Your Signature Dish

[Killearn Kitties]

So what's the recipe, Julie? How does it differ from any other Christmas cake?????

[carole]

I tend to always make a dessert, I am hoping to make this delicious chocolate Malteser cheesecake, thats if I can lay my hands on the recipe, I have had it stored in my messy cupboard for ages with intention of making it, one of these days.

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

So what's the recipe, Julie? How does it differ from any other Christmas cake?????

I don't know that it's any different from anyone elses recipe - I guess it just tastes special because it's made with love!

(Ingredients can be doubled for a larger cake)

3 Cups Flour
1/2 pound butter
1 1/2 cups Yellow Sugar
6 Eggs
1 1/2 cups Raisins
1 1/2 cups Currents
1 1/2 cups Sultanas
2 Teaspoons Mixed Spice
250 ML Brandy
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Bicarb
1 Teaspoon Pure Glycerine
2 oz Almonds
1/4 pound Glace Cherries, halved
1 dessert spoon cocoa powder
2 tablespoons treacle

METHOD
Clean fruit, soak in Brandy (Soak for 48 hours - top up as Brandy is absorbed)
Cream Butter & Sugar
add eggs one at a time & beat well
add fruit and lastly add all dry ingredients and mix well

Bake for 3 hours at 300 F


(This can then cooled and decorated with Marzipan and Plastic Icing)

Most of my family are nor fond of marzipan, so I usually cut the cake into "blocks" and give each branch of the family one for christmas lunch - we have ours with brandy-custard and lightly whipped cream.


One other thing - if you double the ingredients and make the large cake, buy a large plastic washing-up bowl to mix it in - I have yet to find a mixing bowl large enough!

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

Trev - try this - it is the BEST sandwich filling on earth!

Jalepeno Chicken Spread:

The "ratio" of ingredients is as follows:

For each chicken breast add:
1/2 onion
1 Jalepeno
1/3 Green Pepper.

Chop cooked chicken breasts in Braun Multi-mix or food processor - remove.
Chop Jalepenos, onions and green peppers. (Add Green peppers last so they dont form a puree)

Add this mixture to the Chicken.

Season to taste. Stir in mayonaise until a "spread" is formed.

Keeps well in the fridge for a few days - great on toast, sandwiches or rolls.

[Oggyflute]

Trev - try this - it is the BEST sandwich filling on earth!

Jalepeno Chicken Spread:

The "ratio" of ingredients is as follows:

For each chicken breast add:
1/2 onion
1 Jalepeno
1/3 Green Pepper.

Chop cooked chicken breasts in Braun Multi-mix or food processor - remove.
Chop Jalepenos, onions and green peppers. (Add Green peppers last so they dont form a puree)

Add this mixture to the Chicken.

Season to taste. Stir in mayonaise until a "spread" is formed.

Keeps well in the fridge for a few days - great on toast, sandwiches or rolls.

Thanks Julie, I can see me putting that on a slice of toast with melted grated cheese and fresh cracked peppercorns.
You must have some great recipies from Warrens Gran. Alas my family were no great performers in the kitchen, so no old seceret recipies I'm afraid.

[jackie]

When Warren's Granny died, one of her dying wishes was that I have all her recipe books, as I am the only one in the family who enjoys cooking. Every Christmas I make Granny's Christmas cake, both as a remembrance to her (she passed away on Dec 26 1999) and also because it's so much better than any store-bought cake, although it is hard work!!

That is so sweet!

My fav dish is lasagna. I don't have an exact recipe, and it changes depending what vegetables I have on hand, but here is the basic.

For the sauce... Saute one onion, add finely chopped green or red peppers, sliced mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, and zuchinni (mix and match depending what you like).

Season with oregano, salt/pepper, laurel leave, whatever I have in the spice rack basically!. I use a product called "VEGETA", its from Yugoslavia, but you can buy it in any Arab/Persian specialty store, its like OXO cubes, but a million times better, so tasty, I use it instead of salt in everything!

Add tomato sauce/ paste. I am sure you can add a jar of premade sauce, but I can never find a good one, so I just use plain old tomato sauce. Add a cup or so of red wine, then add the chicken meat last. If I have enough time I cook if for a couple of hours, the longer you leave it, the better the taste. When you take it off the heat add a couple of cloves of chopped garlic.

While thats cooking, I mix some chopped spinach (frozen is fine), 2 cups or so of ricotta cheese (if I can't find ricotta, I use feta, just add less salt to the tomato sauce), one egg and mix that up.

Then layer the meat sauce and cheese in a pan, I love no cook lasagna pasta, straight from th box to the pan, no need to precook. And top with grated mozzarella.

Cover with tin foil, but make sure the foil doesn't touch the cheese. And bake covered for about 45 minutes, Uncovered for another 10 to brown the top. Set to cool for 10 minutes then enjoy!

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

That must be my homemade applecake, made from scratch

Debbie, you make perfect lasagna? Oh my, that is sooooo yummie!!!

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

That must be my homemade applecake, made from scratch

Can we have the recipe please Lut????