Tag Archives: Dessert

Spring Grasshopper Pie

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Makes 1x 9″ pie

Ingredients

Crust

  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/2 cup mini-pretzels
  • 2 oz white chocolate
  • 6 Tbsp soft unsalted butter

Filling

  • 3 cups mini marshmallows
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/4 cup St. Germain elderflower liqeur
  • 1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice
  • zest 1 Meyer lemon
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • Yellow food coloring, optional

To finish/ decorate

  • 1 tsp powdered gelatin
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 1cup whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Fresh raspberries

Method

  1. Process the crumbs, mini-pretzels, chocolate in a food processor until they form a crumb mixture. Add the butter and process until the mixture starts to clump together
  2. Press the mixture into a high-sided fluted tart pan, making a smooth base and sides with your hands or the back of a spoon. Put it into the refrigerator to chill and harden
  3. Melt the marshmallows in a saucepan over low gentle heat along with the milk. Once the milk starts to foam (not boil), take off the heat and keep stirring until the marshmallows blend into the milk to make a smooth mixture
  4. Transfer the mixture into a heatproof bowl, then whisk in the elderflower liqeur, lemon juice and zest. Leave to cool to room temperature
  5. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the cream until it starts to hold soft peaks then, still whisking on slow, add the cooled marshmallow mixture. This filling will be soft and thick, so that it will eventually drop easily out of the bowl into the chilled pie crust
  6. When the marshmallow mixture and cream are combined, whisk in a few drops of food coloring, if using
  7. Spread the filling into the chilled base, swirling it about with a spatula to fill evenly. Put the pie in the refrigerator, uncovered, to chill overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours until firm
  8. In a small bowl combine the powdered gelatin and water. Leave to rest until absorbed. Heat in microwave for 10-15 seconds, until the gelatin is disolved. Set aside to cool while you prepare the whipped cream
  9. In a separate medium bowl combine the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Whip to soft peaks
  10. With you whisk running on low, gently add in the gelatin solution and continue whisking. Once all the gelatin has been added, increase speed and whip to firm peak stage.
  11. Pipe/ decorate the top of the set pie to your preference and finish with fresh raspberries

Irish Cream Nanaimo Bars

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Makes 18

Ingredients

Base layer

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup fine sugar
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 cup brown (wholewheat) bread crumbs
  • 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Middle layer

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
  • 2 Tbsp custard powder
  • Pinch salt
  • 2-3 Tbsp Irish Cream (Baileys), to taste
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Top layer

  • 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate, broken/ chopped into pieces
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 2oz white chocolate, broke/ chopped in to pieces
  • 1 tsp butter

Method

Base layer

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper 
  2. In small saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, cocoa and sugar, stirring occasionally until butter has melted and mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool
  3. In a separate medium bowl combine the egg, graham cracker crumbs, brown bread crumbs and shredded coconut. Add in the cooled cocoa/ butter mixture and stir to fully combine
  4. Transfer to your prepared pan. Press firmly and level as much as possible
  5. Bake for 10 mins, then remove from oven and leave to cool completely

Middle layer

  1. In bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together powdered sugar, butter, custard powder, salt, Irish cream and vanilla extract. Spread the mixture evenly over the cooled bottom layer; smooth and chill for at least an hour

Top layer

  1. In a bowl set over barely simmering water, melt semi-sweet chocolate, and butter together, stirring occasionally, until smooth and shiny.
  2. In a microwave, heat the white chocolate and butter together in a small bowl until melted. Transfer to a small piping bag.
  3. Pour over the melted semi-sweet chocolate over the Irish cream layer and smooth. Pipe on the white chocolate and feather to a design of your liking
  4. Chill in the refrigerator overnight, or 2 hours minimum. Cut into bars (I usually get 18, cutting into 3 x 6)
  5. Keep the cut bars in a covered container either in the refrigerator (3 days) or frozen (3 months)

Chocoflan

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Ingredients

Cake Layer

  • 1 box chocolate fudge cake mix
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup canola
  • 3 eggs

Flan Layer

  • 2oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature
  • 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
  • 8oz cream cheese, full fat, softened
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 4 eggs

Method

  1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 12-cup fluted tube cake pan, or bundt pan, with cooking spray
  2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and 3 eggs with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter into prepared cake pan
  3. In blender, combine the Flan layer ingredients. Cover; blend on high speed until smooth and uniform in color. Slowly pour, or ladle, the flan mixture evenly over the cake batter. (Flan mixture will mix a little with batter, but they will separate during baking)
  4. Spray piece of foil with cooking spray, and place sprayed side down over top of pan; cover tightly
  5. Place cake pan in large roasting pan; add between 1-2 inches water, creating a water bath for the cake
  6. Bake 1 hour 30 minutes to ensure cake. To check insert toothpick, or skewer, inserted in center of cake layer will come out clean. Remove cake pan from water bath to cooling rack and remove foil. Cool at room temperature 1 hour. Refrigerate in pan, uncovered, 2 hours
  7. Remove from refrigerator and, if needed, run thin metal spatula around outer and inside edges of pan to loosen cake. Place serving plate upside down on cake pan; turn plate and pan over. Remove pan. Slice and serve!
  8. Store loosely covered with cling wrap in refrigerator

Chocolate Budino w/ Amarena Cherries

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Makes 4

Ingredients

Pudding

  • 6oz semi-sweet chocolate
  • 2oz milk chocolate
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 6 egg yolks, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoon cocoa
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup heavy, or whipping, cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • I Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup Amarena cherries (incl. syrup)

Vanilla Cream Topping

  • 1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
  • 1 Tablespoon water
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 2 Tablespoon powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Cocoa powder to dust
  • Additional Amarena cherries to top (optional)

Method

Pudding

  1. In a large bowl combine the semi-sweet chocolate, milk chocolate and butter. Set aside until needed
  2. In a pan combine the egg yolks, sugar, cocoa powder and salt, whisking to combine. Over a low heat add the cream and milk, whisking to combine and cook for 8-9 minutes, until thickened and smooth. Take care not to overheat the mixture
  3. Remove the egg yolk mixture from the heat and pour over the chocolates/ butter, passing it through a strainer, or sieve, as you do. Let the combined mixture sit for 5 minutes
  4. Once the chocolate has fully melted add the olive oil and vanilla extract, stirring to combine until smooth and glossy. Set aside
  5. Divide the Amarena cherries between 4 small bowls, ramekins or glasses and portion each with some of the chocolate budino mixture (in the region of 1/2 cup each). Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 90 minutes
  6. Towards the end of this time you can make the vanilla cream topping. In a small bowl combine the powdered gelatin and water, heat for a few seconds in a microwave to dissolve the gelatin and then set aside to cool to room temperature
  7. While the gelatin mixture is cooling, combine the whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract in a bowl and whip to soft peak stage
  8. Reduce whisking speed to slow and add in the cooled gelatin solution to the soft whipped cream, pouring in steady stream as you continue to whisk. Once all the gelatin solution has been added increase the speed and whisk until stiff peaks, taking care not to over beat
  9. Pipe or spread the vanilla cream over the tops of your set chocolate, dust with cocoa powder, top with an Amarena cherry (optional). Serve and enjoy

Baileys Irish Cream Deep ‘n’ Delicious Cake

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Makes 1, 9inch x 13inch sheet cake

Ingredients

Cake Layer

Swiss Meringue Buttercream topping

  • 6 egg whites, large, at room temp.
  • 1 Cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1 ½ Cups + 4 Tablespoons butter cubed, room temperature
  • 6-10 Tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream, or similar, to your taste

Method

  1. Make the chocolate vinegar cake as per the recipe, omitting the ganache topping. Set aside and leave to cool while you make the swiss meringue buttercream
  2. In a heatproof bowl set over a pan with some water (making sure the bowl does not touch the water) combine the sugar and egg whites and heat, whisking until the mixture reaches about 150F or the sugar has dissolved and the texture has slightly thickened and its foamy. If you rub the mixture between your fingers you should not feel the sugar granules. This should take about 3-5 minutes depending on how warm your stove is
  3. Add the mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk on medium speed until the mixture has cooled. It will look thick and glossy
  4. Add the butter chunks gradually while running the whisk at medium speed. Wait until previous batch has been incorprated before adding the next. During the course of adding the butter the mixture may look curdled and look like it’s split. Fear no, it all part of the process! Continue to whisk and it will come back together, becoming a lush smooth texture. (*If the butter looks like is separating and looks greasy- it could be because its too warm so place the bowl in the fridge for 10-15 minutes then start mixing again)
  5. Swap your paddle attachment for the whisk attachment and add in the Irish cream liqueur, to your taste preference. Beat on medium speed until fully incorporated
  6. Once fully cooled you can piping or spread the butter cream onto the chocolate layer cake. Dust with cocoa powder, slice and serve. *I pipe it on using an open star tip for that “authentic” look