Desserts – Breakfast by the sea

Raspberry Chia jam with yogurt & honey nut oats

Heather — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 11:00:02 +0000

Raspberry Chia jam with yogurt & honey nut oats

Everyone seems to be talking about Chia seeds at the moment so I thought it was time to see what all the fuss was about. As a rule I try to restrict puds to weekends and then treat myself to whatever I fancy but it’s no bad thing to look for heathier alternatives to processed sugars. Although this recipe is made with natural ingredients it’s still incredibly sweet and perfect for an occasional treat.

Ingredients
Raspberry chia jam (see bottom of page for recipe)
100g oats
50g mixed seeds
50g almonds ruffly chopped
50g hazelnuts ruffly chopped
3 tablespoons of coconut oil
4 tablespoons of honey (runny or set)
Pinch of sea salt
Natural yogurt

Method
Warm the honey and cocount oil in a saucepan and when melted add the oats, seeds, nuts, salt and mix until throughly combined.
Place in a baking dish, press down til flat and bake for around 20 minutes at 200oc/Gas 6 or until golden brown all over. Leave to cool then break up with a wooden spoon

Raspberry Chia Jam Recipe

Having never used Chia seeds before I adapted a Chia jam recipe from the amazing My New Roots cookbook.

Ingredients
250g raspberries
1-2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out and reserved
Pinch of fine sea salt
3 tablespoons chia seeds

Method
Put the berries in a blender, add the maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla bean and sea salt. Process until smooth. Slowly add the chia seeds and process until combine.
Transfer jam to a container. Seal and refrigerate for at 15-20 minutes, or until chia seeds have thickened puree to the consistency of jam. Jam will last for up to one week if kept sealed the fridge.

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Whisky Hot Cross Bun Pudding

Heather — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 13:20:05 +0000

Whisky Hot Cross Bun Pudding

If you find yourself overburdened with hot cross buns this Easter then let me tempt you with this recipe. My twist on bread and butter pudding but even easier to make because the fruit is already in the buns – oh it also has a little luxurious boozy twist. Well why not!

Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients
6 hot cross buns
50ml double cream
300ml of whole milk
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
2/3 tablespoons of whisky (start with two and add more if you’re feeling adventurous!)
2 medium eggs
30g granulated sugar
25g butter

Method
Cut the buns in half, butter inside each and line up inside a deep heatproof dish.
Add the milk, cream and whisky and cinnamon into a saucepan and warm gently. You want the mixture almost boiling, so when you see heat rising from the pan remove from the heat. Resist the temptation to sit and drink the warm, whisky milk!
Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl along with half the sugar. Pour over the warmed milk mixture and give it a good whisk.
Pre-heat your oven to 180C/Gas mark 4
Pour the whisked milk mixture evenly over the hot cross buns, top with the remaining sugar and then leave to stand for 20 mins. During this time the buns will start to soak up the milk mixture and will become deliciously soft.
Bake for around 25-30 minutes, or until the buns are brown and the mixture has set.

Serve with cream and enjoy!

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A passionate pudding

Heather — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 12:24:43 +0000

Sometimes the simplest desserts are the tastiest, and if you’re not very confident in the kitchen but want to make a quick sweet treat to serve to your Valentine, you can’t go far wrong with this cheats recipe using coconut yogurt.

I’ve used Rachel’s coconut yogurt as it’s really rich and creamy (although vanilla also works really well). Simply churn the yogurt in an icecream machine for 40 mins, then pop it the freezer for a couple of hours, or until ready to serve. Top with fresh passion fruit and let your lucky love marvel at your creation.

If you don’t have an icecream machine then it’s a bit more work but don’t be put off. Simply put your yogurt in a tupperware container and pop in the freezer. Check it after 45 mins and give it a good whisk and return to the freezer. You’ll need to check and whisk it every 30 mins until it becomes resistant to whisking. Leave for 2-3 hours until set in the middle.

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Easy berry frozen yogurt

Heather — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 21:45:58 +0000

Simple frozen yogurt, using some lovely seasonal berries. Click ‘more’ for the recipe.

I used an ice cream machine for this one, 1 punnet of seasonal berries (around 350g), washed and whizzed to a pulp in a blender (put a small amount aside to use as a topping). Add 200ml of natural yogurt, 100ml of skimmed milk and 50g of caster sugar. Add to an icecream machine and churn for around 30/40 mins. Serve with whole seasonal berries of your choice or some of the blitzed fruit puree.

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Blackberry ice-cream

Heather — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 09:10:00 +0000

Are we allowed to admit that summer is officially over now? Yes? Ok, phew, so I hope you won’t mind if a share a suitably autumnal post with you.

I haven’t been that lucky with blackberries this year. Normally I manage to collect enough for stock up the freezer for months. However, I think foraging seems to be much more popular of late and all my usual hedgerow spots had been relieved of most of their fruit by the time I arrived with my Tupperware pot.

The great thing about blackberries is that they freeze really well and don’t turn into mush like most other berries do. So you can pot up a load to save up for when the weather gets colder. Alternatively you could take your freezing antics to a new level by turning your blackberries into ice-cream!

This recipe is pretty simple but it works a treat as an accompaniment to apple pie and crumble – such a pretty colour too.

You will need

350g blackberries (washed)
200ml double cream
100ml semi skimmed milk
50g caster sugar

1.)Put your blackberries into a blender, blitz until smooth, and then pass the mixture through a sieve to extract all the pips.
2.)Mix your milk, cream and sugar together and then add the blackberry mixture.
3.)Add the mixture into an ice-cream machine and churn for around 30/40 mins.
4.)You can add your finished ice-cream mixture a plastic container and freeze until you’re ready to eat it.

All photography © Heather Elizabeth Wilkinson 2012

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Kentish Cherry & Dark Chocolate Ice-Cream

Heather — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 13:18:00 +0000

The English cherry season is so very short,so I get really excited when the first of the Kent cherries start to make an appearance. Fat, juicy and the most beautiful deep red, they really are in a different league to the smaller, tasteless imports available all year round in supermarkets.

I invested in an ice-maker a few months ago. Just a cheap and cheerful one, nothing fancy. Not sure it was the wisest move in terms of keeping my waistline trim, but I’m trying to be really good and use only occasionally (by occasionally, read twice a week so far – eek! Excitement gets the better of me some times. Must do more cycling…). The difference a machine makes is quite remarkable: no crystals or lumps. I’m a very happy camper indeed.

My recipe is currently featured in Crumbs Magazine too, but I’ve slightly tweaked the cream/milk ratio here.

So, here’s my current seasonal fav. The combination of sweet cherries & bitter chocolate is pretty special.

You will need
250g fresh cherries

3 tbsp golden caster sugar

80g good quality dark chocolate (70%)

150ml semi skimmed milk

150ml double cream

50g caster sugar

Serves four
1.) De-stone the cherries and cut into halves. Place in a saucepan with the caster sugar and cook over a low heat until softened. Set aside to cool.
2.) Once cool, blend in a food processor until you have smooth puree.
3.) Break your chocolate into tiny pieces (alternatively, place it in a sandwich bag and crush gently with a rolling pin if easier).
4.) In a large measuring jug, add the milk, cream and sugar and cherry puree and mix gently until combined.
5.) Pour the mixture into your ice–cream machine and allow it to churn for a few minutes before gradually adding your chocolate pieces, one spoonful at a time. Timings will vary depending on the type of machine you have.All photography © Heather Elizabeth Wilkinson 2012

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Carrot cake with orange blossom icing

Heather — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:11:00 +0000

All images © Heather Wilkinson 2012

Grrr, I’ve had so much trouble getting this post up. Sometimes Blogger totally misbehaves when I’m trying to add text and it drives me crazy! Anyway, enough of my moaning and back to the serious business of cake.

This is a pretty reliable carrot cake recipe that produces a handsome round cake. It can also be scaled down to make a generous batch of muffins or mini loaf cakes.

The great thing about this cake is it’s packed full of sweet seasonal carrots and juicy sultanas, which make it surprising moist. I use the smallest amount of orange blossom essence in the icing, but you could use a little grated orange zest instead.

I hope you like the piccies I’ve done to go with this recipe – I’ve been watching way too much Downton Abbey

You will need:

For the cake

300g soft light brown sugar
3 free range eggs
300ml sunflower oil or vegetable oil
300g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp vanilla extract
300g carrots, grated
1 small handful of dried sultanas
100g shelled walnuts, chopped, (plus extra to decorate)

For the icing:
300g icing sugar, sifted
50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
125g cream cheese, cold
½ tsp orange blossom essence

1.) Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3. Line and grease a round 8 inch loose-bottomed cake tin.

2.) Put the sugar, eggs and oil in a mixer. Using a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk), beat until all the ingredients are well mixed. Next, sieve in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and vanilla extract and continue to beat until all the ingredients are combined.

3.) Add the grated carrots and walnuts, stir together and then pour the mixture into your prepared cake tin. Bake in the preheated oven for around 1hr 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. When the tin is cool enough to touch, remove the cake and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cake has cooled you can make your icing. This process is best done in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment, but you can use a handheld electric mixer too. Just lightly hold a tea towel over the bowl when mixing to prevent covering yourself with icing sugar.

4.) Sieve the icing sugar and add into a mixing bowl along with the butter. Beat together until the mixture is well combined.

5.) Add the cream cheese and ½ tsp of orange blossom essence (this must be exact or your icing will be too runny) and beat on a medium/high speed for about 4/5 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.

6.) Ice your cake using a palette knife and decorate with a mixture of whole and crushed walnuts.

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Forced rhubarb, mascarpone and ginger semifreddo

Heather — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:16:00 +0000

Forced Rhubarb: available January – Feb/March

I really like rhubarb but hadn’t ever tried the ‘forced’ variety before, so I eagerly bought a big bagful when I spotted it in my local fruit and veg shop.

Forced rhubarb, as the name suggests, it is literally forced to grow. The plants are grown in long sheds where they are subjected to heat and darkness so that the young shoots grow quickly in a desperate search for light. Apparently, it was originally cultivated to fill a gap in the vegetable calendar when there wasn’t much else available.

I wanted to try something a bit different from the usual rhubarb crumble (yawn), so decided to have a go at making a semifreddo. I was really pleased with how it turned out.

The ginger is the first of the flavours to come through, followed by the rhubarb – it’s almost like they politely take it in turns to tickle your taste buds.

The rhubarb flavour is a lot stronger in the sauce and balances the richness of the mascarpone cheese well.

PS: fellow Brightonians, I got my rhubarb from Taj in Western Road.

You will need
For stewing the rhubarb
200g forced rhubarb
Juice and zest of 1 large orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100g caster sugar
2 pieces of stem ginger (about the size and thickness of a 2p piece), finely chopped

For the semifreddo:
4 eggs, separated
500g mascarpone cheese
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

1.) Roughly chop your rhubarb and place in a saucepan with the orange juice, orange zest, 100g caster sugar and chopped ginger. Then add enough water to the pan to just about cover your rhubarb.
2.) Bring to the boil and simmer for about 7 minutes until the rhubarb is soft.
3.) Sieve the rhubarb over a clean bowl. Set the juice aside and pop it in the fridge when it’s cooled.
4.) Next, whip the egg whites into soft peaks with a pinch of salt.
5.) In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla for a few minutes and then add the mascarpone cheese.
6.) Whisk the cheese and egg yolk mixture for a couple of minutes until smooth, then stir in your stewed rhubarb (not the juice). Add one tablespoon of the egg whites and stir in with a metal spoon.
7.) Carefully add the cheese and rhubarb mixture to the egg whites and stir gently. Take care not to knock the air from the beaten egg whites.
8.) Line a freezer-proof container with cling film and pour in the mixture. Freeze for around 4 hours (or overnight).
9.) Remove the semifreddo from the freezer and leave to stand for around 5 mins while you make the sauce.
10.) For the sauce, pour the chilled rhubarb juice into a small saucepan, bring to the boil and cook down until it thickens.
11.) Carefully lift out the semifreddo using the cling film, place it upside down on a serving plate and remove the cling film.
12.) To serve, cut even portions of the semifreddo and drizzle each the sauce. To finish, sprinkle with crushed amaretto biscuits (optional).

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