Sheridan Rogers » Desserts

A Royal Christmas Pudding

Sheridan — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:13:53 +0000

Christmas puddings can be made up to six months in advance and reheated on the day, so now is a good time to get cooking.
This mixture will make 1 x 2 litre pudding (serving 12 – 14 people) or 2 x 1 litre (each serving 6 – 8 people). You can use commercially prepared suet if you like – better still to ask your butcher to grate it freshly for you. Don’t forget to collect a few shiny coins to buy in the pudding (but make sure to wrap them in foil first).
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir well with a wooden spoon to combine.
Cover with a cloth and allow to stand in a cool place for 12 hours.
Spoon mixture into one large (2 litre) or two smaller (1 litre) buttered pudding basins, pressing down well. Cover with buttered greaseproof paper, pleated in the middle (to allow the pudding to expand as it cooks). Cover again with foil, also pleated n the middle. Tie securely with string. Make a handle at the top and knot it securely to make it easier to lift the pudding out.
Set the pudding on a rack or upturned heat-proof dish in a large pan of boiling water to reach halfway up the side of the pudding basin. Bring the water back to the boil after putting in the pudding, turn down to simmer and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Steam 7 – 8 hours for the large pudding or 3 – 4 hours for the small puddings. Top regularly with more boiling water. You will know the pudding is ready when it is firm to the finger and shrinks from the sides. Remove from the water, take off the paper and foil and re-cover with fresh layers. Store in a cool place.
On the day, boil the small puddings for 1 1/2 – 2 hours, the large one for 2 1/2 – 3 hours. Invert onto a warm platter, flame with hot dark rum or brandy, and serve with egg custard.
Custard
You can add warm some rum or brandy, according to taste, once the custard has thickened – add a little at a time and stir well to combine.
Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into milk. Scald milk over medium heat and set aside.
In a bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until light and thick. Pour warmed milk gradually onto yolks, whisking all the time. Wash the saucepan and return egg and milk mixture to it. Place over medium to low heat and cook until custard thickens, stirring continually – you will know it’s ready when it coats the back of the spoon. Immediately remove from heat and pour through a sieve into a clean bowl. Serve warm or cold in a jug.
Hard Sauce
Cream butter and sugar until soft and white then beat in grated zest and juice until mixture is really pale, light and fluffy. Add rum a little at at ime, beating constantly so that mixture doesn’t curdle (add as much as mixture will take). Pile into a bowl and refrigerate until hard.
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Poached Quinces with Black Rice Pudding

Sheridan — Mon, 24 May 2010 22:59:55 +0000

Serve these for dessert or breakfast. The glorious translucent red jelly can be used to spread on toast and scones or to serve with roast pork or turkey. Yes, there’s a lot of sugar, but you will need it!
Rub skins of quinces and wash well. Place in a pot packed fairly tightly. Add the water, sugar and star anise. Bring to the boil and simmer, uncovered, for about 3 hours or until tender when pierced with a knife, rolling the quinces occasionally to ensure even cooking.
Add the juice of the lemons to cut excessive sweetness during the last stages of cooking and turn temperature down to prevent jelly burning. A simmer pad is very useful to prevent sticking and burning. Serve cut into halves or quarters, drizzled with the pink syrup. Serve with thick cream. Every part can be eaten, including the core.
For quince jelly, add the juice of another lemon to the syrup and boil hard until it reaches setting point.
To make the black rice pudding: Drain rice and wash well. Place in a large saucepan, add the water and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 30 – 40 minutes or until rice is soft -then add the palm sugar and cook for another 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice is soft but still firm. Stir through the sugar. Serve warm with a little coconut cream poured over the top. Garnish with shredded coconut (the fresher, the better).
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Buttermilk Pancakes

Sheridan — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:05:05 +0000

The perfect breakfast dish for Shrove Tuesday – or make them for dessert tonight.

Put the buttermilk, eggs and oil into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Process until well combined.
Sift together the dry ingredients onto a piece of greaseproof paper and add to the buttermilk mixture. Process 1 – 2 minutes or until well combined. Scrap down the sides with a spatula and process for a few seconds. Pour into a jug.
Lightly grease a small non-stick pan and place over moderate heat until hot. Pour in a little of the batter, smoothing out with the back of a spoon. Make the cakes about 12cm in diameter. Cook until small bubbles form on top, flip over and cook until golden on the other side.
Serve in a stack of 2 – 3 pancakes topped with a knob of butter and drizzled with honey or maple syrup for breakfast or brunch. Or mixed berries, dusted with icing sugar and vanilla yogurt.

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Strawberry Pav

Sheridan — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 23:10:15 +0000

A good old Aussie favourite, crispy on the outside, marshmallow within. Strawberries and cream finish it off. I love to squeeze the pulp of 3 – 4 pasisonfruit over the top. For something different, make a Brown Sugar Pav (see Tip below).

Preheat oven to 120degC. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Lightly a trace a 20cm diameter outline on the paper using a cake tin to guide you. Turn the paper upside down so that the outline is on the underside of the paper.

Whisk the egg whites with the salt and half the sugar until stiff and shiny. Fold in remaining sugar, vanilla, vinegar and cornflour. Spoon mixture onto prepared baking tray using the circle to help you shape it. Smooth over the top with a spatula and shape the sides so they slope in to the centre. Bake for 1 hour then turn oven off, leaving pavlova in the oven for a further 30 minutes. Remove and cool completely before filling.
Whip cream and liqueur until thick and stiff (don’t let it become too stiff). Pile it onto the pavlova.

Hull the strawberries. Halve some of them and combine in a bowl with the blueberries, passionfruit pulp and orange zest. Toss gently and strew fruit over top of cream.

Tip: In her cookbook “Australian Cuisine”, Maureen Simpson points out that for best results the pavlova mixture should be about 6cm high for a good marshmallow centre and that it is important not to make the mistake of scooping out a dip in the centre. If you wish to make a brown sugar pavlova, use 140g white sugar and 60g brown sugar.

Christmas Coconut Layered Ice Cream Bomb

Sheridan — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:35:52 +0000

This delicious coconut ice-cream bombe may be prepared well in advance which makes it ideal for hectic Christmas days. Try coconut, strawberry and blackberry - there are many lovely combinations – just think about the end result in colour and flavour.

Place the coconut ice cream in the refrigerator until soft enough to mould. Spoon ice cream into a 5 cup decorative jelly mould, metal is the best but do not use glass. Place the mould in freezer until coconut ice cream is firm. Smooth to coat the sides of the mould to about 1-2cm thick. Freeze again. Place the strawberry ice cream into the refrigerator until softened. Spoon into mould and smooth over the coconut ice cream to completely cover. Repeat with remaining flavours. Freeze until firm.
To un-mould: Fill a sink full of very hot water. Dip the mould quickly into the water and turn out onto a platter. Mix the berries and diced mango together. Grate over the lime zest and pour over the juice. Surround ice cream bomb with berries and serve sliced into wedges.

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Sheridan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:49:08 +0000

Lighter than the traditional pumpkin pie, this makes a terrific summer pie or finale to the traditional Thanksgiving meal (which is held annually on the fourth Thursday in November). The crumb crust, made from ginger biscuits, offsets the filling beautifully.

Preheat oven to moderate (180degC).
Mix crumbs and butter. Press into bottom and sides of 25cm – 28cm pie plate. Bake ten minutes. Remove, set aside and cool completely.
Sprinkle gelatine over water to soften. Melt in a saucepan or in the microwave (15 seconds).
In a saucepan, combine the pumpkin and cream mix, brown sugar, egg yolks and spices.
Cook over low heat, stirring all the time, for about ten minutes. Stir in gelatine. Set aside to cool completely but not to set. Whisk egg whites with sugar to a firm snow. Fold into cooled pumpkin mix. Pour into prepared pie crust and refrigerate until set. Garnish with extra whipped cream, piped or spooned around the edge.

Tip: Danish ginger biscuits are available from Ikea – or you can use gingernuts or sweets biscuits and add a teaspoon of ground ginger. To crush the biscuits, place them in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin or break them up and crush in the food processor.

Mango Granita

Sheridan — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:24:03 +0000

Just the thing for a hot day and a great way to make the most of this season’s bountiful crop of mangoes. Serve in glasses with a silver spoon, a wedge of lime and a fresh mango cheek .

Puree the mango flesh in a blender with the wine, lime juice and zest. Remove and measure the pulp, then stir through an equal quantity of water. Stir in the sugar.
Pour into a 20cm square tray and place in the freezer. Remove occasionally and give the mixture a good stir to break up the crystals. When almost set, put the mixture back into the blender and puree. Return to the freezer until frozen solid. Let the granita sit for 15 minutes out of the freezer serving.

Portuguese Custard Tarts

Sheridan — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 03:23:20 +0000

The Chinese love custard tarts. So do the Portuguese. One theory suggests that egg tarts evolved from ‘pastel de nata’ in Portugal and travelled to Hong Kong via the Portuguese colony of Macau. The recipe for these luscious tarts is much sought after. Here is a fabulous home-made version. Defrost the pastry and into 11.5cm rounds (you may need to cut a circle first from foil to help guide you – or use a 11.5 cm cake tin, if you have one). You should get 4 circles from each sheet Lightly butter 12 tartlet (or muffin) tins measuring 6.5 cm across the bottom. Fit pastry into tins, leaving overhand. Chill. Preheat oven to 200degC. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, gradually adding cream and salt. Pour into a saucepan, cook over low heat, stirring all the time (use a wooden spoon), until mixture coats the back of the spoon. Immediately pour custard into a clean bowl and cool to room temperature, stirring. Spoon custard into prepared tartlet case, dividing it evenly between them. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the custard comes out clean. Cool a few minute in tins them remove to cool completely. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar before serving, if liked. For a caramelized top, run them quickly under a hot grill or flame the tops with a blowtorch.

Mangoes in Champagne

Sheridan — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 04:05:14 +0000

Simple, luxurious and quick to prepare. Use the best of the season’s mangoes.

Serves 6

Put the mango cheeks into a decorative serving bowl. Sprinkle with a little Cointreau and caster sugar, cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
Just before serving pour over enough champagne to cover the mangoes
and serve immediately.

Tip: a sweet white dessert wine can be substituted for the champagne – in which case go lightly on the sugar

Apple Charlotte

Sheridan — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:28:52 +0000

A good old-fashioned pudding, excellent served with a frothy crème anglaise’ flavoured with a little Calvados.

Apple Filling:

6 Granny Smith apples (about 6), peeled, cored and quartered
30g unsalted butter
2 tablespoons apricot preserve
60g (1/4 cup) caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Pinch cinnamon
1 tablespoon Calvados or dark rum

The Bread:
12 slices white pre-sliced bread(medium thickness), crusts removed
Approx 75g melted unsalted butter
Sugar for dusting

The sauce:
4 tablespoons apricot preserves
2 – 3 tablespoons Calvados (or dark rum)
2 tablepsoons sugar
Juice of 1 – 2 lemons, or to taste

Cut the apples into small pieces. Put them in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, covered, and cook for about 20 minutes or until soft, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat, stir through the apricot preserve, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, sugar, cinnamon and brandy ( if using). Return to the heat and stir until well combined and all liquid has evaporated. Leave to cool.
Meanwhile, brush four ramekin dishes with melted butter. Sprinkle sugar over base and sides of the dishes.
Preheat oven to 200degC.
Using a rolling pin, flatten each slice of bread. Cut out eight rounds to fit the bases and tops of the ramekins. Place one circle in the base of each ramekin. Cut the remaining four slices of flattened bread into three rectangles and line the sides of each ramekin with these.
Spoon in the cooled apple puree. Butter both sides of the remaining circles and place on top of the apple filling. Sprinkle liberally with sugar and bake for 20 minutes or until golden on top (the longer you leave it in the oven, the crisper the bread will be – a delightful contrast with the soft filling). Remove and leave to stand for 15 – 20 minutes before turning out. Serve with the apricot sauce and cream or ‘crème anglaise’.
To make the sauce: put all the ingredients into a small saucepan and simmer until combined. Taste, adding more lemon juice, sugar or Calvados. Strain. If you like, you can omit the Calvados from the sauce and flame it, pouring a little over the top of each pudding after the sauce.
Tip: you can use tinned pie apple if you’re running short of time, but make sure it is free of excess moisture and flavoured with lemon zest, vanilla, brandy and cinnamon.
salt and pepper