Monday, April 25, 2011

Donna Hay - Fresh, Simple Food. Her amazing Trifle recipes





"Fast, Fresh Simple" is her motto and that is something  women strive for every day.







My obsession with chefs and cookbooks continues unabated, the recipes may take more than a year to try but right now, my friend AL and Donna Hay Donna Link     are my favorites.  AL is vegetarian and has been creating these great recipes that look so delicious, I am pressing for a cookbook. 
Donna Hay is an Australian food editor, stylist and best selling cookbook author. I love Nigella Lawson and Donna Hay reminds me of Nigella, the food seems simple, fresh and utterly delicious.  






Her presentation aesthetic is where I would like to be, no ...dream to be, the clean, white slightly rustic aesthetic always dream of mine but never a reality. I can dream through Donna. Her color scheme is brown and blue with white,  a color combination I love. I became a true fan when I read her  Holiday magazine edition and there was a section dedicated to Trifles. Anyone who devotes a section to Trifles, one of my favorite desserts is a best friend in my head, for life. Her recipes are global and  I love her mix of ingredients from all over the world with a dash of her Australian culture thrown in for good measure.


Donna Hay magazines (seasonal)  are available in fine book stockists everywhere and there is a page on Amazon.com devoted to her.   Donna Hay Page on Amazon.

The Instant Cook




Her website has her easy to make recipes, lifestyle and entertaining tips and much more.

Her television show is available for viewing only in Australia, on Lifestyle channel and this past Tuesday she did a recipe for Thai Fish Cakes, yummy.  There are several episodes on YouTube.
Donna Hay
She was recently featured on the Oprah Show, The Australia  Edition.

Please find below a few of my trifle favorites that should be yours too... from Donna Hay.




Strawberry and Vanilla Macaroon Trifle.


300  store bought vanilla macarons
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups cream , whipped
250 g strawberries, halved
strawberry jelly
21/2 teaspoons gelatine powder
3 cups cranberry juice
1/2 caster ( superfine ) sugar
500 g of strawberries, halved.


To make the strawberry jelly place the gelatine and and 1/2 cup cranberry juice in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes or until the gelatine is absorbed. Place the remaining cranberry juice and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the gelatine and stir to combine. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes. Arrange the strawberries in the base of a 4 litre capacity bowl and put over the jelly mixture. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours until set.
To assenblem arrange the macarons on the jelly. Fold the vanilla extract through the cream and layer over the macarons.
Top with strawberries to serve. Serves 6-8.


Carmelised Peaches and cream trifle.

1 cup(250 ml) single (pouring) cream.
1 tablespoon finely grated oragne rind.
1 tablespoon icing(confectioner's sugar)
20 g butter
4 peaches halved
1 tablespoon caster( superfine ) sugar.
4 slices panettone( supermarkets and fine stores World Market etc)
1/4 cup ( 60 ml) orange flavored liqueur
orange syrup recipe
1/4 cup (60 ml) orange juice
1/4 cup 9 60 ml) water
1/4 cup ( 55g) caster sutperfine sugar, extra
2 tablespoons orange flavored liqueur

To make the orange syrup, place the orange juice, water, sugar and liqeur in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened. Set aside to cool completely.
Place the cream, rind and icing sugar in a bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Melt the butter in a large non stick frying pan over medium heat. Press the peach halves into the caster sugar and cook, sugar side down, for 2 -3 minutes or until carmelised. Cut the panettone slices to fit in the base of the 4 glasses. Pour over the orange liqueur and top with the cream mixture and peach halves. Drizzle with the orange syrup to serve. Serves 4.







I love Mascarpone....yummy

Raspberry and Mascarpone Trifle
1 cup ( 250ml) each lemon flavored liqueur and water.
2 tablespoons caster ( superfine ) sugar
250 g mascarpone
600 g sour cream
1/2 cup ( 80g) icing (confectioner's sugar), sifted, plus extra for dusting
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon rind
34 sponge finger biscuits
500 g raspberries.

Place the liqueur, water and caster sugar in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool. Place the mascarpone in a bowl and stir until smooth. Add the sour cream, icing sugar and lemon rind and whisk until smooth. Dip the spong fingers into the liqueur mixture and use to line the sides and base of a 3 litre capacity glas bowl. Top the spong fingers with half the raspberries and spoon over the mascarpone mixture. Top with remaining raspberries and dust with the extra icing sugar to serve. Serves 12.



Tiramisu Trifle

450 g store bought sponge, halved lengthways
11/2 cups (376 ml) espresso coffee
11/2 cups( 375 ml) singel ( pouring) cream, whipped coffee panna cotta
1 tablespoon gelatine powder
1/2 cup ( 125 ml) coffee flavored liqueur
 2 cups ( 500 ml) each single ( pouring) cream and milk
2/3 cup ( 110 g) icing ( confectioner's) sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
chocolate ganache recipe
250 g chocolate( dark, chopped)
3/4 cup ( 180 ml) single pouring cream

To make the coffee panna cotta, place the gelatine and liqueur in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes or until the gelatine is absorbed. Place the cream, milk, icing sugar and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add the gelatine mixture and stir until dissolved. Divide half the panna cotta between 4x4 cup capacity ( 1 ltire glasses) and refrigerate for 1 hour or until set. To make the chocolate ganache, place the chocolate and cream in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until melted and smooth. Set aside and allow to cool. Cut the sponge to fit the glasses and place on top of the panna cotta. Spoon the cofee over the sponges and spoon over the ganache. Refrigerate until set.
Top ganache with the remaining panna cotta mixtures and refrigerate for a  further 1 hour or until set. Top with the whittped cream to serve.
Serves 4.


Enjoy!

Photos courtesy of istockphotos.




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