In the kitchen - Mushroom soup and biscuits for Africa!

I think Joe should pour me a large wine and massage me tootsies when he gets home! I've have been the perfect wifey and cooked and baked and cleaned and been all round perfect! Of course I shall have to take to my bed for a month now to recover from my wonderfulness!

A couple of days ago our friend & neighbour, known around these here parts as the Karakariki dessert King, turned up with half a big bucket of mushrooms fresh out of the paddock! Yummo!

Joe fried up some with bacon, onion & garlic in butter and we had them with some bread & butter 

Yesterday I made Mushroom soup.

(I doubled up the recipe)

1lb mushrooms - chopped

1 tblsp lemon juice

1 tblsp unsalted butter

2 tblsp minced shallots (I used onions)

1 tblsp thuyme

1/2 bay leaf

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 cu[s thick cream

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 tsp cornflour in 1 tblsp water

parsley to garnish

1) Coarsely chop mushrooms, add lemon juice

2) Melt butter & lightly saute shallots over a medium heat. Add mushrooms, thyme & bay leaf, saute over moderate heat for 10-15 minutes or until mushroom juices disappear

3) Add salt, pepper, cream & chicken stock & bring to the boil. Reduce heat & simmer for 20 minutes

4) Add cornflour & simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

 Correct seasoning, add more lemon to taste. Sprinkle with parsley to serve. Serve 4

 

It was to die for!

Today - baking.

I decided to make some Anzac biscuits, a bit after the day I know, but you can't rush these things. So I got the recipe book out and mixed away, then realised halfway through I was making Afghans! Thick or what? So I put that mix in a slice tin and popped it in the oven. And made Anzac biscuits!

And then I thought what the hell, I'll make some sultana biccies as well! I told ya....perfect wife!

Anzac biscuits

1/2 cup plain flour

1/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup coconut

3/4 cup rolled oats

50g butter

1 tblsp golden syrup

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tblsp boiling water

Mix flour, sugar, coconut & oats in a bowl. Melt butter & golden syrup. Dissolve baking soda in hot water, add to butter & syrup. Stir into dry mix. Place level tablsp of mixture onto cold greased baking trays( the mix is quite dry)

Bake at 180C for about 15 mins until golden

I had some chocolate icing leftover from the Afghans and used it in between some of the biscuits!

Wow! Just wow!

Afghans

200gms butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups plain flour

1/4 cup cocoa

2 cups cornflakes

Cream butter & sugar until light & fluffy. Sift flour & cocoa & add to butter mix. Fold in cornflakes. The mix was very dry so I added some hot water, enough to bind it together better. Press into greased slice tin. Bake at 180c for 20 mins or until set. 

Chocolate icing

2 cups icing sugar

1/4 tsp butter

2 tblsp water, approx, I needed a bit more

1/4 tsp vanilla essence

1 tblsp cocoa

Sift icing sugar & cocoa into a bowl. Add butter and enough water to mix to spreadable consistency. Add vanilla essence. Spread over Afghan slice when cool. Cut into gob sized pieces.

Basic biscuits

125gm butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 egg

1/2 cup sultanas

2 cups plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

Cream butter, sugar & vanilla essence together until light and fluffy. Add egg, beat well. Add sultanas. Sift flour & baking powder and add to mixture. Roll heaped tsp of mix into balls and flatten on greased baking tray. Bake at 190C for about 12 minutes.

Ta dah!!

That's me! I'm off to put me feet up

See ya next time ♥