Maids of Honour

2 cups short crust pastry
Your favorite Jam
Your favorite cake batter

METHOD
Line greased muffin tins with pastry.
Spoon 1/2 table spoon of jam into lined muffin tins.
Pour cake batter over jam bringing it to the level of the pastry.
Bake in 300 F oven for 30 mins or until tester comes out clean.

ENJOY

Quiche Lorraine

1 cup short crust pastry

100g streaky bacon chopped

75g cheese thinly sliced

2 eggs

125ml milk
Salt and pepper

METHOD

Line tin with pastry
Fry the bacon lightly, cool
Place the cheese in the pastry case and cover with bacon
Beat the eggs and milk together, season and pour over the bacon and cheese
Bake in a moderate hot oven ( 190C, 375F,  Gas 5) until set and golden brown about 20 minutes

NOTE: To make mini quiches line some muffin tins with the pastry dough.

ENJOY

Eggless Sponge Cake

6 ozs (170g) Blue Band Margarine
6ozs (170g) Castor Sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
12 ozs (340g) flour
5 tsp baking powder
300 mls milk
1 tbsp vanilla essence

METHOD

• Grease and flour two 9” sandwich tins
• Cream together the margarine, sugar and syrup until soft and light
• Sift the flour and baking powder
• Fold the flour and milk alternately into the creamed mixture. Divide the mixture between the prepared tins
• Bake above the center of a moderate oven at 350- 370 F for approximately 18 min or until firm to the touch
• Cool for 2- 3 min in the tins, then turn out o to a wire tray

BUTTER FROSTING

8 ozs (227g) margarine

24 ozs (680g) icing sugar
3 tbsp milk
1 tbsp vanilla essence

METHOD

Cream margarine, add icing sugar, milk and essence, cream until smooth and fluffy. Cover cool cake.

Eggless Chocolate Cake

1 ½ cups flour
¼ cups cocoa powder
 1 cup brown sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup water
6 tbsp salad oil
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

METHOD

Sift flour and cocoa powder. Add sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and ground cinnamon. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Stir until mixture is smooth. Pour into a greased floured 8” tin. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 30-35 mins or until tester comes out clean.

 ENJOY

Pumpkin and Lentil Soup

1 tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tsp

2 onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

approx 800g chopped pumpkin flesh, plus the seeds

100g split lentils

½ small pack thyme, leaves picked, plus extra to serve

1lt. hot vegetable stock

pinch of salt and sugar

50g crème fraîche, plus extra to serve

 

METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Fry the onions until softened and starting to turn golden. Stir in the garlic, pumpkin flesh, lentils and thyme, then pour in the hot stock. Season, cover and simmer for 20-25 mins until the lentils and vegetables are tender.
2. Meanwhile, wash the pumpkin seeds. Remove any flesh still clinging to them, then dry them with kitchen paper. Heat the 1 tsp oil in a non-stick pan and fry the seeds until they start to jump and pop. Stir frequently, but cover the pan in between to keep them in it. When the seeds look nutty and toasted, add a sprinkling of salt and a pinch of sugar, and stir well.
3. Whizz the cooked pumpkin mixture with a hand blender or in a food processor until smooth, then add the crème fraîche and whizz again. Taste for seasoning.
4. Serve with a spoonful of crème fraîche, a few thyme leaves and the toasted seeds scattered on top.

Enjoy

Salt Fish Accra

1 lb salt fish, boiled and flaked
½ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup chopped chadon beni/scallions
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 pk All purpose seasoning
1 1/3 cups Evaporated Milk
Oil for frying
METHOD
In a bowl combine the salt fish, onion, chadon beni, flour, baking soda and season up. Add the carnation evaporated milk and mix to a lumpy consistency.
Heat oil in a deep pot and spoon mixture into the hot oil, let them cook until they rise to the surface. Remove, drain on paper towels and serve hot.

 NOTE: This is a tasty dish enjoyed throughout the Caribbean. Enjoy.

Simple Sponge Cake

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
  3 cups flour
  ½ tsp salt
  4 tsp baking powder
  1 cup water/ milk

METHOD

·         Preheat oven at 375 F for 15 minutes, prepare two 8” or 9” layer tins, lining bottom with  

        greaseproof paper. Grease paper but not sides of tin.

      ·         Cream butter and add sugar gradually. (Do not use butter at room temperature if room    
              is warmer than 75 F).
      ·         Add eggs one at a time, beating each egg for about 3 minutes.
      ·         Add vanilla.
      ·         Sift flour, salt and baking powder. Add flour mixture and water alternately. Add flour in 4 
               portions and water in 3, beginning and ending with flour.
      ·         Pour in prepared layer tins
      ·         Bake layers for 25 minutes.
      ·         Allow cake to cool in pan 5-10 minutes. Turn out on wire rack to cool if icing separately. If 
               you would like layers to stick together without using filling, as soon as they are turned out  
               of the pan, pit them together.

ENJOY

Trinidad Coconut Sweetbread

4 cups flour
¼ tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
2 cup grated coconut
2 eggs beaten
1 cup evaporated milk
½ cup margarine (melted)

1 tsp vanilla essence

½ cup dried fruits

METHOD
       1.       Sift dry ingredients, add sugar and coconut
       2.       Mix beaten eggs with evaporated milk
       3.       Add to dry ingredients
       4.       Add melted butter and vanilla essence, mix well.
       5.       Toss dried fruits in a little flour, add to mixture
       6.       Full greased loaf pan 2/3 full
       7.       Bake in moderate oven 177 C (300 F) for 30 - 45 mins.
       8.    After removing brush top with sugar and water mixture.


ENJOY