Desserts
Tart Tatin
Ingredients 100g butter 100g sugar 1 vanilla bean Sprinkle ground cinnamon 1 pkt butter puff pastry, preferably careme 5-6 pears MethodPreheat oven to 190°C. In a 20-22cm small fry pan or tart tatin pan add butter and sugar and vanilla bean cut in half lengthways. Peel, core and cut the pears in half then arrange in the pan on top of the sugar and butter, tightly packed. Cut the pastry in a circle to fit the pan, cover the pears tucking in around the sides and score the pastry. Place on the stove top and cook for about 10-15minutes on medium heat until you can see a caramel forming. Place in the oven and bake 20-25minutes until the pasty is golden. Carefully take out of the oven and invert on a dish. Be very careful as this is very hot and the caramel may spill out. Enjoy hot or cold with cream or ice-cream…
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Apple & Rhubarb Crumble
Ingredients 1 bunch rhubarb 4 granny smith or golden delicious apples 1 orange, juice and zest 2 sticks cinnamon 1 vanilla bean 100g brown sugar 30g butter Crumble Topping 100g unsalted butter 100g brown sugar 100g flour ½ tsp ground ginger ½ tsp ground cinnamon Handful of flaked almonds MethodRub together the butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon and ginger powder. Add the flaked almonds and set aside. Preheat oven to 180°C. Peel, core and chop apples. Wash rhubarb and cut into 1 inch pieces. Place rhubarb and apples in a frying pan with orange zest, cinnamon sticks, orange juice, vanilla bean and butter. Cook slowly for a few minutes until tender. Heap into individual ramekins or 1 large baking dish and cover with crumble mix. Place in oven and bake until golden. Enjoy hot or cold, on its own, or with cream or ice-cream. ** add coconut, oats chopped hazelnuts to add variety to your crumble topping ** For the filling, try adding apple juice concentrate (from health food shops) and omitting the sugar
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Christmas Meringue with Berries
Ingredients 200g room temperature egg white 440g caster sugar, powdered in a blender 2 x 70g Wheel&Barrow silver cachous to finish 500g room temperature strawberries, hulled and cut in half 200g fresh or frozen raspberries 50g dark palm sugar, finely grated 1 tsp balsamic vinegar 250g thick pure cream Method Pre-heat oven to 125°C, and cover three baking sheets with baking paper. Fill the mixing bowl with hot water and let it stand for 2-3 minutes, tip out the water and dry the bowl. Whisk the egg whites at high speed until they are very stiff and coming away from the edge of the bowl in clumps, and only then, start adding the sugar a tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated. Continue whipping until the meringue is very stiff and has the appearance of satin fabric. Fill the piping bag and pipe onto the baking tray a 7cm ring, and a 5cm cone, then pipe 8 x 18cm, 6 x 16cm, 5 x 12cm and 5 x 8cm sticks and divide any remaining meringue into more sticks. Gently shake the cachous onto the sticks, rolling the trays from side to side to catch any run-away cachous. Cook for 10 minutes at 125°C, then, without opening the oven door, turn the oven down to 100°C and set a timer for 3 hours. Again without opening the oven door turn the heat off and allow to cool in the oven. The sticks can be made several days in advance and stored in an airtight container in a cool dry place.To FinishPut everything except the cream into a bowl and gently mix together. Put a bit of cream onto the plate to secure the first meringue to the cake stand and continue to assemble the tree shape alternating between fruit and meringue sticks that have been spread with a little cream to secure them. Finish the top with the ring and cone. Any left over sticks can be served as petit fours with coffee.Extra TipsThe two reasons that cooks have trouble with meringue is they take the egg white straight from the fridge and secondly they don’t beat their egg whites long enough before they start adding the sugar. Cooking is chemistry and if you try and dissolve sugar in a glass of ice water it is easy to understand why the egg white needs to be warm and the sugar works better if its powdered. Stale egg white, egg white that has been left at room temperature for three to four days also whips better – scientific fact! Why grams and not a number of eggs? With the eggs available on the market pace egg white size varies as much as 15g from small to jumbo eggs. Also the weight of egg white taken from eggs straight from the fridge is less than from room temperature eggs, so a weight makes very good sense.
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Apple Pie
Ingredients Pastry 300g plain flour Pinch of salt 60g vegetable shortening (copha) grated 2 tbsp sugar 180g cold butter grated Iced water Filling 8-10 granny smith apples ½ cup brown sugar 3 tbsp flour 1 tsp ground cinnamon Caster sugar for sprinkling 1 egg beaten MethodIn a bowl mix together the flour, sugar, salt, grated butter and vegetable shortening. With your fingers, rub together until it looks like coarse bread crumbs. Add a little iced water to form a ball. Divide into 2 and wrap in cling film and chill for about ½ an hour. Peel, core and slice the apples very roughly into a bowl. Toss with brown sugar, flour and cinnamon and allow to sit for ½ an hour. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll out the pastry to a circle of about 4mm thick and line a 25cm pie dish. Spoon in the apples and then roll out remaining pastry for the top of the pie. Brush the edges of the base with the beaten egg and then carefully place the pastry over the top of the pie. Crimp the edges together. Make a few cuts in the top or insert a pie funnel to allow the steam to escape during cooking. Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 45mins – 1 hour until golden brown. Serve on its own or with cream and ice cream.
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Summer Berry Trifle
Ingredients For the Trifle 2 pkts mini jam rolls 2 punnets fresh strawberries 2 punnets fresh raspberries 1 punnet blueberries 1 pkt frozen mixed berries 1 jar good quality red currant jam 6 sheets leaf gelatine (12g) 600ml cosmopolitan cocktail mix White chocolate cream 500ml milk 45g cornflour 50g sugar 4 egg yolks 1 vanilla bean (optional) 100g good quality white chocolate, chopped 600ml cream, whipped to soft peak MethodFor the jelly, soak gelatine sheets in cold or iced water. Once soft squeeze out excess water. Heat 200ml cosmopolitan cocktail mix and add the gelatine to dissolve. Add the remaining 400ml of cocktail mix with 150ml water. Allow to cool. Line the inside edge of the base of the trifle dish with sliced strawberries. Gently pour in the jelly mix and add chopped strawberries to the jelly mix. Allow to firm in the fridge. Combine 1 punnet raspberries, a handful of blueberries and a packet of frozen mixed berries and add ¾ of the jar of the red currant jam. Mix together and set aside. For the white chocolate cream bring the milk to the boil with the vanilla bean. In a bowl combine the egg yolks, sugar, and cornflour. Gently pour over the hot milk and whisk. Remove the vanilla bean. Pour back into the saucepan and cook over low heat until the mixture thickens. Add the white chocolate and whisk until it has melted. Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or freezer film directly onto the surface so that a skin does not form. Allow to cool. When cool whisk lightly & gently fold in 1/3 of the softly whipped cream to combine then add the remaining cream. Cover and set aside in the fridge. Cut the jam rolls into 8mm-1cm rounds and place a layer laying flat on the jelly. Gently spoon over about an inch of cream mix. Place a layer of jam roll slices standing up along the inside edge of the bowl resting on the pastry cream. Line the centre with jam rolls laying flat. You will have created a shallow hole. Spoon in the mixed berries, to the top of the layer of jam rolls. Place a fresh raspberry on the jam rolls on the inside of the trifle bowl and then fill with white chocolate cream. Chill and allow to firm up in the fridge before decorating with fresh berries and white chocolate curls.
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Cherry Bombe Alaska
Ingredients 1 jar cherries drained 1 pckt sour cherry pistachio nougat, chopped 1L good quality vanilla icecream 500g cherry sorbet 500g coconut icecream 180g egg whites Pinch of cream of tartar 200g caster sugar 1 round chocolate cake to fit base of pudding mould ~1.5cm thick (use your favourite recipe) Cherry Sorbet 1.5kg fresh cherries 600g sugar 250ml water 1 lemon juice 1 vanilla bean 1 cinnamon stick Coconut Icecream 600ml cream 500ml milk 100g toasted shredded coconut 200g coconut palm sugar (or caster sugar) 12 egg yolks MethodCherry SorbetPit the cherries, purée and set aside. Boil the water and sugar, vanilla bean and cinnamon stick together for 5 mins. Allow to cool. Add the cherries and lemon juice. Strain and churn in an icecream machine or use a KitchenAid Mixer with icecream attachment.Coconut IcecreamBring the milk and cream to the boil with the toasted coconut and sugar. Steep to allow the flavours to develop for about ½ an hour. In a bowl whisk the egg yolks until light and fluffy. Slowly pour in the hot milk and cream and whisk together. Over a double boiler cook the icecream base until it coats the back of the spoon. Strain and cool over a tub of ice. Once cool churn in an icecream machine or use a KitchenAid Mixer with icecream attachment.To AssembleLine the inside of a 2L pudding mould with cling film. Add the churned cherry sorbet mix to cover the bottom third of the mould. Layer with a row of cherries. Allow to firm in the freezer. Once firm add the coconut layer. Freeze. Combine softened vanilla icecream & chopped nougat together then place on top of the coconut icecream layer. Place a disc of chocolate cake to fit the top of the last layer. Freeze. When you are ready to serve, turn out onto a lined oven tray. Whisk the egg whites and the cream of tartar in a bowl until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and whisk together. Coat the icecream with meringue and place in a hot oven for a few minutes until browned. Serve immediately.
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Xmas Whoopie Cakes
Ingredients 125g butter softened 170g brown sugar 50g honey 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla essence 300g self raising flour ½ tsp bicarbonate soda 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp ground mixed spice 160ml milk For The Cream Cheese 125g cream cheese 70g butter softened 170g icing sugar sifted For The Fruit Filling 30g currants 30g raisins chopped 40g toasted slivered almonds 30g prunes chopped 30g dates chopped 30g sultanas chopped 30g cranberries chopped 50g brown sugar Splash or rum, brandy or port 1 lemon zest 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 orange zest & juice ½ orange strained MethodWhisk together the butter, sugar, honey and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add egg & whisk until combined. Sift together the dry ingredients & fold into the egg mixture alternatively with the milk. Spoon heaped teaspoons into a greased whoopie pan or onto a lined baking tray & bake at 180 °C for 7-10 minutes until golden brown & firm to the touch. Allow to cool completely. For the Cream CheeseWhisk the cream cheese and butter until light & fluffy. Add the icing sugar & whisk until combined.For the Fruit FillingCombine all ingredients together & allow the flavours to develop for as long as possible.To AssembleFold the fruit mix into the cream cheese mix & combine. Spoon into the centre of a whoopie & top with another whoopie. Dust with icing sugar.
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Icecream Sandwiches
Ingredients (makes 10 sandwiches)For the Icecream 300ml cream 250g strawberry purée 175g sugar 5 egg yolks 1 vanilla bean, split & scraped 200g strawberries For the Cake 180g self raising flour 2 eggs 125g unsalted butter, softened Pinch salt 125g caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla essence 50ml milk MethodFor the IcecreamChop the strawberries & add 75g sugar & set aside to soften. Whip the egg yolks & 100g sugar until light & fluffy. Heat the cream and vanilla bean until just about to boil & slowly add to the whipped egg mixture. Pour into a large bowl & cook over a double boiler stirring constantly until it thickens & coats the back of a spoon. Strain & cool over an iced water bath. Add the strawberry purée. Place in an icecream machine or icecream bowl attachment on your KitchenAid mixer & churn until firm but soft. Strain the juice from the strawberries & fold the strawberries through the icecream. On a lined tray place a layer of the sandwich bases touching each other & top with strawberry icecream. Add the top of the sandwich and place in the freezer and allow to set. Once set, cut between the sandwiches to shape & enjoy as they are, or dip in melted white chocolate.For the CakeWhip the butter & sugar until light & fluffy, add eggs & vanilla. Fold through the sifted flour & salt with the milk. Spoon into a greased icecream sandwich pan & bake 6-8 minutes until golden brown. Demould immediately. Allow to cool.
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Banana & Caramel Cupcakes
IngredientsFor the Cupcakes 190g flour 10g baking powder Pinch salt 125g butter softened 220g sugar 3 eggs 75g natural yoghurt 50ml milk 2 ripe bananas mashed 1 pkt caramel filled easter eggs For the Chocolate Frosting 180g dark chocolate melted 250g butter softened 40ml milk 175g sifted pure icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract MethodFor the CupcakesHeat oven to 180°C. Whip together the butter and sugar until light & fluffy. Add eggs one at a time & continue whipping. Add milk, banana & yoghurt. Gently fold in the sifted dry ingredients. Do not over mix. Line the surprise pan with cupcake wrappers or spray lightly with cooking spray. Place a caramel egg on the spike. Spoon or squeeze in the cake batter & cover the surprise centre. Bake for 10-12mins until golden and cooked. Allow to cool. Pipe with chocolate frosting & decorate. For the Chocolate FrostingWhip butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy, add the milk, vanilla & melted chocolate and beat to combine. Pipe onto cakes and decorate.
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Jam Doughnuts
Ingredients 300g bakers flour 1 egg 35g sugar 20g butter softened 8g dried yeast (1 sachet) Pinch salt 100ml warmed milk 1 lemon zest Raspberry jam Cinnamon sugar Vegetable oil for frying MethodMix together the milk, yeast and sugar and dissolve. Sift the flour and salt and add the milk mixture and the egg. Knead together. Add the butter and knead until soft. Place in a large bowl and cover, allow to prove (double in size) in a warm place. Knock back and allow to prove again. Heat enough oil in a saucepan or small wok to fry. Roll the dough into 40-50g balls and fry in hot oil, turning occasionally. Once golden brown drain onto absorbent paper. While hot, use a squeeze bottle and squeeze jam into the doughnuts. Roll into the cinnamon sugar while hot and enjoy warm.
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Doughnut Maker Doughnuts
Ingredients For the Doughnuts 225g plain flour 100g castor sugar 10g baking powder 125g melted butter 190ml milk 1 egg (pinch of cinnamon powder or zest of 1 lemon optional) For Chocolate Glaze 100g dark chocolate chopped 100ml cream 5g glucose 15g sugar MethodFor the DoughnutsSift together the dry ingredients. Whisk together the egg, milk and butter. Fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and combine without over mixing. Heat the doughnut maker. Lightly grease the rings and spoon or pipe batter into the rings. Close the lid and cook for a few minutes until golden. Remove with a spatula & toss immediately into cinnamon sugar or cool on a wire rack and decorate once cool.Coloured IcingSift pure icing sugar and add colour or flavour and water to a coating consistency. Dip the doughnut into the icing halfway to get a clean coat on the top. Decorate with sprinkles, flowers or coconut, use your imagination.Chocolate GlazeHeat the cream, sugar and glucose. Take off the heat and add the chocolate & stir until melted. Allow to cool slightly. Dip the top of the doughnut in the chocolate and decorate.
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Coffee Eclairs
Ingredients (makes 20-24) For the Pastry 125g milk 125g water 100g butter 150g flour Pinch of salt Pinch of sugar 4 eggs For the Coffee Pastry Cream 500ml milk 4 egg yolks 100g caster sugar 45g cornflour 2-3 tablespoons instant coffee or 20g crushed coffee beans 100g whipped cream For the Chocolate Glaze 125g cream 100g sugar syrup 25g glucose 300g chocolate MethodFor the PastryHeat the oven to 220°C. Combine the water, milk & butter in a saucepan. Warm until the butter has melted. Take off the heat & add the flour salt & sugar. Mix well. Place back on a low heat & stir for a few minutes until the mix forms a ball & comes away from the side of the pan. Place into a KitchenAid Mixer & beat with a paddle attachment, adding the eggs one at a time until combined. Beat for a minute or two until the mixture becomes glossy. Place in a large piping bag, with a plain nozzle & pipe onto a lined baking tray or eclair pan in 10cm lengths. Bake in a hot oven for about 5 minutes until they have risen & start to get a little colour. Turn down the heat to 170°C & bake a further 10-15minutes until the centre has dried out & is not doughy. Allow to cool. Cut in half & pipe the pastry cream onto the bottom & dip the top with chocolate glaze. Enjoy with a coffee or tea & great company.For the Coffee Pastry CreamHeat the milk & coffee in a saucepan. Mix the egg yolks, sugar & cornflour together. When the milk has come up to the boil, pour over the egg mix & stir. Strain into the saucepan & stir constantly until it thickens & just comes to the boil. Pour into a bowl & allow to cool completely. Once cool fold in the whipped cream & pipe into the eclairs. The pastry cream can be made the day before. For the Chocolate GlazeHeat the cream, sugar syrup and glucose. Add the chocolate & turn off the heat. Stir until the chocolate has melted & set aside to cool to room temperature. You can store this in the refrigerator & use for glazing cakes or a great icecream topping!
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