River Cottage Genoese Sponge Cake - 2 - V - $

Have you made your lists and checked them twice? I have had a lot of lists this week to help me organise everything for Christmas and our holiday and getting everything done at work. One of my lists disappeared between the car park at Dan Murphy's and the stupormarket which means I forgot the vegemite, but I did remember the champagne. Huzzah!

I've been going to lots of festive drinkies this week and haven't really been at home to cook, so I thought I would share a recipe for a lovely sponge that I was lucky enough to eat. My gorgeous friend Lady Sleekit hosted an early Christmas dinner for the girls and this was dessert.
Sleekit not only has great sense of style but masses of generous spirit; so thank you for dinner, the recipe, the photo and for being a great pal m'Lady!

Happy holiday season to you all! Thank you for reading What's For Tea? again this year and I look forward to sharing much Kulinary Karma with you all in 2011.

Enjoy!

Roasted Persimmon - 1 - $ - V

There are two main kinds of persimmon - astringent and non-astringent. As my friend Kym most eloquently described, eating the astringent ones "makes your mouth so instantly dry you feel like you're in the desert". She's not wrong. It is a fairly horrid experience, so if you're going to have a go at making this dish, make sure you buy the right ones - don't be shy, just ask your greengrocer.

This recipe was inspired by a Jamie Oliver dessert, but as I don't have time to be whipping up crème caramel we're just going to have to make do with the fruit.
Persimmons taste a little bit melon-y and a little bit perfume-y, but when covered in sugar and brandy they become a little bit delicious-y!

Ingredients (serves 2)

2 ripe, non-astringent persimmons
1tbs caster sugar
2tbs brandy
King Island Dairy vanilla bean yoghurt to serve (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200C degrees.
Chop the tops off and peel the persimmons. Cut into finger-size pieces, you will probably get 6-8 segments depending on the size of the fruit.
Place in a baking dish and then sprinkle the sugar and brandy over the top. Give the fruit a good toss through the other ingredients so they are well covered.

Roast for 30 minutes.
Serve immediately, making sure you scrape up all the sticky goo left in the bottom of the dish. Top with yoghurt or eat on their own.

Enjoy!

Reader Recipe - Dunc's Easter Truffles - 3 - $ - V

Ladies and gentleman, we are very lucky to have another fabulous reader recipe sent in by Duncan! (He also sent the pics too.)

You may remember Dunc from last year when he showed us how to construct these amazing gingerbread houses. I think I might need to officially make him our religious holiday recipe guru.

These truffles look just divine and I will definitely be having a crack at them on the weekend. I might go 70s style and put some Creme de Menthe in mine, do you think you can still buy that stuff?

Thanks Duncan! He writes...

Ingredients

250ml cream

60gm butter

1/2 a vanilla pod

500gm dark chocolate

300gm dark chocolate (separate)

Place cream and butter in the top of a double boiler, scrape seeds from the vanilla pod into the cream mix and bring to the boil before turning off the heat. Tip the 500gm chocolate into the hot cream mixture and stir until all lumps are melted and the mixture is velvety smooth. At this point you can continue with the mix as is, or add your favourite liquor. I broke my mix into three portions and made one with kahlua, one with sambuca and one with grand marnier. Simply add to taste.

At this point cover your mix with cling wrap and push it down on the surface of the chocolate leaving no room for bubbles and place in a cool spot to set overnight.

Once set, prepare a piping bag with a 1cm nozzle and give the ganache a brief stir and then fill the piping bag. Pipe small mounds of ganache every few centimetres on a tray lined with baking paper (you can also use a melon-baller or any other spoon). Place the tray into the fridge for a couple of hours until set.

Once set remove from the fridge and roll between your palms to make rounds. Once you have finished rolling the truffles melt the extra 300gm of chocolate (double-boiler style) and place the bowl near the truffles. Dab some chocolate onto your hands and taking the truffles two at a time roll them in your hands until nicely covered in chocolate. If you're fussy like me then let them set and cover again with a second coat.

Please note massive 'guns' from all the truffle rolling

Once the truffles are covered you can decorate to your liking and give out to all your friends that are on diets just before Easter. A suitable container is a half-egg mold or you can just whack them in little bags and do up with a ribbon.

Enjoy!

Deep Fried Mars Bars - Och Aye The Noo

I have just returned from a whirlwind tour of London, southern Ireland and northern Scotland and jetlag, as it turns out, is great for blogging.

I tried many of the local delicacies whilst I was away: haggis, black pudding, Guinness and single malt whiskys to name but a few.
Being a firm believer of not knocking it until having a least tried it, I could not go past the Deep Fried Mars Bars! Simultaneously repelled and curious, I was quick to put up my hand when our guide made the offer of buying some.

Apparently this fried beastie was born in Stonehaven in Scotland. A chilled Mars Bar is dipped in batter - the same kind used for the fish, sausages and pizzas (that's a whole other Scottish thing) - and then thrown in the deep fryer. The result is a surprisingly still-robust chocolate, covered in crispy batter and oozing caramel in the middle.
So, so, so naughty and so, so, so good!

You have to promise to try one if you ever get the chance and then make up your mind. If you do in fact like it then you must also promise to only ever eat half of one a year.

Bondi Surf Seafood serve up their version in a coconut batter and Nigella (of course) does versions with a Bounty and Cadbury Cream Eggs.

Be very careful of the hot oil if you're making them at home.

Enjoy!

BBQ Rum Pineapple - 1 - $ - V - !

It's official! I am obsessed with cooking with fruit. It started with the Grilled Strawberries and has progressed to BBQ-ing pineapple.

I spent Friday night tootling around Melbourne visiting several bottle shops; cursing Mojito drinkers and willing to trade my kingdom for some white rum.
My dinner guests and I were too full to eat dessert last night, but after Operation Bacardi I was not about to let my marinated pineapple go to waste. Yes I cooked these on the BBQ in my pajamas, but that's just how I roll.

Before you get too excited, this dessert needs to marinate overnight, so you need to get organised before you get grilling.

Ingredients

1 pineapple, peeled and chopped lengthwise
100ml white rum, don't for one second think dark rum will work (been there, wrecked that)
100gm caster sugar
200ml water
2-3 pieces stem ginger
1 small red chili, halved and seeds removed

Place all the ingredients, except the pineapple, in a pot and stir it well to make sure the sugar dissolves. Slowly bring to the boil and then remove from the heat. Let the syrup cool slightly.
Put the pineapple sticks in a container that has a lid and then pour the cooled syrup over the top. Make sure all the pineapple is coated, cover and place in the fridge overnight.

Fire up the BBQ and make sure the grill is super clean - you can also cook the fruit in a grill pan. Place the pineapple on the hot grill and turn after about 30 seconds. Cook each side until the pineapple starts to colour and char slightly.
Serve immediately with some ice-cream or cream.

Enjoy!

The Cookbook Challenge Week 9 - Berry - Grilled Strawberries with Pimms - 1 - $ - V

At the beginning of the week I thought I had the Berry Cookbook Challenge all wrapped up with the berry scones, but then I decided that my contribution to a birthday BBQ would be these lovely strawberries. Mr Oliver has outdone himself with this one. It is super simple, quick and impressive. The recipe is featured in Jamie At Home.


Oh and the best bit about this recipe is that there's heaps of Pimms leftover so then you can make jugs of cocktails to boot - I'll show you that one tomorrow.

Ingredients

500gm strawberries
a few pieces of stem ginger and 3tbs of the syrup
1 vanilla pod, split length ways and seeds scraped out
a couple of splashes of Pimms
fresh mint and vanilla ice-cream to serve

Preheat grill on high.
Hull the strawberries and cut their tops so they are nice and flat and then pop them in a bowl. Mix in the ginger, syrup, vanilla seeds and Pimms. Toss all the ingredients so the strawberries are coated. Place the strawberries in an oven proof dish with the tips pointing in the air. Pour over all the juices and ginger from the bowl and then place the vanilla pod on top of the strawberries. Grill the strawberries on high for 3-5 minutes until bubbling.
Serve the strawberries hot with ice-cream and mint sprinkled on top. Jamie also mentions to smash up some shortbread biscuits and sprinkle the crumbs on top, but I didn't do that.
I served mine with Maggie Beer's delicious ice-cream. The strawberries go so gooey and delicious and the flavours are beautifully layered. It was with great satisfaction that I watched people scrape every last skerrick from their bowls.

Enjoy!

The Cookbook Challenge Week 7 - Soft - Mint Gelato - 1 - $ - V - !

I've been inspired to make gelato for a few reasons today...

Firstly, because it is HOT where I live. As I type this it's 38C degrees and almost 6 in the pm! PHEW. (Did I mention it's HOT?)

Secondly, because lots of my fave bloggers seem to have scored ice-cream makers for Christmas and I have had severe appliance-envy reading all about them this week. (Did I mention I am so jealous I could almost spit?)

Thirdly, because a special darling boarded a plane somewhere that was snowing this morning and is travelling for around 26 hours to come and spend New Years with me, so I figure I better make something cold to make her feel at home. (Did I mention I have some super-duper friends?)

Lastly, because this week's Cookbook Challenge is soft, and ain't nothing softer, nor sweeter than some homemade ice-cream.
I did cheat a little bit and use a cooking magazine, rather than a book. This recipe is from the current issue of delicious and is meant to accompany pea soup of all things! Peas and me aren't friends, so I just made the gelato. Also, because I can't do as I'm told, I added some shaved dark chocolate, because mint and 70% cocoa are a match made in heaven in my humble opinion.
If you plan on giving this a try for a dinner party dessert you probably want to double the amounts as the following doesn't make a lot.


Ingredients

2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup cold water
1 cup chopped mint leaves, plus 2 tbs extra and extra whole leaves to garnish
125gm mascarpone cheese
1 egg white
25gm dark chocolate (optional)

Place lemon zest, juice, sugar, water and the cup of mint in a saucepan.

I wish there was smell-o-vision because this part was lovely!

Stir over a low heat to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes. It's going to catch really quickly so keep an eye on it. Strain through a sieve and press down on the solids to get all the juices and flavours out.
Cool the syrup and add to the mascarpone. Make sure the syrup is cold or it will curdle the cheese.
Pour the gelato mix into a shallow plastic dish and freeze for 3 hours.
If using chocolate whizz it and the remaining mint in the food processor first to finely chop. Add the gelato mix and the egg white and whizz well to combine. Return to the freezer for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight.

It sets very hard so take it out of the freezer 10-15 minutes before serving, with a mint leaf to garnish.

Enjoy!

Rose's Rum Balls - 1 - $ - V - !

Every year I vow to get organised for Xmas and every year I find myself dashing around some revolting shopping centre in a consumerist frenzy trying to buy presents on Xmas Eve. Well not this year baby! (Insert your best George Costanza voice here.)

This year I am either going to make the presents or buy something for someone who REALLY needs it, on behalf of one of my nearest and dearest, from Oxfam.

I started the making today by having a crack at Rose's Rum Balls. Rose is my mother-in-law and she gives these away to rapturous applause every year.
I've put mine in jars that I've been saving all year and got some fabric and ribbon to pretty them up for about $8 - bargain!


The following recipe has been translated from the ye olde measurements Rose wrote down for me and makes about 30 balls.

Ingredients

1 pack of unsweetened biscuits, minus the one that you will eat (I used Marie biscuits)
200gm of sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp dark rum, you can use brandy or leave it out if little people are going to eat them
2 tbsp cocoa
2 tbsp butter, melted
dessicated coconut


Whizz the biscuits in a food processor to make fine crumbs, or put in a freezer bag and roll between two tea towels with a rolling pin.
Put the crumbs in a large mixing bowl and add all the other ingredients except the coconut. Stir well to combine, a metal spoon is the way forward here as the mixture is very dense and hard to work.
Place the mix in the fridge for around 30 minutes.
When you're ready to roll, sprinkle a plate with the coconut and commandeer all hands in the house. Roll the mix into small balls and then roll in the coconut. Pop them back in the fridge for a few minutes just to firm them up again and then put into jars and store in the fridge.
Give to all your friends and wish them happy holidays.

The next batch I make I am going to use Cointreau and add some orange rind for a jaffa-type flavour, I'll let you know how I go.

*POST EDIT - I DID do the Cointreau and it's amazing! Substitute the rum for Cointreau (just buy the little mini-bar sized bottle) and add the zest of one orange - enjoy!

Enjoy!

Lindt-topped Caramel Slice - 2 - $

If you're going to make caramel slice, then you might as well go the whole way and make it as decadent as possible.

My caramel slice base recipe comes from the fabulous Afternoon Tea cookbook put together by the lovelies at Frankie Magazine. This book is full of old school recipes and has just been reprinted for the third time. It is excellent for gifting.
I like this book because it contains a few recipes that I'm sometimes embarrassed to admit to having never made and also because there are some classics in there that you can tweak.
To jazz up the old caramel slice I simply put an easy, yet fancy chocolate layer on the top. The pear flavour of the chocolate goes delightfully with the caramel. This way please...

Ingredients

100gm block of Lindt Pear Indulgence dark chocolate (if you think you need to have a nibble then buy two blocks)
50gms copha (this lives near the butter at your stupormarket)

Wait until your slice has cooled completely.
Break up the chocolate and copha and place in a double boiler. Stir them to combine as they melt.
Using an oven mitt very carefully pour the chocolate over the top of the slice. The bits of pear and almonds that are in the chocolate will sink to the bottom, so make sure you spread them evenly over the top of the caramel.
Put your slice tray in the fridge to set the chocolate. When you're ready to cut it, it's easiest to take the slice out of the tray and do it on a chopping board. A knife dipped in hot water is the way forward to cleanly dissect this dessert.

Enjoy!

Kiwi Fruit Sorbet - 5 - $ - V

A reader recipe extraordinaire!

A BIG thanks to Michelle for sending in this Kiwi Fruit Sorbet!

Now we're upping the ante on the skill and equipment stakes here because this girl knows her way around a kitchen. If you aren't familiar with some of these ingredients or where you can find them, then just sing out. Well...leave a comment or send an email to wotsfortea (at) gmail (dot) com and we'll get you sorted.


The photograph also belongs to Michelle, so let's hear it for her AND hairy fruit!

Ingredients

128gm sugar
60gm powdered glucose
142gm water
667gm kiwi pulp
3gm powdered agar agar

Weigh out all the ingredients.
Mix all the dry ingredients together.
Heat the water to 40C degrees.
Mix in the dry ingredients, stirring briskly.
Heat the mix to 85C degrees and then cool rapidly to 20 degrees.
Fold in the fruit pulp, mixing well.
Leave to age in fridge the 2-6 hours (or overnight).
Process in an ice cream machine.
Transfer to a well-sealed container and freeze.

Enjoy!