Hi Girls
Here is the thread for the cookbook. I've decided to just make one thread, that you can put any recipe. I was thinking entrees & snacks, meals, dessert and baking as sections. If anyone has another idea for sections please let me know.
You can post as many or as little recipes as you like.
Post away girls.

Sticky Date Pudding
Ingredients
1 cup pitted dates, chopped
300ml water
1 tsp bicarb soda
60g softened butter
¾ cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 ¼ cups self-raising flour

Method
Preheat oven to 200C (180C fan forced).
Place dates and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add bicarb soda. Lower heat and simmer for 30 seconds (do not boil over).
Remove date mixture from the heat and cool slightly.
Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the flour and mix until smooth. Lastly, add the date mix and mix well.
Spoon into 12 greased muffin tins and bake until just firm. Turn out on to a wire rack to cool. Serve dusted with icing sugar and warm butterscotch sauce (see below). Add a scoop of ice cream to each plate.

Butterscotch sauce –
1 cup brown sugar
125g diced butter
½ cup cream
1 tsp vanilla essence

Put all the ingredients into a saucepan. Heat gently. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Do not boil. Butterscotch sauce will keep for weeks if refrigerated in a sealed jar.

mmmm yum T. I've got to put up my recipes this weekend.

Condenced milk cookies
500g butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 tin condensed milk...
5 cups SR flour
(are you getting that this is a bloody big mixture? halve the mixture for a NORMAL batch )

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in condensed milk.
Fold in flour, a cup at a time. Mixture will be quite stiff by fifth cup so you may need to knead it in.
At this point mix in whatever add ins you like or leave them plain.
eg - choc chips, cherries, sultanas, whatever you like.

Roll tablespoons of mix and put on a lined baking tray. Bake in mod oven for about 15 mins or until golden.

Freeze mixture in logs wrapped in baking paper and then foil for future baking. Just slice and bake!

Pasta / Macaroni Salad

250g elbow, bow ties, shell or my favourite is spiral pasta
2 stalks of celery chopped
1/2 medium sized capsicum chopped
1 small onion (i use red normally)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice
1 tea spoon of french mustard
1/2 teaspoon of salt
pinch black pepper
lettuce for garnish.

Method
Cook macaroni, and cool under cold running water water.

Finely dice the celery, capsicum, onion and add to the pasta. (NB you can add any type of vegetable really I often use carrot)

Add the mayonnaise, vinegar (or lemon juice) french mustard, salt and pepper to the pasta.

Mix well and leave in the fridge to chill before serving. The lettuce can be used to line the serving bowl or around the edges as a garnish.

Lamb shank soup


1kg lamb shanks
2 large carrots
2 stalks of celery
beef stock - enough to almost cover the lamb shanks
4 fresh tomatoes chopped or one can of tomatoes
1 onion quartered
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
mixed italian herbs (dried or fresh)
2 dollops of tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste


Put all the ingredients in a large pot or slow cooker. Bring to the boil and then cook on low until the meat is falling off the bone. Remove the lamb shanks from the pot and shred the meat and set aside in a bowl. Scoop any oil from the top of the soup. Using a stick mixer blend the soup until all ingredients are combined. Add the meat back to the soup and serve.

Pumpkin Sweet Bread

Serves: 6

Ingredients
2 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup fresh pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup each: chopped pecans and walnuts (may substitute raisins or any combination to equal one cup)

Preparation method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees c.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, bicarb soda, ground cinnamon, salt and ground nutmeg.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, milk and eggs. Mix well.
4. Add dry ingredients, oil and nuts mixing until just moistened.
5. Spoon batter into well greased (use vegetable oil) loaf pans (or line with baking paper).
6. Bake (in the middle of the oven) large loaf for 65 minutes or two mini loaves for 50 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
7. Cool 10 minutes in the pan on its side, then invert onto a rack to cool.