Miscellaneous Recipes |
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MINCE
PIES 200g cake flour 85g ground almonds finely grated rind of 1 orange 30g caster sugar salt 150g chilled, cubed butter 1 large egg beaten 55g fruit mince 115g brandy butter (recipe below) 2 tsp milk 1 large egg white 1. Sift flour, and add almonds, rind, sugar and salt to a bowl 2. Rub in butter till breadcrumb texture 3. Add the beaten egg, and mix dough into a ball with your hands 4. Knead dough till smooth 5. Cover in cling wrap, and chill for 30 minutes 6. Roll out as thinly as possible and cut out 20 x 6cm rounds 7. Gather the trimmings and roll again 8. Cut out 20 x 7.5cm rounds 9. Line 20 muffin tins with the larger rounds and spoon in mincemeat to fill pie 10. Put a tsp of brandy butter on top of the mincemeat 11. Brush the edges with milk and top with smaller rounds, pressing to seal 12. Bake for 25min at 200 C until golden brown 13. Leave to cool for 5 min then remove from tins and cool for further 10 min 14. Whisk the egg white till frothy and add icing sugar. 15. Spread the icing sugar over the pies and bake on a baking sheet for 5 - 10 min at 200 C BRANDY BUTTER 60g unsalted butter 1/4 cup brown sugar finely grated rind of 1/2 orange 3-4 tsp brandy 1. Beat butter, sugar and orange rind until light and fluffy 2. Gradually add the brandy, a little at a time, beating well after each addition 3. If you add the brandy too quickly the butter will curdle 4. When smooth and creamy, spoon into a dish, cover and chill till required |
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STRAWBERRY-AVOCADO SALAD 6 cups trimmed and torn curly endives 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced 1 avocado, sliced DRESSING 1/3 cup honey 1/3 cup orange juice 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 Tbsp poppy seed 1. In a large mixing bowl, toss endive, strawberries and avocado and set aside 2. Combine dressing ingredients and microwave on high for 1 minute until hot 3. Pour over endive mixture and toss to coat, serve immediately |
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ENGLISH
STYLE MULLED WINE 1 pinch nutmeg 15 sugar lumps 2 lemons, 1 for decorative purposes 400ml water 800ml red port 1. Wash and dry 1 lemon 2. Rub the lumps on the skin of one the lemons before squeezing to extract the juice 3. Place the sugar lumps in a saucepan, then add the lemon juice 4. Add the port, water and nutmeg 5. Continue to heat, and remove before it boils 6. Serve in glasses decorated with lemon peel twirls, made by peeling the rind of the second lemon with a potato peeler |
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PINEAPPLE PUNCH 1 ½ litres white rum 4 slices fresh pineapple 2 oranges 2 lemons 1 tsp grated fresh ginger ¾ cup fresh orange juice 1. Peel the pineapple, oranges and lemons and dice the fruit 2. In a bowl mix the fruit, rum, ginger and orange juice 3. Macerate 24 hours in the fridge before serving |
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BLUE
CHEESE BOUCHÉE SHELLS ¾ cup flour 25g butter 5 eggs 1 cup water pinch salt FILLING 250g Roquefort or blue cheese 25g butter 1 Tbsp thick cream 1. Boil the water with the butter and salt, then mix in the sifted flour 2. Stir until the dough does not stick to the saucepan or spatula anymore 3. Turn off the heat and work the dough for 1 minute 4. Add the first egg, mixing thoroughly and working the dough well 5. The success of this dish depends on the first mixture 6. Add the other eggs one at a time, mixing carefully each time. 7. If the eggs are large, add only part or none of the fifth egg. 8. The dough, very soft, must not collapse if arranged in small lumps, if it does, work it again for 1 minute to give it the right consistency 9. Use a pastry bag with a large tube to squeeze out the dough on a lightly greased baking sheet, making small round lumps or long sausages shapes 10. Bake at 180°C for a few minutes until golden, then turn off the heat and open the oven door, allowing 2 - 3 minutes to cool before taking out 11. When cool, slice the shells with a knife and fill with the filling which has been mixed together, making a cheese-butter-cream mixture 12. These appetisers can be eaten warm or cold |
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PAPRIKA
SALAD 1 lettuce, leaves rinsed and dried 500g mushrooms juice of 2 lemons 500g tomatoes, quartered 3 hard boiled eggs, sliced 1 can tuna in water, drained 250g peeled shrimp 1 cup mayonnaise 1 Tbsp paprika 1 Tbsp oil 2 Tbsp vinegar salt, pepper 1. Cook the shrimp in very salty, boiling water for 3 minutes 2. Slice the mushrooms into a bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice 3. Cut the lettuce with a scissors into thin strips 4. Stir the paprika into the mayonnaise 5. Place all the ingredients into a bowl, except the eggs and mayonnaise 6. Sprinkle with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and toss 7. Stir in half of the mayonnaise 8. Decorate with thin slices of egg and serve the rest of the mayonnaise in a sauce boat |
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SWEET
PEPPER SALAD 2 red peppers 2 green peppers 3 tomatoes 2 dsp olive oil 1 bunch of parsley, chopped salt, pepper 1. Grill the peppers in the oven, turning from time to time 2. Fold them in foil for 5 - 10 minutes to make then easy to peel 3. Scald the tomatoes, then place in iced water to peel them 4. Cut the peppers and tomatoes into small cubes 5. Very lightly fry in an oiled pan for 20 minutes 6. Add the chopped parsley and sprinkle with salt and pepper 7. Serve in a salad bowl |
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SPARKLING WINE PUNCH WITH FRUIT ICE RING 60ml Brandy 60ml Curacao 1 x 750ml Sparkling Wine Soda Water FRUIT ICE RING 2 cups crushed ice Fresh or Tinned Fruit 500ml Fruit Juice 1. Mix brandy, curacao and wine together in a punch bowl 2. Just before serving add the following:- 3. Ice and as much soda water as desired (the more you add, the weaker the punch) 4. For the fruit ring, place the ice in a 1.5L ring mould 5. Arrange the fruit over ice in a colourful display (Choose your fruit carefully) 6. Pour fruit juice over and freeze till solid (Preferably overnight) 7. Dip mould in warm water to loosen ring 8. Place carefully in punch bowl, fruit side up and serve immediately |
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CHRISTMAS MINCE PIES Ingredients 350 g cake or all-purpose flour a pinch of salt 125 g castor sugar 175 g butter, cut into cubes 6 egg yolks, beaten 250 ml good-quality fruit mincemeat 1 apple, peeled and grated 1 each orange and lemon, grated rind splash of brandy or rum Method: Place the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Add the butter and work it in, using your fingertips. Mix in the egg yolks briefly, just until the dough holds together. Knead into a ball and leave to rest for 30 minutes. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface. Cut out rounds, using a 5 cm diameter cookie cutter, and stamp out small star shapes from the leftover pastry. Press the pastry rounds into the hollows of tartlet tins. Mix mincemeat, apple, rind and brandy or rum. Drop 5 ml filling into each pastry case and top with a star shape. Bake at 190 °C for about 15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden. Cool on wire racks. Tips Serve warm, with a dollop of brandy butter or a dusting of icing sugar. Make the pies in advance and freeze them. When grating citrus peel or ginger, cover the side of the grater with cling film and grate over it. It's easier to lift off and you'll have a clean grater. |
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FESTIVE
EGG NOG Ingredients 6 large eggs, separated 150 g sugar 250 ml rum 1 l cream milk 250 ml fresh cream 125 ml brandy Method: 1. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together well. Gradually beat in the rum and milk. 2. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Add cream and brandy gently. 3. Serve in glasses and sprinkle lightly with a mixture of ground cinnamon and chocolate drinking powder. 4. Serve mid-morning with Christmas fruit cake. |
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