Tag: desserts

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Nigella Lawson’s Chocolate Cheesecake recipe

 

 
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3h3 hours ago

 
 

This is not a drill! is Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients

Makes: 10-12 slices

Metric Cups

For the Base

  • 125 grams digestive biscuits
  • 60 grams butter
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

For the Filling

  • 175 grams dark chocolate (chopped small)
  • 500 grams cream cheese
  • 150 grams caster sugar
  • 1 tablespoon custard powder
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 150 millilitres sour cream (or just use a 142ml pot)
  • ½ teaspoon cocoa powder (dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water)

For the Glaze (Optional)

  • 75 grams dark chocolate (finely chopped)
  • 125 millilitres double cream
  • 1 teaspoon golden syrup

Method

  1. To make the base, process the biscuits to make rough crumbs and then add the butter and cocoa.
  2. Process again until it makes damp, clumping crumbs and then tip them into a 23cm / 9 inch springform tin. Press the biscuit crumbs into the bottom of the tin to make an even base and put into the freezer while you make the filling.
  3. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180ºC/160°C Fan/350ºF. Put a kettle on to boil. Melt the chocolate either in a microwave or double boiler, and set aside to cool slightly.
  4. Beat the cream cheese to soften it, and then add the sugar and custard powder, beating again to combine. Beat in the whole eggs and then the yolks, and the sour cream. Finally add the cocoa dissolved in hot water and the melted chocolate, and mix to a smooth batter.
  5. Take the springform tin out of the freezer and line the outside of the tin with a good layer of clingfilm, and then another layer of strong foil over that. This will protect it from the water bath.
  6. Sit the springform tin in a roasting pan and pour in the cheesecake filling. Fill the roasting pan with just-boiled water to come about halfway up the cake tin, and bake in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour. The top of the cheesecake should be set, but the underneath should still have a wobble to it.
  7. Peel away the foil and clingfilm wrapping and sit the cheesecake in its tin on a rack to cool. Put in the fridge once it’s no longer hot, and leave to set, covered with clingfilm, overnight. Let it lose its chill before unspringing the cheesecake to serve.
  8. To make the chocolate glaze, very gently melt the chopped chocolate, cream and syrup. When the chocolate has nearly melted, take off the heat and whisk it to a smooth sauce. Let it cool a little, and then Jackson Pollock it over the chocolate cheesecake on its serving plate. Use the remaining glaze as an accompanying sauce.

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Chocolate Iced Mille-Feuilles from Neven Maguires Irish Food Trails

 This dessert looks so impressive that it’s hard to believe that you’ve actually made it yourself with such little effort. It can be made up to 1 month in advance, leaving nothing for you to do on the day.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 x 100g (4oz) bar of plain chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
  • 150g (5oz) white chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 225ml (8fl oz) cream
  • 1 vanilla pod, split in half lengthways and seeds scraped out
  • 1 large egg white
  • 2 tsp icing sugar
  • good-quality cocoa powder, to dust
  • fresh raspberries, to serve

To Cook

Use a little water to dampen a 450g (1lb) loaf tin (the more square shaped, the better), then line with a double layer of cling film. Line 2 large baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.

Melt the plain chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Spoon half the melted chocolate onto each sheet of baking paper and spread it out to the edges in a thin layer. Put in the fridge for about 30 minutes to set.

Melt the white chocolate and 5 tablespoons of the cream in a separate heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Once melted, give it a good stir and set aside to cool.

Whip the rest of the cream in a large bowl with the vanilla seeds until the cream is just holding its shape, then fold in the cooled melted white chocolate.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white and icing sugar until stiff peaks have formed, then fold into the white chocolate mixture.

Carefully peel the plain chocolate from the baking paper and break it up into pieces.

Place a couple spoonfuls of the whipped cream mixture into the prepared loaf tin and cover with a layer of the plain chocolate pieces. Repeat the layers until the loaf tin is filled up, finishing with a layer of whipped cream. Cover the top with cling film and freeze overnight (or up to 1 month). Any remaining pieces of plain chocolate can be put into a freezer-proof container and frozen separately to use for decoration.

About 1 hour before serving, transfer the loaf tin and reserved chocolate decoration to the fridge.

Serving Suggestions

To serve, carefully turn out onto a serving plate and peel away the cling film. Break up the reserved plain chocolate into small jagged pieces and use to decorate the top. Add a light dusting of cocoa powder and put straight on the table. Cut into slices and arrange on plates with some raspberries

 

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Rory O’Connell’s Tuscan Apple, Lemon & Almond Cake






Food on RTÉ

@RTEfood
·


Crisp on top and full of plump, juicy apples, this Tuscan tart is simply delicious.

By Rory O’Connell

Celebrity Chef

I am never quite sure if I should be calling this a cake or a tart but in any event, it is delicious and quite easy to make.

Ingredients

I am never quite sure if I should be calling this a cake or a tart but in any event, it is delicious and quite easy to make.

The origins of the recipe are from Tuscany in Italy but I like to use highly perfumed Irish dessert apples when in season. Look out for some lesser known but very delicious Irish dessert apples such as Irish Peach and Ardcairn Russet. 
 
Serves 8 
 

  • 10g butter melted for greasing the parchment paper 
  • 4 dessert apples 
  • Finely grated zest of 2 lemons 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  • 250g caster sugar 
  • 2 eggs 
  • 150ml cream 
  • 110g butter melted and cooled 
  • 125g whole almonds, blanched, peeled and ground to a fine powder in a food processer or ground almonds 
  • 110g plain flour sieved 
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder sieved 
  •  100g of apricot jam 
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, warmed and sieved 
  •  2 tablespoons of chopped sweet geranium leaves ( optional) 

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c / 350 f / gas 4 
  2. Line a 28cm flan ring with a removable base with a disc of parchment paper. The paper should in one piece cover the base and sides of the tin and come up 1cm above the edge of the tin. Brush the paper with a little melted butter.
  3. Peel, core and quarter the apples and slice into c 3mm slices. Mix with the lemon zest. Whisk the vanilla, sugar, and eggs to a thick and light consistency similar to a batter. Whisk in the cream and cooled melted butter. Fold in the almonds, flour and baking powder. Add ¾ of the sliced apples, being careful not to break the apple slices.
  4. Pour the mixture into the prepared flan ring and gently smooth over the surface. Scatter the remaining apples over the surface and sprinkle with 1 dessertspoon of caster sugar.
  5. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 160c etc and cook for a further 40 minutes by which time the tart will feel gently set. It may be necessary to cover the tart during the cooking with a sheet of parchment paper if the tart is getting too dark.
  6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. While the tart is still warm, Paint the surfaced with the warm sieved apricot jam to achieve a glossy glaze and if using the chopped geranium, sprinkle on immediately after glazing the tart. 
  7.  Serve warm with softly whipped cream. 
Posted on

Rory O’Connell’s Tuscan Apple, Lemon & Almond Cake






Food on RTÉ

@RTEfood
·


Crisp on top and full of plump, juicy apples, this Tuscan tart is simply delicious.

By Rory O’Connell

Celebrity Chef

I am never quite sure if I should be calling this a cake or a tart but in any event, it is delicious and quite easy to make.

Ingredients

I am never quite sure if I should be calling this a cake or a tart but in any event, it is delicious and quite easy to make.

The origins of the recipe are from Tuscany in Italy but I like to use highly perfumed Irish dessert apples when in season. Look out for some lesser known but very delicious Irish dessert apples such as Irish Peach and Ardcairn Russet. 
 
Serves 8 
 

  • 10g butter melted for greasing the parchment paper 
  • 4 dessert apples 
  • Finely grated zest of 2 lemons 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  • 250g caster sugar 
  • 2 eggs 
  • 150ml cream 
  • 110g butter melted and cooled 
  • 125g whole almonds, blanched, peeled and ground to a fine powder in a food processer or ground almonds 
  • 110g plain flour sieved 
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder sieved 
  •  100g of apricot jam 
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, warmed and sieved 
  •  2 tablespoons of chopped sweet geranium leaves ( optional) 

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c / 350 f / gas 4 
  2. Line a 28cm flan ring with a removable base with a disc of parchment paper. The paper should in one piece cover the base and sides of the tin and come up 1cm above the edge of the tin. Brush the paper with a little melted butter.
  3. Peel, core and quarter the apples and slice into c 3mm slices. Mix with the lemon zest. Whisk the vanilla, sugar, and eggs to a thick and light consistency similar to a batter. Whisk in the cream and cooled melted butter. Fold in the almonds, flour and baking powder. Add ¾ of the sliced apples, being careful not to break the apple slices.
  4. Pour the mixture into the prepared flan ring and gently smooth over the surface. Scatter the remaining apples over the surface and sprinkle with 1 dessertspoon of caster sugar.
  5. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 160c etc and cook for a further 40 minutes by which time the tart will feel gently set. It may be necessary to cover the tart during the cooking with a sheet of parchment paper if the tart is getting too dark.
  6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. While the tart is still warm, Paint the surfaced with the warm sieved apricot jam to achieve a glossy glaze and if using the chopped geranium, sprinkle on immediately after glazing the tart. 
  7.  Serve warm with softly whipped cream. 
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Odlums Salted Caramel & Chocolate Mousse recipe

Salted Caramel & Chocolate Mousse

CategoryChristmas

Chill Time60 mins

What you need:

For the salted caramel sauce

  • 125g/4oz Granulated Sugar
  • 2 tbsp Water
  • 2 tbsp Golden Syrup
  • 50g/2oz Butter
  • 170ml carton Double Cream
  • ½ tsp sea salt

For the mousse

  • 350g Dark Chocolate, chopped into small pieces
  • 50g/2oz Butter
  • ½ tsp Goodall’s Vanilla Extract
  • 8 Eggs, separated
  • 1 tbsp Shamrock Golden Caster Sugar

To serve

  • Double Cream, whipped
  • Chocolate, grated

How to:

  1. For the salted caramel sauce, place the sugar, two tablespoons water and golden syrup in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. When the sugar has turned a rich amber colour, remove from the heat and stir in the butter, cream and salt. Pour into a bowl, cover the surface with cling film and cool completely.
  2. For the mousse, melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water – ensuring that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Set aside to cool a little. Then whisk the egg yolks into the cooled chocolate mixture and add the vanilla.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to a light foam then add the caster sugar and whisk again until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Stir a third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Then carefully fold in the remaining egg whites until well incorporated
  4. Pour a tablespoon of salted caramel sauce into the bottom of each serving glass. Top with one-third of the mousse mixture. Drizzle over enough sauce to cover the mousse. Repeat this layering with mousse and caramel, finishing with a final layer of mousse.
  5. Refrigerate for an hour before serving. If chilled for longer, remove 30 minutes before serving. Finish with a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Salted Caramel & Chocolate Mousse