Fruit Crumble Topping Mix For Desserts

Jessica's favourite homemade dessert is apple crumble.  She could happily eat it at least once a week.  She's been known to eat leftovers for breakfast the next day.  When you think about it,  it does make a healthy breakfast too.  Having this bulk mix on hand in the pantry helps to get a quick dessert in the oven.


1 cup of plain flour
2 cups of rolled oats
1/3 cup of brown sugar ( MOO )
1 teaspoon of cinnamon ( approx ).

Mix all ingredients well and store in an air tight container.

To serve use 3/4 cup of mix and add two tablespoons of melted butter to a bowl.

Mix well and pour over cooked apple, or any tinned / stewed fruit and bake in the oven as per your recipe

This dry mix recipe can be doubled or tripled to suit the container size you'll store it in.

Apple Rose Pastries

I first saw a tutorial for Apple Rose Pastries on facebook a few weeks ago.  They are easy,  tasty and very impressive looking.  After looking at the tutorial a few times I thought I'd give it a go.  I've made a few changes as I came across some problems when making them.  Here's my version of a delightful dessert -

2 sheets of puff pastry
3 medium red apples
1 1/2 tablespoons of jam - any flavour,  store bought or homemade
1 cup of boiling water
flour for the bench
juice of half a lemon
cinnamon -optional
icing sugar - optional

Cut the apples in half and neatly cut out the core.
Thinly slice the apple halves discarding the small end pieces

Place and spread out the apple slices in a large microwavable bowl
Pour the boiling water over the apple and add the lemon juice.  Stir slightly.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap and punch a couple of holes in it.
Microwave on high for 3 minutes or until the apple is cooked and soft ( not mushy )
Drain the water and let the apple cool.

Defrost the pastry until it's almost room temperature. 
Lightly flour your kitchen bench and roll the pastry out with a rolling pin until it's longer by about 20%.  Make sure your rolling pin is lightly floured too.
Cut the pastry sheet into 5 long strips.

Warm the jam in the microwave until it's easy to spread
Spread the jam over the top half of each pastry strip

Layer the apple pieces over the jam. Make sure the apple overlaps each other.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and fold the bottom half of the pastry up towards the top.

Starting at one end,  roll the pastry up taking care that the apple doesn't fall out.
Pinch the pastry end to the rose.
Place each rose in a lightly greased muffin tin

Cook at 180 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes
Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with cream or icecream

Makes 10 apple roses.

NOTES -

*  The original tutorial said to cut the pastry in 6 strips.  I found the pastry too firm to roll it out this thin.  I think the pastry in the tutorial was American and might be more flexible.

*  The apple slices must be cool or it will soften the pastry too much making it hard to work with

*  Make sure the jam is just warm or it will soften the pastry.

*  The original recipe used cold water to cook the apples.  This takes too long to heat up in the microwave

*  The apple roses can be made and cooked ahead of time.  I found them easy to reheat in the oven on a baking tray.

Peanut Butter Choc Chip Biscuits

Once upon a time I loved to buy biscuits from a certain American biscuit ( cookie ) store.  Yes,  those were the days when I had money and no family to feed  From memory those bought biscuits came at a premium price of around $2.50 each. 

Times have changed and so have my tastes.  I just love homemade biscuits and along with Cranberry Hootycreek Biscuits,  these Peanut Butter Choc Chip Biscuits are my all time favourite.  Whether you make them big or small,  crunchy or soft,  they are divine.   Made into giant biscuits, they make a great present for a hungry teenage boy.

1 cup of butter or margarine ( 250 grams )

¾ cup of white sugar

¾ cup of brown sugar

½ cup of peanut butter – crunchy or smooth

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda ( bi carb )

2 ½ cups of plain flour

½ cup of chocolate choc chips

½ cup of crushed peanuts

Cream the butter / margarine and sugars together with electric beaters.

Add the peanut butter,  baking powders and baking soda and mix well.

Add the flour,  chocolate choc chips and crushed peanuts and mix well.

Drop teaspoonful’s of compacted dough onto greased baking trays and flatten with your hand.

Bake for 10 – 15 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius until slightly golden around the edges.

Remove from the tray when cool.

HANDY HINTS –

*  Biscuit dough can be frozen.  Wrap the dough in log sizes with cling wrap.  To defrost allow 15 – 30 minutes and slice into biscuit size pieces.  Alternatively you can put the dough in the microwave for about 20 seconds to defrost..

*  Providing you have a big enough bowl,  this recipe can be easily doubled.  When I'm on a roll I make two double batches and freeze most of it for future baking.

*  Biscuits stay fresh for about 5 – 7 days in an airtight container.

These biscuits are great to give as presents.