Category: Desserts

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Desserts Recipes

Rhubarb Crumble

In recent weeks our local market stalls have become brightened by the appearance of a sure sign of spring – stalks of rhubarb cut fresh from the field. I love the way the red, green and pink hues blend and intertwine as if in a watercolour painting.

There are various dishes that can be made with rhubarb,  but in my view the simplest and least complicated is still the best way to enjoy its fresh, juicy, tangy and slightly tart taste. This crumble requires minimal extra ingredients and is relatively straightforward to make.

Servings

6 – 8 portions.

Timings

10 mins to prepare the fruit in a microwave, then 25 mins to bake the crumble in a fan oven at 180C.

You Will Need:

  • 500g fresh rhubarb
  • 1tbsp dark muscovado sugar
  • 225g plain flour
  • 110 g butter
  • 110g caster sugar

Method

  1. Chop the rhubarb stalks into chunks. Place in a bowl and sprinkle over the dark muscovado sugar. Microwave on full power, stirring once or twice to combine, until softened, with still a few chunks visible. Scrape the juicy, sweetened fruit into an ovenproof bowl.
  2. Turn on a fan oven to heat to 180C.
  3. Whizz the flour, butter and caster sugar together in a food processor with blade fitted, until combined and with the texture of breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the crumble over the rhubarb so that the fruit is fully covered.
  4. Place in the oven, when it has reached 180C, for 25 mins. Remove and serve in bowls.

Customise it!

Serve warm from the oven with hot custard poured over – see my photo below.

It’s also delicious cold with custard that has cooled and set, or with a few spoonfuls of natural yoghurt alongside.

Another colourful sign of spring is the World Snooker Championships taking place this time of year, at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. As in previous years, I have made the pilgrimage to Sheffield this week, along with other fans of the game. I was lucky enough to see many of the big names play, including Judd Trump, Luca Brecel and the amazingly talented young Chinese star, Zhao Xintong.

On the train up, I just had to play some of my favourite tracks from those famous sons of Sheffield, the Arctic Monkeys, including this one from the Humbug album: Dance Little Liar.

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Blog Desserts

Stonehenge in the Spring

The clocks spring forward one hour this weekend into British Summer Time, and we have just had the Spring Equinox. Yes, it’s full speed ahead now towards sunshine, holidays and barbecues.

Time to bring the motorhome out of winterisation, therefore, and head off down to the west country. It’s turned out to be a pleasant few days experiencing the very old, and eating the very sweet!

I’ll start with a visit to Stonehenge: somewhere I always enjoy going, whatever time of year. The last time I was there it was just before the winter solstice, with a brisk wind blowing and moody skies above (see my post here). In contrast, my photo above shows the Stones on a calm and sunny Spring day this past week.

We still do not fully know why our Neolithic ancestors transported these huge rocks, sometimes hundreds of miles, and positioned them here, carefully aligned to celebrate the movements of the Earth and its connection with the heavens above. The Stones have stood here for nearly 5,000 years, the toil and sacrifice of prehistoric man bringing pleasure and inspiration to many subsequent generations.

It is remarkable that this impressive feat of celestial engineering was achieved with only the most rudimentary tools and materials. Let’s see Artificial Intelligence do that, eh? 🙂

Every day, people travel here in their droves from all corners of the globe, to walk around, taking in the sight and its surroundings, and gaze in wonder. It is a World Heritage Site, and everyone is welcome, whatever religion, nationality or creed.

There is certainly something mysteriously compelling about being in the presence of the Stones. Perhaps their longevity is a modern day reminder that, whatever struggles there are in the world, fundamental values of indomitable spirit, endeavour, strong will and respect for others will always endure.

Inspiration comes in many forms, and this creation by Roly’s Fudge Shop, in nearby Salisbury, made me chuckle. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you what Roly calls Fudgehenge.

Roly’s can be found near the entrance to Salisbury’s Cathedral Close, providing the perfect opportunity down the years for weary pilgrims to top up those flagging energy levels. The Cathedral itself is gearing up for the Easter season, and was looking splendid in the Spring sunshine.

Another fave refuelling station in these parts is the Boston Tea Party. I first came across BTP in Bristol a few years ago, and they now have a small number of cafes dotted around select west country towns. They do great coffee and choc brownies, so I can recommend a visit if you ever get the chance.

Well, that’s enough of a sugar rush for this week. I shall have to get back down the Farm Shop when I get home and make something a little healthier next week to compensate, haha.

Here’s a track from a legendary band who hail from the west country, as you can tell from singer Andy Partridge’s accent. this is XTC from the Drums and Wires album, with Helicopter.

Categories
Desserts Recipes

Golden Crème Brûlée

I love making Crème Brûlée – it gives me an excuse to fire up my chef’s mini blowtorch, which is always good fun! That’s it in action in my photo above.

It helps that it is also a magnificent dessert – silky vanilla custard nestled beneath a solid layer of brittle caramel shell, that splinters into shards when cracked with the side of a spoon. The soft underside, together with the crunchy topping, is simply sensational.

No blowtorch? No problem – just place the desserts under a hot grill to caramelise, keeping an eye on them so they don’t burn! You will need 4 individual ramekin dishes and a high-sided roasting dish to act as a bain-marie. Got that? OK, here we go…

Servings

This will make 4 individual desserts.

Timings

20 mins to prepare. 35 mins to bake. 5 – 10 mins for that all-important blowtorching before serving.

You Will Need:

  • some butter for greasing
  • 400 ml double cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 80g caster sugar (plus 4 tsp extra for the caramel topping)
  • the yolks of 4 large eggs

Method

  1. Preheat a fan oven to 140C.
  2. Prepare your bain-marie. That may sound posh, but really it is just a large roasting dish with deep sides, into which you will place 4 individual ramekin dishes. Grease the insides of each ramekin dish with butter.
  3. Tip the double cream into a saucepan and add the vanilla. Gradually bring it to a boil, stirring gently, then turn it down to a simmer for about 5 mins.
  4. Set out 2 bowls and crack the eggs carefully, catching the whites in one bowl and the yolks in the other. Set the whites aside to be used another time – we are working with just the yolks for making Crème Brûlée.
  5. Sprinkle the sugar into the bowl with the yolks, and whisk together till gold and creamy.
  6. Bring the double cream back to the boil stirring once again. When it just reaches the boil, pour it over the egg and sugar mixture, and whisk again to combine.
  7. Place a sieve over a jug, and pour the mixture through. This will take out any lumps that may have formed while heating the cream.
  8. Fill a kettle with water and boil.
  9. Take the jug of strained mixture and pour it equally between the 4 ramekins. Then pour boiling water into the bain-marie (roasting dish), so that it comes about halfway up the outside of the ramekin dishes.
  10. Cover the bain-marie with tin foil and place in the oven.
  11. Check after about 30 – 35 mins. The desserts are cooked when the custard has set. Note that the surfaces will not yet be golden caramel – that stage is yet to come!
  12. Using oven gloves, lift the ramekins from the bain-marie and set aside on a tray to cool. Carefully tip the hot water away.
  13. Once the ramekins have reached room temperature, place in the fridge to chill until you are ready to serve.
  14. Now the fun begins. Scatter a teaspoon full of caster sugar over the top of each ramekin. Fire up that blowtorch and heat so that they are caramelised and golden. Alternatively, place under a hot grill.
  15. Place each back in the fridge for a few minutes. The caramelised topping will set to a crisp.

Customise It!

I made a coffee version of this at New Year, dissolving 4 teaspoons of instant coffee granules in the double cream as it warms. It’s a really good variation, giving a good coffee taste and colour (see below). You can check out the reel of it (Café Crème Brûlée) on my Instagram site if you wish @differentkitch.

We’re sticking with the dance theme for the ADK Playlist this January. It’s a brand new year and, hey, I just know that something good is going to happen. Cue Utah Saints with the Kate Bush-inspired Something Good.

Categories
Blog Desserts

Road to Nowhere

After several weeks travelling through Cornwall in our motorhome, we have finally run out of road. Yes, we have reached Land’s End, England’s most westerly point.

Out there beyond Longships Lighthouse, seen in my photo above, there is nothing but the Atlantic Ocean, stretching all the way across to the Eastern Seaboard. I waved a cheery hello to all our good friends and allies over there in Canada and the US of A 🙂 .

However, Cornish legend would have you believe that it wasn’t always just a great expanse of nothingness here. Back in the days of King Arthur (yes, him again), there was a kingdom known as Lyonesse that extended off the coast. That was until one particularly stormy night, when the city became engulfed by the waves, never to be seen again.

Lyonesse was reputed to have 140 churches. The story goes that, if you stand here surrounded by ocean on all sides, and listen carefully, you can sometimes hear the church bells ringing from the shadowy depths.

Well, I can’t say I heard any phantom bell-ringing (maybe I should come back at Halloween), but that didn’t stop me enjoying another enchanting tale from Cornish mythology.

To get here, we camped for 3 nights about a mile down the coast, near Sennen Cove, shown below. We walked the South-West Coast Path along some rugged headland to reach this famous land point.

Sennen is very remote and peaceful, with a relaxed way of life.

Just the place to enjoy some ice cream made with Cornish clotted cream, see below. That’s Cornish Sea Salted Caramel flavour on the left, and Cornish Strawberry on the right.

Having reached our journey’s end, it is time to head back home, which we will do gradually over the next 3 – 4 days. It’s been great fun travelling around Cornwall, enjoying the beaches, the legends, and of course the Pasties and Cream Teas.

I hope, like me, you’ve enjoyed the trip, and maybe learned something about the terrific food and drink this region has to offer.

Here are Talking Heads with Road to Nowhere.

I’ll be back next week with a new recipe.

Categories
Bakes Desserts Recipes

Blackberry & Apple Crumble with Custard

You want comfort food? Here you go!

As my recent posts show, I’ve been making the most of blackberry season, and the generous bounty of juicy, fresh fruit burgeoning on our local hedgerows (see It’s Blackberry Time!).

This dish sees them combined with windfall apples that have tumbled on to the lawn from the trees in our garden, and topped with crumble. Serve it warm with a dollop of vanilla custard. And relax!

Servings

6 adult portions.

Timings

25 mins to prepare, and another 25 mins to bake at 180C.

You Will Need:

  • 4 large eating apples
  • 350g blackberries
  • 85g plain flour
  • 85g wholemeal flour
  • 85g butter
  • 85g caster sugar

Method

  1. Switch on a fan oven to 180C.
  2. Prepare the crumble by combining the flour, butter and sugar in a bowl. Rub together between the fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs in texture. Set aside.
  3. Put the blackberries in another bowl and place in the microwave on full power for 5 – 6 mins until soft and juicy. Remove and squeeze the juice through a sieve into a bowl, leaving the pips and pulp behind (to be discarded).
  4. Peel and slice the apples, discarding the cores. Scatter across the base of a casserole dish, then cover with the blackberry juice. Sprinkle the crumble mixture on top. Place in the oven at 180C for 25 mins.
  5. While the crumble is cooking, make up some custard using a store cupboard mix like Bird’s, following the instructions on the packaging.
  6. Serve the crumble warm in a bowl, with a swirl of yellow custard alongside.

Customise It!

Cooking apples can be used in place of the eating variety, but you will need to sprinkle over a few large spoonfuls of sugar to counter the bitterness. Replace around 30g of the wholemeal flour with oats if you wish, to give the crumble an added oaty, biscuity taste.

I had thought of featuring another Oasis track here today, but after yesterday’s controversial concert ticket sale I reckon everyone’s heard enough of Noel and Liam just for the moment. Let’s hope the Man City front line this season isn’t as sluggish as the Ticketmaster website, eh lads?

Disco has been taking its place at this year’s Summer Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London, with full orchestral backing and being televised by the BBC. Here’s one of the tracks that’s been performed really well: Yvonne Elliman with If I Can’t Have You.

Categories
Desserts Recipes

Gooseberry & Redcurrant Compote

They could be described as the forgotten fruits, so rarely do we see gooseberries and redcurrants on the shelves of our local supermarkets and market stalls.

However, this tasty compote cooked up by my wife, Lesley, serves as a timely reminder that both fruits have everything going for them: delicious, nutritious and packed with Vitamin C.

In this guest post, I will let Lesley explain….

When I was little, we had green gooseberry bushes in our garden. I didn’t like picking them as a child, as they had thorns! I also thought they looked like green marbles. However, I loved having them cooked up for tea along with custard. My job was to cut the little shrivelled flower off the fruit with scissors. 

This year, they ripened at the same time as redcurrants at the local community farm I belong to. I brought them home and washed them, as you can see from the main photo at the top of this post.

It seemed natural to cook them up together, so I made the compote shown in my photo below. It is a beautiful rich, red colour, so summery and light. I had made elderflower cordial a few weeks ago so used that as a sweetener, meaning I didn’t need to add in any extra sugar. This helps in appreciating the natural, slightly tart taste of the fruit.

Servings

This will give 4 adult servings.

Timings

15 mins to make.

You Will Need:

  • 200g redcurrants
  • 100g gooseberries
  • 2 tablespoons elderflower cordial

Method

  1. Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat it up until the fruit is soft, and the  juice reduces to make a jammy compote. This takes about 10 mins. Alternatively, you can cook it in a microwave on full power until the fruit is soft. 
  2. Leave to cool, then transfer to the fridge to chill.

Once chilled, I served the compote with yoghurt. It looks amazing when swirled in with a spoon (see below), but you can also have it with ice cream or custard.

As a guest poster on A Different Kitchen, I get to choose the latest track for Kevin’s Spotify Playlist. I have gone for a light and fun track to go with my summery compote. This is Chic with disco hit, Le Freak.

Categories
Blog Desserts

Baba au Rhum

Of all the pastries we have enjoyed on our current holiday in France (and there have been a few 🙂 ), the one consistently rated the highest in our party has been the Baba au Rhum, or Rum Baba.

This eastern European delicacy was reinvented in Paris in the early 19th Century. The story goes that a cake that had become a little dry was enlivened by a little soaking in some rum.

Since then patisseries all over France have never looked back. Fast forward 200 years and this is the scene in our local boulangerie here in the Dordogne. Amidst a range of to-die-for pastries sits a line of Baba au Rhum.

As you can see, the Baba is served with its own pipette already inserted into the cake. The pipette is filled with rum, which is injected into the sponge before eating, by carefully squeezing the pipette with one’s fingers. It makes a dessert that is light, moist and boozy, topped off with a swirl of whipped cream. Mmm!

The Rum Baba has had some stiff competition from the patisseries we have frequented this week, see below.

Or maybe check out this selection..

Every one a piece of culinary artwork that it is very difficult to fault. In such company, it is saying a lot that the Baba au Rhum has been rated so highly by our group.

Formidable!

I can’t say whether the cake inspired LCD Soundsystem to record this track, but it’s a song I really like, so here it is: New Body Rhumba.

Categories
Bakes Desserts Recipes

Lemon & Blueberry Ricotta Muffins

Today’s bake recipe features muffins with a healthy dose of Sicilian style.

Ricotta is used widely in Italian cuisine, for everything from pastries to pasta sauces. It is made from whey, the watery by-product of other cheeses, such as mozzarella. High in protein and calcium, it is slightly lower in fat than many other cheeses.

It adds a silkiness to the texture of this muffin mix, working well with the tartness of the lemon zest and the sweetness of the bursting berries.

Buon appetito!

Servings

Enough here for 12 generous muffins.

Timings

10 mins to prepare, 20 mins to bake in the oven at 160C.

You Will Need

  • 200g plain flour
  • 80g wholemeal flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp bicarb of soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 140g fresh blueberries
  • 1 egg
  • 120ml milk
  • 90ml veg oil
  • 110g light muscovado sugar
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 250g ricotta cheese

Method

  1. Turn the oven on to 160C. Prepare a muffin tin or mould.
  2. Sieve the flours, baking powder, bicarb and salt into a bowl, and stir to mix.
  3. Add in the blueberries and stir so they are coated in flour.
  4. Crack the egg into a separate bowl, and add the milk with the veg oil. Stir in the sugar, lemon zest and ricotta.
  5. When the oven is up to temp, pour the contents of the second bowl into the first, and stir to combine.
  6. Spoon the mixture into the tray or mould, and bake in the oven at 160C for 20 mins.
  7. Remove and leave to cool on a wire rack, before devouring.

Customise It!

Ricotta is readily available in shops, but if you can’t locate it or wish to switch it up, greek style natural yoghurt or cottage cheese could be used instead. Feel free to chuck some poppy seeds into the mix to add further visual interest, and a little extra crunch.

I’ve used a mixture of plain and wholemeal flour, as I am currently experimenting with using more wholemeal in baking. However, you can use all plain flour if you wish. I’m also trying to use muscovado more in baking, but you can use caster sugar if that’s what you have available.

I have no doubt that Paul Weller and Mick Talbot would approve of a little Italian style, so let’s add this track to the ADK Playlist: The Style Council with Shout to the Top.

Categories
Blog Desserts Snacks

Peanut Butter Acai Bowl

Is it a peanut butter Christmas tree? A model of Mount Everest sculpted out of chocolate ice cream, perhaps?

Understandable, if that’s what you’re guessing is in my photo above. You’d be wrong, however – it is in fact an Acai Bowl. I bought this at the Drip Bar in Melbourne. The purply-chocolatey coloured acai is topped with fresh banana, crushed cacao, coconut, ground almonds, granola and a drizzle of peanut butter.

Some of you will be very familiar with acai, and some may never have heard of it. Acai (pronounced ah – sa – ee) is a berry that is produced in Brazil. It is rich in antioxidants, fibre and healthy fats, and believed to support heart health and cognitive function, while being low in sugar and calories. It is also suitable for vegetarians and vegans. It therefore ticks all the boxes to be called a surefire superfood.

What’s more, it tastes really good! At the risk of sounding like some sozzled sommelier, I would describe the taste as having dark chocolate tones, with deep red wine and a hint of blueberries. When you hear that description, it’s hard not to at least give it a try.

In the UK, my experience is that acai is still mainly the preserve of specialist juice bars and health food shops. An internet search reveals that there are slightly more outlets than I was aware of, but it is still nowhere near the mainstream in the way it is here in Australia. Most towns have a cafe or takeaway in the high street selling a variety of acai bowls, with chains established for the purpose, such as Oakberry and Yo-Chi.

As far as I understand, the acai is blended with chopped banana and yoghurt (or coconut milk for a non-dairy version), giving it a rich texture with a beautiful purplish colour. It is eaten ice cold, swirled in a bowl, looking like ice cream or sorbet with toppings added. Fresh fruit is most common, while sprinkling over granola or muesli makes it an option for breakfast.

A danger with acai bowls is that the base is topped up with treats high in sugar or non-healthy fats, that cancel out the health benefits of the acai itself. However, this doesn’t need to be a problem as long as the toppings (such as a good quality peanut butter) are added with thought and moderation.

The berries do not travel well, so outside of Brazil they are sold in pulp form or as powder. I have bought a pack of powder from Coles Supermarket, where it was available on the shelf, in several varieties. I will be taking it home to make some acai bowls of my own. I also have an idea to sprinkle some into the mix when baking, to make blueberry and acai muffins. Watch out for future posts!

Due to its health benefits, great look and taste, I feel it is only a matter of time before more of us are eating acai as part of a normal diet. Do let me know, via the comments below, if you have tasted acai, and what you thought of it. I am interested to hear how readily it can be found and eaten in your part of the world.

Here’s a Melbourne band that was recommended to me by the assistant in a cool vinyl records shop and cafe in the Hawthorn district of the city (a big shout-out to Alley Tunes). This band play experimental electronic music, and go by the name of Big Yawn. Here they are with Ragazzo.

Categories
Blog Desserts

Take It Slo

I am in Slovenia in Central Europe for a few days. I’ve been enjoying the Christmas market stalls and bars, and generally getting in the festive mood sampling delights like Gibanica, above.

For the benefit of those who may not know, Slovenia is a European country bordering Austria, Croatia, Hungary and Italy. It has been an independent state since 1991, following the break-up of the former Yugoslavia. Its capital, Ljubljana, is a compact and classy European city, with a medieval castle on a hill, an old town, cobbled squares and ornate bridges crossing a winding river. It is easy to walk around in a day, and can be reached in under three hours from London.

While here, it doesn’t take long to realise that the Slovenians really appreciate their regional food and drink. Gibanica, shown in my main photo above, is a traditional Slovenian cake, made with alternating layers of pastry, spiced apple, cream cheese, poppy seeds and crushed nuts.

You can also be pretty sure that the Apple Strudel will be good quality – see the portion I enjoyed below.

The cafe where we savoured these is in the courtyard of Ljubljana’s 14th Century Castle, now restored into a cultural centre with cinema, several museums, restaurants and shops. Perched on a hill, it has superb views for miles around. I climbed the many steps of the spiral staircase inside the ancient clock tower, not only to work off the Strudel, but to take advantage of the viewing platform at the top. I was rewarded with this view – the layer of morning cloud lifted to reveal the snowy peaks of the Alps to the north-west.

I expect there will be more to come from Ljubljana before moving on, so keep tuned for future posts.

In the meantime, I now know the answer to the question posed by the Black-Eyed Peas: Where Is the Love? Answer: It’s in sLOVEnia, of course!