Innehållsförteckning för December 2021 från Taste.com.au

Is it just me? Or is relishing the thought and the plan for Christmas almost as good as Christmas itself? This year, more than ever, I’m all about ramping up the good times, and slashing the fuss-time. I’m guessing you feel the same, especially if you’ve missed friends and family as much as I have. That’s why this issue is dedicated to making the festive season effortless. If it’s simple rock-star recipes you’re after, you’ve come to the right place. The jelly cheesecake trifle on our cover from resident rock star, Matt Preston, is an absolute must, and combines perfectly with the flavourpacked delights from Matt’s amazing new book – have a taste from page 60. And rock-star royalty is here, too, with brilliant dishes from Jane and Jimmy Barnes,…

WHERE THE RIVER BENDS HarperCollins, $49.99. Jane and Jimmy Barnes’ cookbook is a celebration of home, and the recipes that bring their family together time and again. Turn to p47 for exclusive recipes from the book. WORLD OF FLAVOUR Penguin Random House, $39.99. Matt Preston’s pursuit of flavour has taken him all over the globe. In his latest book, he shares the recipes that are the result of his journeys. Enjoy a taster on p60. ALWAYS DELICIOUS Marion’s Kitchen, $60. Lovers of Marion Grasby’s food will find so many delicious new recipes to love and cook in her fab new book. Your everyday meals just got tastier! BAKING MASTERCLASS HarperCollins, $34.99. Our latest cookbook in the Top 100 series is filled with recipes, tips and techniques that will guide you…

Real taste. Real food. Real life. watermelon & cucumber TREES Combine ⅓ cup caster sugar, ⅓ cup white balsamic vinegar and ¼ cup water in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, allow to cool. Cut 2 large slices watermelon into 20 x 2cm squares. Use a small star cutter to cut 20 stars from leftover watermelon pieces. Peel long strips from 2 telegraph cucumbers and thread onto toothpicks to form a tree. Secure to a watermelon square. Add a star to the top. Drizzle trees with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with 40g crumbled feta. You can prepare this recipe 1 day ahead and store in the fridge. Drizzle with glaze and sprinkle with feta when ready to serve.…

With a surprise centre of melted bocconcini and a sprinkling of cheese, these deep-fried crumbed potatoes are the ultimate side dish. SCAN THE QR CODE TO WATCH THE RECIPE VIDEO. For the ultimate rocky road twist, add a can of sweetened condensed milk. Just wait until you taste it – amazing! SCAN THE QR CODE TO WATCH THE RECIPE VIDEO. You’ll nail these small but perfectly formed Basque ‘burnt’ cheesecakes. A cheeky hit of Baileys sweetens the deal. SCAN THE QR CODE TO WATCH THE RECIPE VIDEO.…

The question about which dessert you’re making this Christmas just got easier – Matt’s cheesecake trifle can win you a smart Kenwood Cooking Chef XL and accompanying attachments. More than just a stand mixer – though it’s got bakers covered with mixing, whisking, kneading and proving capabilities – the Chef XL can also cook your meals. Functions include induction cooking, in-built scales and app connectivity. You’ll wonder how you got along without it. “Show me clean layers of jelly, biscuits and cheesecake, topped with billowing cream and coulis swirls.”matt preston CELEBRITY JUDGE SEND IN YOUR ENTRIES BY 26 DECEMBER KENWOOD two ways to enter email it: Send a photo of your creation, with your name, address and telephone number to us at tastecookandwin@news.com.au or share it: Post the photo on…

KITCHENAID BLENDER Gift the kitchen whiz in your life the Artisan K400 (here in Pistachio) and you’ll enjoy the benefits for years to come. Available at Harvey Norman. SUNNYLIFE PICNIC BASKET This peachy picnic basket set, $169, comes with everything you need for easy alfresco dining – you just need to pack Lunch! Find it at sunnylife.com.au. TEFAL EASY FRY GRILL & STEAM Always wanted an air-fryer but couldn’t justify the bench space? Move over sandwich press, Tefal’s nifty 3-in-1 unit is the new kid in town. No need to wrap it. Find it at Harvey Norman. SPRITZ & ESKY KIT FROM SOFI Take the party with you with this spritz kit from SOFI, $150. The Esky lid doubles as a chopping board and drink holder, so you can sip…

the world is an amazing wonderland of flavour, and I for one downright love it! For flavour, to me, is true pleasure – mouth-watering, tap-the-table pleasure. The pursuit of flavour has drawn me across seas and up mountains, to quaint medieval villages and down dark, dodgy alleys past bottle-filled dumpsters, to find that dish. The endless search for flavour can lead to the most unlikely places. In this selection of recipes from my latest cookbook, Matt Preston’s World of Flavour, I’ve favoured dishes with resonance for the modern Australian kitchen, because I want these recipes to become beloved regulars on your table and, more importantly, for you to subsequently identify them as your recipes. That’s the holy grail for any recipe writer to pass on the amazing flavours we’ve tasted…

“I loved creating this dessert with your help. It’s one of the most OTT trifles taste has ever created, with dreamy layers of mud cake, Caramik custard swirls, choc-marbled cream and honeycomb crumble.” marbled caramilk & honeycomb trifle serves 12 | prep 2 hours (+ cooling & chilling) | cooking 40 mins 2 x 600g bought chocolate mud cakes 380g jar Bonne Maman Caramel 2 x 173g pkts Cadbury Caramilk Marble chocolate Bought chocolate stars, to decorateZ Honeycomb, to decorate (see recipe p104) Maltesers, to decorate caramilk cream 600ml ctn thickened cream 180g pkt Cadbury Caramilk chocolate, finely chopped 125ml (½ cup) double cream caramilk custard 3 x 170g ctns Pauls Premium Vanilla Bean Custard 180g pkt Cadbury Caramilk chocolate, finely chopped chocolate custard 900g ctn Pauls French Vanilla Double…

Pizzini 2019 La Volpe Nebbiolo, $28 Nebbiolo is an Italian red variety thriving in Victoria’s King Valley. Translucent in colour, with a delicate perfume, it packs a tasty punch of firm tannins, tart raspberries, and exotic star anise. A fabulous food-friendly red that matches with festive summer foods. DRINK IT WITH roast chicken, beef tart. Taylors 2019 Jaraman Pinot Noir, $34 I’ll be drinking this pinot noir on Christmas Day. An easy drinking, yet sophisticated crowd-pleaser that’s very food-friendly. Brimming with juicy cherries and a hint of spice, there’s festive feels in every sip. DRINK IT WITH pork belly, vegetarian tart. Brown Brothers Prosecco Ultra Low, $20 Sip summer cocktails all day Long with this prosecco that has all the flavour, but Less than one standard drink per bottle. Enjoy…

Zucchini are a summer favourite, so now is a great time to sow seeds for a home-grown harvest. You can enjoy zucchini in fritters and savoury slices, char-grilled on the barbecue or as a low-carb alternative to noodles. Grate into brownies and cakes to boost nutrition and moisture, or stuff zucchini flowers for a delicious starter. Fortunately, it’s also a very easy and productive vegie to grow at home. Here’s how! step-by-step zucchini ✻ Find a warm spot in your garden that receives at least 6 hours of sunshine every day. Enrich soil with organic soil-improver. ✻ Sow groups of three to four seeds, 2cm-deep, 70cm apart, into well-drained moist soil. Later, remove all but the two strongest plants. Alternatively, sow seed into trays of seed-raising mix and transplant when…

We ate it. We rate it. CUSTARD The ultimate dessert-booster, custard, has been a staple at Aussie Christmas feasts for decades. We love custard in all shapes and sizes, but we know every Christmas table needs a generous glug of something extra-special – so we hit the supermarkets to track down the best for you. Here they are. Coles Vanilla Flavour Custard, $1.90 In an easy pourable container, this custard has a smooth vanilla flavour, great for fruity desserts. Serve it hot or cold. Pauls Rich Chocolate Double Thick Custard, $5.30 This thick, rich custard is extra-creamy and ultra-chocolatey. It’s perfect on its own, layered into trifle, poured into a tart shell and topped with cream, or dolloped onto brownies. Woolworths Plantitude Brandy Flavour Custard, $3 A delicious and decadent…

For all advertising enquiries, call (02) 8045 4734. FIT FOR A QUEEN Bake like you’re entertaining royalty with Queen Concentrated Vanilla Extract. Pure, organic vanilla beans provide a bold, intense flavour. Thick and syrupy, this vanilla extract is the perfect way to add a little flair to low-liquid baking such as biscuits, mousses, meringues and sponge cakes. Learn more at queen.com.au. A WHOLE LATTE LOVE Bring aromatic, barista-style coffee to your kitchen with Nespresso’s sleek Vertuo Next. Match it with the Aeroccino3 milk frother and you’ll be making creamy cappuccinos and double espresso lattes with the touch of a button. Easy, convenient and stylish. Your morning coffee never tasted so good. See nespresso.com/au. FLAT OUT THE BEST Make that souvlaki, gyro or any meal next level with Mission Souvlaki Bread.…

Tuscan salmon & risoni tray bake On the table in only 30 minutes. ★★★★★ Easy to make, tasted delicious. Good sized portions. @JANE BARTLEY OMG heavenly delicious...! Even my five-year-old loved it. Will make this again. @TANNIE_22 Roast chicken with pistachio stuffing Perfect idea for Christmas. ★★★★★ The stuffing is always the Last thing to be finished, but not this time... @CHRISTINEKIRSCH I’d never cooked a roast chicken before. I tried this on my family and it was so yummy! Everyone had seconds! @ELIZABETH86 Salted caramel cheesecake An easy no-bake dessert. ★★★★★ Loved it! Swapped the salted caramel for butterscotch caramel sauce. @NYSSALEA Made this last weekend. Not a crumb left. Several people asked for the recipe. It was a hit! @HARMONYPUFFIN SEND US YOUR PICS #cookedwithtaste tastemag@news.com.au…

BRIGHT IDEA! Stand out from the crowd when you collect your coffee with one of these bold keep cups. Frank Green’s new neon collection is a collision of colour, sustainability and style. Think of it as the ultimate eco-friendly fashion accessory. These four wow colours come in a ceramic cup and bottle. From $44.95, see the range at frankgreen.com.au. top shelf taste Lift your game in the kitchen with a fab new range of cake mixes from delicious. Created by a team of professionals, with high-quality mixes and recipe videos, they’ll help you impress at Christmas. Our favourite is the decadent double choc mousse cake. SPIRIT RAISER The spoils of a cracker have come a long way from paper hats, trinkets and jokes. Fever-Tree’s boujie version (4-pack, $55) contain a…

cheesecake baubles TRUFFLES Use electric beaters to beat 500g chopped, room-temperature cream cheese, ⅓ cup caster sugar and 3 tsp finely grated lemon rind in a bowl until smooth. Add 180g melted, cooled white chocolate. Beat until combined. Spoon into a shallow dish. Cover. Place in fridge for 4 hours until firm. Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls. Place on a lined tray in fridge for 1 hour. Place 3 types of assorted sprinkles in separate bowls. Roll one-third of the balls in a bowl of sprinkles to coat. Repeat with remaining balls and sprinkles. Return to tray in fridge for 30 minutes.…

To enter, visit taste.com.au/win main squeeze Smeg’s electric citrus juicer is the timesaving gadget we’re all adding to our lists this Christmas. Elegant and reliable, this juicer is equipped with a powerful motor, juice-collecting compartment and a non-drip spout to prevent spills and keep the kitchen clean and is valued at $229. Sip freshly-squeezed OJ in the morning or bright citrus cocktails in the evening - you’ll be turning Life’s lemons into lemonade in no-time. See more at smeg.com.au. wine & dine This unique foodie experience at Brown Brothers in Milawa, Victoria, valued at $400, will have you immersed in winemaking history on an unforgettable foodie adventure. You’ll join the chefs in the kitchen garden to forage for produce, tour the winery, taste wine at the cellar door and enjoy…

Chrissy Q Help! I need to create a vegan grazing plate for Christmas day. What can I include? Try a combination of roasted nuts, warm marinated olives (warm olives in extra virgin olive oil, fennel seeds and orange zest), vegan crackers, vegetable crudite and a beetroot dip as the centre attraction (process roasted beetroot, tahini, ground cumin, ground coriander, garlic, lemon juice and a little coconut yoghurt). Cubes of vegan feta, marinated tomatoes, and pan-fried cubes of firm tofu dusted in cornflour and dukkah are other great additions. Elisa Q How do I make royal icing to decorate gingerbread houses and cookies and can it be made in advance? Royal icing is the edible “glue” that holds a gingerbread house together and is used to stick on its decorations. It’s…

air fryer gin mince pies makes 18 | prep 1 hour (+ resting) | cooking 45 mins 1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, coarsely grated 165g (¾ cup, firmly packed) brown sugar 90g (½ cup) sultanas 45g (¼ cup) currants 45g (¼ cup) blanched almonds, toasted, finely chopped 2 tbs red glace cherries, finely chopped 2 tbs mixed peel 1 tsp mixed spice ½ tsp ground cinnamon 25g butter, melted 60ml (¼ cup) gin Icing sugar, to dust sweet pastry 300g (2 cups) plain flour 55g (¼ cup) caster sugar 185g butter, chilled, chopped 1 egg, separated 60ml (¼ cup) milk 1 Use your hands to squeeze excess moisture from apple Transfer to a bowl. Add brown sugar, sultanas, currants, almond, cherries, peel, mixed spice, cinnamon, butter and…