‘Christmas’ Category

  1. Mars Bar Chocolate Crackles

    by Shell

    Ingredients:

    • 200g Mars Bars, chopped
    • 2 tbsp of pouring (thin) cream
    • 2 tsp cocoa powder, sifted
    • 3 cups Rice Bubbles
    • Canola spray
    • 100g white chocolate
    • 24 red Smarties or M&M’s

    Method:

    1. Spray a little canola spray into 2 x 12 cup mini-muffin trays.
    2. Melt the Mars Bars, cream and cocoa in a glass bowl over simmering water. The bowl should not touch water. Stir the mixture until smooth.
    3. Put the Rice Bubbles in a separate large bowl, pour in the chocolate mixture and stir until well mixed.
    4. Spoon the mixture into the muffins tray and press down gently.
    5. Refrigerate for 2 hours and turn out onto a tray to decorate.
    6. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave checking and stirring it at 30 second intervals. Pour it into a piping bag while warm and snip the tip off.
    7. Turn the crackles upside down and pipe the chocolate on.
    8. Finish with a red Smartie on top of each one.

  2. Chocolate Crackle Christmas Tree

    by Shell

    INGREDIENTS

    • ½ cup (75g) dark chocolate Melts, melted
    • coloured cachous
    • ½ cup (75g) white chocolate Melts, melted
    • thin taper candles
    • sweets
    • icing sugar mixture

    Chocolate Crackle Mixture:

    • 1½ cups (240g) icing sugar mixture
    • ¼ cup (25g) cocoa powder
    • 4 cups (140g) Rice Bubbles
    • 3/4 cup (65g) coconut
    • 100g packet Mallow Bakes
    • 250g Copha, melted
    • 1 1/3 cups (200g) dark chocolate Melts, melted

    METHOD

    1. Mark 12 crosses on sheets of baking paper; you need 2 of each size: 18cm, 16cm, 14cm, 13cm, 9cm, and 7cm. Place paper onto trays.
    2. Press 2 teaspoons of the chocolate crackle mixture into a greased 5cm star cutter; refrigerate until set. Remove the cutter carefully, repeat process to make 2 stars.
    3. Drop teaspoonfuls of remaining chocolate crackle mixture along marked crosses, press mixture together lightly; refrigerate until set.
    4. Spread one side of each star shape with a little dark chocolate; press on some of the cachous, allow to set.
    5. To assemble trees, place a small amount of dark chocolate in centre of prepared boards, press the 18cm crosses onto chocolate. Repeat process with remaining crosses and chocolate, from largest to smallest, to form 2 trees. It is important each layer is set before topping with another cross. If crosses are uneven, support underneath until chocolate has set. Secure stars to tops of trees with a little more chocolate; refrigerate until set.
    6. Drizzle white chocolate over the branches. Cut the candles into 2cm pieces; secure candles to branches with more white chocolate. Be sure candles do not touch the higher branches when alight. Attach sweets and remaining cachous to branches with a little more white chocolate.
    7. Just before serving, dust trees with sifted icing sugar.
    8. You will need 2 x 30cm round boards to support the trees. Heavy cardboard covered with gift paper, a large plate or a foil-covered upturned tray could be used. Any remaining chocolate crackle mixture can be spooned into paper patty cases. Recipe can be prepared a week ahead. Assemble trees up to 3 days before serving; keep trees refrigerated.

  3. White Chocolate Salami

    by Shell

    INGREDIENTS

    • 200g white chocolate, broken
    • 150ml condensed milk
    • 20g butter
    • 4 egg yolks
    • 250g packet sweet biscuits, crushed
    • ¾ cup dried cranberries
    • ½ cup roughly chopped pistachios

    METHOD (Makes 6)

    1. In a large heatproof bowl, combine chocolate, condensed milk and butter. Place over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Whisk in egg yolks and remove from heat.
    2. Stir biscuits, fruit and nuts through chocolate mixture to form a dough.
    3. Shape into 6 x 4cm-diameter logs. Place each log onto a piece of baking paper. Roll up firmly, twisting paper at both ends to seal. Chill for 2 hours until set. Serve sliced. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

  4. Barbecued stuffed pork loin

    by Shell

    Make life easier for yourself and cook this year’s Christmas main on the barbecue.

    Equipment

    You’ll need unwaxed kitchen string and a large, disposable foil-baking dish.

    Ingredients – serves 8

    • 50g butter
    • 3 rashers Primo middle bacon, rind removed, finely chopped
    • 1/2 small brown onion, finely chopped
    • 1/2 (70g) cup chopped unsalted macadamia nuts
    • 1 large granny smith apple, peeled, finely chopped
    • 1 1/4 cups fresh breadcrumbs
    • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
    • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
    • 1.5kg rolled pork loin
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 teaspoons sea salt
    • apple sauce, to serve

    Method

    1. Melt butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon and onion. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until onion has softened. Add macadamias. Cook, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes or until macadamias are golden. Remove from heat. Stir in apple, breadcrumbs, parsley and rosemary. Preheat barbecue on high with hood closed.
    2. Remove string from pork. Unroll. Place on a board, skin-side down. Slice crossways through the thickest part of the meat without cutting through to skin. Open pork out to form 1 large piece. Press stuffing, in a wide row, on cut side of loin. Roll up pork to enclose stuffing. Tie with kitchen string at 3cm intervals to secure. Rub with oil. Sprinkle with salt. Place in a large, disposable foil baking dish.
    3. Cook pork, with hood down, using indirect heat (see note), for 20 minutes. Reduce barbecue temperature to medium. Cook for 1 hour 30 minutes using indirect heat or until juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into centre. Remove pork. Cover with foil. Stand for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with apple sauce.

    Notes

    To use indirect heat, turn heat burners on one half of the barbecue to desired temperature. Place baking dish on unheated side of barbecue. You could also cook pork in a 220°C/200°C fan-forced oven for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 180°C/160°C fan-forced and cook for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes.