I'm a little bit sad - I know, not the greatest way to start a Christmas post - but one of my favourite things about Christmas is sitting down with my Mum and my sister and planning out our Christmas menu. We've got Christmas favourites - but then we also try and do something new. We pick up Christmas magazines and cook books and see what new ideas we can combine with our Christmas favourite to create a STAND OUT Christmas menu.
This year, I will be staying in Canberra. I won't be heading home to Sydney to plan my family's Christmas menu and I won't be joining in the fun of opening presents at my parent's house on Christmas morning ... Oh my gosh - I won't even have my Santa sack (that my parents fill with gifts even though I'm 25). I'm staying in Canberra to have my first Christmas in my first ever house ... with what I hope to be my first finance (- jokes I am only planning on having one) and we shall be having Christmas lunch at his brother's house.
And his sister in law is planning the menu - without help :( I've offered to make a starter or bring a salad or even whip up one of my favourite/famous Christmas pavlova rolls ... but she has declined my help and that is why I am a little bit sad. Phillip thinks that I should just make the pavlova - but he thinks that I should make pavlova roll EVERY DAY! What do you think?
So the other day, in an effort to bring myself some Christmas cheer I picked up the Christmas edition of the Australian GoodFood as it had a beautiful Christmas Trifle on the front cover - which was topped with 'cherries'. And you know that I am currently in an abundance of cherries!
And my cherry tree makes me happy because it means that I can eat as many as I want ... because when we were little and Christmas time came around, my Mum would buy cherries, which would be equally divided between the four of us (Mum, me, my sister and my brother) and I would normally end up with 5 cherries which we would savour ... five little pieces of gold.
Now I am rich, rich with cherries and I can eat as many as I want! So even though this recipe calls for twelve cherries tipped in white chocolate - I image a trifle cover in an abundance of cherries and it makes me smile.
Trifle is a great Christmas dessert because:
1. it can be made it advance,
2. it looks amazing if you take a little time and put in a little event, and
2. it can be made with minimal cooking (using store bought custard if you're not the greatest cook).
Trifle reminds me of my Nan, she used to make it with red and green jelly which when we were 5 years old, was super impressive and very Christmassy! But it is also very Australian and I guess probably very English, so it wouldn't be a dish that Phillip's very Croatian family would be making.
A VERY CHERRY CHRISTMAS TRIFLE
1 pack cherry jelly
1 cup boiling water
1 can of pitted cherries
16 savoiardi (sponge fingers) cut in half
12 cherries, stems attached
50g white eating chocolate, melted
300ml thickened cream
1/2 cup icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
580ml pouring cream
310ml milk
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 tsp cornflour
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Follow the instructions on the jelly packet to make the jelly. Pour into a glass serving bowl and refrigerate for 3 hours until set.
Meanwhile, make the custard. Heat the cream and milk in a medium heavy-based saucepan on low. Bring to a simmer and remove from the heat. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornflour and vanilla in a large heat proof bowl until pale and creamy. Gradually whisk in the hote cream mixture until combined. Strain into a clean heavy-based saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 8-10 minutes, until the custard coats the back of the spoon. Remove from the heat. Transfer into a heatproof bowl. Cover the surface with baking paper and chill for 2 hours, until thick and cold.
Arrange the 16 savoiardi halves on the jelly, cut side down, around the edge of the bowl. Coarsely chop the remaining savoiardi halves and place in the centre. Top with the canned cherries (and half of the juice from the can). Pour the custard over the cherries. Smooth the surface and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Whilst your waiting for your trifle to set, line a tray with baking paper. Dip the cherries into the white chocolate. Place upright on prepared tray, leave for 15 minutes until set.
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream and icing sugar in a large bowl to soft peaks. Spoon cream over the custard in the serving bowl. To serve, top with cherries and dust with icing sugar (if you like).
N.B. depending on the size of your serving bowl you may need more savoiardi to line the sides. Oh and wait to do with those egg whites?? Make a pavlova roll of course!!!
http://verygoodrecipes.com/white-christmas-challenge
This year, I will be staying in Canberra. I won't be heading home to Sydney to plan my family's Christmas menu and I won't be joining in the fun of opening presents at my parent's house on Christmas morning ... Oh my gosh - I won't even have my Santa sack (that my parents fill with gifts even though I'm 25). I'm staying in Canberra to have my first Christmas in my first ever house ... with what I hope to be my first finance (- jokes I am only planning on having one) and we shall be having Christmas lunch at his brother's house.
And his sister in law is planning the menu - without help :( I've offered to make a starter or bring a salad or even whip up one of my favourite/famous Christmas pavlova rolls ... but she has declined my help and that is why I am a little bit sad. Phillip thinks that I should just make the pavlova - but he thinks that I should make pavlova roll EVERY DAY! What do you think?
So the other day, in an effort to bring myself some Christmas cheer I picked up the Christmas edition of the Australian GoodFood as it had a beautiful Christmas Trifle on the front cover - which was topped with 'cherries'. And you know that I am currently in an abundance of cherries!
And my cherry tree makes me happy because it means that I can eat as many as I want ... because when we were little and Christmas time came around, my Mum would buy cherries, which would be equally divided between the four of us (Mum, me, my sister and my brother) and I would normally end up with 5 cherries which we would savour ... five little pieces of gold.
Now I am rich, rich with cherries and I can eat as many as I want! So even though this recipe calls for twelve cherries tipped in white chocolate - I image a trifle cover in an abundance of cherries and it makes me smile.
Trifle is a great Christmas dessert because:
1. it can be made it advance,
2. it looks amazing if you take a little time and put in a little event, and
2. it can be made with minimal cooking (using store bought custard if you're not the greatest cook).
Trifle reminds me of my Nan, she used to make it with red and green jelly which when we were 5 years old, was super impressive and very Christmassy! But it is also very Australian and I guess probably very English, so it wouldn't be a dish that Phillip's very Croatian family would be making.
A VERY CHERRY CHRISTMAS TRIFLE
1 pack cherry jelly
1 cup boiling water
1 can of pitted cherries
16 savoiardi (sponge fingers) cut in half
12 cherries, stems attached
50g white eating chocolate, melted
300ml thickened cream
1/2 cup icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
580ml pouring cream
310ml milk
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 tsp cornflour
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Follow the instructions on the jelly packet to make the jelly. Pour into a glass serving bowl and refrigerate for 3 hours until set.
Meanwhile, make the custard. Heat the cream and milk in a medium heavy-based saucepan on low. Bring to a simmer and remove from the heat. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornflour and vanilla in a large heat proof bowl until pale and creamy. Gradually whisk in the hote cream mixture until combined. Strain into a clean heavy-based saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 8-10 minutes, until the custard coats the back of the spoon. Remove from the heat. Transfer into a heatproof bowl. Cover the surface with baking paper and chill for 2 hours, until thick and cold.
Arrange the 16 savoiardi halves on the jelly, cut side down, around the edge of the bowl. Coarsely chop the remaining savoiardi halves and place in the centre. Top with the canned cherries (and half of the juice from the can). Pour the custard over the cherries. Smooth the surface and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Whilst your waiting for your trifle to set, line a tray with baking paper. Dip the cherries into the white chocolate. Place upright on prepared tray, leave for 15 minutes until set.
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream and icing sugar in a large bowl to soft peaks. Spoon cream over the custard in the serving bowl. To serve, top with cherries and dust with icing sugar (if you like).
N.B. depending on the size of your serving bowl you may need more savoiardi to line the sides. Oh and wait to do with those egg whites?? Make a pavlova roll of course!!!
http://verygoodrecipes.com/white-christmas-challenge
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