Condiment

Bechamel sauce
60g butter, coarsely chopped
50g (1/3 cup) plain flour
750ml (3 cups) milk, warmed
70g (2/3 cup) coarsely grated cheddar

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry:

• 1 3/4 c flour
• 2 tbs powdered sugar
• 1/2 c cold butter, cut into pieces
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Sift flour and powdered sugar into a bowl. Add the chunks of butter and cut them into flour with a pastry blender. (Alternatively, you can use the food processor for this.) Add egg and vanilla. Stir with a fork until dough forms. Shape it into a log, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for an hour before you roll. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen up to 6 weeks.

Tomato Sauce Recipe

2 Tbl extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c minced onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
4 Tbl tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbl sugar
Salt
Black pepper, ground

Directions

Heat olive oil in a heavy sauce pan
Saute onions until soft and brown around edges
Saute garlic for 1 minute
Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano and sugar
Mix thoroughly
Salt and pepper to taste
Simmer for 15-20 minutes to fully meld flavors

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD
In a mixer, cream together cream cheese and butter

Slowly add confectioner’s sugar and continue to beat until fully incorporated. Mixture should be free of lumps.

Stir in vanilla.

Sweet shortcrust pastry:
200 grams plain flour
100 grams butter
2 Tbsp caster sugar
4 Tbsp cold water

Roll out the pastry and line a 20 cm tart tin*. Pre-bake at 200˚C for about 15 minutes, until the pastry is slightly golden.

Chocolate truffle cake with Walnut crust and Raspberry sauce

Thursday, July 27th, 2006

Chocolate truffle cake with Walnut crust and Raspberry sauce

Crust:
70 g Walnuts (or Pecan nuts)
40 g demerara sugar
20 g unsalted butter (room temperatured)
10 g flour

Truffle:
120 dark chocolate
150 g whipping/double cream
20 g eggyolk (1)
50g unsalted butter

Raspberry sauce:
400 g Raspberries
about 30 g icing sugar (how much depends on the raspberries sweetness)

Crust: Coursly crush the nuts and combine them with the rest of the crust ingredients. Press down the mixture in a small spring form and bake in 200 degrees C for 5 minutes. Let the crust cool completely.

Chicken Sandwiches
(serves 2) 200 grams cold grilled left over chicken, deboned and cut in small pieces
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2.5 tsp dijon mustard

Truffle: Chop the chocolate finely. Bring the cream to boil and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the mixture becomes smooth, add the egg yolk and stir smothly again. Pour the truffle over the cool crust and let the truffle cake rest in the fridge for 2 hours.

Raspberry sauce: Mix the raspberries in a food processor. Add icing sugar a little at a time and taste so the sauce won’t get too sweet.