Deserts 'N Other Sweet Surprises

[LadyPucksMa]

Having a baby shower or christening party this summer? Here's your centerpiece!

Directions:
Almost any shape watermelon will work for this project.
Cut a thin slice from the bottom to provide a stable base.
Draw the outlines for the carriage as shown in the image.
Use a sharp knife to cut out the section to be used for the handle. Cut all the way through the rind.
Use a decorating tool or knife to cut the fancy edges of the carriage.
Remove the top section of rind.
Hollow the carriage and attach the handle with toothpicks.
Attach wheels made from orange slices and hubcaps made from strawberries and kiwis.
Fill the carriage with approx. 4 cups of fruit salad.

[LadyPucksMa]

Kids love melon! Having a birthday party for your favorite little guy? Heres' a pirate ship!

Directions:
Choose a large, oblong watermelon for this project.
Cut a thin slice from the bottom to provide a stable base.
Draw the outlines for the ship as shown in the pattern image.
Use a knife or decorating tool to cut along the lines of the pattern. Cut all the way through the rind.
Remove the top section of rind; it may be easier to make a deep cut across the top section and remove it in two pieces.
Cut the sail from a section of the rind you removed. You can write a message on the sail with a water-soluble black felt tip marker.
Attach the sail to the ship with a long wooden skewer
Fill with approx. 3 cups of fruit salad, depending on the size of the melon.

[LadyPucksMa]

Directions:
Choose a large, oblong watermelon for this project.
Cut a thin slice from the bottom to provide a stable base.
Draw the outlines for the whale as shown in the drawing above.
Use a knife or decorating tool to cut the decorated edges on the side, and a knife to cut the tail and head. Cut all the way through the rind.
Remove the top section of rind; it can be cut into pieces to make removal easier.
Carve the mouth and eyes, cutting only into the green outer layer.
Cut a small, deep hole for a blowhole; inserting dried flowers for the water spout.
Hollow the shell; fill with approx. 4 cups of fruit salad

[LadyPucksMa]

Directions:
Any Shape watermelon can work. Pick one that's right for your table.
Cut a thin slice from the bottom
Draw the outlines for the swan as shown in the pattern image.

Use a sharp knife or decorating tool to cut along the lines of the pattern. Cut all the way through the rind when cutting the top portion that will be cut away.
Be careful to leave the beak attached to the feathers for stability.
Use a knife to hollow out an eye.
To remove the top section, first cut it into quarters.
Hollow the melon and trim the features so they are not too thick.
You can use a melon baller to remove the remaining melon.
Fill with approx. 1 cup of fruit salad, depending on the size of the melon. Serve remaining fruit salad in another bowl.

[Iceman]

My favorite dessert!!!

5 lg Egg yolks
1/2 c Sugar
2 c Whipping cream
3 oz White chocolate - imported,-finely chopped
1/4 ts Vanilla extract
2 tb Sugar



Number of Servings: 4

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 300F.
Whisk egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar in medium bowl.
Bring cream and remaining 1/4 cup sugar to simmer in
heavy medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Gradually
add chopped chocolate to cream mixture and whisk until
smooth. Gradually whisk hot chocolate mixture into
yolk mixture. Mix in vanilla.

Ladle custard into four 10-oz. custard cups (or creme
brulee cups). Place cups in large baking pan. Add
enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of
cups. Bake until custards are set in center, about 1
hour. Remove custards from water and cool. Cover and
refrigerate overnight.

Preheat broiler. Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon sugar over
each custard. Broil until sugar caramelizes, watching
carefully, about 2 minutes. Serve hot, or refrigerate
up to 1 hour and serve cold.

[DarkKnight]

sounds FREEEEEE kin delicious...

[Nova]

Anzac Biscuits



A traditional Australian biscuit. They were sent overseas to serving ANZACs in World War I due to their excellent keeping properties.

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup coconut
125 g butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 tablespoon water
½ teaspoon bicarb soda
Method

1. Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the sugar, rolled oats and coconut.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the golden syrup and water.
3. Stir the bicarb soda into the liquid mixture.
4. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
5. Place walnut-sized balls of mixture on a greased tray and bake for 15-20 minutes at 175°C.
6. Biscuits will harden when cool.


Recipe note

For crunchier biscuits, use more golden syrup.

[Nova]

A quick and easy scone recipe, using lemonade.

Ingredients
4 cups of self raising flour
1 small bottle of cream (300ml)
1 can of lemonade
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Method:
Prepare similarly to any other scones.

Should yield about 24 scones.

Preheat oven to very hot 220C.
Add lemonade and cream to flour, mix to form soft dough, then place mixture on floured surface.
Knead dough to a 2 cm thickness and cut with a floured cutter.
Place close together on tray, brush with whisked egg and bake for 10 - 15 minutes.

Note: Don't fiddle with them too much after kneading the dough. Quickly cut them out, as fiddling around too long will cause them to not rise very much during the cooking process. If you don't have a scone cutter, you can use the top of a glass to cut them out or just cut them out from the dough into 4 or 5cm squares with a knife.

When cooked..... remove from baking tray and let cool or you can eat them while they are hot. Just cut in half & spread with some butter or spread with strawberry jam & a spoon of whipped cream.

Here's one I prepared earlier :p

[Nova]

In the 1930's an Australian chef, Herbert Sachse, invented this dessert when a soft meringue cake was requested for an afternoon tea at the hotel where he worked. This meringue cake, with its unusual soft sweet marshmallow center and crisp crust is produced by folding a little vinegar and cornstarch (cornflour) into the stiffly beaten egg whites and sugar. Once the Pavlova has been baked and cooled, softly whipped cream and fresh fruit (kiwi, raspberries, strawberries, passion fruit) are mounded in the center of the cake. The name, Pavlova, was chosen in honor of the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, who visited Australia in the 1920s.


Although Australia is credited with inventing this dessert, New Zealand also lays claim to it as a similar dessert was being served in that country around the same time as it was said to have been invented in Australia.
Yeah yeah yeah! that'd be right LOL........ Bloody Kiwis :p

Ingredients for Meringue

4 large (120 grams) egg whites

1 cup (200 grams) superfine (castor) sugar

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/2 tablespoon cornstarch (corn flour)

Topping:

1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 tablespoons (20 grams) granulated white sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Fresh fruit - kiwi, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, passion fruit, peaches, pineapple, or other fruit of your choice

Note:

To ensure the egg whites reach maximum volume, have your mixing bowl and whisk clean and free of grease. It is easier to separate your eggs while they are cold. Once separated, cover the egg whites and let them come to room temperature before using (about 30 minutes).

A better meringue is produced when superfine sugar (castor) is used as it dissolves faster into the egg whites than regular granulated white sugar. To make your own, take 1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar and process in your food processor until very fine, about 30 seconds.

You can make the meringue several days in advance. Just store in a cool dry place, in an airtight container. However, once the whipped cream and fruit are placed on the meringue, the dessert should be eaten immediately as the meringue will start to soften and break down from the moisture of the cream and fruit.

Now to get started:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (130 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a 7 inch (18 cm) circle on the paper.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks. Start adding the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and continue to beat until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. (Test to see if the sugar is fully dissolved by rubbing a little of the meringue between your thumb and index finger. The meringue should feel smooth, not gritty. If it feels gritty the sugar has not fully dissolved so keep beating until it feels smooth between your fingers). Sprinkle the vinegar and cornstarch over the top of the meringue and, with a rubber spatula, fold in.

Gently spread the meringue inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper, smoothing the edges, making sure the edges of the meringue are slightly higher than the center. (You want a slight well in the center of the meringue to place the whipped cream and fruit.)

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the outside is dry and takes on a very pale cream color. Turn the oven off, leave the door slightly ajar, and let the meringue cool completely in the oven. (The outside of the meringue will feel firm to the touch, if gently pressed, but as it cools you will get a little cracking and you will see that the inside is soft and marshmallowy.)

The cooled meringue can be made and stored in a cool dry place, in an airtight container, for a few days.

Just before serving gently place the meringue onto a serving plate. Whip the cream in your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, until soft peaks form. Sweeten with the sugar and vanilla and then mound the softly whipped cream into the center of the meringue. Arrange the fruit randomly, or in a decorative pattern, on top of the cream. Serve immediately as this dessert does not hold for more than a few hours.

Serves 6 to 8.

Here's one I prepared earlier

[Nova]

Lamingtons

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

CHOCOLATE ICING:
2 Tbsp. (30g) butter
1/2 cup boiling water
3 cups icing sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups dessicated coconut

Method
Mix butter and sugar together thoroughly in a bowl. Add eggs one at at time, beating well after each. Mix flour and salt together and add to mixture with the milk. Add the vanilla extract and mix only until blended. Spread mixture on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 25-35 minutes.

Prepare icing by melting butter in 1/4 cup boiling water. Mix together icing sugar and cocoa powder, then add the butter and water mixture and mix well. Add vanilla. Icing mixture should be very thin so it will coat the cake squares; add more boiling water if too thick.

Remove cake from oven and let cool. Cut into approximately 30 squares, and dip each into icing and roll in coconut.

Here's a few I prepared earlier