Category Archives: Dessert

Mega Pumpkin Spice Pop Tart

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Yields 8 servings

Ingredients

Pop Tart

  • 2 pie crusts (you can use store bought or homemade)
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 1/4  teaspoon pumpkin spice
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 egg (for egg wash)

Glaze

  • 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 2 Tablespoons milk or cream
  • pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste

Method

Pop Tart

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
  2. Roll out half of your pie dough on a well-floured surface. Cut the dough into a roughly 12″ x 8″ rectangle using a sharp knife. Carefully roll the dough back around your rolling pin and roll out onto your prepared baking sheet
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, egg, brown sugar, pumpkin spice and salt until smooth. Set aside
  4. Whisk a large egg with a little bit of water. Use a pastry brush to brush the outside inch of dough on the baking sheet. Spread the pumpkin filling in the centre of the bottom crust, leaving about a 1 inch border on all sides
  5. Roll out and cut, the second pie crust to the same size as the first one and carefully place the second piece of dough over the first, using your fingers to slightly push dough together around the edges. Use a large fork to make indents along the border of the pop tart, then poke fork lightly in the centre of the pop tart to allow air to escape
  6. Brush the whole top of the pop tart with the remaining egg wash
  7. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, until the dough is light golden brown. Allow to cool fully while you make the glaze

Glaze

  1. To make the glaze, combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and use a whisk to mix until smooth
  2. Spoon the glaze evenly over the cooled poptart, the spread over the surface of the poptart. Use as much glaze as you like. Cut into 8 equal size pieces
  3. Serve and enjoy!

No-churn Salted Caramel Bourbon Ice Cream

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*Original recipe by Nigella Lawson

Yields 1 litre

Ingredients

  • 1⅓ cups dulce de leche
  • 1¼ cups whipping cream
  • 1 – 2 teaspoons soft sea salt flakes, to taste
  • 2 Tablespoons bourbon
  • pecan nuts (optional) for serving

Method

  1. Before starting make sure that you’ve chilled your bowl, whisks and cream for at least 2 hours in the fridge
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using an electric whisk, whip the cream until it’s at soft peak stage
  3. Add in the dulce de leche, 1 teaspoon of salt and the bourbon. Fold gently together so as not to deflate. Taste and add additional salt to your liking
  4. Once fully combined, decant into plastic tub(s), cover the surface with cling wrap and freeze for 8 hours or overnight
  5. Serve sprinkled with additional toasted chopped pecans, if using

Turtle Brownies

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Yields 24

Ingredients

Brownies

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, cubed
  • 6oz semi-sweet chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 3 eggs + 1 yolk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¾ cup plain flour
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon espresso powder
  • 1 Tablespoon milk powder
  • 1 cup pecan pieces, toasted
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup caramel sauce (homemade or store bought)

To Finish

  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 4oz semi-sweet chocolate
  • ½ teaspoon expresso powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup pecan pieces, toasted
  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup caramel sauce (homemade or store bought)
  • 1 teaspoon sea-salt flakes

Method

  1. Set your oven to 350°F and prepare a 9” x 9” baking tray with oil/baking parchment leaving an overhang each side
  2. Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (or bain-marie), stirring occasionally. Once melted, remove from the heat, and allow to cool
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs, egg yolk and sugar until the mixture is thickened and fluffy, then, in a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, milk powder and whisk to combine
  4. Add the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg/sugar mixture. Fold together until uniform in color
  5. Fold in the pecan pieces and chocolate chips
  6. Pour your mixture into the prepared tray and gently spread to level the surface. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes, then remove from the oven when baked
  7. Leave to cool on a wire rack for 10 mins, then after this time use a chopstick, or cake dowel, to poke holes over the surface of the brownie, taking care NOT to poke the full way through the brownie layer
  8. Once the surface of the brownie has been poked with holes, pour the caramel sauce over the surface of the brownies and spread with a spatula to ensure the caramel gets to all of the holes
  9. Place in your refrigerator for between 1 hour to allow the caramel to soak the brownie layer and firm up
  10. After this time prepare the frosting. Remove the brownie pan form the fridge and set on a counter ready to be frosted – you’ll need to move quickly
  11. In a wide pan combine the sugar, butter and milk. Heat over a medium heat until melted, stirring to combine, then increase heat to bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly
  12. After the minute, remove the pan from the heat, then quickly but carefully add the chocolate pieces and stir constantly. When then chocolate appears to be nearly fully combined, add in the salt and espresso powder and stir for a few seconds more until fully combined and uniform in color.
  13. Pour the frosting over the caramel surface of the brownie layer.
  14. AA If needed tilt to brownies to ensure full surface coverage
  15. Whilst the frosting is still setting, sprinkle the surface with the pecan pieces and chocolate chips, gently pressing if needed to ensure they stick. Return the brownies to the fridge for at least another hour to allow the frosting to set
  16. After this time, remove from the fridge and give one last drizzle of caramel over the surface and sprinkle with some sea salt flakes to finish
  17. These brownies are exceptionally rich and decadent so keep than in mind when slicing. I usually divide into 12, and then cut in half again to give 24 brownie “bars” in total
  18. Serve and enjoy!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Pots

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Yields 6 glass jars or pots (1/2 cup capacity each)

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cups whipping, or heavy, cream
  • 7oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into small chunks
  • 12 Tablespoons caramel sauce (store bought or homemade)
  • 1-2 teaspoons sea-salt flakes
  • 6 teaspoons chopped peanuts, optional

Method

  1. Add the cream to a medium pan and heat over a medium heat
  2. While the cream heats add the chocolate chunks to a medium bowl
  3. Once the cream has gently heated- you’ll noticed small bubbles at the edge of the surface, remove it from the heat and pour over the chocolate chunks. Leave to sit for 5 minutes while you prepare the caramel pots
  4. Spoon or pipe 2 Tablespoons of caramel sauce into the bottom of each glass jar or pot
  5. Sprinkle each with sea-salt flakes to taste
  6. After the 5 minutes have past, gently stir the chocolate/ cream mixture until it is fully emulsified, smooth and uniform in color
  7. Gently pour over the prepared caramel layer, dividing equally between the pots. I find this a lot easier using a small ladle
  8. Once all the pots have been filled, sprinkle each with the chopped peanuts and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until set
  9. Keep refrigerated until serving, and enjoy

Lucky Charms Ice Cream

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Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups whipping cream + additional whipping cream to make up amount
  • Additional 1/2 cup chilled whipping cream
  • 2 cups Lucky Charms cereal, cereal pieces only
  • 1 cup Lucky Charms, mallow pieces only
  • 1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk

Method

  1. In a large bowl, combine the whipping cream and Lucky Charms cereal pieces and stir. Press some cling wrap over the surface of the mixture, trapping the cereal underneath. Leave to infuse in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight
  2. Remove the cereal mixture from the fridge. Set a strainer/ sieve over and additional large bowl and decant the cereal mixture into the strainer/ sieve to separate the milk. Give a few presses to the cereal pieces to get as much cream out as possible, without pushing the cereal through
  3. Top up the volume of milk in the bowl to 2 1/2 cups using additional chilled cream
  4. Add the Lucky Charm mallow pieces to the infused milk and leave to soften for between 15-20 minutes
  5. After this time transfer to a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth with no mallow pieces remaining. Mine only took about 30-40 seconds – any longer and you may over whip the cream. Don’t worry – it will change color!
  6. Using a spatula, decant the Lucky Charms cream mixture into a large bowl and add the additional 1/2 cup cream. Using an electric whisk beat until soft peak stage
  7. Gently fold in the condensed milk until fully incorporated. Avoid vigorous folding so as not to deflate the mixture
  8. Pour the 1/2 the mixture into a freezer-proof container, sprinkle over some of the reserved Lucky Charm mallow pieces, followed by pouring over the remaining cream mixture and finishing with some more Lucky Charms mallow pieces. Using a skewer or chop stick gently swirl the mixture, cover and freeze until fully frozen, for at least 6 hours
  9. Remove from your freezer at leave at room temperature for between 5-8 minutes for best serving. Scoop, sprinkle on some additional mallow pieces and enjoy!