Just Desserts

Australians like their sweets. Why should they be any different than the rest of us? We've run across some traditional desserts that are uniquely Australian and, in the interest of cultural exchange, we've tried and enjoyed.

There are no cookies in Australia, but they do have oodles of sweet biscuits. Same thing, different name. Tim Tams are very popular and come in a variety of flavors which we've tried on numerous occasions... again purely for our cultural edification.

My personal favorites are ANZAC biscuits. Named way back in WWI for ANZACs (Australia-New Zealand Army Corps), these easy traveling, long lasting cookies became associated with wives and mums sending treats to their men overseas during the war. The basic ingredients are oats and coconut. We tasted them the first time on ANZAC Day at a tiny celebration on Pitcairn Island and thought they were the ultimate oatmeal cookie. ANZAC Day, celebrated April 25th each year, is comparable to Veteran's Day in the USA and in my mind, having a cookie specific to the holiday is an excellent idea although they're available commercially all year long.

When we were in New Zealand, we sampled Pavlova for the first time. There's an ongoing battle between the Kiwis and the Aussies as to which country first introduced the Pavlova. Evidently the prima ballerina, Anna Pavlova, visited both countries in the 1920's and this dessert was named in her honor. No matter who claims the title of origin, the resulting dessert is lovely. Made with a meringue that's crusty on the outside and soft on the inside, the whole thing is covered in whipped cream and studded with fresh fruits like strawberries, kiwis, passion fruit and blueberries. Pre-made meringues can be purchased in the stores, so all you need to do is top it with cream and fresh fruit. Pretty easy. It's typically served on special holidays like Christmas and it's delish.

They also have something called White Christmas and Chocolate Crackles, both made with rice bubbles, aka Kellogg's Rice Krispies. Though the recipes are different from the ones we grew up with in the USA like Scotch Treats and Original Marshmallow Krispie Treats, the process is similar. Kids make the recipe because it's an easy, no-bake, chill-in-the-fridge, hopelessly sweet kind of treat.

Then there is Lamington Cake or Lamington Cream which is definitely Australian in origin. I've seen them in pastry shops and the grocery store bakeries, but not yet tasted them. There seem to be several variations on the theme. It's a yellow sponge cake topped first with a chocolate cream icing which soaks into the cake, then it's dipped in shredded coconut. A filling of cream and/or strawberry jam can be layered in the middle according to some of the recipes I've read. It's on the “to make” list.

I saw “brandy custard” in the dairy case at the supermarket the other day. It comes in 1-liter waxed cardboard containers like a quart of milk or eggnog, so it's obviously liquid. The containers were decorated in Christmas colors and I thought perhaps they might be akin to egg nog. I had to e-mail my Aussie friend, Marly B., in Melbourne and get the scoop on custards. They come in powder or liquid form though making them from scratch is the best, she says. What she describes sounds like a rich vanilla pudding which can be drizzled on Christmas pudding or served with fruit or made into cream tarts. Evidently a myriad of choices. Egg nog, by the way, is not very popular here...brandy notwithstanding.

The traditional English plum pudding is still a Christmas favorite here. At least I've seen lots of them in the stores on sale. And, of course, fruit cake is available. I prefer waiting till after Christmas to buy our fruit cake. They're heavily discounted then and are great for celebrating January 7th... Fruitcake Toss Day. We know folks who have used them as dinghy anchors. They seldom drag.

Being from New England, my favorite Christmas dessert recipe is Cranberry Pudding. Though neither fresh nor frozen cranberries are available here in Tasmania (dried cranberries do not work well), I thought I'd share this old Martha's Vineyard recipe with you anyway. It's easy to make and tastes scrumptious when served warm and topped with whipped cream or ice cream.

Cranberry Pudding a la Nine of Cups

2 cups whole fresh cranberries, washed

¾ cup white sugar – separated ½ cup and ¼ cup

¼ c chopped walnuts 6 tbsp melted butter – separated 4 tbsp and 2 tbsp

½ c flour 1 egg, well beaten

Place cranberries in a well-buttered 8” pie plate. Mix ¼ cup of sugar and the walnuts with 4 tbsp of melted butter and drizzle over the cranberries. Combine the remaining sugar with the flour and add to the beaten egg; stir well. Add the remaining melted butter; stir well again. Pour over the cranberries.

Bake about 40 minutes at 350F (180C) till the top is lightly brown and the cranberries are bubbling. Serve warm or cold. Top with freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Please bake one for me. Send me a picture. As you're eating it, savor the taste. Think about those of us poor folks who have no fresh cranberries. Sigh! I know I could substitute another fruit, but it just wouldn't be the same.

A Traditional English Teakettle

This may be a non-sequitur to our time in Hobart, but you're probably sick of hearing about how wonderful this city is and I thought a change of pace was in order. I've been asked recently (and many times in the past) what items I considered essential in my galley. Before we even bought Nine of Cups, our son, Brennan, gave us a whistling tea kettle for Christmas one year. It's chrome over copper, sturdy, well made, a proper British kettle made by Simplex. When we moved aboard Nine of Cups, it came with us. It was hard to know at the time what to bring and what to leave behind. We sold or gave away most everything in the way of furniture, fine china and artwork. Kitchen utensils and pots and pans seemed reasonable to move aboard. Over the years, some have been discarded for non-use and others have been replaced. The kettle, however, has maintained it place.

The kettle moved aboard with us almost as part of the crew and it sits comfortably on the stovetop. David installed a potguard on the stove to keep the kettle (and other pots or pans) in place when we're underway. Of all the pots, pans and implements in the galley, this is the one item that I use and admire the most. It has my affection...as much as you can effectively love a kettle. It gives the galley a warm, homey look. When I clean the galley, the last item to be wiped and polished till its shine reflects the world around it, is the kettle. When the kettle shines and whistles, I'm content.

Here's how the company describes its teapots:

“Combining the virtues and traditions of Victorian design and elegance, with the innovations of modern technology, Simplex Kettles are considered by many as the only true Old English Tea Kettle. Recently a copper kettle was provided as a gift for the wedding of William and Kate which describes the stature of these products. You do not just purchase a kettle, but an heirloom of your life that will serve you well for many years and become a partner to you in your kitchen.” Pretty impressive, wouldn't you say?

Despite the flowery language, they only provide a year's guarantee now. Wonder what that means?

Actually, I had a problem with the kettle about two years ago. The wooden handle was getting gnarly and the chrome handle supports were all rusted out. Perhaps from all the salt air? Nevertheless, figuring that England is a chilly, damp island and they must know how to deal with the salt air issues, I contacted Simplex. I sent an e-mail with pictures of the gnarly handle and chrome supports. I didn't expect an answer quickly, so I was quite surprised when a few days later I received a nice reply from their Customer Service asking for the address to which the replacement parts could be sent...at their expense. What? They were standing by their product and making it good again? Sure enough, the new parts arrived in about a week and my old kettle looked good as new.

Some things go the way of spaghetti servers and lime zesters on this boat. No time for silly gadgets or single-purpose items ... and other things remain “my partner in the kitchen”.

Chocolate John...right in my own backyard

Reg came over for dinner the other night and brought a tiny little box with four handmade chocolates in it. “Nutpatch... just up the road”, he said, when I asked where they came from. We went to dinner at Marcia and John's house one night and they served nougat (pronounced like the French without the “t”...new-gah) after dinner. Absolutely, melt-in-your-mouth delicious. “Where is it from?” I inquired. “Just up the road from you...Nutpatch.” It was obvious that I needed to check this out. I'd walked to the post office innumerable times and walked right past this unpretentious little shop called Nutpatch. It's right on the Channel Highway, next door to the Coffee a Go Go in an abandoned service station. A handpainted wooden sign sits on a pick-up truck across the street: Handmade fine chocolate. How could I have missed it?

I walked through the door and I was in another world. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. The smell...the delicious smell of chocolate enveloped me. I might add, I'm not that much of a chocolate hound. (David more than makes up for what he terms a major character flaw of mine). The array of chocolates was absolutely enticing. It gave new meaning to “eye candy”.

A glass-fronted display showcased pieces of chocolate art ... gorgeous, perfect, exquisitely decorated, individually handmade chocolates that also happened to be edible delights. Shelves of dark, milk and white chocolate crafted into a myriad of shapes and detailed figures lined the walls. From tiny boxes of four custom-selected pieces to chocolate bowls, delicate tree ornaments and huge chocolate Santas, it was all here in this tiny little shop called Nutpatch.

John Vito, the owner, was only too happy to chat with me about his shop … on three separate occasions. I began calling him Chocolate John. I was intrigued with him and his chocolate shop. He ships worldwide and has been lauded by many gourmets for his fine chocolates and especially his secret recipe nougat and here he is in a tiny little shop in Kettering, Tasmania. He relies on Tasmanian ingredients for his nougat: local honey and eggs plus the key ingredient, hazelnuts from his own orchard. He grows, harvests, shells and roasts over 30 different varieties of this earthy-tasting nut and incorporates them into his award-winning confections.

John has had a lifelong love affair with chocolate, but has only been a professional chocolatier for the past 10-15 years. Before that, he was a teacher in nearby Woodbridge for 26 years. As he talked, I watched as liquid chocolate streamed into big stainless steel tubs from his three mixing machines. A steady current of thick, rich chocolate flowed endlessly. He dipped a paintbrush into the liquid chocolate, swished it over a finished chocolate and then dipped it in coconut. He handed me one. Oh, my!

John does not advertise; he never has. He feels his product will sell itself and it does. In fact, when I mentioned his website's page on “where to buy” is blank, he just said “They find me.”

He doesn't rush his customers. While I was there, two women easily spent 45 minutes in this tiny 12'x12' showroom, carefully choosing their purchases. John chatted easily while he worked. When they were ready, he carefully and precisely placed each purchase into small, brown paper shopping bags. The ladies took another 10 minutes to select individual chocolates from the display case. He made suggestions, but never hinted at rushing.

His goal, he says, is to provide a true chocolate experience for everyone who enters his shop. His background in material design allows him to look at chocolate in a different way. He educates his customers about his material and his craft. He said it's important to respect your material whatever you're creating. Respect the chocolate. Think of what has gone into the process of creating the chocolate he works with...the people involved in harvesting the cacao beans, fermenting them, drying them, roasting them. All of these people are part of the final result.

He told me there was a proper way to eat a chocolate. Bite it in half, savor the taste, look at the half still in your hand to see what workmanship has gone into it: the layers, the ingredients, the colors, the textures. Respect the workmanship, the craft, the art. Chocolate is John's material, his media, and the result is definitely fine art.

Can you understand why I returned so many times? To find someone so committed to his craft, who obviously loves what he does and who is willing to share that passion with others is incredible.

Plus he lets me sample his artwork!