Banana Puri With A Twist...

Banana Puri... Have you ever wondered how that name came about? I mean, considering that they have no bananas in them, nor do they even faintly resemble a banana!

These fragile  fried beauties are made of hundreds of layers of light as air pastry. Made, by layering thinly rolled out dough with ghee in between. After frying, they are left on a thick wad of paper for a day or two, until every last drop of oil has drained out. Once drained, they become beautifully crisp and feather light. They are then drizzled with some sugar syrup and decorated with pistachios or almond slivers.

When I made these last week, I knew that I that I wanted to do something a little bit different with them. Going through my note book, I came across an old Indian chaat recipe of my Mom's, that I hadn't made in a while, and I thought, why not? Since this chaat is usually served with some crisp puris anyway, I decided to experiment...Aaaaand I loved it!

For the pastry, you will need:

2 cups cake flour
2 tablespoons cornflour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon solid ghee
1/2 cup cold milk
1/2 cup cold water


For layering, you will need:
1/2 - 3/4 cup melted ghee
1/2 cup cornflour


You will also need:
Flavorless vegetable oils for deep frying


Sift all the dry ingredients together. Rub in the ghee until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.combine the milk and water in a jug. Gradually add the milk/water until a stiff dough is formed. Knead lightly until the dough is smooth.  Cover with some plastic wrap and set aside for half an hour. Unwrap the dough and knead again. Divide into 6 equal sized pieces. Roll each piece on a lightly floured surface, until it is really thin. (about 1mm)  Generously brush 1 round with some ghee, ensuring that no part of the dough has not been covered with the ghee. Sprinkle with some cornflour, and place another round of dough on top. Brush this layer with ghee, dust with cornflour, and continue to layer until all 6 layers are piled up. Do not brush any ghee on this layer. Roll out the layered dough into a large, thin rectangle. Ensure that the bottom of the dough is well floured, to prevent sticking. Now spread the top with some ghee, again be generous and ensure that the entire surface is covered. Sprinkle with some cornflour, and starting at the bottom short end, roll up into a
swissroll. Do not roll too tightly, as the layers will not puff up. Wrap the entire roll in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for an hour.

Place a thick layer of newspaper on a large baking sheet. Cover with several sheets of paper towel.

Heat the oil in a deep pot. I don't use a very large pot, since I prefer to fry the puris one at a time, but ensure  that your pot is large enough to allow the pastry to puff up.

Slice the swissroll into 2cm thick slices. Press down gently on each slice. The layers should be visible on the sides. Then, using a rolling pin,lightly roll out into long fingers. (To about 3mm thick). Heat the oil over a medium heat. Place the banana puri in the oil, and using a fork, gently prise the layers open. Fry until it is a very pale gold on one side, then carefully flip over and fry the other side.Drain in a colander for a few minutes, before transferring to the paper towel lined tray. Continue until all the pastries have been fried. Cover the banana puris with a few sheets of paper towel, and leave to drain for a few days. I leave mine for two days. You may need to replace the oil soaked paper with some fresh paper after a day.

SWEET VERSION:

For the Syrup, you will need:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Place all the ingredients into a saucepan, and bring to a boil over low heat. Do not stir! Simmer for about 15 -20 minutes, until the syrup has thickened slightly. set aside to cool.

Place the pastries on a serving plate, and drizzle each one with a tablespoon or two of syrup. Sprinkle with pistachios, or almonds. Serve...

SAVOURY VERSION:

3 medium potatoes
1/2 cup frozen corn
salt to taste
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 green chillies, thinly sliced
6-8 curry leaves
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

Boil the potatoes in their jackets,until tender. Steam the corn. When potatoes are done, remove the skins and cut up into 1cm cubes. Place in a large bowl. add the steamed corn. Season with salt. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the remaining ingredients. Fry until the mustard seed stop spluttering. Pour over the potato and corn mixture. Stir gently to coat. Set aside.

You will also need:
A handful of baby tomatoes, halved
A handful of chopped coriander leaves
A handful mint leaves
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
4 tablespoons thick Greek yoghurt
1/2 cup sev
1 tablespoon chaat masala (I used the Shan brand)
Tamarind sauce (see below)
Green chutney


For the Tamarind sauce, you will need:
1/2 cup store bought tamarind paste
2 teaspoons sugar
A pinch of salt
A squeeze of lemon juice

Stir everything together.

For the coriander chutney, you will need:
1 cup coriander leaves
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup white vinegar
5 green chillies
1 tablespoon dessicated coconut
salt to taste

In a blender, liquidise everything together.

To Assemble:

Place the Banana puri on a plate. (You will need 1 per person) Top with the potato mixture. Layer with the tomatoes, coriander, mint leaves and pomegranate seeds. Place a dollop of yoghurt over each puri. Sprinkle with the sev and the chaat masala. Serve with the tamarind sauce and the coriander chutney. Serve at once.

NOTE: Sev is a vermicelli-like crisp fried chickpea flour (gram flour) snack.  You can buy this at specialist Indian grocers or sweet shops.

If You Make One Thing This Week...A Chocolate Nut Torte...

These chocolate nut tortes are just the bees knees! I have been making these for years and totally adore them. I'd like to think of them as the Chanel bag of the cake world, since you can dress them up for a party, or dress them down for everyday!
This  would make a glorious  birthday cake, or, leave out the ganache, and serve it with some lightly whipped cream or some good quality vanilla ice cream, for an elegant dessert.
These are made with almonds and pistachios, but I have made them with hazel nuts, walnuts, and even cashews. Oh, and you can make a large cake or individual ones. Told you that this cake was versatile!

So without further ado, let's get to the recipe...

Note: *Try to make the chocolate paste the day before you plan on making this cake.
           ** I used Lindt Ecuador 70% dark chocolate for this cake, but feel free to use a chocolate of your preference.

Ingredients:
150 grams shelled pistachios
150 grams almonds (skins can be left on)
1 tablespoon cake flour
320 grams dark chocolate
260 grams butter
100 grams + 1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 large eggs, separated

Preheat the oven to 180°.
Line the bottom of  a 23cm springform tin, or 5 x 11cm individual tins with baking paper. Butter the paper and the sides of the tin(s). Dust the tins with some cocoa powder. Shake put excess. Whizz the the nuts and flour in a food processor, until finely ground. Add the chocolate and grind finely.
In a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter and 100 grams of caster sugar, until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract. Fold in the nut and chocolate mixture. In a clean, grease free bowl, whisk the egg whites with the remaining tablespoon of caster sugar, until stiff peaks form. Using a metal spoon, gently fold in the egg whites in two batches. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin(s). Bake for about 1 hour, or until the torte feels firm. Place the torte on a wire rack and leave to cool completely before removing from the tin. Dust the torte with icing  sugar, or to decorate, spread the ganache over the top and side of the cake, and decorate with a chocolate paste rose.. This torte keeps well for up to 1 week.

Ganache:
100 ml whipping cream
200 grams dark chocolate, finely chopped

Heat the cream in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove, until it just starts to bubble. Add the chocolate, and stir until all the chocolate is melted and the ganache is silky smooth. Set aside to cool.

Chocolate Paste: (for rose)

150 grams dark chocolate, melted
50 grams liquid glucose or light corn syrup
1 tablespoon warm water

Cool the chocolate to 40°C. Warm the glucose/ corn syrup slightly. Add to the chocolate and mix well. Add the water. Wrap well in plastic wrap and set aside for at least 6 hours.
When ready to use, remove from the plastic wrap and knead well until pliable. The paste will be really stiff initially but it will soften as you knead it. Pass it through a pasta maker or roll it out thinly between two sheets of plastic. Cut into strips and swirl into a rose or make individual roses like you would with fondant.
ENJOY1

Rose and Pistachio Bundt Cake...

This recipe has been requested so many time, that I have decided to put the recipe on the blog. It is such a flexible recipe, you can use whatever flavourings you desire.
Since I hadn't planned on putting this recipe up, unfortunately, I did not take a picture of it after it was sliced.
The cake is flavoured with rose water and pistachio paste, with a crunchy pistachio streusel in the centre.
I used a store bought pistachio paste, but for those who are unable to find any, I have included an easy recipe that works just fine. Not authentic, but it will do...

Ingredients:

Streusel:

100 grams coarsely chopped pistachios

45 grams muscovado sugar

2 -3 teaspoons rose water (or to taste)

Batter:

250 grams unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs, beaten

150 grams caster sugar

125 ml sour cream*

100 grams pistachio paste (see recipe below)

1 teaspoon rose water, optional

300 grams flour

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 180° C. Grease a bundt pan very well. I use baking spray.

Combine the streusel ingredients and set aside.

Place the butter, eggs, caster sugar, sour cream, pistachio paste, and rose water in the bowl of an electric mixer, and beat until smooth and creamy.

Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the butter mixture, folding in gently, but thoroughly.

Pour half the batter into the bundt tin. Sprinkle 2/3 of the streusel over, then pour the remaining batter in. Sprinkle the remaining streusel over. Gently press the streusel into the batter so that it does not crumble after baking. Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and place on a wire rack to cool. Once completely cool, unmold onto  a serving plate. Dust with icing sugar before serving. Enjoy! 

*Note: I added 125 ml of sour cream as my pistachio paste was quite runny. If your paste is thicker, then increase the amount of sour cream 175 ml, or just enough to make a cake-like batter.


Pistachio paste:
 150 grams shelled pistachios
1 tablespoon flavourless oil
1-2 tablespoons sugar syrup or liquid glucose

Soak pistachios in boiling water for 15 minutes. Slip off the skins, then toast in the oven for a few minutes. Cool, then place in a spice grinder, and grind until it starts to form a paste. Add the oil and continue to grind. Then add the sugar syrup. Pulse until it comes together. The consistency should be similar to peanut butter. Place in a jar and keep refrigerated.

Note: it is not absolutely  essential to remove the skins of the pistachios, but the Colour and consistency would be much better if you do.

Indian Kheer With Puri...

I adore rice puddings. I have discovered that  many countries have some sort of rice pudding in there cuisine. Kheer is an Indian version of rice pudding. This sweet milk based dish is thickened with  rice, and flavoured with cardamom and rose water, enriched with cream and made even more delicious with the addition of pistachios and almonds.

This dish is either served as part of a meal or as a dessert after a meal. I serve it with Puri, an Indian fried bread.

What I love about this dish is the flexibility. You can choose to thicken your kheer with either rice, vermicelli of sago. You can also add whatever nuts or flavouring that you desire. This dish can be served either hot or cold.

The rice is usually cooked in the milk, but I prefer to cook the rice in water and then add the milk as hastens the cooking time slightly.

Ingredients for Kheer:
1/2 - 3/4 cup of jasmine rice (or use any other soft cooking rice)
1 litre milk (preferably full fat)
1 385 gram tin of sweetened condensed milk (or to taste)
250 ml whipping cream
1 tablespoon ground almonds
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup sliced skinless almonds
1/2 cup sliced pistachios
1 tablespoon Charoli nuts, optional*
A splash of rose water
Extra pistachios for garnishing

Rinse and soak the rice in hot water for about 20 minutes. Drain the water and add the rice to a heavy based pot. Cover with fresh water, and boil until most of the water is absorbed. And the milk and cook over low heat for about 40 minutes. Stir regularly to prevent the milk from scorching. The rice should be really soft and mushy. Add the condensed milk, cream, ground almonds and cardamom. I give the kheer a quick whizz with a stick blender at this stage. Do not blend for too long as you want some texture. Just a quick pulse for a second or two!cook for 10 minutes, then add the remaining nuts and the rose water. Cook for a further 5 minutes. Serve in cups or bowls with some extra pistachio sprinkled over.

* Charoli is a type of nut from India. Also known as chironji, they are creamy white tiny round nuts, with a brown skin. Their texture is similar to pine nuts, although they are closer in flavour to almonds. They are available at Indian grocers.

PURI:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon  sugar
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, optional
3 tablespoons butter
Cold buttermilk to make the dough
Oil for deep frying

 In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Rub in the butter. Add enough  buttermilk to make a
soft dough. Cover the dough and set aside for an hour. Divide the dough into 6 equal parts. Form into little balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a circle, about 3mm thick. Using a pizza cutter or a knife, cut each circle into 4 wedges. You can also cut out shapes using a cookie cutter if desired. Heat oil in a small pot, over medium heat. Fry the puri, 1 at a time, until puffed up and pale gold in colour. This only takes a few seconds on each side. Drain on paper towels.

Rose Scented Baklava Muffins...

We usually bake at the weekend, when we tend to have family for friends dropping by. I prefer baking things that are simple and not too rich or heavily decorated, as those are the kind of things my family prefer on a day to day basis. Something that they can enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee. Oh, and of course, if the treat is quick and easy to prepare, then it is an all round winner! I have been making these baklava muffins for years now, and I always get complimented on them.

Nut filling:
75 grams walnuts, chopped
75 grams pistachios, chopped
50 grams butter, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon rose water
1 teaspoon orange blossom water, optional

Batter:
 220 grams cake flour
75 grams caster sugar
10 ml baking powder
2.5 ml bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
50 grams unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
250 ml buttermilk


Topping:
100 ml honey, I use orange blossom (heated)
Chopped pistachios
Rose buds or petals to decorate

Preheat e oven to 200° Celsius.
Line a 12 cavity muffin tin with paper cases. Spray the cases well with non stitch baking spray.
Combine all the nut filling ingredients, and set aside.
Combine the flour,caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the butter, egg and buttermilk together. Pour over the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Mix very lightly, as the mixture should be lumpy rather than smooth. Half fill the muffin cases with the batter, then top with a tablespoon of the nut mixture. Cover with the remaining batter. Sprinkle the remaining nut mixture over.
Bake for about 15 minutes, until they are puffed and golden. Place the still hot muffins, on a wire rack and drizzle the honey over. Decorate with the chopped pistachios and the rosebuds or petals.

Custard Apple Ice Cream Pops...

Custard Apple is not a fruit that we see regularly at the markets, so when I saw some a few weeks ago, I was delighted! Also known as Cherimoya, it is pale green in colour, with a creamy flesh, and several large seeds. The fruit is best eaten when really ripe and soft. The flesh has a somewhat tropical in taste, faintly reminiscent of a mixture of pineapple, mango and something else that I cannot quite place. Banana perhaps?
Note that the custard Apple in this recipe can easily be replaced with the puréed flesh of a large mango.
 I placed the churned ice cream into Popsicle moulds, but you could easily place it into a container and serve it by the scoop.

Creamy custard apple and lime ice cream

2 large ripe custard apples
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
250ml full fat milk
200ml cream
50g sugar
2 egg yolks
50 g good quality white chocolate
Zest of 1 lime, extra

Cut the custard apples in half. Remove the pulp and place in a sieve. Press down with a spoon, reserving the juice. Discard the seeds. Add the lime zest to the custard apple and refrigerate until needed. Place the milk and cream in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Meanwhile, whisk the sugar and egg yolks until pale and thickened. Slowly add the milk and cream mixture, and whisk until combined. Pour the mixture back into the pan, and place over low heat until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat and strain into a clean bowl. Leave to cool. Refrigerate until well chilled, then stir in the custard apple purée. Churn in an ice cream machine. Place in Popsicle moulds and freeze until solid. Decorate with melted white chocolate and the extra lime zest.

A Tea Party...

Macaron, Eclairs, Profiteroles...with a twist...We made these at the weekend, but instead of the usual sweet fillings,we decided to go for savoury ones. For a while now, we have been wanting to make a savoury version of some of the  classic sweet pastries. Finely had a chance last weekend...So, Smoked Salmon and Grapefruit Macaron, Caramelised Onion Eclair and Caprice 'Salad' Profiteroles graced our tea table last weekend. We also had three types of Scones, all savoury-Cheese, Tarragon and Za'ater. The Za'ater Scones were my favourite! I've shared some of the recipes below...

For the tea table, we combined vintage with new. We went for a pastel look with lots of white. The starting point was a snowy white silk organza table cloth. We teamed this with vintage napkins and an old Noritake tea set. Soft pink crystal goblets and antique heirloom silver completed the look...

Our current craze, is to use edible gold leaf to add sparkle to our mocktails and drinks... Really glams thing up!

Smoked Salmon Macaron

For the Macaron:

120g Ground Almonds

200g Icing Sugar

90g Egg Whites (Approximately 3 eggs)

55g Caster Sugar

1 tsp of freshly ground black pepper

Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat. Put the ground almonds and icing sugar into a food processor and grind to a fine powder and then sift into a bowl. Set aside.

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the caster sugar a little at a time. Whisk the mixture until stiff and glossy. 

Fold the sifted almond mixture and the black pepper into the egg whites. Continue folding the mixture until it falls from the spoon in a ribbon. 

Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle. Pipe disks onto the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with a little bit of extra black pepper. Tap the tray against the work surface and then leave to stand for about an hour or until the tops are dry to the touch. 

Preheat the oven to 150C. 

Bake for 10 minutes and then open the oven briefly to let out the steam. Continue baking for another 2-5 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a little while before transferring to a wire rack. 

For the Filling:

Cream Cheese

Smoked Salmon

A small Grapefruit, segmented

Chives

Fill a piping bag with the Cream Cheese and pipe a little on the Macaron bases. Top with a piece of smoked salmon, and a grapefruit segment. Garnish with some chives and perch a Macaron lid on each. 

Za'atar Scones

225g Cake Flour

3 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp salt

50g Butter

70g Cheddar Cheese

2 tsp Za'atar

125ml milk

Beaten egg, to glaze

Extra Za'atar for sprinkling

Preheat an oven to 200C. Line a baking sheet with non-stick paper. 

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt  into a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the cheese and the Za'atar. Gradually add the milk, mixing just until the mixture forms a dough. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Don't overwork the dough.

Roll out on a floured work surface to about 3cm thick. Use a small, round cookie cutter to cut out the scones. Place on the baking sheet . Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with a bit of extra Za'atar. 

Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.

Oh, we had some Sweet Coconut and Violet Macarons and a few other sweets too!

Coffee and Almond Cake...

For a while now, I have been wanting to make a coffee and walnut  cake that was featured in an old 1970's magazine that belonged to my Mother, but the elaborate icing was just not my thing! Last week whilst going through a new book called 'Cardamom Trail by Chetna Makan', I came across a recipe for an Almond and Coffee Cake that sounded so good. This is my version...

Espresso and Almond Cake

Ingredients:

250 grams caster sugar
250 grams butter, softened
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond meal
220 grams cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons Baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
60 ml milk
4 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons  boiling water

Preheat the oven to 180° C. Grease a 10 cup bundt tin.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and flour. Add the eggs, be at a time. Add the almond meal. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and cardamom together. . Fold into the butter mixture. Lastly,, fold in the liquid ingredients. Pour the batter into the greased, and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer come, out clean. Remove from pan, place the tin on a wire rack and leave to cool. Once cool, turn the cake out of the tin.
If desired, drizzle with the ganache.
Note: due to the almond meal, this cake will keep well for a few days.

Ganache:
50 grams dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
100 ml fresh cream

Heat the cream in a microwave safe bowl, until just starting to come to a boil. Add the chocolate and stir until melted and silky smooth.

Almond Milk and Tahini Spiral Breads...

Today was a busy day... But a rather unproductive one... Do you ever feel like you're busy all the time, but don't get anything done? Yep, today was THAT day!

I made some bread though, so I guess that I can't actually call the day a total fail! 

Yesterday I made some Popsicles using almond milk, and I had a half carton of milk in the fridge, so when I went to the fridge to get out the milk for my bread, I found that almond milk and decided to use it instead.

The one loaf is made using Lotus Biscoff Spekuloos Spread, whilst the remaining loaves have a Turkish/ Arabic influence, since  I used Tahini or Tahini related fillings in them. You all must know by now how I adore Tahini. I can never get enough of the stuff!

This recipe is so versatile as you can use any filling that you desire. Try caramel, Nutella, or even a savoury filling like crumbled feta or ricotta and some herbs... Like I said, so versatile...

so without further ado, let's get started...

Ingredients:

For the bread you will need: 

4 cups flour (I used cake flour)

1 10g sachet instant yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

60 ml vegetable  oil

About 300 ml lukewarm almond milk to make a soft dough

For the fillings, you will need:

Loaf 1: 3 tablespoons  Tahini and 1 tablespoon caster sugar

Loaf 2: 3 tablespoons orange Tahini and 2 tablespoons finely crushed pistachios. Reserve some pistachio for sprinkling on top.

Loaf 3: 3 tablespoons Lotus Spekuloos  spread and  2 tablespoons flaked almond to sprinkle on top

Loaf 4: 3 tablespoons chocolate Halawa Spread

Combine all the dry ingredients in the bowl of your mixer. Add the oil and enough almond milk to make a dough. The dough should be soft, but not sticky.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and leave in a warm place to rise, until almost doubled in size. This should take about 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the room temperature. When the dough has risen, remove to a floured work surface and punch it down. Divide into four equal portions. Place three portions back into the bowl and roll out the remaining portion into a large, thin rectangle, about 1 mm thick. Spread with the desired filling (see above) and roll up tightly. Gently stretch the roll to a thin rope, about 3 cm in diameter. Now, holding the one end down, gently twist the rope tightly. Coil your rope, tucking the end underneath. Place on a baking paper lined tray. Complete the remaining three loaves. Cover with a tea towel, and leave to rise until it looks puffy. This didn't take too long at my place. About 1/2 hour. Meanwhile preheat you oven to 180° C . Warm about 2 tablespoons of Tahini, until it is runny. Brush this Tahini over your loaves. 

Place in the oven and bake for about 35 minutes, or until done and golden on the top. Halfway through baking, brush the loaves with the Tahini again and sprinkle with the appropriate nuts. Complete baking.  Once they are done, remove from oven, and place on a wire rack to cool 

completely. Enjoy!

Rose & Raspberry Sorbet Popsicles...

I love popsicles...I make them all Summer long (and Winter!). I find that they are so much easier than scooping ice cream or sorbet into a bowl, less fuss, less hassle, less mess and no melting, half empty tubs forgotten on the kitchen counter...

1 Cup of sugar

1 Cup of water

2 Tablespoons of honey

2 Tablespoons of lemon juice

400 grams of raspberries,fresh or frozen

1 Cups of water, extra

1 Tablespoon of rose water, or to taste

If using frozen raspberries, allow to defrost. 

To make the sugar syrup, bring sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved. As soon as it comes to a boil, remove from heat and stir in the honey and lemon juice. Allow to cool completely. 

Blend the raspberries with the remaining cup of water. Push through a fine mesh sieve. Discard the seeds. Whisk in the sugar syrup and chill well. Just before churning, stir in the rose water. Freeze in an ice-cream machine according to manufacturers instructions. Set in popsicle moulds, or alternatively,scoop into a tub.

Note: If you are using popsicle moulds, you do not HAVE to churn in an ice cream maker. Simply pour the mixture directly into the moulds,but I find that the texture is much nicer when churned.

If You Make One Thing This Week...Turkish Rose, Pistachio and Berry Cheesecake...

For a long time, I have been toying with the idea of a cheesecake with Turkish flavours. I finally got around to making it this week. I had originally planned on placing the cheesecake on a biscuit base, but decided to try a pate sucree base instead and I am so glad that I did! It turned out really well...

For the tart base you will need:
300 grams Cake Flour
100 grams Icing Sugar (powdered sugar)
1 tablespoon Ground Almonds
Pinch of Salt
150 grams Butter, diced into 2cm cubes and well chilled
2 Egg Yolks, lightly beaten
Iced Water, if required

Sift the flour. Add to the bowl of a food processor. Add the icing sugar, ground almonds and salt.
Pulse for a second to combine. Add the butter and pulse till the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add the egg yolks and pulse till the mixture just comes together. Add water if required.
Form pastry into a ball, wrap well and refrigerate for one hour. Remove dough from the fridge and roll out to a 4 mm thickness. Line the tart pan with the pastry. Chill well for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Prick the base with a fork and line with baking paper. Fill with baking beans and bake for 20 - 25 minutes, till done. Remove the baking paper and beans and return to oven till golden, about 10 - 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Note: the pastry can be made the day before.

For the cheese cake:
450 grams Cream Cheese
25 grams Cake Flour
150 grams Castor Sugar
Pinch of Salt
2 Eggs
125 grams Creme Fraiche
1 1/2 teaspoons Rose Water
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

Grease a 20 cm spring form tin and line the base with a circle of baking paper. Grease the baking paper as well. Wrap the outside of the tin in a double layer of heavy duty foil. Wrap well, making
sure that no water can get in. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C.
Place the cream cheese, flour, castor sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until well combined. Add the eggs and beat in well. Add the Creme Fraiche and beat until well combined. Pour
into the prepared tin and place in a roasting tin. Fill with boiling water to come halfway up the sides
of the tin and carefully place in the oven. Bake for 45 -50 minutes. Note that the edges of the cheesecake will be firm but the middle should still have a slight jiggle to it. Remove from the oven and take out of the water bath and place cheese cake back into the oven. Turn the oven off and leave the cheese cake inside until completely cold. Remove from the oven, wrap the cheesecake well
and freeze until solid.

To assemble:
250 grams Creme Fraiche
50 grams Pistachios, toasted and finely chopped
Raspberries, Blueberries, Strawberries, Edible Flowers, Macarons and Turkish Delight, to decorate.

Whisk the Creme Fraiche until creamy. Spread a thin layer over the base of the tart. Sprinkle with the pistachios. Remove cheesecake from the freezer and unwrap. Spread the remaining Creme Fraiche over the top and side of the cheesecake and place in the centre of the tart base. Decorate as desired.

If You Make One Thing This Week...A Dreamy Dessert...

Rose, strawberry and pistachio...Give me this combination of flavours any day! This meringue roulade is divine...A delicate meringue filled with a rose flavoured mascarpone creme and luscious strawberries, its pleasing to the eye and the palate. Just thinking about it makes me drool...This dessert is sure to make everyone ooh and aah! I really love this and I'm sure you will too! Go on...give it a try. Happy Baking!

Ingredients

Meringue 

4 egg whites

250 g caster sugar 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp cornflour

Mascarpone Creme

100 g mascarpone

1 tbsp icing sugar

1  tbsp rose water

400 ml whipping cream

Filling and Topping

200g strawberries, hulled and cut in half

1 tbsp sliced pistachios

Some crystallised rose petals

Icing sugar, for dusting over

Method

1. Preheat an oven to 160C/140C fan/Gas Mark 3.

2. Line a 33cm x 24cm swiss roll tin with greaseproof paper, allowing it to overlap above the sides of the tin.

3. Whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer until they begin to firm up. Add the caster sugar a  spoonful at a time, whilst whisking. Continue whisking until you achieve a firm, glossy meringue. Gently fold in the vanilla, vinegar and  cornflour. Spread the meringue into the prepared tin and level with a palette knife. Bake for 30 minutes (be careful not to overbake, it should still be soft). Allow the meringue to cool in the tin.

4. invert the cooled meringue onto a fresh piece of baking paper and carefully peel off the lining paper.

5. For the mascarpone filling, place the mascarpone cheese in a mixing bowl with the rose water and icing sugar and whisk to combine. Add the whipping cream. 

6. Whisk until the cream just holds its shape. Spread most of the cream over the meringue, reserving a few tablespoons. Scatter over most of the strawberries.Using the paper to assist you, roll up the meringue along its long edge. Transfer the log onto a serving plate. Top the meringue with the remaining cream. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

7. To serve, dust with icing sugar, scatter with the remaining strawberries, the pistachios and the rose petals. 

NB: The recipe is adapted from Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi (have I mentioned how fab this book is?). The original recipe uses raspberries instead of strawberries, which are just as delicious. I've also replaced the dried rose petals from the original recipe to crystallised petals which are really simple to make. I'll try to post a 'how to' soon, but it is basically rose petals brushed with a little bit of egg white and dipped in superfine/caster sugar.

  

If You Make One Thing This Week...A Mess You Wouldn't Mind Making...Eton Mess...

Happy Tuesday friends! I have so much planned for this week, that I hope I can accomplish it all!

Have any of you bought the new  Nopi cookbook by Ottolenghi yet? If you haven't, do yourselves a favour and get it! What a treat!

Many of you sent me messages requesting the recipe for the Eton Mess that I posted last Friday. I have adapted this recipe from the Nopi cookbook.

Whilst this recipe may seem like too much of trouble, as it has so many elements, most can be made ahead of time and simply put together at the last moment... Come to think of it, all the elements can be prepared beforehand. I made homemade meringues as I love the texture of them - crisp on the outside and gooey inside, whilst the bought ones simply crumble to nothing and only add sweetness to the dessert, without adding any texture. But, feel free to buy them if you like.

The different elements are, sorbet, meringues, pomegranate syrup, mascarpone cream, strawberries, raspberries, pomegranate rubies, rose petals and pistachios.

I know it seems shocking to use pomegranate molasses and sumac in a sweet dish, but please, please, please DO NOT omit it! It adds the most amazing depth of flavour.

This recipe serves 6 to 8

Mixed berry sorbet:

1 cup raspberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup blackberries
1 cup strawberries, hulled
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup caster sugar
300 milliliters water
1 tablespoon glucose syrup
1 teaspoon rose water, optional

Place all the berries in a bowl. Add the sugar and allow to macerate for 1 hour. Add the water and glucose and purée in a blender until smooth. Strain through a sieve to remove seeds. Chill thoroughly.
Add the rose water, if using, and churn in an ice cream maker, following manufacturer's instructions.
Sorbet can be made several days ahead. Once frozen, scoop out and place in a silicone lined plastic container. Cover and return to freezer. Your sorbet is now ready to serve.

Meringues:

2 egg whites
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar

Preheat the oven to 120 degrees centigrade. Line a baking sheet with  silicone paper.Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and whisk until thick and glossy. Add the vinegar with the last batch of sugar. Place teaspoonfuls of meringue on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn the oven off. Leave in oven to cool for several hours, or overnight.
Place in an airtight container. Meringues can be made up to three days ahead.

Pomegranate syrup:

2 tablespoons caster sugar
2 tablespoons boiling water
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon sumac

Combine the sugar and the water. Stir till sugar is dissolved. Stir in the molasses and sumac. Refrigerate till required.

Mascarpone cream:

150 grams mascarpone cheese
100 grams whipping cream
1 tablespoon icing sugar
1 teaspoon rose water

Whip the cheese, cream and icing sugar together, until soft peaks form. Stir in the rose water. Refrigerate till required.


To serve:

Sliced strawberries
Raspberries
Pomegranate rubies
Rose petals, use fresh or dried petals
Chopped pistachio nuts

Place a few strawberries and raspberries in a serving bowl. Top with few broken meringues. Add a tablespoon of the mascarpone cream,then drizzle with the pomegranate syrup. Add a scoop of sorbet,then some more fruit. Add another drizzle of pomegranate syrup, and finally sprinkle over the rubies, petals and pistachios. Serve at once.

If You Make One Thing This Week...A Chocolate Mousse Cake...

Phew! What a week it's been!!! On Monday morning we woke up to a power failure that lasted a miserable fourteen hours. As if that was not bad enough, an hour later our water was shut off without notice, until late yesterday. Add to that the scorching heat we're experiencing! What can I say? It's been a rough week... Naturally, there wasn't much cooking or baking happening in my home this week.

Has this ever happened to you that you make something regularly and then suddenly you can't stand the sight of it and can't even imagine ever making it again? Well that was the case with this choc mousse cake that I made last week. My family used to love this cake but I just couldn't bear the thought of making it.  On Friday, whilst going through my book,  I came across the recipe and decided to give it a go again. It goes without saying, that my family were really happy and surprisingly, I enjoyed it too! It took me almost five years to get over my choc mousse 'phobia"! Many of you have messaged me, requesting the recipe, so here goes...

Chocolate Mousse Cake
1 ready baked round chocolate sponge cake
1 quantity coffee syrup, see recipe below
5 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
120 grams caster sugar
2 teaspoons gelatine powder
1 tablespoon water
300 grams 70% dark chocolate, melted ( I used Valrhona, but any good quality chocolate will do)
30 grams butter
500 millilitres whipping cream , whipped to soft peaks

Coffee Syrup
1/2 cup of strong black coffee
1 tablespoon of sugar
Heat the coffee and sugar together until it comes to a boil. Set aside.

Place a 23 centimetre springform ring on a serving plate. Don't use the springform base. Slice off a 2.5 centimetre layer of cake and place it in the springform ring. Brush the cake generously with the coffee syrup. (Save the remaining cake for another recipe. Wrap well in plastic wrap and freeze if desired.)
Beat the egg yolks, vanilla extract and 30 grams of the sugar, until well combined. Meanwhile place the gelatine in a small bowl. Cover with the water and leave to sponge for a few minutes. Heat in the microwave until it it liquid again and add to the egg yolk mixture. Fold in the melted chocolate and
butter. Beat the egg whites and the remaining 90 grams caster sugar, until stiff peaks form. Fold a tablespoon of the whites into the chocolate mixture, (to lighten the mixture) then gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Lastly fold in the whipped cream. Pour the mixture over the cake and refrigerate for at least four hours to set it well. To unmold, run a small palette knife around the rim of the cake, loosen the springform catch and carefully remove the ring. Decorate as desired and serve...

Note: I dusted mine with cocoa powder and decorated it with chocolate covered coffee beans.

If You Make One Thing This Week...A Rice Pudding to Remember...

What a day! Do you experience days were everything goes wrong? You know, from the time you wake, everything is a disaster? Well, today was one of those days. I'm not sure how I managed to get through the day!

I had planned on doing a post on a rice dish that I was making today, and I burnt it! Whilst making the pudding, I dropped an egg and the milk boiled over! I'm really glad that the day is almost over!

Anyway, back to the pudding...This pudding is quite a simple recipe,  ( I always look for that) most of the ingredients can be found at home and it is so versatile. The friend, whose recipe this is, serves this hot, but I love it cold. It is great served warm in winter and cold in summer. This can be adapted to other flavours as well.

Rice pudding with Moroccan flavours 

2/3 cup rice (I use Thai jasmine rice)

1 litre full fat milk

250 ml (1 cup) whipping cream

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour)

1/4 cup cold milk, extra

2 egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 teaspoon orange flower water
Honey almonds, see below
Zest of 1-2 oranges

Place the rice in a pot. Cover with boiling water and boil for fifteen minutes. Drain the water out and place rice back in the pot, together with the milk and cream. Place over low heat and and simmer till rice is really soft. You may need to top up with a small amount of milk. Stir in the sugar. Combine the cornflour with the extra milk and beat in the egg yolks. Add this to the rice mixture and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Stir in the cinnamon together with the orange flower water. Pour the mixture into a large serving bowl or individual little bowls. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until well chilled. Decorate with the honey almonds and a generous sprinkling of orange zest.

Honey almonds

1/2 cup almonds

2 tablespoons orange blossom honey

Heat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade. Place the almond on a baking tray and toast until almonds are well roasted. Keep a close watch on them, as they can go from toasted to burnt and bitter in a flash. Heat the honey in a pan and add the almonds. Stir to coat and cook for a minute 

Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Going to bed now...Hope tomorrow is a better day! Goodnight...

New Bowls and a Dessert ...

On Thursday, I went shopping with my daughter and I saw these beautiful  bowls. They were oval in shape and not too large...'Perfect for dessert', I thought. I have been looking around for clear glass bowls that would allow me to layer desserts but always found ones that were too large for individual servings. When I saw these, I knew that they would be perfect! Of course I bought them!

 I had planned on making a layered mousse on Friday, but time was short and I was babysitting Mommy.B's twins. And right royal little divas they are! They screamed every time I put them down!

Anyway, getting back to the topic of dessert, I whipped up these Muhallabiya. Best decision... My family were really pleased and loved them! They went down a treat! Silky and smooth, they satisfied a sweet tooth without being too rich and cloying. This recipe requires minimal preparation, and is quick and easy to make. Allow some time for chilling, though...I love this served ice cold.

Ready to be decorated...

First some crushed pistachios...

...Then some rose petals...

Some more pistachios, just because!

Muhallabiya recipe:

1 litre full fat milk

250 millilitres (1 cup) double cream

2/3 cup sugar

6 tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour)

1 tablespoon orange blossom water

1 tablespoon rose water

Pistachios and rose petals for garnish

Set aside a 1/2 cup of milk. Combine remaining  milk, cream and sugar in a heavy based saucepan. Place on medium heat, and bring to a gentle simmer.

Mix reserved milk and cornstarch to a smooth paste. Pour into the simmering milk, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and is gently bubbling. Stir in the rose and blossom waters. Leave to cool slightly, before pouring into individual  serving bowls or into one large bowl.

Cool to room temperature, then chill until really cold. Decorate with rose petals and pistachios, and serve.

This recipe makes approximately 12 servings.

Note: This recipe can be prepared a  day before.

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