Weddings and twenty-first birthdays call for a special iced fruit cake. Today's recipe is for a glaze to spread on a traditional rich fruit cake before it is covered with almond and then plain icing layers.
The first list of ingredients comes from a recipe I was given many years ago during a cake decorating class. It is in imperial measurements ("pounds and ounces") and makes a very large quantity of glaze, too much for the "occasional" cake decorator.
The second list of ingredients is metric and the amounts are those I usually use - it's more than enough for a two-tier wedding cake but the glaze keeps well in the fridge so it's worth making a decent amount if you are likely to decorate Christmas cakes later in the year.
Rum Glaze for Iced Fruit Cakes
Original ingredients list (imperial measurements)
1lb 14oz apricot jam (smooth)
3/4lb sugar
4oz brown rum
4oz brandy
1 cup water
Metric list (half the original quantity)
425g apricot jam (smooth)
170g sugar
57ml brown rum
57ml brandy
1/2 cup water
Method:
Boil sugar and water for 10 minutes.
Add jam. Bring back to the boil.
Add rum and brandy.
Cool.
If not smooth, strain.
Keep in a screw top jar in the fridge until needed.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Butternut or Kent/Jap Pumpkin Soup
The days are still sunny in Melbourne but a distinct chill in the morning air heralds the arrival of "soup weather". And what better way to start a collection of my favourite soup recipes than with that most under-appreciated vegetable the humble pumpkin.
My favourite pumpkin varieties for soup-making are the butternut variety or the stripy Kent pumpkin (also known as a Jap pumpkin, which has a sweeter flavour and mashes more easily than most other varieties).
Ingredients
1 pumpkin (butternut or Kent/Jap varieties are best for this recipe)
1 brown onion (or 3 or 4 golden shallots for a less intense flavour)
2-3 sticks of celery (not the whole bunch, just 2-3 of the sticks or rib with the leaves on top as well as they add flavour and texture)
1 small carrot
2 tab olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper
500 ml chicken stock
water (as needed - see * below)
1/4 cup cream (optional)
2 tab finely chopped parsley
Optional
4 rashers of bacon, grilled and crumbled
croutons - 2 slices of bread cut into 1cm cubes, sprayed with olive oil and baked in a hot oven until crisp
Method
Heat oil in a heavy-based pot.
Cut pumpkin roughly into cubes (about 4-5cm chunks), slice celery into small pieces (reserve the leaves for later), finely cut onion (or shallots) and dice carrot (these take longer to cook than the other vegetables so dice-sized pieces are best). Add the vegetables to the pot and cook until the onion softens and the vegetables are slightly golden.
Add salt, freshly ground pepper, chopped celery leaves and stock. If needed, add enough water to bring liquid to level that just covers the vegetables.
Cover and bring to the boil until pumpkin and carrot are soft enough to put a knife through them.
Puree soup in blender (or if you don't have a blender, strain the soup through a sieve, mash the vegetables with a potato masher, then return mashed vegetables to the liquid).
When serving the soup, add a swirl of cream to the top of each bowl, a sprinkle of chopped parsley, and a sprinkle of crumbled bacon and a few croutons if desired (or place the "finishing" ingredients on the table and let guests add their own).
The soup can be frozen (omit cream, parsley, bacon and croutons - these need to be prepared/added just before serving) and reheated for a quick winter treat. I usually freeze single or double serves as they reheat quickly. Add a few slices of crusty bread and you have a quick lunch or entree. And it's the perfect light meal at the end of a big day out.
My favourite pumpkin varieties for soup-making are the butternut variety or the stripy Kent pumpkin (also known as a Jap pumpkin, which has a sweeter flavour and mashes more easily than most other varieties).
Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
1 pumpkin (butternut or Kent/Jap varieties are best for this recipe)
1 brown onion (or 3 or 4 golden shallots for a less intense flavour)
2-3 sticks of celery (not the whole bunch, just 2-3 of the sticks or rib with the leaves on top as well as they add flavour and texture)
1 small carrot
2 tab olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper
500 ml chicken stock
water (as needed - see * below)
1/4 cup cream (optional)
2 tab finely chopped parsley
Optional
4 rashers of bacon, grilled and crumbled
croutons - 2 slices of bread cut into 1cm cubes, sprayed with olive oil and baked in a hot oven until crisp
Method
Heat oil in a heavy-based pot.
Cut pumpkin roughly into cubes (about 4-5cm chunks), slice celery into small pieces (reserve the leaves for later), finely cut onion (or shallots) and dice carrot (these take longer to cook than the other vegetables so dice-sized pieces are best). Add the vegetables to the pot and cook until the onion softens and the vegetables are slightly golden.
Add salt, freshly ground pepper, chopped celery leaves and stock. If needed, add enough water to bring liquid to level that just covers the vegetables.
Cover and bring to the boil until pumpkin and carrot are soft enough to put a knife through them.
Puree soup in blender (or if you don't have a blender, strain the soup through a sieve, mash the vegetables with a potato masher, then return mashed vegetables to the liquid).
When serving the soup, add a swirl of cream to the top of each bowl, a sprinkle of chopped parsley, and a sprinkle of crumbled bacon and a few croutons if desired (or place the "finishing" ingredients on the table and let guests add their own).
The soup can be frozen (omit cream, parsley, bacon and croutons - these need to be prepared/added just before serving) and reheated for a quick winter treat. I usually freeze single or double serves as they reheat quickly. Add a few slices of crusty bread and you have a quick lunch or entree. And it's the perfect light meal at the end of a big day out.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Light Chocolate Pudding
Light Chocolate Pudding
Ingredients
4 egg yolks
6 egg whites
5 tab caster sugar
3 tab cocoa
2 tab Grand Marnier or brandy
butter
icing sugar
Method
Preheat oven to 180C (place 23cm shallow casserole or cake pan in oven to heat while making mixture)
Beat egg yolks and 2 tab caster sugar until fluffy.
Sift cocoa on top and mix through with brandy or liqueur.
Beat egg whites until stiff then gradually add remaining 3 tab caster sugar, beating after each addition.
Put a quarter of egg white mixture into yoke mixture then fold through half the remaining white mixture, then the rest of the white mixture.
The aim is to retain the air incorporated into the whites - as you would for a souffle.
Grease the hot casserole or cake pan with butter. Pour in the chocolate mixture, leaving the top rough.
Return pan to the oven and cook for about 12-15 minutes until it is puffy and just firm to the touch.
Quickly sift icing sugar on top and spoon into serving bowls.
This pudding needs to be served as soon as it comes out of the oven, to retain its light texture.
Serve with a scoop of ice-cream or whipped cream.
Quick Chocolate Pudding
Quick Chocolate Pudding
Makes 6 puddings
Ingredients
185g dark chocolate (break into small pieces)
1/2 cup milk
1 cup day-old cake crumbs
60g butter
2 tab caster sugar
3 eggs (separated)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 teas vanilla essence
Method
Preheat oven to 170C.
Melt chocolate (in a bowl over hot water or in a microwave, stirring every 10 secs or so), stirring until it melts.
Place cake crumbs in basin and pour over melted chocolate. Set aside for about 30 minutes to allow crumbs to absorb chocolate.
In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, mix well.
Stir in chocolate crumb mix, nuts (if using) and vanilla.
Beat egg whites until stiff and fold through chocolate mixture.
Grease 6 small oven-proof dishes (about 3/4 cup capacity) with butter.
Spoon chocolate mixture into greased dishes.
Place dishes in baking dish and add water to come halfway up sides of pudding dishes.
Cover loosely with foil and bake in oven for 40-45 minutes or until puddings puff up and are set on top.
Cool for about two minutes then run a knife around the edge of each pudding and invert onto plates.
Serve with chocolate sauce and a scoop of ice-cream or whipped cream.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
A blueberry twist on Eton Mess
Sometimes the best desserts are a combination of serendipity, history and inspiration. Unexpected visitors brightened the day pre-Christmas but upset the cooking schedule. I had promised to bring a berry dessert to a family get-together and decided to make a blueberry cheesecake.
By the time the visitors left it was too late to bake a cheesecake so I decided to try a blueberry version of something resembling Eton Mess instead.
I recently discovered a vanilla bean grinder at my local supermarket - a bit like a bottle of peppercorns that is also a grinder but this one contained vanilla pods/beans - so this recipe proved a good one for putting the grinder to use.
This recipe was enough for about 8-10 people but it can easily be reduced for a smaller number.
Ingredients:
1 punnet of blueberries
1 punnet strawberries
1 punnet raspberries
250g creme fraiche
250g mascapone
2 tablespoons caster sugar
vanilla bean (grated) or vanilla extract (about 1 teaspoon)
1 packet of chocolate ripple biscuits (a crisp shortbready type of commercial biscuit - 1 packet = about 200-250g)
Method:
Crush biscuits (can be done in a blender but I prefer the rougher texture obtained by crushing them with a rolling pin or similar after placing them inside a folded piece of baking paper)
Wash berries. Hull and slice strawberries (keeping a few aside for decorating the top of the completed dessert).
Mix creme fraiche, mascapone and caster sugar well. Add a sprinkling of ground vanilla bean (see above) or teaspoon of vanilla essence (or to taste). Combine well - a good brisk stir will help make the creamy mixture light and fluffy.
Now comes the fun bit. I combined the ingredients in a large glass bowl (salad dish) but they could also be layered in individual dishes/glasses instead, in the following order:
Place 1/4 of the crushed biscuits in the bottom of the large bowl (or small bowls/glasses)
Top with 1/3 of the berries, then 1/3 of the creamy mix.
Repeat as above, ending with the last 1/4 of the crushed biscuits.
Swirl the top biscuit and creamy layers together slightly and top with a few whole berries.
Refrigerate.
The dessert is delicious on the day it is made but even better the next day, when the tastes and textures have had a chance to meld a bit more.
Beautiful following a barbeque on a hot summer's night.
PS Next time I make it I'll try to take a photo before it's all gone!
By the time the visitors left it was too late to bake a cheesecake so I decided to try a blueberry version of something resembling Eton Mess instead.
I recently discovered a vanilla bean grinder at my local supermarket - a bit like a bottle of peppercorns that is also a grinder but this one contained vanilla pods/beans - so this recipe proved a good one for putting the grinder to use.
This recipe was enough for about 8-10 people but it can easily be reduced for a smaller number.
Ingredients:
1 punnet of blueberries
1 punnet strawberries
1 punnet raspberries
250g creme fraiche
250g mascapone
2 tablespoons caster sugar
vanilla bean (grated) or vanilla extract (about 1 teaspoon)
1 packet of chocolate ripple biscuits (a crisp shortbready type of commercial biscuit - 1 packet = about 200-250g)
Method:
Crush biscuits (can be done in a blender but I prefer the rougher texture obtained by crushing them with a rolling pin or similar after placing them inside a folded piece of baking paper)
Wash berries. Hull and slice strawberries (keeping a few aside for decorating the top of the completed dessert).
Mix creme fraiche, mascapone and caster sugar well. Add a sprinkling of ground vanilla bean (see above) or teaspoon of vanilla essence (or to taste). Combine well - a good brisk stir will help make the creamy mixture light and fluffy.
Now comes the fun bit. I combined the ingredients in a large glass bowl (salad dish) but they could also be layered in individual dishes/glasses instead, in the following order:
Place 1/4 of the crushed biscuits in the bottom of the large bowl (or small bowls/glasses)
Top with 1/3 of the berries, then 1/3 of the creamy mix.
Repeat as above, ending with the last 1/4 of the crushed biscuits.
Swirl the top biscuit and creamy layers together slightly and top with a few whole berries.
Refrigerate.
The dessert is delicious on the day it is made but even better the next day, when the tastes and textures have had a chance to meld a bit more.
Beautiful following a barbeque on a hot summer's night.
PS Next time I make it I'll try to take a photo before it's all gone!
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