RASPBERRY FLAN WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE CREAM

BASE:
2 eggs
200 grams butter, cold
450 grams cake flour*
160 grams sugar

FILLING:

250 grams cream cheese, softened
100 grams icing sugar
250 mls thickened cream
200 grams fresh raspberries, pureed
1 tablespoon gelatine
1/4 cup boiling water

TOPPING:
150 grams fresh raspberries, pureed
350 mls thickened cream
2 tablespoons icing sugar
56 grams white choc buttons




preheat oven to 180 c.

FOR THE BASE..using a processor, blitz the flour and butter
until a sandy texture. add the eggs and sugar and pulse till a dough comes together.

remove the dough from the processor and knead together. wrap
in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

roll dough out to cover a 25 x 4 cm pie dish. trim edges. (there will be some dough left over)

prick  all over the bottom and a bit on the sides with a fork.

cook for approx. 35 minutes or until golden. if pastry is browning to fast, cover with foil.

cool completely.

FOR THE FILLING..using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese together with the icing sugar until smooth.

beat in the cream until thickened.

beat in the raspberry puree.

mix the gelatine with the boiling water, stirring until dissolved.  cool slightly then beat into the raspberry mixture until well combined.

pour filling into the base and refrigerate till set, at least 6 hours.

FOR THE TOP:

remove 2 tablespoons of cream from the 350 ml. put aside.

whip the rest of the cream with the icing sugar to soft peaks.

in a heat proof bowl over a pot of boiling water, melt the chocolate stirring till smooth. remove from heat, cool slightly, then stir in the 2 tablespoons of cream. stir till smooth.

beat the white chocolate into the whipped cream, beating till thick and firm.

TO PUT TOGETHER.. spoon the raspberry puree over the top of

the filling.

pipe or spoon the  cream around the edge of the flan.

decorate as desired.

keep refrigerated.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CREAM CONES...quick and easy

1 packet "aeroplane" chocolate mousse*
500 mls cold milk
14 cup cones
peppermint crisp, crushed, optional

600 mls thickened cream
1/2 cup icing sugar
sprinkles


using an electric mixer, beat the mousse powder with the milk as per directions on packet.

fill each cone with mousse, layering with some peppermint crisp if desired.

refrigerate for 1 hour.

whip the cream with the icing sugar.  pipe or spoon the cream onto the cones.

top with sprinkles.

serve.

* make your own mousse if preferred.

SUSHI CUPS

2 cups sushi rice
3 cups water
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 cans tuna in brine, drained
250 grams cucumber, diced
2 avocado, diced
1/2 cup mayonaisse
2 tablespoons chilli sauce, or to taste

2 sheets nori, toasted and cut into strips
soy sauce

fill 2 x 12 hole muffin tin with small paper muffin papers.

place the rice in a sieve and rinse under cold water till water runs clean.

place the rice in a pot with the cold water and bring to the boil. cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.  turn off heat and let sit another 5 minutes.

place rice into a plastic bowl and stir in the vinegar.

cool.

place approx. 3 rounded tablespoons of rice into each muffin

case and press the rice across the bottom and up the sides of

the cases to form a cup.

combine the tuna, cucumber, avocado, mayonaisse and chilli sauce in a large bowl. lightly fold to combine.


distribute evenly into the rice cups. refrigerate for an hour or so to cool and set.

top with the toasted nori just before serving . serve with the soy sauce.

TO TOAST THE NORI.. place sheets under a hot grill for about 30 seconds or until crisp.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE HOT CROSS BUNS

350 mls water
2 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
finely grated rind 2 oranges
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
4 cups plain flour
1 tablespoon cocoa, sifted
1 heaped teaspoon bread improver
1 1/2 teaspoons dried yeast

1 cup dark choc chips

IN A BREAD MACHINE....place all the ingredients, except the choc chips,  in the above order.  set on dough setting.

add choc chips when it's been kneading for 15 minutes.

when machine has finished, tip dough out onto a floured board, knead lightly then cut dough into 12 equal pieces.

roll each piece into a ball and place on a tray lined with baking paper.  cover with a tea towel and place in a warm spot for 1 hour. balls should have doubled in size.

heat oven to 190 c.

pipe on crosses and cook for approx. 20 minutes or until buns sound hollow when tapped.  

remove from oven and glaze.

FOR ELECTRIC MIXER.....place all ingredients except choc chips in bowl and using a dough hook, knead for 15 minutes then add choc chips and knead another 5 minutes. cover bowl with a tea towel and place in a warm spot for 1 hour.

punch down dough, tip onto a floured board and knead lightly.

cut dough into 12 equal pieces and roll into balls.  place on a tray lined with baking paper and cover with a teatowel. place in a warm spot for 1 hour. balls should have double in size.

pipe on crosses and cook as above.



CROSSES
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 tablespoon cocoa, sifted
5 1/2 tablespoons water

mix all together till well combined and a smooth paste.

GLAZE

2 tablespoons caster sugar
2 tablespoons boiling water

stir till sugar is dissolved and brush over hot buns.

CHICKEN LAKSA

3 chicken breasts, sliced
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 red chilli, seeded and sliced
1 heaped teaspoon minced garlic
230 gram jar valcom laksa paste
1 litre chicken stock
400 ml can coconut cream
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 kaffir lime leaves

1 pkt rice noodles, make according to directions on packet

bean shoots, sliced red chilli and coriander to garnish.


in a small frypan, saute the chicken in 1 tablespoon of the oil, stirring until cooked through but not brown. drain and put aside.

in a large pot, using the other tablespoon of oil, saute the onion, garlic and chilli until onion is translucent.

add the laksa paste and stir till fragrant. add the stock and coconut cream and stir until boiling.

add the chicken, sugar, fish sauce and lime leaves. simmer for 2 minutes. remove from heat.

TO SERVE:

place  desired amount of noodles into bowls, ladle laksa over the noodles, distributing chicken evenly.  top with some bean shoots, chilli and coriander.

NUTELLA RABBIT HOLE COOKIES

1 cup nutella
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg
1 cup plain flour
1/3 cup sugar


preheat oven to 180 c. lightly grease a doughnut baking tray.
(or 2 if you have them)

in a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together until well combined.

using a teaspoon, press 2 slightly heaped teaspoons of mix into each doughnut well, making sure you make the doughnut shape and don't cover the centre.

cook for 8 minutes. cool then tip out onto a wire rack.
if sticking, lightly bang the tin (upside down) to remove.

repeat with the rest of the mix.

cool completely then ice.

ICING

3 tablespoons nutella
2 cups icing sugar
milk

green sprinkles

white fondant
pink food colour

mix the nutella and icing sugar together with enough milk to make a spreadable paste. spread over the cookies then sprinkle heavily with the green sprinkles. attach the feet, tails and ears. (dab a little icing onto the fondant to attach).

BUNNY FEET AND EARS

using the white fondant, roll out and cut some bunny shaped feet. (I got a pic. off google.) cut out some ears. roll a couple of larger balls as a tail.

colour a bit of white fondant with some pink good colour, roll out and cut out smaller ear pieces. lastly roll some pink balls for the rabbit feet pads.

to attach the pieces together, mix 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1 tablespoon of hot water, mix then microwave for 20 seconds to dissolve. cool.

use a brush to use the sugar water like glue.

CHEATS DOUGHNUTS
(banana, jam and nutella)

12 soft dinner rolls (from supermarket)
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3  large bananas
6 - 8 teaspoons raspberry jam
6 - 8 teaspoons nutella

1 - 2 cups canola oil

in a wide bowl, whisk the eggs with the water until well combined. put aside.

in a wide bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon together. put aside.

using a sharp knife, push the knife through the middle of each roll, lengthwise, from end to end but not quite all the way through. you are just making a pocket in the roll.

FOR THE BANANA "DOUGHNUTS"...

cut the bananas in half lengthwise, then in half again so that a piece fits in each roll.

fill a frypan with about an inch of oil and heat on medium high heat.

when hot, dip 3 - 4  rolls (or how ever many you can fit in the pan) in the egg, coating them all over then place them in the hot oil.

fry, turning, to evenly brown each side.  remove from pan, shake off excess oil then roll in the cinnamon sugar.

serve hot as they are,  or as a dessert with custard or ice cream.

TO MAKE THE JAM OR NUTELLA "DOUGHNUTS", split the rolls as above and fill with a couple of heaped teaspoons of jam or nutella.

cook as above.

NOTE: the amount of bananas you use just depends on how many you wish to make. they are optional. just make the jam and nutella if desired.