Category: Dessert

Baking · Breakfast · Dessert · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Gold rush coffee cake

BelindaLeave a comment

Recipe from Ruth McKeaney’s lovely book, “Hungry for Home”

In Ruth’s words
“I make this coffee cake for every holiday and shower. It is adapted from Panera’s Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake recipe by Maris Callahan and is so good that my kids have asked for it in lieu of a birthday cake! So… what makes it such a standout?First off, it’s gorgeous. The streusel runs right through the middle. When you take a bite, you’ll think you’ve struck a vein of sweet, buttery, golden goodness. Secondly, it might be the most moist coffee cake I’ve ever had. This cake is not difficult on the baking scale and uses everyday ingredients you probably already have on hand. What’s more, it lasts on the counter for a few days (well… not in my house) and serves as a beautiful gift if you want to make something special for someone you love. Serve with strong coffee. And if you’re feeling extra decadent, dollop with thick homemade whipped cream.”

MIX YOUR STREUSEL

1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup lt. brown sugar, lightly packed 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

PREPARE YOUR BATTER

12 (1 1⁄2 sticks) tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1⁄2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups sour cream
2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round bundt pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer on high-speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light.
Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs, one at a time. Then slowly add the vanilla and sour cream.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined.
Mix with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.
Spoon half of the batter into the prepared bundt pan and spread it out with a knife.
With your fingers, crumble half of the topping evenly over the batter.
Pour in the remainder of the batter and crumble the remaining half of the streusel topping on top. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool completely before serving.

Baking · Dessert · Do-ahead · Egg based

Betty Crocker baked custards

Belinda

These smooth and creamy custards are delicious and easy. I prefer to serve them cold and they’re great to make ahead, served with some stewed fruit.

3 large eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 – 1 tsp good quality vanilla extract
Dash of salt
2 1/2 cups very warm milk (120°F to 130°F)
Ground fresh nutmeg

Heat oven to 350°F.
In medium bowl, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt with wire whisk or fork. Gradually stir in milk. Pour into six 6-oz custard cups. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
Place cups in 13 x 9-inch pan on oven rack. Pour very hot water into pan to within 1/2 inch of tops of cups.
Bake about 45 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. Remove cups from water.
Cool about 30 minutes. Unmold and serve warm, or (as I prefer) refrigerate and unmold before serving.
Store covered in refrigerator.

It’s lovely serving these with some stewed fruit.

Dessert · Fruit

Peach, rosemary and lime galette

Belinda

A beautiful, easy recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi

This makes good use of firm, not-so-ripe peaches. By macerating them in sugar and lime juice, you not only soften the fruit, but you also make a beautiful syrup to pour over the dish at the end. Rosemary, which I’ve used both in this dish and in the shrub, is a fantastic match for peach. It’s a combination I discovered only recently, and now I can’t get enough of it.

Serves 4 generously

2 limes – 1 peeled in 7 long strips, the other grated, to get 1 tsp, then both juiced, to get 1½ tbsp
80g caster sugar
2 large firm peaches, stoned and cut into 0.5cm-thick slices (300g net weight)
2 large sprigs rosemary, plus ½ tbsp picked leaves
150g creme fraiche
Plain flour, for dusting
200g all-butter puff pastry
10g unsalted butter, cut into 1cm pieces
1 large egg, beaten
¼ tsp cornstarch (cornflour)

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

Mix the lime juice with 60g sugar in a large bowl, add the peaches, strips of lime skin and rosemary sprigs. Stir and set aside to macerate for at least 40 minutes, and up to a couple of hours. Strain the peaches through a sieve set over a small saucepan, and discard the rosemary and lime peel: you should end up with about 60ml peach syrup.

Mix the grated zest and a teaspoon of sugar into the creme fraiche and refrigerate until ready to serve.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry into a 26cm-wide circle just under 0.5cm thick, then transfer to a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.

Arrange the strained peaches haphazardly in the middle of the pastry, leaving a clear 6cm border all around the edge, then fold this outer 6cm rim up and over the peaches. Dot the butter over the exposed peaches, then brush the pastry all over with beaten egg. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar evenly over the pastry and bake for 20 minutes, until it’s golden and the filling is beginning to bubble.

While the galette is baking, whisk the cornflour into the reserved peach syrup. Simmer over a medium-high heat until it thickens to the consistency of honey (about two minutes), then pour over the peaches. Sprinkle the rosemary leaves on top and return the galette to the oven for 15 minutes, until the pastry is golden-brown and the filling bubbling.

Leave to cool slightly, then serve with a bowl of the lime creme fraiche on the side.

Dessert · Do-ahead · Fruit

A giant panna cotta

Belinda

What really is the purpose of portioning panna cotta into precious individual servings, as it so often is? Instead, pour your panna cotta into a big bowl and bring it to the table in its full-size glory, quietly luxurious and begging to be dug into by the whole group at once. And while we’re at it, who said panna cotta has to be inverted before serving?
Free from the pressures of having to somersault onto a serving plate, panna cotta can be less firm and rigid, more jiggly and wibbly-wobbly, trembling on the spoon like an unshed tear stuck on an eyelash.

Gelatin is remarkably easy to use once you know a few ground rules. Always start by mixing it with a cold liquid. Let it hydrate and swell (or bloom, as it’s technically called) for at least 15 minutes before heating to dissolve. Underhydrated gelatin will be stubbornly gritty, never dissolving, and negatively impact the final set. As with all gelatin desserts, this will become firmer the longer it sits, so eat your panna cotta within 24 hours for the most delicate, elegant texture.

Serves 6-8
2 envelopes unflavored powdered gelatin (about 1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp.)
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
2½ cups chilled whole milk
4 cups chilled heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla bean paste
BERRIES AND ASSEMBLY
12 oz. fresh raspberries
¼ cup (50 g) sugar
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
½ cup sliced almonds

Whisk 2 envelopes unflavored powdered gelatin (about 1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp.), 1 cup (200 g) sugar, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in medium saucepan to combine. Pour in 2½ cups chilled whole milk and stir, scraping down sides of bowl to incorporate any dry bits of gelatin or sugar, until combined. Let sit until gelatin swells and is softened, 15–20 minutes.

Set saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring often with a heatproof rubber spatula, until mixture is hot but not simmering and sugar and gelatin are completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add 4 cups chilled heavy cream and 2 tsp. vanilla bean paste; stir until well combined.

Strain panna cotta base through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-qt. dish. Chill, uncovered, until set, at least 12 hours (cover with plastic wrap after 8 hours).

Do Ahead: Panna cotta can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

BERRIES AND ASSEMBLY
Toss 12 oz. fresh raspberries, ¼ cup (50 g) sugar, 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a medium bowl to combine. It’s okay if some berries are crushed. Cover with a plate or lid and let sit at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Meanwhile, melt 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook ½ cup sliced almonds, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 4–8 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, season with a pinch of kosher salt, and toss to combine. Let cool.

To serve, spoon raspberry mixture and juices over panna cotta; top with almonds.

Baking · Dessert

Persian-style Baklava

Belinda

Recipe from Food Blogger “The Delicious Crescent”
This Baklava is heavenly! It features flaky layers of pastry with toasted nuts, soaked in juicy syrup and infused with fragrant aromas of rose water, cardamom, and ghee. It’s not overly sweet and has a unique flavor. I’ll be sharing two ways to make it (quick method in notes).

Pastry
16 oz phyllo dough thawed, follow package instructions
12 oz ghee or clarified butter, unsalted, see notes
Filling
10 oz walnuts finely chopped, 300g
10 oz almonds pistachios or combination, finely chopped, 300g
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cardamom freshly ground from seeds
Syrup
1½ cups sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rosewater

Thaw and Prepare the Phyllo Dough
To thaw phyllo dough, follow the package instructions. I thaw it overnight in the fridge, then leave it on the counter for 2 hours to reach room temperature.
My phyllo dough had 28 sheets that measured 17 x 12, which can fit a 17 x 12-inch baking sheet or be trimmed to fit. If using 9 x 14 sheets, just make more layers in a 9 x 13-inch pan, and avoid using deep baking dishes.
Make Sugar Honey Syrup
Combine sugar, water, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Stir until the sugar dissolves and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add honey and continue to simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
Remove from heat, add rose water, and allow to cool to room temperature. The consistency of cooled syrup should be between that of honey and maple syrup.
Prepare the Nut Mixture
Pulse walnuts a few times in a food processor until finely chopped. Repeat with almonds. Chop larger pieces by hand.
In a mixing bowl, combine finely chopped nuts with sugar and ground cardamom.
Pre-Assembly
Keep the ghee/butter melted at all times, and warm it up gently if it thickens.
Unroll the phyllo dough and place the stack of sheets between two kitchen towels.
We will layer baklava in the following order: 10 sheets at the bottom, ½ of the nut mixture, 6 sheets in the middle, ½ of the nut mixture, and 12 sheets on top.
Assemble the Baklava
Preheat oven at 350°F.
Brush the bottom and sides of the baking sheet with ghee. Place one phyllo sheet in the pan and brush with ghee evenly. Repeat this process with 9 more phyllo sheets, brushing each layer with ghee.
Spread half of the nut filling evenly over the phyllo sheets.
Add 6 more phyllo sheets, gently pressing down each sheet and then brushing with ghee.
Spread the remaining nut mixture evenly on the phyllo dough.
Place the remaining 12 phyllo sheets, gently pressing down each sheet and then brushing with ghee.
Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry into 2″ strips, and then cut across diagonally to create diamonds shapes. Drizzle any extra ghee on top.
Bake and Serve
Bake the baklava in center of the oven at 350°F for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 325°F and bake for another 40 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Pour syrup evenly over the baklava (both at room temp), and let it soak overnight for a pastry that stays crisp and flaky for weeks.

Tip: Alternatively, you can pour cooled syrup over warm baklava or warm syrup over cooled baklava, but the pastry may be softer.
Garnish the baklava with finely chopped or ground pistachios and cut through the layers once again before serving.

Make Ahead: Prepare the nut filling, ghee and syrup up to 4 days ahead. Keep phyllo dough in refrigerator up to a week in advance. Assemble the baklava and refrigerate or freeze before baking. Thaw the pastry to room temperature before baking.
Storage: Keep at room temperature for up to two weeks, lightly covered with a tea towel or a lid placed ajar. It can be refrigerated, but it will harden a bit. The baklava can also be frozen for up to two months.

Breakfast · Dessert · Do-ahead · Fruit · Gluten Free

Roasted figs with pomegranate molasses and orange zest

Belinda


Recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi

I can’t emphasize enough how crucial it is to choose good, sweet, squidgy figs, no matter what you do with them. It makes all the difference.

Serves 4

3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp dark Muscovado sugar (you can get this on Amazon)
4 thyme sprigs, 2 whole and 2 picked leaves
Skin of 1 orange, 3 long shaved strips and the rest grated
8 fresh figs, cut in half lengthways
100g mascarpone
100g Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp icing sugar
Salt

Put together in a large mixing bowl the pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, 2 thyme sprigs, 1 tablespoon of water, the orange skin strips and a pinch of salt. Mix well to dissolve the sugar and then stir in the figs. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together in a small bowl the mascarpone, yoghurt and icing (powdered) sugar until smooth. Keep chilled.

Remove the figs from the bowl (keeping the marinade) and arrange them snugly inside a small baking tray, roughly 20x20cm (8″ x 8″), the cut side facing up. Sprinkle the figs with the remaining sugar and put under a hot grill, clearing about 15cm from the grill. Grill for 10 minutes, or until the sugar has caramelized and the figs softened.

Meanwhile, pour the marinating liquids into a small saucepan, bring to the boil and then simmer for 2-4 minutes or until the sauce is reduced by half and has a consistency of runny honey.

Transfer the hot figs to serving plates and spoon over any leftover syrup from the baking tray, then drizzle over the sauce reduction and sprinkle with picked thyme leaves. Place a spoonful of the yoghurt cream on the side or on the figs and sprinkle over the remaining orange zest. Serve at once.

Breakfast · Dessert · Do-ahead · Fruit · Holiday Food

Berry platter with sheep’s labneh and orange oil

Belinda

Recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi

This display of the season’s best can double up as a light dessert or as a brunch centerpiece. You can make your own labneh but it requires draining the yoghurt for a good 24 hours, or you can make everything easily on the day using shop-bought labneh or some Greek-style yoghurt mixed with a little double cream. The berries you use are totally up to you, depending on what’s good and not too expensive. You can use fewer types, or some frozen berries, if you like, especially for those which get blitzed in the recipe. You’ll make more oil than you need; store it in a glass jar to drizzle over salads or lightly cooked vegetables.
* You must start this recipe at least the day before

Serves 6

900g sheep’s yoghurt, or cow’s yoghurt as an alternative
½ tsp salt
100ml good-quality olive oil
10g lemon thyme sprigs, plus a few extra picked thyme leaves to serve
1 orange: finely shave the skin to get 6 strips
200g blackberries
250g raspberries
300g strawberries, hulled and halved lengthways (or quartered if they’re larger)
50g caster sugar
1 lime: finely grate the zest to get 1 tsp, then juice to get 1 tbsp
200g blueberries
150g cherries, pitted

If you’re making your own labneh, put the yoghurt and salt into a medium bowl and mix well to combine. Line a colander with a piece of muslin large enough to hang over the sides and place the colander over a bowl. Transfer the yoghurt to the muslin and fold over the sides to completely encase the yoghurt. Place a heavy weight over the muslin (a few tins or jars will do), and transfer to the fridge to drain for at least 24 hours (and up to 48).

Meanwhile, put the oil into a small saucepan, for which you have a lid, on a medium heat. Heat gently for about 7 minutes, or until tiny air bubbles form. Remove from the heat, add the thyme and orange strips, then cover with a lid and leave to infuse, ideally overnight, though half an hour will also do the job.

The next day, put 50g of blackberries, 100g of raspberries and 100g of strawberries into the small bowl of a food processor along with the sugar and lime juice and blitz until completely smooth. Put all the remaining berries and the cherries into a large bowl along with the blitzed fruit and gently combine. You can serve it straight away or leave it in the fridge for a few hours, bringing it back to room temperature before serving.

4. Spread the labneh out on a large platter. Spoon over the berries, then sprinkle with the lime zest. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the infused oil, along with a couple of the orange strips and the extra picked thyme leaves.

Dessert · Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Eton Mess

Belinda


Donal Skelton is a super Irish chef and cookbook author.
Picture this: layers of crushed meringue folded through delicately whipped double cream, laced with the aromatic essence of vanilla bean paste and a dusting of icing sugar. To top it all off, simple sweet macerated Irish strawberries. The stuff of summer dreams!

Serves 6
1lb (500g) fresh sweet strawberries, hulled and halved
11 fl oz (300ml) heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp powdered (icing) sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
8-10 store-bought meringue cookies (nests), roughly crushed
Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

In a bowl, combine the strawberries and 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar. Set aside to macerate while you prepare the rest of the dessert.

In a separate bowl, whisk the cream, remaining powdered sugar, and vanilla bean paste until soft peaks form. Be careful not to overmix – you want a beautifully luscious texture with no graininess!

Gently fold the crushed meringue cookies into the whipped cream mixture.

Now, it’s time to assemble! Use a large serving platter and begin layering the Eton Mess. Start with a spoonful of the meringue and cream mixture, then add a layer of macerated strawberries and more lightly crushed meringue. Repeat this process, creating beautiful alternating layers in a large pile.

Finish off your Eton Mess with a final flourish of macerated strawberries on top.
To add a touch of freshness and vibrancy, garnish each serving with a few mint leaves.

Finally, grab a spoon and serve straight to the table.

Dessert · Fruit

Rhubarb, ginger and almond crumble

Belinda

Recipe modified from Delia Smith.
There is something so comforting about this crumble and the addition of ginger, both fresh and ground makes such a difference. The only thing I modified was the length of time it took to cook, which, in my oven was much longer before the skewer I poked into the rhubarb for doneness, slid in easily.

2 lb (900 g) rhubarb
4 oz (110 g) golden caster sugar (superfine or bakers sugar)
1 rounded tsp grated fresh root ginger
For the crumble:
4 oz (110 g) whole almonds, skin on
3 oz (75 g) chilled butter, cut into small dice
6 oz (175 g) self-raising flour, sifted
2 level tsp ground cinnamon
1 level tsp ground ginger
4 oz (110 g) demerara (raw) sugar
To serve:
custard, pouring cream and ice cream

Begin by preparing the rhubarb.

First of all wash it, then trim off the leaves and cut the stalks roughly into 1 inch chunks. Next, toss them in a bowl with the sugar and freshly grated root ginger, then place them in the baking dish and put on one side.

Now make the crumble, which couldn’t be simpler, as it is all made in a food processor. All you do is place the butter, sifted flour, cinnamon, ground ginger and sugar in the processor and give it a whiz till it resembles crumbs. Next, add the almonds and process again, not too fast, until they are fairly finely chopped and there are still a few chunky bits.

If you don’t have a processor, in a large bowl, rub the butter into the sifted flour until it resembles crumbs, then stir in the almonds, which should be fairly finely chopped by hand, cinnamon, ginger and sugar.

Now you need to press the rhubarb very firmly with your hands all over the base of the dish to spread it evenly without too many large lumps sticking out. Then simply sprinkle the crumble mixture all over the rhubarb, spreading it right up to the edges of the dish, and, using the flat of your hands, press it down quite firmly all over; the more tightly it is packed together the crisper it will be. Then finish off by lightly running a fork all over the surface.

Now bake the crumble on the centre shelf of the oven for 45 mins, then turn the oven to 350F and keep cooking for another 20 mins or until a skewer poked into the rhubarb slides in easily, by which time the rhubarb will be soft and the topping golden brown and crisp. Just leave cooking in the oven until the rhubarb is cooked.
Remove from the oven and leave it to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving, then serve it warm with custard, pouring cream or ice cream.

* I have a warming drawer so I put it in there after it was cooked until it was time to serve. Therefore you can make this an hour or two ahead of the meal which is one thing less to think about.

ADDITIONAL
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C).

EQUIPMENT
You will also need either an oval ovenproof baking dish measuring 7½ x 11 inches (19 x 28 cm) and 1¾ inches (4.5 cm) deep, or a round ovenproof baking dish with a diameter of 9½ inches (24 cm) and 1¾ inches (4.5 cm) deep.

Baking · Chocolate · Dessert · Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Flourless chocolate, prune and Armagnac cake

Belinda

Recipe c/o the wonderful, fail-safe Delia Smith

For the cakes:

6 large eggs, separated
150g golden caster sugar
50g cocoa powder, sifted

For the filling:
400g pitted prunes, soaked overnight (or longer if possible) in 120ml Armagnac
1 level tablespoon crème fraîche

To finish:
150g dark chocolate (75 per cent cocoa solids), broken into pieces
1 level tablespoon crème fraîche

Pre-heat the oven to 350F/ 180°C. Grease 2 x 8″ (20cm) loose-based sandwich tins, 1.5″ (4cm) deep and line the bases with baking parchment.

Place the egg whites in a large, clean, grease-free bowl. Put the yolks in another bowl, along with the sugar, and whisk them until they just begin to turn pale and thicken – be careful not to thicken them too much; they need approximately 3 minutes’ whisking. After that, gently fold in the sifted cocoa powder.

With a clean whisk, beat the egg whites until stiff but not too dry. Using a metal spoon, fold a heaped tablespoon of the egg white into the chocolate mixture to loosen it up a little, then carefully and gently fold in the rest of the egg white, slowly and patiently trying not to lose any air.

Divide the mixture equally between the prepared sandwich tins and bake near the centre of the oven for 15 minutes. They won’t appear to be cooked exactly, just set and slightly puffy and springy in the centre, so when they’re taken out of the oven they will shrink (but that’s normal, so don’t panic). Leave the cakes to cool on a rack in their tins, then slide a palette knife around the edges, gently invert them on to a board and carefully strip off the base papers.

To make the filling for the cake, first of all set aside 10-12 of the largest prunes, then place the rest, plus any remaining soaking liquid, in a food processor, along with the crème fraîche, and whiz to a purée.

Place one of the cakes onto a serving plate and transfer the purée straight from the processor on to one half of the cake, then spread the purée out carefully and place the other half of the cake on top.

For the chocolate topping, place the broken-up pieces of chocolate in a large heatproof bowl, which should be sitting over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Keeping the heat at its lowest, allow the chocolate to melt slowly – it should take about 5 minutes to become smooth and glossy. Then remove it from the heat and give it a good stir, then let the chocolate cool for 2-3 minutes.

Take each one of the reserved prunes and dip it into the melted chocolate so that half of each one gets covered. As you do this place them on a sheet of parchment paper to set. When all the prunes are done, stir the crème fraîche into the chocolate, then use this mixture to cover the surface of the cake.

Spread it over carefully with a palette knife, making ridges with the knife as you go. Decorate the cake with the chocolate prunes. Cover the whole thing with an upturned, suitably sized bowl or cake dome, and keep it in the fridge until about an hour before you need it.

NOTES:

Because the cake is flourless, it is good for coeliac guests, but apart from that it has a wonderful texture – not so much cakey as almost mousse-y. The Armagnac-soaked prunes mean that the cake is never too sweet and has a very definite grown-up feel to it, and it does look spectacular when it arrives at the table. I don’t think it needs to be served with anything, but if you insist, I would serve it with a little creme fraiche.