Chicken Pie

Ingredients:

Oven temp: 325 F/160 C

1 kg chicken-boneless, cooked and diced

2 cups (240 gm) maidal

cup (180 gm) butter 1 tsp vinegar

1 egg or 1/4 cup cold milk

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp slightly beaten egg or milk to glaze the pie

2 cups milk

2 tbsp maida

1 tbsp butter1 tsp salt

1 tsp pissi kali mirch

Method:

Mix the butter, maida, vinegar, egg, salt and baking powder and knead lightly into a soft dough and keep aside.
Melt butter, add maida, saut? little and add the milk very gradually, stirring vigorously all the time.
Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes, add the salt, pepper and chicken.
Roll out a little more than half the dough about 1/4 cm (1/8?) thick and cover the base and the sides of the pie dish. Dust base with flour and fill it with the chicken mixture.
Roll out the other portion of the dough, wet the edges, and cover the pie, pressing the edges together, to seal. Prick with a fork, glaze the surface with the beaten egg, or milk and bake in a pre-heated oven for about 45-60 minutes or until golden.

Christmas Biscuits

Ingredients:

250 gm flour

1/2 tsp ginger powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

150 gm diced butter

100 gm castor sugar dried fruit/icing to decorateeggs - as required (approximately 4)

Method:

Rub flour and butter until breadcrumbs are formed.
Stir in sugar and spices. Add enough beaten eggs to form soft dough. Chill well.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface. Cut into desired shapes and arrange on a baking sheet.
Bake at 180 degrees for 10-12 minutes
Decorate with icing sugar/dried fruits/candy.

Christamas cake

Preparation time 30 mins to 1 hour
Cooking time over 2 hours

Ingredients

225g/8oz plain flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp mixed spice

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

200g/7oz butter

200g/7oz dark brown sugar

2 tbsp black treacle

1 tbsp marmalade

1/4tsp vanilla essence

4 eggs, lightly beaten

800g/1 3/4 lb mixed dried fruits

100g/3 1/2 oz chopped mixed peel

150g/5oz glace cherries, halved

100g/3 1/2 oz blanched almonds, choppedbrandy

To Decorate the Cake:

200g/7oz marzipan

1-2 tbsp apricot jam, warmed Royal Icing

3 egg whites

600g/1lb 5oz icing sugar, sieved

11/2tsp liquid glycerine - optional1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

1. Heat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas

2. Grease a 20cm/8inch round or an 18cm/7inch square cake tin and line the bottom and sides with baking parchment.

2. Sieve the flour, salt, mixed spice and cinnamon into a bowl.

3. Cream the butter and the sugar in a large mixing bowl and then mix in the sugar, treacle, marmalade and vanilla essence until light and fluffy.

4. Mix the eggs a little at a time into the mixture adding a tablespoon of flour mixture with the last amount.

5. Fold in the remaining flour mixture until well mixed and then mix in the dried fruit, mixed peel, glace cherries and the almonds.

6. Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and make a slight hollow in the centre.

7. Bake in the oven for 3 hours and then test with a skewer. If not ready bake for up to another hour testing every 20 minutes until the skewer comes out clean.

8. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes.

9. Turn out on to a wire rack and leave to cool.

10. Once cool, make a few holes in the cake with a skewer and pour over 3-4 tbspof brandy. Let the brandy soak into the cake.

11. Store the cake wrapped in foil and in an airtight tin or plastic container, holes side up.

12. OPTIONAL: For a rich and moist cake, spoon over a few tablespoons of brandy every week until you are ready to ice and decorate your cake.
To Decorate the Cake:

1. Place the cake on a foil board or cake plate.

2. Dust your hands and the work surface with a little icing sugar and knead the marzipan until soft.

3. Roll out half the marzipan to fit the top of the cake and roll out the rest in strips to fit around the sides of the cake.

4. Brush the cake all over with the warmed apricot jam and then place the marzipan on top and around the cake.

5. Cover the cake with a clean tea towel and then leave in a cool place for at least one day.

6. To make the icing, lightly whisk the egg whites adding the sugar at intervals. Beat well until the icing reaches soft peaks. Add the glycerine if using and the lemon juice.

7. Spread icing all over cake either flat iced using a clean ruler or by forming soft peaks. Decorate with Christmas ornaments.

BEAUTY TIPS

Body care

Mix six-teaspoon petroleum jelly, two-teaspoon glycerin and two-teaspoon lemon juice. Apply this moisturizing lotion at least twice a week if you have dry and flaky, arms and legs
Peel and grate a cucumber. Squeeze the juice to this, mix half-a-teaspoon glycerin and half-a-teaspoon rose water. Apply this on sunburns, leave it for some time.
If you have cracked heels, melt paraffin wax; mix it with little mustard oil and apply on the affected area. Leave it overnight. After 10 or 15 days, your heels will become smooth.
Massage your body with a mixture of coconut oil and any of your favourite scented oils like lavender or rosemary.
For rough palms, use a mixture of glycerin and limejuice in equal proportion.
For cracked heals, massage the foot with coconut oil and keep the foot in warm water for some time. Wipe the water off the feet and apply a mixture of hibiscus flower(10), Henna (1 handful) and juice of half a lemon. when dry wash it off.
Remove scars on your hands and feet by rubbing them with lemon peel.

Eye care

Dip wads of cotton in a chilled mixture of cucumber and potato juice. Keep this on your eyelids for 15 to 20 minutes and gently wash it off. Apply a little baby oil.
For long eyelashes.., apply a thin coat of castor oil every night. It strengthens lashes and cools your eyes.
Massage a few drops of coconut oil around the eyes to get rid off dark circles.
To reduce puffiness of your eyes, grate a potato; tie in a cloth and place the cloth over your eyes for about 15 minutes.
Add a small pinch of salt in water and wash for bright and sparkling eyes.
Mix tomato juice and lemon juice in equal quantity and apply around the eyes. After 30 minutes wash it off with cold and hot water alternatively.
Make a paste of sandal wood and nutmeg. Apply the paste around the eyes before sleeping and wash it off in the morning.
Crush a cucumber and take the juice. Add a little rose water and apply around the eyes and wash it after 30 minutes.
Place cotton wool swabs dipped in cold milk on closed eyes for removing dark circles.

Lip Care

You can mix one-tablespoon cranberry sauce juice with two tablespoons Vaseline for a delicious home made lip balm.
Apply the juice of lemon skin for avoiding black colour of lips
Massage your lips with coriander leaf juice for soft and rosy lips.