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What the Queen's handbag placement during her meeting with George Brandis means

<p>A handbag on a side chair at Buckingham Palace could be a good sign for Australia's relations with the UK.</p> <p>Australia's new High Commissioner to the United Kingdom George Brandis seemed to impress the Queen during his first visit to the Audience Room in Buckingham Palace.</p> <p><img width="446" height="326" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/05/30/14/4CC16AB300000578-5787065-image-a-5_1527688370535.jpg" alt="Australia's new High Commissioner to the United Kingdom George Brandis appeared to impress her Majesty during his first visit to the Audience Room in London" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="i-e80c6853ce1fc029"/></p> <p>When the Turnbull Government's former attorney-general met with Her Majesty, she placed her trademark, black Launer handbag on a side chair.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2017/03/queens-signals-for-help-leaving-conversations/">Royal historian Hugo Vickers</a></span></strong> has previously revealed how the Queen uses her bag to send secret signals to her staff.</p> <p>Luckily for Mr Brandis a bag placed on a chair indicates she is happy to be left alone to chat with a dignitary.</p> <p>If the Queen had left her handbag on the floor, it indicates she wants to keep her meeting to just five minutes.</p> <p>During Mr Brandis’ meeting with the Queen a previously unseen framed picture of Prince Harry with his new wife Meghan Markle was also spotted. See the lovely photograph of <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/art/2018/05/unseen-photograph-of-harry-and-meghan-in-the-queens-audience-room/">Harry and Meghan here.</a><br /></span></strong></p>

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Brandy-spiked hot chocolate

<p>This hot chocolate is not the frothy liquid we are used to but the thick mixture of cream and melted chocolate served in European cafés and brasseries.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Makes:</span></strong> 4 cups hot chocolate</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>1 ½ cups cream</li> <li>1 ½ cups finely chopped good quality dark chocolate</li> <li>2 tablespoons brandy</li> <li>Whipped cream for garnish</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <ol start="1"> <li>Put the cream into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the chocolate and brandy and stir until dissolved. The mixture should be thick and creamy.</li> <li>Pour into 4 small cups and top each with a spoonful of whipped cream.</li> </ol> <p><em>Written by Ray McVinnie. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>. Image credit: Kieran Scott.</em></p> <p><em><strong>Have you ordered your copy of the Over60 cookbook, </strong></em><strong>The Way Mum Made It</strong><em><strong>, yet? Featuring 178 delicious tried-and-true recipes from you, the Over60 community, and your favourites that have appeared on the Over60 website, <a href="https://shop.abc.net.au/products/way-mum-made-it-pbk" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">head to the abcshop.com.au to order your copy now</span></a>.</strong></em></p>

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Last-minute Christmas cake with brandy butter icing

<p>Boiling the fruit is the secret to the mature flavour of this wonderful cake. You also save time by icing the cake with brandy butter.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients</span>:</strong></p> <ul> <li>1¼-1½kg mixed fruit</li> <li>250g butter</li> <li>1 cup brown sugar</li> <li>½ cup water</li> <li>½-1 cup brandy, rum or whisky</li> <li>1-1½ tablespoons treacle</li> <li>1-1½ tablespoons marmalade</li> <li>5 or 6 eggs, slightly beaten</li> <li>1¾ cups plain flour</li> <li>1/3 cup self-raising flour</li> <li>½-1 teaspoon baking soda</li> <li>1 teaspoon each: ground cinnamon, nutmeg (or allspice) and mixed spice</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method: </span></strong></p> <p>1. Heat oven to 150°C. Line a 22cm cake tin with 3 layers of baking paper.</p> <p>2. Place fruit, butter, brown sugar, water and brandy, rum or whisky in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Leave to cool to room temperature.</p> <p>3. Add treacle, marmalade and eggs to pan and mix well.</p> <p>4. Sift dry ingredients together then stir into fruit mixture.</p> <p>5. Spread in prepared tin and bake for 2½ hours or until a skewer comes out clean. Cover with foil and leave to cool in the tin.</p> <p><strong>Try this easy icing option: Brandy butter icing</strong></p> <p>This butter cream icing, a classic recipe from the Edmonds Cookery Book, is especially delicious on Christmas fruit cakes – with or without a layer of almond icing underneath. A small dob of it is also nice to top off a Christmas mince tart, instead of a pastry lid. This recipe makes enough to cover a large cake generously, all over. The icing will keep well if stored in a cool place (3-4 weeks in the fridge).</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients: </span></strong></p> <ul> <li>175g butter, softened</li> <li>500g icing sugar, sifted</li> <li>3 tablespoons brandy</li> <li>2 teaspoons vanilla extract</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <p>1. Beat butter until smooth. Add icing sugar, brandy and vanilla and beat until light and creamy.</p> <p><em>First appeared on <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz.</a></span></strong></em></p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/04/orange-polenta-cake/"></a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/01/sweet-potato-chips/">Healthy sweet potato chips</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/04/orange-polenta-cake/"></a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2014/12/banana-date-and-walnut-cake/">Banana, date and walnut cake with cream cheese icing</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/04/orange-polenta-cake/"></a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/03/flourless-hazelnut-chocolate-cake/">Flourless hazelnut chocolate cake</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/04/orange-polenta-cake/"> </a></em></strong></span></p>

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