Dessert
CRUST
¼ cup butter or margarine
1 cup finely crushed chocolate wafer crumbs - about 20 wafers
FILLING
170g white baking chocolate
500g cream cheese
150ml sugar
2 egg whites
15ml flour
5ml vanilla
½ cup chopped pistachio nuts
½ cup chopped candies cherries
1. In a 23cm round baking dish, microwave butter at high for 1½ minutes until melted
2. Stir in wafer crumbs and mix well
3. Press mixture firmly against bottom of dish and microwave on high for 2 minutes until set. Set aside
4. Microwave baking chocolate at 50% (medium) for 4 - 5 minutes until bar melts and can be stirred smooth, stirring every minute
5. Microwave cream cheese at 50% power for 2 - 4 minutes until softened
6. Blend in melted chocolate, then add all the filling ingredients except the pistachios and cherries
7. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended and microwave on high for 2 minutes until mixture starts to set, stirring every minute
8. Stir in pistachios and cherries
9. Pour filling over prepared crust, place on a saucer in microwave and microwave on 50% for 7 - 10 minutes until cheesecake is set in centre
10. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours and garnish with whole candies cherries if desired
This pudding must be baked now (October) for best results
1 2/3 cups flour
125g beef suet (ask your butcher for this)
125g dry bread, crustless
100g powdered almonds
pinch salt
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch grated nutmeg
¼ cup brown sugar
1 orange
1 lemon
3 apples
200g apricot marmalade
225g sultanas
225g currants
225g candies fruit
12 dried prunes (stoned)
2 eggs
2 cups rum
½ cup beer
1. In a bowl, marinate the dried and candied fruit in the rum for 24 hours, then reserve the rum for later
2. Put them through a food processor together with the apple, orange rind and lemon rind until finely chopped
3. Chop the suet
4. Combine the flour, almonds, brown sugar and shredded dry bread in a mixing bowl
5. Place the suet, minced fruit and eggs in the centre of the flour mixture
6. Blend thoroughly, adding the apricot marmalade and the juice of the orange and lemon, the rum, the beer, a pinch of salt and the spices
7. Butter a pudding mould and fill it ¾ way up with the batter
8. Place 2 sheets of foil on top and tie with a string
9. Cover with a cloth and tie with string, leaving the edges out
10. Knot the corners of the cloth together diagonally
11. Put a small rack on the base of a large pot and put the pudding on the rack
12. Fill the pot up to the height of the pudding, cover and cook gently for 4 hours, keeping the water level constant
13. Let the pudding cool and store it in he bottom of the refrigerator
14. The day you want to serve the pudding, cook for another 3 hours
15. Remove the cloth and the foil, slide a knife around the edge and unmould
16. Flambé with cognac and serve with custard or cream
6 cups strawberries
2 bananas
3 kiwi fruits
1 Tbsp instant coffee dissolved in ¼ cup water
2 Tbsp rum
3 Tbsp corn syrup
1. Rinse the strawberries, drain and hull them
2. Halve them if too large
3. Peel the kiwi fruit and banana and slice
4. Place all the fruit in a bowl
5. Sprinkle with a mixture of coffee, rum and syrup
kg puff pastry
400g chopped almonds
450g castor sugar
a little water
20g rose water
20g orange blossom water
150g butter
juice of 1 lemon
1. Roll out the pastry very thinly, and using a brush coat with melted butter
2. Use a knife to cut into 10cm wide ribbons, then cut the ribbons into 4 12cm rectangles, and put aside
3. Make a syrup by pouring the sugar into a saucepan and barely covering with water
4. Bring to the boil, then add lemon juice, rose water and orange blossom water and cook for 5 - 8 minutes
5. Dissolve the almonds in a little of the syrup in a mixing bowl to make a paste
6. Take a little of this filling and place onto each pastry rectangle and roll like a cigar
7. Put the cigars onto a buttered baking sheet and brush with melted butter
8. Bake for 20 minutes at 200°C
9. Serve hot with the syrup in a separate dish
1 Large Can Peach Halves
2ml Cornflour
60ml Brandy
125ml Toasted, Slivered Almonds
Ice Cream to Serve
1. Pour 125ml peach syrup from the can, into a pan and bring to boil
2. Blend cornflour with a little cold water, stir into syrup and cook, stirring, until thickened
3. Add peaches, and baste with syrup, until heated through
4. Add a little more syrup if necessary
5. Warm brandy, ignite, and pour over the peaches
6. Top with almonds and serve with ice-cream
60g Butter
5ml Grated Lemon Rind
15ml Lemon Juice
4 Ripe Bananas
60ml Brown Sugar
60ml Rum
Cream to Serve
1. Put the butter, lemon juice and rind in an ovenproof dish and place in oven 180°C for 2 minutes to melt
2. Remove and stir, add bananas and turn to coat well with the butter mixture
3. Sprinkle the brown sugar over, and bake for 15 minutes
4. Heat the rum in a small container, set alight, and pour over the bananas
5. Spoon burning liquid over the bananas until the flames have died down
6. Serve hot with fresh cream
1.25 Cups Milk
1.25 Cups Pouring Cream
1 Vanilla Pod Split Lengthways or 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
5 Eggs
2 tsp Cornflour
1/4 Cup Caster Sugar
2 Punnets Small Strawberries
4 Tsp Sweet Sherry
6 Tsp Sifted Icing Sugar
300g Madeira Cake (Sponge Cake)
175g Strawberry Jam
2 Cups Thick Cream
1/4 Cup Flaked Almonds Lightly Toasted
1. Pour the milk and pouring cream into a saucepan, add the vanilla and bring slowly to boil
2. Whisk the eggs, cornflour and sugar together and stir in the hot milk & cream
3. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water, and stir until custard thickens
4. Remove from heat and cover with cling wrap to prevent a skin from forming
5. Allow to cool
6. Keep a few strawberries for decoration, cut the rest in half and add the sherry and 1/2 the icing sugar
7. Mix together and set aside
8. Cut the cake into 3 horizontal layers and sandwich together with jam
9. Cut into slices and arrange in the bottom and slightly up the sides of a glass bowl
10. Cover with the strawberries and their juice
11. Pour in the custard and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight
12. Whisk the thick cream with the remaining icing sugar until it forms peaks
13. Spread on top of the trifle
14. Decorate the top with the remaining strawberries and the toasted almonds
15. Chill until ready to serve
115g Self-Raising Flour
1 Level tsp Mixed Spice
1 Level tsp Ground Ginger
1 Level tsp Salt
175g Chilled, Unsalted Butter
115g Whole-wheat Breadcrumbs
115g Ground Almonds
115g Sultanas
115g Seedless Raisins
115g Crystallised Pineapple, Chopped
75g Crystallised Ginger, Chopped
75g Crystallised Apricots, Chopped
75g Glazed Cherries, Chopped
75g Chopped Mixed Peel
Grated Rind of 1 Orange and 1 Lemon
175g Dark Brown Sugar
3 Eggs
6 Tsp Cointreau
200ml Sweet White Wine
1. Sieve the flour, spices and salt into a large mixing bowl
2. Grate in the butter
3. Add the breadcrumbs, all the fruit and rind, and the sugar
4. Beat the eggs lightly with the cointreau and the white wine
5. Mix with the ingredients in the bowl
6. Grease 2 x 1-litre pudding basins and fill with the mixture
7. Put grease-proof paper over the mixture in each basin
8. Cover the basins with muslin cloths or with foil, with a pleat across the centre to allow for expansion when steaming
9. Tie down securely
10. Steam for 6 hours, checking the level of water and filling up when necessary
11. Leave the puddings till cold, then wrap in foil and store in a cool, dark place
12. Before serving, steam for 2 hours to reheat
1 Cup Margarine
4 Cups Flour
2 Cups Sugar
1 tsp Ground Cloves
3 tsps Ground Cinnamon
2 tsps Ground Allspice
1 tsp Salt
2 tsps Bicarb
2 Cups Applesauce
1 1/2 Cups Chopped Pecans
2 Eggs
1. Cream butter and sugar
2. Add eggs one at a time.
3. Mix in applesauce and spices.
4.Sift salt, flour, and bicarb
5. Add to applesauce mixture and mix well
6. Add nuts.
7. Pour into muffin pans and bake for 25 - 30 mins at 180 C
8. Leave to cool in tins
9. To decorate spread top with vanilla butter icing and roll in slivered almonds
Ingredients
225 g hard margarine
225 g soft brown sugar
200 g flour
350 g currants
225 g raisins
175 g sultanas
50 g mixed peel
25 g blanched almonds
100 g cherries
175 g brown breadcrumbs
5 ml nutmeg
15 ml treacle
2 large eggs
1 lemon (grated rind only)
1 orange (grated rind and juice)
50 ml milk
25 ml brandy
Method:
Melt the margarine and mix in all the remaining ingredients.
Place the mixture in a greased 1 litre pudding dish. Cover tightly with greaseproof paper and foil and secure with string under the rim.
Place in a saucepan of boiling water to come halfway up the side of the basin. Steam for 7 hours, adding more boiling water to pan when necessary.
Remove from the saucepan, cool and store until needed. This pudding should be made 6 weeks in advance.
Serve hot with custard or cream.
Ingredients
410 g peach halves, drained, but retain syrup
500 g fruit mincemeat
65 ml brandy
ice cream to serve
Method:
1. Place peaches in an ovenproof dish. 2. Use sufficient fruit mincemeat to fill peach cavities. 3. Pour peach syrup over peaches. 4. Bake at 180 ºC for 10 minutes. 5. Warm brandy and pour over peaches. 6. Ignite and serve with ice cream.
Ingredients
150 g sugar
1 egg
150 ml milk
50 ml port
15 g butter
15 ml apricot jam
150 g cake flour
7 ml bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
Sauce
100 g butter
150 g sugar
100 ml milk
Method:
Preheat the oven to 160 º C. Beat the sugar and egg until light.
Heat the milk, port, butter and jam. Stir to dissolve jam and melt butter.
Sift together flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt and fold into beaten egg and sugar mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the warm milk.
Pour the mixture into a greased rectangular 1,5 litre ovenproof dish and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes.
Place the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 2 minutes. As soon as the pudding comes out of the oven, prick it all over and pour over the sauce.
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Tapioca
2 Cups Milk
1/4 Cup plus 1 Tbsp Amaretto Liqueur
2 Cups Cream
500ml Strawberries, Cut In Half (keep 1 for garnish)
1 Strawberry Swiss Roll Cut Into 2.5cm Slices
1. Beat eggs until frothy, add sugar, tapioca and milk, microwave on medium for 15 - 20 minutes, until thick and bubbly
2. Stir in 1 Tbsp liqueur, place cling wrap on the surface of the pudding and refrigerate 4 - 6 hours until very cold
3. Beat cream until soft peaks are formed, keep 1/2 cup for topping, and ford the remaining cream into chilled pudding
4. Arrange 1 cup of strawberries in the bottom of a 3 lt dish
5. Spoon 1 cup of the pudding mixture over the strawberries
6. Place the Swiss roll slices upright around the insides of the bowl, pressing lightly into the pudding
7. Place the remaining Swiss roll slices in the centre
8. Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup liqueur over the slices, and spoon the remaining pudding mixture in the centre
9. Arrange remaining strawberries around the top edge
10. Spoon reserved cream in centre and garnish with the whole strawberry
Peach Sauce
1. Blend 1/4 tsp Almond Essence and 1 x 400g Tin of Peaches + Juice
2. Pour over ice cream
Lemon Curd Sauce
1. Take 500ml of vanilla ice cream and allow to soften slightly
2. Stir in the pulp of 1 or 2 granadillas and return to freezer
3. Warm the lemon curd gently and thin to a pouring consistency with cream
4. Serve the sauce at room temperature over the ice cream
Mango & Granadilla Sauce
1. Peel 1 large mango and process the pulp until smooth
2. Stir in the pulp of 3-5 granadillas and pour into a jug
3. Chill before serving
Fluffy Marshmallow Sauce
1. Put 115g or marshmallows and 2 Tsp of cream into a bowl over a saucepan of hot water
2. Stir gently until completely melted and pour immediately over ice cream
Black Cherry Special
1. Put 1x425g tin of pitted black cherries and about 1/2 their juice into a small saucepan
2. Heat gentle and add 1 Tsp Kirsch liqueur
3. Place a flat chocolate brownie on a plate, top it with a scoop or two of ice cream
4. Pour the hot cherries over and top with whipped cream
OLD-FASHIONED CHRISTMAS PUDDING
Traditionally a few tickeys are placed in the pudding, supposedly they bring luck to the recipient.
175 g raisins
125 g currants
200 g sultanas
250 g chopped dates
125 g mixed peel
225 g dried apricots, chopped
300 ml Guinness beer
60 ml rum
grated rind and juice of a lemon
grated rind and juice of an orange
225 g butter, at room temperature
350 g soft brown sugar
1 green apple, cored and grated
30 ml molasses or treacle
3 large eggs
125 g self-raising flour
5 ml ground mixed spice
10 ml ground cinnamon
2 ml freshly grated nutmeg
10 ml ground ginger
225 g fresh white breadcrumbs
Place the raisins, currants, sultanas, dates, mixed peel and apricots into a large mixing bowl. Pour over the beer, rum, lemon rind and juice, and the orange rind and juice. Cover the bowl and set aside to soak overnight. Cream together the butter and sugar until light. Stir in the grated apple and molasses. Beat the eggs in one by one, adding 15 ml self-raising flour to help prevent the mixture from curdling. Fold in the remaining flour and spices. Add the breadcrumbs and gently fold mixture together. Stir in soaked fruit, then all make your wishes. Grease and line 2 x 1 kg pudding basins or 4 x 500 g pudding basins. Spoon in the mixture. Cut round lids out of doubled greaseproof paper, allowing a little overhang. Fold a 1 cm pleat down the centres of the greaseproof circles and cover basins, tying in place with string under rim. Pleat a piece of foil or muslin in the same way and secure over basins. Steam for 4 hours, topping up with boiling water as required, or cook in a pressure cooker for 2 hours. Store pudding until needed, then steam for a further 2-4 hours, or 2 hours in a pressure cooker. Serves: 24
OLD CAPE BRANDY PUDDING
1
½ cups flour
1 cup dates (stoned)
1 cup boiling water
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarb
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup castor sugar
½ cup chopped nuts
2 beaten eggs
½ teaspoon salt
Cream
butter and sugar, add eggs, sifted flour, baking powder, salt and chopped
nuts. Boil dates, water, add bicarb of soda then add to first mixture,
stirring well. Pour into greased flameproof dish and bake for 30 – 40
minutes at 180 C.
Syrup.
1
¾ cups sugar
1 dessertspoon butter
¾ cup brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Boil sugar, butter and water till syrup forms. Remove from heat, add brandy and vanilla. Pour hot syrup over baked pudding. It should be completely absorbed. Serve with cream, cherries and grapes or chopped nuts, hot or cold
Go on, you deserve it, spoil yourself! Or for that special occasion when hubby brings his boss home for dinner:-) Or you want to impress mother-in-law....
ripe, firm (Hanepoot) grapes, I suppose if you don't have Hanepoot then any other large sweet grape will do
375 ml brandy
Syrup
250 ml water
200 g white sugar
Wash the grapes carefully and remove the berries from the stalks, leaving a small stalk attached to each grape. Prick with a sterilized needle. To make the syrup, boil the sugar and water together until it has thickened, remove from stove and add the brandy. Pack the grapes firmly into hot, dry, sterilized jars and top up with syrup.
Seal the jars loosely and sterilize by placing in a deep saucepan filled with hot water, bring water to boil and sterilize for about 25 minutes. Remove the jars from the water and seal tightly. Allow 3 months for maturing.
