From Helen’s Kitchen

• Chocolate Rum Truffles
• Memsahib’s Shortbread
• Pineapple Boiled Fruit Cake
• Pumpkin Fruit Cake
• Queen Mary’s Wedding Cake
• Quick Tomato Relish
• Tia Maria
• Tropical Fruit Cake

Other Recipe Pages:

• Table of Contents

1. Entrees, Pasta, Savories, & Soup
2. Salads
3. Main Courses & Vegetables
4. Desserts
5. Cakes, Confectionery, Pickles & Drinks

Chocolate Rum Truffles

125 g (4 oz) dark cooking chocolate - broken into pieces

3 tablespoons dark (Overproof) rum - that’s enough!

50 g (2 oz) butter

75 g (3 oz) icing sugar sifted

75 g (3 oz) ground almonds (almond meal)

Lots of chocolate nibs / dollarettes for rolling in

Place chocolate and rum in top of double saucepan. Stir constantly over gently simmering water until all chocolate is melted. Remove from heat. Add butter, icing sugar and ground almonds and stir vigorously until the mixture is smooth and thick and tends to form a soft ball around the wooden spoon. Cool, then chill in refrigerator 30 - 45 minutes.

Form little bits of the mixture into round balls about the size of a marble or a bit bigger (should make 25-30). Toss each ball as it is made in a bowl of dollarettes, place in small paper sweet cups and keep refrigerated in a closed container.

WARNING: Do not let friends taste them or you will end up having to make hundreds every Christmas!

Memsahib’s Shortbread

4 oz icing sugar (I prefer castor sugar),

8 oz butter (soft, not straight from the fridge),

10 oz plain flour,

2 oz cornflour or rice flour.

Cream butter and sugar extremely well.
Gradually cut in sifted flour mixture. Result should be like loose breadcrumbs.
Divide into two and flatten lightly onto slightly buttered baking sheet (1/2 - 3/4 in, 12 - 20 mm according to taste).
Prick well with a fork - nice patterns if you like - & cut into serving portions.
Cook at 300-325 F (150-165 C) for about 40 minutes, or until lightly browned.
When slightly cooled, sprinkle with icing sugar or castor sugar and slice into serving portions.
Can also be sprinkled with granulated sugar before putting into the oven.

Note 1: Ian’s Mum was always known as Memsahib from the family’s early years in East Africa. She made THE BEST shortbread - the secret is in the preparation!
Note 2: Many moons ago when we did such things, this shortbread won first prize many times in the Tamborine Mountain Show - IGG

Pineapple Boiled Fruit Cake

15 oz (450 g) tin crushed pineapple

4 oz (125 g) butter

1 cup sugar

1 lb (450 g) mixed fruit

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1 large teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 cup self raising flour

1 cup plain flour

pinch of salt

2 eggs

Grease and flour 9 inch (225 mm) cake tin.
Drain pineapple, reserving the juice, and put the pulp into a saucepan with 1/2 cup of the juice.
Add mixed fruit, butter, spice, sugar and soda.
Bring gently to boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Cool completely (overnight is ideal).
Heat oven to moderate (175 deg. C).
Sift flours and salt together, beat eggs and mix the flour and eggs into the cooled fruit alternately, making sure the mixture is combined well (sieving the flour into the mixture will prevent that no-no of flour balls in the cooked cake).
Pour into the prepared tin and bake in moderate oven (175 deg. C) for 1 3/4 hours.
Turn out immediately onto cooling rack. When cool, seal and use within 7 days.

Note: This cake is scrumptious - it has won first prize many times in the Tamborine Mountain Show - IGG

Pumpkin Fruit Cake

4 oz (125 gm) butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 generous desert spoons Golden Syrup

1 cup mashed cooked pumpkin (not hot)

2 cups self raising flour

1 lb (450 gm) mixed fruit

2 eggs

2 tablespoons brandy

Sprinkle mixed fruit with brandy and leave stand in sealed container overnight.
Butter and flour 9 inch (23 cm) cake tin.
Set oven to moderate (175 deg C).
Cream the butter and sugar, add the well beaten eggs.
Add Golden Syrup and pumpkin. Mix well.
Add fruit and sifted flour alternately, mixing well between each addition.
Bake in moderate oven (175 deg C) for about 1 hour and 40 minutes. Cake should be golden on top and showing some cracks in the surface when fully cooked.
Remove from oven. Turn out onto cooling rack, quickly and carefully invert to top side up on another cooling rack. Seal in an air proof container for up to 1 week before eating.

Note: Another prize winner in the Tamborine Mountain Show - IGG

Queen Mary’s Wedding Cake

1 lb butter,

1 lb sugar,

1 lb flour (incl. 4 oz self raising flour),

3 1/2 lb mixed fruit e.g.

14 oz sultanas,

16 oz raisins,

10 oz citron peel,

8 oz currants,

8 oz cherries

4 oz chopped almonds,

4 oz ground almonds,

10 large eggs (not Jumbo),

1 tspn cinnamon,

1 tspn nutmeg

2 tablespoons whisky,

2 tablespoons milk.

Set oven at 350 F (177 C).
Line a 9 in (228 mm) square tin or 10 in (254 mm) round tin with double thickness of buttered brown paper.
Cream butter and sugar.
Add flour, spices, ground almonds well mixed.
Add fruit and nuts. Make sure well mixed.
Gradually add well beaten eggs.
Lastly add whisky and milk.
Turn into prepared tin and put in oven. Turn oven down immediately to 325 F (163 C).
After one hour turn down to 300 F (149 C) and cover top with buttered brown paper (double thickness).
After two hours turn down to 275 F (135 C).
Should be cooked after 4 hours. Test after 3 1/2 hours. Slightly shorter time in fan forced oven.

If making 1/2 mixture then halve all ingredients, use 7 in (178 mm) square tin or 8 in (203 mm) round tin, same oven temperatures but test after 2 hours (should take about 3 hours).

For top layer of a wedding cake (1/4 mixture), use 5 in (127 mm) square tin or 6 in (152 mm) round tin, use same oven temperatures but halve times given in main recipe.

Mrs Heweston, Queenscliff

Note: Helen made (and decorated) this as a three tier cake for our own wedding. - IGG

Quick Tomato Relish

1 pound (450 g) ripe red tomatoes

1 pound onions

1 cup white vinegar

1/2 dessert spoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 dessert spoon dry mustard

1 large teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon cornflour

Slice onions and tomatoes, mix remaining ingredients (except for the cornflour) with the vinegar and add the onions and tomatoes. Bring gently to the boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 -30 minutes. Mix 1 teaspoon of cornflour with a little water and stir in to the boiling mixture. Simmer for a couple of minutes to cook the cornflour. Remove from heat, cool slightly then spoon into warm sterilised jars and seal immediately.

Home Made ‘Tia Maria’

This home-made version is a lot cheaper so you can afford to drink more of it!

7 heaped teaspoons good quality powdered or granulated coffee

1 cup water

1 & 1/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

10 oz (300 ml) vodka

2 oz (60 ml) dark rum

Dissolve the coffee and sugar in the water and boil for 5 minutes.
Cool completely then strain and add the vanilla, vodka and rum.
Pour into air-tight, sterilised glass bottles and leave to mature as long as you can wait - the longer the better! (Keeps well).

Tropical Fruit Cake

Ideal for people with a dairy allergy

3 cups whole shelled brazil nuts

8 whole pitted dates, roughly chopped

6 glace figs, roughly chopped

1 cup glace cherries

3/4 cup plain flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup castor sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Grease a deep loaf pan and line base and sides with greased greaseproof or greased brown paper. Set oven at 150C (300F).

Put nuts, dates, figs and cherries in a large bowl. Sift dry ingredients onto fruit and mix thoroughly. Beat eggs until frothy and add vanilla. Pour over fruit mix and stir well.

Bake for about 1 3/4 hours. Remove from tin and gently peel off paper immediately.

Cool completely. Wrap in a brandy soaked cloth and then in foil and store in a sealed container.