Magpie Chic: The Mummy Recipes

Connie's Spicy Apple Muffins
3 cups flour                      6 oz sugar
1 1/2 tbsp mixed spice      2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt                    4 oz butter
1 1/2 tsp baking soda       1 1/2 cups stewed apple
1 cup saltanas

Mix first four ingredients. Add sugar and saltanas, eggs, then melted butter in freshly stewed apples.
Mix well. Bake at 400deg C 10 -15 mins. Makes 24 muffins.

My friend Connie used to make these in a flash when she would be inundated with visitors on Saturday afternoons. They are now a family favourite.

Christmas Gingerbread Shapes
175g butter                         1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup brown sugar           1/2 tsp salt
1 egg                                   2-3 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup golden syrup           3 -3 1/2 cups flour

Cream butte and sugar. Mix in the eggs and golden syrup, beating until the mixture is smooth. Sift flour, baking soda, salt and ginger into the mixture and stir until a smooth dough is formed. Chill about 20 mins.

Using a skewer, make holes if biscuits are to be hung. Place on a greased tray. Bake @ 180 deg C for 12-15 mins or until golden. Cool on a wire rack and decorate.

Chocolate pudding - YUM!
1 cup self raising flour                 30g melted butter
3/4 cup caster sugar                    3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa                             1 1/4 cups hot ater
1/2 cup milk                                1 tbsp icing sugar

Sift flour, sugar and half the cocoa in a bowl. Stir in the combined milk and butter and beat until smooth.
Combine brown sugar and remaining cocoa in jug.Stir in hot water until smooth. Gently poor mixture evenly over the top of the pudding.Cook in a moderate oven (180 deg C) for aprox 50 minutes. Dust with sifted icing sugar.

This is actually one of the "Granny" recipes. My Mum used to make it for my daughter when she was little. It's a delicious self- saucing chocolate pud.

Daniel's Mum's Gingerbread Loaf
1 cup milk                        8 oz butter
1 cup golden syrup           2 eggs
3 cups flour                      2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ginger                      2 tsp spice
2 tsp cinnamon                 1 tsp salt
1 cup sugar

Warm together milk, butter, golden syrup. Beat eggs. Sift all dry ingredients into a bowl. Add sugar. poor in liquids and beaten eggs. Mix well. Bake @ 180 deg C for 1 hour. Makes 2 loaves.

Chocolate Tea
For a decent tray full double the mixture.
150g butter              1 tbsp cocoa
1 tbsp golden syrup  1 cup crushed weetbix
1 cup sugar              1/2 cup saltanas
2 cups flour              1 tsp vanilla essence

Melt butter, golden syrup and vanilla. Add sugar, flour and cocoa. Add crushed weetbix and saltanas.
Bake in a flat tim @180 deg C for 10 - 15 mins.
Ice with chocolate icing.

I used to often make this at the same time as cooking tea, so Callum named it chocolate tea!

Apple and Lemon Muffins.
2 cups flour                      grated rind of one lemon
4 tsp baking powder         2 eggs
1 apple                             1 cup milk
pinch of salt                      1 cup saltanas
75g melted butter              1/2 cup caster sugar

Sift flour, baking powder, salt into a bowl. Peel,core and chop apple and toss through the flour and sugar.
Beat the butter, lemon rind, eggs and milk and carefully stir into the flour. Spoon mixture into well greased muffin tins.
Mix together topping of 1 tbsp caster sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and sprinkle over the muffins.