Recipe was originally posted by Wolf.
Mango and passionfruit Australian mess
This Australian take on the classic English dessert Eton mess takes advantage of what's in season.
Ingredients (serves 4)
2 mangoes
300ml thickened cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthways, seeds scraped
2 tbs icing sugar, sifted
6 small meringue nests (see note) or a 20cm pavlova shell, broken into small chunks
Pulp of 4 passionfruit
Method
1. Finely chop the flesh of 1 mango cheek and set aside to serve, then roughly chop remaining mango flesh and puree until smooth in a blender or processor.
2. Beat the cream, vanilla seeds and icing sugar in a bowl until thick. Stir in the crushed meringue. Layer some of the mango puree and meringue mixture in four 300ml serving glasses, alternating layers. Top each glass with some of the finely chopped mango, a little of the passionfruit pulp and a little more mango puree. Serve immediately.
Notes
Meringue nests are available from supermarkets. This is the Aussie version - perfect for those times when the pavlova didn't turn out quite the way you planned.
Chocolate and coffee bavarois
With its deep, robust flavour and unmistakable aroma, coffee creates an altogether different high when it stars in decadent desserts.
Ingredients (serves 10)
1.2L thin cream
1 tbs instant coffee granules
75g grated dark chocolate
8 egg yolks
2 tsp cornflour
160g caster sugar
25g powdered gelatine
60ml (1/4 cup) Tia Maria
1 cup Vienna almonds*
Method
1. Divide cream into 2 separate saucepans, sprinkle coffee in one and chocolate in another, stir over low heat.
2. In two other bowls, place 4 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of cornflour and 80g sugar in each and beat to combine, then add hot chocolate cream to one bowl. Return to low heat and stir until slightly thickened. Repeat with hot coffee mixture and remaining egg yolk mixture.
3. Place 3 tablespoons cold water in a bowl, sprinkle half the gelatine on top and whisk to combine. Add to chocolate mixture. Sprinkle remaining gelatine into Tia Maria and whisk to combine, then add to the coffee mixture. Pour half chocolate mixture in base of a 23 x 12 x 8cm terrine dish*. Freeze for 15 minutes or until set. Sit remaining bowl of chocolate and coffee mixture over larger bowls of warm water (this is to stop mixtures setting too quickly). Remove set chocolate from freezer pour over half the coffee mixture and freeze for 15 minutes or until set, repeat layering with remaining mixtures, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
4. While bavarois is setting, place almonds in a food processor and process until lightly crushed. Turn out bavarois and serve with cream and praline.
Notes
* We used a Zenker 30cm triangular cake pan from specialist kitchenware stores. Vienna almonds are caramel-coated almonds from supermarkets.
Plum and rosemary lamb shanks
Sweet plum jam gives these succulent lamb shanks an extra taste dimension.
Ingredients (serves 4)
2 tablespoons plain flour
8 small French-trimmed lamb shanks
(see note)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 brown onion, halved, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup red wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 cup plum jam
mashed potato and steamed green beans, to serve
Method
1. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Place flour and shanks in a bowl. Toss to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, heavy-based, flameproof casserole dish over high heat. Cook shanks, turning, in batches, for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium-high. Heat remaining oil in casserole. Add onion, rosemary and thyme. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is tender. Add wine. Simmer for 1 minute. Stir in stock, sauce and jam. Season with pepper. Add shanks. Bring to the boil. Cover dish. Transfer to oven.
3. Bake for 1 hour. Remove lid and baste shanks. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes or until meat is tender and falling from the bone. Serve with mash and beans.
Notes
If you can't find small French-trimmed shanks, use 4 large ones instead.
Apricot and Amaretto swirl ice-cream
Bring together tangy apricots and rich amaretto liqueur to create this sublime ice cream dessert.
Ingredients (serves 6)
500g apricots, halved, stoned
300g caster sugar
1 tbs lemon juice
3 tbs Amaretto liqueur
6 egg yolks
600ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
600ml cream
Method
1. Place apricots in a pan with 100g sugar. Add water to just cover the apricots and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until just tender but intact. Drain, reserving syrup, and transfer to a bowl to cool.
2. Place 1 cup of cooked apricots in a blender and blend until smooth. Stir in lemon juice.
3. Boil the syrup until reduced by half and add 1 tablespoon of Amaretto. Return remaining apricots to syrup and set aside.
4. Beat egg yolks and remaining sugar until pale and creamy. Heat milk and vanilla in a pan over medium heat and pour over the eggs. Return to the pan and cook over low heat until thickened slightly (do not overcook or the eggs will curdle). Remove custard from heat and set aside.
5. Whip the cream until thickened and fold into custard with the remaining Amaretto. Refrigerate.
6. Pour chilled mixture into a shallow freezer-proof tray and freeze for 1-2 hours. Quickly transfer to a bowl and beat with an electric beater until smooth. Return to tray and refreeze. Repeat 3 times. (Or churn in an ice-cream maker following manufacturer's directions.) Before the ice-cream hardens completely, place one-third in a terrine dish lined with plastic wrap, swirl in some apricot puree and top with more ice-cream. Layer until full. Tap the dish twice on the workbench to remove any air bubbles. Cover with plastic wrap and return to freezer until ready to serve with the reserved apricots.
Windy with Flurries
