Biscuits and sweet treats

Chewy oat cookies with maple filling

You will love these bikkies ... trust me!
Makes 18
Ingredients

• 125gm butter
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• ½​ cup plain flour
• ½​ cup rolled oats
• ½​ cup shredded coconut
• ½​ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ¼ tsp bicarb soda

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C (140 fan forced).  Line two oven trays with baking paper.
2. For the filling, beat half the butter, 3 tsp of the maple syrup and icing sugar until smooth.  Set aside.
3. Combine flour, oats, coconut and brown sugar in a medium bowl.  Place remaining butter and syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until butter melts.  Stir in bicarb soda then add to oat mixture.  Mix well.
4. Roll slightly rounded teaspoons of oat mixture and place onto prepared trays, allowing a little room for spreading.  You should get about 36 cookies.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until just starting to colour.  Set aside to cool for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. When ready to serve, spread half of the cookies with prepared filling and sandwich together.

1914 ANZAC biscuits

Traditional, patriotic and delicious
Makes about 24, depending on how big you like your biscuits
Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup plain flour
• ¾ cup caster sugar
• 125gm butter, cubed
• 1 large rounded tbsp golden syrup
• 1 tsp bicarb soda
• 2 tbsp hot water

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C (140 fan forced).  Line two oven trays with baking paper.
   
2. Mix together the oats, plain flour and caster sugar in a large bowl.  Melt the butter and golden syrup together.  Dissolve the bicarb soda in hot water then pour into the melted butter and syrup mixture.  Stir into dry ingredients and mix well.
   
3. Roll mixture into small balls about the size of a 20c piece and place onto prepared trays.  Bake for about 15 minutes until golden.  Allow to cool then serve.

Recipe credit
Country Womens' Association (CWA)

Pikelets and pancakes

Mum's recipe which brings back fond memories of family hovering around her eagerly waiting for the pikelets to bubble and cook.  The pikelets were always eagerly grabbed and eaten hot from the pan before they even made it to the plate!!
Makes 12, depending on the size
Ingredients

• 1½ cups plain flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Pinch salt
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tsp butter or canola spray, for cooking

Method

1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, except butter.
2. Melt butter in frying pan over medium high heat.
3. Place spoonfuls of mixture into frying pan.  Cook until mixture starts to bubble.  Flip and cook on the other side.
4. Serve either hot or cold with your choice of toppings.

Notes
Transfer mixture to a jug and pour a larger amount to make pancakes
Substitute cream or buttermilk for the milk, it makes the pikelets really rich and creamy

Coconut lemon curd tarts

A lovely, tangy little tart
Makes 6 small or 12 mini tarts
Ingredients

• 1 egg white
• ¼​ cup caster sugar
• ½​ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 1 jar lemon curd or lemon butter
• Whipped cream, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C (140 fan forced).  Brush loose-based flan pans with oil (or cupcake trays for mini tarts).
2. Beat egg white until stiff peaks form.  Gradually add caster sugar, beating until sugar dissolves and mixture is thick and glossy.  Fold in vanilla, cornflour and coconut.
3. Divide mixture between pans.  Using wet fingertips, press over base and sides.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden.  Stand for 5 minutes.  While warm, loosen cases from pans, but do not remove.  When cooled, remove tart cases and place on a wire rack.
4. Spoon lemon curd (or lemon butter) into cases.  Chill and serve with whipped cream.

Serving suggestion
For a touch of luxury, top with a chocolate dipped strawberry

Ricciarelli (Tuscan almond biscuits)

These are just lovely with a good coffee
Note these biscuits need to be made in advance to allow the dough sufficient chilling time, minimum 2 hours, although overnight is better
Makes 30 to 40 biscuits, depending on how large you make them
Ingredients

• 1⅓ cups pure icing sugar, plus extra to dust
• ½​ tsp baking powder
• Pinch salt
• 3 cups almond meal
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp almond extract

​Method

1. Sift icing sugar, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a bowl, then stir through the almond meal and lemon zest.
2. In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Add the almond extract, then fold in one third of the combined dry ingredients.  Once mixed in, carefully fold in the remainder of the dry ingredients until combined.  Divide the mixture in half and roll each half into a ball.
3. Roll out each ball of dough on a lightly floured surface into a sausage shape about 20cm long.  Enclose in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 150°C (130 fan forced).  Line biscuit trays with baking paper and set aside.
5. Remove dough from fridge and place on a floured surface.  Sift a little icing sugar onto a plate.  Slice the dough into 1cm slices.  Pinch the corners to form a diamond shape.  Press one side of each biscuit in the icing sugar, then arrange, sugar side up, on baking trays.
6. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until pale golden.  Remove from oven, dust with a little icing sugar and cool on a wire rack.  Enjoy with your coffee.

Notes
No need to space the biscuits out too much - they do not spread
Be careful not to overcook the biscuits or they will go very hard. The biscuits will harden as they cool
Recipe credit
Delicious magazine  

Jam drops

Ingredients

• 230gm butter
• ½ cup caster sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla essence
• 1½ cups self raising flour
• ½ cup icing sugar
• ½ cup jam

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160 fan forced). Line two trays with baking paper.
2. Cream the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy then stir in vanilla.  Fold in flour and icing sugar and mix until well combined.
3. Roll heaped teaspoons of mixture into balls and place on prepared trays, about 5cm apart, allowing room for spreading.
4. Using your thumb or the handle of a wooden spoon, make an indentation in the centre of each ball. Spoon half a teaspoon of jam into the centre of each biscuit.
5. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden.

Booby doos
​(a variation of jam drops)

Ingredients

• ½ cup caster sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla essence
• 230gm butter
• 1½ cups self raising flour
• ½ cup icing sugar
• 1 small packet glace cherries

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160 fan forced). Line two trays with baking paper.
2. Cream the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy then stir in vanilla.  Fold in flour and icing sugar and mix until well combined.
3. Roll heaped teaspoons of mixture into balls and place on prepared trays, about 5cm apart, allowing room for spreading.
4. Press a glace cherry into the centre of each biscuit.
5. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden.

Coconut oat cookies

Makes 24 cookies
Ingredients

• 100gm butter
• 75gm caster sugar
• 75gm brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 100gm self raising flour
• 50gm oats
• 50gm desiccated coconut

​Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160 fan forced).  Line 2 biscuit trays with baking paper.
2. Cream butter, caster sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg then fold in flour.  If mixture seems dry, add a little milk.
3. Fold in oats and coconut.
4. Place teaspoons of mixture onto trays, leaving 5cm for spreading.
5. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes until golden.
6. Remove from oven and cool biscuits on wire racks.

Chocolate bark

Ingredients

• 85gm unsalted pistachios, shelled
• 400gm dark cooking chocolate
• 200gm white cooking chocolate
• ⅓ cup dried cranberries (craisins), finely chopped

​Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160 fan forced). Toast pistachios on a lined baking tray for about 3 to 4 minutes.  Melt both chocolates in separate bowls.
2. Line a biscuit tray with aluminium foil.  Spread dark chocolate over base. Drizzle with white chocolate. Swirl with a butter knife to create a marbled effect.  Sprinkle with pistachios and cranberries. 
3. Refrigerate until set then break into shards.
4. Serve or package as desired.

Chocolate crackles

Ingredients

• 250gm copha
• 4 cups Rice Bubbles
• 1½ cups icing sugar
• 3 tbsp cocoa
• 1 cup coconut​

Method

1. Melt copha in saucepan over low heat.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the Rice Bubbles, icing sugar, cocoa and coconut.  Pour melted copha over the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
3. Spoon mixture evenly into 24 patty papers and set in fridge.

ANZAC slice

This is one of our family's favourites
A sweet variation to an Aussie classic
Thanks to Taste.com for the recipe ANZAC slice

Chocolate fridge slice

Ingredients

• 250gm choc-chip cookies, broken into 2cm pieces
• ½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped
• ½ cup sultanas
• ¼ cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 100gm unsalted butter, chopped
• 180gm dark chocolate, chopped
• 400gm can condensed milk
• Cocoa powder, for dusting

Chocolate ganache

• 120gm dark chocolate, chopped
• 50gm unsalted butter, chopped

​Method 

1. Grease and line the base and sides of a 6cm deep, 20cm base, square cake pan with baking paper, allowing paper to extend 2cm above edges of pan. Combine cookies, peanuts, sultanas and cocoa in a bowl.
2. Place butter, chocolate and condensed milk in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, or until smooth. Pour over cookie mixture. Stir well to combine. Spoon mixture into prepared pan, pressing with the back of a spoon to spread evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.
3. Make chocolate ganache.  Place chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring for 1 to 2 minutes, or until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes.
4. Spread ganache over slice. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.
5. Remove slice from pan and cut into 24 squares.  Dust with cocoa powder and serve.

Raspberry tarts

Dainty and delicious
Makes 12
Preparation + cooking:  1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients

• ¾ cup plain flour
• ½ cup cornflour
• 2 tbsp ground almonds or almond meal
• Pinch baking powder
• 100gm salted butter, chilled and chopped
• Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ¼ cup raspberry jam
• 125gm fresh raspberries
• Finely grated rind of ½ lemon, extra
• Icing sugar, for dusting

Method

1. Place plain flour, cornflour, almonds, baking powder, butter and lemon rind in a food processor.  Pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Add egg, pulse until mixture just comes together.  Transfer to a floured surface and knead gently until just smooth.  Form into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 200°C (180 fan forced).  Roll out pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper to a 2mm thickness.  Using a 7½cm fluted cutter, cut out 12 rounds of pastry and line patty pans.  Prick bases with a fork.  Bake for 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
3. Heat jam in a saucepan until runny.  Coarsely mash raspberries in a bowl, add jam and extra lemon rind, stirring gently to combine.  Spoon filling into pastry cases.  Reduce oven temperature to 180°C (160 fan forced).
4. Roll out remaining pastry to a 2mm thickness and using a 5cm star or flower shape cutter, cut out 12 shapes.  Top each tart with a pastry shape and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden.  Allow the tarts to stand for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Notes
Turn these little gems into strawberry tarts by substituting strawberry jam and fresh strawberries
Be careful not to overfill the pastry cases, the overflow does not look pretty and it may burn
Store any leftover tarts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, if they last that long!!  After refrigeration, allow the tarts to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving

Chocolate hazelnut slice

An easy to make and delicious sweet treat, similar in taste to a Ferrero Rocher
Makes 20
Preparation + cooking time:  45 minutes
Ingredients

• ½ cup plain flour
• ½ cup self raising flour
• ½ cup desiccated coconut
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 100gm butter, melted
• 150gm milk chocolate baking chips
• 395gm can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup toasted hazelnuts, skins rubbed off

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160 fan forced).  Combine the sifted flours in a bowl with the coconut, sugar and melted butter.  Stir to combine then press into the base of a greased and lined 28 x 18cm slice pan.  Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through.
2. Scatter the chocolate chips evenly over the base, pour over the condensed milk then top with the hazelnuts.  Return to oven and cook for about 25 minutes or until golden.
3. Allow to cool completely in the pan before slicing into 20 squares.  Store in an airtight container until required.

Doughnuts

Photo coming soon

Makes 12
Preparation + cooking:  1 hour
​Ingredients

• 1 cup self raising flour
• Pinch salt
• 25gm butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 50gm caster sugar, plus extra for coating
• 6 tbsp milk
• 4 tbsp jam
• Oil, for deep frying

Method

1. Sieve the flour and salt together then add the melted butter, egg and caster sugar and mix well.
2. Gradually add enough milk to make a soft handling dough (it must not be sticky).  Cover the dough and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
3. Roll the dough into small balls then push a finger into the centre of each, fill with a little jam and seal the hole.
4. Drop the doughnuts into hot oil, two at a time, then remove from the pan from the heat and allow the doughnuts to fry for 4 to 5 minutes.  Repeat until all the doughnuts are cooked, reheating the oil in between.  Drain on paper towel and toss in caster sugar while still hot.

Variation
Ring doughnuts:  roll out the dough to a thickness of 1cm then cut into rings with pastry cutters.  Cook as for filled doughnuts, but omit the jam.
Notes
Keep the doughnuts small or they won't cook through
Dough can be frozen, uncooked, for 6 months

Chocolate pudding bars

Photo coming soon

Just a few simple ingredients are all you need to make these super easy dessert or ice cream bars
Note, this is a frozen treat so allow plenty of time
Serves 6
Ingredients

• 250gm packet malt biscuits
• 3 x 80gm Crunchie bars, refrigerated
• 395gm can sweetened condensed milk
• 600ml thickened cream
• Drinking chocolate, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Line a 3cm deep, 26 x 16cm base lamington tin with non-stick baking paper.  Layer biscuits over base of pan, cutting to fit, if necessary, so base is completely covered.
2. Chop chocolate bars into small pieces.
3. Beat condensed milk and cream in a large bowl until thick and pale.  Stir through the chopped chocolate bars.
4. Spread cream mixture over biscuits.  Top with another layer of biscuits.  Cover and freeze until firm.
5. Cut around biscuits to form rectangular bars to serve.  Dust with drinking chocolate, if desired.

Notes
Replace Crunchie bars with your favourite chocolate bars.  Mars Bars and Snickers are awesome
When placing the biscuits, keep them uniform on top and bottom to make it easy to cut around and serve

Raspberry coconut slice

Photo coming soon

Another recipe from my Home Economics recipe book circa 1982
Ingredients

• 125gm butter
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 cup self raising flour
• ¾ cup raspberry jam

Coconut topping

• 1 egg
• ½ cup caster sugar
• ​1¼ cups coconut

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160 fan forced).  Grease and line a lamington tin or slice tray.
2. Cream together the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy.  Add 1 egg and beat well.  Add sifted flours and mix to a smooth dough.  Knead on a floured board until smooth.  Press mixture into prepared tray.  Bake for around 10 to 12 minutes until light golden.
3. Meanwhile prepare the coconut topping by combining the egg, caster sugar and coconut.
4. Spread the jam over the biscuit base then spread the coconut topping evenly over the top.
5. Return to over for about 10 to 12 minutes until the top is lightly golden.
6. Allow to cool before removing from tray.  Slice into small rectangles.

Note
Try using other jams such as plum or apricot