Brie Burgers

500g lean top-quality minced beef , preferably freshly minced
1 small onion , grated
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
4 large basil leaves
50g brie , cut into 4
2 sundried tomatoes in oil, halved
salad leaves, cornichons and sliced tomatoes , to serve

Remove the mince from the fridge 30 mins before cooking to reach room temperature. Put the mince in a bowl and mix in 1 tsp sea salt, pepper, the grated onion and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well with your (clean) hands, then divide into 4 equal-size balls. Wrap a basil leaf around each slice of brie and press into the middle along with the tomato and re-shape the meat to a flat patty, 11⁄2cm thick.

Heat the grill for 5 mins. Fit the grill rack to its highest level. Lay the burgers evenly over the rack so they are under the hottest parts of the grill. Brush with oil from the sundried tomatoes and season.

Grill the first side 3 mins for medium-rare or 5 mins for well done. Brush the other side with oil, season and grill for the same length of time. Allow to stand for 3 mins before serving. Pack into a crusty bun with salad leaves, cornichons, tomatoes and relish.

Peppermint Icicles

Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
1 drop blue gel-paste food coloring
1 drop violet gel-paste food coloring

Directions

Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Bring sugar, corn syrup, and water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until sugar dissolves. Cook, undisturbed, until mixture registers 305 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and stir in lemon juice and peppermint extract. Working quickly, pour hot sugar mixture onto prepared sheet. (Be careful not to touch hot mixture.) Let cool until bubbles subside, about 30 seconds.
Coat a metal spatula with cooking spray, then fold 2 edges of mixture inward, toward center (pictured, above left). Continuously fold candy in half on itself with spatula until it is cool enough to handle, about 1 minute (it will still be very hot).

Wearing rubber gloves and working quickly, pull candy to a length of 1 foot, then fold in half on itself. Repeat, twisting and pulling until candy starts to turn white. Remove a golf-ball-sized piece, and add food colorings to the smaller piece. Continue to stretch and fold both pieces separately. When candy is almost cool, and the uncolored piece is white, pull each piece into a 12-inch-long rope.

Place ropes side by side, and fold in half together to layer colors. Twist pieces together. Starting at 1 end, pull and twist until rope is 1/2 inch thick. Working quickly, twist and pull end to taper slightly, and cut off a 6-inch length with scissors. Continue twisting, pulling, and cutting icicles until candy becomes too hard and can no longer be pulled. (There will be some left over. Reserve for another use, such as crushing over ice cream or cookies; see Chocolate-Peppermint Cookies, recipe page 240.) Transfer icicles to a baking sheet to harden. Store, covered, for up to 4 days.

Almond Paste

Note: Begin 20 minutes ahead

Ingredients:

1 cup ground almonds
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions:

1. In small bowl, mix well the ground almonds, confectioners' sugar, egg yolk, lemon juice and almond extract.

2. Sprinkle work surface generously with confectioners' sugar; with sugared hands, knead mixture until smooth and not sticky.

Yield: 1 cup

Orange-Coconunt Macaroons

Makes about 3 dozen
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest, plus 1 teaspoon fresh orange juice
4 1/2 ounces almond paste
2 large egg whites
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups packed sweetened flaked coconut, (about 4 1/2 ounces)
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Process granulated sugar and orange zest in a food processor until combined, about 3 minutes. Add almond paste; process 1 minute. Add egg whites, orange juice, confectioners' sugar, flour, half of the coconut, and the salt; process 1 minute. Remove blade, scraping batter into bowl with a rubber spatula. Stir in remaining coconut.

Drop rounded teaspoons of batter on to baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake macaroons until the edges start to turn brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer parchment and macaroons to a wire rack; let cool completely. Macaroons can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.