Pavlova

Serves: 10-12
Preparation time: 15 to 30 minutes
New Zealand's national dessert - after the Barbeque

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar
• 2 teaspoons cornflour
  
  In small electric mixer bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
  Add sugar, lemon juice and sifted cornflour and beat until stiff and glossy (at least 10 minutes).
  Cover a baking tray with baking paper.
  Pile meringue onto paper and shape into a large circle, leaving the centre slightly hollowed.
  Bake in a very slow oven for 1½ hours or until crisp on the outside.
  Turn oven off and leave pavlova to cool in oven with door ajar.
  Decorate with whipped cream and fruit in season. Serve with Hokey Pokey ice cream

Guacamole

3 ripe Avocados
1 vine ripe tomato, diced
1/2 small onion, minced
1 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 tbs. fresh lemon or lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced and mashed.
1 T. sour cream
1 tsp. tabasco sauce
Salt to taste

Cut avocados in halve and scoop out flesh into a bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir till well combined.

Brussels Sprouts with Sweet Potatoes and Maple Syrup

INGREDIENTS
4 strips bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 onion, finely chopped
2 lbs brussels sprouts, sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400° and lightly butter a 2-quart soufflé dish.
Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Reduce heat to low; add onion and cook about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add brussels sprouts and cook, stirring frequently until slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add reserved bacon, salt, pepper and pecans. Add potato slices to pan and cook until light brown, about 3 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup and butter.

Toss all ingredients together in soufflé dish and bake 20 minutes.
Serves 8

Brownies

• 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, more for pan and parchment paper
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, such as muscovado
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or 3/4 cup whole walnuts
  

1. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and line with buttered parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt butter and chocolate together. Cool slightly. In a large bowl or mixer, whisk eggs. Whisk in salt, sugars and vanilla.
2. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour just until combined. If using chopped walnuts, stir them in. Pour batter into prepared pan. If using whole walnuts, arrange on top of batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until shiny and beginning to crack on top. Cool in pan on rack.
Yield: 15 large or 24 small brownies.
Note: For best flavor, bake 1 day before serving, let cool and store, tightly wrapped

Sgroppino

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 Tabelspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups chilled Prosecco, Champagne, or other sparkling wine
• 1/4 cup vodka

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water and sugar just to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat, add zest, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes.
Pour syrup through a fine strainer set over a medium glass measure or bowl. Stir in lemon juice and salt. Let cool to room termperature. Chill mixture, covered, for about 3 hours, or until thoroughly chilled.
Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. After churning, sorbet will be soft but ready to eat. For a firmer texture, transfer to a freezer container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving. Pour Prosecco into a blender, add 2 cups of the sorbet and the vodka, if using, and blend just until smooth and still thick. Pour into chilled stemmed glasses and serve immediately with spoons.

Melon Cucumber Smash

• 2 sprigs fresh mint
• 4 slices cucumber
• 3/4 ounce simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, boiled for 2 minutes)
• 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
• 2 ounces Bacardi Grand Melon rum
• Splash chilled soda water
• Garnish: fresh cucumber slice

Tear mint springs and drop into a cocktail shaker; add cucumber slices. Press with a muddler to bruise the mint and cucumber well. Add simple syrup, lime juice, and rum, Fill shaker with ice, cap , and shake vigorously. Strain into a large cocktail glass and top with a splash of soda. Float cucumber slice in the drink.

White Lady

Shake very thoroughly with cracked ice:

• 1 1/2 ounces London dry gin
• 3/4 ounce Cointreau
• 3/4 ounce fresh'squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 of an egg white

Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and drink