Terrine with Pistachio

This recipe from the '80s was a real hit, so when searching for something to take to a friends house I remembered this easy but delicious Terrine recipe.  Great to have on hand in the fridge for lunches and even after school snack, but equally impressive for a dinner party starter.

Ingredients

400g Pork Mince
400g Chicken Mince
1 small to medium pork fillet cut into medium dice
400g - 500g streaky bacon or prosciutto
100ml white wine or Port
1 small onion diced
2 cloves of crushed garlic
1/2 cup shelled pistachios
Salt & Pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius
Grease a terrine tin or simply a loaf tin, lay overlapping slices of bacon in the tin, with excess to be folded on top once filled.
In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients, mix well with clean hands.
Press into prepared tin, fold overhanging bacon on top.
Either pop lid on or cover with baking paper and tightly wrap foil.
Place in a roasting dish and pour in sufficient boiling water to come half way up the side of the loaf tin.
Cook for 2 hours.
Remove and cool

Weight the terrine with foil wrapped tin tomatoes or the like overnight so achieves a firm texture (as pictured I could have done this with a heavier weight).

Serve with crusty bread, cornichons and pickle/mustard.

Mamma Marmalade

Chocolate Pistachio Cloudpuffs

We were invited to a friend's place for a "bring a plate" gathering on a hot Queensland evening.  My cobweb brain sought a recipe solution -  I was taking my rosemary cannellini dip and other goodies, but I wanted something sweet that was easy to transport, no refrigeration required, no oven needed and bite-size deliciousness for sharing with a crowd.
Nigella's classic Forgotten Cookies were the answer.  Chocolate, pistachios and a sublime hint of cardamom.  Perfect. I made them a little smaller than Nigella suggested and they were an excellent 2 bites easy party pleaser.
These little cloudpuffs stay in a turned-off oven for at least 6 hours.  Best eaten that day but if you find they start to soften, heat oven to 120 Celsius and pop in, turn off oven and leave to dry out for 15 minutes or so.

choc pistachio clouds Feed Your Inner Cook

choc pistachio clouds Feed Your Inner Cook

Preparation    15 - 20 minutes
Cooking          2 minutes then overnight (or 6 hours) in turned-off oven

Ingredients
egg-whites from 2 room temperature large eggsPinch fine sea salt
100 gram caster sugar - sifted so no lumps
1 teaspoon cornflour
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
75 gram dark chocolate chips - roughly chop so they are not too big
75 gram very finely chopped pistachios

Method
Preheat oven to 180 ℃ . Line 2 large flat biscuit trays with baking paper.

Using an electric mixer and very clean bowl, whisk together the egg whites and salt just until you have soft peaks.
Then whisk in the sugar a little at a time until thick and gleaming white.
By hand - fold through the cornflour, vinegar and cardamom. Then fold in the chocolate chips and most of the pistachios.  NB reserve a little for garnish
Gently spoon dollops of the mixture 4 cm across and about 2cm high onto the lined baking trays.  I got about 22.  Nigella's recipe made 12 larger ones.
Sprinkle with remaining pistachio garnish
Place the trays into the warm oven.  Shut door and then turn the oven off.
Leave in the oven overnight or 6 hours.
TIP:  attach a note to oven so you don't accidentally preheat oven with these inside! and another note on the bench to remember to remove from oven !

It is very important to store carefully in one layer in a good quality airtight container.
Best eaten that day.

If you find they start to soften, heat oven to 120 Celsius and pop in, turn off oven and leave to dry out for 15 minutes or so.

I popped a few in an airtight freezer safe container and they stored them in freezer.  Will be an interesting experiment to see how they turn out - but could re-heat as above? 

Enjoy!   Colleen

Ferrero Rocher Ice Cream Cake

This recipe is so simple a child can make it. Well nearly, at least they can help decorate. My Great Niece gave her full attention to the task at hand.  We had this cake for a birthday celebration 2 weeks prior to Christmas and it was so good that it made to the Christmas dinner event also.  Having something prepared in the freezer is a great idea to make entertaining less stressful.

Ingredients

2 x 200g packs of Ferrero Rocher chocolates
2 litres of good quality vanilla ice cream (softened)
2 Tablespoons of Frangelico liqueur
1/2 cup of hazelnut spread
1/4 cup of milk


Method

Lin a 10 x 20 cm loaf tin with plastic wrap, ensure large enough to go over the sides of the tin. This will assist in removing from the tin when frozen.

Roughly chop half the chocolates

In a large mixing bowl, stir the Frangelico into the softened icecream and then with a large metal spoon gently fold in the chopped chocolates.

Spoon into prepared loaf tin, fold over the plastic wrap, cover with alfoil.

Return to freezer for at least 6 hours.

When ready to serve remove from freezer 20 minutes before serving.

Make chocolate sauce by gently heating milk and hazelnut spread in a small saucepan.

Turn out onto a serving platter.

Place remaining chocolates on top and drizzle over the chocolate sauce.

Childs play :)


Mamma Marmalade

Apple, Pecan and Cinnamon Crumble Cake - perfect for morning tea or dessert

A visit to friends who live in beautiful Northern New South Wales sent me searching my recipe books for the perfect morning tea delight.
I only had to open "Utterly Delicious Simple Food"  by the serene Belinda Jeffery  who also lives in that idyllic part of the world, for this sublime apple nut and spice fragrant cake.
When driving distances in hot weather, I like to bring a cake that travels easily and does not require refrigeration for the journey.   This recipe is simple and soothing to make, can stay in the spring-form tin for transit in a cooler bag and can be happily eaten at room temperature or slightly warmed if desired.

Thank you Belinda Jeffery, you have been my inspiration again! and many thanks to our lovely friends for sharing their retreat with us ... 
but most importantly ... thank you to Wilbur who was our wonderful photographer and patiently waited to enjoy his slice of pie ! Delayed gratification at it's best.  Enjoy!  Colleen

Apple Pecan Cinnamon cake by Feed Your Inner Cook

Apple Pecan Cinnamon cake by Feed Your Inner Cook

Preparation     30 - 40 minutes  (if using tinned apples - drain 1/2 hour ahead)
Cooking          1 hour to 1 hour 10 min.   
Serves             10   or  4 for Wilbur

Ingredients
Crumble
180 gram pecan pieces
60 gram soft brown butter
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
40 gram very cold butter - cut into small bits

Batter
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour  - sifted with 
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (only add if you are using UNsalted butter)
200 gram sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
150 gram butter, cut into small chunks, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup (125ml) milk, not too cold
800 gram Royal Gala or Pink Lady apples.  Peeled, halved, cored into 4mm slices   
OR 800 gram tin good quality pie apples - allow to drain well for 1/2 to 1 hour

To serve
Raw sugar sprinkled on in last 5 minutes (good choice if you are transporting)
OR
dusting of icing sugar prior to serving
Options
Thickened cream whipped with a touch of icing sugar and vanilla OR lemon zest

Method
Preheat oven 175-180 ℃  and butter 25cm springform tin, line base with baking paper and dust tin with flour shaking off excess.
Make pecan crumble
use a food processor to roughly chop pecans with the sugar, cinnamon and butter.  Only needs a few blitzes as you want Chunky not a paste.  Remove and refrigerate.
Batter
Sift together flour, baking powder (and salt) in one medium bowl ready for later
Mix milk and vanilla in a jug ready for later

Re-use the food processor and whiz sugar and eggs for 1 minute.
Add butter, whiz for 1 minute until creamy, scrapping down sides a couple of times
Pour half the milk mixture and half the flour mixture into food processor egg mix whizzing until just combined and scrape down sides again.
Pour in the remainder of the milk and flour mixtures.  Whiz again briefly until batter is smooth.  It is okay if it may look a little curdled.  
Spread the batter into the prepared tin
Arrange apple slices over the batter and gently push into batter a little bit.
Sprinkle the pecan topping over the apples.  Push a few bits into the battery apple layer  and gently shake to level the crumble.
Bake for approx 1 hour to 1 hour 10 mins 
in last 5 minutes, sprinkle with raw sugar granules if desired
Cook until top is dark golden and a fine skewer comes out clean when pushed into middle of cake. Remove and cool on a wire rack.  After 30 minutes, loosen the outer spring ring but if transporting in tin, secure the ring again later. 

Belinda Jeffery suggests:
Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack, leaving in tin for 6 minutes. 
Have a second rack ready.
Remove tin. Place a piece of baking paper over the crumble top and invert the cake gently onto the first wire rack. 
Remove the base lining paper. Then sit a second wire rack over the base.
Invert the cake again so the cake is now upright with crumble side up and ready. Remove the paper from the crumble.

Serving
Serve warm or at room temperature.  
If you didn't sprinkle with raw sugar, you could dust with sifted icing sugar to serve.
It is delicious for a special morning tea with a dollop of indulgent cream and a cup of tea or coffee 
Equally yummy served warm for dessert with your favourite dollop.

                                                                     Enjoy!   Colleen