Tag: fruit

Chocolate, Prune and Port Upside down Cake

Chocolate, Prune and Port Upside Cake

This is a lovely moist cake, deep chocolate flavor with an almost brownie like texture with the added treat of those port soaked prunes.

Perfect with a little dollop of thick cream and some extra port soaked prunes as garnish.For best results ,eat on day of baking or serve warm.

You might be thinking there’s nothing luxurious about prunes but these prunes have been soaked overnight in port turning them into deliciously soft  boozy pockets of joy.Enjoy!!

INGREDIENTS:

350 grams whole prunes or 285 gm pitted prunes
1 cup of Port
250 grams unsalted butter, cubed
250 grams dark chocolate, roughly chopped (good quality)
4 eggs, separated
100 grams raw castor sugar
100 grams soft brown sugar
50 grams plain flour
50 grams almond meal

METHOD:

Pit whole prunes by slicing length-ways halfway and removing stone carefully and then reshaping back to natural prune shape.
Place the prunes in a small bowl and pour in port to soak into the prunes. Seal and store in the fridge overnight.

Next day, carefully pick the prunes from the liquid, and lay them out on paper towels and cover with another sheet of paper towel and set to one

side.

1.Preheat oven to 170C.Put the butter and chocolate into a heatproof bowl and place it over a pot of gently simmering water. Give it a little

stir when you see it starting to melt and when it is almost totally melted, remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Let this cool a little

before proceeding.

2.Place the egg yolks, caster sugar and brown sugar into a bowl and whisk until light and creamy. Pour in the cooled chocolate mix and stir well

3. sift together the plain flour and almond meal and add to the bowl, folding this in until evenly distributed.

4.In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until thick (firm peak stage). Take a large spoonful and add to the cake mix – stir this in to slacken

the mixture. Add in the rest of the egg whites, folding it through gently.

5.Line the base of a 22cm/23cm cake tin (either spring-form or removable base works best) and butter the sides.Layer prunes in a symmetrical

pattern and then cover with the cake mix.

6.Place in a preheated 170°C oven and cook until set but still slightly soft in the middle.This will take about 45 minutes.

7.Let the cake cool in the tin for about 30 minutes and using a palette knife, run it along the sides to loosen the cake from the tin. Remove the

tin but let the cake cool completely before trying to place it on your serving dish.

 

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Christmas puddings with Muscat Custard

Christmas puddings with Muscat Custard

If you haven’t had time to make a Christmas cake this year,this recipe is the next best thing.
These rich and opulent Xmas puddings make a great gift once made and wrapped nicely.
You can reheat the pudding(s) the same way you cooked it by reheating in a steamer for 90 minutes.
This recipe is designed for 1 large pudding but will make these in 5/6 smaller pudding moulds.
Once cooked these puddings will last 1 month in refrigerator.
Serve with muscat custard, fresh raspberries, icing sugar and holly leaves for the ultimate Xmas day pudding!

Merry Christmas and safe and a Happy new year to you all!

INGREDIENTS:

300GM PITTED PRUNES (FINELY CHOPPED)
150GM CURRANTS
150GMS RAISINS
150GM DRIED CRANBERRIES
150GM PITTED FRESH DATES (FINELY CHOPPED)
100GM OF ALMONDS (FINELY CHOPPED)
100GM OF CANDIED ORANGE PEEL (FINELY CHOPPED)
1 ORANGE (JUICED AND FINELY GRATED RIND)
125ML MUSCAT
60ML GRAND MARNIER OR COINTREAU
60GM QUINCE PASTE (FINELY CHOPPED)

250GM OF SOFTENED UNSALTED BUTTER (GIRGAR BUTTER PREFERRED)
250GM BROWN SUGAR
3 LARGE EGGS
200GM FINE SOURDOUGH BREADCRUMBS
1 CUP OF PLAIN FLOUR
150ML OF MILK
2 TSP CINNAMON
2 TSP MIXED SPICE
1/2 TEASPOON OF BICARBONATE SODA

1.5 CUPS OF POURING CREAM
75ML MILK
1 VANILLA BEAN, SEEDS SCRAPED
6 EGG YOLKS
110GM CASTER SUGAR
150ML MUSCAT.

METHOD:

1. COMBINE PRUNES,CURRANTS,RAISINS,CRANBERRIES,DATES,ALMONDS,CANDIED ORANGE PEEL AND ORANGE RIND IN A BOWL.
2.COMBINE ORANGE JUICE,MUSCAT,GRAND MARNIER AND QUINCE PASTE IN A SMALL SAUCEPAN, STIR OVER LOW HEAT UNTIL QUINCE PASTE IS MELTED (5MINUTES) AND THEN POUR DRIED FRUIT MIXTURE AND MIX.
3.COVER WITH A LID OR PLASTIC WRAP AND LET STAND FOR A MINIMUM OF 4 HOURS.FOR BEST RESULTS LET STAND OVERNIGHT.
4.WHEN READY TO MAKE PUDDINGS, BEAT BUTTER AND SUGAR IN AN ELECTRIC MIXER UNTIL LIGHT AND FLUFFY, ADD EGGS ONE AT A TIME,BEATING VERY WELL AFTER EACH EGG AND THAN TRANSFER TO A VERY LARGE BOWL.
5.ADD BREADCRUMBS, FLOUR,MILK ,SPICES, BICARBONATE OF SODAS,AND 1/2 TEASPOON SALT AND STIR IN DRIED FRUIT MIXTURE TO COMBINE.
6.SPOON MIXTURE INTO EITHER A 2.5 LITRE PUDDING MOULD OR 5 X 500GM PUDDING MOULDS.
7.SECURE WITH 2 LAYERS OF FOIL WITH 1 LAYER OF BAKING PAPER CLOSEST TO THE PUDDING MIXTURE.
8.PLACE PUDDING(S) IN A LARGE SAUCEPAN AND FILL WITH ENOUGH HOT WATER TO REACH BELOW THE RIM.
9.COVER COMPLETELY WITH LID OR FOIL AND LET SIMMER OVER LOW HEAR FOR 5 HOURS.KEEP ADDING HOT WATER AS NEEDED.DON’T NOT LET WATER DRY OUT!
10.ONCE FINISHED COOKING LET PUDDINGS COOL IN BASIN OF WATER FOR 30 MINUTES BEFORE REMOVING.

TO MAKE THE CUSTARD, BRING THE CREAM,MILK, VANILLA BEAN AMD VANILLA SEEDS TO THE SIMMER IN A SAUCEPAN OVER MEDIUM HEAT.
WHISK YOLKS AND SUGAR IN A HEATPROOF BOWL UNTIL THICK AND PALE THEN POUR OVER CREAM MIXTURE WHISKING CONTINUOUSLY, RETURN TO PAN AND CONTINUE COOKING UNTIL COATS BACK OF WOODEN SPOON (3-4 MINUTES), STRAIN, ADD MUSCAT AND SET ASIDE. EITHER SERVE WARM OR CHILLED.

PICTURE COMING SOON

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Coconut Creme Brulee Papaya - Cheffing Around

Coconut Creme Brulee Papaya

A summer dessert with a twist. This dessert is best shared between friends and family and quite a hit with young children also.
The glazing of sugar , like a creme brulee, makes a sugary toffee topping adding an element of crunch to the dessert.
Whilst not a true creme brulee, the creme patisserie can be flavored as you like eg: Kaffir lime, lime zest, lemon zest or orange zest are also great flavors that match with the Papaya.
You can add extra fruit down the bottom of papaya for an extra surprise!.
PS. You will need a butane gas gun for glazing and these can be bought at any good hospitality supply store quite cheaply.

Coconut Creme Brulee Papaya - Cheffing Around

Cheffing Around Recipe of the month for February 2015 is the amazing Coconut Creme Brulee Papaya

Ingredients

  • 1 SMALL PAPAYA (RIPE BUT FIRM)
  • 8 EGG YOLKS
  • 750 MLS OF MILK
  • 250GMS OF CASTOR SUGAR
  • 125 GMS OF PLAIN FLOUR
  • 150GMS OF DESSICATED COCONUT.
  • 100GMS OF CASTOR SUGAR.

Ingredients

  1. To make creme patisserie, you will need to separate eggs and whisk to light and creamy with the 250gm of castor sugar.
  2. Boil milk carefully with the coconut, as milk likes to boil up and spill over the stove.Let cool slightly.
  3. Add plain flour to egg/sugar mix and mix well.
  4. Add hot milk mixture and mix well.
  5. Return back to pot and cook out slowly on a low heat carefully as mixture will thicken quickly, making sure to stir the the bottom pf the pot to prevent sticking and burning.
  6. Cook out for at least 10 -15 minutes till mixture starts to go shiny and flour taste has disappeared.Place in a bowl to cool and once warm refrigerate to completely cooled.
  7. Cut Papaya lengthways and remove all seeds leaving as much papaya flesh as possible.
  8. Fill with cool coconut creme patisserie and level to smooth and even.
  9. Cover with castor sugar and glaze like a creme brulee sugar is a golden brown caramel all over evenly.
  10. Serve with fresh ice-cream and double cream. Enjoy!!
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Raspberry and Blueberry Almond Tart

With Summer here and now, thought i would share my favorite summer dessert while the raspberries and Blueberries are in season, cheap and plentiful.
Served with lashings of double thick cream and or ice cream and some additional fresh berries.
Will keep at room temperature for 3 days but best eaten fresh!
Enjoy!!

Almond and Blackberry tart - Cheffing Around

Cheffing Arounds Recipe of the month for January 2015 is the very tasty Raspberry and Blueberry Almond Tart

Ingredients – Tart base

  • 1 Egg
  • 260 grams Plain Flour
  • 100 grams Castor Sugar
  • 140 grams Chopped Butter

Ingredients – Topping

  • 150 grams Raspberries
  • 150 grams Blueberries
  • 30 grams Caster Sugar
  • Extra berries for serving

Ingredients – Filling

  • 180 grams Chopped Butter
  • 180 grams Caster Sugar
  • 4 Eggs
  • 65 grams Plain Flour
  • 190 grams Almond Meal
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder

Method

  1. Butter and line a 26cm flan tin with a removable base.
  2. To make your pastry base, combine flour and sugar in a mixing bowl and using your fingertips, rub the butter into the mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  3. Lightly beat your egg and mix it in to form a firm dough.
  4. Wrap your dough in glad-wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  5. Using a rolling pin, on a flour dusted surface , roll out your pastry to line your flan tin,
  6. Using a fork , prick the base of the tart.Cover the surface of the flan with greaseproof paper and using either rice or dried beans, bake blind at 180C for 20 minutes.
  7. Remove the weight of the rice/beans and continue for an additional ten minutes or until it is lightly colored. Allow to cool.
  8. To make the filling, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and add the eggs one at a time, beating well between additions.
  9. Gently fold in the sifted flour, almond meal, and baking powder until combined.
  10. Spread evenly over the tart base. Combine the mixed berries and extra sugar, and spoon the berry mixture over the almond filling.
  11. Bake at 180C for 55 minutes or until it is almost firm to touch.Allow to cool completely before removing from flan.

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Rich Fruit Cake

This cake recipe is perfect for a wedding cake or a decorated Christmas cake. We are currently decorating 3 different cakes for Xmas and we will post pictures of the finished products once ready!
From all the staff at Cheffing Around we would like to wish you all a very merry Xmas and a bright and prosperous 2014!

Wedding Cake - Cheffing Around

Wedding cake by Cheffing Around managing director Adrian Grant

The fruit mix – ingredients

  • 2.25 kg Sultanas
  • 600 gram Fruit Peel
  • 750 gram Dried Apricots (chopped)
  • 750 gram Prunes (chopped)
  • 600 gram Currants
  • 600 gram Walnuts (chopped)
  • 750 gram Raisins
  • 600 gram Glazed Cherries (chopped)
  • 600 gram Tinned Pineapple (chopped)
  • 3 grated apples
  • 3 carrots (grated)
  • 6 cups Brown Sugar
  • 3 Tea Spoons Cinnamon
  • 3 Tea Spoons Nutmeg
  • 3 Tea Spoons Mixed Spice
  • 6 Table spoons Honey
  • 2.25 cups Sherry
  • 2.25 cups Port

Tip: Dried fruit best purchased at a Cash and Carry as we found this reduces the cost of the cake.

The fruit mix – Method

Marinate all the ingredients in a very large bowl (45 cm) for at least a week covered with 2 layers of glad wrap. You need to stir this up every day during this period.

The cake – Ingredients

  • 1.25 kg of Girgar butter (melted)
  • 18 eggs (beaten)
  • 8.25 cups plain flour (sifted)
  • 3 cups self raising flour (sifted)
  • 3 spring form cake tins (1 x 24 cm, 1 x 26 cm, and 1 x 28 cm)

Note: This mixture will make 4 cakes as it's best to have a spare just in case, and you can always use the fourth for something else if not needed 🙂

The cake – Method

  1. Grease and line the three cake tins with baking paper.
  2. Mix the cake ingredients into the fruit mix making sure it's mixed well.
  3. Flatten with a fork
  4. Bake for 140 minutes at 145C and then finish of at 130C for 125 minutes or until the center is cooked and skewer comes out clean.
  5. Allow to cool in cake tin over night before removing from tin
  6. Wrap in foil once cold

The icing – Ingredients

  • 3 kg Royal Icing
  • 11 packets of 250 gram Marzipan
  • 1 kg of Apricot Jam

The icing – Method

  1. Fill in any holes in the cake with apricot jam to get a smooth surface
  2. Marzipan on top and sides till the cake is level, even and smooth
  3. Leave dry for 3 days
  4. Turn cake over and make a bridge for the bottom and make sure cake is level with sides and bottom (no gaps)
  5. Leave dry for a further 3 days
  6. Try and do these next steps (to step 11) in the early morning or late at night when the temperature is cooler to prevent cracking.
  7. Roll out Marzipan on dusted bench with icing sugar till about 1cm thick and will visibly cover the entire cake in one layer.
  8. Boil up 1 cup of apricot jam with a little water
  9. Brush entire cake with apricot jam / water mix
  10. Cover the cake from the top with the Marzipan using a pin to remove air bubbles.
  11. Gently ease the Marzipan down to the bottom of the cake and trim evenly at the base
  12. Repeat this for all three cakes
  13. Let dry for a week
  14. Repeat steps 6 through 13 but with the Royal Icing instead of the Marzipan. Remember this is the presentation layer so take extra care.
  15. Once dry, adhere cakes to a cake board using apricot jam as the glue

Stacking and Ribbons

  1. Measure circumference of the cake with ribbon
  2. Cut evenly
  3. Position ribbon using small pins with heads the same colour as the ribbon.
  4. Use pieces of thick wooden dowel for the stands
  5. Cut the dowel to length making sure each on is exactly same length
  6. Make a cross in the cake exactly where the stands will go
  7. Using a knife, make a cross fully inserted to the bottom of the cake and careful remove any excess cake
  8. Gently force the dowel into cake until the cake board is level and straight

You can use any decoration you like for the finished product. We used doves and some fresh African Lilies with stems removed as the centerpiece of the cake. Most cake shops have centerpieces to buy or order if you don't have the time to make it.

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