Posts tagged almond

Blackcurrant Bakewell Macaroons

August 26, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

I’ve been making a lot of macaroons recently….perfecting the skill you might say! These were without doubt the lightest batch I’ve made to date and the super sweet blackcurrant puree (see here) which I made was to die for with the creamy but punchy almond buttercream filling. Sandwiched lovingly between two girly pillows these taste like a mouthful of bakewell tart! Feel free to use a cherry or raspberry jam for a more traditional ‘bakewell’ flavour however.

For me, the excitement of macaroons comes in the endless combinations of flavours but I love taking a traditional dessert recipe and deconstructing it into a light macaroon in an ‘amuse bouche’ style! The possibilites are endless….pecan pie, treacle tart, creme brule macaroons perhaps?

Macaroon Shells

60g egg whites (about 2 eggs)
40g caster sugar
50g ground almonds
110g icing sugar
Red food colouring

Filling- Almond Buttercream

80g butter, softened
80g icing sugar
Up to 1 tsp almond essence (or to taste)
Blackcurrant/cherry/strawberry jam
Yellow food colouring (optional)

Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a baking tray with parchment.
Blend the ground almonds and icing sugar together in a food processor until fine and then sieve into a bowl.
In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then add the caster sugar a spoon at a time until glossy stiff peaks form. Briefly whisk in a good splash of red food colouring.
Fold in 1/3 of the almond mixture to loosen it. Then fold in the rest, being gentle not to knock the air out.
Spoon into a pipping bag with a round ended nozzle and pipe consistent circles of mixture evenly. Give the tray a sharp slap on the surface to level the mixture and leave for 20 minutes, uncovered to form a skin.
Bake for about 12 minutes. They are ready when they come away easily from the tray. Leave to cool.
Combine the butter, icing sugar and almond essence in a food processor or a bowl until smooth and combined. Add a splash of yellow food colouring if you like- the bright yellow colour can look great with the red shells. Spoon into a piping bag.
Pipe some of the buttercream onto a macaroon shell half and top with about ¼ tsp of jam. Sandwich together with another empty macaroon half, squeezing together gently but not so the jam oozes out too much. Enjoy!

NOTE: I didn’t (as I ran out of icing sugar) but for authentic decoration, make up some thick wet icing with icing sugar and a tiny splash of cold water and spoon into a piping bag. Snip off the end and pipe some lines on the macaroons on the outside like a bakewell tart.

Amaretto Cake with Roasted Figs

June 16, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

This should really be called ‘booze cake with roasted fruits’ as really it is open to any of your favourite tipples and topped with any complementing fruit. In my recent craving to make a polenta cake and my mum’s imminent birthday, I ended up combining these two irresistible forces and making this amaretto soaked ‘pudding cake’. Courtesy of ‘Vogue Entertaining and Travel’ who’s magazines offer not only fantastic food porn photography but some great original recipes, I replaced masarala for amaretto and it was a huge success! There was also added relief as if you notice, it is in fact egg-less……but yes it sets and eats like a dream! Who’d have thought!?

Makes one large cake (Adapted from ‘Vogue Entertaining and Travel’)

300g self raising flour
110g polenta
60g ground almonds
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
125g butter, chopped
220g caster sugar
300g soured cream
250ml amaretto (or masala or another booze)
4 large figs

Preheat the oven to 170°C and grease and line a 26cm spring form cake tin.
Sift the flour into a bowl and add the polenta, bicarb and almonds with a pinch of salt.
Beat butter and caster sugar until fluffy and then stir in the soured cream by hand until just combined.
Sift in the dry ingredients alteratively with the amaretto into the butter until just combined but don’t over-mix- it will be quick thick.
Spoon into the tin, level and bake for about 50 minutes until cooked and then leave to cool. (Note: you may feel an urge to put your entire face into the cake and eat it-avoid)
Once cool, top with sliced raw or roasted fresh fig halves, scatter with toasted almonds and dust with icing sugar.

Side Effects: Can cause over-consumption especially when eaten with homemade blackcurrant sorbet (see here)

Blackcurrant and Almond Tart with Blackcurrant Sorbet

June 4, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

If I had to chose my last super then without a doubt this tart would be for dessert as it is literally my downfall. It’s taken from ‘Sarah Raven’s’ allotment inspired cookbook and its a serious crowd pleaser. If you can’t get hold of blackcurrants then other fruit like blackberries will work too.

This tart always makes an appearance during blackcurrant season and is one of those default and faithful desserts that I can be confident will always be loved if I’m stuck for inspiration. I love it served with a creamy coconut ice cream and with that as my last meal I would contently go. However, we have an obscene amount of blackcurrants on the allotment which, after tedious and hand-staining picking, provides us with multiple bags of these little currants. Seeing as I have now exhausted the Cassis and blackcurrant jam making process, I ventured into the world of fruit sorbets to go with the tart. Its super sweet and shiny like a well polished cricket ball and is wonderfully refreshing.

Sorbet

500g blackcurrants
250g caster sugar

Blackcurrant Almond Tart (makes one large or two small tarts)

200g ground almonds
200g caster sugar
200g unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g blackcurrants
Icing sugar

Start with the sorbet. Wash the blackcurrants well and tip them, while still wet, into a large pan.
Add the sugar and heat gently. Heat until the sugar melts and the mixture begins to turn dark purple and the berries just begin to burst. I added a few splashes of water to help the process along. Just as the berries begin to burst, remove from the heat and puree in a food processor or liquidiser
Pass through a fine sieve and discard the pulp. Cool in a jug in the fridge then churn in an ice cream maker until frozen and smooth. Alternatively, freeze in a shallow container, forking every 20 minutes or so to break up the ice crystals.
For the cake, preheat the oven to 180°C and line one 23cm round tart tin or 2 smaller tins.
In a food processor, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time between handfuls of ground almonds and mix until all is incorporated. Add the vanilla.
Spoon into your lined tart case. Scatter the blackcurrants evenly over the top and bake for 30-40 minutes until cooked. It can take longer depending on the state of your ingredients and the depth of the tin but if it needs longer than 40 minutes, just make sure it doesn’t brown too much and cover with foil if needed.
Cool on a wire rack and allow to firm up a little. Dust with icing sugar and serve with the sorbet (or coconut ice cream alternatively) and a sprig of mint!

Almond Milk

June 3, 2013 Comments Off read Drinks, Extras

I’m not a religious soya milk/nut milk drinker but I prefer it on my granola or porridge etc. However, with its aura as a ‘healthy’ ingredient I was horrified to realise that your generic ‘Alpro Soya’ is sweetened and full of, not only sugar, but other additives too. Even the unsweetened version has a lengthy list of ingredients. Whats natural about that? Normal milk does get a beating from health freaks but at least there is no ingredients list on the label. Its like a lot of vegan and vegetarian food in that they get a reputation for being ‘healthier’. Sure tofu may have less fat than a sirloin steak, but its made with unnatural ingredients that won’t provide you with any health benefits unlike a steak.

So long story short, I thought I’d have a go at making my own nut milk which it turns out is painfully easy. This is a fantastic alternative to milk for your vegan buddies and takes two simple natural ingredients.

200g whole almonds
650ml cold water

1. Soak the almonds in the water overnight.

2. The next morning drain and add to a food processor. Coarsely chop with a pinch of salt and then add another 650ml of cold water, splash by splash until creamy.

3. Once all the water is added, blend until combined

4. Pour into a bowl lined with some muslin cloth and strain the ‘milk’ from the solid almond pulp. Bring the sides of the cloth up and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.

5. Add half a cinnamon stick if you like and then leave to infuse and chill in the fridge.

6. Store in a sterilised jar and keep in the fridge for about 3 days.

Note: I dried out the pulp almonds a little and used them in a cake as a ground almond/flour alternative. It was fairly successful but it added a huge amount of moisture. So I suggest really wringing out the pulp in the muslin or drying them a little before use.

Fried Halloumi with Minted Cous Cous

May 3, 2013 Comments Off read Vegetables and Salads

This week I am wholeheartedly and gratefully embracing the warm sunny weather we’ve been having after a looooooooong refreshing and bracing spring. I can start work on my tan which currently can only be compared to a Farrow & Ball white paint chart where I am bordering the ‘Wimborne White’ with an aim of becoming more in keeping with a natural shade of ‘Cat’s Paw’. I love the excuse to bring out all the flavourful salads I crave which just don’t meet the winter demands….

Minty Cous Cous Salad (adapted from ‘What Katie Ate’)

1 tsp ground cumin
100g giant cous cous
200g cous cous
100g pumpkin seeds
60g pine nuts
100g flaked and/or whole almonds
2 courgettes, peeled into ribbons or sliced thinly with a mandolin
4 spring onions, chopped
A generous handful of chopped mint, basil, parsley and coriander or a mixture of these herbs you prefer chopped finely
Light vegetable stock
Handful of rocket, watercress or leaves
1 lime
Extra virgin olive oil
Halloumi to serve

Heat a splash of oil in a pan and add the cumin to fry for a minute. Then add the giant cous cous and toast until fragrant for a few minutes.
Add a good splash of stock to cover and cook the cous cous for about 15 minutes until soft. Drain.
Toast the pumpkin seeds, pine nuts and flaked almonds in a dry pan until fragrant.
Add another splash of oil to a hot frying/grill pan and add the courgette strips and char for a few minutes until crisp.
Season the small grain cous cous and add a knob of butter. Pour over 300g of stock, cover and allow to absorb. Then using a fork, fluff up the grains.
Now to assemble, combine the giant drained cous cous and the fluffed cous cous. Add the courgette ribbons, seeds and nuts, a generous handful of the herbs and the salad leaves
Add a squeeze of lime and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to loosen and scatter with the spring onions.

This is delicious served with some fried halloumi and a minted lime yoghurt and flatbreads and a lovely addition to a BBQ.

Apricot and Vanilla Pannacotta with Rosemary Shortbread

March 22, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

There’s something about using herbs like thyme and rosemary in sweet desserts which I always think feels really sophisticated. Getting the right balance is essential as an overpowering flavour such as rosemary, while forgivable with lamb, will not be so delicious if overused in a dessert. It goes so well with the sweet, juicy plump apricots here and I created this recipe after being inspired by an apricot bar by a company called Baked. However, this recipe is more suitable for a after dinner dessert!

Serves about 5

Apricot Jam

200g dried apricots
350ml water
100g caster sugar
60g honey
½ vanilla pod, seeds scraped

Combine the ingredients in a pan including the vanilla pod once the seeds have been removed.
Simmer gently for about 40-45 minutes until the apricots are plump and soft. Remove the vanilla pod and discard
Puree in a processor until you form a thick sticky jam. Store in a jar int he fridge and use for the pannacotta recipe or one croissants and toast!

Pannacotta

250ml double cream
250ml whole milk
½ vanilla pod, seeds scraped
50g caster sugar
Splash vanilla extract (optional)
2 ½ gelatine leaves
Aprioct jam

Combine the cream, milk, sugar and vanilla in a pan and gently heat to dissolve the sugar.
Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water until soft.
Get ready 5 ramekins, wine glasses, shot glasses or tumblers or whatever you want to serve your pannacotta in. Fill the base with a thin layer of apricot puree and smooth out evenly. There will be more jam than needed but add as much as you like.
Just before the cream mix begins to bubble, remove from the heat, and remove the vanilla pod. Squeeze out any excess water from the gelatine leaves and whisk into the hot cream.
Begin gentle, pour over a generous layer of the cream mixture onto your apricot puree. Leave to cool before leaving to set in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

Serve with the rosemary biscuits and topped with some cinnamon sugared almond flakes if you like!

Rosemary Shortbread

125g butter
175g flour
50g caster sugar
½- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Rub the flour butter and sugar together or combine in a food processor until you just begin to get a dough
Add the rosemary and continue to mix to form a dough.
Cut into biscuits shapes and bake on a lined baking tray for about 10 minutes (depending on size) until just turning the palest of gold and they are still soft. Watch them carefully as they cook quickly.
Leave to cool before removing from the tray.

Trout with Almond and Orange Salsa

February 26, 2013 Comments Off read Seafood

Fish and a vibrant salsa make the perfect marriage on the best of days but throw in some crunchy almonds and some cleansing fresh orange and you’ve got yourself a delicious swingers party……The texture of this ‘salsa’ add a lovely crunchy addition to the soft trout. It would also go brilliantly served with some blushing slices of roast lamb.

Serves 4

90g flaked almonds
½ lemon, zest and juice
1 tsp runny honey
1 orange- 1 tbsp orange juice squeezed
salt and pepper
Olive oil
Bunch of coriander
Bunch of mint
4 trout fillets

Heat a splash of oil in a pan over a moderate heat. Fry the flaked almonds for about 3-5 minutes until they begin to turn a nutty brown and release their flavour
Tip into a pestle and mortar and crush lightly but not to a paste, keeping some texture
Add the lemon juice and zest, orange juice, honey, salt and pepper, and loosen with a good few tablespoons of olive oil.
Allow to cool slightly while you cook you trout. Season the skin side well with salt and pepper. Heat some olive oil in a hot frying pan and when really hot, fry, skin side down for about 4 minutes to get it really crispy. Season the flesh side and then turn and finish cooking for 2-3 minutes on the flesh side on a lower heat. Baste with a knob of butter at the end.

When ready to serve, chop the herbs finely and stir through the salsa. Add more oil to loosen if you like and season and adjust to taste. Serve your warm trout topped with the fresh salsa.

All made that extra bit more delicious by my personalised plate, courtesy of KVStudios!

Blackberry and almond slice

February 1, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

This recipe is one of my favourite treats for the cake tin and was thankfully saved from a copy of the ‘Waitrose Food Illustrated’ magazine from the 90’s before I was even tall enough to reach the kitchen counter. Its delicious, as is everything with a frangipane topping in my opinion. With the thought of that bumper crop of blackberries still stored safely in my freezer, half a block of sweet pastry stored in the fridge and some slight adaptation and tweaks in the recipe, it made a welcome occupier of the detoxing January cake tin……

(Alternatively you can use different flavoured jam and fruits. Cherries would be nice with a spike of Kirsch)

Sweet pastry (or buy a block of 350g)

225g plain flour
115g unsalted butter
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 egg, beaten

Topping

150g blackberry or blackcurrant jam
125g unsalted butter
135g soft brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
200g ground almonds (I like to buy flaked almonds and grind them myself as it adds a much nice texture and flavour)
300g blackberries
50g flaked almonds

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Begin by lining a large baking tin with parchment (about 20cm x 30cm or whatever is to hand)
Roll out the pastry on floured surface to about 1 pound coin thick and cut into the shape of the tin, and line the base evenly. Prick with a fork and bake for about 15 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the oven.
Now make the frangipane. Using a spoon and some elbow grease or a blender, cream the butter and sugar.
Add the eggs and vanilla bit by bit (don’t worry if it curdles)
Now add the ground almonds and mix thoroughly. (Add a splash of milk if it looks too thick, depending on how big your eggs were)
Spoon the jam onto the pre-cooked pastry base and spread out evenly. Top with the frangipane and spread evenly over the top to cover the jam. Sprinkle with the berries and scatter over the flaked almonds
Bake for anywhere between 20-45 minutes (sorry but this depends on the tin size but usually about 30 minutes), checking every so often until golden and set. I often find frangipane takes a little longer to cook than recipes state but it will get there. It will always be more moist and soft than a cake sponge so check its done by giving it a wiggle. It should be set!

This is lovely served with some mascarpone or cream cheese, sweetened with icing sugar and a generous pinch or two of ground cinnamon….dreamy.

Almond, Pear and Amaretto Tart with Salted Caramel Ice Cream

December 5, 2012 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

A rich, buttery and almond flavoured frangipane is my most favourite way to fill a crisp, delicate pastry case. This tart is really versatile and the mixture can be topped with any seasonal fruit. Alternatively, you can grind other nuts such as walnuts or hazelnuts (see here) to give your frangipane an original twist. In the summer, I have a huge weak spot for this dessert, topped it with a scattering of the juicy, tart, and punchy blackcurrants from our allotment. However, with pears, apples of blackberries it is delicious too. Just watch that the fruit you add doesn’t have too much moisture which will ooze out and make the filling wetter. This recipe is Christmassy, wintery and extremely satisfying….A variation on this always makes an appearance at my dinner parties topped with some salted caramel ice cream in this case and a good shot of warming Amaretto……

Pastry

125g cold butter, cubed
250g plain flour
Splash cold water

Frangipane filling

200g unsalted butter, cubed
200g caster sugar
200g ground almonds
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
Splash of amaretto
1-2 pears
15g butter
15g caster sugar
Handful of flaked almonds for decoration

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Begin by making the pastry. For the method, see here. Follow up to step 7.
Next, peel, core and slice the pears into long chunky slices. Melt the 15g of butter in a frying pan until beginning to sizzle, then add the sugar and stir until melted. Add the pears and gently fry for a few minutes.
Turn up the heat and add a splash of amaretto. Let this simmer away and reduce a little before removing from the heat and setting aside.
Now begin with the filling. In a processor or by hand, cream the butter and sugar together until creamy and thoroughly mixed.
Add the vanilla to the beaten egg. Add this, a bit at a time, to the creamed butter, and mix in until well combined (don’t worry if it curdles, it won’t matter)
Now add the ground almonds, a splash of amaretto (optional) and mix
Once your pastry case is cooked and cool, fill with the frangipane and smooth out into an even layer.
Top with the pears in an attractive pattern and press them lightly into the mixture. Drizzle with some of the buttery, sugary, amaretto flavoured caramel from the frying pan. Scatter with the flaked almonds.
Bake for about 30-45 minutes until the mixture is set and doesn’t wobble. Check it after about 30 minutes however, to make sure it isn’t browning too much (like mine unfortunately….) If so, cover with foil and continue to bake.
Once cooked, remove from the oven. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I served mine with some salted caramel ice cream and a shot of Amaretto!

Caramel Ice Cream with Salted Almond Praline

December 3, 2012 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

With December now well and truly here, it must be accepted that the gastronomic season has arrived. This pleasingly warrants the excuse for overindulgent food with an extra special touch or time and care wrapped in a blanket of calories and tied up with vast amount of edible guilt. With a welcome invite to a house Christmas meal approaching, and the responsibility of bringing dessert, my creative mind went into a sugary coma. A need to supply my hosts with something to sooth their taste buds and thank them for their hospitality. So to go with my pear, almond and amaretto tart, my love of ice cream was sure to make a chilly appearance. However, with no ice cream maker in the limited freezer in my home away from home in Clifton, I opted for this cheats recipe which is always a great one to have on tap. It doesn’t require churning as it won’t crystalise when freezing and it gives a very rich and creamy texture. A can of condensed milk and some single cream never looked nicer….

Praline

100g caster sugar
20g flaked almonds
½ tsp Maldon Sea Salt

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

1 can condensed milk
300ml single cream

Begin with the cheats ice cream base. Submerge a can of condensed milk in a pan of water on it side and bring to the boil. Simmer for 2 ½ hours making sure the water does not dry out and that it is covered (otherwise it could explode…worse things have happened)
Meanwhile, make the praline. Begin by lightly oiling a piece of greaseproof paper.
Now heat a dry frying pan and lightly toast the flaked almonds until tinged and fragrant. Scatter densely over the parchment.
Now, scatter the caster sugar in a dry frying pan in an even, thin layer and turn up the heat.
The sugar should begin to melt within a couple of minutes. Use a plastic spatula to mix in any non-melted areas and any lumps. All the sugar will melt and it will start to turn golden and liquid. Watching all the time as it can burn easily, continue to melt until light golden brown but not burnt!
Quickly, using the spatula, tip the caramel over the almonds on the parchment and scatter quickly with the sea salt while still hot. Leave to cool until solid before breaking into shards.
Once the condensed milk has been boiled it will have turned to caramel. Leave the can to cool before handling.
Mix the cooled caramel with the single cream and beat with a whisk until well combined.
Now, using either a food processor, a pestle and mortar or just a bag and a wooden spoon, coarsely crush your praline into chunks. I left some a bit more whole and some into a powder.
Mix this evenly into the ice cream base and place in the freezer overnight. The praline pieces have a tendency to fall to the bottom so if you can be bothered, freeze half your cream mixture, then scatter over your praline and the remaining mixture and freeze again.
Enjoy your ice cream with an added sprinkle of sea salt if required! I served mine with a pear, almond and amaretto tart.

PS. This cheats ice cream base is open to interpretation….adding coconut milk instead of cream sprinkling of lime zest is one of my favourites. However, add any other flavours you like. It is quite a soft texture anyway, so adding salt in this case, or alcohol which doesn’t freeze, will make it even softer so bear this in mind before going too heavy handed on the booze!