CHRISTMAS TIPS & RECIPES
TIPS TO SURVIVE CHRISTMAS PLAN
Make lists of all the things you need to organise before Christmas. Buy ingredients for menus. Pre-order meat and fish. Delegate some dishes to others. Simplify your ideas. Cook and freeze. Get home delivery. Buy some pre-prepared things. Keep it realistic, on budget and unmaterialistic. Schedule some downtime for you.
SIMPLIFY What aspects of Christmas preparations can you farm out? What can be painlessly left out? Make three star dishes and keep the rest super simple. Use my recipe suggestions! Buy pre-made components and assemble. Make your table and menu theme 'rustic' Plan picnics at the beach or in a park for easy and fun meals. Give everyone a job.
PREPARE Choose desserts which can be made ahead and freeze them. Make components of your dishes and freeze or refrigerate (eg pastry cases, meringues, dressings Buy pantry items and table napkins etc well in advance. Make shopping lists and divide them by how far in advance they can be shopped for. Make beds if guests are coming, you can do this now!
IN THIS BOOK YOU WILL FIND: .
nibbles and picnic food salads main dishes desserts (the important stuff) sweet treats
These are all recipes that I use regularly, at Christmas and at other times too. Part of the reason why they are easy is because I have made them lots of times. The more you cook, the easier it gets and the more confident you will be. I am quite an 'approximate' cook, and it generally turns out well! (so try not to get too stressed about cooking). A tub of really good ice cream in the freezer and some beautiful fresh seasonal fruits can always be brought out if it all flops! Don't try to do it all - PLEASE! Just because I make my own truffles (I do LOVE chocolate), you could just as easily buy some. Take what you want from this and ignore the rest!
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Christmas Nuts A Nigella Lawson recipe which is a firm favourite with my book group at our Christmas gathering. I put the ingredients in a bowl together (minus the nuts) a few days in advance and on the day I can throw them in a baking tin in the oven then toss nuts through.Easy. INGREDIENTS 500g Assorted Nuts- I use local pecans, local macadamias, cashews and almonds. 2 Tablespoons chopped rosemary leaves ½ Teaspoon Cayenne Powder 2 Teaspoons (heaped if you’re me!) dark brown sugar 1 Teaspoon sea salt 1 Tablespoon (approx.) butter. METHOD: Preheat oven to 180 C. Mix the nuts together on a flat tray and bake for 10 minutes. Melt the butter (I use the microwave to save washing another pan). Pour butter and other ingredients over the hot nuts and toss/mix around. Serve.
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Eggplant, Olive and sundried tomato tapenade INGREDIENTS 1 Medium Eggplant, sliced 12 Sundried tomatoes 1 Large onion, quartered 1 Red capsicum 12 Olives, Pitted 1 Teaspoon finely chopped chilli 6 tablespoons Extra virgin Olive oil 2 Tablespoons chopped Parsley 2 Tablespoons White or red wine vinegar Ground black pepper 1 Tablespoon Chopped garlic METHOD: Place eggplant, capsicum and onion on a baking tray. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil. Bake in a hot oven for about 10 mins, until capsicum starts to blister. Remove from oven and cover with a tea towel. Once cooled, peel the skin off the capsicum. Chop the vegetables finely, or use a food processor, but don’t over-process. Add olive oil and remaining ingredients. Refrigerate and serve as a spread, dip or whatever! PAGE
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FIgs with gorgonzola anD honey vinegar These are fabulous little nibbles, but unless you have a fig tree in your garden they can be rather expensive so maybe save them for gatherings of a few close friends! INGREDIENTS 12 Ripe figs 175g Gorgonzola or other blue cheese Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons Runny honey 2 tablespoons Balsamic or Red wine vinegar METHOD: Wipe and halve the figs. Place cut side up in a baking tray. Season with salt and pepper and place under a hot grill for about 5 minutes until they are hot and bubbling. Cut the cheese into small cubes. Combine the honey and vinegar in a small dish. Remove figs from grill and squish a piece of cheese into each one. Place back under the grill for a further 2 minutes. Place the figs on the serving platter and pour the sauce over. Serve immediately and prepare to receive compliments!
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Rice Paper rolls So fresh tasting and healthy. You can easily do these with no meat/seafood too. The secret of good rice paper rolls is not to soak the papers too long, or to fill them too much as they will be limp and likely to burst open. Within a minute of soaking, the rice paper wrappers become pliable enough to roll. Or, if you're a beginner, try using 2 sheets of rice paper to make them less likely to tear as you roll them. INGREDIENTS: 100g rice vermicelli 20g mixed fresh herbs, such as coriander, thai basil and mint leaves 150g pork loin 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 teaspoon sugar 8 cooked large prawns, peeled, deveined and halved lengthways 8 soft lettuce leaves 8 rice paper wrappers 1 handful garlic chives Optional: grated or shredded carrot, wombok, daikon radish, capsicum and chopped peaunuts or cucumber batons METHOD: Soak the rice vermicelli in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain well and cut into short lengths. Combine with the mixed herbs and refrigerate until needed.Put the pork loin into a small frying pan with the fish sauce, sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn the pork over and simmer for a further 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to cool in the pan. Remove from the cooking liquid and cut into thin slices.To assemble, dip the rice paper wrappers briefly in water, then transfer to a clean tea towel, shiny side down. Smooth over the wrappers with clean wet hands, then put one prawn on the bottom third of the wrapper, so that the colourful side is facing down. Over the top, place a lettuce leaf, a couple of slices of pork and 2 tablespoons of the herbed rice vermicelli. Pick up the bottom edge of the paper and enclose the filling, then tuck in the sides. At this stage place two garlic chives so that they stick out the side and continue rolling. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. Serve with Vietnamese dipping sauce, if desired. (You can buy this in any supermarket).
Satay dip with crudites I serve this sauce warm as a nibble with raw vegetable sticks. You can also use it on grilled meats such as chicken skewers, or in Gado Gado as a vegetarian main course. INGREDIENTS: 4 Large Tablespoons Peanut butter 2 Chopped Chillies 2 Cloves Garlic, chopped 2cm piece Ginger, chopped 1 Tablespoon Soy sauce 2 Teaspoons Brown sugar 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice 1 Tablespoon Thai Fish Sauce 300ml Coconut milk 1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander 1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin 2 Shallots (Spring onions) Good handful Fresh coriander METHOD: Blend all the ingredients except the coconut milk and fresh coriander together in a food processor or blender until a thick paste forms. Scrape the paste into a saucepan with a good thick base. Add the coconut milk and stir/whisk. Heat gently, stirring often until the sauce changes colour slightly. The sauce has a tendency to stick to the bottom of the pan and burn so keep stirring! To serve, sprinkle with chopped fresh coriander. If you reheat the sauce, you may need to add some water to thin it down. This freezes well.
cambodian lettuce wraps
This recipe is by Robin Wright in 'Share' cookbook. INGREDIENTS: 4 Little gem lettuce 4 Tablespons clear honey 2 Tablespoons soy sauce 1 garlic clove, crushed 2 cm piece ginger, peeled and grated 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds 1 Tablespoon sesame oil 150g Walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts 60g Celery, diced 60g Red capsicum, diced 60g Carrots, diced 25g Spring onions, chopped 30g Fresh coriander, chopped ½ to 1 red chilli, chopped Salt and ground pepper For the garnish: 100g Beansprouts 1 Carrot, grated or in very fine julienne strips Fresh coriander leaves ½ Cup Sweet chilli sauce METHOD: Carefully pull lettuce apart to leave the leaves whole. Wash and dry with kitchen paper or in a salad spinner. Place honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds and sesame oil into a food processor and blitz to combine. Add the nuts, vegetables, coriander and chilli to the food processor and blitz until evenly chopped to a thick, lumpy paste. Season to taste. Scoop 2-3 teaspoons of the mixture onto each lettuce leaf and top with beansprouts, carrot, coriander and a drizzle of sweet chilli sauce. I like to pile the various ingredients onto a platter and let people assemble the wraps themselves.
Asian slaw INGREDIENTS: 450g shredded veggies (your choice of cabbage, carrots, capsicum, snow peas, brussel sprouts, etc) chopped roughly 3 shallots (Spring onions), sliced 1 cup coriander ( or flat leaf parsley or mint) chopped Asian Slaw Dressing: 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon sesame oil ¼ cup rice wine vinegar 3 tablespoons honey, brown rice syrup, maple, or agave 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 garlic clove, finely minced/chopped 1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon chilli flakes or chilli paste ( optional) Optional toppings: Toasted sesame seeds, roasted, crushed peanuts or cashews METHOD: Toss the slaw ingredients together in a large bowl. Add coriander and shallots. Whisk Asian Slaw Dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour dressing into slaw and toss well. Garnish with sesame seeds and/ or nuts. This salad will keep up to 3-4 days in the fridge but add the dressing on the day your serve it.
peanutty noodley salad Adapted from a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipe INGREDIENTS: 75g Raw or roasted unsalted Peanuts 200g Fine Egg Noodles or Thai Rice Noodles 150g Green beans or Snow peas 1/2 Lebanese cucumber 6 Spring Onions (Shallots) About 12 Basil Leaves 1 Small bunch Mint 1 Small bunch Coriander Dressing :2 Tbsps Rice wine vinegar Grated zest and juice of a Lime 1/2-1 Small Red chilli finely chopped 1 Garlic Clove, finely chopped 1 Tsp Brown Sugar 1 Tsp Sesame Oil 1/2 Tsp Soy Sauce METHOD: If raw, roast the peanuts on an oven tray at 180 C for 8-10 minutes or until golden. When cooled, chop roughly. Whisk dressing ingredients together. Cook noodles as per packet instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Add to the dressing and toss to coat. Cook beans or snow peas in boiling water until still crunchy (3-5 mins beans, 2-3 mins snow peas). Drain, refresh under the cold tap. Halve the cucumber lengthways and slice thinly. Cut the spring onions on the diagonal. Toss all ingredients into the noodles. Serve with extra soy sauce on the side.
Rocket, pear, pecan, blue cheese salad Such a simple salad and yet so satisfying with its mixture of bitter rocket, sweet pear, salty cheese and crunchy pecans. If you prefer to keep sugar out of it, make a simple olive oil and white wine vinegar dressing instead. And of course feel free to mix it up- spinach instead of rocket, parmesan or fetta instead of blue cheese, walnuts instead of pecans, apple or nectarine instead of pear. INGREDIENTS: 1 Bunch Rocket (or a small bag) 1 Pear, just ripe or still a bit crunchy About 12 Pecans 100g Blue Cheese (I like Dolcelatte or Gorgonzola, but pick your favourite) Dressing: 1 Tablespoon Runny Honey 1 Teaspoon Wholegrain or Dijon Mustard About 50ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil About 50ml White Wine Vinegar, or Apple Cider Vinegar METHOD 1. Wash and spin the rocket in a salad spinner to dry it. Place in serving bowl. 2. Heat a frying pan and toast pecans for a minute or two (don’t let them burn). If you have the oven on for something else you can do this in the oven. 3. Cut the cheese into small cubes and add to rocket. 4. Make the dressing by shaking all ingredients together in a jar or whisk together in a small bowl. 5. Just before serving, slice the pear thinly. Add to salad. 6. Sprinkle pecans on and add enough dressing to dress without swamping the leaves. Toss.
Bulghur wheat and chickpea salad Adapted from an Oldways Mediterranean recipe INGREDIENTS: For the dressing: 3 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice (juice of one medium fruit) 2 tablspoons extra-virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground cumin (or to taste) ½ teaspoon ground coriander ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper For the salad: 1 (400g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 cup cooked bulgur or other cooked whole grain (I used freekah in the photo) 1 cup chopped vegetables ( I used more - a combo of roasted parsnip, capsicum, sweet potato, onion and eggplant) ⅓ cup dried cranberries ( I used fresh pomegranate seeds instead) 3 spring onions, chopped 3 tablespoons toasted slivered almonds 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint METHOD: Mix the dressing in a large bowl. Add everything else and toss well to coat. Chill for at least two hours to meld the flavours, or serve immediately as a warm salad.
zucchini agro dolce (adapted from a Belinda Jeffrey recipe) INGREDIENTS: 1 Kg Zucchinis, washed and dried Olive oil 3 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped 5 Tbsps Shredded Mint Leaves 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice 2-3 Tbsps White wine vinegar Zest of 1 Lemon 1-2 Small Chillis, seeded and chopped finely Salt and Ground black pepper Garnish: Mint leaves METHOD: Slice the zucchinis lengthways in slices about 1/2 cm thick.B rush with olive oil and chargrill on a barbecue or on a heavy based griddle pan. Turn over and grill the other sides. Whilst the zucchini is cooking, whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Arrange the grilled zucchini slices on a plate and drizzle over the dressing. Garnish with more mint. TIP:Serve warm as a salad/side dish. Also excellent cold/room temperature as a focaccia filling.
watermelon salad INGREDIENTS: 1 small red onion sliced very thinly into half moon shapes 3 limes juiced 1.1kg Seedless watermelon - about 1/4th of a regular sized watermelon – or roughly 4 cups once cut 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled (about 70 g) 1/3 cup fresh mint chopped (about 1/4 of a bunch) Freshly ground black pepper METHOD: Place the onion in a small bowl with the lime juice and set aside for about 10 minutes while you prepare the salad. This will tone down the sharpness of the onion and make them easier to digest. Remove the watermelon's rind (and seeds if there are any). Cut the watermelon into cubes or triangles. Assemble the salad: combine watermelon, red onion, lime juice, feta cheese, and mint together. Season with black pepper to taste. Toss very gently so the feta and watermelon are not squished. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Serve immediately.
prawns with roasted tomatoes and chickpeas This same warm salad would be good served with a whole host of different grilled or barbecued fish. 6 Roma Tomatoes, cut into quarters 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 20 Green prawns, peeled, tails on (Serves 4 people) 1 TablespoonTurmeric 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice 1 Red onion, chopped 1 Garlic clove, crushed 1 Teaspoon Cumin 1 x 400g can Chickpeas, rinsed and drained* 1 Cup roughly chopped Flat Leaf Parsley or Coriander or both Method: Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Sprinkle the tomatoes with 2 Teaspoons oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lie them evenly on a baking tray and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden. Meanwhile, place the prawns in a plastic bag with the turmeric and shake to coat. Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently for 4-5 minutes. Add the cumin, cook for a further minute and then add the chickpeas. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, parsley and lemon juice. Season to taste. Heat a wok or large heavy frying pan. When hot, add the turmeric coated prawns and dry fry. As soon as the flesh is no longer translucent, they are cooked. Serve on a small pile of salad, garnished with a sprig of flat leaf parsley. * If you want to use dried chickpeas, use 220g chickpeas and soak them in cold water overnight. Rinse and drain then bring to the boil in a pan of fresh water, for 35 minutes or until tender.
chimmichurra A sauce, a dip, a salsa? What to call chimmichurra? Of South American descent, this excellent blend of green herbs with a little chilli kick is really good served with fish, seafood (I love it on prawns!) or roast beef. You can use as a marinade, or just serve alongside the cooked meat/fish. INGREDIENTS: 1 Cup Flat Leaf Parsley (leaves and stalks) 1 Cup Fresh Coriander (leaves and stalks) 1 Red Chilli, finely chopped (or a few dried chilli flakes) 1/2 Cup Olive Oil 1 Garlic Clove, chopped 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar METHOD: Place the leaves and stalks in a food processor and whizz until well chopped (you can also do this by hand). Add other ingredients and mix to combine.
Roasted vegetables and cous cous with harissa
INGREDIENTS: 450g cherry tomatoes 1 small eggplant 2 Medium Zucchinis 1 Small red Capsicum 1 small Bulb fennel (if available) 1 Large onion 2 Fat cloves garlic, crushed 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons torn Basil Salt and Ground Black pepper (If any of these are not available substitute other veg. such as mushroom, or simply leave it out) 275g Cous Cous 500ml Boiling water or vegetable stock 110g Firm goats cheese or Fetta Salt and Ground Black pepper 1 x 75g Packet of Mixed salad Leaves 1 tablespoon Black onion seeds (Nigella seeds) For the Dressing: 110ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 rounded teaspoon Cayenne pepper 2 Tablespoons ground Cumin 2 Heaped Tablespoons Tomato paste 4 tablespoons Lime Juice (about 2 limes) METHOD: Preheat the oven to 200 C. Prepare the vegetables by cutting into rough dice. Toss in olive oil and season with the garlic, torn basil and salt and pepper. Roast in a baking tray for approx. 30 minutes until toasted brown at the edges. Make the dressing: Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl. Cut the cheese into chunks. When you are ready to assemble the salad, Pour boiling water over the cous cous, in the serving bowl. Leave for 5 minutes to absorb all the liquid. Add some salt and pepper and fluff it all up with a fork. Place the roasted vegetables and cheese on top of the cous cous and then the salad leaves on top. Drizzle the dressing over the top of everything and, if you like, top with a sprinkling of black onion (nigella) seeds.
Vegetarian paella A Spanish dish adapted for vegetarians. You can vary the vegetables a bit but the smoked paprika is a must for an authentic flavour. Serves 6-8 people. INGREDIENTS: 5 Tbsp Olive Oil 1 Large Spanish (red) Onion, finely chopped1 red and 1 yellow capsicum, cut into strips 1 Fennel Bulb, cut into strips 4 Garlic cloves, crushed or chopped 4 Bay Leaves 1 Tsp Smoked Paprika 1 Tsp Ground Turmeric 1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper 450g Calasparra Rice (or medium grain rice) 200ml Medium Sherry 1 Tsp Saffron threads (omit if too expensive) 1 litre and 350ml Vegetable stock or water 400g Shelled Broad Beans (fresh or frozen) 20 Mini Plum tomatoes, halved 8 Artichoke Hearts (tinned/ in a jar) quartered 20 Pitted Kalamata Olives or green olives, halved 3 Tbsp Chopped Flat Leaf Parsley 1 Lemon, cut into wedges METHOD: Prepare all the vegetables as per ingredients list. Heat the olive oil in a paella pan or large shallow frying pan. Gently fry the onion for 5 minutes. Add the capsicums and fennel and continue to fry on a medium heat for 6 minutes more. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add bay leaves, paprika, turmeric and cayenne powder. Stir in the rice well for 2 minutes. Now add the sherry and saffron. Reduce down for a minute then add the stock and ½ Tsp salt. Reduce heat to minimum and simmer very gently for about 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Do not cover the pan or stir during this cooking. Whilst the paella is cooking away, put the broad beans in a bowl and pour over some boiling water. After 1 minute , drain and leave to cool. Slip the skin off each bean by gently squeezing with your fingers. Scatter the broad beans, tomatoes and artichokes over the rice and cover the pan tightly with foil. Leave to rest for 10 minutes. Take off the foil and scatter olives on top of the paella. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.
Yule Log (Flourless chocolate roulade)
This is a gluten free recipe as well as being rich, delicious and irresistible! INGREDIENTS: For the roulade: 150g caster sugar 6 large eggs, separated 50g cocoa powder For the filling: 225g Plain cooking chocolate (the best you can afford) 2 eggs, separated 225ml thickened cream METHOD: The filling needs time to semi-set, so you may want to make this first and put it in the fridge. Melt the chocolate (with a dash of your favourite liqueur if you want) in the microwave on a low power setting, or in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Cool slightly and then stir in the 2 egg yolks. If it goes 'claggy' at this stage, mix in some unwhipped cream. Whisk the 2 egg whites until soft peaks form. Cut and fold into the chocolate mixture. Leave to set in the fridge. To make the roulade: Preheat the oven to 190 C. Line a 20cm x 30cm rectangular baking tray with baking paper that extends up all the sides. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until thick. Add cocoa and whisk again, but you don’t want it to get too thick. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Cut and fold a small amount of egg white through the chocolate. Now that it is a looser mixture, cut and fold the remaining egg whites through. Scrape this mixture into the baking tray and spread around a bit. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the tray. To assemble: Place a piece of baking paper on the table. Sprinkle with icing sugar. (not some icing mixtures if you want to keep it gluten free, check the packet. ) Tip the roulade out onto this paper. Carefully peel off the backing paper. Spread the inside of the roulade firstly with chocolate mousse mixture, then whipped cream on top of that. Do not get too close to the furthest long edge, or all the filling will squidge out when you roll it up. Using the paper underneath to help you, roll the roulade over. Keep it on a serving plate with the paper around it until you are ready to serve, then ease the paper out and sprinkle with icing sugar. For a festive yule log look, stick a piece of holly (fake or otherwise) in the log, pop a plastic robin on, and dust with plenty of icing sugar ‘snow’.
Image courtesy of Saveur.com
Summer pudding
INGREDIENTS: 250g strawberries, washed, hulled, halved 200g raspberries 200g blueberries 200g blackberries 150g redcurrants (Or your own combo of red fruits, they can also be frozen berries) 1 cup (210g) caster sugar About 6 or 7 slices cheap white sliced bread, crusts removed Mixed berries, to decorate Thick cream or Greek yogurt, to serve METHOD: Combine the berries and sugar in a large saucepan over low heat. Cook, gently stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves and berries begin to release their juices. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Line a medium sized pudding bowl (or individual tea cups) with cling wrap. This makes it easy to unmould later! Cut a circle of bread to put in the base of the bowl. Now cut pieces of bread to line the sides, leaving no gaps. Fill with fruit. Using a large spoon scoop fruit into the bread case, not using too much of the juice. Once full, make.a lid out of bread. Soak the lid with some of the reserved juice. Put the rest aside. Cover in cling wrap. Weight the top with a side plate and something heavy (a can of tomatoes?). Refrigerate overnight or for 2-3 days even. To serve, removed the weights the plate. and the top cling wrap. Place the serving plate on top then up-end the pudding. Wiggle the basin off. If this fails to release, turn back up the other way and slip a knife down the sides to loosen it first then repeat. Once the basin is removed, take away the cling wrap. Pour the reserved juice over any bits of bread not looking red. Serve with cream or yoghurt and any remaining juice in a jug.
Christmas pudding This recipe makes two one litre puddings, following a tradition from my childhood where you make two, try one out before Christmas 'just to make sure it's OK', and eat the other one on Christmas Eve or Boxing Day (too much for our appetites to deal with on Christmas Day!) By all means halve the recipe, or else give one away. INGREDIENTS: 50g Blanched Almonds (sometimes I use skin-on ones too) 2 Large Granny Smith Apples 200g Candied Peel 1 Whole Nutmeg 1 kg Raisins 140g Plain Flour 100g Fresh white breadcrumbs (whizz some slices in a food processor) 100g Light Brown Sugar 3 Large Eggs 2 Tablespoons Brandy 250g Unsalted Butter, Cold from the fridge. METHOD: Chop almonds coarsely. Peel, core and chop apples. Grate 3/4 of the nutmeg. Mix all the ingredients except butter in a large bowl. Holding the butter in its wrapper, use a cheese grater and grate a quarter of it into the bowl. Stir. Repeat with more butter, stirring between additions. When all the butter is in, stir for 3-4 minutes. Traditionally, everyone in the family should stir the pudding and make a silent wish! Butter two 1.2 litre porcelain or pyrex bowls. Place a circle of baking paper in the base of each. Pack the pudding mixture into the two bowls. Cover with a large piece of baking paper, pleated once in the middle to allow for expansion, and tie around the top of the bowl. (Keep the paper in place whilst tying by using a rubber band.) Stand each bowl on a large piece of tin foil and enclose them completely in foil. Put a second sheet over the top and end under the bowl. Tie a piece of string around and make a string handle to lift it in and out of the double saucepan. Use a double saucepan (I use my large pasta pot with its drainer inside) and place one of the wrapped puddings inside. Put 3-4cm of water in the bottom of the pan. Bring to a low simmer. Put a lid on. Simmer for 8 hours. Check the water from time to time to make sure it hasn't all evaporated. Top up from the kettle as necessary. Once cooked, remove carefully from the pan using the string handle, watching out for steam. You can now cool it and reheat in the same way for about 30 minutes at Christmas. To turn out, unwrap and run a knife around the edge between pudding and bowl. Invert onto a plate. Remove baking paper circle. Serve with custard, cream or ice cream.
Raspberry and cassis mousse INGREDIENTS: 200g Frozen raspberries (or mixed berries) 2 Tablespoons caster sugar 300ml Thickened cream 1 Tablespoon Cassis (optional, or use another favourite liqueur- cointreau? Amaretto? METHOD: Defrost the berries with the sugar sprinkled on them. Place a large sieve over a bowl and put the berries into the sieve. Using the underside of a ladle, push the berries through the sieve, using a circular motion. This produces a seedless, smooth puree. Whip the cream until holding its shape well but not over whipped and buttery. Add the cassis to the berry puree. Taste. If too tart add a little more sugar. Fold the puree through the cream. You can leave it streaky or completely incorporate it. Spoon or pipe into small dishes, jars, ramekins, wine glasses...whatever.
Lemon meringue roulade Half the sugar of normal meringue and always a hit. You can add all sorts of fresh fruit either INGREDIENTS: Meringue: 150ml Egg whites (about 6) 150g Caster sugar 1 Tsp Cornflour Lemon Curd: Zest and juice of 3 medium lemons 250g Caster sugar 4 Egg yolks 125g Butter Cream: 300ml Thickened Cream METHOD: Make the lemon curd first as it takes a while to cool. This makes enough for about 3 roulades but it keeps beautifully in the fridge or freezer. Zest the lemons and squeeze their juice. Melt the butter gently in a saucepan so it doesn’t brown. Then add sugar, lemon juice and zest and egg yolks. Continue to heat over a medium flame, whisking until the mixture thickens. Once it has spent a minute or two at the boil and seems thicker, turn off and leave to cool. As it cools it will thicken up a little more. Meringue: Whisk egg whites until they form soft peaks. Whisk in the sugar until glossy, then briefly whisk in cornflour. Line a rectangular tray with baking paper. Heat oven to 150 C. Using a spatula, spread meringue into the tray. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool. To assemble, whip cream and roughly mix into it some lemon curd. Turn the meringue out onto baking paper sprinkled with icing sugar. Peel the paper it was baked on, off. Spread with cream/lemon mixture. Roll up (fold over really) along the longest side. Serve with fresh fruit- passionfruit, mango, raspberries, blueberries…
Here I sandwiched meringues with chocolate ganache and pressed the sides with chopped pistachios
brown sugar meringues
This recipe can be made as tiny meringues as big as a teaspoonful, as small meringue nests, as big meringues or whatever you want. Key points are to make sure the sugar is fully dissolved and your mixture looks glossy, to add cornflour to prevent 'weeping' yellowish liquid and to keep in an airtight container away from humidity. (I freeze mine). My husband loves these with ice cream and warm berry compote. INGREDIENTS: 6 Egg whites 300g Soft light brown sugar 1 teaspoon cornflour METHOD: I strongly advise that you don't use a balloon whisk as you'll need very strong arms! Use a stand food mixer or a hand held electric whisk. Carefully separate the eggs one by one into a cup and then transfer egg white to the mixer. Make sure that not one drop of yolk gets into the egg whites. If it does, put that egg aside and use another. You can vary the amount of meringue you make just always use 50g sugar per (large) egg white. Add a pinch of salt. This alters the pH of the egg whites slightly and helps aeration. Whisk until the egg whites are white not translucent and are holding their shape well. Do not over whisk to the point where they look 'bitty' or granular. Add half the sugar and whisk until all combined. Add the rest of the sugar and whisk until glossy. Add a teaspoon of cornflour and briefly mix through. Preheat the oven to about 70-80 C. Line a baking tray (or two) with baking paper. If you do not own a piping bag, dollop spoonfuls of meringue onto the paper at the desired size. Leave a little bit of room between them as they do spread a little. If you do own a piping bag, use that to pipe meringues as singles or nest shapes (circle with a border on top). Place in oven for an hour. After an hour check. If they have 'set' and are holding their form well, reduce heat to about 50-60 C and bake for a further hour to three hours depending on how big they are. I often make mine at dinnertime so that I don't have the oven on during the daytime heat! Lift a meringue, and tap its bottom (!) If it sounds hollow and seems firm, turn the oven off and leave to cool in the oven (overnight is fine) before storing in an airtight container or in the freezer until needed.
lemon meringue ice cream if you have already made some lemon curd for a lemon meringue roulade and some meringues for another dessert, then this so quickly and easily thrown together. INGREDIENTS: 1 Litre good quality bought Vanilla Ice Cream 4 Heaped tablespoons Lemon Curd (see lemon meringue roulade recipe) 3 Handfuls meringues, broken up roughly. METHOD: Take the ice cream out of the freezer and leave to soften for five minutes (maybe less if its a hot day!). Scoop/scrape into a bowl. Stir through the lemon curd and the meringues. Refreeze. Serve in sundae dishes, maybe with a few fresh raspberries on the side.
Christmas cake INGREDIENTS: 380g (2.25 cups) Raisins 110g Currants (.75 cups) 250g (1 Cup) quartered Glace cherries 250g (1.5 cups) Seeded Prunes, chopped 115g (0.33 cups) Honey 125ml (1/2 Cup) Brandy 250g Butter, softened 200g (1 Cup) Soft dark brown sugar 5 Eggs 185g (1.25 cups) Plain flour 2 Tablespoons brandy, extra Extras: Newspaper, string or tape METHOD: Combine fruit, honey and brandy in a large bowl. Cover and leave to soak overnight. Position oven shelves to give you plenty of height. Preheat oven to “slow” (I use about 140 C). Line the base and sides of a 19cm square or 8 inch round cake tine with two thicknesses of baking paper. Beat butter and sugar together well. Beat in eggs, then flour. Now add the fruit. Dollop into the cake tin. Spread out evenly. Surround the tin with about 4-6 thicknesses of newspaper and secure with string or tape. Place the tin on a pile of newspaper (4-6 pieces) in the oven and place another sheaf of paper on top, so that the whole cake is protected by newspaper. This prevents burning of the outside during the long cooking. Cook for 4 hours approximately, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. You may want to remove the top paper for the last half hour to allow the top to colour a bit. Once out of the oven, pour the extra brandy over the top whilst the cake is still hot. Once completely cold, keep wrapped in foil in a cool place until you are ready to marzipan and ice.
chocolate truffles INGREDIENTS: 150g Cream (Thickened or not, it doesn't matter, but not single or pouring cream) 25g Butter 2 Egg Yolks 30g Sugar 1 Tablespoon Greek Yoghurt 250g Best quality Dark cooking chocolate 2 Teaspoons Brandy, Cointreau or your choice of Liqueur (optional) METHOD: 1. Place the chocolate in a glass bowl over a pan of hot water to start to warm or even gently melt. 2. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until frothy. 3. Heat the cream and butter in a small pan or in the microwave until simmering. 4. Whisk the hot cream/butter into the egg mixture, add the yoghurt. 5. Remove the chocolate bowl from the hot water pan and whisk the warm eggs, cream etc. into it. Keep whisking until it is a thick glossy, smooth mass. 6. Add any flavouring at this point (liqueur?) 7. Refrigerate until firm (several hours) balls before using to form truffle balls. 8. Use a teaspoon and your hands, form balls of mixture and do one or more of the following: Spear on a cocktail stick and dip in melted chocolate with a few drops of vegetable oil added. Roll in chocolate vermicelli Roll in cocoa Roll in crushed pistachios or toasted flaked almonds Roll in toasted coconut strands Roll in finely ground dried lemon myrtle leaves 10. Refrigerate before serving.
Wishing you a peaceful, stressfree Christmas FROM
CORINNE
www.goodnessmenutrition.com.au