Honeycomb

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup golden syrup
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

1. Combine sugar, golden syrup, honey and water in a saucepan.
2. Stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved.
3. Bring to the boil. Boil steadily to 132c (use a sweets thermometer).
4. Reduce heat as low as possible and maintain this temperature for exactly 15 minutes.
5. Remove pan from heat, remove sweets thermometer and allow bubbles to subside.
6. Using a wooden spoon, quickly beat in sifted soda.
7. Pour immediately into large greased dish.
8. When cold, remove from tin and break into pieces.

Chocolate Ice-Cream

1 1/4 cups cream
2 Tablespoons milk
1/3 cup icing sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons cocoa
3 Tablespoons boiling water

Put the cream and milk in a bowl and whisk until just stiff. Stir in the icing sugar and vanilla. Pour the mixture into a tray and freeze for 30 minutes or until the ice cream begins to set around the edges of the tray.
Blend the cocoa and hot water together to a smooth paste. Add the cocoa paste, beat the mixture until smooth and return to the container.

Custard Ice-Cream

2 cups vanilla custard
300ml double cream
395g condensed milk
2 Tbsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Sauce:
125g milk chocolate
1 cup thickened cream
1 cup caster sugar

Mix together custard, cream, condensed milk and vanilla. Freeze in an airtight container overnight or until firm. Transfer into a food processor and, without allowing ice-cream to melt completely, beat until smooth.

Return ice-cream to an airtight container and refreeze for 4 hours or until firm.

To Make Chocolate Sauce: Melt chocolate, cream and sugar. When sugar dissolves, set aside to cool slightly.

Drizzle with chocolate sauce.

Serves 10

Mongolian Lamb

2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp cornflour
2 tsp sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp bi-carb soda
500g diced lamb
1/4 cup oil
2 onions wedged
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 Tbsp grated ginger
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
pinch of Chinese 5 spice
1 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1/2 large red capsicum sliced

Combine soy sauce, sugar, cornflour, egg and bicarb in bowl (not metal). Add meat and Mix well; stand for 30 minutes. Heat 1/2 the oil in wok; fry onion and garlic until golden; remove from wok. Add remaining oil to wok and fry marinated lamb until browned. Add remaining ingredients and return onion to wok and heat for 3 minutes.
Serve with rice.

Photo by Mem

Sweet and Sour Meatballs in Heavenly Sauce

500g mince
1 dessertspoon cornflour
1 small onion grated
1 egg
4 pineapple rings (keep syrup)
2 small capsicums
1 dessertspoon peanut oil
1 cup syrup from pineapple
1 1/2 dessertspoon cornflour
1 dessertspoon soy sauce
1 1/2 Tablespoons white vinegar
3 Tablespoons water
1/4 cup sugar

1. Mix together the mince, cornflour, onion and egg. Form into small meatballs and brown all over.
2. Cut pineapple rings into 8 and capsicum into strips. Place in a pan of cold water and slowly bring to boil. Boil for 5 minutes and then drain.
3. Place oil and pineapple syrup in pan and cook for 3 minutes. Mix together cornflour, soy sauce, vinegar, water and sugar; add to pan and cook, stirring until thickened. Add meatballs, capsicum, pineapple and heat through.
4. Serve with rice.

Chocolate Raspberry Brownies

Makes 16

1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup self-raising flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
3/4 cup cocoa
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 1/2 tablespoons sunflower oil
200g thick reduced fat vanilla yoghurt
120g apple puree
200g fresh or frozen raspberries
icing sugar, to dust
fresh berries, to serve

1. Preheat over to 180c. Grease and line the base and sides of a 30cm x 20cm tin with baking paper.
2. Sift flours, carb soda and cocoa into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre.
3. In a large jug, whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, oil and yoghurt. Add flour mixture and mix until smooth. Fold through the apple puree and raspberries.
4. Spoon mixture into prepared tin. Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre. Cool in tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Cut into squares. Dust with icing sugar. Serve as a dessert with extra fresh berries and reduced fat ice-cream if desired.