last days to enter

Hi there - just a quick reminder there’s only 5 days to go before the Mouth of Truth Contest is drawn.  Please post a comment in your favourite recipe or story asap. All comments should be received by 5pm THIS Monday 26 March to be eligible. Readers who have already left comments are now in the running. 

Prize Draw:  Tuesday 27 March 3pm. The three lucky winners will be announced here shortly after.  You’ll be receiving MFK prize packs before the Easter Long Weekend.

My girls reminded me tonight there’s only 16 more sleeps till the Easter Bunny comes a hoppin. Their bunny ears are out. And they’ve requested we stay home this holiday so they can concentrate their efforts on Easter baking & craft, the big egg hunt, counting their stash and polishing them all off with their cousins.

Pics courtesy of my favourite photographer, big brother Andrew & his family in Germany last Easter.

Easter Inspiration Week starts next Friday March 30. Stay tuned for treasured Easter recipes from My Farm Kitchen. It's not all about the chocolate! Hope you'll have heaps of fun recreating them at your place.  

rumballs

Recipe

❤ Andrew's Favourite Rumballs 

Ingredients

1 packet of Arnott's Milk Arrowroot biscuits (crushed fine in blender - don't substitute for cheaper brands)

1/2 cup of desiccated coconut + extra for rolling

1/2 cup of icing sugar

1/2 cup of mixed fruit chopped up (or if you prefer, just australian sultanas)

1 Tin of Nestle Condensed Milk (full fat not skim, and cold from the fridge makes for easier rolling in hot climates)

2 tablespoons of white Bacardi Rum

Optional:  1 tablespoon of Cocoa or finely grated premium dark chocolate (if you like some choc in your balls) 

Method + Tips

Easy peasy. Crush your biscuits. Sift your icing sugar. Mix all above ingredients in large bowl until well combined, roll into balls (as big or small as you like) and cover in coconut to coat. They keep very well in refrigerator or freezer.  Make sure your hands are super clean and a little moist with water for quick easy rolling. Don't coat em with coconut till the end. Place them in a long flat, coconut lined tupperware as you go. Gets abit messy otherwise. I like to do a triple batch as 8-9 dozen don't go far with family and friends around at this time of year. 

Tale

Our girls opened the first pocket on the Advent Calendar today... at 4.45am.  Dear Premier Anna, why don't we have daylight saving in Queensland?!  Every Dec 1st (or thereabouts) I say this, and every Dec 1st the sun continues to rise at 4.30am. I really must get those block out curtains made. 

After sneeking the much anticipated 'specials' from the Dec 1 advent pocket, the little munchkins proceeded to raid the freezer for freshly rolled Rumballs. A great breakfast choice don't you think. And thanks for leaving your calling card kids, desiccated coconut all over the bench, floor and well - just about everywhere.

This simple, classic recipe is my Mums.  But it was my brother Andrew who provided the motivation to get me rolling this year. I used to make over 300 dozen each Christmas when I had my little Pantry cafe. Therefore it takes a call to action these days to get me started. This year, just a fortnight ago actually, my brother found out a brain tumour had returned (for the 2nd time in 7 years!).  As these sweet little balls are his absolute favourite, I made a start. In my panicked state I used mixed fruit instead of plain sultanas, forgot to add cocoa & used abit of orange rind. Well, well..post op, didn't he give me an earful. I've never, ever, in all my life been happier to receive criticism of my baking. His sense of humour & all else was perfectly in tact. Well done brave boy! I'll make you another batch anytime - but without the craniotomy next time please.

xmas plum pud

Recipe

❤ Wendy's Traditional Christmas Plum Pudding

Ingredients

250grams unsalted butter

250grams dark brown sugar

small grated carrot 

rind of one orange/juice of one lemon

5 eggs

250grams each of raisins, sultanas, currants & chopped dates

2 packets of red glace cherries

one small packet of flaked almonds 

small amount of chopped glace ginger (as little or much as you like)

100grams fresh breadcrumbs

2 cups plain flour

1 tablespoon mixed spice

2 teaspoons nutmeg

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons parisience essence

1 flat teaspoon bi carb soda (dissolved in 1 tablespoon of hot water)

2 tablespoons of rum or brandy (I use white Bacardi Rum!)

 

Method + Tips

Prepare fruit by chopping dates in quarters & raisins in half. Add all fruits, almonds & ginger together. Pour 2 tablespoons of rum or brandy over fruit, cover & let soak for at least 24 hours. I normally pop fruits into the fridge at this stage until I'm ready to mix and boil pudding.

Next day or days later when you are ready to complete the pud, you will need a large mixing bowl. 

But first, cream butter & sugar in a regular size mixing bowl with hand held beater or hands free mixer. Add eggs one at a time, mixing till combined. You might like to add a little flour after each addition of egg to stop mixture from curdling. It will come together later though.  

Add grated carrot, rind & juice to bowl of soaked fruits.  Add parisiene essence & dissolved bi card to butter mixture.

In a separate bowl, sift flour & all the spices together with a pinch of salt.  Add the fresh breadcrumbs.

Combine dry ingredients, the butter mix & fruit mix all together in large mixing bowl & combine well.

Place into a large, buttered & floured calico pudding cloth & tie up, ready to steam. Before & after submersing pud in pan, I place it in a pudding shaped bowl to make good rounded pudding shape form. Steam in boiling water (top up as necessary) for 3 hours at first, and then again for 2hours on XMAS Day. Serve with brandy custard or best quality ice-cream.

Seasonal Jotting

You know THOSE aromas. The precious ones in your kitchen you create but once every year. The baking smells that bring on a flood of memories & make you go weak in the knees.  This happens to me every year at Pud time - when folding the spiced dry ingredients into the rum soaked, fruity buttery ones.

This is my Mum's recipe above and has been enjoyed in our house for over 40 years.  I can honestly say she's never made a dud. This is a butter pud, meaning that it doesn't use suet, the beef fat many cooks like in their traditional XMAS pud.  

Some would say steamed puddings are best served in cold weather. In the mother country.  But that has never stoppped us Aussies from steaming moist puds in the 33C heat for XMAS lunch. After all, XMAS tradition rules - regardless of the weather conditions or whose table you're sitting at. This year I'll be at the in-laws out west, with B.Y.O Pud for everyone.  A bought supermarket jobbie would really do me in.  Actually I've made three plump beauties this season, just to be sure all manner of directions & relatives are covered. A very Merry Christmas to you and yours.