QUICK MIX CARROT CAKE

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups grated carrot
3 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut OR 1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup sultanas
2 cups SR Flour
1 tsp mixed spice

Method

1. Mix everything in a bowl until combined & pour into pan.
2. Cook in Moderate Slow Oven for 50 minutes.
3. Leave for 10 mins to stand & then turn out on cooling rack.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
90g Cream Cheese
1 cup icing sugar
90g butter

Cream all together

CARAMEL ICING
60g butter
2 tablespoon Milk
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup icing sugar

Melt butter in saucepan, add brown sugar & milk.
Bring to boil & stir for 2 minutes.
Leave to cool for a few minutes & stir in icing sugar.

Megs's Notes:
I use a 23cm square pan for this recipe.
Moderate Slow Oven = 160C / 325F
Cream Cheese Frosting is a MUST HAVE for Carrot Cakes.
The Caramel Icing is perfect for Banana Cakes, but thought I'd throw it in here.

SCONES

Basic, 'must have' recipe for every cook, and every kitchen!

Ingredients:

2 cups SR Flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup to 1 cup Milk

Method:

1. Rub Butter into flour & salt mixture
2. Make well in centre & pour in the Milk
3. Using a Knife, very lightly mix the milk in, making a soft dough.
4. Tip dough out onto a lightly floured bench or pastry sheet
5. Without handling much, slightly flatten out.
6. Cut out rounds using Scone Cutter & place on tray
7. Brush top of each scone with Milk
8. Bake 10-15 minutes at 220 degrees Celsius until Golden on top


Variations:

Cheese Bacon & Chives Scones
Add about 1/2 cup grated cheese, 1/4 cup chopped bacon pieces and 1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped chives to the flour & butter mix just before you add the milk.

Cheese & Corn Scones
Add 1/2 cup grated cheese and 1/2 cup corn before you add milk.

Sweet Scones
Add 1/2 cup sultana's and 1/4 cup sugar before milk.


Meg's notes:

Do NOT over handle scones as you are mixing them as it will make them tough.
Good rule of thumb with scones is barely touch the mix. Mix it quick & get them in the oven quick. I use a chefs tool to rub butter into flour, and then use a wide blade knife with a round end (one of the old style ivory handle butter knives) to chop through the dough as I'm mixing the Milk in. I do this very quickly, and barely touch the dough after that other than to cut and brush before putting in the over. Do NOT under any circumstances think that it is a good idea to knead the dough! Leave that for the bread-makers! If you do this I can almost guarantee that your scones will come out like hard little rocks, and you might as well give them to the kids to play soccer with!