Musk sticks and Mint twigs

Although I had never heard of these in my childhood (sad) I certainly made up for it when I was buying my own sweets and lollies, when newly married and emigrated to Australia. I now have a grand daughter I can make them for and sneak a few in to myself. (Ha ha ha ha)

Ingredients...

1 teaspoon unflavoured GELATINE

1/3 cup WATER.

1 teaspoon GLUCOSE SYRUP.

500g ICING SUGAR.

1-2 teaspoons MUSK STICK FLAVOURING. (or mint essence for mint twigs)

Few drops PINK food colouring (or green for mint twigs)

Piping bag with 1cm star nozzle.

Method...

Line a couple of trays with baking paper. In a small saucepan over a low heat, heat the glucose syrup, water and gelatine, until the gelatine has dissolved.

Take pan off the heat and stir the mixture. Get a large bowl and your electric hand mixer. Transfer the mix into the bowl with 1/3 icing sugar, mix on low speed until combined.

Add another 1/3 icing sugar and mix until combined.

Add the remaining icing sugar, colour and flavouring and mix until well combined.

Transfer to the piping bag with the nozzle in and pipe 4cm sticks on to the baking trays.

Allow to air dry for 6-8 hours (mine took 12 hours, if you did them thinner it won't take as long)

Store in a airtight container at room temperature.

****Note****

The musk essence (oil based) can be got from here...

http://bakingpleasures.com.au

Strawberry cheesecake

Having played around with many food processors in the past and not been happy with any of them, I have finally found one that works for me. A BREVILLE ICON BFP650. In the recipe book that comes with it is a lovely recipe for a lemon cheesecake, but I wanted to make a strawberry one so I have adapted it. Here's what I did. Ingredients....

250g pkt plain sweet Biscuits.
125 Butter (melted)
250g Cream Cheese (cubed and softened)
400g can sweetened Condensed Milk.
125ml Cream.
1 tablespoon Gelatin powder.
10ml boiling water.
2 teaspoons Strawberry essence.
2 punnets Strawberries. (half a punnet diced and reserve the rest sliced for the top)
2 tablespoons of strawberry Jam.
A little boiling water.

Method...

With butter, grease a 20cm spring form tin and set aside.
Melt the butter in the microwave on 50% power and allow to cool. Break the biscuits in to quarters and place in processor and pulse until finely crushed. Add melted butter slowly through the food chute and process until combined. Remove crumb mixture from bowl and press in to spring form tin, over the base and up the sides.
Place cream cheese, condensed milk and cream in to the food processor and combine but don't over do this. Melt the gelatin in the boiling water and stir well, add this and the strawberry essence to the cheese mix now and pulse for a second or two. Stir in the diced strawberries and put in to the biscuit case in tin. Put this in the fridge now to set, this can take up to three hours, mine was done in two hours.
Place the sliced strawberries on the top in a pattern to suit yourself. Add the boiling water to the jam and brush on with a pastry brush to give the strawberries a lovely glaze.