Roasted Pears with Espresso Mascarpone Cream

A wonderful dessert that will thrill your family and guests. A delicious way to serve up fresh pears complemented by espresso and mascarpone cream cheese.This is a dessert that you will make again!

Ingredients

For the pears

4 pears, any type
2 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs sugar
4 tbs water
2 tbs unsalted butter

For the Mascarpone Cream

1 cup whipping cream
1 vanilla bean
1 cup mascarpone
1/4 cup sugar
2-3 tbs espresso,chilled

For finishing
Cocoa powder

Roasted Pears with Espresso Mascarpone Cream adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Martha Stewart

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 200C.Peel pears if you like(I did not,do not think it is necessary),halve them lenghtwise and core.Place cut side up in arasting pan and sprinkle with lemon juice.
• Sprinkle sugar evenly over pear halves and dot with butter.Pour water into the roasting pan and bake for 30-35 minutes,basting with pan juices a few times.Flip pears over and bake an additional 30 minutes,basting with pan juices a few times.Pears are ready when a knife slipseasily into the thickest part.Allow pears to cool in room temperature.

Make the mascarpone cream

• Pour the whipping cream into a small bowl.Slice vanilla bean in half lenghtwise and scarpe seeds into the cream,stirring to even distribute.Add bean to cream.Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour,along with the bowl and beater of an electric stand mixer.

Just before serving,pour cream through a fine mesh strainer into the chilled mixing bowl.Add mascarpone and espresso and beat on medium speed until all combined.Increase speed to medium high and with mixer running sprinkle in sugar ,beating until soft peaks form.

Finishing

Top a pear half with a dollop of Mascarpone cream.Add one or both of the finishing ingredients to taste.

Brown Sugar Glazed Mini Doughnuts

They are tasty, they are easy and they are as healthy as a sweet can possibly be. If you feel like it, just give them a try !

Ingredients

270ml milk
50g sugar
1 pkg active dry yeast
140g unsalted butter
2 large eggs beaten
500g all purpose flour

For Brown Sugar Glaze

1/3 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

For Chocolate Glaze

80g unsalted butter
150g dark chocolate

Preparation

• Gently warm your milk 115 F,add sugar and yeast,mix till the sugar dissolve.
• Gently melt your butter and add it to beaten eggs but be careful butter should not be so warm otherwise it cook eggs.
• Put butter into an electric mixer with dough hook.Turn mixer on low speed and yeast mixture to the butter.Mix for a couple of minutes until well combined.
• Add the flour to the dough,mix well and transfer the dough to a well oiled bowl.Cover bowl with a plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator.Leave the dough at least 8 hours or overnight.

Roll and cut

• On a well floured surface roll the doughnuts out to 1/2 inch thick
• Using a small cutter,cut as many rounds out of the dough as you can.Gently pick up the rounds and place on a well floured sheet pan.
• Using a very small cutter,cut the center hole.It can be anything you find actually..I used the back of my pen:)
• Cover doughnuts in a large tea towel and place in a warm place.Allow doughnuts to raise at least an hour

Fry the doughnuts

• In a large pot, pour enough oil.Heat to 375 f.
• Gentle pick up and ease donuts into oil and cook each side until light and brown.
• Remove from oil with a slotted spoon.Drain on several layers of paper towels carefully turning over ever 5 seconds to try and blot as much oil out as possible.

Brown sugar glaze

Melt the sugar in a small pan with water bring it to boil a little bit.When all the doughnuts have been fried dip each in the brown sugar glaze you can also use chocolate glaze as well!

Blueberry Chocolate Cake

Definitely a treat! Rich,dark and chocolaty with fresh blueberries.

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1.3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
125 gr butter ,melted,cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
125 gr blueberries


Chocolate Ganache
7 oz bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup cream

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease your pan.Line base with baking paper.
• Sift flour,bicarbonate soda and cocoa powder in a bowl.Stir in sugar,combine buttermilk,eggs melted butter and vanilla in a jug.Make a well in center of flour mixture.Pour in buttermilk mixture.Using an electric mixer ,beat on low speed until combined.Increase speed to high.Beat for 3,4 minutes.
• Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes.Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes.Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make chocolate Ganache

• Melt chocolate and cream in a saucepan or  microwave.
• Stir until smooth.Cool.
• Spread over cake .

Top with Blueberries...Bon Appetite! 

Peanut Butter Cream Mousse

I always have peanut butter at my breakfast table.It is great with honey or jam but I also discovered that it is great for a low carb dessert ingredient.It offers protein and fat to keep you full and feeling satisfied.So let's try making a quick peanut butter mousse for a dessert today!

Ingredients

250 ml double cream

Peanut butter cream(smooth)

Maple syrup

Preparation

• Whip the cream in a mixer for a couple of minutes
• Add 2 or 3 tbs peanut butter and continue mixing
• Lastly add 3 tbs maple syrup and mix again for a minute.
• Chill for several hours to let it set and firm up as a mousse.

Treacle Tart

A Treacle Tart which does not have any treacle in it! It is odd I know but what a great nostalgic teatime treat!This delicious tart's key ingredient is Golden syrup which goes back to 1879s-1880s  I believe..well why not try this fairly young British dessert?

Ingredients

Pastry
120 gr plain flour
60 gr butter
30 gr caster sugar
1 egg

Topping

Breadcrumbs  I use 3 slice of bread
230 gr golden syrup
Grated zest from one lemon and lemon juice

Preparation

• Pre heat the oven 190C
• For the pastry sift the flour into a ball,stir in the caster sugar and rub in the butter to breadcrumb consistency then mix in the egg,bring the dough into a ball.Place onto a floured board and roll the pastry place in your tart mold.
• Roughly cut the bread slices into 4 and place into food processor fitted with chopping blade.Chop into breadcrumbs.
• Into a mixing bowl place the syrup and lemon zest then fold in the breadcrumbs.Spread the mixture over the pastry base.
• Bake at 190C approximately 25-30 minutes.

Sultana Scones

Quick,easy to make,light and fluffy.These scones are splendid!One thing i changed from the original recipe ;I upped the quantity of sultanas!They are perfect with breakfasts or whenever snacks..Just serve them with butter and jam!

Ingredients

225 gr self raising flour
pinch of salt
55 gr butter
40 gr sultanas
25 gr caster sugar
150 ml milk

Preparation

• Heat the oven to 220 C gas.Lightly grease your baking sheet.
• Mix together the flour and salt and rub in the butter.
• Stir in the sultanas,sugar and the milk to get a soft dough.
• Turn onto a floured work surface and knead very lightly.Pat out to a round 2 cm thick.Use a 5 cm in cutter to stamp out rounds and place on a baking sheet.Lightly knead together he rest of the dough and stamp out more scones to used it up.
• Brush the top of the scones with a little milk.Bake for 15 minutes until well risen and golden.Enjoy!

Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies

This cookie might sound like a typical Christmas cookie but orange and cranberry is such a good combination that you would probably want to make not only Christmas time but whenever you want!
The ingredients are simple and it will take your only 10 minutes to prepare the dough.So let's start!

Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter,room temperature
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 tbsp finely grated orange zest
1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp of baking powder
pinch of salt (creates miracle)

Preparation

• Cream the butter until creamy and smooth,about 2 to 3 minutes.Add the powdered sugar in several batches,beating until smooth after each addition.Add vanilla extract,almond extract,orange zest and dried cranberries.Mix just until well combined.
• In a separate bowl mix together flour,baking powder and salt.Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix gently until the dough comes together.I used my hand in here!
• From dough into 2 logs ,each about 1/1,2 inches in diameter,warp in parchment and refrigerate until firm(at least couple of hours)up to couple of days.I waited for one night.
• When you are ready to bake preheat the oven to 170 C.Remove parchment.Slice logs into 1/4 inch thick rounds and space about 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Bake until pale golden about 13-15 minutes.Let cool and enjoy!

 

Chocolate Cupcake With Vanilla Frosting

  I can not believe it's been months since I last updated! Life has been full  of numerous blessings and they are keeping me busy lately but one should always have to find a time for these delicious chocolate cup cakes!
  I really loved the flavor and texture of the cupcakes and found they baked up beautifully!

Ingredients

For the cupcake

175 gr unsalted butter
175 gr caster sugar
175 gr self-raising flour
50 gr cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp runny honey

For the frosting

125 gr unsalted butter
350 gr icing sugar
2 tbsp runny honey
2 tbsp milk

Preparation -Cup cakes

• Preheat the oven 180C and line a cup cake tray with 12 cupcake liners.In a large bowl sift together the self raising flour ,cocoa powder and baking powder.Set aside.
• Mix butter, sugar and honey with electric mixer for about 5 minutes until light and creamy.Add the eggs one at a time,mixing well between each addition.Add the  flour to the mixture in one go ,combine the ingredients thoroughly before stirring  through the milk.
• Using an ice cream scoop, fill the cupcake liners until they are two thirds  full.Bake for 20-25 min until they feel light and spring to the touch.
• Leave to cool before icing.

Preparation Frosting

• Place all the ingredients for the frosting in the bowl and mix until light and fluffy.If your frosting is too stiff add a touch more milk .To loose,add a touch of icing sugar .
• Fill bag with the frosting and pipe large on top of cakes and top with candies .Enjoy!