White Christmas

This year my Christmas baking is turning into a very last minute type of event,,,,I hate that but I guess sometimes you have to just go with the flow in today's busy world.

On Monday Stinky, Shortstuff and I made up a batch of White Christmas.  Personally I like it with sultanas in it but due to 3 out of the 6 kids hating sultanas we decided to leave them out :(

So if my pictures look like something is missing, you are right lol.  If it wasn't for the fact that if I made another batch with the sultanas in it I would end up eating the majority of it, I would be in the kitchen right now mixing it lol.

So here we have it, our family's White Christmas!  (I apologise for the picture,,,my camera is doing strange things lately!)

WHITE CHRISTMAS

(Recipe is from "The Complete Step-by-Step Christmas Cookbook")

1 cup Dessicated Coconut

1 cup Full Cream Powdered Milk

1 cup Pure Icing Sugar, sifted

1/4 cup Raisins  (I usually use sultanas instead)

1/4 cup Glace Cherries, chopped

1/4 cup chopped Glace Pineapple

1/4 cup Mixed Peel

2 cups Rice Bubbles

250 grams Copha

1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

Place all ingredients (except Copha and vanilla essence) in a large mixing bowl.

Place copha and vanilla essence in a heavy-based saucepan, and heat gently until the Copha melts.

Stir into the dry ingredients.

Continue stirring until well combined.

Press the mixture into a lightly greased lamington tin.

Smooth the top with a spatula.

Chill until firm and cut into fingers.

Store any leftovers in a covered container in the fridge.

Best used within 3-4 days.

Cheese and Bacon Rounds - so easy to make

Okay, school holidays are upon us and lunches for the kids tend to stretch the brain a little in this house, none of them wanting the same type of things they take for school lunches.  So in the interest of easy things to make that you can whip up in about ten minutes and the kids actually love, I discovered this recipe.  Sure it has cheese and bacon and its not super healthy, but as a quick little lunch it is great.

CHEESE AND BACON ROUNDS

(Recipe taken from That's Life Cookbook - Reader Recipes - Recipe was submitted by Nicole Pisani of Doveton, Victoria)

200 grams diced bacon

2 cups grated tasty cheese

3 spring/green onions, sliced

1 cup Self Raising Flour

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

2 tablespoons french/seeded mustard

Preheat oven to 200 degrees (180 degrees for fan forced).

Grease and line a baking tray.

Place bacon, cheese, onion and flour in a large bowl and mix making sure the flour completely covers all ingredients.

Combine milk, egg and mustard in a small bowl/jug.

 

Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir until combined

 

Spoon tablespoons of the mixture onto the lined tray.

 

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Allow to cool on wire rack.

Carrot Cake with Lemon Icing

This cake came about because I had 1 lonely lemon sitting in my fridge.  I made this cake with Hubby in mind as he loves carrot cake but I decided to get the kids to taste it before I told them what it was.  For some reason the thought of vegetables living in our cake still makes a couple of the younger kids frown and screw their noses up, they think its just not right lol.  So they get to taste it first from now on and then I will reveal what it is.  Shortstuff still didn't like it, (That fact still won't stop me from continuing to try different carrot cake recipes though!).

The rest of the Gang found the cake pretty good.  It cuts well and the lemon icing just gives it that little bit of zing.  I found it held together well for lunch boxes too which is always a bonus.   I had a request for plain icing next time I make it but Hubby and I thought the lemon icing suited it to a tee....maybe I will ice it in half lemon and half plain lol.

CARROT CAKE WITH LEMON ICING

125 grams unsalted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

grated rind of 1 orange

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of allspice

pinch of cinnamon

2 eggs

3/4 cup grated carrot

60 grams chopped raw almonds

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch of salt

1 1/4 cups plain flour, sifted

up to 1/4 cup warm water

cooking spray

1 cup icing sugar

2-3 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

Beat butter until mixed well.

Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

Add orange zest, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and mix well.

Add the eggs, one at a time, continually beating.

Add carrot, almonds, baking powder, salt and flour.

Mix well with wooden spoon and add water, little by little, until a smooth consistency is reached. 

DO NOT OVER BEAT!

Spoon mixture into a sprayed springform cake tin and cook in oven for about 35 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

Place on cake rack to cool for about 10 minutes.

To make the icing, mix together the icing sugar and lemon juice.

Pour over the cake when ready to serve.