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Prep For Mother’s Day Lunch

Need some help planning the perfect Mother’s Day lunch? We have just the recipes to thrill mum this weekend – just make sure to get your ingredients the day before so you can start cooking early in the day.

Read Time 8 Minutes
By First Choice Liquor Market

For lunch: Slow Cooker Beef with Cheesy Dumplings

The best thing about this recipe (apart from the taste) is that it only requires one glass of red wine – we recommend using a bottle of cab sauv and then enjoying the rest with lunch!

Serves: 8 Prep
Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 4¾ hours

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 800g beef, cut into 3cm pieces
  • 1 brown onion, cut into wedges
  • 2 celery sticks, thickly sliced diagonally
  • 1 large carrot, peeled, thickly sliced
  • 200g brown mushrooms, halved
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 4 bacon rashers, coarsely chopped
  • ¼ cup (35g) plain flour
  • 1 cup (250ml) dry red wine – we suggest Jacob’s Creek Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 750mL
  • 400g can diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup (250ml) beef stock
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 2 thyme sprigs
  • 2 rosemary sprigs

    Cheesy dumplings:
  • 1¼ cups (185g) self-raising flour
  • ½ cup (85g) cornmeal (polenta)
  • 2 tbs finely chopped chives
  • 2 tsp finely chopped rosemary
  • 1 tsp finely chopped thyme
  • 1½ cups (180g) coarsely grated cheddar
  • 100g butter, melted
  • 1 cup (250g) buttermilk

Method:

  1. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook the beef, in 4 batches, turning occasionally, for 5 mins or until brown all over. Transfer to a slow cooker.
  2. Heat remaining oil in the pan over medium heat. Cook the onion, celery, carrot, mushroom, garlic and bacon, stirring occasionally, for 5 mins or until vegetables begin to brown. Sprinkle over the flour. Cook, stirring, for 2 mins or until well combined.
  3. Add to the beef in the slow cooker. Pour over the wine, tomato and stock. Add the bay leaves, thyme and rosemary. Cook for 4 hours on high (or 6 hours on low) or until meat is very tender.
  4. Preheat oven to 200°C. To make the cheesy dumplings, combine the flour, cornmeal, chives, rosemary, thyme and ½ cup (60g) of the cheddar in a bowl. Season. Make a well in the centre. Add the butter and buttermilk and stir until just combined.
  5. Transfer beef mixture to a casserole pan. Spoon over the dumpling mixture. Bake, covered, for 10 mins or until dumplings are just cooked through.
  6. Sprinkle with the remaining cheddar. Bake, uncovered, for 5-7 mins or until cheddar melts and is golden brown.

For dessert: Love Heart Biscuit Cake

Let’s be honest: the dessert is the main event! We’ve got two options that mum will love.

Serves: 24
Prep: 40 mins (+ cooling and 30 mins resting time)
Cooking: 1½ hours

Ingredients:

Meringues:

  • 2 egg whites
  • ½ cup (110g) caster sugar
  • Biscuit dough:
  • 125g butter, softened
  • ⅔ cup (150g) caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 2 eggs
  • 1⅓ cups (200g) self-raising flour
  • 1 cup (150g) plain flour

    Swiss meringue buttercream:
  • 6 egg whites
  • 1½ cups (330g) caster sugar
  • 500g butter, softened
  • ½ tsp raspberry-flavoured baking paste (optional)
  • Pink liquid food colouring

    To bake and assemble:
  • 1 egg white
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • ½ cup (160g) raspberry jam
  • Raspberries, to serve

Method:

  1. To make the meringues, preheat oven to 100°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Use an electric mixer to whisk the egg whites in a bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until sugar is completely dissolved. Spoon the meringue mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm fluted nozzle. Pipe meringues in different sizes onto the lined tray. Bake for one hour or until dry to the touch. Turn oven off. Leave meringues in the oven, with the door ajar, to cool completely.
  2. To make the biscuit dough, use an electric mixer to beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs beating well after each addition. Add the combined flour and stir to combine. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Shape into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 mins to rest.
  3. To make the Swiss meringue buttercream, combine the egg whites and sugar in a clean, dry heatproof bowl. Place over a saucepan of simmering water and use a balloon whisk to whisk for 8-10 mins or until the sugar completely dissolves and mixture reaches 70°C on a sugar thermometer. Remove from heat. Use an electric mixer to whisk constantly for 15 mins or until mixture is thick and glossy and cools to room temperature.
  4. With the mixer running, gradually add the butter, one piece at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating for two minutes or until the mixture is smooth. Add raspberry baking paste, if using, and food colouring and beat to combine.
  5. To bake and assemble, preheat oven to 180°C. Divide the dough into two even portions. Roll out one dough portion on a large sheet of baking paper to a 4mm-thick disc. Use a 27cm-high, 30cm-wide heart-shaped stencil and a small sharp knife to cut a large heart from the dough, reserving excess. Use a 15cm-high, 17cm-wide heart-shaped stencil and a small sharp knife to cut a heart from the centre of large heart. Remove centre and reserve with the excess dough. Transfer the large heart on the paper to a baking tray. Repeat with the remaining dough portion. Bake large hearts, swapping the trays halfway through cooking, for 12-15 mins or until light golden. Set aside on trays to cool.
  6. Line another baking tray with baking paper. Roll out reserved dough on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm-thick disc. Use small heart cutters to cut out shapes and place on the lined tray. Brush the small hearts with a little egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for five mins or until light golden. Set aside on the tray to cool.
  7. Place half the buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a 2cm plain nozzle. Place one large biscuit heart on a serving plate. Pipe buttercream in two rows over the biscuit. Spoon jam into the gaps between the rows. Top with remaining large biscuit heart. Pipe remaining buttercream in two rows over the top of the biscuit. Decorate with meringues, small biscuit hearts and raspberries.

Or if a tart is what you’d prefer…

Raspberry Custard Brioche Tart

Serves: 12
Prep: 25 mins (+ 2 hours rising and 1 hour cooling time)
Cooking: 40 mins

Ingredients:

  • 1⅔ cups (250g) plain flour
  • 2 tbs caster sugar
  • 2 tsp (1 sachet/7g) dried yeast
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 eggs, lightly whisked
  • 2 tbs milk
  • 1 tsp finely grated orange rind
  • 120g butter, softened, chopped
  • 1 egg yolk, lightly whisked
  • 1 tbs white sugar
  • 2 tbs flaked almonds
  • 250g fresh or frozen raspberries
  • Icing sugar, to dust

    Custard filling:
  • 3 egg yolks
  • ½ cup (110g) caster sugar
  • ¼ cup (35g) plain flour
  • 1½ cups (375ml) milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Method:

  1. Combine flour, caster sugar, yeast and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add eggs, milk and orange rind. Beat on low speed for five mins or until dough is smooth and elastic. With the motor running, gradually add butter, one piece at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat for a further 6-8 mins or until dough is shiny, smooth and elastic. Cover with a clean tea towel. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for two hours or until dough doubles in size.
  2. Meanwhile, to make custard filling, use an electric mixer to beat egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the flour. Beat to combine.
  3. Bring milk and vanilla just to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Gradually add to the egg mixture, whisking well after each addition. Transfer to a clean saucepan. Place over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for five mins or until the custard boils and thickens. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 30 mins to chill.
  4. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a 22cm fluted tart tin with removable base. Turn brioche dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth. Shape into a 25cm disc. Press into the prepared pan. Brush edge with egg yolk. Sprinkle with white sugar and almond.
  5. Spoon custard over brioche dough, leaving a 2cm border. Sprinkle with raspberries. Bake for 10 mins. Reduce oven to 180°C. Bake for a further 20 mins or until golden brown and cooked through. Set aside for one hour to cool. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

The drink to serve with it: Raspberry Fizz

This cocktail will go perfectly with whatever dessert you choose.

Serves: 6
Prep: 5 mins (+ 30 mins chilling time)
Cooking: 5 mins

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup (75g) frozen raspberries
  • 1 tbs caster sugar
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • Fresh raspberries, to serve
  • 750ml btl chilled sparkling wine – we recommend Chandon Pinot Noir Shiraz 750mL
  • Mint leaves, to serve

Method:

  1. Combine frozen raspberries, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for five mins or until raspberries break down and release their juices. Remove from heat. Strain through a fine sieve into a jug, using the back of a spoon to press as much liquid through as possible. Discard solids. Place in fridge for 30 mins to chill.
  2. Thread fresh raspberries onto skewers. Pour raspberry mixture evenly among serving glasses. Top with wine, raspberry skewers and mint leaves.
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