Rosehip and Honey Pannacotta – A Conspiracy Theory

Pin It When I travel, I love to taste local dishes on the grounds that if you order food in its natural environment, it is produced by people who love the dish and who know how it should taste.

Sometimes life and waiters conspire against me.

Happiness is... Rosehip and Honey Pannacotta

In the States, I have tried repeatedly to taste an authentic American cornbread. On each occasion, my order has been misheard (perhaps the Irish accent – “so charming honey”, but clearly unintelligible) or “the kitchen’s just out”.

If pannacotta was a flower it would be sweetpea

The same goes for Pannacotta. I have tried in Venice. I have tried in Verona. I have even tried several Italian restaurants in Ireland where surely they’d be used to the accent. On each occasion I have been brought a delicious dessert but not Pannacotta. Am I saying it wrong? Pah-nah-cot-ah?  PAHna COHtah? PannaCOTTa?

Straight from the hedgerows ;-)

This has happened so often that I have evolved a theory: Some people closely guard the location of their favourite restaurant in case it gets too popular... Perhaps, cornbread and Pannacotta are just too good to share.

Clearly, I am just going to have to make my own to find out.

For 6 servings you will need...

...to lightly oil 6 ramekins, cups or moulds with a flavourless oil

4 sheets of gelatine

250mls double (heavy) cream

300mls Greek yoghurt

60g runny honey

50mls rosehip syrup or cordial (undiluted)

Rosehip and Honey Dressing

2 tablespoons runny honey

1 tablespoon rosehip syrup or cordial (undiluted)

A selection of fresh berries to serve

1                    Place the gelatine in a bowl of cold water and leave it for about 5 minutes to soften.

2                    Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan heat the cream and honey together until just simmering at the edges. Remove from the heat.

3                    Drain off the water from the gelatine and squeeze out any excess. Replace in the empty bowl and add a little of the hot cream mixture. Stir together until the gelatine has dissolved completely. Pour the gelatine mixture into the saucepan and stir to disperse it through the liquid. Add in the Greek yoghurt and stir the mixture with a whisk until the yoghurt has blended smoothly into the liquid. Don’t go too crazy with the whisk. You don’t want to incorporate loads of bubbles into the mixture.

4                    Finally, stir in the rosehip cordial or syrup until dispersed through the mixture. Divide between the oiled containers. Cover with cling film and refrigerate until set (at least 6 hours – or overnight if possible).

5                    Just before serving, make the Rosehip and Honey Dressing by mixing together the honey and syrup/cordial until combined.

6                    To remove the Pannacotta from each container, sit them briefly into hot water until they loosen at the edges, then cover with a serving plate and flip over. If Murphy’s Law doesn’t come into play, you’ll end up with a perfect Pannacotta ready to be surrounded by fresh berries and drizzled with Rosehip and Honey Dressing.

Make it the day before for a super-easy delightful dessert

(If Murphy’s Law does come into play, or you get distracted, it could end up on the floor...)

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Ginger-roasted Rhubarb Cake with Vanilla Crumble Topping – catch it while you can!

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A sheaf of plump rhubarb has sat pride of place on the kitchen table for the past week. The world is its oyster. It could be anything it wants to be...  but it is just sat there. It needs direction. Here are a few ideas as to what it might become...



The world is my oyster apparently ...

 A career as rhubarb fool would be fun and rather light-hearted, but it looks like serious rhubarb to me.

Perhaps a career as a crumble or a tart? A little too serious maybe - and besides tarts and crumbles are wintery food and look at that beautiful sunshiny day!

Well then, how about rhubarb and vanilla ice cream? Delightful, but it’s only April and while sunshiny, it’s hardly ice cream weather is it? Let’s save that one for another occasion.

I know! This sheaf of rhubarb has everything it takes to become a successful and delectable ginger-roasted rhubarb cake. Oh alright, I’ll throw in a vanilla crumble topping too.

For approximately 10 servings you will need...

Ginger-roasted rhubarb

300g rhubarb, cut into bite-sized pieces

75g Muscovado sugar

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

Sugar and spice - ginger-roasted rhubarb

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C

1          Combine all the ingredients in a shallow pie dish and bake for 20 minutes in the pre-heated oven, stirring carefully once or twice during cooking so that the rhubarb is evenly coated in the syrup that is generated. When the cooking time has elapsed, remove from the oven and allow to cool. Meanwhile, prepare the vanilla crumble topping.

Vanilla crumble topping

120g butter, chilled and cut into about 10 cubes

75g plain flour

75g rolled oats

50g Muscovado sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1          Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz in short bursts until roughly combined. Chill until ready to use. (The quantities given make about twice as much crumble topping as you’ll need for this cake but it freezes beautifully for next time.)

2         Next, make the cake batter.

Cake batter

200g plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

a pinch of salt

175g caster sugar

100mls sunflower oil

50mls freshly squeezed orange juice (or milk)

½ teaspoon vanilla extract (or rose water)

2 eggs, beaten

a small knob of butter for greasing the tin

Pre-heat the oven to 170°C

1          Butter and baseline a 23cm (9 inch) sandwich tin.

2          In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine the first 4 ingredients.

3          In a measuring jug or batter bowl, combine the oil, orange juice, vanilla extract and eggs and add to the bowl of dry ingredients, mixing until well combined.

4          Pour half the batter into the prepared tin. Drain any excess syrup from the rhubarb (this is good spooned over ice cream) and scatter the cooled pieces on top of the batter, leaving a small margin around the edges. Spoon the remaining batter on top. Don’t be too fussy about covering up all the rhubarb as you'll be covering it with crumble.

 5         Scatter the crumble mix over the top and bake in the pre-heated oven for 40 minutes or until well risen and golden on top. A cocktail stick inserted in the middle should come out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin.  





Catch me while you can!



This is really good served slightly warm, with a dollop of whipped cream, and is even better the following day when the flavours have had a chance to develop (but it rarely hangs round long enough for that to happen).



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Bramley Brulée – So Tempting, It’s Criminal

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I am not one to hold a grudge. I believe in forgive and forget... let bygones be bygones... bury the hatchet... kiss and make up. 

There is just one crime that I have been unable to pardon. Tears still well up (sniff) when I recall that dreadful moment.



The innocent victim...



I had organised a Christmas party for a group of friends and made sure that my favourite dessert was included on the menu. Mmmmm Crème Brulée... sigh! I had been dreaming about the moment when the spoon would shatter the caramelised sugar crust sending splinters of sweetness into the creamy custard. The starter and main course – delicious though they were – were merely a prelude to this delight.

As the empty plates were cleared away for the next course, I did a quick tour of the room to make sure all the guests were in good spirits. As dessert was being dished up, I made my way back to my table. Oh such sweet anticipation.

Aaaaaaaaarrrrggh! It took mere moments for the crime to be committed. There, in my place, was an EMPTY, licked-clean dish, with the merest trace of burnt sugar still clinging to the sides. “Ooops, I thought it was a spare,” said the heartless thief my dining companion who must have inhaled the dessert so quickly did it vanish, “let's order you another one.”

We're obviously not Bramleys... but we are a windfall!

His crime was not to be erased that easily. The caterers had been exact and there was (sniff) no more (sob) Crème Brulée (wail). While I have tried to find it in my heart to forgive this dessert-stealing fiend good friend, I know I will never forget...

Here’s my prize-winning Crème Brulée with Bramley apple compote. I used Bramleys because at the time I wrote this recipe, it was the 200^th anniversary of the variety. You could use any sweet/sharp apple. Just don't leave your dessert unattended!

For 6 servings you will need...

... to pre-heat the oven to 140°C (when you have finished making the compote)

Apple compote

2 large Bramley apples, peeled and cut into small cubes

zest of 1 large lemon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon runny honey

Crème brulée

6 egg yolks

150g caster sugar

500mls double cream

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Sugar crust

75g caster sugar

1          For the apple compote: First, place all the compote ingredients in a medium saucepan over a low heat. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until the apple is tender, stirring occasionally. Pour off any excess juice and divide the apple mixture between 6 shallow ramekin dishes. Leave to cool. Place the ramekins in a roasting tray or similar. Now, preheat your oven to 140°C.

2          For the custard: Place the egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl and whisk together until pale yellow in colour. Pour the cream into a medium saucepan, and add the cinnamon. Heat gently to just boiling then - very slowly - pour onto the egg mixture, whisking all the time. Now, divide the mixture between the ramekins. Transfer the ramekins to the oven and carefully pour boiling water into the roasting tray until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the custards are just set. Remove the ramekins from the water and allow cool.

3          Finally, the topping: evenly sprinkle each of the cooled Bramley Brulées with the caster sugar and either place under a very hot grill until the sugar is golden and bubbling, or use a blowtorch to achieve the same effect. Cool before serving, but do not refrigerate.

Variation

Scatter a layer of fresh raspberries in the bottom of each ramekin instead of the apple compote. Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the cream in place of cinnamon.

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Strawberry and Rose Petal Ice Cream – practically Italian!

Pin It I cannot resist a car boot sale ... ‘one woman’s junk is another woman’s treasure’ and all that. 

Take time to stop and smell eat the roses!

My pasta maker came from a car boot sale. It was in mint condition. I figured that by the time I’d rolled out a few yards of fettucini, I’d be practically Italian.  Then I discovered that soft Irish flour - so fantastic for bread and cakes - is rubbish for making pasta. I packed the pasta maker back into its box and brought it to a charity shop.

My coffee machine came from a car boot sale. It looked brand new. I am a tea drinker, but I fancied myself a barista. I could turn out a few foaming cappuccini or a couple of gallons of espresso, and hey presto, I’d be practically Italian. One teeny problem... there were no instructions. I muddled through and drank a lot of coffee. That week I was WIDE AWAKE. Then I left the cap on the steamer and blew the damn thing up. Do you know how hard it is to remove damp coffee grinds from the ceiling?!

A spoonful of sugar does wonders for strawberries

I was so proud of myself when I managed to walk past a bloke selling an ice cream maker. Sitting innocently in the centre of his stall, it wore a price tag - €2. “It must be broken,” I thought. “I’m not taking that gorgeous retro Gelatiera home.” Later, as I was leaving, the man called me over. He’d seen me eyeing the ice cream maker. He assured me it was working.  “Tell you what,” he said, “I’d murder a coffee but I can’t leave my stall. Get me a coffee and you’ve got yourself a deal.”

I use the simplest of ingredients but if you tasted the magical ice creams this funny little machine is capable of churning out, you’d think I was practically Italian.

Strawberry and Rose Petal ice cream is my latest experiment. Because it is made from Greek yoghurt, fresh fruit and honey, it can be considered breakfast! ;-)

Rose Water adds a delicate floral note to this ice cream

For 4 - 6 servings you will need...

250g fresh strawberries, quartered
1 tablespoon caster sugar
550g Greek yoghurt
120g runny honey
10g fresh fragrant red or pink rose petals, unsprayed
3 tablespoons rose water

1                  Sprinkle the caster sugar over the quartered strawberries and set aside for about 30 minutes. Then purée 200g of the strawberries and pass the purée through a sieve to remove the seeds.

2                  Place the yoghurt, strawberry purée, honey and rosewater in your ice cream maker and churn until thick and smooth – about 30 minutes or so though this will vary according to the make and model you use. (If you don’t have an ice cream maker, mix the ingredients well and place in a freezer proof container. Stir well every 30 minutes to break up any large ice crystals. Repeat until the ice cream is smooth and thick.)

3                 Chop the remaining strawberries into small pieces.

4                 Wash the rose petals and pat dry with kitchen paper. Snip off and discard the white portion of each petal (the part where it joined the stem) and tear roughly into pieces. Fold the strawberries and rose petals into the ice cream and transfer to a freezer container. Cover and freeze until required. Ice cream matures so while this is ready to eat straight away, it is even better if you leave it overnight.

Ahh days of wine and roses...

Tip: Remove from the freezer a few minutes before serving to allow it to soften.

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Walnut Frangipane Tart with Apple and Fudge – when ingredients rebel...

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Yesterday, I bought some Bramley apples. They had “apple pie” written all over them - or so I thought.  Somehow a stray bag of fudge ended up among my shopping. I didn’t spot this stowaway until it had been through the checkout and all the way home.

 

Hey Apple! We've got a better plan...

On the journey, these ingredients conspired and by the time they were unpacked, the apples refused to be mere apple pie. They recruited the fudge and a bag of walnuts that needed using up, (remember War On Waste?), then staged a revolution.

I gave in and packed the apples and fudge into a crumbly sweet pastry shell, then topped the lot with a walnut frangipane. OMG! I’m glad I listened to those apples. They were so right!

It's a conspiracy!

For one large delicious tart you will need...

Sweet Pastry

150g butter

50g caster sugar

1 egg, beaten

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

225g plain flour

1          For the pastry: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy and pale in colour. Now add the flour to the creamed sugar/butter mixture, beating until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix together the egg and vanilla essence and add a little at a time, until the mixture comes together in a soft paste. You may not need to use all of the egg. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge (or overnight if possible).

2          Remove the pastry from the fridge and place on a lightly floured surface or on a large sheet of non-stick baking parchment. Roll the pastry out, making sure to roll in one direction, turning the pastry a quarter at a time to keep it spreading out evenly to a thickness of about 3mm (about the thickness of a euro coin).  If you roll in both directions you can end up stretching the pastry which will shrink back in the oven. Use to line a 23cm (9 inch) tart tin. Press gently into place, then run the rolling pin over the top – this neatly removes any pastry overhang. Return the pastry to the fridge to rest while you pre-heat the oven to 170°C.

Apple and Fudge filling

1 - 2 Bramley apples, or your favourite apple (yielding about 250g of fruit when prepared)

150g vanilla fudge, finely chopped (or 12 tablespoons of fleur de sel caramel sauce)

3          Peel the apples and cut into 1cm cubes. Place the apple cubes in a bowl of cold water to which you’ve added a squeeze of lemon juice to stop them turning brown, or if using the fleur de sel caramel sauce pour over the apple cubes and set aside until ready to use.

Walnut Frangipane

100g butter

100g caster sugar

3 medium eggs, beaten

100g walnuts, ground

100g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

4          Make the frangipane filling: Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl or stand mixer and beat together until pale and fluffy. Add the beaten egg, a little at a time, mixing well between additions. When all the beaten egg has been added, sprinkle in the ground walnuts, flour and baking powder, and mix well until all the ingredients have been combined.

5          Remove the chilled tart shell from the fridge. Dry the apple cubes in a clean teacloth and arrange evenly in the pastry shell, leaving a margin of about 1cm around the edge .  Sprinkle the chopped fudge over the apple (or if using the fleur de sel caramel sauce simply spoon the apple/caramel mixture into the shell). Now spoon the walnut frangipane filling over this, levelling it out with the back of the spoon or a spatula, right to the edge of the pastry.

6          Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the filling is golden brown and risen and springs back when pressed lightly with your finger. Leave to cool, then remove from the baking tin. Dust with icing sugar before serving with a swirl of whipped cream.


Couldn't resist an extra hit of caramel

There are some apples left over from that batch. With such ambition and creativity, who knows what they’ll become! J

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Mini Mango and Ginger Cheesecakes – the best things come in small packages, cupcake!

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Perhaps because I am snack-sized myself, I have a weakness for mini-food of all types. If there are canapés on offer, I’m there. Too often, by the time I’ve polished off a proper dinner, I have barely enough room left to read the dessert menu, never mind actually tackle the average confectionery... unless of course it’s a cupcake.

When this winter rolls over into January 2011, trendy foodies will be saying “Cupcakes are so last year!”  Tsk! What a shame, because many people – me included – love the endless variation of form and flavour (and mini-ness) that cupcakes represent.

What lies beneath?  

What is going to replace the cupcake in my affections?

I know! The mini cheesecake! It is petite perfection, with about half the calories of a regular old-fashioned slice (unless you devour two). Just like the cup cake, the mini cheesecake can take on endless form and flavour. 

Say "Cheese!"



For approximately 15 mini Mango and Ginger cheesecakes you will need:

Ginger biscuit base

150g Ginger Nut biscuits, crushed

75g butter, melted

1.   First, line a muffin pan with paper muffin liners. Mix together the crushed biscuits and melted butter and divide between the muffin cups, packing the mixture down lightly with the back of a spoon.

Mango cheesecake mix

1 x 568ml (1 pint) packet orange jelly (Jell-O) – I use the 135g Chivers brand

125mls boiling water

350g full-fat soft cheese (low-cal won’t set properly)

110g caster sugar

125mls double cream

1 x 397g tin sliced mango in light syrup

25mls fresh lemon/lime juice or 25mls Maguary Passion Fruit concentrate if you can get it

2.   In a measuring jug, dissolve the orange jelly in the boiling water. A few zaps of the microwave can speed this up a little.

3.   In a food processor, purée the sliced mango with enough of its syrup to make a thick liquid and add enough of this to bring the melted jelly mixture to bring it up to 275mls on the measuring jug (you’ll have plenty left over – I drizzle this over the finished cakes). Stir in the lemon/lime juice or Passion Fruit concentrate. Leave to cool, checking every five minutes or so for the gelling process to start – this is where it begins to thicken ever so slightly.

4.   Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.

5.   When the jelly mixture has reached the gelling stage, add it to the cheese mixture and beat until smooth. Finally, add the double cream and beat until just combined.

6.   Divide the mixture between the muffin cups – careful to leave about  ½cm at the top. Refrigerate for about 3 hours or until set. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

To decorate as shown:

Spoon a little of the mango purée over the surface of the set cakes. This gives them the beautiful sunny yellow in the picture.  Draw shapes on baking parchment and fill them in with melted dark chocolate, or drizzle random shapes, remembering to count one for each cheesecake and a few extra for the cook. Leave for about 5 – 10 minutes in a cool room then peel away the paper and decorate the cheesecakes with the chocolate shapes.

Variations:

Choose another flavour of in place of the orange jelly and add a complementary puréed fruit in place of the mango.

Add a little chopped crystallised ginger to spice up the base, or choose another biscuit entirely – try Oreos, Digestive, Choc Chip...  So many mini cheesecakes, so little time...

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