posted by Carol on May 6
Serves 4 - This is a great cold dessert, delicious, quick and easy to make.
Chocolate Mousse
Picture above: Copyright © scribacchina, Creative Commons
Archive for the ‘Cold Desserts’ Category
posted by Carol on Nov 19
Serves 6 - 8 This might not be a dessert for cheesecake purists, but take my word, it is delicious.
Ingredients
50g/2oz butter, melted
120g/4oz digestive biscuits (graham crackers)
150g/5oz castor (fine grained) sugar
3 large eggs
3 egg yolks
500g/16oz cream cheese (something like Philadelphia)
175ml/4 fl oz sour cream
1/2 tsp (approx) of lime or lemon juice
150g/5oz plain (semi-sweet) chocolate
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C/350 deg F. Line the outside of a 20cm/8 inch cake pan with a removable bottom (Springform are best) with two layers of foil to make it waterproof.
2. To make the base: crush the biscuits into crumbs then mix with the melted butter. A quick way to do both, is to put the biscuits in a food processor, then, when the biscuits have been reduced to crumbs, pour in the butter. Press the mixture evenly across the bottom of the cake pan. Refrigerate.
3. Beat the cream cheese and then when it is smooth add the sugar. Add the eggs and extra yolks individually, beating between each one. If you are using an electric mixer on a stand, you can add them while the mixer continues to beat.
4. Add the sour cream and lime or lemon juice and continue to beat until the mixture is smooth.
5. Fold in the melted chocolate. Be careful not to mix it too well because you want a marbled effect.
6. Put the cake pan in a larger roasting pan and pour boiling water into the roasting pan to a depth of about 1 to 2 inches.
7. Pour the cheese and chocolate mixture into the cake pan on top of the biscuit base.
8. Cook for about 1 hour. When it is done, it will be firm on the edges, coming away slightly from the sides of the pan, but still soft in the middle.
9. Remove the foil from the pan and allow to cool, still in the cake pan. Then refrigerate for an hour or two. Remove from the cake pan and serve at room temperature. This cheesecake will walk right off the plate!
posted by Carol on Nov 19
Serves 6 - you need to make this at least one day before you serve it and finish it off just before serving. It would be far better, though, to make it well in advance.
Ingredients
350ml/11 fl oz milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 stick on cinnamon
4 egg yolks
95g/3-1/4oz soft brown sugar
200ml/6-1/2 fl oz chilled cream
2 tbsp brandy (optional)
105g/3-1/2oz fruit cake, broken into 1 or 2 inch chunks
45g/1-1/2oz chopped marron glacé
45g/1-1/2oz chopped glacé cherries
45g/1-1/2oz amaretti biscuits (cookies), broken into large pieces
Topping
185g/6oz good quality plain (semi-sweet) chocolate
30ml/1 fl oz oil (not olive oil)
50g/1-3/4oz white chocolate
Method
1. Put the milk, vanilla essence and cinnamon stick into a saucepan and bring slowly to the boil, then remove from heat.
2. In a bowl, cream the egg yolks and sugar together until thick, then, after removing the cinnamon stick, add the hot milk and mix until all ingredients are well combined.
3. Put the mixture into a fresh saucepan and very slowly, over a low heat, stir it continuously until it thickens enough to coat a spoon. Do not allow it to boil.
4. Using a sieve (strainer), strain it into a clean bowl and put aside to cool completely.
5. When it is completely cold, add the cream and brandy. Stir them in then put them in a container and freeze until just firm to the touch, about 3 hours.
6. Take the mixture out of the freezer, put into a bowl and beat until the it is thick and creamy.
7. Repeat the freezing and beating twice more but on the final one, add the marron glacé, fruitcake, glacé cherries and amaretti biscuits (cookies) and put in a 2 pint or 1 litre pudding basin to produce the traditional Christmas pudding shape. Cover with clingfilm (Saran wrap) and return to freezer. Check after 30 minutes and stir if the cake, biscuits and fruit have sunk to the bottom. Cover again, and freeze overnight.
8. Remove from freezer and then turn it out onto a plate. Flash the basin in and out of very hot water to loosen the ice cream, if necessary.
9. To make the topping, melt the plain (semi-sweet) chocolate (see techniques). When it is melted, add the oil, stirring it in well and until chocolate is cool but still melted.
10. Take the pudding out of the freezer and put in on a wire rack. Now pour the chocolate smoothly and evenly over the pudding so, except for the bottom, is completely covered. Put it back in the freezer for about 2 hours.
11. Melt the white chocolate (see techniques). Take the pudding out of the freezer and put on a serving plate. Pour the white chocolate over the top of the pudding. This time it should not be completely covered. The white chocolate is supposed to resemble cream poured over a pudding. Decorate with a sprig of artificial holly.
12. If you finish this off just before serving, put in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to set the white chocolate. It would be much better to make it in advance, wrap it well in clingfilm and keep it in the freezer. Take it out about 30 minutes before serving.
posted by Carol on Nov 19
Serves 6 - This is a special, luxurious cold dessert and worthy of serving at a celebration meal like Christmas.
Ingredients
12oz/350g plain chocolate cake
1oz/30g toasted slivered almonds
2 cans/14oz of fruit (or equivalent fresh fruit, peeled, stoned and chopped into bite sized pieces)
1 cup/8 fl ozof fruit juice from the canned fruit or other appropriate juice if using fresh fruit
1/4 cup/2fl oz brandy, Cointreau, Kirsh or other suitable spirit, depending on the fruit you use
2 egg yolks
1 tbs cornflour
2 tbs sugar
1 cup/8 fl oz milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups/12 fl oz whipped cream
Method
1. Slice the cake into pieces about 1 inch thick. Put about 1/3 of the slices in the base of your dish.
2. Make a custard by whisking the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour until pale and thick. Bring the milk almost to the boil and then gradually beat it into the egg mixture. Put the mixture into a pan over a moderate heat and stir constantly until the custard boils and thickens. Do not leave the custard even for a second, nor should you stop stirring. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Cover the surface with clingfilm (Saranwrap) to stop a skin forming and leave to cool.
3. If using, drain the canned fruit, saving the juice.
4. Mix the fruit juice with the alchoholic spirit, e.g. brandy then sprinkle a little over the cake in the dish.
5. When the custard is cold, remove the clingfilm (Saranwrap) and stir in half (3/4 cup) of the whipped cream.
6. Now continue to assemble the trifle by putting about 1/3 of the fruit and then 1/3 of the custard over the cake in the bowl.
7. Continue the layers starting with the chocolate cake sprinkled with the juice and brandy mixture, then fruit, then custard.
8. Your final layer should be custard. Again cover it with clingfilm (Saranwrap) and refrigerate for about 4 hours or even overnight if more convenient.
9. Decorate with the remaining whipped cream and toasted almonds and with a little fruit.
