Perfect Pavlova

I don't often make pavlovas as they end up being too big for a few people to eat, and all those calories over a few days is not a good idea! But a couple of friends came round to see us on Fri so I made one and it was luuuuuush! I prefer to keep my pavlovas simple, no crunchy, pippy passion fruit toppings for me thank you very much! So this recipe can pretty much be thrown together out of store/fridge/freezer staples and looks like you've made a huge effort. Result! The rule of thumb you need when making a pavlova is 62.5g of caster sugar per egg white, this way you can make one as big or small as you like!

For 6-8 portions you need
5 egg whites
310g caster sugar
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp cornflower
600ml double cream
300g frozen raspberries (or any fruit of your choice), defrosted
1 tbsp icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. Begin by whisking the egg whites until they form stiff peaks in a free standing mixer. With the motor running, add the sugar a tablespoon at a time until thoroughly incorporated. Add the vinegar and cornflower and mix in well.

Spoon the meringue on to a lined baking sheet. I usually take care to make a well in the middle with banked up sides to hold the filling in place but you can do it however you wish! Pop into the oven and turn the heat down to 140 degrees. Cook for 90 minutes and then turn off the oven. Leave the door open a little and leave the pavlova to cool in the oven.

Whip the cream to soft peaks then spread onto the pavlova. Add the raspberries and then sift over the icing sugar. Utterly delicious!

Proper Boozy Egg Nog

Christmas isn't Christmas without a belly full of dangerously alcoholic egg nog. Not in my book anyway.

For 6-8 glasses you need
1/2 pint double cream
1/2 pint milk
3 eggs
4 tbsp icing sugar
3 measures each rum, brandy and whisky
freshly grated nutmeg
cocktail cherries to serve

Place everything apart from the nutmeg and cherries into a blender and blend for 2-3 mins till smooth and thoroughly combined. Strain through a fine meshed sieve into a jug and decorate with lashings of freshly grated nutmeg. Serve topped with enough cocktail cherries to just make you start to feel rather sick. Hic.

Probably The Most Awesome Vegan Pie Ever (v)

OK, OK, I am feeling rather smug after tonight's dinner marvel, but it was delicious. Really, really delicious. And it was also very easy to make, and used up some of the veg that has been looking sadly up at me from the bottom of the fridge for the last week. Because it's vegan, there's no cream in the recipe, just some soya milk which makes a lovely creamy sauce. And this makes it a healthy choice too if you're watching the calories, what more do you need to convince you to try it ;-)

For 4-6 portions you need
1 sheet puff pastry, rolled out to .5cm thickness
1 leek, finely sliced
2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
2-3 parsnips, ditto the carrots
4-5 mushrooms cut into chunky slices
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1/2 pint soya milk plus a little extra for glazing the top of the pie
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp stock powder
2 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsely
salt and pepper

Begin by sauteeing the vegetables in the oil in a large pan. Cover with a lid and allow the veggies to steam fry for 5 mins or so. Remove the lid and increase the heat a little to evaporate off the mushroom juices.

Sprinkle over the flour and stock powder and allow to cook out. Add the mustard and slowly add the soya milk until it's all absorbed and the sauce is nicely thickened. Season and add the parsley.

Place the vegetables and sauce in a pie dish. Put the puff pastry on the top and seal the edges. You don't have to use a pie funnel but it will help to cook the inside out if you have one and prevent a soggy pastry lid. Crimp the edges of the pie and brush the top with a little extra soya milk.

Bake the pie in a hot (180 degree) oven for 30-40 mins until the pastry is golden, crispy and cooked through. Serve with baby jacket potatoes, steamed cauliflower and lashings of yummy gravy. Nomtastic.

White Chocolate Mousse Torte

I am a rubbish blogger at the moment. I know. I have been cooking, but I just haven't been blogging. And <deep breath...> I have, er, sort of fallen off of the veggie wagon in recent months and therefore haven't felt able to blog. It's disgraceful I know. I am climbing back on again. I just needed a bit of a hiatus...

This recipe is veggie. And it's also sinfully good. It's ridiculously easy to make, but O. M. F. G. it blows your socks off. It would be perfect as a Christmas pudding. It's also perfectly yummy for breakfast. Becka bad. I have adapted the recipe slightly from the original which can be found in Celia Brooks Brown's most excellent New Vegetarian cookbook.

For 10-12 slices you need:
200g amaretti biscuits, crushed to smithereens
75g butter, melted
500ml double cream at room temperature
30ml milk at room temperature
30ml amoretto liqueur (or cointreau if you want an orangey flavour or indeed any other liqueur you fancy and happen to have to hand...)
400g white chocolate, melted and left to cool slightly.

***Firstly remember to take the milk and cream OUT OF THE FRIDGE at least 2 hours before you want to make this as it's crucial they are not cold or the chocolate will try and set too quickly when you combine everything together and you will not achieve the light, moussey texture you are after***


Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and leave to cool to room temp. Meanwhile mix the crushed biscuits with the melted butter and line a 20cm round silicone tin with the buttery mixture (or line a 20cm springform tin).

Whip the cream, milk and whatever booze you are using until the cream forms soft peaks. Be careful not to over whip as otherwise it will be impossible to combine the chocolate in.

Slacken the chocolate mixture with one spoonful of the cream, then carefully fold this in to the remaining cream. Pour on top of the biscuits and leave to chill for at least four hours.

Serve in thin slices with exotic fruit - cape gooseberries, persimmon and passion fruit work particularly well against the creamy richness of the torte.

Chocolate Sticky Toffee Pudding

Why choose between chocolate sponge pudding and sticky toffee pudding when you can have both?! this is from Rachel Allen's Food for Living.

for 16-20 portions you need:
Cake:
100g dark chocolate, melted
150g pitted dates, blitzed
300ml water
100g butter
150g light soft brown sugar
3 eggs
225g plain flour
1 tsp bicarb
1 tsp baking powder

For the sauce
275g golden syrup
225ml double cream
275g light soft brown sugar
100g butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Place the dates in a saucepan and bring to the boil with the water. Simmer for 10 mins and leave to cool. Make the cake base in the usual fashion, adding the chocolate and dates last. Scrape in to a lined tin and bake at 160 for 45 mins or so.

Make the sauce by placing everything in to a pan and bringing to the boil. Boil rapidly for 4 mins then serve. Perfect winter fuel.

St Delia's Creme Caramel

I lurve creme caramel, and especially love this recipe as it gives copious amounts of delicious caramel with each portion.

For 6-8 portions you need:
175g caster sugar
2 tbsp water
150ml milk
275ml single cream
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Begin by placing the sugar in a pan and gently heating it. Once it starts to dissolve, swirl the pan to ensure it melts evenly. Keep going until all the sugar has dissolved and has changed to a dark golden colour. Take off the heat and add the water (careful it might spit!). Return to the heat and mix well till smooth and runny. Pour 75% of it into a souffle dish and carefully swirl it up the sides.

Place the milk and cream in the caramel pan with the remaining caramel and slowly bring to the boil. Meanwhile mix the eggs and vanilla together in a bowl. Once the milk mixture has come to the boil, pour it quickly into the eggs, mix and then strain into the souffle dish. Place in a bain marie and bake for about 30 mins or so will set. Leave to cool and then chill for at least a few hours.

Quick Luxury Chocolate Sauce

If what you fancy is something a little more upmarket than ready made custard and cocoa, try this.

For 4 portions you need:
125g plain chocolate
200ml double cream
splash cointreau

Place the cream and chocolate in a pan and gently heat till melted and combined. Add the cointreau and serve as you wish. It's nice with chocolate sponge or over vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate Cheesecake & Raspberry Brownie

This is _yet another_ Hummingbird recipe, but oh MY! it's good! I made it for a work fuddle and it went down a storm.

For 32 teeny tiny portions you need:
Brownie Base
200g dark chocolate
200g butter
250g icing sugar
3 eggs
110g plain flour

For the Cheesecake Layer
400g cream cheese (don't be tempted to use half fat like I did, it doesn't work as well)
150g icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs

For the raspberry cream mousse topping
300ml double cream
1 punnet raspberries, defrosted if frozen

Begin by making the brownie base. Melt the chocolate. Beat the butter and icing sugar together and then add the flour a dollop at a time. Mix in the chocolate and splat into a lined baking tin.

Whisk together the cream cheese and icing sugar and eggs and vanilla. Pour over the brownie base. Bake in a moderate oven for about 30 mins.

Once cooked, leave to cool and then chill in the fridge. Just before serving whip the cream and raspberries till very thick and fluffy. Smear on to the cooked base and then sigh in pleasure as you devour each. Little. Bite. Utter, utter bliiiiiiiiis!

Mississippi Mud Pie

I am working my way through the Hummingbird Bakery book at the moment and am trying out some of their pies. I love pies, but hardly ever make them due to the perception that it's lots of hassle. It's not. And the resulting pies have been to die(t) for. I am getting so fat from all of this! This pie is all you'd expect from the genre. Oozing, bitter chocolate base, crispy pie case and fluffy mounds of cream on the top studded with chunks of bitter chocolate. Heaven.

For 10-12 slices you need:
Filling:
150g bitter chocolate
50g butter
30g golden syrup
6 eggs
300g soft light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
350ml double/whipping cream

Pie crust:
260g plain flour
110g butter
2-3 tbsp water

Make the pie crust by pulsing the butter and flour together in a food processor and then adding the water. Form into a dough and leave to rest for a bit wrapped in cling film. Then roll out and line a pie dish. Bake blind with beans for 10 mins and then without the beans for a further 10 mins.

Meanwhile make the filling. Melt the butter, chocolate and syrup together. Leave to cool slightly. Whisk the eggs and sugar till fluffy and combined. Add the melted chocolate and mix well. Pour into the dish and bake in a moderate oven for 30-40 mins taking care not to burn the filling. It's done when the middle is set but still a bit wobbly. Leave to cool completely then refrigerate overnight. Just before you want to serve whip the cream and pile on the top. Sprinkle over grated chocolate before serving.

Lemon and Lime Syllabub

I adore syllabub. It's something to do with the fabulously light texture I think. That and the fact that it contains copious amounts of booze ;-) This recipe is quick to whip up (pardon the pun) and keeps for a day or two in the fridge before separating.

For 4-6 portions depending on size you need:
100ml white wine
75g sugar
juice 1 lemon
zest 1 lime
300ml double cream

Whisk everything together until light and fluffy. Spoon into glasses and devour.

Proper English Trifle

Proper as in it has custard and cream and jelly and cake and fruit and sherry. Lots and lots of sherry :)

For 10-12 portions you need:
1 pack trifle sponges (or left over cake, or sliced up swiss roll)
1 pack veggie jelly crystals
2 cans fruit (I used black currants and raspberries)
1 carton custard
1 large pot double cream
handful flaked almonds
4 tbsp sherry

Begin by placing the trifle sponges in the bottom of a glass bowl and pouring over the drained fruit (reserve a little of the juice) and the sherry. Make up the jelly and pour over the fruit and sherry soaked sponges. Leave to set. Once set, add the custard layer. Whip the cream to soft peaks and layer on to the custard. Top with flaked almonds and play Rule Britannia...

Quick Cheats Pavlovas with Summer Berries

Quick assuming you remember to defrost the fruit in advance (or you could use frozen berries) and cheats cos it uses ready made meringue nests. You could make your own meringue, but that would defeat the object of the cheating wouldn't it..!

For two portions you need:
1/2 cup double cream
1 tbsp sieved icing sugar
1/2 cup mixed summer berried, defrosted if frozen, and chopped into roughly the same size pieces if fresh
2 ready made meringue nests

Whip the cream and icing sugar till floppy. Add 3/4 of the fruit and fold in gently to create a marbled effect. Pile into the nests and top with the remaining fruit and juice. Eat.

Tipsy Pineapple with Caramel Sauce

This is a bad dessert. Very bad. In terms of calories anyway... It tastes nice ;)

For 2 portions you need:

1/2 fresh pineapple cut into chunks
1/4 cup soft light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup double cream
1/8 cup rum

Heat the butter and sugar in a frying pan. Once it's bubbling and melting add the pineapple. Sautee for a few minutes and then flambé with the rum. Add the cream and cook out. Serve in bowls and immediately run a marathon to work off the decedent calories...

Rose Scented Rhubarb Syllabub

I've been meaning to make this for a while. I did the rhubarb base a while back and froze it, but haven't had a chance to combine the two components until today. The syllabub base is an adaptation of Nigella's turkish delight syllabub from Nigella Bites. I think this tastes pretty darn good. But then I would say that. Make it and see what you think!

For 8 generous portions you need:
175ml of good quality sweet dessert wine
4 tbsp vanilla sugar
1 large tub double cream
400g trimmed and washed rhubarb
6 tbsp vanilla sugar (or more to taste depending on sharpness)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 tsp each rose water and orange flower water

Begin by roasting the rhubarb with the sugar. Place in an ovenproof dish and roast at 160 degrees for about 30 mins. Remove from the oven and add the vanilla paste and flower waters. Taste to check sugar and then leave to cool and chill till completely cold.

When the rhubarb is cold (fridge cold, or it will split the cream), make the syllabub. Place the sugar, wine and cream in a large bowl and whisk till it forms "billowing clouds" to quote Nigella. Taste to check sweetness and then add the rhubarb. Fold in carefully and then spoon in to serving glasses and devour.

Rhubarb Fool Pavlova

A veritable 2for1 feast this as it's basically 2 desserts in one! But it's luscious summer treat, perfect for the glorious weather we have had recently :)

For 10-12 portions you need:
500g trimmed rhubarb, cut into 1 cm chunks
150g vanilla sugar
600ml double cream
6 egg whites
200g caster sugar
2 tsp cornflour
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp vanilla paste

Begin by making the meringue base. Whisk the egg whites till they form soft peaks, then add the vanilla sugar, 1/4 cup at a time. Whisk well to mix. Once all the sugar has been added you should have a mound of shiny, soft, stiff eggs. Add the cornflour and vinegar and vanilla extract and combine well.

Scrape on to a lined baking sheet (top tip, use a little of the meringue to stick the baking paper on to the baking sheet) and form into a circle. Make a little well in the middle which will help to hold the filling once it's cooked. Place in a 150 degree oven and cook for 60-90 mins. You want a well risen, golden brown shell which is crispy on the outside and foamy, chewy and marshmallowey on the inside. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Meanwhile stew the rhubarb by placing the chopped rhubarb in a pan with the vanilla sugar. Add 1-2 tbsp of water and cook gently for about 15-30 mins till all the rhubarb is soft and sweet. Leave to cool.

Whip the cream to soft peaks, adding the vanilla paste. Gently fold 2/3 of the rhubarb into the cream to make it ripple. Pour the fool into the pavlova case and top with the remaining rhubarb. Serve, sitting outside in the late afternoon sunshine with a glass of something bubbly :)

Buttermilk Scones

After a disastrous batch of scones using a Rose Elliott recipe a few weeks back, I have returned to my favourite recipe; Nigella's Lily's scones. But I used buttermilk this time for the first time. I was a bit suprised by the consistency of this as it's like thin yougurt. I'd expected something thinner. But it worked, and the scones were amazingly light. They needed longer than normal to cook (40 mins for some of them) but they were the best I have ever made. In my humble opinion ;-)

For about 20 scones you need:
325ml buttermilk
500g plain flour
2 tsp baking soda
4.5 tsp cream of tartar
75g butter, cubed
1 egg, beaten (for the egg wash)
1 spoon sugar (to sprinkle on the top before baking).

Place the flour, soda, tartar and butter in to a food processor and blitz till combined. Add the buttermilk and form it into a dough. Roll out the dough to a thickness of about an inch and cut into scones. Place on a flour dusted baking sheet and brush with egg wash and then sprinkle over with sugar. Nigella says to squish them together but she's wrong as they don't cook evenly so make sure you spread them out. Bake for 15-40 mins (keep an eye on them) till risen, golden brown and cooked. Eat with lashings of clotted cream and strawberry jam. Feel very very fat.