Mum saved this recipe from the Herald and Sun cooking column. I think it’s a great slice/slab cake recipe as you don’t need to cream the butter and sugar, you just put the sultanas, water, butter and sugar into a pot, heat then cool, then add the dry ingredients – couldn’t be easier. I made it without the nuts, but I’m sure with them tastes good as well. It certainly disappeared fast.
With a 15 minute preparation time this makes a quick and easy vegetable bake.
Casseroles have always been a family favourite for us. Great as a family meal in winter, but also really usefully when entertaining a crowd. This Beef Casserole recipe which Mum collected from Entice magazine takes a basic dish and shows that by changing just a few ingredients you can create a different taste treat.
This is another recipe Mum found in the Woman’s Day, it’s similar to the Easy Picnic Slice, but would be best served hot with salad at home.
Mum cut this recipe out of the Woman’s Day. It would make a great hot lunch dish as well as being easy to transport to a picnic or when you have to take something to share with family and friends.
In the 1970s there was a craze for people to make their own liqueurs. I’m not sure that Mum ever made any of these as she didn’t drink all that much but these sweeter liqueurs may have appealed to her. The most successful one that we tasted was made with peaches, it wasn’t all that good at the time, but when we found the bottle at the back of the cupboard almost 20 years later it had mellowed very nicely…… To be honest I’m not sure if I’d make these, but if you feel like experimenting – good luck.
Soup has always been a family favourite with us. In the early days Mum made soup using soup bones from the butcher to which she would add lots of vegetables – onions, carrots, celery, turnips and whatever else she had on hand. Once it had all boiled for a couple of hours it was left to cool, the bones were removed and the fat skimmed off the surface before reboiling and eaten. This recipe is one I gave her and I expect she liked it as it was quicker and easier to make.
ZUCCHINI SOUP
Heat oil and butter, cook vegetables 10 minutes, add stock and seasonings simmer 10 minutes, pulverise, serve with cream.
It looks like this recipe has been cut off the side of a packet, although I’m not sure which packet it came from. I do know that it makes a great slice, really good for afternoon teas or to take on a picnic.
APRICOT LOAF
Chop apricots, place into a basin with boiling water and soda, cover and stand ½ hour. Sift flour and salt into a basin, rub through margarine, add sugar, egg and apricot mixture, mix to combine. Grease loaf tin 22cm x 9cm x 6cm deep and sprinkle some oats over from the topping, then spoon in apricot batter. Melt margarine, add topping ingredients and mix well. Spoon topping over batter. Bake in a moderately hot oven 190ºC for 45-50 minutes. Cool slightly in the tin, remove and cool. Serve sliced and buttered if desired.
These biscuits are a little unusual as they use jelly crystals in place of sugar. The original recipe has orange flavoured jelly, but I’m sure you could use other flavours successfully. I top them off with a chocolate button just to add an extra kick.
ORANGE CRISP BISCUITS
Cream butter with jelly crystals and sugar. Add beaten egg and the dry ingredients previously mixed together. Place in small spoonfuls on a tray lined with baking paper and bake 15-20 minutes at 180ºC.
Although similar to the Individual Ham & Cheese Quiches this recipe for Mini Fritattas, which Mum cut out from the New Idea, would be a great gluten free version.
Beb's Recipe Drawer 