use Laucke premix )
1 teaspoon of dry instant yeast.
250g milk
40g honey
Olive oil spray or melted butter to brush on loaf before baking.

Place all(except oil/butter) into TMX bowl and knead for 5 mins.
Leave in TMX bowl until double, could take up to 2 hours because of little yeast.
Form into loaf and place in bread tin. Spray with water and place in warm place to double. Don't cut slashes in top.
Brush top with butter or spray with olive oil.

Bake in preheated oven. 200/220c for 20/ 30 mins. remove from tin and cook for 5/10 mins. out of tin on shelf to brown the bottom.