Couresty of I <3 macarons by Hisako Ogita

This recipe is originally used to make a black tea flavoured butter cream, however omitting the black tea makes a fine butter cream

Ingredients:

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50ml milk
  
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup or 40g granulated sugar

Method:

1. Soften butter and knead with a spatula until it becomes smooth and creamy like mayonnaise
2. Pour the milk into a pot and boil. Turn off the heat and add the black tea into it, if using, you will need  1 teaspoon, cover the mixture with a lid to steam for about 10 minutes
3. Break the egg yolks in a bowl, whisk and then add the granulated sugar. Stir until the egg is pale and appears white
4. Add the milk prepared in step 2 into the bowl used in step 3. Pour the mixture back into the pot, straining it with a strainer. Press the tea leave, if using, with a spatula to squeeze out the flavour
5. Simmer until the mixture is thick and creamy
6. Pour the mixture prepared in step 5 into a bowl and beat with a hand mixer at medium speed until it cools down and becomes heavy. When the mixture is hard enough that you can draw a line on it when scooped on a spatula, it is done.
7. Divide the butter from step 1, adding it into the bowl in two or three batches Blend with a hand mixed. When the mixture is smooth, it is done.
8. Spread the cream between the puffs you made. Wrap the remainder of the cream with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for future use. It can be kept frozen for at least one month.

Variations added in step 2:

Almond Cream: use 100ml milk instead with 50g sliced almonds

Mint Cream: add 1/2 tablespoon or 10g fresh mint

Coconut Cream: use 100ml milk instead with 2 tablespoons or 50g shredded coconut

Variations added in step 7:

Standard Vanilla Cream: vanilla extract

Coffee Cream: dissolve 2 tablespoons of isntant coffee powder in same amount of hot water

Matcha/Green Tea Cream: knead 1 teaspoon matcha poweder with 1 tablespoon of hot water

Blueberry Jam Cream: 3 1/2 tablespoons or 50g blueberry jam

Orange Jam Cream:3 1/2 tablespoons or 50g orange jam or marmalade

Kimi Jam Cream: 3 1/2 tablespoons or 50g kiwifruit jam

Framboise/Raspberry Jam Cream: 3 1/2 tablespoons or 50g raspberry jam

Kirsch Cream: 1 or 2 tablespoons of Kirsch (cherry brandy flavour)

Grand Marnier Cream: 1 or 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier (orange liqueur with citrus fragrance)

Rum Cream: 1 or 2 tablespoons of rum

Mango Cream: 3 tablespoons mango puree

Passionfruit Cream: 3 1/2 tablespoons or 50g passion fruit (sweet and sour fruit with refreshing taste)

Framboise/Raspberry Cream: 4 tablespoons or 80g framboise puree (sour taste)

Honey Cream: 1 or 2 tablespoons of honey

Sesame Cream: 1 tablespoon white sesame seed paste

Praline Cream: 3 1/2 tablespoons or 50g praline (hazelnut or almond paste with cocoa butter)

Orange Flower Water Flavoured Cream: 1 tablespoon orange flower water (soft citrus fragrance)

Rose Water Flavoured Cream: 1 tablespoon rose water (sweet rose fragrance)

Caramel Cream: 1/2 teaspoon caramel colouring

Ingredients:

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3/4 rice bran oil
• Salt and white pepper

Method:

1. Separate eggs
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 egg yolks, mustard and lemon juice, until light and creamy
3. Very slowly add oil, about 1 teaspoon at a time, whisking continuously
4. You can add the oil more quickly as the mayonnaise thickens. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.
5. Pour into jar and refrigerate

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 medium potatoes
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoon white vinegar
• 2 shallots
• 2 sprigs parsley

Method:

1. Cook egg. Place in a small pot, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Cook for 5 minutes, and plunge in cold water
2. Macedoine potatoes, place in medium saucepan, cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Drain and cool
3. Chop parsley and shallots. Peel and chop egg
4. Combine mayonnaise and vinegar, mix until smooth.
5. Combine all ingredients.
6. Garnish and serve.

Makes 48

Ingredients:

• 250g pumpkin
• 1 medium potato
• 8 slices white bread
• 60g ghee, melted
• 50g feta cheese, chopped
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

• 45g butter
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Method:

1. Boil, steam or microwave pumpkin and potato until tender, drain well. Mash pumpkin and potato in bowl, push through sieve; cover, refrigerate until cold.
2. Cut 6 x 3 1/2 rounds from each slice of bread. Combine ghee and bread rounds in bowl, stir until well coated, place rounds on oven tray. Bake in moderate oven for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned; cool.
3. Thinly spread rounds with herb butter. Spoon pumpkin mixture into piping bag fitted with fluted tube. Pipe mixture onto rounds, top with cheese and chives
4. Combine butter, chives and parsley in bowl; mix well

Makes 24

Ingredients:

• 6 slices bread
• 60g butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/3 cup grated tasty cheese

• 250g minced beef
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon French mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon oil

Method:

1. Cut 4 x 4 1/2cm rounds from each slice of bread. Brush rounds with butter, place on oven trays, bake in moderate oven for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. 
2. Combine mince, onion, mustard and sauces in a bowl. Shape 2 level teaspoons of mixture into a ball, flatten to a 4cm patty. Repeat with remaining mixture. heat oil in pan, add patties, cook until well browned; drain on absorbent paper.
3. Spread each round with tomato paste, top with a meat patty and cheese.  Grill burgers until cheese is melted

Makes 36

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 2 cups self raising flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 15g butter
• 1 cup milk, approximately

• 150g packaged cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Method:

1. Lightly grease 23cm square slab pan. Place potato on oven tray, pierce with fork, bake in moderate oven for about 45 minutes or until tender; cool to room temperature. Peel and mash potato - you will need 1 cup mashed potato
2. Sift flour and sugar into bowl; rub in butter. Stir in potato and enough milk to mix to a soft dough. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, knead gently until smooth. Press dough evenly on lightly floured surface until 1 1/2 thick; cut into 4cm rounds. Place scones in prepared pan; brush tops with a little extra milk
3. Bake scones in very hot oven for about 15 minutes or until tops are browned. Split scone in half, sandwich with herb cheese
4. Beat cheese in small with electric mixer until light and fluffy, stir in herbs.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups chopped dried dates
• 1 1/4 cups boiling water
• 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 50g margarine
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup gluten free self raising flour

• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 4 tbsp firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Spray a 12 hole muffin tin with cooking oil spray
2. Place dates and water in a food processor; process until smooth. Place mixture in a bowl, stir in bicarbonate soda and let stand or 5 minutes
3. Using electric beaters, beat margarine and brown sugar together until smooth, then add eggs, date mix and flour and mix well until combined.
4. Spoon into muffin tins, bake for 35 - 40 minutes, or until pudding springs back when touched. Let stand for 10 minutes
5. Combine 1/2 cup evaporated milk, brown sugar in a small saucepan until sugar has dissolved. Dissolve cornflour in a bit of water and pour into saucepan whilst stirring over a medium heat until sauce thickens and is smooth. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract
6. Serve puddings drizzled with sauce.

Per serve: 1360kJ (320cal); Protein 9g; Total Fat 9g; Saturated Fat 2g; Carbohydrate 53g; Total Sugars 37g; Sodium 470mg; Potassium 180mg; Calcium 110mg; Iron 0.7mg; Fibre 3g

Courtesy of Northern Sydney Institute of Tafe

Ingredients:

• 250g butter
• 250g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 225g almond meal
• 25g cornflour

Equipment:

• 3 medium bowls
• 1 small bowl
• 2 trays
• Silicone paper

Method:

1. Cream softened butter with caster sugar
2. Add eggs, whisking to avoid curdling
   
3. Add almond meal and cornflour
4. Bake on silicone paper, use a template to form the appropriate shapes

Courtesy of Northern Sydney Institute of Tafe

Serves 10

Ingredients:

• 500ml milk
• 500ml cream
• 100g sugar
• 2 vanilla beans
• 6 gelatine leaves

Equipment:

• 1 measuring jug
• 1 small bowl
• 1 medium bowl
• 1 medium saucepan
     

Method:

1. Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water
2. Heat the milk, cream and sugar together, add split vanilla bean, allow to infuse for 5 minutes. Add the gelatine
3. Pour into the dariole moulds and allow to set in the refrigerator
4. Turn out onto serving plate and decorate with almond tuiles

Courtesy of Northern Sydney Institute of Tafe

Serves 10 

Ingredients:

• 650g chocolate, couverture
• 7 eggs
• 125g sugar
• 1 litre cream, whipped

Method:

1. Melt the chocolate
2. Whip the whole eggs and sugar in a water bath to sabayon stafe
3. Fold the chocolate through, stir occasionally until cool
4. Fold in the whipped cream
5. Pour into a clean mould, glass, ramekin, etc. cover and allow to set in fridge
6. Alternatively set into a deep tray and refrigerate 4 hours. Then make quenelles and serve onto dessert plate