Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake

Cheesecake is one of those comfort foods that we all love to enjoy with a warm cup of tea after dinner. After cutting out dairy, there are a lot of foods that you might worry you will no longer be able to indulge in, but cheesecake is not one of them! Beware, this is based on a lot of nuts. This means that it's definitely not going to be low in fat. It is however, completely devoid of all the gross things hidden in dairy cheesecake. Here is an attractive Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake recipe you can try:


What you'll need:

Crust:
  • 1 cup almonds
  • 1/4 cup cacao powder
  • 3-4 dates
Filling:
  • 2 cups strawberries
  • 1/2 cup agave
  • 2 1/2 cups cashew butter
  • 3/4 cup coconut butter
  • 4 lemons (juiced)
What to do:
  1. To prepare the crust, combine all the ingredients in a food processor and mix them until everything is a fairly fine powder. It should stick together when pressed, if it falls apart, add filtered water 1-2 tablespoons at a time.
  2. Press the crust into the bottom of a pan. Spring form pans are great for presentation, but if you don't have one, any cake pan will do!
  3. To prepare the filling just process everything in your food processor.
  4. Pour the filling over the crust and form it using a spatula.
  5. Place in the fridge or freezer to set for at least 30 minutes.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Here Is A Delicious Almond Milk Pudding Recipe

I have been wondering for some time what sweet I should make to mark this festival and I realized that it has been some time since I made Kheer!! Badam Kheer or Almond Milk Pudding is one of my favourite Kheer recipes. The Kheer has a deliciously soft grainy texture, is fragrant with cardamom and saffron, and if you pay close attention gives a hint of heady almond towards the end. Here is the delicious almond milk pudding recipe.


Ingredients:
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 cups evaporated milk
  • 3/4 cup almonds
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp cardamom powder
  • Large pinch saffron
Method:
  1. Soak the almonds overnight in plenty of water.
  2. Next morning, drain the water and peel the almonds.
  3. Grind the almonds to a coarse paste. Set aside.
  4. Take a quarter cup of milk and put the saffron in it. Set aside.
  5. Place the remaining milk and the evaporated milk in a large saucepan.
  6. Bring to a boil, then continue boiling for about 10 minutes. Stir continuously.
  7. Reduce the heat, add the almonds and cardamom to the milk.
  8. Continue cooking stirring occasionally for another 25 minutes or until the pudding begins to thicken.
  9. Pour in the sugar, saffron and milk. Stir and cook for another five minutes.
  10. Turn off the heat, remove the kheer into a heat proof bowl.
  11. Cover and allow to cool completely.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

It Is Really A Lemon Souffles Recipe

The magic that is a souffle eluded me and my sweet tooth for longer than I'd care to admit. It just seemed too complicated, too stressful, too sophisticated for a home baker.


Individual Lemon Souffles Recipe

Ingredients:
  • Unsalted butter, softened, to coat ramekins
  • Granulated sugar, to coat ramekins
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 (16 ounce) container frozen sliced strawberries or raspberries in sugar, thawed
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting
Directions:

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously coat the bottom and sides of four 1/2-cup ramekins with softened butter. Coat the bottom and sides with sugar, tapping out excess. Place the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. Bring a large saucepan halfway filled with water to a simmer. Separate the eggs and set the egg whites aside.

Step 2
In a large heatproof bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest and flour until pale yellow and frothy — about five minutes. Place the bowl over the pot of simmering water and whisk the mixture constantly until very thick — about five minutes. Remove the bowl from the pot and whisk the mixture on medium speed until cooled — about five to seven minutes. Pour the batter into a medium bowl and set aside.

Step 3
Clean the mixer bowl and add the egg whites, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cream of tartar. Place the bowl over the pot of simmering water and stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch. Remove the bowl from the pot and whisk on low speed until frothy, gradually increasing speed to medium until the mixture becomes meringue-like and holds soft peaks — about five minutes. Be careful not to overbeat.

Step 4
Whisk 1/3 of the meringue mixture into the lemon batter. Slowly fold in the remaining meringue mixture until just combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins all the way to the top — smooth the tops with the back of the spoon. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until slightly golden and puffed.

Step 5
Meanwhile, make the berry sauce: In a blender, puree the thawed berries and lemon juice until smooth. Remove the souffles from the oven and dust with the powdered sugar. Serve immediately with the berry sauce on the side.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

This Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe Is Really Unique

Smooth, velvety and rich – this triple chocolate mousse cake is the perfect way to end an indulgent Valentine's Day meal. Made up for three sumptuous mousse layers, this dessert not only tastes amazing, but also looks stunning.

Each layer is made in the exact same way, just using a different kind of chocolate. This recipe makes quite a lot of mousse – I'd say around 6 portions – but they freeze really well so you can just keep them frozen until your next chocolate craving hits.


Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

Ingredients:

Dark Chocolate Mousse
  • 1/2tsp gelatine
  • 1tbsp water
  • 60ml milk
  • 70g finely chopped dark chocolate
  • 140ml double cream
Milk Chocolate Mousse
  • 1/2tsp gelatine
  • 1tbsp water
  • 60ml milk
  • 70g finely chopped milk chocolate
  • 140ml double cream
White Chocolate Mousse
  • 1/2tsp gelatine
  • 1tbsp water
  • 60ml milk
  • 70g finely chopped white chocolate
  • 140ml double cream
Recipe:

1. Pour 1tbsp of water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatine on top. Leave the gelatine for about 5 minutes – until it has soaked up the water.

2. Heat up the milk in a saucepan over a medium-high heat until it begins to simmer. Remove from the heat and add the gelatine mix to the saucepan. Stir really well until the gelatine is completely dissolved then pour over the chopped dark chocolate. Leave to sit for 2 minutes and whisk until the chocolate is melted.

3. Separately, whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks. Mix a small amount of cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten it up, then gently fold the rest of the cream in. Pour into a cylindrical mould and place in the freezer.

4. Repeat the above steps with the white chocolate and pour on top of the dark chocolate in the mould and leave to set in the freezer. Do the same again for the milk chocolate and freeze until set. Remove the mousse from the freezer at least 2 hours before you’re ready to enjoy it.