Chef Catherine's Cake Recipes

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with a Rich Peanut Butter Mousse

2011-01-19T05:02:00.000-08:00

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes With Peanut butter mousse

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

½ cup organic cocoa powder

¾ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon baking powder

2 large free range eggs

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon table salt

½ cup sour cream

Method

Place butter, chocolate, and cocoa in a heatproof bowl. Mely gently in hte microwave until the butter is melted. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.

Whisk eggs in second bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt until fully incorporated. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and swirl wiht a fork until combined. Sift one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until the batter is one colour.
Fill cupcake line 2/3 full. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool cupcakes to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes.

Peanut Butter Mousse Frosting
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup heavy cream

Beat the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks. Then beat the reamining ingredients. Fold peanut butter mixture into whipped cream with a wooden spoon until combined and whip

Strawberry Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse Tart

2010-07-08T17:14:00.000-07:00

1 tart crust

2 cups chocolate mascarpone mousse

1 lb strawberries

1/2 cup mascarpone cream

Tart Crust

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp salt

9 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg yolk, lightly stirred

Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse

1 1/2 cup heavy Cream

zest of 1 orange

9 oz 72% chocolate, chopped

1 2/3 cup mascarpone

2 Tablespoons Grand Marnier

Creme Anglaise (for the Mascarpone Cream)

INGREDIENTS

1 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla

6 large egg yolks

6 Tbsp sugar

Mascarpone Cream

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe creme anglaise

1/2 cup mascarpone

2 Tbsp Sambucca

1/2 cup heavy cream

Fill tart crust with chocolate mousse. Arrange sliced strawberries on top. Drizzle with mascarpone cream.

Method

the crust

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processer. Mix well.Place tiny pieces of cold butter all around the flour mixture in the food processer. Pulse a few times until the butter is combined and you have small crumbles. Add the yolk a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. Once all the egg is added, pulse in longer intervals (about 10 seconds each) until the dough forms larger clumps and starts to come together. Add a tiny bit of cold water if this doesn’t seem to be happening for you (but it probably will if you give it time).

Press the dough into a buttered tart pan (or refrigerate and roll).Pierce the dough with a fork a few times and freeze for at least 30 minutes.Fit a buttered piece of foil over the tart dough and bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and bake another 5 to 10 minutes, until the dough turns a nice color. Cool to room temperature.

Chocolate mascarpone mousse

Combine 1/2 cup heavy cream and lemon zest in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once warm, add the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Combine mascarpone, remaining 1 cup of cream, and nutmeg in a bowl. Whip on low for a minute until the mascarpone is loose. Add the Grand Marnier and whip on medium speed until it holds soft peaks. Be careful not to overbeat. Mix about 1/4 of the mascarpone mixture into the chocolate to lighten. Fold in the remaining mascarpone until well incorporated.

Creme Anglaise (for the Mascarpone Cream)

Whisk together egg yolks and sugar.Combine the milk, cream, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and remove from heat. Temper the yolk mixture by pouring about 1/2 cup of the hot liquid into the yolk mixture. Whisk constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking. Pour the yolk mixture into the pan with the remaining cream mixture and put the heat back on medium. Stir constantly until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove the mixture from the heat and strain it through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl (just in case any of the eggs cooked). Cover and refrigerate until the mixture it cooled, about 2 hours or overnight.

Mascarpone Cream

Whisk the mascarpone and Sambucca into the creme anglaise.Beat the cream until very soft peaks are formed.Fold cream into mascarpone mixture.

Srawberry and Hazelnut Tart With Toffee

2010-06-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
FOR THE PASTRY
140g plain flour
50g ground hazelnuts
100g butter , diced
50g caster sugar
1 egg yolk

FOR THE FILLING
250g tub mascarpone
2 Tablespoons icing sugar
150ml tub double cream
450g strawberries

TO FINISH
140g soft toffees
6 tablespoons milk
85g shelled hazelnuts , toasted and chopped

Heat oven to 190C/170 fan/gas 5.

Method
Tip the flour and ground hazelnuts into the food processor and add the butter. Process until it looks like fine crumbs, then add the sugar and mix briefly. Add the egg yolk and 1-2 tbsp cold water, then pulse to a firm dough.

Knead the dough briefly on a lightly floured surface, then roll out and use to line a 23-24cm loose-based flan tin. Using a sharp knife, trim off the excess pastry, then chill for 15 mins. Line pastry case with a round of baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 mins, then remove the paper and beans and cook for a further 5-7 mins until the pastry is cooked and pale golden.

Put the toffees and milk in a small pan and gently heat, stirring until the toffees have melted and you have a smooth glossy sauce. Set aside.

Beat the mascarpone with the icing sugar to loosen it. Whip the cream until it just holds its shape, then fold into the mascarpone. Slice half the strawberries and mix into the cream. Remove the pastry case from the tin and set on a serving plate. Spread two-thirds of the toffee sauce over base, then spoon over the mascarpone.

Slice the remaining strawberries and scatter over the filling. Drizzle the rest of the toffee sauce over the strawberries and sprinkle with the hazelnuts.

Apple Cinnamon bread pudding with caramel sauce

2010-06-07T01:21:00.000-07:00

Apples have to be the ultimate comfort food and bread pudding recipes are the ultimate in nursery foods

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 2-quart shallow casserole dish.

6 cups of firm stale white bread cubed,

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

4 large organic eggs

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 heaped teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 pinch nutmeg

2 large apple chopped in small pieces

Method

In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Scatter the bread cubes evenly in the casserole dish. Scatter the apple pieces evenly over the bread cubes.

Sprinkle one half of the cinnamon and sugar mixture evenly over the top. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs well. Pour the milk and cream into the bowl and whisk gently until well combined. Add the remaining cinnamon-sugar to the liquid, and whisk it in until well combined.

Pour the liquid mixture evenly over the top of the bread and apple pieces. Try to make sure every piece of bread gets drenched in liquid. Let the casserole sit for 15 minutes before you put it in the oven; to give the bread a chance to soak up the egg mixture.

Bake the bread pudding for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Candy Apple Pie

2010-06-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

Candy Apple Pie, Whats not too like? My favorite dessert for Sunday has to be Candy apple pie. I mean apple carame, walnuts all dancing on your tongue .

Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

1 cup chopped pecans

Apple Filling:

3Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored, sliced very thin)

1 Large Bramley (peeled, cored, sliced very thin)

5 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream Cheese Topping:

8 oz. cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

Topping:

3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping

1/4 cup chopped walnuts toasted

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Mix well and press into a 10-inch pie plate and up the sides. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until golden in color. Remove pie shell from oven and cool completely. Pour caramel into pie shell and sprinkle with 1 cup of chopped pecans. Refrigerate pie shell while making apple filling.

3. In a large (12-inch) skilet over medium heat, melt butter and add brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Stir with a wooden spoon. Add apples and stir. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 15 to 20 minutes until apples are softened and tender. Let cool for 10 minutes and pour into pie shell. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F.

4. In a medium bowl, using a hand-held mixer on low speed, combine cream cheese and sugar for about 1 minute until smooth. Add egg, lemon juice and vanilla and beat for 1 minute or until fully blended. Pour over apple filling in pie shell. Bake for 30 minutes until an inserted knife comes out clean. Remove pie from oven and let cool. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Let stand outside the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

5. Top with whipped cream, caramel and walnuts, and swirl with a knife. Slice and serve.

White Chocolate Brownies Topped With Meringue

2010-06-02T18:06:00.000-07:00

White Chocolate, orange zest and lots of fresh raspberries make these brownies delicious; topping them with meringue makes them glamorous. The cake layer is slender, delightfully dense and both sweet and tart; the meringue is soft and golden. You can call them brownies, but serve them with a swirl of raspberry coulis and they'll be worthy of a black-tie gala.

For the brownies:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup finely ground almonds

½ teaspoon salt

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

4 ounces premium-quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup fresh raspberries

For the meringue:

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

Pinch of salt

½ cup sugar

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Getting ready

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F

Butter a 9-x-13-inch pan, line the bottom with parchment or wax paper, butter the paper and dust the bottom and sides of the pan with flour; tap out the excess. Put the pan on a baking sheet

To make the brownies

Whisk together the flour, ground almonds and salt.

Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of only-just-simmering water. Put the butter in the bowl, top with the chopped chocolate and stir frequently until the ingredients are just melted—you don't want them to get so hot that the butter or the white chocolate separates. (White chocolate is finicky, so don't leave the kitchen while it's over the heat—too much heat and it will fall apart or scorch.) Remove the bowl from the pan of water

Working in the bowl of a stand mixer or in another large bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and aromatic. Add the eggs and, with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, or until pale and foamy. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and blend in the melted butter and chocolate. Still working on low, mix in the dry ingredients, stirring only until they disappear into the batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the raspberries evenly over the batter. Set aside while you make the meringue.

To make the meringue

In the cleaned mixer bowl with the (clean) whisk attachment, or in another large bowl with cleaned beaters, beat the egg whites with the salt on medium speed until they are foamy and just turn opaque. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and add the sugar in a slow, steady stream. Whip the whites until they form firm but still glossy peaks.

Gently spread the meringue over the brownie batter.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the meringue is browned and crackly and the brownies pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer the pan to a rack and allow to cool to room temperature in the pan.

Cover a cooling rack with a piece of parchment or wax paper, or a silicone baking mat, dust the paper or mat with confectioners' sugar and very gently, so you don't squish the meringue, turn the brownies out onto the rack. Peel away the parchment paper lining and carefully invert the brownies onto a cutting board. Cut into 32 bars, each roughly 2¼ x 11½ inches.

Lemon muffins

2010-05-31T11:17:00.000-07:00

Search Amazon.com for Lemon Muffin

Ingredients

1/2 cup plain yogurt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

grated zest of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 12 cup muffin tin, or line with paper liners.In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, egg, and, if using, lemon extract. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until just blended. Spoon batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle remaining sugar over the tops for decoration, if desired. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top springs back when lightly touched.

Peanut butter Pie

2010-05-27T17:40:00.000-07:00

Introduce your family to a cool, classic dessert that was all the rage in the 1970s. It whips up in minutes, needs no baking, and will be history in no time.

Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounceswhipped cream
1 (6-ounce) purchased or prepared graham cracker piecrust
2 cups of chopped peanut Chocolate syrup, for garnish

Instructions

With an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and the brown sugar in a large bowl for several minutes, until smooth.
Blend in the peanut butter, milk, and vanilla extract. With a spatula, stir in half of the whipped topping, then gently fold in the remaining topping.
Pour the mixture into the piecrust, then sprinkle the peanut butter cup pieces around the edge of the pie. (Tip: Freeze the candy before chopping.) Cover and chill until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.Drizzle chocolate syrup over the pie before slicing.

Bilberry Yoghurt cakes

2010-05-25T05:56:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid my grandfather had a bilberry bush in his garden and I forever had a blue face and tongue for the six weeks that they were in season.

Ingredients
150 g butter at room temperature
3 large organic eggs
150 g sugar
150 g natural yoghurt
200 g flour
1/2 packet baking powder
200 g fresh bilberries

juice of one lime

1 ttablespoon of lime zest.

Preheat oven to 170°C.

Mehtod

Cream the butter, eggs, sugar and yoghurt together, add the flour and baking powder. Add lime juice and zest . Finally fold in blueberries gently, without bruising them. Butter metall rings or another baking pan and bake the blueberry cakes for one hour. Dust with icing sugar and decorate with some leftover blueberries. Serve with thick Greek yoghurt

Sticky Buns

2010-05-24T17:56:00.000-07:00

Whats not to love about sticky buns? The taste of these is sublime but the best thing about these beautiful sticky buns is how easy they to make with premade puff pastry.

Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 package (17.3-ounces/ 2-sheets) frozen puff pastry, made with butter defrosted

Filling

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or silicon mat.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Evenly divide the butter mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle 1 Tbs of pecans in each of the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.
Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, 1/4 cup of pecans and 1/4 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2-inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.
Bake for 20 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Be careful – they’re hot! Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.

Chocolate ricotta cake with homemade ricotta

2010-05-23T16:47:00.001-07:00

This recipe is a lighter version of a pound cake originally made with a pound of butter.

The recipe for ricotta produces very delicate and smooth ricotta, using organic whole milk and cream not ultra pasteurized.

Makes about 1 lb
Ingredients:
the ricotta cheese

2 liter (½ gallon) whole milk
1 cup whipping cream, preferably organic, pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup fresh lemon juice

the cake

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup espresso, cooled to room temperature
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup fine granulated sugar
8 oz whole fat ricotta cheese, at room temperature (the ricotta will be smooth enough to proceed right awayif made to the recipe above store-bought ricotta will need a whirl in a food processor)
3 large organic eggs
1 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts
½ cup 3 Ounces coarsely chopped dark chocolate

Method
Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8×4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.

Preparation
In a large pot combine the milk, cream, and salt. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from scorching, until an instant-read thermometer registers 180F. Add the lemon juice, stir. Reduce the heat to low and continue heating the mixture until the curds form (not just milk curdles – it happens immediately after the lemon juice added, but when the whey separates and the curds are obvious). But by all means, DO NOT let the mixture come to the boil. Remove from the burner and let it stand for a little while (for about 15 – 20 minutes) to cool slightly. Meanwhile, line a sieve with several layers of cheese cloth. Set the sieve over a large bowl (if you plan to keep the whey) or over the sink (if you plan to discard the whey). Transfer the cheese into the lined sieve and drain for about an hour (or longer, if you plan to use the ricotta as a filling in pies or pastries, or if any particular recipe specifies so). Transfer the cheese into a lidded container and store in the refrigerator. Consume within two days. The ricotta will firm up after several hours of refrigerating.

To mkae the cake
Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, and salt onto a sheet of parchment paper or into a bowl. In another small bowl or a cup, combine the espresso and vanilla extract.
In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer for a few seconds, until creamy. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the ricotta and beat well to combine. With the mixer on medium, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the speed to low and add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the espresso, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape the bowl as necessary, and beat only enough to incorporate the ingredients after each addition. Stir in the toasted walnuts and chopped chocolate.

Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smooth the top and bake for about 1 hr. to 1 hr. 10 min., or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then unmold and cool completely on the rack.

Almond Lemon Yogurt Cake With Almond Cream

2010-05-23T03:48:00.000-07:00

Yogurt in a cake for me makes the ultimate moist cake and as a Spaniard I love the Mediterranean mixture of lemons and almonds. Also if a cake has yogurt it is not loaded with saturated fat.

For the almond cream I adapted a Spanish recipe, but it should have had a little lemon added.

Ingredients

The Almond Lemon Yogurt Cake
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
grated zest of 2 unwaxed lemons
6 Ounces of vanilla yogurt
3 large organic eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup olive oil

The Almond Cream

1/2 cup almonds, toasted abd finely ground
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
2 tablespoons brandy

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350F.

Spray a 8 1/2 x 4 1/4 x 2 1/2 inch loaf pan with non stick spray, line the bottom with parchment paper (spray top of parchment paper too) and flour the pan.

Method
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, and salt.
Put sugar and lemon zest in a medium bowl and smoosh together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and the aroma of the lemon is strong.
To the sugar mixture, add the yogurt, eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract and whisk until well combined.
While still whisking, add in the dry ingredients. Then switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the canola oil. Don’t over mix here, but make sure that the oil is fully incorporated.
Pour batter into your loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a cake tester in the center comes out dry. If the cake looks like it is browning too fast, cover it with aluminum foil.
Allow the cake to cool for about 5 minutes, then carefully remove from the pan and allow to come to room temperature on a wire rack.

To make the Almond cream

Combine the eggs and sugar in a bowl and whisk until pale and creamy. Fold in the cream, brandy and then the almonds. Serve immediately.

Individual Lemon Meringue Pies

2010-05-18T04:11:00.000-07:00

Lemon meringue pie is the essence of Spring for using the last of the tart winter lemons. Lemon meringue pie is not difficult to make, but it is fiddly.

PÂTE SUCRÉE

2 sticks (1/2 lb) unsalted butter, cool but slightly softened
1/2 cup organic evaporated cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 large organic egg yolks, at room temperature
1 cup sifted cake flour
2 cups organic all purpose flour
2 tablespoons heavy cream

LEMON CURD

1 Tablespoon organic lemon zest, finely grated

8 large organic egg yolks, at room temperature
250 grams cane sugar
200 grams freshly squeezed and strained organic lemon juice
about 6 lemons

120 grams unsalted butter, cut in pieces
A large pinch of sea salt

Italian Meringue
3 organic egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
75 grams organic evaporated cane sugar
25 grams water

Method

To Make the Pate Sucree

Beat the butter in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment until softened and light, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and mix for about 20 seconds. Mix in the egg yolks and salt, scraping the bowl down occasionally. Add all the flours and mix only until the dough comes together. Add the cream and continue mixing on low speed until the dough is smooth. Remove dough and shape into a flat disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator until cold, about 4-6 hours.

Place the dough between two pieces of parchment or plastic wrap, soften the dough with a rolling pin. Roll out the dough and place into muffin tins. Using a sharp paring knife, cut off the excess dough from the tops of the molds and reuse the excess in future molds. Ensure that there are no holes in the tarts and the doughb is not strecthed. Patch if necessary, and try to create evenly lined muffin molds. Fill the dough with parchment and rice to weigh down the dough

Bake the mini tarts at 350°F for about about twelve miuntes until golden brown take out the rice and brown for a few minutes. Carefully remove the mini tart shells from the silicone muffin pan by pressing gently on the bottoms when the pastry is cool. Allow to cool on another sheet pan. Fill the cooled tart shells with lemon curd.

To Make the Lemon Curd

In a saucepan, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until combined. Add the lemon juice, salt and cut up butter pieces and heat over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a heat-proof rubber spatula. The lemon curd will eventually thicken, coating the back of the spatula. Do not boil or it may curdle. Strain and discard residue. Add zest and stir. Allow to cool.

The Italian Meringue.
In a standing mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue whisking on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
In a heavy saucepan, heat sugar and water until dissolved. Continue to cook the sugar until the soft ball stage. Pour the cooked sugar into the stiffly beaten whites and beat until combined. Pipe the meringue over the lemon meringues and place under a high grill until golden brown.

2010-05-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

Banana and chocolate is a very soothing comfort food goes back to our baby days I supoose.

Ingredients
250g dark chocolate digestive biscuits
180g unsalted butter
1 tabespoon Dutch cocoa powder, plus extra to dust
1/2 firmly packed cup (100g) brown sugar
395g can condensed milk
75g dark chocolate, melted
1 tablespoon golden syrup
300ml thickened cream
2 small bananas, sliced

Method
Finely crumb biscuits in a food processor. Melt 80g butter and add to crumbs with cocoa. Process to combine. Press into six 10cm loose-bottomed tart pans. Chill for 20 minutes until bases are firm.
Place sugar and remaining butter in a pan over low heat, stirring, until butter has melted. Add condensed milk and stir over low heat for 5 minutes or until mixture is a thick, golden caramel. Remove from heat, then add chocolate and golden syrup, stirring to combine. Fill tart shells with caramel mixture, smoothing tops with a palette knife. Chill for at least 1 hour to set.
Whip cream until soft peaks form. When ready to serve, place tarts on plates, top with sliced banana and whipped cream, then dust with cocoa.

Tiramisu Meringue

2010-05-16T11:53:00.000-07:00

Much as I love Tiramisu and who doesn't it is sometimes a little heavy. It is the perfect Winter dessert but not always ideal for Summer.

Also what I really like is the change of texture that is just not there in the traditional tiramisu, granted the deoth of flavour is not there either but it is worth trying The crunchy coffee flavored meringues are a great foil to the rich creamy ricotta centre whilst the chocolate satisfies the desire for chocolate.

Ingredients
Coffee Meringue Fingers Recipe
4 organic Egg Whites at room temperature

1/4 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1 Cup Superfine Sugar
2 1/2 Teaspoons Espresso Powder

Ricotta Cheese Filling Recipe

1 Cup Ricotta Cheese
2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Teaspoon Kahlua

Chocolate Sauce Recipe

3/4 Cup Half and Half
8 Ounces dark Chocolate finely chopped

Method

Coffee Meringue Fingers
Preheat oven to 225 degrees Farenheit.
Separate eggs when they are just out of the fridge and leave whites out so that they can come to room temperature and save yolks for another use. Add the exprewsso powder to the superfine icing sugar.

Add room temperature egg whites to a metal or glass bowl. Begin beating the eggs until they start to thicken. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating the eggs until soft peaks form.
Gradually begin to add the sugar to the egg whites whilst still beating. If you add the sugar all at once the meringues will be grainy.

Continue beating the mixture on high until it is glossy and stiff peaks form . The fun way of finding that out is to turn the dish upside down if none falls out you are there.

Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. To keep the paper from sliding around, dab a bit of the meringue in each of the corners and a spot in the middle before laying the paper on it.
Spoon the meringue mixture into a plastic bag and snip the tip off. Begin to pipe a wide finger approximately 1″ – 1 1/2″ wide x 4″ long. Leave 1/2″ – 3/4″ spacing between each finger.
Wet your fingertip and tap down any points that may have been left at the end of the strips.
Bake for 2 hours wiht the oven door closed all thge time. Turn off the oven and let them stay inside the oven until the oven completely cools down.

Ricotta Filling

In a small bowl combine ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and rum. Stir to thoroughly combine all ingredients, cover and cool in refrigerator.

Chocolate Sauce
Place cream in a small saucepan and heat over medium high heat.Once half and half begins to boil, remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate.Keep stirring until chocolate is melted and combined.
Assembly
Put these together just before serving because the moisture will melt the meringue.
Coat one of the meringue fingers, on the flat side, with a generous amount of ricotta cheese filling Top ricotta with another meringue finger. Lay tiramisu on serving plate and drizzle with chocolate sauce.

Chocolate Chess Pie - A Southern Classic

2010-05-14T09:12:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon flour
pinch of salt
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 unbaked 9" pastry shell

Method

Melt butter with chocolate. In a mixing bowl, combine chocolate and butter mixture with sugar, flour, salt, milk, eggs, and vanilla; beat with electric mixer for 5 to 6 minutes. Pour filling into prepared pastry shell; bake at 350° for 35 to 45 minutes.

Spinach ands Ricotta Pie

2010-05-12T15:40:00.000-07:00

Spinach ands Ricotta Pie recipe is for me the essence of spring, it gives me hope that the dreary winter has finished despite the fact the days are still cold.

Ingredients (serves 6)
2 bunches (about 260g) English spinach, ends trimmed, washed
900g fresh ricotta
2 eggs
2 egg whites
Pinch of ground nutmeg
2 tbs chopped fresh continental parsley
Olive oil spray
8 sheets filo pastry
Mixed salad leaves, to serve

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the spinach, with water clinging, in a large, shallow microwave-safe dish. Cover and cook on High/800watts/100% for 1-2 minutes or until the spinach wilts. Set aside to cool. Squeeze out excess moisture. Finely chop the spinach.
Place the ricotta in a large bowl. Use a potato masher to mash until almost smooth. Whisk the eggs and egg whites in a bowl. Add the egg to the ricotta. Add the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Stir in spinach and parsley.
Spray a round 20cm (base measurement) ovenproof dish with olive oil spray to grease. Place the filo sheets on a clean work surface. Cover with a dry tea towel, then a damp tea towel (this will prevent the filo from drying out). Spray 1 filo sheet with olive oil spray. Place the filo, oil-side up, over the base of the dish, allowing the edge to overhang. Repeat with the remaining filo, turning each filo sheet slightly to cover the base and spraying with olive oil spray between layers.
Spread the spinach mixture over the filo in the dish. Fold over the edges to enclose. Spray with olive oil spray.
Bake in oven for 40-45 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the filling is set.Serve warm or at room temperature with mixed salad leaves.

Caramel Bannoffee Tart

2010-05-10T13:14:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
Sweet Pastry
335 g Plain Flour
235 g Unsalted Butter
100 g icing sugar
3 egg yolks
Filling
250 g Marscapone
250 g crème fraiche
395 g Tin Condensed milk caramelised
100g Dark Chocolate (70% cocoa)
Banana sliced and pan fried
Warm Chocolate Sauce
Single cream
Dark Chocolate (70%cocoa)
Method
Prepare the sweet pastry by rubbing the cold butter with the flour and icing sugar until a fine crumb is achieved. Add the egg yolks and bring together. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least two hours.
Place the tins of condensed milk into a heavy bottomed pot and cover with water and simmer for three hours. Keep covered with water at all times, remove after three hours and allow to cool completely.
Roll out the pastry and line individual pastry rings leaving the pastry over hanging until the baking is complete. Blind bake until the base is golden brown. Allow to cool, and then trim the edges. Melt chocolate then line the inside of the pastry case with a thin layer of chocolate.
Combine the crème friache and the mascarpone in a bowl. Then fold through the caramelized condensed milk to create a ripple effect. Deposit it evenly between the tart bases.
Slice the bananas and gently pan fry in a little butter until golden. Arrange them on top of each tart and drizzle with warm chocolate sauce.

Spanish Orange Almond Cake

2010-05-09T05:32:00.000-07:00

This cake is moist rich and delicious, whatever you do, do not ruin it with old ground almonds that have goen stale and ruin the taste of the cake

1 large navel orange

1/2 easpoon salt

5 large organic eggs

1 cup of sugar

2 1/4 cups of fresh ground almonds

2 Tablespoons bread crumbs

2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup chopped almonds

3 Tablespoons honey

Method

Place whole orange in a pan of water making sure to cover it as much as possible. Add the salt cover the pan and bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat down, allowing the water to high simmer covered about 30 minutes. Drain water, replace with fresh, cover and return to high simmer an additional 30 minutes. The orange should be soft.

Remove orange from the pan and allow to cool to the touch. Slice the peel off each end of the orange and cut into quarters, leaving the rest of the peel intact. Inspect for seeds and discard. In a food processor, pulse the orange quarters to a pulp and let it cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 335 degrees F. Prepare an 8" springform pan by greasing and flouring well.
With an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until light in color. Fold in the almond flour, breadcrumbs, and orange juice. To the orange pulp, add the baking powder and pulse to mix well. Fold the orange pulp into the almond mixture.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake about 1 hour. Test for doneness with a wooden skewer inserted in the center. Allow to cool completely in the pan and score around the edge before releasing the ring from the cake.

Cream cheese Cinnamon Pound Cake

2010-05-07T14:41:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
Makes 2
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 bar (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Method

With an electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar; beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. With mixer on low, add flour and salt in two additions, beating until just combined.
Generously coat two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pans (1 1/2 quarts each) with cooking spray; immediately pour in batter (pan will seem full). Tap pans on work surface to eliminate any large air bubbles.
Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out almost clean, 60 to 75 minutes (if the tops begin to brown too quickly, tent with aluminum foil).
Cool 10 minutes in the pan. Turn out the cakes; cool completely, with top sides up, on a wire rack.

Chocolate tart with Coconut Shells

2010-05-06T04:53:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been looking at recipes to make them healthier but retaining the taste and this feathery light coconut casing replaces the traditional pastry in these tarts and it ticks all the right boxes. There is that rich intense chocolate tart flavor that comes from chocolate ganache and this is offset by cocnut a pure bliss taste.

Coconut shells

Ingredients

2 large organic egg whites

1/2 cup white sugar

2 cups dessicated coconut

For the chocolate ganache filling

1 1/4 cups cream

300g good quality dark chocolate, chopped

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350F)

Method

Whip the egg whites, and sugar well and add the coconut place the mixture into muffin tins, wet your spoon and push it to the sides. Bake for about eight minutes minutes, or until it begins to lightly brown. Remove from the oven and let cool

Meanwhile heat the cream until almost boiling. Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Remove from the heat and stir until the chocolate has melted. Carefully, fill each cup with the liquid. Chill.

Danish Pastries Recipe

2010-05-04T15:49:00.000-07:00

The Pastry

500g flour
50g caster sugar
2 eggs (medium)
40g yeast
180ml milk or half water and half milk
250g butter (at room temperature)

Ingredients
Pastry Cream
300ml milk
1 vanilla pod
2 egg yolks
60g caster sugar
30g corn flour
30g butter

Method
Place all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Dissolve the yeast with a little of the milk.
Add the eggs and yeast and milk or mixture of milk and water to the dry ingredients. Mix them together at a medium speed for 15 minutes. If preparing by hand mix the ingredients to a dough then knead it until smooth and shiny.
Leave the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
Roll the dough out into a 30cm square around 2cm thick on a floured work top. Cut the butter into slices and place them in the centre of the dough (do not cover the edges). Cover the butter by folding one side inwards then fold the other side of the dough over it. Seal the ends of the dough with a rolling pin and leave it to rest in a cool place for 15-20 minutes.
Roll the dough out again into a 30cm square around 2cm thick. Turn the dough 180°C and fold the sides in the same way as you did before. Leave the dough to stand for a further 15-20 minutes. Repeat this twice more so that you have folded it 4 times, rest the dough each time.
Roll out and fill the pastries and place them on baking sheets. Leave them to prove for 15 minutes in a warm place.
Cook the pastry on the top shelf of an oven preheated to 200°C for 10-12 minutes* The pastry can be frozen before or after baking.

Fillings

Vanilla cream
Place the milk in a saucepan with the vanilla pod. Place the saucepan over a moderate heat and bring it to the simmer. Then remove it from the heat.
Place the egg yolks, sugar and corn flour in a bowl and whisk them together until well combined.
Add the milk to the bowl and whisk the ingredients together until well combined. Return the mixture to the saucepan and return it to a moderate high heat. Whisking it constantly bring it to the boil (be thorough with the whisking or you will end up with lumps and burnt pastry cream). When the pastry cream is thick remove it from the heat and mix in the butter.
Remove the pod from the pastry cream and place the pastry cream in a large bowl to cool. When it is warm cover it with cling film and leave it to cool. When it has cooled refrigerator until ready to use.

Lemon Cheesecake

2010-05-04T05:02:00.000-07:00

This lemon cheesecake is made with lemon curd, but it is also delicious with lime curd or orange curd.

Ingredients

8 tablespoons thick Greek yoghurt

12 Tablespoons lemon curd

1 tablespoon lemon juice

125ml/4 1/2 fl oz/ double cream
12 Digestive biscuits

100g butter
Blueberries

4 mint sprigs, to serve (optional)

Icing sugar (optional)

Method

Put the biscuits in a plastic bag and crush them using a rolling pin. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and stir into the crumbs. Divide the crumbs into a cake tine and press firmly into the base.Chill in the fridge while you are preparing the filling.

Put the yoghurt, lemon curd and lemon juice into a large bowl and mix until smooth.
In a smaller bowl, whip the cream until it makes slightly floppy peaks. Mix 2 tablespoons of the whipped cream into the lemon yoghurt mixture, then fold in the remaining whipped cream.
Spoon the lemon mixture carefully on top of the chilled biscuit base. Fill to the top and smooth off with a palette knife.Chilled in the fridge for at least Three hours. Garnish with blueberries , maybe some mint sprigs and a dusting of icing sugar.

Ginger Pecan and Rum Brownies

2010-05-03T12:54:00.000-07:00

Brownies are delectable, but then add a few laid back West Indian ingredients like spiced rum and Stem ginger then they really rock.

Ingredients
250g/9oz plain chocolate, minimum 80 per cent cocoa solids, broken into pieces

250g/9oz butter

5 free-range eggs

350g/12oz dark muscovado sugar

2 tablespoons spiced rum

150g/5½oz plain flour, sifted

125g/4½oz pecan nuts, roughly chopped

4 inches of crystallised stem ginger chopped

icing sugar, sifted, for dusting

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line a 30cm x 20cm/12in x 8in, deep-sided cake tin with greaseproof paper.
Bring a little water to the boil in a pan, and then reduce the heat until the water is simmering. Suspend a heatproof bowl over the water (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water). Add the chocolate pieces and butter to the bowl and stir until melted and glossy. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar using an electric whisk until pale, fluffy and thick. Add the melted chocolate mixture and rum, if using, then whisk again until smooth and well combined. Carefully fold in the flour, using a metal spoon. Add the pecan nuts and stem ginger and fold into the mixture, then pour the brownie batter into the prepared cake tin.Transfer the brownies to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is firm to the touch but a skewer inserted into the centre of the brownies comes out slightly sticky. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly in the tin. Pile onto a plate and dust with icing sugar, if using.

Apple and Cinnamon Cake

2010-05-02T11:32:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

3/4 finely chopped toasted walnuts
3 cups All-Purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

4 large baking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly

1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, large
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extrract

Method

Sprinkle the chopped walnuts evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan.
In a large bowl whisk together 2 Tablespoons of the flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and all of the cinnamon. Add the apple slices and toss them until they're well coated.
In the bowl of your mixer, mix the remaining flour and sugar, along with all of the baking powder, salt, eggs, oil, butter, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium-low speed for about two minutes or so, until the mixture is smooth.
Pour half of the batter over the walnuts in the cake pan (the batter will be sticky and thick). Spread it evenly with a spatula. Top this with half of the sliced apples. Try not to let the apples touch the sides of the pan or the tube. Then spread the other half of the batter over the apples evenly. On top of this, place the rest of the apples, arranging them in a fan design if you like. Again, take care to keep them from touching the sides of the pan or the tube.
Bake the cake for about one hour until a toothpick inserted deeply in the center comes out clean. If the top of the cake is browning too quickly, lightly cover it with foil about halfway through the baking time.
Cool the cake on a rack, in the pan, for about 30 minutes. Run a knife along the sides of the cake, and under the bottom of it, to loosen. Carefully invert the cake onto a flat plate, but reinvert it back onto its serving plate (it'll still be warm) or onto a cooling rack to finish cooling completely. The arranged apples should be visible on the top; the walnut layer is the bottom crust.