HOW TO BAKE A BANANA COCONUT CRUMB CAKE

A luscious combo of flavours in an easy-to-make cake

Makes 1x23cm cake
Prep time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS:60 ml flour, 60 ml brown sugar, 2 ml ground allspice, pinch of salt, 30 ml butter, 60 ml desiccated coconut, 1x 400gram vanilla cake mix, plus ingredients called for on the packet, 1 medium banana mashed, 2 ml each cinnamon and nutmeg.

METHOD: 1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius. Grease and flour a 23 cm spring form pan. Combine flour, brown sugar, allspice and salt. Rub in butter. Add coconut, mixing well. Set aside.
2.Make up cake mix, adding mashed banana with the eggs. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. Turn batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle flour and brown sugar,mixture over batter. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack and remove spring form. Cut into wedges to serve

HOW TO MAKE A FRIDGE TART

INGREDIENTS: 1 packet Tennis biscuits, 1 tin Caramel Condensed Milk, 4 large Ripe Bananas(sliced), 250 ml Cream(stiffly).

METHOD: Place layer of biscuits in square dish. Beat caramel until smooth and creamy and spread half over the biscuits. Put half the bananas over the caramel and spread 1/2 of the cream on top. Repeat the layers and end with cream. Crumble a tennis biscuit and sprinkle over the top. Leave in fridge overnight and cut into squares to serve.

HOW TO MAKE A NEVER FAIL CAKE

INGREDIENTS: 4 eggs, 2 cups flour, 1 cup milk or water, 2 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 4 tablespoons oil.

METHOD: Mix first 4 ingredients. Bring milk and oil to boil. Mix thoroughly. Bake in rectangular pyrex dish at 180 degrees Celcius until done-40 to 45 minutes. Ice when cool and cut in squares.

To make a chocolate cake: Add 3 tablespoonsful cocoa.

To make a coffee cake: Add 1 tablespoonful coffee powder mixed with 2 tablespoonsful of hot water.

HOW TO MAKE BUTTERMILK BISCUIT

INGREDIENTS: 2 packets (1 kilogram) Self Raising flour, 1 1/2 cups Sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon salt, 250 gram Margarine.

MIX TOGETHER (LIKE CRUMBS)
Add three shakes Nutmeg

METHOD: Mix 2 eggs in 500 ml Buttermilk, add to above mixture. Mix well. Roll into balls and lay in baking trays. Heat oven to 180 degrees Celcius.

Bake for about 1 1/2 hours(Or until golden brown). Remove, break biscuit into blocks and put back into oven @ 100 degrees Celcius for about 8 hours (or until dry).

N.B. Place wooden peg in door of oven to leave narrow gap for heat to escape.

HOW TO MAKE RICH MUSHROOM & PARSLEY SOUP

INGREDIENTS: 750 gram black mushrooms, 100 gram fresh parsley, 100 gram butter, 2 cloves garlic ,crushed, 5 slices white bread( no crusts), 1 litre good chicken stock, salt & pepper to taste, grated nutmeg or ground mace, 125-250ml(1/2 - 1 cup) cream.

METHOD: Wipe mushrooms and chop roughly. Chop the parsley finely.

Melt the butter in large saucepan and add the mushrooms, parsley and garlic; stir. Cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes. Crumble the bread into the saucepan. Add the stock and seasonings(If you use a stock cube, be careful not to add too much salt). Heat up, stirring and simmer for 10 minutes. Liquidize the soup in a blender, pour into a clean saucepan and add the cream. Reheat gently(do not boil). Serve hot with crusty bread.

Enough to serve 6 persons.

HOW TO MAKE A BACON AND BANANA BAKE

INGREDIENTS: 6 slices Bacon,6 Bananas, 1 tin creamed Sweetcorn(420 gram), 50 gram( 125 ml) grated Cheddar Cheese.

METHOD: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel bananas and wrap a piece of bacon around each one. Secure with toothpick. Place these in an ovenproof dish and spoon sweetcorn on top. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over.

Bake for about 1/2 hour (or until cheese has melted) and brown slightly.

Serves 6 persons.

HOW TO BAKE A BANANA BREAD

INGREDIENTS: 190 gram sugar, 3 ml vanilla essence, 4 ripe bananas, 1.5 ml salt, 1.5 ml bicarbonate of soda, 125 gram margarine or butter, 2 eggs, 240 gram flour, 10 ml baking powder,125 ml milk.

METHOD: Stir margarine and sugar together with a wooden spoon, add eggs, one at a time and mix well. Add vanilla essence.

Mash the bananas well and stir them into the mixture.

Sift 1/2 of the flour,salt,baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, and also 1/2 of the milk to the mixture and beat well with wooden spoon. Then add the rest of the flour etc, and milk and mix well.

Pour into a prepared, greased 24 x11 cm loaf tin and bake at 170 degrees Celcius for about 45 minutes. Could be less; check with fork.

This recipe is fail-safe.