Rich Dark Chocolate Cake

from Aylarah Scale

185g unsalted butter, chopped
250g dark chocolate bits
215g self-raising flour
40g cocoa powder
375g caster sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
20g unsalted butter, chopped
125g dark chocolate, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 160C (315F). Grease a 22cm springform tin and line the base with baking paper. Place the butter and chocolate bits in a small heatproof bowl and melt, stirring frequently, over a saucepan of simmering water - ensure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water.
   
2. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl. Combine the melted butter and chocolate mixture, sugar and egg, then add 250ml of water and mix well. Add to the flour and cocoa and stir until well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes. Leave in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
   
3. To make the chocolate topping, place the butter and chocolate pieces in a small heatproof bowl and melt, stirring frequently, over a saucepan of simmering water- ensure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Spread over the cooled cake in a swirl pattern.

I made this cake for the first time about 3 weeks ago, and it is one of the nicest chocolate cakes I have ever had. The recipe is simple and easy to follow, and the finished cake is lovely and sweet, moist and rich, but not overpowering. The cake is quite large but I put it out at a buffet and it was completely gone within 3 hours. I now need to find lots more occasions to make this cake.

Custard Butter Cake

from Aylarah Scale

125g self raising flour
85g custard powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
125g unsalted butter chopped
185g caster sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
60ml buttermilk

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to about 180C (350F). Grease a 20cm square cake tin and line the base with baking paper. Sift the flour, custard powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl and make a well in the center.
   
2. Melt the butter and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat. Add the butter mixture and combined egg and buttermilk to the dry ingredients
3. and stir with a wooden spoon until combined - do not overbeat. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake. Leave in the tin to cool. This cake is nice when dressed with a chocolate icing, or white chocolate cream cheese icing.

I thought this was an unusual recipe the first time I tried it, but I wanted to try something new. The custard gives the cake mix, and then the cake a beautiful colour, and it's a nice moist cake. I use this as a birthday cake occasionally.

Victoria Sandwich

from Aylarah Scale

6 ounces margarine
6 ounces caster sugar
5 ounces self raising flour
3 eggs
jam
whipped cream

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cream the margarine and sugar until light and creamy in texture. Beat in the eggs one at a time with a little flour. Then gently fold in the rest of the flour. Place the mixture into two greased 7 inch sandwich tins. Bake in a moderate oven (325-350F) for 25-35 minutes. When cool, split and fill with jam and cream.

This was one of the first cakes I learnt to bake. It is really easy and since then has become known as one of the best things I can bake.

Minestrone Soup

from Felicia Hartwick

1 cup diced onion
1/8 cup minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cip chopped cabbage
1 cup green beans in 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup diced zucchini squash
3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 carrot, diced
3 cups chopped tomatoes with their juice
8 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1 tablespoon sage
1 tablespoon fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 cup precooked red kidney beans
1/2 pound spaghetti, broken into 1 inch pieces
1/2 pound pancetta (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil until the onion is tender. Add the chopped vegetables and tomatoes, and simmer for 10 minutes.
   
2. Transfer to a large pot, add the chicken stock and water, and bring ot boil. Add the herbs, turn down the heat, and simmer for 1/2 hour. Add the kidney beans and broken spaghetti pieces and cook until the spaghetti is tender about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Now that the cold weather is here, soup is a great way to get warmed up. This one is a big hit at work at our January soup lunch.

Cheesy Broccoli Pockets

from Felicia Hartwick

1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped broccoli
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 jarred roasted red peppers, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon fried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 package (16 ounces) frozen bread dough, thawed

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 2 baking sheets. Cook broccoli according to package directions' drain well.
   
2. In a medium skillet, heat oil over low heat. Add garlic, saute for 2 minutes. Add broccoli; cook, stirring until moisture has evaporated, about 3 minutes. remove from heat; cool slightly.
   
3. In a medium bowl, combine broccoli mixture, mozzarella, Parmesan, roasted peppers, oregano, salt and pepper; mix well.
   
4. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough into 8 pieces; roll out each piece to form a 6 inch circle. Spoon an equal amount of broccoli mixture in the center of each circle. Fold dough over filling to form a half circle. Press edges with a fork to seal; prick a few holes in pocket tops.
   
5. Place pockets on prepared baking sheets. bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

This is another great snack that takes almost no time to make. Great for parties too.

Chicken Pot Pie

from Felicia Hartwick

1 can (10 3/4 oz) condense chicken broth
1 1/3 cups water, divided
4 medium carrots, thinly sliced ( about 1 and 1/2 cups)
3 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups quartered medium mushrooms
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 refrerated unbaked pie crust ( for 9 inch pie)
2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine broth, 1 cup water, carrots and potatoes in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer over low heat 10 minutes.
   
2. Preheat oven at 425 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and oinion;saute until softened about 5 minutes. Stir in broth mixture and peas. Whisk remaining 1/3 cup water into the flour until smooth; whick into vegetable mixture. Increase heat to medium-high; bring to a boil.
   
3. Spread out pie crust on floured surface. Measure and roll, if necessary to fit 1 inch larger then top of a 2 quart challow baking dish. Stir chicken into vegetable mixture and transfer to the baking dish. Place crust over filling; trim and flute edge. Cut a scalloped round from center with a cookie cutter,
   
4. Bake until filling is bubbly and crust is browned, about 20 minutes.

This is a good hot meal on a cold winter's night. I usually make with the left over chicken I have when I made a roast chicken.

Cherry Crisp

from Castora Grimsby

1 stick butter
1 box white cake mix
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 can cherry pie filling
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix cherries, almond flavoring and lemon juice. Pour into a 9" square pan. Melt the butter and mix well with the walnuts and cake mix cake mix and walnuts. Sprinkle the mixture over the cherries and bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

This is easy and delicious and not so unhealthy, that it will break your New Year's resolutions. I like to make recipes that are fast to throw together and this one definitely is!

Tex-Mex Breakfast Casserole

from Castora Grimsby

8 large eggs
6 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 4 ounce can of chopped green chiles
1/2 cup diced jalepeno peppers
2/3 cup extra-sharp cheddar -- shredded

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat Oven to 350F. Put butter in 8" square baking pan. Set in 350 degree oven to melt. Slightly beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour into pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until eggs begin to set.
2. Sprinkle with cheese and chiles. Draw a wide metal spatula across bottom of pan several times to break up mixture. Bake, breaking up mixture again several times, for 5 more minutes or until done. Serve with tomato sauce, ketchup or chili sauce, if used. Garnish with sliced tomatoes.

This is a fun casserole to make for breakfast if you are in the mood for something a little different.

Chicken Salad

from Castora Grimsby

1/8 cup onion, finely chopped
1/8 cup celery, finely chopped
1 cup cooked chicken breast, cubed
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place onion and chicken in bowl, mix well. Add sugar, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Mix well so all ingredients are evenly combined. Refrigerate any unused portion.

This is just a simple salad to make. I like to make it for a quick lunch to share with my friends.

Pasta with Shrimp in a Pink Sauce

from Belle Black

20-30 cooked shrimp without tails (frozen)
jar of spaghetti sauce (or homemade sauce)
Nestle Table Cream (comes in a can)
garlic, parsley, salt, pepper to taste
Linguini

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook linguini seperately. Follow directions on box. Drain.
   
2. Saute garlic (chopped small), parsley, salt, pepper, and shrimp in a bit of oil.
   
3. Add jar of spaghetti sauce. Stir and heat (bring to a bubbling boil). Lower heat a bit and slowly add the table cream and stir constantly until sauce becomes pink.
   
4. Add linguini

This is a pasta you have to eat right away. It's not good if you save it and reheat it. It is very yummy. This is my mom's recipe that she invented. Since we bought shrimp for the Penne with Shrimp recipe above, I am going to make this dish this weekend. I can't wait! Fattening but Yummy!