Make It Perfect

This is one of our winter favourites. Quick to cook up too. I usually boil the drumsticks and then let them cool and shred the meat to add to the soup. This recipe was shared with me by my friend Kelly Peihopa and I always remember her stressing the importance of following the last few steps with exactness…so I have always done exactly as the recipe says and it always turns out beautifully!

Chicken and Corn Soup
1T butter
1 medium onion, diced
4 cups fresh chicken stock
2 cups water
½ cooked chicken (or 4-6 drumsticks)
1 can creamed corn
3 heaped dessert spoons cornflour
2 shallotts, sliced
1 beaten egg

Genetly fry onion in butter until clear. Add 2 cups stock. Add diced/shredded chicken and bring to boil.
Add creamed corn and remainder of stock and water and bring to the boil.
Mix cornflour with a little water to form a thick paste.
Remove saucepan from heat, stir soup continuously and pour in cornflour mixture. Stir through completely. Add shallot and mix.
Lightly whisk eggs, pour into soup from a 2-foot height. Return to heat and stir for approximately 1 minute.

I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who doesn’t love a chocolate eclair! They are actually way easier to make than they look and always please for a special treat.

Mini Eclairs
60g butter
1 cup plain flour, sifted
4 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius and line two baking trays with baking paper.
Put the butter in a pan with 1 cup water. Stir over low heat until melted. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and add all the flour.
Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Return to the heat and beat for 2 minutes or until the mixture forms a ball and leaves the side of the pan.
Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Cool for 5 minutes.
Add the egg, a little at a time, beating well between each addition, until thick and glossy – a wooden spoon should stand upright.
Spoon mixture into a piping bag with a 1.2cm plain nozzle (I use a snap-lock bag with the corner cut off…much easier for clean up!)
Pipe 6cm lengths of batter on the trays. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180 degrees Celsius and cook for 10 minutes, or until golden and puffed.
Poke a hole into one side of each eclair and remove the soft dough from inside with a teaspoon. (If I’m being lazy, I don’t do this…they still taste okay, are just soft inside rather than crispy.) Return to the oven for 2-3 minutes. Cool on a rack.
Fill each eclair with whipped cream and ice with chocolate icing.
Makes 24.