Happy New Year: Poppa's Punch

2 litres of fruit cup cordial

2 litres of orange cordial

4 litres of lemonade

4 litres of ginger ale

4 litre cask of St Tropez wine cooler

6 bottles of cheap champagne

1 bottle of sweet sherry

lots of chopped mint

lots of cucumber skin

banana slices, strawberries, etc.

1 bottle of gin (optional)

Method: if too sweet add more ginger ale or riesling. If not sweet enough add moselle.

Source: contributed by V. Griffith in Penneshaw Area School's Culinary Creations (1998).

From the archives.

Frozen Christmas Pudding

1 x 500g can Plum Pudding

1/2 cup Orange Curacao   )

1/2 cup sherry                      ) or just 1/2 cup brandy

1.1/2 tsp gelatine, dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water

2 litres vanilla ice cream.

Method: Mash pudding with sherry & curacao. Whip ice cream, add dissolved gelatine and pudding. Put into a container and freeze til hard. Serve with whipped cream and decorate with nuts and crystalized cherries.

Source: The Parson Knows: Easy Dinner Party Recipes (The Parish of St. Stephen, Glenunga; n.d.), p.68 ['Christmas Menu']

Nutty Beetroot Salad

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup chopped celery

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 x 425 g can beetroot

Method: Grill walnuts until golden brown and cool. Combine walnuts, celery and mayonnaise in a bowl; add drained beetroot and toss ingredients to combine well. Chill. Garnish with celery curls to serve.

Source: The Parson Knows: Easy Dinner Party Recipes (The Parish of St. Stephen, Glenunga; n.d.), p.68 ['Christmas Menu']

American Plum Pudding

1 lb can purple plums or 2 cups fresh cooked plums

1 pkt gingerbread cake mix

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sultanas

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method: Drain plums and reserve syrup for sauce. Remove stones from plums and cut into pieces. Prepare cake mix as per packet, add salt and plum pieces. Stir in sultanas and walnuts. Pour into 6 cup cake tin (8" square). Bake uncovered at 370°F about 1 hour. Loosen edges immediately and unmould onto serving plate. (Can be made ahead and reheated when needed.)

Plum Sauce: Combine 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tbs cornflour; gradually add plum syrup. Add enough water to make up to 1.1/2 cups altogether. Cook over medium heat, stirring continually until it boils and thickens. Cook 1 min. Add 1 tbs lemon juice. (Can also be warmed later.)

Serve sauce warm over pudding slices, also serve thin cream.

Source: The Parson Knows: Easy Dinner Party Recipes (The Parish of St. Stephen, Glenunga; n.d.), p.67 ['Christmas Menu']

Florida Cocktail

Equal quantities of canned mandarin quarters and grapefruit pieces (or pineapple)

Kirsch or Sherry

Method: Combine fruit and liquor at least 2 hours ahead. Mix well, place in compote dishes and decorate with cherry and mint leaves.

Source: The Parson Knows: Easy Dinner Party Recipes (The Parish of St. Stephen, Glenunga; n.d.), p.65 ['Christmas Menu']

Little Christmas Puddings

500g mixed fruit (currants, sultantas, cherries, raisins & chopped almonds)

1 tbs cocoa

1 tbs butter, melted

1 tbs sherry

Method: Mince fruit, nuts and mix together with other ingredients. Roll into small balls. Allow to set. Drizzle with white chocolate or cut small pieces of white fondant icing to represent top of fruit pudding with custard. Place in small truffle patty cases to serve.

Source: Recommended by D. Spencer in The Wentworth Private Residential Care Cookbook (Adelaide, ?2008)

Note: this is a new find, from a local nursing home:

It refuses to turn the right way...

Festive Semifreddo

Serves 10

180g caster sugar

2 tablespoons cold water

6 egg yolks

900ml thickened cream

200g Christmas pudding, crumbled

1/2 cup red glacé cherries, cut in half

1/2 cup green glacé cherries, cut in half

1/2 cup pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

1 packet edible silver leaf (available from Indian food stores) 

Method: Line a 1.5L terrine with plastic wrap, leaving some overhanging to cover the top.

Dissolve sugar in water over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon. Increase heat to high and cook for 5 minutes. Be careful the syrup doesn't darken. Then allow to cool.

Beat the egg yolks until doubled in volume then gradually add sugar syrup and continue to beat until the mixture is thick.

Lightly whip the cream until soft peaks form. Fold half the whipped cream with the crumbed pudding and half with the egg mixture. Carefully fold the whipped cream mixtures together with the cherries and pistachios.

Spread the mixture into the terrine mould, pressing down well, then cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer overnight.

When ready to serve, invert the terrine onto a platter and top with edible silver leaf.

Source: A Taste of History Behind the Green Door 1909-2009, compiled for the Centenary of the Queen Adelaide Club (Adelaide: The Queen Adelaide Club, 2009; "not for sale to the public"), p.118.

Jellied Plum Pudding

A little something from the archives... 

Place in a saucepan and bring to boil 1&1/2 pints milk and 3 tbls cocoa. Add 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup currants, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup chopped peel, 1/4 cup nuts, 1/2 cup dates or figs, 1/2 tsp vanilla, pinch salt and 1 tbls brandy. Allow to cool considerably, then add 3 dsp powdered gelatine dissolved in 1/4 cup hot (not boiling) water and add to mixture. Place into wetted mould and set firmly in a cold place. Serve with wine sauce. 

Source: contributed by M. Zwar in Booleroo Centre Primary School 1885-1985 Centenary Recipe Book (revised edition 1985 of 1970 edition), p.6.

Mock Ham

To kick off the Christmas season, a little something from the archives... 

1 pumped, corned leg of lamb or hoggett

2 bacon bones

1 large onion (studded with cloves)

2t brown sugar

parsley

1T vinegar

1/2c pineapple juice or syrup

warm water

Glaze:

1/2c pineapple juice or syrup

3T brown sugar

Method: Place meat in a large saucepan, cover with warm water. Add bacon bones, onion, brown sugar, pineapple syrup, parsley and vinegar. Cover and bring to the boil, then simmer gently until cooked, allowing approximately 40 minutes per 500g. Test with a skewer, through the thickest part of the leg. Allow to cook in the water with the lid slightly off the saucepan. Remove from pan, brush generously with pineapple glaze, which is made by heating the pineapple juice and brown sugar in a saucepan, bring to the boil and then simmer for 10-15 minutes.

T=level metric tablespoon

t=level metric teaspoon

c=level metric cup

Source: Festive Fair: Christmas Menus (Adelaide: South Australian Gas Company, 'From the Home Service Department'; n.d. [early 1980s?]), p.14.