Posts tagged rum

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.

Galette des rois and Cinnamon Ice Cream

December 27, 2015 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

alette de rois probably combines some of my most favourite ingredients yet criminally I’ve never made it!? Puff pastry, almonds, frangipane, a cheeky splash of booze, not much else says Christmas like that for me. And not only is it a sweet comforting crowd pleaser its a festively appropriate one too….in France anyway. Traditionally eaten on Twelfth night to welcome those famous Kings around the festive season it is normally the hiding place for two figurines that when found by the lucky eaters crown them Kind and Queen for the day and the chance to make a wish. I had many wishes this year that I can’t confess its just a shame I forgot the figurines!

Eaten a little early I’ll agree but neither are we in France! Accompanied by homemade cinnamon ice cream and a warm spoonful of spiced apple compote this went down a treat. And you can barely call this cooking as it simply involves a round of shop bought pastry and a quick frangipane.

NOTE: You can spoon some of the apple jam onto the base of this pastry as an alternative to apricot jam or serve alongside as I did.

Serves 10

Galette

1 x block 500g puff pastry (I recommend you don’t use the ready rolled version – it doesn’t ‘puff’ and rise as much in my experience)
100g caster sugar
100g ground almonds
100g softened unsalted butter
50 g flaked almonds
2 eggs, beaten and 1 extra for glazing
1 tbsp/large splash cognac or dark rum
1-2 tbsp apricot jam

Cinnamon Ice Cream

1 can condensed milk
300ml single cream
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped (reserve the pods for using to infuse a jar of caster sugar)

Spiced Apple Compote/Jam – recipe here

Start with the ice cream. Heat the single cream until just about to simmer then remove from the heat. Add the scraped seeds from the vanilla pod and whisk the cinnamon in thoroughly.
Whisk in the condensed milk and leave to the mixture to cool completely.
Freeze the ice cream in a tupperware container or dish. This is a non-churn ice cream but you may need to whisk after 3-4 hours when the ice cream should be nearly set but still loose to distribute any ground cinnamon that has risen to the surface. Freeze until set
For the galette, cut the pastry block in half and roll out each into a square about 25cm x 25cm. Use a plate or dish around 23cm in size (approx.) and cut out two discs. Place them on a parchment lined baking tray and chill in the fridge.
Meanwhile make the filling. Whisk the butter and sugar until combined, soft and fluffy in a food processor or using a hand blender.
Slowly add in the beaten egg and mix until combined followed by the cognac/rum.
Fold in the ground and flaked almonds until combined. Chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
When ready to cook remove all elements from the fridge. Spoon the apricot jam (or apple compote) onto the bottom of one of the pastry rounds leaving a 2cm border. Spoon on the frangipane, again leaving a 2cm border, slightly heaping the mixture in the centre.
Brush the 2cm border with beaten egg and place the second pastry round on top.
Press the edges together well to seal.
Using a knife, nick little slices into the edges to seal the pastry together and create a rough pattern. Finally score the top as seen in the pictures in a wheel affect.
Brush the galette with beaten egg and chill for 20 minutes in the fridge.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200°C. After 20 minutes, brush again with beaten egg for a golden coating and then cook in the oven for about 30-35 minutes until golden and cooked through.
Leave to cool slightly before dusting with icing sugar and serving alongside some creamy and festive cinnamon ice cream.

Mojito Cake

January 27, 2014 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

Over the weekend I rather indulged in a culinary sense and selfishly used the excuse of a work birthday to make a cocktail inspired cake. After all, I do work at a wine company and it was only natural that booze should appear (albeit subtly) in any birthday creation to grace the office for the prying eyes and hopeful stomachs of the hungry workers. The rum I used was subtle but by all means spoon a few generous splashes over the warm cooked cakes once baked and allow to soak willingly into the sponge whilst cooling….

I have been wanting to try my hand at homemade curd for a while so now seemed like the perfect time! This cake recipe is loosely based on the one by John Whaite (from GBBO 2012) where I borrowed the curd measurements. However, the rest of the cake recipe I altered to my own tastes. But thanks John- the idea was yours.

NOTE: The quantities for the lime curd make double the amount you’ll need for this cake – unless of course you make 4 sponges and make it an extortionate 4 layered number. But making this quantity is easier than halving egg yolks and for me, extra curd and 3 spare egg whites equals one thing- ‘Lime Meringue Pie’.

Serves 1 small office of hungry workers

Cake

220g self raising flour
220g caster sugar
220g butter
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tbsp rum (I used honey rum)
Pinch baking powder

Lime Curd

250ml lime juice
125g unsalted butter, cubed
3 egg yolks
Zest 1 lime
175g caster sugar
25g cornflour

Filling

300ml double cream
100g icing sugar, sieved
1 tbsp rum
Bunch mint leaves

Start with the lime curd. Place the lime juice, zest and butter in a saucepan and melt over a low heat until combined.
Whisk the egg yolks and the sugar in a bowl and then whisk in the cornflour until thick and creamy.
Now, making sure you whisk continuously so you don’t get lime flavoured scrambled eggs, pour the hot lime and butter over the egg yolks whisking all the time until combined.
Return the mixture to the pan and over a low heat, whisk continuously until it thickens (5-10mins). Keep whisking so the bottom doesn’t catch and scramble. Once thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, spoon into a shallow dish. Cover with clingfilm and chill.
Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and line two 20cm cake tins. For the cake, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 of the eggs and the vanilla and them sift in half the flour and combine.
Add the remaining eggs and the rest of the flour and the baking powder. Mix in the rum and divide the mixture between the baking tins.
Bake for 30 minutes until cooked. If soaking in rum, once cooked prick all over and spoon over a little rum and allow them to cool in their tins before removing.
Meanwhile, whisk the double cream with the icing sugar until thickened but still floppy and light- don’t overmix. Chop the mint leaves and fold in with the rum.
Once ready to assemble, place one sponge halve on your serving board. Spoon over a generous spoonful of lime curd. Layer on top half the cream and place the other sponge half on top.
Mix the remaining cream with 2-3 tbsp of the lime curd and spoon into a piping bag (optional). Pipe a neat decoration of your choosing on top and scatter with the small pretty mint leaves from your bunch of mint!

Banana and Brown Sugar Ice Cream

July 25, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

While banana bread or my banana muffins (see here) are my go-to for any over-ripe, senescent bananas aging ungracefully in the fruit bowl, this is another alternative idea for their use. Additionally, I always freeze any really ripe bananas that won’t get eaten in time so if, like me, your freezer is also always stacked with frozen bananas then they can be used here too! This is another David Lebovitz recipe as he really is the king of the perfect scoop! I’ve just made a basic banana recipe here but next time (and there will be a next time as its so good) I think I’ll try adding some extra flavours which are endless here. See NOTE below for details or ideas but if you’re a banoffee pie fan then this base recipe would be a great start.

600g very ripe bananas (fresh or frozen)
135g light brown soft sugar (or dark brown for a deeper flavour)
500ml coconut milk
1 tsp dark rum
Pinch salt
½ tsp vanilla

Heat the brown sugar with about ¼ of the coconut milk in a pan until smooth and simmering. If using fresh bananas, cut into small-ish chunks and add to the mixture with a pinch of salt. If using frozen, allow to thaw slightly until soft but not sloppy and crumble or chop in.
Stir and cook to soften the bananas for a few minutes
Add the rum and vanilla and then puree the mixture in a processor until smooth. Chill
Churn in an ice cream maker for about 30 minutes until set

NOTE: This recipe would be great with anything added too. The options are endless but a few ideas include:

Grated coconut
Rum soaked raisins
Swirl in a few tablespoons of peanut butter
Any form of toasted nuts e.g. brazils, hazelnuts, walnuts
A swirl of toffee sauce and some crushed biscuits for an authentic ‘banoffee’ pie ice cream

Dark and Stormy Cupcakes

July 9, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

Cupcake versions of cocktails are always a crowd pleaser that receive oooo’s and ahhhh’s from those greedy alcoholic denying guests we all have. A Green & Blacks ginger bar packs a strong ginger punch so works perfectly. A modest bottle of honey rum (from an adventure abroad- use dark rum if not) has been tentatively perched on the pantry shelf awaiting its calling and was eying up the ginger like a beautiful model in a bar, so was ready to be called into action as well. Lime frosting for a final characteristic flavour with the chocolate addition makes me wonder why the famous cocktail- ‘Dark and Stormy’ doesn’t contain chocolate already…..happy eating….it will be!

Cupcakes (Makes 12)

100g Green & Blacks Ginger Chocolate
115g unsalted butter
115g caster sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp ground almonds
150g self raising flour
1 tbsp Green & Blacks cocoa powder
2 tbsp golden (honey) rum
Pinch ground ginger

Icing

200g cream cheese/mascarpone
60g sieved icing sugar
2 limes, zest
Juice ½ lime

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a muffin or cupcake tray with cases.
Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water (make sure it does not touch the water) and melt slowly then set aside to cool a little.
Cream the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl then beat in the eggs one by one.
Add the ground almonds and then sieve in the flour, cocoa and a pinch of ginger and fold in. Add the rum and melted chocolate and mix until combined.
Spoon the mixture into the cases and bake for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the icing ingredients and spoon into a piping bag and chill in the fridge until needed.
When the cupcakes are cooked and cool, ice with the lime icing and add a grating of lime zest if you like! Serve…..perhaps with a ‘Dark and Stormy’ if you’re still feeling the need!