Rhubarb and berry mascarpone trifle

Busy all week, but love getting into the kitchen at weekends for a bit of cooking therapy? Try your hand at this gutsy flavoured, Mediterranean-inspired dessert. 

Preparation Time

30 minutes

Cooking Time

40 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 bunches rhubarb, trimmed, cut into 4cm lengths
• 250g fresh or frozen blueberries
• 110g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
• 2 oranges, juiced, 1 zested
• 10 wide sponge fingers (savoiardi), halved widthwise
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 8 ginger nut biscuits, crushed

• Custard

• 300ml pouring cream
• 6 egg yolks
• 2 tbs caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract

• Mascarpone mixture

• 3 egg yolks
• 110g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
• 750g (3 cups) mascarpone
• 300ml pouring cream
• 2 oranges, zested

 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Place rhubarb and blueberries in a ceramic or glass baking dish, scatter over sugar and drizzle with half the orange juice. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until rhubarb is soft. Set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, to make custard, place cream in a saucepan and bring almost to the boil. Whisk egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until combined. Gradually pour hot cream into egg yolk mixture, whisking until incorporated. Return the mixture to the pan over low heat and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Do not boil. Transfer custard to a bowl and place in the freezer to cool quickly.
3. To make mascarpone mixture, using an electric mixer, whisk egg yolks and sugar until tripled in volume. Add mascarpone, cream and orange zest, and whisk mixture to almost stiff peaks.
4. To assemble trifle, place sponge fingers in the base of a 4L (16-cup) bowl and drizzle with the lemon juice and remaining orange juice. Pour the cooled custard over. Top with half the mascarpone mixture and scatter with three-quarters of the crushed biscuits. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove rhubarb mixture from the baking dish (reserving the fruit juices) and place over biscuits, then top with the remaining mascarpone mixture.
5. Place the reserved juices in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or until thick and syrupy. Transfer syrup to a small cup. Refrigerate, along with the trifle, for 2 hours or overnight to cool completely.
6. To serve, drizzle a little syrup over the trifle and scatter with orange zest and remaining crushed biscuits.

Whole mandarin pistachio cake

This irresistibly moist mandarin and pistachio nut cake is sure to be a welcome addition to your baking repertoire. 

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 2 large (about 300g) mandarins
• 200g unsalted shelled pistachios
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup (200g) brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Glace orange rind, to serve
• Thick cream, to serve

 

Method

1. Place mandarins in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Place a saucer over the top to keep mandarins submerged. Place over high heat and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and drain. Return mandarins to the saucepan and repeat the process 2 more times (this will reduce the bitterness of the rind). Return mandarins to the pan and cover with cold water. Place over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for 1 hour or until very tender. Drain well. Set aside for 1 hour to cool.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base and side of a round 17cm (base measurement) cake pan with baking paper.
3. Place the pistachios in the bowl of a food processor and process until very finely chopped. Set aside. Cut mandarins into quarters and remove any pips. Place in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.
4. Use an electric mixer to whisk eggs and sugar in a large bowl until thick and pale. Add mandarin mixture, pistachio and baking powder and use a metal spoon to fold until just combined. Pour into the lined pan and bake in oven for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside to cool in the pan.
5. Top with thinly sliced glace orange rind, if desired. Serve with thick cream.

Orange salad

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 4 large oranges, peeled, pith removed and discarded, sliced into 2cm rounds
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 3 tbs finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
• 1 tbs orange juice
• 2 tsp orange blossom water*
• 2 tbs slivered pistachios, to serve

 

Method

1. Lay oranges on a platter. Sprinkle with onion and parsley. Combine oil, juice and blossom water and season. Dress salad just before serving and season with freshly ground pepper. Garnish with nuts.

 

Notes

• * From gourmet food stores and selected supermarkets.

Orange & rosemary focaccia

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 7g pkt dried yeast
• 1 tsp honey
• 250g strong white baker's flour, plus extra, to knead
• 120ml (6 tbs) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 orange, zested
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbs chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 12 black olives
• Sea salt, to season

 

Method

1. Place the yeast, honey and 80ml (1/3 cup) warm water in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside for 10-15 minutes to activate the yeast - it should start to bubble.
2. Sift the flour into a large bowl and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Make a well in the centre, and add the yeast mixture, 2 tablespoons of the oil and 100ml warm water. Use your hands to combine to form a dough. Generously dust your work surface with flour, turn out the dough and knead for 5 minutes until you have a smooth ball. (Alternatively you can use a mixer with a dough hook.)
3. Transfer to a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot for at least 1 hour or until doubled in size. Tip out the dough and use your hands to form it into a 30 x 24cm rectangle.
4. Press into a lightly greased shallow baking tray and use your fingers to prod dimples over the surface of the dough.
5. Combine orange zest, garlic, rosemary and remaining oil in a bowl and brush over dough. Sit olives in the indents and set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 200°C.
7. Sprinkle sea salt over focaccia and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. Serve warm.

Pineapple-Orange Blossoms

INGREDIENTS

 

1           can (12.4 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing

1/2        cup crushed pineapple (from 8-oz can), well drained on paper towels

1/3        cup SMUCKER'S® Sweet Orange Marmalade

4           oz cream cheese (from 8-oz package), softened

 

DIRECTIONS

 

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8 (2 3/4x1 1/4-inch) muffin cups with CRISCO® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Separate dough into 8 rolls; set icing aside. Cut each roll into quarters; place 4 quarters, points up and separated slightly, in each muffin cup. 2 In small bowl, mix pineapple, marmalade and cream cheese. Place 2 tablespoons mixture into center of dough in each cup. 3 Bake 17 to 22 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool in pan on cooling rack 5 minutes. Run knife around edge of muffin cups; remove rolls from cups and place on serving plate. 4 Remove cover from icing; microwave on Medium (50%) 10 to 15 seconds or until thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle icing over warm rolls. Serve warm.

Cranberry-Orange Upside-Down Biscuits

INGREDIENTS

 

Caramel

 

1 1/4      cups packed brown sugar

6            tablespoons butter

3            tablespoons water

 

Biscuits

 

1/2        cup packed brown sugar

1           teaspoon ground cinnamon

1           tablespoon grated orange peel

1           package (16.3 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated original biscuits

1           medium orange, unpeeled, cut into 8 (1/4 inch) slices

3/4        cup dried cranberries

            

Topping, if desired

 

1/2        cup whipping cream

2           teaspoons powdered sugar

2           teaspoons grated orange peel

 

DIRECTIONS

 

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 8 large custard cups (10 oz each) with cooking spray, set aside. 2 In 1-quart saucepan, heat caramel ingredients over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Heat mixture to rolling boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Let stand 5 minutes to cool slightly. 3 Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup brown sugar, the cinnamon and 1 tablespoon orange peel. Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Press each biscuit into the cinnamon and brown sugar mixture until coated on all sides; set aside. 4 Spoon 1 tablespoon caramel into bottom of each custard cup. Place 1 orange slice on top of caramel in each, and top with about 1 tablespoon dried cranberries. Top with remaining caramel, about 1 tablespoon each. 5 Place sugared biscuit on top of brown sugar mixture in each. Bake 14 to 17 minutes or until the biscuit is golden brown. Remove to cooling rack; cool about 10 minutes. 6 Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form. 7 Carefully turn custard cups upside down onto 8 individual serving plates. Just before serving, top with whipped cream and grated orange peel.

This fancy brunch treat can also be served as an easy dessert! Be careful working with the caramel mixture; it will be very hot. Since you don’t peel the orange, be sure to wash it very well.