Tag Archives: dessert

Sweet and Sour Sauce with Strawberries and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

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Sweet and Sour Sauce with Strawberries and Vanilla Ice Cream

As usual, the secret lies in the sauce, and this is no exception. This is a wonderful, wonderful sauce, which can be served with a variety of desserts other than vanilla ice cream (for instance white chocolate ice cream, cardamom ice cream, chocolate cake, fruit salad…).

Serve as part of a dinner with:
Starter – Fresh and Fruity Vegetable Starter
Main course – Chilli Crab Cakes and Rosemary Courgette Spaghetti
Dessert – With Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Serves 4

200 ml sugar
200 ml white wine
50 ml lemon juice
1 small avocado

Strawberries, sliced

A batch of Home Made Vanilla Ice Cream as per our previous recipe

  1. In a saucepan, simmer the sugar and wine over low to medium heat until reduced to about half the amount.
  2. Remove from heat and let cool.
  3. Combine the wine/sugar mix with the lemon juice and avocado in a blender and process until smooth.
  4. Cover tightly with cling film and refrigerate. Serve well chilled.
  5. Pour some sauce onto a plate, arrange the sliced strawberries and ice cream on top.

Frozen Coffee Banana After Dinner Drink

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08 Coffee Banana After Dinner Drink -8128

This is a nice and refreshing after dinner drink/dessert. Or, why not have it with your breakfast? If you like, you can also add a few tablespoons of Kahlua Coffee Liqueur (or any other liqueur that you like), or maybe even some Rum?

Serve as part of a menu together with:
Starter: Stuffed Marinated Courgette Rolls
Main Course: Balsamic Chicken with Fruity Quinoa

Serves 4

50 ml frozen espresso coffee (pour into an ice cube tray and freeze)
1 medium size frozen banana (cut into pieces and freeze)
300 ml Greek Yogurt, low fat
100 ml milk
5-6 large ice cubes

  1. Mix all ingredients in a blender.
  2. Enjoy!

Salted Caramel Truffles

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photo 3

These little pieces of chocolate will certainly impress everyone around the table. If you want a thick chocolate cover you can dip them twice in the chocolate. We all know there is no such thing as too much chocolate!

Makes 50

1 tin (397 ml) of condensed milk
a pinch of sea salt
200 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), broken into pieces

1. Place the unopened tin of condensed milk in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 4 hours, making sure you top up the water throughout so the tin is always submerged. Take out and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
2. When cool, open the tin and spoon out the caramel into a bowl, add the salt and mix well. Taste and add more salt if you like. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes so it firms up a bit – you’ll find it much easier to work with.
3. Once chilled, use two teaspoons to make balls the size of a small marble and place on a plate. Put into the freezer for 2 hours, or until firm.
4. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Put on plastic gloves (to not make too much mess), and take the balls out of the freezer. Coat your gloves with melted chocolate, roll one ball and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat the process until all the balls are coated. Put into the fridge for about 1 hour to set the chocolate and to allow the caramel to defrost and soften.

Chilled Strawberry Coconut Dessert Soup

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Chilled Strawberry Coconut Dessert Soup DSC_7435

A cold and refreshing ending to a dinner. Can be served in small bowls or in shot glasses. For a variation on the topping, try the Crumble I posted last week as part of the Berry Crumble Yogurt recipe.

Serve as part of a menu together with
Starter: Smoked Salmon Salad with Lime
Main: Wild Rice with Chanterelles and Chorizo

Serves 4

The soup:
300 ml coconut milk
12 large strawberries
2 ripe bananas
15 large ice cubes

Topping:
Desiccated coconut
Grated dark chocolate
Blueberries and raspberries

  1. Place all ingredients for the soup in a blender and process until smooth.
  2. Spread the coconut on a baking parchment and roast in the oven (225C) for 6-8 minutes. To avoid burning, stir often.
  3. Serve the soup in bowls (or shot glasses) with the topping.

Berry Crumble Yogurt

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An easy and delicious dessert. Use low fat yogurt for a lighter version.

Serve as part of a BBQ buffet together with:
Buckwheat Corn Fritters with Sweet and Spicy Chilli Sauce, Nutty Guacamole Pie, Cognac BBQ Marinade, Spicy Plum Chutney and Marinated Tofu.

Crumble:
50 g butter
300 ml gluten free oats
150 ml Demerara sugar (or about 50 ml honey)
1 tsp lime peel, grated

1000 ml mix of blueberries and raspberries
1 ripe mango, diced
2 passion fruits, seeds and juice
100 ml Greek yogurt
2 tsp limejuice
200 ml of unsalted nuts (pistachios, cashews, pecans…)

  1. Oven at 200 C
  2. Melt the butter, combine with oats and sugar.
  3. Spread on greased baking parchment and bake in oven for 10 minutes. Stir from time to time to avoid burning.
  4. Let cool. Add the grated lime.
  5. Combine the lime juice and yogurt.
  6. Place the fruit and berries in a glass, layer with yogurt, nuts and then yogurt again. On top, sprinkle the crumble. Or, using a large plate, layer the same way and top with the crumble.

Churros

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This fun, sweet bread is a bit like a donut. Just sprinkle with a sugar/cinnamon mix and dip in a chocolate sauce. Gluten and dairy free.

Serve as part of a Children’s Party Menu with
Perfect Pizza, Chocolate Maple Sauce, Very Blueberry Scones, Banana Choco Bread and Grandma’s Chocolate Balls

Makes about 10 pieces of 10 cm long Churros.

125g gluten free flour mix
1/2 tsp baking powder

300 ml water
1 tbs oil (corn or sunflower)
dash of salt

Oil for frying

3 tbsp caster sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
Chocolate sauce

  1. Mix the flour and baking powder
  2. Bring the water, salt and oil to a boil.
  3. While stirring, slowly pour the water into the flour making sure to eliminate any lumps. (the batter can be quite lumpy)
  4. Spoon into a piping bag with nozzle providing long strings the size of you smallest finger.
  5. Heat enough oil in a pan to allow a churro to float freely. When hot (a small piece of bread should brown in less than 30 seconds), press the batter from the piping tube directly into the oil. Cut the batter with a scissor to get the desired lengths. Fry until browned. Turn if necessary.
  6. Drain on paper towel.
  7. Sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon mix.
  8. Serve with a chocolate dipping sauce.

Chocolate Maple Sauce

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This yummy sauce is both gluten and dairy free.

Serve as part of a Children’s Party Menu with
Perfect Pizza, Churros, Very Blueberry Scones, Banana Choco Bread and Grandma’s Chocolate Balls

1 tsp cornflour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
25 g butter (margarine for dairy free)
100 ml maple syrup
50 ml water

  1. In a small sauce pan, mix cornflour and cocoa powder
  2. Add butter and syrup, stir until melted
  3. Add the water
  4. Let simmer on low heat until thickened

Grandma’s Chocolate Balls

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Chocolate balls-03850

If you want a fun activity with the kids, this is the perfect “baking” since no oven is involved. These decorative little balls taste the best when served chilled! Both young and adults love them. All swedish families have their own versions of the balls, this is our version, a recipe inherited from my grandmother, improved by my mother and with additions from my niece (she increased the vanilla flavour) and it is now the best chocolate balls recipe around!

Please make sure you use glutenfree oats!

Serve as part of a Children’s Party Menu with
Perfect Pizza, Churros, Chocolate Maple Sauce, Very Blueberry Scones and Banana Choco Bread

Ingredients:
300 ml oats
150 ml granulated sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp of vanilla sugar
100 g butter, room temperature

Decoration: Sprinkles, shredded coconut or something else decorative (from the home baking section of you grocery store) to coat the balls.

  1. Mix all ingredients well (except the decoration). Start out with a hand mixer, then continue by hand.
  2. Shape small balls. Test one ball, if the balls are difficult to form (or not sticky enough to attach the decorations to), either mix the dough a few more minutes or add more butter.
  3. Coat the balls by rolling them in the decorations of your choice.
  4. Chill for several hours.

Warm Mango with Honey and Ginger

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This dessert can be heated on the grill or in the oven depending on what you prefer. Serve it with homemade vanilla ice-cream!

Serve with:
Starter: Crackers with Glazed Onion and Blue Cheese
Main course: Chicken and Aubergine skewers with Dukkah and Sallad


Serves 4

2 mango, peeled and cut into pieces
1 tbsp butter
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
2 tbsp honey
50 ml desiccated coconut, roasted
Fresh mint leaves, chopped, for decoration

1. If you are preparing this dish on the grill use an aluminium tray, otherwise you can choose to make a package with aluminium foil.
2. Heat the grill or put the oven to 200 degrees. Add butter to a pan, let it melt, then add ginger and honey. Put the mango and the butter mixture in the aluminium package and mix well. Grill for 5-10 minutes then remove from the grill and sprinkle coconut and mint on top. Serve with vanilla ice-cream.

Rosemary Panna-Cotta with Rhubarb Cream

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Rosemary panna cotta

Take the opportunity and use the rhubarbs before the season is finished. They do not need to be peeled for this recipe since we will only use the liquid in the end, and also because most of the beautiful colour lies in the outer part.

Serve as part of a menu with:
– Starter: Pan-fried goat’s cheese
– Main course: Black cod

Serves 6

450 ml double cream
200 ml whole milk
3 gelatine leaves
100 g caster sugar
4 sprigs of rosemary, roughly shopped, keep a few leaves aside for decoration

500 g rhubarb, washed and cut into 1 cm slices (don’t peel them)
225 g caster sugar
juice of 1 lemon
150 ml water
1 gelatine leaf
a couple of strawberries for decoration

1. One day ahead, place rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice and water in a pan and cook on a gentle heat for 20 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let the mixture cool, then transfer to a fridge and keep refrigerated overnight.
2. The following day, make the panna cotta. Put the gelatine leaves in a small bowl of cold water to soften. Meanwhile, pour the cream, milk, sugar and rosemary into a pan, and heat gently to bring to the boil. Remove from the stove, add the gelatine and stir until dissolved. Leave to stand for 20-30 minutes until cooled. Strain the mixture through a sieve into serving glasses, then chill for at least three hours.
3. Sieve the rhubarb flesh from the liquid. Put the gelatine leaf in cold water. Reheat the rhubarb liquid and add the gelatine, mix and let cool. Once room tempered, add to the panna cotta and keep refrigerated.
4. Before serving, decorate the panna cotta with some strawberries and sprigs of rosemary.

Duo Chocolate Mousse with Cassis Syrup

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Duo Choco Moussse 7396

Apart from being a delicious chocolate mousse dessert, this is like a piece of art on the plate. Be prepared for guests wanting to photograph your masterpiece! This dessert can be prepared a day in advance and plated just before serving.

Serve as part of a menu with
– Starter: Avocado Gazpacho
– Main Course: Seafood Quinotto

Serves 4

Dark mousse:
100 g dark chocolate
2 tbsp milk
200 ml double cream
1 tbsp whiskey

White mousse:
100 g white chocolate
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp rum (or Malibu if you prefer)
1 egg yolk
200 ml double cream

Cassis syrup:
100 ml caster sugar
2 tbsp crème de cassis
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp gin
2 tsp lemon juice
½ vanilla pod, cut open and scrape out the seeds, discard the shell

Garnish:
Fresh berries
Icing sugar
Fresh mint leaves

Dark mousse:

  1. Break the dark chocolate into pieces and melt with milk in a bain marie (a heatproof bowl placed over a pot of boiling water). Add the whiskey. Cool.
  2. Whip the cream and fold into the chocolate.
  3. Spoon into the bottom part of individual molds and refrigerate for 1 hour.

White mousse:

  1. Melt the white chocolate with milk in a bain marie. Cool.
  2. Combine the rum with the egg yolk and add to the chocolate mix while stirring. Whip the cream and fold into the chocolate mix. Spoon the white chocolate mix on top of the dark mix in the individual molds. Freeze for several hours.

Syrup:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over low heat for about 3-4 minutes, until thickened. Let cool and then refrigerate until serving.

To serve:

  1. Remove the duo chocolate mousse molds from the freezer 15 minutes before serving.
  2. Turn out each mold with the chocolate mousse onto individual serving plates.
  3. Place berries and menthe leaves by the mousse. Pour the cassis syrup from a spoon all around the mousse. Lastly, powder the plate with icing sugar.

 

Vanilla-Crème Fraiche with Balsamico Reduction and Berries

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dessert

Sweet and tangy in a lovely combination. Add your favourite berries from the season and enjoy!

Serve as part of a menu with:
-Starter: Mint Lemonade Drink
-Main course: Salmon with Piperade Basquaise and Cheddar-Quinoa

Serves 4

2 vanilla pods
400 ml crème fraiche
1 tbsp honey
200 ml berries of your choice, washed
1 mint sprig for decoration

100 ml balsamic vinegar
50 ml caster sugar

1. Add balsamic vinegar and sugar to a pot and bring to the boil. Let simmer to reduce the liquid to about half, to a sirupy consistency. Take off the heat and let cool.
2. Cut the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Mix the seeds with crème fraiche and honey.
3. Add the crème fraiche mixture to a serving bowl. Top with berries, add vinegar reduction and decorate with some mint.

Chocolate Rum Cake with Chocolate Creme Anglaise, Vanilla Chantilly and Berries

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CB Genoa Chocolate Cake IMG_4910

This cake takes a bit of time but is well worth the effort. As it is quite rich, I prefer to use miniature molds to keep each serving quite small. This dessert is based on a recipe from the chef school we attended.

Serve as part of a menu with:
– Starter: Summer Salad with Basil Walnut Dressing
– Main Course: Caribbean Chicken with Avocado Rice and Red Pepper Vinaigrette

Chocolate Crème Anglaise:
1 vanilla bean (pod)
250 ml whole milk
3 egg yolks
50 g sugar
275 g dark chocolate, chopped

The cake:
2 egg whites
200 g ground almonds
6 tbsp icing sugar
30 g butter
4 eggs
15 g gluten free flour (rice flour works very well)
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
¼ lemon, grated peel
4 tbsp rum

Chantilly:
200 ml cream
20 g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Decoration:
Strawberries
Chocolate shavings

Chocolate Crème Anglaise:

  1. Slice the vanilla pod lengthwise. Scrape out the interior.
  2. In a saucepan, bring the milk and vanilla to a boil.
  3. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and thick.
  4. Pour the hot milk onto the eggs and sugar taking care to stir continuously so the eggs don’t set.
  5. Return the mixture to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon over low heat until mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon. DO NOT BOIL.
  6. Pour the Crème Angailse over the chopped chocolate and gently mix until the chocolate has melted.
  7. Cool the chocolate and refridgerate for about an hour until thick enough to place in a piping bag fitted with a round tip.

The Cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 C.
  2. Butter small molds.
  3. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Set aside.
  4. Mix the ground almonds, icing sugar and egg whites together in a thick paste.
  5. Beat the eggs into the almond mix, one at the time. Whisk for about 5 minutes, the mix should be pale and thick.
  6. Fold in the sifted flour, cocoa and baking powder, add the melted butter.
  7. Pour into the prepared molds, let the batter come to two-thirds up the side.
  8. Bake until done. A knife blade comes out clean when inserted. About 12-15 minutes depending on size of molds.
  9. From a spoon, let a few drops of the Rum drop on the cakes.
  10. Turn out of molds and place on rack to cool.

Vanilla Chantilly:

  1. Whisk the cream and icing sugar together with the vanilla until it holds in soft peaks.

Assembly:

  1. Place a chocolate cake on each plate.
  2. Pipe elongated balls of the chocolate cream all around the top.
  3. Cut strawberries in a decorative shape and place on top.
  4. With two spoons, form a chantilly cream quenelle on one side of the plate and sprinkle some chocolate shavings on top.

Daim Cake

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daimcake

This cake can be prepared sometime during the week and stored in the freezer to give you one less thing to think about during the day of serving. Daim is originally a swedish chocolate bar but can now be found in most supermarkets in London.

Serve as part of a menu with:
– Starter: Seared Scallops with Butternut Squash Puré, Balsamic Vinegar and Roasted Pistachio
– Main course: Venison with Smokey Bean Puré and Sauce Poivrade

Serves 8

For the meringue:
3 egg whites
150 g caster sugar
150 g almonds, roughly chopped

For the parfait:
3 egg yolks
3 tbsp caster sugar
300 ml whipping cream
5 bars of Daim, roughly chopped

50 g dark chocolate, grated

1. Pre-heat the oven to 175 degrees.
2. To make the meringue: Whip the egg whites until hard peak. Gradually add the sugar while continuously whipping. Add the chopped almonds and carefully incorporating it into the meringue.
3. Butter the inside of a cake tin with removable sides. Add the meringue mixture and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Take out and let the meringue cool.
4. To make the parfait: Whip the egg yolks with the sugar until well mixed. In a separate bowl whip the cream until hard peak. Mix the cream with the yolk mixture and the chopped Daim.
5. Pour the parfait over the meringue and cover with cling film. Put the cake in the freezer for minimum 4 hours. Take it out 20 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with grated dark chocolate.

Cool Creamy Strawberry Dessert

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This is a quick and beautiful strawberry mousse. For an elegant Friday menu, serve after the Cheese Ball starter and the Asian Monkfish.

0306 cool creamy strawberry dessert _DSC0720

Serves 4

 

500 g fresh strawberries
4 table spoons of whipping cream
Sugar to taste

 

  1. Puree strawberries with a bit of sugar (optional) in blender.
  2. When smooth, pour half of the puree into 4 glasses
  3. Add the cream to the blender, blend well. Spoon the remaning mixture on top in the glasses.
  4. Chill several hours.
  5. Serve with cut up strawberry on top.