Chocolate Covered Coconut Balls

These sweet, bite sized chocolate balls remind me of the chocolate bar Bounty. Pure indulgence :)

Makes approx. 25

Ingredients

1⅓ cups icing sugar
1½ cups desiccated coconut
½ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup dark or milk chocolate melts
1 cup white chocolate melts

Optional ingredients: flaked coconut, chopped almonds, sprinkles

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine the icing sugar, coconut and milk.
2. Shape into small balls (approx 15g each). Place onto a tray with baking paper. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
3. Melt milk chocolate and white chocolate melts, in separate bowls, one at a time, in a microwave on medium for 30 seconds, stirring after each time until smooth.
4. Line a tray with non-stick baking paper. 
5. Using a toothpick, dip balls into melted chocolate, allow excess to drip off. Place onto tray; repeat with remaining coconut balls. 
6. Once all the balls are coated in chocolate, Place the remaining melted chocolate into separate paper piping bags. Drizzle the same or opposite colour chocolate over the coconut balls, allow to set in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes and then serve.
7. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week.

Avocado and Vegetable Rice Paper Rolls

Recipe adapted from Super Food Ideas, November 2009 issues, page 71

Ingredients

8 rice paper wrappers
½ cup shredded iceberg lettuce
1 small carrot, peeled grated
1 medium Lebanese cucumber, cut into strips
1 medium avocado, peeled, cut into strips
Sweet chilli sauce, to serve

Method

1. Pour hot water into a heatproof bowl until half full. Dip 1 rice paper wrapper in water. Place on a flat surface. Stand for 20 to 30 seconds or until soft enough to roll without splitting.
2. Place one-eighth of lettuce along 1 edge of 1 wrapper. Top with one-eighth each of carrot, cucumber and avocado. Fold in ends. Roll up firmly to enclose filling. Cover with a damp tea towel to prevent roll drying out. Repeat with remaining wrappers, lettuce, carrot, cucumber and avocado. Serve with sweet chilli sauce.

Notes & Tips

Replace water if it gets too cold to soften wrappers.

For variation you can add the following:

Smoked salmon, Teriyaki chicken, vermicelli rice noodles, mint, perilla leaves, beansprouts

Mini Christmas Puddings

We had a women's evangelistic event at my church today- there was a short evangelistic talk about the prodigal son followed by an afternoon of decorating baubles. To keep with the Christmas mood and festivity, I brought along these mini Christmas puddings as well as some Christmas pudding truffles. They proved to be a real hit with the women at church :)

Makes approx. 35 truffles

Ingredients

800g pkt light fruit cake, coarsely chopped
100g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp brandy
200g white chocolate, coarsely chopped
Red and Green glace cherries, thinly sliced, to decorate

Method

1. Process the fruitcake in a food processor until fine crumbs form
2. Place the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water). Stir with a metal spoon until the chocolate melts and is smooth. Add the melted chocolate and brandy to the cake crumbs and process until well combined.
3. Line a tray with non-stick baking paper. Roll 1 tbsp of cake mixture into a ball. Place on the prepared tray. Repeat with remaining cake mixture. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes or until firm.
4. Meanwhile, place the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water). Stir with a metal spoon until the chocolate melts and is smooth.
5. Drizzle the melted white chocolate over each truffle. Top with the cherries.

Notes & Tips

When topping puddings with 'custard', work in batches of 5 at a time so the 'custard' doesn't set before adding the cherries

Try adding some vegetable oil to the white chocolate while melting, as it makes the chocolate runnier, making it easier to make the effect of custard running down the pudding. It also makes the chocolate shiny when set, so it looks nicer. I added approx. 1 tsp oil for every 100g of chocolate.

Sasuage Rolls

These home-cooked sausage rolls are really easy to make. A handy snack for those cold days, or any time at all!

Makes 12-14

Ingredients

350g beef mince
350g sausage mince
1 brown onion, chopped
1 tablespoon rosemary leaves
sea salt and cracked black pepper
3-4 sheets ready-prepared puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten, for brushing

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the beef and sausage mince in the bowl of a food processor with the onion, rosemary, salt and pepper, and process until combined.
2. Cut each pastry sheet in half. Divide the mince mixture into six equal-sized portions and roll each one into a long sausage shape.
   
3. Place the rolled mixture in the centre of the pastry pieces, brush the edges of the pastry with egg, and roll to enclose the filling, making sure the seam is on the bottom.
   
4. Trim the ends and cut each roll in half. Place the sausage rolls on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
   
5. Brush the rolls with the remaining egg and bake for 30-35 minutes or until puffed and golden.
6. Serve warm with tomato sauce