A little unfinished business...

I was rolling a batch of ginger and macadamia balls tonight and jigging to a happy Christmas tune when it hit me.

Not a rolling pin, just the memory that weeks ago I promised some Instagram friends that I'd share my recipes here for Lemon Passionfruit Slice and Apricot Oat Bars - and I forgot!

So here we go...

 Lemon Passionfruit Slice

Ingredients
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup caster sugar
125g butter, melted
395g can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup passionfruit pulp, plus extra to serve

Method
Preheat oven to moderate, 180 degrees C. Lightly grease an 18cm x 28cm lamington pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, allowing paper to extend 2cm above the rim of the long sides.

Sift flour into a bowl. Stir in coconut and sugar. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the melted butter, mixing well.

Press firmly into the base of the prepared pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden.

Meanwhile, in a bowl combine condensed milk, lemon juice and passionfruit. Pour over base and bake for a further 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool and chill overnight.

Lift the slice from the pan. Peel away the paper and cut into 24 squares. Drizzle with extra passionfruit before serving.

Apricot Oat Bars

Ingredients for Base

1 cup Plain Flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup rolled oats

4 oz butter

Method

Melt butter and combine with the remaining ingredients. 

Press over the base of a greased 9 inch square pan. Bake in moderate oven for 15 minutes.

Ingredients for topping

6 oz chopped dried apricots

2 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup Self Raising flour

1 cup coconut

Method

Cover apricots with hot water, stand 5-10 minutes, then drain.

Beat eggs well,and combine with remaining ingredients.

Spread topping over the partly-cooked base, and bake in a moderate oven for a further 20 to 25 minutes (until firm to the touch).

Cut into bars when cool. Makes 24.

  If you've made it this far without falling asleep you deserve a reward, so here's the recipe for the Ginger and Macadamia Balls I was making tonight.

Ingredients
100g raw macadamias
1 x 250g packet of Gingernut biscuits
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon Golden Syrup
90g butter
1 and a half cups coconut

Method
Place nuts on a baking tray and bake in oven 200 degrees C for 5 to 6 minutes until golden. Roughly chop nuts.
Crush biscuits in a food processor. Place biscuit crumbs in a bowl with the chopped macadamias.
Place the condensed milk, Golden Syrup and butter in a Pyrex jug and microwave on High for 2-3 minutes or until the butter melts.
Pour this mixture over the crumb/nut mixture and mix well.
Roll teaspoons of mixture into balls, roll in coconut. Refrigerate until firm.

Almost no-bake - if you don't count toasting the macadamias.

Delightful distractions

I know, I know. Long time, no me!

Life, in all its richness, has temporarily intruded on my blogging time and before I continue I'm going to break the number one rule for bloggers and apologise for the hiatus.

What could possibly have taken my attention all this time? Well, here's the thing.

I've been...

* Admiring Princess 1 when she became the first member of our family to sing on stage at the Sydney Opera House, as part of the huge combined choir performing at the Ryde Schools' Spectacular. I was so proud of her!

* Appreciating the magnificent star jasmine vines and purple jacaranda trees that brighten Sydney at this time of year.

This is our local barbecue area, and general neighbourhood meet-up spot.

I felt very honoured that the City of Sydney chose to share, in its Instagram feed, this photo I took of jacaranda "snow" on a Zetland street.

Tote Park, Zetland.

The Memorial Garden at St Mark's, Darling Point.

* Cultivating my tiny balcony garden, and enjoying the small patches of early summer colour from my bougainvillea, diplodenias, lavender and convolvulus. 

* Photographing some of the dramatic storm fronts that sweep into Sydney at this time of the year. From my balcony I get a spectacular view of the thunderous clouds, and sometimes even a spectacular light show!

* Attending a small 50 year school reunion of Sydney Girls' High leavers. My cohort has never been keen on large, formal reunions (we waited 30 years before we had the one I organised), so there was something warm and comfortable about this meet-up of around sixteen of us for lunch at the Chiswick Restaurant at the Art Gallery.

* Stitching this set of latte coloured mug mates for a friend to give her daughter-in-law.

...and these as Christmas gifts for some friends.

... and these softies for Anglicare's Toys 'n'Tucker Christmas appeal.

... and quietly making progress with the hand quilting on this special quilt I'm finishing on a friend's behalf.

* Finally - and most importantly - I've been treasuring the opportunities I get to spend with my other two grandchildren, Mr J and his new baby sister Princess 2.

More soon!