Passionfruit Coconut Tart

So easy & so delicious..this gorgeous tart is also very clever.

All you have to do is mix all the ingredients together in one bowl, as it cooks it will separate itself into three layers.

Makes a lovely dessert or tea party treat.

Combine in a large bowl:

 1 cup of desiccated coconut

3/4 cup raw sugar

1/2 cup flour

In another bowl mix:

125g butter...melt

4 free range eggs

1 1/3 cups of milk (could be coconut milk)

1/2 cup passionfruit pulp..6 or 7

juice of a lemon

Pour one into the other & mix thoroughly, then pour into a greased 24cm pie dish.

Bake in a moderate oven for about 45 mins or until golden brown & set.

Serve warm if for a dessert or chill if to be cut for a tea party.

Dust with icing sugar if you like.

For this recipe you can use whatever flour, sugar or milk that you prefer.

Catherine

Raw Cashew Nut "Cheesecake"

This "cheesecake" is so delicious & a real food not just a treat!

Some of the ingredients may seem a little odd to you & perhaps a bit expensive, but so are the ingredients that make up so many desserts; besides good health is worth every penny.

First thing to do is to soak 2 cups of raw cashew nuts in clean cold water.

In another bowl put 3/4 cup of washed dates & squeeze over them the juice of a large lemon.. (Check each date as you go, giving it a little squeeze or tearing it open to make sure that there are no stones in any of them).

Leave both the cashews & dates to sit overnight or a good 3 hours.

So you could say, soak the dates & cashews in the morning & put it all together in the afternoon.

The base is very simple & adaptable & so much better than the standard biscuit base.

Into the food processor place:

3/4 cup of softened dates as above,

1 cup of coconut,

1/2 cup of sunflower seeds

 (I used Wright Sprouts dried sunflower sprouts but plain are fine)

1/2 cup of walnuts or almonds or macadamias etc

1/4 cup of ground linseed

Pulse all the ingredients together..

 until they come together in to a ball like this.
 Feel free to adjust the mix to suit your taste, allergy situation or store cupboard.

 This amount goes a long way & makes lovely little balls too, great for lunch boxes & snacks.

 They can be rolled in coconut if you like.
I was a little heavy handed with the date measurements with this version..I think I added a cup but a bit less would have been fine.
Press the mix into one large dish or lots of small ones as pictured.

Now the topping:

Strain the cashews & give them a rinse with cold water.

To the cashews add

 1 cup of organic coconut oil

1/4 cup lemon or lime juice

1/2 cup of honey (runny is best)

1 good dsp of natural vanilla essence

a pinch of good salt

Now add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of hot water

Pulse altogether, then process for about 2 minutes until it all looks pretty smooth.

 Taste to check the flavourings..they will develop a little more over time.
Pour over the waiting bases & freeze for 1-2 hours until firm. They will also set in the fridge given a bit more time.
These will freeze really well for a month or so.

 The above mix makes a really good amount. That's handy 'cos you're bound to need it all.
Once you've tasted it you'll soon know why!

I buy my organic coconut oil in large 4 litre tubs ( from Chantal in Napier) which makes a big difference to the overall price & they last us for ages.  

I found the basis for this recipe here & another version here.

Catherine

Strawberry Cloud Cake

This is the most amazing, magical dessert & so much fun to make. The original recipe from Annabel Langbein is just here (or will be when the link is working on her page) or at the bottom of this page.

My version requires perhaps 2 punnets of strawberries or most of a large one

2 or 3 room temperature egg whites

2 large tbsps of runny honey or 1/2- 1 cup of sugar depending on your taste

Then either: 1 tbsp lemon juice & 1 tbsp vanilla essence 

or 1 dsp rosewater

Whizz the washed hulled strawberries in a blender or food processor with 1 tbsp of honey

Beat the egg whites in a large bowl with another large tbsp of honey

add the strawberries a bit at a time to the whipped egg whites & continue beating

about now, if you are using a handbeater like I am, call for help from any available child & bribe them with licks from the bowl & future frozen delights if they take over & do some beating for you...

Beat until really smooth & thick & marshmallowy.
I poured half the mixture into the four small pots pictured & put them into the freezer & then added 1 dsp of gelatine to the remaining mix before setting in small containers in the fridge.
Gelatine: sprinkle 1 dsp of gelatine powder over 1/3 c of fruit juice: apple, pomegranate etc
stand for 5 mins until it has swelled, heat the gelatine over low heat, stirring constantly until the gelatine has dissolved,
remove from heat & cool a little
stir in a couple of tablespoons of the strawberry mixture & then add to the big bowlful
To the final heart shaped bowl I added some plain Greek yoghurt.
All of the variations above are fabulous!!
We love the frozen version the best.
It will keep in the freezer for over a month.
Take out of the freezer for 10 mins before serving.

If you want to make this as a full cloud cake, here is the full recipe, including the base.

Click the photo to see the writing larger. 

Raspberry cloud cake here.  Our black doris plum version was delicious too.
Hope you love it!

Catherine x0x0x

Baked Cheesecake

Silke, my lovely sister-in-law made this German-style baked cheesecake at Christmas time & we all loved it.

It looks fabulous & tastes delicious, isn't overly sweet & rather than just a dessert it's a real food.

Since my birthday comes at the end of January I decided to make one for myself.

Here's the general recipe, adapted from several that I found:

Base:

2 cups of flour

200 grams butter

1/3 cup raw sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

process in the whizz till mix looks like fine breadcrumbs then add

one egg

pulse to combine..until it all comes together

press into greased spring form tin 

Chill for 30 minutes

Pour this mix into the centre:

3 cups of quark, yoghurt cheese, ricotta or a mixture of them all.

(to make up the quantity of dairy you could also drain some thick Greek yoghurt to add to the mix...tip it into muslin in a sieve & hang over a bowl to let the whey drain off)

4 eggs

1 cup raw sugar or honey or half & half

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup soft unsalted butter

1/2 cup flour or cornflour

Pulse in the food processor to mix until very smooth adding the flour last.

Bake at 150 degrees C (300F) for around 70-80 minutes or until firm to the touch in the centre & lightly golden brown.

I added 3 black doris plums to my mixture & it made a pretty colour & a good flavour.

The centre is likely to crack when cooked but looks fabulous piled up with fruit such as berries when served or make a fruit jelly for the topping as below.

Fruit jellies are so easy & amazingly delicious.
This one was made with organic pomegranate juice.
2 1/2 tsps gelatine powder sprinkled over 1/2 juice in a small pot
stand for 5 mins for the gelatine to swell
gently heat the mixture stirring all the time...you can see the gelatine dissolve
as soon as it's clear remove from the heat
set aside to cool a little
stir in a tbsp of honey or raw sugar & a tsp of rosewater (if you like)
 then add in another 1 & 1/2 cups of juice
stand for an hour or more until it's just starting to set, then pour over cheesecake
I poured too soon & the jelly just soaked in through the cracks.
It will set more quickly in the fridge but then it would be good to set a timer so that you don't forget about it & it sets before you've used it.
Decorate with berries or other fruit like cherries.
Chill well..preferably overnight.
Any left over jelly can be set in small bowls.
Adjust the flavours to what you have available, the season & the fruits you love.
Passionfruit, raspberry, strawberry, boysenberry, apple....

 Catherine

Bookshop Cafe Savoury Muffins

I have had this recipe floating around for months & months & finally got around to making these muffins last weekend. They were so delicious they just had to be posted here so that when I lose the squitty bit of newspaper I won't lose the recipe.

The recipe is obviously designed with cafe proportions in mind!

 Here it is as I found it, halve it or do whatever you like with it from there:

6 cups flour,

9 tsps of baking powder,

1 tsp curry powder, 

 lots of freshly ground black pepper,

1/2 tsps of good salt

6 cups grated cheese,

4 eggs,

3 cups of milk,

2 cups feta cheese,

2 onions finely chopped (personally I would saute the onion before adding or use spring onions)

3 cups of the any of the following: leftover roast veges, sundried tomatoes, red capsicum, parsley, pesto, grated courgette etc..roast pumpkin would be brilliant.

Sift the flour, baking powder, curry powder & black pepper into a large bowl,

toss through the feta, grated cheese, salt & various herbs & veges,

lightly beat the eggs & milk together then fold into the big bowl.

Divide out into greased muffin tins (makes 20-24)

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, or top with tomato slices, relish & sesame seeds.

Bake in a pre-heated oven for 20 mins at 200degrees C

These are fantastic for picnics, traveling, work, school lunches.

I added lots of roasted peppers & 2 grated courgettes to this batch & I made them really large!

I also used 2 finely sliced spring onions from my garden rather than onion & used about half the amount of feta.

Lots of room for improvisation! 

Recipe kindly shared by Muirs Bookshop Cafe, 62 Gladstone Road, Gisborne.

Catherine

Flapjacks

Flapjacks are very British (from what I can tell) & can be made with the simplest ingredients..mine, however, are a bit more museli-like & extra wholesome.
You can find a plainer version here, if you'd prefer.
Not really like biscuity baking at all & quite definitely erring on the side of nutritionally justified & useful.
Just as simple to make a large batch as a small one.

This was my made-up-on-the-spot version this week:

Mix altogether in a large bowl
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup coconut
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup ground linseed (optional)
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup sultanas, raisins or chopped dried apricots or cranberries etc

Melt together:
1 cup raw or brown sugar
1 cup honey
300g butter (or half butter & half coconut oil)
If using unsalted butter..add a pinch of salt
Stir constantly over low heat until all melted & nice & thick & caramelly looking.
Add 1 tsp vanilla & pour over the dry ingredients.

Press into a sponge roll type tin either lined with baking paper or greased with butter.
The thinner you make the flapjacks the crunchier they are likely to be.
Thicker will be more on the chewy side.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 150 degrees.
Watch it doesn't get too brown towards the end.
Cool a little & then mark the squares before it all hardens up.

Halve the recipe if you like & leave anything out that you don't love or have on hand.
Then just add more coconut or oats if you like.
Excellent for school lunches & picnics most especially!

Catherine

Nan's Fruit Delight

I have been thinking about this dessert a lot lately whilst re-evaluating our nourishing traditions.
 I used to make it with my Nan & copied the recipe out by hand in to my own cookbook when I was 15.
It is so simple & very versatile & for a dessert, actually really good for you!!
The original version is lemon flavoured:

~soak 2 dessertspoons of gelatine in 1/3 cup of cold water
~separate 3 large free range eggs
~beat the whites until stiff & fairly smooth
~beat the yolks with 1/2 - 3/4 cup of sugar until thick & creamy (I like to use raw sugar or rapadura type or honey)
~add 1/2 cup of boiling water to the soaked gelatine & stir to dissolve
~add juice of 3 lemons & the rind of one to the fluffy yolks
~mix in the gelatine & fold in the beaten whites.
~sets quickly in or out of the fridge.

So that is the basic recipe but it can be made with any kind of fruit you like.

If using other cooked fruits the juice of one lemon will do & there's no need to add the extra water to the soaked gelatine. I just add the lemon juice to the gelatine & heat gently to dissolve. It's a pretty flexible recipe.

Matt was visiting so we made a tamarillo version today.

Peel & cook the fruit.

 Soak the 2 dessertspoons of gelatine in 1/3 cup of water.

 Beat the 3 egg whites.

 Beat the 3 yolks with 1/2-1/3 cup of sugar or honey & yes remove all bits of shell first!

 Stir the gelatine in to the hot cooked fruit & cool.

 When cool but still warm stir in to the yoke mixture.

 Fold in the whites.

 And your done!

The pudding separates out in to layers as it sets.

 I love the colour of the tamarillo.
 Passionfruit is especially delicious too.

This could also be set in individual dishes.

You could add yoghurt or kefir or kefir cream to the mixture using a tad more gelatine as the volume of other ingredients increases.

I know we've been warned off eating raw eggs of recent times but my research suggests that the risk when using free range eggs is very small & not to worry about, in fact, raw eggs are extremely good for you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

8th February 2020

I've just made Nan's Mountain Pawpaw version & it is so good.

The only way to eat these fruit, in my opinion!

The fruit needs to be peeled & cooked & the seedy inside discarded- they really are very acidic although we loved them as kids. They are a real fiddle to peel but once cooked, with a little sugar, they are sublime.

15 the September 2023

Banana passionfruit and cape gooseberry version.

I sweetened this mix with sugar when I cooked it. And added some honey to the egg yolks when I made the dessert part.