Christmas Nougat
Preparation 20 Minutes
Cook 20 Minutes
Serves 8
Method
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.
Ingredients
2 edible rice paper sheets
1 cup pistachio kernels
1 1/3 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup liquid glucose
2 tablespoon water
1 egg-white
2 teaspoon rosewater
1 1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup Angas Park dried blueberries
1/2 cup SUNBEAM Currants
Recipe Collection
Rainbow Couscous & Sultana Salad
In a small saucepan, bring water and salt just to the boil. Add couscous and stir once. Cover pan, remove from heat and set aside 10 mins, until water is absorbed.
Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well.
Fluff couscous with a fork and transfer to a large bowl. Add sultanas, chickpeas, veggies, herbs, and onions, and tosswell.
Drizzle salad with half of the dressing and toss again. Season to taste with salt and pepper if desired. Sprinkle salad withwalnuts and feta. Serve with remaining dressing.
Tips
- Store salad in a covered container in the fridge, for up to three days.
- Couscous can be substituted with cooked and cooled quinoa, if preferred
Festive Rumballs
- Place biscuits, walnuts and sultanas in a food processor, pulsing until fine crumbs have formed. Add coconut, condensed milk and cinnamon. Continue pulsing until mixture has come together. Remove to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Roll teaspoons of chilled mixture into balls whilst enclosing half a cherry or walnut inside. Toss in extra coconut or finely chopped walnuts. Refrigerate until required.
Moroccan Chicken with Raisins, Almonds and Honey
Pat chicken dry with paper towel, and sprinkle both sides of meat with salt and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil into a large heavy-based pot over medium-high heat.
When oil is shimmering, add half the chicken pieces and cook 5 – 7 mins per side, until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
Reduce heat to medium, and add onion, garlic, ras el hanout, cinnamon stick, and ginger to the hot oil. Stir well, then cook for 5 mins, until onions have started to soften.
Return chicken and any resting juices to the pot. Add stock, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1.5 hrs, until the chicken is tender.
Remove cinnamon stick and add raisins and honey to the pot. Gently stir to combine and increase heat to medium. Simmer uncovered, for a further 30 – 45 min, until the sauce has reduced and the raisins are plump. Stir through lemon juice.
Garnish with almonds and parsley. Serve with crusty bread, rice, or couscous.
Zucchini Salad
Cut the zucchini into long, thin ribbons using a mandolin or vegetable peeler.
Whisk together lemon juice and olive oil, season. Pour over the zucchini, gently toss to combine then allow to sit for 10 mins to marinate.
Drain zucchini and arrange on a serving platter. Sprinkle over pine nuts, sultanas, raisins and feta. Scatter over mint leaves just before serving.
Chocolate & Hazelnut Meringue
- Preheat oven to 140°C (120°C fan-forced). Trace 3 x 15cm diameter circles on baking paper and place onto oven trays.
- Set aside half of the hazelnuts and finely chop remaining half.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Christmas Pudding
Greese 2 small or 1 large basin.
Mix all the dry ingredients together. Fill the mixture into the basins, or if preferred a well seasoned pudding cloth. Place 2 thicknesses of foil over the basins and tie securly.
Boil steadily for 6 hours for the lrge pudding and 4 hours for the small. On the day pudding is to be served, boil for 1 hour.
