Summery pineapples!

 Thanks for coming to play Rose and Isla!

Festive pineapply biscuits

Gluten Free Gingerbread Biscuits

60 grams butter; 100 grams golden syrup; 100 grams brown sugar; 1 ½ cups gluten free plain flour; 1 tsp Christmas spice mix ie cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger; ½ tsp bicarbonate soda; 25 grams finely diced dried pineapple; 25g finely diced crystallized ginger (optional)

In a small saucepan add the butter, golden syrup & brown sugar, & place over a low heat. Keep watch & give it a little stir every so often.

Once the ingredients are melted together give them a good stir then remove from the heat & let it completely cool down.

In a large bowl combine flour, Christmas spices. Mix & bicarbonate of soda.

Pour the golden sugary concoction into your flour, mix well. Add the diced pineapple & ginger.

Turn your dough out onto a piece of cling wrap & wrap tightly. Place into the fridge for 30 minutes to set.

Sprinkle a little extra flour onto a large piece of baking paper & roll out your dough with a well-floured rolling pin until it’s about 1/2cm thick. Cut out your biscuits using whatever shape you like. Leave the biscuits on the tray where they are & place straight back into the fridge to set for 1 hour.

Pre-heat your oven to 180ºC & once hot, pop those trays of biscuits straight from the fridge into the oven. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the outside edge & tops of the cookies are just slightly starting to brown.

Remove from the oven & allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool fully.

Fruity Nutty Christmas Biscuits

1 cup walnuts; ½ cup almonds; ½ cup pecans; 1 cup pitted dates; 1 cup candied cherries; 2 cups dried pineapple; 1 cup dried cranberries; ¾ cup all-purpose flour, divided ; ¼ cup butter, softened; 1/3 cup brown sugar; 1 whole egg; ½ teaspoon Christmas spice mix ie cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Chop the fruit & nuts, mix together. Add ½ cup of the flour. Toss until well combined, then set aside.

In another bowl, cream the butter & brown sugar together until smooth. Add the egg to the butter mixture & mix until incorporated.                           

Stir in the remaining flour, Christmas spice mix, baking soda & vanilla extract. Pour the wet mixture over the fruit & nut blend. Combine everything by hand until evenly distributed.

Line four trays with parchment paper, divide the mixture into 48 drops & place 12 on each sheet.

Bake two sheets at a time in the top third of the oven for about 20 minutes. Rotate the sheets after 10 minutes & keep an eye on the bottoms to avoid over-browning.

Transfer the baked cookies to a rack to cool completely.

Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container.

Pineapple rum relish

Adapted from https://www.ainsley-harriott.com/recipe/tamarind-allspice-ginger-glazed-ham-with-pineapple-rum-relish/

3 cm root ginger, grated; 1 medium-hot red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped; 1 tsp mild curry powder; 2 star anise; ¼ tsp ground cloves; 125g light soft brown sugar; 100ml apple cider vinegar; 2 tbsp spiced rum (or orange juice); 1 medium-large pineapple, peeled, cored, and flesh chopped into 1 cm chunks, reserve any juice; 40g sultanas; zest of 1 orange; ½ tsp sea salt

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan over a low-medium heat and fry the ginger and chilli for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the spices and cook for a minute. Add the sugar and stir, cooking until dissolved. Increase the heat and pour in the vinegar and rum and let it bubble for a minute. Add the pineapple and any of its juice, sultanas and orange zest. Season with the salt and bring up to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40-50 minutes or until reduced and jammy but still with plenty of texture. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Ann's Pineapple Fruit Cake

Ann's been preparing for the festive season!!!

The Liberated Cook by the Reluctant Housewife to aid research into Muscular Dystrophy NSW                                        

A moist cake with canned pineapple.

1 cup sugar; 500g can crushed pineapple; 500g mixed fruit; 1 tspn bicarbonate soda; 1 tspn mixed spice; 125g butter or margarine; 1 cup plain flour; 1 cup self-raising flour; 2 eggs

Place sugar, whole contents of can of pineapple, chopped mixed fruit, bicarbonate soda, spice and butter in saucepan. Bring to the boil and boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Sift flours together. Mix into cold fruits mixture with well-beaten eggs. Place mixture in greased and lined 20cm tin. Bake in a moderate oven 180°C for approximately 1 ½ hours, reduce heat to 150°C and bake further 20-30 minutes or until skewer comes out clean. Cool in tin.

Ann's tips: When heating the mixture, stir it to dissolve the sugar. When it is cold add the eggs and the sifted flours, mix well, put into a greased and lined tin and bake in a lowish oven 1 ½ to 2 hours.  I use 150 degrees fan forced. When done, I add a tablespoon of dark rum over the top of the cake and cool it in the tin.

Lemon Ginger Chicken with Pineapple Mango Salsa

Thanks for another great link Leila!

Lemon Ginger Chicken with Pineapple Mango Salsa, from Mary Laslo on Facebook.

Lemon Ginger Chicken: 1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces; 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated; Zest of 1 lemon; 1/4 cup lemon juice; 2 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp olive oil; Salt & pepper to taste

Coconut Rice: 1 cup jasmine or basmati rice; 1 cup coconut milk; 1/2 cup water; 1/2 tsp salt

Pineapple Mango Salsa: 1/2 cup diced pineapple; 1/2 cup diced mango; 1/4 cup diced red onion; 1 tbsp lime juice; Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional); Salt & pepper to taste

Spicy Mayo: 1/4 cup mayonnaise; 1-2 tsp sriracha (adjust for spice); 1 tsp lime juice

Optional Additions: Sliced avocado for creaminess, A sprinkle of toasted coconut flakes for added texture, Chopped jalapeños for extra heat, A drizzle of honey on the salsa for a sweet touch

Prepare the Coconut Rice - Rinse the rice under cold water. In a saucepan, combine the rice, coconut milk, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes until the rice is tender and the coconut milk has absorbed.

Make the Lemon Ginger Glaze - In a small bowl, mix together the grated ginger, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, and soy sauce. Set aside.

Cook the Chicken - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then add it to the skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes, searing the chicken until golden brown on all sides. Once cooked through, pour the lemon-ginger glaze over the chicken and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken.

Prepare the Pineapple Mango Salsa - In a bowl, combine the diced pineapple, mango, red onion, lime juice, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then gently toss to combine.

Make the Spicy Mayo - In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sriracha, and lime juice. Adjust the amount of sriracha to suit your preferred spice level.

Assemble the Dish - To serve, spoon the coconut rice into bowls. Top with the lemon-ginger chicken and a generous spoonful of pineapple mango salsa. Drizzle the spicy mayo over the top, garnish with fresh cilantro, and add lime wedges on the side for extra zest.