PARMESAN BISCUITS
Delightful savoury biscuits.
100 g (3.5 oz) finely grated Parmesan
80 g (2.8 oz) self-raising flour
40 g (1.4 oz) softened butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp dried yeast
Process ingredients in a food processor until a soft, pliable dough occurs. cover with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes at least.
Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) and line a baking tin with baking parchment. Divide the dough in half and press lightly with the palms of your hands and roll out thickly. Fold in half and roll out again. Continue the process four times more, then roll out thinly and cut into small rounds with a biscuit cutter and place them on the prepared tin.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until crisp and golden. Set aside to cool and store in a biscuit tin.
CHEESE BREAD
Do prepare this lovely loaf.
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
350 g (12 oz) self-raising flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
85 g (almost 3 oz) butter cubed
150 g (5.3 oz) Greek yoghurt
4 tbsp milk
250 g (1/2 lb) boiled potatoes sliced
1 tsp chopped rosemary/2
50 g (1.7 oz) Parmesan finely grated
85 g (almost 3 oz) Gruyere half diced, half grated
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). Blend all the ingredients until smooth and pliable. Form two loaves and bake until they puff up and become crisp and golden brown. Allow cooling before slicing.
CHICKEN LIVER PATE
A delicious spread.
500 g (1 lb) chicken livers soaked in slightly salted water for 1 hour
100 g (1/2 cup) butter
1 large onion, grated
1/2 tsp chopped thyme
1 bay leaf
6 lean bacon rashers, finely chopped
100 g (3.4 oz) mushrooms finely chopped
125 ml (1/2 cup) cream
3 tbsp sherry
2 tbsp Metaxa brandy
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup clarified butter
Saute the onion, thyme, bay leaf, chopped bacon and mushrooms in butter, stirring occasionally until soft. Strain the chicken livers and remove the membranes and nerves and saute for 10 minutes until cooked, covered. Add the cream, sherry, brandy, ginger and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and stir until the ingredients are well combined and simmer gently, over very low heat until the mixture is thick. Blend until smooth and press through a fine sieve. Taste for seasoning, adjust accordingly, if necessary, and mix well together.
Place the mixture in a small souffle dish, cover with bay leaves and cover with melted clarified butter. Cover with cling film and refrigerate, it can keep for 2 weeks.
Remove the clarified butter thoroughly, and serve with hot toast.
SPICED DRUMSTICKS
A delicious main dish.
12 chicken drumsticks
1 tbsp mild-tasting olive oil or corn oil
1 clove peeled garlic
1 tsp Cayenne pepper
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp allspice
2 tsp ginger powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp finely chopped thyme
Potato Salad:
800 g baby potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp yoghurt
2 sweet dill pickles thinly chopped
2 spring onions, trimmed and thinly chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). Place the oil, garlic. spices, salt and chopped thyme in a bowl and mix well together. Place the drumsticks in the bowl and massage them until thoroughly covered with the mixture. Arrange the chicken in a large roasting tin, and roast, turning around twice for 20-25 minutes until the drumsticks are cooked through.
Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in slightly salted boiling water until tender and strain and place in a bowl. Mix the mayonnaise, yoghurt, pickles, spring onions and lemon juice well together and pour over the hot potatoes. Drizzle with a little olive oil and gently toss together.
HONEY AND LAVENDER BISCUITS
These are fantastic aromatic biscuits.
2 1/4 cups plain flour sifted with
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
3 tbsp honey
Vanilla
2 tbsp grated orange rind
1 tbsp lavender blossoms
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). In a medium bowl resift the first four ingredients and set aside.
In a large bowl whisk eggs and sugar until pale and doubled in bulk. Stir in the honey, vanilla, orange zest and lavender blossoms. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the egg mixture and stir until the dough just combines.
Using a little flour shape the dough into a log and divide it into six equal pieces. Shape each piece into a loaf 7.6 centimetres (3 inches) wide, and 17.8 centimetres (7 inches long) and 2 centimetres 3/4 inches wide. Place in a tin lined with baking parchment and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat a little and using a serrated knife slice the logs diagonally.
Bake the biscuits for 15 minutes more and please, do not overbake. Remove from the oven and cool completely before storing.
CHERRY MOUSSE CHOCOLATE CAKE
Delightful savoury biscuits.
100 g (3.5 oz) finely grated Parmesan
80 g (2.8 oz) self-raising flour
40 g (1.4 oz) softened butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp dried yeast
Process ingredients in a food processor until a soft, pliable dough occurs. cover with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes at least.
Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) and line a baking tin with baking parchment. Divide the dough in half and press lightly with the palms of your hands and roll out thickly. Fold in half and roll out again. Continue the process four times more, then roll out thinly and cut into small rounds with a biscuit cutter and place them on the prepared tin.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until crisp and golden. Set aside to cool and store in a biscuit tin.
CHEESE BREAD
Do prepare this lovely loaf.
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
350 g (12 oz) self-raising flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
85 g (almost 3 oz) butter cubed
150 g (5.3 oz) Greek yoghurt
4 tbsp milk
250 g (1/2 lb) boiled potatoes sliced
1 tsp chopped rosemary/2
50 g (1.7 oz) Parmesan finely grated
85 g (almost 3 oz) Gruyere half diced, half grated
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). Blend all the ingredients until smooth and pliable. Form two loaves and bake until they puff up and become crisp and golden brown. Allow cooling before slicing.
CHICKEN LIVER PATE
A delicious spread.
500 g (1 lb) chicken livers soaked in slightly salted water for 1 hour
100 g (1/2 cup) butter
1 large onion, grated
1/2 tsp chopped thyme
1 bay leaf
6 lean bacon rashers, finely chopped
100 g (3.4 oz) mushrooms finely chopped
125 ml (1/2 cup) cream
3 tbsp sherry
2 tbsp Metaxa brandy
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup clarified butter
Saute the onion, thyme, bay leaf, chopped bacon and mushrooms in butter, stirring occasionally until soft. Strain the chicken livers and remove the membranes and nerves and saute for 10 minutes until cooked, covered. Add the cream, sherry, brandy, ginger and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and stir until the ingredients are well combined and simmer gently, over very low heat until the mixture is thick. Blend until smooth and press through a fine sieve. Taste for seasoning, adjust accordingly, if necessary, and mix well together.
Place the mixture in a small souffle dish, cover with bay leaves and cover with melted clarified butter. Cover with cling film and refrigerate, it can keep for 2 weeks.
Remove the clarified butter thoroughly, and serve with hot toast.
SPICED DRUMSTICKS
A delicious main dish.
12 chicken drumsticks
1 tbsp mild-tasting olive oil or corn oil
1 clove peeled garlic
1 tsp Cayenne pepper
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp allspice
2 tsp ginger powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp finely chopped thyme
Potato Salad:
800 g baby potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp yoghurt
2 sweet dill pickles thinly chopped
2 spring onions, trimmed and thinly chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). Place the oil, garlic. spices, salt and chopped thyme in a bowl and mix well together. Place the drumsticks in the bowl and massage them until thoroughly covered with the mixture. Arrange the chicken in a large roasting tin, and roast, turning around twice for 20-25 minutes until the drumsticks are cooked through.
Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in slightly salted boiling water until tender and strain and place in a bowl. Mix the mayonnaise, yoghurt, pickles, spring onions and lemon juice well together and pour over the hot potatoes. Drizzle with a little olive oil and gently toss together.
HONEY AND LAVENDER BISCUITS
These are fantastic aromatic biscuits.
2 1/4 cups plain flour sifted with
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
3 tbsp honey
Vanilla
2 tbsp grated orange rind
1 tbsp lavender blossoms
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). In a medium bowl resift the first four ingredients and set aside.
In a large bowl whisk eggs and sugar until pale and doubled in bulk. Stir in the honey, vanilla, orange zest and lavender blossoms. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the egg mixture and stir until the dough just combines.
Using a little flour shape the dough into a log and divide it into six equal pieces. Shape each piece into a loaf 7.6 centimetres (3 inches) wide, and 17.8 centimetres (7 inches long) and 2 centimetres 3/4 inches wide. Place in a tin lined with baking parchment and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat a little and using a serrated knife slice the logs diagonally.
Bake the biscuits for 15 minutes more and please, do not overbake. Remove from the oven and cool completely before storing.
CHERRY MOUSSE CHOCOLATE CAKE
A fabulous cake.
For the cake:
200 g (1 cup) sugar
120 g (1 cup) plain flour
55 g (1/2 cup) cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
120 g (1/2 cup) yoghurt
125 ml (1/2 cup) coffee
62.5 ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil
Mousse:
300 g (10 oz) pitted and coarsely chopped cherries
30 g (1 oz) sugar
20 g (5 tsp) powdered gelatine
62.5 ml (1/4 cup) cold water
3 egg whites
100 g (1/2 cup) sugar
30 ml (2 tbsp) water
500 ml (2 cups) cream
100 g (1/2 cup) sugar
Ganache:
100 g dark chocolate
250 ml (1 cup) hot cream
1 tsp honey
Brush with butter the sides and line the bases with baking parchment of two 20 cm baking dishes. Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Prepare the chocolate layers.
In a bowl place all the dry ingredients and mix well together.
In a large bowl, place eggs and whip lightly, stir in the yoghurt, coffee, oil, vanilla and whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture in three doses whisking well after each addition. Pour the batter into the prepared tins and bake for 18-20 minutes.
For the mousse mix the cherries and sugar for 5 minutes. Blend and place over medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes until it starts to thicken and cool.
Meanwhile, thoroughly dissolve the gelatine in the water add to the cherry sauce and mix well together. Whip egg whites until foamy, make a syrup with 100 g sugar and 2 tbsp water and boil for 2-3 minutes, remove from the heat and pour slowly into the egg whites and keep on beating until completely cold.
Place one chocolate cake on a pretty dish. Cover the top with the cherry mousse and cover with the second cake. Place in the refrigerator to set for 2 hours at least and meanwhile prepare the chocolate ganache. Heat the cream and add the chocolate bits and the honey and mix well together and set aside to cool and thicken.
When the cherry mousse has set, remove the chocolate sandwich from the fridge and cover the top with the chocolate ganache and garnish with maraschino cherries.
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| For You Dear Reader by Raoul Machelot de Longpre |
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