Cucumber sandwiches are almost mandatory at ladies’ afternoon teas. These have a special ‘mint’ kick to them – the perfect accompaniment to fresh slices of cucumber.
You will need –
185g Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
8 slices of square-loaf white bread
1/2 a medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons margarine
salt and pepper to taste
Mix the mint and cream cheese until well combined. Spread half the bread slices lightly with margarine, then the other half with the cream cheese and mint mixture. Place the cucumber slices on the cream cheese side so that they overlap, and season with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining slices of buttered bread and take off the crusts before cutting each sandwich in four quarters. Serve on an elegant silver tray lined with white doilies.
Melt-in-your-mouth Smoked Salmon Tartlets
Add a dash of sophistication to your get-together with these dainty salmon mini tarts.
Serves 24
What you’ll need –
3 sheets of ready-rolled puff pastry
100g smoked salmon
2 gherkins
2 green shallots
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon milk
2 eggs, beaten lightly
1 teaspoon freshly chopped dill
Fresh parsley sprigs to serve
Cut the pastry into 6½cm circles and put them on two lightly greased 12-hole tart trays Chop the smoked salmon finely, then the gherkins and shallots, and sprinkle them into the pastry shells in even amounts. Combine thesour cream, eggs, milk and dill in a bowl and pour it over the salmon mixture. Bake them in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes, or until the tartlets are browned. Garnish each tartlet with a sprig of parsley to serve.
With Christmas on the horizon, our thoughts turn quickly to delicious treats and we thought we’d share some of our favourites with you.
FRESH IS FABULOUS
One of the greatest joys of summer is abundant seasonal fruit and here at Australian Country Craft we’re obsessed with fresh berries – yummo! They’re so healthy – well, if you eat them on their own – and while it’s fantastic to snack on them throughout the day, for a real treat use them to top pastries, cakes and of course our favourite Aussie indulgence, the Chrissie pavlova. If you’re pressed for time they’re just as nice served with whipped cream, ice cream or simply dusted with sugar.
SWEET HEARTS
Often a simple gesture is all we need and these mouth-watering shortbread delights show loved ones how much you care. It doesn’t have to take much effort – and these jam-filled biscuits are just the right touch!
250g unsalted butter
3/4 cup icing sugar mixture
2 tsp vanilla essence
1¾ cups plain flour
¾ cup rice flour
Strawberry jam
Preheat the oven to 160°C and line two trays with non-stick baking paper.
With an electric mixer, beat the butter and the icing sugar mixture until it’s pale and creamy, then add the vanilla essence.
Sift the plain flour and rice flour over the butter mixture and stir it until it forms a dough. It may look a little dry, but keep mixing.
Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until it’s smooth.
Roll out the dough until it is 1cm thick and cut out the biscuits with a large heart-shaped cookie cutter.
Cut out the centre of half the biscuits with a small heart-shaped cookie cutter.
Re-use any leftover dough and repeat the process.
Place the trays in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the shortbread is light gold and firm to the touch. Be sure to swap the trays halfway through cooking if you have two shelves.
Put them on cooling racks.
When the biscuits are cool, spread a teaspoon of strawberry jam on the top of each one, then put a biscuit with a ‘hole’ in it on top of the jam, so that the edges line up neatly. Keep going until all the biscuits are doubled up.
Store them in an airtight container.
TEENY TINY TRUFFLE PUDDINGS
These miniature puddings are so gorgeous you can use them as decoration as well. Put a few on a cake stand with doilies and use it as a stunning table feature.
500g store-bought fruitcake
500g dark-chocolate buttons, melted
1/3 cup toasted flaked almonds, crushed
1/3 cup dark rum
2 tbsp dessicated coconut
1 teaspoon of oil
150g white-chocolate buttons, melted
8 red glace cherries, chopped
Pop the cake in a food processor until it’s broken up then combine it in a bowl with the rum, coconut, oil, almonds and 400g of the melted dark chocolate.
Roll the mixture into truffle-size balls, place them on a tray covered with baking paper and set them aside.
Put the leftover melted dark chocolate into a bowl and stir it vigorously.
Spear each ball with a fork and dip it into the mixture to coat it. When it’s set, spoon melted white chocolate into a small plastic bag and prick one end so the chocolate can drizzle out on each pudding and fall down the sides like custard.
Before the chocolate sets, decorate it with a piece of cherry.
