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Tiramisu'

A super elegant and delicious dessert perfect to impress, and easy to make.

Ingredients:
Makes about 9 servings

2-3 cups strong coffee, cooled to room temperature
3 tbsp Tia Maria / Kahlua (any coffee liquer)
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup caster sugar
250g Mascarpone cheese
1 cup cream (double/whipping)
250g ladyfingers (savoiardi biscuits)
cocoa powder, for dusting

Directions:
Put the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl. Beat with electric mixers until the mixture goes pale and thick. Add mascarpone and beat until combined. It does not matter if it is marbled slightly.

Whip the cream until stiff peaks hold, and fold gently into the egg mixture. Do not beat!

Beat the egg whites to soft peaks in a perfectly clean metal bowl. If there is any grease, they won't whip properly, so make sure you rinse and dry your beaters well. Fold the whites into the cream. It is very important to retain as much air as possible.

For serving you can use a big dish or individual glasses. If using a big dish: Put the coffee and liquer in a bowl. Dip biscuits in coffee one at a time and drain well. Layer in your dish, covering the whole bottom. Place half of the mascarpone mix on top and spread out. Repeat with remaining biscuits and mascarpone, finishing with a creamy layer.

If using glasses: Break the biscuits up into pieces that will fit your glasses and do the same soaking and layering as before.

Smooth surface and dust with cocoa. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but it works quite well if you leave for up to 24 hours.

Original Recipe

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Butter Biscuits

Do you know those Danish butter biscuits which come in a blue tin? Well these are a VERY good replica of them! :D Adaptions to this recipe include replacing half of the vanilla extract with almond extract, or adding cinnamon or coconuts to the mixture. All equally delicious! When baked you can also dip them in some melted chocolate to decorate.

Ingredients:
Makes about 48 cookies

226g unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
Beat the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla together until smooth and creamy. Mix in the egg yolk until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once. Add the flour and mix just until incorporated.

Scrape onto a lightly floured board and knead a few times, just until the dough smooths out. Turn onto a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a log, wrap up and refrigerate for several hours or freeze.

Before baking, preheat the oven to 160 degrees C. Line your baking sheets with parchment. Roll out the dough about 1/8" thick, cut with cookie cutters and place them on the sheets about an inch apart (they won't be spreading very much, but they need air room around each cookie). It helps to roll out the dough in between cellophane. Bake until JUST beginning to turn golden around the edges, about 16-18 minutes. Cool for 3 minutes on the tray then move to a cooling rack.

Adapted from Original Recipe

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Coconut Balls

An easy dessert I used to do since I was little. Every Maltese person has a version of their own.

Ingredients:

Makes about 24

1 packet crushed Morning Coffee or tea biscuits
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 cup coconut + more to coat balls
1 tin condensed milk
1 tbsp whiskey
2 tbsp chopped nuts

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together, achieving a dough-like mixture. Form into balls and coat in coconuts. If the mixture is a bit too sticky put in the fridge for 10 minutes.

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Lebanese Meat-Stuffed Pitas (Arayes)

An interesting meat mixture in a pitta pocket.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

1/2 large white onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 small bunch fresh parsley
450g ground beef
1 small tomato, diced finely
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Kosher salt
6 pieces pita (whole wheat or regular), cut into halves
olive oil, for brushing

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. In a food processor, combine the onions, garlic, and parsley until finely minced. Remove to a large bowl and add in the beef, tomato, garam masala, pine nuts, and lemon juice. Season with salt. Mix with your hands until well combined.

Arrange the pita halves on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Fill each half with about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture, flattening it out so the filling is even. Brush each quarter on both sides with a little olive oil. Sprinkle salt on top. Bake for 20 minutes, turning once halfway through. Pitas should be browned and crispy.

Serve with a side of couscous.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories (kcal): 111
Protein: 48g
Carbohydrates: 10g
Fat: 5g
Saturated fat: 1g
Fiber: 1.5g
Salt: 135mg
Sugar: 1g

Adapted from Original Recipe

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Chocolate Shortbread

Sure to please both chocoholics and shortbread fanatics, these biscuits can be left plain or decorated with melted chocolate, which of course was my choice!

Ingredients:

Makes about 40

250g butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups plain flour, sifted
1/2 cup cocoa, sifted
100g milk chocolate, for decorating

Directions:
Beat butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla. Fold in sifted flour and cocoa; mix well.

Press dough into a ball. Roll out dough to a 5mm thickness between two sheets of cellophane, to avoid the dough sticking. Cut into fingers or shapes.

Place on greased baking trays. Pierce well with a fork. Bake at 150 degrees C for about 25 minutes, or until firm. Cool on trays for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Melt the chocolate and dip 1/2 of each cookie, letting the extra chocolate drip off. Place on cooking paper to harden.

Original Recipe from "Irresistible Biscuits, Cookies and Shortbread".

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Egg Fried Rice

A versatile dish, great as a side to Asian dishes, and as great as a main by itself.

Ingredients:

Serves 4 (sides)

1 1/2 cups rice, cooked
2 carrots, sliced thinly
1 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 egg
1/2 cup peas
1 tsp cayenne pepper
salt
pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika

Directions:
Heat some olive oil in a large pan or wok. Fry the garlic and onion until golden, then add the carrots and red pepper and cook for 7-8 minutes, until the carrot has softened. Add the peas, together with the soy and oyster sauce, and cook for about 4 minutes. Add the rice and leave to heat through. Remove the rice mixture from the pan and set aside. Scramble the egg in the pan, then put back the rice mixture. Mix well and serve.

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Strawberry Delight

This is a different version of the Blueberry Delight, equally easy to make and as tasty!

Ingredients:
Serves 2

380 ml plain, non-fat yoghurt
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp whiskey
a sprinkle of cinnamon
2 tsp honey
2 tbsp butter
4 digestive biscuits
6 strawberries, chopped
2 tbsp Kirsch liqueur
1/2 cup almonds, slivered

Directions:
Crumb biscuits by placing them in a bag and crushing them with a rolling pin. Meanwhile melt the butter in the microwave. In a bowl mix well the biscuits with the butter, divide into two glasses and press on the bottom.

Mix the yoghurt, vanilla essence, whiskey, cinnamon and honey together and divide between the two glases. Pour the Kirsch on the strawberries and set aside.

Divide half the yoghurt mixture between two glasses, divide half the almonds and half the strawberries and put on the yoghurt mixture. Top the glasses with the other half of the yoghurt mixture, then top with the left over almonds and strawberries.