GECPA Family Corner
Fried Pudding Dumplings With Caramel Sauce and Ice Cream
Serves: 20 Pre: 10mins Cook: 15mins
Ingredients
1 x 700g Woolworths matured Christmas pudding
10 sheets shortcrust pastry, each sheet
½ cup maple syrupoil for deep-frying
sifted icing sugar, to garnish
ice cream, to serve
50g brown sugar
50g unsalted butter
50ml thickened cream
Method
- Using an 8cm round cutter, cut pastry into rounds and chill until ready to roll. Take tablespoons of Christmas pudding and form into balls (there should be about 20 balls). Dip each ball into maple syrup, and then place onto a cut pastry disc. Place a second disc of pastry over the top and use fingers to pinch pastry discs together firmly. Chill until ready to fry (see tip).
- To make the caramel sauce, combine brown sugar, butter, cream, and any remaining maple syrup in a small saucepan and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until fully incorporated. Keep warm until ready to serve.
- Heat a small saucepan of oil to 180°c. Deep-fry pudding balls in batches for 3 minutes or until golden and pastry is cooked through. Remove and drain on paper towel. Dust with icing sugar and serve with caramel sauce and ice cream.
Tip: pudding balls can be prepared up to this point the day before and kept chilled until ready to fry.
Pistachio & Rose Cheesecake Bites
Serves: 12 Pre: 20mins Cook: 60mins
Ingredients
10 dates
60g (½ cup) Lucky Natural Pistachios (extra to serve)
40g Lucky Natural Sliced Almonds
225g (1½ cups) Lucky Natural Cashews
½ – 1 tsp rose water essence (less or more to taste)
80ml maple syrup
80ml coconut oil, melted
125ml coconut milk
Method
- Line a 22cm cake tin with a removable bottom (a cheesecake tin or flan tin) with baking paper neatly.
- Place base ingredients into a food processor and combine until they form a dough-like consistency.
- Press dough into cake tin and place into the freezer while you make the filling.
- Place all filling ingredients into a high-speed blender and process until silky smooth.
- Taste batter to see if you’d like more rose water essence, adjust and blend again if required.
- Pour batter on top of the base and place back into the freezer for at least 6 hours.
- Once completely cold and very firm, remove from tin and slice into bite-size slices. Top with pistachios and rose petals and serve straight away.
- Optional: serve with rose petals.
Giant Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
2 brown onions
2 cloves of garlic
olive oil
1/2 a bunch of fresh thyme (15g)
8 Portobello mushrooms
50g hazelnuts
50g stale bread
440g baby spinach leaves
1 whole nutmeg, for grating
optional: 60g haloumi
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°c/180°c fan-forced. Peel and finely chop the onions, peel and finely slice the garlic, and place it all in a large non-stick pan on a low heat with 1 tbs of oil. Strip in most of the thyme leaves and cook for 15 minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly.
- Meanwhile, peel the mushrooms and remove the stalks, finely chopping the stalks and peelings and adding to the veg pan as you go. Brush the mushrooms with 1 tsp of oil, then arrange cup-side up on a large baking pan. Sprinkle with a pinch of black pepper and pop in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Strip the remaining thyme into a food processor with the hazelnuts, tear in the bread, add 2 tsp of oil and blitz into rough crumbs.
- Stir the spinach (you may have to do this in batches) with a good grating of nutmeg into the veg pan. Cook for 10 minutes, or until any liquid has evaporated. Remove the mushroom pan from the oven, pour away any liquid, then divide the spinach mixture between the mushrooms. Sprinkle over the nutty crumbs, grate over the cheese, if using, and bake for another 20 minutes, or until golden and the mushrooms are soft.
Honey-Roasted Carrots
Serves: 6 Pre: 15mins Cook: 40mins
Ingredients
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 orange, zested
2 tbs Woolworths extra virgin olive oil
1kg reindeer carrots, peeled, halved lengthways
2 tbs honey
6 thyme sprigs
1 1/2 cups Greek-style yoghurt
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°c/180°c fan-forced. Grease a large baking tray.
- Combine cumin, fennel seeds, zest and oil in a large bowl. Add carrot, season, then toss to coat. Arrange on tray and bake for 20 minutes. Drizzle over honey, scatter over thyme and bake for a further 20 minutes or until carrots are tender.
- Dollop yoghurt on a platter, top with carrot, spoon over pan juices and serve.
How about a different type of Christmas tree for 2020?
Cinnamon Christmas Ornaments that'll Spice up Your Tree
https://www.countryliving.com/diy-crafts/g23493466/cinnamon-ornaments/
Rose Robinson
GECPA