Easy Classic Trifle

Everyone probably has their own 'family recipe' for the classic trifle! However, my family doesn't! My husband loooves trifle, this is my take on the classic trifle!

 

 

I used a 6 in 1 cake stand from Kmart which has a huuuuuge capacity!  http://www.kmart.com.au/product/6-function-cake-stand/708323

 

This is a hit everytime I make it and there are never any leftovers! I find it not too sweet and quite light compared to some trifle's I have tasted. I use orange juice so it is kid friendly, but you could use Cointreau or any other type of liquor if you want for an 'adult' friendly dessert!

 

EASY CLASSIC TRIFLE

 

Serves 12 - 16

 

Ingredients:

 

2 x packets Jam Rollettes (cut in half) 

1 x 820g tin Fruit Salad in Juice 

1/2 cup fresh orange juice (kid friendly) or Cointreau  

2 x pre-made Aeroplane Jelly as per instructions (I use red and green, but you could use any colour/flavour)

1 x batch thick vanilla custard (http://www.recipecommunity.com.au/desserts-sweets-recipes/thick-vanilla-custard-thermomumma/282103 with 60g sugar) or if you don't have a thermomix, you can buy the pre-made chilled custard or make custard from Custard Powder

1 x 600ml thickened cream (Speed 3 with butterfly until whipped and fluffy)

1 x punnet raspberries

1 x punnet blueberries

Approx. 100gm flaked almonds

 

 

Method:

 

**Pre-prepare a few hours/overnight beforehand - 2 x jelly as per instructions on packet, and custard to leave chilling in fridge.

 

**Pre-prepare just before assembly - whip thickened cream

 

1. Cut the Jam Rollettes in half and place at the bottom of the glass bowl.

 

 

 2. Pour the tinned fruit salad with juice over the jam rollettes and spread evenly.

 

 

 3. Pour orange juice evenly over the mixture.

 

 

4. Mush up 1 colour of the pre-prepared jelly with a fork, and spread an even layer in bowl.

 

 

 

5. Spread an even layer of custard in bowl.

 

  

6. Mush up the other colour of the pre-prepared jelly with a fork, and spread an even layer in bowl.

 

 

 

7. Spread whipped cream evenly over the mixture, and top evenly with raspberries, blueberries and flaked almonds.

You can serve immediately after assembly, but this is best served after a few hours/the day after so that all the layers sit and 'marinade' together - so this is great to bring to a party or to whip up beforehand for a dinner party.

 

I place the fruit evenly so that when serving, each scoop will get an even amount of fruit. I also add the flaked almonds on top for some crunch.

 

 

 

 

Hummingbird Cake

I made this for dessert after a family lunch. It is a moist summery cake which is great for dessert or afternoon tea.

 

 

Hummingbird Cake Recipe:

 

http://www.recipecommunity.com.au/baking-sweet-recipes/hummingbird-cake-deliciously-moist/226905

 

I used:

• 2 x frozen bananas instead of fresh ones
• 1 x 440gm can of crushed pineapples
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon instead of the pumpkin spice
• Rice Bran oil instead of sunflower oil
• a Wilton 2D icing tip to frost the icing on

 

2 x frozen bananas

 

 

Bananas blitzed as per recipe

 

 

Baked @ 170 degrees for 1 hour (it took longer than the recipe, possibly due to my oven, or due to using frozen bananas)

 

 

Delicious!

 

Vanilla Fudge with Toasted Almonds

My work colleagues inform me that this is the best fudge that I have made so far!

 

 

Delectable Vanilla Fudge

 

http://www.recipecommunity.com.au/desserts-sweets-recipes/delectable-vanilla-fudge/181099

 

 I made the fudge as per recipe. Whilst it was cooking, I dry roasted 1 1/2 cups slivered almonds in a frying pan on medium heat. Stir around the almonds until browned and you can smell the smokiness of them:

 

 

Once the fudge has finished cooking, after you add in the chocolate in the final step, add 1 cup of dry roasted almonds:

 

 

Mix 20 seconds/Speed 3/Reverse:

 

 

Pour and spread out into a square silicon baking pan and sprinkle/press in with a spatula the remaining 1/2 cup of almonds:

 

 

This is a fantastic base fudge recipe with or without additions. I have made this vanilla fudge with almonds twice in 2 days, and also made a chocolate mint slice fudge by using dark chocolate instead of white chocolate, and adding 10 mint slice biscuits (broken up by hand into quarters) mix 20 seconds/Speed 3.

 

 

Easy Carbonara Pasta Sauce (Non Thermomix Recipe)

This is another pasta sauce I've been making for many years and is a favourite with my immediate and extended family, so I make it for most family events as it is great for a side dish. It is also great to make for weekday dinners with leftovers for lunch/dinner the next day! This is super quick and easy and is one of those recipes I make if I can't think what else to make as it is always delicious!

 

 

Easy Carbonara Pasta

 

I always have bacon in the freezer, so I usually put anywhere from 250 to 500 grams in this recipe (depending on how meaty I feel like having it) - I chose 300 grams for the recipe below. You could also add chicken and fry it with the bacon, or even add leftover roast chicken to bulk it up.

 

I usually use penne or fettucine pasta's with this (depends what I feel like or what I have in the pantry!)

 

I make this in the frying pan (instead of Thermomix) as I loved bacon when it's fried and charred/smokey and it brings a depth of flavours with the garlic and onion - mmmmmm!!

 

EASY CARBONARA SAUCE (NON THERMOMIX RECIPE)

 

Ingredients

 

1 tablespoon Rice Bran Oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 x brown onion (diced)

Approx. 300 grams short cut bacon (cut into 1/2cm strips)

1 x 600ml bottle thickened cream

1 x handful of chopped fresh parsley or 1-2 teaspoons of dried parsley flakes

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 x handful of shredded parmesan cheese

(Optional) 1 tablespoon *Johnny's Garlic Spread and Seasoning

 

 

Easy Carbonara Pasta Sauce Ingredients

 

Method

 

1. In a medium to large frying pan, heat the rice bran oil on high heat.

 

2. Add the minced garlic and fry till browned.

 

3. Add the diced onion and fry till browned.

 

4. Add the bacon strips and fry till browned/shrunken in size.

 

5. Add the thickened cream and turn to low heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

 

6. Add the parsley, salt and pepper, and Johnny's Garlic Spread and Seasoning (optional) and simmer on low until ready to serve.

 

 

Easy Carbonara Pasta Sauce simmering

 

7. Cook and stir through pasta and top with parmesan cheese.

 

 

Serve with any type of pasta and top with parmesan cheese

 

This sauce is perfect for 1 x standard 500gm packet of pasta. I made this to go with a (3 - 4 serving) batch of homemade penne pasta in my new Philips Pasta machine - soooo delicious!!!

*Note: Johnny's Garlic Spread and Seasoning is one of my favourite finds at Costco. I don't actually like it as a garlic bread spread (I prefer real garlic and butter), but it gives that something special when seasoning my pasta sauces and mashed potato.

 

Johnny's Garlic Spread and Seasoning

 

Coconut Rough Fudge

Yep, I'm going through a zillion fudge recipes! They are just so easy to make and great to take in for office treats!! This was my contribution to an office farewell afternoon tea :) 

 

 

Coconut Rough Fudge

 

This is a much stickier/fudgey fudge and best served right out of the fridge, so if you're going to make fudge for Christmas gifts, I wouldn't make this as it is to melty (I would make a fudge recipe cooked with glucose which holds it together more), however it is great to bring to a party for your dessert contribution, and this was a massive hit in the office, with lots of people go in for several pieces after they had the first one! 

 

And, this has only 3 ingredients!!! Milk Chocolate + Condensed Milk + Shredded Coconut!

 

Coconut Rough Fudge Recipe:

 

http://thermobliss.com/easy-coconut-rough-fudge/

 

 

Add milk chocolate and condensed milk

 

 

Melt 10 minutes/100 degrees/Speed 3

 

Add coconut

 

 

Recipe says to mix on reverse, however it didn't work so I just mixed it through with a spatula - easy enough!

 

 

Pour into square silicon baking pan

 

 

Sprinkle with shredded coconut and refrigerate overnight!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reindeer Cupcakes

These reindeer cupcakes are so cute and easy to make for the kids, or for  an activity for kids in the kitchen!



 

 

12 reindeer including Rudolph with his red nose!

 

 

What you need:

 

• Chocolate cupcakes (x 12) - base
• Chocolate buttercream icing - face background
• Vanilla buttercream icing - eyes background
• Mini pretzels (x 24) - horns
• White Chocolate melts (x 12) - mouth background
• Mini M & M's (11 x brown ones, 1 x red one for Rudolph) - noses
• Chocolate Chips (x 24) - eyes
• Melted chocolate - melt a handful of chocolate chips in a ziplock bag placed in the microwave in 20 second intervals on high, squishing the chocolate together between your fingers in between microwaving, until all melted, then cut a small hole in the corner and pipe the mouth





Assemble to look as the photo above and enjoy!!

 

This can be made with any cupcake and buttercream icing recipe or packet mix (kids will probably pick off the top chocolate bits and give their parents the rest to finish!). If you're short on time in the past I have also used Betty Crocker's ready to go frosting available from the baking section in the supermarket :)

 

 

'Subway' Cookies

I had a Subway cookie for the first time in aaages last week and it was so more-ish, I decided to make them at home! 

 

 

'Subway' Cookies

 

This is the recipe I used - Subway Cookie Recipe (Thermomix Method):

 

http://www.recipecommunity.com.au/baking-sweet-recipes/subway-cookies/97840

 

If you don't have a Thermomix, I have found this Subway Cookie Recipe (Non Thermomix Method):

 

http://allrecipes.com.au/recipe/10263/-subway--cookies.aspx

 

 

 Weigh out 350 grams mixed chocolate/nuts (Next time I'll use a mix of M & M's, Choc Chips and Macadamias, however I used whatever I could find in the pantry, including leftover Easter Eggs...about time considering it's nearly Christmas!)

 

 

 Add 170 grams chopped butter

 

 

 Melt - 4 minutes/60 degrees/Speed 2

 

 

 Add 180 grams brown sugar and 110 grams white sugar

 

 

 Mix 2 minutes/Speed 4

 

 

 Add 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla paste/extract

 

 

 Mix 30 seconds/Speed 4

 

 

 Add 400 grams self raising flour

 

 

 Mix 1 minute/Speed 3

 

 

 Add reserved chocolate/nuts (chopped up)

 

 

 Mix together with a spatula/wooden spoon (I transferred to another bowl as the Thermomix blades got in the way)

 

 

 

Bake for about 12 - 15 minutes in a 180 degree preheated oven

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wait to cool a few minutes then transfer to cooling rack