Passion fruit Granita

Told you I was having a thing with passion fruit. Don't worry there's more coming too!! The simplest and one of the best ways to eat it is spooned on top of plain Greek style yogurt, but sometimes it should be a hero without anything, just a little bit of sugar and help from the freezer, and you have a super tasty, but refreshing summer dessert.

Its super simple to make along with most of my other desserts, because who has that much time these days. Especially when its summer when all you want to do is be outside and socialising, reading or sunbathing. If your like me then have always wanted to make granita, but always thought you needed some fancy ice cream/sorbet maker, but you actually don't then i hope this recipe will tempt you into how easy it really is. 

To separate the most amount of juice from the seeds, i blitzed the pulp quickly before sieving. I served this as a "pre" dessert, as a small pallet cleanser in between the main and dessert but you could easily serve this as a main dessert, just enlarge the serving dish and portions.  

To serve as a palette cleanser i just popped a few tiny mint leaves on top, as i didn't want the extra passion fruit and coconut to over complicate the refreshing flavour. These coconut biscuits, pictured below are great served with it and my other passion fruit dessert, passion fruit posset (recipe for the biscuits is on its way!!). 

Serves 10 as dessert or 20+ as a small palate cleanser
Ingredients

460g caster sugar
500ml passion fruit pulp, strain to make 250ml juice (around 18-24) 
1250ml of water
2 tbsp lime juice
coconut milk, optional
pulp from 4 passion fruit, optional

1. Put the sugar and water together in a saucepan and stir over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. set aside to cool
2. Add the strained passion fruit juice and lime, stir to combine.
4. Pop in a shallow tray and into the freezer, for 2 hrs or until setting around the edges.
5. Using a fork rough up the crystals, and return to the freezer.
6. Repeat each hour, until its all frozen around 3 hrs.
7. Once frozen pop into containers, and keep in the freezer until needed.
8. to serve as a palette cleanser, top with tiny mint leaves. To serve as a dessert, spoon over the extra passion fruit and a little coconut milk. 

Passion Fruit Posset

With the sight of summer ever closer, the meals get lighter and fresher. The heavy casserole and soup recipes, gradually get pushed to the back of the recipe books. The salad recipes become more used, the desserts become less chocolate and sponge based, and more fresh fruit based. Its also the time i start using all the tropical fruit that i love: I could never tire of eating mango and passion fruit!!

If you had to pick a fancy dessert, that seemed really difficult, but isn't, then a posset would definitely be it. Having grown up watching my mum do a lemon version every time she invited people over, there was no doubt in my mind, that it was easy, and super delicious. With my recent craziness over passion fruit (you'll understand in a few posts), it seemed like an obvious choice to combine the two!! Plus, i had a dinner party that i was cooking for, so it was an obvious choice, as these can easily be made a day or two ahead.

Serve them in individual pots, topped of with extra passion fruit. Serve them with crisp coconut biscuits (recipe coming soon!!!). If you wanted to add another element, top with small cubes of mango, and sprigs of mint for extra colour.

Ingredients

600ml double cream

120g caster sugar

6 passion fruit

1 lime

coconut biscuits to serve, optional

1. Put the cream and sugar, into a saucepan. Gently heat up until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the boil, and reduce to a simmer for 3 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, scoop out the pulp from 5 passion fruit, and pass through a sieve. I prefer to blitz the pulp, for a couple of seconds, so the juice separates from the seeds better.

3. once the cream has simmered, take off the heat and stir in the passion fruit juice and lime juice.

4. allow to cool slightly, before pouring into ramekins. chill for 4-6 hrs or overnight

5.  to serve, spoon over the flesh from the leftover passion fruit. Serve with coconut biscuits, if wished.

Dairy Free Berry Ice Cream

It may look super healthy, topped with chia seeds and coconut, and although it is; I promise it's super tasty. It's also extremely easy to make, it's a bit like Nigella calling avocado toast a recipe, it's that easy. Plus, it's healthy food but with flavour, so your not going to give up on that "new year, new you", just yet. It's pretty easy to make ahead, just make a big batch, pop this into a container, and into the freezer, and take a scoop whenever you need it.

I like having it at breakfast, but is probably better as a dessert, in replace of ice cream. That's kind of why I have it at breakfast, because it's like ice cream, and there's no denying unconventional breakfasts are the best. If you wanted it more like a breakfast sprinkle granola on top, and add fresh fruit.

This recipe is super adaptable, swap the berries with whatever fruit you like (mango is another of my favourites). If your not that into fruit add a couple teaspoons of cocoa powder, would make a lovely chocolate "ice cream". If your latest internet craze, a smoothie bowl recipe; then just add more coconut milk to reach the desired consistency.

Ingredients 

1 banana, frozen 

1/4 - 1/3 cup frozen berries 

Coconut milk

Toppings, e.g.chia seeds, coconut flakes, granola, pomegranate seeds

1. Pop the frozen banana and berries into a blender 

2. Pour over a good glug of the coconut milk, leave to warm up slightly for a few minutes 

3. Blend until smooth, add more coconut milk if needed 

4. Top with chosen toppings, serve immediately 

Mango and Coconut Cream with Pistachio Brittle

If you wanted the quickest (homemade) dessert in the whole entire universe then look no further, because trust me this is quicker than walking to your local supermarket, and buying something, unless you live right outside a supermarket, and can run around it like Usain bolt.

I thought i might mention that it utterly delicious, but then for someone who could eat about 10 mangoes per day, and never get bored then i suppose i might be a bit biased. Whatever you do though, use alphonso mangoes! Oh, and once you've made the brittle, I would hide it away until you need it, because unless you have super strong will power, then you might find it magically disappears! 

In this version photographed I used coconut cream (hence it's very white), instead of cream, which is a great option if your lactose intolerant, or if you prefer not to eat dairy/animal products. Instead of using a small expensive tins of coconut cream, I used a tin of coconut milk, and the solid part which had naturally separated (sainsburys own is the best to use), then just whipped it, with the same amount of cardamon. If you don't like cardamon, or want to freshen up the dessert, grated lime zest would also work well.

Serves 4

Ingredients

5 tbsp caster sugar
50g shelled pistachios

300ml double cream, or coconut cream
2 tbsp caster sugar
10 cardamon seeds, shelled, crushed into a powder
400g alphonso mango puree, or flesh of a fresh mango blended
fresh mint to garnish, optional

1. Toast the pistachios until fragrant, roughly chop 
2. In a pan, heat the sugar with 1 tbsp water until it dissolves and cooks to a golden brown caramel
3. Mix the pistachios into the sugar, and spread on baking paper and leave to cool
4. whip the cream with the sugar and cardamon, until it forms soft peaks 
5. divide the mango between 4 glasses, spoon over the cream
6. roughly break up the brittle, sprinkle over. top with a spring of mint.

Canapés: Elderflower, Raspberry, Almond Cake with chargrilled Apricots, and quenelle of Marscaspone

Just one of those posts, that make you feel like a professional, as you did it so long ago (March), when the main ingredients were out of season(it was a nightmare, finding apricots, and had to resort to tinned, sadly). I did have a reason though, instead of seeming incredibly organised, which i wish i could be. The main reason why i held off sharing it, was because it was the winning canape (i won something for the first time in my life!!) so i wanted it too appear first (in all it glory) at the event.

I created it for the London produce show, the brief was to create a seasonal cold canapé, for the event. Simples, nope, not really. You might have gathered from the majority of my posts, that i have a sweet tooth, so of course it had to be sweet, not to mention i couldn't think of a good savoury one, without tomatoes or peas/beans, as i knew everyone else would use them. 

Feel free to change the apricots, if you don't like it, to another stone fruit e.g. nectarine or peach, and just grill the same, although you might want to cut them a little smaller. You could also switch up the base flavour, with lime or add in blackberries like my favourite slice here. Also feel free to take out the lemon basil (which a didn't actually use, it was just for the recipe) and replace with tiny normal basil, or mint leaves.

So, after many hours of brainstorming, searching pinterest, looking back at old recipes, and double checking that the fruit was definitely in season, i finally came up with my canapé.

My inspiration behind the recipe:

"I wanted to create something delicious with several of my favourite foods, using ingredients that I personally eat seasonally.

I chose a sweet canapé, because I have a sweet tooth, and I like making things look pretty.

I forage for elderflower every year, make it into the cordial, and am always looking for an excuse to use it because I enjoy its flavour.

I also wanted raspberries in the canapé, as they are my favourite fruit, and I only tend to eat them when they are in season, as they are most flavoursome then.

I used an almond sponge as I enjoy the taste and texture of almonds, but also because I wanted to create something lower in gluten, as it’s becoming more popular to eat less gluten."

Makes 48 (4.5cm cake tin), preparation(including cordial):-approx. 49hrs, preparation(excluding cordial):- approx. 30mins Cooking time:- approx. 1 hrs.

Elderflower cordial recipe

For the cake:

225g butter

50g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

200g almonds

225g caster sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

4 eggs

2 packs raspberries(300g)

100ml undiluted elderflower cordial(can also use bought)

Juice 1 lemon

1tbsp caster sugar

8 apricots

100g Sugar

200g Mascarpone

250g Pistachios

1 pack Raspberries(150g)

Lemon basil to garnish

To make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 180c°.Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time, making sure everything is incorporated, before adding more. Fold in the almonds, flour and baking powder. Place into greased tins, about half. Put one raspberry in each, and press down. Bake for 15 mins, or until risen and golden on top. While the cakes are baking, stir together the cordial, lemon juice and 1 tbsp sugar. When the cakes are done, remove from the oven. Spoon the syrup over the cakes whilst still hot. Leave to cool.

To finish:

Cut the apricots into 6ths, dip into the sugar. Place on a preheated and lightly oiled griddle/barbecue. Cook the apricots for 1-2 mins or until caramelised on both sides. or sprinkle with sugar and blowtorch. Leave to cool.

Cook the raspberries until they start to break down. Blend the raspberries, sieve to remove and seeds. Set aside to cool.

Chop up the pistachios, set aside.

Quenelle the mascarpone and place on top of the cakes.(if you don't have small spoons feel free to pipe).
Place the apricot on top of the mascarpone, place on the pistachios, drizzle with the raspberry coulis and garnish with lemon basil.

Lemon, Almond and Polenta Cake

With summer on its way...Hopefully. I start using lemon, in a whole lot more recipes. This is just the start of it, unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look on it. This cake is one of my new favourites,as its so moist and it's really lemony, unlike some recipes which lack flavour, unless accompanied with lemon icing, but this isn't one of them.

I also love almonds, so this cake was right up my street. I have also used polenta in the past in cakes see here, and love the unusual crunchy texture it gives. I also love how this cake is gluten free, so I can eat as much as I like without getting a sore tummy.

Serve at afternoon tea, or as a easy summer dessert. Personally, i would chose the dessert option with greek yogurt, or if your feeling really fancy dollop on creme fraiche, sprinkle on thyme, or lemon thyme if your really trying to impress someone.

Ingredients

200g butter
200g caster sugar
200g almond flour
100g polenta 
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
2 lemons
125g icing sugar

1. preheat the oven to 180 °/ gas 4.
2. beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
3. in a separate bowl mix together the almonds, polenta and baking powder
4. beat in a little of the dry mix into the butter and sugar, followed by one egg
5. add the rest in, alternating between egg and the dry mix, finally beat in the lemon zest
6. place into your prepared tin, and into the oven for 40 mins, or until golden, and coming away from the sides
7. meanwhile, make the syrup: mix together the lemon juice and icing sugar, bring to the boil in a small saucepan (or in the microwave, until the sugar has dissolved.
8. once the cakes done, prick with a cake tester, pour over the syrup whilst the cakes are still hot. leave to cool fully in the tin
9. when cool, serve with greek yogurt and thyme if wished

Grapefruit Meringue Tart

This for those fancy summer parties. When you want to impress someone, with a very pretty, but tasty dessert with a twist on a classic. I love lemon tart, so this grapefruit tart, I also love. It's so fresh and zingy, perfect for a evening summer party. It can easily be made in advance, but not more than a day as otherwise the pastry will go soggy. 

I decided to make individual portions, as I think they look cute, and it takes less time for the pastry to cook, and the curd to set. A larger tart would work just as well, then cut into slices. 

I have also left excess pastry around the edge, but feel free to tidy it up and make them neat. I piped around with Italian meringue which I then blowtorched, but you could also pipe it on top, to make it more like a traditional meringue tart. I garnished with mint and grapefruit, to add colour and texture, but if your really trying to impress, scatter edible flowers and gold leaf. 

Ingredients

For the pastry: 
375g flour
125g icing sugar
pinch of salt
140g butter
1 egg yolk

for the curd:
1 1/2 tsp powdered gelatin
3 tbsp cold water
115g unsalted butter
266g granulated sugar
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 cup fresh grapefruit juice
2 tsp grated grapefruit zest
1- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

fresh mint leaves

1. Make the pastry, rub in the butter with the flour, sugar and salt, until breadcrumb texture.
2. Add in the egg yolk and bring together.
3. lightly knead, roll out and line greased tins. freeze the pastry cases for about 30 mins.
4. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 190°/gas 5.
5. Fill the tart cases with baking beans, and bake blind for 15 mins, take out the beans. Bake for a further 10 mins or until golden brown.cool
6. Whilst the cases are cooling, make the curd. Whisk together the water and gelatin, set aside.
7. In a bowl cream together the butter and sugar, until light and fluffy.
8. Slowly add the eggs and egg yolks, beat for 1 more minute.
9. Add in the grapefruit juice and mix. 
10. Pop over a pan of simmering water, whisking frequently, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.Remove from the heat, strain if needed.
11. Heat up the gelatin to dissolve.
12. Add the gelatin, zest and lemon juice to the curd, and whisk together. Adjust lemon juice to taste.
13. Pour into the cooled tart cases, pop into the fridge until set.
14. To serve pipe blobs of Italian meringue, and scatter grapefruit pieces and shredded mint.

Salted Caramel, Almond, and Chocolate Fudge Tart

One week until the Easter holidays! yay! Oh, wait, that's just for my sisters. Great... That means, i still have an extra week, of getting up at ridiculously early o'clock, for work experience. I just want to go to bed, and cry. To get me through the tough weeks; i thought that chocolate, was really, the only answer. Since my sisters will have a head start in holidays , i thought i deserved a head start, in the chocolate eating department. So i made this gorgeous tart(man.... i love salted caramel and chocolate).

The best part is obviously the salted caramel, but if you've read my blog before, you'll know that I can eat it by the spoonful, so that shouldn't be too much of a surprise. The tart keeps well, as the layers don't have that much moisture, which cause a soggy bottom. The chocolate filling has a soft texture, somewhere between a brownie, and a mousse; which goes nicely with the crunch of the nuts and crisp pastry.

Like with all chocolate recipes, use the best chocolate you can afford, it really makes a difference. I used left over plain sweet pastry, but feel free to buy, or make a sweet chocolate pastry, if you feel like going on a chocolate blowout. I used almonds as they are probably my favourite nut, and what i had to hand, but feel free to use whatever nuts you like e.g. Hazelnut for that Nutella vibe, or pecans would work well too.

Ingredients

x1 quantity of sweet pastry


caramel:
75g sugar
25g butter
100ml double cream
1 large pinch sea salt
50g almonds

chocolate filling:
100g dark chocolate
75g butter
2 large eggs 
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp cocoa powder

1. preheat the oven to 180°c/ gas 4.

2. roll out the pastry, line with grease-proof paper, and fill with baking beans, bake for 20 mins. remove the baking beans and cook for a further 5-10 mins until golden.cool

3. While the tart is cooking, make the salted caramel. Dissolve the sugar with 2 tbsp water, cook until the sugar turns golden.

4. Reduce the heat, add butter, cream and golden syrup.stir until smooth and thickened. 

5. remove from the heat, add the sea salt.

6. leave to cool for a few minutes

7. pour onto the tart case, scatter with chopped almonds.set aside

8. for the chocolate filling. melt the chocolate and butter together, in the microwave or over a bowl of simmering water, until smooth. set aside and leave to cool.

9. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolk and sugar for about 6 mins until thick and pale, and doubled in size.

10. carefully fold in the chocolate and cocoa powder.

11. pour into the tart case. bake for 20-25 mins or until its set and formed a crust.

12. leave to cool before cutting. Dust with cocoa powder before serving. enjoy.