From Good Food magazine. I thought it would be a great dessert after Beef Wellington, my main course on Christmas table this year. Turned out quite well and the bits we have not managed, Ewa took for Macy to enjoy.

The good thing about the parfait was that I was able to make it a week before Christmas and it sat in the freezer until it was needed. All I had to do on the day was the apple sauce and the caramelised apples.

So, I started with 5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, chopped and cooked down with 150 g of demerara sugar, then cooled and pureed. 3 eggs, sepapated. The yolks were beaten in the kitchen aid, while 100 g of caster sugar was brought to the boil with 120 ml of water. Once the syrup reached 120 degrees, I added it slowly to the egg yolks and continued whisking for about 4 minutes. Egg whites whipped stiff with 25 g of caster sugar. And finally 150 ml double cream whipped till stiff as well. The apple puree, the cream, the egg whites all went into the egg yolks and got combined gently and lovingly. A long tin was waiting with cling film overhanging and the whole thing went into the freezer.

Toffee sauce- 100 g of brown sugar, 25 g of butter, 50 ml double cream and a splash of apple juice, a sprinkle of cinnamon. Gently bubbled away till a scrumptious sauce emerged. A few caramelised apples were waiting and when we were ready for it, the parfait was sliced, topped with some crumbled digestive biscuits, the apples and finished with the sauce. Nobody had any complaints whatsover. 🙂

The cake I’ve made for Ewa and Sophie had nothing to do with diet, everything to do with indulgence, calories and the general feeling of happy tummy. Which is what I’ve been struggling with recently. But life is tough, one needs to shut up and get on with the diet, whinging will not knock the kilograms down.

On mojewypieki.com this cake is called “Fried Egg Cake”, mine on the photo does not look as great as Dorota’s due to the jelly on top (pear flavoured) being distinctly green. It sits on a quick and easy genoese sponge; 2 eggs, separated, whites beaten with 1/3 glass of sugar, 100 g of flour added, yolks, 50 ml of sunflower oil, 1/2 tsp of baking powder. Baked in 160 degrees for about 20 minutes. Following the comments under the recipe I’ve moistened the sponge with some lemon juice before adding the cheese layer. It took about 280 g of white curd cheese from Polish deli, worked a bit by kitchen aid to add some air to it. A tub of mascarpone. A tub of Philadelphia. About 4 tbsps of icing sugar. 3 tbsps of lemon juice. A grape jelly, for which 200 ml of water was used as opposed to the usual 500 ml. 200 ml of double cream. All this gently whipped together. My one complaint would be the jelly which tasted a touch artificial, I’d never have guessed the cake was to taste of grapes. Calorific value I reckon about 3 million. 🙂

Canned apricots were arranged on top to look like fried eggs and finally a pear jelly, before the whole thing went to the fridge to set. Chopped pistacchios sprinkled on top before serving.

Both girls liked it, so did I, though I only allowed myself a small piece. Accompanied by lovely sunshine and some prosecco.

I needed a cake for a double birthday I threw yesterday for Mariusz (46) and Ewa (43). I chose the charlottle from mojewypieki.com just by looking at it, never made one before, never tasted it. It was fun to make,  not too complicated, but I still changed a few things, having read the reviews.

I baked my usual sponge with 2 eggs, sliced it in half horizontally and then started building the cake with the tiramisu kind biscuits, having to “shave” the last one to fit it in perfectly, sponge nr 1 neatly on the bottom. And still a little bit of the mango mousse escaped, but nothing that couldn’t be tidied up.

For the mango layer I used a small can of mango puree, the 450 g one, roughly 270 ml of double cream and 4,5 gelatine leaves. I skipped the orange juice and zest, but next time I’ll use less cream, it wasn’t mango enough for me. On top of it went the sponge number 2. To the fridge to set for an hour. On that some whipped cream and mascarpone,lightly sweetened, half and half, to which I added a few tbsps of the orange jelly that was waiting to go on top. On the creamy layer I arranged some thinly sliced canned peaches, a few bits of cherries in kirsch ( pomegranate seeds would have been better but I didn’t fancy buying the whole fruit to use a few seeds), then jelly and the whole thing rested in the fridge overnight.

It came out of the tin without any problems, a ribbon was added for extra touch too.

My only complaint would be that the biscuits did not soak up any of the filling and were quite dry, Macy enjoyed then, while we ate the inside.  🙂

I was looking for something good to take with us to Jimbo and Louise’s this weekend, found this on mojewypieki.com, made it and made everyone, including the kids, very happy indeed. What a great dessert, light, very fruity, not difficult to make.

Usual sponge, 2 eggs, whites whipped, 4-5 tbsps of sugar, yolks in. 2 tbsps of plain flour, 1 tbsps of potato flour, a touch of baking powder. 180 degrees, 20 minutes.

A can of mango pulp was purchased, what a great product, no hassle with fresh mango, which in the UK is hardly ever amazing, even when ripe.  An 850 g can went a long way. 600g was heated up and mixed with 6  pre-soaked gelatine leaves.  A splash of lemon juice.  All cooled a bit, then 100 g of greek yoghurt in.  300 ml of double cream whipped with 2 tbsps of icing sugar, all well combined, onto the sponge, soaked with Grand Marnier ( why not indeed?).  A small mango chopped up and bits added in for the texture. Into the fridge to set. Finally a glaze of the remaining 250 g of mango pulp, alongside 2 gelatine leaves.  I was trying to be a bit arty and added a few dots of raspberry coulis to that glaze, it wasn’t exactly a million dollar idea, I don’t think I’ll bother next time. The next time will happen soon though, it was a greatly enjoyed sweet little number. Five stars. 🙂

Cheatty ice cream, let’s face it.  I did, for a brief moment entertain the idea of getting myself an ice cream machine, but I’m pretty sure I will not. I bought one once, never used it,  it then spent a few years in the shed in Staines, before being given to Colin.

That gelato we have eaten in Lucca a couple of weeks ago blew my mind, Izzie loved it too and keeps on talking about “green ice cream”.  It was smooth, nutty, rich and fantastic. What I’ve done today was the idea carried through from mojewypieki.com that had worked before- whipped cream and condensed milk in equal amounts. Added to that was the remaining half a jar of my Sicilian pistachio paste bought in Lucca and a 2 good handfuls of chopped, roasted and SALTED pistachios. And these made it. Condensed milk is really sweet. Pistachio paste is mental sweet. But when frozen and set the sweetness subsided a bit and the salty nuts added texture and flavour the whole thing needed.  We all had a scoop after dinner. I must say it’s very rich and one couldn’t have too much of it, but it is good ice cream anyway. And will not be wasted. 🙂

…since our recent week in Italy. I’ve eaten fabulous gelato, pistachio flavoured, even Izzie was a fan, calling it “green ice cream”. It had intense nutty flavour and the creamiest consistency, I loved it.

In the shopping bag, alongside all those truffles I brought a good Sicilian pistachio paste, some toasted pistachios and craved a cheesecake for the last couple of days. I found some exciting recipes, but ended up doing my own thing. A cold cheesecake, sitting on a base of biscuits and melted butter ( 60 g to 25g). About 200 ml of double cream whipped with icing sugar and vanilla paste to taste, one small packet of Philadelphia. It was supposed to be a vanilla base, but it didn’t excite me when I tasted it, so I added a splash of coffee Bailey’s, plus a gelatine leaf.  One needs to be careful not to overdo the Bailey’s, I think I just about managed that.

I weighed that cream/cheese mix in order to have 2 identical layers, the second one took in nearly half of the jar of pistachio paste. It took forever to heat up in the microwave to take in the gelatine leaf, it did in the end but the consistency was awful, still, kitchen aid managed to worked it in the cheese mixture.  The green one went on top, it all set in the fridge till the evening, topped with chopped pistachios and crunched meringues. I could easily have 2 or 3 slices. Due to the concern for my waistline I will have 1. 🙂

I saw it being made on Creme de la Creme, I saw it in my posh Laduree book, it had to be made. Especially with a jar of pistachio paste sitting in the pantry. Ewa and Co were to come yesterday for the last installment of Izzie’s birthday, so there was a great excuse.

Almond sponge; 3 large eggs whipped with half a glass of caster sugar. 3/4 glass of plain flour and same amount of ground almonds plus a 1/2 tsp of baking powder gently mixed in. All baked for 20-25 minutes in 170 degrees. I’ve made the sponge the day before, the filling  and the rest today.  5 egg yolks whipped with half a glass of sugar again, while 130 ml of milk was being heated up on the stove. 4 gelatine leaves soaking in small amount of water as it happens. Half of the milk added to the yolks, the whole thing returned to the pan with the remaining milk, slowly warmed up till slightly thickened. Gelatine added with its liquid. Pistachio paste added, about 2 tbsps. The colour didn’t amaze me, so I added a little green colourant.

Finally 500 ml of double cream, whipped. Combined with cooled pistachio cream.

I sliced the sponge horizontally, soaked with some Grand Marnier, arranged strawberries along the form. There’s got to be a  better way of doing it, so that the cream didn’t get in between the strawberries and the form and ended up looking as awesome as on the picture.

All left to set overnight. Before serving some crushed pistachios were added on top and it was ready to be sliced.

Opinions are divided. Florek loved it. Izzie had quite a lot and kept on asking for more. The guests liked it, but they are the guests who like everything. I think it’s pleasant, but I’m not blown away. With better strawberries, not those I had and maybe more pistachio flavour it would have been better. Might have another go at it  when strawberries in season properly.

Ps. I must add on Monday evening, this cake does not keep well. Strawberries seem to start fermenting and the whole thing tastes funny. Shame, quite a chunk of it down the bin. 🙁

Postie brought 2 parcels this morning, one was the birthday present for Iz from her favourite Gadek Ron, the other my pistachio paste.  Having seen a few exciting recipes in Laduree book, an order was placed and it was delivered today. It’s very, very sweet, but also nutty and luxurious.

It is so sweet, that I only used 1 tsp of vanilla sugar for the brulees, in the recipe that normally takes 3 tbsps.  As usual, 4 egg yolks, left from making the batter for pistachio financiers- with the enthusiastic help of Izzie-

-as well as 250 ml of double cream, 75 ml of milk heated up, slowly added to creamed egg yolks with that little sugar I added. The cream and milk combo took about 3 large tbsps of pistachio paste.

The cremes baked in bain marie for 35 minutes, 140 degrees. Nutty, rich and delicious. 4 more in the fridge, waiting for Florek, who this evenings recovers in hospital from an ear surgery.  :-/

I’ve never tasted the real thing, but as Paul Hollywood visited Palermo with a camera and munched on some cannoli, I knew the time has come to try and make them. Florek has ordered the special tubes for me a few weeks ago, so yesterday, instead of maybe colouring some eggs for Easter, I started with the cannoli. What a freaking project that was.

I used the recipe from mojewypieki, had a bit of read around a look at youtube, did my research. Husband Florek took Izzie for a walk and I got to work.

In the bowl of kitchen aid I put 250 g of plain flour, a pinch of salt, a pinch of cinnamon, 1 tsp of cocoa, 1 egg yolk, 20 g of icing sugar, 30 g of soft butter and 5 tbsps of vodka- the original recipe calls for Marsala, I had none and Bea told me to use vodka.  There is no mention of using any water to bind the pastry, I found it necessary.

I ended up with seriously thick dough, that rested for an hour and still rolling it out was a very ungrateful job. I got our old, crappy pasta machine out, immediately remembered why it’s so crappy, swore at the whole thing some more and was 5 minutes away from chucking the whole cannoli idea in the bin. And then Husband came home, approached the pasta machine with calm and patience and rolled it all for me nice and thinly. Shortly speaking- he saved the day.

The dough was cut out with a cookie cutter, folded around the tubes, stuck on top with egg white and fried in 180 degrees till brownish. After about a minute each cannolo had to be removed from the tube and put back in the oil. All easy to do, when one person rolls out the pastry, the other does the frying.

Once cooled, I piped the filling made of ricotta, which I drained off on the sieve for about an hour, mixed with some whipped cream, lemon curd and icing sugar. Flavoured and sweetened to taste the way I liked it. Finished off with raspberries, crushed pistachios and icing sugar.

Absolute revelation.

And this morning Florek ordered a new shiny pasta machine. :-)h

New favourite flavour.  I bought a jar of salted caramel spread (“Wilkin & Sons”) and made 4 small round cheesecakes the usual way; a base of biscuits and melted butter and the filling of whipped cream, Philadelphia ( a small packet) and the said spread, maybe 2tbsps. No sugar needed, naturally. Dark chocolate grated on top with a few roasted chopped nuts.

Very enjoyable.