1. Buttermilk Rusks

    by Shell

    Buttermilk rusks are always a winner, especially when dunked in coffee. This buttermilk rusk recipe will let you enjoy your morning coffee even more!

    (If you don’t know what “rusks” are, they are a South African version of biscotti, just much yummier!)

    Ingredients

    4 lbs Flour (All-purpose flour or Cake flour or even a mix of the two)
    25 ml (1 tbsp & 2 tsp) Baking Soda
    50 ml (3 tbsp & 1 tsp) Cream of Tartar
    10 ml (2 tsp) Salt
    500 grams (1 lb) Butter or Margarine (cold)
    250 ml (1 cup) Sugar
    3 Eggs
    500 to 750 ml (2 – 3 cups) Buttermilk
    1 Tbsp Aniseed (optional)

    Making The Buttermilk Rusks

    1. Sift the baking soda, cream of tartar and 1 cup of flour together (repeat 3 times).
    2. Sift all the dry ingredients together. If you are using aniseed, add it too and mix well.
    3. Grate the butter into the mixture and rub (to mix) through with fingers.
    4. Beat the eggs, add the buttermilk, mix and then add to flour mixture. Mix together so that mixture is little runny, but still can be kneed. Kneed lightly until all ingredients are mixed well.
    5. Make little balls (slightly bigger than a golfball) with mixture and place them (touching) into a greased breadpan.
    6. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes in the oven at a temperature of 400 °F.
    7. When your rusks have cooled slightly, break (or cut) them into pieces and dry overnight in a cool oven by placing the rusks directly on the oven grills. (Set the oven on “Warm” only and keep the oven door slightly open by wedging a teaspoon into the door at the top.)

    Additional Hints For Your Rusks

    • More or less sugar can be used, or can even be totally left out – if needed.
    • If more rough rusks are desired, replace half of the flour with wheat flour.
    • The butter or margarine can also be melted and then mixed with the egg and buttermilk mixture (it creates a finer texture).
    • The flour, baking soda and creme or tartar can also be replaced by Self Raising Flour.

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  2. Shannon’s Nans Jam Drops

    by Shell

    Ingredients

    • 125g butter
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1 egg
    • 2 teaspoons of honey
    • 1/2 cup plain flour
    • 1/2 cup arrowroot
    • 1 cup SR flour

    Method

    1. Cream butter and sugar untill light and fluffy
    2. Add egg and honey and then flours and mix together untill it is combined.
    3. Roll in to balls and using the end of a wooden spoon make dints in top of each cookie then fill with jam.
    4. Bake for 10-12 mins at 180°C

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  3. Barbecued stuffed pork loin

    by Shell

    Make life easier for yourself and cook this year’s Christmas main on the barbecue.

    Equipment

    You’ll need unwaxed kitchen string and a large, disposable foil-baking dish.

    Ingredients – serves 8

    • 50g butter
    • 3 rashers Primo middle bacon, rind removed, finely chopped
    • 1/2 small brown onion, finely chopped
    • 1/2 (70g) cup chopped unsalted macadamia nuts
    • 1 large granny smith apple, peeled, finely chopped
    • 1 1/4 cups fresh breadcrumbs
    • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
    • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
    • 1.5kg rolled pork loin
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 teaspoons sea salt
    • apple sauce, to serve

    Method

    1. Melt butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon and onion. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until onion has softened. Add macadamias. Cook, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes or until macadamias are golden. Remove from heat. Stir in apple, breadcrumbs, parsley and rosemary. Preheat barbecue on high with hood closed.
    2. Remove string from pork. Unroll. Place on a board, skin-side down. Slice crossways through the thickest part of the meat without cutting through to skin. Open pork out to form 1 large piece. Press stuffing, in a wide row, on cut side of loin. Roll up pork to enclose stuffing. Tie with kitchen string at 3cm intervals to secure. Rub with oil. Sprinkle with salt. Place in a large, disposable foil baking dish.
    3. Cook pork, with hood down, using indirect heat (see note), for 20 minutes. Reduce barbecue temperature to medium. Cook for 1 hour 30 minutes using indirect heat or until juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into centre. Remove pork. Cover with foil. Stand for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with apple sauce.

    Notes

    To use indirect heat, turn heat burners on one half of the barbecue to desired temperature. Place baking dish on unheated side of barbecue. You could also cook pork in a 220°C/200°C fan-forced oven for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 180°C/160°C fan-forced and cook for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes.

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