Archive for the 'Desserts' Category

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Mixed Berry Soup with Floating Island Meringue

mixed berry soupBalancing between a frappe, fresh juice and stewed fruit, this unique dessert brings out a milder, more subtle sweetness in the berries. Paired with the lightness of meringue, it’s an otherworldly experience.

Berry soup
1 cup fresh or frozen mixed berries
4 tablespoons caster sugar
2 cups water
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Meringue
2 egg whites
8 tablespoons icing sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 lemon juiced and zested
Fresh mint leaves and lemon zest for garnish

Place the berries, water, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Allow the fruit to infuse for 5 minutes before taking it off the heat. Refrigerate or freeze the berry soup until just before serving. It must be served ice cold.

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites and salt till soft peak stage. Slowly add the icing sugar a tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly. When all the sugar is combined, stir in the lemon juice and zest. Fill a small pot halfway with some water. Bring to the boil then turn it down to a simmer. Scoop the meringue one tablespoon at a time into the water and poach for 20 seconds or till firm. Repeat till all the meringue is finished. Serve the berry soup in bowls topped with a meringue. Garnish with some fresh mint and lemon zest.

 

Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen

 

Other delicious fruit-inspired recipes:

* Charred Pears in a Sweet Cinammon Sauce

* Strawberry Mille Feuille

* Berry Jelly in a Champagne Soup

Published on May 1, 2008 in Desserts. Closed Tags: .

Vanilla and Lemon Zest Semifreddo

semAs a beautiful end to your meal, take the lead from Italy and serve a deliciously tangy semifreddo. Creamy, yet light and refreshing, it’s the dessert world’s equivalent of heaven.

4 large eggs, separated
1 cup of caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, seeds scrapped out
1 lemon, zested
500 ml of double cream

Place egg yolks, sugar and vanilla seeds in a bowl and whisk till pale and fluffy. Remove to a separate bowl. Whisk cream till soft peaks form, taking care not to over beat. Remove to a separate bowl. Clean the bowl, then whisk egg whites till firm peaks form. Fold together the egg mix and cream. Carefully fold in the egg whites, taking care not to lose the air. Spoon into a container and cover with cling wrap. Freeze overnight and allow to rest in the fridge for 10 minutes before turning out and serving. Slice and serve with summer berries. Serves 8


Tip: If you have any leftovers, do not allow the mixture to defrost as it will not refreeze properly. Try adding crushed hazelnut praline or chopped dark chocolate in place of lemon zest.

Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen

Published on April 23, 2008 in Desserts. Closed Tags: .

Tropical Oat Delight

Fragrant coconut, crunchy almonds and juicy bursts of fresh fruit transform this healthy morning meal into a feast for the taste buds. Give your day a kick-start with this tropical take on Oliver Twist’s famous food. A great option for breakfast, oats are low GI, low in fat, and high in fibre. Plus, they’ll keep you going until lunchtime.

1 cup quick oats
2 cups water, or low-fat milk
1 pinch salt
1 cup low-fat or fat-free yoghurt
1 cup red papaya, cut into 1cm dice
1 cup fresh pineapple, core removed and cut into 1cm dice
4 tablespoons whole toasted almonds, roughly chopped
2 passionfruit, cut in half, pulp removed
1 pomegranate, seeds removed and flesh discarded
2 tablespoons toasted shredded coconut

Combine oats, water/milk and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes till oats are soft. Cool. Add the yoghurt to the oats in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir in the papaya, pineapple and 3 tablespoons of the almonds. Spoon into bowls. Garnish with the reserved chopped almonds, passionfruit pulp, pomegranate seeds and coconut. Serves 4

Tips: Oats can be cooked the night before and finished off in the morning. To add more fibre to your breakfast, include a few tablespoons of wheat or oat bran. As an alternative, use mangoes, kiwi, fresh or frozen berries, or any seasonal fruit.

Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen

Other delicious recipes with oats

* Winter-Warming Porridge

* Apple, Quince and Ginger Crumble 

Published on April 23, 2008 in Desserts. Closed Tags: .

Strawberry Mille Feuille

strawTaking its name from the thousands of individual layers of pastry found in a traditional mille feuille, many bakers are daunted by the thought of making such a complicated sweet treat. But with puff pastry and a little rustic touch, you can create these delicate desserts in no time at all.

1½ cup full cream milk
½ vanilla pod, sliced in half lengthwise and seeds scraped
¾ tablespoon caster sugar
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons plain flour
1 roll pure butter puff pastry 375 gr (270*250mm
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
icing sugar for garnish

Place the vanilla pod and seeds with the milk in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil and remove from the heat. Meanwhile, place the sugar and egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk until pale and smooth, 3-4 minutes. Whisk in the flour and half of the hot milk. Stir the egg custard mix into the rest of the hot milk and return to the stove on a low heat. Stir constantly with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon till custard thickens. Remove from the heat immediately and pour through a sieve into a small bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate till cold. Heat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with bakers paper. Roll out the puff pastry and cut into equal-sized rectangles (you’ll need two per person). Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack. To assemble, layer the puff pasty with the custard and sliced strawberries. Dust with icing sugar before serving. Makes 4

Tips: These can be prepared a few hours in advance and will keep in the fridge. However fresh is best, so assemble them just before serving. Any fruit, or combination of fruits can be used. Try adding them to the custard for luscious effect. Chocolate and coffee can be substituted for vanilla pod.

Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen

Other delicious tea-time recipes:

* Orange and Almond Gluten Free Cake

* Rosemary Shortbread

Published on April 23, 2008 in Desserts. Closed Tags: .

Apple, Quince and Ginger Crumble

Make stunning apple, quince and ginger crumbles by cooking finely sliced apple and quince in a couple of tablespoons of butter, a tablespoon of caster sugar, and a little ground ginger. Make the crumble mix by rubbing together flour, melted butter and brown sugar until you have a crumbly, dough-like consistency. You can add oats, sultanas or chopped walnuts to add texture to the crumble.

Other delicious recipes with oats:

* Tropical Oat Delight

* Winter-Warming Porridge

Published on April 23, 2008 in Desserts. Closed Tags: .

Winter-Warming Porridge

Kick-start your morning with a hot bowl of porridge enhanced with dried fruit or golden syrup. Adding sultanas, or chopped and dried apricots or figs, will provide a natural and healthy sweetness to the porridge. Alternatively, try substituting half the water in the cooking instructions for milk, or add a tablespoon of golden syrup for a real treat.

 

Other delicious recipes with oats:

* Tropical Oat Delight

* Apple, Quince and Ginger Crumble

Published on April 23, 2008 in Desserts. Closed Tags: .

Rosemary Shortbread

rosemaryTaking its name from its wonderfully crumbly texture, shortbread is a teatime favourite the world over.

250g unsalted butter, softened plus extra for greasing the tin
130g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
225g plain flour
150g cornflour
3 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves

Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and flour a 25 x 30cm tin. Place the butter and sugar in a medium bowl and cream with an electric mixer till pale and creamy. Add the flour and cornflour. Mix slowly till the mixture forms a ball. Place the mixture into the prepared tin and pat in. Don’t worry about imperfections. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until golden. Sprinkle with the extra caster sugar while still warm. Remove from the tin and cool on a rack.

Tip: Use any of your favourite ingredients to add flavour to this shortbread. Lavender is a great option for a unique taste sensation.

Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen

Other delicious tea-time recipes:

* Orange and Almond Gluten Free Cake

* Strawberry Mille Feuille

Published on April 23, 2008 in Desserts. Closed Tags: .

Orange and Almond Gluten-Free Cake

orangeSophisticated and seductive, the combination of orange and almonds in this easy-to-make cake hits all the right notes.

2 medium oranges
3 cups peeled almonds
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla-bean paste
6 eggs

Icing
1 tub (250g) of light cream cheese, softened
Juice of one orange
4-5 tablespoons icing sugar, sieved
6 pieces candied orange (optional)

Place the oranges in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and cook till soft, approx 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place the almonds in a food processor and chop for 1-2 minutes till ground, but still a little chunky. Heat the oven to 170°C and line a 20cm spring-form tin well with bakers paper and grease well. In a large bowl mix together the almond meal, castor sugar and baking powder. Stir well to combine. Place the oranges (whole) in blender or food processor and puree till smooth, approx 2 mins. Add the vanilla and eggs and pulse to combine. Add the orange mix to the almonds and stir to combine. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow cake to cool before removing from the tin.

To make the icing place the cream cheese, orange juice and icing sugar in a food processor. Blend till smooth. Adjust the texture with additional orange juice or icing sugar as required. Ice the cake and garnish with pieces of candied orange.

Tip: Delicious served with crème fraiche, or thick cream and dark-chocolate shards. If you have a sweeter tooth, serve with ice-cream or vanilla custard. If you prefer a sweeter cake, use a full cup of caster sugar. You can also substitute the vanilla-bean paste with vanilla essence.

Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen

Other delicious fruit-inspired desserts:

* Charred Pears in a Sweet Cinnamon Sauce

* Strawberry Mille Feuille

* Berry Jelly in Champagne Soup

Published on April 23, 2008 in Desserts. Closed Tags: .

Loukoumathes Greek – Doughnuts

doBite-sized and beautiful, these mouthfuls of heaven embody the essence of Greek sweets. The only challenge is stopping at just a few…

Dough
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 cup water, extra
2 cups plain flour
1 cup plain flour, extra
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 litres canola oil for frying

Honey Syrup
½ cup honey
½ cup water
¼ cup sugar

Cinnamon Sugar
½ cup caster sugar
4 teaspoons cinnamon

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water for 5 minutes.
Add the flour and salt and mix well to make a dough. If required, use the extra water to adjust the consistency; the dough should be quite liquid. Cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Place in the fridge and allow to rise overnight. Lightly flour a kitchen bench and lightly knead to knock the air out. Work in half to all the remaining flour to get a loose dough consistency.

To make honey syrup: Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Set aside and keep warm.

To make cinnamon sugar: combine ingredients well. Set aside.

In a large saucepan or deep fryer heat the oil to 160-180°C or when a wooden spoon inserted in the oil fizzes. Portion the dough using any cutter, shape or even a teaspoon depending on the size and shape you require. Fry 4-6 doughnuts at a time until golden and puffed, about 2-5 minutes, depending on size. Drain the doughnuts on kitchen towel before dipping into the warm syrup or coating them in cinnamon sugar. Makes about 35 small doughnuts

Tip: Doughnuts can be rolled in a variety of different chopped nuts after being dipped in the syrup. Pine nuts and pistachios are Greek favourites.

Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen

Other delicious Greek-inspired recipes:

* Slow-Cooked Lamb

* Grilled Sardines

Published on April 23, 2008 in Desserts. Closed Tags: .

Hazelnut and Chocolate Fondant

hazelBelow a perfect exterior lies a soft-flowing center. Dip in your spoon and slide into the chocolate-coated warmth of this glorious dessert … go on! You’ll be rewarded with nutty bursts of roasted hazelnut.

40g hazelnuts, roasted peeled and roughly chopped
100g hazelnut meal
50g plain flour
5 tablespoons caster sugar
25g butter
100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons cream
2 eggs, separated

Preheat oven at 180°C. Butter and flour the ramekins. In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine the hazelnuts, hazelnut meal, flour and caster sugar. Melt chocolate, butter and cream in a bain-marie, stirring regularly till there are no lumps. Remove from the heat and cool for 5-10 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks into the chocolate. Pour the chocolate mix into the hazelnut mix and stir to combine. In a mixing bowl whisk the egg whites till stiff peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mix. Pour the batter into the prepared moulds and bake for 15-20 minutes till firm. Cool. Remove from the moulds and serve hot with thick cream and berries on the side. Serves 4

Tip: The choc-hazelnut mix can be prepared in advance. Just before serving, fold in the egg whites and bake.

Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen

Other delicious recipes with chocolate:

* Coffee Chocolate Truffles

* Chocolate-Chilli Cake

* Chocolate Fondue

Published on April 23, 2008 in Desserts. Closed Tags: .