Chocolate Mint Cheesecake

Intro
I first typed this recipe up back in December but have been wracking my brains for a story to go with it. Bottom line: there is no story. It is just a really lovely no-bake recipe that I have made several times in recent months alone.

Its also very nice with a thick blueberry 'sauce' on top instead of the mints. Simmer a couple of handfuls of blueberries with a splash of water and about 2 tablespoons of sugar. Once its thickish (use cornflour if need be) allow it to cool and then spread it over the filling.

Recipe
Base

• 90g plain sweet biscuits
• 1 tablespoon cocoa
• 45g butter

Filling

• 250g cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teasp vanilla essence
• 1 teaspoon gelatine
• 2 teaspoons cold water
• 1 cup cream
• 6 chocolate after dinner mints
• 1 tablespoon water

Method
Crush the biscuits finely in a food processor or with a rolling pin and plastic bag. Add melted butter and cocoa to the crumbs then press into 18cm flan dish with a removable base. Place in the fridge to firm up.

Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth with a electric cake mixer. Put the cold water in a teacup, sprinkle gelatine over the top and then place the cup in hot water until the gelatine dissolves. Add this to the cream cheese mixture and beat well. Whip the cream and fold it through the cream cheese mixture. Spoon it into the crust. Dissolve the mints in the extra water in the top of a double saucepan. Cool it a bit then spoon this over the cream cheese mixture and lightly swirl through. Refrigerate until set.

Rhubarb Crumble

Intro
When I was 9 Mum and Dad bought our first house. It was an ex-State House across the road and down the street from the State House flat we had been renting for 8 years or so. This was a huge big deal and I clearly remember carrying a coffee table down the street with my friend who lived directly across the Street from our new home!

The only bad thing, in my child-eyes, was that the entire backyard was a paddock of silverbeet and rhubarb! We walked around the neighbourhood giving away armloads of the wretched stuff but ate more than can be imagined possibe too. It took me years to get over my aversion to silverbeet but I still remember the fragrant crumble that Mum made for dessert made week after week after week ...

Recipe

• 1 cup brown sugar
• half cup flour
• 2 cups crushed weetbix
• eighth teaspoon nutmeg*
• eighth easpoon cinnamon
• 4 ounces butter
• fresh rhubarb stalks
  

*At least - I use closer to 1 teaspoon of each spice. A few chopped walnuts are nice too.

Crumble
Combine all dry ingredients into a bowl, rub in the butter with fingers.

Top and tail rhubarb stalks and cut into 1 inch long pieces.Place into a casserole dish and sprinkle with sugar (about 160grams to every 500g rhubarb). Spinkle crumble over top and bake at 350 degrees for minutes 40 mins. Serve warm with vanilla icecream or thickened cream.

Yummy cold for breakfast.

Lemon Souffle

Intro

I don't know where this recipe came from but it is one of my Mums. Its more of a mousse so I don't know why we call it a souffle ... but we do.

For our family Christmas lunch would not be complete at all without a big glass bowl of this light as a feather gorgeous dessert. We usually don't decorate it at all - just plain - and serve it with big fragrant strawberries or raspberries. On a whim once I added tequila, on the assumption that tequila improves pretty much anything, and while it was nice I wouldn't mess with the recipe too much. Its perfection just as it is.

Recipe

• 4 separated eggs
• 8 tablespoons caster sugar
• 2 and a half lemons - finely grated zest and juiced
• 2 teaspoons gelatine soaked in 5 tablespoons cold water
• 1/2 pint cream

Place the egg yolks, sugar, lemon rind and juice in a basin over hot water on the stove and whisk until the sugar dissolves and mixture thickens a little. Remove from the heat, place in a cold water bath and whisk until it is cooled and thickened. Take the dissolved gelatine and stir into the egg yolk mixture. Whip cream until thick and fold gently into yolk mixture. Its much easier to get a smooth dessert if you don't over whip the cream. Whip the egg whites until stiff - again not too stiff - and fold through gently. Pour into serving bowls, 1 big or individuals, cover with gladwrap, refrigerate overnight and and serve.

Rice Pudding

Intro

I heard myself growling the boys last week: "Havn't you already had your glass of milk today?" and was appalled. Milk is nation building stuff for Kiwi's in more ways than one. Our entire economy for decades and decades has rested on dairy produce and for as many years, probably, our young bodies were built up with pints and pints of calcium rich milk; not that modern tasteless 'skinny' trim milk you buy today but real, full cream milk. 

We were not a wealthy family growing up, in fact looking back I think we were quite poor but I don't recall being hungry. Dad worked three jobs while doing his apprenticeship and Mum was a stay-at-home Mum raising 4 children - and she wasn't even 21! Breakfast was Weetbix and milk - hot milk in winter. Winter evening meals always started with thick homemade vegetable soup made from the roast bone from an earlier meal and heavy with root vegetables, dried peas and alphabet noodles. It filled us up and made sure we got the nourishment growing bodies needed before the main course which was probably light on expensive meat. Every meal was finished with a milky pudding of some sort - rice pudding and bread and butter pudding being the favourites - which also ensured full tummies. 

In my Mum's school days every kid got given a free quarter pint of milk and an apple every day at school but by the time she had kids herself the 'scheme' had changed and milk was heavily subsidised so as to be affordable for everyone: 4 cents a pint - cheap as chips even on our limited budget and we had 6 - 8 pints delivered to the gate every day. Thats 28 - 35 litres of milk a week and I yell at my kids for not making 4 litres last the week out .... 

Recipe

Combine together in a baking dish:

• 1 cup short grain rice
• half cup sugar
• 2 pints whole (full fat) milk (1200 mls)
• 2 oz butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1/4 cup sultanas

Bake in a moderate oven (180 degrees celcius or 375 degrees fahrenheit) for 50 - 60 minutes. Serves 8. PS Of course you could half the recipe but why would you when its so nice cold for breakfast :) 

Variation: use a can or 2 of coconut cream for some of the milk, add chopped dried apricots.

Apple Cake

Intro

This is one of the first desserts I can remember cooking for my family when I was a kid. Mum and Dad both worked and that meant that each of us kids in turn were responsible for preparing the family meal. Not surprisingly we are all pretty good cooks now. 

I got this recipe out of a Good Housekeeping cookbook my Mum was given by her Grandmother when she got married in 1963. I cooked it a lot when I was a pub cook in Gympie, Queensland. I used to multiply the recipe up and make it in a huge slab. I discovered that a good handful of flour = 1 cup and that I could cream butter and sugar much more quickly with my hand if I was in hurry. I would make whole cakes with my hand as the measurer and beater which was heaps more effective than a standard wooden spoon (in the absence of commercial mixers). When it was baking you could smell the cinnamon right through the pub and the bar staff would bring orders out for cake and cream. 

Recipe

Sift together

• 2 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• half teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons sugar

Rub in

• 4oz (125g) butter

Lightly beat together and add to the dry mixture:

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk

Pour into a greased tin, and cover with:

• 3 or 4 sliced apples (peeling is optional)
• 1 tablespoon of mixed peel
• 2oz (60g) butter dotted over
• quarter cup of sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.

Bake 180 degrees for 35 minutes or until done. Serve with whipped cream and / or icecream. This freezes well in portions, reheats well in the microwave and can be made entirely in the kitchen whizz if time is short (including slicing the apples).

Chocolate Angel Pie

Introduction

This is the best dessert recipe I have discovered in about 10 years is this chocolate - coffee - kahlua pie. Very rich, very adult and very decadent. It is not overly sweet if you use dark chocolate as the meringue is perfectly balanced. 

Ingredients

For the meringue crust:

• 4 large eggs, separated, use whites for crust and yolks for filling
• pinch salt
• 1/4 teasp of cream of tartar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:

• 12 oz semi sweet chocolate, chopped
• 5 teaspoons good instant coffee eg Medaglio d'oro
• pinch of salt
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons kahlua

 For the topping

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup icing sugar
• 1 teasp vanilla extract
• 1 pint fresh hulled sliced strawberries, or raspberries
• 1/3 cup shave chocolate

Method

Meringue

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Grease a 9 inch spring form pan, line bottom and sides with baking paper.

Whip whites until foamy, add cream of tartar, beat until stiff, slowly add the sugar then the vanilla. Beat until mixture is very stiff.

Spread the meringue evenly over the base and sides of the prepared pan. Needs to be about 2 inchs up the sides to contain the filling.

Bake for 1.25 hours. Remove from oven and leave to cool.

Filling

Combine the chocolate, coffee, salt and water in a double boiler until just melted together stirring frequently. (You can do this carefully in a microwave).

Remove from the heat and beat in the egg yolks, 1 at a time. Let the mixture cool completely.

Whip the cream to soft peaks, add the kahlua, then fold into the chocolate mixture. Refrigerate until cold.

Assembly and Topping

Tip the chocolate mixture into  the meringue crust, smooth top and refrigerate at least 4 hours but up to 24 hours. (It is very portable at this point if you are taking it somewhere as it is still in the spring form tin).

When ready to serve, remove the pie from the tin and place on a serving plate, Whip the cream, sugar and vanilla together until fairly stiff then spread on top. Decorate with berries and shaved chocolate. and sugar

Loquat Pie

 

Intro

For a few years a Summer highlight for our family was the Organic River Festival at Kimberly River. The Festival went through a few changes and is no longer held which is a dam shame. However, back to my story.... Couple of years back I helped a good friend on his stall. He manufactures gorgeous organic fruit juices and apple cider vinegar under the label Coral Tree. We sold organic plums from his orchard but he also had this massive crop of loquats from lovely old tree. We decided to try and make something from the loquats using organic ingredients as far as possible. A hunt around the internet, a few trial batches and voila - Loquat Pies. 

Recipe

Prepare 4 cups of washed, seeded and chopped loquats (use flesh and skin only) . Simmer together with half a cup of water until soft and pulpy (about 30 minutes). 

Sift these together:

• 2 tablespoons flour
• quarter teaspoon all spice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar

Add to the fruit and stir over heat until mixture thickens. Cook for 1 minute.  Allow to cool then use as a pie filling. I used this Sweet short pastry recipe but used organic flour and organic honey instead of sugar. A simple fruit crumble topping completed the pies.

Walnut and Apricot Meringue Torte

Intro

I can't make pavlova, well not as good as Mum anyway, but I can make this very fine pavlova-ish dessert which always looks amazing when I take it as a plate to shared meals. Its not at all tricky to make but looks like you have real talent. 

Ingredients

Meringue

• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup castor sugar
• 150 walnuts

Topping

• 80g dried apricots
• 1 tablespoon brandy (at least)
• 300 ml whipping cream
• 350g can apricot halves

Praline

• half cup castor sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• half cup chopped walnuts (I usually toast these with the first measure)

Method

Meringue Method 

Chop the walnuts roughly, place on an oven tray and bake in a moderately slow oven for 5 minutes. Remove and cool. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, add the sugar very slowly beating all the while until all sugar is incorporated. Fold in the cooled walnuts. Take 2 oven trays, grease them lightly and line with baking paper (or dust with cornflour). Mark a 25 cm circle on each. Divide the meringue between the 2 trays and spread it out into neat circle shapes. Bake in a moderately slow oven for one hour, changing tray positions half way through. Allow to go completely cold. The meringue disks can be stored in airtight bags or containers for a few days if needed. 

Filling Method

Cover dried apricots with boiling water, stand covered 20 - 30 minutes. Drain, puree in blender or processor, push through a sieve. Stir in brandy. Whip the cream and fold together with the apricot puree. 

Praline Method 

Place the sugar and water in a small pan, stir without boiling until sugar has dissolved, boil rapidly 5 to 10 minutes or until a light golden colour. Add the walnuts, pour the mixture onto a lightly greased tin, tray or plate. When set, break into pieces and chop roughly. 

Assembly

Place 1 meringue disk onto a serving dish. Put a third of the apricot cream on top, then put the second meringue disk on top of that. Spread half of the remaining apricot cream over the top disk. Pipe a circle of generously sized rosettes around the outer edge and place a circle of apricot halves inside that. Sprinkle praline over everything. It looks good if the rosettes are about the size of the apricot halves.

Caramelized Mango, Bananas or Pineapple

Intro

This is a Bill Granger recipe that works really well for mango and pineapple to. I have 3 of his cook books now - he is the only chef whose books I covet and must own. I love that everything I have cooked of his has turned out perfectly. 

Recipe 

Peel and slice fruit: 3 bananas or 2 mangos or half a fresh pineapple. 

Melt below ingredients together in a heavy frypan until it forms a caramel and darkens:

• 60g butter
• 90g brown or demerara sugar
• half teaspoon vanilla essence
• 2 tablespoons water

Add the fruit an toss through for a few minutes until well coated. Yummy with crepes for breakfast.

Crepes

Intro 

Take note bambini: crepes are completely different to pikelets and you cannot use the same batter recipe and just make it thinner. It took me ages to learn that lesson and I share it with you now. The secret to crepes is all in the technique and patience with the batter. I got this recipe from a Julie Biuso book back in the 80s. Its good for sweet or savoury fillings. I love it with caramelised mango, bananas or pineapple. 

Recipe

• 115g flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk
• 300ml of milk plus a bit more (maybe)
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

Sift the four and salt in a bowl, make a well in the middle and tip the eggs in. With a whisk start stirring gently drawing the flour in from the edges - at the same time start adding the milk in a thin stream keeping the mixture a thick cream consistency. Continue adding all the milk and the melted butter. Whisk well then set aside for at least 30 minutes. This does something to the starch particles and is important. You may need to add a bit more milk as it does thicken on standing. 
Heat a heavy based pan and lightly oil the pan with a papertowel. Once the oil starts to smoke pour in about a quarter cup of batter and quickly swirl it around tipping the excess batter back into the bowl. It should form bubbles quite quickly. loosen the edges with a palette knife then flip the crepe over for half a minute or so. Tip it out onto a rack and keep making crepes. They are pretty fast to cook and if I make a double quantity of this I interleave the hot ones with the ones cooked earlier to keep them warm.

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Intro

1 part Anita, 1 part my Mum and 1 part Rosalie :) 

This recipe has lovely layering around it and the intro may well end up longer than the recipe! Back in the day, when I was a kid, my Mum and Dad used to have these lovely dinner parties. Graham Greig (work colleague of Mum's) and Anita (his wife) were regular guests. Anita made this gorgeous Chocolate Mousse cake once and, fortunately for us gave the recipe to Mum. Apparently, its an old Hudson and Hall recipe and I did track it down many years later but this modified 'made up' version is heaps easier to make. 

Mum used to make this Mousse Cake for high days and holidays using sponge cake and a packet mousse mix and lumps of cake rather than layers. So not the Hudson and Halls recipe as such, or method actually, which involved many fine layers of homemade cake and mousse and hours of faffing about. The original recipe is hideously expensive to make and we were not a wealthy household but we took the concept! 

Then one Christmas in the mid 80s I put my finger into a bowl of chocolate mousse that Rosalie Blake's son Jeremy had made from a recipe he got from their neighbour Sarah Hodge in Manakau. Stunning. Just 1 word for it. So, the recipe entered its final incarnation and I use Rosalie / Sarah's mousse recipe, Mum's method and Anita's concept. This is only made on very special occasions - birthdays really. But wait - there is a final twist to the tale ... years later, my widowed Mum and Anita's widowed husband Graham got married. and one of the first times I went for a special meal (Christmas or something) I took a Chocolate Mousse Cake ... and that's when I found out that the dessert was actually based on Anita's recipe. 

Recipe

Melt gently together in a double boiler (or a microwave if you are impatient) until a nicely combined smooth mixture - don't over melt or over stir.

• 300g good chocolate*
• 125g unsalted butter (salted works just fine)
• 25g cocoa powder (yes use a scale)
• 50g castor sugar

Separate

• 5 eggs - throw 1 yolk away (or feed it to the cat)

Add 4 lightly beaten yolks to the chocolate mixture and stir until just combined - then stop immediately (or mixture may curdle) Beat together until stiff (but not quite pavlova stiff):

• 5 egg whites
• a pinch of salt

Gently fold into the chocolate trying not to smash too much air out.

Whip cream until soft peaks form (don't over whip because it makes it harder to work with)

• 300 ml cream (whipping cream / double cream - don't know what else its called)

Gently fold this into the chocolate mixture as well, taking care not to smash the air out. 

Take some cake** and break it into golf ball sized pieces. Get a spring form tin and put a thin layer of mousse on the bottom of the tin. Put bits of cake in and pour mousse in the gaps, then plonk more cake and more mousse in until the tin is full. If you use a large tin the cake will be shallower, if you use a smaller tin the cake will be very deep. Its best to use a larger tin because this is a very big dessert cake that feeds about 10 (or 4 teenage boys). 

Cover it with tin foil and refrigerate until firm. At least 6 hours - preferably overnight. When ready to decorate, lift tin foil off, slide a hot knife around the edge of the tin, loosen the spring form tin, take tin off, place a serving plate on top and tip cake and plate upside down. Remove the base of the tin by sliding a hot knife underneath it. Smooth the top if desired with a hot knife. Decorate with whatever you like. I often use piped whipped cream and halved, hulled strawberries or tinned mandarin segments. My kids love broken flaked chocolate or Belgian seashell chocolates or Ferrero Rochers (yes - the bambini are horribly spoilt but they love me so its all good). 

* Good chocolate means not compound chocolate and not that crappy Cadbury palm oil one but real chocolate. Whittakers is great. Milk is perfect or sometimes I use 50/50 milk and dark Ghana. Don't only use a dark one or it will be unpleasantly bitter. If the mousse tastes grainy or doesn't form a delightful creamy smooth texture it is usually crappy, cheap, nasty chocolate (and I've been caught out a few times). 

** I usually buy a plain trifle sponge or pair of round sponges from the supermarket but I sometimes make a chocolate sponge. It makes a firmer cake which is a bit more filling.

Chocolate Pudding

Intro

This recipe dates from about 1991. I had a friend called Fran Lewis who used to bring this dessert whenever her and Pete were invited for dinner. Eventually she gave me the recipe and its now my kids all time favourite dessert. Its a microwave pudding so you can be eating it just 15 minutes after walking into the kitchen. Connor is the King of cooking this and he started making it when he was about 10.

Recipe

• 60g butter (2ozs)

In the microwave melt butter on high power for 30 seconds. Use a wide bottomed dish or bowl that you will cook the pudding in. Pull it out and lightly stir in the following - don't over mix it or the pudding will be tough.

• half a cup sugar
• 1 egg
• half a cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Scrape the batter off the sides of the bowl with a rubber scraper so it sits neatly on the bottom of the dish. Set aside.

In a small bowl mix together:

• half a cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa

Sprinkle evenly over the batter. Gently pour one and half cups of boiling water over the back of a spoon onto the batter. Cook for 6.5 minutes at 100% power. Stand for 2 minutes.