My Famous Double Choc Panacotta

This Panacotta is not as hard as you might think.

I have had rave reviews with it too. It's a party favourite

The texture is velvety smooth and creamy to the taste

You can't go wrong giving this a go

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 7-8 hours (setting)

Servings: 10-12

Ingredients - White chocolate mixture

¼ cup (60ml) milk

1/3 cup caster sugar

400ml thickened cream

160g white chocolate chips

3 tbs boiling water

2½ tsp gelatine powder

Ingredients - Dark chocolate mixture

¼ cup (60ml) milk

1/3 cup caster sugar

400ml thickened cream

80g milk chocolate chips

80g dark chocolate chips

3 tbs boiling water

2 tsp gelatine powder

Fresh berries to serve

Method

1. Place milk, sugar and cream a saucepan, and stir to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 4 minutes. 

2. Cream will be very hot, add the white chocolate chips and stir with a whisk until the chocolate chips have melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy.

3. Pour the boiling water into a cup or small bowl, sprinkle over the gelatine and stir together and break up any lumps then leave to dissolve for a minute. Then add the gelatine to the chocolate mixture.

4. Use the whisk to incorporate the gelatine, combining well. Allow the mixture to cool slightly before pouring into the Jel ring or mould.
5. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until just at setting stage.

6. Follow steps 1, 2 and 3 for the dark chocolate mixture, and then pour into the Jel Ring, (on top of the white chocolate mixture). Refrigerate for a further 2 to 3 hours, or overnight until set.
7. Unmould the panacotta onto a serving platter and serve with fresh berries.

Problem solving...

Why didn't my Panacotta set?

Well, there could be many reasons. Over heated the cream/milk, burnt the gelatine, not enough gelatine, chocolate may be a different brand, too much cream or milk? You really won't know unless you try again.

I don't want to have to cut it up and serve it, can I do individual portions?

Absolutely!! and think how pretty it would be with a fresh berry or few on top with a little dollop of cream!

What sizes are the portions?

Well I don't like to measure for others because I would eat the whole thing without help!

But think about how rich it will be with the cream and chocolate, if in doubt let people serve themselves.

Berry's are expensive/out of season, can I use something else?

Absolutely! There are no rules with food. Choc banana works, Choc mango, Choc peach, Choc Plum. Think about what you love to eat with Chocolate and go crazy!

Would this work if I left out the chocolate?

Good questions I can't answer. 1. because I love chocolate and wouldn't try, and 2. give the ratio's of the ingredients, I would say its probably better to find a different recipe without chocolate.

Do you have a other recipes for Panacotta?

Yes I do, and I will share, but be aware I have not tried them all. I will however update the recipes if and when I do try them to include my own photo's and tips.

My Pasta e Fagioli in the slow cooker

Hi everyone! It's been a long time!
I've decided to get back on the blogger wagon and share more of my amazing home and cooking.

Growing up this was one of my favourite meals my mother made

It wasn't to all visitors taste, but it was warm and hearty and went quite a long way!

When I moved out of home at 18, I had no idea what I was doing in the kitchen.

And Mum and Dad were far away, I had to google a recipe!

After many years of playing with it, I have a recipe I am happy with 

Cooking this every winter, sometimes more than once brings such good memories back to me

But now I use my slow cooker to so it cooks low and slow.

Don't have one? Don't fret! you can still do it on the stove in a big boiler/pot.

My Pasta e Fagioli
(Pasta and Bean soup)

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

1 onion, diced finely

1 medium carrots, diced finely

2-3 stalks celery, diced finely

2 fresh tomatoes, chopped

Garlic cloves (quantity is up to you, I like a lot)

1-2 dried chilli's (optional)

1 pork hock (or bacon bones)

1 packed dried borlotti beans/whole green lentils or beans of your choosing (soaked overnight)

3-4L chicken stock (home made or bought)

Salt and Pepper

250g small pasta of your choice (these photo's show alphagetti)

What to do

First be sure everything is chopped as desired, if you like texture, then cut them chunky.

Want them to break down? then chop them finely

Start by frying off the onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes and chilli

When they are starting to soften add your pork hock

Add the soaked beans/lentils and give it a stir

Add Stock and bring to the boil, then transfer to slow cooker

(you don't have to wait for boiling if you can't be bothered, I often rush ahead)

If using a slow cooker, put the dial to low and leave it all day

6-8 hours.

But be sure not to leave it too long

(I did once, turned to much, great for puree and still tasted wonderful but whoops!)

When beans/lentils are soft and meat is falling of the pork hock/bone

Add seasoning to taste

It's ready for the pasta

Add pasta and let it cook until the pasta is to your taste

(not the TV chef's taste)

Sprinkle with the cheese of your choice before serving and enjoy!

This freeze's well for a meal on the go

There is no better surprise when you are looking for a quick and healthy meal in the freezer, when you find you have a container that has been hiding down the back!

Worm farming

My first worm farm

Inside my worm farm

About a year ago my friend, her husband and I went off to one of these council run free classes on composting and worm farming. I fell in love straight away. Not the composting, too much like work that one (although it has is perks). Worms were my thing. Off I went and bought myself a worm farm.

 When you buy a worm farm they are all relatively the same and come with everything you need to set it up. You can choose to buy worm conditioner which is said to keep them happy and healthy, but I found crushed egg shells worked just fine.

Shop around when you buy your worms, they don't come with the worm farm pack from your hardware store, they are separate. It really doesn't matter which ones you get (there are a few species) as long as they are healthy and hungry.

They really are very cute

healthy hungry worms

Do’s

Do feed them

Do leave them in the dark

Do keep in the shade

Do keep them moist

Don'ts

Don’t stir or turn them

Don’t let in light

Don’t leave in the sun

Don’t flood them(they can’t swim!)

Don’t over feed them!

What to feed them?

Worms Love!

Most Fruit

Most Vegetable

Potato peelings (will eat a little only maybe!!)

Coffee grounds, tea bags, leaf tea

Rice (not too much)

Egg shells (they LOVE!)& neutralizes PH

Vacuum bag dust

Hair clippings (human and animals)

Torn up news paper (not too much)

Soaked pizza cartons (not too much)

My worm food container

 What not to feed them?

 

Worms don’t like!

Bread (will if its soaked with gooey rotting food)

Onions/chives/shallots

Garlic

Chillies

any spicy food

dairy

All Citrus

All Meat

Potato peelings (will eat a little)

All Manure

Grass clippings

Glossy paper

No Carbon Products

Now the liquid they produce is called a 'Worm Tea' and it is great for your garden, using it 1 part to 10 water you can fertilise your garden once a week. My garden loves it!

Worm tea - great fertiliser

 What to do when you think your worm farm is getting too small?

I recycled a bath, hubby put the tap on the bottom and I can tell you I am much happier with this set-up than I was with the bought variety.

Recycled bath

Worms are great for getting rid of your scraps from the kitchen without throwing them in the rubbish. They are the best pet to have, you can forget about them and they will survive (but not forever). If your going away and you are worried about them, buy some whole vegetables and through them in, the bigger they are the longer they will last.

Happy worms

 PS. Happy worms multiply fast, but don't worry, if they get too many they will feast on each-other too, population control its called.

Some more tips and hints

Feed worms 1’s a week,

Don’t turn more than once a month and do it gently with gloves on.

Don’t handle the worms with bare hands! They are allergic to our skin oils.

Drain the ‘Worm Tea’ Every 1-2 weeks, put on garden as fertiliser, 1 part Tea, 10 parts water.

When Layer 1 is full

Take off top layer of news paper that is the roof,

Put food in Layer 2 and put newspaper roof on top.

Worms will slowly make there way up.

Will take approx. 9 months to make there way to layer 2.

When all worms in layer 2

You can use the compost left in layer 1 on the garden.

Remove it from the layer and use.

Put newspaper back down on the bottom of layer 1 and tip the worms into it.

Spread around gently and cover with news paper.

Compost can be made into Potting mix by adding soil to it.

If it gets smelly, they have been over fed, just stop feeding and gently with a small stick aerate the top.

Every 1-2 months ‘water’ the worm farm, the water will drain through and keep it moist 2-5L will do it. But only if it needs it!! Don’t flood them!! 

And if in doubt....GOOGLE!!

Surpli’s

What on Earth are Surpli's I hear you thinking. Ever heard of Aranchini balls? Well Surpli's are very similar.

Surpli's are an Italian entrée great for parties, snacks but could easily be a meal. Named Surpli's for their yummy risotto rice and surprise of cheese in the centre.

Kids and adults alike love this dish and will be asking for more. This dish was originally used to use up any left over risotto. After a few you won't need to eat for the rest of the day!!

This is a recipe I was taught, it was never written down so some of the measurements may not be correct, its trial and error with this one, just try to make sure the rice is cooked before you cool it and not too runny either.

 What you will need:

1 batch of pasta sauce (about 2-3 litres) 

(or you could use my steak sauce but you may find it too meaty so use the same recipe with mince meat)

2-4 cups Arborio or Short grain rice

Heat the sauce and add the rice, cook on low head until thick and leave to cool.

Alternately use pre cooked risotto from a previous meal
If rice mix is too thick and not cooked, add a little water, if its too runny its ok to add a little more rice but allow time for it to cook.

Crumbing

Mozzarella cheese (cut into cubes)

Plain flour

Egg

Breadcrumbs

Oil for deep frying

Risotto mix in flour

 Spoon a heaped tablespoon of rice into the flour, make a ball

push cheese into centre and cover with rice

 push a small cube of cheese into the centre and reshape.

egg wash

continue through the egg and crumbs

crumb mix

 then place on a plate. Repeat until all are made.

 

Heat your oil

Start with one to test your oil is hot enough,

deep fry until golden and centre is melted.

cooking them 4 at a time, don't crowd your oil

Eat warm but careful they are very hot when they come out of the oil.

Cheese is runny inside for a nice surprise

 can be refrigerate and reheated but best fresh and probably won't last long enough to eat later.

Simple Sponge Cake

So last night I decided I would make a sponge cake, chocolate actually. The recipe is from an old recipe for Lamingtons but you don't have to do the cutting and icing part do you!

Ingredients ready to go

 

6 Eggs

6 Eggs

2/3 cup caster sugar

1/3 cup corn flour

1/2 cup plain flour

1/3 cup Self Raising flour

1/3 cup cocoa (if making it chocolate)

Grease your tin, either the slab for lamingtons or birthday cake, whatever you choose to make it for, or a round doughnut one like me if you are making if for fun, you choose.

Egg mix before sugar

2/3 cup caster sugar

Beat the eggs in a bowl with electric mixer until thick and creamy, will take about 10 minutes

Gradually add the sugar (actually I add it all in one shot, still works)

1/2 cup Plain Flour

1/3 cup Self Raising Flour

1/3 cup Corn flour

Sift all the flours and cocoa if making chocolate, sift them a few times to ensure they are mixed well.

You can cheat I have found, put them all in a bowl together and use a wire whisk to mix them, this also aerates it all.

1/3 cup cocoa (if making chocolate)

 

Turn your mixer to low and add the flour gradually until almost incorporated.

Use a spatula to ensure it’s all mixed well.

Chocolate Sponge ready for oven

Vanilla sponge ready for oven

Pour into prepared pan and bake in oven 180°C for about 30-45 minutes.

Cool in tin for about 5-10 minutes then turn out onto cooling rack or the serving plate and let it cool further.

Chocolate sponge ready

This is what happens when you usea fancy tin - Kugelhoph

From here you can decide how to decorate, slice it up and make lamingtons, or slice it into layers and put icing in the layers.

Vanilla sponge ready

If making lamingtons, the icing mixture is:

4 cups icing sugar

½ cup cocoa

15g butter, melted

2/3 cup milk

2 cups coconut (approximately)

Pour milk, cocoa and icing sugar (1/2 cup at a time) in with melted butter

It works best if icing is warm as it is runnier and you are less likely to run out.

So if you want to warm it a bit more microwave it for 30 seconds each time you choose to warm it.

Using a spoon with holes in it or just a fork, dip the sliced and diced cake into the icing

When the piece of cake is coated drain a little and cover in coconut.

Put aside to set.

 

Lamingtons

  Lamingtons can be eaten straight away or left in an airtight container

(preferably in the fridge if its hot steamy Aussie summer weather)