Aussie Ice-cream Pudding

Christmas Nougat

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Lightly brush a 15cm square cake pan with oil. Line the base with 1 sheet of rice paper.2Spread pistachios over baking tray. Bake for 4-5 minutes, until toasted.

Set aside to cool.3In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, honey, glucose and water, and stir over low heat for 5-7 minutes, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil, without stirring, for 20 minutes, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water.

Remove from heat.4Meanwhile, in a clean bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg-white and rosewater together until stiff peaks form. With the motor running, pour hot sugar syrup into the egg-white mixture in a thin, steady stream.

Using a metal spoon, stir in pistachios and cranberries. Pour into prepared pan. Press firmly into the base.

Top with the remaining rice paper sheet. Set aside in a cool, dry place for 4 hours to set.

Turn nougat onto a chopping board and cut into 3cm squares to serve.

Nut Crusted Cheese Log

Let the cheeses soften on your bench while you dice nuts and herbs. Whip the cheeses with liquor to combine until smooth.

Mix chilli with herbs and nuts, then sprinkle onto a 30cm piece of plastic wrap, leaving a 2cm border.

Spoon cheese along one end of herbs. Lift wrap and roll cheese away from you into a log, pressing gently to coat well in herbs, shape the mixture into a log, then wrap and refrigerate for about an hour, until the mixture is firm. (NOTE: Can be made up to 2 days ahead of time)

Serve with your favourite crackers.

Traditional Christmas Puddings

1. Combine mixed fruit, raisins, brandy and cranberry sauce in a large bowl. Cover and set aside overnight or for at least 2 hours.
2. Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, beat in maple syrup. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.  Stir butter mixture, sifted self-raising flour and spices, fresh breadcrumbs and almonds into soaked fruit, mixing well.
3. Grease a 2 litre and 1 litre capacity pudding basin and a line both the bases with a double layer of baking paper.  Fill mixture into the large basin to approximately 3cm from top of basin. Spoon remainder into small basin and smooth tops. Double line each of the tops of the puddings with baking paper rounds.
4. Take a 60cm long piece of baking paper and 60cm piece of foil, layer and fold in half, make a 3cm pleat in the middle (this allows for any expansion of the pudding). Place sheets over large pudding and secure tightly with string. Repeat process for small pudding.
5. Place wire racks onto the base of a large and a medium saucepan and fill both one third with water and bring to the boil. Carefully place puddings onto wire rack in each saucepan making sure the water level comes about halfway up each pudding basin. Cover and simmer  the large pudding 6 hours and the small pudding for 4 hours. Replenish with boiling water when needed.
6. Serve with custard or cream with a dash of brandy added.

Sultana & Orange Friands

In a small saucepan heat the sultanas in orange juice, when the juice starts to bubble turn heat off and set aside to infuse.

Preheat oven to 180°C & Lightly grease a friand tin

Place egg whites in a medium bowl; whisk lightly with fork until combined. Add butter, milk, extract, ground almonds, orange rind, sifted icing sugar and flour; stir until combined.

Drain any excess liquid from sultanas and add to the mix & combine.

Pour mixture into pan; Bake friands 20 minutes; or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Stand friands 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

For the icing | In a bowl using an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth, light and fluffy. Use a piping bag to swirl icing across cooled friands, sprinkle with diced pistachios.

Dust the friands with sifted extra icing sugar & optional rose petals before serving.

Chocolate & Hazelnut Meringue

1. Preheat oven to 140°C (120°C fan-forced). Trace 3 x 15cm diameter circles on baking paper and place onto oven trays.
2. Set aside half of the hazelnuts and finely chop remaining half.
3. Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until firm peaks have formed. Gradually add sugar a little at a time until all has been incorporated and mixture is thick and glossy. Remove bowl from machine and gently fold in the chopped hazelnuts and cocoa with a large metal spoon, until just combined.
4. Divide mixture between prepared oven trays, spreading it within each of the circles. Bake for 1 hour, then turn the oven off and allow meringues to cool in the oven.
5. For the cream, whip the cream and sugar together until firm peaks form. Roughly squash half of the raspberries with a fork and fold into the cream.
6. For assembly, place one meringue disc onto a serving plate, top with ⅓ of the cream. Repeat process using all meringues and finishing with cream on top. Decorate with remaining raspberries and reserved hazelnuts. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes prior to serving.

Bread and Butter Pudding