“If it be not ripe, it will draw a man’s mouth awry, with much torment, but when it is ripe, it is as delicious as an apricot.”
Captain John Smith
Dark Chocolate & Persimmon Mousse … light, smooth, deep and delicious. The persimmon puree adds a pop of colour that welcomes fall with it’s bright orange like nothing else. OK maybe a papaya, but then the papaya lacks the translucent jelly like beauty of this special fruit.
A couple of years ago, we landed in Sydney on a cold night. I headed straight for the kitchen since I knew my sweet Ukrainian friend would always have something special waiting for me. I was duly rewarded… a line of persimmons sat neatly on her windowsill. It was instant fruit therapy, but they weren’t ripe, she pointed out.
Cut to now. After waiting almost forever I gently inquired at my local fruit & vegetable vendor why persimmons, or Ramphal/Amarphal as they are locally referred to, weren’t showing up yet. You see Ruchira in Islamabad had already excitedly announced their foray, made a mousse and waxed eloquent about this delicious fruit.
I immediately developed persimmon withdrawal symptoms! Must have been my lucky day, because the guy at the shop came back two minutes later saying I should have asked for something else. He cranked open a fruit crate to uncover lines of persimmons, that too hachiyas, the variety I so love! They were all tickled pink that I asked for something and it popped out of the crate! I was chuffed!
Of course they were unripe. Very firm, very hard and barely a deep orange. Bite into a persimmon at this disastrous stage and you will be sorely {or surely} punished! It’s a strange fruit. When unripe it’s very edgy and astringent. Make the mistake, and you might never come back to it.
But allow them to sit out on the kitchen counter {or windowsill}; be patient, VERY PATIENT. Mine took almost 3 weeks to ripen. They will turn a bright, translucent orange, evenly coloured, with a few blackish spots; very soft to touch. The time is ripe to chill them and dig in, or just dig in if you can’t wait any longer! Sweet as honey and slippery like jelly, it’s an amazing fruit!
I HAD to make something with the puree. Unfortunately, only one hachiya was completely ripe, the fingertips sinking right into the fruit when I gently pressed it. Some quick thinking later I decided to make a dark chocolate mousse {inspired by this two ingredient winning recipe by Hervé This}. Had to keep the dieting diva in mind as she is off on another hair brained dieting venture.
The chocolate had to be dark {as it’s good for dieting she announced as she readily nibbled away on my precious stash}. 85% dark Lindt it was, and then a tasting later I figured it could use some low fat cream and a dash of sugar. The Dark Chocolate & Persimmon Mousse is so rewarding to make, considering just a combination of chocolate and water can yield something so magical.
I added a dash of Grand Marnier {very optional}. It gave very slight orange undertones, enhancing the taste of the mousse gently. I did add a small dash to the persimmon puree as well to tie the flavours in. Separated by a layer of unsweetened low fat cream, it was a dessert we enjoyed!Any dessert serving followed by ‘Can I have more?‘ is a sign of success! This Dark Chocolate & Persimmon Mousse was one such example!
[print_this]Recipe: Dark Chocolate & Persimmon Mousse
Summary: The dark chocolate mousse is fab on its own. Sensuous, smooth, satisfying, intense … everything that good quality dark chocolate promises to be. Top it with seasonal fruit, persimmon in this case, and some low fat cream. Mousse recipe adapted from here, inspired by Hervé This.
Prep Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Ingredients:
Pulp of 1 large ripe hachiya persimmon + 1 tsp grand marnier {latter optional}
Method:
Place a large mixing bowl on top of another slightly smaller one, filled with ice and cold water (the bottom of the large bowl should touch the ice). Set aside.
Put chocolate and water (also sugar and/or liquor if you’re using) in a medium-sized pan and melt the chocolate over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Pour the melted chocolate into the mixing bowl sitting on top of ice and water, and start whisking with a wire whisk (or an electrical hand-held mixer) until thick. Watch the texture as you whip and make sure not to over-whip as it will make the mousse grainy.
Add 100ml low fat cream and whip to mix
Divide between 6 serving glasses/goblets
Chill for an hour to set.
Divide remaining 100g low fat cream between the 6.
Chill for an hour. Divide the persimmon pulp between the 6, garnish with mint leaves if desired.
“Cake baking has to be, however innocently, one of the great culinary scams: it implies effort, it implies domestic prowess; but believe me, it’s easy.”
Nigella Lawson
Pumpkin Pie Spice and Walnut Loaf Cake with Buttermilk Frosting. I’ve waited to bake a pumpkin tea cake for long. This humble fall vegetable is entirely charming, so full of promise, yet so underrated!
Over the years, the season has continued to inspire me. It’s a culinary delight to see the number of pumpkin dishes falling into the inbox day after day. From pumpkin soups, to waffles, to chili, scones, smoothies and so much more tumbling in, it was but natural for me to roast more pumpkin. Felt right!
I roasted a large batch the other day. Half headed for pumpkin soup. That recipe inspired my mother to make a similar soup, a vegetarian version. She roasted a bunch of vegetables on the side, didn’t use stock, and yet came up with a winner! The remaining puree was reserved for cake!
This Pumpkin Pie Spice and Walnut Loaf Cake with Buttermilk Frosting is based on the buttermilk pound cake which I make very often. I tried to keep it nice and healthy, with a generous dose of whole wheat flour. The pumpkin and pie spice added a nice deep dimension to it. I knew the kids would love it. The boy LOVES anything with pumpkin pie spice.
The frosting was simple, yet finger licking good. Quite close to tasting like a salted butter caramel sauce, but sans the caramel. It’s quick and easy to make. Complimented the cake really nicely.
As always, it’s difficult for my fidgety hands to leave well alone. I had a rather large cinnamon scroll that a sweet cousin had sent me. And I thought some marzipan art was in order. Despite being rushed for time, my hands got down to kneading the last remaining marzipan from Finla. I had a field day.
Making pumpkins with marzipan is no rocket science. It’s a step back into playschool and such a load of fun. I made some a few years ago for this cake with homemade marzipan. I love the way simple garnishing can add a pop of colour and add oomph to a loaf cake.
It tastes just as good without the ‘decor’ but the kids {read young adults} fought for marzipan bits and bobs! I love the slight bitterness the marzipan has. Not to sweet and a 100% delicious.
[print_this]Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Spice and Walnut Loaf Cake with Buttermilk Frosting
Summary: This Pumpkin Pie Spice and Walnut Loaf Cake with Buttermilk Frosting is based on the buttermilk pound cake which I make very often. It’s healthy with a generous dose of whole wheat flour. The pumpkin and pie spice added a nice deep dimension to it. Buttermilk frosting and marzipan make it festive.
Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease a 9 X 11″ loaf tin, line the bottom.
In a bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the walnuts, stir well to distribute evenly.In a large bowl, crream the butter and both sugars until lligh and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, followed by the vanilla extract.
Next beat in the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice.
Add a third of the flour mix and beat in on low speed, then a half the buttermilk. Repeat again, ending with the flour mix.
Turn into prepared tin and bake at 180C for about an hour, until the tester comes out clean.
In the meantime, make the frosting and cool completely.
Buttermilk frosting
Place all ingredients in a heavy bottom pan and bring to a simmering boil, stirring constantly until the frosting thickens.
Remove from heat, strain into a bowl or jar and cool completely.
“It is the present that matters and how well we live it.
And the future, we need not worry. It is what we make of it!” Nos.tal.gia
Plum Ice Cream {eggless}. I knew I’d need more pink this October. Remember when I said I had frozen plums while baking the Wholewheat Plum Frangipane Galette. It’s a feeling of nostalgia to see summer and stone fruit season end, a season I wish I could stretch; hang on to forever maybe. I do love pears and apples too, but my love for stone fruit overrides all that.
The plums sitting in the freezer were not forgotten one single day. It’s strange how you think you can freeze, store away, forget about something, or rather hope to, but that very something remains niggling in one corner of your head. These plums were like that. Frozen for just over a month, yet calling my name every moment.
I had a plum granita in mind, but the boy loves creamy ice cream more. With summer having been left far behind, creamy ice cream screams comfort and happiness. The Plum Ice Cream hit the right notes. It was delicious, fruity, sweet, hints of tart and full of natural plum goodness. It was PINK too, a really pretty shade and a great fit for Pinktober {Pink + October}, which as you might know is breast cancer awareness month.
It has been a tradition for several years to mark October with a tinge of PINKon PAB; it begins with a PINK birthday cake for Mr PAB in the beginning of October. This year we had a special Rainbow Cake for him, baked by the ‘soon to be 18‘ daughter. She had a field day dressing it up too {in pinkof course, with the pinktober ribbon in marzipan!}.
Thought I’d tie up this post with an interesting Easy Doodle Recipe Contest being hosted on Blogadda. Ahem… I thought doodling would come to me easy, but I have to admit I considered throwing the towel in too many times. All those years of doodling in school and college, notebooks full of doodles instead of notes, abandoned me. I was inspired by the daughter’s free hand doodling in her notebooks. Take a look …
… and then maybe understand why I couldn’t even share my shaky hand, embarrassing attempt! Anyhow, I tried in the spirit of competition, and in the knowledge that sharing the PINK would only help spread the message even further! With a simple, yet powerful message from the WHO, it’s never too late to know more!
Here’s my attempt at digital doodling {my freehand attempt was really bad}. The recipe is simple, fun and full of natural goodness. I hope you enjoy making this ice cream. If plums are not in season, or if you haven’t got a nice lot frozen and stashed away like me, you could always reach for other fruit. Frozen berries like raspberries, strawberries, and even blueberries would work well here.
Do taste and adjust for sweetness and balance of flavours. Plums have a tart edginess so there is no need for a dash of lime juice here. If you choose a sweeter berry, you might consider adding a tbsp or two of lime juice. And vodka would work well instead of kirsch. Alcohol doesn’t freeze, so it helps keep home made ice cream softer. Kirsch contributes to elevating fruity flavours in stone fruit ice creams, enhancing the taste beautifully. Vodka on the other hand has a neutral taste and is great for all ice creams.
Doodling is hopefully something I’ll work on in future. You can find below the Thermomix version of the ice cream as that’s how I make mine. The quantities are the same for both, only the fruit is frozen in the TM version. I also like to keep all ingredients chilled when I make ice cream. It helps quicken the freezing process!
Summary: Fruity and bursting with natural flavours, this creamy Plum Ice Cream is a wonderful way to incorporating more fruit in your diet. With simple everyday ingredients, it’s a simple make ahead dessert option. Serve with slivers of pistachios for a pop of colour!
“You begin with the possibilities of the material.”
Robert Rauschenberg
My love for food props is understated. I am avid lover and collector of any prop related to food, from a spoon to a cauldron! It’s no secret that I haunt the streets of Old Delhi looking for vintage finds, that I browse Etsy just to drool, that Pinterest is another favourite hang out. That’s probably the tip of the iceberg as food photography props are an obsession! élan is a refreshing discovery!
I rarely veer towards bright colourful props, maybe something to do with my inherent bend of mind towards pristine neutral whites and dull un-shiny metallics! No longer though!I was recently sent this BRIGHT POP ART styled cake stand with server, and 3 tier stand. Gingerly taken out of ‘the well packed box‘, they bowled me over!!
This was where the very talented NY art school graduate Vidushi Gupta, the creative brain behind ‘Living with elan‘ comes in. She describes herself as “passionate about the tactile, the messy, and the raw – designs and colors that transcend the mundane and bring joy to your everyday life.“
élan is a treasure-trove of fascinating lifestyle products waiting for you to organise, garden, entertain, gift, and even entice. Buckets, boxes, caddies, gardening tools, blackboard markers, suspended hearts-birds-mini homes, lanterns, stools, trays, napkin rings and more! Enjoy basic geometrics, vivid colors, patterns, and raw textures. Each piece is handmade.
I was instantly drawn to the bright, cheerful colours, the interesting and refreshing designs, and the powder coated finish. I love metallic bric-a-brac, and élan fills my heart with joy. That they used the rather underrated and unexplored world of galvanized sheet metal {read unbreakable , long lasting and sturdy} is a HUGE plus for me.
The filigree lacework on the cake stand and matching server, the very neat powder finish of the tier stand all scream quality. And this quality available in the very heart of the NCR is even better! The lady was sweet enough to offer me the rani pink cake stand {though she did ask me if I’d rather have another colour}. PINK fitted in beautifully with Pinktober and my breast cancer awareness drive. How wonderful that the tiered stand also had a nice touch of PINK {and the server can be used with it too}… sweet!
The products are not painted – they are powder coated in an industrial oven to ensure maximum quality and life. All their powder coating is lead-free and safe for foods, so you can eat from any of them. There was plenty in Entertaining with élan for me, yet curiosity drove me to explore further! Plenty of ♥-tuggers I have to say…
Mini bird homes, bucket caddies, chantilly gift boxes, an amphora pitcher of l♥ve {♥♥♥}, everything organiser, a fabled accessory bucket, mughal flower bucket, a mughal pie in the sky storage box {♥♥♥}, the dabbawala box {♥♥♥} … I was running out of words! These are just a few of the products they have on offer. The vivid colours, thoughtful designs and versatile range makes sure there is something for everyone.
Better still, they offer ‘tailor made‘ options! How cool is that? They can customise any product for you , match it with a theme or occasion, or both. Their existing line can be custom coloured to match party theme or brand colours. You can even ask for a brand logo to be added! Immense possibilities to create refreshing, happy moments!
Of course I had a field day. I made a Wholegrain Coffee Chocolate Chip Cake that morning. Almost similar to the one above, but for a teeny bit of buckwheat flour. Also sneaked some Chocolate Almond Olive Oil & Whole Wheat Biscotti from a batch baked for Mr PAB who was leaving for HKG. He likes to carry a ‘taste of home‘ with him when he travels!
Being a kinda free day, I made tiny little GF apple pies with buckwheat just because …
I scribbled the recipe on a scrap of paper and can’t find it of course. It was basically chopped apples, brown sugar, cinnamon powder, chopped walnuts & raisins, a few tbsps of buckwheat flour all tossed together. I patted them together into cupcake liners {thank you Finla}, dotted them with butter and baked them for about 20 minutes. The daughter loves anything apple, and loved these cold!
Summary:Light, moist flavourful crumb. A deeply flavoured coffee cake with bittersweet dark chocolate melting into the crumb. It’s a great tea time option, and is wonderful served warm. Whole Grain makes is a good choice to include on the menu. Top with crumbled demerara sugar cubes if desired!
Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 1 hour Ingredients:
175g whole wheat flour
50g buckwheat flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
100g unsalted butter, room temperature
200g vanilla or plain sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp coffee powder steeped in 2 tbsps warm milk
150ml buttermilk
1 tsp pure coffee extract
100g dark chocolate, chopped {I used 85% bittersweet}
Method:
Preheat the oven to 170C. Line the sides and base of a 7″ round tin.
Sift both flours with baking powder, baking soda and salt. Reserve.
Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by the coffee extract & steeped coffee.
With beater on low add the flour and buttermilk alternately in three lots. Stir in chopped dark chocolate. {you could use chopped walnuts instead}.
Bake for 50-60 minutes till golden brown on top, and the tester comes out clean. Leave in tin for about 20 minutes.
Overturn the cake out gently on rack, and remove the lining. Turn it back on another rack. Let it cool for about 30 minutes.
Rainbow Cake for Pinktober. Ever tried baking with an 18 year old. Maybe , I should rephrase that. Ever tried with an 18 year old teen like mine who has a rainbow baking obsession? It’s a LOAD of work! LOTS!! Beware … but the fruits are sweet! Cut a slice and you know it’s so worth all the dishes, the messy kitchen, the batter splattered walls with ‘Ooops I did it again Mama!’, ‘Can Coco lick the bowl? Please?’
‘I’m gonna make Papa a rainbow cake for his birthday! Coco’s gonna help me!‘ Coco was game of course … and the day began tediously! First to get the child out of bed, then to get her out of a shower, then to get her off the phone. By the time I was at my wits end, she was ready to paint the kitchen in rainbow colours! ‘Let’s start now!!‘
October 1st marks the beginning of breast cancer awareness month all over the world. American Cancer Society uses this time to boost their campaign to raise awareness to breast cancer and to inform people that there is now a 98 percent rate of survival if the cancer is detected early. October is the month where you will see pink ribbons everywhere, which has been the national symbol for breast cancer awareness since it was first introduced back in 1991.
It took us all day to get the cake going. Six layers and a small oven, only 2 baking tins and a load of power cuts, yet we marched on. Much to my chagrin, she took naps in between while I washed and cleaned the kitchen after every ‘round‘. Once again, be warned … there is tons of washing up!
Time for the frosting. We ‘amicably’ settled for a salted caramel butter-cream icing {after a battle of sorts of course}. It’s a delicious frosting and soon she was spooning more into her mouth than onto the cake. A few disagreements later, in this incessantly hot October, she ‘splooshed’ the icing on. That was when the Dad called from work. ‘Is the cake PINK he asked? My cake is always the Pinktober cake.’
Next cue! PINK!! It’s nice to have a daughter who loves art. Also nice to have some marzipan on hand. She had fun doing the letters, the ribbon {that she was well aware of as it’s an annual feature} … the rest was a breeze. She did the whole cake on her own!
One slice later, the rainbow knocked our hearts away! This is the absolute joy of a birthday cake. Despite it being a butter rich cake, with an indulgent buttercream frosting, the Rainbow Cake is a fantastic ‘once in a while‘ baking adventure. A big {read greedy} slice is definitely on the sweeter side, but a thin slice hits all the right chords!
The cake tasted even better the next day, and being a butter cake, it keeps really well for a few days. However, the kids nibbled away at it and it was soon gone. The daughter later said that she was surprised I even let her make one! She knows that I barely ever make such heavily ‘buttery’ cakes. Then again, she has a thing for rainbows and a passion for baking rainbow cupcakes and cakes.
This cake was worth every dish I washed, worth the million times I cleaned the batter splattered counter and wall tiles, worth all the spoons she licked and all the piping bags she used up! It’s a fun cake to bake. You must try it for a special occasion bake!
[print_this]
Recipe: Rainbow Cake
Summary: This is the absolute joy of a birthday cake. Despite it being a butter rich cake, with an indulgent buttercream frosting, the Rainbow Cake is a fantastic ‘once in a while‘ baking adventure. We loved the salted buttercream frosting. Cake adapted minimally from the Whisk Kid
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple gel food coloring
Filling
400ml low fat cream
100g icing sugar
few drops almond extract
Topping
200g sugar
2tsp water
100ml low fat cream
1/2 tsp salt
vanilla extract
170g salted butter
100g low fat cream
200g icing sugar
Method:
Cake
Preheat oven to 180C. Brush six 8-inch-round cake pans {or as many 8-inch cake pans as you have, reusing them as necessary} with shortening. Line bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper; brush again and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
Cream together butter and sugar. Slowly add egg whites and mix until well combined. Add vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. Add flour mixture and milk in two alternating additions, beginning with the flour and ending with the milk. Mix until well combined.
Divide batter evenly between six medium bowls. Add enough of each color of food coloring to each bowl, whisking, until desired shade is reached. Transfer each color to an individual cake pan. Transfer to oven and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 15 minutes {working in batches if necessary}.
Remove cakes from oven and transfer to a wire rack; let cool for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto a wire rack; re-invert and let cool completely.
Place the bottom layer on serving platter {or lazy Susan} and spread with about a cup of buttercream. Repeat for remaining layers.I placed an adjustable dessert ring around the cake to hold the layers in place.
Refrigerate until set, about 30 mins to an hour.
Using an offset spatula, cover cake again with remaining frosting.
Salted Butter Caramel
Place sugar and water in a deep saucepan and simmer undisturbed until the sugar caramelises to a golden brown. Add the cream {CAREFULLY as it will splutter}, take off heat briefly to mix in, then return pan until it all comes together to a smooth sauce.
Take off heat, add salt and vanilla extract. Allow to cool completely.
Frosting
In a large bowl, beat together the salted butter, cream and icing sugar until smooth and fluffy.
Slowly pour in the cold salted butter caramel and continue whipping until firm and smooth.
“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.”
Jim Davis
Pumpkin Custard Pies…perfect little things! I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin but the younger teen really loves this humble veggie in dessert. These pies changed my view on the humble pumpkin; I fell in love with the pies {if I may so myself}!
… & before I forget “Hello October! When did you sneak in?” Can’t believe it’s already nearing the end of the year. Glad to say goodbye to July and September; they were tiresome months. The weather here is still quite warm and muggy, with a spell of retreating monsoons thrown in. We didn’t complain about the petite pumpkin custard pies though!
Smooth, silky, delicious, full of autumn connect and flavours, they turned out really nice! It began with an experiment and turned into custard pies I will make often. I contemplated adding a crust to make a’pie-ish‘ pie, then abandoned the idea. Gluten and grain free seemed more appealing.
In my quest to cut out unnecessary carbs, I kept these simple. I think the depth of flavour came through because of fresh pumpkin puree and condensed milk. The yellow really brightened up my day. I love the local produce this season … pumpkins, water chestnuts, apples, pears all flooding the market. Pineapples too.
If eggless baked yogurt tart could set {Cherry Yogurt Tart, Dark Chocolate Orange Yogurt Eggless Cheesecake, Deep Dark Salted Butter Caramel Eggless Yogurt Cheesecakes}, then I figured the pumpkin pies with eggs would laugh all the way home. They did!
Worked a charm. They were ever so simple to make, that I decided to pretty them up a bit. They taste just as good without the garnish. Yet a little lace collar, a dollop of unsweetened cream, a sprinkle of pure maple flakes and a garnish of pumpkin seeds brittle makes it pretty! Pretty special!
[print_this]Recipe: Pumpkin Custard Pies
Summary: Smooth, silky, delicious, full of autumn connect and flavours, the Pumpkin Custard Pies are a wonderful make ahead dessert option for fall. A simple recipe which comes together in minutes once you have the pumpkin puree done.
Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 1 hour plus cooling time Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 200C. Line the bottoms of 8 X 3″ dessert rings with strong foil, bringing it up over the sides to create a base. Place foil base side down on a cookie tray.
Place all ingredients in bowl of food processor and blend until smooth. {Alternatively, place in a large bowl and use a balloon whisk to get a smooth uniform mixture}
Divide the mixture between the 8 rings.
Bake at 200C for 10 minutes, then decrease oven temperature to 170C and bake for another 25-30 minutes.
Allow to cool in rings. Chill for a few hours or overnight, demold onto serving platters and serve with low fat cream if desired.
