Desserts recipes

Creamy Chocolate and Coffee Casatta for Valentine’s Day

2010-02-05T09:52:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 small box Ricotta cheese
360 g cream cheese
3 oz instant coffee
3 oz honey
2 tbsp chocolate
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preparing:

Mix ricotta cheese with cream cheese.
Add remaining ingredients.
Mix thoroughly until get a creamy mixture.
Pour into individual ramekins and cover with foil.

Refrigerate for 1 hour and unmold.
Decorate with chocolate syrup and serve.

Chocolate Mousse for Valentines Day

2010-02-04T10:53:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

500 g dark chocolate, chopped
500 g heavy cream
100 g sugar
100 g heavy cream
6 egg yolks
3 egg whites

Preparing:

Melt the chocolate with 100g cream in water bath, stirring constantly.
Add the yolks one by one and mix well until thickened.
Remove from heat and let cool.

Whip the heavy cream with sugar until whipped.
Fold in the whipped cream to chocolate mixture in surrounding form.

Beat the egg whites until stiff with a pinch of salt.
Fold in the egg whites in surrounding form until a smooth mixture.

Pour into individual cups and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Decorate with strawberries and whipped cream and serve.

Valentine Strawberry Chocolate Tarts

2010-02-01T06:10:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

½ cup ground almonds
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup superfine sugar
2 oz semisweet chocolate, grated
1 egg, beaten

Pie dough:
1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
7 tbsps butter, softened
2 tsps confectioners’ sugar
1 egg yolk

Topping:
1 ½ cups strawberries, halved
4 tsps red currant jelly
1 tsp kirsch

Preparing:

Cream butter and confectioners’ sugar together until soft and light.
Mix together the egg yolk with 3 teaspoons water in another bowl.
Gradually stir into creamed mixture.
Sift flour into mixture and mix to a smooth dough with round-bladed knife.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 190ºC (375ºF).

Roll out the dough thinly on a light floured surface, and use to line four 4-inch tartlet pans.
Press a square of foil into each tartlet shell and bake blind for 10 minutes.

Beat the butter and superfine sugar until creamy and then beat in the egg.
Stir in chocolate and add ground almonds.
Mix to a soft dropping consistency.
Divide among pastry shells.
Bake for 25 minutes.

Topping:
Heat red currant jelly in a saucepan, stirring constantly until completely dissolved.
Stir in kirsch.
Brush over chocolate tarts while still warm.
Arrange strawberry halves on top and brush with remaining jelly.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Valentines Peachy Chocolate Bake

2010-01-28T12:29:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup sugar
15 oz (1 can) peach slices, drained
7 oz unsweetened dark chocolate, broken into pieces
4 eggs, separated

Preparing:

Preheat oven to 150ºC (325ºF).

Melt chocolate with the butter in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, and remove from heat.
Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until thick and pale.
Whisk the egg whites, in a separate bowl, until stiff.
Beat the chocolate into the egg yolk mixture.
Fold in the whites lightly.
Fold in the peaches slices and mix.

Pour the mixture into a buttered ovenproof dish.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Serve hot, with whipped cream or plain yogurt.

Valentines Creamy Chocolate Truffles

2010-01-26T19:25:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1/3 cup heavy cream
5 oz semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
2 tbsps superfine sugar
2 tbsps unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsps rum or crème de cacao liqueur
1 egg, yolk
1 vanilla bean

Decoration:
4 tsps unsweetened cocoa
2 tsps confectioners’ sugar
Chopped almonds

Preparing:

Bring cream with the vanilla bean almost to boil in a saucepan.
Remove from heat, cover and set aside for 30 minutes.
Remove vanilla bean.

Whisk together superfine sugar with egg yolk until pale and thick.
Whisk into cream saucepan.
Return saucepan to heat and heat gently without boiling.
Add chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth.
Stir in the liqueur.
Pour into a pan and let chill for 1 hour.

Sift cocoa and confectioners’ sugar together onto a plate.
Pull off small pieces of chilled truffle mixture and roll into balls.
Roll each ball in sifted cocoa and place in paper candy cases.
Store in refrigerator and eat within 2 to 3 days.

You can also decorate with almonds and melted chocolate.

Chocolate and Chestnut Pots for Saint Valentines

2010-01-25T06:09:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened chestnut purée
¼ cup Madeira
9 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 eggs, separated
2 tbsp butter, diced

Preparing:

Make a few chocolate curls for decoration, then break the rest of the chocolate into squares.
Melt it with the Madeira in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water.
Remove from heat and add the butter, a few pieces at a time, stirring until melted and smooth.

Beat the egg yolks quickly into the mixture, then beat in the chestnut purée, a little at a time (make sure that each addition is absorbed before you add the next).

Whisk the egg whites in a clean, grease-free bowl until stiff.
Stir about 1 tbsp of the whites into the chestnut mixture to lighten it, and then fold the rest evenly.
Spoon the mixture into six small ramekins or custard cups and chill for 8 hours.

Serve the pots topped with Crème Fraîche or whipped cream and chocolate curls.

Coconut and Marshmallows Sweet

2010-01-19T15:13:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 t grated coconut
1 t evaporated milk
1 t milk
15 marshmallows, chopped
4 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
Butter

Preparing:

Grease a 20cm x 20cm pan.
Sprinkle half the coconut and place above the marshmallows with the rest of the coconut.

Mix the eggs with the sugar, vanilla and warm milks.
Pour over coconut and marshmallows.

Bake in water bath at 180ºC (350ºF) for 25 minutes or until set.
Cool and serve.

Yogurt Ice Cream with Fruits

2010-01-13T06:20:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

140 g of yogurt ice cream
80 g of strawberries, chopped
80 g of blueberries
30 g peanut
45 ml honey

Preparing:

Serve in small bowls strawberries, blueberries and honey.
Put a bit of yogurt ice cream on top.
Garnish with peanuts and serve.

Blackberry Creamy Mousse

2010-01-06T08:07:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

½ cup blackberries
½ cup butter
¼ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp of sparkling wine
2 tbsp cassis liqueur
2 tbsp sugar
1 egg white

Preparing:

Cream butter with sugar.
Add the berries until blended.
Add the heavy cream, wine and cassis liqueur.

Whisk egg white until stiff.
Fold in to the blackberry mixture.
Pour into glasses, garnish with fruit and mint leaves and serve.

Hazelnut Roll with Raspberry Cream for New Year

2009-12-31T04:31:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

100 g roasted hazelnuts
¾ cup sugar
1/3 cup self-raising flour
5 eggs, separated
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp vanilla essence

Raspberry Cream:
200 g raspberries, lightly mashed
2/3 cup cream
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp brandy

Preparing:

Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF).

Brush a 30x25 cm (12x10 inch) swiss roll tin with oil, line the base and sides with paper and grease the paper.
Chop the hazelnuts in a food processor.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale, then add the vanilla.
Beat the egg whites in another bowl until stiff peaks form.
Fold the egg whites using a metal spoon into the yolks and sifted flours, one-third at a time.
Fold in the hazelnuts with the last third.

Spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth the surface.
Bake for 15 minutes.

Turn onto a dry tea towel covered with greaseproof paper and sprinkled with sugar and leave to stand for 1 minute.
Roll the cake up with paper carefully, using the tea towel as a guide, then leave for 5 minutes.
Unroll and discard the paper.

Raspberry Cream:

Beat the cream until stiff peaks form.
Fold in the raspberries, sugar and brandy.
Spread the cream over the cake, leaving a 1.5cm (5/8 inch) border.
Re-roll gently and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Decorate with cream, raspberries and chocolate curls and serve.

Chocolate Cake with White Chocolate Glaze for New Year

2009-12-30T05:51:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

520 g chocolate cake prepared flour
225 g plum puree (for babies)
¾ cup warm water
3 eggs
3 tbsp instant coffee
2 tbsp canola oil

Glaze:
½ cup white chocolate chips
1 tbsp milk

Preparing:

Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF).

Mix all ingredients for 2 minutes.
Pour the mixture into a floured pan.
Bake for 40 minutes.

Glaze:

Combine chocolate chips with milk in a microwave-safe bowl.
Heat on medium power for 50 seconds and stir.
Repeat with 30 second intervals until melted completely.

Drizzle warm glaze over the chocolate cake.
Let stand for 30 minutes and serve.

Chocolate and Nuts Tiramisu for New Year

2009-12-28T05:36:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

½ k vanilla wafers or lady fingers
2 cups milk
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup butter
½ cup powdered sugar
150 g chopped walnuts
1 box chocolate pudding

Preparing:

Dissolve the chocolate pudding with milk in a saucepan.
Let boil and remove from heat.

Cream butter with sugar.
Add the pudding, mix well and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Place in a Pyrex one layer of cookies dipped in evaporated milk.
Place a layer of chocolate pudding and sprinkle nuts on top.
Repeat the process and refrigerate for 2 more hours.

Christmas Chocolate Truffles

2009-12-23T05:38:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

½ kilo semi-bitter chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
4 tbsp Grand Marnier
Cocoa powder
Powdered sugar

Preparing:

Soften the chocolate in the microwave for about 25 seconds.
Put the cream to a boil and add the chocolate.
Whisk well and add the Grand Marnier.

Refrigerate overnight in a covered container with plastic wrap.
Form balls with the chocolate mixture.
Pass them through the cocoa and sugar powder.
Let them stand for 2 hours and serve.

Sweet Costa Rican Christmas Dessert

2009-12-21T05:42:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 liter of milk
1 cup cornstarch
½ cup sugar syrup
½ cup water
250 g grated sugar cane
½ fresh shredded coconut
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tbsp butter
½ tbsp ground cinnamon

Preparing:

Boil a pint of milk with sugar cane, removing the foam that form.
Add butter, cornstarch (dissolved in the other pint of milk) and cinnamon.
Simmer for 10 minutes stirring constantly.
Add coconut and mix well.

Pour into molds, cover with sugar syrup and wait until dissolves.
Unmold, sprinkle with cinnamon and serve.

Figs, Coconut and Nuts Balls for Christmas

2009-12-18T06:11:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 cup figs, cooked and chopped
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp rum

Preparing:

Process the figs with the sugar and orange juice.
Place in a pot and simmer until the edges become detached.

Remove from heat.
Add the coconut and rum and mix well.
Add butter and mix again.

Place the mixture in a greased tray and let cool to room temperature.
Form balls and roll in nuts.

Black Cake with Candied Fruit for Christmas

2009-12-16T05:58:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

180 g flour
150 g sugar
100 g vegetable oil
100 g powdered sugar
75 g chopped walnuts
75 g raisins
30 g candied fruit
½ cup rum
2 apples, peeled and diced
2 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves

Preparing:

Macerate the candied fruit with rum a day earlier.

Mix all dry ingredients with the apple.
Add eggs, oil and vanilla and mix well.
Add candied fruit and mix.

Pour into a floured pan.
Bake at 180ºC (360ºF) for 45 minutes.

Make a glaze with powdered sugar and a little water.
Bathe the cake with the glaze and serve.

Eggnog and White Chocolate Pudding for Christmas

2009-12-14T05:46:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 ½ liter of milk
1 ½ cup heavy cream
1 ¼ cup sugar
¾ cup rum
¾ cup whiskey
90 g of chopped white chocolate
15 beaten egg yolks
2 tbsp vanilla

Preparing:

Heat over high heat milk with sugar and vanilla, stirring constantly.
Add the yolks and whisk.
Add white chocolate and cook for 20 minutes, or until it begins to thicken.
Add the cream, whiskey and rum, and whisk.

Refrigerate for at least 5 hours.
Garnish with whipped cream and colored sugar and serve.

Almond and Nut Truffles for Christmas

2009-12-11T06:12:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

200 g chopped walnuts
200 g of chopped almonds
1 can condensed milk
2 tbsp icing sugar

Preparing:

Grind the walnuts and almonds in blender.
Mix in separate bowl the ground nuts with condensed milk until form an homogenous mixture.

Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Form balls by hand and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Christmas Walnut Fudge Cake

2009-12-09T06:36:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

400 g dark chocolate, chopped
300 g chopped walnuts
200 g sugar
150 g unsalted butter
6 eggs, separated

Preparing:

Preheat oven to 150ºC (300ºF).

Grind the chocolate with nuts in a food processor.

Cream butter, add three-fourths cup sugar and beat until fluffy.
Add yolks one at a time and mix well.
Add chocolate and walnuts mixture with a spatula.

Separately, beat egg whites until stiff, sprinkle with remaining sugar and beat until well blended.
Add the egg whites into chocolate mixture in surrounding form.
Pour the mixture on a floured pan and bake for 1 hour.

Christmas Fruit Salad

2009-12-07T06:01:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sliced strawberries
¼ cup water
3 oranges, peeled and cut into wedges
2 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
1 jar of cherries in syrup
½ pineapple, peeled and diced
2 tbsp lemon gelatin
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil

Preparing:

Whip the heavy cream to make whipped cream.

Cook until browned on both sides the banana slices in a skillet with oil and butter.
Place the bananas in a bowl and add the strawberries, oranges, cherries and pineapple.

Dissolve gelatin in water and mix well with the fruit.
Add the whipped cream in surrounding form and serve.

Malibu Coconut Flan for Christmas

2009-12-04T05:42:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

½ l milk
1 ½ cans of condensed milk
1 cup sugar
½ cup shredded dried coconut
5 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tbsp Malibu (coconut liqueur)

Preparing:

Pass through a sieve the eggs.
Add milk, coconut, condensed milk and Malibu and mix well.

Melt the sugar over medium heat until it forms a caramel.
Place the caramel in the bottom of a medium pan and let cool.
Pour flan mixture on top.

Place the pan on a tray with water (water bath).
Bake at 150ºC (350ºF) for 1 hour.

* You can decorate with whipped cream, strawberries and/or chocolate wafers.

Christmas Chilled Raspberry Soufflé

2009-11-30T06:19:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cup cream
300 g raspberries
4 egg whites
3 tbsp gelatine
2-3 tbsp caster sugar

Preparing:

Wrap a double strip of baking paper around the outside of 6 soufflé dishes (125ml or 4 fl oz), extending 2 cm (3/4 inch) above the rim and then tying with string.
Brush the collar and dish with oil or butter and sprinkle with sugar.

Place 3 tablespoons water in a small heatproof bowl.
Sprinkle evenly with the gelatine and leave to go spongy.
Bring a large pan filled with about 4 cm (1 ½ inches) water to the boil, remove from heat and carefully lower gelatine bowl into the water.
Stir until dissolved and cooled slightly.

Purée half the raspberries and push through a sieve.
Mash the other half and mix both lots together.
Fold in the cooled gelatine mixture.

Beat the cream into soft peaks.
Beat egg whites into stiff peaks in other bowl.
Gradually beat in 2 tablespoons of the sugar until dissolved.

Fold the cream into the raspberries, followed by the egg whites, using a large spoon.
Spoon into the dishes and chilled for 12 hours.

Remove the collars, decorate with some cream and raspberries and serve.

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie

2009-11-26T05:53:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

500 g pumpkin, cooked, mashed and cooled
1 cup soft brown sugar
1/3 cup cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger

Pie dough:
1 ¼ cups plain flour
3 ½ oz chilled unsalted butter, chopped
4 tablespoons chilled water
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons caster sugar
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

Preparing:

Sift the flour into a large bowl and rub in the butter using just your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Stir in the sugar, add almost all the liquid, and mix until form a dough, adding more liquid if necessary.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface, gather together into a ball and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (375ºF).

Roll out the pastry between two sheets of baking paper to cover the base and sides of a 9 inch (23 cm) pie dish.
Beat the egg yolk with the milk and brush onto the pastry edge.
Line the pastry base with crumpled baking paper and spread ceramic beans over.
Bake for 10 minutes, remove the paper and beans, bake for 5 more minutes and set aside to cool.

Whisk the eggs and brown sugar.
Add the pumpkin, cream and spices and combine.
Pour into the pastry shell and bake for 40 minutes.

Thanksgiving Chocolate Pecan Pie

2009-11-25T06:16:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2 cups pecan halves
1 ¼ cups corn syrup
¾ cup superfine sugar
¼ cup (2 oz) butter
2 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
Whipped cream, to serve

Pie dough:
1 cup all-purpose four
3 oz butter
Pinch of salt

Preparing:

Put flour and salt in a food processor.
Add butter and pulse until mixture is crumbly.
Add 4 tablespoons water and pulse again until mixture starts to form a ball.
Knead dough into a ball and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200ºC (400ºF).

Roll dough out thinly and line a 9-inch fluted tart pan.
Prick base with a fork.
Line with waxed paper and fill with ceramic beans.
Bake for 12 minutes, remove paper and beans.
Bake for 5 more minutes and allow to cool.
Bring to a boil sugar and syrup in a saucepan, over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat, add chocolate and butter and stir until smooth.
Add a little chocolate mixture to eggs and quickly stir in.
Add egg mixture to remaining chocolate mixture and whisk until blended.
Add pecans and pour mixture into pie shell.
Bake for 50 minutes.

Yield: 8-10 servings

Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Pie

2009-11-23T07:24:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2 cans of sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
½ cup milk
½ cup melted butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp nutmeg powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp powdered and Jamaica
½ tsp pepper
1 9-inch mold with crust
Whipped cream

Preparing:

Preheat oven to 175ºC (350ºF).

Blend all ingredients.
Fill the pie crust with the mixture.
Bake for 1 hour.
When cool, decorate with whipped cream and serve.

* The pie puff up but then go down as it cools.