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White Chocolate and Strawberry Tart

20|06|2017

Delicious White chocolate and Strawberry tart with a cookie crust and an orange infused white chocolate ganache filling. No baking and easy to put together.

Posting after a while now. How has everyone been? I had a lot going on these past few weeks, the first being a house move which I was totally unprepared for. We were renting this place for almost 3 years now when the owner just sold the property. The new owners wanted to move in quickly and we were asked to vacate. With a huge number of commitments and client work already scheduled for the beginning of June, I had no choice but to book the closest available house and move my entire setup into a new place. Since, I could only afford to take the weekend off from work, I figured out that there was no way I could bubble wrap all my stuff, box them and unwrap them later. So I made close to 30 trips back and forth loaded with props, backgrounds and a hundred other things so I could place them in shelves (in the new place) just the way they were before. By Monday, I couldn’t move. And then realizing the greatest fear of all, food photographers would relate to. Light!!! The angle and direction of light was entirely different and I spent a few frustrated days trying to figure out the best solution.Finally, things have settled down…well, sort of, and life is getting back to normal again.

In the middle of all this chaos, the oven in the new house gave me a bit of trouble as well so I just gave up temporarily and started creating no-bake recipes. Always think positive, right? When it comes to desserts, there are enough options, thankfully. Yay! This White Chocolate Tart has a cookie crust made with digestive cookies. I’ve experimented with a number of cookies before and digestive cookies were on my mind for some time, just to find out if they would be a lighter version of the rest. Oreos are generally the best bet when it comes to a no bake cookie crust but I didn’t want a chocolate crust for this tart. The filling is white chocolate ganache infused with freshly grated orange zest that balances out all the sweetness. The idea initially was to create an orange tart until I discovered on that day that our winter strawberries had hit the markets. We are so lucky to have two strawberry seasons in Australia. Look how big, juicy and red they are! The White Chocolate and Strawberry tart comes together quickly and needs no special skills to make. If you’ve always hesitated to make a tart the traditional way, give this a go for sure. There is hardly a thing that could go wrong here. Play around with seasonal fruits that are available near you or simply decorate with grated white or dark chocolate.

White Chocolate and Strawberry Tart
Makes a 14 x 5 inch rectangular tart or a 9 inch round tart.

250 g pack of digestive cookies
100 g unsalted butter, melted
250 g white chocolate, roughly chopped
130 ml heavy/thickened cream
40 g unsalted butter, roughly chopped
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
Fresh strawberries to top

Process cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Add the melted butter and mix till well blended.

Press the cookie mixture into the bottom and edges of a rectangular tart pan (14 inch x 5 inch) with a removable base. Use the back of a spoon (and your fingers where necessary) to evenly spread out into a neat tart crust. Place the tart pan onto a plate (this makes it easier to move the tart in and out of the fridge.). Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until crust is firm.

While the crust is in the fridge, heat the cream in a medium saucepan over low heat until it just comes to a a boil (do not boil). Remove from heat and add the chopped white chocolate. Leave aside for 5-10 minutes until chocolate melts. Add the butter and the orange zest. Mix.

Cool the white chocolate mixture slightly and pour onto the prepared crust. Refrigerate until set (about 2 hours). Serve with fresh strawberries and fresh basil leaves.

White Chocolate Panna Cotta

26|02|2017

White Chocolate Panna Cotta served with fresh strawberries, dried pomegranate seeds and cocoa nibs for a delicious sweet treat that comes together in minutes and is also gluten free.

My children refer to the Panna Cotta as a ‘milk jelly’! Sweet, creamy, jiggly and so delicious, it looks like a dessert that one would have spent time to create wherein the truth is that it is one of the quickest things to make. The fridge does all the work for you. Just like you would flavour milk or any other form of dairy, the Panna Cotta works on the same principle. After all it is a ‘jellified’ or rather version of milk. The beauty of this dessert is that it is incredibly versatile! Whether you like yours light or decadent or even extra creamy, you can choose between milk, half and half or cream. For people who are lactose intolerant, easily swap milk with dairy free alternatives nut milks, coconut milk, rice milk to name a few. For more healthier variations use buttermilk, yoghurt and natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup. Want something exotic? The dairy can be infused with rosewater, lavender, spices, fruit purees or citrus zest! Finally, how can there not be a chocolate version of this dessert? It is equally lovely infused with white, milk or dark chocolate but White Chocolate Panna Cotta is my favourite especially with red berries. It’s one of the most delicious pairings ever.

White Chocolate Panna Cotta
Serves 4

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp milk
300 ml thickened cream
100 g white chocolate, roughly chopped
2 tbsp castor sugar (or more if you like it sweeter)
11/2 tsp powdered gelatine
Berries, to serve
Cocoa nibs/chocolate chips, to serve

Place the 1/2 cup milk, cream, chocolate and sugar in a saucepan over low heat and cook till chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth (Do not boil.) Remove from heat.Place the 2 tbsp milk and gelatine together in a a small bowl and allow the gelatine to bloom (about 1-2 mins). Pour this gelatine mixture into the saucepan with the milk-cream mixture and mix till blended.

Cool to room temperature and pour into moulds/serving glasses. place in the refrigerator to set (about 4-5 hours). Serve with fresh fruit and cocoa nibs.

Baileys Ice Cream Tart

11|02|2017

The ultimate romantic Ice Cream treat with a crunchy cookie crust, creamy and decadent Baileys Original Ice Cream filling topped with fresh, juicy strawberries and candied rose petals.

It is that season again when we are trying to find exciting new ways of spoiling our loved ones. I know there are mixed reactions when it comes to Valentine’s Day but I am a sucker for all and any reason to eat great food and shower extra kisses on my family. You’ve heard it before. The way to the heart is through the stomach. So food takes centre stage for me when it comes to impressing someone. In the last few years my food philosophy has been to keep it simple and sweet. Instead of dining out, I prefer an intimate dinner with my husband at home followed by an indulgent, cheeky dessert. We set the table together, light a few scented candles, open up a bottle of wine and chat over dinner which is mostly ordered in. Dessert is ready, waiting in the fridge or freezer because I always settle in for something easy and make ahead. This year I’ve got the ultimate decadence of a recipe for you. A Baileys Ice Cream Tart that is not only simple to make but come on, it’s Baileys. It WILL blow your senses away.

Baileys Original Irish Cream needs no introduction. If you haven’t already tasted the Baileys Original Ice cream, it is a luxurious blend of Baileys flavoured swirls and velvety smooth Baileys liquor infused ice cream. So imagine, when you create a dessert with this Ice Cream as your filling, you are setting yourself (and your partner) up for one of the greatest sensual pleasures life can offer. If you are not the one for romance and mush and would rather spend the evening with your girlfriends, double up on the tart because trust me, there won’t be enough.

I used a simple no-bake cookie crust to hold the ice cream. The Ice Cream does all the work for you so I’ve chosen some fresh strawberries to serve it with along with a few candied rose petals. It’s Valentine’s Day so it doesn’t hurt to dress things up a bit. You could personalise it with your own choice of fruits and chocolate garnishes or just eat it as is. Either ways, it is amazing!

Disclaimer :This post is brought to you by Baileys. All opinions, thoughts and ideas are entirely my own.

Baileys Ice Cream Tart
Makes an 8 inch round tart.

2 X 137 g packs Oreo Cookies (or any other chocolate cookie)
100 g unsalted butter, melted
1 Tub Baileys Original Ice Cream (left at room temperature for 15-20 minutes)
Fresh fruits, chocolates, to serve
Candied Rose Petals (optional)(Recipe below)

Method

Process cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Add the melted butter and mix till well blended.

Press the cookie mixture into the bottom and edges of a fluted tart pan with a removable base. Use the back of a spoon (and your fingers where necessary) to evenly spread out into a neat tart crust. Place the tart pan onto a plate (this makes it easier to move the tart in and out of the freezer). Freeze for 15 minutes.

Remove tart pan from freezer and gently pour the melted Baileys Ice Cream on to the crust. Return to the freezer and let the tart chill till set (about 7-8 hours, preferably overnight).

Top with fruits, chocolates or candied rose petals. When ready to serve, leave the tart outside for 10 minutes before slicing.

Candied Rose Petals

Petals from a rose that is unsprayed (without pesticides etc)
1 egg white, lightly whisked with a fork
½ cup Castor sugar (granulated sugar)

Gently wash the rose petals and dry them on paper towels until completely dry. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the sugar on a shallow plate.
Using a paintbrush, lightly brush the petals with egg white, taking care not to put in excess. Alternatively you could dip the petals in the egg white, turn around to coat uniformly and let the excess drop off.

Dip the petals in the plate of sugar making sure they are coated all around. Place the petals on the prepared baking tray. Allow to dry and harden before use (approx. 5-6 hours)

Layered Strawberry Cake

18|11|2016

Sydney is so hot at the moment! Even as I write this, I can’t bear to look at the window facing me which is ablaze with the bright sun rays literally blinding my eyes. It’s still Spring technically but every bit like summer. I am still waiting for the stone fruits to arrive, meanwhile there are strawberries. There are always strawberries, whatever the season in Australia which makes life easier for me. Because, who does not love strawberries? Healthy or indulgent..there are a zillion ways of eating them. So this Layered Strawberry Cake aka Strawberry Lovers Cake (because it has all things strawberry in it) is made of a layered strawberry-vanilla marble cake, strawberry mousse, fresh strawberries and strawberry wafers. Besides tasting delicious, it smells so amazing!

For a long time I was intending to make a Charlotte. There is something very delicate about the way different layers of cream/custard, sponge and fruit are encased between a circle of ladyfinger biscuits. Yes, that was the initial intention but as always I got swayed and so much that it just turned out to be another cake with a different kind of filling. These long, thin strawberry wafers usually arrive during Christmas every year along with all the colourful candies. They were a tad bit too tall for the height of my cakes but filling the top with fresh strawberries made them just the right size for a cake like this. If you are planning on making the Layered Strawberry cake and can’t find the exact wafers, you could use regular wafers as well, but a two-tiered cake would be more suitable.

It is best that the layers are made ahead and assembled on the day of serving the cake. The mousse will hold up at room temperature for a couple of hours only. The other option is to refrigerate the assembled cake but in that case, it’s best to sprinkle the cake layers with some strawberry infused simple syrup to prevent them from drying out. Simple syrup is made by heating equal parts of water and sugar till sugar dissolves completely. The cooled syrup is great for sponge cakes and such when you want them to remain moist for days, especially while refrigerating.

Layered Strawberry Cake
Makes a 3 layered 6 inch round cake

Strawberry-Vanilla Marble Cake (adapted with slight variation from this recipe)

250 unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
250 g caster sugar
5 large egg , lightly whisked
2/3 cups (approx 85 g) plain flour
100 g full-fat Greek yogurt
2 cups (approx 250 g) self-raising flour
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp strawberry extract
few drops pink food colour

Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees C (140 degrees C for fan forced ovens). Grease 3 round, 6 inch cake tins and line the bases with non-stick baking paper.

Using electric beaters or a tabletop mixer, beat the butter, sugar and ¼ tsp salt together until pale and fluffy, then pour in the eggs, one at a time, giving the mix a really good beating before adding the next. Add 1 tbsp of the plain flour if the mix starts to look slimy rather than fluffy. Beat in the yogurt.

Mix the flours; then, using a large metal spoon, fold them into the batter, followed by the milk. Remove half the mixture into a different bowl. To the existing bowl of batter add the vanilla extract. To the second bowl add the pink food coloring and strawberry extract and mix till blended. Spoon and divide the mixtures equally among the three tins and swirl with a long wooden skewer to create the marble effect. Bake the batter for 30-40 mins or until well risen and golden – a skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean.

Cool the cakes for 15 minutes in the tin. Then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely. Spread a think layer of mousse between the cake layers. Lightly frost the outside of the cake with the mousse and quickly place the wafers around it for them to stick to the cake. Top with fresh strawberries. Decorate with flowers and macarons.

Strawberry Mousse (adapted from here)

1 sachet (7 g) unflavored gelatin

2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

1/4 cup castor sugar

1 cup whipping cream

Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup water in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Process 2 cups sliced strawberries and 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a blender or food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Transfer strawberry mixture to a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Add gelatin to strawberry mixture, stirring constantly until gelatin dissolves. Cover and chill until consistency of unbeaten egg whites, stirring occasionally (about 30 minutes).

Beat cream at low speed until foamy; increase speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form. Fold whipped cream into strawberry mixture until well blended. Cover and chill 30 minutes or just until mixture is thick enough to hold its shape when mounded.