Grey Lynn Plunket     
c/- Grey Lynn Community Centre, 510 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn. Phone 378-4565

Caring for Young Families - Whanau Awhina

RECIPES

  Heat together gently in a saucepan until it firms – not too much !!
Knead using extra flour.
Keep any leftover dough in a container in frig or wrap in glad wrap until needed again.

FINGER PAINTS 3 cups cornflour 2 tbsp sugar 3 cups cold water Food coloring

Left: An easel of this type is easy to make. Notice that you can have positions for a child to work at BOTH sides of the easel. Notice how the paint pots are slotted in to holes, so the artist won't bump them over. (Yes, you have to be innovative with such things!)

In a saucepan mix the cornflour and sugar and then add the water. Stir over a low heat until well blended. Divide the mixture into three or four parts and add a different food colour to each.

QUICK TO MAKE RUSKS

Cut the edges off a slice of white bread and spread vegemite over it. Roll it tightly and cook in the microwave for 1 minute (don't forget to let it thoroughly cool!!!!) It should be hard when cooked. Because its rolled up, its harder to break and the vegemite gives it a bit more taste than the commercial rusks. Store in the fridge for a few days if you wish to make a few at a time.

RUM BALLS (makes approx 36)

9 crushed wine biscuits 125g butter 125g icing sugar 50g coconut 50g cocoa 2 tablespoons Rum (or a good slosh !!)

Melt butter. Mix all together. Roll into balls and coat with chocolate hail – all
so easy and really delicious !!

You can add cherries,raisins, chopped nuts if you wish to the mix before rolling
it into balls.
Keep the Rum Balls in a cool place and hidden from the guys
or they will disappear fast !!

APRICOT CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE

1 cup chopped dried apricots
1cup apricot nectar (otherwise any fruit juice)
125 g butter or margarine
½ cup raw sugar
2 eggs, separated
1½ cups coconut
1½ cups self-raising flour
½ cup Choc Bits

Grease a deep 20 cm round cake pan, line base with grease-proof paper. Combine apricots and nectar in bowl, and let stand one hour.
Cream butter and sugar in a small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks one at a time. Beat until combined. Transfer mixture to large bowl, stir in coconut, then half the sifted flour and half the apricot mixture. Stir in remaining flour and apricots, then Choc Bits.
Beat egg whites in small bowl until soft peaks form. Fold into mixture. Spread into prepared pan.
Bake in moderate oven for about 1 to 1¼ hours. Stand 5 minutes before turning on to wire rack to cool. Dust with sifted icing sugar if desired. Keeping time: 3 days.

QUICK SULTANA CAKE (for busy Mums)

Soak fruit in water (for at least 2 hours -- or overnight) in a large saucepan.
Drain water off. Add butter to drained fruit and warm through to melt butter. Remove from stove. Add:

3 beaten eggs
1½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Stir in:
2½ cups High Grade flour (sifted)
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt

Stir all together. Place in 20 cm cake tin, and bake at 160° C for 1 – 1½ hours (test with skewer).

FLAPJACK

This recipe's really quick and easy, and always seems to be a hit.

150g butter or margarine
2 tbsp golden syrup
90g soft brown sugar
250g porridge oats

Melt butter with the golden syrup and then combine with dry ingredients. Turn into a well-greased tin and level.

Bake at 190° C for about 15 – 20 minutes. Mark slices while warm – allow to cool before removing from tin and cutting into slices.

MAYONNAISE CHOCOLATE CAKE

¼ cup cocoa
1 tbsp vanilla essence
2 tsp baking soda
Three-quarters cup Watties Classic Mayonnaise
1 cup hot water
2 cups flour
1 cup castor sugar

Mix the cocoa, hot water and vanilla essence together in jug. Cool. Sift the flour, baking soda and sugar into a bowl. Make a well in the centre.

Blend the mayonnaise with the cocoa ingredients and pour this mixture into the well. Mix together gently with a holed spoon.

Pour into a well-greased and lined 20 cm cake tin. Bake at 180 º C for 35 or 40 minutes until cake is cooked when tested. Cool in the tin for ten minutes before turning out on to a cake rack. As a topping use Rich Chocolate Glaze or simply dust with icing sugar to serve.

For details of our Clinic hours, click here. Child restraints for cars: click here for a report. And taking care of yourself is important too: click here for suggestions. Toilet training: click here. See the national Plunket website, www.plunket.org.nz

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Disclaimer: The views expressed on this website do not necessarily represent those of The Royal New Zealand Plunket Society.