Posts tagged dessert

Poached Pears in Pastry

October 3, 2020 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

hese adorable little pears make for a really impressive dinner party dessert and are much easier than you think. They are super light and not too sweet. If you like something a bit sweeter for dessert, feel free to drizzle with a little caramel or chocolate sauce.

Poached pears are endlessly versatile and don’t just have to be wrapped in pastry. If you halved the pear, they’d be delicious served as a savoury cheese pudding with some whipped honeyed goats cheese or on a cheese board with some stilton. You can also wrap half a poached pear in pastry and bake like a tarte tatin. If you’re pushed for time, just poach and serve in a shallow bowl of really creamy vanilla custard.

*I was a little worried the party swirls might ‘melt’ and slip down the pear when baking. They didn’t – hurrah – but to avoid make sure you do the following: Use plenty of egg wash on the pear; keep your pastry fridge cold until ready to use; make sure your oven is hot and to temperature before baking your pears; work quickly and once coated, egg wash and bake. If they do slip down, just bake for longer until the pastry is cooked and serve the lovely pears in their messy pastry bowls. Style it out as rustic, they will still be delicious.

Serves 4

4 pears – variety if up to you, I used conference (important that they are perfectly ripe. Hard and they won’t absorb the flavour, overripe they will be mushy)
300ml dessert wine/sweet wine (you can use just water if you like here and add a bit more sugar)
100g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod
1 cinnamon stick
1 packet puff pastry (ideally a sheet not a block already rolled for ease)
1 egg
Sesame seeds, honey, ice cream to serve

Start by preparing the pears. Cut about a 1 /2 cm off the base of the pear so that it sits flat. Peel the pear. Using a melon baller/teaspoon to cut out the core.
Tip the sweet wine, sugar, cinnamon and the seeds from the vanilla pod into a large saucepan. Add the pears. Top up with enough water to just cup up at least 3/4 of the way up the pear. (You can use just water here if you want).
Bring to a gentle simmer and simmer for about 15 minutes until soft. If your pears were a little on the ripe side, simmer for 10.
Once done, leave to cool completely in the poaching syrup. Remove once cool.
When ready to bake, heat the oven to 200 and prepare a lined baking tray.
Whisk an egg in a small bowl and set aside.
Roll the pastry to about 1 pound coin thickness into a large rectangle if using a block. If using a sheet, unroll. Cut 4 small round discs out of pastry the same size as the pear base and place on the baking tray. Brush the pastry circles with beaten egg and place a pear on top.
Carefully brush the pear all over with beaten egg.
Cut long strips of pastry, about 1 cm wide. Starting at the bottom wrap the pastry around the pear in a swirl making sure to stick the unjoined ends together as you go using a little more egg if needed. Complete with all the pears.
Brush the whole pastry wrapped pear with egg gently and scatter over some sesame seeds.
Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until golden.
Remove from the oven, drizzle with some honey (or caramel), some extra sesame seeds and a good dollop of vanilla ice cream. Serve!

Orange Polenta Cake (free-from)

October 6, 2017 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

ollowing on from chapter 1 – “Hoisin, Soy and Ginger Meatballs” (previous post) you’ll know that a heavy weekend of exercise required some calorie replacement. Cue dessert. I’m not a big cake eater but any cake that’s doused in syrup is one that I can get on board with.

I’ve made a few drizzle cakes and polenta loaves in the past but the use of whole oranges in this recipe really makes a difference and bumps this one up the leader board! It doesn’t require a huge amount more effort but means this cake is moist and packed with orange flavour. It also make an excellent dessert unlike a Victoria sponge style cake as you can serve it warm with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream.

nintentionally this recipe is also dairy and gluten free! Which I think leads smoothly onto the news that I have now officially left the wine industry which has served me well for the past 4 years in London! But I’m more than excited to be entering a fresher, more creative and healthier career with Deliciously Ella. So next week starts the second chapter of my London life. Who knows what it has to hold and what recipes these blog posts might contain in the near future.

Adapated from a recipe by ‘John Torode’

Ingredients

2 large oranges
2 lemons
200g ground almonds
4 eggs
170g caster sugar
150g polenta
80ml olive oil
10g baking powder

Sticky Syrup

3 oranges, juice (150ml juice)
75g caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 23cm cake tin (springform recommended or loose bottomed)
Place 1 orange and 1 lemon in a saucepan of water so they are completely submerged and bring to the boil. Simmer for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove the fruit from the pan and cut in half. Remove any unwanted seeds.
Place in the bowl of a food processor and add the juice only of the other orange and lemon. Blend into a thick smooth paste.
Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt until foaming. Add the sugar and beat again.
Next add the orange paste, almonds, oil and combine well.
Add the polenta to the baking powder then fold these dry ingredients into the wet.
Pour into your lined baking tin and bake for about 50 minutes.
While cooking, make the syrup. Heat the sugar and juice on a medium heat until beginning to bubble and turn glossy. Keep warm.
When the cake is ready pour over the syrup liberally whilst still in the tin. I like to pierce the whole cake with a cocktail stick (especially at the edges and middle) to allow the syrup to seep into the cake better. This prevents it running off the top and collecting round the edges.
Once the syrup has soaked in thoroughly, remove from the tin and turn out onto a serving plate

Serve warm with ice cream or at room temperature. The cake will keep well for about a week if stored well and become more moist!

Rosemary Creme Brule & Pine nut Shortbread

April 25, 2017 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

aster is all about lamb. Lamb is all about rosemary. Stay with me here…

aster lunch menu planning for a group of hungry guests isn’t usually that flexible as lamb joints grace the ovens and aga’s of cooks round the UK. Dessert however allows some creativity. I love the flavour of rosemary in sweet dishes especially when you pair it with sweet caramelised apricots (see here for pannacotta), earthy honeyed pine nuts (see here for pine nut tartlets) or almond and sweet nectarine (see here). Its a shocker I’ve not made a rosemary ice cream yet but creme brule is the next best thing. Having wanted to serve this with some caramelised fresh apricots and almond praline, I settled for some pine nut shortbread since the season did not agree with my fruit of choice. Feel free to experiment here, adding more rosemary to your tastes. Its subtle but still infuses nicely into what made a fitting, elegant and light dessert after a joint of garlic studded lamb leg, roasties and spring greens.

Rosemary Creme Brule

Ingredients (Serves 6)

500ml double cream
100g caster sugar
6 egg yolks
1/2 vanilla pod
2 x 10cm lengths of rosemary
Soft brown sugar to caramelise

Preheat the oven to 150°C. Prepare 6 creme brule dishes/ramekins (dependant no the size you get around 6 portions- you can use whatever you like as long as its oven proof) and stand them in a deep roasting tray. The tray needs to be deep enough that the ramekins can sit in there and you can fill the tray with water half way up the ramekins.
Lightly bash the rosemary in a pestle and mortar to begin to release the flavoured oils. Then add to a saucepan with the double cream and the vanilla pod.
Scald the cream by bringing it just below boiling point then immediately remove from the heat and leave the rosemary/vanilla to infuse for 10-15 minutes. Strain and discard the rosemary. Scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod into the cream and discard the pod.
Whisk the egg yolks and the sugar in a wide bowl.
Carefully stir in the warm cream whisking continuously so that the eggs don’t scramble. Continue to whisk until all is combined.
Sieve the mixture back into the saucepan. Heat on a very gentle heat for about 1 minute until the mixture begins to thicken a little and coats the back of a wooden spoon – careful the heat isn’t high or it will scramble.
Pour the mixture into the ramekins.
Fill the tray with boiling water so it rises half way up the side of the ramekin.
Carefully place the tray in the oven and allow to cook for 30minutes until the creams are set with a slight wobble. Leave to cool and then chill until needed.
When ready to serve, scatter a layer of the brown sugar over the top of each cream. Using a blow torch or carefully using a hot grill, heat the top until the sugar beings to caramelise and sets hard. Careful not to burn…its tricky…mine did!
Serve with the shortbread biscuits for dunking if you wish.

Pine Nut Shortbread

Ingredients

175g plain flour
125g unsalted butter
50g caster sugar
50g pine nuts
2 tbsp caster sugar

Dry fry the pine nuts in a frying pan until golden. Leave to cool.
Combine the butter, flour and sugar in a food processor and mix until combined and the mixture in crumbly. Then tip in a handful of the pine nuts and continue to processor the mixture until it forms a dough.
Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and combine into a ball. Wrap in cling film and leave to cool in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Combine the rest of the pine nuts in a pestle and mortar and bash lightly. Add the 2 tbsp of caster sugar and bash into a ‘pine nut sugar’.
Roll the shortbread and cut out rounds (whatever shape and size you want) the thickness of 1 pound coin and place them onto a lined baking tray.
Continue using up the dough. Scatter the pine nut sugar over the top of the shortbread evenly.
Bake for about 15 minutes until just beginning to turn pale golden. (Don’t overcook past pale gold).
Cool until ready to serve.

Blackberry and Ginger Pudding

November 9, 2016 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

his is one of the tastiest but easiest little puddings to knock up and its packed full of flavour and perfect for a winter evening with a steaming bowl of velvety sweet custard. Ambrosia obviously. But if you’re feeling the urge to make a your own creme angliase then my cinnamon version found here is great. Its not a steamed pudding as such but it may as well be with its warm spongy texture and comfort. I’ll admit the ginger is excessive but don’t be shy, you’ll appreciate the bounty if you go all in here – its a ginger pudding after all. A little lemon zest lifts it into a lighter pudding and the blackberries are just so god damn seasonal. And a nod to the ‘forage’.

This recipe if straight from Sky Gyngell’s ‘A Year in my Kitchen’ and I made no changes. Its perfect.

Serves 4

100g unsalted butter
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
100g self raising flour
Zest 2 lemons
4 knobs of stem ginger, finely chopped
4 tbsp golden syrup
Blackberries
Pinch salt

Grease 4 mini pudding moulds or ramekins. I also lined the base with a little parchment to stop it sticking. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy and smooth.
Beat in the eggs one by one until combined
Next sift in the flour and fold in.
Fold in the lemon zest and ginger.
Spoon a generous tbsp of golden syrup into the base of each pudding bowl. Top with enough blackberries to cover the base in a single layer. Spoon over the sponge mixture divided between each mould.
Grease 4 small sheets of foil and cover the moulds loosely with it. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes until a knife inserted comes out clean.
Turn out onto a plate and serve warm with a steaming helping of custard.

Gooseberry Cobbler

October 2, 2016 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

feel ashamed to call this cooking. Assembling if you like. It must be one of the easiest puddings out there – hearty and warming. It doesn’t have a chance against a crumble I’ll be the first to admit but lets just say its the crumbles foreign not so pretty and less intelligent cousin. With a sad tinge of Autumnal chill to the weather this weekend and being the first day of October my expectations of an endless Indian Summer were dampened metaphorically and literally after ending up a little wet at work.

A few weeks back I returned home to my Wiltshire bolt and origins of the real pantry to a bounty of delicious homegrown gooseberries! Picked from the allotment and waiting patiently for my greedy hands! So cobbler it was….adapted from Delia Smith.

Serves 4

500g gooseberries
100g caster sugar
2 tbsp elderflower cordial
225g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
110g cold, cubed butter
170ml buttermilk
Pinch salt
Demerara sugar
Ice cream/custard to serve. Or my cinnamon creme anglaise

Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Start by placing the gooseberries in a baking dish and scatter over the caster sugar and cordial evenly.
To make the topping, place the flour, baking powder, salt and cubed butter in a food processor and blend together until you have a breadcrumb like consistency. Then at this stage add the buttermilk and pulse until you get a sticky dough.
Rustically distribute large tablespoons of the topping over the gooseberries making sure you cover the majority of the fruit.
Sprinkle over some crunchy demerara sugar and bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes until the topping if golden, cooked and the fruit is bubbling up underneath.
Serve warm with custard or ice cream. My cinnamon creme anglaise is recommended – see here for full recipe

Coconut Blueberry Yoghurt Loaf

June 19, 2016 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

was recently lucky enough to receive a generous bounty (excuse the pun) of The Coconut Collaborative’s tasty products to do some experimenting with. As my close friends will know I love all things coconut. I can’t get enough. So any food based with this creamy exotic flavour is in my good books. While targeted at the dairy free among us, you would not know for the lack of it with it creamy moreish taste. I thought I’d attempt to use their delicious flavoured and non flavoured yoghurts in a cake, dairy free, and packed with fruit. Devine.

And I know recipes do tend to write this a lot but this really (truly, honestly) is the EASIEST cake in the world to knock out. I think it took me a 5 minutes. Mixing bowl, spoon and loaf tin. Minimal washing up…more eating time. No scales needed just a ratio of yog-pots!

Makes 1 loaf

1x 120g pot of ‘The Coconut Colloborative’ blueberry yoghurt (Here is have used this coconut based yoghurt so this is a dairy free loaf! But feel red to use any yoghurt of choice)
2 pots self raising flour
Just under 1 pot caster sugar (dependant on the sweetness of your yoghurt)
1/2 pot of vegetable oil
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract/ seeds from 1 pod
Pinch salt
150g blueberries

Preheat the oven to 180°C. and grease and line a loaf tin
Place the yoghurt in a large mixing bowl and then add the rest of the ingredients except the blueberries.
Mix thoroughly to combine until you have a smooth batter
Mix in the blueberries
Spoon the mixture into a loaf tin and bake in the own for about 45 minutes until cooked. Bake for a little longer if a knife inserted into the middle does not come out clean.
Leave to cool, dust with icing sugar and serve with extra blueberries and a hearty spoonful of Coconut Ice cream (see here for a dairy free option)

Rum Roasted Pineapple, Coconut Ice Cream, Mint Sugar

May 3, 2016 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

‘m not a dessert person or a sweet tooth, unless it comes to ice cream. And this so happens to be my favourite ice cream recipe! Don’t get me wrong I love making desserts. Planning them, creating them and being able to execute a beautiful creation but I usually never eat them. So with guests for supper this weekend, a fuss free dessert was required. With a fatty hearty main on the cards, a fresh and citrus cleansing after was the perfect match. You can take more time over this as I mention below (see notes) by adding some grated coconut to the ice cream, grilling the pineapple towards the end, caramelising with a blow torch or wonderfully charring on the barbeque but fuss free was the aim here.

I made the ice cream in 5 minutes at breakfast and it was ready and set by dinner time and is just as impressive as a classic recipe. The pineapple is sweet and deliciously roasted and with a depth of flavour from the rum that makes this more than a fruit salad finish to a meal. Sometimes the simple ones are the best and this is no doubt a powerful but humble choice.

Serves 6

Pineapple

1 large pineapple
1 vanilla pod
2 tbsp dark rum
2 tbsp soft brown sugar
6 tsp butter

Coconut Ice Cream

400ml full fat coconut milk
1 can condensed milk
Zest 1 lime
1 fresh coconut, grated/ 150g toasted desiccated coconut (optional)

Mint sugar

Bunch mint leaves picked
2 tbsp granulated sugar

Start on the ice cream. If you’re after a super fast recipe, simply combine the condensed milk, coconut milk and lime zest, whisk to combine then place in a tupperware in the freezer (untouched) for at least 8 hours. For added flavour though you can add in the grated flesh of one fresh coconut or the desiccated coconut but if you’ve ever tried to grate a fresh coconut you’ll know it takes some commitment…
Preheat the oven to 190°C.. Warm the rum gently in a pan and then add the sugar and the seeds of the vanilla pod. Stir to combine.
Top and tail the pineapple and remove the rind. Cut in half lengthways and then cut each half into thirds. Remove the hard centre segment and then place the slices in a large bowl.
Spoon over the rum mixture and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
Line a baking tray and spoon the marinading pineapple onto the tray evenly with any of the leftover rum marinade. Place a tsp of butter on top of each and roast for about 30 minutes until tender. You can stick them under the grill for the final few minutes to char them slightly if you like but again, the aim here is fuss free!
Once ready remove from the oven and set aside. Bash the sugar and mint in a pestle and mortar until crushed and vibrant green
Top each slice of pineapple with a little mint sugar and serve warm alongside a creamy scoop of your coconut ice cream

NOTE: There are certainly ways to ‘glam’ this up. Grill the pineapple once cooked for a caramelised effect, scorch with a blowtorch for the same effect or beautifully grilled on the barbecue. Add the fresh coconut to the ice cream as mentioned or make a lovely heard of sesame praline (melt caster sugar until golden, add sesame seeds and turn out onto an oiled sheet of parchment). Shortbread would also never go unwanted here.

Matcha Latte Afagatto

February 27, 2016 Comments Off read Drinks, Sweet Treats

remember the first time I had a hand warming bowl of fresh matcha tea. I was on an energy high for the entire day! As someone who doesn’t drink caffeinated coffee its a great alternative energy kick full of caffeine and packed full of antioxidants. I realise that unlike me many won’t have the same apprecaitetion for the bitter flavours of green tea or my favourite 90% dark chocolate. However if you can appreciate the flavour, health benefits and vivid colour of matcha tea then forget your Starbucks ”skinny-soy-hold the cream- add the sweetener and cinnamon sprinkle grande latte (with – correctly written name)…breathe….and get to your local health food shop or teapigs supplier and go make your own! That said, more and more independent cafes are offering this healthy alternative so it is far more accessible for an easy take out than it used to be. It can be made using sweetened milk such as sweetened almond (my personal favourite) of hazelnut to just take off that bitter edge.

For those still curious, matcha tea is essentially organic green tea leaves that have been ground to a fine powder and concentrated into this vibrant ‘gold’ dust. As I say, I like to use a sweeter milk but after a recent lightbulb moment of inspiration I wondered if the after dinner coffee and chocolate pairing could be ‘matched’ (excuse the pun) with an alternative? So, I thought, why not pair super sweet white chocolate with this bitter green and warming tea topped with some camp rose petals?

Think of it as an alternative coffee-free afagatto for your more hipster dinner party guests.

The body is a temple. But only once a month….

NOTE: To get the aerated effect, the best thing to use here if you don’t have a green tea whisk is a milk frother (see here). You can also use a hand blender.

hilst I always use unsweetened versions of dairy free milks such as almond and soy, I find the sweetened ones work better here as an alternative to adding maple syrup or honey. However feel free to use the unsweetened versions, especially for the afagatto where the bitterness is a lovely contrast to the sweet ice cream.

Matcha latte for 1

1/2 tsp match tea powder
200ml milk of choice (almond, coconut, dairy, rice milk, hazelnut etc)

Sieve the powder into a mug so its doesn’t end up lumpy
Warm the milk in a pan until just coming to the simmer and then remove from the heat
Using a whisk or frother add a few tablespoons of the hot milk to the powder and whisk well to combine.
Once combined add the rest of the milk and use the whisk or frother to aerate.

Matcha Afagatto for 4

400ml (sweetened) almond milk (or soya, dairy, coconut, hazelnut….)
2 tsp matcha tea powder
4 scoops white chocolate ice cream
Optional – 2 tsp rose petals

Make the matcha latte as above.
Spoon the ice cream into small deep bowls
Pour over the hot tea and top with rose petals

Nectarine, Almond and Rosemary Tart

August 17, 2015 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

adore the savoury taste of rosemary in desserts which should not be knocked before tried. Whether with apricots (see here) or honeyed pine nuts (see here) it adds a lovely warming flavour if added with a disciplined hand…don’t get to carried away or you’ll be expecting roasted lamb to appear in your ice cream! With an abundance of fresh juicy ripe nectarines in season at the moment, I combined them with the sugary flavours of this frangipane tart and the subtle spike of rosemary. Although sweet, this dessert can handle the sharp honeyed flavours of a lovely Sauterens with acts as the perfect accompaniment to this dish. Washed down with a dainty glass (at my encouragement) was a perfect end to a summer BBQ with friends. Serve with creamy vanilla flecked ice cream, luxurious clotted cream or tart creme fraiche.

Serves 12

Pastry

250g plain flour
125g cold cubed butter
Zest 1 lemon

Filling

2 ripe nectarines, halved and sliced into wedges
1 1/2/ tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
200g ground almonds
200g cubed butter
100g caster sugar
100g soft light brown sugar
3 eggs
Vanilla extract
1 tbsp demerara sugar

Start with the pastry. Combine the flour, butter and zest in a food processor until the mixture starts to come together. Slowly add up to 2 tbsp cold water until the pastry forms a soft ball of dough.
Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 15 minutes or so.
Preheat the oven to 180. Grease and line a large tart tin with a loose bottom. Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out to the thickness of about £1 coin and line the tart tin. Prick the base with a fork all over.
Line with parchment and baking beans and bake blind for about 20 minutes. Once beginning to just colour straw brown, remove the beans and bake for a further 5 minutes or so until the base is lightly borne and cooked. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
Make the filling. Cream the butter and sugar together in a food processor. Once combined, add the eggs one by one and a splash of vanilla. Add the 1tbsp of chopped rosemary
Finally, fold in the ground almonds until thoroughly combined.
Fill the baked tart shell with the frangipane mixture and spread out evenly.
Top with the wedges of nectarine, allowing about 1 slice per portion or there abouts.
Scatter with the crunchy demerara sugar and bake in the oven for about 40-45 minutes until golden brown and cooked.
Leave to cool slightly in the tin before removing and serving on a large plate. Scatter with the remaining 1/2 tsp rosemary and a little dusting of icing sugar. Serve with creme fraiche and a delicious glass of Sautnernes.

Banana and Blueberry Bread

March 7, 2015 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

How on earth we are already in March I don’t know?! I began the year with a triumphant new years ambition to develop my humble blog, challenge my culinary skills and pepper it with new recipes. However due to a number of unexpected hurdles over the past months this hasn’t been actioned as much as I’d like! With a very busy and eventful week at work under my belt and a browning bowl of bananas sitting provocatively on the kitchen table I thought of nothing better than to create the comforting, warming and homely delights of a banana bread loaf to scoff with tea. Studded with crunchy pecans and soft sharp blueberries it is delicious eaten alone or toasted with ice cream. I love the use of muscovado sugar in this recipe which was a deviation from my usual (and reliable) recipe using a more refined caster sugar. But its treacle like flavour and depth adds a decadent dimension to this classic.

Makes 1 loaf or 4 mini loaves

250g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
125g softened butter
235g muscovado sugar
400g ripe bananas (about 4 )
1tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
100g blueberries
50g chopped pecans
1-2 tbsp demerara sugar
½ tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line 1 x 400g loaf tin or 4 small loaf tins
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and muscovado sugar until creamy and fluffy.
Gradually beat in the eggs, bit by bit.
Mash the bananas with a fork in another bowl and add the vanilla extract. Combine thoroughly with the butter and sugar mixture.
Sieve the flour and baking powder over the mixture and fold in to combine.
Gently fold in the blueberries and pecans until evenly distributed
Spoon the mixture into the lined tins.
Scatter the top with a generous dusting of ground cinnamon and then top with the crunchy demerara sugar to create a nice crust.
Bake in the oven for 35 minutes for the small tins and around 50 minutes for a large loaf tin. Check after 30 minutes regardless and remove from the oven when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Leave to cool in their tins and then remove.
Slice and serve layered with cinnamon mascarpone, yoghurt or warm with ice cream.