Christmas Treats for the Yuletide Table

Christmas Treats.
Only 9 days till the big feast

Here are two recipes that you may like to prepare for Christmas Day
Or the day before...or the Day after

First the Meringue Roulade

This recipe came from Tony Astle from Antoines Restaurant in Parnell
Thank you Tony for sharing this
It is so easy and a real crowd pleaser
My guests thought, I was ever so clever!

Ingredients
5 large egg whites at room temperature
340 gms white sugar
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
30 gms cornflour

Wet and line a sponge tin with baking paper
Set oven 180c

Beat egg whites to stiff peaks
Add 340 gms white sugar quite quickly
Beat full speed  for 2 minutes

Add 1 tsp white vinegar and 1 tsp vanilla extract
Straight  away, turn machine down and
Fold in 30 gms corn flour 
Combine well quickly be careful not to lose that air

Pile into prepared tin
Spread roughly
Place in oven bake for 12 minutes only
Remove and cool to room temp 

Sprinkle plenty icing sugar on a sheet of baking paper
Then invert meringue onto paper
Spread with stiffly whipped cream leaving about 2 inch space at far end

Roll as a sponge roll
Serve in thick slices with some beautiful berries

Christmas Bark is not a New Zealand tradition, but it doesn't take long for us to introduce new foods to our feast. This a lovely gift to take to a friend.
So pretty and so so simple to make

I saw this recipe on a Facebook Friends post.
A link from the New York Times
Submitted by a gentleman called Tom Faglon.

Those Pomegranate Seeds are just like glistening jewels
Set in Dark Chocolate with pieces of Crystalised Ginger
Then finished off with a sprinkling of crunchy sea salt flakes

The first time I made it, I ceased the chocolate.
I forgot about adding cold and wet into hot chocolate
So, when I made it yesterday I was more careful and cooled the chocolate
a little and dried the seeds.
Voila, it worked

Nigella has a foolproof way of removing those seeds from the Pomegranate
Cut it in half
Over a large bowl
Bash it with a big wooden spoon
after the third bash they will start to fall out
Just like ruby rain
Keep on bashing
Squeeze the fruit to get the rest of the juice out
Turn them into a sieve and drain the juice

Set that Juice aside, I have a recipe for it at the end of this post
A Christmas Cocktail

Gently dry the seeds, so that when added to the chocolate they won't seize it

So let's start
Line a small baking tray with baking paper
Ingredients
    •    200 grams dark (bittersweet) chocolate pieces (1 cake)
    •    40 grams finely chopped crystallized ginger 
    •   The seeds of a fresh pomegranate  (1 cup)
    •    6 grams flaky sea salt (1 teaspoon)
 
Preparation
Break the chocolate into pieces and melt it
Either over a pan of simmering water
being careful not to let the bowl touch the water
Or do as I did, whack it into the microwave
Keep stirring it till it cools slightly

Add the ginger, then

Add half of the pomgranate seeds
Quickly turn out into the prepared tray
Spread quickly to a thin  layer
Throw the rest of the pomegranate seeds over the top

Sprinkle with Sea Salt
Chill for at least an hour

Break up into pieces and devour

Now for the  Christmas Cocktail

Grab a glass
Add several Ice Cubes
Then
2 parts Vodka
1 part Cacao White Liqueur
1 part Pomegranate Juice
Stir

Sip away
Merry Christmas Everybody

Decadent Date and Ginger Chocolate Slice - Divine

I remember when as a kid we made homemade chocolate, which consisted of melting Kremalta
(vegetable shortening) with cocoa and sugar
Mix with Rice Bubbles and you got Chocolate Crackles

Children's Dream

My friend Elsje gave me this recipe... I'm not sure where it came from, but I just had to share it

So here is a grown up version. Absolutely Decadent,
Flavoured with soft date and ginger
Crunchy with the cornflakes
Instead of Cocoa and sugar you use the best Drinking Chocolate
That makes the most delightful Chocolate Topping
You must make this.


The Base
155 gm pitted dates sliced
125 gm unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar
60 gm preserved ginger chopped
3 cups cornflakes


Line a Swiss roll tin with baking paper

Add to a saucepan
Dates, butter, sugar and chopped ginger  in saucepan ,
Stir over low heat until dates soft
Add cornflakes
Press into prepared tin

Chocolate Topping
240 gm Kremelta
2 cups Best Drinking Chocolate Powder

Melt Kremelta over low heat 
Add Drinking Chocolate
Turn into bowl

Place in Fridge until it reaches soft spreading consistency .
Spread
Set

Tidy up the edges.
Cooks treat!
Cut into squares
Eat

I made this for an afternnon tea that I was invited to
out int he country

What a spread, Just a close up of my contribution

One piece should be enough as it is so rich
But I have forced down 2 pieces and I wasn't sick!!!
Just Divine

The Best Fudge I Have Eaten

Just a quick blog. I have to mention I have just eaten the most DIVINE fudge.

My friend Elsje kindly  gave me this packet of fudge yesterday. I have just eaten 2 pieces.
Very greedy I must admit... There are 3 or 4 varieties in the bag... I can't eat anymore at the moment.
It is so rich and creamy, the texture is fabulous. The raspberry... (you can just see there in the picture)
OH MY GOD I thought I had died and gone to food heaven.
This is produced by Exquisit cakes and edibles right here in Auckland.

Click here for information about Kim and her wonderful food.
If you can find it buy it. Wow.