DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY:  Medium

INGREDIENTS:

• 750 mL bottle vinegar (white gives the best presentation)
• 3 kg green tomatoes
• 1 kg onions
• A small handful of salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 kg sugar
• 3 tablespoons curry powder – good quality for best results
• 3 tablespoons mustard powder

METHOD:

1. Chop the onions and tomatoes.
2. Sprinkle with salt, mix well in a bowl, then leave to stand overnight.
3. Next day, drain off the fluid.
4. Place in a large saucepan and add three quarters of the vinegar.
5. Bring to the boil and boil for 10 minutes.
6. Add the sugar, bring back to the boil, stirring.
7. Boil for one hour, stirring often.
8. Mix the remaining vinegar with the dry ingredients.
9. Add to the pot and stir until well combined.
10. Boil 5 minutes.
11. Pour into warm sterilised jars and seal immediately.

Source: ABC Tasmania

Chef: Sally Wise

Sally says this is the best and easiest pickle recipe she’s ever come across.

Many of these recipes are from an evening college baking course done by Ian in 1982.

Ian Matters.

• Cup: 250 mL
• Teaspoon (tsp): 5 mL
• Tablespoon (Tblsp): 20 mL

• 360 grams Sultanas
• 375 grams Raisins
• 360 grams Currants
• 90 grams Glace Cherries
• 90 grams Dates
• 90 grams Figs
• 60 grams Prunes
• 30 grams Glace Pineapple
• 90 grams Mixed Peel
• 60 grams Glace Ginger
• 90 grams slivered almonds (optional)
• 1 tsp grated Lemon Rind
• 1 tsp grated Orange Rind
• 2 Tblsp Lemon Juice
• ¼ Cup Orange Juice
• 4 Tblsp Brandy
• 2 Tblsp Sherry
• ½ small Granny Smith Apple, peeled and grated
• 280 grams Butter
• 150 grams Brown Sugar
• 150 grams Castor Sugar
• 5 Eggs
• 360 grams Plain Flour
• 80 grams Self-raising Flour (or 1 tsp baking powder and 80 grams plain flour)
• ¼ tsp Nutmeg
• ½ tsp Cinnamon
• ¼ tsp Salt
• 1 Tblsp Brandy or Sherry, extra

METHOD

1. Remove the seeds from the prunes and chop all the fruit. (Scissors dipped in water is said by some to be the easiest way to do this, but I still use a knife and chopping board.)
2. Combine the chopped fruit, rinds, juices, brandy, sherry and apple.
3. Soak one or two days (or at least overnight) in a large basin.  (If you start early enough, store them in a screwtop jar for up to 3 weeks to let flavours soak into the fruit. Shake the jar well and store in a cool dry place – this gives the fruit a really rich flavour. Each day turn the jar upside down for even soaking.)
4. On day of baking: line a deep 20 cm square cake tin with two thicknesses of greaseproof (or Glad Bake) paper, bringing paper 5 cm above the top edge of the tin.  Put four thicknesses of brown paper around the outside of the tin and tie string around it to hold in place.
5. Beat the butter until soft.
6. Add sugar, beating until just combined.
7. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
8. Put the fruit mixture into a large basin and add creamed mixture – mix well, using a wooden spoon.
9. Stir in the sifted dry ingredients.
10. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared tin. To get a smooth surface on the top of the cake – wet a dessertspoon and rub the back of the spoon over the cake mix to smooth it out.  Decorate as desired with halved glace cherries.
11. Bake in a slow oven (150 degrees C) (using conventional oven setting or fan without top and bottom heating elements) for 3 to 3½ hours, checking after 2½ hours.
12. To prevent too much browning, place greaseproof or brown paper on top of cake after 1½ hours of cooking.
13. Remove from the oven.  Prick several times with a fine skewer or toothpick and brush evenly with the extra brandy or sherry, cover with aluminium foil or greaseproof paper and leave until cold before removing from tin.
14. Re-wrap in foil and keep in a tightly closed tin, to allow to mature.
15. Store for four to six weeks in a cool, dry place.

Based on several recipes including:

• Irish Christmas Cake featured on ABC by Jemma Schweikert, 8 December 2001
• 200 Years of Australian Cooking by Babette Hayes 1970 – Dark Christmas Cake
• Sunbeam Mixmaster Recipes 1967 – Rich Christmas Cake
• Auntie Win’s recipe, which was also an influence

• 1 cup plain white flour
• Water – an indefinite amount

METHOD

1. To the flour add enough water to make a stiff paste.
2. Knead in a bowl for 2 ~ 3 minutes.
3. Let stand 10 minutes or more.
4. Place under gently running water.
5. Work until all the visible starch is removed.  The texture should become like chewing gum.
6. Pull off bits about 15 mm long and place on lightly greased pan several cm apart.
7. Bake plain or drizzle with oil and/or sprinkle with garlic salt or any herbs to taste.
8. Bake about 15 minutes carefully watching progress.

From an evening college baking course done by Ian in 1982.

• 315 mL warm water
• 25 ~ 30 grams compressed yeast
• 65 mL oil
• 1 egg
• 3 cups (or a little more) of plain flour (this could be half white and half wholemeal)
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 Tblsp sugar
• 1 heaped Tblsp milk powder

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 200 ~ 205 degrees C.
2. Put water into very large bowl.
3. Add oil and egg (reserving half the white).
4. Crumble yeast quickly and mix well with finger tips.
5. Place 1 cup wholemeal flour, sugar, milk powder and salt into sifter.
6. Sift into wet ingredients.
7. Sift remaining bran through fingers.
8. Mix well, adding extra flour to form a firm dough.
9. Knead dough for 10 minutes.
10. Place dough in a covered bowl in a warm place and let rise until doubled.
11. Knead lightly to break large bubbles and shape into loaves.
12. Place in greased loaf tins until almost doubled.
13. Beat reserved egg white, add a little water and brush over top before completely risen.
14. Bake about 25 minutes.

NOTE

• This is not really suitable for sandwich bread.

From an evening college baking course done by Ian in 1982.

• 2 cups self-raising flour (white or wholemeal)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• 30 grams butter or other shortening
• 190 mL warm water
• 1 Tblsp milk powder

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
2. Sift dry ingredients.
3. Rub in butter.
4. Add water and mix to a soft dough.
5. Press down to about 2 cm thick.
6. Cut with a floured scone cutter.
7. Place in a lightly greased pan.
8. Optionally lightly oil tops.
9. Bake 12 ~ 18 minutes.

From an evening college baking course done by Ian in 1982.

INGREDIENTS: For about a dozen scones

• 2 cups plain flour (white or wholemeal)
• 3 tsp baking powder.
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• 30 grams butter or other shortening
• 190 mL warm water
• 1 Tblsp milk powder

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
2. Sift dry ingredients.
3. Rub in butter.
4. Add water and mix to a soft dough.
5. Press down to about 2 cm thick.
6. Cut with a floured scone cutter.
7. Place in a lightly greased pan.
8. Optionally lightly oil tops.
9. Bake 12 ~ 18 minutes.

From an evening college baking course done by Ian in 1982.

• 2 cups plain flour (white or wholemeal)
• 3 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp bi-carb soda
• 40 grams butter or other shortening
• 1 cup buttermilk

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
2. Sift dry ingredients.
3. Rub in butter.
4. Add buttermilk and mix to a soft dough.
5. Press down to about 1 cm thick.
6. Cut with a floured scone cutter.
7. Brush with oil.
8. Fold over.
9. Place in a lightly greased pan.
10. Optionally lightly oil tops.
11. Bake 12 ~ 18 minutes.

From an evening college baking course done by Ian in 1982.

1. Add slightly more water to Plain Scone Recipe listed elsewhere in this blog, or some other scone recipe, so that they will retain peaks when dropped onto greased tray.

OPTIONAL

• Sultanas, etc and sugar can be added.

From an evening college baking course done by Ian in 1982.