When the baking mood hits you, a batch of biscuits is not only quick and easy to whip up, but extremely satisfying. 

These old fashioned recipes can be made by hand, as my mother and grandmother did, or whipped up using an electric mixer or food processor.

For the baking novice, there are a few rules to follow.

Start with the ingredients at room temperature. If your butter is cold, use a grater to break up into small pieces. Otherwise, microwave in short bursts to soften.

To bring eggs to room temperature, take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before you plan to use them. Alternatively, you can warm them up very quickly by placing them in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes.

Sifting flour and other dry ingredients together helps to integrate and aerate the mixture. Sift onto a piece of baking paper to make it easier to add to the mixing bowl.

When using cup and spoon measures, check that they are Australian Standard Metric measures. An Australian metric tablespoon is 20ml and a cup is 250ml. Many kitchenware shops sell cup and spoon measures that have been designed overseas, where the measurements are different. This can lead to disaster when baking.

When measuring flour using a cup, first stir the flour in its container to aerate and lift it. Then scoop out the required amount, heaping it slightly in the cup. Level it off with the back of a knife. Don’t be tempted to tap or shake the cup, as the flour shouldn’t be packed in.

A more failsafe approach is to weigh all ingredients. Digital scales are a good investment as your measurements will be accurate.

The following recipe for Monte Carlos is for old fashioned, filled biscuits. So find an excuse to get baking. And may these become some of your family favourites.

Monte carlos

190g butter at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla essence

125g brown sugar

1 large egg

150g self raising flour

100g plain flour

¼ (quarter) tsp bicarb soda

75g fine dessicated coconut

½ (half) cup raspberry jam

cream filling:

75g butter

½ (half) tsp vanilla essence

2 tsp milk

190g icing sugar

Preheat oven to 180C.

Beat butter, vanilla and sugar with an electric mixer until just combined. Add egg and beat to combine.

Sift flours with bicarb soda and add to butter mixture in two batches, alternating with coconut. Mix well.

Roll 2 tsp of mixture into ovals, place on lined oven trays and flatten slightly with the back of a fork. Allow room for spreading.

Bake for 7-10 minutes.

Remove and cool on trays for a few minutes to firm up, then lift onto wire racks to cool completely.

To make the filling, beat butter, vanilla, milk and icing sugar in a small bowl until fluffy. 

Place a small amount of raspberry jam on the flat side of one biscuit and spread some icing on the flat side of a similar size biscuit. Sandwich both biscuits together. Repeat with remaining biscuits.

Makes 28 filled biscuits.

Cheesy, salt and pepper potato wedges

You don’t need to wait for the footy to enjoy these. Look out for King Edward potatoes, or use a firm waxy potato that will hold its shape. Blended peppercorns are readily available from the supermarket.

8 King Edward potatoes

2 tbsp sea salt flakes

1 tbsp ground blended peppercorns

2 -3 tbsp olive oil

40g finely grated parmesan cheese

1-2 tbsp chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 220C.

Scrub the potatoes well, leaving the skins on. Cut in half, then cut each half into 4 wedges. Place in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. When boiling, remove from heat and drain in a colander. Place the warm potatoes in a large bowl and add salt, pepper, oil and parmesan. Toss to coat well.

Place in a single layer on a baking tray lined with non stick paper.

Cook in oven for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown and crunchy.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

Serves 6.

Footy fever

Everyone knows that pies taste better at the footy. Warming cold hands, the filling so hot you can hardly swallow, with rich gravy that somehow manages to drip onto bare skin; it’s all part of the experience. No matter if it’s junior footy or watching the professionals. No matter what code you follow. The same goes for chips. Piping hot, salty, crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. Don’t forget the sauce.

With footy finals madness taking over, get into the swing by revisiting these old favourites. Many people follow a Grand Final day tradition and host friends and family for lunch whilst watching the game. (note in COVID-19 in Melbourne that numbers may be a bit more restricted).

For the warm up, start with some spiced nuts. They’re great with a cold beer.

At half time, try my old-fashioned meat pie. It’s a simple classic, based on my mother’s recipe. Use some good quality homemade shortcrust pastry, gourmet tomato sauce and you’ll never look back. Of course, you’ll need some hot potato wedges, too. So much better than manufactured chips, use real potatoes and bake them with the skins on. If you ask me, King Edward potatoes make the best chips. Grate over some  parmesan for a cheesy hit.

At three quarter time, bring out the choc tops. An Aussie favourite, they’re surprisingly easy to make. For a bit of fun, decorate them with your team colours.

Now you’re set for the big event. Hope your team wins.

Footy nuts

There’s always some nut at the footy! Embrace this and make your own. You get a delicious mix of hot, sweet and salty, all together. I’ve used hazelnut oil, but you could substitute another type of nut oil or simply use vegetable oil.

500g mixed nuts and seeds (almonds, cashews, pistachios, macadamias, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc)

2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

¼ (quarter) tsp cayenne

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp sea salt plus extra to sprinkle

4 tbsp hazelnut oil

Preheat oven to 200C.

In a large bowl, mix the nuts and seeds. Add the rosemary, cayenne, sugar and salt. Mix well.

Drizzle over the oil and toss to lightly coat.

Spread on a baking paper lined tray and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, give the nuts a stir and continue to bake for a further 10 minutes, until the nuts are golden.

Remove and allow to cool. Sprinkle with extra salt if desired.

With a stash of this in your fridge, you will never have to buy dip again.

2 large eggplant

4 garlic cloves, skin on

juice 1 lemon

1 ½ tbsp tahini paste

2 tbsp olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to season

Preheat oven to 200C.

Make a few slits in the eggplants with a sharp knife and place on a baking tray with the garlic cloves. Bake for 1 hour or until very tender inside.

Remove from oven and allow to cool a little, then scrape out the flesh with a spoon. Place the flesh in a food processor and discard the skin. Squeeze the garlic out of its skin and add to the mix, along with the lemon juice, tahini and olive oil. Process to combine. Season with salt and pepper, if required.

Serve with crusty bread.

Makes approximately 2 cups.

Baked eggplant with miso

A simple Japanese dish, this highlights the silky softness of eggplant, with a sweet miso dressing.

8 small long eggplants

1 tbsp olive oil

120ml mirin

2 tbsp yellow miso paste

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 180C.

Cut eggplant in half lengthways and score the cut sides with a sharp knife.

Place in a baking dish and brush with a little oil.

Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes until the eggplant is very soft.

Mix the mirin, miso paste and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat for 3-4 minutes until combined. Drizzle the dressing over the eggplants and cook in oven for a further 5 minutes, or until it starts to caramelise.

Scatter over sesame seeds and serve.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

(Any extra dressing can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 2 weeks).

1 crusty sourdough loaf

1 clove garlic, peeled

extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

1 kg fresh broad beans (300g podded beans)

1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed

1 tbs olive oil

salt and pepper

120g fresh ricotta from the deli

few leaves of mint

Slice the sourdough thickly and toast or grill. While these are still hot, rub with the garlic and drizzle with a little oil.

Remove the broad beans from their outer shells. Bring a pot of water to the boil, add broad beans and cook for a couple of minutes until soft. Remove and drain. Peel off the outer pod and set aside. Roughly mash the broad beans with peas and oil in a mortar and pestle. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pile onto toast with a dollop of ricotta on top and sprinkle with some finely chopped mint.

serves 4.

Broad beans in the market signal that spring is here. Unlike other vegetables, which are available all year round, broad beans have a distinct season. So buy them now, before they disappear again. They look like giant green puffy pods, much bigger than other beans. When these pods are small, you can eat them whole. Enjoy this special treat by planting your own, as they’re easy to grow. The broad beans in the markets are usually quite large. The pods need to be peeled to reveal the beans. When the beans are small they can be eaten with their skins still on, but I prefer to peel them again. This is known as double podding. It’s quite simple to do; bring a pot of water to the boil, add the beans and cook for 1-2 minutes, then remove. The skins will slip off easily, revealing beautiful emerald green pods, sweet and juicy.

When they’re not in season, you can still buy frozen beans, already podded, from the supermarket. I have also been able to buy frozen broad beans which have been double podded, in my local asian grocery. Whilst not quite as charming as podding your own, it’s certainly quicker, when you’re short for time.

Why not try these delicious recipes to enjoy this delicate seasonal treat.

Broad bean ‘falafel’ fritters with minted yoghurt

Falafel are usually made with a  mix of dried broad beans and chickpeas. Here, I have used fresh broad beans and tinned chickpeas. You could also make them into small ball shapes and deep fry.

1 kg fresh broad beans

400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup loosely packed fresh coriander leaves

1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 red chilli, seeded and sliced

½ (half) lemon, zest and juice

½ (half) cup plain flour for dusting

vegetable oil for frying

1 cup plain yoghurt

2 tbs shredded mint leaves

Remove the broad beans from their outer shells. Bring a pot of water to the boil, add broad beans and cook for a couple of minutes until soft. Remove and drain. Peel off the outer pod and set aside.

Place the beans and chickpeas in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add coriander, mint, salt and pepper, spices, lemon zest and pulse until finely chopped.

Use your hands to shape the mixture into 10 -12 small patties, then lightly dust with flour to coat.

Heat oil in a large frypan and cook the fritters on both sides until lightly browned.

Drain on paper towel and set aside.

Mix yoghurt with mint leaves and serve alongside the fritters.

make 10-12.