Apple Pie

This recipe is super easy, and the pie is sooo yummy. I have made pies before using ready made pastry and that's fine if that's what you want to do, but I really wanted to try and make the pastry myself this time. It worked, it was light and crispy and the apples were just perfect, so give it a go because if I can do it anyone can!

Ingredients

Pastry

• 180g butter
• 2/3 cup caster sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk ( reserve the white for the glaze )
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour, sifted
• 1 1/4 cups self-raising flour, sifted

Filling

• 6 Granny Smith apples
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp all spice
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 30g butter ( cubed )

How to

• Beat butter, sugar and vanilla essence with an electric beater until smooth and creamy and increased in volume. Add the egg and egg yolk and beat until well combined.
• Transfer to a large bowl. Add the sifted flours and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. Place onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 2 even pieces. Knead each gently until mixture comes together. Wrap in baking paper and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
• Peel apples, cut into quarters and remove seeds. Cut each quarter into thin slices. Place in a bowl. Add brown sugar,cinnamon, all spice and nutmeg to chopped apples and mix well until all of the apple is coated.
• Prehet oven to 200 degrees. Brush pie dish with melted butter.
• Roll out one piece of pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper to fit the base and sides of the pie dish. Carefully ease the pastry into the dish. Spread bread crumbs over pastry base followed by apples.
• Cut 30g butter into cubes and place on top of the apples then roll out remaining pastry and cover apples completely. Gently press edges together and cut away excess pastry with a knife.
• Beat the remaining egg white with a fork until just foamy. Brush the top of the pie with the eggwhite and sprinkle with sugar. Cut a cross in the top of the pastry.
• Bake for 15 minutes at 200 degrees then reduce to 180 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes.

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

• 1 Bacon Bone
• 2 Cups chicken stock
• 4 medium size potaotes
• 1.5 kg ( 3lbs x 5oz ) pumpkin......I used Butternut.
• 1 large onion
• 1/2 cup cream
• chives
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Dollop of sour cream ( optional )

How to

• Peel and cut pumpkin and potaotes into small chunks.
• Dice onion and together with the Bacon Bone, pumpkin, potatoes and chicken stock put into a large pot. Season with a little salt and pepper.
• Add some extra water to the pot and cover the ingredients. Bring to the boil.
• Turn down heat, cover and simmer gently for 1 1/2 to 2 hours....you might need to add a little extra water towards the end.
• Remove the bacon bone, drain off about 50% of the liquid....keep some aside just incase your soup is too thick and you need to thin it out.
• Blend with a hand blender until nice and smooth, add cream and mix again, if mixture is too thick add a little of the saved liquid.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve with a dollop of sour cream, chives and a rustic loaf of bread for dipping.

Banana Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 ripe bananas

How to

• Combine milk, egg, margarine, vanilla and bananas , and blend in a mixing jug.
• Place flour and sugar in a large bowl. Mix in milk mixture.
• Pour mixture into a greased muffin tray.
• Bake for 20 - 25 minutes at 180 degrees.

This mixture will make 12 large muffins or 24 cupcake sized muffins.

*Add in some choc chips for the kids*

Crash Hot Potatoes

I got this super easy recipe from Pioneer Woman.

ingredients

• New small tound potatoes ( as many as you wish to eat )
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Rosemary

How to

• Boil potatoes in a pot of salted water until they are fork-tender.
• Drissle olive oil on a sheet tray, place potatoes on tray leaving plenty of room between each one.
• With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes. Brush the top of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.
• Sprinkle potatoes with salt, fresh ground pepper and fresh chopped rosemary ( chives or thyme would make a great alternative ).
• Bake in a 22o degree oven for 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown.