Taste.com.au April 2019

hen it comes to the pleasure of food and family, for me nothing but nothing beats Easter. What I love most is that, unlike the manic rush of Christmas, the pressure’s off. You have time to plan, dream and savour every dish. More and more, this is something I relish almost as much as the dishes themselves. Easter favourites from the taste.com.au archives that always make my short list include: One-pan slow-roasted leg of lamb with scalloped potatoes, and the Raspberry and chocolate hot cross bun pudding, which everyone loves. But the real fun is always the new recipes. No wonder every Easter issue of taste.com.au in my bookcase is dog-eared, full of scribbled notes. Every now and then a new recipe jumps straight into the winner’s circle and this year…

Giant cheese ball Say cheese to this ball of goodness covered in bacon and pistachios! How to: make caramel Learn how to make this sticky and sweet dessert from condensed milk. Pavlova fingers These decorative desserts are a dreamy cross between pav and eclair. How to: make fish stock Put prawn shells and fish bones to use in this base for seafood dishes. Garlic bread cob loaf dip Coated in garlic butter, this cob holds a creamy three-cheese dip. How to: make ricotta cheese Grab milk, cream and lemon juice to make this fresh Italian cheese.…

CLASSIC MELTING MOMENTS BISCUIT ¼ cup (60g) caster sugar250g softened butter1 tsp vanilla essence1¾ cups (265g) Lighthouse Biscuit, Pastry & Cake Plain Flour (sifted) FILLING 60g unsalted butter1 cup (160g) icing sugar2 tsp lemon juice2 tsp grated lemon rind 1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. 2. Combine the sugar, butter and vanilla essence in a medium mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add sifted flour and continue to mix until mixture comes together and a soft dough forms. 3. Rub flour into hands. Roll teaspoons of dough into balls and place 5cm apart on baking tray. Flatten slightly with a fork. 4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until slightly golden. Allow to cool on the trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling…

As a child I spent many a party enjoying chocolate crackles, so this month we have made a giant one, filled it with cheesecake and piled it high with Easter eggs! To make it extra chocolatey for our chocolate issue I’ve used Coco Pops instead of the traditional rice bubbles.Michelle Southan let’s go! 90g (2 1 /2 cups) Kellogg’s Coco Pops 45g ( 1 /2 cup) desiccated coconut 2 tbs icing sugar mixture 2 tbs cocoa powder, sifted 80ml ( 1 /3 cup) coconut oil, melted 100g dark cooking chocolate, coarsely chopped 1 tbs liquid glucose 185ml ( 3 /4 cup) thickened cream 60ml ( 1 /4 cup) double cream Cadbury Creme Eggs, Caramello eggs and hollow eggs, to decorate Chocolate curls, to sprinkle white chocolate cheesecake 250g pkt cream cheese, at room temperature…

tip 1 Use your hand to press the plastic wrap into the glass or ceramic bowl, keeping it as wrinkle-free as possible. Use a piece of plastic wrap large enough so it will cover the top of the cheesecake filling in step 5. tip 2 Use the back of a spoon to press the crackle mixture into the side of the bowl to create an even coating. Use gentle, but firm, pressure to avoid crushing the mix. Look for even coverage and leave top edge rough. tip 3 Gelatine is easy to use once you know how! While you add it to warm water, heating the gelatine slightly allows it to dissolve. Use a fork to whisk to avoid lumps. Don’t overheat as it will inhibit its setting ability. tip 4 Gently pour the white chocolate cheesecake…

rocket Espresso Milano brings Italian-style espresso to your home with the Appartamento domestic model. Sleek and contemporary, the appliance has a small footprint designed especially for city living. All Rocket machines are handcrafted in Milan to an optimised design, delivering powerful steam and quality extraction. With plenty of handy accessories, the Appartamento is the finest in home espresso machines. For more information, visit espressocompany.com.au. “I’ll be looking for a well structured bowl with definition, glossy chocolate drizzle and luscious dollops of cream.” matt preston CELEBRITY JUDGE SEND IN YOUR ENTRIES BY 10 APRIL Terms and conditions: Entries open 00:01 (AEDT) 14/03/19 and close 23:59 (AEDT) 10/4/19. Open to Australian residents only. Winners determined 14:00 (AEDT) 11/4/19 at NewsLifeMedia Pty Ltd, 2 Holt Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010. Winners’ names published in taste.com.au magazine…