A Middle Eastern affair....

Unfortunately my hopes of having a week dedicated to chocolate & Baking didn't turn out quite the way i wanted, but i won't disappoint for long and i promise a chocolate & Baking week will be on the cards very soon so continue to watch this space.

Today i took inspiration from the cuisine of the middle east and North Africa from Lebanese style pizzas, Falafel
eggplant dips to delicately perfumed pastries with sweet nutty fillings. One of these pastries, originally from Morocco known as 'the snake' or 'M'hanncha', was particularly delicious and fun to make. M'hanncha is typically made of a sweet buttery almond filling wrapped up in filo pastry and then coiled in the shape of a snake!
Although the recipe may look hard do give it a try, it's well worth it.

The recipe i used is based on the one i found in  Jamie Does....cookbook, which i tweaked a little and instead of making one big M'hannca as shown in the picture below, i decided to make 6 little ones, the result was still excellent just individual portions for everyone!

Here is my slightly tweaked version of the recipe:
M'hanncha with Date sauce - makes 6 individual portions
350g butter, at room temperature
350g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
3 large eggs
350g ground almonds
1 tablespoon plain flour
5 tablespoons rose water
12 sheets of filo pastry

For the date sauce:
150g dates, stoned and roughly chopped,
450ml orange juice

1) Preheat your oven to 180c/gas mark 4.
2) cream the butter and icing sugar together in a bowl until soft and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, gently folding them into the butter mix.
3) Add the ground almonds and flour and rose water and combine everything together.
4) Lay two filo sheets, one on top of the other in front of you, spoon some filling in a line along the long edge closest to you, leaving a border all the way.
5) Carefully, starting at the edge closest to you, fold the pastry over the filling. Keep rolling it tightly until you have a long sausage.
6) quickly and carefully starting at one end, roll the pastry around to form a small coil, make sure the ends are neatly tucked in.
7) Follow this way with the rest of the pastries. Place them on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 45 min, until the pastry is crisp and golden.
8) Leave to cool, while you continue with the sauce.
9) Put the dates and orange juice in a small pan and bring to the boil,then reduce the heat and simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Leave to cool for a few minutes then blitz in a food processor for a smooth and thick sauce.
10) Dust the M'hanncha's with icing sugar, drizzle over the date sauce and a scoop of good quality vanilla ice-cream. Enjoy!

Chocolate & Baking

I've decided to dedicate this week to chocolate and baking, I'm going to be testing out new recipes and digging out old favorites with the main ingredient being chocolate of course!

Today i've made a Rococo Chocolate cake, it's similar to the classic French chocolate cake, dark, dense, moist and very rich. There is no flour or raising agent in this cake, just eggs, chocolate, sugar and ground almonds.It's quick to prepare and can be served simply as it is or dressed up with fresh summer berries such as raspberries or strawberries, dusted with cocoa powder and icing sugar and served with a scoop of good quality vanilla ice-cream.

Rococo Chocolate cake

200g 70% dark chocolate 
25g unsalted butter
5 large eggs, seperated
175g caster sugar
125g ground almonds
2tbsp milk
icing sugar and cocoa powder


1) preheat the oven to 180c, 160c fan oven, gas mark 4. 
2) slowly melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted.
3)With an electric whisk beat the egg whites to soft peaks, then gradually add the sugar until you have a stiff mixture.
4)Finally add the milk. Pour into a round 25cm spring form tin and level the surface.
5) Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until firm to the touch. Allow to cool completely, then dust with icing sugar and cocoa powder.
6) Cut into thin slices and serve with vanilla ice-cream or fresh fruit.

 

Love and peace....

The world’s recent tragedies, the loss of innocent lives in Norway, china and the famine sweeping Somalia claiming hundreds of lives, has i’m sure shaken all of us in some way. Watching the news every day trying to understand what’s happening in the world leaves me worried, sad and wondering what the future holds. What can i do to help? What can we all do to help? Surely as humans it is our responsibility to help those who are in need, by offering support, being compassionate, giving what we can when we can, i’m sure we can all make a valuable contribution in our own way, however big or small that may be, it’s one step in the right direction. 

http://www.actionaid.org.uk/ 

http://www.unicef.org.uk 

Sophisticated Cupcakes

The successful and deliciously hand crafted LOLA's Cupcakes have launched a new cupcake range,aptly named ' Pink Label'. Described as an 'elegant' and 'sophisticated' version of their cupcakes, there are 12 flavors to choose from each topped with swirls of icing and a special treat to finish of the cupcake.

The vanilla ganache ( pictured above) looks particularly impressive to serve at dinner parties and the coffee cappuccino swirl would make a decadent after dinner treat.Whatever the occasion these cupcakes are garunteed to be a big hit at your event, available in regular size at £4.00 each they can be ordered online directly from LOLA's.
www.lolas-kitchen.co.uk

Happy Bastille day France!

In honor of Bastille day in France today, i'm taking a look at some of the wonderful delights the French patisseries in London have to offer.

 The Macaroon

The Famous Parisian tea Salon ‘Laduree’ most known for their decadent macaroons, have launched a new collection of exotic macaroon flavours and gift boxes to celebrate summer. The pretty printed gift boxes are a tribute to Mathilde et Josephine and are perfect to bring along to a dinner party or just to take home as a souvenir. 

The summer macaroon collection is inspired by fresh tropical fruits, with flavours such as Coconut, melon and the new lemon and thyme. The colours are as exquisite and eye-catching as ever, pastel oranges, vibrant yellows and delicate rose co-ordinated by colour in neat rows behind glass cases, as is the Laduree way.

The tea salon will also have a new address in the heart of London, bringing Parisian elegance and glamor to Covent Garden, one of the trendiest areas of the City. If you are in London be sure to pay a visit to this new location, Laduree never disappoints.

 
  http://www.laduree.fr/en/scene
 
   Maison Bertaux

Another hidden gem in London is the French patisserie Maison Bertaux, based in Soho and open for trading since 1871, it is unlike any chain patisserie you may have visited before.  All of these delicious cakes and pastries are baked daily and on site, they don’t come cheap and some may say they are over- priced, but this is real pastry baked fresh daily not mass-produced in a lone factory somewhere outside of London, and it is Soho after all! Yes the cafe is small, some find that part of the charm of this place others think it’s simply cramped, there are not 20 different types of coffee to choose from simply cafe noir or cafe au lait, i wouldn’t recommend going just for a coffee either it’s not the best in London but to be fair it’s not really a coffee shop. The interior is definitely not like Starbucks or Patisserie Valerie’s for example, but it is quirky and completely unique. This really is about the cakes, they are possibly the best outside of France and worth every penny spent, if you appreciate a well made éclair this is one place you must visit. 

A taste of Cyprus

This is by far the tastiest, most beautiful cake i have ever made,it's known to be a typically sweet cake served in Cyprus. The use of yoghurt,semolina and rose water in this recipe makes for a golden, soft and light textured cake with the sweet scent of rose water coming through nicely. The addition of Rose water syrup poured over the hot cake brings together a fusion of the wonderful Mediterranean flavors. If your not a big fan of rose water, you can use other flavors in your syrup such as orange blossom water or vanilla extract. I like to add around 2 tablespoons of rosewater, a cinnamon stick and some crushed cardamom pods to mine.

                       The original recipe comes from Tessa Kiros' cookbook ' Falling Cloudberries'.Can be find online at Amazon.

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Falling-Cloudberries-World-Family-Recipes/dp/1741964318     /ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310228821&sr=1-3


Yoghurt & Semolina Syrup cake with Rose water syrup

120g slightly salted butter
230g caster sugar
250g plain yoghurt
1 - 2 tablespoons rose water
3 eggs, seperated
125g plain flour
125g semolina
2 teaspoons baking powder
55g ground almonds

Rose water syrup
230g caster or granulated sugar
250 ml water
1-2 tablespoons rose water
1 cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods crushed
3 cloves

1 . Preheat your oven to 180c (gas mark 4/350 f). Grease a 9inch square cake tin and line with baking parchment.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl, whisk in the yoghurt,rose water and egg yolks.
3. Add the flour, semolina and baking powder and mix well to incorporate.
4. Add the ground almonds.
5. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until fluffy and start to form soft peaks.
6. Add the egg whites to the cake batter until they are incorporated well.
7. Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 35 - 45 mins.
8. When the cake has turned a deep golden colour and cooked through, leave to cool.

For the syrup put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and boil for 5-8 mins. Pour the hot syrup over the cake and leave it to cool. Serve at room temperature with some good quality vanilla ice-cream or as it is!

Fashion meets Cupcakes

From the creator of Cox cookies and cake in London's Soho, comes the bakeries new cookbook, created by Patrick Cox and Eric Landlard. Patrick Cox,a previously successful shoe designer and the award wining master patissier Eric Landlard have created a visually stunning cookbook filled with 75 do-able and creative recipes on glossy backgrounds that are sure to look and taste fabulous.

For those who have visited the bakery in Soho would have been struck by the beauty and somewhat erotic display of  the delicious sweet treats on offer. Cox cookies & cake certainly do not fail to impress and is the perfect destination for the fashionistas of London. Glamorous, sexy and delicious, it's the perfect cupcake!

"I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate." -- Julia Child, celebrity chef and cookbook author

Julia Child (1912-2004)

 Julia Child  the American chef and author is most famous for introducing America to the art of French cooking with her debut cook book 'Mastering the art of French cooking' with Simone Beck. While living in Paris she was introduced to fine French cuisine and attended the famous Le Corden Bleu cooking school, and later joined a cooking club where she met Simone Beck.

I don't really know much about French cuisine and i can't recall going to many French restaurants either, although i do know a few dessert recipes, floating islands being my favorite. Ever since i watched the movie 'Julie & Julia'  I've become slightly obsessed with the culinary delights France has to offer. I'm on the look out for Julia's 'Mastering the art of French cooking' and recently purchased Mireille Guiliano's 'French women don't get fat' which i have to say is a great read, filled with simple recipe ideas and helpful tips, it's not so much a diet book but more of a lifestyle book that preaches chocolate, bread and wine are not the enemy ( when consumed in moderation of course!). It's more about celebrating life and good food and learning how to do just that. I'll certainly be looking up some French dessert recipe's and ideas that i can start using.