Apple Crumble Souffle (Serves 4)
A traditional, British dessert refined into a souffle...
Ingredients: 1/2 Vanilla Pod (Seeds Scraped Out)
200ml Full-Fat Milk
1 Egg
6 Egg Whites
95g Plain Flour
30g Butter
15g Cornflour
220g Caster Sugar
3 Cox Apples (Peeled, Cored & Diced)
1 Cinnamon Stick
Method:
1. For the crème patissière, put the milk and vanilla pod in a saucepan and slowly bring to the boil. Meanwhile, beat the egg in a large bowl and then, continuously whisking with a hand-held electric mixer, slowly add 35g caster sugar, then 20g of flour and, finally, 5g of cornflour. Once the milk has come to the boil, pour it onto the egg custard, mix and whisk. Transfer back to the pan and cook on a medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes or until thick. Pass it through a fine sieve.
2. To make the apple purée, slowly cook 2 of the apples, cinnamon and 50g of sugar together with 50ml of water in a saucepan for 5-10 minutes or until the apple turns to mush. Pass through a sieve, watering it down if it seems a little thick, and keep warm. Whisk together the apple purée and 40g of caster sugar in a saucepan and then simmer over a medium heat until reduced by half. Mix 10g of cornflour with a little water to form a paste and add to the purée. Increase the heat to high and cook the purée until it has thickened. Transfer to a food processor and blend, then strain and leave to cool.
3. For the crumble, preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Rub 75g of flour, 65g caster sugar and butter together in a bowl to form crumbs, then spread on a baking tray and cook in the oven, stirring every 5 minutes, for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven, leave to cool and then blend in a food processor. Increase the oven temperature to 180 degrees Celsius.
4. Make the meringue by whisking together the egg whites and 30g of caster sugar in a bowl to stiff peaks.
5. To make the soufflés, butter four 275ml moulds then quickly swirl sugar around the moulds so that it adheres to the butter. Mix 240g of the fruit reduction with 320g of the crème patissière. Then gently fold in half of the meringue mix, followed by the rest of the meringue. Add 1 tablespoon of the crumble and 1 tablespoon of the diced cox apples.
6. Spoon the mix into the moulds, sprinkle more crumble on top and cook in the oven for about 10 minutes or so until risen and golden. Serve the soufflés immediately, scattered with some more of the crumble.
Marshmallows
A wonderfully sweet treat, which is easy to make...
Ingredients: 450g Granulated Sugar
1 Tablespoon Liquid Glucose
200ml Water
2 Egg Whites
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
9 Gelatine Leaves (Soaked in 140ml Water)
40g Icing Sugar
40g Cornflour
Method:
1. In a large saucepan, bring the granulated sugar, glucose and water up to the boil on a high heat. Continue to boil until the syrup reaches 120 degrees Celsius.
2. In a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed.
3. When the syrup has reached the required temperature take off the heat and add the soften gelatine leaves and the water they were soaked in.
4. Keep on whisking the egg whites, whilst gradually pouring in the sugar syrup. The mixture will gradually get shinier and stiffer. Once its starting to thicken add the vanilla extract and whisk for a further 6-8 minutes until the mix can hold its shape from the whisk.
5. Lightly oil a shallow baking tray, before dusting with the icing sugar and cornflour. Spoon all the mix into the tray, before smoothing over with a wet palette knife. Allow to set for 1-2 hours.
6. Finally, dust the work surface with leftover cornflour and icing sugar. Loosen the marshmallow out of the tray with a palette knife, before carefully placing on to the floured surface. Portion the marshmallow into squares before rolling in the icing sugar/cornflour mix. Leave to dry on wire rack, before storing in an airtight container.
Vanilla Pannacotta served with Roasted Pineapple (Serves 4)
An elegant dinner party dish, which can be prepared well in advance...
Ingredients: 250ml Double Cream
250ml Full-Fat Milk
1 Vanilla Pod
4 Gelatine Leaves (Soaked in Cold Water)
1 Ripe Pineapple (Peeled, Quartered, and Cored)
1 Star Anise
1 Cinnamon Stick
260g Caster Sugar
300ml Water
Method:
1. In a medium based saucepan pour in the cream and milk and add 60g of caster sugar half the vanilla pod. Bring to a simmer on a medium heat.
2. Once up to a simmer, squeeze out the excess water of the softened gelatine and whisk into the pan until the gelatine is fully dissolved. Pass the contents through a fine sieve or shinois into a jug. Pour into 4 round moulds and set in the fridge for 3-4 hours.
3. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
4. Place the sugar and spices into a heavy-based pan and pour the water over the top. Bring the mixture to the boil on a high heat and stir thoroughly until the sugar dissolves.
5. Reduce the heat slightly and continue to simmer for 10 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and resembles syrup. Strain the mixture into a jug, getting rid of the whole spices and set aside the mixture to cool.
6. Lay the quarters of pineapple on a roasting tray and drizzle over two thirds of the sugar syrup before placing in the oven. Roast the pineapple for 8-10 minutes and baste regularly with the remaining sugar syrup.
7. Allow the pineapple to cool, before placing in an airtight container into the fridge to cool.
8. To serve, allow a quarter of pineapple per person, and slice it thinly arranging the slices in the middle of the plate. De-mould the pannacotta and place on top before drizzling any leftover syrup from the pineapple around the plate.
Vanilla and Orange Rice Pudding served with Rhubarb Compote (Serves 4)
A Great British classic. With forced rhubarb bang in season too, this makes this dish a wonderful winter warmer...
Ingredients: 250g Pudding Rice
1 Vanilla Pod (Halved, scrape the seeds out)
Zest of 1 Orange
1 Litre Full-Fat Milk
150ml Double Cream
200g Caster Sugar
2 Sticks of Rhubarb
2 Tablespoons of Grenadine
Methods:
1. In a medium/large based saucepan add the pudding rice, halved vanilla pods and seeds, orange zest, full-fat milk and 150g of the caster sugar and cook at a low/medium heat.
2. Stir occasionally, making sure the rice does not catch to the bottom of the pan.
3. Meanwhile roughly chop the rhubarb, and place in a pan with the grenadine and 50g sugar. Simmer on a low heat, to avoid the rhubarb overcooking.
4. Once the rice is cooked add the double cream for extra richness.
5. Cook the rhubarb until tender (if you can push a knife through, the rhubarb is cooked).
6. Serve the rice pudding piping hot with rhubarb compote on top.
