Tag: Desserts

Tuesday Treat

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Coffee Semifreddo with Salted Caramel Pistachios

This is one of those recipes which you will want to make time and time again. Not only is it delicious, but it’s super easy to make (despite the long recipe!), plus you can store it in the freezer for a ‘sweet-boost’ after a long day! I adore the caramelised pistachios; I usually double the quantity, so I have one portion to mix into the semifreddo and another for sprinkling over. They’re also great as a sweet treat with an espresso!

For the caramelised pistachios:

*(if you like, double quantities for sprinkling or snacking(!) – see note above)

100g pistachios (shelled)

100g caster sugar

A good pinch of flaky sea salt

For the semifreddo:

5 egg whites

200g caster sugar

1 vanilla pod

300ml double cream

30ml cold, strong espresso coffee

*You will need a terrine dish or bread tin, roughly 25cm x 10cm, lined with two or three sheets of cling film – this is vital for getting the semifreddo out later on (leave an excess of cling film for folding over the semifreddo).

  1. Place the nuts on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Place in a preheated oven, 180’c (fan), for 10 minutes – put on a timer as they burn easily!
  2. Meanwhile, place the 100g sugar into a wide pan, ideally silver-coloured so that you can see the colour of the caramel as it changes. Shake the sugar about so that it spreads out evenly and place the pan over medium-high heat. Leave the sugar to melt; Do Not be tempted to stir it to help it melt evenly, if you do it will crystallise. You can give it a gentle shake, just no stirring. Watch the colour – you want it to caramelise to a reddish colour.
  3. As soon as the caramel is ready, turn off the heat and pour in the nuts while they’re still hot. Having the nuts hot gives you time to quickly stir them through the caramel without it setting too quickly. Add a generous pinch of sea salt, stirring to coat the nuts completely, then quickly pour on to a lined tray and leave to cool. When set, bash with a rolling pin to break apart the caramelised nuts, you don’t want big clumps but instead individual nuts and halves.
  4. Now you can make the semifreddo. Simply place the egg whites in a bowl and whisk until they are foamy and just forming stiff peaks – be careful not to over whisk. Gradually add the sugar, whisking to create a light meringue.
  5. In a separate bowl, scrape out the vanilla pod and add to the double cream. Whip until it thickens and just begins to leave little ribbons behind the whisk.
  6. Carefully fold in the cold espresso and the pistachios into the cream (If you have doubled the quantities of pistachios, only add half!). Then, gradually fold in the meringue, little by little, trying to retain as much air as possible. Pour the mixture into your prepared dish, fold over the cling film and place in the freezer until it sets (6-8 hours).
  7. To serve, simply turn the semifreddo out of the mould, peel off the cling film and thickly slice on a bread board. Quickly wrap up any leftovers and place in the freezer for a treat at a later date!

Tuesday Treat

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Raspberry & Pomegranate Roulade

Any roulade is a favourite dessert of mine, however, this one is particularly good! The cream filling is cut with Greek yoghurt, in addition there’s the fresh zing from lemon zest and the tartness of raspberries and pomegranate seeds. With added ground almonds, the meringue roulade is slightly more cake-like but still very light. Like all roulades this is best eaten fresh!

4 large egg whites

225g caster sugar

50g ground almonds

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cornflour

For the filling:

350ml double cream

160g strained full-fat Greek-style yogurt

Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons icing sugar, plus more to dust

100g raspberries

130g pomegranate seeds

For the topping:

1-2 tablespoons shelled, unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped

*You will need a 30x20cm Swiss roll tin, lined with baking parchment (alternatively you could draw a rectangle, 30x20cm, on piece of baking parchment placed on a baking tray).

  1. Place the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk to soft peaks. Slowly add the sugar, whisking in a few tablespoons at a time until it has all been used up and you have stiff, glossy meringue. Gently fold in the almonds lemon juice and cornflour.
  2. Spoon the meringue into the prepared tin and use a spatula to smooth out.
  3. Bake in a preheated oven, 150’c fan, for 30 minutes, until firm on top and slightly golden.
  4. Meanwhile tear off another piece of baking parchment of the same size and lay it on a clean work surface – you’ll need this to roll the meringue when it’s cooked.
  5. Whisk the cream, yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract and icing sugar in a bowl to a thick cream. Place half the berries in a bowl and use a fork to mash, to create pools of juice.
  6. When the meringue is cooked, turn it out onto the fresh piece of baking parchment you prepared earlier. Gently peel off the parchment from the base of the meringue and leave to completely cool (this will take about 10 minutes).
  7. When the meringue is cold, spoon the cream over it, reserving a couple of tablespoons for decoration. Sprinkle over most of the pomegranate seeds, reserving 2 spoonfuls for decoration, and scatter over the whole raspberries and crushed berries, swirling the juices with the end of the spoon so that you have bright pink streaks running through it.

Tuesday Treat

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Vanilla Pavlova with Passion Fruit Cream, Pineapple and Mint Salsa (Serves 8)

This is a real show-stopping dessert. The combination of the fresh pineapple and passion fruit alongside the whipped cream and marshmallow-like texture of the meringue is sublime – plus there’s the fresh tang from the mint! This glorious recipe is from Paul Ainsworth’s cookbook ‘For the Food I Love’.

6 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

330g caster sugar

1½ tablespoon cornflour

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Zest of 1 lime

For the Pineapple and Mint Salsa:

1 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and diced

1 pod of vanilla, seeds removed

4 passion fruit

12 mint leaves

For the Passion Fruit Cream:

125g crème fraiche

20g icing sugar

150ml double cream

  1. First, make the meringue. Whisk the egg whites and vanilla paste together until light and fluffy. Now slowly start to whisk in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until fully incorporated. Continue to whisk until the meringue forms soft peaks. Sift the cornflour and using a spatula fold it through the fluffy egg white. Finally, fold through the lemon juice.
  2. Onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper, spoon (or pipe) the meringue, forming 8 domed circles (approx. 10cm). Bake in a preheated oven, 110’c fan for 55 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave the pavlovas in the oven to cool and dry.
  3. To make the pineapple and mint salsa, take a bowl and add the pineapple and vanilla seeds (from the pod). Cut the passion fruit in half and scrape out the fruit into a sieve over a small bowl to collect the juice. Keep back 1 tablespoon of juice for the fruit cream (see below) and add the rest to the salsa, along with the passion fruit seeds. Chop up some of the mint but reserve a few leaves for decoration. Now give the salsa a good stir.
  4. Next make the passion fruit cream. Take a mixing bowl and add the crème fraiche, icing sugar and reserved 1 tablespoon of passion fruit juice, whisk together to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk the double cream until you have soft peaks. Fold the whipped double cream through the passion fruit mixture and whip until stiff. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
  5. To serve, place the pavlovas onto a large platter or individual plates. Divide the passion fruit cream between the pavlovas in neat dollops, then spoon over the pineapple and mint salsa. Finish with lime zest and reserved mint leaves.

Tuesday Treat

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Banana Soufflés with Caramel Sauce (Serves 6)

Oh my, these are good!.. They are soft, fluffy and fruity; a super light dessert which will impress everyone. Soufflés have a reputation for being difficult to make, but believe me when I say that these are super easy. The soufflé mix can be made up to two hours in advance, just keep chilled in the ramekins and bake straight from the fridge. Meanwhile, the caramel sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance; keep chilled and reheat gently to serve.

*It’s important to get the size of the ramekins right to make sure that they rise up – I used ramekins with a 200ml capacity (9cm diameter) and they rose up perfectly.

20g butter, softened for coating the ramekins

100g caster sugar, plus extra for coating

75ml whole milk

2 large eggs, separated

2 tablespoons cornflour

1 large ripe banana, about 100g

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Icing sugar, for dusting

For the caramel sauce:

20g dark muscovado sugar

1 tablespoon golden syrup

25g butter

150ml double cream

  1. Preheat the oven to 180’c fan and put a baking tray in the oven.
  2. Grease 6 ramekins (see note above) with butter and evenly coat the base and sides with a little sugar.
  3. Heat the milk until it’s just at a simmer then remove from the heat. Using an electric whisk, beat the egg yolks and 50g of the caster sugar together until pale, then whisk in the cornflour. Now, gradually whisk in the warm milk.
  4. Place the banana and vanilla bean paste in a food processor or blender and whizz until very smooth. Stir into the milk mixture.
  5. Using clean beaters, whisk the 2 egg whites until stiff, then gradually add the remaining sugar, whisking until shiny.
  6. Use a metal spoon to fold the banana mixture into the egg whites, a quarter at a time, until blended and mousse-like.
  7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared ramekins. Place on the hot baking tray and bake in the preheated oven, 180’c fan, for 12-15 minutes until risen and golden brown.
  8. Meanwhile, make the caramel sauce. Place the sugar, butter and syrup in a pan and heat gently, stirring, until smooth. Bring to a simmer then stir in the cream and cook gently for a further 2 minutes.
  9. Remove the soufflés from the oven dust with icing sugar and serve immediately with the warm sauce – it’s a good idea to make sure your guests are seated at the table so you can serve them the moment they come out of the oven so that everyone can appreciate them in their full ‘risen’ glory!

Tuesday Treat

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Flourless Sour Cherry and Chocolate Cake

This is the perfect Valentine’s Day treat!.. Growing up in the seventies the ‘Black Forest Gateaux’ was my dream dessert. So when I came across this recipe I couldn’t resist! It’s a modern take on my childhood dream and all the better for it; it’s rich with a gooey middle and there’s a hint of sourness from the cherries. However, because it doesn’t contain flour it has a lightness. You can choose to serve it with crème fraiche or in true ‘Black Forest’ style with a good dollop of whipped cream. Thanks to cookbook writer, Ravneet Gill, for this wonderful recipe.

300g 70% dark chocolate (I use Lindt), broken up

225g unsalted butter

5 eggs, plus 1 yolk

4g sea salt

200g golden caster sugar

200g pitted sour cherries, frozen or jarred

Crème Fraiche or whipped cream to serve

*You will need a 25cm round cake tine, greased and base lined with greaseproof paper.

  1. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water – make sure that the water doesn’t touch the bowl. Once melted take off the heat.
  2. In a bowl, beat the eggs (and extra yolk), salt and sugar until the mixture has tripled in volume, then carefully fold in the chocolate mixture, followed by the cherries.
  3. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake in a preheated oven, 160’c fan, for 45 minutes or until it has started to set on top.
  4. Leave to cool, then turn out, slice and serve with crème fraiche or a dollop of whipped cream.