Christmas Pudding - A must have Christmas Dessert

I remember as a young child the delights of the Christmas Pudding being bought to the table with a jug of brandy custard.  In those days my grand mother used to hide her precious collection of threepence in the pudding and it was good luck to find one.  I now feel is was even better luck to find one without breaking a tooth or consuming the threepence.

This is a very old family recipe that has only received a couple of minor tweaks over the years.  It is not for the faint hearted cook as it does require a long looking time, but it us absolutely delicious.

Enjoy

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Christmas Pudding

Recipe: 

Ingredients

• 250g raisins
• 250g sultanas
• 185g currants
• 185g dates
• 3 - 4 tablespoons brandy
• 250g butter
• 2 cups brown sugar firmly packed
• 5 large eggs
• 250g plain flour (sifted)
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon - ground
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• 200g fresh breadcrumbs (Use day old white bread)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 - 4 tablespoons of extra flour 
• 1 pudding cloth and tie

Method

1. Cut the raisins and dates to the same size as the sultanas.
2. Mix the fruit together, add brandy and stir well.
3. Cover with glad wrap and leave overnight.
4. Next Day
5. Cream the butter and sugar.
6. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well.
7. Add the fruit and mix well.
8. Add all dried ingredients including the bread crumbs and mix well.
9. Boil the pudding cloth for 10 minutes and allow to cool.
10. Fill a large boiler 3/4 with water and bring to the boil.
11. Lay the pudding cloth on the bench and sprinkle the centre with the extra flour to approximately 35 cm diameter.
12. Place the cloth in a large colander.
13. Spoon in the pudding mixture.  Pull the sides of the cloth together and tie with string as close to the pudding as possible.  Make a loop in the string for easy hanging
14. Lower the pudding into the boiling water and boil for 5 hours.  Top up the pot with extra boiling water every 30 minutes.
15. When cooked, carefully remove the pudding from the pot with the handle of a wooden spoon.  Allow the pudding to hang, swinging freely and not touching any surface.  Note:  I do this by hanging the pudding on a broom stick over the laundry sink.  Twist, or peg the loose ends of the cloth to the string so they do not touch the pudding.
16. Allow the pudding the hang for a few days
17. Transfer the pudding to a plate, remove string and secure with glad wrap.  Place in the fridge until Christmas eve.
18. Christmas Eve / Day
19. Remove the pudding from the fridge on Christmas Eve.
20. A few hours before the pudding is required bring a large boiler 3/4 filled with water to the boil.
21. Retie the pudding with string, and include a good loop.
22. Lower the pudding into the water and boil for 1 1/2 hours, topping with boiling water every 30 minutes.
23. When cooked, gently remove the pudding from the water and suspend for 15 minutes.
24. Working quickly, transfer the pudding to a plate, cut the string, gently remove the cloth and transfer to a serving plate.
25. Allow to stand for 20 minutes before serving.
26. I find this pudding is best served with brandy custard.
27. Enjoy

Note: I try and make the pudding 4 weeks before Christmas, but it can be done as late as 2 weeks with good results

Chocolate Macarons - Wicked Wednesday

School Holidays have arrived in Melbourne so time to start baking.  Today we made some delightful Chocolate Macarons, these are very sweet but very yummy.

Enjoy  Julie

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Chocolate Macarons

Recipe: (makes 12 +)

• 300g icing sugar
• 200g Almond Meal
• 2 tablespoons Cocoa
• 5 egg whites (room Temp)
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tatar
• 75g Caster Sugar
• 175 g Dark Chocolate
• 3/4 cup Cream

ethod

1. Preheat oven to 150 c or 130 c fan forced.
2. Line two trays with baking paper
3. Blend the icing sugar, cocoa and almond meal until very fine, you may require a few batches
4. Mix egg whites and cream of tatar until soft peaks form, slowly add the caster sugar and mix until disolved.
5. Fold in the icing sugar mixture in three batches.
6. Place mixture in a piping bag and pipe 3 cm circles on the baking paper, leaving 3 cm between each Macaron.
7. Stand the tray at room temperature for 30 minutes
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until firm to touch, remove from oven and allow to cool on the tray
9. While baking, melt the dark chocolate and cream in a saucepan or microwave until melted and blended, allow to stand at room temperature until you reach a spreadable consistency.
10. Spread the chocolate on a macaroon and make a macaroon sandwich.
11. Enjoy

Chocolate Ripple Cake

Chocolate Ripple Cake is one of those very simple classic recipes that has been served at BBQs for many a year and remains a hit with young and old.

Try Chocolate Ripple Cake at your next party for a yummy but simple dessert.

Enjoy.

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Chocolate Ripple Cake

Recipe: 

Ingredients

• 1 packet of Chocolate Ripple biscuits
• 600 ml container of thickened cream
• 1 teaspoon caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• Raspberries or your choice of fruit to serve

Method

1. Beat the cream with the sugar and vanilla until thick and peaks form.
2. Place a 1/4 of the cream on the serving plate to form the base of the cake.
3. For the cake pictured, I sandwiched 5 Chocolate Ripple biscuits and cream together for the first row and then repeated the process until the biscuits were all used.
4. Cover the entire cake with the remaining cream.
5. refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
6. When set,  garnish with raspberries and serve.
7. Slice and enjoy

Sponge Cake with fresh cream and Berries

This sponge cake recipe belonged to my Grandmother, it must be well over 60 years old and was the standard birthday cake for me as a child.  Sponge cakes are easy to prepare and when covered with fresh cream and fresh berries they make a very attractive cake for any occasion.

This recipe is so old, it asks you to shift the flour not once, not twice but three times, it has to be a classic sponge cake recipe.

Enjoy

Sponge Cake

Recipe: 

Ingredients

• 8 eggs separated
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 tablespoons hot water
• 2 cups plain flour
• 4 teaspoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 300 ml thickened cream, whipped (add sugar if required)
• Strawberry Jam
• Strawberries and blueberries
• icing sugar to dust

Method

1. Peheat the oven to 180 C or 160  C fan forced. 
2. Grease and flour two 18 cm sponge baking pans.
3. Separate the eggs and reserve the yolks.
4. Beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff peaks form.
5. gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time until the mixture is thick and glossy.
6. beat in the egg yolks one at a time.
7. sift the flour and baking powder together 3 times.
8. heat water and butter together until butter has melted (I use the microwave for this)
9. fold the flour into the batter and then quickly add the butter mixture, add the vanilla.
10. divide the mixture between the two pans and bake for 20 - 25 minutes
11. when baked, leave in the pan for 2 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
12. when cold, spread jam and cream on one cake and place the other on top.  
13. dress with fresh fruit and dust with icing sugar.
14. Enjoy.

Affogato - Wicked Wednesday

For a simple, yet elegantly presented dessert it is hard to go past a classic Italian Affogato.  This simple dish can be prepared in less than 5 minutes, is absoluetly Devine.  It could be a nice way to end a dinner party - or just a warming midweek treat.

Enjoy

Affogato

Recipe:

Ingredients per person:  

• 1 / 2 good scoops  Good Quality Vanilla Ice Cream
• 1 shot espresso Coffee (I add a teaspoon of sugar to the coffee)
• 1 shot Frangelico liqueur 

Method

1. Place the ice-cream in a glass or bowl.
2. Slowly pour the espresso and Frangelico over the Ice-cream
3. Enjoy

Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding - Wicked Wednesday

Normally I reserve a Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding for a cold winter night but decided this week will be an exception.  I just love it when you break into these puddings and you have a lava like eruption of Chocolate sauce ooze over the plate.  I like Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding with a good Vanilla ice-cream and Raspberries.  But it also works wonderfully with thick whipped cream.

Enjoy

Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding

Recipe:

Ingredients:  

• 60 g butter
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla essence
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 cup self raising flour
• 3 tablespoons cocoa
• 3/4 cup packed cup brown sugar
• 2 cups boiling water
• Ice cream, raspberries and dusted cocoa to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180c.
2. Grease a 6 cup capacity baking dish.
3. Melt the butter with the milk in a small saucepan.
4. Add the vanilla, caster sugar and 2 tablespoons of cocoa.
5. Mix well and pour into the baking dish.
6. Combine the brown sugar and remaining 1 tablespoon of the cocoa in a bowl with 2 cups of boiling water.
7. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, and pour carefully over the back of a spoon over the batter.
8. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is firm.
9. Dust with cocoa and serve with fresh raspberries and ice.cream
10. enjoy.

Rum Balls - Wicked Wednesday

Ever since I was a young child, Rum Balls were a key component of special events like Birthdays, Christmas and special Afternoon Tea's.  I can clearly remember lot's of arguments with my sisters over the last remaining drops of Condensed Milk sitting at the bottom of the tin:  Yum!.

Keeping with tradition I now make Rum Balls on a regular basis as they are so easy and so yummy.  The only puzzling element is why I have always called them Rum Balls, when they are in fact made with Sherry and not Rum!.

Enjoy your Wicked Wednesday Chocolate (and Sherry) fix.

Rum Balls

Recipe:

Ingredients:  Makes over 20

• 1 Packet Marie Biscuits
• 1 tin Condensed Milk
• 50 g Butter 
• 2 tablespoons Cocoa
• 1 tablespoon sherry
• Coconut to toss.  aproximately 1 cup

Method

1. Crush the biscuits in a food processor.
2. Melt the butter.
3. Mix together the crushed biscuits, Condensed Milk, Melted Butter, Cocoa and Sherry.
4. Roll mixture into balls and then roll in the coconut.
5. Enjoy.

Rose Scented Pink Meringues - Wicked Wednesday

For this weeks wicked Wednesday I've made some delightful Rose Scented Pink Meringues.  The rose scent and subtle rose flavour is achieved with rose water, which you can find at Middle Eastern speciality shops and some supermarkets.  These dainty treats can be served for a formal Afternoon Tea or birthday, a special treat for the children or add whipped cream and serve as a dessert. 

The addition of the rose water makes these meringues hard on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside, needless the say this batch has been consumed.

Enjoy. 

Rose Scented Pink Meringues

Recipe:  Makes 14

Ingredients:  

• 4 eggs (at room temperature)
• 1 cup caster sugar
• pink food colouring
• 2 teaspoons Rose Water (available at Middle Eastern food shops - or some supermarkets)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 100c.
2. Using two baking trays and baking paper, mark  14 7 cm circles.
3. Separate the eggs, and beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
4. Gradually add the caster sugar and beat until dissolved.
5. Add a very small amount of pink food colour and fold through - adjust the colour if required.
6. Fold through the rose water.
7. Spoon the mixture into the circles and slightly press down in the centre.
8. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, turn off the oven and leave the meringues to cool down with the door slightly ajar..
9. Enjoy

Chocolate Mousse - Wicked Wednesday

Another Wednesday and another tempting chocolate dessert to help you get through the week.  This is a very rich chocolate mousse that would make a great end to any dinner party or an indulgent treat for anytime you feel like a chocolate fix.

This dessert only has only 4 ingredients and is very simple to make but also very delicious.

Enjoy  

Chocolate Mousse

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 200g dark chocolate, the best you can find
• 4 eggs, separated
• 100 g softened butter
• 1 tablespoon caster suger
• Raspberries and icing suger to garnish

Method

1. Melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl (I use a microwave on medium power in bursts of 30 seconds with a stir in between each 30 seconds).
2. Mix in the egg yolks.
3. Add the softened butter and ensure everything is well combined.
4. Whip the egg whites until soft peaks form.
5. Add the caster sugar to the egg whites and mix until the sugar is disolved.
6. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and mix to combine.
7. Divide between 4 cocktail glasses and refrigerate until set.
8. Remove from the fridge slightly prior to serving and bring to almost room temperature, garnish with raspberries and icing sugar.
9. Enjoy

Brownies - Wicked Wednesday

Another Wicked Wednesday and another sweet treat to entice you into the kitchen.  This week I've made another classic, the chocolate brownie. These delightful, but slightly decadent treats will certainly hit the spot if you are looking for a chocolate fix.

You can easily change this into a dessert by slightly warming the brownies and serving with a good vanilla ice-cream.

enjoy 

Brownies

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 200g unsalted butter
• 200g the best dark chocolate you can find
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup plain flour
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• Extra Cocoa for dusting

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180c.
2. line the base and sides of an 18 cm square cake pan.
3. Melt the butter, chocolate and sugar in a saucepan over a gentle heat, then pour into a bowl and allow to slightly cool.
4. Lightly beat the eggs and vanilla and add to the chocolate mixture, stirring to combine. 
5. Slowly add the sifted flour and cocoa to the mixture and combine well.
6. Pour mixture into the lined cake pan and place in the oven for 20 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
8. Cut into squares or triangles to serve, and dust with extra cocoa
9. Enjoy.