Tag: dessert

07May

Rhubarb and honey cheesecake with ginger crust

I will let you in on a little secret: I don’t like rhubarb. It’s too tart and stringy! Everyone else in my family loves it though so just before spring starts, you betcha my mum will fill the house with these. In fact she buys so many that inevitably quite a few of them achieve the end of their little lives. So I make jam. This time I went for a Delia inspired recipe with orange and ginger and it turned out great if not a little too sweet, but that’s my own fault because I never measure sugar (this is a bad thing). I like using Ginger Nuts for most of my cheesecake crusts, the ginger taste is not overpowering and it is a super buttery biscuit. But any ginger biscuits will do. Bad pictures happened during this process so the little one on the photo is whatever didn’t fit in the bigger tin, which serves around 10-12 slices. Remember to make the compote a few hours in advance so it cools down completely. Rhubarb and honey cheesecake with ginger crust 100g butter, melted 250g ginger nuts 200g Greek yogurt 3 tbsp. good quality honey 200ml double cream 250g cream cheese For the compote: 200g rhubarb,
3 mins read
608 Views
16Apr

Carrot cupcakes with lime cream cheese frosting

I love having an excuse to cook and bake and the holidays are always a great one. After Christmas Easter is the first time many families have the opportunity to meet up again especially if you live far away from your family, like me. I enjoy making something at home to take to these family gatherings, I find it is like a gift that you take, it makes others happy. And what I make is often of the sweet kind. This Easter my sweet gift is carrot cupcakes with a lime cream cheese frosting. You can’t have Easter without carrots! I have come across many carrot cake recipes that take a lot of spices such as cinnamon and cloves, but to me these spices remind me of the autumn season, so I decided to make a spring version of this recipe and I must say I was proud of the result. Carrot cupcakes with lime cream cheese frosting (makes 12) For the cupcakes: 125g butter, at room temperature 80g muscovado sugar 1 tsp vanilla essence 2 eggs 100g plain flour 1 tbsp baking powder 100g almonds or hazelnuts, ground 150g carrots, grated 100g white chocolate, finely chopped or chips For
3 mins read
655 Views
25Mar

Sweetcorn and coconut cake

I worked in a cafe for four months and I was in charge of cakes. The recipe below was one of the most popular at the cafe, never failing to get positive feedback from customers. It is stupidly easy to make, if you have all the ingredients ready it takes five minutes to get the cake batter ready. Funny thing is I never thought such a traditional Brazilian recipe could be such a success with Europeans, so let’s see what you guys think. And if you want to make a lactose free version you can substitute the milk for coconut milk, soy or almond. It is also gluten free! The measure you use throughout this recipe is the tin the sweetcorn came in, so don’t bin it! Sweetcorn and coconut cake 3 eggs 1 tin of sweetcorn ¾ tin sugar 1 tin of cornmeal or polenta ¼ tin of oil 1 ½ tbsp baking powder 1 tin milk ½ tin desiccated coconut (if you can use fresh grated coconut even better) 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 2. Drain the sweetcorn and with exception of the coconut, add all ingredients into a blender and mix well. 3. Add the
2 mins read
720 Views
10Mar

Passion fruit Eton mess

This week we have a tropical twist on a British classic: Eton Mess. Quintessentially British it normally contains strawberries and cream and it is topped off with crushed meringue. Legend tell us that this dessert was created by mistake when students at Eton – a very, very privileged school in England- dropped a Pavlova that was topped with strawberries and cream. Whoever tripped that kid is a genius because this is in my top 5 of favourite desserts over here.  Favourite British desserts? Plural? I hear you ask…Well I think English food gets a really bad rep out there, people think it’s just fish and chips, bland cucumber sandwiches and tea. Well let me tell you it’s bloody amazing. The traditional and modern food around here should not be snubbed. The puddings (aka desserts) over here are amazing, and they are never just served on their own, oh no you have custard, you have ice cream, you have single cream, double cream, crème fraiche…They are anything but boring over here. So yeah, don’t come and talk to me about how rubbish British food is because I am about to prove you wrong. This is a twist on the classic mentioned above.
5 mins read
1011 Views
07Jan

Perfect monochromatic balance

I had to feed seven people last weekend with only a few hours notice. Had a whole chicken to roast with all the trimmings and with no time to go out and shop I had to devise a dessert from my cupboard items alone. I felt like I was on Masterchef. Knowing I had some chocolate in the cupboard I decided to leaf through my trusty Green and Black’s chocolate recipe book for the recipe with the least ingredients. The answer was mousse. Now, I am not a fan of mousse, any type of mousse, not even chocolate, I find them……boring. But, like I said, time was a-ticking and with a heavy main I reasoned it would add a fluffy, light end to the meal. Plus it is one of the least costly desserts you can make. I am not a snob when it comes to ingredients but as this recipe calls for so few I would advise using good quality chocolate, I used Lindt 70 to 80% cocoa solids. Marbled Mousse (serves 6) 125g dark chocolate, finely chopped 125g white chocolate, finely chopped 5 eggs 75g caster sugar 400ml double cream 1.Melt both chocolates in separate bowls and set
3 mins read
624 Views