As promised . . . today we have chocolate. Enough of salads!! You are banished for the weekend!!
And what a wonderful way to have chocolate this is! A delicious flourless Chocolate cake that is soooooo moreishly fudgy and wantonly scrumptious . . .
You will find yourself sneaking downstairs in the middle of the night just for . . . ONE . . . MORE . . . PIECE!! (Trust me on this.)
This was sooooo good, I sent the leftovers home with the missionaries. It was far too dangerous to keep around!
I have made this a bazillion times over the last 10 years. As the personal Chef for an American family down south, this was often on a luncheon menu . . . you know how it goes . . .
♥Ladies who lunch♥♥♥chocolate♥
They go together like peas and carrots!
I have made this a bazillion times over the last 10 years. As the personal Chef for an American family down south, this was often on a luncheon menu . . . you know how it goes . . .
♥Ladies who lunch♥♥♥chocolate♥
They go together like peas and carrots!
Believe it or not, as many times as I have baked this cake . . . yesterday was the first time I had ever eaten it myself!
Wow . . . was I impressed. This is my new favourite chocolate cake!!!
At the Manor, I usually served it with some homemade raspberry coulis, and it was very good, yes it was . . . but yesterday we just had it plain, with a bit of icing sugar dusted over top . . .
oh . . . and . . . um . . . some clotted cream.
I didn't get a picture of it with the clotted cream though . . . once we added that . . . it was quite simply . . . gone! Naturally!! (I can't believe I waited so long to make this for myself!!)
I am assuming this is ok for a gluten free diet as there is no flour, cocoa or leavening in this recipe.
*Flourless Chocolate Cake*
Makes one 9 inch cake
Printable Recipe
There are a lot of versions of this floating around. This is the one I use. When I cheffed at the Manor, this was the one my boss always requested.
8 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped into bits
4 ounces of dark chocolate, chopped into bits (you want one that is at least 60% cocoa solids.)
8 ounces butter (1 cup)
9 ounces of caster sugar (about 1 1/4 cups)
6 large free range eggs, separated
Sifted icing sugar to serve
Preheat your oven to 170*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. You will need a 9 inch springform pan. Remove the bottom and then place a large square of parchment paper over this bit. Replace the ring around the bottom and clamp on, making sure that the parchment paper is clamped in place. Butter the paper lined bottom of the pan and the sides. Set aside on a baking tray.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl placed over a pan simmering water, without allowing the water to touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir as it melts, until the mixture is completely melted and smooth. Remove from the pan and whisk in the sugar. Pour into a larger bowl and beat in the egg yolks one at a time, beating constantly.
Beat the egg whites until stiff using clean beaters. Fold these into the chocolate mixture, carefully to combine, working gently and not whisking. (You want to keep the mixture airy.) Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. The cake will rise dramatically and fall drastically when it is removed from the oven. That is ok. It's supposed to happen. Allow to cool to room temperature on the countertop then place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours before removing the sides of the springform pan.
Dust with icing sugar and cut into wedges to serve.
When I was a girl, my mother often made us Cinnamon Rolls for a treat . . . not the yeast kind, mind you . . . but the kind made with scone dough. Easy peasy lemon squeasy, and no waiting for the dough to rise and all that faff! We loved them.
What we loved even more was the name my father had for them . . . "Pets de Nonne", or translated into English . . . "Nun's Farts." I know, terribly rude . . . but to a child quite hilarious, bringing us no end of giggles. As Todd would say . . . typical Canadian humour . . . n'est ce pas?
Anyways, they were delicious regardless to the name and we would scarf them down in no time. I often made them for my own children as well . . . but we called them . . . Cinnamon Rolls. 'Nuff said.
Today I got to thinking what if I filled them with something different. I had some white chocolate chips and I have tons of sour cherries and so I decided to combine the two . . . I didn't think cinnamon would be that good with them though . . .
Not that it would taste really bad . . . but I wanted something moreishly different . . . something that would smell just as enticing while they were baking, but that would perfectly enhance the sweetness of the white chocolate and the tartness of the sour cherries.
Ground Cardamom. PERFECT!!
Easy peasy, lemon squeasy and every bit as delicious as the originals . . . and maybe even more so . . . well, all depending on what kind of mood you are in at any rate! I dare say dried blueberries would also be very scrummy done this way! Oh and Dried Strawberries would be just gorgeous with the cardamom!
*White Chocolate, Sour Cherry and Cardamom Rolls*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe
These smell heavenly when they are baking and are scrummy yummy!
8.5 ounces plain flour (2 cups)
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2.5 ounces white shortening (1/3 cup)
6 ounces milk
To fill:
3 TBS softened butter
3 3/4 ounces soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup, packed)
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
6 ounces white chocolate chips (1 cup)
3 ounces of dried sour cherries, chopped (1/2 cup packed)
To glaze:
4 ounces of icing sugar, sifted
milk
Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Butter a baking sheet. Set aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add enough of the milk to make a soft dough. You may not need it all. Turn out onto a floured board and knead several times. Pat out into a 12 by 8 inch rectangle.
Spread with the softened butter. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over top. Sprinkle the cardamom evenly over top. Scatter the chocolate chips and cherries over top. Roll up as for a jelly roll from the long side, rolling it tightly and sealing the edges. Slice into 12 even slices with a sharp knife. Place cut side down onto the baking sheet, leaving space in between each one.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until well risen and lightly browned. Remove from the oven. Whisk together the icing sugar and enough milk to make a smooth drizzle. Drizzle this over the warm rolls. Serve warm. Delicious!
Note - If you haven't got any in make sure you go out and buy a couple of hot cross bun loafs today or cinnamon raisin loafs! You won't want to miss out on the recipe I am posting tomorrow! Perfect for an Easter morning breakfast!
It was about a year or so ago now that I discovered a delightful site called Pinterest. My friend Julie introduced me to it, and it wasn't long before I was "pinning" to my hearts content.
Pinterest is a unique on-line site which gives its users the opportunity to collect and "pin" photographs of things which strike their fancy and that they want to save, for future reference or whatever, onto individual "boards." After joining and adding a "Pin It" button to your browser, you can literally click onto any image you like and it is saved onto one of your "Inspiration Boards."
I have always loved things such as "Barbie," "Buttons," "Cherries," amongst other things, and you all know how much I love to cook and collect recipes and Pinterest has afforded me to collect my very own favourite things and loves in a unique and fun way, which not only doesn't cost me or the Toddster any money, but also doesn't take up any storage space on the computer!
(My Naan Bread Pizza)
I used to spend a lot of time browsing Food Photo Sites looking for tasty things to coo, but with all honesty I have to say that Pinterest has pretty much replaced all of those sites for me. I can always find a tasty recipe to cook!
One of my favourite boards which I love (interestingly enough NOT a recipe board) is the one I created to house all of the housekeeping and home helps tips which I discover. Entitled Household Helps, Right now we are promoting the new Pin It Forward Campaign by Pinterest here in the UK. Today is my chance to shine and tomorrow it will be fellow Blogger Claire Sutton of Things We Make. ( Http://thingswemake.wordpress.com/ ) do be sure to check out her page. I am sorry if I haven't been able to create proper links and such on this post. I am supposed to be able to show you a place where you can sign up with a custom registration link, but working on an iPad just isn't allowing me to do what I want or am trying to do. Perhaps I can come back later to fix things when I have access to a computer. In the meantime do check out Pinterest, and Claire's page. I just know you will love them both! Thanks for looking!
Have you ever tried those tasty little Gu Naughties? They come in Millionaire Flapjack and Rocky Road Flavours. Delicious little decadent bites, slathered in milk chocolate. Totally addictive and filled with lots of calories . . . dangerous really, coz you really can't eat just one. I had a bucket of each here when the movers were moving us in and they were gone in a flash!! (no surprise there!)
Rocky Road is actually really easy to make at home . . . it's probably one of the easiest sweets ever. And you just know that homemade is better for you than store bought, right??? (shhh!!! don't burst my bubble!)
All you need is a bunch of really good chocolate, some digestive biscuits, butter, mini marshmallows and some glace cherries.
Melt the chocolate and butter, mix in the rest, pop them into the fridge, and just a few hours later, *presto-chango* you have an extremely moreishly hedonistic treat!
These are seriously addictive. Really dangerous to have around actually. It's a good thing the missionaries are coming for their tea later today. I can offload these on them. I daren't keep them around for too long.
I saw Nigella make something this on the telly one time. As per normal, she was digging into them later on, in the dark . . . after hours . . . as you do . . .
Seriously I think Nigella's been telling us porkie pies . . . there is no way she keeps stuff like this around her house for very long, and religiously keep digging in for those midnight feasts . . . and yet remain so voluptiously gorgeous as she is . . .
Personally, I think she offloads them onto the missionaries too. (Sounds good in theory at any rate!!)
*Rocky Road*
Makes one 8 inch square pan
Printable Recipe
Bet you can't eat just one piece!!
11 ounces good quality milk chocolate (I use Green & Blacks Organic
which has a high cocoa butter content)
4 1/2 ounces good quality plain chocolate (again use one with a high cocoa butter content)
4 ounces unsalted butter
3 ounces mini marshmallows (M&S make some very nice ones, you can find them
in the baking section)
3 ounces digestive biscuits, crumble
(Put them into a baggie and crush them with a rolling pin,
not too fine though, you want some chunky bits)
2 ounces glace cherries, chopped
2 ounces blanched almonds, chopped
Take an 8 inch square pan and line it well with plastic cling film, leaving a bit of an overhang.
Mix the marshmallows, biscuit crumbles, chopped cherries and chopped almonds together in a bowl. Place both chocolates along with the butter into a bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Heat and whisk until completely melted and amalgamated. Pour this over top of the marshmallow mixture. Mix together well and then scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Press down with the back of a spoon to smooth out. Place into the refrigerator to chill for several hours. Remove from the fridge and lift out of the pan. Cut into squares with a sharp knife. Delicious!
Several months ago I was contacted by McArthurGlen (Designer Outlet) and asked if I would like to participate in the Le Creuset Cast Iron Challenge. Of course I jumped at the chance. I just love Le Creuset cookware, and I love a challenge! Win/win!
My gift for participating, a 20cm round Le Creuset Casserole Dish in my favourite colour Cerise! Just call me a happy camper. Beginning May 13th, people will be able to vote for my recipe via this link on the McArthurGlen website! Here is the link! The winner of the challenge will win £250 gift voucher for Le Creuset products, and each vote via twitter will be put into a draw for a £50 gift voucher.
The recipe I have developed for this challenge is Pot Roasted Loin of Pork with a Prune, Apricot and Ginger Stuffing. I have been doing a Prune Stuffed Loin of Pork for years, which is very flavourful, easy to do, and impressive. I have updated it a bit for this challenge.
First of all I decided to remove the rind from the roast. I then butterflied it, which is very easy to do. I give some very precise instructions in the recipe.
I adapted my stuffing to include not only prunes, but dried apricots, some garlic, ginger root and thyme, all of which bring out and enhance the flavour of pork beautifully and add a wonderful moistness. As pork loin is a very lean meat this is important.
I spread the stuffing over the cut surface of the pork and then rolled it up. Not too tightly as you want to leave a bit of room for expansion and you don't want the stuffing to leak out. Then I tied it with bakers twine to hold it all together.
I then created a lovely rub, using powdered ginger, fine sea salt, black pepper and thyme which I rubbed all over the surface of the meat. Don't forget the ends! They benefit from the rub as well.
I place the stuffed and rubbed pork loin on a bed of sliced onion in the casserole dish, added some beef stock, covered it and then roasted it for about half an hour. I then removed the lid and roasted it for a bit longer, about 45 minutes for a two pound pork loin.
The end result was a perfectly cooked pork loin, filled with fabulous flavours, and presenting beautifully . . . you have a ring of succulent, moist pork, long with a beautifully bejewelled ring of delicious fruity stuffing. The drippings were used to make a tasty gravy/sauce to go along with the meat. (Again very easily cooked in the casserole dish. That's what I love about Le Creuset . . . Stove top to oven, and vice versa!)
I served it along with some steamed new potatoes (Jersey Royals are in season now), along with some oven roasted carrots, parsnips, swede and sweet potato. Yumm!!
I think you will agree that this is a meal that would be fit for serving to company. It's so easy to make, and quick to put together, and the best thing about that is the presentation is so beautiful they will think you slaved all day over a hot stove to do it. They don't need to know you didn't. ;-) It can be our little secret.
*Pot Roasted Loin of Pork with a Prune, Apricot and Ginger Stuffing*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe
Delicious loin of pork, butterflied, stuffed with a savory fruited stuffing, rolled and roasted. Tender, delicious and filled with flavor. This is not so hard to do as you would think. Soon to become a family favourite.
Something deliciously different for the Sunday Lunch crowd!
1 (2-pound) boneless pork loin
salt and black pepper
For the Stuffing:
12 dried apricots, chopped
12 dried pitted prunes, chopped
1 tsp of finely chopped fresh ginger root
1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
For the rub:
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp fine black pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
500g beef stock (about 3 cups)
3 TBS plain flour
pinch ground ginger
125ml milk or white wine (1/2 cup)
The first thing you will have to do is to butterfly the pork. This is very easy to do. Remove any of the string which it has been tied with and discard. Carefully, using a sharp knife, remove any crackling rind and discard. Working very carefully begin cutting through one side of the loin about 1 inch down and working from right to left, almost all the way to the other side, stopping about an inch from that edge. Turn the meat around and cut down about 1 inch and then begin cutting back to the side you started at, again stopping about an inch from the edge. You should now be able to open it up flat. Open it flat and sprinkle it lightly with some salt and pepper.
Combine all of the ingredients together for the stuffing. Spread it out evenly over the cut surface of the meat. Roll it up tightly and then tie it at even intervals with some butchers twine to hold it together. Don't tie it too tightly.
Mix together all of the ingredients for the rub. Rub mixture all over the pork, remembering the ends.
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Have ready a large flameproof casserole dish. Place the sliced onion in the bottom of the casserole. Place the stuffed pork roll on top. Pour the beef stock into the casserole dish. Cover with the lid. Roast in the heated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the cover. Return the casserole to the oven and roast, uncovered for an additional 35 to 40. minutes. The roast should by that time be cooked through and nicely colored. Remove the roast from the pan and set aside on a plate to rest. Cover lightly with foil and keep warm.
Place the casserole on top of the stove and add the white wine. Bring to the boil and boil for about 5 minutes, Reduce to a simmer. Whisk in the flour and ginger, working quickly and whisking constantly to help prevent lumps. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Strain into a gravy boat.
Remove the butchers twine from the pork and cut into slices to serve. Pass the gravy at the table. I like to serve this with some boiled new potatoes and roasted root vegetables. Delicious!
I was sitting here this afternoon and craving something. I wanted something sweet and yet a bit savoury at the same time . . .
I decided to toast some English muffins and then cover them with milk chocolate chips, toasted pecans and marshmallows . . . which I then popped back under the grill until the milk chocolate was oozing, the marshmallows were stickily bubbling and the nuts were toasty brown.
Think S'Mores, but in pizza form.
Incredibly, edibly, moreishly good!
I think I may have created a monster with this one . . . the possibilities are endless . . .
Really.
*Nutty Chocolate and Marshmallow Mini Pizzas*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe
Oh, this is sinful . . . sweet and sticky yum!! Almost instant and incredibly moreish!
2 English muffins, sliced in half through the middle
2 heaping TBS single cream
15g plain chocolate, grated or shaved, or good quality chocolate chips
15g pecan nuts, chopped
25g mini marshmallows
Heat the grill to medium. Place the muffin halves, bottom side up, under the grill and toast them. Remove them from the frill. Sprinkle the cream over each, dividing it equally. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips, nuts and marshmallows. Place under the grill again, goodie side up. Toast until golden and bubbling. Remove from the grill and allow to sit for a few minutes before eating.
*Note* - Eat with some caution as the toppings will be hot, but oh so scrummy!
I saw something similar to this on Kevin and Amanda the other day. She used refrigerated crescent rolls.
It did look rather scrummy, if I don't say so myself . . . but . . .
I didn't want to use refrigerated crescent rolls. I wanted to make something from scratch. Most of the ime I want to make things from scratch.
We also don't have the same type of crescent roll dough here in the UK. Ours is more like real croissants. I didn't want that.
I used the concept on Kevin and Amanda, but I used my own buttermilk biscuit recipe for the dough, instead of crescent rolls.
My mother always made cinnamon rolls using biscuit dough. It is what I grew up with. We always loved them. One thing I have learned in life, is this. Don't mess with perfection.
They turned out fabulously scrummy! Probably quite a bit sturdier and filling than the ones on Kevin and Amanda . . . more like a coffee cake.
With no additives and preservatives. I think they're even better. (I know, there's no modesty in my family! I got it all!)
These are not at all difficult to make. They actually go together very quickly. They don't call biscuits a quick bread for nothing.
They were also not hard to make. They were baked and on the table in a jiffy too!
We were enjoying them in quick time. Faster than you can say Jack Rabbit. Well, maybe not quite that fast, but you know what I mean.
These were buttery, cinnamony . . . flakey good. YUM YUM!!
Todd loved them. So they are man pleasing. You can count on that!
I loved them. So they are also glutton pleasing.
Something else you can count on.
Everybody loved them. 'Nuff said!
*Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Cake*
serves 6 to 8
Printable Recipe
Golden brown and scrummy with lots of cinnamon flavour, a brown sugar topping and a vanilla glaze! Best served warm.
280g of plain flour (2 cups)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1 TBS sugar
110g of white vegetable shortening, cut into bits (1/2 cup)
156ml of buttermilk (2/3 cup)
4 ounces butter, softened (1/2 cup)
50g of soft light brown sugar (1/4 cup, packed)
50g of white sugar (1/4 cup)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
For the vanilla glaze:
130g of icing sugar, sifted (1 cup)
4 TBS heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat
the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Melt half of the butter in the
bottom of a pie dish. Stir in the brown sugar to combine. Spread all
over the bottom. Set aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt
and soda into a bowl. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender,
until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the sugar. Add the
buttermilk all at once and stir with a fork, just until the dough comes
together. Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times.
Pat out into a 12 by 6 inch rectangle. Spread with the remainder of the
softened butter. Mix the white sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle
this evenly over top. Roll up tightly from the long side. Cut into 8
slices with a sharp knife. Place them, cut side down into the prepared
pie dish.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and the
brown sugar butter mixture on the bottom is bubbling up. Remove from
the oven and tip immediately onto a serving plate.
Whisk
together all the ingredients for the glaze until smooth. Drizzle half
of this over top of the whole cake, reserving the rest for serving.
Serve warm, cut into wedges with the remainder of the glaze spooned over
top.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
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