Tart and Sweet. Rhubarb and Apple Buttermilk Muffins.

Posted on February 28, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

RhubarbMuffin]

Is there anything more wonderful than rhubarb?  Bright and brilliant rosy red. Tart and sweet.  The glossier and crisper the stalks, the more intense the colour and the sweeter the fruit. When in season I buy bunches by the armful and make rhubarb compote. Delicious spooned through Greek yoghurt and perhaps muesli for breakfast. Or as an accompaniment to a rich chocolate cake for dessert.

To my mind rhubarb is synonymous with crumbles in the colder months. Partnering beautifully with apples, strawberries or pears. Blanketed with a rich, velvety smooth custard. Perhaps some ice cream on the side. Today I’m making Rhubarb and Apple muffins. Moist, sweet and delicious. But first I’m gently poaching the stalks in the oven so they are tender and soft. And most importantly retain their shape. What could be more perfect? The flavours of a crumble in a breakfast muffin.

Rhubarb and Apple Buttermilk Muffins.

For the Oven Poached Rhubarb

4 -5 stalks rhubarb,washed and trimmed
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

PREHEAT oven to 180 C.
RINSE the rhubarb and shake off the excess water. Trim the ends and cut the rhubarb into 3 cm lengths.
PLACE into a shallow oven-proof dish. Sprinkle over castor sugar and vanilla.,Toss together to combine and arrange the rhubarb into a single layer.
COVER with foil and roast for 15 mins. Remove the foil. The sugar should have dissolved, so give everything a little shake and roast for another 5 mins or until tender and the juices are syrupy. Test with a sharp knife; the rhubarb should feel tender, not mushy, and still have kept its shape.

For the Muffins

150 g unsalted butter
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups  self-raising flour, sifted
2/3 cup  buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 large granny smith apple, peeled, cored and coarsely grated
oven poached rhubarb, as per recipe above
icing sugar, to dust

PREHEAT oven to 180C, non fan-forced
LINE a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.
BEAT butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
STIR in the flour and buttermilk and mix until smooth. Add vanilla and grated apple. Stir through until just combined.
SPOON  batter into the muffin cases.
SCATTER  the tops of the muffins with oven poached rhubarb, lightly pressing the lengths into the batter.
BAKE for 20 -25 minutes, middle rack position, until cooked and golden.
ALLOW to cool for 20 minutes before serving. Dust with a little icing sugar.

Posted in Baked, Breakfast, Sweet Treats, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

A Little Naughty But Very Very Good For You. Oven Baked Kale Chips.

Posted on February 27, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

kale

These vibrant dark green leaves belong to kale. A form of wild cabbage that produces stems with large leaves but no compact head. Heralded as the newest super food. Rich in minerals, vitamins and anti oxidants. Renowned for its cancer busting and cholesterol lowering capabilities. The Queen of Greens.

Kale hit my radar only very recently. Courtesy of  My Kitchen Rules and Scott and Luke’s unfortunate over toasted Coconut Kale Salad debacle. Sounded interesting.  Couldn’t be easier. Kale and coconut flakes tossed in oil and tamari. Baked in the oven. Unless of course you take your eye off the ball and burn them to a crisp.

At my greengrocer this week the aisles seemed to be awash with kale. Right there with the cabbages, cauliflowers, cavolo nero and Asian greens. Funny how I’ve never really noticed it before. We are heading into Autumn at the end of this week so perhaps it is in season. I checked its provenance. Australian grown.

With a big, beautiful bunch of kale on hand and up for the challenge I thought I would try baking kale chips. Au naturel. Sans coconut and tamari. The result? Toasty, nutty, moreish, shatter in your mouth flakes of air. Reminiscent perhaps of toasted nori. The modern potato chip. A little bit naughty but very, very good for you.

kalechips

Oven Baked Kale Chips

1 head kale, washed and thoroughly dried, use a salad spinner if you have one
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt, for sprinkling

PREHEAT oven to 160 C.
REMOVE the ribs from the kale and tear into 4 cm lengths.
PLACE torn leaves in an even layer, in batches, on a lined oven tray. Toss with a little olive oil and  sea salt.
BAKE until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through, about 20 minutes.
SERVE as finger food.

Posted in To Serve with Drinks, Vegetables, Vegetarian, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Good Egg. Persian Feta Omelette With Lemon Zest and Mint.

Posted on February 26, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

fetaandmintsquare

There is nothing simpler or more delicious than a perfectly cooked omelette. Easy to prepare and ready with in minutes. My go to dish for breakfast or brunch and on occasion  my too-tired-to-cook weeknight dinner solution.

A beautifully cooked omelette is incredible.  The inside should be slightly underdone. Not runny. Silky and delicious. The outside soft and smooth. Barely coloured and decidedly not wrinkly.

Here is an omelette recipe that combines two of my favourite things. Farm fresh eggs and wonderfully creamy and soft marinated Persian feta. Freshened up with a sprinkling of lemon zest and mint at the very end. To make the flavours sing.

Persian Feta Omelette With Lemon Zest and Mint

Serves 1

3 eggs
a splash of  water
sea salt
½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
50 g Persian feta, cut into bite-size pieces
a handful of picked mint leaves, washed and torn into small pieces
a sprinkling of finely grated lemon zest
freshly ground black pepper

CRACK the eggs into a mixing bowl, then whisk until they are well mixed and slightly aerated.
WHISK in a splash of water and  a pinch of salt.
HEAT a skillet over medium heat for a few seconds, and then add the oil.
ADD the egg mixture to the pan and move it around with a flexible spatula, working from the outside edge to the centre to create folds as the egg cooks and firms.
DROP  feta on to the omelette.  Scatter with mint and lemon zest and season with a good grinding of pepper
FOLD the omelette in half. Cook for 1 minute more before sliding onto a plate. Serve.

Posted in Breakfast, Cheese, Eggs, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Australia’s Answer To Tiramisu. A Trip Through Our Modern Culinary History. Chocolate Ripple Cake.

Posted on February 25, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

chocripplecakelog

Italy has its Tiramisu.  Savoiardi biscuits. Dipped in coffee liqueur. Smothered in mascarpone cream. Assembled and left to work its magic in the refrigerator. Australia’s  answer to Tiramisu?   Chocolate Ripple Cake. Same concept. Similar ingredients. My favourite version? A packet of  Arnotts chocolate ripple biscuits. Smeared with a scraping  of raspberry jam. Smothered in vanilla cream. Easy and delicious. Child’s play.

Chocolate Ripple Cake is a classic Australian dessert. A stalwart on our bring a plate scene for decades. Part of  our modern  culinary history. A less well known fact?  The forerunner  to this timeless dessert was nothing less than the controversial and now politically incorrect  Chocolate Golliwog Biscuit Cake.

Remember golliwogs? Fuzzy-haired black dolls with smiley red mouths.  Popularised in children’s stories by Enid Blyton.  Growing up  I myself was the owner of a golliwog doll. Knitted by my Great Aunt. In blissful ignorance of any racist connotations to come.  Looking back those dolls were perhaps The Wiggles and Teletubbies equivalent of  the times.  In the 1960’s Arnotts biscuits  introduced Golliwog Chocolate Biscuits to our market. Fashioned after this dearly loved children’s toy.  Before too long the Golliwog Biscuit Cake hit our dessert tables. A confection of chocolate biscuits, creme de menthe and whipped cream. Decorated with crumbled  peppermint crisp.

In the mid-1990s controversy struck.  By decree, Golliwogs were considered politically incorrect. Arnotts duly renamed its  biscuits Scalliwags and eventually discontinued the line. Enter the Chocolate Ripple biscuit. And a modern politically acceptable  reincarnation of  a much loved dessert.  The Chocolate Ripple Cake. It is a testimony to its deliciousness that this dessert has managed to withstand both controversy and the test of time.

chocripplecake

Chocolate Ripple Cake

Serves 6 – 8

1 x 250g packet Arnotts Chocolate Ripple biscuits
500 ml thickened cream
2 tablespoons raspberry jam
1 teaspoon  caster sugar
1 teaspoon  vanilla essence
Chocolate or cocoa powder, to decorate
Raspberries or seasonal berries, to decorate

USING an electric mixer, whip together cream, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
SMEAR a scraping of raspberry jam on the smooth side of each biscuit.
SPREAD  a little of the cream along a long serving plate to make a base. Take a biscuit and spread with a heaped teaspoon of cream and sandwich with another biscuit.  Top that biscuit with  another  teaspoon  of cream. Repeat until all biscuits have been used.
FORM a log. Place the  filled  biscuits on their side onto the cream base on the serving plate. Sandwich together until the log fills the serving plate.
COVER the entire log with the remaining cream. Wrap the log loosely with a double layer of baking paper and foil. Refrigerate the log for a minimum of 6 hours to set.
JUST before serving, dust the log with cocoa or shaved chocolate and decorate with seasonal berries.
CUT the cake diagonally to serve.

Posted in Chocolate, Sweet Treats, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Monkey See. Monkey Do. A Breakfast Treat. Sweet Sticky Gooey Monkey Bread.

Posted on February 24, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

MonkeyBreadPlated

Like Curious George my interest has been piqued.  By  Monkey Bread.  As far as I can gather it’s a sweet, sticky, gooey breakfast pastry popular in the USA.  Sometimes also affectionately referred to as  puzzle bread, golden crown, pinch-me cake, bubble loaf and monkey brains. Well loved and the subject of many a post.

This weekend the weather was foul. Stormy,wet and windy. With a full house what better opportunity to try this out for myself. Monkey see. Monkey do. This breakfast bread is made with hand rolled balls of sweet yeast dough.  Individually dunked in melted butter, cinnamon and  sugar. Baked in a bundt cake pan at high heat. Traditionally served hot so that the baked segments can be easily torn away with the fingers and eaten by hand.

I spent many hours browsing the internet. Searching for an elusive yet authentic recipe. Prepared from scratch.  In favour of  the well accepted short cut of using pre-packaged biscuit dough. Reproduced below is the recipe I eventually settled upon. Adapted from Cooks Illustrated.

The verdict? Delicious but unbelievably sweet and rich. So much so  we could only manage to eat a little at a time. Not too difficult to make. The sweet yeast bread was light and airy. Covered by an ooey, gooey, golden caramel. So thick and rich I skipped the glaze.  Definitely a special occasion breakfast treat.  Perhaps next time I’ll use a mixture of brown and white sugar to cut down on the sweetness. That said an entire  crown of sticky monkey bread lasted less than twenty four hours in our house. Leftovers were plucked from their crown and blitzed in the microwave for a few moments to warm through. Not too bad for a first attempt.

MonkeyBread

Sweet Sticky Gooey Monkey Bread

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Serves 8

Dough
4 tablespoons ( 60 grams) butter, divided, 2 tablespoons softened and 2 tablespoons melted
1 cup milk, warm (about 45 C )
1/3 cup water, warm (about 45 C)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
2 teaspoons salt

Brown Sugar Coating
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
120 grams butter melted

Glaze
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons milk

To Make The Dough

GENEROUSLY butter a Bundt pan with 2 tablespoons softened butter. Use a pastry brush or a paper towel or anything that will really help get inside all of those nooks and crannies. Set aside.
IN A LARGE measuring cup, mix together the warm milk and water, melted butter, sugar, and yeast.
IN A SEPARATE  bowl mix together  the flour and salt. Make a well in the flour, then add the milk mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir until the dough becomes shaggy and is difficult to stir.
TURN out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and begin to knead, incorporating the shaggy scraps back into the dough. If you think the dough is too wet and sticky, add 2 tablespoons flour at a time and mix until the dough comes together  into a cohesive ball (it should still be on the sticky side, just not overly wet).
KNEAD the dough until satiny and smooth, about 10 minutes. Shape into a taut ball.
COAT a large bowl with non-stick cooking spray. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat lightly with the cooking spray. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled, 1-2 hours (alternately, preheat the oven to 100 C turn it off  and place the covered bowl in the oven to speed up the rising time).

To Assemble the Monkey Bread

PREPARE the sugar coating. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Place the melted butter in a second bowl or shallow pie plate. Set aside.
FORM the bread. Gently remove the dough from the bowl and press it into a rough 16 cm square. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the dough into 64 pieces.
ROLL each piece of dough into a ball (it doesn’t have to be perfect, just get it into a rough ball-shape).
TAKING one ball at a time, dip in melted butter allowing excess butter to drip back into the bowl or pie plate. Roll the buttered dough ball in the brown sugar mixture, then place in even layers into the Bundt pan. Stagger the seams where the dough balls meet as you build layers.
COVER the Bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap and let the monkey bread rise until puffy, about 1-2 hours  you can use the warm oven approach again to speed this process up).
PREHEAT the oven to 180 C (remove the bundt  pan from the oven if you placed it there to rise).
UNCOVER the monkey bread and bake until the top is deep brown and caramel begins to bubble around edges, 30 to 35 minutes.
COOL in the pan for 5 minutes (any longer and the bread will be too sticky and hard to remove), then turn out on a platter or large plate and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
WHILE the bread cools prepare the glaze.  Whisk icing sugar and milk together in a small bowl until smooth. Using a whisk, drizzle the glaze over the warm monkey bread, letting it run over the top and sides of the bread.
SERVE warm.

Posted in Baked, Breakfast, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Reinterpreting An Old Favourite. Caesar Salad With Poached Chicken and Maple Roasted Bacon.

Posted on February 22, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

caesarsalad

Another post. Another salad. This time its a reinterpretation of the good old fashioned classic. Caesar Salad. I used to make this all the time. In the nineties that is. Before children. Not having eaten Caesar Salad in a very long time I had forgotten how good it can be. Properly executed. With fresh ingredients. A complete meal in a bowl.

For me the key to a great Caesar salad is a good home-made dressing.  With anchovies. I know they are not everyone’s cup of tea but they impart such a gorgeous, piquant flavour punch. Once blitzed with egg, mustard, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil their presence is disguised. You’ll have to trust me on this. My guinea pigs were my daughters. With a known aversion to anything anchovy they lapped this up and proclaimed it absolutely delicious.

Dressing sorted. The traditional components of a classic Caesar? Crisp cos or romaine lettuce. Toasted croutons. Shaved Parmesan. In my version I have added shards of maple roasted bacon and shreds of tender poached chicken. Another recipe that is infinitely adaptable. To the contents of your larder. And perhaps the idiosyncrasies of your taste buds.

Caesar Salad With Poached Chicken and Maple Roasted Bacon.

Serves 4

For the Salad

2 baby cos or romaine lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried
1/2 cup (40 g) parmesan cheese, shaved
½ x 56 g can anchovy fillets, drained (optional)
8 rashers  short cut bacon, rind removed
2 tablespoons good quality maple syrup
4 slices  ciabatta bread,  roughly torn into 2 cm pieces
2 (400g)  chicken breast fillets
aromatics for poaching chicken breasts – e.g. ginger, spring onions, sea salt and whole peppercorns.

For the Dressing
1 egg
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ x 56g can anchovy fillets, drained
¾ cup (180 ml) olive oil

 
To Prepare the Components

PREHEAT oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced).

BRUSH bacon rashers with maple syrup. Transfer to a baking paper lined oven tray and bake for 15 – 20 minutes until crisp and lightyly caramelised. Cool and break into shards.

MEANWHILE tear bread into chunks; place on a lined oven tray. Drizzle with olive oil, toss well. Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes or until crisp and browned lightly. Cool.

POACH the chicken. Place chicken in a shallow pan. Cover with cold water. Add any aromatics – I like to use a thumb sized piece of ginger, a couple of spring onions, sea salt and a sprinkling of whole peppercorns. Bring to the boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until almost cooked through. Remove pan from heat. Stand for 5 minutes. Remove chicken from poaching liquid. Cool. Shred.

PREPARE the dressing. Blend or process egg, garlic, lemon juice, mustard and anchovies until smooth. Slowly add oil in a thin stream while motor is operating, blend until thick. Season to taste.

To Assemble the Salad

IN A separate bowl toss the  lettuce leaves with half the dressing.
DIVIDE  the dressed leaves between four large bowls or plates.
TOP with baked ciabatta bread croutons, shredded poached chicken and shards of maple roasted bacon.
SCATTER  with shaved parmesan and roughly torn anchovies (if using).
SERVE with extra Caesar salad dressing on the side.

Posted in Poultry, Salads, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Happy Days. Grilled Zucchini Salad With Lemon,Mint, Chilli and Goats Cheese.

Posted on February 21, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

zucchinisalad

I’m craving salad at the moment. Here is a fresh, vibrant gutsy zucchini rendition courtesy of Jamie Oliver. Featured in one of his very first books Happy Days. Published in 2001. Can it really be that  we have been enjoying this salad for over a decade? My how time flies!

I well remember the first time I prepared this salad. It was the star of a casual  barbecue get together with friends. Over the years I have adapted it a little to make it my own. Adding goats cheese, pine nuts and lemon zest. Sometimes I serve this as a bruschetta. Piled high on toasted, garlic rubbed ciabatta. Simple, satisfying and delicious. Even with my small adaptations this salad is pure Jamie Oliver.  A modern, fresh interpretation of classic Italian flavours. Happy days indeed.

Grilled Zucchini Salad With Lemon, Mint, Chilli and Goats Cheese

Adapted from Jamie Oliver’s Happy Days With The Naked Chef 
 

8 medium-sized zucchini
1 long red chilli, de-seeded and finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely diced
generous handful of picked mint leaves
zest and juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
120 grams soft goats cheese, crumbled
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper

THINLY slice the zucchini lengthwise into long strips. I find it easiest to do this on a mandolin. Brush zucchini slices with a little olive oil.
HEAT a griddle pan on high. When very hot grill zucchini in batches until lightly charred on each side.
SCATTER the slices over a large serving platter and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper while warm.
SPRINKLE toasted pine nuts and crumbled goats cheese evenly over the zucchini. Followed by a good sprinkling of finely diced chilli and garlic.
FINELY  grate lemon zest over the salad.
TEAR over a handful of fresh mint leaves and drizzle with good extra virgin olive oil and a generous squeeze of lemon.
SERVE warm.

Posted in Salads, Vegetarian, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Crisp and Crunchy. Little Golden Risotto Balls. Arancini With Leek, Lemon and Saffron.

Posted on February 20, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

arancini

Arancini.  A Sicilian specialty. Crunchy, little golden risotto balls.  Traditionally filled with a rich slow-cooked tomato and meat ragu. Crumbed and fried to perfection. Pure genius. Incredibly delicious. Perhaps  invented by thrifty Italian mamas of  yore to make use of  leftovers. Google arancini. The variations are endless. I’m sure every self respecting Italian mama has her own special recipe. Handed down through the generations.

Risotto is often on the menu at our house. A veritable staple in the colder winter months. Curiously I have never even thought to attempt arancini at home. So here is my first attempt. A fragrant lemon, leek and saffron risotto. Filled with an oozy, melting mozzarella. Buffalo of course. Crisp. Crunchy. Little balls of deliciousness. Perfect fare for a balmy summer night. The requests are already in. Next time I make risotto I need to double the quantities. So I have the perfect excuse to make these little beauties again.

arancinirisotto

Arancini With Leek, Lemon and Saffron.

Makes 18 Arancini Balls

For the Risotto
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
a generous pinch of saffron
2 tablespoons butter
2 leeks, white part only, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 ½ cups arborio rice
¼ cup white wine
½  cup parmesan, grated
juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon

For the Arancini
1 quantity of risotto
1 egg
1 – 2 cups dried Italian style breadcrumbs
125 grams fresh buffalo mozzarella, cut into 1.5cm cubes

TOAST saffron in a small pan on gentle heat being careful not to burn it.
PLACE stock and toasted saffron threads into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer.
IN A large pan, sweat the leeks and garlic in butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or so until the leeks are soft and translucent.
ADD  the rice to the butter and leek mixture. Stir over medium heat for a minute or so to ensure the grains are well coated.
ADD the wine and let it evaporate while stirring constantly.
LADLE by ladle slowly add the hot stock, allowing the rice to absorb the stock each time. Stirring constantly for about 20 minutes.  When cooked the rice should be tender yet firm to the bite and the risotto  creamy. Remove pan from heat.
STIR in the parmesan, lemon juice and zest. Set aside for at least an hour to cool completely.

WHEN ready to shape the arancini add an egg to the cooled risotto. Stir to combine.
USING wet hands roll heaped tablespoons of risotto into balls. Use your thumb to make a large indent in each ball and push in a piece of mozzarella. Mould risotto around the mozzarella to enclose. Place arancini balls in the refrigerator  to firm a little for 30 minutes or so.

WHEN ready to fry the arancini, place breadcrumbs in a medium mixing bowl.
ROLL arancini balls in breadcrumbs to coat.
ADD enough oil in a heavy-based saucepan to reach a depth of 5 cm.  Heat on medium- high until a cube of bread sizzles as soon as it is added.
FRY arancini balls in batches for a few minutes each side until golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

Posted in Cheese, Rice, Small Bites, To Serve with Drinks, Vegetarian, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Our Last Shrove Tuesday Hurrah. Crêpes With a Simple Orange and Brown Sugar Sauce.

Posted on February 19, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

crepes

I love crêpes but since Shrove Tuesday last week  I feel as if I have flipped and tossed enough galettes and crêpes to last me a life time. Not that my family was complaining. I have since retired my trusty crêpe pan to the depths of my pots and pans drawer, but thought I’d share with you our last crêpe hurrah of the season.

Crêpes With a Simple Orange and Brown Sugar Sauce.

Crêpes

Makes about a dozen

1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted

SIFT the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre of the bowl.
ADD the eggs and a little of the milk. Using a wooden spoon, stir from the centre gradually drawing in the flour from the sides of the bowl.
GRADUALLY add the remaining milk. Beat well until the batter is smooth.
STIR in the melted butter and allow the batter to stand in a cool place for at least an hour.
WHEN ready to cook the crêpes  give the batter a good stir. It may have thickened on standing so add a little more milk if needed. The consistency of the batter should be that of pouring cream.
HEAT a 20 cm crêpe pan over medium heat. When hot add a little butter. Swirl to coat the pan and carefully wipe off any excess with a paper towel.
LADLE 2 generous tablespoons of the batter into the pan, tilting the pan in a circular motion as you go to evenly coat the surface. Cook for 2 minutes or until the underside of the crêpe  is golden. Flip with a spatula and cook the other side for up to a minute. Remove from the pan to a warm plate.
WIPE the crêpe  pan with a little more butter and repeat the process with the remaining batter.
WHEN ready to serve, make the Orange and Brown Sugar Sauce.

Orange and Brown Sugar Sauce

50g butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
MELT butter and add sugar. Cook over low heat until sugar is caramelised.
POUR in orange and lemon juices, stir over high heat until liquid reduces slightly.  Reduce heat.
WORKING quickly and adding one crêpe  at a time. Swirl around in the sauce until well coated. Using a spoon and fork, fold  the crêpe in half twice. Push the folded crêpes to the side of the pan as you go.
REPEAT until all crêpes are sauced and folded.
SERVE warm at the table with ice-cream.

Posted in Musings & Inspiration, Sweet Treats, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Mes Petits Choux. Ice-Cream Choux Pastry Puffs with Nigella Lawson’s Salted Caramel Sauce.

Posted on February 18, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

choux

On the week-end I needed a quick and easy dessert. Something that could be whipped up from the contents of my pantry and refrigerator. Wasn’t too time consuming. And had a little bit of wow factor.

Since our visit to Hokkaido in Japan my family has been obsessed with cream puffs. Constantly asking when would I make them. The basis of a good cream puff?  Light, crisp choux pastry. Not difficult to make if you follow a few basic rules.  No  time to make the traditional creme patissiere filling? Ice cream is a delicious substitute. And so using a little lateral thinking dessert was sorted. Choux pastry puffs. Filled with ice cream. Topped with a home-made salted caramel sauce. And don’t they look glorious? Mes petits choux.

In France mon petit chou is a term of endearment. Loose translation? My little sweetheart. Or more literally. My little cabbage. Look closely. These delicious little pastry puffs, mes petits choux,  do in a way resemble little cabbages.

Once mastered,  choux pastry dough is the basis of a wide variety of desserts. Think profiteroles, croquembouche, éclairs, and religieuses. In Spain this dough is fried, rolled in sugar and dipped in thick chocolate to make churros. Don’t have a sweet tooth? Add your favourite cheese, spices and herbs to the pastry dough to bake wonderfully savoury  gougères. A most elegant and delicious canapé.

Here is a very easy and very basic choux pastry recipe to get you started. I have included all the little tips  I use to get a light, crisp choux pastry puffs every time.  Filled with  ice cream and drizzled with Nigella Lawson’s incredibly decadent  salted caramel sauce they make a wonderful dessert.  One post. Two recipes. Enjoy.

Ice-Cream Choux Pastry Puffs with Nigella Lawson’s Salted Caramel Sauce.

To serve

Fill crisp choux pastry puffs with a generous scoop of softened, good quality vanilla bean ice cream. Place 2 -3 ice cream puffs on a plate and  drizzle with Nigella Lawson’s salted caramel sauce.

To Make The Choux Pastry Puffs
Makes about 30

100 g butter, chopped
1 cup (250 ml) water
1 cup plain flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs

PREHEAT oven to 200 C. Line two large baking trays with baking paper.
COMBINE butter and water in saucepan, bring to the boil. When butter has melted and water boiling rapidly, add sifted flour  and salt all at once.
STIR vigorously until the mixture is  glossy and pulls away from the side of the saucepan to form a smooth ball.
TRANSFER to a bowl. Cool slightly and  beat in eggs a little at a time.  The pastry dough should be smooth and stretchy and fall easily off a wooden spoon. If it reaches this stage before you’ve added all the eggs don’t add the rest. You are aiming for a good dropping consistency that holds its shape well. If the mixture is too stiff (not enough egg) then the choux puffs will be too heavy. If the mixture is too wet (too much egg), they will not hold their shape when spooned onto baking paper.
PIPE or drop the pastry dough about 5 cm apart onto lined oven trays.
BAKE in hot 200 C oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 180 C and bake for a further 10 -15 minutes  until puffs are lightly browned and crisp.
REMOVE from oven. Make a small slit in the side of the choux pastry puffs to allow steam to escape.
RETURN the trays to the oven and bake for another 5 mins until really crisp.
TRANSFER the puffs to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. It is important to bake the puffs until they are browned and firm. If they are removed from the oven too soon they will collapse as they cool and have a dense, tough texture.
WHEN cool store in an airtight container until ready to serve. Baked and cooled choux pastry puffs will keep in an airtight container for about a week or may be frozen for about a month. Re-crisp puffs in a moderate  180 C oven for a few minutes.

To Make Nigella Lawson’s Salted Caramel Sauce.

75 grams unsalted butter (best quality)
50 grams soft light brown sugar
50 grams caster sugar
50 grams golden syrup
125 ml double cream
1 teaspoon fleur de sel

MELT  butter, sugars and syrup and butter in a small heavy based pan and let simmer for 3 minutes, swirling every now and again.
ADD cream and half a teaspoon of fleur de sel salt (not table salt!) and swirl again, give a stir with a wooden spoon and taste – go cautiously so that you don’t burn your tongue – to see if you want more salt before letting it cook for another minute on the stove, then pour into a jug for serving.

Posted in Baked, Sweet Treats, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments