Chocolate and peppermint creams

Ever been totally stuck on ideas for birthday gifts for that one person who has EVERYTHING and that is very hard to buy for? (a bit like B really. Well, she doesn't have everything but is hard to buy for!). I know when I recieve a homemade gift or a home cooked something I think it's just that little more special and made with love and care. I love giving a home made gift and always love seeing the smile on their face as they take that first bite into something you have worked so hard on......priceless!

I'm pretty sure I have mentioned before how much I love chocolate. My favourite chocolate partner flavour if I had to choose one would be peppermint. Actually anything with a mint flavour is my weakness just like B and her weakness for caramel. These peppermint creams were heavy on the chocolate flavour and were quite a dense texture, they weren't a light crunchy biscuit texture but more like a cake texture with the beautiful peppermint cream joining the two biscuits together. They were very easy to make and I made them as Christmas presents for some family members. My three darlings were impressed but they are impressed by the mere mention of the word "chocolate" so I knew I was on a winner with this one.
Another Donna Hay recipe from issue 60 (which would rate high on my most used list) Dec/Jan 2012 page 182. This issue has lots of biscuit ideas for gifts and I hope you love it just as much as I do.

You will need:
150g butter, softened
1/2 cup (90g) brown sugar
1/2 cup (175g) golden syrup
1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour, sifted
1/4 cup (25g) Dutch cocoa, sifted
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of baking soda, sifted
200g dark chocolate, chopped
peppermint cream
2 1/2 cups (400g) icing sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 tablespoons milk

Place the butter, sugar and golden syrup in an electric mixer and beat for 8-10 minutes or until pale and creamy.

Add the flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda and beat until a smooth dough forms.

Add the chocolate pieces and mix until well combined. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes or until firm.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees ( 350F). Roll 1 tablespoonful of the dough into balls at a time. Place on baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper and flatten slightly, leaving room to spread.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the tops are cracked. Allow to cool on wire racks.
To make the peppermint cream, place the icing sugar, peppermint extract and milk in a bowl and beat with a hand-held electric mixer for 3-4 minutes or until smooth.

Spread half the biscuits with the peppermint cream and sandwich with remaining biscuits.

Enjoy! M x

Lamb, spinach & feta sausage rolls

I have been known to make the odd sausage roll here and there over the years and have tried many sausage rolls also. B has been fortunate to sample some sausage rolls from Bourke Street Bakery in Sydney and has lent me her Bourke Street cook book for a while. Actually it has just come to my attention as to why I have been so lucky that B has actually parted with one of her most prized possessions! No I haven't made those ginger brulee tarts that you suggested! (Just in case she is reading my post today!)

Back to the task at hand - sausage rolls! I am a little partial to the good old homemade ones I'm afraid and you can really add anything you like to make your own creations and using different minces, lamb, beef, chicken or chickpeas for the vegetarians out there.

My little beasts love them and over the years I have managed to hide all kinds of healthy vegetables in the mince (if only they knew!). I was a little scared of them turning their noses up at these ones as the word "spinach" sent alarm bells ringing in my head as it meant the texture could have a slight green colour appearance once they took their first bite. I was very wrong.....they LOVED them and you could barely tell there was anything healthy hiding inside the sausage roll.

I had never tried using lamb mince in a sausage roll before but I found the flavour with the feta and spinach to excite my taste buds. This recipe makes quite a few and I was able to freeze some and give to B (I do share sometimes!) and I'm sure Mr B enjoyed every last crumb.

This recipe was found in what is turning out to be one of my kitchen must-have books - "My favourite food for all seasons" by Janelle Bloom.

You will need:
1kg lamb mince
6 green onions, finely chopped
2 cups finely shredded English spinach or silverbeet
1 cup soft white breadcrumbs
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted, chopped
2 eggs
150g marinated feta, well drained
frozen ready-rolled puff pastry, partially thawed
tomato chutney, to serve

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Line 2 large flat baking trays with baking paper.

Process your breadcrumbs in the food processor.

Combine the mince, green onions, spinach, breadcrumbs, parsley, pine nuts and 1 egg in a large bowl.
Mix with clean hands until well combined.

Crumble over the feta and stir gently to combine. Season with a little salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.

Cut 1 pastry sheet in half. Beat the remaining egg with a fork. Spoon the filling in a sausage shape along the long edge closest to you. Brush the opposite long edge lightly with beaten egg. Roll up and press the pastry edges together to seal.

Repeat with remaining filling and pastry. Cut each roll into smaller ones. Brush the top of each sausage roll with egg. Place seam side down onto trays, allowing room for spreading. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and puffed. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature with tomato chutney.

Enjoy! M