Category Archives: Christmas Cookery

Chocolate & cherry panettone zucotto

December 30, 2017 2:25 pm / 1 Comment /

Panettoni zucotto

Years ago I discovered a great recipe for using panettone and made a strawberry Zucotto.  Everyone really enjoyed it and thought it was such a good idea as you always end up with at least half a panettone that no one knows what to do with.  This is a great alternative to using the leftovers as a bread and butter pudding in our warmer months and a nice way to incorporate the Italian Christmas tradition into your own Christmas or New Year celebrations.

The great thing about this recipe is you can make it a few days before and leave it covered in the refrigerator until you need it.  It makes a lovely addition to a Christmas dessert table if you have a large number of guests or even better for a dessert on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day or New Year’s Eve when you don’t feel like cooking.  Terrific also if you are travelling somewhere where you need to bring a dessert.  It packs easily into an esky with an ice-pack in its original pudding basin for a long drive.

The addition of the fresh cherries in the centre makes it a much lighter, fresher dessert than the traditional.

Ingredients:  Serves 10-12

100g hazelnuts
1/2 (about 400g) large panettone or most of the smaller size
3tbsp Cointreau liqueur
juice 1 orange (remove rind and reserve before juicing)
500g fresh ricotta
1 x 250g ctn mascarpone
80g (1/2 cup) icing sugar mixture
100g 70% dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 tbs finely grated orange rind
200g fresh pitted and halved cherries

Cocoa powder, to dust

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Spread the hazelnuts over a baking tray. Bake in oven for 5-10 minutes or until toasted. Place hazelnuts in a clean tea towel and rub to remove the skins. Coarsely chop.
  2. Use a serrated knife to cut panettone lengthways into six 1.5cm-thick slices.  Arrange the 3 largest slices, overlapping slightly, around the side of a 2L (8-cup) capacity pudding basin. Place smallest piece of panettone in the base of pudding basin. Brush panettone with about two-thirds of the orange juice and Cointreau which have been combined making sure you cover all the sides and the base.
  3. Use an electric beater to beat ricotta, mascarpone and icing sugar in a bowl until smooth. Stir in hazelnuts, chocolate and orange rind until combined. Spoon half the ricotta mixture into the lined pudding basin, pressing firmly.
  4. Top with another layer of panettone which has been brushed on one side with the orange juice mixture
  5. Now layer pitted cherries over the panettone and top with remaining ricotta mixture.
  6. Top with remaining panettone slice brush with the remaining Cointreau. Place on top of this layer of pudding to enclose filling. Cover pudding basin with plastic wrap that comes over the sides of the basin and place in the fridge with a weight on top for 6 hours or overnight to chill.  Use some cans from the pantry as your weights.

Turn pudding onto a plate and dust with cocoa powder. Cut into wedges and serve with vanilla ice-cream 🙂

Recipe adapted from Taste.com

Posted in: Christmas cookery, Desserts

Last minute Christmas cake

December 23, 2017 3:05 pm / Leave a Comment /

GIFT VOUCHERS FOR IN-HOME COOKING CLASSES NOW AVAILABLE FOR CHRISTMAS!  Please email me, trudy@cookwise.com.au for more information.

Emergency Christmas cake

If you are like everyone else and Christmas has sneaked up on you this year then this Last minute Christmas cake is just what you need to mix together to get you into the Christmas spirit.  Like our Best-ever Pudding here, we do like dark, rich, un-iced cakes.  Funny about that, you grow up in a family that either has cakes with icing or without.

I can remember my mother telling us that she didn’t have time to make a Christmas cake months ahead.  If she missed a particular week in November at the latest, that was it we didn’t get one!  Pity she didn’t know about this recipe in those days as we really disliked dry, purchased cakes and it spoilt Christmas not to have a cake to eat.

So if you have the need for a last minute Christmas cake then try this recipe.  The brandy-soaked dried fruit and fruit mince fast-track the mixture to give it all the qualities that a cake that has been baked months ahead.  You can, if you wish, make it way ahead of time if you prefer and keep it in an air tight container.

Happy Christmas to you all and thank you for your support during the year.  Watch this space as I try to do some more exciting things next year 🙂

Ingredients: 
530g mixed dried fruit
70g mixed peel
75g dates, chopped
75g pitted prunes, chopped
½ cup brandy
410g jar fruit mince
250g butter, melted then cooled
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
4 eggs, beaten lightly
2 cups plain flour
1 cup self raising flour
2 tsp mixed spice
blanched whole almonds to decorate
extra ¼ cup brandy (optional)

Method:

  1. Soak the dried fruit in half cup of brandy, covered overnight.
  2. Line a deep square 22cm tin with 2 layers of brown paper and 2 layers of baking paper.  Extend the paper 5cm above the top of the tin as shown.
  3. Preheat oven to 120°C Fan forced and set rack at the bottom rack in the combi oven or above centre in a conventional oven.  I use the combi for this type of baking as it is a more accurate temperature than my conventional oven and a smaller cavity to heat, therefore being more economical to run.
  4. Mix bottled fruit mince into the brandy-soaked dried-fruit.
  5. Stir in butter and sugar and mix well.
  6. Add eggs and sifted dry ingredients and mix well.  Spread mixture into tin and smooth top.
  7. Decorate with blanched almonds as shown.
  8. Bake for 2¾ hours or until cooked when tested.  Brush cake with extra brandy if required and cover whilst still hot with foil.  Wrap in a large towel and let cool in tin overnight.  If you are not brushing it with extra brandy then remove from tin, cool and place in an air-tight container.

Enjoy!

Posted in: Cakes and Biscuits, Christmas cookery

Peach & raspberry trifle

December 16, 2017 2:17 pm / Leave a Comment /

Peach & raspberry trifle

Not only for Christmas, a trifle is always a favourite.  Especially one that combines beautiful Summer fruit that can be prepared the day before and serve a crowd.  Trifles have come a long way since my mother’s version with Swiss roll, sweet sherry and packet custard.  Even though it was basic (not even containing jelly as most traditional trifles do) we still loved it as she had a trick of diluting the sherry with fresh orange juice so you didn’t get that overwhelming hit of alcohol.  In this version I took that idea and diluted the peach schnapps with the raspberry puree.  It works well, just enough to make it a very good trifle!

Ingredients:  Serves 8-12

400g frozen raspberries
½ cup peach schnapps liquor
½ cup sugar
Half x 500g packet sponge finger biscuits
300ml cream
¾ cup crème fraiche
½ tsp vanilla bean paste
2 punnets fresh raspberries (keep a few for decorating the top)
2-3 ripe & juicy white peaches

Method:

  1. In a small saucepan saute frozen raspberries with the sugar until the sugar has dissolved and set aside to cool.
  2. Add the peach schnapps.
  3. Whip the cream and fold through the creme fraiche & vanilla paste.
  4. Dip the sponge finger biscuits into the cooled raspberry mixture and line the base of a deep glass bowl. Be generous with the mixture to ensure the biscuits soften.  Add a few slices of fresh peaches and a few fresh raspberries.
  5. Now add a layer of the cream mixture.
  6. Continue in this manner until all the mixture is used, making sure that the biscuits are softened.
  7. Finish with a cream layer and fresh fruit.
  8. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Delicious, this will become your new favourite trifle!

Posted in: Christmas cookery, Desserts, Party Food

Christmas mince pies

December 2, 2017 6:00 pm / 5 Comments /

Christmas mince pies

I have been making these traditional mince pies since I started the Cookwise children’s cooking classes in 2001.  I even found the original recipe hand-out that I gave the kids with the Santa picture on the top.  They are quick and easy to make as the dough is just all mixed in the food processor.

It was a boiling hot day when we made these and this dough is very forgiving.  We rolled it out and lined all the tins then baked them later in the day.  Just keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready to do this.

I don’t bother making the fruit mince as the ‘Robertson’s’ jar tastes great.  The pastry is delicious and perfectly short.  Make lots as they won’t last!

Ingredients:  Makes 24

1½ cups Plain flour, sifted
1/2 cup Self raising flour, sifted
1/3 cup icing sugar
150g chilled butter, cubed
1 egg yolk
2½ tbsp. iced water
1 jar purchased fruit mince (for double quantity I used 1½ jars)
extra icing sugar for dusting

Method:

  1. Process flours, icing sugar and butter in food processor until well combined and mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs
  2. Beat the egg yolk with the ice water and add into the flour with the motor running.   Process until mixture just starts to come together.
  3. Shape into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap.
  4. Refrigerate for 1 hour
  5. Roll out and cut into shapes to line tins.
  6. Fill with 1 teaspoon of purchased fruit mince and cover with a star shape of pastry
  7. Bake at 180°C Conventional or 160°C Fan Forced for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden
  8. OR you can try in the Combi 180°C + 30% steam for 30 minutes
  9. When cold sprinkle with icing sugar to serve

Will keep for 5 days in an air-tight container (if they last that long 🙂

 

Posted in: Christmas cookery, Pastry

Time to make the Christmas pudding!

November 6, 2017 4:45 pm / 7 Comments /

making-pudding

As the festive season fast approaches now is the perfect time to make the Christmas pudding!

Number one on Google for cooking in the steam oven for several years this recipe has become a firm favourite in my family.  Moist and delicious, it will easily serve 12-15.  There are many comments over the years for cooking instructions to make smaller puddings as well.  See the recipe here.  There is also a gluten free, quick sago pudding option here as well.

So if you didn’t make this pudding in your steam oven last year then try it now.  So much easier than watching a pot on the stove in case it boils dry, cooking it in the steam oven for six hours only means you have to refill the water container a few times which frees you up to do other things with your day!

Christmas pudding

Posted in: Christmas cookery, Desserts, Steam Oven

Best ever Christmas pudding

October 25, 2015 10:22 am / 22 Comments /

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

Time to make the Christmas pudding!

A couple of years ago I discovered this pudding recipe somewhere and scribbled the ingredients down onto a post-it-note.  Apologies to anyone who created it as I don’t remember where I found it but I changed it a little from the alcohol perspective and used an old cherry brandy that I kept for Christmas cooking.  You can also just use regular brandy as I did last year and it was still wonderful.

Christmas pudding is always a traditional one in our family.  None of this ice-cream sort, trifle or pavlova.  My daughter said it’s the best thing about Christmas!  I will never forget we drove 13 hours to have Christmas with my parents once and my mother produced a ‘home brand’ pudding.  Shock – horror, I don’t think she recovered for weeks!  So the pudding last year was said to be the best pudding I had ever made (and that’s saying something!!) so I thought I would share it on the blog for you all to try to make nice and early this year.

Don’t make it the week before Christmas, it needs time to mature and more time for the extra brandy to be lovingly brushed over the top from time to time 🙂

Below are both steam oven and traditional stove top cooking options.  This is where the steam oven really comes into play.  In 6 hours you will need to re-fill the water container several times but that is SO much easier than attending to a pot on the stove.  You can also attend to other things knowing that you have a good 90 minutes of cooking time in each full water bottle (depending upon which brand of steam oven you own.  Please check your instruction book to see how long your water container will last before needing a refill).  You can get a lot done in 90 minutes can’t you?  Most brands will tell you when the container needs more water which is just so convenient.  Overall it was incredibly easy to cook this pudding in the steam oven.

*Over the years I have had lots of comments on this post.  Until now (November, 2016) I didn’t think that it was possible to cook the pudding in a ‘cloth’ in the steam oven.  I always have used the basin method and any puddings I have eaten that have been boiled in a cloth had quite a thick outer almost ‘skin’ which I always thought came from immersing it in boiling water.  Tonight I witnessed Maggie Beer cook her Christmas cloth pudding in her steam oven!  Certainly a first to my knowledge for TV viewers.  So, apparently you can, so prepare your cloth in the usual way, fill the pudding, tie securely and cook for the same time as you would on the stove.  Her recipe looked about a small 3 cup size and took 2½ hours.  If you use my recipe which was very similar to Maggie’s then it will make two puddings in cloths, place them both on the large solid steamer tray and cook at 100°C for 3 hours.  Remember to be present to top up the water tank if you don’t own the plumbed in model.

Ingredients: Makes 1 large 8 cup pudding

250g butter
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
750g mixed fruit
1/2 cup pitted prunes, chopped
3/4 cup dates, chopped
1 cup brandy
1½ cups Plain flour, sifted
1teaspoon mixed spice
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon bicarb-soda
½ cup slivered almonds
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Method:

  1. Soak the fruit in the brandy overnight. A couple of days won’t hurt.
  2. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar with a mixer until pale.
  3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.   It may curdle but that’s OK. Remove beaters.
  4. Now in a big bowl fold through the fruit, brandy and then sifted dry ingredients, almonds and breadcrumbs
  5. Mix really well.
  6. Grease an 8 cup pudding basin or ceramic bowl well.  Line the base with a baking paper circle and pour in mixture.  Level out the top.
  7. Cover with 2 layers of baking paper that have a ‘pleat’ on the top to allow for rising.  Tie securely with string around the rim of the basin.  If you are using two small, metal steamers then you can just grease the inside of the lid and use that.
  8. Steam in steam oven @ 100°C for 6 hours.  Because it will take a bit more time to go back to temperature after each water refill I ended up removing it about 20 minutes before the end of cooking time.  Let it rest for about 15 minutes then run a knife around the sides and turn out onto fresh baking paper and foil.  I prefer to remove it from the basin while it is hot so it wont stick.  Wrap securely and when cold place in a plastic bag in a cool place until Christmas.  In Sydney I think it’s better to store in the refrigerator just in case it is humid.  This way I can open it up easily and brush with a little more brandy 🙂
  9. Bring your pudding back to room temperature a few hours before reheating, unwrap and return to the basin.  Cover with foil and secure with string again.  Reheat whole pudding, covered in basin for 2 hours @ 100°C.  Line the basin with strips of baking paper you can use as ‘handles’ to get it out easily.  You can do individual slices for approx. 10 minutes each, just uncovered in the solid steamer tray.  This is what I do as it is really quick, I do four slices for about 20 minutes in total.

OR bring a large pot of water to the boil.  Test that the water comes half way up the sides of the pudding and steam for 6 hours being sure to top up the water so it doesn’t boil dry.  You will need to watch it carefully and do this a few times.  If you are cooking in a pot I would also cover with a layer of aluminium foil.

See comment above here * for a traditional ‘cloth’ pudding method.

Serve with your favourite sauce, cream and fresh berries.  Our favourite sauce is an old traditional Ballarat recipe that only one person I know uses.  It is more like a ‘Brandy cream’ and you can find the recipe here.

Note:  To cook two smaller pudding basins, say 5 cup capacity each cook for 4 hours.  For individual 1/2 cup ramekins cook for 1 hour.

 

 

 

Posted in: Christmas cookery, Steam Oven

Steam oven cheesecake

December 11, 2014 12:58 pm / 6 Comments /

Steam oven cheesecake

This is a cheesecake, totally cooked in the steam oven with Christmas flavours. Decorated with some fresh cherries this is a lovely festive dessert you can serve as part of a buffet or instead of a traditional steamed Christmas pudding here.

I have had lots of interest in the pudding over the last few weeks.  Everyone with a steam oven realises now just how much easier it is to cook a pudding without the hassle of boiling it on the stove top.  No excuse not to make your own!

I love a traditional, baked Italian ricotta cheesecake but in this recipe I have combined the different cheeses to make a smoother, creamy texture.  The steam oven works a treat for something like this which needs a moist oven environment and won’t dry out the biscuit base.  This can be a problem when baking a cheesecake in a traditional oven.  It also gives it a gorgeous texture.

Make sure you cover it really well with foil so it doesn’t get wet.  Of course, you can alter the fruit and nut selection or leave them out completely.  We do however love the texture of the nuts in this 🙂

Ingredients:  Serves 10-12

1½ cups sweet biscuit crumbs
100g butter, melted
½ tsp cinnamon

Filling:
250g cream cheese, at room temperature (a must)
250g smooth ricotta (in a tub)
¾ cup castor sugar
2 tbsp. cornflour
1/3 cup cream
3 eggs
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp baking powder
¾ cup sultanas soaked in ¼ cup brandy for 30 minutes
¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted

Method:

  1. Combine biscuit crumbs, cinnamon and butter and press into base of a lined 23cm springform tin.  See my tip here.  Don’t be tempted to use the whole packet of biscuits. Chill.
  2. Beat softened cream cheese, ricotta and cream together until smooth.  Do not over beat.
  3. Add sugar, lemon juice, eggs, cornflour and baking powder.  Mix well.
  4. Fold in sultanas and nuts and pour into prepared base.
  5. Cover tightly with foil.
  6. Steam @ 100°C for 55 minutes.  It should be just set around the edges and soft in the centre.
  7. Uncover and cool.  It will firm up on cooling.
  8. Chill until required.   Overnight is probably best.
  9. Remove from fridge 30 minutes prior to serving.  Top with fresh, pitted cherries and serve berry coulis to drizzle.  You can make this by heating half a cup of raspberries, ¼ cup water with 1-2 tablespoon of caster sugar and a dash of liquor or squeeze of lemon until dissolved.  Push through a fine sieve to remove the pips.

 

 

Posted in: Christmas cookery, Desserts, Dinner parties, Party Food, Steam Oven

Kale & salmon salad

November 13, 2014 9:51 am / Leave a Comment /

Kale & salmon salad

Had to join the health food craze and do a kale salad as it is really delicious with a Dijon mustard dressing and a bit of citrus.  A perfect excuse and another reason to have perfectly cooked salmon from the steam oven 🙂

You can alter the ingredients to what you have on hand.  I have used the baby kale leaves that you can buy now but if you use the large leaves, cut out the centre stem, wash well and slice thinly.

Of course, you can also substitute the lentils for cooked brown rice or quinoa.  This is really one of those delicious salads that is perfect for entertaining.

Ingredients:  Serves 4

2 pieces of salmon, skin and bones removed or 4 small pieces for individual serves
1 bag or bunch of kale, trimmed and sliced
2 blood oranges, rind removed from one and segmented
1 yellow capsicum, thinly sliced
1x 400g can lentils
large handful of green beans
½ cup roughly chopped dill
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted

Dressing:
3 tbsp. grape seed oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp honey
pinch salt and pepper

Method:

  1. Depending on the size of your salmon, steam @ 95°C for 2-5 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
  2. Put the green beans into the solid steamer tray, add the washed lentils and cook @ 100°C for 2 minutes.  Remove beans and drain any water from lentils.  Add the rind of one blood orange and stir through. Although the lentils are cooked they will absorb the flavours more if warmed.
  3. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small jar, taste and set aside.
  4. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a 140°C oven for about 10 minutes, they are so much nicer than straight from the packet.
  5. Mix most of the dressing through the salad, reserving a little for the top.
  6. Combine all the salad ingredients onto a large platter or individual plates depending on how you are serving.
  7. Flake or place the salmon on top, garnish with more dill, sprinkle over the seeds and serve.

Note:  This would be a delicious salad to serve for Christmas with its gorgeous colours!

 

 

Posted in: Christmas cookery, Fish, Gluten free, Healthy eating, Salads, Steam Oven

Smoked salmon on zucchini fritters

July 31, 2014 10:45 pm / Leave a Comment /

Smoked Salmon on Zucchini Fritters

We were invited to a Christmas in July in the mountains last weekend so I decided I would make these and serve them as one larger portion per person, plated up as entrée.

A great recipe to also make as smaller fritters for finger food, it is moist and a nice change from the standard blini.  It would also be delicious, warm for a posh brunch with some eggs from the steam oven!

For the entrée size make your fritters approximately 9cm in diameter.  I used a large cutter or ring, greased in the pan to make each one the perfect size and left the mix to set for a couple of minutes before removing.  Don’t overheat the pan as they will burn and not cook through.  Cook slowly and remove to cool on a wire rack.

To transport, stack each pancake between plastic wrap.  The options for the filling are up to you; cream cheese, ricotta or crème fraiche would all be excellent.  I did goats curd mixed with a little chopped dill.  Serve with some lemon, tiny capers, thinly sliced red onion and a few leaves tossed in a little dressing.

Ingredients:  Serves 12 as entrée or 40 as finger food

2½ cups coarsely grated zucchini
2 eggs, beaten
60g butter
2 spring onions finely sliced
1-2 tbsp. milk
¼ cup grated parmesan
½ tsp salt
black pepper
½ cup plain flour
¼ cup self raising flour

Method:

  1. Preheat flat char-grill plate or tepanyaki plate.  If you don’t have one then use a non stick frypan
  2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well until combined.
  3. Grease your cooking plate or frypan with a little olive oil spray.
  4. Spoon mixture into the ring onto char grill plate or frypan and cook on medium heat until you see small bubbles appear on the surface.  If you are making 12 as I did for entrée size be careful not to put too much mixture into the first batch as I ran a bit short by the last few.  Use about one and a half dessertspoons and spread into the ring with the back of the spoon.
  5. Turn, they should be well browned but not burnt.  They do take a while to cook, don’t turn too early.
  6. Cook on the other side until cooked through.

Serve with topping of your choice.

 

 

 

Posted in: Breakfast/Brunch, Christmas cookery, Dinner parties, Entrees, Fish, Party Food

Buttermilk & blueberry pancakes

December 25, 2013 4:20 pm / Leave a Comment /

Buttermilk & blueberry pancakes

When my daughter was in Sydney for Christmas she would make these pancakes for breakfast. Now that she is back in Sydney full time we can have them anytime!  The buttermilk makes them really light and delicious and the orange rind gives them that special something….

Makes approximately 10

Ingredients:

1½ cups self raising flour
375ml buttermilk
2 tbsp. castor sugar
1 tsp finely grated orange rind
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp. melted butter
1 cup blueberries

Method:

  1. Sift flour into a bowl
  2. Add sugar, buttermilk, egg and butter
  3. Beat with a wooden spoon until batter is smooth
  4. Add blueberries and orange rind and stir to combine
  5. Pre-heat a non-stick, frying pan over medium heat and add a little butter.  Be careful it doesn’t burn.
  6. Cook pancakes by pouring 1/4 cup of batter into the pan, cook for 1-2 minutes until bubbles appear.  Turn carefully and continue to cook remainder greasing the pan well in between.
  7. Serve warm dusted with icing sugar.  Delicious with thick yoghurt and more berries, especially a mixed fruit salad with mango for Christmas 🙂

 

Posted in: Breakfast/Brunch, Christmas cookery, Pancakes & battters