Self-saucing chocolate pudding

100g butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
2/3 cup self-raising flour
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp cocoa powder

Sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp instant coffee powder
1 1/2 cups boiling water

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
Beat butter and sugar.
Beat in eggs and then fold in the rest of the sifted ingredients.
Spoon into greased oven-proof dish.
For the sauce, mix together brown sugar, coffee, cocoa and boiling water.
Pour over a spoon held over the pudding. (This stops the water making a hole in the batter).
Bake for 35 minutes or until cooked.
Serve with ice cream or cream.

Bobotie

So there I was listening to Afternoons with Jim Mora on National Radio on Friday (when they have regular cooking slot) and missed the start of the recipe. Just listening to the ingredients, I thought "Hang on - this sounds suspiciously like Bobotie" and indeed it was. A dish that brings back many childhood memories.

Now the Saturday Kids had a painful experience with a previous incarnation of this which was far too strong so they scaled back on the curry powder. Personally, they could have added a bit more! but it was delicious anyway.

The recipe is here but just in case it's ever removed, it's copied below:

Chef: Lois Daish, as heard on Afternoons with Jim Mora, 15 June 2007

Ingredients
1 thick slice white bread
1 and a half cups milk
2 tablespoons oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 large knob fresh ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin
1 kg minced beef
1 large carrot, coarsely grated
3 tablespoons fruit chutney
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg, beaten
4 tablespoons seedless raisins
1 cup tomato puree

Topping
2 eggs
large pinches salt and turmeric
6 bay leaves
flaked almonds
Method
Soak the bread in the milk. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onions, ginger and garlic. Add curry and spices. Stir until aromatic, adding a little water to prevent scorching. Add minced beef and stir until no longer pink. Add remaining ingredients, including the squeezed out bread. (Reserve the milk). Mix well and spread in a large lightly oiled baking dish (20x30cm). Bake at 160 for 45 minutes.

To make the topping, whisk eggs with the reserved milk, salt and turmeric. Pour over the baked meat. Slip in the bay leaves and scatter the almonds. Bake for another 45 minutes.

Serves 8

from ‘Fabulous Food’ by Lynn Bedford Hall (Struik/New Holland)

Girl Guide biscuits

These have been around for 50 years in New Zealand and are something of an icon.

Good to see that the Guides have moved with the times and you can now order them online here.

There's also a recipe book "Guide Biscuit Recipes" which you can order from here. (Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the link).

Queen of puddings

600 ml milk
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla essence
50g sugar
2 eggs, separated
2 tbsp fruit jam

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
Bring the milk to the boil in a saucepan.
Add breadcrumbs, butter, lemon zest and half the sugar.
Cool for about 5 minutes.
Stir in egg yolks and vanilla essence.
Spoon into greased pie dish and cook for 30 minutes.
Warm jam and spread over the pudding.
Whisk egg whites until stiff, adding rest of sugar while whisking.
Spoon the meringue over the jam.
Cook for around 10 minutes or until meringue is golden.

Chicken drumsticks with roasted winter vegetables

Chicken drumsticks
Large kumara
2 lemons, quartered
Potatoes
1/2 pumpkin
Large parsnip
4 courgettes
Red pepper
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
Cube all vegetables and place in large roasting dish.
Sprinkle with olive oil.
Cook for 25 minutes.
Place chicken drumsticks on top interspersed with the lemon pieces and cook for another 35 minutes or until cooked.
The roast ingredients make a tasty sauce which can be used as the basis for a gravy.