Light and dark choc puds – Recommended Recipe!

Light and Dark Choc Puds – serves 6, ready in 20-25 mins

Ingredients

100g bar dark chocolate (good quality)

100g butter

3 eggs

85g caster sugar

50g plain flour

8-10 squares of milk chocolate

Maldon sea salt flakes (optional)

Method

1.       Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/Gas 6. Butter and lightly flour six 150ml ramekins.

2.       Break up the dark chocolate and chop the butter. Melt in a bowl in the microwave for 2-3 mins on medium, stirring halfway through.

3.       Break the eggs into a mixing bowl, add the sugar and whisk until the mixture leaves a trail on the top when the whisk blades are lifted, about 5 mins. Stir in the flour, then the melted chocolate mix.

4.       Divide between the ramekins and push two squares of milk chocolate into the centre of each. (At this point you can leave them on the side for up to 2 hours until you are ready to bake them.) Put on a baking sheet and bake for 12 mins exactly.

5.       Cool for 5 mins, then turn out onto plates and sprinkle the top of each with a pinch of sea salt, if you fancy trying it. The puds are good warm or at room temperature, so there’s no panic about serving them straight away.

Per serving: 396 calories, 7g protein, 34g carbohydrate, 27g fat, 15g saturated fat, 1g fibre, 24g added sugar, 0.39g salt

Source: unknown  

Strawberry tart - Recommended Recipe!

Strawberry Tart- serves 6, takes 15mins to make and at least 1 hour to chill.

Ingredients

150g digestive biscuits

40g baking margarine

4 tbsp lemon curd

250g strawberries

To decorate, a few fresh mint leaves (optional)

Method

1. Lightly grease an 18cm loose-bottomed tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.  Bash the biscuits into tiny crumbs (whiz them in a food processor or put them into a plastic bag and bash them with a rolling pin).
2. Melt the margarine, add to the biscuits and mix together.  Spoon into the tin and press down with the back of the spoon.  Chill for at least 1 hour until hard.
3. Spoon the lemon curd over the base and carefully spread to cover the surface.
4. Hull the strawberries, cut into wedges and scatter over the lemon curd.  Sprinkle mint leaves over the top, if using, and serve.

Per serving: 220kcal, 10.9g fat, 3.3g saturated fat, 12.1g sugars, 0.5g salt.

Source: the Co-operative instore magazine.

Summer berry fruity jelly - Recommended Recipe!

Summer Berry Fruity Jelly - serves 8, takes 30 mins plus chilling

Ingredients

500g strawberries, hulled and quartered

300g raspberries

200g blueberries

175g caster sugar

1 ½ tsp lemon juice

9 sheets fine leaf gelatine

75ml elderflower cordial

Method

1. Put 200g strawberries, 125g raspberries and 80g blueberries in a medium pan with the sugar, lemon juice and 700ml cold water.  Warm gently until the sugar dissolves and liquid starts to simmer. 
2. Cover and simmer until the fruit is very soft (5 mins). 
3. Meanwhile, put the gelatine leaves in a bowl and cover with cold water.  Leave to stand for 5-10 mins until soft. 
4. Strain the hot juice through a sieve into a bowl – don’t press the fruit through the sieve as this will turn the jelly cloudy. 
5. Squeeze any excess water from the gelatine and add the leaves to the hot juice.  Stir until completely dissolved then mix in the cordial.  Leave to cool at room temperature. 
6. Pour 1/3 of the jelly mixture into a 2 litre jelly mould.  Scatter with 1/3 of the remaining fruit.  Cover and place in the fridge for 30 mins or until lightly set. 
7. Pour over half of the rest of the jelly mix; scatter with half of the remaining fruit.  Chill for 30-60 mins until lightly set.  Add remaining jelly and fruit, cover and chill overnight or for at least 6 hours.  Serve with ice cream or single cream.

Per serving: 150kcal, trace fat, trace saturated fat, 35g sugar, trace salt.

Source: Tesco instore magazine.

Cafédirect Machu Picchu Coffee Recipe Review

This week we were sent some lovely Fairtrade coffee from the guys and gals at Cafédirect.  Now, I love coffee but as part of my blogging life, I also love to use everyday items in great recipes.  Cafédirect have a cool coffee matching guide with innovative reipes using the coffees they produce. All of their products are Fairtrade certified so you know that the growers are all getting a fair deal out of the growing and production of the coffe, tea and chocolate products.... so you can enjoy them even more!

I decided to make the Cardamom chocolate mousse on an Amaretti biscuit base with hazelnuts.  This is a recipe by Saskia Rogerson, winner of the Cafédirect coffee matching challenge.  I chose this recipe specifically for it's ingredients.  Coffee is quite widely used in desserts but here we have the addition of cardamom pods and chilli - combined with chocolate and carrot, I'm hoping the results will be quite spectacular!

So here we go.... recipe coming up!

Cardamom chocolate mousse
Ingredients
Biscuit Base
250g Amaretti biscuits, crushed
120g unsalted butter
2 tbsp chopped hazlenuts
3 cardamon pods, grated

Caramelised carrot and chilli layer
2 tbsp shredded carrot
2 tbsp shredded chilli
25g unsalted butter
4 tbsp Fairtrade muscavado sugar

Cardamom, Hazelnut & Chocolate mousse
300g Fairtrade bittersweet
chocolate, broken into pieces
2 tbsp hazelnuts
4 cardamom pods, grated
45g unsalted butter
5 free range separated eggs
4 tbsp Fairtrade caster sugar
230ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Shot of espresso made with Cafédirect Machu Picchu coffee

Method

1. Biscuit Base... Melt the butter in a pan, add the Amaretti biscuits, hazelnuts and grated cardamom. Transfer to a 28cm springform cake tin (or 6 individual ramekins) and leave to cool.
2. Caramelised carrot and chilli layer... Bring the carrot and chilli mixture ingredients slowly to simmer until it caramelises, then pour onto the biscuit so it forms an even layer.
3. Cardamom, hazlenut and chocolate mousse...  Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl heated over pan of simmering water, add espresso, cardamom, hazelnuts and vanilla extract.
4. Leave to cool. Heat the egg yolks and two tbsp sugar over the simmering pan of water. Whisk until warm then transfer to an electric mixer and mix until the yolk is pale and fluffy.
5. Fold into chocolate mixture. Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff, and fold into the chocolate mixture.
6. In a bowl set over ice, whip the cream until stiff and fold into chocolate mixture. Spoon onto the biscuit and carrot/chilli caramel layer, and spread.  Refrigerate until set.
7. Eat!

The recipe is a bit technical at points with the separating of eggs, whisking yolks over heat and whisking egg whites to peak!  But I can say that it is definitely worth the effort!  The flavours are absolutely fantastic - you can taste each flavour with the chocolate complimenting the chilli, hazlenut and cardamom perfectly.

It was quite rich and so would recommend this dessert as a spectacular finish to a dinner party, but a small slice would be fine with an afternoon cup of coffee... Cafédirect of course!

We shared this dessert with my neighbour and over a cup of Machu Picchu coffee we decided that it would be making an appearance over the Christmas festivities with both familes!

Cafédirect products - tea, coffe and hot chocolate - can all be purchased at all major supermarkets and selected independant stores.  There's a great range of teas, coffees and hot chocolate available... it would certainly take a good while to work your way through them!  I can certainly try though!

Lemon sponge puddings with hot lemon sauce - Recommended Recipe!

Lemon sponge puddings with hot lemon sauce - serves 6, takes 35 minutes

Ingredients
For the puddings:
100g self raising flour
100g Anchor Lighter spread
75g fruit sugar
2 medium eggs
Rind of 1 lemon

For the sauce:
Grated rind of 1 lemon and juice of 2 lemons
4 tsp fruit sugar
1 tsp cornflour

Method

1. Set oven at 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.  Lightly grease a 6-hole muffin tin.  
2. Place all of the pudding ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat until smooth.  Divide the mixture between the muffin holes and bake for 18-20 minutes until risen and golden brown on top.
3. Meanwhile, make the sauce.  Place the lemon rind, juice and fruit sugar in a small pan with 75ml water.  Bring to the boil.
4. Separately, mix the cornflour with 1 tbsp water, and add to the lemon mixture and bring back to the boil.
5. Pour over the puddings just before serving.

Per serving - 240 kcalories, 15g sugar, 11g fat, 5g saturated fat, 0.2g salt.

Source - Morrisons instore magazine.

Hot chocolate souffles with orange - Recommended Recipe!

Hot chocolate souffles with orange - serves 4, takes 25 minutes.

Ingredients
Sunflower oil for greasing
50g caster sugar
20g cocoa powder
Pinch of cream of tartar
3 medium egg whites
Rind of one orange, grated

Method

1. Set the oven to 190C/170C Fan/ Gas 5.  Grease 4x100ml ramekin dishes or ovenproof teacups.
2. Mix caster sugar, cocoa and cream of tartar together.  
3. In a clean, grease-free bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.  Gradually whisk in the sugar, cream of tartar and cocoa mixture.  Stir in the orange rind.
4. Divide the mixture between the dishes and place on a baking tray.
5. Bake for 12 minutes until risen.  Serve immediately.

Per serving - 75 kcalories, 12g sugar, 1g fat, 0.7g saturated fat, 0.2g salt.

Source - Morrisons instore magazine.

Silent Sunday 22nd July 2012