This is a nice plain cake. It is light in texture and the lemon and vanilla give it a subtle lift.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz/230 gm butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2  1/4 cups sifted flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1  1/2 cups sultanas
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• grated rind of 1/2 lemon

Method:

Beat the butter and sugar to a cream. Add the eggs one at a time and beat each one in till nicely mixed. Add the flour and baking powder combined. Mix in well and then add the fruit and again, combine well. Measure a half a cup of milk and add the vanilla essence and gradually pour the liquid into the batter, mixing well as you go. Put the cake into a greased tin and bake at 325 F/160 C for 55 – 60 minutes (if you are using a fan-forced oven  then you will need to lower the temperature by up to 10 degrees centigrade and/or adjust the time). Leave on a wire rack to cool and then store in an air-tight container.. Turn on to a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle sifted icing sugar on top and store in an air-tight container.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz/115 gm butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cocoa
• 1 well-beaten egg
• ½ cup chopped walnuts or coconut
• 8 oz/200 gm crumbed/broken round wine biscuits (Graham crackers)

Icing:

• 1 oz/25 gm butter
• 1 tablespoon cocoa
• 1 cup icing sugar
• dash of boiling water

Method:

Put the butter, sugar and cocoa in a pot and bring to the boil. Remove from heat. Add the beaten egg and then the walnuts/coconut and lastly the biscuits. Mix well. Press down in a tin to a thickness of about 1 inch/2.5 cm. Mix all the icing ingredients together to form a smooth paste and ice while still in the tin. Refridgerate. When cold cut into fingers.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz/115 gm butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 beaten egg
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla essence
• 2 cups coconut
• 1 cup sifted flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• pinch salt

Method:

Cream the butter and sugar and then add the egg and the vanilla essence. Combine the dry ingredients and add. Mix well. Put into teaspoon lots on to a cold, floured oven tray. Flatten with a fork. Bake at 180 C/350 F for about 10 minutes (if you are using a fan-forced oven  then you will need to lower the temperature by up to 10 degrees centigrade and/or adjust the time). Leave on a wire rack to cool and then store in an air-tight container.

I can’t help comparing these  with Anzac biscuits because they share some of the same ingredients. However they are lighter and less sweet and I when I first made them I didn’t expect to like them as much as I did-they’re very nice and definitely worth trying.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz/115 gm butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 beaten egg
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup sifted flour
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder

Method:

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the beaten egg. Combine all the dry ingredients and then add to the mixture and mix well. Roll into balls and place on an oven tray and press down thinly with a fork. Bake at 190 C/375 F for approximately 12 – 15 minutes (if you are using a fan-forced oven  then you will need to lower the temperature by up to 10 degrees centigrade and/or adjust the time). Place on a wire rack to cool and then store in an air-tight container.

When searching through my mother’s ancient recipe book I came across this recipe which is not one I had tried before or was familiar with. It’s nice to have a plain biscuit sometimes!

Ingredients:

• 8oz/225 gm butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 2 cups sifted flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Method:

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the beaten egg and then the vanilla essence. Combine the dry ingredients and add them to the mixture. Roll into balls and place them on a cold oven tray. Press down with a fork. Bake at 180 C/350 F for about 15 minutes until light brown (if you are using a fan-forced oven  then you will need to lower the temperature by up to 10 degrees centigrade and/or adjust the time). Place on a wire rack to cool and then store in an air-tight container.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz/225 gm butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 beaten eggs
• 1.5 cups sifted flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup chopped walnts
• 1/2 cup chopped glace cherries

Method:

Cream the butter and sugar then add the beaten eggs and mix. Add the dry ingredients and then the walnuts and cherries. Grease a small round tin and pour the mixture in. Bake at 350F/180 C for about an hour (if you are using a fan-forced oven  then you will need to lower the temperature by up to 10 degrees centigrade and/or adjust the time).  Place on a wire rack to cool and then ice with plain or lemon icing. Store in an air-tight container.

Icing:

• 2 oz/50gm butter
• dash of hot water
• enough icing sugar to mix until firm

These are yummy!

• 6 oz/170 gm butter
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon almond essence
• 1  1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1/2 cup cornflour
• 3/4 cup chopped glace cherries
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Method:

Cream the butter and sugar and then add the two essences.  Combine the dry ingredients and add to the mixture. Add the cherries and walnuts and mix well and knead. Roll up pieces into small balls and place on an oven tray. Flatten each one using either a fork or the underneath of a (floured) tumbler. Bake at 325 F/160 C for about 20 minutes (if you are using a fan-forced oven  then you will need to lower the temperature by up to 10 degrees centigrade and/or adjust the time). Leave on a wire rack to cool and then store in an air-tight container.

Ingredients:

• 4oz/115 gm butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup condensed milk
• 3/4 cup chopped dried  apricots
• 1 packet round wine biscuits
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• coconut

Method:

Melt the butter and sugar and add the condensed milk. Crush the biscuits in a whizz and then place these in a bowl together with the apricots and walnuts. Add the butter mixture and stir well. Press into a tin (10 in/26 cm x 6.5 in/16 cm). Sprinkle coconut on top and press in again. Leave in the fridge to harden.

For those like me who adore crystallised ginger this is a good one.

Ingredients:

• 1  1/2  packets round wine biscuits
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 3/4 cup chopped crystallised ginger
• 6 oz/170 gm butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

Method:

Crush the biscuits in a whizz. Add these to a bowl with the ground ginger and crystallised ginger and mix. Melt the butter and sugar in a pot and then add the condensed milk. Combine the melted ingredients with the dry ingredients in the bowl and mix well. Press firmly and evenly into a shallow tin (10 in/26 cm x 6.5 in/16 cm) and leave in the fridge to harden. Once set cut into slices.

This is a small recipe, so I make it in a loaf-shaped tin but it has the lighter texture of a cake. It has a surprising sweet taste of golden syrup.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz/110 gm dates
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 3 oz/90 gm butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 cup sifted flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Method:

Place the dates, baking soda and boiling water in a bowl and leave to soak for one hour. Cream the butter and sugar and then add the beaten egg and mix well. Add the date mixture and mix again. Combine the flour and baking powder and add to the mixture and stir to mix. Pour into a small loaf tin (8 1/2 in/22 cm x 4 in/10 cm) and bake at 180 C/350 F for 30 minutes. (if you are using a fan-forced oven  then you will need to lower the temperature by up to 10 degrees centigrade and/or adjust the time). Place on a wire rack to cool and then store in an air-tight container.