Coconut Macaroons

195gr Shredded Coconut

4 Egg White – at room temperature

¼ tsp salt

170gr Caster sugar

2 tsp Vanilla Essence (another essence can be substituted for variation of flavour)

Preheat oven 170 degrees celsius. Line 3 large baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Spread the coconut over two of the trays and cook in preheated oven, tossing occasionally, for 3-4 minutes or until lightly toasted, do not leave unattended or the coconut will burn.. Transfer to a plate.

Whisk the egg whites and salt together in a large, clean dry bowl, until soft opeaks form.

Add the sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk for a further 2 minutes or until mixture is thick and glossy.

Add the Vanilla essence and whisk to combine. Using a large metal spoon fold in the toasted coconut until combined.

Spoon tablespoon of the mixture onto lined trays, leaving about 2cm between each spoon of mixture. Bake in preheated oven swapping trays halfway through cooking, for 12-15 minutes or until light golden and firm. Set aside for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container.

Rice Krispy Treat Recipe

280 g marshmallows

4 cups rice bubbles

Pour rice bubbles into a large bowl.,

Place marshmallows into a heat resistant bowl and microwave until puffed up

Probably 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir marshmallows through rice bubbles.

To mould:

Spray a sheet of glad wrap with oil and wrap around desired amount of mix.

Shape into required shape using plenty of pressure.

Freeze until required

Macarons

Preparation: 50 minutes, plus setting time
Cooking: 1 hour

·         300g pure icing sugar; 300g flaked almonds;  100g egg whites;120g dark chocolate 70%, finely chopped; 300g caster sugar; 75ml sparkling water; 100g egg whites.

White Chocolate Ganache

120ml pouring cream, (35% milk fat); 260g white chocolate, finely chopped; 40g vegemite;

 

Raspberry filling

2 punnets raspberries; 1 sheet gold-leaf gelatine

120ml pouring cream, (35% milk fat)

260g white chocolate, finely chopped

40g vegemite

1. Preheat oven 160°C fan forced.

2. For macarons, place icing sugar and almonds in a thermomix or food processor and blend to a fine meal. Transfer to a large stainless steel bowl. Stir in 100g egg whites and set aside. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Keep warm.

3. Bring the caster sugar and water to the boil in a medium saucepan. Bring to 115°C on sugar thermometer. Once it reaches 115°C start the whisking the 100g egg whites in an electric mixer to firm peaks. Meanwhile the sugar should have reached 118°C. Remove from the heat and start to pour hot syrup into the egg whites in a slow steady stream. Continue to beat the meringue until it is 50°C. Use a spatula or pastry scraper to fold the meringue into the almond mixture then fold in the melted chocolate.

4. Pipe the mixture in 4-5cm circles onto baking trays lined with baking paper. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes until a skin forms and the macarons can be touched without leaving any residue on your fingertip. Bake macarons for 14-18 minutes, set aside to cool.

5. For ganache, pour cream into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Place the chocolate and vegemite into a heatproof bowl, pour over the hot cream and stir until smooth, if necessary place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir. Refrigerate until cold. Spoon mixture into a piping bag.

6. For raspberry filling; reserve 18 raspberries. Process remaining raspberries until smooth then sieve into a small saucepan to remove the seeds. Place over medium heat until warm. Soak the gelatine in cold water until soft, remove and squeeze out excess liquid then add to the raspberry puree, stir until dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cold.

7. To assemble, break the reserved raspberries in half and dip into the puree, place in the centre of a macaron. Pipe the ganache around the raspberry and sandwich together with another macaron. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Chill slightly before serving.

 

This recipe is from the Masterchef Series, it was aired Sunday.

 

Crystallized Petals

Only use edible flowers, such as roses, lavender and daisies, for this project.

Choose a good quality , clean rose and carefully pull off all the petals, wiping them gently with a moist tissue. Whip an egg white, place the clean petals onto baking paper, and brush both sides of each petal with egg white.

Drop each petal into a bowl of caster sugar and turn to coat completely. Dry on a wire rack.

When the petals are dried, they should be stored in a n airtight container between sheets of baking paper, avoid touching. The taste and perfume when you bite into these will be as fresh as the day were made.

Hint: Add clear essence to your cake batter to match the flavour of the flower you are decorating with. Sweet Deliveries stock, Lavender, Rose and Violet essences which are suitable for this use.

Glass Rolling Pins

It is believed glass rolling pins were introduced in 1870's or 1880's,

The Etruscans are thought to be the first people to have used rolling pins for food preparation. In more modern kitchens, rolling pins can be found made of wood, ceramic, marble, stainless steel, copper, aluminum and silicone but seldom does a glass rolling pin turn up in a drawer.

As for the hole-in-one end of this rolling pin, it was there to allow cold water to be placed inside the barrel. The end was sealed with a cork.  This cold water facilitated the dough-rolling process by keeping such items as puff pastry cool, and the water gave the rolling pin more heft for pushing and rolling the dough.

In the 19th century, rolling pins could be quite elaborate. Some were painted with images of ships and messages such as "A Present From a Friend" or "A Present to My Mother From Her Son." Glass examples were spattered with several types and colors or came in solid colors that ran the gamut from clear colorless to red, blue, green and white.

Quick Tip

COLOURING FONDANT

Next time you need to colour fondant, consider using your Electric Mixer and give your wrists a rest.

Attach the dough hook to your mixer, cut the fondant into smallish pieces, add the colour them turn your mixer on low speed. Gradually increase the speed, once the fondant is marbled stop the mixer. Remove the fondant onto your prepared surface and complete the process by hand.

This method reduced the time it takes to colour medium to large amounts of fondant.

Just be carefull not to over heat your mixer, if you are concerned that the mixer cannot cope with the load, either remove some of the fondant or stop the process completely.

Biscuits Roses de Reims

Biscuits Roses de Reims
The oldest biscuit factory in France, Maison Fossier the home of biscuit rose de Reims, the regions most famous sweet. Served with Champagne, the meringue-like biscuit rose is made from egg whites ande sugar, flavour...ed with vanilla and coloured with cochineal (a small insect from which crimson coloured dye is derived), imparting a pink rose blush. The biscuit rose de Reims became popular in France in 1880's loved by Kings Louis XV, Charles X and Louise X1 who served them to guests at his coronation.The light, delicate dough is in fact baked twice successively, which gives the biscuit the particularity of not flaking when soaked up in liquids.

Slightly powdered with icing sugar, this French treat is traditionally enjoyed with outstanding Champagne wines; respecting the tradition, dunking the biscuit in a glass of Champagne or local red wine enhances all the wine aromas