most of these cakes are more spice-y than herb-y, and are based on vegetables and fruits. And they are yummy !
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 teas baking powder
1 teas bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teas salt
1 teas cinnamon
1/2 teas nutmeg
1/2 teas ground allspice
2 eggs
3/4 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup mashed, cooked, well-drained pumpkin
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Sift together, flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Beat eggs, add sugar, oil and pumpkin, beat to blend thoroughly.
Bake in moderately slow oven about 70 minutes, or until done when tested. Remove from oven, let cool in tin for 10 minutes and then turn out on to a wire rack. Cool before cutting.
These savoury biscuits combine the flavours of herbs and coconut.
1 cup self-raising flour
1 teas salt
1/2 teas cayenne
2 teas finely chopped fresh rosemary, thyme or oregano
125 g (4 oz) butter, softened
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup desicated coconut.
Sift flour, salt and cayenne into a bowl. Mix in herbs, then rub in the butter and cheese. The mixture will form a soft dough. Shape into a roll about 3.5 cm (1 1/2 inches) in diameter, wrap in foil and chll for several hours or overnight.
Cut into thin slices and sprinkle with coconut (pressing lightly into tops of biscuits). Bake on greased trays in a preheated moderately hot oven (190 deg C or 375 deg F) until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Makes about 24.
1/3 cup poppy seeds
3/4 cup milk
185 g butter
2 teas vanilla essence
1 cup castor sugar
3 eggs
2 cups self-raising flour.
Grease a 14 cm x 21cm loaf pan, line base and sides with paper, grease paper well. Combine poppy seeds and milk in medium bowl, and let stand 1 hour.
Bake in moderate oven for about 1 hour. Stand 5 minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.
Only keeps 2 days.
125 g cottage cheese 1 teas vanilla
1 cup dates 2 tabs.chopped walnuts (optional)
peel from 1/2 mandarin (remove pith)
4 egg whites
1 1/2 cups wholemeal Self raising flour
1 teas bicarb of soda
3 very ripe bananas OR 1 banana and 2 grated apples.
Mash bananas. Place dates and mandarin peel in a food processor and mince finely. Cream cottage cheese and date mixture until smooth. Beat in 1 egg white at a time. Add bananas and vanilla, then walnuts (if using). Sift flour and bicarb of soda and fold through gently. Cook in a 20cm ring tin or a deep fluted tin at 350 deg F (180 deg C) for 35 to 40 minutes.
2 cups stoneground wholemeal Self raising flour
1/2 cup non fat yogurt
3/4 cup skim milk
1 dessertspoon lemon juice.
Place flour and yogurt in food processor and blend till mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Combine lemon juice and skin milk. Make a well in flour and yogurt mix and pour in milk and lemon juice. Knead mixture on a lightly floured board and roll out to 2cm thickness.
FILLING.
1 medium onion 1 carrot grated 1 tab. tabbouleh
1 green pepper grated 1 large potato grated
1 tab parsley and 1 tab of mint, both finely chopped
1/2 teas dry basil.
Blend all ingredients together. Spread over scone mixture and roll up. Dampen top of scone roll with yogurt and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in a hot oven (400 deg F 200 deg C) for 30 minutes or until nicely browned. Slice and serve.
1 cup mashed cold pumpkin 4 egg whites
125 g sultanas 250 g Wholemeal SR flour
125 g raisins 1 teas mixed spice
125 g mixed dried peel
125 finely chopped dried apricots 1 tabs honey
1 cup orange or apple juice 1 teas bircarb of soda
Combine fruit, orange juice and honey in a saucepan. Bring to boil.
Remove from heat, add bicarb soda, then cool. Grease a 20 cm round tin very lightly or line with foil or baking paper.
Heat oven to 325 deg F (165 C).
Beat egg whites lightly. Add cold pumpkin and fruit mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in flour and spice and beat until smooth.
Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
(for a more moist cake, soak fruit in orange juice overnight).
30 g butter
3/4 cup raw sugar
1 1/2 cups 9250g) mixed fruit
3/4 cup chopped raisins
1 teas ground cinnamon
1/2 teas ground cloves
1/2 teas ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped glace pineapple
2 cups wholemeal SR flour 2 tab. pepitas
2 tab sunflower seed kernels, extra.
Combine butter, sugar, mixed fruit, raisins, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and water in saucepan. Stir over heat without boiling until sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 3 minutes, transfer mixture to large bowl, cool mixture to room temperature.
Line base and side of greased deep 20 cm round cake pan with paper.
Stir eggs, walnuts, pineapple, sunflower seed kernels and extra water into fruit mixture, stir in sifted flour.
Spread mixture into prepared tin, sprinkle with pepitas and extra sunflower seed kernels. Bake in moderately slow oven for about 2 hours.
Cover with foil, cool in pan. Keeps about 4 days.
250 ml or 8 fl oz or 1 cup water
65 g or 2 1/2 oz or 5 tab butter
175 g or 6 oz or 1 1/2 cups flour
3 eggs
275 g or 10 oz or 1 1/4 cups freshly mashed potatoes
sea salt and black pepper
4 t abs. or 1/4 cup of chopped mixed herbs - chervil, dill, chives and parsley.
Boil water and butter together in large saucepan. When butter is melted, remove from heat and add flour. Stir until forms a thick paste. Break in the eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat until mixture is smooth and comes away from sides of pan. Beat in the hot mashed potatoes and continue mixing until all mixed in.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in chopped herbs. Leave to cool.
Heat a lightly greased griddle until very hot, then form the mixture into flat round cakes and cook them until golden brown, turning once.
Serve hot, with a dish of butter on the table. Makes about 16
scones (biscuits).
updated August 2002