Summer Berries Gratin

 

Summer Berries Gratin

This recipe is for 4 Ramekins actually, but since there is just the two of us.... also i didn't have them under the grill long enough so the icing sugar is not browned enough....
Anyway here goes:


Shopping List:

140 gr strawberries, hulled and cut into halves if you want or quartres
140 gr each: fresh raspberries and blueberries

Grated zest of 1 lemon ( smallish)

100 gr white chocolate ( which isn't really real chocolate but hey)

140-5 double cream

2 tablespoons icing sugar


Scatter the berries into your ramekins. Sprinkle them with the grated lemon zest.
Break up the chocolate and put it in a heat proof bowl.  Heat the cream until it nearly boils and then pour this over the chocolate. Leave this for 3 minutes and then stir it until it's dissolved and well combined. Leave to cool to room temperature.
Heat up your grill until really hot. Pour the chocolatemixture over the summer berries. Then you sprinkle over the icing sugar. Place the ramekins on a little baking tray under the grill for 2-3 minutes until the sauce begins to brown. Serve straight away.

This is so delicious, such a nice dessert. I suppose one could prepare this in advance and do the last bits right after your dinner party has finished their main course.


                                                              "Enjoy"

Creamy Coconut Cake

 

Creamy Coconut Cake


Shopping List:

175 gr butter, softened
175 gr golden caster sugar or light brown soft
175 gr self-rasing flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (Backing Dr Oetker)
50 gr dessicated coconut
2 tablespoons ( 30 gr) coconut cream (Santen van Toko Lien) or (Blue Elephant)
Or single cream

2 x 20cm sandwich tins or springform tins

For the buttercream filling and topping

280 gr Icing sugar (Poedersuiker)
100 gr butter, softened
3 tablespoons coconut cream, or single cream
5 tablespoons raspberry jam

 

 

 

 

 

Preheat your oven to 180C. Butter or spray and line your cake tins. ( 2 x 20cm)

Mix the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and beaten eggs until smooth. Gently stir the dessicated coconut and coconut cream.

 

Divide the mixture between the prepared tins and try and smooth the tops as best you can. Bake the cake in your preheated oven for 25 minutes until golden and firm. Leave to cool for 5-10 minutes, then gently turn out on your wire rack to cool and peel off the lining paper.

 

To make the buttercream: Beat together the icing sugar, butter and coconut cream until smooth. I added a little double cream to make it smoother. Spread the bottom sponge ( you choose) with the jam. Top this with just under half the buttercream and sandwich the top sponge on top.

Swoop and swirl the rest of the buttercream on top of the coconut cake.

 

It's a delicious coconutty cake! Wonderful with an espresso!

 

                                                                     "Enjoy"

 

                                                         



Bountiful Blueberry Mini Crumbles for Two

Bountiful Blueberry Mini Crumbles for Two


A visit to Ikea in Delft had left me with two very sweet pie dishes. How to fill them? Why, with a little crumble ofcourse! This recipe is for two mini crumbles, so if you want you can add to it at will.


Shopping List:

For the cake:
50 gr butter, softened
60 gr golden caster or light soft brown sugar
60 gr self raising flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder (backing Dr. Oetker)
1 medium egg, beaten   (free range)
1 teaspoon milk

Blueberries: 100 gr

For the crumble(s):

15 gr butter, softened
2 heaped tablespoons self-raising flour
1 teaspoon demerara sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cream or Clotted Cream or Ice Cream to serve.

Preheat your oven to 180C. Grease, butter or spray two, 11-12 cm round pie dishes.

Beat all the ingredients for the cake together using the all-in-one method.  Divide this mixture between your piedishes and try to even them out a little. Bake for 10-15 minutes until almost set. Keep your eye on the oven as they burn quickly.

In the meantime: make the crumble by mixing all the ingredients together and mix well until crumbly to the touch.

When the little cakes have nearly set, take them out of the oven and scatter the blueberries over the little cakes making sure each gets their half. Crumble the crumble over the blueberries. Return to your oven for 10 -15 minutes more until your skewer comes out clean. Keep your eyes on your little crumbles as they burn quickly.

Serve warm or cold with any sort of cream with it. You could make these in advance for a romantic dinner for two. And a nice glass of Beaum de Venise. Or Coffee.


                                                              "Enjoy"



Original recipe by Conny

Lancashire Courting Cake

Lancashire Courting Cake

To show off their baking skills to their fiancé/betrothed (or maybe their future mother in law) girls from Lancashire baked this cake. The bottom half is a cake version of shortbread. The top half is just a lovely cake. It's a nice summer treat and you can use up slightly dented, soft or over-ripe strawberries. In addition you can use  dollops of fresh whipped cream and strawberry jam to sandwich the cakes together. 

It takes plusminus 3 hours to make in total.


Shopping List:

For the bottom layer:

170 gr. golden caster sugar ( or light brown sugar)
125 gr butter softened
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg (free range)
325 gr plain white flour

For the top layer:

112 gr butter softened
112 gr caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
175 gr self-raising flour
15 ml milk
strawberry jam
150 ml fresh double cream
225 gr strawberries, sliced ( or whatever you have left)
icing sugar to decorate with

For the bottom layer:

Preheat your oven to 180C. Cream together the butter and the sugar until it is pale and fluffy. Fold in the eggs until nicely combined. Sieve in the baking powder with the plain flour over the butter mixture and fold in gently but firm until well combined. ( This will happen). Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work space and cut out into a heart shape of about 25 x 22 cm .
Bake in your preheated oven for about 20 minutes but keep your eyes onto your oven! It can easily burn. Take the heart out of the oven and sprinkle with caster sugar while still hot.
Let it cool completely and out of harms way.

For the top layer:

Grease or spray and line a 23-24 cm cake tin or use your sillicone heart cake shape. Your round cake can be cut to shape and match your bottom layer when all have cooled.
Your oven should still be @ 180C if all is well. If not re- preheat your oven.

Cream the butter and the sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs slowly and bit by bit to your butter mixture. Beat it after each addition. Gently fold in your self-raising flour and add enough milk to give the mixture a soft dropping consistency. Pour the mixture into your prepared tin ( be it round or heart shaped) and bake for 25 - 30 minutes until firm to the touch and your cake tester comes out clean. It can easily burn! Leave to cool and turn out onto your wire rack to cool completely.

To assemble : whip up the cream and delicately smooth this over the bottom cake. If neccesary cut the cake(s) into a heart. Add the sliced strawberries. Smooth dollops of strawberry jam on the bottom of the top cake and sandwich this on top of the bottom cake. Sprinkle the assembled cake with icing sugar and put two of your best strawberries on top to resemble two lovers.

This cake was baked in The Netherlands!


                                                             "Enjoy"

                           

Scintillating Angel food cake

Scintilating Angel food cake


(NOT ! a Great British Bake Off Recipe)


This is a fat free cake and tastes heavenly.


Shopping List:

10 egg whites ( you can make lemon curd from the yolks if you want)
1 teaspoon  cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 a teaspoon almond extract
250 gr caster sugar
125 gr plain white flour, sifted

300 ml double cream, whipped with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

lemon curd

Ring shaped cake tin. i used my Bundt but i think a proper angel food cake tin would be great.
If you don't have one, use a round cake tin and put an empty tin upside down in the centre to make a hole.


Preheat your oven to 180C. Do NOT ! spray, grease or line your tin, otherwise it won't "stretch".
Whisk the egg whites until foamy.  Sprinkle the cream of tartar and the extracts over them and keep whisking all the time until the mixture is stiff but not dry.

Add the sugar, 1 spoon at a time, keep whisking. The mixture should be shiny and form soft peaks.

Fold in the flour with a metal spoon, blending it through and through firmly but very gently as not to break down the egg whites.

Spoon the mixture in your ungreased 23 cm ring shaped cake tin.  Bake on the lowest shelf in your preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. It should feel dry.

To cool your cake. leave it in the tin and turn it upside down, supporting the centre column of the cake tin, so that the cake is not resting on anything and can "stretch"downwards. Leave it to cool for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

 

To take the cake out of the tin, run a knife around its outside and turn it upside down on a plate.

Cover with the whipped cream. Serve the cake with any preserves or jams,

or with ginger - lemon sauce or lemon curd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Enjoy"

 

Tantalizing Apple tart from Trentino

Tantalizing Apple tart from Trentino                     Torta Cremosa Di Mele


Shopping List:

1 lemon, scrubbed clean, for grating and juice
4 mild-sweet eating apples
3  large eggs, free range please
180 gr sugar
100 gr butter
200 gr self-rasing flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus extra for dusting
1 little sachet ( 8 grams) of vanilla sugar (home made is fine)
200 ml full fat milk
Icing sugar to dust
Springform 24cm


Grate the lemon and squeeze the fruit. Peel the apples, core and peel in slices. Mix the apple slices with the lemon juice to prevent discolouration.

Preheat your oven to 180C.  Grease or spray and line your springform tin.  Break the eggs over your bowl and mix with the sugar until the sugar is dissolved and you end up with a frothy soft cream.
In the meantime melt the butter, gently,  on a low heat and don't let it get too hot. Pour this in with the egg mixture. Add the grated lemon, self-rasing flour, cinnamon and vanilla sugar and fold in until well combined. Add the milk and stir gently.
Fold in the apple slices with the lemon juice through the mixture. Pour this mixture into your prepared tin.

Bake the Torta in the middle of the oven for about 55 minutes until golden. Leave to cool for at least 1 hour. Turn it out and put it on your wire rack. Dust icing sugar and ground cinnamon on top of it.
Serve with fresh fruits or cream or ice cream!

                                                                    "Enjoy"





 

 

Scrumptious Strawberry Cheese Cake

Scrumptious Strawberry Cheese Cake



Shopping List:                                                             Overnighter! No Oven needed!

250 gr digestive biscuits
100 gr butter, melted

1 vanilla pod
600 gr soft cheese (mascarpone or philadelphia

100 gr icing sugar
285 ml double cream

Topping:

400 gr or a punnet strawberries
washed, halved and de-crowned

25 gr icing sugar



Spray / butter and line your 23-24 cm loose bottomed tin.  Crush the biscuits until fine. Pour the melted butter over it and mix until wel combined. Tip it into your prepared tin and press firmly with the back of a metal spoon. Let it chill in the fridge for up to one hour so it is firm.

In the mean time you can scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod. The best is to use the back of your kitchen knife to do this.
When the base is firm and set,  you can make the filling: Put the soft cheese in your bowl with the icing sugar and the vanilla seeds and mix with an electric mixer until well combined.
Then tip in the double cream, beat some more until really smooth. I put in a few food colour drops of red in it and some cut up strawberries for extra zing. Spoon this mixture on top of your biscuit base and smooth it over with a spatula.

Leave to set overnight in the fridge and don't touch it!

The next day you can take it out and bring it to room temperature to turn it out. Gently.
Purée half of the 400 gr of strawberries with the icing sugar and 1 teaspoon of water and then sieve it. Decorate the rest of the strawberries on top of the cake and pour the purée over it.

Left over purée can be used when you serve, just a little extra around the slice.

 

 

Deliciously Scrumptiously Lovely

 

 

"Enjoy"

Roman Holiday Dessert tart

Roman Holiday Dessert tart


Shopping List:

100 gr raisins
140 gr mixed glacé fruits, chopped fine
3 tablespoons orange juice ( if you like a tipple, use rum)
300 gr sweet dessert pastry

50 gr plain flour
175 gr softened butter
175 gr golden caster sugar
175 gr ground almonds
5  large eggs, beaten (free range please)
85 gr pine nuts

2 tablespoons clear honey (acacia or manuka)
and some extra for drizzling before serving

Ceramic Baking beans and baking paper


Put your raisins and the glacé fruits in your bowl with the orange juice ( or rum) and let it soak for a good hour.
In the mean time you can roll out the pastry on a clean and lightly flour dusted surface. Line your deep 23 cm loose bottomed tin with the pastry. Leave the pastry overhanging the edges and prick the base with a fork. Chill it in your fridge or larder for 1 hour.

preheat your oven to 200 C. and cut off the edges with your rolling pin, by rolling over the tin whilst pressing slightly. Fill your pastry case first with baking paper and then with the ceramic baking beans.
Put the pastry in your preheated oven for 8 minutes. Then you can remove the baking paper with the beans and bake some more for 4-5 minutes. Allow the pastry to cool a little.

Now you beat the butter, sugar, ground almonds, flour and the beaten eggs. Mix the fruits into it and pour it into your prebaked pastry case. Scatter the pine nuts over it making sure that you press them in a little. Drizzle it with the clear honey. (Acacia or Manuka)

Put the tart back in your oven and then turn the heat down to 180C. Bake it for 40 - 50 minutes until firm to the touch. Keep an eye out so as you can see your tart will colour too quickly, if it does cover it with some aluminium foil.

Let it cool in the tin. If you want you can freeze it up to 3 months but i doubt it will last.
It may not look like the prettiest tart but if you slice it and serve it with a drizzle of clear honey and maybe some cream, it's a lovely dessert after a lovely dinner party. With some espresso or cappucino next to it. Or even a nice dessert wine!  When in Rome as they say!


                                                                    "Enjoy"

Juicy Blueberry Cheesecake with vanilla

Juicy Blueberry Cheesecake with vanilla



This is an overnighter which means you have to make it the day before you want to serve it.
It is a "no bake " cake but needs to be in the fridge instead.


Shopping List:

300 gr Blueberries
100 gr golden caster sugar

200 gr digestive biscuits
100 gr butter, melted

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract/aroma
600 gr soft cheese (mascarpone/philadelphia)
100 gr icing sugar
300 ml pot double cream

First we make the Blueberry Juice. Put the sugar in a saucepan with 3 tablespoons of water and cook until the sugar is dissolved then boil until syrupy. Next add the Blueberries and cook for a minute or two. Not more, otherwise they burst and you only want them to be soft. Pour the blueberries into your sieve which is over a bowl to catch the juice. Leave to cool. Set aside. You will be needing half of this to go into the cheese mixture and the rest to drizzle over the finished cake.

Grease or spray and line your 22cm tin or sprinform.
Make the base: Crumble the biscuits either with a rolling pin or your food processor. Mix this with the melted butter and put this mixture into your prepared tin. Firmly press this with the back of a metal spoon to create the perfect layer for your cake. Chill this biscuit base in your fridge for about 30 minutes.

To make the cheese layer: Mix the soft cheese, icing sugar and the 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth and velvety. Pour in the cream and mix this until well combined. Be very careful not to overwhip the cream, but if you don't whip it enough the cake will not set.
Now you stir in half of the Blueberry mixture and set aside the other half. Spoon the cheese mixture over the biscuit base and smooth it out a little and gently.

Leave the cake to set completely overnight in your fridge. Don't forget to put the other half of the Blueberries in your sieve back into their syrup and leave next to the cake in the fridge. Or on one of the other shelves.

The next day you can take out the cheesecake to see if it has set. Make sure it has been out of the fridge about 30 minutes or so before you want to serve it. Turn out the cake and carefully remove the paper from the cake whilst sliding it onto a plate. Spoon the rest of the Juicy Blueberries over the cake before you serve.

                                  A lovely dessert after a lovely dinner party with no stress at all!

                                                                      "Enjoy"

Left-over Banana & poppy seed cake

 

Left-over Banana & poppy seed cake



Scrummy Yummie!


Shopping List:

175 gr self-raising flour
175 gr soft brown sugar
175 gr butter, softened

3 eggs, large, beaten (free range please)
1 teaspoon baking powder

3 very ripe bananas, mashed up

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
( Blauwmaanzaad)
and some to decorate the cake with

For the Icing:

200 gr light cream cheese

2 tablespoons Icing sugar, sifted
(poeder suiker)


Preheat your oven to 180C. Grease or spray and line your cake/loaf tin.

Use the all-in-one method for the cake, but don't forget your bananas.  Mix well. Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and bake it in your preheated oven for about 55-60 minutes or until your cake tester comes out clean.

Turn out your cake and leave to cool on your wire rack. Leave to cool somewhat otherwise your icing will melt off it.

To make the icing, mix the cream cheese and the icing sugar. Don't leave your icing in the bowl too long as it will go runny. Spread this gently over your cooled cake and decorate with some poppy seeds. Put in the fridge to firm up.

Excellent to finish off those bananas nobody ate and are lying lonely in your fruit bowl going spotty.

                                                                       "Enjoy"

Melanie's Mineola Orange & Chocolate Cake

Melanie's Mineola Orange & Chocolate Cake

                                                                    Delicious!


Shopping List:

140 gr butter, soft
200 gr self-raising flour
1 and a 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
200 gr golden caster sugar
3 large eggs, free range please
6 tablespoons milk
Zest of 1 large Orange ( Mineola)


To drizzle and to drape

3 tablespoons orange juice from the Mineola
50 gr golden caster sugar

50 - 60 gr dark chocolate melted "au bain Marie"
@ least 39% cocoa solids



Preheat your oven to 180C. Grease or spray and line your loaf/cake tin. Use the all-in-one method for the cake ingrediënts, and beat it all together until it is light and fluffy. Pour it all in your prepared tin.

Bake this in your preheated oven for about 40-50 minutes until golden brown and your cakestester comes out clean. Whilst your cake is baking you can heat the orange/Mineola juice in a small saucepan with the sugar over a gentle heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

When you take your cake out of the oven prick some small holes with your caketester so the juice can soak into your cake. Spoon the juice over the cake whilst still in the tin.

Leave to cool in the tin, turn it out and leave to cool completely on to your wire rack.

Melt the chocolate "au bain Marie" and drape and drizzle this over your cake.
Let the chocolate set before you cut it. An excellent Ladies Coffee Morning Idea!

                                                            "Enjoy"

Peach, Blueberry and Cinnamon Grunt

Peach, Blueberry and Cinnamon Grunt


Easy and delicious!

Shopping List:

1 tablespoon of cornflour (maïzena)
the juice of 2 and the zest of half an Orange
2 tablespoons caster sugar
6 ripe Peaches
250 gr Blueberries

For the Grunt:

200 gr self-raising flour
50 gr butter softened and in pieces and a little bit of melted butter for later
100 gr light brown sugar 50/50 divided
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5-maybe 6 tablespoons of milk


Butter or spray a wide shallow ovenproof dish, doesn't really matter what shape.
Mix the cornflour with the orange zest and juice in a lrger pan tigether with the sugar.
Halve and stone and slice the peaches and put them in the pan. Bring the peaches slowly to the nearly boil (3-4 minutes0 and stir very gently until they are sort of shiny. Take the pan of the heat, put in the blueberries, give it a stir and pour the  fruit mixture into your prepared ovenproof dish.

Preheat your oven to 190C.
Tipyour flour into a bowl and add the 50 gr of softened butter. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in half of the light brown sugar. Mix the other half of the sugar with the cinnamon and put this aside.

Pour the milk in with your dry ingredients and mix with your hands if possible to a lovely soft dough.
Turn this out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll this out to an oblong square of about 16x24 cm.
Brush it with some melted butter. Then you sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over it. Roll up the piece of dough from the long side and cut into 12 or more slices. Arrange them nicely on the outer side of the dish, leaving the centre as it is.

 

 

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in your preheated oven until the grunt is nicely golden and crisp.
You can serve it either warm or cold with any sort of cream you like, even vanilla Ice cream
Even a yoghurt if you prefer.

 

"Enjoy"