Xmas Red Velvet Cupcakes

My contribution to the pre-Xmas luncheon at work.  I made these from a box of supermaket cake mix and used Wilton decorations.  It's hard to tell but I put non-toxic glitter on the cream cheese frosting for "snow" too.  Looking back, I think I should have piped it, but as usual I was baking in the middle of the night and ran out of steam.

Mango and White Chocolate Cheesecake

I feel like a fraud when I tag "baking" on this post.  Most cheesecakes don't go near an oven!  Recipe from Women's Weekly Christmas edition.

The whipped cream in this cheesecake makes it light and fluffy.  The chocolate makes the mixture nicely sweet and not sour at all.

Crush 100g of sweet biscuits (I used Arnott's Nice) in a food processor and combine with 60g of melted butter.  Alternatively put the biscuits in a bag and bash it with a saucepan or rolling pin or frypan.  You get the idea. Press the crumbs into the base of a springform pan with the back of a tablespoon. Melt 200g of white chocolate buttons in the microwave by heating on high for 30 seconds at a time and stirring.  Whip 300ml of cream and set aside.  Beat 500g of cream cheese with 110g of caster sugar.  Fold in whipped cream and melted white chocolate.  Dissolve 1 sachet or 3 tsp of gelatine powder in hot water and add to the cream cheese mixture.  Pour into springform tin and refrigerate overnight.  Add 2 mangoes to the top of the cake before serving.

Portugese Custard Tarts

Cant believe I've been forking out $2.50 a piece for these babies.  They're really easy to make!  Especially if you use ready made frozen puff pastry like I do

In a heavy saucepan, bring 155ml cream and 115ml milk to boil on medium heat. While it is heating, cream together 2 egg yolks and 80g caster sugar until colour pales and ribbons form when beats are lifted from the mixture. With the beaters running, mix in the hot milk-cream mixture gradually.  The put the mixture back into the saucepan and heat gently for about 8 minutes, stirring constantly.  Put this in a pouring jug to cool to room temperature.

Defrost 2 sheets of puff pastry; use butter puff if you're brave because ti's very floppy and hard to work with.   Roll the pastry up into a log and cut into 6 even pieces. Place a piece flat end down in a well buttered muffin tray and push down and out with wet fingers to make the tart casing. Take care you do not have holes or the custard will leak below and form a sticky caramel.  Fill the tart shells 1/3 full and bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 15 to 20 minutes.  By the way, don't be greedy like me and put too much custard in the tarts.  The filling will puff up in the oven and it'll overflow down the sides to make a sticky mess.  Blackened bits on top of the custard is desirable and that's how you know it's ready.

Happy Birthday my Love

Your favourite on your special day xo

Profiteroles

I haven't made choux pastry in years and when I was gifted with half a dozen freshly laid eggs from my boss's pet chickens I thought of this recipe.  This recipe also brought a smile to my face because it reminds me of a dear patient of mine; Mrs Dalrymple.  I met Mrs D over 10 years ago when I was filling in at my sisters workplace.  I remembered how excited the girls and I got when she brought over a plate of her awesome profiteroles or "Cream Puffs".  Years later, at another workplace, I was pleasantly surprised to recognise her bright red hair and cheery smile.  And, as I remembered, we were also graced with plates of chocolate drizzled Cream Puffs at Christmas and throughout the year.    

Donna Hay's Profiteroles

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Bring half a cup of water and 50g of butter to the boil.  Turn down the heat to a simmer and add 75g plain flour.  Stir quickly until the mixture combines into a ball.  Turn off the heat.  Let it cool a bit before placing in a mixer.  Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well in between.  It is ready when  "ribbons" of batter falls from the beaters when lifted from the mixture.  Place this in a piping bag and pipe 4cm rounds on a cookie sheet lined with baking paper.  Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown and no longer wobbly. 

Allow to cool, then fill with store bought custard.  This can be done with a piping bag and small nozzle or a syringe from the local pharmacy.  You can dust with icing sugar or top with melted chocolate.  

PS - These were good ,but not as good as Mrs D's

Green Curry Chicken Noodles

Fry 5 tablespoons of Valcom green curry paste with a tablespoon of oil until fragrant.  Add one diced chicken breast and brown all sides.  Add 1 sliced carrot and 1 sliced potato and about 200ml of light coconut milk.  Simmer for 20 minutes then add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce and 1 tablespoon of sugar.  Serve with boiled rice noodles or rice.

Easy Chicken and Chorizo Paella

This is a paella recipe for people who aren't fans of seafood.  If you have fussy eaters that dislike vegetables, try using a food processor to "hide" the vegetables in the sauce.

Blend in a food processor or finely dice 1 small brown onion, half a red capsicum and 1 clove of garlic.  Fry in 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon mild paprika in 1-2 tablespoon of olive oil briefly then add the vegetables and 8 saffron strings.  Add 200g of diced chicken and 100g of sliced chorizo and 200g of short-grain rice.  Cook until it looks dry then add about 600ml hot chicken stock.  When it boils, reduce heat to low and simmer. Set a timer for 25 minutes.  When there is 10 minutes left on the cooking time, add a couple of handfuls of frozen peas to the top. When the timer hits 5 minutes turn the heat up to high to burn a crust into this baby.  When the timer sounds take it off the heat and cover with a tea towel if it looks wet, and with a pot lid if it looks dry.  Then you should end up with this.  You can used a frypan instead of a paella pan.