Pumpkin chocolate cheesecake

November 2, 2018September 7, 2022 Belinda

Don’t you just love this combination for the Holidays? A great recipe from the website “Delish”

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Serves 8-10

FOR THE CAKE
3 x 8oz blocks cream cheese, softened
1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
4 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp kosher salt

FOR THE OREO CRUST
24 whole Oreos
6 tbsp melted butter

FOR SERVING
1/4 cup chocolate chips, melted
1/4 cup caramel sauce
Whipped topping

Preheat oven to 350º and position an oven rack in the middle of the oven.

Make the cheesecake: In a large bowl using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the pumpkin pure, eggs, sugars, sour cream, vanilla, flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt and beat until combined and no clumps remain. Set aside.

Make the crust: In a large resealable plastic bag or a food processor fitted with a metal blade, crush or blend the Oreos until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a bowl and pour in melted butter. Stir until crumbs are completely coated and moist.

Grease an 8″ springform pan with cooking spray and double wrap the outside of the pan in aluminum foil. Press Oreo mixture into pan and 1/3 of the way up the sides, packing tightly.

Pour cheesecake filling over crust and place pan in a baking dish. Place on oven rack and pour in enough boiling water to reach halfway up the pan. Bake until cheesecake is slightly jiggly in the center, 1 hour 15 minutes.

Turn oven off, prop open oven door, and let cheesecake cool in oven, 1 hour. Remove pan from water and unwrap foil. Refrigerate cheesecake until totally chilled, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

When ready to serve, drizzle cheesecake with melted chocolate and caramel. Serve with whipped topping, if desired.

Note : Cheesecakes tend to crack if you don’t use a water bath. If you don’t want to use one, place the springform pan on a baking sheet (this will help catch any butter leaking from the crust since we’re not pre-baking it) and bake until the cheesecake is slightly jiggly in the center, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove the pan from oven and run a knife around the inside of the pan to release the cheesecake.
Let cool 1 hour on a wire rack, then refrigerate until totally chilled, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

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Baking · Dessert

Warm sticky toffee pudding

August 8, 2018 Belinda

The beauty of this pudding/cake is that the main flavor and sweetness comes from Medjool dates. This is a fabulous dessert and I swear there will be no leftovers.

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Serves 8 (if you’re lucky)

For the toffee sauce
2 cups (500ml) heavy cream
1/2 cup (90g) demerara or muscovado sugar, or another dark brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp golden syrup or molasses
pinch of salt

For the pudding
6 oz (180g) pitted Medjool dates, snipped or chopped
1 cup (250ml) water
1 tsp baking soda
optional: 1/3 cup (40g) candied ginger, chopped
1 1/4 cups (175g) flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
4 tbsp (55g) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp good quality vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350F (190C) and butter an 8 1/2-inch (24cm) porcelain soufflé dish (or similar-sized baking dish.)

Make the toffee sauce by bringing the cream, demerara or turbinado sugar, golden syrup (or molasses) and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring often to melt the sugar.

Lower heat and simmer, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is thick and coats the spoon. Pour half the sauce into the prepared soufflé dish and place the dish in the freezer, and reserve the other half for serving.

To make the pudding, in a medium saucepan, heat the dates and water. Once the water begins to boil, remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. Add the ginger, if using, then set aside, but keep it slightly warm.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, or by hand, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, then the vanilla. (Don’t be alarmed if the mixture looks a bit curdled.)

Stir in half of the flour mixture, then the date mixture, then add the remaining flour mixture until just mixed. Don’t over-beat the batter.

Remove the soufflé dish from the freezer and scrape the batter into the soufflé dish and bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.

Remove the pudding from the oven, and let cool slightly before serving.

Serving: Spoon portions of the cake into serving bowls and douse with additional warm toffee sauce. Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream are good accompaniments.

Baking · Dairy-free · Dessert · Do-ahead · Gluten Free

Paleo Lemon Bars

April 13, 2018September 7, 2022 Belinda

Everyone wants a gluten-free, sugar-free, healthy dessert bar and this one promises all and more. Recipe c/o George Bryant of “Civilized caveman cooking”

Yields 12 bars

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Topping
6 whole eggs
1/2 cup raw organic honey
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup lemon juice (8 lemons)
unsweetened shredded coconut

Crust
1 cup of raw almonds
1 cup of raw macadamia nuts
1/4 cup raw organic honey
1/2 cup of melted coconut oil
2 eggs

Topping
Whisk your eggs, honey, and lemon juice together in a small sauce pan
Place on your stove over medium/high heat and add coconut oil
Stir until coconut oil melts and then continue stirring until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble
Once thick, remove from the heat and place in a bowl in your refrigerator to cool

Crust
Preheat your oven to 400 F
Place your almonds and macadamia nuts in a food processor and blend until in small chunks, you do not want a flour consistency, you want little chunks
In a mixing bowl, combine nuts with the honey, melted coconut oil, and eggs and mix well
Grease an 8×12 inch baking pan, I used coconut oil and then spread your nut mixture over the entire pan
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until your crust is done, it will pass the toothpick test
Cool your crust completely before applying your topping
Once your crust is cool, spread your lemon topping over your crust, sprinkle as much unsweetened shredded coconut as you want over the topping, and then return to the refrigerator or freezer, I like mine better frozen
Keep it refrigerated or frozen until you serve it and then return the remaining to the fridge/freezer
Enjoy!

Breakfast · Chocolate · Dairy-free · Dessert · Do-ahead · Gluten Free

Healthy chocolate, coconut overnight oats

August 30, 2015September 7, 2022 Belinda

This recipe comes from a food blog called ‘Back to her roots” and being a coconut fanatic, that is what first attracted me, then I read the ingredients and fell hook, line and sinker.
Make these in wide mouth mason jars, leave them in the fridge until you have one for breakfast or take one to work. If you want a snack size, make them in a smaller jar.

Makes one serving

½ cup rolled oats
1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almondmilk Coconutmilk Almond Breeze
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
⅛ tsp almond extract
1 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tbsp maple syrup
Pinch of salt (important)
Shredded coconut, almonds, and dark chocolate chunks for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring until well-mixed. The mixture will look liquidy.
Transfer to a serving bowl or jar, cover and refrigerate for at least four hours, or preferably, overnight.
Before serving, stir, and top with additional coconut, almonds, and dark chocolate.

Chocolate · Dessert · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Easy meringue gelato cake with chocolate sauce

August 30, 2015September 7, 2022 Belinda

This must be one of the easiest recipes I have seen for something that looks so elegant and complicated. Thanks to Nigella Lawson for this gem.
You don’t spend long making it, can do it it ahead of time and everyone thinks you’re a genius! I’ll take it!

For the meringue gelato cake
1 ¼ cups heavy cream
1 oz bittersweet chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
1 tbsp coffee liqueur (and/or rum)
4 oz shop-bought meringue cookies
8 oz raspberries (to serve, optional)

For the chocolate sauce
1 cup heavy cream
⅔ cup bittersweet chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), finely chopped
2 tbsp coffee liqueur (and/or rum)

For the Meringue Gelato Cake:
Line a 450g / 1lb loaf tin with clingfilm, making sure you have enough overhang to cover the top later.
Whip the cream until thick but still soft.
Chop the chocolate very finely so that you have a pile of dark splinters, and fold them into the cream, along with the liqueur.
Now, using brute force, crumble the meringue cookies and fold these in, too.
Pack this mixture into the prepared loaf tin, pressing it down with a spatula as you go, and bring the clingfilm up and over to seal the top, then get out more clingfilm to wrap around the whole tin. Freeze until solid, which should take around 8 hours, or overnight.

To serve, unwrap the outer layer of plastic wrap, then unpeel the top and use these bits of long overhanging wrap to lift out the ice-cream brick. Unwrap and unmould it onto a board and cut the frozen meringue cake into slabs to serve. I like to zig-zag a little chocolate sauce over each slice, and sprinkle a few raspberries alongside on each plate.

For the Chocolate Sauce:
Pour the cream into a saucepan and add the tiny bits of chocolate.
Put over a gentle heat and whisk as the chocolate melts, taking the pan off the heat once the chocolate is almost all melted. If the mixture gets too hot, the chocolate will seize, whereas it will happily continue melting in the warm cream off the heat.
Add the liqueur, still off the heat, and whisk again to amalgamate the sauce completely. Pour into a jug, whisking every now and again until it cools to just subtly warm.

Asian flavors · Breakfast · Dairy-free · Dessert · Gluten Free · Grains · Vegan

Vegan Coconut Milk Rice Pudding with Citrus and Ginger

August 18, 2015February 8, 2016 Belinda

I could eat this whole thing in one go, being a coconut addict and it’s delicious for breakfast, lunch or dessert for dinner. The addition of the ginger and citrus really takes it to another dimension

Serves 4

1 can (13.6 fluid oz.) full fat coconut milk
1 cup water
3/4 cup orange juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 cup long grain basmati rice
2 to 4 tbsp maple syrup, to taste
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp orange zest

Mix the coconut milk, water, orange juice, vanilla extract, salt, and rice in a medium-sized pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a low simmer. Cover the pot, but leave the lid very slightly ajar to let steam escape.

Simmer the rice for 30 minutes, or until most of the liquid has absorbed. Stir in maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, and zest. Continue cooking till rice is creamy and soft. If necessary, add a little more water or maple syrup.

Serve warm or cool, dusted with extra cinnamon if desired!

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Dessert · Gluten Free · Vegan

Banana coconut parcels

May 12, 2015 Belinda

This has got to be one of my favorite desserts and so easy. You can store the banana leaves in your freezer, so you will always have them around.
This recipe is c/o Saveur magazine.

12 fresh or frozen banana leaves
2 1⁄4 cups coconut cream
3⁄4 cup sugar
Kosher salt, to taste
1 1⁄2 cups short-grain sticky rice, soaked for 6 hours, drained, and rinsed
3 firm-ripe bananas, quartered lengthwise

Cut each banana leaf into a roughly 12″x 14″ rectangle, then cut the scraps into 12 thin ribbons for tying; set aside.
Combine the coconut cream, sugar, 1⁄4 cup water, and salt in a 12″ nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Cook, stirring, until it begins to bubble, about 2 minutes. Add the rice; cook, stirring often, until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 7 minutes.
Remove from heat; let the rice absorb liquid, about 20 minutes. Divide the rice into 12 equal portions.

Working with 1 banana leaf at a time, arrange a leaf with a short edge parallel to you, smooth side up.
Put a portion of rice in the center; top with a banana quarter; press gently.
Shape the rice into a rectangle.
Fold the leaf ends over the rice to make a packet. Tie with a ribbon. Repeat to make 12 packets in all.
Pour water into a wide-bottomed pot to a depth of 1″. Set a colander inside pot.
Working in 2 batches, steam the packets until firm, about 15 minutes.

Chocolate · Dessert · Do-ahead

Baileys Irish Cream tiramisu

May 3, 2015September 7, 2022 Belinda

Do you have that bottle of Baileys Irish Cream lurking at the back of the booze cupboard you occasionally stumble upon, think about, then return to the back of the cupboard?
Well get it out because here is the best use I know for it.

9 teaspoons instant espresso powder dissolved in 1½ cups water (cooled)
1 cup Baileys Irish Cream
14 oz Savoiardi cookies
2 large eggs
⅓ cup superfine sugar
1 lb mascarpone cheese
2 ½ teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Mix the coffee with ¾ cup of the Baileys in a shallow bowl. Dip the cookies into this liquid; let them soak on each side enough to become damp but not soggy. Line the bottom of an 8½ inch square glass dish with a layer of cookies.

Separate the eggs, but keep only one of the whites. Whisk the two yolks and the sugar together until thick and a paler yellow, then fold in the remaining ¼ cup of Baileys, and the mascarpone to make a mousse-like mixture.

Whisk the single egg white until thick and frothy; you can do this by hand with such a little amount. Fold the egg white into the “yolky” mascarpone, and then spread half of this mixture on top of the layer of cookies.

Repeat with another layer of soaked savoiardi, and then top with the remaining mascarpone mixture.

Cover the dish with clingfilm and leave in the fridge overnight. When you are ready to serve, push the unsweetened cocoa through a small tea strainer to dust the top of the tiramisu.

Dessert · Do-ahead · Gluten Free

Summer berry terrine

April 14, 2015September 7, 2022 Belinda

This is the prettiest, lightest, most low calorie dessert I can possibly think of. It is a real stunner to look at and dead simple to make. I bet it will be a firm favorite for your outdoor or indoor dinners.

15 fluid ounces sparkling rose wine
2 oz superfine sugar (caster sugar)
2 x (1/4 oz) sachets of gelatine
1 tbsp fresh lime juice

For the fruit

12 oz sweet strawberries (not too large)
8 oz raspberries
12 oz blackcurrants, blueberries or red currants (or a mixture of them)
Fresh mint leaves

In addition to the ingredients, you will also need two 2 lb loaf tins, 7½ x 4¾ inches x 3½ inches deep, preferably non-stick but anyway with a good surface.

First, prepare the fruit: remove the stalks and halve the strawberries if they are any larger than a quail’s egg. Then mix the fruits together in a large bowl, being very gentle to avoid bruising them.

In a small saucepan heat half the rosé wine until it begins to simmer, then whisk the sugar and gelatine into it. Make sure that everything has dissolved completely before adding the remaining wine and the lime juice. Then pour the liquid into a pitcher and allow it to cool.

While that is happening, lay the mixed fruit in one of the loaf tins – it is worth arranging the bottom layer with the smallest, prettiest-shaped fruit as this will be on top when the terrine is turned out.

Next, pour all but 5 fl oz of the liquid over the fruit. Now lay a sheet of clingfilm over the tin, place the other tin directly on top, then put two unopened tins of tomatoes or something similar to act as weights into the top tin and put the whole lot into the fridge for about 1 hour, or until it has set.

Then warm up the remaining 5 fl oz wine mixture and pour it over the surface of the terrine. Re-cover with clingfilm and return to the fridge overnight to set firm.

When you are ready to serve, turn out the terrine by dipping the tin very briefly in hot water and inverting it on to a plate. Use a very sharp knife (also dipped first into hot water) to cut it into slices. Decorate with the fresh mint sprigs and serve with red berry coulis, chilled pouring cream, crème fraîche or Greek yoghurt.

Dessert · Do-ahead

Beet panna cotta with Meyer lemon mousse

March 2, 2015September 7, 2022 Belinda

What a surprise to see this recipe! It is sensational and the sweetness of the beets is perfect in the panna cotta, especially when slowly simmered in the cream, producing the most wonderful deep purple color. Do try it!!

Servings: 6
Beet Panna Cotta

½ lb red beets, peeled, cut into ½” pieces
2 cups heavy cream
½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp unflavored powdered gelatin
3 tbsp honey
½ tsp vanilla extract

Meyer Lemon Mousse

1 tbsp finely grated Meyer lemon zest
½ cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces, divided
½ cup sugar, divided
4 large egg yolks
1 large egg
½ cup chilled heavy cream

You will need six 8 oz glasses or ramekins

Bring the beets, cream, and salt to a simmer over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer very gently until the beets are tender, 25–30 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, combine the gelatin and 2 Tbsp cold water in a blender; let sit 5 minutes for the gelatin to soften.
Transfer the beets and their cooking liquid to blender; add the honey and vanilla and purée until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl; discard the solids.
Divide the purée among the glass dishes and chill until set, 3½–4 hours.

Do Ahead: Panna cotta can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.

Meyer lemon mousse

Bring the lemon zest and juice, ¼ cup butter, and ¼ cup sugar to a simmer over medium heat in a medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat.
Whisk the egg yolks, egg, and remaining ¼ cup sugar in a small bowl until pale and thick, about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, slowly pour the hot lemon mixture into the egg mixture.
Transfer back to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the curd is thickened and the whisk leaves a trail, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the remaining ¼ cup butter, whisking until melted and the curd is smooth.
Transfer the curd to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto the surface. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours.
When ready to serve, whisk the cream in a small bowl to soft peaks and gently fold into the curd. Spoon the mousse over the panna cotta.

Do Ahead: The lemon curd can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.