Last week I made three different sweet treats – rum balls, chocolate fruit balls and white chocolate, lemon and almond balls – for our family Christmas get together. I’ve been making them for years and they’ve become somewhat of a family tradition. I’m thinking that maybe next year I’ll try these chocolate coconut drops as well and see what the family thinks of them.
These are a great little idea – basically no chopping. Except for the chicken mince and the shallot the ingredients are things you’ve probably got in the fridge or cupboard. It’s just a matter of combining, shaping and frying the chicken balls and mixing up the sauce – easy as. While this recipe is for nibble size balls, you could easily turn them into patties for an easy entree.
Scones are something I’ve never been all that good at making. I suspect it’s because I over work the dough, something that this recipe clearly says not to do. I do like the combination of sweet potato and spring onion though, so perhaps I’ll give them a try. I’m sure those with better technique will end up with a very tasty scone.
On a visit to a farm in Central Victoria that friends recently moved to they were telling us of all the lovely produce that they are growing – pears, quinces, zucchinis and garlic just to start with. When I got home I started going through Mum’s cuttings and books to dig out some recipes for them. Fresh pear recipes and quince ones have been hard to find and I didn’t even try for garlic as Mum was not a fan. Zucchini have been the easiest and this one was among them.
Here’s a way to update the old rice bubble chocolate crackles that appear at every kid’s birthday party. With school holidays not too far off maybe you can get the kids to make a few different batches, using a variety of their favourite chocolate bars.
In the depths of winter pears are always a go to fruit. This pear flan takes a little bit of work, but you can simplify it by using shop bought pastry and if you leave out the rum it’s a dessert the whole family can enjoy.
With cold winter nights fast approaching the idea of a hot baked pudding is quite appealing. This one uses canned raspberries, but I think it would work just as well with thawed frozen ones.
I like the look of this dessert and can imagine it on a cold autumn night with lashings of thick cream. I can’t find a date on it, but the $5 cost makes me think that it isn’t too old. You should be able to make it for about that with canned peaches, but with the current price fresh ones would make it more expensive…..
We’re going to the F1 Grand Prix at Albert Park this weekend so I’m going to make a batch of these to take for lunch. But if you’re picnicking this Easter or any other time, they could work well for that too.
I’m not sure which paper Mum saved this recipe from, but it says it’s a from NZ chef Kurt Sampson. He suggests serving them with a tomato chutney, mashed potato and green peas. They sound like an excellent accompaniments, although a few chips wouldn’t be bad either.
Beb's Recipe Drawer 