I love eating mousse, it has a bubbly, light and airy texture. I really like the combination of chocolate and orange, it’s such an great combination and the taste works well together. For this recipe I used Terry’s chocolate orange to make this mousse, I really do think their chocolate orange does taste good for a cheaper alternative (although any chocolate orange would work well).

I have never made a mousse before and was excited about making it. I’m always sceptical about using raw eggs, but it is actually fine and nothing to worry about, but I would advise you make sure that you use fresh eggs or ones that are a maximum of 2 weeks old.

Mousse isn’t very hard to make surprisingly or maybe I hit a lucky streak with it as mine turned out well. It was difficult to know when to stop whisking the egg whites, I suppose I did judge that myself and maybe I could be wrong. I whisked it until I felt it was right, as the instruction did say not to over mix and I did the bowl over the head test and it worked! no egg whites over my head :). I do think next time I wouldn’t add the juice as it did make it a little too light. 

I enjoyed making the mousse and would make it again, it’s a great dessert and light after a heavy meal. I would also like to try different flavour combinations and see how that works, maybe coffee, mint, raspberry.

Terry's Chocolate Mousse

2016-07-03 10:19:28

Yields 6

Terry's Chocolate Airy Mousse

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Prep Time

20 min

Prep Time

20 min

Ingredients

1. 200g - Terry's chocolate*
2. 100ml - water
3. 4 - eggs
4. 2 tbsp - caster sugar
5. 1 tsp - orange oil (optional)
6. Juice of 1/4 orange and zest of an orange

Instructions

1. 1. In a heat proof bowl (if you have a large bowl use that as the whipped egg whites will be placed in that) add the chocolate broken in the segments with the water. In 30 sec intervals heat the chocolate in the microwave until nearly melted. Then add the orange oil and orange juice be stir until fully mixed.
2. 2. Meanwhile separate the eggs and in a medium bowl with a stand mixer or hand mixer beat the egg whites until soft peaks. Then add the sugar and continue to beat until the point at which they begin to form harder, stiffer peaks, careful not to over beat.
3. 3. In the chocolate mixture bowl, using the hand beaters (no need to wash them) add one egg at a time and mix until fully cooperated and repeat until all eggs are used.
4. 4. Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture in three parts. When fully incorporated gently place the mixture into glasses of your own choice, place them in the fridge and leave to set for an hour or so.
5. 5. Add grated orange zest when ready to serve.

Notes

1. * Terry's Chocolate Orange is 157g I used one whole dark orange and the rest milk so the orange mousse as some of the people who were eating it don't like too bitter chocolate. However I found I could of used all dark chocolate.

Love. Eat. Sleep. Food http://loveeatsleepfood.com/

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I brought a huge trifle bowl a few years ago and STILL hadn’t used it. 

Then it got me thinking, I really should use it before it gathers even more dust. I really wanted to make a brownie trifle but seen as I was going to make this for a family get together and I have a lot of family who tend not too like much chocolate I had to scrap that idea. My next option was trolling through pinterest to inspire me and I definitely didn’t want a ‘standard’ English trifle. So no chocolate, no English trifle, it wasn’t too tricky as there are so many amazing recipes out there but I then seen recipes for Gingerbread trifle and I thought that’s it!, I want to make that. A lot of my family really liked the sticky ginger cake I made a few years ago, at least I knew that the cake would be a successful even if the trifle was a disaster. Gingerbread trifles seemed to be made mainly at Christmas time, I know very wrong season to be making it in Spring but this didn’t bother me. Some of these trifles also had apples in but I didn’t include this. Mine was layered with rich, gooey, caramel sauce, whipped cream and custard. Yes, a very indulgent and yummy recipe.

This trifle is hugeeeeeee! so best to make it when there is a lot of people coming, or you can just keep eating it yourself as it’s really yummy! However it just depends on the size of your trifle bowl, the one I used is 19x25cm (3L). I had 12 people round and there was still plenty left. I do have a smaller sized on which is 14x17cm (1.2L) and I would just half the recipe but still make the same sized cake as it’s just too yummy to make a small one!

I wasn’t very impressed with the layering and the looks of it personally, I found my layers didn’t come out as defined as other trifles I had seen, which was a bit of a bummer but actually I was really appreciative with the lovely comments I received from everyone who ate it, they really liked it. Which is what matters really. I actually think it was due to the fact there was double cream, caramel sauce, ginger nut biscuits and custard (talk about fattening lol) so it has a lot of flavours that people love. The taste of the ginger cake is there but it does slightly get overshadowed with the other ingredients. I did give my ginger cake extra ginger flavour to make sure that it does taste more gingery.

Gingerbread Trifle

2016-03-11 09:59:12

Serves 15

A luxurious and creamy spiced Gingerbread Trifle with custard, cream and crunchy ginger nut biscuits

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Prep Time

25 min

Cook Time

45 min

Prep Time

25 min

Cook Time

45 min

For the Gingerbread Cake

1. Saucepan ingredients
2. 125g – butter (salted or unsalted doesn’t matter)
3. 125g – light muscovado sugar
4. 85g – golden syrup
5. 85g – black treacle
6. 200ml – milk
7. 3 – pieces stem ginger (I used 21/2) finely chopped
8. 1 tbsp – ginger syrup from the stem ginger jar
9. Other ingredients
10. 250g – self raising flour
11. 1 tsp – bicarbonate of soda
12. 11/2 tsp – ground ginger (I used 1tsp)
13. 1 tsp – cinnamon
14. 2 – eggs (lightly beat them – it didn’t specify what size but I used large that’s the only ones I had but I think medium would be fine.)

For the Caramel Sauce

1. For the caramel
2. 1/2 cup – double cream at room temperature (you just need to buy a small pot)
3. 1 cup – sugar (I used normal granulated sugar)
4. 60g – butter
5. 1/4 cup – water
6. 500g - Fresh custard (from the fridge)
7. 600ml - Double Cream
8. 8-10 - Gingernut biscuits (optional)

For the Gingerbread Cake

1. Instructions
2. 1. Preheat the oven to 160°C and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin.
3. 2. Place all the saucepan ingredients in the saucepan: butter, sugar, syrup, treacle, stem ginger, ginger syrup and milk.
4. 3. Place the saucepan over a gentle heat until the ingredients have combined, stirring occasionally.
5. 4. Once the ingredients are all combined, remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes, I opened a window and let it cool.
6. 5. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger and cinnamon into a large bowl. It is important to use a large bowl as the mixture will swell when the wet ingredients are added.
7. 6. Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the beaten eggs. Gradually begin to combine the eggs and flour then start to add the contents of the saucepan slowly, folding the flour in as you go.
8. 7. Once the ingredients have are mixed together pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf tin. Don’t worry if there are a few small lumps in the mixture, but there shouldn’t be any large lumps remaining.
9. 8. Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes until the cake is risen and a dark golden brown colour. Test to see if the cake is cooked by inserting a skewer into the centre and checking if it comes out clean.
10. 9. Remove from the oven and prick all over with a skewer. Brush the top with a little more ginger syrup from the stem ginger jar or some golden syrup if you aren’t using the stem ginger. I used a bit of both as I’m greedy.
11. 10. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the caramel

1. 1. In a non-stick pan add sugar and water, let it cook on medium heat until the color turns golden brown(try not to let it burn for a lighter caramel keep an eye on it). When the color changes swirl the pan so the caramel cook evenly.
2. 2. Turn of heat. Add the butter and whisk until butter dissolves.
3. 3. Add the cream while whisking, (careful, it will splash a bit) then add pinch of salt.
4. 4. Let it cool

For the double cream

1. 1. In a stand mixer whip the cream with (optional sugar and vanilla) until it's holding it's shape.

Preparing the Trifle

1. 1. Please make sure that the cake and the caramel sauce is completely cool before starting.
2. 2. Slice gingerbread into 10 equal thickness, then each slice into smaller slices. Line bottom of trifle bowl with smaller sliced gingerbread and trim to fit if needed. Then spoon custard over gingerbread, followed by caramel sauce, whipped cream and crushed ginger nut biscuits. Repeat process until it's finished. To finish off top with grated chocolate and crushed ginger biscuits.

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All this time baking I have never made Pavlova. I know, crazy right!

Meringue, Pavlova and Roulade.

I didn’t know the difference until last week when my boss talked me through it. I just thought meringue was the same as pavlova but no its not, how wrong was I. Then roulade came in the mix and then I thought am I the only who is this naive about this? Well at least now I have been educated. When I make something new, I get quite excited I know it’s a bit sad but oh well it’s me! So in the end my intention was making the pavlova.

I have eaten pavlova a number of times and I like the gooey middle and the crisp outside, also the fact it’s lathered with cream and juicy fruits which makes it’s soooo much better of course.

I didn’t realise there was interesting history about pavlova (quote from wikipedia)

Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. It is a meringue cake with a crisp crust and soft, light inside, usually topped with fruit and, optionally, whipped cream.

The dessert is believed to have been created in honour of the dancer either during or after one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s. The nationality of its creator has been a source of argument between the two nations for many years. In 2008, Helen Leach published The Pavlova Story: A Slice of New Zealand’s Culinary History, in which she argued that the earliest known recipe was published in New Zealand. Later research by Andrew Wood and Annabelle Utrecht suggested the dessert originated in the United States and was based on an earlier German dish.

The dessert is a popular dish and an important part of the national cuisine of both Australia and New Zealand, and with its simple recipe, is frequently served during celebratory and holiday meals. It is a dessert most identified with the summer time, but is eaten all year round in many Australian and New Zealand homes.  

I found these mini pavlova recipe from Nigella but I also stumbled upon her cappuccino pavlovas and I thought I have to try them, like usual making more work for myself. These have to me made separately but I thought it will be worth it in the end.

I loved the elastic, gooey, marshmallow like texture I achieved when I made the mix it was amazing to see how liquid egg whites can be transformed into something so incredible.

After trying these both I actually preferred the cappuccino pavlovas. I love my coffee but I think by adding this element you couldn’t taste that ‘eggy’ taste which I don’t particularly like. When the cream and fruit are on the plain pavlovas it does disguise the taste but if you have it on it’s own or around the side then the taste comes through and it’s not a particularly nice taste! I was so impressed with these and how easy they are so I will definately make them again for dessert.

Mini Plain Pavlova

2016-02-20 11:49:59

Yields 6

Mini googey and crispy pavlova

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

25 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

25 min

Ingredients

1. 2 - large egg whites
2. pinch of salt
3. 125g - caster sugar
4. 1 tsp - cornflour
5. 1 tsp - vanilla extract
6. 1/2 tsp - white wine vinegar

Instructions

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
2. 2. In a stand mixer whisk the egg whites with the salt until they're holding firm peaks but are not stiff. Then add in the sugar, spoonful after spoonful at a time whilst still beating, until you've the mixture is gleaming, satiny, snowy meringue. Sprinkle the cornflour, a few drops of vanilla and the vinegar on top and mix until combine.
3. 3. Using a pint glass draw 6 circles on each of the parchment* sheets.
4. 4. I piped the meringue onto circles but you want to make the meringue slightly higher at the rims, use the back of the spoon to make an indentation in the centre so it holds the cream and fruit later.
5. 5. Put into the oven, turn it down to 150ºC and bake for 25 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave them in the oven to cool.
6. 6. When you want to assemble them, pipe or dollop cream into the indentation and add fruit and juice around the edge.

Notes

1. *To keep parchment paper in place dollop a bit of the pavlova mix on the tray.

By Nigella Lawson

Love. Eat. Sleep. Food http://loveeatsleepfood.com/

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Mini Cappuccino Pavlova

2016-02-20 11:54:17

Yields 6

Delicious mini coffee pavlova

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

25 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

25 min

Ingredients

1. 2 - large egg whites
2. pinch of salt
3. 125g - caster sugar
4. 2 tsp - espresso coffee
5. 1 tsp - cornflour
6. 1 tsp - vanilla extract
7. 1/2 tsp - white wine vinegar

Instructions

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
2. 2. In a stand mixer whisk the egg whites with the salt until they're holding firm peaks but are not stiff. In a small bowl mix together the coffee and sugar, then add in the sugar/coffee mix, spoonful after spoonful at a time whilst still beating, until you've the mixture is gleaming, satiny, snowy meringue. Sprinkle the cornflour, a few drops of vanilla and the vinegar on top and mix until combine.
3. 3. Using a pint glass draw 6 circles on each of the parchment* sheets.
4. 4. I piped the meringue onto circles but you want to make the meringue slightly higher at the rims, use the back of the spoon to make an indentation in the centre so it holds the cream later.
5. 5. Put into the oven, turn it down to 150ºC and bake for 25 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave them in the oven to cool.
6. 6. When you want to assemble them, pipe or dollop cream into the indentation and dust with cocoa powder.

Notes

1. *To keep parchment paper in place dollop a bit of the pavlova mix on the tray.

By Nigella Lawson

Love. Eat. Sleep. Food http://loveeatsleepfood.com/

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