Warming to the classics
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday December 8, 2009
If you can stand the heat, get into the kitchen and cook up these treats. An advantage of the Australian Christmas is theres no need to stick with cold-weather traditions. Prawns and oysters, salads and ice-cream cake for dessert, its all fair game. But sometimes theres nothing like a classic spread with all the old favourites bowls of nuts, roast vegetables, gravy, plum pudding, brandy sauce.These recipes for glazed ham and stuffed turkey are perfect for an old-fashioned kind of Christmas and then theres a clever, decorative cupcake to try.Recipes from The Complete Cook from The Australian Womens Weekly, $74.95.Christmas tree cupcakes125g butter, softened1 tsp coconut essence23 cup castor sugar2 eggs1 cup dried tropical fruit salad, finely chopped12 cup macadamia nuts, chopped coarsely23 cup plain flour13 cup self-raising flour13 cup desiccated coconut14 cup milk10 star fruit, approximatelyGreen edible glitterCoconut ice frosting2 egg whites1 tsp coconut essence1 12 cups icing sugar1 cup desiccated coconutPreheat oven to 170C (150C fan-forced). Line a six-hole (-cup/180-millilitre) texas muffin pan with paper cases. Beat butter, essence, sugar and eggs in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in dried fruit and nuts, then sifted flours, coconut and milk. Divide mixture between cases; smooth surface. Bake cakes about 45 minutes. Turn cakes on to wire racks to cool. Make coconut ice frosting; top cakes with frosting. Cut star fruit into 5-millimetre slices. Arrange to make Christmas tree shapes. Use toothpicks or trimmed bamboo skewers to hold star fruit in place. Sprinkle with glitter.Coconut ice frosting: Beat egg whites and essence in small bowl with electric mixer until foamy. Beat in sifted icing sugar in about four batches; stir in coconut.Makes 6Honey-glazed turkey with orange-pecan stuffing4kg turkey2 medium oranges, unpeeled, chopped coarsely1 cup water2 cups chicken stock cup bourbon50g butter, melted2 tbsp orange juice cup honey2 tbsp plain flourOrange-pecan stuffing20g butter1 large brown onion, chopped finely4 cups stale breadcrumbs1 cup coarsely chopped roasted pecans1 tbsp finely grated orange rind2 tbsp orange juice cup water40g butter, melted2 eggs, beaten lightlyPreheat oven to 180C (160C fan-forced). Discard neck from turkey. Rinse turkey under cold water and pat dry inside and out with absorbent paper. Tuck wings under turkey, fill large cavity with orange and tie legs together with kitchen string. Place the water, stock and bourbon into large flameproof baking dish; place turkey on oiled wire rack over dish. Brush turkey all over with butter, cover dish tightly with two layers of oiled foil. Roast for two hours, 10 minutes. Uncover turkey; brush with half of the combined orange juice and honey. Roast, uncovered, for about 50 minutes or until browned all over and cooked through, brushing frequently with remaining honey mixture. Remove turkey from dish; cover, stand for 20 minutes.Meanwhile, make orange-pecan stuffing. Melt butter in medium frying pan. Cook onion, stirring, until soft. Combine onion in medium bowl with breadcrumbs, nuts, rind, juice, water, melted butter and egg. Roll two tablespoons of the mixture into balls; place on oiled tray. Bake, uncovered, in oven for about 20 minutes or until browned lightly. Strain turkey juices from dish into large jug. Skim two tablespoons of the oil from juices; return oil to dish. Add flour to dish; cook, stirring, until mixture bubbles and browns. Add juices; cook, stirring, until gravy boils and thickens. Strain gravy into same jug as turkey juices. Serve turkey with stuffing, accompany with a kumara mash and steamed green beans.Serves 8Orange-glazed ham6kg smoked leg of ham2 small oranges, halved, sliced thinly1 tbsp whole clovesOrange glaze12 cup orange marmalade34 cup orange juice14 cup firmly packed brown sugar2 tsp dijon mustard2 tbsp Cointreau or Grand MarnierCut through ham rind about 10 centimetres from the shank end of leg. Remove rind from ham by sliding your hand between the rind and the fat layer. Discard rind. Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan-forced). Make orange glaze by stirring ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat until warm. Secure orange slices with cloves in decorative pattern on ham. Wrap shank in foil; brush ham with some of the orange glaze. Roast ham, covered, brushing occasionally with more glaze, for about two hours or until orange is lightly caramelised and ham is heated through.Serves 12
Β© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald
