dessert

5 ingredient Nutella pie
24Mar

5 ingredient nutella pie

Easter is around the corner and you frankly can’t miss it over here, the mountains of chocolate eggs in the supermarket are overwhelming. Every year they bring more flavours, I swear! Sure I got the ol’ faithful bag of mini eggs, but when it comes to chocolate nothing brings me as much joy as a spoonfull (or two) of Nutella straight out of the jar. And if you’re reading this, you probably one too. And whether you eat it out of the jar or strictly spread it on toast, get on this because I bet you have most of these ingredients in your kitchen right now. Only 5 ingredients!!!! Death by chocolate does not get easier than this. 5 Ingredient Nutella pie (serves 6) 200g of white cake such as madeira (a couple of days old is best) 2 tbsp cocoa powder, plus extra for suting 50g melted butter 400ml double cream 150g Nutella 1. Lightly butter a 18cm loose-bottomed tart tin, and set aside. 2. Place cake in a food processor and blend it until you get fines crumbs. Add cocoa powder and melted butter, and continue to mix until all ingredients have combined. 3. Tip cake mixture into
3 mins read
1742 Views
Loaded rocky road with cake and nuts
13Feb

Loaded rocky road

Rocky road is one of my husband’s favourite bakery snacks, he often has a slice with takeaway coffee  when he thinks I am not looking. I thinks it is really important not to be wasteful when it comes to cooking and baking and I love to incorporate leftovers in new recipes, so in this loaded rocky road version I have added leftover cake (vanilla with blueberries) which I had made a couple months ago but it came out of the oven looking a little bit sad with a big sink hole in the middle. I chopped it (whilst still a little frozen so as not to crumble too much) to add a soft texture to the rocky road slices, together with mini marshmallows, which are a must! The crushed biscuits and nuts bring in the crunch – add salted roasted nuts for an explosion of flavour, snicker-y in nature. The beauty of this recipe is that you can add almost anything you have in your cupboard: dried fruits, candy, pretzels, seeds, the list goes on! Just remember to keep the additions proportionate to the amount of chocolate used. Loaded Rocky Road 550g of dark chocolate 70% solids is best 220g
3 mins read
2008 Views
Quindim - coconut baked custard
23Jul

Quindim

Best described as a coconut baked custard, this sweet is traditionally made in tiny molds and eaten in one bite. The perfect little snacks that you find in traditional bakeries in Brazil. I really wish I could have made more than 3 quindins but they were an accidental bake after having some leftover yolks and not knowing what to do with them. A problem you often face after making meringues. Next time you have extra yolks forget about curds and custards – make quindim. Quindim (serves 3) 1 tbsp butter, melted plus extra for greasing 6 egg yolks 100g caster sugar, plus extra for coating 100ml coconut milk 40g desiccated coconut 1. Heat oven to 180C. Rub 3 ramekins, about 100ml capacity liberally with the soft butter. Sprinkle with the caster sugar to coat. 2. Soak the coconut in coconut milk and leave it to rest for 10 minutes. Stir in sugar and let it rest for a couple of minutes. 3. Over a medium bowl sieve the egg yolks, perforating them, letting gravity make them run through the sieve.  Add melted butter to yolks. 4. Mix yolk and coconut mixtures with a hand whisk. Pour into ramekins and place in
2 mins read
2002 Views
Cream puffs with cheesecake filling
03Jun

Cheesecake puffs

Choux pastry is quick to make but takes an attentive eye – and ideally not to be made on a 30 degree day. I attempted this recipe on the hottest day of the year so far and it was tough to get the right puff rise….and the piping for the cheesecake filling took a few runs to and from the fridge. But this dessert turned out like such a delicious treat, especially refreshing on a hot day. So I would urge you to try it! I have made choux pastry and profiteroles before but this time I wanted try something that would take a more generous filling. I immediately thought of cream puffs, which in my mind was a bigger, creamier version of the profiterole, its choux dainty cousin. But it turns out it was all lost in translation so what I actually baked were just super sized and super filled profiteroles. But how is that a bad thing, eh? Of course you don’t have to pipe the choux pastry as big as I did, but if you do prepare yourself to be licking your fingers and lips with cheesecake filling. That’s why I ate mine under the covers, by
3 mins read
2670 Views
chocolate praline crepe stack
03Mar

Chocolate praline crêpes

Pancake day is imminent. A day where you are overwhelmed with the towers of Nutella and ready-mix packs as your enter the supermarkets. I have never made pancakes, the American style. In both England and in Brazil they are called pancakes but are made à la French, much thinner. The English tradition is to add lemon juice and sugar to your pancake, but I am partial to a crunchy praline. I am embarrassed to say I make praline waaay too often. At one point I had a huge jar in my cupboard and would sprinkle it on everything – from yoghurts to cakes. This praline cream game is strong and has definitely become a favourite. Chocolate praline crêpes (serves 5-6) For the praline cream 150ml whole milk 100ml double cream 3 egg yolks 3 tbsp cornflour 2 tbsp plain flour 100g mixed nuts 100g sugar 1. Line a baking tray with baking paper – i used a silicone mat. Cook sugar in a pan, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. 2. Once sugar has turned into an amber colour add nuts and stir to cover them with sugar. Pour onto prepared tray and allow to cool 3.
3 mins read
1503 Views
Mini raspberry choux buns with berries
10Feb

Mini raspberry choux buns

My husband and I don’t celebrate Valentines Day. Last year it fell on a weekday and I went to the gym after work whilst he watched a documentary. Romance for me is not about big gestures, heart shaped chocolate boxes or champagne filled dinners. These days my husband’s gift to me is cleaning the bathroom, doing the dishes and taking the dog for a walk when it is raining. Those are the little love acts that fills my heart, that makes me think I married a man that makes me want to be a better, kinder person. He has been suffering recently as I am on a diet and the only treat around the house is 85% dark chocolate so I thought of his thankful face whilst making these mini choux. It has been a long time since I have made choux pastry and I was really nervous to make it again, but these choux buns, also known as profiteroles, turned out so great I broke my diet big time! Mini raspberry choux buns (makes 15-20) For the raspberry cream: 120g raspberries Juice of 1 lemon 180g caster sugar 3 egg yolks 2 tbsp cornflour 1 1/2 tbsp butter 100ml
4 mins read
4590 Views