Fruit mince parcels are a wonderful Christmas treat, and not quite as sweet as fruit mince pies. You could make your own fruit mince (well in advance of Christmas Eve to allow the fruit to soak in rum), or you could keep it simple like I do and buy a good fruit mince (I use Robertson’s Traditional Fruit Mince).

What’s beautiful about fruit mince parcels is they are made with filo pastry rather than sweetened shortcrust pastry, so they are really crunchy when you bite into them. The buttery filo is the perfect foil for the rich sweetness of fruit mince.

Ingredients

410g jar of Robertson’s fruit mince
375g filo pastry
3 tbs melted butter

Method

To make the fruit mince parcels, pre-heat the oven to 200°C.

Lay out on the kitchen bench (or large cutting board) one sheet of filo pastry and brush it with melted butter, lay another sheet straight on top and butter it. Repeat until you have six buttered sheets of filo pastry. Note: Allow your filo pastry to completely defrost before using it. It should be a room temperature before you try to spread it out otherwise the pastry will crack.

Cut the pastry into approximately 12cm x 12cm squares (adjust the size of the squares depending on the size of your pastry sheets; I end up with six squares from each of mine). In the centre of each pastry square place 1 tbs of fruit mince. Gather up the sides of the filo pastry and pinch in together just above the fruit mince so that it is enclosed in the pastry. The filo pastry above the fruit mince should resemble the gathered cellophane around the top of a chocolate truffle.

Butter the outside of the fruit mince parcel and place on a lined baking tray. Repeat until you’ve used all the fruit mince. The quantities should make between 15 and 20 fruit mince parcels.

Place the tray of fruit mince parcels in the oven and allow to cook until golden brown, approximately 10 minutes. Once golden, remove from the oven and allow to cool—the fruit mince will be bubbling furiously while baking. These should be served warm with a dollop of double cream.

If you wanted give fruit mince parcels as little festive gifts in the lead up to Christmas, allow them to cool completely and tie thin green and red ribbons around the gathered section of pastry.

Our family recipe for trifle differs quite dramatically from what is generally known as a summer fruit trifle, relying instead on tinned peaches rather than fresh berries. This makes it a trifle for all seasons. Having said that, you could easily substitute the peaches for raspberries, strawberries and blueberries.

Note: There is a little bit of preparation involved with this recipe. The jelly needs to be made beforehand so that it’s set before you start assembling the trifle. You may also want to make your own custard rather than using a store-bought one.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 rectangular sponge slab (approx 25cm in length and 2–3cm thick)
1 jar good quality raspberry jam, such as St Dalfour
1 pkt raspberry jelly
400g tinned peaches (or fresh berries of your choice)
3 coconut macaroons
2 cups homemade custard, or a thick store-bought one that you can dollop
1½ cups cream, for whipping
30g chocolate (preferably 70% cocoa), grated
½ cup sherry

1. Make the jelly as per the instructions on the packet and refrigerate until set (usually a minimum of four hours but this can be made the day before).
2. Cut the sponge slab in half so you have two 1cm-thick slabs. Spread jam in the middle and stack on top of one another again. Slice 1cm thick pieces and line a large bowl with them, leaving no gaps in between and leaving about 3cm to the rim.
3. Drizzle sherry over the sponge ensuring that each piece is moistened with it.
4. Break the pre-set jelly into large chunks and pour into the centre of the bowl. Drain the peaches and layer them on top of the jelly. Break up the coconut macaroons and layer them on top of the peaches.
5. Cover with a thick layer of custard to the level of the sponge, cover the bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate allowing it to set slightly (about 30 minutes).
6. Whip the cream until it holds soft peaks. Spread it evenly over the top of the custard. Grate the chocolate lightly over the top and refrigerate until ready to serve.

This can be made up to one day in advance and easily serves 10 people.

This is definitely a Christmas treat…there’s a lot of different textures and flavours but it all combines into a gorgeous silky dessert that everyone will love—sweetness and fruit, soft sponge, smooth custard and cream and crunchy macaroons. This would also be great with toasted nuts on top for extra crunch.

Christmas is drawing ever closer. In our house the tree is already decorated and that means it’s time to get into the spirit with some Christmas snacks. Gingerbread is a hit and feels a bit special for Christmas. Plus while you’re cooking it, it makes the house smell amazing—sweet and spicy at the same time.

Gingerbread is so easy to make and has a really lovely flavour—there’s something warm and homely about it. I’ve been making gingerbread cookies since I was a teenager and still love to serve them around Christmas. Once upon I time I would always decorate the gingerbread with icing, and if you have kids, they get hours of enjoyment it—decorating gingerbread Christmas trees, snowmen, stars and people with coloured icing and showing off their creations.

These days I prefer the plain gingerbread. Instead of all that sweet icing, I add a spicy flavour to mixture with extra cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves…surely the essence of Christmas.

You’ll need:

125g softened unsalted butter
⅓ cup soft brown sugar
¼ cup golden syrup
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups plain flour
¼ cup self-raising flour
1 tbs ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp bicarbonate soda

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cream butter, sugar and golden syrup until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten egg, and beat well. Add the dry ingredients and mix with a knife until the mixture just combines. Mix with your hands till the dough comes together. Place on a floured surface and knead for 1–2 minutes, or until the dough is smooth.

Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick. Refrigerate for 15 minutes so the dough firms up. Place the flattened dough on the bench and cut into shapes using cookie cutters. Place the shapes on lined baking trays and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden. Take the trays out of the oven, allowing the gingerbread to cool completely on the trays before trying to move them.

Icing (optional)

1 egg white
½ tsp lemon juice
1¼ cups icing sugar
Food colouring

Beat the egg white until it’s foamy then gradually add the lemon juice and icing sugar. Beat until thick and creamy. Divide the icing mixture between a number of small bowls (depending on how many colours you want to use) and use your choice of food colourings to tint the mixture. Spoon the mixture into piping bags and decorate the gingerbread. For a more traditional look, you can use plain white icing for your decorative flourishes.

I promised to pass on the recipe for one of our contributions to the meal—the custard to serve with plum pudding. The following recipe makes well over a litre of gorgeously rich custard. It can be prepared the night before and stored in the fridge, then reheated in a saucepan or the microwave.

Ingredients

500ml milk
500ml double cream
8 egg yolks
125g sugar
1 vanilla bean

Method

Bring the milk and cream to the boil in a heavy-based saucepan. Remove from the heat and scrape the vanilla seeds into the mixture. Also add the vanilla pod to infuse. Rest for a couple of minutes while preparing the egg mixture, allowing the milk and cream mixture to cool to at least 70°C.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until the mixture becomes thicker and lighter in colour. Gradually add the cream and milk mixture to the egg mixture, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. Return to the pan and continue to stir until the mixture thickens. Be careful not to overheat the mixture—you want to keep it well below boiling point to avoid curdling. The custard will start to thicken at 70°C and should never be heated to more than 80°C. The custard is ready when it coats the back of the wooden spoon and leaves a trail when your finger is drawn across it.

Remove the vanilla pod and, if in doubt about the consistency, pass the mixture through a fine sieve or chinoise.

With 25^th of April rapidly approaching, it seemed fitting to bake some ANZAC biscuits.

These delicious biscuits came about during the World War One when Australian women were concerned about the nutrition of their men on the battlefield. They needed to find something with maximum nutritional value that would survive a two-month sea voyage without spoiling. The resulting recipe was originally referred to as “soldier’s biscuits” but after the landing at Gallipoli, they became known as ANZAC biscuits.

The basic ingredients remain unchanged, even now. And it’s so easy to whip up a batch. You don’t even need a mixer, just a large bowl and a wooden spoon. ANZAC biscuits are definitely well-liked in our household.

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour
⅔ cup caster sugar
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup desiccated coconut
125g unsalted or reduced-salt butter
¼ cup golden syrup
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbs boiling water

Combine the flour, sugar, oats and coconut in a large mixing bowl. When thoroughly mixed, make a well in the centre.

In a small saucepan, add the butter and golden syrup and stir on a low heat until the mixture is smooth. Turn the heat off. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the boiling water and to the golden syrup. This mixture will foam up so stir it to combine. Pour the syrup into dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

Grab portions of the mixture and roll into balls (around the size of a golf ball). Place these on a greased baking tray, allowing room for the biscuits to spread, and flatten them out. Bake in a moderate oven until golden brown—15 minutes if you like your ANZAC biscuits a little soft in the middle, or 20 minutes for crunchy ones.

A few years ago we hosted a scotch night, the idea being that every couple brought along a bottle of scotch and we would sample each one during the evening. At some point in the lead up to that night, Jim and I decided that if we hosted a scotch night, we needed to serve Scottish food. I racked my brain to think of something Scottish to have for dessert. All that came to mind was the sickly sweet deep-fried Mars bar.

Thankfully, while putting the menu together I learned that the Scots have a sweet called ‘millionaire’s slice’, otherwise known as good old chocolate caramel slice. Well, it does make a wonderful dessert when served with lashings of double cream and a light sprinkle of icing sugar…not to mention being a hit at any kind of baking fundraiser.

It does take a while to make because each layer needs to set before the next layer is added. And both the caramel and the chocolate need constant attention so they don’t burn. But it’s worth the effort!

Biscuit base (option 1)
125g plain sweet biscuits (like Nice or Scotch Fingers)
80g unsalted butter, melted
2 tbs desiccated coconut (that’s an Australian variation)

Gluten-free base (option 2)
1½ cups almond meal
1½ cups coconut
1½ tbs caster sugar
185g butter

Caramel layer
400g tin condensed milk
125g butter
⅓ cup caster sugar
⅓ cup golden syrup

Chocolate layer
250g good quality chocolate (I use Green & Black’s 70% dark)
1 tbs vegetable oil

Grease a 30cm x 20cm baking tin (at least 2cm deep) with oil or butter.

For the biscuit base:

Using a food processor, crush the biscuits until they are fine crumbs. Empty into a mixing bowl and stir through the coconut and melted butter until well combined.

For the gluten-free base:

Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat and add the sugar. Allow to bubble gently, stirring regularly, until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is lightly golden. Add the coconut and almond meal and stir to combine. Continuing stirring and allow the mixture to heat through.

Press your mixture firmly and evenly into the baking tin to create a smooth base. Pop the tray into the fridge to set while making the caramel.

In a small saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, golden syrup and condensed milk. Stir over a low heat for about 10 minutes until the mixture is smooth. Then increase the heat slightly so that the caramel simmers very gently for 3–4 minutes, stirring regularly until it is glossy and has thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Pour over the biscuit base aiming for a smooth, even surface. Put in the fridge to set.

Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a bain Marie with the vegetable oil. Stir until the chocolate has melted and is smooth. Spread the chocolate evenly over the caramel and place in the fridge to partially set. Just before the chocolate starts to firm, score it with a sharp knife to mark out your slices. If you leave the chocolate to set completely before doing this, it will crack and break unevenly when you try to cut it.

It’s Christmas Eve and, because we’re hosting Christmas dinner tomorrow, there’s a mad panic in our household to prepare all the food.

One of the lovely family traditions that we all look forward to is the Christmas pudding. After dinner has been cleared away, the lights in the dining room are dimmed and out comes the Christmas pudding—the showpiece of the desserts, with its glowing purple flame.

Yes, a flaming Christmas pudding. Just before serving, Dad gently heats a couple of tablespoons of brandy and pours it over the Christmas pudding. The pudding absorbs the brandy and Dad then lights it. The flame doesn’t last long but it’s enough to heat the pudding through.

The warm pudding is then sliced and served with old-fashioned hard sauce (or brandy butter), which melts into the pudding and adds sweetness to the rich fruity flavour. Yum…I can’t wait for tomorrow!

Hard sauce is a delicious sweeter alternative to ice cream, custard or cream, and definitely our family favourite.

Hard sauce (brandy butter)
125g unsalted butter
2 cups icing sugar
1½ tbs brandy

Cream the butter with electric beaters until it’s white and creamy. Add the sifted sugar and brandy and cream until you have a thick smooth paste. Spoon into a serving bowl, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate until set.

‘Tis the season to be jolly…and with these adults-only rum balls, there will be plenty of Christmas cheer.

A good rum ball is an absolute delight. It should be rich, smooth and chocolatey with a solid hit of rum, not just rum essence (that’s only for kids!). I always think a fudge consistency, with a little bit of crunch from the biscuit crumbs, is the benchmark.

So after much trial and error, extensive research into the best tasting rum, and the appropriate quantity of it for a soft (but not gooey) texture, we have arrived at a recipe for the near-perfect never-fail rum ball. The only thing that could possibly make this recipe better is couverture chocolate powder instead of cocoa powder.

Ingredients:

1 tin condensed milk
¾ cup coconut
1 packet arrowroot biscuits, whizzed to a fine crumb
½ cup Mount Gay rum
3 tbs of cocoa powder, sieved
½ cup coconut, extra for coating the balls

Method:

1. In a large bowl, add the whizzed arrowroot biscuits, sieved cocoa powder and coconut. Mix well.
2. Add condensed milk and rum. Stir well until to combine all ingredients.
3. Sit bowl in fridge for 30 minutes so that the biscuit mixture soaks up the liquid and firms.
4. Take tablespoons of mixture and roll into balls. It helps to have a bowl of water and wet hands.
5. Coat the balls in extra coconut and store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.

Repeat recipe as required during the festive season. Give as a treat to dinner guests and work colleagues, or simply enjoy one or two after dinner with a glass of milk!

We were out to dinner with friends last week and when the dessert options were presented, I couldn’t resist the chocolate mousse with fresh cream and berries.

There’s something very enticing about chocolate mousse. It’s simple but elegant; rich and velvety, yet somehow light. And the best bit, it’s one of those incredibly decadent desserts that is surprisingly easy to make.

Years ago, my friend Lise gave me her recipe. I don’t tend to experiment with the recipe as much as she does, in terms of adding liqueurs and marbling dark and white chocolates, but have had great success by keeping it simple.

200g dark chocolate, I use Green & Black’s organic (at least 70 per cent cocoa)
250ml cream, suitable for whipping
¼ cup caster sugar
3 eggs

Method:

Whip the cream into soft peaks and set aside.

Break up the chocolate and melt slowly in a double-boiler. Put aside to cool.

Combine the eggs and sugar, and mix on high with electric beaters for about five minutes or until the mixture is pale in colour and has increased in volume.

With a metal spoon, fold the melted chocolate into the egg mixture. Whip it with a metal fork until well combined.

Fold in the whipped cream and mix thoroughly.

Put this in a glass serving bowl (or martini glasses for individual desserts) and cover with cling wrap. Refrigerate for at least three hours.

When ready to serve, add a dollop of cream to the top and cover with grated chocolate, chopped nuts or fresh berries. Mmmmm, so good…

I love rhubarb, I think because it reminds me of being in the kitchen with my grandmother. Stewed rhubarb served with cream or custard was a popular dessert in our household and I’m thrilled to see it in varying forms on more and more restaurant menus.

Rhubarb is readily available at the greengrocer or farmers’ markets. Even the major supermarket chains stock it.

When selecting rhubarb, choose thin stalks that are firm and bright red. Paler stalks that are mottled with green will generally be more bitter and dull pink when cooked, whereas the red ones will shine like raspberry jam. Thicker stalks can be stringy and are more acidic in flavour, best avoided in my opinion. Never use the leaves as they are poisonous.

Every time you cook rhubarb the result will be slightly different, depending on the time of year and the quality of the stalks you choose. I like rhubarb that is a bit tart, rather than sweet. But if you have more of a sweet tooth, simply add more sugar or cook it with apple to even out the flavour.

For a tangy treat try it out…

An old-fashioned favourite – stewed rhubarb
8 stalks of rhubarb, cut into 3cm pieces
½ cup water
¾ cup castor sugar

Place the rhubarb pieces in a saucepan with the sugar and water, and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered until rhubarb softens.