Mango Mille-Feuille

I made the mille-feuille using sheets of coconut sponge cake and layered them with a mango mascarpone cream and a mango jelly for the top.

This recipe was inspired by my birthday cake this year that was bought for me from a patisserie in New York. It was a coconut cake with a thick mango cream and a fruity topping. I loved the combination of the flavors and was dying to recreate a similar taste.

I made the sponge cake in a jelly roll pan in order to get the thin layers of sponge that I wanted.
This will need to be chilled for a few hours in the fridge, so it needs to be made in advance.
This is such a perfect dessert for the summer, it's very cooling and the mango is so refreshing.

For the sponge cake layers:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
  
• 1/4 cup milk
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 cup dessicated coconut
  

Pre-heat the oven to 375F.
Line 15" by 10" pan with foil and spray with cooking oil.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.
Add the sugar, butter and vanilla extract to the eggs and beat well.
Add the coconut and the milk and mix.
Then finally sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix until very smooth.
Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly.
Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until a fork inserted in the center comes out clean.

Leave to cool and then transfer the cake very carefully to a cooling rack until completely cooled.

For the mascarpone cream:

• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 8 ounce tub of soft Italian mascarpone
  
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 cup roughly pureed fresh mango
• 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
  

Whip the heavy cream with an electric mixture until it forms stiff peaks.
Then add the mascarpone, lemon zest and lemon juice and continue to whisk until combined well.

Now fold the mango puree in gently, then add the confectioners sugar
(do this to your desired sweetness).
Bind all this together, being careful not to over mix.

Cover in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.

To start assembling the mille-feuille, take your sponge cake and cut it equally into three rectangles.
Then start to build it by placing one cake rectangle on your serving plate, then pipe or spread lots of the mascarpone cream on top of this (start about 1/2 an inch into the rectangle so that the cream doesn't pour out when you place the next rectangle on top).

Then continue with this process until your last rectangle is bare on top.
Place the mille-feuille in the refrigerator.

For the Mango Jelly:

• 1/2 cup roughly pureed fresh mango
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 pouch of gelatin powder

In a small bowl mix 1/2 pouch of gelatin with a tablespoon of water. Place the bowl in the microwave for 10 seconds to let the gelatin dissolve.
In another bowl add the mango puree, lemon juice and sugar.
Then add the gelatin and mix well.

Immediately start spooning and spreading the jelly on top of the mille-feuille, being careful not to let it drip off.

Add slices of mango and berries to decorate.
Then refrigerate the mille-feuille for at least 2 hours before serving.

Crème au Caramel Salé

These salted caramel custard pots were inspired by the Picasso of pastry, Pierre Hermé and his classic caramel with fleur de sel macaroons.
This flavor became a rising trend and it's not uncommon to find desserts sprinkled with this salt now.
Fleur de sel (flower of salt) is a sea salt collected only off the coast of Brittany, France, scraping just the top layer before it sinks to the bottom of the salt pan.
I've used fleur de sel salt for these; it's probably not worth buying the salt especially for this, but if you want to start using it in recipes, it's definitely something worth thinking about.

Makes 4 pots

For the caramel:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• A pinch of fleur de sel (or any mild sea salt if you don't have this)
  
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup whole milk

For the custard crème:

• 4 egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• More fleur de sel for sprinkling on top.
  

To make the caramel, on a medium heat add the sugar and salt to a saucepan. Add a few drops of water to the pan just to moisten a little.
Stirring constantly (don't let it burn), allow the sugar to caramelize and bubble, it should thicken and become a rich amber color.

As soon as it has taken on that color, immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cream and the whole milk.
this will cause it to bubble a lot, but keep stirring. The caramel at this point will become quite hard and stringy, return the pan to the heat and mix until it becomes a smooth liquid.

leave the caramel to cool down fully.

Preheat the oven to 300F
In a mixing bowl whisk together the egg yolks, 1/2 cup of sugar and vanilla extract very well until thickened.
Very slowly, add the caramel mixture to this bowl while whisking.
Allow to sit still for a minute and then skim off any foam that has developed on the surface.
(they will show up in the finishing custards).

Fill 4 ramekins with the custard caramel mixture and place them on a roasting pan.

Fill the roasting pan half way up the ramekins with boiling water.
Cover the roasting pan with Aluminum foil (piercing a few holes in the foil for steam to release)
Place the pan carefully in the middle of the oven and bake the pots for 30-40 minutes.
(Check them after 30 minutes because mine were completely done then).
They should still be wobbly, but completely set and solid to the touch.

When they're done, take the roasting pan out of the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes with the foil still covering the pots.

Let the petite pots cool in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

When they are ready to be served, sprinkle a little fleur de sel on top of each pot.
These can be served with a little whipped cream on the side, but they're really good just as themselves.

Palmiers

An effortless french classic that is simple, yet elegant and highly delectable.
These little pastries are so quick to make, require minimal ingredients and always look very attractive.
Be sure to find a good puff pastry if you're going to buy it ready made, some store bought ones contain all kinds of ingredients that needn't be there, so look for a good brand.

I love these for breakfast with my morning coffee and they also make a great dessert.
There are various ways to shape the palmiers, I just like the heart shaped ones.
These are very addictive, you have been warned! :)


You will only need....

• Puff pastry
• Granulated white sugar
• Parchment paper

Your puff pastry should measure about 10X12 inches.

Sprinkle granulated sugar all over your work surface and press the bottom of the puff pastry onto it so that the sugar sticks.
Coat the top layer in sugar as well and press firmly.

Make sure the longer length of the puff pastry is facing you.
Begin to shape the pastry, firstly by folding each side into the center.

Then fold each side into the center of the pastry again.

Then roll one side of the pastry on top of the other.
Sprinkle again with sugar.
Cover this pastry roll in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400F

Take the roll out of the fridge and begin to cut approximately 1 1/2 inch slices all the way down the roll.

Place each palmier on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Sprinkle each one with a little more sugar.

Bake them in the oven for about 10-12 minutes until they are golden brown and caramelized.

The Palmiers can be eaten fresh out of the oven or when they have cooled down.
They can be stored for a few days in an air tight container.
Mine have never seen the end of the day...
:)

Indian Rice Pudding

This is a classic Indian dessert that still remains a home cooked favorite.

The creamy, nutty texture and delicate flavor of cardamom give this rice pudding its unique taste.

I love the diversity of rice pudding, but I have to say that this is the only style of rice pudding I have ever made. For me, its a nostalgic thing and its so beautifully scented.


Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding)
(Inspired by my Mum's)

Serves 4 people

• 1 cup Alborio Rice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup of heavy cream
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 4-5 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (or to desired sweetness)
• 1 teaspoon of cardamom powder.
• 2 tablespoons blanched, slivered almonds
• Optional- chopped pistachio's for sprinkling on top.

Wash the Alborio rice very well. You could use any short grain white rice, but this rice definitely gives the best results, it has a very creamy texture and works perfectly for this.

In a medium sized sauce pan, melt the butter on a medium/high heat.
When the butter is sizzling, add the rice to the pan and fry for 1 minute, mixing slowly.

Add the milk to the pan and let it come to a boil, always stirring to prevent it from burning.
Then reduce the heat to low/medium and let the rice and milk cook together.
Do not leave the pan unattended, it will need constant stirring to prevent the milk from burning.

The rice should be cooked, but it shouldn't be mushy and the mixture should have thickened a lot.
Add the heavy cream, mix and cook for a further minute.
Then turn off the heat.

While the rice pudding is still hot (with the heat off) add the evaporated milk, condensed milk, cardamom powder and the almonds.
Stir all together and pour into a serving dish.
Leave to cool down and then place it in the refrigerator until cold, or ready to be served.

You can serve this hot or cold, I like it cold.
Sprinkle the chopped pistachio's on top of each serving bowl.

Kreativ blogger award

The lovely Paris Pastry has given me the Kreativ blogger award!!
I'm so chuffed thank you! I'm surprised because I'm fairly new to this, so I feel very honored :)

Rose Madeleines

Those who know me have come to terms with my true passion for rose: rose flavored desserts, rose perfume, rose tea...the list goes on.

Rose macaroons are one of my favorite things to indulge in, Laduree's of course. If there's anything that comes close to that, its rose madeleines. I've always made the classic madeleines with their delicate aroma, very Proust, but ever since I decided to experiment with rose syrup, its hard to go back.

Rose syrup is a staple in my kitchen. My favorite way to use it is to simply add it to a cold glass of milk; I've been drinking milk this way since I was very little. If you love the flavor of rose, this must be tried! You can buy rose syrup from most ethnic food stores.

In Nigella Lawson's book, How to Be a Domestic Goddess, she has a recipe for 'rose bud madeleines' using rose water. I've tried this recipe and as lovely as they tasted, I was disappointed with the lack of rose flavor. I found that using rose syrup enhances the rose much more and adds a beautiful pink color. Of course, I had to limit the sugar that I would usually add to madeleines because the syrup is already very sweet.

In order to create the madeleine signature hump, these take a few hours to make, as they have to sit in the refrigerator for a while and then sit again out of the fridge. The batter can also be left in the fridge over night and then made the next day.

Rose Madeleines:

- 1/2 cup of unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
- 1/4 cup of white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour + 1 tablespoon
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons rose syrup
- Madeleine molded baking tray.

Makes about 24 madeleines

Whisk the eggs, sugar and salt in bowl very well for about 5 minutes.

Hold a strainer over the bowl and sprinkle in the flour, fold this in with a spatula.

Then add the melted butter, fold this in until the batter is evenly mixed.

Add to this the lemon zest and the rose syrup.

Mix it all together and you should be left with a thick, pink batter.

Cover this with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, take the bowl out of the fridge and leave it to sit out for 30 minutes.
(try not to exceed the 30 minutes as the batter should stay quite set.)

Preheat the oven to 400F

Add one heaped teaspoon of batter to each madeleine mold.
Don't worry about it filling the whole shell up, it will do this by itself with the heat of the oven.

Bake these on the middle shelf of the oven at 400F for about 5-7 minutes.

Leave the madeleines to cool on a rack before serving.

You can dust these with powdered sugar before serving if you want to,

I just like them the way they are.

Eating these with a cup of tea is a must!

Enjoy :)

Banana Bread

There's nothing better than the way the smell of banana bread fills your house :)

I have so many peoples' banana bread recipes and even though they all tend to call for roughly the same ingredients, I can thankfully say that after many adjustments to my own recipe, I'm happy with this outcome.

Enjoy :)

My Banana Bread:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs beaten
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 large bananas (mashed)
• 1/2 cup walnuts (chopped)

Preheat your oven to 350F
Lightly grease a bread loaf pan (9"x5")

Cream together the room temperature butter, sugar and salt until blended well.
Add the beaten eggs and vanilla extract and mix.

Sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Combine this with the wet mixture and stir well.


Then add the mashed bananas, along with the chopped walnuts, stir the ingredients very well.



Proceed to pour this mixture into the greased loaf pan.
Bake this in the oven for 60-65 minutes on 350F.


Pierce the banana bread at the end of cooking time with a skewer to see that it comes out clean, otherwise it will need another 5 minutes or so in the oven.


When the banana bread has cooled down, carefully remove it from the loaf pan and place it on a cooling rack.


I like to eat this when its still a little warm and fresh out of the oven, but be careful not to slice the banana bread when its still to hot, as it will crumble and not cut as easily.


Heaven :)