Walnut Crescents, ANZAC Biscuits-Harmony Day Lunch

Walnut Crescents (Vanilla Kipferl, Kourabiedes, Walnut Shortbreads)

Recipe from Maureen Simpson published in The Women's Weekly magazine

250 gm softened butter
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200gm walnuts - finely chopped (can use food processor)
2 1/2 cup plain flour

- oven 180C (160C fan force)
- cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
- add walnuts to butter mixture
- add flour to butter mixture and mix to form a dough
- place a dessertspoon of mizture inbetween your palms and roll into a tapered roll and shape into a crescent
- bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or until they start to clour. Keep eye on them as they can easily burn
- transfer to a wire rack and while still warm, dust with icing sugar(not icing sugar mixture) then leave to cool
- sprinkle with icing sugar again prior to serving



ANZAC Biscuits

Recipe from Better Homes April 1998. The texture of these biscuits is chewy rather than hard.


1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 shredded coconut
125 gm unsalted butter (cannot substitute with margarine)
2 tablespoon golden syrup
1 1/2 teaspoon bi-carbonate soda
2 tablespoon boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- slow oven 150C
- mix together oats, flour, sugar and coconut in a large bowl
- melt butter and golden syrup together
- dissolve bi-carbonate soda in the boiling water and then mix into the butter mixture
- add butter mixture to the dry ingredients and the vanilla extract
- place tablespoon of mixture on a paper lined tray leaving 6-7cm to allow for spreading
- cook 13 - 16 minutes

Walnut, Apricot and Fig Torte - morning tea with the sewing mums

Sewing/ beading / knitting was what we used to do when the group met in the begining. That was some 11 years ago when the children were starting school.
We continue to met throughout the year, perhaps not as frequently as we would like due to other committments like part time work.
What hasn't changed amongst the group is the friendship, support , a good chat and endless cups of tea and coffee. There is always room for a slice of cake.
This week's morning tea was special in that many of the daughters attended their graduation ball in the previous week. Some were partnered by our sons. Stories and photographs aplenty.




Walnut, Apricot and Fig Torte (Gluten-free)

Spoted the recipe in a newspaper. The article says it is a famous torte from Sweethearts Cafe in Melbourne. I am told the cafe serves fantastic breakfasts. A question was posed to me Was this cafe an inspiration for Cold Chiesel's song Breakfast At Sweethearts?















9 egg whites
2 1/2 cups castor sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped dried apricots
1 cup chopped dried figs
1 1/2 tabspns cornflour
1 teaspn vanilla extract

- grease and line 24 or 25 cm springform tin
- beat egg whites until stiff
- while beating gradually add sugar. Continue to beat 'til it is smooth and sugar has dissolved
- combine walnuts, apricots, and cornflour in a bowl
- fold nut mixture through meringue mixture
-fold through vanilla
- pour into tin and bake 90 minutes at 150C til golden brown and firm to touch then reduce temperature to 120C and bake for a futher 1 hour
- turn off oven and allow cake to cool in the oven
- serve with lots of fresh cream