Dessert – Page 9 – Scandelights

The simplest dessert ever

Published on April 12, 2011 by HannaLeave a comment

When I have friends for dinner, I like to treat them to at least two courses. I just like a longer dinner where you can sit and chat, and if you are hungry and only serve a maincourse, dinner can quickly be over and done with.

But on Mondays for example, even my ambitions are a bit low, but if you buy a few exotic fruits on your lunch break and have half a packet of icecream in the fridge, you can still serve something really nice.

When my mother serves this the fruits are nicely dusted with icing sugar, which of course I forgot. I think the papaya, dragon fruit, pineapple and passionfruits are pretty just like they are. 🙂

Pannacotta with raspberry syrup

Published on April 6, 2011 by Hanna1 Comment

On Saturday we had the unusual pheasant eggs as a starter and for the maincourse we ate a classic in our house; chicken cannelloni. It is such a nice dish, creamy and comforting and it works both for a dinner party and a weekday.

But even better was the dessert! I tried a recipe from the Swedish blog Matplatsen. For once I actually followed the recipe (well, the ingredients list) but I changed the method a bit. 🙂 The pannacotta tasted lovely with all the vanilla, and the slightly tart syrup really worked to balance the creamy richness. Try this!

Vanilla pannacotta with raspberry syrup, serves 4

500 ml cream

1 vanilla pod

50 ml caster sugar

2 gelatine leaves

Syrup:

100g fresh raspberries (or frozen)

50 ml caster sugar

1 star anise

Put the gelatine in a bowl with cold water to soak. Cut the vanilla pod in half and place it in a saucepan. Add cream and sugar. Bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes while stirring with a whisk. Remove from heat and divide into four containers. Leave to cool then refridgerate for at least three hours. When they have set, make the syrup. Melt sugar in a pan, without stirring, when it has almost melted, add the star anise and raspberries. Simmer while stirring for a few minutes. Put the syrup through a sieve to remove the pits. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool for a few minutes. Divide between the pannacottas and top them with a thin layer each. Place a raspberry or two on top. Refridgerate for another 30 minutes before serving.

Blackberry cake with lime

Published on March 4, 2011 by HannaLeave a comment

After all the nibbles on Saturday it was nice to finish the meal with something sweet. I made this blackberry cake with a nice hint of lime. The recipe is from a Swedish recipe site called Tasteline. As usual I have made a few small changes to the original recipe, but only a few. =)

To make this cake extra delicious, served it with lightly whipped cream with a dash of vanilla sugar and a splash of elderflower liquer! Yum!

Blackberry cake with lime, serves 8

150 g softened butter

300 ml caster sugar

2 eggs

300 ml plain flour

1 tbsp vanilla sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 lime, the juice

150 g fresh blackberries

1/2 lime, the zest

Put the oven on 150C. Grease a pie dish. Mix butter, sugar and eggs. Add the flour, baking powder and lime juice. Spread out the batter in the dish. Add the berries. Sprinkle the zest on top. Bake for 40 mins.

Vanilj creme brûlée with blueberries in lime sugar

Published on February 17, 2011 by Hanna3 Comments

Monday’s dessert was my favourite – creme brûlée, partly because it is so delicious, partly because you can prepare it the day before. I used the same recipe as last time, but served some blueberries in lime sugar in a little bowl on the side. It was a good match and made the dessert seem a bit fresher and lighter. We also served a glass of elderflower liqeur with it, and it was another good match. Yum!

Bluberries in lime sugar

100 g fresh blueberries

2 tbsp caster sugar

zest from 1/2 lime

juice from 1/2 lime

Mix sugar, juice and zest in a bowl and pour it onto the blueberries just before serving.

Almond meringue tarte

Published on February 14, 2011 by Hanna2 Comments

I found this recipe in a cookbook from the 70s among my mother’s cookbooks, and the recipe is from a restaurant only 15 minutes drive from where my parents live. They mostly do weddings and other functions there now, but the 70s was it’s hay day.

This is a truly delicious dessert. It is subtle but lovely in it’s flavour and just the perfect ending to any meal. All it needs is a little bit of lightly whipped cream on the side.

In the original recipe there should be flaked almonds on top, an although I love almonds I don’t like the flakes. They usually go soft when in contact with a creamy sauce, so I thought it was best to leave them out, but do use them if you prefer.

Almond meringue tarte (gluten free), serves 8

150 g ground almonds

5 egg whites

200 g icing sugar

(100 ml roasted flaked almonds)

Beat the egg whites to a hard foam. Fold in the icing sugar and then incorporate the ground almonds. Pour into a buttered dish and bake in 175-200C until golden.

The sauce:

3 egg yolks

200 ml double cream

150 ml caster sugar

1,5 tbsp butter

Whisk together the ingredients in a heavy sauce pan. Let simmer for 5 minutes to thicken. Leave to cool a little. Pour over the meringue and sprinkle the almond flakes on top. Serve with some lightly whipped cream.

Three courses

Published on February 7, 2011 by Hanna1 Comment

On Saturday when I took over Christopher’s mother Eileen’s kitchen for the evening, I was a little bit nervous. Partly because I don’t know where everything is in her kitchen and partly because it was the first time I cooked for her.

We usually come to her instead of her coming to visit us in London, and that is because of several reasons: she has a lot more living space than us; we have friends in the area; it is nice to visit the countryside; Christopher’s brother lives near by etc. But it feels wrong that we invite ourselves over and Eileen has to cook for us every time, so it was definitely over due for us (me) to cook for her. Christopher was nice and helped by guiding me around the kitchen, setting the table, putting cooking music on and filling and re-filling my wine glass as well as doing the dishes, so he actually did a lot more than I did.

The recipes I used were ones I basically know off by heart and have cooked several times (you don’t want to fail in someone elses kitchen).

The starter was this simple but absolutely delicious recipe. Unfortunately the supermarket near by had no figs so we just hade some rocket with it, and that worked too. The most important thing is the parma ham, the filling and the balsamic claze, don’t forget the glaze!You can serve rocket with it like we did, a more substantial salad, figs, olives, marinated artichoke hearts or whatever you like. But please promise me to try this!

For the mains I made Nigella’s lovely lamb racks with a parmesan crust, roasted new potatoes and a red wine sauce.

Roasted new potatoes, serves 3

ca 500 g baby new potatoes

olive oil

rosmary

salt and pepper

Place the potatoes in a roasting pan, drizzle some oil over them and season with rosemary, salt and pepper. Place in 200C for about 30 minutes.

The dessert was another Nigella creation, the ever so lovely glitzy chocolate puddings, that you all have to try. My dear dad that doesn’t even like chocolate cakes or desserts loved this one…

Rick Stein’s tarte tatin

Published on January 25, 2011 by Hanna9 Comments

As you may have noticed we really like Rick Stein. Both the rabbit recipe and this tarte tatin is from his fabulous cookbook A French Odyssey. Although Stein has his own series on BBC and have written several cookbooks he seems to be less mainstream than say Jamie and Nigella. It could be because his food is a tad bit more traditional and classier, but his recipes are not difficult to cook and the instructions are clear and easy to follow.

We have made this tarte tatin with nectarines once as well, and turned out amazing too, but a bit juicier. Try this, please. It is to die for.

Rick Stein’s tarte tatin, serves 6

250 g puff pastry

75 g softened butter

175 g caster sugar

750 g (about 5) firm dessert apples such as Cox’s

Vanilla ice cream or creme fraiche to serve

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut out a 26-cm disc, slightly larger than the top of a 20-cm tarte tatin dish. Transfer to a baking sheet and chill for at least 20 mins.

Spread the butter over the base of the tarte tatin dish and sprinkle over the sugar in a thick even layer.

Peel, core and halve the apples, and tightly pack them, rounded-side down on top of the sugar, gently shaking the the dish now and then, until the sugar and butter have incorporated with the apple juices to produce a rich sauce and the apples are just tender. At first the caramel will be pale and liquid but as you keep on cooking the juices will evaporate and the caramel will become darker and thicker. Take care not to burn.

Preheat the oven to 190C. Lift the pastry on top pf the apples and tuck the edges down inside the dish and bake for 25 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 mins. Run a knife round the edge of the tart and invert it onto a round serving plate. Serve and enjoy.

Cloudberry parfait with cognac

Published on January 24, 2011 by Hanna1 Comment

I am nearly done talking about that dinner a week and a bit ago. This is the 4th course out of 5, so nearly there…

This was the pre-dessert, and unlike a sorbet this isn’t much of a palate cleanser, because it is quite heavy and rich, but it is not too sweet so I think it works quite well as a little pre-dessert.

Cloudberry is a Nordic berry and I have brought the jam back with me from Sweden. The berries look like large orange raspberries and have a distinct taste. I have previously paired the jam with deep-fried camembert.

Cloudberry parfait with cognac, about 2 litres

5 egg yolks

60 g caster sugar

600 ml double cream

2-3 cl cognac

75 g cloudberry jam

I completely forgot to have lemons at hand but a squirt of lemon takes away the ‘fatty’ taste, so do use it.

Beat the yolks with the sugar in a bain-marie until the sugar has melted and the mixture is fluffy and glossy. Remove from heat and keep whisking until the mixture has cooled down.

Beat the cream and fold into the egg mixture. Add cloudberry jam, cognac and perhaps some lemon juice. Pour the mixture into a container and freeze for a couple of hours.

Deep-fried camembert with cloudberry jam

Published on January 7, 2011 by Hanna1 Comment

I like to hoard (and eat, not just hoard) Swedish groceries when I go back to visit. It must be several kilos of food that I have carried in my suitcase the last 2,5 years. Last time I carried over paté, wild ducks and cloudberry jam.

I love cloudberry jam! Especially with deep-fried camembert. I remember when my mum and I used to eat it from a cheese shop in Malmö when they had the festival on. The best thing about that festival was/is the food.

I was thrilled when I saw breaded camemberts in my online supermarket and tried them asap. Instead of pan-frying them or baking them in the oven as the instructions said I deep-fried them in vegetable oil and they were all gooey and melted inside. Lovely together with the cloudberry jam! Try this.

NYE 2010 – the dessert

Published on January 5, 2011 by Hanna3 Comments

My favourite dessert is without a doubt creme brulée! That’s why I was so happy when I got a creme brûlée torch for Christmas from my parents. I was really keen to try it out as soon as possible and that’s the reason why we had creme brûlée for dessert on New Year’s Eve. Not that anyone was complaining… 😉

I worked a half day on NYE and to avoid being stressed in the evening I made these the night before, put them in the fridge over night, took them out a few hours before serving and caramelized the sugar with my torch just before serving.

Receptet hittar ni här från Tinas mat, men jag uteslöt kardemumman.

Vanilla creme brûlée, serves 4-6

5 egg yolks

100 ml caster sugar

350 ml cream

150 ml milk

1 vanilla pod

2 tbsp caster sugar

Turn on the oven on 110C. Bring the cream and milk to a boil. Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthways and add it to the cream mixture. Stir the yolks and the sugar – don’t beat it! Pour the cream mixture over the egg mixture and stir (don’t beat or whisk) until the sugar has dissolved. Take out the vanilla pod.

Pour into baking dishes/ramekins and bake for 35-40 min (my oven needed about 1 hour). Sprinkle the caster sugar on top and use a torch to caramelize it or put them under the grill. Serve!