Chocolate Angel Pie

Introduction

This is the best dessert recipe I have discovered in about 10 years is this chocolate - coffee - kahlua pie. Very rich, very adult and very decadent. It is not overly sweet if you use dark chocolate as the meringue is perfectly balanced. 

Ingredients

For the meringue crust:

• 4 large eggs, separated, use whites for crust and yolks for filling
• pinch salt
• 1/4 teasp of cream of tartar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:

• 12 oz semi sweet chocolate, chopped
• 5 teaspoons good instant coffee eg Medaglio d'oro
• pinch of salt
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons kahlua

 For the topping

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup icing sugar
• 1 teasp vanilla extract
• 1 pint fresh hulled sliced strawberries, or raspberries
• 1/3 cup shave chocolate

Method

Meringue

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Grease a 9 inch spring form pan, line bottom and sides with baking paper.

Whip whites until foamy, add cream of tartar, beat until stiff, slowly add the sugar then the vanilla. Beat until mixture is very stiff.

Spread the meringue evenly over the base and sides of the prepared pan. Needs to be about 2 inchs up the sides to contain the filling.

Bake for 1.25 hours. Remove from oven and leave to cool.

Filling

Combine the chocolate, coffee, salt and water in a double boiler until just melted together stirring frequently. (You can do this carefully in a microwave).

Remove from the heat and beat in the egg yolks, 1 at a time. Let the mixture cool completely.

Whip the cream to soft peaks, add the kahlua, then fold into the chocolate mixture. Refrigerate until cold.

Assembly and Topping

Tip the chocolate mixture into  the meringue crust, smooth top and refrigerate at least 4 hours but up to 24 hours. (It is very portable at this point if you are taking it somewhere as it is still in the spring form tin).

When ready to serve, remove the pie from the tin and place on a serving plate, Whip the cream, sugar and vanilla together until fairly stiff then spread on top. Decorate with berries and shaved chocolate. and sugar

Besan Ki Chakki

Intro

I've been to India twice now and it is a spectacular place; so vibrant and affects all your senses: noise, colour, smells, business - just so much of everything. It is exhilarating. While in New Delhi I discovered Indian sweets and - omg - what a range! Sweets is a bit of a misnomer becauswe they are not actually that sweet at all. This is one I have managed to recreate at home. 

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups sugar
• 1.75 cups water
• 2.75 cups ghee
• 4 cups chickpea flour 
• 2 cups non fat dry milk powder
• 1.25 teaspoons cardomom
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed saffron
• 2 tablespons sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons sliced pistachios

Boil the sugar and water in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat and boil about 8-10 minutes more. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Melt the ghee in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the chickpea flour and sirring constantly, cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and stirring constantly cook for another 10-12 minutes or until the flour turns light brown. Turn off the heat and add the milk powder and spices. Using a whisk mix well.

Pour the sugar syrup slowly into the cooked mixture. Stir constantly until the mixture absorbs the liquid. Press into a greased pan, sprinkle nuts over the top. Place a sheet of paper towel over the top and press own gently absorbing excess oil.

Cool in fridge and cut into small squares.

Intro

I have fallen in love with Indian sweet making and have been trying to recreate the gorgeous delicacies I experienced in Delhi.

I interloaned the "Art of Indian sweets by Krishna Priya Dasi" and every recipe I've tried  has been a winner.This slice is slightly chewy, coconutty, a slight catch from the cardomom and just delicious. The book can be prchased from the Krishna Store.

Recipe

• 1 cup ghee
• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup disicatted coconut
• 1 teaspoon cardomom

Texture of fully cooked mixture.

Melt the ghee, add the milk, then all the other ingredients. Stirring constantly cook for 12 -15 minutes on medium then continue for another 5 mins on low. It will initially come together almost like a choux pastry mixture but then it breaks up; eventually it will get to a stage it where the mixture releases the butter oils.

Tip the mixture out into a greased slice tin and press flat. Soak off  the extra oils with paper towels then refrigerate. Cut into squares when cold. 

Coconut Laddu

Intro

These are gorgeous; the flavour of coconut ice but soft and creamy - and none of that cloying sweetness.

Recipe

3 cups desicated coconut

4 cups full fat milk

1.75 cups sugar

1/2 cup extra coconut

Place 3 cups coconut and 2.5 cups of milk in a blender and blend until it becomes a smoothish paste (couple of minutes. Place into a large heavy flat bottomed saucepan, add the remaining milk and bring to the boil stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and stirring constantly cook until the mixture is very thick. Add the sugar (and a few drops of cochineal if you want pink balls) and continue stirring and cooking until it is thick again.

Transfer to a bowl and leave until cold in the fridge. Form into small balls and roll in coconut.

Coca - Catalan Pizza

Flatbread

• 225g strong flour plus extra for dusting
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried yeast
• 150ml tepid water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Place salt and flour in a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the water and add oil to the water. Tip the liquid into the flour and mix in with fingers to form a ball of dough. Tip dough onto a lightly floured board and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Smear a little oil in a bowl and roll the dough ball around in the oil, cover loosely with clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place for an hour or 2 until doubled in size. Punch down then divide in half and roll each out very thinly.

Place on a hot pizza stone or oven tray, add topping (below) and bake for 10 minutes at the highest temperature your oven can go until the base is crispy. Remove from heat, drizzle the saved olive oil over the top and serve immediately.

Topping

• 1 medium aubergine or eggplant chopped into 1cm dice,
• 1 zucchini - thinly sliced,
• 2 medium onions - thinly sliced
• 2 capsicums or red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, seeds removed and thinly sliced,
• 1 heaped tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
• 150ml olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic - finely chopped,
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt.

Sprinkle the aubergine with salt and set aside. Gently saute the onions and a pinch of salt in the olive oil in a heavy based frying pan for about 15 minutes until soft. Add the capsicums and garlic and continue to saute for another 10 minutes until the capsicums are soft and sweet and the onions a golden colour. 

Drain the aubergine and pat dry then add with the zuchinni and rosemary to the onions.Cook for a further 10-15 minutes stirring frequently. Remove the pan from the heat, move the filling to one side of the pan and leave to rest on a slight angle to drain excess oil away from the filling. Don't throw away the oil!