Sweet Tooth Experiments

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Melon Lemon and Cherry Ice-Cream

Posted on Posted in Ice-cream & Sorbet .

Melon Lemon and Cherry Ice-Cream recipe

This recipe came about off the back of a cocktail and an impulse buy, A Midori and Cherry cocktail and a random melon essence purchase with no recipe to use it in.

The cocktail was super delicious but needed an acidic kick and the melon flavour of the liquor got me thinking of making a recipe with the essence I had brought.

Sometimes my recipes are as random as that.

I replaced the Midori with the essence and added lemon to balance the flavours (the sweetness without acid in the cocktail was quite overwhelming). As quite a bit of lemon was needed the recipe had to allow for a high yield of liquid, in which my head went straight to jelly, custard, ice-cream…etc. After playing around with some recipes the ice-cream was a solid winner. Super creamy, easy to make and so tasty with a lovely floral zest.

Melon Lemon and Cherry Ice-Cream recipe

 

Ingredients:

  • 120g caster sugar
  • 80ml lemon juice
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 + ½ tsn lemon zest
  • 1 + ½ tsn melon essence
  • 70g cherries, seeded
  • 250g cream

 

Method:

  1. Place half the sugar (60g) and the lemon juice into a saucepan on low/medium, stirring until the mix comes to a syrup thickness consistency. Leave aside to cool.
  2. Place the eggs, yolks and remaining 60g sugar into a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
  3. Whisk the egg mix with a hand held whisk until the mix becomes frothy, remove off the heat.
  4. Using electric beaters whisk the egg mix along with the lemon zest and the melon essence until the mix is thick and creamy.
  5. Add the cooled syrup to the egg mix and beat through until well combine.
  6. Dice the cherries into small bite sized pieces.
  7. In a separate bowl whisk the cream with electric beaters until peaks form.
  8. Fold the cream and cherries through the egg mix until combine.
  9. Pour the mix into a 10cm x 10cm container and place in the freezer for 4 hours or overnight.
  10. Use an ice-cream scoop to serve and enjoy!

 

Melon Lemon and Cherry Ice-Cream recipe

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Florentines

Posted on Posted in Biscuits .

Florentines

Florentines recipe

A Florentine biscuit (or, more correctly, a Florentine) is a sweet treat attributed to being invented in France, though is generally seen as an Italian delicacy.

Florentine’s are most commonly made from nuts and glaze cherries, in which are mixed with sugar, honey and butter and completed with their signature bottom chocolate coating.

There are many many version of this biscuit, and after baking 5 different versions I have worked up what I think is the best from multiple recipes. I know this is a little controversial but has resulted in an easy-as, ever-so-tasty gluten and egg free cookie.

Ingredients:

  • 30g dried cranberries
  • 25g almonds
  • 25g walnuts
  • 50g glaze cherries
  • 30g cornflakes
  • 90g condensed milk
  • 150g dark chocolate

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 170c degrees and line a baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Dice up the cranberries, almonds, walnuts and cherries into small pieces and place in a bowl.
  3. Add the corn flakes and condensed milk and mix until well combined.
  4. Place spoonfuls of the mix onto the baking paper and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
  5. Once the biscuits have cooled place the chocolate in a pan over a pan of simmering water on the stove.
  6. Stir the chocolate until it has melted then dip in the biscuits, bottom side to the chocolate ensuring an even layer of chocolate.
  7. Place the biscuits on a cooling rack, bottom side up until the chocolate has set.

 

Florentines recipe

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Cherry Trifle Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Cherry Trifle Cake

Cherry Trifle Cake recipe

I must say I am quite fond of a really good trifle. Something about layers of varying but complementary flavours and a range of textures (jelly – cake – custard – fruit) is certainly appealing. It does have to be a good mix of flavours and ingredients though as a trifle can easily be bland and boring.

The down side to trifles though are that they are hard to serve and plate up in an attractive or tempting manner without looking like a blob of random mess. This got me thinking that if a trifle was structured like a cake instead of a deconstruction it would be much easier to eat and much more appealing to the eye (we all eat with our eyes don’t we..?).

I could still quite easily keep the layers and textures as per a usual trifle, just modernise it.

As cherries are one of my favourite fruits I decided to use this fruit as my flavour base and create a twist on the old fashioned sweet treat.

Outcome, AMAZING! Fluffy cake, silky custard, alcohol infusion and jelly craziness all wrapped up in cream…yummm.

Cherry Trifle Cake recipe

Ingredients:

  • 3 eggs
  • 110g caster sugar
  • 75g corn flour
  • 2 tbsn-custard powder
  • 1 tsn cream of tartar
  • ½ tsn bicarbonate of soda
  • 85g cherry jelly crystals (you will need 3 dark cherry Aeroplane jelly boxes)
  • 70ml sweet sherry

Custard:

  • 35g corn flour
  • 30g custard powder
  • 55g sugar
  • 435ml-thickened cream
  • 180ml milk
  • 2 tbsn kirsch
  • 20g butter
  • 1 egg yolk

Extra:

  • 455g thickened cream
  • 200g fresh cherries

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c and line 2 x 22cm baking tin with baking paper.
  2. Beat the eggs and sugar with electric beaters for 5 minutes.
  3. In a separate bowl sift the flour, custard, cream of tartar and soda 3 times.
  4. Fold the flour mix into the egg mix until combined.
  5. Pour mix into one of the tins and flatten the top with a spoon.
  6. Bake the cake for 25 minutes and then turn the cake onto a cooling rack to cool.
  7. Now make the jelly by placing 1 cup of boiling water in a bowl, whisk in the jelly crystals until fully dissolved then whisk in 2/3rd cup of cold water.
  8. Rinse the 2 x 25cm spring form cake tins with water and divide the jelly into both tins.
  9. Place tins in the fridge until almost set.
  10. Cut the cake into 3 even layers and brush the tops with the sherry.
  11. Place 2 cake layers on top of the jelly and push down slightly.
  12. Place the tins back in the fridge for a further hour and place the 3rd layer aside for later.
  13. Make the custard by adding the corn flour, custard powder, sugar, 310ml cream and milk in a saucepan on a medium heat.
  14. Whisk continuously until the mix becomes thick and boils.
  15. Take off the heat and whisk in the kirsch, yolk and butter.
  16. Cover the custard with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to cool.
  17. Beat the remaining 125ml of cream in a bowl with electric beaters until peaks form.
  18. Now whisk the cream into the custard mix until just combine.
  19.  Remove the cakes from the tin by releasing the spring form.
  20. Place one cake on plastic wrap jelly side up then places the cake with wrap back into the cake tin used to cook the cake.
  21. Add half of the custard, then the 2nd cake jelly side up then cover with the reminding custard.
  22. Lastly add the 3rd cake layer on top of the custard – cut side down.
  23. Enclose with the wrap and place in the fridge for 3 hours to fully set.
  24. Once set remove the wrap and tin and place onto a plate.
  25. Whip the extra remaining 455g thickened cream until peaks form. Spread over the cake.
  26. Top the cake with cherries to decorate, enjoy.

 

Notes:

  • If you don’t have kirsch or sherry you can substitute with port.
  • If you are using the suggested jelly you need to buy 3 boxes, as each box has 2 packets and you need to use a total of 6 packs that are 9g each.
  • If you don’t use spring form tins you can use a knife to loosen the jelly on the sides or place the tins in hot water for 1 second then turn upside down.
  • If you do not wish to use alcohol you can use cherry juice instead of the sherry and kirsch.

 

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Pina Colada Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Pina Colada Cake

Pina Colada Cake recipe

 

Cocktails…some have the most amazing flavours I have tasted. Hello express martini, white Russian, tequila sunrise, mojito and pina colada.

This got me thinking, most of the ingredients in cocktails are variations of juices, fruits and alcohol that you will find in standard everyday supermarkets.

So if the flavor combo is already tried and tested and the ingredients are easy to come by why can’t the recipe be replicated into a cake?

I bake with juices and fruit all the time and have made many alcoholic cakes (see red wine chocolate cake) so a cocktail cake is not really a far stretch away from my usual baking.

As I am a fan of the old Pina Colada it fast became a must on the to-bake-list to launch off my cocktail cake experimenting.

 

Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 1 1/2 cups plain flour
  • 1 tbsn baking powder
  • 1/2 tsn salt
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1 tsn vanilla essence
  • 1 + 1/2 tbsn rum essence
  • 1 tsn lime zest
  • 1 can 420g can pineapple (250g pineapple)

Milk:

  • 190ml coconut milk
  • 95ml cup condensed milk
  • 95ml cup milk
  • 1 tsn vanilla extract
  • 2 tsn rum

Topping:

  • 200ml thickened cream
  • 35g sugar
  • 1/2 tsn vanilla essence
  • 1 + 1/2 tbsn coconut, toasted
  • 1 limes zest (1 tsn of this to go into the cake).

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 175c and line a 23cm cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
  3. In another bowl beat with electric beaters the egg yolks and sugar on high speed for 5 mins until thick and pale.
  4. Stir into the egg mix the coconut milk, vanilla, rum and lime zest.
  5. Sift the flour mix into the egg mix then gently fold in the flour mixture or whisk gently with a hand whisk.
  6. In another mixing bowl beat the egg whites on until soft peaks form.
  7. Gently fold the egg whites into the rest of the mix in 3 lots, following stir in 2/3rds of the pineapple pieces.
  8. Pour the batter into the cake tin and sprinkle the remaining pineapple on top of the cake.
  9. Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  10. Once cooked let the cake cool.
  11. Now make the milk mix by combining the coconut milk, condensed milk, milk, vanilla and rum.
  12. Use a skewer to poke holes in the cake, pressing all the way down to the bottom.
  13. Take the cake out of the tin and wrap with cling wrap allowing for the cling wrap to overlap the tin. Then place back in the cake tin.
  14. Pour the milk mixture over the cake, covering it all over and fold the cling wrap on top of the cake.
  15. Place the cake in the fridge for 3 hours to soak up the mix.
  16. Now make the cream topping by beating the cream, sugar and vanilla with electric beaters until soft peaks form.
  17. Remove the cake and place on a plate, top with the cream, toasted coconut and lime zest. Serve.

Notes:

  • I have decorated with glazed cherries and dried pineapple pieces.

Pina Colada Cake recipe

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Skolebrod (Norwegian custard buns) recipe

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