Enemy Pastry Since knowing I had a gluten intolerance, I avoided pastry like the plague. It was never going to work. Damn gluten free pastry. Always collapsing, falling apart, breaking, burning, crumbling, singing Justin Beiber; you name it. So I … Continue reading
Chocolate puds. Mmm. Are you picturing it?
These are very special chocolate puddings. Gluten Free of course.
I was approached by London chocolate makers Charbonnel et Walker to devise a yummy, special recipe for them using some of their delicious chocolate.
How could I say no?
I felt a big tinge of excitement when the package of chocolate arrived; I had to resist eating the entirety before my cooking day, Sunday. It was only a night, and for those of you sweet lovers, I’m sure you can relate to how hard it is to resist bars of unopened chocolate.
Then I thought. Sometimes I buy chocolate and it’s gone within seconds. Sadness occurs and the panic begins to start when you’re slowly savouring the last piece in your mouth. When cooking with chocolate however, you can create something that will last almost a few days and if successful resistance, a week perhaps. If you’re like me and you just can’t finish your evening without a pudding moment, this recipe will ensure you get that moment every night without hassle.
So there was I, the frugal chocolate maker, in the kitchen armed with Dark chocolate with Ginger and Fine Dark Chocolate. There is so much pleasure in chopping chocolate, you just know it’s going to be melted next.
I’ve been going through a ‘Financier’ phase- small cakes made of almond flour, they are so dainty and light to eat. So very moist. Don’t you hate that word? Moist? They’re usually made with added fruit- my favourite being raspberry ones, so i thought a natural combination to add a bit of zing, with some orange marmalade and zest, was a wonderful idea.
It felt like a Christmas-y choice of flavours but Sticky Ginger, Chocolate and Orange Financier Pudding Cakes seemed like a yummy pudding to look forward to every day of the working week. Especially with lots and lots and lots and lots of double cream. I topped my puds with chocolate ganache and cubes of crystallised ginger for even more decadence.
These are so very sweet. Ginger chocolate should really be used more in my cooking- it provides a very powerful flavour even if using just a small quantity. Enjoy in front of some rubbish evening television while your partner’s tutting at your obsession with chocolate. ;)
Sticky Ginger Chocolate and Orange Financier Pudding Cakes.
Makes 12
Financiers
125g unsalted butter
50g Charbonnel et Walker Fine Dark Chocolate (chopped)
50g Charbonnel et Walker Dark Chocolate with Ginger (chopped)
300g Shred less Marmalade
150g Light Muscavado Sugar
Pinch of Salt
2 Large eggs
75g Ground Almonds
75g Gluten Free Plain Flour
1 ½ teaspoons of Baking powder
Pinch of Salt
Non Stick 12 Cup Muffin Tin
Ganache
100g Charbonnel et Walker Fine Dark Chocolate (chopped)
100ml Double Cream
Optional decoration
Zest of 1 orange
Crystallised Ginger cut into cubes
Financiers
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line your muffin tray with paper cases.
Put the Butter in a saucepan to melt on a very low heat. Once melted, stir in the chopped 50g of ginger and 50g of fine dark chocolate to melt. Take the pan off the heat to do the majority of the melting.
Add the Light muscavado sugar, salt, shredless marmalade and stir well.
Fold in each of the eggs delicately until all is combined.
Sieve through and mix together the plain flour, almond flour and the baking powder in a separate bowl.
Gradually add the sifted flour mix to the gooey chocolate mix bit by bit until well combined. Do not mix roughly.
Pour the mixture into your muffin tray up to ¾ of the way.
Put in the oven for 25-30 minutes – or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Ganache
Bring the double cream to the boil then remove from the heat.
Stir in the chopped chocolate and whisk thoroughly until smooth
When your cakes are cool – dip them into the ganache and shake them until any excess comes off.
Top with the orange zest or Crystallised Ginger.
Apples and Sultanas
Sometimes you just don’t have a good cooking week. Mine happened this week. I got all the ingredients prepared for a lovely lentil pasty recipe which I was going to write up for a mid week blog after testing and I was sure that it would turn out perfectly. I made the mistake of putting too much quinoa flour into my pastry dough and it turned out to not come together as I’d hoped, more of a crumbly mess. So there I was, about to fold dough around my wonderful pasty filling I’d prepared earlier and it just collapsed and to quote Eddie Izzard ‘Like a flan in a cupboard’.
Ash looked at me demanding attention (an hours prep time is just too long to last without cuddles) so I sat down, made a cup of tea and felt perplexed at my failed attempt. As with most things, kittens can usually make you feel better.
My fiancé Rob text me and asked me what I’d made for him that was yummy today, and my heart sank-; this is how much I care about my cooking. I was so determined to get something done before he got home (and for own self belief). I immediately put together a crumble, without a recipe at hand, but a note pad incase I came up with something interesting for the blog. I also managed to get some last minute jam tarts in the oven too ☺
Sometimes you have to say to yourself, why make so much effort for something that tastes just as good as a crumble on a cold day?
Voila. Here is my –If everything else goes wrong, store cupboard Apple and Sultana crumble. Perhaps not an inspiring recipe but undeniably, a savior and essential to most of the British.
Apple and sultana crumble
Crumble
50g of plain gluten free flour
40g of gluten free rolled oats
50g of unsalted butter (and a knob extra for topping)
Pinch of nutmeg
Filling:
400g of cooking apples, cored-peeled and quartered.
2 tablespoons of Manuka honey
2 tablespoons of water.
Couple of handfuls of sultanas
4 Cloves
Tablespoon of caster sugar (optional)
Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
Chop up your cold butter into cubes and rub this into the flour, oats and nutmeg until it forms a crumble. (I must add, that i am terribly lazy and that I’ve found a better crumble is actually made in a mixer or food processor as the butter is distributed evenly; but hey I like to stick to traditional methods, when I haven’t had a disaster previous.)
Pop the prepared apples into a saucepan with the honey, water, cloves and sultanas. Leave to stew for around 15 minutes on a medium to high heat. If you wish this to be slightly sweeter, and more of a caramel, add a tablespoon of caster sugar now.
Place the stewed apples into a pie or appropriate dish and top evenly with the crumble mixture.
Put dots of butter over the top of the crumble mixture to produce a golden finish.
Cook for 30-40 minutes dependent on how golden you like it.
Serve with cream, and more cream.
