Tapioca Pudding - Asian Style Trial

INGREDIENTS

1 cup tapioca pearls
12 cups water
500g superfine castor sugar
½ cup coconut cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon salt

METHOD

Bring 8 cups of water to the boil and pour in the tapioca, stirring so that the pearls do not stick to the bottom.
Simmer until the pearls become transparent with just a tiny dot of white left in the middle. This will take about 10 minutes.
Pour into a strainer and rinse in cold water.

To make sugar syrup:
Combine the castor sugar and 4 cups of water in a heavy-based saucepan over a moderate heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. This makes 1.2 litres.

Place the pearls in a mixing bowl and add 1 cup of sugar syrup, coconut cream, vanilla extract and salt.
Stir to mix through.
Set the mixture in individual 180ml ramekins. Serve with seasonal fruit.

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Risotto Cakes

Course: Entree, Finger food

INGREDIENTS

500g kumara, peeled, cubed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
¼ cup olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1¾ cups Arborio rice
1/3 cup white wine
1 litre vegetable stock
¾ cup parmesan cheese
½ cup frozen peas
1/3 cup chopped parsley
¾ cup plain flour, seasoned
Prepared aioli, to serve

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to hot, 200°C. Combine kumara, rosemary and 1 tablespoon oil on
   a baking tray. Season to taste and toss well. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and tender.
   
2. Heat another 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan. Sauté onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes until onion is tender. Add rice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour in wine, stir, then simmer for
   1-2 minutes until wine has almost evaporated.
   
3. In a medium saucepan bring stock to the boil. Add hot stock to the rice mixture 1 cup at a time, stirring until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender (about 20 minutes).
   
4. Stir in parmesan, peas and parsley, reserving a little of the parsley for garnish. Transfer to a large bowl. Let cool, then chill until cold and firm.
   
5. Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls. Flatten slightly and toss in the flour.
   
6. Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan on medium. Cook risotto cakes, in 4 batches, for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden. Serve with aioli. Garnish with parsley.

Chocolate Hedgehog Slice

This is a classic Australian delicious chocolate favourite slice - you can dress it up as you like and with the favourite fruits and nuts - Enjoy it.

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ x 200g packets Marie biscuits, coarsely chopped (Rich Tea biscuits)
1 cup chopped walnuts
½ cup desiccated coconut
250g butter, chopped
1 ¼ cups caster sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
150g dark chocolate, melted
½ teaspoon vegetable oil

METHOD

1. Grease a 20cm x 30cm lamington pan; line base and two long sides with baking paper, extending paper 2cm above edges of pan.

2. Combine biscuits, nuts and coconut in large bowl.

3. Place butter, sugar and sifted cocoa in a medium pan; stir over heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; whisk in egg.

4. Pour chocolate mixture over biscuit mixture; mix well. Press into prepared pan. Cover; refrigerate overnight.

5. Turn slice onto a chopping board; cut into pieces. Spoon combined warm, melted chocolate and oil in a small snap-lock plastic bag. Squeeze chocolate to one corner; twist bag, then snip tip of bag. Drizzle chocolate over top of slice; refrigerate for 15 minutes, or until chocolate is set.

Hint: Slice can be made up to four days ahead; store in an airtight container in your refrigerator.

Lemon Coconut Slice

Base:

• 2 x 250g packet of Milk Arrowroot biscuits, crushed
• 2 cup coconut
• 2 grated lemon rinds
• 250g butter (more if base is too crumbly)
• 1 can (400ml) condensed milk

Combine biscuit crumbs, coconut and lemon rind in a large bowl. Melt butter in small saucepan, add condensed milk, stir over a low heat until combined. Pour over crumb mixture. Mix well. Press firmly into two foil lined 18cm x 28cm slice tins. Refrigerate.

Icing:

• 6 cups of sifted icing sugar
• 60g butter
• 12 tablespoons lemon juice (more if needed)

Combine all ingredients, stir/beat until smooth. Spread over chilled base. If desired, sprinkle with more coconut. Allow to set in fridge. Lift off tin using foil as handle. Cut into fingers.

Chocolate Orange Sticks

Ingredients

 

2 large thick-skinned oranges

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

125g (4oz) dark chocolate

 

Steps

 

Cut oranges into quarters by cutting through skin to flesh of orange; peel away orange skin with fingers, leaving thick pith intact on the orange strips about 1cm in thickness.  Drop orange strips into pan of boiling water, return to boil, drain; do this twice more.  Combine water and sugar in pan, stir over heat until sugar is dissolved.  Do not boil.  Add orange strips, bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer uncovered for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until orange strips become translucent.  Stir from time to time while simmering.

 

Using two forks or tongs, remove orange strips from pan to wire rack.  Leave to dry overnight.

 

Melt chocolate over simmering water. Place several orange stips in the chocolate at the one time, remove from chocolate with two forks or tongs, shake off excess chocolate, place on piece of aluminium foil.  Stand at room temperature until chocolate has set.  If weather is hot or humid, chocolate sticks will need to be set in the refrigerator.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

 

 

Christmas Chocolate Truffles

This is a classic Aussie delight which is normally rolled in coconut and served whenever.

You need:
125 grams coconut
50 grams cocoa powder
1 pack Marie Biscuits (Rich Tea Biscuits)
375mls condensed milk
Extra coconut for dusting

Method:
Firstly crush the Marie biscuits in the bag until they're down to a fine crumble texture.

Then mix the cocoa, coconut and crushed Marie biscuits together.

Open and add the condensed milk and stir all the ingredients together until a thick chocolate mixture is formed.

Using your hands, roll the mixture into truffles (the smaller the size, the more you can make).

Dust with extra coconut and enjoy.

You can put the truffles in the fridge to harden them.

In the last step of the recipe which calls for the rolling in coconut, omit that step - for this recipe.

Instead; refrigerate the truffles for an hour or so - uncovered so as they will dry a little. Then, melt some fine chocolate - dark (plain/noir) is preferable. Dip each truffle into the chocolate, all the chocolate to set. Melt some fine white cooking chocolate and drizzle over the dark chocolate so as it looks like cream on a pudding. Finally, top with finely cut up red jubes to represent a holly berry and some fine green jube or mint leaves for the holly leaves. Enjoy.