Roast Turkey

Roast Turkey with ricotta and lavender and a Pork and Macadamia Stuffing

Ingredients

1 Turkey (approx. 5kg) - free range if possible
11/2 tblspn butter
3 tspns sage - ripped into pieces
3 cloves garlic - minced
700gms ricotta - remove moisture by holding suspended in a muslin cloth (above a bowl)
200gm grano padano or parmigiano-reggiano - grated
1/2 cup italian (flat leaf) parsley
3 tspns oregano - strip leaves from stems
3 tspns lavender flowers
2 lemons - grate rind finely and juice
1 kg muscatel grapes (seedless if possible)
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock

Stuffing

1 tbspn butter
3 eschalots - chopped
2 cloves garlic - crushed
2 good quality pork sausages - skin removed
2 pieces bread - roughly torn
3 tblspns chopped macadamia nuts
1 tblspn sage - chopped
1 tblspn oregano - strip leaves from stems
1 egg - lightly whisked
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Fry sage in butter and 2 cloves of the garlic until clear and softened, cool slightly.  Add garlic to ricotta, parmesan, herbs, lavender, lemon rind and juice, season with salt and pepper.
Seperate the skin from the turkey by carefully putting your fingers between the skin and the flesh near the lower back and gradually lift further onto the back and the thighs, it will create a 'pocket' to place the ricotta mixture between the skin and flesh.  Place the ricotta mixture under the skin and press gently to ensure it is evenly spread. Stuff turkey with  pork and macadamia stuffing, then tie legs together using kitchen string and place breast side up in roasting pan, add wine and half the stock.  Melt some extra butter and brush over the turkey skin and season with salt and pepper.  Place a piece of foil loosely over the turkey and cook turkey in oven on 180 degrees (160 fan forced) for about 1 hour, then remove foil, baste with juices and add extra stock to roasting pan if necessary, add the muscatels to the pan, roast for a further  11/2 hours (size dependant) basting with the pan juices as needed, until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced.  Place on a serving platter and loosely cover with foil to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Stuffing Method

Gently fry the eschalots and garlic in the butter until tender. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix together with hands, until well combined, fill turkey cavity with stuffing. 

Note: I usually cook this in the BBQ, following the same instructions.  Turn on all four burners, to preheat BBQ, then turn off the two underneath the grill plate and place the roasting pan there, without direct heat underneath, regulate the temperate to around 180 degrees.

Ice Cream for Christmas

Rasberry Semi Freddo

Ingredients

3 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 cup caster sugar
1 3/4 cups cream
500gms frozen rasberries - crushed

Method 

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil.  Place eggs, yolks and sugar in a heat proof bowl and place over the saucepan of water (reduce heat if necessary).  Using electric hand beaters, beat the eggs and sugar until thick, pale, creamy and warm, then remove from the heat (turn off pan) and keep beating until cooled.  Add the rasberries and fold through.  Beat the cream until soft peaks form, fold through the egg and raspberry mixture.  Place in a freezer proof bowl and freeze for 6-8 hours

Pistachio, Ginger and Brandy Semi Freddo

Ingredients

3 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 cup caster sugar
1 3/4 cups cream
100gms glace ginger
200gms salted, roasted pistachio's
2 tablespoons brandy

Method

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Place eggs, yolks and sugar in a heat proof bowl and place over the saucepan of water (reduce heat if necessary). Using electric hand beaters, beat the eggs and sugar until thick, pale, creamy and warm, then remove from the heat (turn off pan) add 1 tblspn brandy and keep beating until cooled. Add the glace ginger and pistachio's. Beat the cream until soft peaks form, beat in one tblspn brandy, fold through the egg, ginger and pistachio mixtre. Place in a freezer proof bowl and freeze for 6-8 hours

Christmas Cake

Fruit Cake with Ginger

Ingredients
6 1/4 cups mixed fruit (raisins, sultanas, currants, dates, cranberries)
2 tablespoons glazed ginger
1 cup almonds
3/4 cup brandy
250 gms softened butter
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
2 1/4 cups plain flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2-3 tablespoons brandy extra

Method
Place fruit, ginger and nuts in a bowl and pour brandy over top, cover and leave to soak overnight or for a few days.  Preheat over 140 degrees.  Place softened butter and brown sugar in mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beat between until completely mixed.  Add the flour, and bicarbonate cinnamon and ginger and stir to combine.  Line a 20cm tin with two layers of baking paper and spoon in mixture.   Bake 2 hours or until cooked through, using a skewer to test (it will come out clean when cooked and should be a light golden brown colour).  Whilst still hot pour over the extra brandy and cool in the tin. To make the design, once completely cooled, remove from tin and use a christmas decoration or shape placed on top, then simply use icing sugar sifted lightly over the top and remove the decorations.

notes: if you prefer not to add the ginger, just remove the glazed ginger and the ground ginger from the recipe.

 

Muesli

 

Toasted Muesli with Maple Syrup

A lovely toasted musesli with nuts and a few dried fruit, both healthy and delicious, and seriously easy to make...

 

Ingredients

1kg rolled oats

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

350gms dried nuts and seeds, like cashews, almonds, pepita's, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, brazil nuts and macadamia nuts

150gms dried fruit, such as cranberry's, sultana's, dates and figs

 

Method

Place the Oats, Maple Syrup, Oil and spices in a bowl and mix thoroughly, spread mixture evenly over two oven trays and bake at 160 degrees for about 15 minutes until just light golden brown (you may vary this according to taste).  Place nuts onto tray and bake a further 10 minutes until lightly toasted then add dried fruit and cool before popping into an airtight container for storage. 



 

 

Fabulous Cake by adriano zumbo

Chocolate Cake

 

A fabulous Adriano Zumbo cake which I just had to share with you, super dooper chocolatey with the sexiest meringues, chocolates spikes and macaroons - what a treat for the eyes!

 

Oh, yes and for those cake eaters out there - the taste buds too!!

 

 

 

 

Woodland Creatures Birthday Party

 Toadstool Cake

An intimate party with a Woodland setting for a little girl who loves bunny's, deers and toadstools.

The grass on the table is polar fleece and so had a lovely soft mossy feel, the table was decorated with
a gorgeous white birch tree (from Bed Bath and Table), the beautiful white ceramic bunny is a money box and of course I made the toadstool cake.

For the cake, use my chocolate recipe, that you will find a in a previous post.

 

The base was baked in a stainless steel wine cooler (love those!) and the top of the toadstool was baked in a stainless steel mixing bowl, just join the two together with the chocolate ganache from the recipe once they are completely cooled.  You will need to buy red fondant icing (try good homewares/cooking stores) as red simply can't be made that bright by yourself (mix bought red fondant with a little white fondant so it isn't as sticky). 

The grass is shredded coconut thrown in a bag with green colouring, a little butter icing spread onto the plate (or board) will keep the coconut in place.  I used fondant for the doors and windows and roses, then piped the green on for the shrubs and ivy around the toadstool.  To make the roses , take a small ball of pink fondant and roll it into a long sausage shape - about 5cm (2 inches) long, then flatten a little, take one end and roll it back on itself so it curls up and pinch the base a little to hold then pop it onto a 'shrub' made from butter icing.

Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns

600gms White Bread Flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tspns dried yeast

2 tspns bread improver

100gms softened butter

1 egg

320mls milk

1/2 tspn salt

1 tspn cinnamon

1 tspn mixed spice

Finely grated rind of 1 orange

1 cup sultanas

Crosses

100gms plain flour

1/2 cup water

Glaze

55gms caster sugar

1/2 tspn mixed spice

1/2 tspn cinnamon

1/4 cup water

Pre-heat your oven to 220C

Place all ingredients into bread machine and set on 'dough', once it is ready remove the dough, knock it down (place dough mix onto bench and give it a little hit with your hand to knock the air out of it), ten work in the sultanas.  Cut into 16 pieces and shape into balls, using a rectangular or square cake pan, place the balls evenly - allowing some space from the sides so all buns can grow at the same rate.  Put in a warm place for 30 mins until doubled in size.  Mix the plain flour and water together to make the crosses until it forms a smooth mix about the consistency of toothpaste, place this into a piping bag or tube and pipe on the crosses.  Bake until deep golden brown and cooked through (test with a skewer), approx. 25 mins.  Whilst they are cooking make the glaze, bring ingredients to a soft boil for a few minutes until sugar has melted.  When you take out the buns, brush over the glaze using a pastry brush and allow it soak into the hot buns.  Serve hot with butter.

(You may add mixed peel if you wish, I have used orange rind, to eliminate the need for big chunks of peel, this is a personal choice.)