Posts tagged dessert

Chocolate Fondant with Frangelico Mascapone

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I’ve always been in awe of the chocolate making process after watching an enlightening series featuring the modern day Willy Wonker, Willie Harcourt-Cooze. An enthusiastic middle class chocolate dreamer, he set about to live his dream of authentic chocolate making. To me, England feels like a country of chocolate addicts, or more likely, sugar addicts disgusing themselves as cacoa enthusiasts!? Without sounding like a chocolate snob, many of the milk chocolate bars that litter the countries newagents shelves have such a low cacao/‘chocolate’ content that in some countries it would be illegal to title this chocolate!

I’m an adorer of the dark stuff. The darker the better. I’ve always been amazed at how a 100% bar is created? With no sugar to bind it together its a pure cacao lovers heaven. Its painful sharing my 90% bar of goodness, when I just know that the majority will screw up thier faces in fright as they force down the ‘bitter soap’ they’ve just eaten as they compare to the likes of our dairy milk. But my chocolate interest has promted me to sample styles made from a variety of beans from all over the world and to really appreciate the differences in flavours. refining my love of the pure taste and the lower sugar content.

So when a work collegaue refreshingly and surprisingly bought in some tasty samples of his families homemade chocolate from their humble little Cotswold business – Doble & Bignall – I was keen to devour a piece and was taken by the first bite. Like beer, cheese and wine, chocolate varies in flavour substantially. Not just with the percentage but with the beans and country. Doble & Bignal have a small range of bars using beans from the likes of Panama and Venezuelan. The chocolate is smooth, tasty and distinctive. Perfect for a cheeky recipe. I kept the fonadant simple (I know…me not messing with a recipe!? Shocker) Firsty because shamefully this was the first fondant I’d attempted ever to make and the goo-cented, molten chocolate lava that should sterotypicaly weep from the middle like a happy sobbing child was far too much pressure to meddle with at this stage. So instead, go crazy on accompaniment. Frangelico mascapone, vanilla and orange ice cream or just heavily doused in a thick wall spporting, cement-like spatula of whippped double cream.

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Serves 6

Fondant

  • 85g caster sugar
  • 150g unsalted butter
  • 150g dark chocolate (E.g. Doble & Bignal’s bar)
  • 3 whole free range eggs
  • 3 whole eggs yolks
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • Soft butter and cocoa powder to line the moulds
  1. Start by greasing 6 small dariole moulds with butter. Dust with cocoa powder and shake of any excess. Set aside on a baking try.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  3. In a heatproof bowl combine the sugar, butter and chocolate and melt over a pan of barely simmering water. Allow to melt fully then set aside to cool slightly.
  4. When it is luke warm, whisk in the eggs continuously. The mixture will begin to thicken but keep whisking (don’t be tempted to add the eggs while the chocolate is still too warm of the eggs will scramble…yuck). Then fold in the flour.
  5. Pour the mixture evenly into the moulds and then chill for at least 25 minutes.
  6. Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes. Take out of the oven, run a knife around the edge and turn out onto a plate. Serve with a dollop of your chosen cream and watch and enjoy in awe as (hopefully) your gooey fondant melts all over your plate…!

NOTE: I took my first test fondant out of the oven after 10 minutes and it still felt a little squishly in the middle to the touch. With the risk of having an overocoked fondant I took it out anyway. Shamefully on turning out it collapsed all over the plate….hence the additional mintues. However, oven will vary so perhaps cook for less time and do a touch test before remving the whole batch if the pressure is on…!

Frangelico Mascarpone

Please note – I did this by taste so the below measurements are a total guide. Start with less and keep adding more sugar and liquer until it is to your taste.

  • 250g mascarpone
  • About 4 tbsp sieved icing sugar (or as much as you like just to sweeten)
  • 1-2 tbsp frangelico liquer (to taste)
  1. Whisk the frangelico and icing sugar into the mascarpone, tasting as you go along to sweeten as you like.

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Gingerbread Ice Cream, Lemon Apple Tart

 

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Gingerbread! Not only is it a festive crowd and stomach pleaser but its also an adored treat in the Wardlaw household! So what could be better than gingerbread and ice cream combined for a festive spicy Christmas lunch dessert this year. I think I’ve gotten a little carried away with the gingerbread theme recenty (see here for gingerbread latte macaroons and here for gingerbread scotch pancakes). And those that know me know that ice cream is my achilles heel (see here for some inventive creations).

We’re probably in the minority in terms of food ethos on Christmas day. While many people might not think twice about their pudding choice I like to choose something that leads on from the indulgent main event that leaves people feeling happy and not sick and queezy. Don’t get me wrong, we’re a family with healthy appetite but a modest one. So, I always create something fresh and clean to cleanse the greasy remains of the turkey lunch so this zesty fresh tart is perfect.

This is a really old and long used tart recipe which could not be more simple to knock out! If you’re not making your own pastry it can be ready to go in under an hour!

Serves 6

Gingerbread Ice Cream

Although you could just flavour the ice cream base with gingerbread spices, I thought some added crumbled gingerbread would be a nice addition. Gingerbread is characteristcally mosit so I dried and crisped mine up beforehand to provide some texture to the final snowball scoop.

  • 1 can condensed milk
  • 300ml single cream
  • 1tsp ground ginger
  • 1tsp ground cinnamon
  • 200g gingercake (I used Jamacian ginger loaf)
  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Crumble the ginger cake onto a baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes or so, keeping an eye on it, until it begins to crisp a bit or loose some of its moisture. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Don’t worry – once its cooled it will crisp up more.image
  2. Mix the condensed milk and cream together thoroughly in a jug then add the spices and mix.
  3. Churn in an ice cream maker until thick but not too set. Alternatively you can pour it into a tupperware box and leave to set in the freezer until thicker and no longer sloppy.image
  4. Once the ice cream is the right consistency and the cake crumbs have cooled, stir them into the ice cream so it is distributed evenly and then freeze until hard.

Lemon and Apple Tart

Shortcrust Pastry (enough for 2 tart cases)

  • 125g unsalted butter
  • 250g plain flour
  • Zest of 1 lemon

Filling

  • 1 large cooking apple
  • 2 large eggs, whisked
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 50g melted butter
  1. Start with the pastry. I like to use plain shortcrust as the ice cream and filling are sweet enough. Mix together the butter and flour in a food processer until it forms a breadcrumb like texture and then grate in the lemon zest and mix.
  2. Keep adding a few tbsps of cold water bit by bit and mix until you form a soft smooth dough.
  3. Form gently into a dough and shape into a disc. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C and line and grease a 20cm loose bottomed tart tin.
  5. Once rested, roll the pastry thinly on a floured surface and line the tart tin pushing the pastry into the edges neatly. Use a fork to prick 4-5 wholes across the base to stop it puffing up while cooking. Line with a sheet of baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake the tart case blind for about 15-20 minutes until it has a light straw colour and is mostly cooked.
  6. Remove the beans and parchment and return the case to the oven to cook the base for about more 5 minutes. Finally brush with a little beaten egg to cover the wholes and seal the pastry.
  7. Leave the case to cool while you make the filling.image
  8. Whisk the eggs, sugar and lemon zest and juice in a bowl.
  9. Melt the butter and add to the mixture, whisking as you go.
  10. Grate the apple into the eggs too.
  11. Fill the tart case with the mixture and bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes until just set and golden on top.

Serve the tart dusted with icing sugar and with a snowball of gingerbread ice cream!

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Almond Blackcurrant Tarts with Salted Lime

 

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I spent a gorgeously sunny few days at home in Wiltshire this weekend and had to make a batch of my favourite sweet treat. The recipe is from one of my previous blog posts but adapted slightly with some lime salt which I thought was a quirky experiment. I love salt with sweetness and the sharp lime and blackcurrant in this recipe make sure you’ll never forget the taste. Served with coconut ice cream it would happily top off my last meal…

Recipe

  1. Make the basic tartlets as per the recipe link above adding the zest of 1 lime to the frangipane mixture.
  2. For the icing, mix about 2 tbsp of icing sugar with a tiny amount of lime juice and mix until thick. Add more icing sugar if its too runny. Spoon into a plastic piping bag and snip off the end.
  3. Once cool, ice a neat pattern or random design on top.
  4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 75°C. Place the zest of 1- ½ a lime on a piece of parchment on a baking tray and dry in the low oven for about 20 minutes to intensify the flavours. Alternatively you can leave it to dry overnight. Mix the dried zest with a tiny pinch of salt.
  5. Scatter sparingly on top of the tarts and top with a few dainty leaves of mint.

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Apple Pie ‘Duffins’ and a 2nd Birthday

 

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This weekend called for a belated blog birthday celebration and naturally a cake! Celebrating not only the last day of August which was blissfully sunny and spent wakeboarding on a glass-like lake in Wiltshire with some friends, but also the 2nd birthday of ‘forage in the pantry’ or FITP as its been recently named. Since my first ever blogged recipe and still one of my absolute favourites (see here) it has been two years of new experiments, flavours, combinations, styles, and ingredients which have flown by deliciously. A LOT has happened and changed in these past 2 years but the blog has been ticking over loyally and creatively in the background. Maintaining my sanity and satiety.

It pains me to say it but as Autumn approaches on the horizon in the form of darker nights and colder mornings, the apples are abundant and I felt it only natural to choose them as the star in my birthday cake. Taking inspiration from the controversial Starbucks ‘Duffin’ (muffin filled with jam) I have concocted a cinnamon cake filled wickedly with a slow roasted spiced apple puree and a tangy ginger lemon frosting. I refrained from rolling in sugar. Delicious served fresh on the day bitten into with no prior warning of the jammy filling.

Apple Pureesee here

Apple Crisps

  • 1 apple
  • 65g caster sugar
  • 35ml water
  • cinnamon
  1. Preheat the oven to 130° C and line a baking tray with parchment.
  2. Slice the apple on the horizontal using a mandolin to very fine slithers.
  3. Heat the water and sugar in a pan until the sugar dissolves and it bubbles into a lovely clear syrup.
  4. Lay the slices on the tray and brush with the glaze. Dust with a little cinnamon and sugar if you like and bake in a low oven for about 30 minutes until dry and crisp. Leave to cool.

Cinnamon Muffins – I actually found these too big and dense. I think they’d work much better as cupcake with a lighted spongy texture so I have included a recipe below but feel free to make them GIANT and muffin like as titled.

  • 115g unsalted butter
  • 115g caster sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 115g flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 35g chopped hazelnuts (optional)
  • 2-3 tbsp milk
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  1. Preheat the oven to 180° C and line a cupcake tin with cases.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar together very well until pale a fluffy.
  3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla a bit at a time.
  4. Now sieve in the flour, cinnamon and baking powder and fold in gently until just incorporated.
  5. Fold in the nuts and loosen with a dash of milk if needed.
  6. Fill your cupcake cases and bake for about 15 minutes until golden and set in the middle. Leave to cool.

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Ginger Lemon Buttercream

  • 125g softened unsalted butter
  • 100g icing sugar
  • 1-2 tbsp ginger syrup (from a jar of stem ginger. You can also add some chopped stem ginger if you like)
  • 1 lemon, zest only
  1. Combine all (in a food processor) until well mixed. Fill a piping bag and use to decorate the duffins.

Assembling….

  • Take your cooled cupcake/muffin and slice the top off (usually easier if they have risen with a dome!)
  • Cut out the middle to create a small whole keeping the removed cake.
  • Fill with about 2tsp of apple puree.
  • Top with a little bit of the filling to hide the puree, eat the excess.
  • Pipe the buttercream over the top in any pattern you like
  • Top with a wafer
  • The best bit….serve to a greedy worthy friend.

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Raspberry and Lemon Goo Brownies

 

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Coma inducing, artery cloying, heart attack provoking…I could go on. But once in a while a little ‘indulgence’ is necessary. These are best left to be made for you by someone else. Not only for the pure reason that, this way, you won’t be exposed to their contents but because if I’m honest I had rather lost my appetite for all things sweet by the end of this weekends baking session and wasn’t able to enjoy them to their true potential. I am however, one step further away from conducting diabetes…However, if ever there was a gooey brownie recipe then this is it. I thought I’d try a little quirky take on the usual suspects by adding some lemon flavour in the form of the new Green & Black’s lemon bar which, thanks to them, I have generously stashed on the pantry shelf, teasing the rest of my ingredients with its youthful shiny complexion and style. It adds the tiniest of freshness to an otherwise rich brownie and is a nice tang with the rapsberries.

Although these brownies posed extremely sluttily and temptingly in their photo shoot when it came to sampling we actually all ended up cutting them into at least half as they are very rich. Therefore, when attempting this recipe, don’t hesitate to half the quantities used. Its obviously ridiculous but handling smaller quantities does make you feel like they are that little bit less unhealthy…!

Makes…more than enough (about 20)

  • 200g Green & Blacks Lemon chocolate
  • 100g Green & Blacks milk cooking chocolate
  • 250g unsalted butter
  • 400g soft brown muscavado sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 140g plain flour
  • 50g Green & Blacks cocoa powder
  • 150g raspberries (or blueberries/blackberries/cherries etc)
  • Feel free to add nuts also if you like
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 20 x 30cm brownie tin with parchment.
  2. In a large saucepan, combine the butter, chocolate and sugar and melt gently over a medium-low heat until all is melted and combined, stirring from time to time. Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. Making sure the chocolate is not too hot, beat the eggs in, one at a time, stirring vigorously. The mixture will thicken and turn smooth.
  4. Sieve in the flour and cocoa and fold in until well combined (add nuts here if using)
  5. Pour half the mixture into the lined tin, scatter with the fruits and then top with the remaining mixture. Alternatively add the fruit to the batter all at once.
  6. Bake for 30 (for really gooey) or 35 minutes until still soft in the middle. Don’t be tempted to leave them in longer if you think they are not done. They will set a little in the tray on cooling.
  7. Leave to cool in the tin before turning out and cutting indulgently. Serve proudly with a gym membership and a tangy topping of creme fraiche to your adoring, and now loyal, guests!

Delicious with the addition of chopped roasted nuts or different fruits. Serve with a lovely tangy creme fraiche, warm from the oven for extra (excuse the pun) brownie points with your guests.

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Apricot and Vanilla Pannacotta with Rosemary Shortbread

 
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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
  1. Combine the ingredients in a pan including the vanilla pod once the seeds have been removed.
  2. Simmer gently for about 40-45 minutes until the apricots are plump and soft. Remove the vanilla pod and discard
  3. 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!

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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
  1. Combine the cream, milk, sugar and vanilla in a pan and gently heat to dissolve the sugar.
  2. Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water until soft.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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!

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Rosemary Shortbread

  • 125g butter
  • 175g flour
  • 50g caster sugar
  • ½- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  2. Rub the flour butter and sugar together or combine in a food processor until you just begin to get a dough
  3. Add the rosemary and continue to mix to form a dough.
  4. 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.
  5. Leave to cool before removing from the tray.

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Pine nut, honey and rosemary tartlets

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I love the subtlety rosemary can add to a dessert. Added carefully it can be delicious and after a first trying it in an outrageously scrumptious recipe which included a vat of stewed sweet apricots and some crunchy textured crumble, pine nuts were inevitably due to work. This is a cross between a pecan pie with pine nuts and a treacle tart. Served at the end of a recent dinner party topped with a chocolate sorbet, it was a winner.

Sweet pastry

  • 250g plain flour
  • 50g sifted icing sugar
  • 125g cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Splash milk

Filling

  • 150g pine nuts
  • 2 eggs
  • 75g unsalted butter, cubed
  • 100g runny honey
  • 100g soft brown sugar
  • ½ vanilla pod, seeds removed OR 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 small sprigs of rosemary (optional)
  1. Make you pastry by rubbing the flour and icing sugar into the butter to form a breadcrumb texture. Add the egg and a splash of milk to bring it together to form a soft dough but make sure you are gentle. Wrap in cling and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Next, line 6 small or 1 large tart tin and bake blind (see here to do this)
  2. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  3. In a large frying pan over medium high heat, toast your pine nuts until fragrant and golden. Leave to cool.
  4. Add the honey and rosemary sprigs to a saucepan and heat gently over a low heat until warm and runny. All the honey to sit on a low heat for a good 10 minutes to let the rosemary infuse
  5. Then remove and reserve the rosemary. Then whisk in the cubed butter until melted.
  6. In another bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs and vanilla until combined.
  7. Strip the leaves from the reserved rosemary and chopped very finely to get about 1 tsp or less of the leaves and add back to the honey and butter (optional). Whisk the butter and honey mix into the egg and sugar mixture.
  8. Now, space your pre-baked tart cases out onto a lined baking tray and sprinkle the pine nuts amongst the cases. Make sure you keep the tart case inside its metal tin (unlike I did) as this will add extra support for the thick mixture.image
  9. Fill with the honey mixture evenly and bake for 18-20 minutes until set. Remove and leave to cool and set.

(The first time I did this, I took the tart cases out their metal tins and the sides collapsed (disaster) so I strongly recommend leaving them in the tins to add support for the heavy honey mixture) Served with a generous and glossy scoop of chocolate sorbet, they were the perfect finish to a lovely dinner party.

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Pannacotta with salted caramel

This was everything you’d could want in a dinner party dessert for a special occasion such as New Years eve where this little treat made a welcome appearance. It’s creamy, sweet, satisfying and elegant and will fill that sweet spot when you think there is just no room left after, perhaps an evening full of decadent dinning and some good fizz. Naturally as the choice for the hidden surprise I had to add salted caramel due to my love of salt and its increasing popularity as the foodie trend of 2012! Served alongside some mini tartlets filled with hazelnut or ginger mascarpone topped with diced pear and shards of honeycomb, I think its safe to say these were crowd pleasers…..

Pannacotta (serves 6)

  • 250ml double cream
  • 250ml milk
  • 1 vanilla pod, seeds removed
  • 2 ½ gelatine leaves
  • 50g caster sugar

Salted Caramel

  • 200ml single cream
  • 125g caster sugar
  • 2 tsp runny honey
  • 2 tsp water
  • Large pinch of maldon salt
  1. Begin with the salted caramel. Place the cream in a saucepan and warm gently on a low heat.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the runny honey in another saucepan for a few minutes. Add the water and the caster sugar and allow to dissolve.
  3. Once dissolved, let it bubble for about 5 minutes and it will begin to turn golden. Watch it closely, giving it a swirl every so often.image
  4. Continue to bubble until golden and caramel coloured. Do not let it get too dark or it will begin to burn and taste bitter.
  5. Once it reaches the right golden colour (being VERY careful as it will splutter at you) stir in 1/3 of the warm cream and stir. Add the rest of the cream and stir, keeping it on the heat and bubbling for about 2 minutes until syrup-like and smooth.
  6. Remove from the heat and leave to cool (this can also be used for smothering over ice cream to heart attack inducing levels or to line a pastry case for a twist on banoffee pie. It also goes really well with salted peanuts, peanut butter or chocolate)image
  7. Now begin on the pannacotta. Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for about 5 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile, warm the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla seeds (pop the pod in as well) on a gentle heat until the sugar is dissolved. Bring up to the near boil and then remove from the heat. Remove the vanilla pod.
  9. Squeeze the excess water from the softened gelatine leaves and whisk into the the hot cream until dissolved.
  10. Get your serving glasses or ramekins (glass works well as you can see the layers) and spoon about 2 tbsp of cooled salted caramel into each base. Top with the panncotta mixture, carefully to avoid it disturbing the lower layer but this is not a problem if you do.
  11. Place in the fridge and leave to set for a minimum of 3 hours

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Mini sweet pastry tart cases filled with a hazelnut mascarpone and a ginger mascarpone cream, topped with diced pear and honeycomb…..

Chocolate Mousse with bling……..

This was the perfect little dessert this Christmas time. A really light, simple chocolate mousse that even a academically and domestically challenged young child could manage, spiked with some extra flavours and accessorized with some crunchy gold shards of honeycomb and melting pecan shortbreads to add the Christmas sparkle. It was perfect to shove onto a big wooden board and plonk into the middle of the table at the end of a tiresome boxing day marathon meal for your guests to greedily help themselves to as they wish.

Chocolate Mousse (Serves 6)

  • 150g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 50g nutella
  • 125ml double cream
  • 50 ml milk
  • 4 eggs whites
  • 25g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  1. Heat the cream, milk and vanilla in a pan until just beginning to boil. Then quickly remove from the heat and add the chocolate.
  2. Mix until melted, smooth and shiny
  3. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add the caster sugar spoonful by spoonful until the meringue is shiny and glossy.
  4. Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate, a third at a time, keeping as much air in as possible.
  5. Once all has been combined, spoon into individual glasses or ramekins and chill in the fridge for about 2 hours.
  6. I served mine with some shortbread biscuits and some crispy honeycomb!

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Honeycomb

  • 100g caster sugar
  • 4 tbsp golden syrup
  • 1.5 tsp bicarbonate soda
  1. Begin by spreading out a large sheet of parchment on a cold flat surface and oil lightly.
  2. Mix the sugar and syrup in a pan until dissolved. Do not stir once dissolved but swirl the pan to combine
  3. Bubble for a few minutes until it begins to turn golden brown. It will be very hot so be careful. Watch closely, if it does not boil long enough it won’t set, too long and it will taste bitter
  4. Once it turns golden, remove from the heat and working quickly add the bicarbonate of soda and whisk briefly. It will bubble fiercely. Once it has aerated, quickly tip onto the parchment and leave to cool and set solid.
  5. Break into shards and book a dentist appointment before enjoying, dipped into your chocolate mousse!

Liquorice Creams with Sea Salt

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Last night I experimented on my family and poor guest. After my insightful internship at ‘delicious’ food magazine this summer, I was carted away with pantry filling samples of new, free and excitingly original products, sent ambitiously to the editorial team. In this treasure trove of goodies was a small pot of liquorice powder….yes you heard correctly! I like liquorice but what was I supposed to do with this? My first thoughts turned to ice cream (naturally, if you know me well).

However, this week I was watching Nigella strut her gastronomic stuff on TV and there it was…….liquorice pudding! Now,a heads up, these are not like Marmite in their ‘love it or hate it’ sense, but they certainly hold a similar gauntlet. After knocking up this creamy mixture in a matter of minutes, I chilled them in the fridge ready to devour after diner. However………however…

As I announced that ‘tonight you are my guinea pigs’ to my guests, I sampled a thimbleful of this deceiving mixture and declared that I was sorry but they were too horrendous to serve. But to the cries of my guests that they at least try them anyway, I served them up. And, after each smooth mouthful, they became better and better and better until our glasses were empty and we sat amazed at how delightful they were! I’m still surprised! So don’t blame me if you hate them but after a few mouthfuls, I hope you’ll see…. If not, stick to chocolate mousse.

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This is the powder. Yes it looks like dirt, and just tipping it into this bowl set me off on a marathon worthy sneezing fit but if you love liquorice, this is like gold dust. I used 2 tsp of powder per 300ml of double cream, whereas Nigella used equivalent quantities of liquorice pellets. I think it could do with slightly less powder as they were fairly strong, however, it still works so do as you like.

  • 120ml water
  • 1 ½ – 2 tsp liquorice powder OR 2 tsp liquorice pellets
  • 4 tbsp light muscovado sugar (it is not a sweet dessert so add more if you like)
  • 350ml double cream (I used 300ml and it was fine)
  • 4 tsp cornflour
  • 2 tbsp milk
  1. Combine the liquorice and water in a saucepan and heat until dissolved. Bring to the simmer.
  2. Whisk in the sugar and cream and bring back to the simmer and then remove from the heat.
  3. Mix the cornflour and milk in a little bowl to a smooth paste.
  4. Place the pan on a low heat and whisking all the time, pour in the cornflour paste and whisk until thickened for a minute or so.
  5. Divide it between 4 glasses or serving ramekins. They can be eaten warm which I didn’t try but maybe this is nicer!?
  6. If not, cover with cling film or baking paper that has been soaked in water and rung out, to prevent a skin forming on the top and place in the fridge for about 2 hours.
  7. Eat at room temperature, sprinkled with some sea salt if you like!

Nigella says, I quote- ‘For those of us who love liquorice, this pudding is sheer, spine-tingling joy’! Hmmmm…..persevere!

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