Friendly Nettle

I don’t know about you but I am a big fan of the American sitcom “Desperate Housewives”. In fact that’s the only TV program I watch! Anyway, there is one part I find really funny where Bree (the one that has her own catering business) tried to steal the recipe from Katherine (one of her neighbors in Wisteria Lane). It all started when “the girls” (other neighbours) liked Katherine’s lemon meringue pie better than Bree’s. Bree of course gets jealous (as you may all know she likes to be the best in baking). Initially she asks for the recipe, but to my surprise Katherine refuses! So Bree goes for even more shocking action and tries to steal it by breaking into the the Katherine’s house…. I always wonder why in Wisteria Lane people don’t lock their door? Is this what they do in USA? That surely would not work in London if you can imagine!

Anyway, few weeks ago I had a similar situation. My best friend Vicki’s birthday was coming up and I was looking for a good cake recipe she would really like. I knew Vicki loves cheesecakes, chocolate, coffee and alcohol (sometimes I am even concerned that she might be an alcoholic… ha ha, only joking ;-)). Anyway, I remembered that she really liked the cake that one girl (her name is Jada) from my Church made . It was a cake made of cookies, cream and of course alcohol! I decided to ask Jada for the recipe as I knew she got it from her aunt. And guess what, Jada told me that her aunt does not want to give that recipe away!!!  I was gobsmacked! How can this be? At that point I felt exactly like Bree felt, I finally could relate and understand her motivations to commit her “crime”. I bet if Jada’s aunt was living in the setting of Wisteria Lane and especially if she did not lock her house door, I would be definitely tempted to steal that recipe! Never mind,  I have realized that I still live in London and I absolutely have no idea where Jada’s aunt lives. So I had to come up with more civilized option. I decided to create a recipe from my own memory of how that desert tasted. I can only say that the cake came out successful and it managed to generate me some praising (that I always love!).  And… Jada, if you are reading this, I am definitely not upset. I am actually really proud of you that you managed to keep the promise you gave to your aunt :)

VICKI’S BIRTHDAY CAKE

1 can coconut milk (400ml)
1tsp icing sugar (if coconut milk is not creamy)
40g creamed coconut (if coconut milk is not creamy)
200ml coconut flavor rum (otherwise known as “Malibu”)
640g cookies (I prefer all butter ones!)
300ml double cream
tiny bit of dark chocolate for decoration

1. Mix coconut milk with the rum.
First time I made this cake ( when testing the ingredients) I bought coconut milk that was creamy and thick. but when I was making it second time (for the actual birthday) I bought different brand (“Island Sun”) and it came runny and not as sweet as previous brand. I was initially panicking, but quickly fixed it with a little bit of icing sugar (I find that icing sugar blends easier) and creamed coconut (luckily I had it in my cupboard!). I think it came out as good as the first time!
2. Dip cookies in badges and let it soak in rum and coconut milk mix for a little but no longer than 3min (otherwise it will turn into porridge!)
3. Line all soaked cookies into the spring form.
4. Whip double cream and cover cookies with it (Just don’t whip it too much as then it is difficult for it to get through the cookies’ gaps). I Don’t think Jada put double cream in her cake but I did it so my cake looks pretty :D
5. Decorate it with flaked chocolate (just take the bit of plain dark chocolate and run knife edge trough it. At least that’s the way I find the easiest to flake the chocolate.
6. Before enjoying keep it in the fridge for at least one night (Don’t be tempted to put into freezer).

Whats your favourite cake?

Rasa :)

Its a Valentines day today and if you have not met your Mr right (or Miss right) there is always time for chocolate day! I am big chocoholic myself and this is my favorite recipe for chocolate brownie (my friends love this too, just try to leave it unattended and it will be gone before you notice it). Just whatever you do don’t make the same mistake I do: don’t bake it only for yourself (it is selfish and can be really unhealthy)

CHOCOLATE BROWNIE

Ingredients: 200g dark chocolate
250g butter
3 eggs
200g sugar
150g flour (Very important: don’t put more flour then it is written here)
2tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
a pinch of salt
a pinch of baking powder
100g of caramel (its not sold in UK unless you go to Lithuanian shop. To make the caramel simply take a can of condensed milk and boil it for 3 hours WHILE IN THE CAN)
50g or more of chosen nuts (I used walnuts)

1. Preheat the oven to 170C. Line a square shape form (roasting tin is perfectly fine) with greaseproof paper.
2. Melt chocolate and butter. Best way to do it is to place glass/metal bowl (with pieces of chocolate and butter in it of course) over boiling water and watch until becomes chocolaty cream… hmmm! Make sure that the bowl bottom does not touch the water
3. In separate bowl whisk egg with sugar. Don’t overdo it!
4. While stirring the chocolate mixture add the eggs, flour, cocoa powder, salt and the baking powder.
5. Pour the whole mixture into lined and ready baking form
5. Now it’s the fun part! Imagine you are Jackson Pollock and start “decorating” the brownie by trowing in caramel chunks and nuts on the top of chocolate mixture.
6. Press nuts and Caramel lightly into the Chocolate dream so it sinks in a little. Bake it for around 25min (I beg you, please don’t over bake it as I have done in the past. Not a very pleasant result). Enjoy and eat it quick before everyone else gets to it. Oh, and don’t forget to keep it overnight in the fridge before that!

Happy Valentines Day!

Rasa xox

I will make a confession, I got a bad habit… I sometimes like to read over people’s shoulders while I am on the train. As soon as I see an interesting article I start reading it and I even get angry when they turn the page (once somebody gave me their magazine after noticing I was reading it!!).  I know, its quite rude, but I can’t help when I am bored. Can you relate?
The other day the train was really crowded and somebody was reading a “stylist”(I can’t express how much I like that magazine and for those who don’t know: it is free and runs out really quickly once it is published). I was looking over the reader’s shoulder and I saw a picture of a cheesecake and as I was still on detox (read my previous post) I could feel saliva in my mouth. It was an interesting one, with the crumble! I was trying to get closer to the “stylist” reader to get the ingredients, but she did what everybody does and turned the page…. Luckily! Somebody at work was reading the same issue of “stylist” so I grabbed it like a mad woman and started looking for the page where the recipe was and I found it! Never mind my workmates as they are already used to me being mad. Anyway, here is the famous recipe which I have definitely tried baking. I have changed few bits as in ingredients they tried to promote “Bonne Maman” brand and I believe it is fine without it. I also find that it has goat cheese and I know that not everybody like it’s scent (although it does make the cake taste lovely and unique) therefore it’s allowed to be replaced by same amount of soft cheese. I hope you enjoy it as my friends did!

BERRY CRUMBLE CHEESECAKE

Ingredients:  75g butter
200g shortbread biscuits (crushed or processed as they are a bit stiff)
150g goat’s cheese
450g full fat cheese
4 eggs
zest and juice of one orange
100g of caster sugar
75ml cream fraiche
8tbsp strawberry jam
150g summer berries (I bought my frozen as not in season at this moment)
40g plain flour
25g of oat flakes
Icing sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 170C. Line a 20cm deep, loose based, spring-form tin with greaseproof paper.
2. To make a base melt 50g butter and stir in the crushed shortbread biscuits. Press this mixture over the base of the tin and set aside.
3. Beat together the cheeses, eggs, orange zest and 75g sugar with the cream fraiche. Spoon onto the base and bake for 1hour 15mins.
4. Meanwhile prepare berries mixture. Put the jam in a small saucepan with 50ml of orange juice and stir over a low heat. Bring to the boil and bubble gently for 5 minutes. Add the berries (defrost it first if you bought frozen) and leave it to cool.
5. After 1hour 15mins of baking cover the cheesecake with the berries mixture and return to the oven for further 1hr 15mins.
6. Meanwhile prepare the crumble. Rub the remaining butter and the caster sugar into the flour. Stir in the oat flakes and spread out on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15mins. Leave to cool, then brake it to the crumbs.
7. After cheesecake is completely baked and firm in the center sprinkle on the crumble mixture, leave it to cool and dust with icing sugar.

Enjoy

Rasa :)

It’s the New Year again and to me that associates with new resolutions, new decisions, new plans and of course new diet with the promise that from now on I will be eating healthily in the smaller amounts (quitting cakes would be just too much!).  Well… this year I am trying DETOXING (I know, it’s not great time to start blog about food when I am detoxing, but I will try…). My best friend Vicki loughs at my decision to detox as she recommends that I should be doing all year round (eating in moderation, not detoxing). But I can only say this, after eating all this food during Christmas and New Year I need to prepare mentally to eat less… Anyway, I read that to detox you need at least to cut on four main ingredients: alcohol (no problem, I don’t drink that much), coffee (I drink it occasionally in very milky version), sugar (ouch!!), Saturated fat (that pretty much comes together with sugar in cakes!). So ever since I have started to “detox”, I have been trying to satisfy my sweet tooth with natural sugars and somehow fruits doesn’t do it…. And guess what! The other day while shopping at the health shop I have came across a recipe for Apricot and Banana Cheesecake without sugar (from the book called “Cooking Without”). Interesting, how can that be!? And I tried it… it may not be the sweetest thing, but at least I can say: “I am detoxing and I can eat cheesecake”. Try it for yourself ;)

APRICOT AND BANANA CHEESECAKE (makes 4 small tall glasses or 2 big sundae glasses)

Base: 45g haselnuts
30g desiccated coconut
1 rice cake
Topping: 55g dried apricots
1 chopped banana
290g firm silken tofu (you definitely don’t need to go to health shop for that, I found mine in Sainsbury’s even though the staff there did not know they were selling it! It’s where they keep cupboard ingredients etc)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated lemon

1. First, make the base. Toast the hazelnuts in and hazelnuts separately in oven until golden brown. Allow to cool then rub the skins off the hazelnuts.
2. Place all the base ingredients into a food processor until the nuts are chopped properly. Remove from the processor
3.To make the topping cut the apricots into small pieces and simmer in a small amount of water until soft then drain.
4. Process the apricots, banana, tofu, cinnamon and lemon rind until smooth
5. To assemble apply base first then the topping (you can make more layers if you are on the creative mood).

Happy detoxing ;)

Rasa xo