My emergency Christmas dessert.

 Have you been asked to provide dessert at the last minute or simply having people over unexpectedly?  Well do not panic!  Here is the easiest dessert I know that can be whipped up in minutes (plus a trip to the store).  I guarantee it will impress your guests.

Step 1 - Shop

From the store buy an unfilled sponge (don't worry a filled one will still work), a jar of lemon curd, a lemon, and about 600 mls of whipping cream.  I assume you have a couple of eggs at home.

Step 2 - Assemble

Cut up the sponge into large (about 2inch) pieces and put at the bottom of a trifle dish.  Sprinkle (ie. pour on) some limoncello (or grand Marnier, or rum, or whatever booze you like), that has been mixed with a little sugar and water.  Taste to see if you need to add some lemon juice as well.

Whip the cream and add some sugar and the zest of 1-2 lemons to taste.

Put 1/2 on top of the sponge.

Spread the lemon curd on top, then the rest of the cream. 

Put into the fridge.   Serve when you need to.

Options :

1. If you had time you could put a layer of raspberry jelly on the bottom, that would take about an hour to set before you can put the sponge on.  Looks like you spent hours though.
2. Put some raspberries (could use frozen) on top of the lemon curd.
3. If you have frozen raspberries, you could make a coulis and pour that onto the sponge too.
4. You could top with raspberries or grated chocolate, or strawberries.
5. Make Lemon Meringue trifle - If you are feeling fancy you could whip up 2 egg whites with some sugar to form a meringue and then pile on top.  Torch with a blow torch to brown the edges.  This is what I did and it is very impressive.

If you just don't have time for any of this cut up some fruit and cheese, add a slice of fruit cake and away you go!  Merry Christmas.

The easiest choc tart ever!

 This is called a "hot chocolate tart" and I saw it on Adam Liaw's TV show and is an Elizabeth Hewson recipe..  It's so easy you could make it on holidays, you don't even have to melt the butter for the crust.

Impressive Mango Cheesecake for a crowd

I made this at Christmas when mangoes are at their peak.  Delicious, and not too heavy for summer.    Thank you Woolworths for the idea.  The cheesecake portion of this makes a light, simple summer dessert, so this is quite a versatile recipe.  Serves 12.

Stevie's fabulous make ahead Christmas dessert.

A friend of mine made this for Christmas and apparently it was a real hit!  Its also kid friendly.  Unfortunately she lives too far away from me to drop in for coffee, but she was kind enough to post the recipe.

 Its so easy, mostly its an assembly job. The ingredients are Australian brands, but I'm sure other countries have similar.  You could add some honeycomb into the honeycomb mouse.  Assemble the day before for best effect.

And, Stevie tells me she adds some Bailys to the adults bowls for added effect!  Personally, I think you also need a glass on the side.

First
Make a Betty Crocker packet mix brownie (use salted caramel).  
Allow to cool.
Make Chocolate ganache  (recipe here)
Make honeycomb mousse (Coles - its in the dessert isle in a black packet - just whisk I cup milk with packet and chill for an hour).

Layer in a trifle bowl:
brownie pieces, 
bought chocolate double (thick) custard, 
Baileys custard with malteasers in it.
honeycomb mousse
Keep layering, then on the top  dollop with some chocolate ganache and top with fresh cherries on serving. 

Enjoy! and thanks Stevie. 

Coffee panna cotta for two

This is adapted from a Nigella recipe, (who else?)  and uses Mackenzies gelatine sheets, so if you are using any other brand you will need to adapt it.  Take 3 full leaves for 250ml of cream and 80 of coffee.  There is just enough for a romantic dessert for two in my recipe

Italian Pears in red wine

 I saw this on one of Poh's shows, where Antonio Carluccio was assisting her.  What a great recipe, and so simple.  Essentially you just baked the pears on their own for 40 minutes, then sprinkle with sugar, add the red wine and lemon peel and bake for another 30 minutes - and done!  This will become a family staple.

Pears in Red Wine (Pere al Vino Rosso)

Antonio Carluccio's Simple Cooking © Antonio Carluccio 2009

Rating: easy to moderate

Ingredients

• 6 ripe Williams pears
• 400ml red wine
• Rind of 1 lemon, pealed in pieces
• 150g caster sugar
• Whipped double cream, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Wash and put the pears upright in a suitably sized ovenproof container. You want them to fit snugly, without too much space between them.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes.
4. Remove the pears from the oven and pour over the wine.
5. Sprinkle over the lemon rind and most of the sugar, reserving a small amount to spoon on top of the pears. Bake for another 20 minutes, by which time the wine will have reduced and thickened in consistency.
6. Put the pears in a glass bowl, cover with the red wine syrup and chill.
7. Divide between six plates, and serve with the syrup and some whipped double cream, if desired.

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Great cake for a dinner party

This cake is one I saw on a great cooking show,  Good Chef, Bad Chef , I recommend using both almond extract and amaretto (Yum).  I think another good combination would be rose water and vanilla. 

 

You must check the cake with a skewer and make sure it comes out clean, mine takes a little longer than the recipe says.  I also put the juice of a half a lime over the cake when it came out of the oven - make it taste even better.  I also used almond slivers instead of flakes as they are a bit crunchier, seem to match the pistachios better.

 

Its an easy, gluten free cake that tastes wonderful!

 

 

Thanks Ben for the perfect dessert

I do not often take a recipe and not change it, but this one I saw on TV from Bens Menu is a definite winner.  Perfect for Christmas time, and serves a few more than 4 I would say!  I really like Ben's show as it is showcases Australian food, and has recipes that any family would enjoy.

 

I also think this is the perfect recipe for when you are stuck, as all it takes is some eggs, you could top it with any cream and seasonal fruit, or try lemon or lime curd.  Thanks Ben, I hope you don't mind me reproducing (ie copying) it here, it was originally his grandmothers recipe.

 

 

 

Ingredients

(SERVES 4)

6 egg whites

9 ounces or 255 g sugar

2 tsp malt vinegar

1 tsp vanilla essence

150 g whipped cream, to serve

1 punnet strawberries

Mint, to garnish

Icing sugar, to dust

 

Method

1. Pre-­heat the oven to 150 degrees celsius. Remove egg yolks from the eggs being careful not to get any yolk in the whites.
2. Put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat on high for around 12-14 minutes or until stiff peaks.
3. Shape onto a large pavlova shape on round tray.  
4. Bake for approximately 1 and a 1/2 hours. The pavlova will rise up but collapse again as it cools. To serve top with whipped cream and strawberries. Garnish with mint and a light dusting of icing sugar

Zeppole or mini ricotta donuts

This is an old italian recipe and a great way to use up left over ricotta. You will find lots of recipes on the web, but this one works every time.   Be warned!  they are addictive, and they attract hoards of people, particularly children.

Two ways to serve these, firstly dusted in lots of icing sugar, or secondly make a honey drizzle of 1/4 cup honey, fresh thyme (about a teaspoon) and finely grated zest of a small lemon.  Simmer the honey etc until it is fragrant and you have a thin sauce to pour over the Zeppole.

When making these, do not over mix them.  Easy does it. You can add lemon or orange zest to the recipe if you so desire, or cinnamon to the icing sugar, see how the mood takes you.

Easy wonderful chocolate mousse

Thanks to Masterchef Australia for this one - simply inspirational.  You can use any kind of chocolate for this (including white).  You make it the day before your dinner party, then finish it off on the day!  Matt Preston made a white choc mousse with blueberries and coriander, but you can use it with any fruit you like.

 

Chocolate Mousse

350g coverture Chocolate

600ml pouring cream

 

Place chocolate in a bowl.

Place cream in a saucepan, set over high heat and bring to just below boiling.

Pour hot cream over chocolate and combine with whisk until chocolate has completely melted.

Set aside in the fridge to chill overnight.

 

Next day

Remove cream mixture from fridge and transfer mix to an electric mixer with whisk attachment. Whisk on high until thick and almost doubled in size.

 

That's it!!

 

 

 

 

A light Christmas Cake

This recipie comes from Australian Good Taste Magazine, and I would describe it as a very fancy sultana cake.  It is a light cake, and perfect for those who don't really like the full on fruit cake at Christmas time.   The pistachios turn out quite soft and buttery.  I added in some dried cherries along with the cranberries, and just reduced the sultanas accordingly for a more Christmas touch.  

 

The original recipe comes with a lovely frosting,  Just beat together in a mixer 2 egg whites, 3 cups sifted icing sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste on the day you want to serve it.          

 

 

6 great cupcakes in a jiffy

I have been trying  many cupcake recipies of late.  All have been found wanting, until this one.  I wanted a cupcake that was versatile, not too sweet, had a good, light cake, but not crumbly, and that was delicious.  Not much to ask?  So many of the recipies just did not stack up, too sweet, cakes that did not rise well, etc. even Nigella did not come up to the mark.

Well here is a recipie that I adapted from one that Matt Preston's friend Carol, put up on Taste (click here for the link).

This makes 6 large cupcakes or 10ish small ones.  That's perfect for our family. The cakes turn out with a rounded top, they are not the flat type of cupcake I have often seen.  I have not included Icing recipie, as I'm sure you have your favourite one.  You can easily double the recipe, or more if you want!  Vary the flavours once you have mastered the cakes, the next one I am going to make is coconut and lime.  Just remember to remove a little of the flour (no more than a tablespoon) if you are going to add a dry ingredient like coconut or cocoa for chocolate cakes.

The icing will ice 6 cupcakes, and is based on Magnolia Bakery's Buttercream - which in turn is an old fashioned buttercream recipe.  I have also included the measurements for a large cake, as once you use this icing you will want to use it again. I use vanilla extract in the icing, not a vanilla bean - it seems to work better, taste to see if it strong enough for you.  You can use any flavouring you like, try zest of lemon or almond extract.  You can also add food colouring to the icing.

Two things to remember about the icing 1) the butter MUST be very soft.   2) when you think it is mixed enough, mix it for another couple of minutes.

My family's favourite

Lemon Meringue Pie is the favourite dessert for my family.  I don't use the recipie anymore as I know it off by heart.  

Anytime the lemon or lime tree is abundant, out comes the pie.  I use a mixture of lime and lemon when I am using up the limes, as lime on its own is a bit too strong.  You don't have to put the coconut on the top, but we love it that way.  You can make the pie early in the day, don't put it in the fridge unless it is a hot day, and then just do the meringue at the last minute.  The lemon butter can be made ahead of time, and put into the fridge for up to 2 weeks.  To save time, I use a pre-made pastry pie crust, but you can use your favourite pastry recipie.  Most important: have the eggs,whites,  pastry and butter at room temp; and pre heat the oven for the meringue.

If you are in a real hurry, you can make the filling out of 2tbls cornflour, juice and rind of 4 lemons, 250g sugar, cook until thick; then whisk in the 120g butter.  Note, this does not keep.

Once you make this pie, it will be on the menu for the family forever.

Gordon's crumble mix.

 Gordon Ramsay really is a genius with spices, and that is why I love this recipie so much.  It is the combination of sugar, cinnamon,nutmeg and orange that make it wonderful.  I first saw this recipie on his cooking course TV show.  It really does taste different from the usual apple crumble, and may seem difficult at first as it has several steps.  Just take your time, it will be worth it.

For the fruit, choose your favourite fruit and use this recipie.  Again, it is the vanilla, star anice and the caramel that makes it wonderful.

Little sticks of orange yumminess

I have been making these at Christmas time as gifts for colleagues and friends, and just for the family since 1982 when I first found the recipie in a Australian Women's Weekly magazine.  They are just chocolate and orange peel, the orange flesh can be juiced and used in the xmas cake. These are really candied orange peel covered in chocolate.  The chocolate you use will depend upon what you enjoy, I recommend dark 70% + for the best taste as it compliments the bitterness.  However, children will prefer milk chocolate, so use whichever you like.

I usually make a double batch  (there is a hand written note saying "make double") at any one time, and beware they are addictive.  The recipie requires 2 days to make as the oranges need to dry out a little.  Box them up into little boxes lined with baking paper.  They turn out all bendy and lovely.  You can leave a little orange peel un-chocolate if you like, as in the picture below:

 

The best ice cream cake I ever had

This recipie comes from the Cahill restaurants in Sydney back in the 60's.  For more information, and history try : Ice cream cake
 

Cahill's Ice Cream Cake

Ingregients

2Oz butter (that's 57gms)
3/4 cup of carnation milk
1/2 a cup of white sugar
1.5cups of brown sugar

Sponge cake
Vanilla Ice cream



Method
Put all the ingredients in a pan over low heat and stir to combine, increase the temperature and bring to the boil and then lower temp again and simmer for 4mins stirring constantly - take your time and make sure all of the ingredients are dissolved, melted and well combined.

Let it cool, then top a piece of sponge cake with 2 scoops of ice cream and poor over the caramel sauce.

100 year old Bread Pudding

This recipie comes from over 100 years ago, it is the original pudding for using up stale bread.  I have rated it difficult for that reason. Soaking the bread for 24 hours seems a bit excessive ( at least with modern bread ).  I would go for  a much shorter time. 

 I have reproduced the recipie just as it appears in my mothers cook book, but I feel a little topping is required, possibly sugar and nuts, crumble, almonds, shredded coconut,  or some marmalade.   

You could play around with the recipie by adding different fruit, berries,  apples or peaches would be nice.   You could also vary the bread by using raisin or cinnamon bread.

Also,  I think 'meat tin' may refer to a baking dish.  I would break the bread up before soaking.  It states "1 or 2 eggs" - I would go with 2 I think.

Ambrosia - what more is there to say?

I found that this is loved by children and adults alike, a quick and easy dish for a crowd.  You can use any fruit, and if you are using berries (eg. strawberries) don't make this too far ahead or they will turn to mush.

Really, the sky is the limit in terms of your fruit combinations.  Pineapple, macadamia's  and coconut would make a great Australia day dessert, but cherries and some grated chocolate would be terrific too.  Think outside the box, and make your own combinations.  

Lemon Delicious

I don't even have the method on the recipie card for this!  That is because I have made it so often that I could do it in my sleep.  My family loves this recipie, especially in winter when a warm pudding is needed.  

I think what they like is the crunchy top, the soft cake and then the lemony sauce underneath.  I always serve it hot with ice cream.

Whillie's Nice Biscuit Almond Dessert Cake

My friend, Whilomena White, makes this dessert often.  I finally got the recipie from her many years ago.  The secret is in the almond esscence, make sure you use a good one and taste as you go.  It's the perfect marriage of bitter almond and sweet, and perfect for a crowd.  The biscuits soften and turn into a cake.

You can  substitute Amaretto for the rum, but you need to  make this the day before and finish off on the day you want to use it.

I suspect it originally came from an Arnotts Nice Biscuit packet.