Monday 28 January 2013

MELT - In a sticky situation?..... lick your way out with our frozen ice-creams and icey pops.



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Prosecco ice pops with raspberry and vanilla
Grab your cossie (or swimsuit for non-aussies) and your swan inflatable and float around the pool with one of these sweet icey pops in your hand. You'll be the talk of the town!
Makes approximately 10 x 125ml ice pops, depending on the size of the moulds.

1 bottle of Prosecco
½ cup water
1 cup sugar
1 vanilla pod, halved lengthways
125g fresh raspberries, torn

1. Combine the Prosecco, water, sugar and vanilla pod in a saucepan over a medium heat, stir until it comes to the boil and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature, remove the vanilla pod.
2. Pour the mixture evenly between icy pole moulds, leaving approximately 1cm at the top of each mould, the liquid will expand on freezing.
3Place in the freezer for 3 hours or until the liquid becomes slushy. Distribute the torn raspberries between the moulds pushing them down through the Prosecco mixture. Insert ice pop sticks and freeze for 8 hours or until frozen solid.
4. To unmould the pops, run the moulds under hot water for a few seconds, then gently pull the sticks, serve immediately.




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Pandan ice cream with toffee pecans in a waffle cone
There's a little bit of Asia in every bite of these pale green ice cream cones.
Makes 1½ litres

2 cups milk
600ml cream
6 pandan leaves, twist the leaves and tie in a knot to release the flavour
1½ cups caster sugar
8 egg yolks
natural green food colouring
1 quantity Toffee pecan chunks
waffle cones, for serving


1. Combine the milk, cream, pandan leaves and ½ cup of the sugar in a saucepan, stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to steep for 1 hour.
2. Combine the remaining 1 cup of sugar and egg yolks in a bowl and whisk until pale and creamy. Gradually whisk in the cream and pandan mixture.
3. Return the mixture to the saucepan and stir over a low heat until slightly thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Do not allow the custard to boil or it will curdle.
4. Remove from the heat and add the colouring one drop at a time until the desired colour green is reached. Strain into a large jug and chill for 2 hours.
5. Once cold churn in an ice-cream churn according to manufacturer’s instructions.  When ice cream is frozen and ready to remove from the churn add 1 cup of the Toffee pecan chunks and mix through.
6. Place into a freezer container and freeze for 4 hours or overnight.
7. Serve scoops of ice cream in a waffle cone topped with extra Toffee pecans.



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Toffee pecans
Makes 1½ cups

110g pecans, roasted
1 cup sugar
½ cup water

1.Place the pecans in a single layer on a lined baking tray and set aside.
2. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat. Stir to dissolve sugar, do not boil, increase to a medium heat and boil until a deep golden caramel colour.
3. Quickly pour the caramel over the pecan nuts to completely cover. Set aside at room temperature to harden.
4. Roughly chop into approx. 1cm chunks and use as required.
food dept. fact: Store praline in an airtight container to prevent it from becoming sticky in humid conditions.


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Cherry sorbet on brioche rolls
Before you become seduced by the decadent magenta velverty masses of cherry sorbet, which you may feel like diving into, rememeber it tastes even better wedged between two sweet little brioche buns. Oh me oh my this is delightfully devilish and totally irresistible.
Makes 1 litre sorbet

• 600g fresh or frozen cherries, pitted
• ¾ cup caster sugar
• 1½ cups water
• juice, 1 lemon
• ¼ cup cherry liqueur
• brioche rolls, to serve

1. Place the cherries, sugar, water and lemon juice into a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1 minute, remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.
2. Place the cherry mixture into a blender with the cherry liqueur and process until smooth. Pass though a sieve and leave in the fridge until chilled. 
3. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn until frozen. Place into a freezer proof container and freeze until required.
4. Halve and toast the brioche buns and sandwich back together with the cherry sorbet, serve imeadiately.

food dept. fact: If you don’t have an ice cream maker then place the sorbet mixture into a bowl in the freezer and every 2 hours remove from the freezer and beat until smooth. Repeat this about 3 times until frozen.


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Coconut and rum granita with fresh pineapple 
This dessert is so easy and flavoursome. You will get lots of oooohhhhh's and ahhhh's from those who try this refreshing ice. It's a wonderful palate cleanser after dinner and before dessert. Make ahead and keep in your freezer, then serve in gelato bowls, your guests won't be able to stop at one scoop, trust us... we know!
Makes approx 1 litre

1 cup sugar
3 cups water
1 cup coconut milk
¼ cup coconut rum 
• 1 pineapple, peeled, cut in halve lengthways, cored and sliced into thin ribbons

1. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over a medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Mix the coconut milk and coconut rum into the sugar syrup and pour into a shallow freezer container and cover.  
3. Freeze for 4 hours, remove from the freezer and break up the ice crystals by scraping with a fork, mix well and return to the freezer for another 4 hours or overnight.
4. Scrap again with a fork and serve with pineapple ribbons. Store the granita in the freezer for up to 1 month.



 
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Chocolate brownie and honeycomb ice cream cake with chocolate fudge sauce
Makes 1 x 20cm cake, serves 8

• 200g butter, roughly diced
150g dark chocolate – 70% cocoa, roughly chopped
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1½ cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla essence
1 cup plain flour
2 x 1 litre tubs good quality vanilla ice cream
2 x 130g bags honey comb, (1 pkt cut into 1cm pieces and the other bag for serving)

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC (360ºF). Grease and line a 20 x 30cm slice pan.
2. Combine the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over a low heat and stir until butter and chocolate have melted. Set aside and allow to cool.
3. Combine eggs, sugar and vanilla essence in a bowl and add the cooled chocolate mixture.  Place the flour into a mixing bowl. Pour in the chocolate mixture and stir until just combined.
4. Pour into the prepared slice pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked when tested. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
5. Remove from the pan and cut a circle using a 20cm spring form pan as a guide. Grease and line the spring form pan, ensuring the lining extends at least 5cm above the rim of the pan. Place the circle of brownie in the base, set aside.
6. Soften the ice cream and tip into a large mixing bowl.  Cut up the remaining fudge brownie into 1cm pieces and mix that with the chopped honeycomb through the softened ice cream.
7. Pour over the fudge brownie base in the spring form pan and place in the freezer for 6 hours or overnight.
8. Unmold and serve with Chocolate fudge sauce and extra honeycomb.



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Chocolate fudge sauce
Makes 1½ cups

• 200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 100ml cream
• 2 tablespoons agave syrup or light corn syrup

1. Combine the chocolate, cream and agave syrup in a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water.
2. Stir gently until chocolate has melted and all of the ingredients are combined.
3. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, serve warm over the ice cream cake.

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Yogurt berry icy poles
If you want to go "slightly" healthy then this is the recipe for you. 
Makes approx. 10 x 125ml icy poles, depending on the size of the moulds.

1 cup caster sugar
• 1 cup water
• zest 1 lemon, peeled with a vegetable peeler 
500ml Greek style yogurt
250g frozen mixed berries


1. Combine the sugar, water and lemon zest in a saucepan over a medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved, bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Remove the lemon zest from the syrup and stir the syrup into the yogurt.
3. Roughly chop the frozen berries and gently fold into the yogurt mixture and working quickly fill your moulds with the mix and place into the freezer for about 1 hour. Insert icy pole sticks into the center of each mould and freeze until solid for 4 hours or overnight.

food dept. fact: We used old tins to create interesting shapes for our Yogurt berry icy poles but you can also use small glasses or even icy pole moulds for this recipe.