Meringue cake

I am calling this a meringue cake because I have no idea what to call it. I sat at home today thinking about what dessert to make for tonight's dinner. I did not want mousse (we have had that twice in one week), we had creme brûlée last night and the night before we had tuile baskets filled with fruits. I had a lemon sponge in the kitchen which I had not filled yet so I stumbled on an idea to make meringues then layer them on the cake the result was beautiful melt in the mouth dessert. The lemonnes of the sponge was lightly coming trough, mixing with the light airy meringue which was complimented by the chambord cream chantilly and the fresh burst of the fruits. Ah.........heaven!!
                               
                                       

Meringue Recipe
Preheat oven at 100C

3egg whites at room temp
175g caster sugar
50g icing sugar sifted

Cream chantilly
200ml double cream
1tbs caster sugar
5ml vanilla chambord (or vanilla extract will do)
Sponge
1 shop bought lemon sponge (creams and fillings sliced out/removed) (I make my own sponge). You
only need one half of the cake so you are better of making your own to avoid waste.

Whisk the egg yolks till they foam soft peaks
Gradually add the caster sugar whilst whisking at the same time 1tbs at a time)

When all sugar has been added, add the icing sugar and whisk
(I have now decided to add both sugars prior to whisking as this not only saves time but also minimises the chances of over whisking my meringues).Place meringue into a piping bag fitted with a 0.5cm nozzle

Cut the sponge into rectangles (size of choice) and divide each rectangle into two (lengthwise)
Pipe the meringue onto the cakes and bake in oven for 20minutes

When meringue is ready, allow to cool on cooling rack until you are ready to use.

Add cream, sugar and (vanilla extract or chambord) and whip until just firm
Pipe or scoop the cream onto the meringue, decorate with fruits and drizzle some berry coulis if you have some.

Enjoy

Simple chocolate mousse recipe

Here is a recipe for an all easy make ahead dessert that will wow your guests.

Chocolate Mousse Serves: 6 Difficulty: medium Ingredients 250g plain chocolate, coarsely chopped 125ml water, divided 30g butter 3 egg yolks 2 tablespoons sugar 300ml whipping cream, whipped Method Prep:30min › Cook:5min › Extra time:4hr › Ready in:4hr35min In a microwave or bain marie, heat chocolate, 60ml water and butter until the chocolate and butter are melted. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes. In a small heavy saucepan, whisk egg yolks, sugar and remaining water. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture reaches 70 degrees C, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat; whisk in chocolate mixture. Set saucepan in ice and stir until cooled, about 5-10 minutes. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon into six dessert glasses. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Brandy snaps Recipe

I enjoyed making these brandy snaps today as a request from the kids.

Here's How
Makes 16
Prep time +\_ 30 minutes
Cook time 6-8minutes
Difficulty: easy

INGREDIENTS
For the brandy snaps
50 g butter
50 g caster sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
50 g plain flour
1tsp ground ginger
1tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1tbs lemon juice

For the filling
150 ml whipping cream
1tsp vanilla extract

METHOD
1. preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and oil the handle of a wooden spoon.

2.Melt together the butter, sugar and golden syrup and leave to cool a little. Stir in the flour, brandy and spices; grate in the lemon zest.

3.Drop small spoonfuls of the mixture onto a baking tray, spaced well apart, as they will spread in the oven. It is best to cook the snaps in two batches so you'll have time to shape them while they are still pliable.

4.Bake for 6-8 minutes. They're ready when the mixture has spread out to lacy, golden discs. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a minute before shaping.

5.Use the oiled wooden spoon handle to shape the brandy snaps into cylinders and leave on a rack to cool. If they become too brittle, return to the oven for a minute to soften. Repeat with the remaining mixture.

6.For the filling: whisk the cream and vanilla extract to soft billowing peaks. Spoon into a sandwich bag and snip off one corner to make a piping bag. Pipe the cream into the brandy snaps just before serving.

Crispy duck breast

Duck breast is one of those meats that can be played up or down to suit each occasion and it works all the time. For that special dinner I tend to pan fry it and serve with orange sauce or red current jus with baby potatoes and asparagus or any other green beans.

For a midweek family dinner I flash fry skin side down for 2 minutes then 1 minute in the other side then cook in oven for 15 minutes. This gives me to use the duck cooking time to scramble up some dessert before serving time.

Tonight I did just that toss the duck breasts I the oven whilst I prepared the Eton Mess (I make myself sound organised but anyone can do it).

Passionberry dessert

I love scouring the Internet to search recipes and the tweaking them to my liking, by the time I'm finished with the recipe it's nothing that the original. I find that fulfilling, satisfying and enjoyable, at the end of the day all we want is an idea and then give birth to our own personalised products.

Tonight I decided on the 'Passionbery' dessert to keep my gorgeous six year old happy because he shares the same food passion as his mom.

Makes six individual desserts:

200g fresh raspberries made into a purée
6passion fruit juices only
5 gelatine leaves
300ml double cream whipped

3 egg whites whisked to soft peaks
175g caster sugar

50g White chocolate melted into 20ml of double cream

Instructions:
Whisk egg whites until they foam soft peaks, gradually add the sugar (one tbs at a time) to make a meringue, divide meringue into 2 clean bowls
Dissolve the gelatine according to pack instructions then divide equally into 2 bowls
Mix the raspberry purée with half of the gelatine (reserve a little bit of the purée for decorating) and meringue in one bowl and then add half the whipped cream and fold, chill in fridge
Mix the remaining gelatine with the passion fruit, then add the meringue followed by folding in the whipped cream.

Spoon in the raspberry mousse followed by the passion fruit then chill until set.
When ready decorate your plate with the white chocolate and the remaining raspberry purée

Enjoy

Spun sugar baskets: Recipe

Delicately intricate these baskets are fun and so enjoyable to make but be careful this sugar is very very hot. Make sure there are no children around and that you have covered your work surfaces with old newspapers or parchment paper to avoid unnecessary cleaning.

Spun sugar baskets: Recipe

Ingredients:

100ml cold water
500g caster sugar
1 Tbsp glucose syrup (optional – it will help prevent your sugar crystallizing)

Tools required:

Sugar thermometer (useful but you can do without)
Saucepan
Pastry brush
Ladle

Method:

1. To help prevent unnecessary clean up, cover your counter tops with baking paper.

2. Get an ice water bath ready so that you can plunge your saucepan into it when necessary and grease a ladle or bowl onto which you will spin your sugar.

3. Put all of your ingredients into a heavy-based saucepan, over a low heat. Keep a low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Don’t stir or shake the pan at this stage as you’ll get sugar crystals forming around the edge of the solution. If this happens, brush down the sides with a pastry brush dipped in cold water.

4. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, increase the heat to maximum and boil vigorously until the syrup turns a light golden colour or when it reaches 185°C on a sugar thermometer.

5. Briefly and gently, plunge the base of the saucepan into a bowl of iced water, stirring with a metal dessert spoon in order to prevent the caramel from over-cooking or burning.

6. Using a fork, drizzle the caramel in a thin stream over the ladle. Hold the ladle at the top of the handle and beware of sugar dropping onto your arm or hand. If the caramel starts to harden, place
over a low heat to melt.

 7. Allow the sugar basket to cool slightly before gently twisting off.

FILL THE BASKETS UP WITH WHIPPED CREAM TOPPED UP WITH SOFT FRUITS.  mine is accompanying a Strawberry jelly cheesecake

                                                         ENJOY

Candied Orange and cream puffs

I got gasps and wows on this easy to make desserts (well; I say easy but it took me 90minutes to make the puff pastry). My children loved not only eating it but they took mummy's duties and they got snap happy and took the pictures for me.

Make your own pastry for that extra home touch or buy from your local shop (I will post the puff pastry recipe separately because this post is about the dessert.

1 block puff pastry rolled out and cut into discus
(Allow to rest on room temp before rolling out and also after cutting)
Cook pastry according to pack instructions and let it cool completely
1large Orange (half of it cut into thin discs and the remaining half peeled and segmented)
3 ripe kiwi peeled and cut into halves
A handful raspberries

150g caster sugar
1tbs water
1tsp chambord (or vanilla extract)

200mls double cream
25g caster sugar
Whip the  cream and sugar together till firm but not thick

Mix caster sugar and water together then place on a hob and dissolve the sugar on medium heat
When sugar is dissolved, increase heat, add the orange segments and segments into the syrup and watch them bubble away
Remove from heat when syrup has thickened and turned into a pale gold colour
Strain the fruits and spread on a cooling rack with parchment paper on top of it

Spread cream on top of the puffs then decorate with fruits as desired
Use the remaining juicy syrup to drizzle over the dessert and enjoy