GINGERED SEMI-FREDDO CUPCAKES

GINGERED SEMI-FREDDO CUPCAKES

Serves: 6

4 egg yolks, 115g caster sugar, 120ml cold water, 300ml double cream, 115g drained stem ginger, finely chopped, plus extra slices, to decorate, 3 tbsp ginger wine (optional)

1.Put the egg yolks in a large heatproof bowl and whisk until frothy. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and simmer gently.
2. Mix the sugar and measured cold water in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Increase the heat and boil for 4-5 minutes without stirring until the syrup registers 115ºC/239ºF on a sugar thermometer.
4. Put the bowl of egg yolks over the pan of simmering water and whisk in the sugar syrup. Continue whisking until the mixture is very thick. Remove from the heat and whisk until cool.
5. Whip the cream and lightly fold it into the yolk mixture, with the chopped ginger and ginger wine. Pour into a plastic tub and freeze for 1 hour.
6. Stir the semi-freddo to bring any ginger that has sunk to the bottom of the tub to the top, then return to the freezer for 5-6 hours until firm.
7. Scoop into dishes or chocolate cases and decorate with slices of ginger.

Chocolate Ice Cream

Chocolate Ice Cream

(recipe adapted from Joy of Cooking)

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

4 ounces (110 gr) bittersweet chocolate (half of it chopped, the other half grated)

1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar

5 egg yolks

Method

Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice and set aside. In a small saucepan, whisk milk, cream and cocoa powder until smooth. Over medium-high heat, bring mixture to the scalding point (mixture starts to foam up). Chop and add half of the chocolate (2 ounces - 55 gr) to the milk mixture and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.

In a stainless steel bowl (I used my kitchen aid mixer bowl), whisk 5 egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the hot milk mixture in a slow and steady stream. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until the custard is thickened (will coat the back of the spoon and an instant thermometer will read 170F/77C).

Immediately transfer the bowl into the water bath (bowl with cold water and ice) to stop the cooking process. Mix in the vanilla extract and stir until the custard cools. Transfer it into the refrigerator and chill for 3 hours.

Transfer the cold custard to the container of your ice cream machine and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions. During the last 2-3 minutes of the process add the other half of the chocolate (grated). Transfer the ice cream to a shallow plastic container and freeze for 5 hours minimum.

Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

5 large egg yolks

2/3 cup granulated white sugar

1/2 vanilla bean

Strawberry puree (recipe below)

10 ounces of frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed and chopped

Method

Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice and set aside. In a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, bring the milk, heavy cream and the vanilla bean to the scalding point (the milk begins to foam up). Remove from heat, take out the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds from the bean with the back of a knife, and mix the seeds back into the milk cream mixture.

In a stainless steel bowl (I used my kitchen aid bowl), whisk 5 egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually pour the scalding mixture into the whipped egg yolk mixture, making sure you keep whisking constantly so the eggs don’t curdle. If any lumps do form, strain the mixture first before heating.. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until the custard is thickened (will coat the back of the spoon and an instant thermometer will read 170F/77C).

Immediately transfer the bowl into the water bath (bowl with cold water and ice) to stop the cooking process, add the strawberry puree through a fine sieve and stir until the custard cools. Transfer it into the refrigerator and chill for 3 hours minimum (preferably overnight).

Transfer the cold custard to the container of your ice cream machine and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions. During the last 2-3 minutes of the process add the chopped strawberries. Transfer the ice cream to a shallow plastic container and freeze for 5 hours minimum. Before serving take out the container from the freezer and let rest in the refrigerator for an hour as it will be too hard.

Ingredients - Strawberry Puree

20 ounces of frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed

1/3 cup granulated white sugar

Juice of half a lemon

Method - Strawberry Puree

Place the unsweetened frozen strawberries in a large bowl and thaw. This may take a few hours. Once thawed, put the strawberries and sugar in the bowl of a food processor or blender and process until they are pureed. Taste and add more sugar if needed. Also add the lemon juice. This can be stored covered in the refrigerator for one week to 10 days. The puree can also be frozen.

Sour Cherry Sorbet

Sour Cherry Sorbet

Ingredients

16 ounces of sour cherries (I used frozen, thawed)

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 cup water

Juice of 1 lemon

Method

To make a simple syrup, boil sugar and water until all sugar is dissolved and the syrup is reduced to 2 cups (after appx. 5 minutes). Refrigerate and let cool.

Pulse the cherries in a food processor thoroughly. Transfer the cherries into a very fine mesh sieve sitting on top of a bowl. With the help of the back of a wooden spoon, push the cherries through the sieve and extract their juices as much as possible. Add juice of a lemon. Total liquid should be approximately 2 cups.

Add 1 cup of the simple syrup into the cherry juice, mix and refrigerate for 3 hours.
Note: I like my sorbet really concentrated and tart. If you like a more diluted texture, you can use more of the simple syrup.

After 3 hours, take the juice from the refrigerator. Very fine pieces of sour cherry skin will gather on top of the juice. Skim that off! This step is really important as if you do not discard these nasty remains, your sorbet will be rather grainy.

Transfer the cold juice to the container of your ice cream machine and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the sorbet to a shallow plastic container and freeze for a minimum of 5 hours.

Pâte Sucrée Recipe:

(To make enough dough for a 8 inch/ 20cm tart)

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter at room temperature … 55 grams
Castor sugar … 32 grams
Eggs … 20 grams
Almond powder … 15 grams
Plain flour … 100 grams

.

• 1. Place the room teperature butter in a deep mixing bowl (so that it doesn’t spit everywhere when you’re whisking).
• 2. Cream the butter using a whisk or an electric mixer, beat it till it is ‘creamy’ soft, smooth & light from incorporating the air.
• 3. Mix in the sugar.
• 4. Add the eggs bit by bit & whisk it all in.
• 5. Then mix in the almond powder.
• 6. Next, in goes the flour. Using a spatula, mix it all in by pushing it against the bowl. Or do what I do, which is to wear food gloves & get in there with your hands. It’s so much quicker to do it like that when you have a large quantity like I do.
• 7. Pat it in to one big mound, & clingfilm it tight.
• 8. Refrigerate overnight.
• 9. When time has come for you to roll it, first prepare a lightly floured clean surface (I use a lightly floured silpat).
• 10. Get your chunk of chilled pastry dough in the middle.
• 11. Lightly flour the rolling pin & roll firmly in one direction only, then turn it 90 degrees and roll again. Repeat until desired thickness. Never ’stretch’ it by hand as this would cause the tart to shrink in the oven!
• 12. Once the pastry circle is larger than the size of the tin, roll the sheet of pastry around your rolling pin & lift it up.
• 13. Gently lower it on to your tin. Unroll.
• 14. Using your fingertips, take the edge of the pastry & ease it in to the sides.
• 15. Roll the rolling pin across the top to cut the excess pastry off.
• 16. Put the tin in the refrigerator to rest for atleast 30 minutes before baking.

Top Tips:

• Do not over mix. It produces gluten & make the dough tougher.
• Try to work quickly, minimizing the amount you’re handling it.
• Work in a cool room. You don’t want the butter to melt in the dough.
• I wear food gloves. Not only is it hygienic, my warm hands won’t be in contact with the dough.
• Pick the surface with fork if you’re blind baking.
• Be absolutely precise with the measurements. if not, you’d either end up with sticky wet dough, or a crumbly dry dough! I always use a digital scale.
• If the dough becomes too soft while you are rolling, re-chill for a while until it’s manageable again. Adding more flour to it to make it firm is a definate no-no. It’ll unbalance the carefully considered measurements.
• And remember, prepare in advance! You need to rest the dough in the fridge for a whole night to let the gluten relax. It’s to make the dough workable & to prevent shrinkage. And when you’ve rolled it on to a tart tin, you need to put the tins back in the fridge for 30 minutes atleast - again to prevent shrinkage.

For a 23cm (9 inch) pie you will need 350g (12 oz) of rich sweet shortcrust pastry.

Rich Sweet Shortcrust Pastry: 225g (8 oz) plain flour, 1 large pinch of salt, 115g (4 oz) butter, 55g (2 oz) caster sugar, 1 egg yolk, 2 tablespoons very cold water.

Whiz the flour, salt and butter to breadcrumbs in the food processor, add the egg yolk and water, whiz again until the mixture just comes together. Wrap in clingfilm and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes. Roll the pastry out between two sheets of clingfilm, and use to line the loose-based pie tin. Prick the base all over with a fork and brush the pastry base with beaten egg. Place on a pre-heated baking tray in a preheated oven (180°C/350°F/Gas 4) and cook the pie base for 25 minutes.

Turn the heat up to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5.

Filling ingredients:
2 large granny smith apples (or dessert apples), peeled, cored and thinly sliced.
225g (8 oz) caster sugar (I would reduce this to 170g/6 oz).
Juice of half a lemon
1 heaped tablespoon of finely chopped fresh mint(optional)
675g (1½lb) blueberries
115g (4 oz) icing sugar

Place the apple slices in a bowl and sprinkle with half the sugar and the lemon juice. Toss to mix and leave for 20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, place the apple slices in the pre-baked pastry case. Mix the mint (if using), with the blueberries and then put them on top of the apple slices. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and juices from the apples. Place a pie raiser or an upturned eggcup in the centre of the tart.

Roll out the remaining pastry for the lid and place over the filling, sealing the edges. Make a slit in the centre of the pastry lid. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the apple slices are soft. Remove from the oven and allow the tart to rest and cool.
Do not remove the pie from the tin until cool otherwise it will crumble.

Placed the icing sugar in a bowl and slowly add a few teaspoons of very hot water, mixing until you have the right consistency, drizzle over the pastry crust in no particular pattern.

Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake

Ingredient:

Use: 20cm or 23cm (8in or 9in) cake tin with removable base or similar-sized tart tin

• 3 x 100g Bars Green & Black's Dark 70% Chocolate
• 275g Caster Sugar
• 165g Unsalted Butter
• Pinch of Sea Salt
• 5 Large Free Range Eggs
• Icing Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Almonds plus extra for dusting the tin

Instruction:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Butter and dust a cake tin with a removable base.
3. Put the first 4 ingredients in a bowl over barely simmering water and allow to melt.
4. Whisk the eggs with the ground almonds and then fold into the chocolate mixture with a spatula off the heat.
5. Pour into the cake tin and bake for between 35 and 40 minutes.
6. Allow to cool, and dust with icing sugar.

Use: 20cm or 23cm (8in or 9in) cake tin with removable base or similar-sized tart tin

I am pretty keen on chocolate, it has to be said. And I like chocolate puddings in almost all their guises from the lightest, frothiest of mousses to the densest, darkest torte. This recipe though, smacks of perfection. It has a wickedly dense, velvety interior and a contrasting crisp brownie-like top. One mouthful and I was in heaven. The best thing about this recipe? It takes virtually no time to make and you make it a day in advance - perfect for the busy cook...

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Green and Blacks Chocolate Mousse Cake

http://www.greenandblacks.co.uk/

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Use a 20-23 cm (8 or 9 inch) cake tin with removable base.

300g Green and Blacks dark chocolate*

275g Caster Sugar

165g Butter

Pinch of Sea Salt

5 Large Free-Range Eggs

Icing Sugar

1 Tablespoon Ground Almonds (plus extra for dusting)

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1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.

2. Butter cake tin and dust with some ground almonds.

3. Melt the first 4 ingredients in a bowl placed above a pan of simmering water.

4. Whisk the eggs with the ground almonds and then fold into the chocolate mixture, off the heat.

5. Pour into cake tin and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove sides from tin and allow to cool on its base.

6. The cake can be eaten on the same day, or, for a denser, fudgier texture, place in fridge overnight and eat the next day, dusted with the icing sugar.

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*I used Maya Gold chocolate for this. It has a subtle hint of orange and spices which I felt 'lifted' the flavour of the cake and added another element. I also use this chocolate for brownies.

NOTES - The cake will rise in the oven a little, but sink right down when you take it out (as per the picture).

This is seriously rich - even I could only manage a fairly thin slice.

I served it with a choice of creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate Cake

This mixture is enough for one cake tin only. Double the quantity for a double chocolate cake like the one I made.

125g soft margarine

125g caster sugar

2 eggs

1 tbsp golden syrup

125g self-raising flour (sieved)

2 tbsp cocoa powder (sieved)

Heat the oven to 190C (325f/Gas Mark 5) and line a 7inch/18cm cake tin with grease proof paper. Lightly grease the edges of the tin.

Cream together the margarine and the sugar and then add the eggs one at a time to the mixture. If the eggs start to curdle add one tablespoon of sieved self-raising flour. Add the rest of the flour and the cocoa powder and fold into the mixture. Stir in the the syrup and one tablespoon of hot water and mix together. Pour into the cake tin.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until the cake is nice and springy. Cool for a few minutes in the tin before transferring to a wire rack. Remember to peel away the grease proof paper from the bottom of the cake!

To make the filling or to ice the top of one cake you will need:

30g butter

2 tbsp of hot water

2tbsp of sifted cocoa powder

125g of sifted icing sugar

Melt the butter in a pan or in the microwave if you like and pour into a bowl. Add the hot water and the cocoa powder and stir until the ingrediants form a paste. Add the icing sugar until all the mixture is combined. I used this chocolate icing to sandwich the cakes together and then sprinkled on some more icing sugar. If you really want death by chocolate then you could make a large quantity of the chocoalte icing and cover the whole cake!