Saturday, March 23, 2013

Baking Fail then Success!

Tried some baking and had a massive Muffin Fail!  Made my own recipe and used ginger marmalade as the wet ingredient - must have become molten hot and turned to toffee so though muffins looked OK they were hard and almost burnt in the middle.  So went out on a limb - everyone has always said I can cook great fruit cakes but not sponge cake as too heavy handed.  So tried the ol' corn flour sponge recipe.   Yummy!

Corn Flour Sponge and ginger jam and cream!


Ginger Jam Muffins - try having a bite - extra crunch in the middle - toffee!

 

See the browning - toffee leaking through to top!


Even the wildlife won't eat them!


Saturday, March 2, 2013

Beef Rissoles and Gravy

500g mincemeat (ground beef)
4 eggs
2 onion chopped finely and microwave 3 Min's then cool (can dunk in ice water and drain)
1 cup breadcrumbs or more if needed to combine
1/3 cup tomato sauce (ketchup)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon dried herbs (or fresh mixed Italian style herbs such as marjoram, sage, parsley, thyme or what ever you have in the garden)
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
2 tablespoons plain flour, for dusting the rissoles
2 tablespoons oil, the rissoles (for frying, you may need more oil. I use as little as possible - can use oil spray but need to spray each side as turning to brown so coated




Optional additives depending on preference
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon mustard powder
Chili's
Spicey pastes
Grated cheeses (don't overdo this or rissole can break apart - Parmesan is good as dry and full of flavour)

Gravy
I use a gravy I have frozen from roast beef dinner but you can use a packet gravy of choice or make gravy in pan - remove rissoles and take pan off heat - add 2 tbsp plain flour and mix well with juices and fat in pan - slowly add cold water - around a cup or cup and half - mixing as you go - don't need lumps! - place back on pan and cook until thickened to your liking - add salt and pepper to taste.   Return rissoles to pan and simmer until done.  Serve.

Directions:
Mix all the wet ingredients together gently so as not to over compact the mixture - use a fork or your hands.  Then add bread crumbs until a mixture that will form rissoles is obtained - that is loose but will hold shape if formed into a ball.  Shape into 4 or 6 round balls and dust with the flour. Heat oil on high in a heavy based frying pan until the oil is hot. Place the Rissoles in the hot oil but don't over crowd your pan or they will stew instead of browning. Make sure the Rissoles do not burn or will taste awful. Keep watch and turn the rissoles over when one side is browned and slightly crispy (make sure they don't burn!). Depending on the thickness of the pan and the size of the rissoles, it may take about 3-4 minutes to cook the Rissoles on each side. Cook all sides the same way so rissoles are brown all over then turn the heat down to medium and add the gravy - need to have a pan deep enough for gravy to almost cover rissoles.  Cook until done but not overcook or will become dry and not pleasant to eat.  Need to be cooked through but still moist inside. Time similar to cooking burgers. Serve with gravy and mashed potatoes and baby peas.
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