Apple Muffin Recipe

Recently I was given a few bags of delicious apples from my dads trees.  Knowing that we would never get through them all before they went off I stewed one bag for Sarah as she has now started solids but I also grated some to freeze for when I want to make this delicious apple muffin recipe.

Wet Mix
1 cup grated raw apple
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Dry Mix
1/2 cup plain wholemeal flour
1/2 cup S/R flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Method
Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius
Thoroughly combine wet ingredients
Sift dry ingredients (return husks to bowl) and stir into wet mix.
Scoop into muffin cases
Bake 20- 25 Min's at 190 degrees Celsius (or until skewer comes out clean).
Allow to cool

Muffins are best eaten the same or following day but I often double or triple the recipe so as I can freeze some (the same day they are baked) and just reheat what I want to eat later.

I don't know about you but I love fresh warm muffins on cold winter days.

Egg, Bacon and Corn Tartlets Recipe

 A little while ago I planned a family day out with a picnic and yummy treats to eat.  The day brought rain so after a road trip and small stops along the way in-between rain we ended up having our picnic at home (I had planned on a BBQ for part of it).  Lucky for me I made these yummy egg and bacon pies that were easy to eat in the car along the way.

Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 sheets ready rolled puff pastry
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion finely diced
4 eggs
1/4 cup (60ml) cream
1/2 cup (40 g) grated Parmesan cheese
1 cooked corn cob (or 1/3 cup drained corn from can).
2 rashes bacon - rind removed finely diced

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200oc.  Oil a six hole Texas muffin pan.
2. cut pastry sheets in half, cut these halves into three rectangles.  Overlap two rectangles to form cross shapes and push gently into pan to cover base and sides.  Prick bases with fork, cover with baking paper, fill with uncooked rice.
3. Bake pastry cases for 10 mins.  Remove paper and rice carefully from pan holes and return pastry bases to oven for a further 5 minutes or until very lightly browned.
4. Reduce oven to 180oc.
5. Cook onion and bacon in a small frying pan until soft.
6. Cut corn from cooked corn cob (if using corn from cob).
7. Whisk eggs and cream in medium bowl.  Mix in cheese, corn, onion and bacon.
8. Fill pastry cases with egg mixture.
9. Bake for about 15 mins or until set, allow to cool.

These are best served warm but are also tasty cooled.

While I made these for our picnic lunch they are fantastic for a fancy breakfast or brunch served with a tasty relish.  I am sure your family will enjoy them as much as ours and you will find this recipe a tasty addition to your recipe book.
 

Chicken Strudel (party size!)

This recipe usually makes chicken strudel parcels but I have given directions to make smaller party size treats. Chicken strudel is a favourite in our family and I often triple the recipe and freeze the extra parcels for a quick and easy tea – perfect for when you have no energy to cook! When I freeze the parcels I have found that they need to be separated by baking/freezer paper in an air tight container so they don’t stick together.

Ingredients:
2 chicken fillets cut into small cubes)
1 small onion, chopped
2 spring onions, chopped, 4 rashers of bacon, diced
2-3 tablespoon of butter
6 button mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons plain flour
¼ cup milk powder
chicken stock powder (if needed)
¼ cup cream
1 packet of fresh filo pastry (from the fridge section not frozen section at the supermarket)
Spray oil

Method:
1. Place onion, bacon and chicken in a saucepan of water (water should just barely cover the chicken). Simmer for 10 minutes

2. Drain and reserve stock to mix with milk powder. Set chicken, bacon and onion aside.

3. Using the same saucepan melt butter, add mushrooms and sauté. Add flour and cook for 1 minute.

4. Gradually stir in combined stock and milk powder mix. Bring to the boil and reduce liquid. Taste mix and add chicken stock powder ½ teaspoon at a time as desired (it is best to add small amounts rather than add too much at once).

5. Remove from heat and prepare filo sheets by laying 4 sheets on top of each other spraying with oil between each sheet (if making parcels use 6- 8 sheets to avoid the pastry splitting and filling leaking). Cut your sheets into 8 even pieces.

6. Add sour cream to chicken mix (do not boil mix after adding sour cream as it will curdle). If possible allow mix to cool as it will be easier to work with.

7. Spray cupcake or small muffin tins with oil, place one of your filo sheets into 1 cupcake mould. Spoon mix into the centre of filo sheet (approximately ½ fill) – you filo sheet should sink into the tin. Cover the top of the mix with the sides of the filo sheet and continue with remaining mix and filo. Spray tops of pastry with oil.

8. Bake in moderate oven (180 oC) for approximately 20 mins or until pastry is golden brown.

9. Enjoy!

Chicken Burger (Hubbies Fav)

Chicken Burger Recipe

This chicken burger recipe was originally shown to me by Ange (she is a super awesome cook!) on one of cooking nights when serving in Young Women's.  I have since forgotten the exact ingredients but this is the recipe I use now.

Ingredients for Chicken Burger:
500g Chicken mince
1 heaped tablespoon golden syrup or maple syrup
1 heaped teaspoon minced garlic.
1/4 cup bread crumbs (more if needed)

Other ingredients (if desired):
bread (toasted)
shredded lettuce
grated carrot
sliced beetroot
sliced pineapple
sliced cheese
sliced tomato
bacon
egg
roasted capsicum (peppers)
mayonnaise
tomato or BBQ sauce

Method:
Combine ingredients and mix together.
Form into burgers. 
Cook on low in frying pan for about 20 minutes or until cooked through (or cook on the BBQ)
Make into hamburgers with desired ingredients.

Since I first made them for our family they are our go to chicken burger recipe.  Hubbie loves them, Chloe eats some of them (which is HUGE as she is not a big fan of meat) and I love them with plenty of salad.  Now it's your turn to try them and see if your family enjoys them as much as mine!
 

Yo Yo Biscuit Recipe

This recipe is taken from my mum's recipe book and always is a favourite treat. The best part about it is it doesn't require any eggs and only needs a handful of ingredients usually available in most pantries.

Yo Yos

Ingredients:
125g Butter
1/3 Cup Icing Sugar
1/2 Cup Custard Powder
1 Cup SR Flour

Method:
1. Preheat Oven to 160 C.
2. Grease Trays
3. Beat butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Stir in sifted flour and custard powder.
5. Roll into balls and place on greased trays, allowing room to spread.
6. Flatten with a fork.
7. Bake for 15 minutes until pale faun.
8. Cool on wire rack.
9. Join pairs with Vienna Cream/ Butter Cream Frosting

Vienna Cream/ Butter Cream Frosting:
2 Tablespoon of butter
1 1/2 cup icing sugar
3 tablespoons milk

Beat butter in a bowl until light and fluffy.
Beat in sifted icing sugar
Gradually add milk as needed

These taste so good and are so easy to whip up you will be able to make plenty to keep everyone happy!

BEST Rocky Road Recipe EVER

On Saturday Night we had a fantastic Stake Relief Society Activity . I came back with heaps of fun ideas from all the workshops to get me ready for Christmas (if I only I had more time to do them all!!!) Check out some of inspiration from Nettie or some ideas from Toni.

We also had a HUGE dessert bar to nibble at through the night. YUMMO!!! My sister in Law was one o f the organisers and asked me to make some Rocky Road. I had a few people ask me for the recipe so I thought I would share it here - and as Toni suggested it now has a new name. No longer Rocky Road but The BEST Rocky Road EVER.

Ingredients:
3 blocks of Cadbury family block (1 Black Forest, 1 Crunchie and 1 Hazelnut or other nut variety)

1 pkt (100 g) vanilla flavoured mini marsh mallows
1 ½ cups of mixed fruits and nuts, chopped (I used dried apple, dried apricots, cashews and coconut) or for those who don’t like fruit, use lollies such as raspberries, snakes or other jubes (lollies are preferred to the fruit in our family).

Break chocolate into small pieces,

place into a large glass or metal bowl over simmering water. Stir continuously until the chocolate has melted.

Add mixed fruit, nuts and coconut

Add mallows and mix

Place into a lined slice tin and put into the fridge to set
Cut into small slices (if you cut them small you wont feel as bad for eating them – that’s my thought anyway!)

Now ENJOY!!!

Renos. and Simple Brownies

Okay now with the giveaways over I can post some new things! For those of you that know us will be aware that we have been renovating our home for a little while now. Well today we have had the wardrobe guy over installing built in wardrobes in both the main bedroom and ‘the babies room’ (although she is not really not a baby now! :) ). Yay I am so excited!!! I can’t wait to see the final product and finally get some order in the house!

On another note I also made some brownie cupcakes :). Who doesn’t like chocolate right?! This recipe is PERFECT if you want something that is pretty quick and SO TASTY.

BROWNIE CUPCAKES

1⅓ cups plain (all purpose) flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup cocoa power
2 ¼ cups caster sugar
4 eggs
250g melted butter

Optional extra:
Mini marshmallows
Chocolate chips

Method:
Sift flour, cocoa and baking powder.
Add sugar, combine.
Add eggs and butter, Mix together until smooth.
Place into cupcake pans. The easiest way to do this is using an ice-cream scoop- you will get the same size every time and it makes far less mess! (top with mini marshmallows and chocolate chips)

Place into the oven at 170°C (330°F) for about 25 mins. When cooked, brownie tops will be firm on the outside and a little mixture will stick to a skewer (you want the inside to still be moist!)
If you have topped with marshmallows they will be beautifully toasted. I use this recipe all the time and change it with different toppings such as dried apricots, nuts etc. and usually include some form of melted chocolate (to help the toppings to stick). Another favourite is to top with rocky road once cooked - I will share this recipe at a different time.
Now ENJOY your yummy brownie cupcakes!!!