Adriano Zumbo's Candy Cane Macarons

Adriano Zumbo, "Every Christmas, the one lolly that's left in the house is candy canes. I was thinking about how to make them more interesting to eat, so I caramelised them and make them into ganache, and then the ganache became the filling for these macarons."

Adriano Zumbo's Candy Cane Macarons

Adriano Zumbo's Candy Cane Macarons Recipe

Makes about 15 (8cm-long) or 2 (24cm-long) (Adapted from Gourmet Magazine)

Ingredients

• 150 g almond meal
• 150 g pure icing sugar, sieved
• 150 g caster sugar
• 110 g eggwhite (about 3 eggwhites)
• 1/4 tsp red food powder colouring, or to taste

Candy Cane Ganache:

• 125 g white chocolate, finely chopped
• 20 g coarsely chopped crushed candy canes (about 2 small)
• 75 ml pouring cream
• 1/2 tsp peppermint essence
• 45 g butter, coarsely chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 140C. Sieve almond meal and icing sugar into a large bowl, set aside. Combine caster sugar and 40 ml water in a saucepan, stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolved, then bring to the boil and cook until mixture reaches 121C on a sugar thermometer (4-5 minutes). Meanwhile, whisk half the eggwhite in an electric mixer on medium speed, then, whisking continuously, gradually add syrup in two places to avoid syrup pooling in bottom of mixing bowl. Whisk until lukewarm (3-4 minutes), then add to almond meal mixture. Add remaining eggwhite and fold to combine.
2. Divide mixture between two bowls and add red food colouring to one bowl, folding to combine and colouring to your liking. Slap excess air of white mixture with a spatula. Lay a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm plain nozzle on its side, fill one side with white mixture and the other side with red mixture. Pipe half the mixture into 15 x 8cm-long or 2 x 24 cm-long right-facing candy cane shapes on baking trays lined with baking paper.
3. Pipe remaining mixture into 15 x 8cm-long or 2 x 24cm-long left-facing candy cane shapes, firmly tap trays on work bench to expel excess air, then stand until a skin forms and mixture doesn't stick on your finger when touched (45 minutes - 1 hour). Bake in batches until firm and tops are set (10-12 minutes for smaller ones, 14-16 minutes for larger ones), then cool on trays.
4. Meanwhile, for candy cane ganache, place chocolate in a heatproof bowl, set aside. Cook candy canes without stirring in a small frying pan over medium-high heat until caramelised (4-5 minutes). Meanwhile, warm cream in a small saucepan over medium heat, add to candy canes, shake pan until combined (10-15 minutes). Add to chocolate with peppermint essence, stir to combine, then stir in butter. Stand until ganache reaches spreadable consistency (1-1 1/4 hours), spoon into a piping bag fitted with a 9mm plain nozzle and pipe on flat sides of right-facing candy cane macarons and stand until set (10-15 minutes). Candy cane macarons will keep in airtight container for up to 2 days but are best eaten on day of making.

Chocolate Bacon "NOT Gingerbread" Cake House

Technically, this is not a Gingerbread House. It's a rustic looking ski lodge for Santa that is made from chocolate bacon cake with chocolate and maple frosting. It has a bacon thatch roof and the main door is made of pepperoni salami.

This crazy idea has been buzzing in my head after reading about the DON's competition from Nuffnang. It's inspired from the Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes recipe by Helen (Grab Your Fork) and Bacon Baskets recipe by Suze (Chocolatesuze).

Christmas Recipe - Chocolate Bacon "NOT Gingerbread" Cake House

Let me guide you through the constructions of this fun house:

Method

1. Bake a chocolate-bacon cake using a 18.5 x 11.5 cm loaf pan. I use the chocolate bacon cupcakes recipe from Grab Your Fork. Adjust the baking time to 40 minutes. Let it cool completely.
2. Make the maple frosting (Recipe available from HERE) and chocolate frosting (recipe available HERE).
3. Make the bacon thatch roof. Trim off all rind and fats from the bacon slices (this will prevent shrinkage and will give the roof a nice flat square shape). Cut the bacon into long thin strip (10 cm in length) and weave into a 9 x 9 cm square.
4. Place the bacon on a sheet of paper towel and cover it with another paper towel. Microwave it for 2-3 minutes or until the bacon is brown and crisp. Make 2.
5. Cut the cake loaf into two equal size pieces and trim each piece to a 9 x 9 cm square. Further trim one of the squares to a triangle. Spread a layer of chocolate frosting on the top of the square piece of cake and stack the triangle piece on top.
6. Spread chocolate frosting on all surfaces and attach the bacon roof.
7. DON's pepperoni salami has the perfect shape and texture to make the rustic main door.
8. Cut the salami as follow to make a 5 cm tall door.
9. Attach the salami door to the wall that is covered with chocolate frosting. Pipe a small dot of maple frosting and attach a silver cachous as the door knot. Attach a colourful chocolate candy on top of the salami door to reassemble the Christmas wreath.
10. I use chocolate coated liquorice to give this house a winter log cabin feel.
11. Attached the chocolate coated liquorice on all walls that has already been covered with chocolate frosting.
12. Pipe the maple frosting around the roof to decorate. Add silver cachous on maple frosting for more festive feel.
13. For the chimney, I use yogurt coated raspberry liquorice.
14. Slice the liquorice in an angle that will make it sitting well on the roof.
15. Pipe a little maple frosting on the sliced angle and attach it to the roof.
16. Pipe a little more maple frosting on the chimney and decorate it with more silver cachous.
17. Place a skiing Santa figure next to the newly completed ski lodge.

Dutch Oliebollen

Oliebollen (laterally means oil balls) are a Dutch delicacy that are traditionally eaten on New Year's Eve. They are often referred as Dutch Doughnuts / Donuts.

Dutch Oliebollen

The dough is made from flour, eggs, yeast, salt, milk and with variations of sultanas, currants, raisins, apples and lemon zest. They are then deep-fried and served with powdered sugar. They are light, taste fruity and less sweet than the traditional American Doughnuts.

Supermarkets in The Netherlands sell the pre-mix Oliebollen packages but they are not easily available in Sydney. I was extremely excited when I saw this Oliebollen recipe from the Snowflakes and Schnapps Cookbook - one of my favourite cookbooks as it contains many of Mr J's favourite European traditional dishes.

The author Jane Lawson has given many of the classics a modern touch. Almost all of the recipes are accompanied with beautiful pictures and the recipes are brilliantly written with clear instructions and details.

Oliebollen (Serves 8)

(Adapted from Jane Lawson's Snowflakes and Schnapps Cookbook)

Ingredients

• 10 g (1/4 oz) fresh yeast (* I use 5 g dried yeast)
• 2 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
• 125 ml (4 fl oz . 1/s cup) lukewarm full-cream (whole) milk
• 190 g (6 3/4 oz / 1 1/4 cups) plain (all-purpose_ flour
• A large pinch sea salt
• 1 tbsp rum (optional)
• 1 small egg
• 1 1/2 tbsp raisins, chopped (I used 2 tbsp currants)
• 1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• sunflower oil, for deep-frying
• icing (confectioner's) sugar, for dusting

Method

1. Break up the fresh yeast then mash together with 1 tsp of the sugar and 60 ml (2 fl oz / 1/4 cup) of the warm milk until smooth. Set aside in a warm place for 15 minutes or until frothy.
2. Sift the flour, sea salt and remaining sugar into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the warm milk, rum (if using), yeast mixture and the egg and mix to combine well.
3. Stir in the raisins, apple and lemon zest combining well. Cover and rest in a warm place (I left it on the cup-warming section of our espresso machine) until doubled in size - this will take about an hour or so.
4. Bang the bowl a couple of times on the work surface to knock out some of the air.
5. Fill a deep-fryer or large heavy-based saucepan one-third full with oil and heat to 180C (350F), or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil browns in 15 seconds.
6. Using two spoons, carefully drop rounded tablespoons of the mixture into the oil, using one spoon to push the mixture off the other, and cook for about 6 minutes, or until puffed and golden and cooked all the way through.
7. Drain on paper towels.

Pandan Coconut Macaroons (Gluten-free)

I have changed a few ingredients and cooking steps to make it gluten free and it now has a more KUIH-like texture. I have baked them in mini muffin tray instead of the traditional macaroons shape. I hope you like my adaptation.

Pandan Coconut Macaroons (Gluten-free)

On a last note, these are Coconut Macaroons made of dried shredded coconut, not to be confused with French Macarons.

Pandan Coconut Macaroons

(Loosely adapted from Gourmet Traveller Magazine)

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 225 g (1 cup) caster sugar
• 80 g (3/4 cup) rice flour
• 50 g (1/3 cup) tapioca flour
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 300 g shredded coconut
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) pandan juice - Blend three shredded pandan leaves with 60 ml water in a blender until finely pureed, then pass through a fine sieve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 150C.
2. Whisk eggs and sugar until dissolved. Sieve over both flour, fold to combine. Add vanilla essence and 1 tsp salt, fold through shredded coconut and pandan juice.
3. Grease a 12-hole mini muffin tray with oil or butter. Spoon coconut mixture into each hole until full. Bake in oven until golden and cooked through (35 minutes).
4. Cool slightly, carefully remove macaroons and set aside to cool to room temperature (20-30 minutes).

Coconut Christmas Wreaths

You won't believe how easy it is to make these pretty eatable miniature Christmas wreaths. Two ingredients, stir and mix. That's all you need to do!

Coconut Christmas Wreaths

You can turn them into beautiful Christmas decorations, gifts, and gift tags.

Coconut Christmas Wreaths Recipe

Ingredients

• 180 g white eating chocolate, melted
• 1 1/4 cups (95 g) shredded coconut
• Cachous

Method

1. Line two trays with baking paper.
2. Combine chocolate and coconut in medium bowl. Drop heaped tablespoons of mixture onto trays; shape mixture into wreaths using the end of a wooden spoon to make holes in the centre of each wreath.
3. Decorate wreaths with cachous. Refrigerate until set. Tie with ribbon, if you like.

Belinda Jeffery's Flourless Chocolate, Pecan and Raspberry Torte

I love this cake. It fills all the criteria for a wonderful holiday dessert. It's rich and sophisticated, keep exceptionally well, is very simple to make and, all-important for a special occasion, look spectacular. The iced cake, minus the raspberries, keeps well in the freezer for up to a month.

Belinda Jeffery's Flourless Chocolate, Pecan and Raspberry Torte

Belinda Jeffery's Flourless Chocolate, Pecan and Raspberry Torte Recipe

(Adapted from AWW Christmas and Holiday Entertaining Cookbook)

Ingredients

• 250 g unsalted butter
• 250 g good quality dark chocolate
• 3/4 cup (75 g) sifted Dutch processed cocoa powder
• 1 2/3 cup (200 g) roasted pecans
• 6 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups (330 g) caster sugar
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) brandy or cognac
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-3 punnets raspberries
• double thick cream, for serving

Chocolate Glace:

• 250 g good quality dark chocolate, chunks
• 125 g unsalted butter, chopped
• 2 1/2 tbsp water

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Butter a 23 cm springform cake pan and line the base with buttered baking paper. Dust cake pan with flour or rice flour (if you're avoiding wheat) and tap out the excess. Set it aside.
2. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over low heat. Add the chocolate and whisk until melted. Take the pan off the heat, then add the cocoa, stirring it in until the mixture is thick and smooth. Set it aside to cool a little.
3. Meanwhile, whiz the pecans in a food processor to chop them as finely as possible. Stop the machine every so often to check them so they don't become oily and form a paste. Set them aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and sugar with a balloon whisk until they are just blended together, then whisk in the warm chocolate mixture until it's well combined. Mix in the brandy and vanilla. Finally, stir in the ground pecans - the batter will look very loose and sloppy, but don't worry, it's fine.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the torte for 40-45 minutes or until the side is set, but the middle 15 cm or so of the torte is still a bit wobbly when you gently shake the pan.
6. Cool the torte completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once cool, release the sides of the pan and carefully invert the torte onto the rack. Remove the paper.
7. Chocolate Glaze: Put the chocolate, butter and water into a medium-sized, heavy based saucepan over low heat. Let the chocolate and butter melt, stirring regularly, until they are smooth. (A small, flat sauce whisk is ideal for this, as it gets right into the corners of the pan where the chocolate tends to clump a bit.) The most important thing to keep in mind when you're making the glaze is that it mustn't get too hot and boil; If it does, it becomes oily and grainy and there's not much chance of salvaging it. Once it's silky smooth, take it off the heat. Let it cool until it's barely warm and a thick pouring consistency before using it.
8. To ice, place the torte on the rack over a plate to catch any drips, then pour a good amount of the barely warm Chocolate Glaze into the middle of the torte. Tilt the rack so the glaze flows evenly over the top and runs down the sides (for the smoothest finish, don't run a palette knife over it). If your room is cool, you can leave the glaze to set at room temperature. However, where I live, summer is hot and humid, so I generally transfer the lot - the torte on its rack on the drip plate - into the fridge to set. Once set, slide the torte onto a serving plate and cover it in plastic wrap - it will keep well like this for at least a week. Before serving, remove the wrap and return the torte to cool room temperature.
9. To finish off, sit a tightly packed layer of raspberries all over the top, then dust them very lightly with icing sugar. Serve with cream.

Christmas Coconut Ice / Candies with Pandan and Rose Syrup

It all started with a comment from my reader kat of Suum Cuique: "Do you also know how to make coconut candy? Those colorful cubes that we used to sell in school during canteen days. I think it contains condensed milk."

Christmas Coconut Ice / Candies with Pandan and Rose Syrup

Coconut ice is a no-cook classic that's extremely easy to make. All it takes is a little mixing and an hour in the fridge.

Christmas Coconut Ice (Coconut Candies) with Pandan and Rose Syrup Recipe

Makes 40 pieces

Ingredients

• 395 g can condensed milk
• 3 1/3 cups (300 g) desiccated coconut
• 2 cups (330 g) icing sugar
• 1/ 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 drops pandan paste (or green food colouring)
• 1 tsp rose syrup (or red food colouring)

Method

1. Grease an 18 x 28cm lamington pan and line with baking paper, leaving some overhanging on the sides.
2. Place the condense milk, coconut, icing sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl and mix with a metal spoon until well combined (it will be quite stiff). Divide the mixture into half and place them into 2 separate bowls.
3. Add rose syrup to first half of the mixture and stir well to combine. Spoon the mixture into the pan and flatten the top using damp fingers.
4. Add pandan paste to the remaining mixture and stir well to combine. Spoon the mixture over the top of the red layer and flatten the top with damp fingers.
5. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour to set.
6. Invert the coconut ice onto a board and peel off the baking paper. Cut into 5 strips lengthways, then 8 strips widthways to make 40 squares.
7. Pack the coconut ice into jars or wrap in cellophane to give as gifts - it will keep in the fridge for 3 weeks.

Adriano Zumbo's Candy Cane Macarons

When I brought home the latest issue of Gourmet Traveller magazine, I knew I was up for a challenge. Look at the pictures of those cute candy canes from the magazine. They are not ordinary candy canes. They are candy canes macarons made by the talented Sydney based patissier Adriano Zumbo:

I set myself up for two challenges:

Making macarons the Italian way: I have always been making my macarons with the French method because I didn't have a sugar thermometer that is required in the Italian method. Not until the ever generous Trissa bought me one (Thanks, Trissa!).

Piping the perfect J: I found a perfect stencil - the giant candy cane that was given to me by the ever cheerful Kath (Thanks, Kath!).

I don't call making these candy cane macarons a challenge if there is without failures. I came close to giving up but I am glad that I persevered.

First attempt: I used red liquid colouring because I didn't have the red powder colouring. I guess I was stubborn and it failed horribly.

Second attempt: I used the wrong size eggs (XL jumbo size). Again I was stubborn. I took three eggs out from the fridge without weighting them.

Third attempt: I over-processed the almond meal and icing sugar in the food processor. I let the food processor runs while busy doing other chores. The food processor was over-heated and melted the icing sugar and caused some wet lumps. I didn't realised it until after I poured it in the meringue.

Fourth attempt: I put all my stubborness aside and followed all the basic rules to a T! And the fourth time is the charm. So let's celebrate!

Adriano Zumbo, "Every Christmas, the one lolly that's left in the house is candy canes. I was thinking about how to make them more interesting to eat, so I caramelised them and make them into ganache, and then the ganache became the filling for these macarons."

Adriano Zumbo's Candy Cane Macarons Recipe

(Adapted from Gourmet Magazine December 2009 issue) Makes about 15 (8cm-long) or 2 (24cm-long)

Ingredients

• 150 g almond meal
• 150 g pure icing sugar, sieved
• 150 g caster sugar
• 110 g eggwhite (about 3 eggwhites)
• 1/4 tsp red food powder colouring, or to taste

Candy Cane Ganache:

• 125 g white chocolate, finely chopped
• 20 g coarsely chopped crushed candy canes (about 2 small)
• 75 ml pouring cream
• 1/2 tsp peppermint essence
• 45 g butter, coarsely chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 140C. Sieve almond meal and icing sugar into a large bowl, set aside. Combine caster sugar and 40 ml water in a saucepan, stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolved, then bring to the boil and cook until mixture reaches 121C on a sugar thermometer (4-5 minutes). Meanwhile, whisk half the eggwhite in an electric mixer on medium speed, then, whisking continuously, gradually add syrup in two places to avoid syrup pooling in bottom of mixing bowl. Whisk until lukewarm (3-4 minutes), then add to almond meal mixture. Add remaining eggwhite and fold to combine.
2. Divide mixture between two bowls and add red food colouring to one bowl, folding to combine and colouring to your liking. Slap excess air of white mixture with a spatula. Lay a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm plain nozzle on its side, fill one side with white mixture and the other side with red mixture. Pipe half the mixture into 15 x 8cm-long or 2 x 24 cm-long right-facing candy cane shapes on baking trays lined with baking paper.
3. Pipe remaining mixture into 15 x 8cm-long or 2 x 24cm-long left-facing candy cane shapes, firmly tap trays on work bench to expel excess air, then stand until a skin forms and mixture doesn't stick on your finger when touched (45 minutes - 1 hour). Bake in batches until firm and tops are set (10-12 minutes for smaller ones, 14-16 minutes for larger ones), then cool on trays.
4. Meanwhile, for candy cane ganache, place chocolate in a heatproof bowl, set aside. Cook candy canes without stirring in a small frying pan over medium-high heat until caramelised (4-5 minutes). Meanwhile, warm cream in a small saucepan over medium heat, add to candy canes, shake pan until combined (10-15 minutes). Add to chocolate with peppermint essence, stir to combine, then stir in butter. Stand until ganache reaches spreadable consistency (1-1 1/4 hours), spoon into a piping bag fitted with a 9mm plain nozzle and pipe on flat sides of right-facing candy cane macarons and stand until set (10-15 minutes). Candy cane macarons will keep in airtight container for up to 2 days but are best eaten on day of making.

Dutch Oliebollen

What do you usually do on the last day of the year? Today I have been watching my favourite TV show - Anthony Bourdain's No Reservation that is running non-stop on Discovery Travel and Living channel from 9:30am and cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

I made two Dutch delicacies today. Oliebollen and Kroketten. It's my first time making them and I must say I am very proud that they have been given the seal of approval from my Dutch husband Mr J.

Oliebollen (laterally means oil balls) are a Dutch delicacy that are traditionally eaten on New Year's Eve. They are often referred as Dutch Doughnuts / Donuts.

The dough is made from flour, eggs, yeast, salt, milk and with variations of sultanas, currants, raisins, apples and lemon zest. They are then deep-fried and served with powdered sugar. They are light, taste fruity and less sweet than the traditional American Doughnuts.

Supermarkets in The Netherlands sell the pre-mix Oliebollen packages but they are not easily available in Sydney. I was extremely excited when I saw this Oliebollen recipe from the Snowflakes and Schnapps Cookbook - one of my favourite cookbooks as it contains many of Mr J's favourite European traditional dishes.

The author Jane Lawson has given many of the classics a modern touch. Almost all of the recipes are accompanied with beautiful pictures and the recipes are brilliantly written with clear instructions and details.

Oliebollen

(Adapted from Jane Lawson's Snowflakes and Schnapps Cookbook)

Ingredients

• 10 g (1/4 oz) fresh yeast (* I use 5 g dried yeast)
• 2 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
• 125 ml (4 fl oz . 1/s cup) lukewarm full-cream (whole) milk
• 190 g (6 3/4 oz / 1 1/4 cups) plain (all-purpose_ flour
• A large pinch sea salt
• 1 tbsp rum (optional)
• 1 small egg
• 1 1/2 tbsp raisins, chopped (I used 2 tbsp currants)
• 1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• sunflower oil, for deep-frying
• icing (confectioner's) sugar, for dusting

Method

1. Break up the fresh yeast then mash together with 1 tsp of the sugar and 60 ml (2 fl oz / 1/4 cup) of the warm milk until smooth. Set aside in a warm place for 15 minutes or until frothy.
2. Sift the flour, sea salt and remaining sugar into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the warm milk, rum (if using), yeast mixture and the egg and mix to combine well.
3. Stir in the raisins, apple and lemon zest combining well. Cover and rest in a warm place (I left it on the cup-warming section of our espresso machine) until doubled in size - this will take about an hour or so.
4. Bang the bowl a couple of times on the work surface to knock out some of the air.
5. Fill a deep-fryer or large heavy-based saucepan one-third full with oil and heat to 180C (350F), or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil browns in 15 seconds.
6. Using two spoons, carefully drop rounded tablespoons of the mixture into the oil, using one spoon to push the mixture off the other, and cook for about 6 minutes, or until puffed and golden and cooked all the way through.
7. Drain on paper towels.
8. Sift icing sugar on top.