A dacquoise is a meringue which has ground nuts incorporated into it. I chose hazelnuts and added dark chocolate and sour cherries as well. Preheat your oven to 190ºC (375ºF) and line a springform cake tin. Bring 6 egg whites to room temperature. Meanwhile, toast 130g (4½ oz) of hazelnuts. Cool them and blitz them…… Continue reading hazelnut dacquoise cake
Tag: dessert
roasted fig, ricotta and almond cake
It was fig season and I bought a tray of fresh figs. I decided to roast them using a David Lebovitz recipe as a guide. The idea for this flourless and gluten free cake followed. For the roasted figs: Preheat your oven to 200ºC (400ºF). Wash 900g (2 lbs) of figs, trim off the stems…… Continue reading roasted fig, ricotta and almond cake
caramelised banana ice cream
Perfect for using up leftover (even frozen) over-ripe bananas, this is not your usual banana ice cream but a richer caramelised version, despite being eggless and having no cream. Adapted from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop. Preheat your oven to 205ºC (400ºF). Cut 6 medium over-ripe bananas into small slices. Put them in a baking…… Continue reading caramelised banana ice cream
honey cake
All honey and no sugar as well as an added honey syrup ensure the heady flavour of honey comes to the fore in this moist dessert cake. Another delightful recipe from recipetineats. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a 20cm (8″) round cake tin and line with baking paper. In a bowl whisk together 1 cup of…… Continue reading honey cake
olive oil ice cream
A good quality, fruity extra virgin olive oil is a surprisingly good addition to ice cream. This eggless version is rich with a wonderfully smooth mouth feel. I’m a convert! Measure 2 cups of full fat milk, removing 2 tablespoons of the milk to make a slurry with 4 – 5 teaspoons of cornflour (cornstarch).…… Continue reading olive oil ice cream
individual flourless almond and berry cakes
Here’s a mini flourless cake that’s easy to prepare ahead and serve as a hot dessert. Or, if you’re on your own and craving a quick dessert, cook it in a mug in the microwave for 2 minutes. Delicious either way! For each cake combine ⅓ – ½ cup of almond meal with 1½ -…… Continue reading individual flourless almond and berry cakes
kulfi ice cream
Kulfi is a type of Indian ice cream that has been around since the 16th century. Denser and creamier than regular ice cream, kulfi was traditionally made by slow-cooking and constantly stirring sweetened flavoured milk until the sugars caramelised, the milk proteins browned and the mixture became thick and condensed. Mine is a more modern version…… Continue reading kulfi ice cream
gorgonzola and honey ice cream
If you like a bit of blue cheese after dinner, try this ice cream instead. Unlike most of my ice creams, this one was made with egg yolks. In a small saucepan or in a cup in the microwave warm ⅔ of a cup of honey and set aside. Roughly chop 110g (4 oz) of…… Continue reading gorgonzola and honey ice cream
banana upside-down cake
A deeply caramelised and super delicious banana cake from Melissa Clark via NYT Cooking. Preheat your oven to 175ºC (350ºF) and grease and line a cake tin. In an frypan melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Add ⅓ of a cup of light brown brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice and ¼…… Continue reading banana upside-down cake
pavlova
The jury is out about whether this dessert originated in Australia or New Zealand but it was definitely named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova who toured both countries in the 1920s. It has become an iconic celebratory dessert which most often appears at Christmas time when fresh fruit is at its best in the southern hemisphere.…… Continue reading pavlova
michelle picker cooks 