Pavlova with cherries and kiwi

My version of Donna Hay's Pavlova

Ingredients:

12 egg whites
14 tablespoons of caster sugar
6 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch), sifted
6 teaspoons white vinegar
2 cups (500ml) thickened cream
Mixed berried, cherries and kiwi fruit or other fruit as desired

Method:

Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F). Place the egg white in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, whisking well, until the mixture is stiff and glossy.

Add the cornflour and vinegar and whisk until just combined. Shape the mixture into an 18cm round on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Reduce oven to 120°C (250°F) and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and allow the pavlova to cool completely in the oven. Whisk the cream until soft peaks form. Spread over the pavlova, top with berries, cherries and kiwi fruit and serve immediately. Serves 15-20.

Happy Baking :)





Orascici - Walnut cakes filled with cream

Short bread pastry on the outside that crumbles away filled with a delicate cream.

Ingredients:

1 cup warm milk 

1/2kg flour

250g butter

8 table spoons sugar

1 sachet baking powder

Pinch of salt

Cream filling:

1 cup warm milk

3 table spoons of flour (bring to to the boil with the milk until you get a cream like texture)

1 Vanilla Pudding

125g butter

3-4 table spoons of caster sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C. In a large bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer until soft and fluffy. Add flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and mix well until you get a smooth like texture.

Oil every walnut mould and start pressing the dough into each mould it should be about 0.5cm in thickness.

Place all the moulds into a baking tray and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden. Cool.

Cream filling:

In a large saucepan add milk and gradually stir in flour spoon by spoon until the texture thickens. Add butter, sugar and the vanilla pudding (mixed with 350g milk - prepare as per instructions on pack). Mix well until smooth. Cool.

Take out all the wall nut cakes from the mould and start filling with the cream on one side. Top off with the other half so you get a walnut shape as shown above. The moulds are as per the below:



Kosnice

Easy to make - perfect for big occasions when catering for many.

Ingredients:

1 wafer block pack (you can buy this in your local delicatessen)

250g butter

1 cup milk

3-4 table spoons flour

4 table spoons sugar

200g finely chopped almonds 

chocolate

Jam as desired (I used Quince Jam for this recipe)

Method:

In a large saucepan add milk and gradually stir in flour until the texture thickens. Add butter, sugar and almonds. Stir until its all well combined and cooking through. Leave to cool.

Cut out rounds from the wafer block withe the moulds shown below. With a knife spread a layer of jam.

Sip in some sugar into your mould then remove to achieve a layer on the sides so that your mixture does not stick to the mould. Spoon the mixture into the mould and then carefully shake out onto the wafer round. Repeat process until all of the mixture is used.

Refrigerate and then serve. Moulds shown below.

Enjoy :)





Vanilla/Cherry Bombe Alaska

As soon as I saw this dessert being made on Masterchef I had to give it a go and it has turned out beautifully. I have used bought vanilla ice cream but if you have an ice-cream machine have a go at making your own.

Ingredients:

Sponge:

9 eggs (separate egg whites and yolks)

9 table spoons of sugar

9 table spoons of flour

1 sachet baking powder

Filling:

2L good quality vanilla ice-cream

Cherry sorbet

 - 800ml water

 - 350g sugar

 - pitted cherries

Egg white topping:

- 4 egg whites

- 4 tbs sugar

(Beat egg whites until fluffy - add sugar spoon by spoon until you get a glossy mixture)

Method:

Separate egg whites form the yolks and beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add sugar spoon by spoon and mix well until glossy and thick. Add egg yolks, one by one followed by the flour, spoon my spoon. Add vanilla sugar and baking powder and mix well.


Line a baking tray with baking paper and brush with vegetable oil so the baking paper stays on the tray. Pour the mixture (should be about 2cm thick) and bake on 180 degrees for about 12 minutes.

For the cherry sorbet bring water and sugar to boil and add cherries. The texture should thicken. Pour into a baking tray and play in freezer for about 45 minutes. Scrape with fork to get a sorbet. Leave in fridge.

Once your sponge is out of the oven and cooled down, cut off about 10cm of the edge of the sponge you will need this to form the bottom base of the Bombe Alaska.

Cut the remainder of the sponge into triangles and start lining your mould until all covered. Spread ice-cream all around about 2cm thickness. Add the Cherry sorbet in the middle and then top with your sponge that you had initially left. Leave in freezer for another 30 minutes.

Turn out the Bombe Alaska and then cover with the egg white topping. Use cooking blow torch at the end to get the smokey effect. Cut large wedges and serve.

See below the step by step process.



Happy Baking! :)

Grilled Chicken breast with tomato salsa - Piletina sa satarasom

Simple, light and tasty!

Chicken Breast/thighs

Ingredients for the salsa:

2 red capsicums diced

1 tomato diced 

1 red onion finely chopped

Pinch of salt

Fresh Parsley

Method:

Remove any excess fat from the chicken and wash. Coat in flour mixed with desired spices (salt/pepper/hint of chilli powder/parsley). Fry chicken on a grill pan or barbecue.

For the Salsa

In a medium saucepan add onion and fry off with a bit of water until it becomes translucent. Add capsicum, tomato, and salt. Pour with water until covered. Bring to boil and simmer until the capsicum becomes softer. In a cup add half a tablespoon flour, and sweet paprika and add a few drops of water to make a paste. Add to the water and simmer for a bit longer. Alternatively add a bit of tomato pasta sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.



Enjoy!

Rafaelo Cake

Creamy delights.



Ingredients:

For the base:

7 egg whites

7 table spoons of sugar

1x sachet baking powder

150g coconut

4 table spoons flour

For the filling:

7 egg yolks

6 table spoons of sugar

1x sachet vanilla sugar

Vanilla essence

350ml full cream milk

3 table spoons flour

250g softened butter

For the topping:

2 egg whites whisked with three table spoons of sugar

Method:

In a large bowl mix the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add sugar and mix until glossy and you can turn the bowl upside down without the mixture falling out. Add flour spoon by spoon, baking powder and the coconut and mix through. Pour in a medium sized baking dray lined with baking paper. Bake for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile whisk egg yolks until soft peak form and then add sugar spoon by spoon. The yolks should be fluffy and light yellow. Add flour and mix well. In a medium sized saucepan add milk and vanilla essence and then add the yolk mixture. Stir constantly on medium heat until the mixture thickens - should be a custard like texture but stickier.

In a separate bowl beat the softened butter with vanilla sugar until fluffy. Add the yolk mixture and combine well with electric mixer. Leave in the fridge to cool for a couple of hours.

Spread the above mixture on the base evenly and leave in fridge to cool overnight. Spread the beaten egg white mixture on top and decorate as desired. Cut into medium sized cubes and serve.

Happy Baking :)

Wafer Dessert - Oblande

Easy to make with no baking time required and always a favourite..

Ingredients:

1 packet wafer boards (you can get this from a local delicatessen)

150g dark chocolate

150g milk chocolate

150ml thickened cream

150g crushed pettit-beurre biscuits
150g Hazelnuts finely chopped

Method:

Melt chocolate with thickened cream in a steamer and add biscuits and hazelnuts once the chocolate is melted. You should get a fairly rich mixture. Leave to cool.

Spread over the wafer boards and layer, usually five layers is enough. Leave in the fridge overnight and cover with something heavy on top so that the chocolate filling sets.

Cut into long rectangular shapes as shown above. Then cut diagonally to get diamond like pieces.

Enjoy!