Rhubarb & Custard Swiss Roll by Rachel Allen @Ballymaloe

rachel rhubarb and custard

A delicious classic recipe for a very classy cake.

Ingredients

  • butter (melted, for greasing)
  • 4 eggs
  • 125 g (41/2 oz) caster sugar (plus 3 tbsp for sprinkling)
  • 2 tblsp warm water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 125 g (41/2 oz) plain flour (plus extra for dusting)
  • for the filling
  • 200 g (7oz) rhubarb (about 2 stalks, trimmed), cut into 5mm (1/4 in) slices
  • 125 g (41/2 oz) caster sugar
  • 200 ml (7fl oz) milk
  • 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways, or 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 15 g (1/2 oz) cornflour
  • 100 ml (31/2 fl oz) whipped double or regular cream (measured when whipped)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F/Gas 5). Line the base of the Swiss roll tin (25 x 38cm/ 10 x 15′) with baking parchment, brush the base and sides of the tin with melted butter and dust with flour.
  2. Using a hand-held electric beater or an electric food mixer, whisk together the eggs, caster sugar, water and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
  3. Sift in the flour, about one-third at a time, and fold it into the mixture. Carefully pour the mixture into the prepared Swiss roll tin and bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes or until the centre of the sponge is slightly springy to the touch and the edges have shrunk a little from the sides of the tin.
  4. Take a piece of baking parchment slightly larger in size than the tin and spread out on a work surface.
  5. Sprinkle the paper evenly with caster sugar (this is to stop the cake sticking to the paper). Quickly flip the Swiss roll tin over onto the sugared paper, then carefully remove the tin and baking parchment from the bottom of the cake.
  6. Place a clean, slightly damp tea towel over the cake while it cools – this will prevent it drying out and cracking when you roll it.
  7. Meanwhile, make the filling. Place the rhubarb in a saucepan with 75g (3oz) of the caster sugar and 25ml (1fl oz) of water and place on a medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil and allow to boil, uncovered and stirring regularly, for 10–15 minutes or until the rhubarb is completely soft and the mixture is quite thick.
  8. Tip out onto a plate and allow to cool.
  9. Next make the custard. Place the milk and the split vanilla pod (if using) in another pan and bring to the boil.
  10. Whisk the egg yolks (and vanilla extract, if using) with the remaining sugar (I like to use a hand-held electric beater for this) for a few minutes or until pale and light. Then briefly whisk in the cornflour.
  11. Pour the hot milk and vanilla pod (if using) onto the egg mixture, whisking as you pour, then tip it all back into the saucepan and cook, stirring all the time, over a low heat for a few minutes or until it forms a thick custard.
  12. Pour it into a bowl and allow to cool, then fold in the cooled rhubarb and the whipped cream – you can leave it slightly marbled (not fully mixed) if you prefer.
  13. When the sponge is completely cold, spread over the rhubarb and custard mixture, then, with one of the short sides facing you, roll up the Swiss roll away from you and carefully transfer to a serving plate.
  14. Sprinkle with a little extra caster sugar to finish, then cut into slices about 2cm (3/4in) thick to serve.

Rachel Allen’s Raw Beetroot Soup with Dill, Honey and Yoghurt –

A gorgeous, healthy and flavoursome soup. Serves four as a starter.

Ingredients

  • 200 g (7oz) natural yoghurt
  • 160 g (5½oz) peeled, cored and chopped apple
  • 160 g (5½oz) peeled raw beetroot, chopped (young tender beetroot is best)
  • 0.5 clove of garlic
  • 1 tsp toasted and ground cumin seeds
  • good pinch of salt
  • good twist of black pepper
  • 1 tblsp cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp honey
  • walnut oil or extra virgin olive oil, to serve
  • for the dill and honey yoghurt
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 3 tsp chopped dill
  • 50 g (2oz) natural yoghurt

Method

  1. Mix all the ingredients for the dill and honey yoghurt together and chill until needed.
  2. Put the yoghurt and apple into a blender with 100ml (3½fl oz) water. First give it a quick blitz, then add all the remaining ingredients except the oil and whiz for a good length of time until as smooth as possible. Pour through a sieve, then chill before serving.
  3. To serve, pour the soup into bowls. Blob on some of the dill and honey yoghurt, then drizzle with walnut or extra virgin olive oil.

MacNean Organic Oats with Irish Mist and Honey @nevenmaguire

 
 


By Neven Maguire

Celebrity Chef

Porridge is one of our most popular breakfasts in the restaurant, and this recipe goes down a treat. On cold winter mornings, it gets you off to a good start and takes no more than 10 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients

  • 100 g (4oz) porridge oats (organic if possible)
  • 300 ml (1/2 pint) whole-fat milk (plus extra if necessary)
  • 4 dsp clear honey
  • 4 dsp irish mist
  • 150 ml (1/4 pint) cream (optional)

Method

  • Simmer the porridge oats and milk together in a saucepan for 8-10 minutes, until the mixture is slightly thickened, stirring all the time. It is important that the porridge has a nice soft dropping consistency so add a little more milk if you think that it needs it.
  • To serve, spoon the porridge into warmed bowls. Drizzle each one with some honey and Irish mist and finally, serve with cream if you wish.

Neven Maguire’s mushroom & leek strudel with madeira wine sauce from Neven’s Portuguese Food Trails

Neven Maguire’s mushroom & leek strudel with madeira wine sauce

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

For the strudel

  • 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for oiling
  • 1 small onion, peeled and finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • 225g mixed wild mushrooms roughly chopped
  • 1 small leek, washed and finely sliced
  • 2 tbsp double cream
  • 2 tbsp Madeira Wine
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 4-5 sheets filo pastry, thawed if frozen (about 100g/4oz in total)
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • mixed salad leaves, to serve

For the madeira wine sauce

  • 700ml beef stock
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 3 tbsp Madeira Wine
  • 3 tbsp cream

Method

For the strudel

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/ gas mark 5.
  2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan.
  4. Add the onion, garlic and mushrooms and cook over a medium to high heat for 2-3 minutes until almost tender.
  5. Reduce the heat, add the cream and Madeira to the pan and cook for another minute.
  6. Add herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Sauté for another minute until the spring onions are just tender and the liquid has almost completely reduced.
  8. Allow to cool completely.
  9. Unroll the sheets of filo pastry and place them all, one on top of the other, on a work surface.
  10. Brush the top sheet of pastry with beaten egg and then spread over the mushroom mixture to within 4cm (1½in) of the edges.
  11. Fold the short ends inwards a little to meet the mushroom mixture and then, starting with a long edge, roll up the pastry fairly tightly like you would a Swiss roll, keeping the mushrooms in place as you roll.
  12. Place the strudel seam-side down on the parchment paper and brush it all over with the remaining beaten egg.
  13. Bake for 20-25 minutes until crisp and golden brown.
  14. Allow to cool for a few minutes before carefully placing on a chopping board.
  15. Cut the strudel into thick slices and arrange on warmed plates. Drizzle some sauce beside it and serve with some mixed salad leaves.

For the madeira wine sauce

  1. Heat a heavy based saucepan, add the Madeira Wine and reduce by half.
  2. Gradually whisk in the beef stock until smooth, followed by the tomato purée.
  3. Simmer for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened.
  4. Whisk in the cream, bring to the boil, season to taste and thicken with some diluted cornflower.
  5. Set aside until required.

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Tom Kerridge’s raspberry ripple ice cream @RTEfood

If you’ve never made your own ice cream, now’s the time to start.

Ingredients

“This make-ahead dessert will delight guests at the end of a summer BBQ,” says chef Tom Kerridge.

“A standard vanilla ice cream base is boosted with homemade raspberry purée and the attractive ripple effect is easy to achieve.”

Raspberry ripple ice cream

Ingredients:
(Makes 1 litre)

250ml whole milk
A pinch of salt
200g golden caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, split lengthways and seeds scraped out
500ml double cream
5 large free-range egg yolks
1tsp vanilla extract

For the raspberry sauce:
200g raspberries
150g golden caster sugar

To finish:
A little whipped cream
A few raspberries

Shane’s strawberry and pistachio galette: Today @RTEfood

Sweet strawberries and salty pistachios are a match made in heaven.

By Shane Smith

Award-winning Irish pastry chef Shane Smith.

More from
Today

Sweet strawberries and salty pistachios are a match made in heaven.

Ingredients

Serves: 6

Prep: 15 mins

Bake: 35 mins

Dough:

  • 80g wholemeal flour
  • 170g plain flour
  • 80g caster sugar
  • 150g Irish butter, room temp
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • pinch salt
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 600g Irish Strawberries
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 tbsp water
  • ½ tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp chopped pistachios

To serve

  • 200g Greek yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp lemon zest

Method

  1. For the pastry, in a bowl using your fingertips, rub together both flours, sugar, butter, and salt until a breadcrumb consistency is reached.
  2. To this add the yolk and water and mix until a dough is reached.
  3. Turn this onto a floured table and gently work, wrap, and chill for 30 mins hour.
  4. Once the pastry is rested, roll into a circle and using the rolling pin, transfer this onto a lined baking tray.
  5. Into a bowl, mix the cornflour, water and maple syrup and mix this with the prepared strawberries.
  6. Spoon this mixture into the centre of the pastry, leaving a 2-inch rim around the edge.
  7. Carefully fold the edges inward on top of the fruit leaving some of the centre fruit exposed.
  8. Egg wash the pastry and sprinkle with chopped pistachios.
  9. Place in a preheated oven at 180C and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
  10. Remove and allow to rest before serving.
  11. To serve mix the yoghurt, honey and lemon zest and serve on the side.

Rachel’s Cookies and Cream Cheesecake #Ballymaloe

Rachel shares the recipe for her mouth-watering Cookies and Cream Cheesecake from her show Rachel Allen’s Everyday Kitchen

Ingredients

  • For the double chocolate chip cookies
  • makes 20 large cookies
  • 225 g (8oz) butter, softened
  • 325 g (111/2oz) caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 225 g (8oz) plain flour
  • 75 g (3oz) cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 175 g (6oz) dark chocolate (55–70% cocoa solids), chopped into small pieces, or dark chocolate chips
  • For the cheesecake
  • 15 g (1/2oz) cocoa powder, sifted
  • 25 ml (1fl oz) strong coffee, such as espresso
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 500 g (1lb 2oz) mascarpone
  • 400 ml (14fl oz) double or regular cream
  • 50 g (2oz) icing sugar
  • 50 g (2oz) dark chocolate (55–75% cocoa solids), grated, for sprinkling
  • 9-12 of the double chocolate chip cookies
  • 23cm (9in) diameter spring-form cake tin

Method

  • Place the butter in a large bowl and beat until very soft. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Crack in one egg at a time, beating between each addition, then add the vanilla extract. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt, then add the chocolate pieces/chips and fold in to combine. Alternatively, place all the ingredients except the chocolate pieces/chips in a food processor and whiz briefly until they come together, then fold in the chocolate.
  • With wet hands, form the dough into balls each the size of a golf ball (or use two soup spoons to scoop up and shape the same amount of dough). Arrange on the prepared baking sheets, placing 6–7 balls of dough on each sheet and leaving space for the cookies to spread.
  • Bake for 10–14 minutes or until the cookies look slightly cracked on top. (With three baking sheets, you will need to cook them in three batches, or two batches in a fan oven.) Take out of the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes, then remove from the baking sheets using a palette knife or metal fish slice and place on a wire rack to cool down completely.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, coffee, vanilla extract, mascarpone, cream and icing sugar for 1–2 minutes or until thick.
  • Arrange one-third (3–4) of the cookies in the bottom of the cake tin, then spread over one-third of the chocolate cream mixture. Add a second layer of cookies, then another layer of chocolate cream, followed by a final layer of cookies and a final layer of chocolate cream.
  • Use a spatula to smooth the top layer of chocolate cream, then cover the tin with cling film and place in the fridge to chill for eight hours or overnight.
  • To remove the cheesecake from the cake tin, run a small, sharp knife around the cheesecake to loosen the edges, then unfasten the clip and lift away the sides of the tin. Using a palette knife or a metal fish slice, loosen the cheesecake from the base of the tin and carefully slide off onto a plate. Sprinkle with the grated chocolate to serve.