Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Flourless Chocolate Roulade

Cake: 6 large eggs separated
5 oz fine sugar
2 oz cocoa powder
Filling: 8 oz semi sweetened chocolate
2 tablespoons water
2 large eggs separated
raspberry jam
8 fl oz heavy whipping cream, beaten until stiff

Powdered sugar to finish
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees and oil and line a cake pan 11 1/2" x 7 " and approximately 1" deep with silicone paper.

Start with the filling. Break up chocolate into a bowl and add water. Place bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Beat the two eggs yolks first on their own and then into chocolate mixture. Let cool slightly then beat egg whites until stiff and fold into the chocolate mixture. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for an hour.

While the filling is cooling, whisk the 6 egg yolks in a bowl until they start to thicken. Add the sugar and continue to whisk until mixture thickens a little more (do not allow to become too thick). Stir in the cocoa powder, beat egg whites in a separate bowl to soft peak stage and carefully cut and fold into the chocolate mixture, gently and thoroughly. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake on center shelf for 25 minutes until springy and puffy. Remove from oven and allow to cool in cake tin; it will shrink considerably.

When the cake is cold, turn it out onto a piece of parchment paper which has been liberally dusted with powdered sugar. Peel away the lining, spread a layer of raspberry jam over the cake, following by chocolate mousse filling and then lastly whipped cream. Finally, gently roll up the cake to make a log shape. It will crack as you are doing this, which is perfectly normal and adds to the look.

Recipe courtesy of Delia Smith

Sunday, June 12, 2005

Pears Alicia

6-8 slightly under ripe pears
1 cup water
1 cup sugar (I use 1/2 cup)
1 cup sweet sherry
peel of orange cut in strips
1/4 cup brnady
1/4 cup curacao

Peel pears leaving stalks on. Place water, sugar, sweet sherry and orange peel in a large pot. When sugar is dissolved (I assume this means over
heat) add the pears; cover and cook over gentle heat until they are tender. This should be done slowly and usually takes about 1 1/2 hours. The longer it takes the nicer they are. They can be turned every so often, especially if any are out of the liquid. Eventually they turn a glorious golden colour and become very glazed and transparent. When tender leave to cool. Keep chilled. Add the curacao and brandy just before serving. If added days beforehand this tends to evaporate away. They keep well fpr a week.

I served them still warm with double cream!

Pears poached in ruby port

Peel 8 beurre bosc pears (the ones with a rusty-coloured skin) and arrange them in a pot so they fit snugly.

Add 750ml of ruby port, 2 cups verjus, 2 cups sugar, 8 cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 whole cloves, 6 whole peppercorns and 3cm of peeled fresh ginger, sliced thin.

Cut some silicone paper or "go-between" (similar to cellophane wrap) to fit over the pears, keeping them submerged; a plate can do the same job.

Bring to boil and simmer gently till they're just cooked. Let the pears cool in the liquid. Refrigerate overnight, keeping the paper on top (that will give them their unique colour).

Serve with vanilla gelato or freshly whipped cream.

From Interactive Cook, SMH 11/06/2005

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