Monthly Archives: August 2011
BANANA LOAF
Banana Loaf
Ingredients:
125g butter
Extra butter for greasing the tins
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
500g selfraising flour
4 bananas, mashed
Method:
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease 1 large loaf tin or 2 small loaf tins with the extra butter.
In a mixing bowl cream together butter, sugar and eggs.
Mix in mashed bananas. Add flour, bicarb and milk and mix to a thick batter. Pour into the prepared tins. Bake in preheated oven for 30 – 40 minutes. To test if the cake is done insert a skewer in the middle of the cake, if it comes out dry the cake is done.
PANCAKES
Basic pancake mixture
Ingredients:
110g plain flour, sifted
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
200ml milk mixed with 75ml water
50g butter
Preparation method
1. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl with a sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing. Now make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Then begin whisking the eggs – any sort of whisk or even a fork will do – incorporating any bits of flour from around the edge of the bowl as you do so.
2. Next gradually add small quantities of the milk and water mixture, still whisking (don’t worry about any lumps as they will eventually disappear as you whisk). When all the liquid has been added, use a rubber spatula to scrape any elusive bits of flour from around the edge into the centre, then whisk once more until the batter is smooth, with the consistency of thin cream. Now melt the 50g of butter in a pan. Spoon 2 tbsp of it into the batter and whisk it in, then pour the rest into a bowl and use it to lubricate the pan, using a wodge of kitchen paper to smear it round before you make each pancake.
3. Now get the pan really hot, then turn the heat down to medium and, to start with, do a test pancake to see if you’re using the correct amount of batter. I find 2 tbsp is about right for an 18cm pan. It’s also helpful if you spoon the batter into a ladle so it can be poured into the hot pan in one go. As soon as the batter hits the hot pan, tip it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with batter. It should take only half a minute or so to cook; you can lift the edge with a palette knife to see if it’s tinged gold as it should be. Flip the pancake over with a pan slice or palette knife – the other side will need a few seconds only – then simply slide it out of the pan onto a plate.
4. Stack the pancakes as you make them between sheets of greaseproof paper on a plate fitted over simmering water, to keep them warm while you make the rest.
Fill with coconut, lemon juice, or instant pudding with banana slices,etc
CHOCOLATE CAKE
CHOCOLATE CAKE
Quick and economical to make!!
These ingredients makes a 20cm round cake. For a larger or square cake double the amounts and adjust your baking time accordingly.
Ingredients:
3 eggs separated (use the yolk)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
Mix the above ingredients well.
ADD
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup flour
Whip egg whites until stiff. Fold into cake mixture. Divide into 2 well greased round (20cm) baking tins and bake in a preheated oven at 180C for approx 15-20 minutes. Decorate with cream, butter cream, icing sugar….
CARROT CAKE
CARROT CAKE
Ingredients:
300g cake flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
200g soft brown sugar
4 eggs
250ml oil
1 orange, zested
1 lemon, zested
200g carrots, finely grated
150g walnuts, chopped
227g tin pineapple pieces, well drained and chopped (optional)
FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
125g unsalted butter at room temperature
50g icing sugar
250g cream cheese
Method:
Heat the oven to 170C/fan. Line a 20cm, 10cm deep cake tin. Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together and stir in the sugar. Beat the eggs with the oil and citrus zests. Stir in the carrots and fold everything into the flour mixture. Fold in the walnuts and pineapple if using. Spoon the mixture into the tin and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool.
For the frosting, beat the butter and icing sugar together until soft and then beat in the cream cheese. Chill the mixture until it’s thick but spreadable. Spread a thick layer on top of the cake, making sure the side of the icing is flat and continues upwards from the side of the cake. Decorate with walnuts (optional)
CONVERSIONS & EQUIVALENTS
I love the fact that the site is a global community, but of course it does raise issues and problems and another thorny area is weights and measures. Obviously, when you move from one system of measurement to another, you are obliged to round up or down, so it’s always going to be an approximation, but here is a table of conversions and equivalents, which should at least help!
Equivalents
As we welcome such an international audience to this site you may not recognise some of the ingredients listed in the recipes section. Here is our UK / US equivalents guide to give you a helping hand…
Double cream | Heavy cream |
Single cream | Light cream |
Cornflour | Corn starch |
Shortcrust | Pie crust |
Caster sugar | Superfine sugar |
Icing sugar | Confectioners’ sugar |
Grill | Broil |
Aubergine | Eggplant |
Courgette | Zucchini |
Mangetout | Snow peas |
Coriander | Cilantro |
Clingfilm | Saran wrap |
Beef mince | Ground beef |
Prawns | Shrimp |
Digestive biscuits | Graham crackers (substitute) |
Sultanas | Raisins |
Trifle sponges | Ladyfingers |
Spring onions | Scallions |
Semi-skimmed milk | 2% milk |
Dark/plain chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids) | Bittersweet chocolate |
Milk/plain chocolate (less than 70% cocoa solids) | Semi-sweet chocolate |
Bicarbonate of soda | Baking soda |
Horlicks | UK brand of malted milk powder |
Maltesers | UK brand of malted milk balls |
TEMPERATURES
Gas Mark 1 | 140C | 275F | Very cool |
Gas Mark 2 | 150C | 300F | Cool |
Gas Mark 3 | 160C | 325F | Warm |
Gas Mark 4 | 180C | 350F | Moderate |
Gas Mark 5 | 190C | 375F | Fairly Hot |
Gas Mark 6 | 200C | 400F | Fairly Hot |
Gas Mark 7 | 210C | 425F | Hot |
Gas Mark 8 | 220C | 450F | Very Hot |
Gas Mark 9 | 240C | 475F | Very Hot |
VOLUME AND LIQUID MEASUREMENTS
5 ml | one-sixth fl oz | 1 teaspoon |
15ml | half fl oz | 1 tablespoon (NOTE: Australian tablespoon = 20ml) |
30ml | 1 fl oz | 2 tablespoons |
45ml | 1 and half fl oz | 3 tablespoons |
60ml | 2 fl oz | quarter cup |
75ml | 2 and half fl oz | one-third cup |
125ml | 4 fl oz | half cup |
150ml | 5 fl oz | two-thirds cup |
175ml | 6 fl oz | three-quarters cup |
250ml | 8 fl oz | 1 cup |
600ml | 1 pint | 2 and half cups |
900ml | 1 and half pints | 3 and three-quarter cups |
1 litre | 1 and three-quarter pints | 4 cups |
SOME USEFUL CUP CONVERSIONS
Please note that these are approximations
1 cup sugar | 200g |
1 cup icing sugar | 125g |
1 cup flour | 140g |
1 cup rice | 200g |
1 cup frozen peas | 125g |
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs | 70g |
1 cup grated cheese | 100g |
1 cup chocolate chips | 175g |
1 cup sultanas | 150g |
1 cup honey/syrup | 300g |
1 stick of butter | 110g 4oz |
WEIGHT CONVERSIONS
15g | half oz |
30g | 1 oz |
45g | 1 and half oz |
60g | 2 oz |
75g | 2 and half oz |
90g | 3 oz |
100g | 3 and half oz |
125g | 4 oz |
150g | 5 oz |
175g | 6 oz |
200g | 7 oz |
250g | 8 oz |
275g | 9 oz |
300g | 10 oz |
325g | 11 oz |
350g | 12 oz |
375g | 13 oz |
400g | 14 oz |
450g | 15 oz |
500g | 1 lb |
CAKE TINS SIZES
20cm | 8 inch |
23cm | 9 inch |
25cm | 10 inch |
LOAF TIN SIZES
450g | 1lb |
900g | 2lb |
NAAN KHATAI
NAAN KHATAI
Ingredients:
500ml plain flour
250ml ghee (approx)
250ml sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
3-4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
For garnishing
1 egg, beaten
Pistachio nuts or
Almonds or
Cherries or
Strawberry jam as required
Method:
In a mixing bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder
Add vanilla essence and ghee, little at a time
Add enough ghee to combine the mixture, you’ll need less than a cup
Add the milk to soften the dough to a malleable dough.
Shape into little round balls and flattened slightly onto a baking tray
Lightly and carefully brush each biscuit with egg wash
Decorate with nut, cherries or jam
Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 18 – 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Do not overcook the biscuits as it’s a very delicate biscuit and will crumble easily.
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