Custard and Jelly Dessert Recipe

Custard and Jelly Recipe

4 sheets gelatine leaves
450ml cold water

200g soft fruit of choice
50g caster sugar or +\_ to suit own taste
100mls water
2tbs chambord or cassis (optional)
1tsp vanilla extract

6 small glasses to serve in or 1 big bowl

Soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes
In the meantime add the 100mls of water, sugar, vanilla and 3/4 of the fruits and bring to boil until the liquid becomes syrupy
Put the liquid through a sieve  and discard the seeds
Return to the heat
Squeeze out the water from the gelatine and add the gelatine into the fruit syrup


Mix well until gelatine has fully dissolved and remove from heat
Add the chambord or cassis if using

Divide the remaining fruits into the glasses top with jelly and allow to cool before putting in fridge to set.

Custard:

3egg yorks
2tbs sugar
300mls double cream
25g white chocolate broken into small pieces (optional)
1tsp vanilla extract

Whisk together egg yolks and sugar
Heat cream, vanilla and chocolate until chocolate has melted or crea starts to bubble but not boiling (scolding point)

Gradually add the cream mixture to the egg in a steady stream whist whisking at the same time.
Using bain marie method; place bowl with custard over pot of simmering water and continue whisking for three to four minutes,mustard should start to thicken
If using a spoon (has to be wooden), custard will be ready when it costs the back of the spoon.

Leave this to cool, pout over jelly and leave to set until you are ready to eat

(You can serve custard with plain cakes or fruits or on its own. Choices are endless.) tastes much much better than shop bought powders and Ambrosia.

Creamy potato bake ( potato au gratin)

A beautiful accompaniment to hearty meaty dishes delectable home comforts especially during the cold seasons and an alternative to the usual roast, mashed or crushed potatoes.

The quantities can be altered depending on how many people you are cooking for. I am cooking for six people three of which are children so I have halved the normal quantities
500g King Edward potatoes
200ml milk
100ml double cream
50g grated Gruyere cheese
1/2tsp freshly ground nutmeg
Clove garlic split in half
25g butter
30g plain flour

Melt the butter over medium heat, add flour and mix thoroughly ensuring that you have no lumps
Remove from heat and gradually add the milk then cream
Add half of the nutmeg and return to heat
Simmer for 1minute and set aside

Wash, peel and cut the potatoes thinly (5mm thick disks)
Boil for about three minutes then drain the water

Rub the split garlic onto the base of your casserole dish
Sprinkle the remaining nutmeg
Layer the potatoes on and sprinkle half the remaining cheese, then potatoes again
Pour over the sauce and drench the potatoes
Sprinkle remaining cheese and bake for 1 1/2hours at 180C or until the top has become golden brown.

Creamy White Sauce Recipe

I know packet sauces save us a whole lot of time but if we think about it, we still need to add milk, sometimes cheese and still have to boil and simmer.

If we took our time to make our own sauces, play around with herbs and experiment, we may come up with someone unique, preservative free, packed full of natural flavours and we will enjoy far much more than the shop bought products that are synthesised.

Today I am sharing with you my homemade creamy cheese sauce to go with anything; from chicken to pastas, mushrooms and or potato bakes. All you need is to twist and tweak a bit by adding white wine, or some crushed garlic or some nutmeg sprinkling omit flour and add cream or put both.

All you need is:

50g butter
60g plain flour
300ml milk
100 ml white wine (if using)
400mls double cream (which can be used as a substitute to flour)
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
Freshly milled nutmeg
50g cheese (cheddar or Gruyere is fine) grated

Put butter in a pan and melt, add flour and mix thoroughly ensuring mixture is lump free
Remove pan from heat and gradually add milk whilst stirring every time
Add the cheese and mix

All done

If you decide to go for the wine option
 You will need to melt your 1tbs butter, add milk and bring to boil, add cream and then wine then grate in the cheeses.

Job done

Simple mayonnaise

So we got talking on Facebook as people do these days and a mayonnaise recipe was mentioned in passing. I have now decided to peruse through my scrap book and found it, so whilst waiting for my chocolate tray bake to cool I have decided to copy the Mayo recipe here. This may come in handy when my book is tattered or the kids decide draw and paint on them.

4 free-range egg yolks
2 tsp ready-prepared English mustard
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
570ml/1 pint vegetable oil
sea salt and freshly ground white pepper

If using a food processor, place the egg yolks into the bowl of a processor, or in a mini-food processor. Add the vinegar, salt and pepper and the mustard. Pulse once or twice to blend.

Add the mustard and vinegar. Whisk with a balloon whisk to blend. Add a very small amount of the oil and whisk until it's well blended in. Add a little more oil and whisk again.

Continue adding the oil, whisking thoroughly between each addition, until the sauce emulsifies and thickens after a few minutes. Stop adding the oil when the mayonnaise has reached the desired consistency (you may not need to use all the oil). If the mayonnaise is too thick, you can thin it with a little bit of warm water.

Adjust the flavouring by adding more vinegar or mustard, if desired, and season with sea salt and white pepper.

If using a food processor, place the egg yolks into the bowl of a processor, or in a mini-food processor. Add the vinegar, salt and pepper and the mustard. Pulse once or twice to blend.

Turn the processor on and, with the motor running, add the oil in a thin, steady stream through the top of the lid. After a minute or two, the mixture will change consistency as you blend and will emulsify into a thick, rich sauce. Stop adding oil when the mayonnaise has reached the desired consistency (you may not need to use all the oil). If the mayonnaise is too thick, you can thin with a little bit of
water.
Taste, adjust the flavouring by adding more vinegar or mustard, if desired, and season with a little more sea salt and white pepper to taste.

The mayonnaise can be served at once or kept in the fridge for up to a day.

Poached pear and chambord cream

Make any dinner special with this all year round simple dessert. We can never have enough of this, all I need to do is alternate the wines I use to poach and that is enough to vary the flavours making each dessert special.

Red wine poached pear served with chambord whipped cream

Serves 4
You will need

3/4 bottle of any red wine of choice (remember if you can't drink it it's not good enough for your cooking)
Four ripened pears (I use Rocha pears) peeled
200g caster sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
1cinammon stick

Put all the ingredients in a deep pot with your pears upright/bottom side down
Simmer over medium heat for 20minutes before transferring to preheated oven for 45mins-1hr
Remember to turn the pears regularly for even colouring and that intense all round flavour
Return to hob for the final 10-15minutws to thicken the sauce
Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Macaroons

In my bid to provide the kids with snacks and goodies to enjoy at home while I'm at work I made a few treats for them. Among these were macaroons which were a hit at home and at work (the young and the old united).

Makes 20

Ingredients:
Macaroons;
200g icing sugar
200g caster sugar
200g ground almonds
4egg whites in separate bowls (2 in each)
4tbs water
1tsp almond extract
Red food colouring

Filling
90g soft butter
150g icing sugar sifted

Method
Mix ground almonds and icing sugar together and blitz in a food processor for about three minutes
Remove from processor and transfer into a large clean bowl
Add 2egg whites and fold into a paste
Add a few drops of the colouring and mix thoroughly

In a clean pan; add the caster sugar and water and simmer over medium heat until sugar has dissolved stirring constantly
Once sugar has dissolved stop stirring and let the liquid come to a boil and thickens slightly
Set pan aside and let cool slightly

Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 2 egg whites until it forms soft peaks
Whilst whisking the egg whites, gradually add the sugar syrup in a slow steady stream until the meringue is stiff and the peaks stay on the whisk when lifted
Add 2tbs of the meringue to the almond paste and gently fold to loosen the mixture
Add the remaining meringue and lightly fold until all is incorporated

Heat oven to 150C
Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper
Transfer macaroon mixture to a large piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle
Pipe up the macaroons leaving enough space in between
Leave the macaroons to rest for an hour to form skin

Bake macaroons for 25minutes and leave them to cool in the oven for thirty minutes
Transfer to wire rack and allow to cool completely

Filling:
Add butter to half the icing sugar and whisk till mixture is soft, smooth and pale
Add remaining icing sugar and mix well
Transfer mixture to a piping bag
Pipe filling over one macaroon and sandwich with another
Keep in an airtight container
Can last up to 2-3days

Duck breast with peaches and tarragon sauce

I always play it safe when it comes to cooking duck breast and stick to the usual orange sauce or redcurrant sauce. Today I decided to try peaches as an accompaniment and boy oh boy was it a result or what. Let's just say I will definitely use it again and again and again.

It was hailed the best; and in my son's words "mommy, this meat is tender and succulent and the peaches are all soft and and fresh. It really does go together". You see I trust this natural chef and judge of mine and I trust him dearly.

Serves 4-6
DUCK BREAST WITH PEACHES AND TARRAGON
Ingredients:
4 boneless breasts with skin on
1tbs butter
2 echallion shallots thinly sliced
6tbs vermouth or any dry white wine
6tbs chicken broth
3 medium peaches sliced into think slices
1tbs freshly chopped tarragon leaves or roughly torn
2tsp mild honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 200C
Score the skin with a sharp knife and season with salt and pepper

Heat pan over medium heat and add the breasts skin side down and fry for about 6 minutes
Transfer breasts to oven and roast for about 8-10 minutes
Transfer duck to chopping board and rest

Discard most of the fat from pan and leave about 1tbs
Put pan over medium heat and add butter to the pan, add shallots and sauté till tender (about 2minutes).
Add wine and simmer till reduced by half (2minutes), add the chicken broth and simmer (2minutes) to reduce liquid before adding the peaches, tarragon, honey and remaining salt and pepper.
Stir till sauce is bubbling (1minute)
Slice the breasts and serve with the peaches and sauce from fruit accompanied with asparagus or green beans.

Lemon meringue pie

One thing that puts us off cooking from scratch is the amount of time we have to spend prepping the foods, getting the ingredients right and by the time food gets to the table; one is knackered and lost appetitive. The amazing thing about cooking your own food though is, you get to play around with ingredients, recreate recipes and add personalised flavours and probably find shortcuts that the chefs don't always tell you about.

Lemon meringue pie, my all time favourite but just thinking about making it sometimes puts me off the idea of making one. Today, however, I bumped into Merry Berry's idea and boy did we jump on it (me and my nine year old got so excited we couldn't wait any longer.

No pastry making, no fiddling with lemons making the lemon curd; so so easy I dare you to try it too!

150g crushed digestive biscuits
100g +\_ melted butter
175g caster sugar
3egg whites

2 lemons zested and muiced
1 can condensed milk
3 egg yolks

Method
Mix together the crushed biscuits with the melted butter and spread into a 23cm round pie dish
(Set aside)
Mix together condensed milk, lemon zest and juice and the egg yolks and mix thoroughly ( mixture
will start to thicken instantly)
Pour over crushed biscuits and chill for about 20minutes

Meanwhile; whisk the egg whites into a meringue
Gradually add the sugar inbetween mixing (a tablespoon at a time) until all is incorporated
and mixture forms stiff peaks and does not fall the whisk when lifted 
Scoop meringue onto the curd in circular motion from the outside going inwards

Bake in preheated oven at 190c for 30-40minutes till meringue top has some golden browned top or singed.

Serve warm.

Extra matured rib eye steak

Food especially red meats are much much nicer if they are given those extra days of attention allowing them to mature, tenderise and mellow. When you finally eat, the meat just melts in your mouth, almost no need to chew it as it just disintegrates in your mouth.

This piece was 28 days matured when I bought it and I gave it an extra 3 days wrapped in a muslin cloth in my fridge. Look at the marble effect and heightened colour I have achieved, and the test and flavour intensity you achieve is remarkable.

I do this with my lamb too and I can not recommend this enough, just leaving your meat in the fridge for those 2 or three days will make a difference and your meals will be most enjoyable. If you do not have space in your fridge you can always ask your butcher to mature it for you and you pick it up when you need it.

Tuille biscuits

So I love my desserts and I cannot think about eating my meals and not finish off with a nice dessert. I love making tuille biscuits because I can shape them into different shapes to fit and suit my mood depending on the meals I am eating. I have posted the recipe before so feel free to scroll down to the previous posts.