Experiments With Choux Pastry!!

Hello again everyone, how are we all on this rather dull and uneventful Sunday morning? Coping? Well anyway, yesterday I was pottering around in the kitchen, trying to find something to do to fill the gap between studying and getting ready for a birthday party, which consisted of three lovely courses. Now to say me blabbering on about this party for the next ten minutes, I thought that maybe it would be a good idea to tell you what exactly these experiments consisted of. I started by constructing the basic choux dough, eggs, flour, butter, water, salt and then I went on to experiment with different fillings and overall, the final three came down to orange and cardamom creme patisserie, pistachio and chocolate and lime. I’m going to give you the recipe for the orange and cardamom right now, as in my experience of eating them yesterday, more were consumed.. Don’t worry the dog ate some too!

INGREDIENTS:

Basic Pate a Choux (profiteroles, eclairs, chouquette)

175ml water

75g butter.

1/4 tsp salt.

100g plain flour.

3 eggs, lightly beaten (room temperature).

Orange and Cardamom Creme Patisserie

Zest of 1 orange.

very finely ground seeds of 4 cardamom pods.

500ml whole milk.

1 vanilla pod, seeds only.

6 egg yolks.

75g caster sugar.

20g cornflour.

25g plain flour.

Topping –

150g white fondant.

orange colouring.

METHOD:

Firstly make the choux dough, by putting the butter, salt and water into a saucepan and heat until the butter has melted, no further. Take the pan off the heat and beat the flour in in one go. It will look lumpy but keep on beating and you will eventually be able to clean the sides of the pan.

Take tablespoons of the beaten egg at a time and add to the dough and beat with an electric mixer until the dough looks stiff and shiny and drops from the spoon upon gentle shaking.

Now, pipe small mounds onto a lined baking sheet using a straight circular nozzle. Pre-heat the oven to 200c/gas 6. Pop them in for 25 mins, then open the door for 5 secs to allow steam to escape and then bake for a further 5 minutes.

When ready, leave on a cooling rack to completely cool.

Now move onto the filling. For the crème pâtissière filling, pour the milk and vanilla seeds,orange zest and cardamom into a heavy-based pan and bring gradually to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 30 seconds. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar until pale, then whisk in the cornflour and plain flour. Pour the vanilla-infused milk onto the eggs, whisking continuously, then pour back into the pan.

Bring back to the boil, whisking continuously over a medium heat and cook for one minute. Pour the crème pâtissière into a bowl. Cover the surface with cling film to prevent a skin from forming and leave to cool. Transfer to the fridge to chill.

Now take a piping bag with a smaller circular nozzle and pipe the filling into the base of each choux puff.

To make the topping, melt the fondant in a saucepan over a low heat and and a few drops of orange colouring until it is the colour of salmon pink!

Dip each of the tops of the choux puffs into the topping and leave standing upright on a cooling rack to set.

Enjoy!

Merci, mes amis!!

Ryan..

Instant Chocolate Orange Mousse!

Hello again everyone, this is merely a bridging post until I think of something more creative on Saturday, when I eventually create something more exciting and tongue tangling!  But this is still I fabulous little quick recipe that I love for any occasion. It comes in very handy if you are having last minute people over and you need a strategy, the combination of chocolate and orange is just a personal favorite of mine. The addition of sweet fresh orange here cuts through the richness of the chocolate enriched chocolate cream. Obviously, you can omit the orange if you like and just use orange scented chocolate!

INGREDIENTS:

200g 70% dark chocolate.

250ml whipping cream.

1 fresh orange, peeled and sliced into segments.

METHOD:

In a bowl whip the cream to soft peaks, then place a bowl over a pan of simmering water and melt the chocolate, then add to the cream and fold in.

Once amalgamated, then simply layer orange segments in the bottom of your chosen glass then elegantly spoon or pipe in your chocolate mousse. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving… for best results

Thank you,

Ryan!

 

Wild Mushroom Pilaff

Hello again everyone, It has seemed to turn out to be one of those of very strange, almost uncomfortable days, I read my horoscope early and it has said that today will be full of weirdness and unease. To me it feels as though the entire atmosphere has become somewhat heavy and really quite deflating. Some of you out there must be thinking that I’m talking a load of absolute nonsense, but I have faith in these horoscopes and they really are a great tool to have access to, come to think of it, they are my non-religious bible reads. But even my concentration levels have decreased today and I also believe that the weather has played a role in it to.

Scotland has not had the friendliest of weather patterns recently, it has been exceedingly cold and rainy, not to mention the skin chilling blasts of Arctic wind. I thought some therapeutic afternoon baking would relieve me of this horrid feeling, but it turns out the the day has taken it’s toll on me, the bread I made turned out to be a terrible disaster due to the fluctuating temperatures during the proving processes, arrrrggghhhh…. That feels better, just to let go of all the vibes.. So to recover from this rather strange and uneasy day, I have decided to settle down and let you into a recipe that has always seemed to cure even the baddest of the bad days or just when the bleakness of the weather has left you sunken and feeling helpless. This is the recipe to turn to, it provides instant satisfaction and due to the simplicity doesn’t stress you out and allows you to feel yourself once again!

INGREDIENTS:

3 tbsp vegetable oil.

1 tsp cumin seeds.

2 bay leaves.

1 large piece cinnamon stick

2 black cardamom pods, lightly crushed

6 black peppercorns

6 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed

4 cloves

1 small onion, roughly chopped

large handful raw cashew nuts, whole

200g fresh wild mushrooms (girolles, morels, ceps, etc, wiped clean with damp kitchen towel, and cleaned of any grit)

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

salt, to taste

300g basmati rice, washed well and soaked (soak the rice while you chop the mushrooms)

390ml water

1 tsp lemon juice, or to taste

METHOD:

Heat the oil in a large wide saucepan. Add the whole spices, cook for 20 seconds then add the onion and cashew nuts. Be careful as they may splater a bit. Fry for about 4-5 minutes, until the onions are soft and browning at the edges.

Add the mushrooms, garlic and salt and sauté over a high heat for 4-5 minutes. Drain the rice that’s been soaking and add to the pan along with the 390ml water, bring to the boil then cover and lower the heat to very low and cook for ten minutes.

After ten minutes, check a grain of rice to see if it is tender. If not, leave for another minute. Take off the heat, remove the lid and allow any excess moisture to evaporate. Gently stir in the lemon juice, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary and stir gently with a fork.

Enjoy,

Ryan!

 

 

Olive Loaf!

Hello everyone again, how are we all? Good I’m hoping. I haven’t bothered to look through the archives of this blog to look out if I have already given you a recipe for an olive loaf before, but I don’t recall doing so. Anyway you can’t have enough of this fabulous loaf and it’s crying out to be eaten with a really sharp farmhouse cheddar or Comte.  Sorry I don’t have the time to say much else today other than I hope you have a wonderful day and it’s filled with joy and prosperity!!

INGREDIENTS:

500g strong white bread flour.

15g salt.

55ml regular olive oil.

20g fresh yeast, available online.

275ml water

170g pitted black olives.

METHOD:

Mix all the ingredients apart from the olives, in a large bowl, making sure that the yeast does not come into contact with the salt.

Knead well with your hands for at least 10 minutes, until he dough feels smooth and elastic.

Cover with cling film and leave to rise for 1 hr in ambient temperature.

Divide the dough into two, and into each half add the olives, pushing them into the dough. Mould both the doughs into rough round shapes and press firmly down. Sprinkle white flour lightly over the top and mark them with a cross.

Place on baking sheet and prove for a further hour to allow the olives to evenly distribute.

Bake for 30 minutes at Gas 7/220C. Until golden brown and hollow when tapped on the base.

Enjoy,

Thanks for reading,

Ryan!

 

Italian Apple Pie! Torta di mele…

hello again everybody, how are we all? Well I hope so! Tomorrow I will be classified as an Adult (16th Birthday), and before you ask I have not made my own birthday cake, my lovely ‘fully experienced’ friend’s are crafting it for me! So very excited to see the end result! Pictures will be taken of course and that is the same for this recipe, as I’m not actually trying it out until Sunday morning for a music convention lunch! I’m so excited to whip up this bake. I first tasted it a friend’s house and knew from the first bite I had to try to make it again myself. The pastry/cake like base is scented with the gentle (quintessential Italian) flavour of vanilla, followed by a decorative circle of delicately spiced cinnamon pink lady apples, simply superb! Any occasion to get the pouring cream out of the fridge, this is definitely one of them….

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

100g butter.

 

250g plain flour.

 

2 tsp baking powder.

 

pinch of salt.

 

150g caster sugar.

 

2 eggs.

 

zest of 1 lemon.

 

1 tsp vanilla extract.

 

75ml milk.

 

3 pink lady apples (or other crisp eating apples).

 

1 tsp brown sugar.

 

1/2 tsp cinnamon.

 

METHOD:

 

Preheat the oven to 200 C / Gas 6.

 

Line the base of 9 inch spring-form cake tin and grease the sides liberally with butter.

 

Combine the flour, salt, baking power, caster sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and gradually add the milk through the funnel of the processor.

 

Take half of an apple and cube into small dice then pulse though the cake mix.

 

Slice the rest of the apples into thin slivers. Then pour the cake batter into the tin and decorate the top with the sliced apples. Sprinkle over the cinnamon and brown sugar and then bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes. It should be firm to the touch.

 

Leave to cool for 30 minutes before releasing the spring and sliding onto a serving plate. Serve with cold pouring cream or a warm creme anglais.

 

Enjoy..

RYAN!

 

 

Seville Orange Marmalade!

Hello Folks, how are we all? Getting on fine I hope! Well now that we are coming to the end of January I think that we should all make the effort to pick up a kilo of Seville oranges and whip up a batch of delicious marmalade. This does not only keep for over 1 year, well preserved in sterilized jars, but can transform breakfast and make fabulous puddings! A true all-rounder. Well before we start this recipe I guess I should tell you about my trip to Carluccios yesterday. It was fabulous, made a purchase of some beautiful jarred all butter cocoa biscuits and also some fresh traditional amaretti.. I will find any excuse to visit that deli, the atmosphere and products are superior. However, I didn’t just stop there, I popped next door to patisserie valerie to purchase four beautiful pastries! Let’s just say that food is extremely tempting and ultimately fabulous! So back to marmalade before I make you severely overweight, this marmalade is made from, probably the most bitter orange on earth, this explains the 1.25kg sugar content.. (dentist appointment on speed dial). So I do not advise a taste of these before cooking, now marmalade is completely different to making jam, not complex just more thorough…

INGREDIENTS:

1.25kg Seville Oranges (also sold of marmalade oranges).

1.5kg Granulated Sugar (white).

METHOD:

1. Scrub the oranges and place the whole fruits in a large stainless steel pan, or preserving pan.
2. Cover with 2.25 litres water, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about an hour until the fruit is soft.
3. Preheat the oven to 140C/275F/Gas 1. Wash the jars well in warm soapy water then rinse thoroughly under running water. Leave the jars and lids to dry, upside down, in the oven. Place a few saucers in the freezer to chill (these will be used to test if the cooked marmalade has reached setting point).
4. Remove the oranges from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Carefully measure out 1.7 litres of the cooking liquid, discarding any extra or topping up with water as necessary. Return the liquid to the pan.
5. When the oranges are cool enough to handle, cut them in half and scoop out the flesh, pith and pips into a bowl. Pour the orange pulp into a muslin bag and secure with kitchen string. Add to the pan.
6. Chop the peel into shreds as fine as you like and add to the pan. Set the pan over a low heat and add the sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
7. Bring the marmalade to a rolling boil for 10-15 minutes. Skim off any orange scum that rises to the surface.
8. Dip a spoon into the marmalade, allow the mixture to cool a little, then slowly pour it back into the pan. If it is at the setting point, the drops will run together to form a hanging flake (this is known as the flake test). It can take up to 30 minutes to reach setting point, so keep testing.
9. When the marmalade is ready, remove the pan from the heat. Carefully ladle into the hot sterilized jars (a sterilized jam funnel makes this much easier) leaving approximately 1cm/½in space at the top of the jar. Twist the lids on the hot jars to seal. The marmalade will continue to thicken up as it cools.