Nanna's Walnut & Date Slice

This is another one of my favourites from my Nanna’s handwritten recipe book she gave me. It brings back so many lovely memories of morning and afternoon teas at her place. There was also another reason why I baked this today. I’m entering myself into a cooking competition, hosted by the Danish butter company “Lurpak”. You have to cook a recipe and upload the photo onto their website for a chance to go into a draw for $1,500. I’ve never really won anything and I do love to bake. I thought there’s no harm in trying. If you’d like to vote me, you can do so by clicking here. I think you’re only able to vote once per day. The competition closes on the 17th of July so you have until then to vote. I appreciate it so much if you have.

I love the fact that this recipe is so badly stained. I wonder how many times Nanna referred to it over the years? It make me feel like I’m capturing a moment of time in her life when I look it, like I was there when she was busily making it. Best thing about this recipe is that it’s just a quick mix recipe and baked in 20 minutes and you’re done. It’s so tasty too.

Nanna’s Walnut & Date Slice

1.1/4 cups Self Raising flour
2/3 cups sugar
3/4 cups chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
125gm butter, melted
1 egg

Combine all ingredients and press into a slice tin (28x18cm approx) and bake in a 180 deg C oven (or 160 deg C oven if fan forced) for approx 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into squares when cool.

Thanks Nanna for another lovely recipe! In your honour, I set the table up outside with one of your lovely tableclothes, your bone china tea cup, saucer and plate and enjoyed a piece of the slice and a cuppa in the sunshine (as well as trying to take a half decent photo for the competition – I feel so stupid ‘staging’ photos sometimes).

Nanna's Jam Drops

The bikkie barrel was empty, yet again, and while my daughter was home sick from school today, I quickly rustled up a batch of my Nanna’s Jam Drops.

This is another one of my my Nanna’s treasured recipes she hand wrote for me in an exercise book many years ago. They bring back terrific memories of her wonderful baking skills. There were always Jam Drops in her bikkie tin, usually filled with a delightful homemade jam like Rosella, Strawberry, Peach, Apricot or whatever else she had made that week. Nothing was ever wasted with her.

I used Strawberry & Rhubarb jam my lovely friend Katrina Higham sent me which she made in her shop, Windsor Deli in Melbourne, Victoria. It’s beautiful Katrina.

They’re such a quick biscuit to make and delicious. I’m sure they won’t last long once the boy comes home from Kindy and the big boy comes home from work.

Nanna’s Jam Drops

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 cups Self Raising flour
3 eggs

Mix melted butter and sugar. (I’m on a ‘melt and mix’ frenzy lately. Any recipe that requires beating butter and sugar together, I just melt the butter and mix with sugar. Never had a problem yet. Saves getting that beater or food processor dirty and saves time.) Add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly into butter/sugar mixture. Add flour and mix well.

Take teaspoon size pieces of the mixture, roll into a ball and using the end of a wooden spoon dipped in flour, poke holes into the biscuit. Fill carefully with jam and bake in a 180 deg C oven until golden.

The rose patterned china plate also belonged to my Nanna. It’s part of a 3 piece teaset comprising teacup, saucer and plate. What better way to enjoy my Nanna’s biscuits than on one of her plates.