It's good for your mind, body, and soul. Its fun, It brings the creative side out of you and it encourages elements of sharing both recipes and experiences. I love Cooking!

My family has been dairy farmers for over 50 years and it was sad to see it get sold up only a few years ago. It was a place where we had all learned to live off the land, harvesting our fresh veggies from the large vegetable garden and farming our livestock. My Mum would always be pickling, bottling, and preserving something and I would always be by her side in the kitchen helping prepare my favourite dishes.

Outside of cooking my go-to dish of Yoyo biscuits as a child, I was keenly interested in my Mum’s cooking book which she never let out of her sight. It was weathered and falling apart, it was a coveted item in the kitchen that contained a family classic, Mum’s Unbelievable sponge cake with fresh strawberries and cream, rolled out at family birthdays…. It was to die for.

If you have never had these fluffy dumplings bathed in a rich golden syrup sauce, you don’t know what you are missing. Golden Syrup Dumplings are a treasured family recipe passed down from my mother and are the cure for any sweet craving. This comforting, simple dessert is budget-friendly and perfect on cold winter nights. You will most likely find these ingredients in your pantry or if not they are easily substituted, such as ginger for cinnamon.

Karen is a long time Chef at Roro Cafe, located at the Queenscliff Ferry terminal.

• Step 1
  Place the water, sugar, golden syrup, butter and marmalade in a medium- sized, heavy-based pan. Stir over a medium heat until the butter, sugar and marmalade dissolve. Bring slowly to the boil, then reduce to a fast simmer.
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• Step 2
  Sift the flour and ground ginger into a bowl, then add the chopped butter. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre, pour in the milk and stir with a table knife until the mixture forms a dough.
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• Step 3
  Dust a little flour on a workbench. Place the dough on the surface and shape into a log about 18 cm  long. Divide the log into 12 even pieces. Sit a piece of chocolate on each piece, then roll each piece into a ball, making sure the chocolate is in the centre and covered by the dough.
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• Step 4
  Put the balls into the simmering golden syrup mixture. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Serve the dumplings and syrup with scoops of ice cream or a spoonful of cream.