Basic Flour Recipes

The following recipes are for both new and experienced cooks.

They are easy to use and as long as you follow the directions you should have many successes.

Scones

3 cups flour ¼ teaspoons salt 1-1½ cups milk

4½ teaspoons baking powder 50 g butter

Sift together the dry ingredients and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Add the milk and mix quickly to a soft dough with a knife.  Turn out on a floured board and roll lightly to about 15 mm thick.  Cut into squares and place on a cold oven tray.  Bake in a hot oven 230°C (450°F) for 10 – 15 minutes.  Makes approximately 16 scones.

Pikelets

¾ cup flour ¾ teaspoon baking soda ½ cup of milk

1½ teaspoons cream of tartar 2 tablespoons sugar 1 egg

Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and sugar.  Place in bowl and make a hole in the centre.  Add the egg and milk and stir together.  The mixture should be thick and creamy.  Cook on a hot griddle or in a lightly greased frying pan.

Chocolate Cake

1 cup sugar ½ milk 125g melted butter 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 1/3 cup of boiling water

1 egg 2 tablespoons cocoa pinch of salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1½ cups sifted flour

Grease a medium sized cake tin with butter.  Take care that you do this thoroughly.  Pay attention to the bottom and corners, so that the cake will come out of the tin without breaking.  Put all the ingredients into a bowl in the order listed, starting with the sugar, egg and milk.  Do not mix until you have added the boiling water.  Mix well with a beater until the mixture is smooth.  Put the mixture into your well greased cake tin and bake in a moderate oven at 150° – 175°C (300-350°F) for about 45 minutes.  When baked, turn out onto a cake rack covered with a clean cloth.  Leave to cool then ice.

Chocolate icing

2 cups icing sugar 1 tablespoon cocoa

60g butter a few drops of vanilla essence

Dissolve the cocoa in a cup with one tablespoon of boiling water.  Put the icing sugar, butter, and vanilla into a bowl.  (Do not melt the butter).  Pour in the cocoa dissolved in the boiling water and stir all the time until the butter is melted and the icing is smooth and creamy (not runny).  Spread over the top of the cake and decorate with chopped walnuts or cherries.

Bran Muffins

1 cup flour ¼ teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons brown sugar ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 egg 2 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup bran 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2/3 cup of milk 2 tablespoons golden syrup

Sponge

3 eggs 1 teaspoon cream of tartar ¾ cup of sugar ½ teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons cold water pinch of salt ¾ cup cornflour

Note

Beating must be done in a sink of water.  Separate egg whites from yolks.  Add salt to egg whites and beat until stiff.  Add the sugar to the stiff whites and beat until sugar is dissolved.  Add egg yolks and water and beat again.  Fold in sifted dry ingredients.  Bake in two greased 20cm (8 inch) sponge tins 160-180°C (325-350°F) for approximately 17 minutes.

Fruit Sponge

3 tablespoons sugar pinch of salt 1 egg 1 teaspoon baking powder

5 tablespoons flour 2 tablespoons milk 2 tablespoons butter stewed fruit

Stewed Fruit:  Cook 2 apples with ¼ - ½ cup of water and 2 tablespoons sugar.

Prepare Sponge

Sift into a bowl the sugar, flour and salt.  Combine together the milk and egg.  Melt the butter.  Combine all ingredients except the baking powder in a bowl and beat with an egg beater for 2-3 minutes.  Fold in the baking powder.  Pour hot fruit into a pie dish and pour sponge mixture over the fruit (work quickly).  Bake at 200°C (390°F) for 20-30 minutes.  This is best kept for one day before slicing.

Ideas for Serving

Serve warm gingerbread with one of the following:

Ice-cream or whipped cream with fresh sliced strawberries or kiwifruit mixed with castor sugar.

Whipped cream and apple puree.

Ice-cream and lemon sauce or banana.

When cold slice and butter for lunches, etc.