Category Sweet Treats

Fig, Coconut and Chocolate Tart

October 20, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

This is another gem of a recipe that I’d hungrily bookmarked too long ago from a fairly vintage and thumbed copy of Vogue’s ‘Entertaining and Travel’. Being unavailable in the UK, I’ve only a prized handful of these gorgeous and teasing magazines from a friends visits to Dubai. However, the recipes are a pleasing port of call for inspiration and I shall attribute the belated testing of this recipe to ‘savouring’ of my limited supply.

With a punnet of figs putting on a brave face in the face of an over-ripe death sitting safely in the fridge it seemed like an Autumn pleaser. With the added bonus that I ADORE anything with coconut it certainly was pleasing…

Makes 1 large tart (or use smaller ones if preferred)

Pastry

225g plain flour
2 tbsp icing sugar
125g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1 egg

Filling

200g desiccated coconut
300ml weak, cooled tea
5 eggs
220g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Grated zest 1 lemon
100g dark chocolate, chopped (Min 70%)
6 figs
Honey to glaze

Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and line a 26cm, deepish tart tin.
For the pastry, place the butter, flour and icing sugar in food processor and blend until you get a breadcrumb-like texture (or rub together by hand). Add the beaten egg and combine until you form a smooth dough, being gentle when handling. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Roll the chilled pastry onto a floured surface and line the greased tart tin. Place on a baking tray and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Line with baking paper and fill generously with baking beans and bake blind for 15-20 minutes until the edges are a light golden. Remove the beans and return to the oven to allow the base to cook and turn pale gold. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.
Reduce the oven to 170°C.
Place the coconut in a large bowl and cover with the tea. Whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla and lemon together in another bowl before adding the soaked coconut.
Scatter the chopped chocolate over the base of the pastry case and top with the coconut-egg filling.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes until set and golden. Leave to cool in the tin.
Slice the figs into circles and place on top of the cooled tart in concentric circles. Warm a few tbsps of runny honey in a sauce pan and use a pastry brush to glaze the figs. Scatter with more coconut and serve with a large spoonful of lime/lemon scented mascarpone if you like!

Chocolate Orange Polenta Tarts

October 12, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

So I’m not going to lie, this was an experiment that I’ve been meaning to try since I wrote it down on my ‘to cook’ dissertation-style list/essay. It was successful but only after much cursing, trial and error and some kitchen instinct. So…tackle as you may but be prepared to get cross. I essentially used an orange polenta cookie recipe (see here) that I have previously made which is crumbly and delicious, as the ‘tart case’ instead of pastry. Sounds simple, you’re right. then fill with chocolate orange ganache….! I lined some mini greased tart tins with the mixture and baked. However, there was a tendency for it to melt into a big pool….I used the bottom of a ramekin to push the mixture down but baking beans and parchment may have been a good shout. The mixture type does have the tendency to crisp up and harden when it cools so keep hope.

Makes 9 mini tarts.

85g unsalted butter, cubed
85g caster sugar
130g polenta
50g plain flour
Zest 1 orange
1 egg
150ml cream
150g Green & Blacks orange chocolate

Firstly, read above for technical details before starting. Preheat the oven to 190°C and grease about 9 small tart cases
Rub the butter into the polenta, flour and sugar until combined. Add the orange zest.
Mix in the egg thoroughly and chill for 1 hour, covered, in the fridge.
Now, use handfuls or the mixture to press and line the well-greased tart tins to form a nice case up the sides and over the base. The mixture is fairly greasy too so it shouldn’t stick on baking. I didn’t, but line with parchment and baking beans and bake from anywhere between 20-30 minutes (helpful, sorry)- the mixture may melt down the sides but press it up to create a case. Remove the beans once the edges have begun to turn light gold and crisp and bake for a few more minutes until the cases are set.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack until really cold.
While cooling, make the ganache. Simply bring the cream to near boil in a pan and then stir in the chopped chocolate and mix until melted.
Leave to cool a little before spooning generously into the tart cases. Cover and chill for about 4 hours until set.
Enjoy with a large dollop of cleansing creme fraiche and a grimace if this was a pain to make. Like I said it was an experiment!

NOTE: If the polenta casing was not for you, feel free to use a normal shortcrust pastry, spiked with orange zest or add a little polenta for crispness. You can also add marmalade or an orange curd to the base before pouring over the ganache which would be interesting…!?

Raspberry and Lemon Goo Brownies

October 7, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

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

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 20 x 30cm brownie tin with parchment.
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.
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.
Sieve in the flour and cocoa and fold in until well combined (add nuts here if using)
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.
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.
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.

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.

Gooey Cinnamon Cake Bites

August 24, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

If you haven’t already checked out the ’smitten kitchen’ food blog then do. Not only is it one of the first blogs that I was introduced to but it is a prime example of a fantastically interesting, honest, varied and drool-worthy food blog created by a passionate foodie who cooks from the heart simply because, like me, she is addicted- cooking is my happy place. However, more so, she has been one of the lucky ducks to get her humble blog made into a cook book. I can only dream of this priceless achievement! However, this is not going to happen by cooking other peoples recipes but the sound of cinnamon (one of my favourite flavours), gooey promises and the multiple times I had clicked on the recipe link only to mutter ‘I must make that’, prompted this recent cake-tin-filler. Here is the original recipe for those interested.

Base

190g plain flour
2tsp baking powder
115g butter, room temp
150g sugar
1 egg, room temp
60 ml whole milk
¼ tsp salt

Gooey Top

60ml golden syrup
60ml whole milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
170g butter, room temp
225g sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 egg, room temp
155g plain flour

Cinnamon Crust

2 tbsp caster sugar
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Start by lining a 9inch x 13inch cake tin with parchment. This may seem big but it is a flatish style cake/cake bar. Preheat the oven to 180.
Start with the base by blending the butter and sugar in a processor or with an electric whisk until fluffy. Add the salt.
Combine the egg and milk and mix into the butter and sugar until combined. Finally sieve in the flour and baking powder and stir to form a thick batter.
Spoon it into blobs into the lined tin and spread out evenly and thinly with a spatula
Now for the gooey layer, beat the butter and sugar together (no need to wash the processor) with the salt until fluffy. Add the egg.
Combine the syrup, vanilla and milk.
Sieve in 1/3 of the flour followed by half the syrup-milk mix. Add another 1/3 of the flour and then the final half of the syrup. Finally mix int he final 1/3 of flour and blend until smooth and delectable.
Scrap large spoonfuls of the batter on top of the base and spread out evenly with a spatula until flat.
Combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping and scatter generously over the top to form a crusty cinnamon coat
Bake for 25 minutes. It should feel slightly soft but gently et in the centre. Remove from the oven and leave totally alone to cool before removing from the pan.
Cut into bite size pieces if you like.

Lime Layer Drizzle with Blackcurrant and White Chocolate

August 16, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

Its been a frustrating week of unknowns but what can be guaranteed- as so rightly put by Julie from ‘Julie & Julia’- is that at the end of the day you can always rely on eggs, sugar, butter and flour producing something delicious. Chuck in some gooey lime syrup, some sharp mouthwateringly-tart blackcurrant puree and the soothing sweet sugary hug of a palate knife of white chocolate buttercream and you’ve got yourself the solution to any first world trauma…(excluding obesity….!) With too many handpicked blackcurrants from the allotment to fit in the freezer- yes the frozen joints of meat and 2 year old pack of fish fingers for those emergencies had to be sacrificed- it was time for the blackcurrants to earn their keep. With a vat of blackcurrant sorbet and enough jam to keep a Frenchman happy, it was time to use them in a new recipe.

If you can’t get hold of blackcurrants (get in touch, our crop would supply international orders) then blackberries would be good too but the tart sharpness of the blackcurrants is really lovely with the white chocolate.

Serves….many!

Cake

225g unsalted butter, softened
225g golden caster sugar
225g self raising flour
4 eggs
1 1/2 zest lime
85g caster sugar
6 tbsp juice (about 1 ½ limes)

Fillings

300g blackcurrants
100g caster sugar
100g white chocolate
140g unsalted butter, softened
140g icing sugar, sieved

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line two small (16cm) cake tins.
Beat the butter and caster sugar together until pale and creamy. Add in the beaten eggs one at a time followed by the lime zest.
Sieve in the flour and fold in to combine.
Spoon into the tins and even out. Bake for about 40-50 minutes until just cooked and springy to touch.
While they are baking, combine the 85g caster sugar, and the lime juice and warm over a low heat to dissolve the sugar. As soon as the cakes come out the oven, prick all over with a tooth pick and spoon the syrup over the two cakes, allowing it to seep into the holes. Leave to cool COMPLETELY in their tins before turning out.
For the blackcurrant puree, wash the blackcurrants so they retain a bit of water on their skins and heat with the sugar in a pan over a medium heat until they begin to burst and soften and turn a little syrupy. Don’t boil and obliterate them, as soon as they start to simmer, remove from the heat. Puree in a food processor or the like until smooth.
Tip into a sieve and strain out the pips and skins to achieve a smooth glossy puree. You should get about 180g (ish).Chill until needed.
For the butter cream, melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Give it a beating if it is a bit lumpy to get a smooth melted chocolate. Leave to cool a little.
Combine the sieved icing sugar and softened butter until smooth and then beat in the melted chocolate. Set aside until needed.
Only when the cakes are completely cold, slice each into half horizontally to get 4 layers. Place one layer on a cake stand and then spread ¼ of the buttercream evenly over followed by a generous spoonful (just under 1/3) of the blackcurrant puree. Place another layer on top and repeat, finishing with a top layer of buttercream if you like.
Sit back and admire your effort before devouring.

Coffee and Olive Oil Truffles

August 13, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

Oh boy, these are dangerous. My mum’s friend recently provided me with a small, harmless and innocent looking bottle of ‘Coffee Extra Virgin Olive Oil’ (strange I know) with the challenge of making something with it!? On smelling it, my mind went to truffles. After a recent visit to William Curley’s chocolate sanctuary in Belgravia I felt inspired to use some of his sensational ingredient combinations. After trying his rosemary and olive oil chocolates I attempted my own version. With a packet of espresso flavoured Green & Blacks sitting on the shelf too, I thought this would add that extra kick of coffee flavour.

The oil in these, as opposed to the traditional cream, really does make the truffles feel so much smoother without coating and cloying your mouth….they simply melt away.

Makes about 26

80ml coffee olive oil OR plain Extra virgin olive oil
100g Green & Blacks Espresso Chocolate, chopped
125g Green & Blacks dark chocolate, chopped
60g butter, cubed
Pinch salt
Cocoa for dusting/ chopped hazelnuts or mixed nuts/desiccated coconut

Place the chopped chocolate, butter, oil and a pinch of salt into a heat proof bowl.
Suspend over a pan of barely simmering water (do not let it touch) and heat gently until melted, stirring often.
Once smooth and emulsified, pour into a clean bowl, cover and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Remove from the fridge. Use a spoon or a melon baller to mould out your truffles. Coat them in cocoa powder, chopped nuts or coconut or whatever else you like. Keep somewhere chilled but cover tightly if you are keeping them in the fridge as chocolate absorbs fridge smells….the last thing you want is a cheesy truffle?

After Eight Macaroons

August 9, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who doesn’t like After Eights….or macaroons for that matter. These are, in my opinion, better than the real thing. The only unfortunate thing here is that they don’t come in those tiny little delicately folded envelopes…..oh and that you can’t play the ‘After Eight Game’! (If this is new to you check out this link. Hilarious game, especially after a few bevvies)

Makes about 12

Macaroons

60g egg whites (about 2)
40g caster sugar
50g ground almonds
110g icing sugar (minus 2 tbsp)
12g Green & Blacks cocoa powder

Filing

80g unsalted, softened butter
100g sieved icing sugar
1 tsp peppermint essence
Splash green food colouring

Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a baking tray with parchment
Blend the ground almonds, icing sugar and cocoa together in a food processor until fine and then sieve.
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.
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 the macaroon mixture evenly. Give the tray a sharp slap on the surface a few times to level them and leave for 25 minutes, uncovered to form a skin before baking.
Bake for about 12-15 minutes. They are ready when they come away easily from the tray. Leave to cool.
Make the buttercream filling by combining the ingredients in a processor and then spooning into a smaller piping bag.
When cool, pipe small amounts onto macaroon halves and sandwich together!

Rhubarb and Amaretto ‘Cake’

August 4, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

The 1st August was ‘forage in the pantry’s’ 1st Birthday, hurrah! Some spritely rhubarb was nestled patiently outside in the garden so I stole it for this sweet celebration cake. However, cake, torte or tart- I don’t know? It has an impressively gooey and unthinkably moreish texture with a layer of juicy rhubarb and a sinful almond paste spooned slutily on top. But, regardless, its one of those recipes that surprises me with its flavour every time I make it (and equally makes me angry as I merrily start and get everything ready only to get to the step that says ‘leave to dry overnight’ which I always seem to forget). It has a very moist texture and, like I say, the recipe suggests leaving the rhubarb to drain overnight once cooked. I was too impatient and left it a hour or so which was effective but it was very gooey but still delicious. I thought however, that this recipe was finally worth sharing as it was first kindly shared with me a while ago.

1kg rhubarb, chopped
300g caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
300g amaretti biscuits
175g butter
90ml Amaretto liqueur
3 eggs
40g plain flour
Icing sugar to serve
Mascarpone and ground cinnamon to serve

Place the chopped rhubarb, 250g caster sugar, the cinnamon stick and a splash of water in a pan and simmer until tender but chunky. Drain the rhubarb in a sieve to dry out the mixture and set aside covered overnight. (Or for at least 1-2 hours if you can’t resist or want a moisture texture). You want a fairly dry soft rhubarb compote that won’t add to much moisture into the cake.
Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a 23cm spring form tin.
Place the amaretti biscuits in a food processor and blitz to fine crumbs. Add the diced butter, amaretto, eggs, the remaining sugar, and the flour. Blitz to combine to a blended paste and chill.
Spoon half the mixture into the lined tin, top with the rhubarb and then top with the remaining almond paste and smooth and level off.
Bake for 30-50 minutes until golden and firm to touch. Depending on how wet the rhubarb was it may vary on the timing.
Leave to cool before dusting with icing sugar. Serve with a generous spoonful of sweetened and cinnamon speckled mascarpone. (Keep in the fridge as it is very moist and will go off quickly- especially in this weather!)

Blackcurrant Bran Breakfast Muffin

August 3, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

I hate the way recipes for these types of muffins seem to stress them as being ‘healthy’ breakfast muffins- they’re not healthy (note the sugar and oil content) but they are great for breakfast once in a while! They’re fantastic devoured warm, fresh from the oven if you’re organised or satisfying a spontaneous lazy craving on a Sunday morning. Alternatively, leave to cool and then toast/grill and slather with trowel-fulls of creamy salted butter. Have I got your attention yet?

NOTE: The recipe was lovely but quite oily, next time I may reduce the oil content to about 200ml but if anyone does in the meantime, let me know how they taste!

Makes 18 man muffins

100g bran
300ml milk
300g self raising flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
160g caster sugar
85g muscovado sugar
300ml sunflower oil
200g blackcurrants (or blueberries)
1-2 tbsp demerara sugar

Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a muffin tray.
Pour the milk over the bran and leave in a bowl to soak (when I first wrote that step, I wrote ‘brain’…..don’t do that).
Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl and then incorporate the oil until combined.
Into this, sieve the flour, bicarb and baking powder and fold in gently but don’t overmix. Leaving the odd lump of flour is fine. Lightly fold in the bran (I just wrote ‘brain’ again…) and milk mixture and lastly add the blackcurrants and mix until just combined.
Spoon generously into the muffin cases, sprinkle each with a little demerara sugar and bake for 25 minutes until golden and cooked. Once cooked, leave to cool on a wire rack to firm up a little before serving warm with an optional scoop of cooling vanilla bean ice cream or a spicy cinnamon infused mascarpone cream dolloped on the side. These are also dreamy cooled and then toasted for breakfast and smothered in salted butter.