A ball of my Mum's pastry

Mum’s All-Purpose Pastry

This recipe makes enough pastry for about 6 average pies. Freeze the excess for later.

I especially like to use it to make treacle tart and apple pie :)

Ingredients

2kg or 4lb 6oz self-raising flour. Whilst plain flour makes a traditional pastry, my Mum always used self raising, which makes this her unique pastry even if she used to be annoyed when it turned out cakey :)

1kg or 2lb 3oz butter or margarine

6 Eggs, with a little water

For Sweet Pastry

2 cups white sugar

For Savoury Pastry

3tsp salt

Method

Rub sugar (or salt), flour and margarine together until it feels like bread-crumbs.

Add egg water and mix gently until combined.

This pastry can be used for:

Treacle Tart. Fill the base of the pie with corn-flakes and treacle, make a grid design on top with pastry “sausages” bake in a moderate oven (190 degrees C or 325 degrees F) until pastry is browned slightly.

Jam Tart. Fill the base of the tart with jam, make a grid design on top with pastry “sausages” bake in a moderate oven until pastry is browned slightly.

Apple Pie. Blind bake the base of the pie, fill with cooked apple and cover with a pastry “lid”.
Bake in a moderate oven until pastry is browned slightly.

Quick Mix Cake

Quick Mix Cake

This cake breaks all the rules when it comes to the mixing, but it’s never failed to turn out great. Use it as a base for all sorts of cakes, add a fruity sugar glaze, dried fruit and some spice, cocoa for a chocolate cake or  use it to make pineapple upside down cake!

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 3 teaspoons of butter/margarine or vegetable shortening for a vegan version

2 cups of self raising flour with a pinch of salt added (or plain/all purpose flour with 3 teaspoons of baking powder)

1 cup of caster sugar

1/2 cup milk (use soy milk for a vegan cake)

2 eggs (or equivalent amount of vegan egg replacer)

vanilla essence

Method

Preheat your oven to 190 degrees C or 375 degrees F

Grease and flour a 22cm or 9″ tin if you want to double the mix and make two layers. If you only want one layer, use a 20cm or 8″ tin.

Sift your flour into a bowl.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until it’s light and creamy.

Pour into your tin and bake for 30 – 45 minutes or until it springs back when poked lightly in the centre.