Other Sweet Treats Archives - Page 6 of 10

Fig Clafoutis

9|03|2014

I have been so busy this month that I hardly noticed that we have officially stepped into Autumn in Australia. The last I remember was longing for Summer, wanting to gorge in its bounty, planning so many stone fruit recipes. It came and went. Leaving me discontented like every year that I couldn’t do enough justice during its presence.

This recipe is like the fleeting summer in my mind. It comes together…just like that. You have a dessert as an outcome of some quick mixing and stirring. And that is what I love about a Clafoutis. Somewhere between the consistency of a cake and a custard, this sweet treat just so fits the bill when you want to whip up something quick and fruit based.

Figs make a late summer appearance in our fruit markets and stay on till the first few weeks of Autumn. So this makes a great transitional dessert for us. It is best served warm with some whipped cream or ice cream on the side. Figs can be replaced with any fruit of your choice…peaches, nectarines, plums or more popularly, cherries and blueberries.

Fig Clafoutis
Serves 3-4

7-8 ripe figs, quartered
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 eggs
4 tbsp. castor sugar
1/2 cup plain flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
icing sugar, to dust (optional)
whipped cream, to serve

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
Lightly grease a 3 cup capacity oven proof dish. Place the figs over the pan of the baking dish (skin side down).

Place the cream, eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk to form a smooth batter. Pour the batter over the figs and bake for 30 minutes or until the top is slightly puffed up and golden brown. If you prefer a more custard like consistency, bake for 25 minutes and then switch over to the grill mode to get a brown crust over the top.

Cool slightly and dust with icing sugar. Serve warm with whipped cream.

Mango, Mint and Lime Granita

27|02|2014

Mangoes were considered the ‘queen of fruits’ where I grew up. They still are. Everything about them screams summer. The vibrant sunny appearance or the sweet succulent refreshing interior. We owned a large orchard and summer time meant eating tonnes of fruit. The green unripe ones would be used for cooking and the ripe ones would make their way into every corner of the house. Boxes and baskets of fruit to be given away to friends and neighbours. The air subtly scented with smell of sweet mangoes. Meal times made special with platefuls of peeled, cut mangoes to finish off. The varieties endless and names so many that it was hard for one to remember.

Alas! A glut of mangoes today, is something that exists only in my memory or possibly in my dreams. In the part of the world where I live now mangoes can be expensive. And make a fleeting appearance. So, it’s case of ‘enjoy while it lasts!’ However, thanks to technology there are options. Like canned mangoes and mango juice. No substitute to the fresh ones in my opinion but okay when you crave for a taste of the glorious fruit.

If mangoes stand for summer, so does ice. While I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my share of ice creams and popsicles this summer, my freezer has been packed with trays of Granita. Using both fresh fruit and store bought juice. They are so fun to make with a bit of this and that. The best part is shaving the ice. You can do it over and over again. Melt, freeze, shave. It’s a great way of adding life into store bought juices. And one can enjoy them even when fruits are not in season.

The flavours of this Granita are sensational. You have to taste to know. Mint and lime add a burst of freshness in your mouth which balances the sweetness of the mangoes.

There are no hard and fast rules while making a Granita. One adds flavours of choice, sweetness as per taste. It can be served with fresh fruit, a fruit sauce or even yoghurt or cream. Store bought juices vary in sweetness, so the sugar may need adjustment.

Mango, Mint and Lime Granita
Serves 6-8

500 ml store bought mango juice
1/4 cup sugar (or as per taste)
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
Juice of 2 limes

Place the juice and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir till sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Cool slightly and add the mint leaves and lime juice. Pour into a shallow baking tray and cool to room temperature. Don’t discard the mint leaves. They get shredded and distributed during the process of shaving the Granita.

Carefully, transfer the tray into your freezer. Scrape at hourly intervals to form crystals until frozen (4-6 hours)

Yellow Tomato, Mustard and Thyme Chutney

20|02|2014

A good chutney is not just a condiment but a great way of sprucing up a dish. Whether you want something flavourful to accompany your cheese platter, jazz up your burgers and sandwiches or a tasty side to complement your meat dishes, a chutney is a handy thing to have in your pantry.

Chutney has been known to have originated in the Eastern part of India but have, over time adapted itself to the taste and local produce in regions across the globe. And that is perhaps why it is so versatile and accommodating. The core of a chutney rests on three basic elements. The fruit or vegetable, sugar and spice. The flavours are intense and would be a balance of sweet, tangy and spicy. One can literally play around with the components, add or remove and get creative with them. Having grown up in the land of the Chutney, I have sampled thousands of them loved them and make them frequently at home. Since it is so easy to make, most of my chutneys are a last-minute creation. Ripe peaches..make a chutney! Tomato season…make a chutney! Beautiful mangoes….make a chutney! Something to go with my roasts…make a chutney!

There is no such thing like a correct consistency for a chutney. Really, it is left to your preference. Some like it thin and runny, some prefer it thick and spoonable. Typically it would be somewhere between the consistency of a jam and a sauce and have a bite to it. And there in lies the beauty of this condiment. One doesn’t need a food processor or a strainer unlike a sauce.

Mustard seeds and red chillies go well with tomatoes in a chutney. They are childhood flavours I have a deep relationship with. They are flavours my mother’s chutney recipes always have. The heat is optional and the mustard seeds can be substituted with cumin seeds if not available. The thyme leaves lend an earthy woody flavour that goes well with the sweet and spicy tomatoes. I have to admit that I am in love with the little thyme plant in my garden so the leaves make an appearance in quite a few of my recipes. The recipe can be easily adapted to use red or green tomatoes. Sweetness can be adjusted as per taste.

Yellow Tomato, Mustard and Thyme Chutney
Makes 11/2 cups chutney

1 tbsp. vegetable oil
11/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 dry red chillies
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
300 g yellow tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
Fresh thyme leaves, to serve (optional)

Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the mustard seeds and dry red chillies and heat for 30 seconds or till the seeds splutter. Add the onions and garlic and cook till soft.

Add the tomatoes, lemon zest, thyme and water. When the tomatoes have softened and become pulpy, add in the sugar. Stir to mix. Cook till the mixture thickens, stirring in between to prevent burning at the bottom. Once the mixture reaches the desired consistency (about 10 mins) take it off the heat. Cool slightly and place in a serving bowl. (The mixture will thicken slightly on cooling).

The chutney will keep in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Can be served warm or cold. Serve with fresh thyme leaves.

Grapes with Orange Creme Anglaise (Custard) and Hazelnuts

6|02|2014

They are beautiful…versatile.. and easily available. They are great for you. And since ancient times they have been associated with romance. But I wonder if they get the love that they deserve. When we picturise a pretty fruity dessert, we think of berries, stone fruits, figs and so on.
Grapes? Not really. To be honest, I never did. So considering that this is the month of love, I thought I’d give them some dessert love.

Crème Anglaise is my favourite dessert sauce in the world. I have tried out hundreds of combinations over the years and I find nothing as fancy carrying a dessert tray with fruits or cake and a little jug of Crème Anglaise on the side to be poured by the person it is being served to. It’s very restaurant-like to put it down in front of your guests. And mind you, I do it in style and enjoy all the curiosity and attention it generates. Go ahead, try it. A word of caution, though. If you are serving it for a crowd, make sure you pour them into individual pots or serving glasses. You don’t want your diners fighting over a jug of crème anglaise. But now since we are talking Valentines’s day, sharing is allowed. In fact, it is encouraged!

I have forever used David Lebovitz’s recipe as the base recipe for Crème Anglaise. Depending on the chosen flavours, I add or take away. He is a genius, isn’t he? His recipes always work for me. For this dessert, I have halved the recipe and that should make a cup of Crème Anglaise. Initially, I wanted to ‘brandy’ the grapes but I had already used Cointreau in the custard. You can leave out the liqueur if you want to. Cointreau or any other orange liqueur contributes a more intense orange flavour to the custard. The custard can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator.

Grapes with Orange Crème Anglaise (Custard) and Hazelnuts
Serves 2

1 cup seedless red grapes
1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts
1 cup Crème Anglaise (recipe below)
Icing sugar to dust.

Divide the grapes and toasted hazelnuts between two serving glasses. Pour over chilled Crème Anglaise. Dust with icing sugar. Serve

Orange Crème Anglaise
1 cups (250 ml) whole milk
4 tbsp. sugar
zest of two medium oranges
3 egg yolks
1 tbsp. Cointreau or any other orange liquor (optional)

Pour the milk into a medium saucepan and add the sugar.

Grate the zest of the oranges directly into the milk. Warm gently, then remove from heat, cover, and let steep for one hour.

When ready to cook the custard, make an ice bath by putting ice cubes and a small amount of cold water into a large bowl and resting a smaller metal or glass bowl in the ice. Set a fine mesh strainer over the top.

Whisk the yolks in a separate small bowl.

Gently rewarm the milk, then slowly pour it into the egg yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the custard begins to thicken and coats the spatula.

Immediately strain the custard into the bowl set over ice, pressing the zest in the strainer to extract as much flavor as possible, then discard.

Stir the custard until cool. When the Crème Anglaise is cooling, grate a few swipes of fresh orange zest into the custard, which looks nice and adds a touch more orange flavour. If you’d like, add a spoonful of orange-flavoured liqueur, such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier.

Store in the refrigerator and serve chilled.

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