1 c flour
100g butter
1/4 c sugar
1 egg
3 c stewed dried apricots or fresh apricots

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a sponge roll cake tin with baking paper.
Sift flour, cut in butter and mix in until it resembles breadcrumbs.Stir in sugar and egg. Form a stiff dough.
Press half of the dough into the tin. Cover with apricot filling. Crumble the rest of dough over the top.
Bake for about 30 min or until the bottom layer is cooked through. You might need to cover the top with foil for an extra few min of ba...
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This recipe is adapted from Dean Brettschneider's book Global Baker. Great stuff!

140g ground almonds
200g icing sugar
3 egg whites
1/4 c caster sugar
pinch of cream of tartar

filling:
chocolate ganache - melted dark chocolate with cream, whipped til the consistency to spread on macaroons

Sift ground almonds and icing sugar into a bowl. Use an electric mixer to whisk the eggs whites, sugar and cream of tartar. Dean adds a few drops of natural raspberry essence; Mama Chan used green colouring. Whisk u...
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A classic tea loaf! Extra yummy spread with butter.

150g butter
½ c brown sugar
½ c golden syrup
½ c treacle
¾ c finely chopped dates
¾ c chopped walnuts, optional
2 c self-raising flour
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
½ c milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven 160C. Line 23cm loaf tin with baking paper. Melt together butter and sugars in small saucepan. Set aside to cool.

Mix dates and nuts with butter mixture. Sift flour and spices...

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6 egg whites
1 ½ c caster sugar
1 c chopped hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 100 C. Trace 3 x 20cm round circles onto baking paper. Turn over and place on baking sheet.
Beat eggs for 1 min. Then add sugar and beat further 6-8 mins until peaks form.
Add the hazelnuts or any other kind of nuts or almond meal.
Divide mixture in 3 and spread over circle shapes. Bake at for 3-4 hours until crispy.

Assemble together with sweetened cream and berries. Our bottom layer was strawberri...

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Mama Chan has made these for years and years. They are up there with the classic custard tarts you get from a Chinese bakery.

Custard:
500 ml milk
¾ c sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp white vinegar

Flakey pastry:
1 c flour
125 g butter
½ small c milk
1 tsp vinegar

This recipe makes 18 tarts.
Heat milk to almost boiling. Stir in sugar to dissolve. When cool add eggs and vinegar and beat lightly until mixed.

Grate cold butter into flour. Add vinegar and milk. Bring together to form a d...

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Mama Chan got the special flower-shaped sponge tins from Hong Kong a while back. So her sponges look just like the ones you’d buy at a Chinese bakery.

½ c sugar
2 eggs
whisk until pale and creamy

fold in:
1/2 c flour
2 Tb cornflour
1 tb oil

Pour into greased tins. Bake at 190 C for 12-15 mins. That little bit of oil makes these sponges a different texture to other sponges.

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It was my birthday and I requested this from dear Mama Chan, and she obliged!

2 Tbs caster sugar
125 g plain dark chocolate
2 Tbs brandy or coffee
4 eggs, separated, plus 2 extra egg whites
icing sugar to serve

Preheat oven to 200 C. Butter a 1 litre soufflé dish and dust out with 1 Tbs caster sugar. Break chocolate into pieces and put into a double boiler or a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water with the brandy or coffee.Set over medium heat and stir ...

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I have wonderful memories of this when I was a child, when we called it wang wang pie.
Pastry;
2 c plain flour, 1/4 tsp salt, cold water
Sift flour and salt, cut in butter and mix until a stiff dough. Put in fridge.

Filling, mix together in saucepan over gentle heat for 5-10 mins:
1/4 c cornflour
2 Tb custard powder (optional)
3/4 c sugar
2 tsp lemon rind
1/4 c lemon juice
3 egg yolks
1 Tb butter

Meringue, beat together:
1/4 c caster sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
3 egg whites

Roll out pastry, line 20cm flan tin. Cov...
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Stewed apricots are a winner in freshly baked bread!
Apricot filling:
Stew 1 cup dried apricots wiht 1/2 c water and 1/4 sugar until mushy and soft. Cool.
Chocolate filling:
Melt 300 g chocolate with some icing sugar, 1/2 c ground almonds, vanilla essence, dessicated coconut if you like. The mixture should have a peanut butter consistency so it's easily spreadable.
For 2 loaves:
1 c milk
3/4 - 1 c water
125g butter
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp salt
3-4 level tsp yeast
2 eggs
6 1/2 c flour
Make the dough and knead u...
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Mama Chan used Annabel Langbein's crumble topping from her Free Range Cook book.

Line pie dish with store-bought puff pastry. Blind bake at 170C for 20-30 mins.
Mix tin stewed apples or stew 3 apples yourself. Add a cup or so of fresh or frozen berries, 1/2 c sugar and 2 Tbs cornflour. Pour into pie dish.
Make crumble topping by mixing:

2 c flour
1 c ground almonds
1 1/2 c brown sugar
2 c rolled oats
1 c almonds, chopped or slivered
2 tsp mixed spice
together with 250 g melted butter
Put the topping on ...
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125g plain flour
pinch salt
90g butter
2 tsp icing sugar
1 tbs water or lemon juice
egg yolk

Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Place butter in the middle. Add sugar and water/juice and yolk. Stir with blunt knife until mixed together then knead with your hands in the bowl until you have formed a dough. Put in fridge for 20 mins.
Roll out and cut into the shapes for your pastry tins. Refrigerate for another 20 mins. Oven to 180C. Prick pastry and blind bake for 8-10 mins, then 3 mins normal baking.
Fil...
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Mama Chan always makes brandy snaps for Xmas. But this year after our Xmas dinner we just had pavlova and fruit salad, which was absolutely fine as we all had food comas anyway. Then as we were cleaning up she said, "Oh, I forgot the brandy snaps!", and spent the next ten minutes trying to remember where she put them. No cupboard was left closed or cake tin unopened in the quest to find the elusive snaps. They were under a table in a see-through container with brazil nuts (so she thought it w...
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Makes 4

100g pitted dates, finely chopped
¼ boiling water
50g butter, chopped
½ c brown sugar
1 egg
¾ c plain flour
¾ tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground ginger
2 Tbs milk
icing sugar to serve

Toffee sauce:
100g butter
½ c cream
½ c brown sugar

Preheat oven 180 C. Place dates and water in a bowl and set aside for 5 mins. Put butter and sugar in bowl and beat until light and creamy. Add egg and beat well. Sift flour and baking powder of the mixture. Add ginger, milk an...

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This is an easy-peasy custard Mama Chan usually makes when she has yolks left over from making a pavlova or meringues.

¾ c milk
1 ½ c cream
½ c sugar
4 eggs yolks

Mix all ingredients together and pour into baking dish. Bake at 150 C for about 30 mins until set. The strawberries worked well as a decoration for colour and a complementary taste to the custard.

Mama Chan uses this recipe to make Chinese-style custard tarts (you can just use all milk if you don’t have cre...

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This recipe used lemon curd to make butterfly cupcakes but Mama Chan just used strawberries in season and whipped cream.

125g soft butter, chopped
1 tsp grated lemon rind
¾ c caster sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ c self-raising flour
½ c milk

Line 24 patty pan trays with paper patty cases. Mama Chan got some real cute ones with animals from the $3 Japan shop in Queen St.
Combine butter, rind, sugar, eggs, flour and milk and beat with electric mixer.
Divide mixture among the patty...

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 Filling:
1 potato, grated
1 carrot, grated
1 onion, finely diced
2 spring onions, chopped
10 water chestnuts, chopped
1 tsp ginger, minced
1 tsp garlic, minced
pinch of sugar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp dry sherry
1 tsp curry paste or laksa paste
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbs curry powder

Pastry:
2 c flour
450g cold butter, grated
½ c milk to bind

OR use bought puff pastry, it’s still good

Mix together flour, butter and milk, knead to a dough. Divi...

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Like a giant cream puff donut, this ring measured more than 30 cm in diameter - bigger than an LP!

1 c water
75 g butter
150 g flour
1 dessertspoon sugar
4 eggs

Bring butter and water to the boil, add flour and beat until the mixture leaves the sides of the saucepan. Remove from heat, add sugar, then beat in eggs one at a time. Make into a wreath shaped on a greased tray. Bake at 200 C for 30 mins.
Slit ring in half while hot. When cool, fill with whipped cream with a bit of rum and freshly sliced f...
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Carrot cake ain't carrot cake without cream cheese icing!

2 eggs
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 oil
1 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 c chopped walnuts (optional)
1 1/2 c grated carrots

For icing, mix together:
100g cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 c icing sugar
enough lemon juice to taste

Beat eggs and sugar until creamy. Add oil, then fold in dry ingredients. Pour into greased ring tin or loaf tin. Bake at 150C for 3/4 hour.
Wait till cool to sp...
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Mama Chan usually only makes pavs at Christmastime, but when granddaughter Sophie came to visit from Melbourne, she pulled out all the stops with a huge family dinner and dessert.

3 egg whites
1/2 c castor sugar
2 tsp cornflour
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp vinegar

Beat egg whites until stiff. Add sugar and keep beating until shiny. Add vanilla, vinegar and cornflour.
Bake for 125 C for 1/2 hour then 100 C for 2 1/2 hours.
Must serve with cream and fruit in season.

Mama Chan has experimented over th...
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Why does a 'coffee cake' not contain any coffee? Does anyone else find this an annoying misnomer? Anyway, this recipe comes from Mama Chan's first homemade recipe book that my older sister Karen typed out more than 30 years ago! That's why the measurements are imperial. She's probably used the same ring tin since then too. Indeed, this streusel coffee cake goes well with any warming beverage at any time of the day.

1/ 1/2 c flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 c sugar
2 oz butter
1 egg
1/2 c mil...
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300g butter, softened
1/2 c icing sugar
1 c cornflour
2 c flour

Preheat oven to 160 C. Beat butter and icing sugar with a wooden spoon for 3 mins. Mix in dry ingredients. Knead until smooth. If dough is too sticky, add a little flour.
Form dough into a large ball. Divide dough into 8 wedges. Form each wedge into a sausage. Cut each sausage into 6 pieces. Roll into a small ball. Place on ungreased cold trays. Flatten with a fork.
Bake for 30-35 mins.

Make lemon icing by mixing 1 Tb soft butter, 1 c ...
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Bless Mama Chan! She made a little mini-me gluten free pudding for Frances as well as a big one for da family (double the recipe).
 
1/3 c raspberry jam,melted
75g butter, softened
1/3 c caster sugar
1 egg
1tsp vanilla essence
1 c plain flour or gluten-free flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder, sifted
1 Tbs golden syrup
1/2 milk
 
Preheat oven to 160C. If you'd like to do single serve puddings, divide jam between 4 lightly greased ovenproof dishes/tins, or just put all of the jam on the bottom ...
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There are some days when you just feel like munching into a macaroon.

4 egg whites
2/3 c caster sugar
3 c desiccated coconut (fine or shredded)

Whisk whites for 1 min, add sugar and whisk another 6-8 mins till peaks form. Fold in coconut. Spoon on lined baking tray. Bake at 125C for half hour then at 80C for 1 and a half hours. Mama Chan likes her macaroons crispy. If you like them chewy on the inside, bake for less. Makes 20.
Half dip in chocolate for the decadent touch.

If you're wondering what M...
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1 c self raising flour
1/2 c caster sugar
2 T lemon zest
45 g butter
1/2 c milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 T extra sugar
1/4 lemon juice
1/2 c boiling water

Preheat oven to 180C. Mix flour, sugar, 1 Tb zest in a bowl. Add melted butter, vanilla and milk and stir to combine. Spoon into 4 x 1 cup ramekins, slightly greased. Mama Chan used a BIG oven dish instead for our Sunday night family dinner for 6. Sprinkle with extra sugar and zest. Combine lemon juice and water and pour over pudding. Bake for 25 min...
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zest and juice of 2 lemons
250 g butter
1 1/2 c castor sugar
6 eggs
1/4 self raising flour
2 c plain flour
3/4 c sour cream

Cream butter, sugar and zest. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in sifted dry ingreds alternatively with sour cream and lemon juice.
Pour into greased 23cm round cake tin. Bake at 150C for 1 1/4 hours (a little less if it's a ring tin).
To serve dust with icing sugar. Serve with cream and/or yoghurt.
Recipe from cousin Suzanne many years ago.
Mama Chan also made a gluten free versio...
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125g softened butter
1/4 c sugar
1 1/2 c plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger

ginger icing:
75g butter
3/4 c icing sugar
2 T golden syrup
3 tsp ground ginger

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift dry ingreds and mix into creamed mixture. Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead well. Press into lined/greased 20 x 30 cm sponge tin.
Bake at 190C for 20-25 mins or until light brown.
Put all icing ingreds into a saucepan and heat until butter has melted, stir...
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Cinnamon oysters are great for special occasions. They look dainty and are as light as air. One is never enough.

2 eggs
1/4 c sugar
2 tsp golden syrup
4 T plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
whipped cream

Beat eggs and sugar until thick. Add golden syrup and beat well.
Sift dry ingreds together. Fold them into egg mixture.
Spoon onto greased trays.
Bake at 200C for 8-10 mins or until the surface springs back when lightly touched.
When cooled but the oy...
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These are so soft. This is Mama Chan's version of what you can buy in the Chinese cake shops (but better).

dough:
1 c milk
3/4 - 1 c water
125g butter
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp salt
3-4 level tsp yeast
2 eggs
6 1/2 c flour

coconut filling:
2 c coconut
1/2 c sugar
90g butter
2 tsp vanilla essence

Make the dough and knead until smooth. Add more flour if it's too sticky. Put in a bowl and cover and leave to rise until it is doubled in size.
Punch down and shape into large square. Put coconut mixture on half of the squa...
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This recipe is for two square tin cakes, with lined sides and bottom.

Soak in 1 1/2 c of brandy overnight:
2 kg fruit mince
red and green cherries
zest of 4 lemons

3 T golden syrup
3 T marmalade
3 tsp vanilla
500g butter
1 1/2 c brown sugar
4 1/2 c flour
9 eggs
3 tsp baking powder
3 tsp mixed spice

Pre-heat oven to 150 C. Mix fruit with rest of ingredients. Pour into tins.
Tie double layer of brown paper on the outside of the tines. Place 8 layers of newspaper on shelf underneath the tins.
Bake for half hour...
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6 eggs
3/4 c sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 c almond meal
1/2 c self-raising flour (or use normal flour and add 1 tsp baking powder)

Line 2 x 25cm sponge tins. Whisk eggs and sugar until fluffy. Fold in dry ingreds. Bake at 180C for 1/2 hour.
We brushed a couple of tablespoons of rum on each sponge and layered it with jam and cream. I think the kiwifruit looks great and yes, there are 50 candles there!

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