Kiddies Birthday Desserts

Boudoir Racing Cars, Smartie crammed Clown Men, Jelly filled Orange Skins

Recipe by Jackie Cameron

Boudoir Racing Cars, Smartie-Crammed Clown Men, Jelly-Filled Orange Skins, Mini Cup Cakes and Fresh Fruit Kebabs are non-negotiables for your child’s finger lunch!. Fun to make and even better to eat…

 

Boudoir Racing Cars

Ingredients :

Icing Sugar

Water

1 box Boudoir Biscuits

1 Box Smarties

1 packet Jelly Babies

Extra sweets for fun

Method :

1) Add a few drops of water to the icing sugar to make a thick water icing.  Use this as glue to make your racing car as per the photo.

Smartie crammed Clown Men

Ingredients :

Icing Sugar

Water

1 box Smarties

1 box Ice Cream Cones

1 pkt Jelly tots

1 pkt Marshmallows

1 pkt Marie Biscuits

Food Colouring – Red and Blue

Method :

1) Add a few drops of water to the icing sugar to make a thick water icing.  Use this as glue to make your clown man.

2) Fill a cone with Smarties.  Ice a Marie biscuit and close the cone up with this as a base for the clown man.  Cut the top point off the cone.  Push a marshmallow on the cone as the face and top with the point as the top hat.  Paint, with a toothpick, using the coloured icing to form a smile and eyes.

2) Continue with jelly tot buttons as per the picture

Jelly filled Oranges

Ingredients :

1 box Strawberry Jelly Powder

1 box Lime Jelly Powder

Oranges

Method :

1) Cut oranges in half.  Make up the jelly as per the packet instructions and pour into the orange shells.  Once set, slice into quarters and serve.

Please post your comments and any food-related questions below.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jackie Cameron 
Head Chef 
Hartford House
www.hartford.co.za
jackie@hartford.co.za
+27 33 263 2713

Mini Burgers and Pizzas Recipe

Mini Burgers and Pizzas

Recipe by Jackie Cameron 

Mini Burgers are always a hit. I use this recipe for the mince balls which feature on Hartford’s breakfast menu. A thick, moist, medium-rare burger patty between a crispy, buttered, sesame-topped bun roll is mouth-watering.

Take the bun recipe and roll the dough out thinly, after proving. Top this with homemade tomato sauce, grated cheese and fresh thyme. In an instant you have the ever-popular Mini Pizza. Get the kids to make their own.

Patties

Yields: makes about 28

Ingredients

50g Butter

½ Onion, finely chopped

½ Pepper, finely chopped

5 Sprigs Thyme

Salt and Pepper

1 egg

2 slices fresh Breadcrumbs

420g Mince

30 ml salted Butter

30 ml sunflower Oil

Method:

1) Heat the pan; add butter and sauté off the onion and peppers until cooked. Add thyme and season with salt and pepper allow to cool

2) Add this mixture to the mince, fresh breadcrumbs and lightly whisked egg

3) Make into small patties in size

4) Lightly dust or roll into seasoned flour

5) Heat a pan with butter and oil in. Sauté off patties and place into the oven for 7 minutes at 200º C

Bread Rolls and Pizza Base

Ingredients:

400g Bread Flour

400g Cake Flour

1 pkt Instant Yeast

1 t Salt

2 t Honey

500 ml Warm Water

1 Egg - whisked

Method:

1) Mix all the dry ingredients together

2) Cut the honey and warm water into this

3) Knead the dough for 10 minutes on a floured countertop

4) Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover with a dishtowel or greased cling wrap. Allow to prove.

Bread Rolls

1) When doubled in size pull off small portions of dough and roll small bread rolls. Place the dough into your palms of your hand and use pressure against the counter top to roll small rolls.

2)  Place these rolls onto a greased tray, covered with a clean dishtowel, and allow rising.  When risen double in size glaze with the whisked egg and bake at 180ºC until cooked.

Pizza Base

1) When doubled in size roll the dough out thinly and use a cutter to cut desired sizes

2) Bake at180º C for five minutes

3) Top with homemade tomato relish, grated cheese and fresh oregano

4) Bake in the oven until cooked for about 10 minutes

Please post your comments and any food-related questions below.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jackie Cameron 
Head Chef 
Hartford House
www.hartford.co.za
jackie@hartford.co.za
+27 33 263 2713

Hand-cut Fried Chips with Homemade Tomato Sauce Recipe

Hand-cut Fried Chips with flavoured Salts and Homemade Tomato Sauce

Recipe by Jackie Cameron

 

Keep it simple by presenting uncomplicated food in unusual ways. Serve effortless, Hand-Cut Fried Chips in a newspaper cone. Add homemade tomato sauce and a sprinkling of flavoured salts. Simply scrumptious!

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Yields: about 900 ml

Ingredients

30 ml Sunflower Oil

35 g salted Butter

10 g Garlic – finely sliced

3 Onions (450 g skin off)

6 Fresh Red Tomatoes (500-600 g chopped)

100 g Tomato Paste – All Gold

1 tin Tomato and Onion Mix

15 ml Dried Oregano

6 Thyme Sprigs or 1 Rosemary Sprig

Salt and Pepper

Method

1) Heat a pot.  Add oil and butter and heat

2) Add garlic and onions and sauté until caramelised in colour

3) Add tomatoes and cook until tender

4) Add tomato paste (chef’s note: allow the tomato paste to simmer to thicken the sauce and also to cook off the raw tomato paste flavour)

5) Then add tomato and onion mix and bring to the boil

6) Finish with oregano and thyme or rosemary.  Season to taste with salt and pepper

7) Liquidise slightly to bring all the flavours together and set aside for later serving

Flavoured Salts

Ingredients

Maldon Salt

Mix in any desired spices

Serve with the chips

Hand-cut Chips

Ingredients:

Yields: 1 large portion

2 medium Potatoes

Sunflower Oil

Method:

1) Slice a potato thinly

2) Rinse the cut potatoes in water to remove any excess starch

3) Fry the chips in sunflower oil until crisp

4) Serve in a newspaper cone

Please post your comments and any food-related questions below.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jackie Cameron 
Head Chef 
Hartford House
www.hartford.co.za
jackie@hartford.co.za
+27 33 263 2713

Mini Sausage Rolls Recipe

Mini Sausage Rolls

Recipe by Jackie Cameron

Mini Sausage Rolls are appropriate for most occasions. The crispy outer crust of puff pastry filled with a freshly chopped garlic, oregano and juicy sausage mixture is a tantalising savoury option.

Yields : 24 small portions

Ingredients :

1x 400g Puff Pastry

1 packet (450-500g) Pork Sausage

3 cloves Garlic

1 sprig fresh Rosemary

Salt and Pepper

1 whole Egg

Method :

1) Spray n cook a tray and set aside

2) Squeeze the sausage filling out of the pork skins. Add crushed garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper to taste.

3) Unroll the puff pastry and divide the mixture and pastry into three quantities

4) Place the first amount of sausage mixture down the width of the pastry. Brush both sides of this sausage mixture with water. Roll the pastry over the sausage mixture and secure by pinching the puff pastry. Do a few fork marks along the top of the sausage roll. Glaze with the whisked egg and portion into eight pieces. Continue with the other three amounts

5) Place onto the tray and bake at 200ºC until cooked

Please post your comments and any food-related questions below.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jackie Cameron 
Head Chef 
Hartford House
www.hartford.co.za
jackie@hartford.co.za
+27 33 263 2713