Add the sugar and cornstarch to a mixing bowl and stir through. Add the egg yolks and 50ml milk and mix together to make a smooth very runny paste. Set aside. Add the 700ml milk to a saucepan set over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Pour the egg and milk mixture into the boiling milk in a thin stream while whisking vigorously. Turn the heat down to medium, keep stirring and wait for the mixture to thicken. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the custard into cups and dust with some ground cinnamon. Serve slightly warm.
110g butter, room temperature 175g caster sugar 4 eggs, separated 110g almond meal/ground almonds 110g dark chocolate, very finely chopped or grated 150ml milk 175g self-raising flour
Preheat your oven to 170℃ and line two 12-hole muffin tins with paper cups. Add the butter and caster sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together until very pale and fluffy. Add the egg yolks to a bowls and whisk together. Run the mixer on low speed and add a spoonful of the yolks at a time. Beat well after each addition. Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer and fold in the chopped chocolate, almond meal and milk. Add the egg whites to a clean mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until soft peak stage. Gently fold the whites into the almond mixture. Now add the flour and gently fold it in with a spatula. Spoon the mixture into the 24 paper cases and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes on a cooling rack before icing/decorating.
Chocolate Ganache: 160g chocolate 125ml heavy cream
Chop the chocolate into pieces and place it in a heatproof mixing bowl. Pour the cream into a small saucepan on medium heat. Take the cream from the heat as soon as small bubbles appear at the edges of the saucepan. Pour the cream onto the chopped chocolate and allow to stand for 2 minutes. Now stir the mixture until the chocolate has melted and it is completely smooth and silky. Cool completely before whipping for 4 minutes. Use to decorate.
Preheat your oven to 200℃ and spray two 22cm tart tins with cooking spray. Dust a work surface with flour and roll the pastry to 3mm thickness. Line the tart tins – the pastry should be about 1cm larger that the tins to allow for shrinkage during baking. Place the prepared tart tins in the refrigerator until needed.
Pour 1 litre milk into a saucepan and add the sugar and cinnamon quill. Turn the heat on medium-high and stir the mixture until the sugar has dissolved. Heat the milk mixture until it starts forming tiny bubbles around the edges of the saucepan. Remove from the heat and take out the quill. Set aside. Add the flour, custard powder and cornflour to a mixing bowl. Drizzle in the remaining 250ml milk while whisking, to make a slurry. Add the egg yolks to the slurry and whisk together. Slowly pour the warm milk-mixture into the slurry while whisking continuously. Remember: pour slowly, whisk quickly! Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and return to a low heat. Stir the mixture until it thickens and starts to bubble. Take off the heat, add the butter and vanilla, stir through and set aside. Add the baking powder to the egg whites and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the custard and divide the mixture between the two prepared tart tins. Bake the tarts in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately sift some ground cinnamon on the surface. Serve with your favourite brew of coffee.
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line 27cm X 37cm X 5cm cake tin (I use a roasting tin) with baking paper. Add the butter and sugar to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat together on a high speed until pale and fluffy. Turn the mixer to medium speed and add the eggs one at a time, giving each egg time to incorporate into the mixture. Add the vanilla. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Turn the mixer to a low speed and add the flour mixture and milk alternately. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking tin and place it in the oven to bake for 40 minutes. Cool the cake on a cooling rack until completely cold and slice into squares.
For the Coconut Chocolate Ganache: 180g white coconut chocolate OR white chocolate and a handful of roasted coconut flakes 120ml cream
Chop the chocolate finely and add the chocolate and cream to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water. Allow the chocolate to melt, stirring every now and then until the mixture is silky smooth. Now take the bowl from the heat and stir the ganache. Drizzle the ganache over the cake slices while still slightly warm. Decorate with roasted coconut flakes.
For the topping: 160g chocolate, chopped 125ml cream 5ml corn syrup
Preheat your oven to 180℃. Spray and line the bottom (not the sides) of a 38cm X 25cm X 2,5cm baking tray with baking paper. Spray the paper lightly with a cooking spray. Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Turn the mixer to high speed, add the 83ml sugar and whisk for 5 minutes until the mixture is stiff. Set aside. Add the egg yolks, 125ml sugar and vanilla to a mixing bowl and beat for 2 minutes with electric beaters. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into another mixing bowl. Add the espresso powder to the dry ingredients. Melt the butter and pour it over the dry ingredients. Add the egg yolk mixture as well and beat on medium speed until the ingredients are combined. Now fold in the stiff egg whites by stirring in a third and then gently folding in the rest. Keep folding until there are no white streaks in the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking tray and spread it evenly into a thin layer. Bake for 10 minutes.
Rolling the cake: Place a thin kitchen towel on a work surface and sift about 30ml cocoa powder over the towel. Take the cake directly from the oven, run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan and immediately invert the cake onto the cocoa powder/kitchen towel. Gently peel off the baking paper and roll the cake and the kitchen towel in a coil. Set aside to cool completely.
Making the cream filling: Pour the whipping cream into a mixing bowl, sift over the icing sugar and add the vanilla. Beat the mixture with electric beaters until it is stiff enough to have a spreadable consistency. Unroll the cold cake and remove it from the kitchen towel. Spread the cream filling over the surface and roll the cake once again. Place the Swiss roll on a cooling rack to cover with the chocolate topping.
For the chocolate topping: Add all the ingredients to a heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan with barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has melted completely and the mixture is amalgamated. Take the bowl from the heat and set aside for about 15minutes, stirring it every now and then so that it cools down a bit. Pour the chocolate over the Swiss roll and spread it slightly with a spatula. Wait for the first batch/layer to set slightly before pouring the rest of the chocolate over the cake. Allow the cake to stand on the cooling rack until the topping has set completely.
Transfer the Swiss roll to a serving plate and enjoy!
You will keep this recipe as a quick and delicious go-to whenever you are in need of a dessert, something sweet or a treat. The taste is dramatically altered by the chocolate of your choice … choose wisely!!
Preheat your oven to 170℃ and line a 18cm cake tin with baking paper. Cover the bottom and about half way up, of the cake tin with tin foil and place the tin in a roasting dish. Put aside. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until completely melted and remove from the heat. Allow to cool slightly. Add the cream cheese and egg yolks to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric beater. Drizzle in the cooled chocolate and mix until blended. Add the egg whites to a clean mixing bowl and beat until stiff peaks. Stir about a third of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Add the rest of the whites and gently fold through until no trace of white is visible. Gently scrape the mixture into the prepared cake tin and level the surface with a spatula. Now pour very hot water from the TAP into the roasting tray so that the water reaches about 3cm. Place the cake in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 160℃ and bake for another 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the cake inside for another 30 minutes before removing it from the baking tin. Serve the cheesecake slightly warm with a chocolate sauce.
The best of two worlds!! A delicious chocolatey brownie base with a velvet baked cheesecake topping!
For the brownie base: 115g butter 115g dark chocolate, chopped 200g caster sugar 2 eggs 50ml milk 115g flour
For the cheesecake topping: 500g cream cheese, room temperature 125g caster sugar 3 eggs 5ml vanilla 125ml Greek yoghurt
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and grease a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin. Add the butter and chopped chocolate to a heatproof mixing bowl and place it over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir every now and then until melted. Remove the bowl from the head and add the sugar. Whisk until the ingredients are amalgamated. Add the eggs and milk and whisk to mix. Add the flour and stir through until the mixture is just blended. Scrape the mixture into the prepared cake tin and even it out with a spatula. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove and set aside. Lower the oven temperature to 160℃. Add the cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat together on high speed until you have a smooth mixture. Scrape the bowl down once or twice in between mixing. Remove the bowl from the mixer and add the yoghurt. Stir the yoghurt through the cheesecake mixture. Pour the mixture onto the baked brownie base. Place in the oven and bake for 55 minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a cooling rack to cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, but preferably overnight. Run a knife around the edge of the cake before removing the sides of the cake tin. Cut into slices and drizzle with melted chocolate to serve.
My Whisk and I 