Category Sweet Treats

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

Caramelised White Chocolate and Rose Cupcakes

July 15, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

I imagine when you arrive at the Pearly Gates of heaven, St.Peter’s hunky Leonardo look-a-like assistant will be standing beside him with a tray of these welcoming you in. That would be nice.

So, this is not another generic chocolate cupcake…..oh no, that’s not my style. I had to play with my Green & Blacks stash somehow. Caramelised white chocolate is courtesy of David Lebovitz who has an ice cream recipe for this I’ve been meaning to try…I usually find white chocolate too sweet and the idea of the ice cream was enough to make my poor teeth ache so I thought I’d try (ok still sugary) but a less intense cupcake by sticking it into a cake mixture. The results were engulfed on a sunny early evening within the hour…success.

Cupcakes

150g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
110g butter, melted
100g sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
160g caramelised white chocolate (or simply use melted white chocolate 30% solids minimum- I used Green & Blacks)
60ml milk

White Chocolate and Rose Buttercream

250g icing sugar
110g unsalted butter
150g Green & Blacks white chocolate, melted
Drop of rosewater (Or to taste- its powerful stuff)
Drop of pink/red food colouring

1. Preheat the oven to 125°C. Start by making the caramelised white chocolate. Break the chocolate up into pieces and place on a lined baking tray. Place int he oven for 10 minutes and then spread out using a spatula. Place back in the oven for another ten minutes and repeat this process of smoothing it out every 10 minutes for up to 60 minutes but this will depend on the chocolate you use (DON’T use cheap stuff). It will look really weird and chalky but don’t panic….it should smooth out as you go. Tips can be found here from the man himself. If it doesn’t (like mine did) then after the hour, place in a food processor and whiz briefly and it will form a devine golden brown caramel ready to use in your cupcake mixture.

2. Now start the cupcakes by whisking the eggs and the sugar for a few minutes until really pale and fluffy and airy. Add the vanilla and then the milk followed by the white chocolate caramel mixture and mix well (If using normal chocolate, melt it in advance by heating the milk and then whisking in the chocolate and combine this way).

3. Sieve over the baking powder and the flour and fold in gently.

4. Finally, fold in the melted butter (it will look nasty at first but persist).

5. Spoon into cases and bake at 180°C for about 20 minutes before leaving to cool.

6. For the icing, combine the softened butter, sieved icing sugar and rose water together in a processor or by hand until well combined. Combine with the melted white chocolate until smooth adding a drop of pink colouring if you like. Add a splash of milk for a looser consistency. Spoon into a piping bag.

7. When the cakes are cold, pipe the icing on top in a rose pattern and scatter with dried rose petals if you like!

8. Your final mission…..make a man eat one!

Peach and Lavender Crumble Ice Cream

July 13, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

(Roskilly’s ‘After eight mint choc-chip’ ice cream and an apple crumble and ginger milkshake)

This sunny glorious week my sister and I were wise enough to have booked a little trip to Sennen Cove, our usual home away from home down at Lands End for some surf and beach time. On the only one drizzly morning we made our long awaited pilgrimage to the Roskilly’s Farm where they make, hands down, the best ice cream and as an ice cream enthusiast I thought it only fitting. Even the calves looked content and happy- surely because they know that their Jersey milk is being put to delicious use! Each flavour tastes exactly as it should…from Rhubarb to Apple Crumble, Ginger Fairings to Malty Mystery and Salted Caramel or, my ultimate favoruite, toffee and hazelnut which, quite frankly, tastes like a chilled mouthful of Ferrero Rocher! The choices are endless so naturally we had to have a milkshake and a tub for…..ermm….lunch?

(Some happy Jersey calves)

Although my freezer is full of homemade ice cream experiments and flavours, after visiting this little haven I had to try some more. It’s only polite. And the weather seems to be sticking around too…

Peach and Lavender Ice Cream

400ml whole mlik
300ml double cream
125g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped
6 egg yolks
6 large ripe peaches (or 1 can/400g ish of peach halves- this will give you a more peachy flavour)
1 heaped tsp lavender (optional)
1-2 tbsp honey
Handful of cooked crumble mixture

If using fresh peaches, preheat the oven to 200°C . Half and core the peaches and drizzle with about 1-2 tbsp honey. Sprinkle with the lavender and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes until soft. Leave to cool. Remove the skins if you like (I didn’t).
Now start the custard base. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl with a tea towel beneath it.
Heat the milk, cream, and the vanilla seeds (and pod) on a low heat until just below boiling. Remove the pod and discard
At this point, whisk the yolks continually and pour over the hot creamy milk in a steady stream to prevent it scrabbling. When all is added return the mixture to the pan and on a VERY low heat, stir the custard until it begins to thicken and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Keep the heat low to prevent it from scrabbling.
Once thick enough, pour into a large bowl and place this bowl on ice to cool. Puree or roughly mash (for the desired texture) the cooled peaches in a processor or do the same with the canned peach halves, leaving some chunky pieces for texture. Stir through the custard and leave to cool.
Once cooled, churn in an ice cream maker until set. Towards the end, add all but a handful of crumble mixture.
Pour into a container, top with the leftover crumble and freeze.

Note: For a softer texture, add a splash of peach liqueur perhaps…?

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!

Rhubarb Bakewell Tart

June 26, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

With a bunch of prematurely picked rhubarb from the allotment aging ungracefully in the fridge this week I decided to experiment and make an ever favourite classic- the bakewell tart- with a rhubarb ‘jam’ instead of your traditional cherry or raspberry. Devine…

Note: For a more subtle flavour if you’re not an almond addict, feel free to leave out the extract.

Serves 8 (generously)

Pastry

175g plain flour
75g chilled unsalted butter
Cold water

Rhubarb Filling

350g rhubarb
1-2 tbsp caster sugar
½ lemon juice
Vanilla extract

Frangipane Filling

110g unsalted butter
110g caster sugar
110g ground almonds
25g plain flour
2 eggs
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp almond extract
½ lemon, zest
Handful flaked almond
70g icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 190°C and grease and line a 20cm tart tin. Start with the pastry and rub the butter into the flour until you have breadcrumbs. Add a few tablespoons of cold water or enough to bring it into a smooth dough. Roll out thinly and line the tart tin. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the rhubarb filling. Chop the rhubarb into pieces and place in a saucepan with the sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. Heat and simmer gently until broken down and ‘jammy’. Set aside
Line the pastry case with parchment and baking beans and bake blind for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden. Remove the baking bean and return to the oven for 5 more minutes or so until the base is also lightly golden.
Make the frangipane topping. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and almond extract followed by the almonds, flour, baking powder and lemon zest and mix until fully combined.
Spread the rhubarb ‘jam’ evenly over the base of the pre-cooked case and top with the frangipane almond paste and smooth evenly, covering all the rhubarb. Scatter oven the flaked almonds and bake for 30-40 minutes until cooked and golden (cover with foil if it starts to colour before it is ready)
Mix the sieved icing sugar with a few splashes of cold water until you form a thick paste. Spoon into a piping bag and, once the tart is cool, drizzle over!

Blueberry and Lemon Friands with Cinnamon Creme Anglaise

June 24, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

I’ve been wanting to make these frainds for ages! They are little ‘cakes’ that are make with egg whites and are therefore light and airy and often seen occupying the deli counters in Australia. They are a similar to financiers if you’ve ever had one but without the brown butter. In addition, I couldn’t resist making an accompanying creme anglaise with the 3 spare egg yolks!

Frainds (serve 6)

100g unsalted butter, melted
125g icing sugar
25g plain flour
85g ground almonds
3 egg whites
1 lemon, zest
65g blueberries

Preheat the oven to 200°C and grease a 6 spaced muffin tin or 6 friand moulds with plenty of butter.
Sieve the flour and icing sugar into a bowl and mix in ground almonds and lemon zest.
In another large clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy but by no means are you looking for a meringue-like soft peak. Just mix by hand or with an electric beater until airy and foamy.
Fold in the dry ingredients followed by the melted butter until incorporated.
Spoon into the greased muffin mould and top with a handful of blueberries.
Bake for 15-17 minutes until cooked and firm to touch with a lovely golden crust. Leave to cool in the tins before removing and dusting with icing sugar. Serve with ice cream, a coffee or my cinnamon creme anglaise!

Creme Anglaise

6 egg yolks (3 from your friands)
65g caster sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
500ml whole milk
1-2 vanilla pods

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
Scrape out the seeds from the vanilla and add them and the pod to a saucepan with the milk. Heat until just about to simmer and then remove from the heat.
Whisk the yolks and then gently and slowly pour over the warm milk in a steady stream while continuing to whisk until all is added. Return the mixture to the saucepan and place on a very low heat. Stir continually with a wooden spoon to cook and thicken the custard making sure the heat stays low so it doesn’t scramble the egg.
Continue to heat until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.
Strain through a sieve into a jug and serve.This could also be cooled and churned in an ice cream maker for a lovely cinnamon ice cream!

Amaretto Cake with Roasted Figs

June 16, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

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

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

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

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

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

Coconut Layer Cake

June 5, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

This is my dream cake and the second year running I’ve been treated to it for my Birthday and the second year running that my mum has cursed my name in the kitchen as she tries defiantly to ‘simply grate the coconut flesh’ that the recipe calls for. Never having made my own birthday cake (which would be a little depressing) I’ve never been lumbered with this task but I hear its tricky. The grating seems to be less demanding if you have a good food processor and grater attachment but the mission is getting the coconut flesh out of the shell….I suggest smashing forcefully.

This is a faithful Delia Smith recipe from her ‘How to Cook, Book One’ and I agree with her when she says it really makes a difference if you use fresh coconut….it’ll be worth the grated fingertips and broken floor tiles honest!

Cake

175g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
175g unsalted soft butter
175g caster sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
1 coconut, flesh grated

Icing

250g mascarpone
200ml creme fraiche
1tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 170°C and line 2 cake tins (about 20cm).
Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the beaten eggs, butter, caster sugar and vanilla extract and mix using an electric hand blender until smooth. Alternatively cream the butter and sugar then add the eggs and flour etc.
Mix in 75g of the grated coconut and divide between the two cake tins
Bake for 30-35minutes until cooked then remove from the oven and leave to cool
Make the icing by combing all the ingredients and 40g of the grated coconut.
Once the cakes are cool, use a serrated knife to slice each one horizontally in two so you end up with 4 slices. Now place one slice on your serving plate followed by a layer of icing. Build up the cake with this layering in the same way.
Use the remaining icing to coat the sides and the top of the cake and then cover with the remaining grated coconut. You can add some dessicated coconut here if you want too.

Blackcurrant and Almond Tart with Blackcurrant Sorbet

June 4, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

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

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

Sorbet

500g blackcurrants
250g caster sugar

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

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

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

Giant Coconut Lime Muffins

May 28, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

This batch was giant I tell you….maybe a little too giant? But non-iced they’d be amazing toasted for breakfast with nutella like a bounty bar! This is a pretty basic muffin mixture so feel free to add fruit or chocolate as you please….

Makes 8-9 large muffins (I recommend making them smaller)

250g self raising flour
1 tsp bicarb
145g caster sugar
1 handful dessicated coconut
200ml coconut milk
2 eggs, beaten
85g butter, melted
250g cream cheese
Zest of 1 lime and the juice of ½
3 tbsp icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 190°C.
Mix the flour, bicarb, sugar and dessicated coconut in a large bowl
Add the melted butter, coconut milk and the beaten eggs.
Using minimal stirs to make sure the muffins are light in texture and not dense, stir until just combined (if there are a few flour lumps this is ok)
Spoon generously into a muffin tin lined with cases and bake for 20-30 minutes until cooked.
Leave to cool. Meanwhile, mix the creme cheese, lime zest and juice and sieve in the icing sugar.
Mix well and transfer to a piping bag
Only when the cakes are cool, pipe on the icing however you like and scatter with extra lime zest or coconut if you like.