test3: Desserts

Showing posts with label Desserts. Show all posts

Pumpkin Spice Chai Shortbread

A buttery shortbread biscuit, flavoured with chai tea spices. If pumpkin pie spice is unavailable, you can mix your own! See note at the end.

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British Scones

Classic scones recipe, super easy and quick. Serve with jam and clotted cream.

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Gingerbread Loaf Cake

Autumn in a cake!

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French Chocolate Mousse

An amazingly decadent chocolate mousse.

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Blueberry Croissant Puff

A beautifully delicious breakfast or tea-time treat which requires a tiny amount of effort.

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Christmas Log

Our version of the classic Christmas dessert. Melts in the mouth!

Ingredients:
Makes 2 logs of about 20-25cm each and 8cm diameter

2 pkts (250g each) digestive biscuits, crushed
1 tin condensed milk
60g soft margarine or butter
200g + 200g cooking chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp whiskey
100g hazelnuts, roasted and chopped
100g almonds, roasted and chopped
100g walnuts, roasted and chopped

Directions:
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add the condensed milk and mix throughly. Add 200g chocolate and melt completely. In the meantime mix the nuts with the crushed biscuits. Add the biscuit-nuts mixture and whisky to the condensed milk and mix well. Leave to cool for about 10-15 minutes.

Open a sheet of cellophane and place the cooled mixture. Roll into a log and press well. Refrigerate until set.

Melt the remaining 200g chocolate and cover the roll. Mark with a fork to look like a log. Leave to set. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

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Mum's Trifle

This trifle is a traditional Maltese recipe, the way my mother makes it. Honestly it is a calorie bomb...but it is soooo good you almost forget that! :p

Ingredients:
Makes 1 large trifle

1 ready-made sponge cake
1 jar of strawberry jam
1 cup peach juice
4 tbsp sherry
1 litre custard (ready-made)
500ml whipping cream
1 big tin fruit macedonia + any other fruit to fill
strawberries + other fruit to decorate

Directions:
Start by slicing the sponge cake into layers, depending on how many layers you would like your trifle to have. I usually use a 2 inch high sponge and divide it into 3 layers. Mix the juice with the sherry, and divide it into the number of sponge layers you plan to have.

Put a layer of sponge into the bottom of a container, preferably a big glass bowl. Put a generous amount of jam and spread it on top of the sponge. Spread a part of the juice and sherry mix on top of the first sponge layer. Put some fruit on top, and then cover everything with a thick layer of custard. Repeat this process until you place the last sponge layer on top. Spread with jam and wet with the juice mixture.

Beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form, then spread or pipe on top of the trifle. Decorate with the strawberries or any other fruit.

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M&M Blonde Brownies

A lovely blondie recipe with a rich caramel flavour from the brown sugar.

Ingredients:
Makes 24 pieces

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups M&Ms (the chocolate ones)

Directions:
Beat the butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again. Sift together the salt, baking powder, and flour. Slowly beat into the butter mixture. Stir in 1 cup of the M&Ms by hand.

Spread the batter in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the extra 1/2 cup M&Ms. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 23 minutes. Do not overcook as you will loose from the beautiful fudginess of the blondies. Let cool completely before cutting into squares. Store in a sealed container.

Adapted from Original Recipe

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White Chocolate and Ginger Cheesecake

This is an unusual cheesecake version. It is a no-bake recipe. This cheesecake is a creamy mousse made of white chocolate with pieces of candied ginger, and the ginger nuts biscuits complement the ginger flavour. I love how the sweetness and creaminess of the white chocolate contrasts the spiciness of the ginger. The toffee sauce tops it off perfectly. You can buy the stem ginger (or candied ginger) ready-made but I added the recipe for those who want to make it from scratch. The cheesecake keeps well in the fridge for a week (caramel sauce stored separately in a sealable container).

Ingredients:
Makes 12 servings (23cm diameter cheesecake)

Cheesecake:

1 1/2 packets ginger nuts biscuits (350g)
125g unsalted butter
200g white chocolate
200g whip it powder
1/2 cup evaporated milk + 1/2 cup water
2 packets cream cheese (400g)
1 tbsp stem ginger, chopped finely (about 10g)
12 Raffaello truffles to decorate

Ginger Toffee Sauce:

50g caster suger
1 tbsp unsalted butter
120ml double cream
1 tbsp stem ginger , chopped finely (about 10g) + 1 tbsp stem ginger syrup

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Break up the biscuits into crumbs and mix with the melted butter. Spread out in a round tin with a removable base. Flatten with the back of the spoon. Put in the oven for 5 minutes until the base is golden. Put aside to cool.

Mix whip it powder with milk and water, added little by little. Remove from mixing bowl and put aside. Melt the white chocolate. Break up the cream cheese with the mixer, then add the melted chocolate little by little. Add the whip it mixture to the cream cheese mixture and mix well. Put the mix on the biscuit base and refrigerate overnight.

For the ginger toffee sauce, heat the sugar in a pan but be careful not to burn it. It will begin to form a golden caramel. Take the pan off the heat and mix in the butter. Pour in the cream, whisking all the time and add the stem ginger and tablespoon of syrup. Stir until all of the ingredients are combined and smooth.

Once cheesecake is set, decorate with the Raffaello chocolates. To serve drizzle the ginger toffee sauce over the cheesecake.