Coconut Date Biscuits

INGREDIENTS
250g BUTTER
¾ CUP CASTOR SUGAR
1 TSP VANILLA ESSENCE
2 EGGS
2 TSP BAKING POWDER
1 CUP COCONUT
½ CUP CHOPPED NUTS
1 ½ CUP CHOPPED DATES
2 ½ CUPS CAKE FLOUR

METHOD
Mix butter, vanilla essence and Sugar together until smooth.
Beat in Eggs, then add rest of ingrediants and make a soft dough.
Roull out dough and scrape with fork.
Cut out shapes of choice using biscuit cutters.
Place on a tray and bale at 180c until light brown.
When biscuits are cool, drizzle melted chocolate and hudreds and thousands on top.

Source: Radio Islam

Battenberg Cake

Ingredients
150g caster sugar
3 medium eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g self-raising flour
2 tbsp milk
1 drop red food colouring
4 tbsp apricot jam
150g unsalted butter, softened
Marzipan
75g icing sugar, plus extra for rolling out
1 medium egg
1 tbsp lemon juice
175g ground almonds
1 medium egg yolk

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Butter a 20cm square cake tin and line the base with greased baking parchment. Divide the tin in half with a 30cm strip of foil folded into a double thickness

For the cake, beat together the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour and milk until smooth. Divide into 2. Use the tiniest dab of red food colouring to tint half the mixture pink. Spoon this into one side of the tin and spread level; fill the other side with the rest. Bake for 25–30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack.

Meanwhile make the marzipan. In a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, whisk the sugars, egg and yolk for about 10 minutes until pale and thick. Take off the heat; mix in the lemon juice and ground almonds until smooth. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes

To assemble, lay one piece of cake on top of the other and trim to the same size. Cut in half lengthways to give 2 long strips of each colour. Warm the apricot jam and sieve. Lay a strip of pink cake on a board and brush the top and sides with jam; lay a plain strip next to it and do the same. Arrange the other 2 strips on top, colours reversed, and brush the jam all over. Roll the marzipan into a 20cm x 30 cm rectangle. Place the cake at one end of the rectangle and tightly wrap in the marzipan, patching any holes. Sit on the seam, slice and serve.

Lamingtons

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup flour
¼ lb butter
2 eggs
1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 Tbsp cream of tartar
½ - ¾ cup milk

Method:

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Sift the flour, cream of tartar and bicarbonate of soda together. Fold the milk and sifted ingredients into cake mixture. Pour the mixture in a pan or rectangular pan and bake for 30 minutes on 180C. remove from oven and cut into squares.

Syrup:
1 cup boiling water
2 oz butter
1 ½ cup icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla essence
2 tsp cocoa

Method:
Bring to boil until thick. Dip the squares in hot syrup and roll in coconut.

Marble Cake

Ingredients:
180 grams Butter
 1 tsp Vanilla essence      
¾ cup  Caster Sugar        
1½ cup  Flour                    
2 tsp  Baking powder      
½ cup Milk                       
few drops  Pink food coloring 
2 tbsp Cocoa                  
1 tbsp  Milk                      
1 thin slab (optional) Dark chocolate     
2 Eggs                    

Method:
Lightly grease a cake pan and cover the base with grease paper. Beat butter, essence and caster sugar in small bowl with electric mixture until it is light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating in well. Transfer mixture to a large clean bowl and fold in sifted flour and milk in 2 batches. Divide mixture in three bowls. Tint mixture in three bowls. Tint mixture pink in bowl 1, mix well. Stir in cocoa and extra milk in bowl 2 and mix well. Leave the third mixture plain. Drop spoonfuls of each mixture into prepared pan. Run a knife through cake mixture for a marble effect. If desired slip in a slab of dark bitter chocolate in the center so it melts while baking. Bake in a moderate oven about 40 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups flour
1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
1 ½ cups oil
2 cups grated carrots
½ cup chopped pecans
2 tsp baking powder
3 tsp cinnamon powder
1 ½ cups sugar
4 eggs
250g tinned pineapple drained
½ cup sultanas

Method:
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line large ring pan.
- Beat sugar, oil and eggs until well blended. Add carrots, nuts, pineapples and sultanas. Mix well.
- Sift flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt.
- Gradually add this flour mixture.
- Batter will be thin. Pour into a prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes. Turn out and cool.
- Ice with whipped cream and decorate with chopped nuts

Cup Cakes

Ingredients:
250g butter
575ml sugar
6 eggs
500g self raising flour
125ml cake flour
10ml baking powder
250ml milk

Topping:
Butter icing/ glace icing / 100’s and 1000’s.

Method:
Heat oven to 180C. Place colorful paper cups in muffin trays or small tartlet trays. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Sift in flours and baking powder, alternating with milk and fold in well. Fill paper cups ½ way and bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until lightly golden and springy to the touch. Remove to a wire rack and cool.When cool, decorate with icing and sprinkle with 100’s and 1000’s.

Mini Pancakes

Mini Pancakes

Ingredients
1 Egg
3 tps sugar
1 lid full of vanilla esscence
Pinch of Elachi

Whisk all the above ingredients to make a smooth mixture
Mix together : ½ cup sour milk and ½ cup fresh cream
Add the milk mixture to the sugar and egg mixture
Melt 1 heaped tblsp of butter and add this to the mixture and beat once again.

¾ cup flour
1 ¼ tsp baking powder.
Add this to above and whisk again.
Take a non stick pan smear.
Smear it lightly with oil.
Pour batter into pan and fry on medium heat.
When bubbles appear on top of pancake , flip and cook on opposite side