Saturday, February 2, 2013

Alison Holst's Birdseed Bars

1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup chopped roasted peanuts
1 cup coconut or fine rolled oats or crushed cornflakes
1 cup sultanas
100g butter
1/4 c honey
1/2 cup brown sugar

Line the ase and sides of the pan about 18x28cm with baking paper.
One variety at a time, watching carefully to prevent over-browning, lightly toast the sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, chopped nuts, coconut and rolled oats or crushed cornflakes, under a grill or in a large heavy-bottommed frypan on moderate heat. Sitr so that the contents brown evenly and lightly. (Do not mix before heating, since they brown at different rates.) Mix them in a large bowl after they are heated, and stir in the sultanas.

Put the butter, honey and brown sugar into the large pan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves, making a toffee-like mixture. Heat until a drop forms a soft ball when dropped in cold water, then tip the toasted ingredients back into the pan. Stir well to combine, then press the mixture into the prepared pan . Leave until lukewarm, then turn out onto a board and, using a sharp serrated knife, cut into bars the size and shape you like.

Variation: Replace peanuts with walnuts or almonds

Store promptly when cold in an air tight container or carefully wrap pieces individually.

Honey Garlic Mayonaise

Jackies favourite mayonaise recipe

1/4 c of runny honey
2 cups of oil
4 cloves garlic
2 eggs
handful parsley
1/4 cup malt vinegar
teaspoon salt
teaspoon mustard powder

Blend salt, egg, mustard, garlic. Pour in the honey, vinegar and blend. Add parlsey. Pour oil in slowly at a fine trickly until thick blending the whole time.
Store up to 2 weeks.