Desserts

I'm in the mood for Easter makes. I know that Lebkuchen are usually associated with December but here goes with a different recipe than the one in the link:

1 egg yolk
4tbsps honey
2oz butter
20z demarara sugar
8oz plain flour
1tspn baking powder
2tpsns ginger (ground)
1 oz cocoa powder
1 tsps mixed spice
Icing mixture:
3oz icing sugar
1 tbpsn lemon juice

1.Oven on at 170deg C (fan oven).
2. Put honey, butter and brown sugar into pan on low. Stir together until butter melts.
3. Add dry ingredients (flour, powders, spices) into mixing bowl. Add egg yolk.
4. Mix in melted ingredients from stage 2.
5. Roll mixture into a dough ball.
6. Roll out dough until it is about half a centimetre thick.
7. Cut out shapes using biscuit cutters.
8. Place onto greaseproof paper lined baking tray.
9. Bake until golden (about 7 minutes) and then leave to cool on rack.
10. Decorate biscuits with icing mixture and punch holes (if you are going to put a ribbon through and hang up).

Halva
I'm fed up of only finding shop-bought Halva which contains vanillin (a byproduct of the paper industry and a poor substitute for vanilla essence) so will be making my own.

1/2 pint H2O aka water
3oz organic caster sugar
4 oz butter
4 oz semolina
2 drops vanilla essence (Fair Trade)

1. Put water and sugar in pan over low heat in order to dissolve sugar and thus produce a syrup, remove from heat.
2. Melt butter and add semolina - stir continuously and cook for 3 minutes until mixed in, remove from heat.
3. Add vanilla essence and syrup mixture and stir.
4. Place back on heat and stir for 3 minutes to thicken.
5. Pour into tray, smooth down and let it cool.
6. When it has set cut into squares and serve.

Sachertorte (an Austrian delight)
6 eggs (separated into yolks and whites)
5 oz butter
5oz caster sugar
4oz dark chocolate
4oz plain flour

Icing:
2 tbspns butter
4oz dark chocolate
8oz icing sugar
5oz apricot jam
1oz cocoa powder

1. Cream butter and sugar together. Add beaten egg yolks.
2. Melt chocolate in bain-marie and then add to butter cream mix.
3. Add flour and mix in.
4. Whisk egg whites until they are firm and form soft peaks.
5. Fold in egg whites 1 spoon at a time.
6. Use Victoria sandwich tins and add mixture.
7. Bake cakes for 35 minutes
8. Leave to cool on rack.
9. For icing melt chocolate in bain marie, add tbspn of icing sugar and butter.
10. Spread chocolate icing onto one half of the cake. Layer other cake on top.
11. Melt jam over low heat and spread over top layer of cake.
12. Sift remaining icing sugar and cocoa into bowl, add water gradually and spread over the top and sides of cake.




Nutty Chocolate Brownies
6oz chopped nuts
4 oz dark chocolate
6oz butter
10oz caster sugar
1 tspn vanilla essence (5ml)
3 eggs
4oz plain flour
1 tspn level baking powder

1. Melt chocolate and butter in bain-marie.
2. Place choc/butter mixture into mixing bowl and add sugar and vanilla essence.
3. Whisk eggs together and fold into chocolate mixture.
4. Add dry ingredients (flour, nuts, powder)
5. Pour mix into greased baking tray.
6. Bake for 40 minutes at 180degC (fan).
7. When cooled cut into squares.