Spicy Pears

1 large can pear halves (peaches can also be used)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tb curry powder

Method: Drain fruit, reserve juice. Place fruit in casserole dish cut side down. Melt butter in frying pan, add brown sugar and curry powder, stir until blended. Add some of the reserved juice and heat until dissolves a little. Pour over fruit. Bake in 180C oven for 20 minutes. Serve hot with cream or icecream or may be used as a vegetable dish.

Source: contributed by Susan MacDonald in A Taste of Zonta Flavoured with Celebrities. Zonta Club of Adelaide Flinders Inc. District 23, Area 2 (n.p. [?Adelaide], 2003), p.67.

Fabulous Fruit Salad

1 tin pears (drained)
2 peaches (or equivalent in sliced, tinned)
2 bananas
1 mango

Method: Slice all fruits rather larger than is usual. Pour over 1/2 cup orange juice (tinned or fresh) and a couple of tablespoons of sherry if liked. Sweeten with liquid sucaryl or 1/2 cup sugar according to dietary requirements. Serve with ice-cream, cream or custard -- or alone.

Source: contributed by Mrs. Gough Whitlam in Cooking for Two. Compiled by Women's Auxiliary of the S.A. Council on the Ageing for Adelaide's Second Senior Citizens' Week, April, 1969 (Adelaide [Allied Publishing Company), 1969), p.53 ['Personality Pages']

Very Easy But Delicious Sweet

1 sponge or plain butter cake
6 oz. cream
3 or 4 ripe pears
Few drops of almond essence

Method: Split cake through centre. Whip cream with icing sugar and essence to taste. Spread cream on half cake -- place peeled half pears closely on top. Add another layer of cream, then top with cake and more cream if desired. Strained tinned pears may be used, but fresh ones are better. Put in refrigerator for 1/2 hr. before serving.

Source: The Possum Cookery Book in Aid of Miss Minda - Telethon (Brighton: Minda Home Auxiliary, n.d. [1960s - post 1963]), p.62.

Party Mice

[Childrens Munchies for Parties]

1 pkt. jelly crystals

1 tin of pear halves

some snake lollies

currants and sultanas

Method: Make jelly and pour into a wide shallow container. Leave to set. Place pears on jelly, 1 pear per child. Cut "heads" of snake lollies. Use the body for tails and the heads for ears, currants for eyes and sultanas for nose. Head to be positioned at narrow end of pear.

Source: Mantle of Safety Cookbook 2 (The Port Augusta Women's Air Branch Auxillary of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, c1987), p.131.

Paron med Myntasas (Pears in Mint Cream)

Large can pears

1/2-1 pint cream

3 tablespoons mint liqueur or a dew [sic] drops peppermint oil and 1 drop of green colouring

1 oz. semi sweet chocolate

6 oz. black grapes

Method: Drain pears and arrange on platter. Whip cream flavoured with liqueur and spoon onto pears (keeping shape of pears). Sliver the chocolate at room temperature with a potato peeler and sprinkle on pears. Garnish with grapes and set in fridge 2 hours or more. Serve with green lime jelly and ice cream.

Source: contributed by Mrs. Jean Last, Auxiliary Organiser in The Adelaide Children's Hospital Recipe Book 1982 (Adelaide: 1982), p.37.

No Bake Pavlova

Beat 1 can chilled carnation milk with 3/4 cup sugar till stiff and then add 3 tspn of gelatine, dissolved in 1/2 cup of boiling water and beat for another 5 minutes, add a little vanilla.

Pour into 2 9" tart plates and chill, then put on top chopped bananas and crushed pineapple, then pour whipped cream over fruit and top with chopped nuts. You can also use canned peaches, pears or strawberries.

Source: contributed by M. Bampton in S.C.N.H. [Southern Cross Nursing Homes] 1st Floor Cook Book No. 2 (?North Plympton; n.d.), p.158.

Coffee and Pear Ring

1 tin pears in natural juice (825g)
1/2 cup pear juice
1.1/2 tbsp gelatine
1 cup hot coffee using 2 tsp coffee
vanilla essence
6 tsp sugar
2 tsp cold water
300ml carton cream

Method: Soften gelatine in cold water. Add sugar and hot coffee. Stir until dissolved. Add pear juice. Arrange pears rounded side down in a ring tin or mold. Add half the mix to the pears set. Whip the cream and vanilla. Mix with remaining coffee mixtre [sic] and spoon over and set.

Source: contributed by Judy Bruce in Burra Kindy Cookbook (Burra, 2002)

Fruit Curacao Cocktail

425g tin pineapple pieces
425g tin peaches
425g pears
Mint
2-4 tablespoons Curacao (blue liqueur)
Cherries

Method: Mix pineapple pieces with diced pears and peaches, then toss in curacao. Chill thoroughly. Pile in cocktail glasses and garnish.

Source: contributed by K. Hughes in Gulnare Gourmets (Adelaide: Gulnare Primary School Welfare Club, 1984 [2nd edition]), p.6.