Category: Dessert

Dessert · Do-ahead

A great no-cook pud idea

Belinda1 Comment
I don’t get any marks for great photography for this picture, except to show you the container of booze with the raisins plumping up as you read this!
My favorite recipe book, “Cook Simple” by Diana Henry, has this idea in it and it’s brilliant.
There are so many uses for these raisins, in baked apples, poured over ice cream, heated or kept cold,  in bread puddings, in trifles ……
Put either “Chilean Flame” raisins ( in Los Angeles, they are just called “Flame”) or good Moscatel raisins into a tall sealed jar, leaving enough room for the fruit to expand as it plumps up.
Pour over enough booze (it should be something sweet like Madeira or Marsala) to cover the fruit completely, put the lid on tightly and leave to plump up.
In a day or so, top up with more booze if the fruit is starting to come over the level of the liquid.
These are delicious served with vanilla ice cream, or big dollops of Greek yoghurt or creme fraiche. Scatter the serving with toasted hazelnuts, pine nuts or almonds.
Dessert · Do-ahead · Gluten Free

Lime Coconut Truffles

Belinda

 
In this recipe for lime-coconut truffles, a white chocolate truffle base is infused with fresh lime zest and juice, then rolled in sweet coconut for a refreshing tropical candy. Like many truffle recipes, this recipe requires several extended periods of chilling, so be sure to plan ahead. Yield: about 12 one-inch truffles.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp cream
zest of one lime
1 tbsp fresh-squeezed lime juice
1.25 cup (9 ounces) chopped white chocolate (or chips)
pinch salt
1/2 stick (4 tbsp) butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup shredded coconut
Preparation:
1. Combine the cream and the lime zest in a small saucepan over medium heat, and heat until it starts to simmer and bubble around the edges. Immediately remove from the heat and cover the pan with a lid, allowing the cream to infuse for 20 minutes.
2. While the cream is steeping, combine the chopped white chocolate (or white chocolate chips), the salt, and the diced butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate and butter for 45 seconds, to begin to melt the chocolate and butter. Set aside.
3. After the 20 minutes is up, return the cream to the heat and reheat it, stirring occasionally, until it once again reaches a simmer. Remove the simmering cream from the heat, and stir in the fresh lime juice.
4. Place a wire mesh strainer over the bowl of chocolate and butter, and pour the hot cream through the strainer over the chocolate. Press down on the lime zest in the strainer with a spoon to extract all of the remaining juice.
5. Gently whisk the cream and chocolate together, stirring until the mixture is smooth and all of the chocolate has melted. Cover the surface of the chocolate with cling wrap and refrigerate the candy until firm enough to roll, 4 hours or overnight.
6. While the candy is chilling, prepare the coconut by chopping it finely by hand or in a food processor. It is much easier to roll truffles in coconut that has been finely chopped, and the texture is more palatable as well.
7. Once the chocolate has set sufficiently, use a teaspoon to scoop a ball from the chocolate and roll it between your hands until it is round. Roll the truffle in the chopped coconut until it is completely covered. Repeat with the remaining chocolate and coconut.
8. These truffles should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Properly stored, they should last for a week. For optimal taste and texture, bring them to room temperature before serving.

Dessert · Do-ahead

The River Café’s Chocolate Nemesis

Belinda

The River Cafe is in London and is where Jamie Oliver trained, plus many others. I am not a huge chocolate person, but this is a complete uncomplicated chocolate experience.
I am hoping you have a metric scale as this is a British recipe, hence the grams.

Ingredients

 675 grams really good dark chocolate , 70%
450 grams butter
10 whole eggs, at room temperature
675 grams caster sugar

Method

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a bain marie. (This means put it into a bowl over simmering water, but don’t let the bowl touch the water.)
Remove from the heat and allow to cool
Preheat the oven to 320F and line a 27 cm springform cake tin with foil.

Beat together the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer for 5 to 8 minutes until they’ve quadrupled in volume.
Fold the chocolate and butter mixture into the eggs and sugar and stir thoroughly.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin. You might have a little too much batter but don’t worry.
Place the cake in a large roasting tin in the oven then pour enough boiling water in the roasting tin to come 3/4 up the side of the cake.
Cook in the preheated oven for over an hour, then turn the oven off and allow to completely cool before removing.
Serve with creme fraiche and raspberries.

Dessert · Do-ahead · Grains

Coconut tapioca pudding with smoked sesame seeds

Belinda

This is great for vegans and tastes so exotic and comforting.

Serves 4

2 cups almond milk, divided
1/3 cup tapioca pearls
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup agave syrup
1 tsp good vanilla extract
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water
1/4 tsp salt
Smoked sesame seeds for garnish

In a large bowl soak the tapioca overnight (or at least for 5 hours) in 1 cup of the almond milk.
When you’re ready to cook it, add the other cup of almond milk and warm the tapioca /almond milk mixture over medium heat.
Wait until the pudding is boiling then add the coconut milk, vanilla extract and agave syrup.
Cook for another 10 to 12 minutes, stirring continuously.
Finally, add the cornstarch/water mixture and the salt cooking and stirring for 5 minutes.
Cool in a glass or Tupperware bowl for at least 1 hour before serving, or, eat a little warm, it’s lovely.
When serving, sprinkle a few smoked sesame seeds on top.

Dessert · Do-ahead · Egg based

Coconut Cream Bread Pudding

Belinda

Oh Lordy! I am a coconut fanatic and coupled with the comfort of bread pudding, you can’t get better than this!
Thank you to Paula Deen for daring to combine these two things.

Serves 6

Ingredients

Butter, for the dish
1 x 16 to 20 inch loaf of French bread, cut into cubes
4 extra large egg yolks
2 whole extra large eggs
2 (13 1/2 oz) cans unsweetened coconut milk
1 (13 1/2 oz) can cream of coconut (The sweetened one found near the Pino Colada section in the supermarket)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
pinch mace
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, plus 1/2 cup, toasted for garnish

For the chocolate velvet sauce
1 cup (6 oz) semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
Make the chocolate sauce right before serving the pudding. Put the chocolate chips in a medium heatproof bowl. In a saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over low heat, immediately remove it from the heat and pour it over the chocolate chips. Whisk until smooth.

Directions for pudding

Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch square flameproof baking dish. Arrange the bread cubes evenly in the dish.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, whole eggs, coconut milk, cream of coconut, salt, nutmeg and mace.
Stir in 1 cup of the coconut flakes. Pour the custard over the bread cubes, pressing down gently to soak up the custard. 
Let the mixture stand for 1 hour, covered, in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 325 F
Sprinkle the top of the pudding with the remaining coconut flakes. Cover the whole dish with aluminum foil, poking a few holes in the top to release the steam.
Put the baking dish into a roasting pan on a wire rack. Pout hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish.
Bake until the pudding if firm to the touch, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Remore the foil and bake for 15 minutes more.
Remove the baking dish from the water bath and run it under the broiler, at least 4 inches from the heat, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
Let the pudding cool completely. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Pour the chocolate sauce over the individual pudding servings as desired. Top with the toasted coconut and serve
Note The chocolate sauce can be reheated in a saucepan over low heat. Add more cream, 1 tbsp at a time as needed to return it to the desired consistency.

Chocolate · Dessert · Do-ahead

No-bake strawberry icebox cake

Belinda1 Comment

Serves 8 to 12

2 lbs fresh sweet strawberries, washed
3 1/4 cups whipping cream divided,
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp good vanilla essence
1/2 tsp rosewater, optional but lovely
4 sleeves, (about 19 ounces or 24 to 28 whole crackers) Graham crackers
2 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped

Take out a few of the very best looking strawberries and set aside for the topping. Hull the remainder of the strawberries and slice each berry into thin slices.

With a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer,whip 3 cups of whipping cream until it just holds. (stiff peaks) Add the confectioners sugar, vanilla essence and rosewater (if using) and whip to combine.
Spread a small spoonful of whipped cream on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, or similarly-sized platter.
Lay down 6 graham crackers and lightly cover the top of the graham crackers with more whipped cream and then a single layer of strawberries.
Repeat three times until you have 4 layers of graham crackers.
Spread the last of the whipped cream over the top and swirl it lightly with a spoon.
Add a few more strawberries.
To make the ganache, heat the cream until bubbles form around the edges, then pour over the chopped chocolate.
Let it stand for a few minutes then whisk until it’s thick and glossy.
Drizzle this over the layered dessert with a spoon or transfer to a squeeze bottle and use that to drizzle.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours  or until the crackers have softened completely (I do it over night)
Garnish with additional berries.

Asian flavors · Dessert · Do-ahead · Grains · Nuts

Kheer (Spiced Indian rice pudding)

Belinda

This recipe comes from fellow blogger “One Perfect Bite”. Well worth subscribing to!

4 -6 servings

1/2 cup basmati rice
1 tbsp clarified butter or ghee
6 cups whole milk
10 tbsp sugar
a few strands of saffron
1 tsp golden raisins (I put a 1 tbsp in)
1 tsp ground cardamon
1/2 cup thinly sliced cashews, slivered almonds or pistachios

Soak rice in water for 30 minutes before cooking. Drain.
Melt ghee in a large pan, add rice and saute until translucent.
Add milk to the rice, stir and simmer until liquid has been reduced by half.
Stir in sugar and saffron and cook until sugar is dissolved. Add the raisins, nuts and cardamon and simmer for a few more minutes.
Remove from heat and serve warm or cold.

Dessert · Do-ahead · Egg based · Holiday Food

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Bourbon Vanilla Sauce

Belinda
I’m afraid I can’t do without my bread pudding recipes, whether they’re sweet or savory. This one is ideal for this time of year with Thanksgiving around the corner.

Ingredients
1 cup of heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
3/4 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs, preferably organic
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground allspice
pinch of ground cloves
2 tbsp Bourbon (or a bit more for luck!)
5 cups day-old baguette or Challah, cubed about 1 inch
6 tbsp (3 oz) melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the middle. Toss the bread together with the melted butter in a large bowl. Set aside.
Whisk the pumpkin, milk, cream, sugar, egg yolk, eggs, salt , spices and Bourbon in another large bowl.
Pour the pumpkin custard over the bread cubes and toss to coat. Pour into an 8 inch square baking dish and bake 25 to 30 mins until the custard sets.
Serve the pumpkin bread pudding with bourbon vanilla custard sauce.
Serves 6 – 8

Bourbon vanilla custard sauce

1 cup whole milk
1 cup cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
6 tbsp sugar
6 egg yolks
2 tbsp Bourbon (or more)

heat the milk and cream in a medium saucepan until boiling. Remove from the heat. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the hot cream. Add the vanilla pod. Cover and steep for an hour.
Remove the vanilla pod and reheat the cream until just boiling. Remove from the heat. Whisk the sugar and egg yolks together in a medium bowl.
Temper the yolks by whisking in a few tablespoons of the hot cream at a time until you’ve incorporated about half of the cream.
Pour the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan with the remaining hot cream/milk and stir over medium heat until the custard thickens. remove from the heat. Let cool.  Stir in the Bourbon
Makes about 2 cups.


 
Dessert · Do-ahead

Summer Pudding with Rum Whipped Cream

Belinda

I make this a lot any time of the year and it’s gorgeous! Thanks to the Barefoot Contessa.

Serves 8.

Ingredients
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 half-pints fresh raspberries, divided
2 half-pints fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons framboise (raspberry brandy)
1 loaf brioche or egg bread (1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
Directions
Rum whipped cream recipe follows;

Combine the strawberries, sugar, and 1/4 cup of water in a large saucepan and cook uncovered over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
Add 2 cups of the raspberries and all the blueberries and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches a simmer, and simmer for a minute.
Off the heat, stir in the remaining raspberries and the framboise.

Slice the bread in 1/2-inch-thick slices and remove the crusts. In the bottom of a 7 1/2-inch round by 3-inch high souffle or baking dish, ladle about 1/2 cup of the cooked berry mixture.
Arrange slices of bread in a pattern (this will become the top when it’s unmolded) and then add more berry mixture to saturate.
Continue adding bread, cutting it to fit the mold, and berries.
Finish with bread and cooked berries, using all of the fruit and syrup.

Place a sheet of plastic wrap loosely over the pudding.
Find a plate approximately the same diameter as the inside of the mold and place it on top.
Weight the mold with a heavy can and refrigerate. Remove the weight after 6 to 8 hours.
Cover the pudding with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Just before serving, run a knife around the outside of the pudding and unmold it upside down onto a serving plate. Serve in wedges with rum whipped cream.

Rum Whipped Cream:
1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream. I used thick plain Greek yoghurt and didn’t use an electric mixer)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure really good vanilla extract (I use the Madagascar variety)
1 tablespoon dark rum

Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. If using Greek yoghurt, just whisk with a fork or metal whisk.
When it starts to thicken, add the sugar, vanilla, and rum.
Continue to whip until it forms stiff peaks. Serve cold.

Dessert · Do-ahead

Beet ice cream with mascarpone, orange zest and poppy seeds

Belinda

I have hit an ice-cream phase, due to the oncoming hot weather and am trying all sorts of weird and wonderful flavors.
This one is a beautiful, rich red color, then surprises with a smooth, round slightly sweet beet flavor.
Well worth the effort!
From being on so many food blogs, I noticed some of the authors are now putting out beautiful recipe books, and this recipe came from Jeni Britton Bauer in her book “Jeni’s Splendid Ice creams at home”
featuring over 100 artisanal ice cream/sorbet and gelato recipes.

Makes about 1 quart. You need your Cuisinart 1 qt ice cream maker for this. Worth buying!

Before you do anything else, put the bowl of the Cuisinart ice cream maker in the freezer overnight!

For the roasted beets
2 medium red beets
2 tbsp sugar
Ice cream base
2 cups whole milk
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch
2 oz (or 1/4 cup) mascarpone cheese
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp light corn syrup
zest of a large orange – use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest in large strips
2 tbsp poppy seeds
extra poppy seeds to garnish

FOR THE ROASTED BEETS
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Wrap the beets in a sheet of foil. bake until soft, about 1 hour or so. let the beets cool slightly, then peel them while they’re still warm. Cut into chunks and puree in the food processor.
Force the puree through a sieve (I used a mouli for this bit)
Combine 1/2 cup of the warm beet puree with the sugar. (Discard any extra beet puree). Set aside to cool

FOR THE ICE CREAM BASE
Mix about 2 tbsp of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry.
Whisk the mascarpone, beet puree and salt into a medium bowl until smooth.
Fill a large bowl with ice and water.

COOK –  Combine the remaining milk, the cream, sugar, corn syrup and orange zest in a 4 qt saucepan, bring to a rolling boil over medium high heat and boil for 4 minutes.
Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry.
Bring the mixture back to a boil over medium high heat and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula until slightly thickened, about 1 -2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

CHILL – gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the mascarpone mixture and beets until smooth.

Pour the mixture into a 1 gallon ziplock freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath. let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes.

FREEZE – Remove the orange zest and pour the ice cream into the frozen canister. Add the poppy seeds and spin until thick and creamy.
Pack the ice cream into a storage container and seal with an airtight lid. Sprinkle with a few poppy seeds to garnish and freeze in the coldest part of the freezer until firm or at least 5 hours.
ENJOY!