Daring Baker - Swiss Swirl ice cream cake

The car got broken into last night. It is not a flash car, in fact it is a pretty average car,full of Mr Hoopers crap, so I'm not too sure what they were hoping to achieve. They did try to steal the petrol, but the tank was empty, so my first suspicion is BP have decided instead of drilling for oil, they are just going to go on a global syphoning campaign. Good luck mighty BP, we are always running on empty anyway.

So onto my first Daring Bakers Challenge.

The July 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita's world-life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that's then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.


The recipe required loads of different components, which is the kind of recipe I tend to shy away from. I prefer to compile in one go, where as this recipe took about 3 days to complete, mainly due to freezing time. It began with making a Swiss Roll, which I found really hard, it cracked all over the place, but due to time I managed to sort of squish it all together. Then there were two batches of ice cream to be made and a hot fudge sauce, this was all layered together to create an ice cream cake sheltered with a layer of swiss roll slices. I moaned the whole way through this recipe, however Mr Hooper hovered like a starving rabid dog, licking everything in sight. As it turned out, the dessert was really yummy, kind of like ice cream with brownie bits, which is my kind of pudding.

The recipe is very long and detailed so if you are interested in giving it a go, check out at the Daring Bakers Website, and if that doesn't work let me know and I will post the recipe details.

Chocolate and Pistachio Cream Pie

I am one day behind on my beloved routine. Grand Mama has arrived to stay for the rest of the week, so in honour of her stay I decided to postpone the recipe Mr Hooper selected at random. The cookbook this week is 'pie' by Angela Boggiano. When I worked as a nanny in London a few years ago, I ran a bit of a side project making pies to sell at the fancy pants school my kids went to. I made chicken, fish and cottage pies all organic and low in salt and fat, I managed to sell a few and even got some repeat business, which was a great boost to my ego. Although short lived, I did enjoy the thrill of manufacturing, all be it on a small scale. I will delve further into pies one day soon, and share my recipes that were great for kids.

Anyway, back to the recipe, another dessert, which is getting awfully suspicious, I suspect there is some skulduggery with the 'random' selection process. Chocolate and Pistachio Cream Pie, doesn't it just scream...'I WILL MAKE YOU FAT!' Another pastry adventure, oh dear.

I didn't end up using the pastry recipe in the book, this was because the recipe called for lard, of which I had none (well in the culinary sense). So I turned to my ever trusted Stephanie Alexander 'the cook's companion'.

THE PASTRY (shortcrust)

180g cold unsalted BUTTER(I only had salted)

240g plain FLOUR

zest of one ORANGE

pinch of SALT (I left this out)

1/4 cup WATER

MILK, to glaze

Mix the zest through the flour. I decided to grate the butter, so measured it out and wrapped it in tin foil. To avoid the butter softening the tin foil gives you something to hang onto while you grate. So I grated the butter on top of the flour and using a knife mixed thoroughly until I had very rough bread crumbs. Still using the knife I very slowly mixed in the water, until I had a damp crumbly mixture. I brought it all together briefly with my hands, made into a ball and wrapped with glad wrap. It sat in the fridge for about a day/night until I used it.

THE CREAM FILLING

2 EGGS

150g CASTER SUGAR (plus a little extra for sprinkling)

150ml thick CREAM

150g dark CHOCOLATE, finely chopped

25g PISTACHIO nuts, toasted and roughly chopped

This recipe required a rectangular fluted tart tin (36 x 11cm), but I didn't have one, so I instead used a 24cm diameter circular tart tin. Divide the pastry into about one bigger lump, leaving a smaller lump for the lid. Roll out the big lump and line the tart tin, cover with glad wrap and put in the fridge. Roll out the small lump making sure there is enough to make a lid and wrap in glad wrap and into the fridge.

Heat oven to 180C.

Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl and beat together. At this point things went a bit down hill. I just gave it a whisk, but the Grand Mama informed me afterwards I should have beaten, until thick, something the book could have mentioned. So to the eggs/sugar add the chocolate and pistachio's, pour into the case.

Brush the rim with some milk and position the lid over the top. Press the edges to seal, I rolled the rolling pin over the rim, which worked really well, and is handy for trimming the edges. Make a steam hole in the centre (one swift stab with a knife), glaze with milk and sprinkle with sugar. In the oven for 30-35 minutes.

I had over flow which I suspect was a result of the filling being too runny. But other then the pastry being a bit gooey around the edges, this pie came out pretty good. The pistachio's weren't too much of a feature and it was very rich, a slither was about all you needed, with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or cream fraiche. I think it could also be nice served cold with a strong cup of delicious coffee.

The Grand Mama is busy tidying up my water logged vegetable garden so I had better get out there and lend a hand.

Random #3 - Apple and Almond pudding and it's Gluten Free!

This weekend it was one of Delia Smith's books that was to be cracked, she is such an old school English chef, I was delighted at the prospect of something warm and hearty to make as we plunge towards the shortest day. I have a copy of The Delia Collection: Puddings. Its a book that I very rarely refer to, and I'm not sure why, its strange how some cook books you buy, because you HAVE to have them, and yet they end up being sent to the back of the cupboard along with the random collection of cook books produced by your local primary school! I have started using the public library for cook books, I figure the books you are happy to pay on-going late fines for are the books you should probably invest in. When Mr Hooper announced the recipe on Friday night I felt waves of relief, it was a simple recipe that I actually had all the ingredients for. My under arm dangle, was safe to dangle with gay abandon this weekend, and the rolling pin remained safely tucked away.

The recipe is Baked Apple and Almond Pudding. It contains very few ingredients and was really yummy served warm with a drizzle of cream. An added bonus is that the pudding is gluten free. I am a big fan of gluten, in general most meals I cook are laden with gluten based ingredients. Lately lots of my friends have been trying life without gluten to see if it will improve certain ailments, mostly of the aggravated tummy kind. I have been reviewing the gluten free options, and have discovered that it is quite tricky cooking for a completely gluten free diet, so I have something to work on for the next time I have my GF friends over for dinner. If you have any suggestions on good gluten free dinner party meals, please let me know.

My BF is going gluten free, and as she is one of the few readers of this wee blog, I am going to dedicate this recipe to her (sorry Mum I will dedicate one to you soon). The recipe calls for cooking apples, but I used what we had, which I think were Pacific Rose.

450g APPLES, peeled, cored and sliced, make sure you get all the rough bits from the core, as these will never soften no matter how long you cook them.

50g soft BROWN SUGAR

110g ground ALMONDS

110g BUTTER, at room temp

110g golden CASTER SUGAR (I only had the regular kind, and it worked just fine)

2 large EGGS, beaten

You will also need a 20cm oven proof baking dish. Pre heat the oven to 180C.

Place the apples in a saucepan with the brown sugar and about 2tbsn of water. Simmer gently until soft, but not falling apart. This took about 30-40 minutes on a very low heat. Layer them on the bottom of the baking dish.

In a mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar with a beater, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg a little at a time, you want to avoid curdling the mixture. When all the egg is in, carefully fold in the ground almonds, the mixture should still be light and airy. Spoon the mixture over the apples and smooth out with the back of a spoon.

The recipe suggested baking for 1 hour. But in my oven at 180C it was ready after about 45 minutes, and probably could have come out a little earlier.

The pudding was very delicious, but if I were to go back and do it again I would double the amount of apples used, I felt it was a little lacking in the fruit department, and I would have also sprinkled in some cinnamon with the apples, or perhaps simmered them with a cinnamon stick for flavour. It was quite sweet so I think it would benefit from being served with some creme fraiche or natural yoghurt.

This would make a great mid week pudding if you are craving something sweet and delicious but not so naughty that you can't go back for seconds.....there is fruit in it after all.

Pot Luck Pav

It is hard to know how to start my first blog, I envisioned writing something fabulous about some exotic recipe I discovered while on a far off tropical Island. But because I couldn't sit around waiting for an unlikely holiday, I decided to start with this tasty recipe I made for a Pot Luck dinner we went to on Saturday night. These delicious mini-pavlovas also seem fitting as I am, after all, a New Zealander, so everything has fallen into place nicely. I would like to point out that I am a pretty bad photographer, and I pledge that I will improve as time goes by. I am an ex girl guide, so you can have faith in my pledge being honoured, once a girl guide, always a girl guide.

When it comes to Pot Luck, I have no trouble deciding what to cook, my partner loves dessert and all pudding related foods, so I head straight for my favourite pile of weathered cook books and start turning pages. Pudding is not my most favourite course, if I was faced with a wee creme brulee or Vegemite on toast, I would most likely head for the toast (as long as it was generously buttered before plastered with the sticky black goodness). But a dessert that mashes together berries and chocolate is something I would give up an entree for. For the benefit of my hips I like to follow a 2 out of 3 course policy, which is typically a entree/main combo.

I like the danger element of meringue, the will it, won't it thrill when you first plunge the beater into the bowl of egg whites. As a young cook, I recall the terrible disappointment when the egg whites just wouldn't come to life. The desperate desire to try again, and the refusal of my mother to waste 6 more eggs.

I don't have a copper bowl, which I think would a be good addition to my kitchen wardrobe, but I seem to get on fine with my plastic Tupperware bowl. I clean and dry everything very carefully and find my little handheld beater works just fine. I don't have the fanciest of cookware, I would rather work with what I have instead of filling up my cupboards (considering I only have 2.5 cupboards to work with).

I used a recipe from one of my favourite New Zealand authors, Annabel Langbein. Her cook book Eat Fresh offers wonderfully simple and delicious seasonal food.

The recipe goes a little something like this (the recipe has been tweaked a little from the original as it is sadly not the right season for Raspberries, and they are expensive frozen).

To make 8

• 6 egg whites at room temperature (and at least a week old)
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/4 cups caster sugar
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 130g dark chocolate, melted and cooled
• 6-8 tbsp raspberries, fresh or frozen (I ended up using frozen boysenberries)

For serving

• 300ml cream, 1 tbsp icing sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, extra berries

Make sure all equipment being used is clean, and there is not a scrap of fat in sight. Preheat the oven to 160C and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Place eggs in your bowl (make sure it is quite a large bowl as the egg will multiply in size considerably). Add salt and beat until the eggs are forming soft peaks. Very slowly sprinkle in the sugar with the beater running. Keep beating until the mixture is thick and glossy, this should take about 10 minutes. Whisk in the cornflour and vinegar. Fold in the melted chocolate very gently, so the mixture is marbled beautifully.

Using three quarters of the mixture, dollop 8 spoonfuls onto the tray. Using the back of a spoon make a dip in the centre of each dollop. Place a tbsn of berries into each dip, and use the remaining mixture to cover over the berries.

Bake 3 minutes and then reduce the oven to 120C and bake for 1 hour or until the pavlova shells are crisp. Turn off and leave in the oven to cool. Store in an airtight container until eaten. Whip the cream with icing sugar and vanilla and add a dollop on top of each pav and sprinkle with berries.

Unfortunately I don't have a photo of the finished dish all dressed up, they got gobbled up too quickly! I did find that the boysenberries were a bit heavy for the mixture and sunk to the bottom (which is why Raspberries are probably better suited), I quite liked the effect as it created a delicious gooey mess that was a pleasure to discover once the crispy shell was cracked. We enjoyed a banquet of curry, smoked Kahawai, sausage risotto, and spinach salad....fabulous, I love a good Pot Luck dinner.

I hope this recipe serves you well. I am eager for feedback so I can make improvements to my blogging skills, so please be honest.

I have lots of ideas for my blog, so make sure you visit again!