Just one more Spanish food post to end the year on a sweet note. I’ve expounded on the history of this cheesecake in a previous post. This recipe, adapted from Spanish Sabores, is my favourite so far. With only 4 ingredients it’s incredibly easy to make, looks amazing and is just delicious! Preheat your oven…… Continue reading burnt Basque cheesecake 2.0
Tag: dessert
pastel de nata
The Portuguese custard tart, pastel de nata (plural: pastéis de nata), has become a popular treat worldwide. They were created in the 17th Century by the Catholic monks of the Hieronymites Monastery (Mosteiro dos Jerónimos) in Belém, Lisbon. The monks used egg whites to starch their clothing, leaving a surplus of egg yolks which came to be used…… Continue reading pastel de nata
red wine poached pears
Simple, elegant and totally delicious. Thomas used this recipe. Before you start, make sure to find a saucepan that’s just the right size to fit 6 Beurré Bosc pears in an upright position. In the saucepan combine ½ a cup of sugar, a large piece of orange rind, 8 – 10 whole cloves, 1 stick of cinnamon, 2 cups of red…… Continue reading red wine poached pears
torta de Santiago
This Spanish cake is named after the cruz de Santiago (St.James cross) with which it is decorated. The cake originated in Galicia in the Middle Ages and is made from almonds, sugar, eggs and a little flavouring. Sometimes made with a shortcrust or puff pastry base, I decided to keep it simple. Preheat your oven…… Continue reading torta de Santiago
lime ice cream
Here’s another Makrut (Kaffir) lime ice cream made with both the zest and leaves. To intensify the flavour, I first steeped the rinds in sugar to draw the oils out of the zest. Use a vegetable peeler to peel 1 cup of zest from your limes. Place them in a jar with ¾ of a…… Continue reading lime ice cream
carrot ginger walnut cake
Mary made this deliciously moist carrot cake from a Nigella Lawson recipe. It was chock full of ginger and walnuts. Preheat your oven to 170°C (325°F) and grease and line a 20cm (8″) springform cake tin with baking paper. In a bowl mix 200g (7 oz) of plain flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, ½…… Continue reading carrot ginger walnut cake
Oloroso cake
Oloroso (Spanish for sweet-smelling) is a style of sherry. This sherry is fortified early which suppresses the flor yeast and exposes the wine to air through the wooden casks it matures in. As it ages (some are aged for decades) the alcohol level rises and the sherry becomes dark and nutty in flavour. This is…… Continue reading Oloroso cake
flourless almond apricot cake
Apricots and almonds are both members of the same family of plants which is probably why they complement each other so well. This cake is easy to make, flexible (you can use fresh stewed apricots, canned apricots or stewed dried apricots) and very yummy. Preheat your oven to 160ºC (320ºF). In a food processor combine…… Continue reading flourless almond apricot cake
saffron ice cream and honey grilled figs
Bastani Sonnati is a Persian ice cream flavoured with saffron and rosewater and traditionally thickened with salep (sahlep, sahlab or glucomannan), a flour made from the tubers of orchids; and mastic, a resin from the mastic tree. Instead I used cornflour (cornstarch), guar gum and xantham gum. Figs were in season and a delicious accompaniment. For the ice cream,…… Continue reading saffron ice cream and honey grilled figs
semolina lemon syrup cakes
These little lemon cakes are tart and delicious and perfect for a picnic. Serve them just as they are or, if you prefer, with sour cream. You can make these cakes up to 2 days ahead. Another great recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi for Bon Appétit. Preheat your oven to 180ºC (350°F). Use paper cupcake liners…… Continue reading semolina lemon syrup cakes
michelle picker cooks 