Peppermint Creams

Peppermint Creams (from Super Food Ideas) Makes 50

2 eggwhites, at room temp
4 cups (600g) pure icing sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon of peppermint essence
400g good-quality dark cooking chocolate, melted

Place eggwhites in clean dry bowl, Using balloon whisk, whisk until frothy. Add icing sugar and peppermint essence. Using a wooden spoon, stir until mixture almost comes together. Using clean hands, bring mixture together to form a ball.

Turn mixture onto clean surface lightly dusted with icing sugar. Knead until smooth and not sticky. Work in extra icing sugar if necessary. Place mixture between 2 large sheets baking paper lightly dusted with icing sugar. Roll out until 1cm thick.

Line 2 large, flat baking trays with baking papers. Using a 3.5cm round cutter, cut out rounds of dough. Press leftover dough together and repeat. Place rounds on prepared trays. Set aside, uncovered overnight, turning once, to allow peppermint creams to dry out.

Half dip each peppermint cream in melted chocolate (make sure chocolate is not too hot or it will melt the peppermint mixture). Return peppermint creams to trays. Refriugerate until chocolate is set.

Store peppermint creams in an airtight container, layered between greaseproof paper, for up to 6 weeks.

White Christmas

White Christmas

1 1/2 cups rice bubbles
1 cup powdered milk
1 cup sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/3 cup chopped red glace cherries
1/3 cup chopped green glace cherries
1/3 cup sultanas
250gm white vegetable shortening (COPHA)

1. Line the base and sides of a shallow 28 x 18cm tin with foil

2. Combine the rice bubbles, powdered milk, sugar, coconut and fruit in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre
3. Melt the shortening over low heat. Cool slightly then stir into dry ingredients
4. Spoon into the tin and smooth the surface. Chill for 30 mins or until set. Cut

LCM Bars

Makes 30 squares or 16 bars

60g butter
1 bag (400g) marshmallows
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
7 cups Rice Bubbles, or Ricies.

In large saucepan melt butter and marshmallows over a gentle heat, stirring constantly. When marshmallows have completely dissolved add vanilla and stir in the rice pops. Work quickly as the mixture becomes sticky.

When combined, turn the mixture into a greased sponge roll tin and press down very firmly using wet hands. To really compress the mix roll over it with a heavy can or bottle (again, wet the roller before attempting to roll the mixture) press edges in neatly with a knife and leave to cool. Finish with a scattering of coloured sprinkles, and then roller over them so they are pressed in. When cool, cut into 30 squares or 16 bars.

Rum Balls

Rum Balls

8 weet bix
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 tin condensed milk
1/2 cup coconut
Handful of sultanas
Rum to taste

Crush the weet bix with youor hands, then combine with the other ingredients mixing as you go, adding the rum last. Roll the mix into balls and roll in coconut. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Note: I make my rumballs really strong, but don't add too much rum, as they get stronger the longer they are in the fridge for. Also, it is better to make double batches, as single batches don't last long enough around here!!!

Rudholf Noses

Rudholf Noses
rum balls
pktwhite choc melts
pkt jaffas

make rum ball things as per normal with the marie biscuits cocoa condensed milk coconut, roll in coconut.
then when they are all made and hard put white choc melt on bench (flat side down)
then melt some more white choc, l just put in a freezer bag and snip a small hole in corner for piping bag, squeeze a small amount of melted choc onto white bud, enough to stick rum ball so it stands alone, then another small blob of white melted choc then top with a jaffa, mmmmm these look really cute and a nice pressie too, put in fridge to set hard....
l put a few in a little white dish and wrap in cello and tie red ribbon on top, looks really nice....

White Chocolate Peppermint Truffles

White Chocolate Peppermint Truffles

Preparation Time 30 minutes

Cooking Time 10 minutes

Makes 60

Ingredients
625g white chocolate melts
125ml (1/2 cup) thickened cream
2 35g Peppermint Crisp chocolate bars (Nestle brand), roughly chopped

Method
Combine 375g of chocolate with the cream in a medium heatproof bowl and place over a medium saucepan half-filled with simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water). Use a metal spoon to stir occasionally until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. (See microwave tip 1.) Remove bowl from the pan and set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Stir in the chocolate bars. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 6 hours or until firm enough to roll into balls.
Line 2 trays with non-stick baking paper. Use a melon baller or a teaspoon to scoop out 1 1/2 tsp of the chocolate mixture and use your hands to roll into a ball. Place on a lined tray. Repeat with remaining truffle mixture. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes or until firm.
Place remaining chocolate in a medium bowl and place over the saucepan of simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water). Use a metal spoon to gently stir for 4 minutes or until the chocolate melts and is smooth. (See microwave tip 2.) Remove from pan.
Use 2 forks to evenly coat each truffle in the melted chocolate. Remove the truffle, tapping the fork handle gently on the edge of the bowl to shake off any excess chocolate mixture. Use a small spatula to carefully slide the truffle onto the remaining lined tray. Repeat with the remaining truffles and melted chocolate. Set the coated truffles aside at room temperature for 5-10 minutes or until set.
Notes & tips
Microwave tip 1: Combine 375g of chocolate and the cream in a medium heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Heat, uncovered, stirring every minute, on Medium-High/650watts/70% for 2-3 minutes or until smooth.
Microwave tip 2: Place remaining chocolate in a small, heatproof microwave-safe bowl. Heat, uncovered, on High/800watts/100%, in 1 minute bursts, stirring every minute with a metal spoon, for 3 minutes or until chocolate melts and is smooth.

Ferrero Rocher

Home-made Ferrero Rocher
You need:
400 grams milk chocolate melts
1 tblsp copha
1 small pkt hazelnuts or almonds
1 jar nutella
Approx 10 wafers
Crushed nuts

Method:
Melt chocolate and copha in glass jug.
Medium microwave (2-3 mins).
Rough crush wafers add to chocolate.
Place 1/2 teaspoon of chocolate mixture in each space of ice tray.
Place nut in each cover with nutella.
Fill with remainder of chocolate.
Sprinkle with crushed nuts on top.
Set in fridge 20 to 25 mins.

A couple of tips. Spray the ice cube trays with oil. Helps get them out. Make sure that the hazelnut sits in the middle or at least so the chocolate can get right down to the bottom to 'seal' the rocher.

Lemon Butter

Microwave Lemon Butter

This method can also be used to make Lime Butter, Orange Butter, Grapefruit Butter and Banana Butter! And it only takes a few minutes!

Degree of difficulty: Low

You need:
4 Eggs
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Water
2 tsp finely grated Lemon Rind
125g Real Butter

Method:
Fill 2 glass jars with boiling water to sterilize.

Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk well. Strain through a sieve into a microwave-safe bowl - glass is best. Add the sugar, Lemon Juice, Rind, Water and cubed Butter.

Microwave on High for 2 minutes. Whisk well, then microwave a further 2 minutes. Whisk again, and microwave for another 2 minutes.

The Lemon Butter should be done at this stage but if your microwave is low power and you think it needs more cooking, cook for 1 minute before checking and whisking again.

Pour into glass jars, put the lids on and store in the fridge.

Can be used on toast, pikelets or as a filling for pastry tarts.

Peanut Brittle

Peanut Brittle
1 cup raw peanuts
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda.

Stir together peanuts, sugar, syrup and salt in microwave safe bowl
Cook 4 minutes on high
Stir well and cook 4 more minutes on high.
Stir in margarine and vanilla
Cook 2 minutes longer on high
Add baking soda and stir quickly until light and foamy
Immediately pour on lightly greased baking tray
Cool and break

Chocolate Truffles

Chocolate Truffles

1 can condensed milk
1 packet of choc ripple biscuits, crushed
1tbsp cocoa powder
coconut

I mix the first 3 together, and then add enough coconut to make a firm mix that rolls into balls. Then I roll in some extra coconut and put in the fridge.

White Choc Rocky Road

White Choc Rocky Road
1 packet white choc melts
1 packet raspberry lollies, halved
1 packet marshmallows (pink looks good), halved
3 or 4 cups ricebubbles
1/2 cup chopped macadamias (optional)

Melt chocolate. Mix everthing together and spread onto a lined tray. Refrigerate until set and break up to serve.

Cherry Marshmallow Fudge

Cherry Marshmallow Fudge
1 tablespoon water
90 g butter, chopped
250 g pink and white marshmallows
200 g dark cooking chocolate
1/4 cup chopped red glace cherries

Place the water, butter and marshmallows in a saucepan and heat over a very, very low heat, stirring regularly, until the marshmallows are melted.
Break the chocolate into squares and add to the pan. Remove from the heat. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted.
Stir through the cherries, then pour the mixture into a lined 16 cm square pan. Allow to cool, then refrigerate until set. Cut into small pieces when required. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Makes approximately 50 pieces

Peppermint Creams (1)

Peppermint Creams

1 egg white
300gms (12oz) Icing sugar
few drops of Peppermint Essence
few drops of green food dye
few drops of red food dye

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg white until it is light and frothy.
Sift the icing suagr into the small bowl. Then stir the icing sugar into the egg white, a little at a time.
Using your hands, roll the mixture into a ball. Make a small dip in the middle and put in the peppermint essence. Knead the essence into the ball carefully. Split the mixture into three balls. Knead red food colouring into one ball and green food colouring into another, leave the last ball white.
For each colour roll the mixture into small balls (about 1/2tspn each) and put them on a baking tray, flatten the balls with a fork and leave them overnight to set.