Sweet Tooth Experiments

Category Archives: Traditional

Citrus Dark Chocolate and Ricotta Cannoli’s

Posted on Posted in Italy, Traditional .

Citrus, Dark Chocolate and Ricotta Cannoli’s

 

I have actually made these Cannoli’s on quite a few occasions and in variations each time.

In this recipe I have tweaked to provide you with what I think the best variation (and the easiest as I cheat a little). I’ve made this before with alcohol, pistachios, candied fruit peel, glace cherries, you name it!

I have also made these from scratch (the cannoli shells that is) and to be honest they take a very long time while being fiddly and messy. As I have an Italian grocer down the road buying a pack of 12 shells for $5 is so much more easier.

Cannoli’s are a traditional Italian dessert consisting of fried pastry filled with a cheese filling (usually ricotta or mascarpone). Variations of the filling are also common with cream or custard being piped in the shells.

Also stay tuned on this post, in a few weeks time you will see how I experiment with this recipe to produce a delightful and to die for sweet treat alternative using the fillings.

 

Ingredients:

  • 300g fresh ricotta
  • ¾ cup of icing sugar
  • Finally grated rind on 1 orange
  • Finally grated rind of I lemon
  • 100g dark chocolate grated

 

Method:

  1. Mix together all ingredients until smooth.
  2. Spoon into a piping bag with a star nozzle (Witlon tip size up to you).
  3. Pipe the filling into the shells generously starting from one end to the other.
  4. And it’s as simple as that.

 

Notes:

  • This will fill easily 12 medium size shells or 18 small shells.
  • This filling is actually really good as a filling in the middle and on top of a chocolate cake or sponge cake to give a basic cake a twist of variation.
  • The filling can also be piped into profiteroles as a change up from cream or custard (I shared my profiterole recipe in January).

 

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Greek Custard Pie

Posted on Posted in Greece, Pies, Traditional .

greek2

Greek Custard Pie

So I have touch on America with a traditional Pumpkin Pie and Italy with Cannoli’s now we are going to Greece for a custard pie.

Wait until you try this recipe out and its not even that naughty (ignoring the syrup of course).

 

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups rice milk (or normal is your not a fan)
  • 1 cup fine semolina
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tbsn finely grated lemon rind
  • 1 tsn vanilla essence
  • 12 filo pastry sheets cut in half
  • 125g butter or oil spray

Syrup

  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • A long strip of orange rind
  • A long strip on lemon rind
  • 1 tsn cinnamon
  • 2 tbsn lemon juice

 

Method:

  1. Grease a 20cm x 30cm ovenproof dish and pre-heat the oven to 180c.
  2. Place milk in a saucepan and heat until boiling. Once boiled reduce the heat to low.
  3. Pour in the semolina and whish until smooth.
  4. Whish in another bowl the egg and sugar until smooth.
  5. Whish I cup of the semolina into the egg mix to loosen it up.
  6. Now add the egg mix to the semolina on the stove and cook stirring for 5 mins or until the mix thickens.
  7. Remove from the heat and stir in the rind and vanilla.
  8. Place a filo sheet in the dish and brush with the butter (or spray with oil spray). Repeat with half the butter and filo sheets.
  9. Spoon in the custard.
  10. Now repeat with the remaining filo and butter.
  11. With a knife score the top of the filo to 4cm squares.
  12. Cook for 50 minutes until golden brown on the top.
  13. Combine all the syrup ingredients into a pan on the stove on high until boiling. Now reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes until syrup reduces.
  14. Cut the cooked pie from where you have scored in the dish and pour over the syrup omitting the rind. Allow the syrup to soak into the pie at least 30 minutes prior to serving.

 

Notes:

  • I mention in there about oil spray. This will dramatically reduce the butter amount in the pie, thus reducing the fat content. If you’re not fussed about the extra butter then ignore the spray option.
  • If your not a fan of orange if is fine to omit the rind, many custard pie recipes don’t actually include this (I think it makes the pie better personality).
  • I also recommend using rice milk as it’s much sweeter than cows milk, which is why I only have ½ cup of sugar in the custard.

 

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greek custard

Step 11 – Scoring the pastry

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German Spice Biscuits

Posted on Posted in Biscuits, German, Traditional .

German Spice Biscuit recipeGerman Spice Biscuits

I am a big fan of spices and saw a recipe for Chai biscuits that sparked my interest. Following, a traditional German Spice biscuit recipe caught my eye and I noticed the ingredients were pretty much the same. The only difference was the German biscuits used eggs instead of butter and they had 1/2 tsn pepper and nutmeg which the chai biscuits didn’t have. Looking at these 2 recipes I was more drawn to the traditional and more spiced flavoured biscuit.

These biscuits are very very similar in flavour to gingerbread men, they even have the same icing but are easier to make and take much less time.

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 + ¼ cups plain flour
  • ¼ tsn baking powder
  • 1 tsn ground ginger
  • ½ tsn nutmeg
  • 1 tsn ground cardamom
  • 1 tsn cinnamon
  • ¼ tsn finely ground black pepper
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 + ¼ cups icing sugar

 

Method:

  1. Preheat an oven to 180c and line a baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Sift flour, baking powder, spices and pepper in a bowl.
  3. Place the eggs (less 1 egg white) and sugar in a bowl and beat until thick and creamy.
  4. Stir in the flour mix until a dough is formed.
  5. Shape the dough into 1 tbsn sized balls (20g) and place on the baking tray. Flatten the top slightly with fingers.
  6. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes of until just firm.
  7. Transfer onto a cooling rack.
  8. Lightly beat the egg white and add in enough of the icing sugar to form a smooth icing.
  9. Using a pastry-brush brush the icing over the top and sides of the biscuit until they are thickly coated. Leave them to set.

 

Notes:

  • The traditional way of icing these biscuits is pouring the icing over them, however you will find this don’t work and you waste majority of the icing and only get some biscuits covered.
  • These biscuits are not very extremely sweet, but super tasty. They would not taste as good if they were a sweeter biscuit.

German Spice Biscuit recipe

German Spice Biscuits recipe

German Spice Biscuits recipe

German Spice Biscuits recipe

 

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Swedish Apple Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes, Sweden, Traditional .


Swedish Apple Cake recipe

Swedish Apple Cake

So someone said to me the other day why don’t you bake an apple pie. My response was ‘to boring’ I like to try ‘out there’ unexpected flavours and then be surprised when the flavours are magic and I uncover a hidden gem recipe…However, I also love to ‘uncover’ traditional global dessert recipes – I think this is because some cultures have flavours I have never even heard of which peaks my ‘trial & testing’ obsession.

But, it did get me thinking, I do baking a lot with fruit and the recipes have in the most part been amazing and there are millions of different apple pie/tart/slice/cake/torts/jelly/trifle recipes.

So I decided that I would investiagte and find a killer recipe that ticks all the boxes..I am told this cake tastes exactly like Apple Pie but as a cake…

 

Ingredients:

  • 4 granny smith apples
  • 260g plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 150g white sugar
  • 150g butter
  • 4 eggs

Glaze:

  • 50g water
  • 50g white sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

 

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c and line a 25cm cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Peel the apples. Dice 3 into 1cm cubes. For the 4th apple slice thinly into moon shapes to decorate the cake.
  3. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar in a bowl.
  4. Add the diced apple to the bowl and mix with dry ingredients well.
  5. Add the softened butter and eggs until all ingredients are well combined.
  6. Pour into cake tin.
  7. Place the sliced apple in a fan shape on top of the batter.
  8. Bake for 60 minutes or until a skew inserted in the cake comes out clean.
  9. Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer onto a cooling rack.
  10. Make the glaze by combining the ingredients together in a small pan on low and stir until the sugar dissolves. Turn up heat to medium until the glaze thickens to half the measure.
  11. Using a pastry-brush brush the apples on top of the cake with the glaze.

 

Notes:

  • The reason you need to make sure you mix the dry ingredients with the diced apple is because covering the apple in flour will ensure the apple does not sink to the bottom.
  • As the apple is diced so finely after cooking the pieces themselves break down, making the cake smooth in texture and apple intenseness in every bite. If you would like to actually have apple pieces in the cake you will need to dice into 2cm sizes.
  • 150g sugar may not seem like that much for a full cake, however as apple has natural sugar they bring this into the cake (that is if you have nice tasty apples and not apple on the sour ‘to ripe’ side).
  • Don’t try to make the glaze in the microwave. I am all for time saving and making things easier but this will only make a water like glaze texture not a syrupy one.
  • This cake does not need icing (that would not work at all), if you want something to eat this with ice-cream or a dollop of cream would go down a treat. This would also be perfect for people that don’t have as much as a sweet tooth as it will dull down the sweetness.

 

Swedish Apple Cake recipe

The ingredients

Swedish Apple Cake recipe

Step 2. Dies apple

Swedish Apple Cake recipe

Step 7.

Swedish Apple Cake recipe

Step 9.

 

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Baklava

Posted on Posted in Traditional, Turkey .

baqklava

Baklava

Similar to the other international traditional dishes I have blogged about this one as well has many different variations, which I have explored and found my favorite.

 

Ingredients:

  • 160g blanched almonds
  • 140 shelled pistachios
  • 2 tsn ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsn ground cloves
  • 1 tsn ground nutmeg
  • 18 filo pastry sheets
  • 75g butter

Syrup

  • 1 cup water
  • 220g white sugar
  • 90g cup honey
  • 1 + ½ tsn rosewater

 

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c and grease a 22cm square cake tin.
  2. Process the nuts and spices until finely chopped.
  3. Spread the nut mix onto a tray and bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
  4. Increase the oven temprature to 200c.
  5. Cut the pastry sheets to fit the base on the tin. Layer 3 pastry sheets brushing each layer with butter. Place this in the tin and sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the nut mix.
  6. Repeat pervious step ending with 3 sheets of pastry.
  7. Using a knife, cut the baklava into quarters, then each square diagonally, then the triangles in half.
  8. Bake for 25 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 150c and bake for another 10 minutes.
  9. Now make the syrup by stirring all the ingredients in a saucepan on medium until the sugar dissolves.
  10. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and leave without stirring for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
  11. Once the Baklava is cooked pour the syrup over the pastry. Once the Baklava is cooled serve.

baklava2

 

 

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Profiteroles

Posted on Posted in France, Traditional .

 

Profiteroles

Profiteroles

 

I promise you Choux pastry is not hard at all! My custard filling recipe is much lower in fat and can be done in the microwave in seconds!

This is definitely an impressive traditional French sweet treat that I have made a little healthier. Traditionally these are filled with whipped cream, ice-cream or pastry cream.

These are the little gems that create the famous (thanks Masterchef) Croquembouche.

 

Ingredients:

Pastry

  • 1 cup water
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 2 tbs white sugar
  • ¼ tsn salt
  • 4 eggs

Custard

  • 1 cup skim milk
  • 6 tbsn custard powder
  • 6 tbsn white sugar

Chocolate top

  • 200g dark chocolate
  • 50g butter

 

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 200c.
  2. Bring the water and butter to the boil in a saucepan on the stove to a medium heat. Once at a boil add the flour, sugar and salt stirring with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes or until the mix comes away from the side of the pan.
  3. Take off the heat, wait 5 minutes and beat the eggs in one at a time. The mix will now resemble dough.
  4. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
  5. Using a piping bag with a large tip pipe 16 puffs in the size of golf balls leaving 5 cm apart on the 2 trays.
  6. Place the 2 trays in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
  7. Decrease the oven temperature down to 190c and bake for a further 20 minutes until the pastry is golden and all puffed up.
  8. Turn off the oven. With a knife cut a slit I the top of each puff and leave them in the oven to dry out for 10 minutes. Following place on a cooling rack to cool.
  9. To prepare the custard place all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl. Whisk well.
  10. Microwave for 2 minutes on high, then whisk. Cook for a further 30 seconds and whisk. Repeat until the custard is super thick and glossy. Leave to cool. The custard should be thick enough to easily hold its shape.
  11. With another piping bag and a medium star tip fill with the cooled custard.
  12. Pipe the custard into each puff.
  13. Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl until bubbling. Add in the chocolate, microwave for 30 seconds. Stir with a metal spoon until thick and glossy.
  14. Dip the puff into the chocolate topping and set aside to harden up prior to serving.

Notes:

  • This is quite impressive but does take a while to work through each of the processes.

 

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Spiced Pumpkin Pie

Posted on Posted in America, Pies, Traditional .

Pumpkin Pie

Spiced Pumpkin Pie

I have mentioned before that zucchini is one of my favorite veggies, in addition to this though I LOVE pumpkin. This recipe could actually be classified as a traditional cultural recipe as Pumpkin Pie is renown as a sweet treat in America (especially at Halloween).

Similar to zucchini cake there are many many pumpkin pie recipes but this one is my favorite and has great spices incorporated.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of pumpkin that has been cooked then pureed in the food processor
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 + ½ thickened cream
  • 200g brown sugar
  • 2 tsn ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsn ground ginger
  • ½ tsn nutmeg
  • ½ tsn ground cloves
  • ½ tsn all spice
  • 1 28cm sweet short crust pastry shell or store brought sweet crust pastry

Method:

  • If using store brought pastry, roll out on a lightly floured surface then transfer pastry onto a lightly greased 25cm loose bottomed tart pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. If you are using a bought tart shell omit this step.
  • Preheat the oven to 180c.
  • Line the pan with baking paper and fill with rice (this is called blind baking which stops the center of the pastry in the tart rising).
  •  Bake for 10 minutes.
  • Increase the oven temprature to 220c.
  • Place all ingredients (how simple is this) into a food processor and process until smooth.
  • Pour batter into the tart case and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Now reduce the oven to 150c and bake for a further 30 – 40 minutes
  • Cool, then its ready to serve. I suggest serving with a dollop of cream and a good drizzle of maple syrup.

Notes:

  • This is not the most amazing tart in the world as its not as sweet as a choc pie (clearly) but it is very tasty, different and a must if you love different spices (also if you love pumpkin like me).
  • You can make your own pastry by placing 250g plain flour, 110g icing sugar and 110g chilled & cubed butter in the food processor for a few seconds until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add an egg until the mix comes away from the walls of the processor and place in plastic wrap in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then transfer pastry onto a lightly greased 25cm loose bottomed tart pan

 

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