Paradise kitchen - Ζαχαροπλαστείο Παράδεισος

Edible ipod? Cascading Rose Petal Wedding cake

2011-12-07T10:55:00.005+02:00

Cakes, Lemon Meringue Pie & Minnie Mouse Madness

2011-09-29T11:41:00.005+03:00

Wedding fever and super cake week

2011-07-11T12:17:00.006+03:00

What a crazy coupla week? On Friday, late evening we received an order for a wedding cake... it was 20 kilos in total, so a 3 tier wedding cake, plus 5 seperate ones. All this had to be ready by Sunday morning! Yowsers!!! Talk about late notice!
I don't usually agree to last minute orders, but it was for a lovely client of ours, whose friend was getting married and their order elsewhere was bodged up in a big way. No bride likes to have these kinda woes 2 days before the wedding right?!

I must have punched out over 300 flowers...

Pirates of the Carribean Cake, for someone who is clearly a Johnny Depp fan!

More Barbie mania!

Harry Potter inspired cake - chocolatina - a deep rich velvety chocolate tourta

A cute farm animals cake for a little baby turning 1.

Casino Royale

2011-06-13T18:14:00.003+03:00

It's a Royal Flush!

Going to the Chapel...

2011-06-06T00:24:00.004+03:00

Rose trail, 3 tier wedding cake

Strawberry cream & chocolate pastakia (mini cakes) for a baptism, more trays with different flowers...

Happy 1st Birthday!

2011-05-06T12:04:00.004+03:00

Not quite finished, but getting there.

Barbie, Panathinaikos, Sponge Bob, Igloo & X mas tourtes

2010-12-14T22:38:00.011+02:00

Xronia Polla Elefteria!

Zebra Inspiration!

2010-11-04T19:26:00.003+02:00

I love printed tops, this is just to show my appreciation for Zebra prints! Fondant tourta with chocolate and cream.

CHANEL NO. 5

2010-09-22T12:04:00.002+03:00

OK, this not a bad 1st attempt eh?

Tourtes for girls!

2010-07-18T11:19:00.004+03:00

Fondant covered rose topped Cream & chocolate Tourta

Tiffany Blue Blossom tree tourta - cream & chocolate

Princess cushion with butterfly details - the message was later written in chocolate for the client.
Strawberry & chocolate cream flavour tourta

Birthday Tourtes

2010-07-15T08:58:00.004+03:00

Mickey & Minnie Mouse kissing Booth

The Making of the quilted pillow

Covering the cake with fresh cream icing

Rolled fondant

Add quilting effect & flowers

et Voila

I also made a different version of this cake for a 5 year old girl, adding a tiara on top of the cake.

Strawberry chocolate tourta

Delicious appetizers: Aubergine & Salami stack

2010-06-19T17:17:00.002+03:00

What you need!
Serves 6 to 8 big people

2 aubergines
4 tbsp Genovese pesto
4 large, ripe tomatoes
Maldon sea salt (plus table salt for extracting the moisture from the aubergines)
Freshly ground black pepper
24 thin-cut slices of Milano salami

Make it!

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 2/- 150ºC/300ºF. Slice the aubergines into thin rounds and arrange in a colander in layers, with table salt sprinkled over each layer to extract the moisture. Put the colander on a plate and leave to sit for about an hour, until beads of water -have begun to appear on the surface of the aubergine.
2. Rinse the aubergine slices under a running tap and thoroughly squeeze like a sponge so they are limp and rather rubbery. Swipe each piece with a little pesto and set aside. Finely slice the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.
3. Alternate the aubergine, tomato and salami in layers so that they form towers, securing each tower with a toothpick. Place on a baking tray and cook for 30-35 minutes.
4. Test the aubergine to make sure it is well-cooked and soft before removing from the oven to cool a little.
5. Serve the stacks on their own or with a handful of fresh baby salad leaves, tossed in balsamic dressing.

Recipe by Rosie Lovell via Marie Claire

Heavenly Chicken Pasta dishes

2010-05-19T18:25:00.005+03:00

I'm thoroughly uninspired cooking wise these days, but since the weather has cooled down, it's time to cook something a little more substantial, hearty and in a jiffy. Check out these 2 different chicken pasta recipes.

Chicken Pasta Heaven via UKTV Food

What you need! Feeds 4 hungry people

· 1 aubergine, roughly chopped

· 3 leeks, sliced

· 4 red onions, peeled, quartered

· 5-6 tbsp olive oil

· 3 red peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped

· 6 tomatoes, quartered

· 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, thyme or sage

· 1kg penne pasta

· 100g butter

· 5 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

· 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

· 500g mascarpone

· 200g cooked chicken, strips

Make it!

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6.

2. Place the aubergine, leeks and red onions into a large roasting tray and drizzle over two tablespoons of the olive oil. Mix well to coat, then roast in the oven for 15 minutes, or until starting to soften.

3. Add the peppers, tomatoes and herbs to the roasting tin, mix well and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add another tablespoon of olive oil if the mixture looks a little dry. Return the tray to the oven for a further 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and starting to caramelise around the edges.

4. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Drain the pasta and return to the pan. Stir in the butter and toss well to coat.

5. In a small bowl, mix together the parsley, the remaining olive oil and the garlic until well combined.

6. Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven and tip them into the pan with the pasta, then add the cooked chicken strips. Drizzle over the parsley, olive oil and garlic sauce and mix well.

7. Stir in the mascarpone cheese until the pasta is coated and the sauce is creamy and smooth. Pile into pasta bowls and serve immediately.

Came across this Kraft recipe via Group Recipes .

What you need to feed 4 hungry big people:

1-1/2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked
1 pkg. (9 oz.) fresh spinach leaves
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 jar (14-1/2 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, cubed
1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Make it!

HEAT oven to 375ºF.
COOK pasta as directed on package, adding spinach to the boiling water the last minute.
COOK and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 3 min. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomatoes; bring to boil. Simmer on low heat 3 min. or until chicken is done. Stir in cream cheese.
DRAIN pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole or 8-inch square baking dish.
BAKE 20 min. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 min.

Gordon's Cheesecake: Divine

2010-05-11T19:58:00.004+03:00

Saw this on BBC Goodfood today - gotta try it out!
Feeds 8 with a sweet tooth
What you need:

175g caster sugar
450g soft cream cheese
1 vanilla pod
75ml lemon juice
175g crème fraîche
475ml double cream

SWIRL

150g dark chocolate
150ml double cream

BASE

8 digestive biscuits
25g melted butter

Make it!

For the base, crush the biscuits and mix them with the melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 20cm spring-form tin. Chill.
For the filling, mix the sugar, cream cheese and seeds from the vanilla pod together. Whisk the lemon juice with the cream and crème fraîche to soft peaks. Fold everything together. Keep the mixture cool until you need it, but don't chill it.
For the swirl, melt the cream and chocolate together in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Cool the mixture until it is cold enough not to melt the filling and thick enough to hold a trail.
Spoon or pipe a layer of cheesecake mix over the biscuit base, then drizzle a thin stream of chocolate mix in a swirl on top, then repeat until you have three layers of each. Stick a thin knife blade or skewer into the cheesecake and swirl the mixtures together. Don't be tempted to smooth the surface down or it will look muddy. Chill for at least 5 hours and keep chilled until you need to cut it.

Happy Birthday Eleni!

2010-04-24T18:30:00.002+03:00

I really love all the cherry blossom cake designs out there, and wanted to experiment for myself with this kind of style for a birthday tourta for a friend.
I used a strawberry cream & chocolate tourta covered in fondant tinted with blue and a little green for that 'Tiffany' Blue colour, chocolate ganache for the tree and branches - piped through greaseproof paper (i like to diy).

The flowers were made a day earlier and left to dry/harden. For the large flower i used 3 different sized heart shape cookie cutters to make the petals which were thinned out at the edges and left to harden a little in a cupcake holder! I started with the outter edges of the flower, using larger pieces of the flower petals and a little water to hold/glue them together then smaller petals. I probably should have done it the other way around but hey ho, it still turned out ok!

et voila!

Make mine a 'Fish n' Chips'

2010-04-24T12:41:00.005+03:00

I cannot begin to tell you how much i miss Fish n' Chips loaded with salt n' vinegar on the pier stylee or Claphams Fish Club shop... sigh. That, and a good pie, not beta, i mean like a chicken and mushroom pie, oooh and whilst i'm on a roll a good Cornish Pasty or even West Cornwall's Steak and stilton pasty, yum. These are proper lard-fest foods, but i'm a foodie, so on tonight menu I bring you beer battered fish and chips with peas (not a fan of mushy - reminds me of school dinners).

Jamie's Dinner has a taste-tastic recipe which i've made numerous times and is a crowd pleaser - only you can't really cook this recipe for more than 4 peeps unless you have a huge deep fat fryer.

What you need:
• Sunflower oil for deep-frying
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 225g nice white fish fillets, pinboned
• 225g flour, plus extra for dusting
• 285ml pint good cold beer
• 3 heaped teaspoons baking powder
• 900g potatoes, peeled and sliced into chips

Make it!
Pour the sunflower oil into your deep fat fryer or a large frying pan and heat it to 190ºC/375ºF.
Mix the salt and pepper together and season the fish fillets on both sides. This will help to remove any excess water, making the fish really meaty.
Whisk the flour, beer and baking powder together until nice and shiny. The texture should be like semi-whipped double cream (i.e. it should stick to whatever you're coating).
Dust each fish fillet in a little of the extra flour, then dip into the batter and allow any excess to drip off.
Holding one end, lower the fish into the oil one by one, carefully so you don't get splashed – it will depend on the size of your fryer how many fish you can do at once.
Cook for 4 minutes or so, until the batter is golden and crisp.

Meanwhile, parboil your chips in salted boiling water for about 4 or 5 minutes until softened but still retaining their shape, then drain them in a colander and leave to steam completely dry.
When all the moisture has disappeared, fry them in the oil that the fish were cooked in at 180ºC/350ºF until golden and crisp. While the chips are frying, you can place the fish on a baking tray and put them in the oven for a few minutes at 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4 to finish cooking.
This way they will stay crisp while you finish off the chips. When they are done, drain them on kitchen paper, season with salt, and serve with the fish and mushy peas.

Sweet!!! No Bake chocolate cheesecake

2010-04-23T11:00:00.007+03:00

I heart cheesecake with all my life and i can eat not just singular pot fulls of the stuff, i can probably manage a half portion of an 18" round dish in one single sitting. Disgusting, no? Sweet, yes! I'm all for easypeasy cheesecake - ie. no bake kind and having scoured the net, i found a few recipes i will be experimenting with to kick start a rather sweet Friday soiree.

This one is from one of my fave sites - BBC Goodfood, although i did spot some similar yummy ones over at All Recipes and UKTV Food.

Feeds 8 hungry big people.
What you need:

For the base:
4oz gingernut biscuits
4oz hobnobs
4oz unsalted butter

For the filling:
200g extra light philly cheese - at room temperature
300ml tub of double cream
200g galaxy chocolate - I used dark chocolate which i melted before crushing biscuits
Garnish (optional):
Melted dark chocolate to make swirls
Grated white chocolate

Make it!

First of all grease base of tin - melt chocolate.

Make the base- melt butter and add crushed biscuits. Press down in the bottom of the tin.

Whip the cream then and add philly cheese( which should be at room temperature.) Mix well then add melted chocolate and add topping to tin.

Now garnish as desired and chill overnight to set.

Macaron madness! If you love it, we will make it!

2010-04-21T13:17:00.006+03:00

Are you a macaron addict? We at Paradise Catering sure love these yummy, colourful bites of pure heaven. I'm on the run today, so will continue this post later today... for now enjoy these beautiful images!

Images via Wallpaper, Pierre Herme, Laduree, Bakerella & Manolo Brides

Summer Chickpea Salad a la Jamie O

2010-04-20T11:58:00.005+03:00

There comes a time in the Greek calendar when excess is out and getting trim again is in and all the magazines, TV ads are spurring a whole load of interesting 'lose weight' diet plans including tea bags which will apparently make you lose weight.
This week (and it's only Tuesday) I've heard the word 'Diaita' or 'diet' whispered so many times, it's becoming the thing you 'must' do and start now. Hitting the beach o'clock is not far off so i can understand the craze at the moment.
Diet is such a dirty word, i just don't believe in it, so I just eat according to what makes me feel good with the occasional 'excess' of sweet candy and cake love. Ok, admittedly since i've been living here it's been a bit of an occupational hazard of mine to try out new chocolates, new flavours and well much more... But detoxing is pretty good for you though and once a year i like to get rid of the yucky toxins in my body by eating more healthily & cutting out certain types of food (be it meat and sugary snacks etc) - I'm just not really one for juices, or liquid diets! I'd probably fall flat on my face after day 2 of juicing or whatever! And don't get me started on leafy salads - ugh! I love a salad like anyone else but just not the plain boring leafy type - it's all about variety for me!

So anyhoos, here's something that's yummy and fulfilling from Jamie Oliver's book 'Jamie's Dinner's'.

"This salad is a great one for making up as you go along; you can use different spices, sun-dried tomatoes and spicy chorizo sausages, for instance."
Starters - feeds 4 hungry peeps
What you need:

• 1 small red onion, peeled
• 1–2 fresh red chillies, deseeded
• 2 handfuls of ripe red or yellow tomatoes
• 2 lemons
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 x 410g jar or tin of chickpeas, drained, or around 4 large handfuls of soaked and cooked chickpeas - I find that if you soak and drain your own it tastes way better than the tinned stuff!
• a handful of fresh mint, chopped
a handful of fresh green or purple basil, finely ripped
• 200g/7oz feta cheese

Make it!

First of all, finely slice your red onion. Once that's done, finely slice your chillies then roughly chop your tomatoes, mixing them in with the onion and chillies. Scrape all of this, and the juice, into a bowl and dress with the juice of 1½ lemons and about 3 times as much good extra virgin olive oil. Season to taste. Heat the chickpeas in a pan, then add 90 per cent of them to the bowl. Mush up the remaining chickpeas and add these as well – they will give a nice creamy consistency. Allow to marinate for a little while and serve at room temperature.

Just as you're ready to serve, give the salad a final dress with the fresh mint and basil. Taste one last time for seasoning – you may want to add the juice from your remaining lemon half at this point. Place on a nice serving dish and crumble over the feta cheese.

Meringue! Not the dance

2010-04-19T13:06:00.004+03:00

These delightful Meringue bites filled with either white chocolate or chocolate are now available at Paradise Catering.

If you're a serious meringue lover, our Lemon Pie is sure to tickle your taste buds

Bakerella's Mickey & Minnie Mouse Cake Pops

2010-04-12T12:33:00.005+03:00

Oh my gosh!!! Bakerella (all time favourite baking goddess & cake pop inventor extraordinaire) has truly excelled herself where no other person on this earth can - she made Mickey & Minnie Mouse Cake Pops! She's even got the full instructions on how to make these amazing goodies too via here. Aren't these simply the most awesome edible creations ever???
I've never made cake pops, only admired them from afar - like really far far away on Bakerella's website where you'll find all kinds of sweet treats, great food photography and of course recipes.
The Cake Pops have been such a success that Bakerella will be launching her very own book - exciting stuff or what?

creating cake balls from cooked cake mixture which has been crumbled and mixed with ready made frosting (i think that means icing sugar?) Pop in fridge to harden up a little

making the chocolate ears - you can use chocolate buttons & small cookie cutter to cut out a little chunk as above

The white candy is melted into a heatproof bowl (like melting chocolate/or microwave) and a few drops of black colouring is added & mixed well until you get the desired shade of black.

Taking a few cake pops at a time, Dip the tip of a lollipop stick into the melted coating and insert into  the cake ball. Then, grab two candy melt ears and dip the cut side into  the melted candy coating. Attach the ears to the top/side of the cake  pop and the coating will set like glue.When dry, the entire cake pop is dipped in.

Minnie Mouse in the making - confetti hearts were used to create the bow.

Sprinkles and confetti for the eyes, nose & tongue. Edible pen was used to draw in the mouth - wish all these little bits were available in Greece!

Tourtes galore!

2010-04-10T20:40:00.003+03:00

It's been a long day, tomorrow is a name day so we're busy preparing all the sweet goodness for y'all folks. Also, we've had numerous orders for savoury bites and Huge tourtes for Christenings happening this weekend... it appears there's a serious favourite amongst the girls that are celebrating this weekend. Minnie Mouse is one our most requested tourtes ever! Elefteria made 2 Minnie Mouse tourtes today, one catering for 50 people and the one above for a slightly smaller birthday celebration. Isn't it seriously cute and mouth watering??? I didn't quite get round to photographing all the other yummy cakes, but here's a few to tickle your taste buds.

Super Scrumptious Keik

2010-04-07T17:55:00.004+03:00

Soft, moist & delectable keik, covered in ganache or with milk chocolate with cookies. Why have it any other way?

Unless you fancy a light,zesty orange flavoured keik/portokalopita with your coffee instead?

Fondant Roses Tutorial

2010-04-06T21:14:00.006+03:00

Oooh, how exciting, I've made a recent discovery... actually, it's a brilliant blog for decorating tips and all things to do with sugar art -with the lovely Benson of Cakes du Soleil showing us how to create a vanity set. Love it!
I've never thought to make roses this way, but will definitely give it a go next time i'm making fondant roses.

Instructions:

Roll out the pink gumpaste very thin. Using the large end of the #12 piping tube, cut 6 circles.

Dampen one edge of the circle with gum glue; line up with overlapping sides, as shown.

Place a toothpick at the end and roll the first circle around the toothpick, creating the center of the rose. Remove toothpick, and continue to roll the circles around the center.

Gently roll back the edges of the "petals" and cut the excess from the bottom of the flower, using sharp scissors, creating a flat bottom. Set on styrofoam to dry.
Repeat this process four more times to make 5 roses in total.
Roll out a small amount of ivory gumpaste. Using the large end of the #12 piping tube, cut two circles.

Then place the tube 1/4" inside circle and cut again, as shown, creating a leaf shape.

Make veins in leaves using a toothpick. Pinch ends of the leaves together and set on styrofoam to dry.

images via Sugar Teachers

Καλή Ανάσταση και καλο πασχα σε ολους!

2010-04-02T18:51:00.002+03:00

via Cherry Hill Design

Tsoureki Paradise Catering stylee

2010-03-30T22:34:00.004+03:00

Tina has been busy cooking up a storm with her amazing & super delicious Tsoureki - she is officially the Tsoureki making Queen!

Milk Chocolate covered Tsoureki

My Favourite flavour: White chocolate covered Tsoureki

Dark chocolate Ganache covered Tsoureki

Last but not least, my little Minnie Mouse Easter Egg Tourta which i painted freehand on a separate piece of fondant -wasn't brave enough to attempt painting on the cake direct!

Santorini's speciality: Fava dip

2010-03-30T10:13:00.004+03:00

Ok, so I'm allowed this as i'm substituted ingredients to make it vegan, except that when i made it this morning i actually forgot it was on the hob (whilst doing other stuff) so it went a bit mushy. Draining the water out was not easy task, resulting in a Fava style soup than dip. So no pictures from me today. This, however, is what it's supposed to look like and it is yummy with fresh, warm bread!

What you need:

- 1 cup of fava to 2 - 2 1/2 cups water approximately
- 1 1/2 small onion
- extra olive oil
- 1/2 a lemon, salt

Make it!

- wash the fava lentils well
- set to boil in a large non-stick cooking pot, (medium
heat) adding enough water to create a thick paste.
- keep checking in case the fava has dried out
- half way though cooking time add a roughly chopped
small onion & 2 tablespoons of olive oil (optional)
- salt to taste
- when the fava is cooked, remove from fire & allow to cool
- blend or mash the mixture well
- scoop the amount you want into a serving dish & place
the remainder of the mix in the fridge to use later
- SERVE with an extra lashing of olive oil, half a squeezed
fresh lemon & 1/2 a roughly chopped onion to dress
** Fava dip can be served warm or cold

Recipe from Santonet.gr

Iman Biyaldi - Stuffed Aubergine

2010-03-29T21:04:00.003+03:00

Feeds 4 hungry big people
What you need:

2 medium aubergines
50ml olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and cut lengthway
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 whole cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
4 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
1.5 tsp salt
40 g flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
300 ml hot water

Make it!

Slice Aubergines lengthway and scoop out the meaty fleshy bit, leaving 1.5cm thick edge.
Heat the oil and saute the onions with the aubergine flesh for around 5 minutes til soft.
Add the cumin seeds, garlic, tomatoes, tomato purée, pepper and salt and simmer for a few minutes
Spoon the mixture into the aubergine 'shells'
Place the aubergines into an ovenproof dish and carefully pour round the hot water.
Cover with foil and bake at 200°C/gas 6 for 40 minutes or until aubergines are tender, topping up the water if it evaporates too quickly.
Sprinkle with parsley & serve.

Taken from The Vegetarian Society – (recipe created by the Cordon Vert cookery school) www.vegsoc.org

Easter Goodness!

2010-03-28T12:44:00.006+03:00

Happy Sunday everyone! My posts have been delayed as i am feeling not so hot at the moment. The change in weather has left me feeling somewhat yucky.
Tomorrow is when the majority of Greeks begin their fast - including me, what's on the menu you may ask? I'm not one to follow traditional Greek recipes - but I am a major fan of Vegan recipes that my friend makes. Delicious recipes to follow on another post... For now enjoy the Easter goodness at Paradise Catering. I'm so not with it, that i've got the pictures going in a backwards order, oops.

Tsoureki - for Easter all our Tsoureki have a red egg nestled on top.

Koulourakia - Easter Biscuits

Koulourakia in the making, with egg wash

This is how it's done folks! I wasn't going to let myself have a little rant today. But it makes me so cross when 'large' corporate companies think they can just swoop in and take over the Zakharoplastio industry - yup i'm talking about one big fat Chocolatier who also dips their fingers in cakes and Greek breads (as if selling chocolates isn't enough), using ready-made ingredients & a cheap price tag to sell their business. Oh that and shiny windows, decor & fancy packaging to lure everyone in.
I just wanted to say that there are many cake shop businesses in my area who have been around for years, i'm talking like anything between 25-40 years - they're not big cake shops, they're local independent business' who are run by families alike and these guys know their stuff. The taste factor difference between the mass produced and cakes from independent cake shops are huge.
Please don't take us for complete muppets and sell us slices of cakes/ Πάστες which are loaded with mouse and topped with cheap chocolate (which sticks to the inside of your mouth) leaving one super thirsty and think it's ok.

The piece of cake on the top left is apparently 'Black Forest', seriously...

The fast is on

2010-03-27T00:34:00.008+02:00

All week this week I'm going pretty much vegan, I've managed to kick start the day with muesli & soya milk and have avoided coffee all morning. Who know what might happen later. (I'm not a fan of black coffee).

Also, aside from making some traditional Greek Vegetarian dishes this week I wanted to branch out and try out a few different dishes such as the ones below.

Summer Chickpea salad - This is a lovely easy recipe from Jamie Oliver's 'Jamie's Dinners' book.
Serves 4 hungry peeps
• 1 small red onion, peeled
• 1–2 fresh red chillies, deseeded
• 2 handfuls of ripe red or yellow tomatoes
• 2 lemons extra virgin olive oil sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 x 410g jar or tin of chickpeas, drained, or around 4 large handfuls of soaked and cooked chickpeas - I'll be boiling my own from a packet.
• a handful of fresh mint, chopped a handful of fresh green or purple basil, finely ripped
• 200g/7oz feta cheese - I won't be using cheese!

Make it!:
First of all, finely slice your red onion. Once that's done, finely slice your chillies then roughly chop your tomatoes, mixing them in with the onion and chillies. Scrape all of this, and the juice, into a bowl and dress with the juice of 1½ lemons and about 3 times as much good extra virgin olive oil. Season to taste. Heat the chickpeas in a pan, then add 90 per cent of them to the bowl. Mush up the remaining chickpeas and add these as well – they will give a nice creamy consistency. Allow to marinate for a little while and serve at room temperature. Just as you're ready to serve, give the salad a final dress with the fresh mint and basil. Taste one last time for seasoning – you may want to add the juice from your remaining lemon half at this point. Place on a nice serving dish and crumble over the feta cheese.

I love how chickpeas are so versatile, you can play with so many different flavours, here's a recipe for Chickpea curry from the bbc.

Ingredients - serves 2 hungry peeps

1 tbsp oil or knob of butter
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp cumin powder
¼ tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp red chilli powder
1 fresh tomato, chopped
1 x 400g/14oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
5cm/2in piece root ginger, grated
pinch of garam masala
pitta breads or plain basmati rice, to serve

Make it!

1. Heat a deep saucepan or a medium sized wok and add the oil or butter followed by the onions and garlic.
2. Fry the mixture till the onions are caramelised. Then add the salt, cumin, coriander, turmeric and red chilli powders. Mix for a minute and tip in the tomato. Cook the sauce until it begins to thicken.
3. Add ¼ cup of water and stir. Then tip in the chickpeas and mix. Mash a few of the chickpeas while cooking. Cover and simmer for five minutes. Then add the ginger and the garam masala. Cook for another minute.
4. Serve with pitta breads or plain basmati rice.

Vegetarian Lancashire Hotpot

This is a very simple dish to make in a large amount. This recipe will feed about 20 people: Crikey! Might have to edit the ingredients quantity.

For the sauce, take four chopped onions, a clove of crushed garlic, a chopped green chilli, about 50g/1 3/4oz tomato purée, 100ml/3 1/2fl oz tomato ketchup, a splash of vegetarian gravy browning, a bottle of red wine and about 100ml/3 1/2fl oz vegetable stock.

Make it!:

Sauté the onions, garlic and chilli in a little oil until they are soft, then add all the other ingredients and boil for about 30 minutes. Blend until smooth - this gives you a sauce.
Now take plenty of vegetables - you can use butternut squash, asparagus, baby onions, broad beans, whatever you like - and boil them briefly until just cooked (except for the squash which you should roast). Once the vegetables are cooked, spoon a portion of them onto each serving plate and spoon over the sauce.
To make the topping, very finely slice some baking potatoes, leaving the skin on, then blanch until the slices are just tender. Lay them out on a baking tray, brush with loads of butter and stick under a hot grill until crisp and golden. Pop a few slices on top of each serving of hotpot.
If you don't want to put out individual portions you can mix it altogether in one pot and serve with a ladle.

What else is on the menu?

Lots of fruit & Veg for sure. I also love a Banana Soya shake - adding strawberries is awesome!
I love the simplicity that wild greens or steamed Broccoli has when you load it with Olive oil & Lemon juice and a little salt as a side dish. Olive oil will be off the menu this week so Canola or sunflower oil will have do the job instead.

Another easy fave is a chopping up a whole load of veg - aubergines, courgettes, carrots - whatever you want and adding a can of chopped tomatoes, crushed garlic, a little Oil, Salt & pepper and just throwing it all in an ovenproof dish on 180 degree setting for 45mins-1hr -yummy. I do tend to use fresh tomatoes instead of canned tommies where possible.

Other inspirational dishes come from my dear friends Bustaurant in London - this menu is amazing - I can never choose one dish so I always order a few things oh and lots of dessert. The Rootmaster is a vegan restaurant which uses the finest organic ingredients - suppliers who use the traditional methods of farming, they are incredibly environmentally friendly, recycling and re-using where possible and the booze is amazing by the way - organic and biodynamic all the way.

Orange & Ginger Chicken Casserole

2010-03-23T22:26:00.003+02:00

Dinner inspiration can be difficult at times, I get bored easily and need variation taste bud wise.
In comes Fay to rescue the day... I picked up 'Fay's Family food' last year (via Amazon) on hearing that it's chock full of easy & simple recipes. I'm not a fan of the pretentious malarky with gazillion ingredients, I just want healthy and delicious if you know what i mean. Well I haven't been let down yet, tonight i checked out the Orange and Ginger chicken casserole.

Feeds 3 hungry big people

Ingredients
For the marinade:
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp finely grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, crushed
zest of 1 orange
3 table spoons olive oil

6 Organic chicken thighs, skin off
1 large onion, chopped
3 large carrots, roughly chopped
150ml chicken stock
juice of 2 oranges
1/2 table spoon olive oil

What you need to do:

1. mix all of the ingredients in a bowl & toss the chicken into it. Cover & leave for 30 minutes - longer is good.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 180 C (fan), 200 C, gas mark 6, then transfer the chicken and marinade into a hot, non-stick frying pan & seal on both sides, which will only take a few minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in the oil, fry the onion and carrot in a separate, ovenproof casserole dish on the hob, until soft, about 10 minutes.
4. Combine everything by putting the browned chicken, stock and orange juice into the casserole for 45-60 minutes: when the chicken is pierced, the juice should run clear.

Tiramisu: Quick n' easy version

2010-03-19T12:18:00.002+02:00

Ok, so i've never made Tiramisu, but i sure have eaten bucket loads of the yummy Italian Dessert.

I didn't have mascarpone (and i'm not entirely sure where you can buy it in Athens) so i used good ole Philly instead. I also did a search for a recipe using a mascarpone substitute and found this one on Kraft.

What You Need! (feeds 12 hungry people)

2 pkg. (3 oz. each) ladyfingers, split, divided

2 Tbsp. MAXWELL HOUSE Instant Coffee

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 cup boiling water

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Fat Free Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups thawed COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping - I used approx 500ml of whipped cream instead

1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Make It!

ARRANGE 1 package of ladyfingers on bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish. Dissolve combined coffee granules and 1 Tbsp. sugar in boiling water; brush 1/2 cup onto ladyfingers in dish.

BEAT cream cheese in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Add 1/2 cup sugar; mix well. Whisk in COOL WHIP.

SPREAD half the cream cheese mixture over ladyfingers in dish; top with remaining ladyfingers. Brush with remaining coffee mixture; cover with remaining cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with cocoa powder. Refrigerate 4 hours.

Before making this i also checked out a few other Tiramisu recipes. I also added a rather large tablespoon of Tia Maria to the coffee mixture and a little more sugar to the cream cheese/whipped cream mixture too. Worked a treat.

Easter bits

2010-03-15T19:03:00.009+02:00

With Easter fast approaching, it was time to bust out some Spring style cakes. We thought an Easter basket filled with eggs would be a nice idea along with little ladybirds leaving a trail around the tourta. Easter wouldn't be Easter without an Easter bunny tourta, so here's my first attempt at cutting shapes out!

Getting Eggy

2010-03-07T21:04:00.004+02:00

Fast forward almost a week later and I can honestly say everyday feels like groundhog day. Yes, I actually feel like the dude who wakes up, the same time every morning and has the same experiences day after day. Only today it feels like i'm getting closer to the end of decorating each egg individually. Yay! I have countless paper cuts, have become a pro with the glue gun and am beyond tired.
Although there's a few more boxes to finish off, here's a sneak peek of where we're at with the chocolate eggs bunnies and roosters. I believe sometime next week we'll be starting on the Tsoureki...

Easter Eggs by the dozen...

2010-03-02T18:33:00.005+02:00

Easter, only one of the biggest celebrations in the Greek calendar is only a mere 4 weeks away, eek. The only reason i'm totally freakin' out is because i've been left with chocolate Easter egg, bunny and hen decorating. Yup, it's a big job that requires patience and not liking the smell of chocolate, which is well difficult for me (as chocolate is my Kryptonite) and i just so need to get into the creative groove right now as the clock is ticking. (Images above are from last year)

I picked up nearly all the bits i needed and am ready to go with the wrapping, which is the MOST arduous and fiddly job ever. I started in the morning and with almost over 180 chocolate whatevers in need of wrapping, ribbon tying and decorating, i think i won't be done til Saturday at the earliest. Woah!

The difference between these little chocolate beauties than the 'Cadbury's' version or shall i say Supermarket version is that they are handmade and the chocolate used is of a much higher quality (higher cocoa content for starters),we're talking at least 70% cocoa indulgence for all you chocolate lovers out there. Next is the fact that they are carefully hand decorated, some with gorgeous sugar art (from fondant) and each are hand wrapped too. Ok, some of you may think the deco is a bit garish, but these guys love it here, I worked out that they're big on anything sparkly too.

Getting there, these are the big kuhuna's weighing upto 600g! Yum!

I decided to add more pink princess action with the stefana (Greek wedding crown) and wand

In Greece you can't have an Easter Egg wrapped in Green without sticking a Panathinaikos logo on it.

Pastitsio with Penne

2010-02-25T17:50:00.006+02:00

I heart pastitsio big time. This is a typical Greek favourite dish equivalent to lasagne basically with layers of meat, pasta & a thick, fluffy béchamel layer on top, what's not to like? Whilst working and having the tv on in the background, my whole focus switched from laptop to tv in a nano second, they were halfway through making pastitsio on cooking show on Star channel. I was drooling at this point. The version the cooks were making was with penne pasta as opposed to the usual long tubular macaroni and a different kinda Bechamel sauce.

Here's the recipe in Greek, will translate in a short while!

Υλικά για ένα ταψί 24 Χ34 εκ.

400 γρ. πένες ή άλλο κοντό ζυμαρικό - 400g Penne

1 κρεμμύδι ξερό ψιλοκομμένο - 1 onion chopped finely

2 σκ. σκόρδο ψιλοκομμένες - 2 cloves garlic chopped

800 γρ. κιμά ανάμεικτο (χοιρινό και μοσχαρίσιο) - 800g minced beef

½ φλ. λευκό κρασί - 1/2 cup white wine

400 γρ. ντοματάκια κονσέρβας - 400g tomato conserve/tinned tommies

1 ξυλάκι κανέλλα - 1tsp ground cinnamon/1 stick

1 δαφνόφυλλο - 1 bay leaf

1 ματσάκι δυόσμο - 1 bunch of spearmint

½ φλ. κεφαλοτύρι τριμμένο - 1/2 cup grated Kefalotyri cheese

2 κ.σ φρυγανιά τριμμένη - a bit of fine breadcrumb

Αλάτι, πιπέρι, - salt & pepper

Για την κρέμα - Krema/Bechamel sauce

1 κ.σ μαργαρίνη ή βούτυρο - 1 spoon margarine/butter

1 φλ. αλεύρι για όλες τις χρήσεις - 1 cup all purpose flour

1 λίτρο ζεστό γάλα - 1litre hot milk

2 αυγά - 2 eggs

½ φλ κεφαλοτύρι - 1/2 cup grated kefalotyri cheese

Μοσχοκάρυδο - nutmeg

Διαδικασία

Σε αντικολλητική κατσαρόλα καβουρδίζουμε το κιμά , προσθέτουμε το κρεμμύδι ,2 κ.σ ελαιόλαδο . αφήνουμε να σοταριστούν όλα μαζί και προσθέτουμε το σκόρδο. Σβήνουμε με το κρασί. Βάζουμε τα ντοματάκια ψιλοκομμένα , το δαφνόφυλλο, τη κανέλα. Αλατοπιπερώνουμε ,βάζουμε και 1 φλ. νερό και αφήνουμε τον κιμά να βράσει. Όταν το μίγμα μείνει με λίγο ζουμάκι το αποσύρουμε από τη φωτιά και προσθέτουμε το κεφαλοτύρι και το δυόσμο.

Παράλληλα βράζουμε αλ ντέντε τις πένες . σουρώνουμε τις πένες και τις ενώνουμε με το κιμά. Ετοιμάζουμε τη μπεσαμέλ με το ελαιόλαδο: ζεσταίνουμε το γάλα σε ένα κατσαρόλι. Σε άλλο σκεύος ζεσταίνουμε το ελαιόλαδο ,ρίχνουμε το αλεύρι και ανακατεύουμε σε χαμηλή φωτιά ώσπου το μίγμα να σκουρύνει ελαφρώς. Προσθέτουμε σταδιακά το ζεστό γάλα ανακατεύοντας διαρκώς για να μην σβολιάσει. Αφήνουμε τη σάλτσα να πήξει και νοστιμίζουμε με αλάτι, πιπέρι και μοσχοκάρυδο. Αποσύρουμε από τη φωτιά και προσθέτουμε τα αυγά –ελαφρά χτυπημένα- και το κεφαλοτύρι.

Στρώνουμε στο ταψί το μίγμα ζυμαρικά, κιμάς . Από πάνω στρώνουμε τη σάλτσα και πασπαλίζουμε με την τριμμένη φρυγανιά. Ψήνουμε σε προθερμασμένο φούρνο στους 200 βαθμούς μέχρι να χρυσίσει η επιφάνεια , περίπου για 40 λεπτά. Αφήνουμε το παστίτσιο να κρυώσει λίγο πριν το κόψουμε σε τετράγωνα κομμάτια

Ok, I'm not going to translate this literally word for word as my Greek is terrible, the basic instructions are as follows:

Preparation:

Make the Meat Sauce

Sauté the onions until translucent in 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed frying pan. Add meat and continue to stir until lightly brown. Add the tomatoes, cinnamon, cloves, garlic, salt, and pepper and stir well to combine. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid has been absorbed, about 30-35 minutes. This is very important - the meat mixture should be as dry as possible without sticking to the bottom of the pan. Set meat mixture aside, uncovered, and allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease a baking oven dish 24x34

Prepare the Pasta

While the meat is simmering, prepare the pasta. Cook until slightly underdone, drain, toss with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to prevent sticking, and set aside.

Making the Krema/Bechamel sauce

Heat milk up, spoon a cup full into a bowl and add flour, whisk until flour is combined and thick, add more milk if necessary (ie mixture is too dry). Pour thick milk flour mixture into the pan of hot milk and whisk away until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat, whisk in the 2 eggs, add the grated cheese and add salt & pepper if required.

Spread the breadcrumbs evenly on the bottom of an oven proof dish. Use 1/2 the pasta for the first layer and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the grated cheese mix in a little of the meat sauce. Add remaining pasta. Remove bay leaves from the sauce, add the meat sauce evenly over the pasta, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Carefully pour the béchamel over the top and use a spatula to spread evenly.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top of the sauce is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool before cutting the pieces or it will not hold!

Penguin Iceberg Tourta

2010-02-24T17:48:00.002+02:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIDDO!

Something for the weekend: Banana Coconut Muffins

2010-02-21T19:19:00.005+02:00

The weekend always starts with a wholesome, slightly lardy breakfast of smoked ham, fried eggs and lashings of syrup. Ok, maybe not every weekend... but we prefer to have naughty food to kick start the mornings.

I've got a whole loada ripe banana waiting to be used in my usual banana nut muffin, but I feel like mixing it up a bit and use coconut instead of nuts and oats. Yum!

Found an awesome recipe which had lots of positive reviews from Recipezaar. This recipe turned out perfect, moist, and simply delectable!

Ingredients (yields 8 muffins)

1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Direction:

Preheat oven to 375°/180. Line muffin cups with paper muffin liners.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together bananas, butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and 1/2 cup coconut in a large bowl until combined well, then fold in flour mixture until flour is just moistened.Divide batter among lined muffin cups and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup coconut.
Bake until muffins are puffed and golden, about 25 minutes.
Transfer muffins to a rack and cool slightly.

Happy Valentines Day & Happy New Year (Tiger)!

2010-02-14T14:10:00.006+02:00

Have a Happy Valentines Day!

Easy Peasy, yummylicious Vanilla Cupcakes

2010-02-13T11:05:00.007+02:00

Having experimented with different variations of vanilla cupcakes, I came across this 'Simple white cake' recipe from allrecipes.com which had well over 750 reviews, all which were positive. It's also a recipe that is easily adaptable for cupcakes and different flavour experimentation too. I'm mid baking at the moment so well see how they turn out, i'm hoping to go for light, fluffy and not too dense. There's nothing worse than a dense tasting cupcake that's feel heavy. I noticed that in some UK 'fairy cake' recipes they don't use milk, which i think is the magic ingredient.

Recipe by Scottosman on Allrecipes.com

Ingredients (makes 12 cupcakes)

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x9 inch pan or line a muffin pan with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Finally stir in the milk until batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. For cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back to the touch.

Quick buttercream recipe from Allrecipes
Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk
3 drops food coloring, or as needed (optional)

Directions

Cream room temperature butter with a hand mixer, the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, or a wooden spoon until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla extract.
Pour in milk and beat for an additional 3-4 minutes. Add food coloring, if using, and beat for thirty seconds until smooth or until desired color is reached.

Mouthwatering, tasty goodness @ Paradise Catering

2010-02-12T18:15:00.011+02:00

Rollo with fresh almond - vegan sweet Lenten treats!

Skaltsounia (Σκαλτσούνια) - perfect traditional Greek sweetness for Lent. It's super scrumptious little roll filled with what reminds me of mince pies and is covered in icing sugar, so you gotta love this!

Mini Greek style Brownies & chocolate cream!

Greek sweet orange pie

Chocolate pie! Bring on the ice-cream!

Valentines Cakes: Part 2

2010-02-11T19:10:00.007+02:00

Τούρτα Αγίου Βαλεντίνου - Valentines Day Cake part 1

2010-02-09T21:06:00.004+02:00

We've been doing a series of cake hats lately - it seems this is what they want here, so in the lead upto Valentines day, here is a krema chocolada capello with fondant icing.

More Valentine's Day tourtes to follow on Thursday!

Buttercream baby!

2010-02-08T21:57:00.004+02:00

Buttercream is simply the essence that makes a cake what it is, be it cupcake or any kinda cake. I remember stuffing my face with Walnut layer cake as a kid, which had 2 layers of buttercream. I would only buy the cake if it was substantially and sufficiently loaded with the stuff!

I've got a load of cupcakes that will need to be lathered in buttercream in the upcoming weeks, so i've pulled some recipes i've found on Martha Stewarts website amongst a few other top foodie sites.

Billy Reece of Billy's Bakery in Manhattan's recipe for Vanilla Buttercream

Makes enough for 30 cupcakes

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add 6 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy. If necessary, gradually add remaining 2 cups sugar to reach desired consistency.

Betty Crockers Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe

3	cups powdered sugar
1/3	cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2	teaspoons vanilla
1-2	tablespoons milk

In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and butter with spoon or electric mixer on low speed. Stir in vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk.

Gradually beat in just enough remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too thick, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time. If frosting becomes too thin, beat in a small amount of powdered sugar. Frosts 13x9-inch cake generously, or fills and frosts an 8- or 9-inch two-layer cake.

Browned Butter Buttercream Frosting:

In 1-quart saucepan, heat 1/3 cup butter (do not use margarine or spreads) over medium heat just until light brown. Watch carefully because butter can brown and then burn quickly. Cool butter. Use browned butter instead of softened butter in recipe.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting:

Omit vanilla. Substitute lemon juice for the milk. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel.

Maple-Nut Buttercream Frosting:

Omit vanilla. Substitute 1/2 cup maple-flavored syrup for the milk. Stir in 1/4 cup finely chopped nuts.

Orange Buttercream Frosting:

Omit vanilla. Substitute orange juice for the milk. Stir in 2 teaspoons grated orange peel.

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting:

Substitute peanut butter for the butter. Increase milk to 1/4 cup, adding more if necessary, a few drops at a time.

Ooh, so many flavours, so much experimentation!

Clean Monday: Καθαρή Δευτέρα

2010-02-05T10:29:00.003+02:00

Clean Monday (aka Ash Monday) is a quite an annual food event in the Greek calendar; no meat is cooked on this day as it's the beginning of Lent among Orthodox Christians. This is also a day where copius amounts of shellfish is consumed and need I say more about Ouzo???
For the next 40 days/7wks, the devout abstain from meat and dairy products (or anything that derives from animals with red blood; no milk, cheese, eggs, yoghurt etc - wow this is going to be hard), until Easter Day as the body & Spirit is cleansed of impurities and prepared for the Resurrection. Most Greeks nowadays tend to fast according to their own variation of the rules: some people abstain from meat and dairy products on Wednesdays and Fridays (which have religious significance in the Greek Orthodox Church), others abstain from meat the whole week except for Sunday, while others may give up milk in their coffee, and some only fast during Holy week (Megali evthomatha).

I have no idea what the menu for this day is, but so far the most popular dishes from my recce on the web are:

Taramosalata - Fish Roe (ταραμοσαλάτα)
Flame Grilled Octopus (χταπόδι στη σχάρα) - or cooked in a wine sauce
I'll be washing mine down with vast quantities of tsipouro
Calamari - my favourite, with lashings of fresh lemon juice
Gigandes Beans/Fasolada
Pickled Cauliflower and Carrots
Lagana Flatbread

Valentine's day ideas

2010-02-01T17:56:00.005+02:00

Here are some divine inspiration to kick off this month from Bakerella, flickr, Cupcakes take the cake & The Scootabaker! Enjoy!
I came across TheScootabaker who had some awesome ideas for V-day cupcakes, i think i'll be having a go at making a selection of vanilla and chocolate cupcakes with strawberry buttercream heart fillings, then perhaps attempt making some filligree style choc hearts to put on top of the buttercream with heart shaped sprinkles. Yum

I found a great recipe for the chocolate cupcake from Joy of Baking which i'll be using again as it's dead easy. The cupcakes turned out moist and also quite light and spongy... but maybe not enough chocolate for my man's liking so may have to add more chocolate.

Chocolate Cupcakes:

1/2 cup (50 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 cup (240 ml) boiling hot water

1 1/3 cups (175 grams) all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly butter, or line 16 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a small bowl stir until smooth the boiling hot water and the cocoa powder. Let cool to room temperature.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Then in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat only until incorporated. Then add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.

Fill each muffin cup two-thirds full with batter and bake for about 16-20 minutes or until risen, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing. You can either spread the frosting on the cupcakes with a small spatula or if piping, use a large Wilton 1M open star tip to make lovely swirls.

General Tso's Chicken

2010-01-09T06:46:00.004+02:00

Having to decide what to cook for dinner for 7/8 people can be difficult, yet the basis of any Chinese meal consists of Jasmine/white rice, vegetable dish and meat dishes. Jasmine rice - check Vegetables - check - Gai Lan and also Choy Sum Meat - I saw this glorious dish over at Lizzie's blog - Hollow Legs so i'm gonna make General Tso's Chicken. I'll also be making Char Siu one of my faves for sure. Here's the recipe for General Tso's Chicken

General Tso's Chicken

Serves 2

To marinade the meat:

3 or 4 chicken thighs with the skin on, deboned and chopped into pieces

1 egg yolk

2 tbsp cornflour

2 tsp light soy sauce

1/2 tsp dark soy sauce

Mix this in a bowl and leave to sit whilst you prepare the other ingredients.

For the sauce: 

1 tbsp tomato puree

4 tbsp water

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 tsp dark soy sauce

1 1/2 tsp light soy sauce

1/2 tsp cornflour.
 - I decided to add a bit of Chinese Rice wine for an extra oomph

The rest: 

6 - 10 dried chillis, snipped into 3cm pieces, discarding the seeds

2 tsp finely chopped ginger - or crushed

2 tsp finely chopped garlic  - or crushed

1 spring onion, sliced for garnish

2 tsp sesame oil

Oil for deep frying

It looks like a long list of ingredients, but you just need to mix the sauce materials up for the last minute cooking.

Deep fry the chicken in 2 batches until the chicken is golden and crispy. Set to one side. Empty out the oil, reserving 2 tbsp. Fry the chillis briefly and then add the ginger and garlic. Fry until it's all fragrant, and then add all the sauce in, and then the chicken. When it is thickened, turn off the heat and serve, with the sesame oil and spring onion to garnish. 

What to do with left over katsiki

2010-01-01T15:24:00.005+02:00

Xpovia polla!
Wishing you all a fantastic, tip top,
ready to rock 2010!

I guess Moroccan Lamb Tangine with lemon cous cous is what i'll attempt to do in the current state i'm in.

I did make this delicious not so long ago when Athens went through a cold phase, but it is super sunny today- what an amazing start to the new year. I followed this recipe from BBC website by Rachel Allen. The cooking time has been shortened as the meat is already cooked and quite tender -bonus!

For the lamb tagine
4 tbsp olive oil
8 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4 onions, peeled and chopped
4 tsp grated, fresh ginger
1½ tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
3 tsp ground cinnamon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3kg/7lb shoulder of lamb, boned, fat removed and cut into 4cm/1½in cubes
2 tbsp tomato purée
2kg/4½lb ripe tomatoes or 4 X 400g/14oz can tomatoes, coarsely chopped
4-5 tbsp honey
For the couscous
1 large or 2 small pomegranates
800g/1¾lb couscous
6 tbsp olive oil
2 lemons, juice only
1 litre/1¾ pints boiling chicken stock or water
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp chopped, fresh mint or coriander
To serve
1 lime, cut into wedges
bowl Greek yoghurt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 2.
2. For the lamb tagine, heat a large ovenproof casserole or heavy saucepan on a medium to high heat.
3. Add the olive oil, garlic, onions, ginger and spices and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir, then cook, covered, on a low heat for about ten minutes, until the onions are soft.
4. Add the lamb, tomato purée, chopped tomatoes and honey into the saucepan, stir throughly.
5. Bring to the simmer and place in the oven for 1½ hours, until the lamb is tender.
6. Remove the lid of the saucepan halfway through the cooking time to let the liquid reduce and thicken.
7. If the sauce is still a bit thin, put the saucepan on the hob on a medium heat and without the lid. Stir occasionally and let the liquid reduce until a thick sauce begins to appear.
8. Meanwhile, for the couscous, cut the pomegranates in half and scoop out the seeds using a teaspoon and remove the white membrane around the seeds.
9. Place the couscous in a bowl and mix in the olive oil and lemon juice.
10. Pour the boiling stock or water onto the couscous and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
11. Allow the couscous to sit in a warm place for 5-10 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed.
12. Stir the chopped herbs and pomegranate seeds into the couscous.
13. To serve, place the tagine on serving plates with couscous and a wedge of lime. Serve alongside a bowl of thick Greek yoghurt.

Vasilopita!!! - Βασιλόπιτα

2009-12-29T19:41:00.008+02:00

As promised, here are just a few snapshops taken from all that Vasilopita making!

I may or may not have mentioned that this is very much a traditional New Year's cake containing a hidden gold coin symbolising good luck. These delicious cakes are a custom of the Greek Orthodox Church - the observance of Vasilopita, which began in the fourth century when a bishop, Saint Basil the Great, wanted to distribute money to the poor members of his division (without them knowing). St. Basil then commissioned the ladies of his church to bake sweetened bread, whilst he arranged to put in a gold coin in each bread. When the families cut into the bread that would nourish them, they were immensely surprised to find gold coins.

Although ours may not be real gold, we have slipped a gold coin in after they're baked! Enjoy!

Tourtes/cakes galore!

2009-12-28T18:59:00.002+02:00

Oh my gosh!

It's been kicking week! Hope you're all enjoying the festive holidays - lucky you! Indeed it's been a manic week, so much so that i've actually forgotten to photograph any tourtes we've been making - they pretty much all sold out on Christmas morning too. Bummer! We made x mas tree, bell & star shaped cakes... as well as yule logs covered in lots of chocolate. Dee-lish!

Anyhow, today we've started our 2nd round of tasty, moist, fluffy Vasilopitas... and that's just the beginning. Some of the Vasilopitas are HUGE! The decorating begins tomorrow - let the fun begin.
Will post picture when i've managed to get some, which may be tomorrow! Until then, stay merry and keep warm!

Melomakarona (Μελομακάρονα)

2009-12-21T10:00:00.006+02:00

Melomakarona - Greek Honey and Spice Christmas biscuits... yum! It really is Christmas in a cookie. I didn't used to be very fond of these bites, but now I love 'em. I like they're so moist, dense and full of flavour too. It's been a bit busy at Paradise Catering with the run up to X mas so i'm writing this now and perhaps signing off til the New Year...or maybe not.
So here's a few snapshots of serious batch making of melomakarona!

The Juice - using fresh ingredients and a few secret Paradise ingredients too.

Mixing in the dry and wet ingredients

Not overly mixed moist Melomakarona mix

My hands were pretty mucky so didn't get the shots of the wide sift we had for etching the hatch criss cross design, but we rolled a round bit of melo mix on a wide sift for the criss cross effect

Soaking the baked Melo cookies in Syrup, you know when it's enough as you give one a quick squeeze
and it should ooze drops of syrup.

Layering up the Melomakarona & crushed walnuts.

If you don't catch us in the next few days,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Xρόνια πολλά

Kourabiethes (κουραμπιές) - Greek Christmas cookie

2009-12-12T20:49:00.005+02:00

You're probably thinking that is a lot of Kourabiethes right? Wrong, there were at least 2/3 more trays of this delicious powdered sugar covered cookies. I personally love these and much prefer these over Melomakarona (Μελομακάρονα) with a cup of PG tips.
On Monday I'll be bracing myself for making several trays of melomakarona though... They're flying off the shelves.

Kourabiethes

Christmas cakes

2009-12-10T21:34:00.002+02:00

Looking for inspiration, I found these fantastic cakes on Flickr... check it out, they're rather delectable aren't they?

Nilgun Kutsaybalkis x mas tree cake on flickr

x mas pudding cake by kiwigirl Steph on flickr

by Fairycakes on Flickr

by Chocmocakes on flickr

by tortentante on flickr

Gingerbread House

2009-12-09T18:17:00.005+02:00

images via Flickr

Yup, tis the time of the year which means maybe getting to grips with all things Christmassy. I love the idea of a gingerbread house, how very Hansel & Gretal or a bit Shrek...and the endless possibilities of decking a gingerbread house is just too fun. One can go super tackyrific or uber creative.
Been scouring the net once again for some recipes, and found one on Times online and the other from my fave website BBC Goodfood.

Rachel Allens Gingerbread House recipe - Times online

Ingredients

300g butter; 125g caster sugar; 125g soft dark brown sugar; 225g golden syrup or treacle; 725g plain flour; 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 3 tsp ground ginger; 1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the icing for the gingerbread boys and girls:

175g icing sugar; 1-2 tbsp boiling water

For decorating the gingerbread boys and girls:

Smarties; chocolate buttons (milk or white chocolate); gold and silver balls

For the “glue” and icing for the house:

2 egg whites; 500g icing sugar; plus extra for dusting

For decorating the house:

Hundreds and thousands; Chocolate buttons (milk and sugared chocolate); Jelly Tots; Dolly Mixtures; sugar strands; Flake bar for the chimney; Piping bag and nozzles

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Line two baking trays with parchment paper. In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the sugars and golden syrup. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger and cinnamon into a large bowl. Add the melted butter and sugar and mix together. Knead the mixture for a few seconds until it comes together, adding a teaspoon or so of water if necessary. Flatten the dough into a round about 2cm thick, wrap with clingfilm and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

To make the gingerbread boys and girls, remove the dough from the fridge, dust the work surface with flour and roll to about 5mm thick. Cut out using boy/girl cutters, transfer on to the trays and cook for 12 minutes until they are slightly firm. Place them on a wire rack to cool. To make the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the water and beat until the icing comes together. Using a small palette knife, spread the icing all over the gingerbread boys and girls. While the icing is still slightly “unset” on the biscuits, arrange the decorations, then set aside for the icing to set.

To make the gingerbread house, first make templates in paper (click here to see dimensions)These are handy not just for now, but for when the dough is cooked and you need to trim the walls and roof to ensure that all the edges are straight. Now place a sheet of parchment paper on the work surface, dust with flour and roll out about a quarter of the dough to 5mm thick. Place one of the paper templates on the dough and cut around it with a sharp knife, then slide the dough, still on its parchment paper, on to a baking tray. Repeat with remaining dough until you have a front and back wall, two side walls and two roof panels. Re-roll any leftover dough to make into boys and girls — there should be enough for 6-8. Carefully trim excess paper from around each piece on the baking trays.

Bake all the sections in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Allow to sit for a few minutes on the baking trays to firm up. One by one, lift the pieces, still on the paper, and trim around the template to give clean, sharp edges. To make an open door for the house, cut one out of the front wall and cut out windows, if you wish. Place on a wire rack for a few minutes, then turn over and peel off the trimmed paper. Leave all the pieces to cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare a board for the house to sit on. To make the icing “glue” for the house, place the egg whites in a large bowl, sift in the icing sugar, then stir to make a thick, smooth icing. Spoon into a piping bag. To assemble the house, pipe icing along the vertical wall edges to join the walls together. Using a bowl to support the wall from inside, hold the walls gently in place until the icing is dry. Leave the roofless house to dry for at least 30 minutes until the icing is firmly set. Once dry, remove the supports and pipe a thick line of icing along one side of a roof piece and along the top edge of all the walls. Stick the two roof sections together at an angle and set the two pieces on top of the house. Hold the roof in place for a few minutes until it dries, then leave it for a further 30 minutes.

While the roof is drying, attach the door to the doorway by running a line of icing glue down one side and along the base. Stick a piece of a Flake bar on to the roof as a chimney. Using the icing, pipe around the windows and stick sweets around the door and on the front of the house. To make snow on the roof and icicles, squeeze out a pea-sized blob of icing. Keeping the pressure on, pull the nozzle down and then pull away, leaving a pointy trail of icing. Using the icing, stick milk chocolate and sugared buttons on to the roof for tiles. Glue the gingerbread boys and girls around the house, then scatter the board with sugar strands.

BBC Goodfood recipe by Jane Hornby

Gingerbread ingredients

250g unsalted butter
200g dark muscovado sugar
7 tbsp golden syrup
600g plain flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 tsp ground ginger

Decoration:

200g bag flaked almonds
2 egg whites
500g icing sugar , plus extra to dust
125g pack mini chocolate fingers
generous selcetion sweets of your choice, choose your own colour theme
1 mini chocolate roll or a dipped chocolate flake
few edible silver balls

Method:

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a pan. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger into a large bowl, then stir in the butter mixture to make a stiff dough. If it won't quite come together, add a tiny splash of water.
Cut out the template (see below to download). Put a sheet of baking paper on your work surface and roll about one quarter of the dough to the thickness of two £1 coins. Cut out one of the sections, then slide the gingerbread, still on its baking paper, onto a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, re-rolling the trimmings, until you have two side walls, a front and back wall and two roof panels. Any leftover dough can be cut into Christmas trees, if you like.
Pick out the most intact flaked almonds and gently poke them into the roof sections, pointy-end first, to look like roof tiles. Bake all the sections for 12 mins or until firm and just a little darker at the edges. Leave to cool for a few mins to firm up, then trim around the templates again to give clean, sharp edges. Leave to cool completely.
Put the egg whites in a large bowl, sift in the icing sugar, then stir to make a thick, smooth icing. Spoon into a piping bag with a medium nozzle. Pipe generous snakes of icing along the wall edges, one by one, to join the walls together. Use a small bowl to support the walls from the inside, then allow to dry, ideally for a few hours.
Once dry, remove the supports and fix the roof panels on. The angle is steep so you may need to hold these on firmly for a few mins until the icing starts to dry. Dry completely, ideally overnight. To decorate, pipe a little icing along the length of 20 mini chocolate fingers and stick these lengthways onto the side walls of the house. Use three, upright, for the door. Using the icing, stick sweets around the door and on the front of the house. To make the icicles, start with the nozzle at a 90-degree angle to the roof and squeeze out a pea-sized blob of icing. Keeping the pressure on, pull the nozzle down and then off - the icing will pull away, leaving a pointy trail. Repeat all around the front of the house. Cut the chocolate mini roll or dipped Flake on an angle, then fix with icing to make a chimney. Pipe a little icing around the top. If you've made gingerbread trees, decorate these now, too, topping each with a silver ball, if using. Dust the roof with icing sugar for a snowy effect. Lay a winding path of sweets, and fix gingerbread trees around and about using blobs of icing. Your gingerbread house will be edible for about a week but will last a lot longer.

Love or Hate: Marmite

2009-12-09T10:43:00.005+02:00

On a recent visit to my old hometown, I stumbled across what could only be the most incredible concept for my favourite topping on toast (beside Peanut Butter of course!).
There on 82 Regent St (near Mango & Aquascutum) in all it's glory was the Marmite Pop Up shop which is only until the Christmas period is over. What a shame, I think it fits perfectly in that little cubby hole bit of the small arcade of shops.
The shops is just how it should be, stacked with iconic images of Marmite a la Andy Warhol stylee and exclusive homeware products, artwork to books and clothing. Nice One Marmite!
View London couldn't have put it better, it is indeed "a quinessentially British brand" and even has a lovely Marmite Christmas tree in the window display. Love it!
With Marmite, it has a particular taste, so you either Love it or Hate it - a commonly used phrase in their brilliant advertising. I must admit, Marmite is great at sorting out any hangovers - that's a tried and tested concept.

Cakes galore!

2009-11-26T23:45:00.002+02:00

Chanel Cambon in Orange!

2009-11-24T19:25:00.003+02:00

This is my 2nd attempt in making a designer purse bag, this time i did the quilting effect after i'd laid the fondant over the cake. What did i learn this time around - the layer of fondant needed to be just a few millimeters thicker! Anyhow, i still love it!

Another attempt at fondant decorating...

2009-11-23T22:00:00.002+02:00

Well, i guess it didn't turn out too bad... but practise is the way forward from here. I made this spotty & stripy gift box style cake... again without proper tools, but overall i'm happy with it.

Fondant Ribbons and fondant decorations

2009-11-18T20:13:00.005+02:00

Today i've made my first attempt at making the fondant ribbons I featured in my previous posts about fondant decorating tips... It's not complete as the ribbon pieces are yet to dry, so will have to wait til tomorrow. Anyhow, I found another great little site which has great step by step instructions on making fondant roses... Here's the down-lo from Make Fabulous cakes.

All images via Make Fabulous Cakes

Moussaka Madness!

2009-11-17T21:01:00.005+02:00

image via Friends Eat.

I've never made moussaka before, and I knew there was a fair amount of work involved, well actually i just wish i had a bigger pan to fry the slices of aubergine with. It's a fantastic hearty Greek dish with several variations of the classic recipe, some involve using potatoes and some with Aubergines (eggplants).
I'm a sucker for Aubergines, so went with the recipe below, of course with a few tweaks here and there.

Here's Rick Stein's recipe from BBC

Ingredients

150-175ml/5-6fl oz olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped - I used 2
3 garlic cloves, crushed
900g/2lb lean minced lamb - or minced beef
50ml/2 fl oz white wine (a generous splash)
1 x 400g/14oz can chopped tomatoes - or fresh chopped tomatoes
1 x 5cm/2in piece cinnamon stick
handful fresh oregano leaves, preferably wild Greek oregano, chopped
3 large aubergines - I used 4 for extra layering
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the topping
75g/3oz butter
75g/3oz plain flour
600ml/1 pint milk
50g/2oz parmesan cheese, finely grated - traditional Greek recipe calls for Kefalotiri
2 medium free-range eggs, beaten

Method

1. Preheat the oven at 200C/400F/Gas 6. - I turned this down to 190C as the top/bechamel was going brown at a quick rate.
2. For the lamb sauce, heat two teaspoons of the oil in a pan. Add the onions and garlic and fry until just beginning to brown. Add the minced lamb and fry over a high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the wine, tomatoes, cinnamon and oregano and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes while you make everything else.
3. Slice the stalks off the aubergines and cut them length ways into 5mm/¼in slices. Heat a frying pan until it is jumping hot, add one tablespoon of the oil and a layer of aubergine slices and fry quickly until tender and lightly coloured on each side. Lift out with tongs (every kitchen should have some!), layer over the base of a 2.5-2.75 litre/4 ½-5 pint shallow ovenproof dish and season lightly with a little salt and pepper. Repeat with the rest of oil and aubergines and seasoning each layer as you go. - I went from this step to step 5 before making the bechamel sauce. The meat bit needs to be sauceless or the moussaka won't hold (as i've just disovered), it'll get a bit soggy, hence spread more fine breadcrumbs!!!
4. For the topping, melt the butter in a non-stick pan, add the flour and cook over a medium heat for 1 minute to cook out the flour. Gradually beat in the milk, bring to the boil, stirring, and leave to simmer very gently for 10 minutes, giving it a stir every now and then. Stir in the cheese and some salt and pepper to taste. Cool slightly and then beat in the eggs.
5. Remove the cinnamon stick from the lamb sauce, season to taste with some salt and pepper and spoon it over the top of the aubergines. Pour over the topping and bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden-brown and bubbling. I also sprinkled fine breadcrumbs on top of the meat sauce under each layer of aubergines and finished the last layer with slices of aubergines before adding the bechamel.

Extra notes:

Moussaka can be prepared up to the béchamel and refrigerated overnight. The next day, make the bechamel, pour over the top, and cook as directed.

Moussaka is traditionally served in very large pieces and it is a heavy dish. Serve with a green salad, crusty bread, and a dry red wine. Right, mine's just come outta the oven, yum!

Layering of meat and aubergine

Fine bread crumbs over the meat - holds the layers together

Bechamel sauce with kefalotiri & eggs

Nigella's Chocolate & Banana Cake

2009-11-16T22:35:00.007+02:00

Delicious and Dead easy to make!

Right now, I've got a damn cold and am not hungry, well actually i'm craving Chocolate and bananas, surely this recipe will suffice for an iron and potassium quick fix?

I've been ordered to go to bed now, so this cake will have to wait til tomorrow.

Nigella's Chocolate and Banana cake

INGREDIENTS

75g (3oz) chocolate

110g (4oz) soft butter

125g (4 ½ oz) caster sugar

2 eggs

125g (4 ½ oz) self-raising flour

1 level tsp baking powder

1 rounded tbsp cocoa

2 medium bananas, peeled and mashed (really ripe ones are great for this)

METHOD


1.	Preheat the oven to 180oC/350oF/gas 4. Line with parchment paper a 900g (2lb) loaf tin.
2.	Melt the chocolate in a low oven, microwave, or in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water.
3.	With a wooden spoon, cream the butter, add the sugar, and beat well; then add the eggs one by one, beating all the time.
4.	Add the sieved flour, baking powder and cocoa, followed by the melted chocolate and the mashed bananas. Stir to bring together.
5.	Pour into the prepared loaf tin and place in the preheated oven. Cook for 50-55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before removing.

My love for cupcakes!

2009-11-16T20:15:00.008+02:00

How about these scrumptious beauties from Crumbs & Doilies, UK? It makes me so happy to look at these little treats of joy! Note to self: must order cupcakes when back in London.
These guys are the best of the best, when it comes to creating stylish and delicious cupcakes, I just had to share these pics from their blog. Go check out what other little wonders they have!

I've also done a run around for some of the best and most basic cupcake recipes (fairy cakes to the folks in the UK). I also found the perfect Vegan Cupcake blog too with an incredible range of recipes that will tickle any vegans fancy! My vegan friends will sure appreciate this for sure!
The information below is sourced from the Telegraph.

FAST VANILLA CUPCAKES

Makes 12

A simple recipe to top with icing and decorations. Vary the flavour at whim (see box, below, for ideas for fillings).

4oz/115g butter, at room temperature
4oz/115g caster sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
half tsp vanilla extract
4oz/115g self-raising flour

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper cases.

In the food processor or a tabletop mixer, beat the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth.

Turn off the motor and add the flour. With the pulse button, or brief bursts of the beater, mix the flour in, stopping as soon as it is blended.

Divide the mixture between the paper cases.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and springy to the touch.

HUMMINGBIRD CUPCAKES

Makes 12 large (or 18 regular size)

Why this recipe from the southern states is called "hummingbird" is a mystery. Perhaps it's because it's nectar-sweet and vaguely tropical.

For the cupcake version, I like to make a little hummingbird to place on top, with a raspberry head, a mint leaf tail and a sliver of vanilla pod (one that has already had its seeds scraped out and has been living in the caster sugar jar) for the needle-like beak.

7oz/200g self-raising flour
8oz/225g caster sugar
3floz/85ml vegetable oil
2oz/60g chopped pecan nuts
1 large banana, mashed (about 4oz/110g)
4oz/110g pineapple, chopped (tinned or fresh)
Half tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

For the icing:

The grated zest of an orange
One quantity of cream-cheese frosting (see box, below)
Raspberries or other soft fruit
Frosted mint leaves
Slivers of vanilla pod

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper liners.

Making the cake couldn't be easier: just put all the ingredients in a bowl and stir together. Divide the mixture between the cupcake liners.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden.

Cool the cakes on a wire rack.

To decorate:

Beat the orange zest into the cream cheese frosting.

Cut a slice from the top of each cake and cut the slice in half to make the hummingbird's wings and use the remaining ingredients to make the head, tail and beak.

Pipe the frosting on to the cupcakes.

RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Makes 12

These are the Dolly Parton of cupcakes, artificially coloured, unashamedly vulgar and absolutely irresistible. The base, a vanilla cake with a hint of chocolate, tinted deep red, is another Southern speciality cake, made famous when it was chosen as the wedding cake in the 1989 weepie Steel Magnolias.

5oz/140g self-raising flour
2 tbsp cocoa
Half tsp bicarbonate of soda
4floz/110ml buttermilk
1 tsp vinegar
Half tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp red food colouring
2oz/60g butter at room temperature
6oz/170g caster sugar
1 large egg

To decorate:

Cream-cheese frosting (see box) and fresh cherries

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. Line a 12-hole cup cake tin with cases.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, bicarb and a pinch of salt. In a mug, mix the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla and red food colouring.

Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg a little at a time. Mix in a third of the flour mixture, followed by half the buttermilk mixture, then another third of the flour, the rest of the buttermilk and finally the last of the flour mixture.

Divide the mixture between the paper cases. Bake for 20 minutes, until risen and springy - don't overcook them.

Cool on a rack.

To decorate, pipe on the frosting and top with a cherry.

LEMON MERINGUE CUPCAKES

These little cakes are squidgy and intensely lemony. They are very good with or without the frivolous meringue topping. If you do decide to gild the lily, be sure to use the shiny foil cake cases, since paper ones may singe when the meringue is being browned. Baked in tiny petit four cases, these are delicious after dinner with coffee.

4oz/110g butter, at room temperature
4oz/110g caster sugar
2oz/60g ground almonds
Grated zest of 2 lemons, juice of 1
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2oz/60g self-raising flour
4oz/110g icing sugar

To decorate:

2 egg whites
4oz/110g caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with foil cases.

In the food processor or by hand, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and light. Beat in the almonds and lemon zest, followed by the eggs a little at a time. Add the flour and pulse until just combined.

Divide the mixture between the foil cases. Bake for 20 minutes, until springy and touched with brown (they won't rise as much as regular cupcakes). Meanwhile mix the lemon juice and icing sugar to make a syrup. Spoon the syrup over the hot cakes, then leave to cool in the tin.

To decorate: beat the egg whites until stiff, then beat in the sugar a little at a time until stiff and smooth. Use this shaving foam-like mixture to fill a piping bag, and pipe over the cupcakes. Brown with a blow torch or under a preheated, fiercely hot grill.

TOP TIPS FOR MAKING CUPCAKES

Use paper cases that fit the cake tins snugly, or they'll either spread too much or wrinkle up. Annoyingly, sizes aren't standardised, so measure your tin's cup size before buying cases.

Use butter and eggs at room temperature for lighter cakes.

Don't get any mixture on the edges of the cupcake case: it will burn and may stop the cake rising evenly.

Turn the tin round after 12 minutes or so if your oven has hot spots.

If all else fails, buy ready-made and ice them yourself. (Best cheat: ready-made cupcakes that are not filled too high look most homemade when flooded with fondant icing - try Asda's cakes with Tate & Lyle fondant icing mix.)

Ideas for fillings - I have to add that if you want to have a filled cupcake (with jam, chocolate etc) you can either fill half the cupcake case with mixure before spooning in a bit of jam/chocolate then fill the rest of the cupcake with mixure then bake. Alternatively, i have seen peeps cut a cone from the top of the cupcake then pipe whatever they want in it then replace the cake plug to seal it in. Wilton's also have the perfect accessory for piping in the filling.

Lemon curd (Homemade or Duchy Originals do a good one) Chocolate Spread (Marks and Spencer's Fairtrade Chocolate Sauce is to die for)

Raspberry Jam

Whipped cream, lightly sweetened

A cherry soaked in Kirsch (from a jar)

Cream-cheese frosting

This is really a buttercream icing, made with cream cheese rather than purely butter, which cuts the sweetness a bit.

11oz/300g cream cheese
2oz/60g butter at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
12oz/340g icing sugar

Whizz all the ingredients together in a food processor. Chill for an hour or so before using.

The Observer has 3 superb recipes!

Magnolia Bakery's red velvet cake with creamy vanilla frosting

Makes around 24 cupcakes

For the cakes:

500g plain flour
165g unsalted butter, softened
500g sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tbsp red food colouring
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1½ tsp salt
330ml buttermilk
1½ tsp cider vinegar
1½ tsp baking soda

For the frosting:

6 tbsp plain flour
440ml milk
450g unsalted butter, softened
450g sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 180C/gas mark 4. In a small bowl, sift the plain flour. Set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about three minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Whisk together the red food colouring, unsweetened cocoa powder and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.

Stir the salt in with the buttermilk and add to the batter in three parts, alternating with flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are fully incorporated, but make sure you do not overbeat.

In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda and add to the batter and mix well.

Divide the mixture into cases, then bake each tray of cakes for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before mixing together the frosting ingredients and applying the icing.

Dan Lepard's vanilla cupcakes

What makes these new-look cupcakes magnificent is their size. They're baked in large muffin cases and topped with a jaunty swirl of butter frosting to give them a Dior glamour. But underneath beats the heart of an old-fashioned pound-cake, albeit one with a touch more flour to give a soft volcano peak.

For the cakes:

125g caster sugar
125g unsalted butter, very soft
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
150g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder

For the frosting:

75g unsalted butter, very soft
250g icing sugar
75g sweetened condensed milk
75ml double cream

In the bowl of an upright electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla for three minutes on the highest speed until light and fluffy. Sift the flour and baking powder two or three times (this stops tunnels forming in the crumb), then add to the butter mix and beat for 30 seconds. Spoon into eight muffin cups placed in the pockets of a muffin tray, and set aside to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and firm. Leave to cool.

For the frosting, get the butter as soft as possible without melting, then put in a bowl with the other ingredients. Whisk until smooth and fluffy, then top each cupcake with a thick swirl. The sugar in the frosting means it will keep at cool room temperature.

· Go to danlepard.com/guardian for more baking tips

Allegra McEvedy's English strawberry cupcakes

Makes 18 little ones or one large one

55g butter, melted
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tbsp milk
120g self-raising flour
140g caster sugar, plus a little more for sprinkling
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
Punnet of English strawberries
200g mascarpone
About 5 tbsp grappa

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°f/gas mark 4.

Thoroughly combine the eggs and milk in a food mixer or with an electric whisk, then add all but 20g of the sugar, beating hard. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, and gently fold in with a wooden spoon. Stir in the butter.

I used small (5cm wide x 2cm deep) muffin tins, but you can also make one big one, about 20cm across. Grease with butter, then shake a little flour round. Load in your cake mix, nearly up to the top for the wee ones, and bake for 10-12 mins, or 15-20 for a big one.

Hull and halve the strawberries and put in a shallow bowl with a sprinkling of sugar and the grappa. Stir gently for a few minutes. Mix the mascarpone with the remaining sugar.

Once cooked, let the cakes stand for five minutes in the tin, then lever them out on to a cooling rack. Drizzle some strawberry grappa on each, then, when room temp, splodge on some mascarpone and top with a strawberry. The leftover strawberries and grappa make a knock-your-socks-off digestif.

· Allegra McEvedy is co-founder of fast-food chain Leon. Her colour cookbook is published by Kyle Cathie Ltd at £19.99. To order a copy for £18.99 with free UK p&p go to guardian.co.uk/bookshop or call 0870 836 0875.

Parisienne chocolate ganache balls

2009-11-12T12:26:00.002+02:00

I heart Galaktoboureko - γαλακτομπούρεκο

2009-11-11T21:33:00.004+02:00

What's baking in Paradise Catering's Kitchen? Puffy filo, custard filled pastries! Heavenly stuff I can assure you!

Really The Best-Ever Brownies!

2009-11-06T12:06:00.007+02:00

Orlando Murrin's Best-ever Brownies

Ok, so I won't share with you the other tricks of the cake trade, but I will share with you this amazing recipe for brownies by Orlando Murrin at BBC Good Food - one of my fave website for all things delectable. I have made this countless times and it always turns out perfect and a mega crowd pleaser.

image via BBC Goodfood

Ingredients:
185g unsalted butter
185g best dark chocolate
85g plain flour
40g cocoa powder
50g white chocolate
50g milk chocolate
3 large eggs
275g golden caster sugar

Cut the butter into smallish cubes and tip into a medium bowl. Break the dark chocolate into small pieces and drop into the bowl. Fill a small saucepan about a quarter full with hot water, then sit the bowl on top so it rests on the rim of the pan, not touching the water. Put over a low heat until the butter and chocolate have melted, stirring occasionally to mix them. Now remove the bowl from the pan. Alternatively, cover the bowl loosely with cling film and put in the microwave for 2 minutes on High. Leave the melted mixture to cool to room temperature.

While you wait for the chocolate to cool, position a shelf in the middle of your oven and turn the oven on to fan 160C/conventional180C/gas 4 (most ovens take 10-15 minutes to heat up). Using a shallow 20cm square tin, cut out a square of non-stick baking parchment to line the base. Now tip the flour and cocoa powder into a sieve held over a medium bowl, and tap and shake the sieve so they run through together and you get rid of any lumps.
With a large sharp knife, chop the white and milk chocolate into chunks on a board. The slabs of chocolate will be quite hard, so the safest way to do this is to hold the knife over the chocolate and press the tip down on the board, then bring the rest of the blade down across the chocolate. Keep on doing this, moving the knife across the chocolate to chop it into pieces, then turn the board round 90 degrees and again work across the chocolate so you end up with rough squares. I also chopped up a handful of walnuts for an extra crunch factor.

Break the eggs into a large bowl and tip in the sugar. With an electric mixer on maximum speed, whisk the eggs and sugar until they look thick and creamy, like a milk shake. This can take 3-8 minutes, depending on how powerful your mixer is, so don't lose heart. You'll know it's ready when the mixture becomes really pale and about double its original volume. Another check is to turn off the mixer, lift out the beaters and wiggle them from side to side. If the mixture that runs off the beaters leaves a trail on the surface of the mixture in the bowl for a second or two, you're there.
Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the eggy mousse, then gently fold together with a rubber spatula. Plunge the spatula in at one side, take it underneath and bring it up the opposite side and in again at the middle. Continue going under and over in a figure of eight, moving the bowl round after each folding so you can get at it from all sides, until the two mixtures are one and the colour is a mottled dark brown. The idea is to marry them without knocking out the air, so be as gentle and slow as you like - you don't want to undo all the work you did earlier.

Hold the sieve over the bowl of eggy chocolate mixture and resift the cocoa and flour mixture, shaking the sieve from side to side, to cover the top evenly. Gently fold in this powder using the same figure of eight action as before. The mixture will look dry and dusty at first, and a bit unpromising, but if you keep going very gently and patiently, it will end up looking gungy and fudgy. Stop just before you feel you should, as you don't want to overdo this mixing.

Finally, stir in the white and milk chocolate chunks, (nuts) until they're dotted throughout. Now your mixing is done and the oven can take over.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, scraping every bit out of the bowl with the spatula. Gently ease the mixture into the corners of the tin and paddle the spatula from side to side across the top to level it. Put in the oven and set your timer for 25 minutes. When the buzzer goes, open the oven, pull the shelf out a bit and gently shake the tin. If the brownie wobbles in the middle, it's not quite done, so slide it back in and bake for another 5 minutes until the top has a shiny, papery crust and the sides are just beginning to come away from the tin. Take out of the oven

Leave the whole thing in the tin until completely cold, then, if you're using the brownie tin, lift up the protruding rim slightly and slide the uncut brownie out on its base. If you're using a normal tin, lift out the brownie with the foil. Cut into quarters, then cut each quarter into four squares and finally into triangles. These brownies are so addictive you'll want to make a second batch before the first is finished, but if you want to make some to hide away for a special occasion, it's useful to know that they'll keep in an airtight container for a good two weeks and in the freezer for up to a month.

Before you ask...

2009-11-06T10:54:00.008+02:00

We're really sorry but we can't reveal the secrets to perfecting the best tasting Baklava, Kataiffi - bird's nest version (Καταΐφι), Saragli/Σαραγλί or Chocolatopita/Σοκολατόπιτα (oozing in chocolate sauce mind). I love all these delicious treats drenched in sweet gooeyness and if you've been trying to replicate this at home, I can assure you it's damn hard & a bit messy!

Kataiffi by Paradise Catering

Saragli Baklavakia by Paradise Catering

Tasty Greek Cheese Pies (Tiropita/Τυρόπιτα)

2009-11-05T08:35:00.010+02:00

image via: Greek recipes

These little beauties are the perfect snack to munch on and has many variations ingredients wise when it comes to making them. Some recipes call for a bechamel cheese mixture which is pretty much sandwiched between sheets of filo, some call for nutmeg, cottage cheese or other types of cheeses, some cheese pies are folded into triangles or cut into squares...Anyhow, I'm not fussy but i sure do like a tasty tiropita based on the more traditional version, which has several individual layers of filo and crumbled feta and a eggy milk mixture poured over the top.

I've pulled several versions of Cheese Pie recipes:

As seen on this video on Star.gr

Ingredients 1/2 kg filo (the thin ones)

700g feta

2cupevaporated milk

8 eggs

1 cup Olive oil

1 1/2 soda (drink not baking soda)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Set oven at 180 C
In a nutshell from what i could see/understand, brush baking tin with olive oil something like 3 sheets of thin filo were brushed with olive oil and laid into a rectangle baking tin.
Crumble feta onto filo, add a little pepper to taste. Brush another layer of filo with oil and place on top. Fold another sheet of filo and brush oil. Add a little pepper to taste.
Repeat until you have at least 3-4 layers of cheese.
Add final 4-5 sheets of filo brushed with olive oil. Score (don't cut through) & mark the top of the pie outlining 2inch square potions.
Beat eggs and evap milk with a little S & P then add soda and pour onto filo layers until covered evenly - give it a shake from side to side.
Chuck it in the over for around 45-55 mins at 180 C til golden brown.
When ready cut the squares marked & let it cool a little before serving.

GREEK FOOD. ABOUT

Ingredients:

8 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled into small pieces

1 cup of grated graviera (or a gruyere-type cheese), grated (or 1 pound of feta cheese without graviera)

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper

1/3 - 1/2 cup of fresh finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 pound of thin phyllo dough sheets

1/2 cup of melted unsalted butter

Preparation:

Day One: Defrost the phyllo dough in the refrigerator overnight.

Day Two:

1. Bring eggs and phyllo to room temperature (about 3 hours).

2. Preheat the oven to 350∞F (180∞C).

3. Mix the cheeses, eggs, parsley, and pepper in a bowl until blended. The mixture will be thick and slightly lumpy.

4. Cut the phyllo dough lengthwise into strips 2 1/2 to 3 inches wide (for most phyllo, this means cutting it into four strips).

5. Using a pastry brush, brush or dot the strip lightly with melted butter and place 1 teaspoon of the cheese and egg mixture on the strip, centered 1 inch from the end.

6. Fold one corner over in a triangle, and then continue turning over the triangle to the end of the phyllo strip (like folding a flag).

7. Brush each triangle with a little melted butter and place on a lightly buttered or non-stick baking sheet.

8. Bake at 350∞F (180∞C) degrees for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

9. Remove from the oven, move to racks or plates, cool for several minutes, and serve hot.

Yield: about 80 pieces

Cooking Tip:

Do not leave the tyropitakia on the baking sheet after cooking as they will continue to draw heat which slows the cooling process.

Storage Tip:

Tyropitakia may be stacked uncooked between sheets of waxed paper, and frozen in air-tight containers. To use after freezing, separate them while frozen, place on a baking sheet, and bake at 350∞F (180∞C) for 30-35 minutes. Do not thaw before baking.

RECIPEZAAR

SERVES 12 -15

1 (1 lb) package frozen filo

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup milk

6 eggs

3/4 lb feta cheese, crumbled

1 cup grated parmesan cheese or kefalograviera cheese or regato cheese

2 cups ricotta cheese (or anthotiro or cottage cheese)

8 ounces butter melted

Directions

Thaw phyllo dough completely.
Melt the 6 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan.
Whisk in the flour and cook slightly (1-2 minutes) to get rid of 'raw' flour taste.
Slowly whisk in the milk. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens.
Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
Quickly whisk the eggs into the sauce one at a time.
Then stir in the cheese.
Preheat oven to 375∞F.
Butter a 13 X 9" Pyrex baking dish generously (you can also use a larger baking pan - the tiropita just comes out a little thinner, but is nicer for appetizer servings).
Flatten phyllo dough and cover with a sheet of wax paper and a lightly dampened towel (to avoid drying out).
Take one sheet at a time and place in baking dish.
Brush phyllo generously with butter.
Use about 6 sheets this way and then add 1/2 of cheese filling.
Layer 3 more sheets of phyllo (brushing each one with butter) and then top with remaining cheese filling.
Finally, layer 6 sheets of phyllo over top (brushing each one with butter) and fold in the edges to make the tiropita look neat.
Brush top generously with remaining butter.
Score top of phyllo carefully with the point of a sharp knife, just cutting through pastry (only cut through the top layers of pastry, do not cut all the way down to the bottom layer), into the size of pieces you will want to serve.
Make sure you don't cut right through pie.
Bake for about 45 minutes to one hour, or until golden brown.
(Make sure bottom crust is nice and golden- if it isn't- put it directly on floor of oven for about 10 minutes to brown faster. You don't want a soggy, uncooked bottom pastry).

Fondant Decorating techniques

2009-11-03T19:55:00.009+02:00

Ever since my recent fondant exploits, I decided I needed to learn different techniques and practice more. I've a long way to go, but for now I want to share what i've discovered online by Wilton's - the very finest in Cake knowledge & Bake Decorate Celebrate! I'll be playing with these techniques in my next cake decorating exploits.

Draping effect - v. luxurious!

Fondant Veil - add detail for a bit of Va Va Voom

Full Bloom Rose Fondant

The following techniques are by Bake Decorate Celebrate.

Designer bag cake part 2

2009-11-01T23:17:00.008+02:00

If you remember, it was only a short while ago when was totally obsessed with designer purse cakes of all varieties. Well finally I got round to spending a few hours in practicing decorating a cake. I love the Chanel classic quilted collection of bags, so attempted to make the Chanel Cambon but with pink icing instead of the original black logo. Also, I did have a practice run first, making a small Chanel quilted purse/wallet in pink icing. As I didn't have the right tools) and given that i have no skills/experience whatsoever) I didn't have much option but to leave out some of the finer details, either way I am pleased with how both have turned out.
I do want to thank Adjoa of Pretty Sweet Boutique for her offering her tips in decorating with fondant, she's a pro in Chanel purse cakes! My good gal pal reckons the smaller cake looks like a super posh version of tissue box - hilarious! Oh well more practice then!

I ended up using a flat knife to make the quilted effect then put it over the choc & cream cake.

I used a cup to cut the circle shape out then used a pen knife to cut the C by hand as I couldn't find a smaller round shape.

It's missing a few details and the shape isn't quite right, but it does look yummy though, no?

First practise run with a smaller bit of fondant.

I cut separate pieces of fondant then sealed/smoothed out the edges with a bit of water.

Et voila! Vive Chanel!

I added a bit of piping to the edges too.

Cinnamon & Apple Oat muffin

2009-10-30T22:40:00.008+02:00

Dead delicious and considered a much more healthier option than anything you've seen on this blog so far are these delectable and yummy muffins.
This is a more bread like American Style muffin as opposed to a far more sweeter, fattening cake style muffin (such as those at Starbucks) and uses the basic muffin method. I also used fructose instead of sugar too. I can't for the life of me remember where this recipe is from but i do remember searching for the perfect combination of ingredients.

Wet ingredients are then added to the dry ingredients.

All the ingredients are combined until just so - not over mixing

et voila!

Cinnamon & Apple oat muffin
makes 12

ingredients:
300g plain flour
1tbs baking powder
2tsp cinnamon powder
150g brown sugar/fructose
2 med sized granny smith apples - or whatever your preference
125g oats
125g margarine/butter melted & cooled
2 eggs-lightly beaten
185ml milk
large teaspoon honey/maple syrup.

method

Set oven to 180 degrees C
Grease muffin tray
melt margarine/butter & let it cool
Chop/diced apples into small chunks
sift flour, baking powder & cinnamon into a large bowl
Stir in sugar & chopped apples
Whisk together cooled melted butter, eggs, milk and the honey until well combined
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients until just combined. Do not over mix this stage.
Spoon mixture into muffin tray & bake for 20-25minutes.

I discovered more about baking muffins and amazing flavoured muffins at Joy of Baking, which i'd love to share with you all. This is what Stephanie Jaworski has to say about baking muffins.

BATTERS

The bread-like muffin batter is made using the "muffin method". This batter can be assembled and baked 'quickly', usually in 20-25 minutes. Only two bowls are needed to make the batter. One bowl is used to mix all the dry ingredients together. The second bowl contains all the wet ingredients. The fat used with the bread-like muffins is usually in liquid form, either an oil or melted butter. When the wet and dry ingredients have been mixed together separately, then they are combined. The important step here is not to overmix the batter. However, there is a tendency to over mix because the ratio of liquid to flour is quite high. But mixing too much overdevelops the gluten in the flour which will cause a tough muffin with tunnels and a compact texture. Only 10 to 15 strokes are needed to moisten the ingredients and the batter should be still lumpy and you may still see a few traces of flour. Don't worry about these lumps as the batter continues to blend as it bakes and any lumps will disappear. Note: Over mixing the muffin batter causes it to become very stringy. This is the gluten developing in the flour. Over mixing causes long strands of gluten to form making it hard for the leavener to work and causes long tunnels in the baked good.

The cake-like muffin batter is prepared using the same method as making a cake batter. The butter (room-temperature) and sugar are creamed together. The eggs are mixed in and then the wet and dry ingredients are added alternately. The higher sugar and fat content in this type of muffin act as tenderizers thereby producing a richer cake-like muffin with a softer crumb. The increased fat content also minimizes the development of gluten which again helps to produce a muffin with a softer crumb.

White Chocolate Cheesecake

2009-10-25T16:50:00.011+02:00

Hmmm cheesecake, love cheesecake, love the Cheesecake Factory...

Oh and also love, love, love the Wagamama creamy white chocolate cheesecake with stem ginger too. A while ago I searched high and low for the recipe, but I guess i'll have to make do with an alternative white choc cheesecake, baked and no-bake recipe offerings on the net.
I've decided to go with Gordon Ramsay's version of white choc cheesecake...it's a darn shame i don't have a springform tin though.

Yay, no cracks (too high temp) and perfect creamy not too dense texture!

First is the BBC Food recipe:

Ingredients

450g/1lb soft cream cheese
4 large free-range eggs
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
225g/8oz good quality white chocolate
225g/8oz crème fraîche
butter, for greasing
55g/2oz biscuit crumbs, to dust over the buttered tin (use any type you love - chocolate digestives are good)

Method

1. Beat the cream cheese in a bowl until soft, then add the eggs one by one, along with the seeds scraped from the vanilla pod.
2. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, then fold in the crème fraîche until smooth.
3. Fold the chocolate mixture into the cream cheese mixture.
4. Grease a 25cm/10in cake tin and sprinkle the base with the biscuit crumbs to cover. Pour the chocolate and cream cheese mixture into the tin and bang down on a firm surface to remove any air bubbles.
5. Bake in a low oven, 150C/300F/Gas 2, for 45 minutes-1 hour, or until the centre is just firm.
6. Allow to rest for several hours to firm up, before turning out and serving.

Gordon Ramsay's White chocolate and lemon cheesecake - Timesonline

Makes 12-14 slices

Cheesecakes with chocolate need to be taken out of the fridge an hour before serving to allow the chocolate to soften. The lemon confit can be stored in a screw-topped jar in the fridge for up to 1 month.

300g plain chocolate digestives

100g butter, melted

300g white chocolate

200ml double cream

400g full-fat soft cheese, eg, Philadelphia

3 eggs, lightly beaten

50g caster sugar

Grated zest of 3 unwaxed lemons

Juice of 1 lemon

For the lemon zest confit

250g granulated or caster sugar

6 unwaxed lemons

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Line the base of a 23cm springform tin with baking parchment. Whiz the digestives in a food processor until they resemble breadcrumbs. Pour in the butter, then whiz briefly again. Tip the biscuit mixture into the tin and press down firmly. Bake for 15 minutes, then leave to cool.

2 Turn the oven setting down to 140C/ Gas 1. Chop the white chocolate into small pieces and tip into a large bowl. Heat the cream in a pan until beginning to boil, then pour over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted, then set aside to cool slightly.

3 Clean the bowl of the food processor. Blend the cheese with the eggs, sugar, lemon zest and juice until smooth. Add the chocolate and cream mixture and whiz briefly again until thoroughly combined.

4 Wrap a double layer of foil, lined with clingfilm, around the base and sides of the tin to make it watertight. Place the tin in a large roasting tray, then carefully pour the cheesecake mixture over the biscuit base. Half-fill the roasting tray with boiling water, then bake for 45-50 minutes.

5 For the lemon zest confit, dissolve the sugar in 250ml water over a low heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat and boil for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, finely pare the zest of the lemons with a swivel vegetable peeler. Scrape off any pith and cut the zest into thin julienne strips.

6 Blanch the lemon zest in boiling water for 2 minutes, then pat dry. Bring the sugar syrup back to the boil in a small pan. Drop the zest into the pan, return to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

7 Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1-2 hours, with the oven door left slightly ajar. Lift the cheesecake from the water, discard the foil and chill. Spoon the lemon zest confit over the cheesecake before cutting into thin slices.

Next a no-bake Cooks.com recipe submitted by Sara:

1 1/2 oz. (40g) butter
1 packet of ginger nuts (200g)
2 oz. (50g) dark chocolate
1 bar white chocolate (150g)
1 tub curd cheese (Mascarpone) (250g)
1 tub yogurt (200g)
3 oz. caster sugar (75g)
1 tub double cream (284 ml)
cocoa powder for dusting (optional)

Lightly oil an 8-inch loose-bottomed cake tin with sunflower oil. Make sure you grease right up the sides. Next, put the butter in the saucepan with half of the dark chocolate, and melt over a low heat.

Put ginger nuts in a (clean) plastic bag. Then put that bag in another bag. Crush the ginger nuts, until your preferred size of crumb is reached.

Stir all the crumbs into the melted chocolate/butter, until well mixed. That's your base. Just press it firmly onto the base of your tin, and wrap it in the fridge to chill.

Break up all the white chocolate into the bowl, and melt it gently over a pan of simmering water or in a double boiler. The water shouldn't touch the bottom of the bowl. At this point you need to watch like a hawk, and keep stirring.

After the mixture is melted to a lovely sticky goo, take it off the heat and beat in the yogurt, sugar, and curd cheese, until well-blended. Lightly whip the cream, then fold into the cheesecake mix.

Once well-folded, pour it over the chilled base, and grate the remaining dark chocolate over the top in an artistic fashion.

Dust with the cocoa if you feel so inclined. Finally, pop the whole kit and caboodle back in the fridge, and let it chill out for at least four hours, preferably overnight if you can bear to wait !!!!

A no-bake recipe from Waitrose:

Serves: 8

Ingredients

200g digestive biscuits
90g butter, melted
75g white chocolate, broken
200g cream cheese
150g caster sugar
4 eggs, separated (discard 2 whites)
568ml carton double cream
6 leaves gelatine

Method

Put the biscuits in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Stir in the melted butter. Press the mixture into the base of a 24cm springform, loose-bottomed tin, sides lined with greaseproof paper. To make small cheesecakes, put 8 x 9cm circle cutters (4cm deep) onto a lined baking sheet. Line each with greaseproof paper. Press the biscuit mix into the bases. Chill while you prepare the topping.
Put the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of just-boiled water and leave to melt. Whisk the cheese, sugar and egg yolks in a bowl until smooth.
Gently warm 100ml of the cream in a small pan. Turn off the heat. Add the gelatine. Leave for 5 minutes to soften. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
Lightly whip the remaining cream until it holds soft peaks, then fold in the melted white chocolate.
Whip egg whites till stiff. Set aside. Stir the gelatine mixture into the cream cheese mixture. Fold in the cream and chocolate mixture, then the egg whites. Pour over the biscuit base. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
To serve, remove the sides of the tin and peel away the paper. For single cheesecakes, transfer to plates using a palette knife and lift off the rings. Serve with kiwi, raspberries or passion fruit and white chocolate shavings.

Cook's tips

Because it contains uncooked egg, this recipe is not suitable for the young, pregnant women, the elderly or those with weak immune systems.

So, which of these recipes tickle your fancy?

Greek diet breadsticks - Kritsinia

2009-10-22T11:55:00.005+03:00

Bread plays a huge part of any Greek meal and when the going got tough, frugal living meant a staple diet of bread (psomi), just like rice is for many Asian countries and eating it with cheese or dipped into bean soup (soupa fasolakia).

Nowadays a laid table is not complete without a loaf of freshly sliced bread. On a diet? The alternative to avoiding bread altogether in Greece is dead easy with the fantastic varieties of diet bread snack on offer at the local bakery. Yup, over here it's common practice to get to know your baker, butcher, plumber etc etc well.

A loaf of sliced bread wrapped in plastic just really doesn't cut the mustard over here. At least in Britain the ready made stuff from the likes of Hovis, Warburtons and Kingsmill or even the supermarkets own brand tastes good and the loaf is somewhat squishy. It's really best to get your bread from the local bakery. End of.

So what's been cooking in the Zakharoplastio kitchen this morning? Kritsinia sticks (as opposed to the classic wafer shape). It's a simple snack that can be eaten alone or goes well with cheese and salami. Below, Tina whips these bread sticks up in no time.