Puff Pastry

What to do with leftover puff pastry? Turn them into something yummy for dessert or afternoon tea...

Today we did a few things in class with our handmade puff pastry. Yes we made puff pastry by hand using the english method as well as a rough puff.

We made vol au vents filled with creme legere (that's custard with whipped cream) and fresh fruits using our English method puff pastry.

As for left over rough puff, we made palmiers or pastry shaped like pig's ears. It is basically puff pastry with cinnamon sugar and rolled and baked.

Mini Gianduja & Dark Chocolate Mudcake (GF)

cake recipe

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 large eggs

1/2 cup orange blossom honey

1/2 cup gianduja, cut to similar size to choc chips

1/4 cup dark choc chips

ganache recipe

1/2 cup cream

1/4 cup chopped gianduja

1/4 cup chopped dark choc chips

method

preheat the oven to 160deg celsius (for fan forced oven).

line muffin tray with paper liners

sift all the dry ingredients except choc chips & gianduja

combine sifted ingredients in a bowl

in another bowl, combine all wet ingredients. mix with a hand mixer

mix the wet & the dry ingredients until well combined

fold in the choc chips, gianduja

scoop 1/4 cup of mixture in each muffin cup (makes 8)

bake for 25mins or until the skewer comes out with just a few moist crumbs

cool in the muffin tray

to make the ganache, heat cream & chocolate in a double broiler until

chocolate has almost melted completely

remove from the heat and stir until all the chocolate has melted

cool for about 5-10 minutes

top each cake with the ganache (the ganache would be think so you

can frost the cakes as you would if you were using buttercream)

to serve, eat as it is or

remove the paper lining from each cake

(it is easier to remove the paper once the cakes are completely cool)

heat the frosted cake for about 15seconds in the microwave

this makes the inside of the cake gooey and soft, so it is not as dense

as well as melt the ganache slightly so it coats the cake

and gives it a shiny top

serve with cream or ice cream (as shown above)

serves 8

Restaurant Review: Sah Modern Mediterranean, North Adelaide SA

I'm so glad we tried this place out because the food was really good. As the name says, it serves modern mediterranean dishes. The restaurant was very busy when we went there and was booked out. The menu was quite intensive and after a few minutes we decided to go with some tapas for entree and share a combination paella for mains.



tapas (left to right)
soft shell crab tempura in chili & smoked paprika & couscous
sauteed chorizo, sultanas with pedro ximenez glaze
fried scampi tails in garlic cream, spring onions & couscous

The tapas (photo above) came out fairly quickly considering the place was packed. The dishes looked appetizing and it tasted as good as it looked. My favorite was the scampi. It was juicy and cooked to perfection. I was very surprised at how they've incorporated the couscous in the dish and I think it worked really well. My second preference was the crab, similar to the scampi, it was cooked well. Wouldn't consider it as tempura as such but the flavors were great. The chorizo was really good too, would have been better with a little more sweetness though, just to balance out the spice.

combination paella

I was looking forward to the paella the most. It is quite hard to get a really good paella in town and I was hoping that this could be the one. For me, it was ok, not the best I have eaten but at least the flavors were there and the seafood were cooked well. My search for an authentic paella in Adelaide continues.

The verdict, I really like this place. The atmosphere is lively yet not too casual and the food is great. Definitely coming back to Sah to try more of their dishes.

Restaurant Review: Devour Dessert Cafe, Prospect SA

We found this new dessert cafe in Prospect Rd, Adelaide though a friend. We were keen to try it as it sounded really good. Went to check them out of Facebook and the photos looked amazing. This dessert cafe is rather small and does not take any bookings so I suggest either coming early or calling beforehand to make sure seats are available.

We went there on a Saturday night just after dinner. The place wasn't packed so we were quite lucky to get a seat immediately. The menu is small and the dishes priced reasonably. After a few minutes of deliberation, we decided to try the smoked chocolate mousse, doughnut sundae & the malt milkshake. Most, if not all of the items were familiar desserts done with a twist, so expect to be wowed when the desserts come out. 

The malt milkshake came first, in a very interesting glass milk bottle no less. It was sweet and malty. Imagine drinking maltesers without the chocolate. That's what it tasted like. It really enjoyed it.



malt milkshake

Next up was my smoked chocolate mousse. It had a glass dome-shaped cloche when it arrived on the table to keep the smoke contained (yes there was smoke) while being carried to the table. Once the plate was placed in front of me, the cloche was remove. I was taken a back by the smokiness of the dish. Seriously, it was very smoky. The technique was quite effective as the smoke imparted it's flavor onto each component on the plate. It was a nice and clever dish but I wish the smoke flavor wasn't too strong.

smoked chocolate mousse

Lastly, the doughnut sundae came. It was just that, doughnut and ice cream with chocolate sauce & honeycomb. This was a huge dessert and it took 2 of us to finish it. As we expected, it was a very sweet and filling dessert. Much heavier than the light chocolate mousse we had previously. It was a good dessert but you better make sure you are hungry and sugar-holic before you order this because four chocolate doughnuts, a scope of ice cream and honeycomb chunks aren't that easy to finish.



doughnut sundae

Overall, I enjoyed Devour Dessert Cafe in Prospect Rd. It is definitely worth going back to. Maybe not every weekend but certainly ever now and then.



Gianduja Cakes with Dark Choc Chips & Roasted Hazelnut

cake recipe

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 large eggs

1/2 cup orange blossom honey

1/2 cup dark chocolate chip

1/2 cup gianduja, cut to similar size to choc chips

1/4 cup chopped roasted hazelnut

frosting recipe

125g softened unsalted butter

1/8 cup dark chip chips 

1/8 cup roasted hazelnut 

1/4 cup chopped gianduja

method

preheat the oven to 160deg celsius (for fan forced oven).

line muffin tray with paper liners

sift all the dry ingredients except choc chips & gianduja

combine sifted ingredients in a bowl

in another bowl, combine all wet ingredients. mix with a hand mixer

mix the wet & the dry ingredients until well combined

fold in the choc chips, gianduja & chopped roasted hazelnuts

scoop 1/4 cup of mixture in each muffin cup (makes 9)

bake for 25mins or until the skewer comes out with just a few moist crumbs

cool in the muffin tray

to make the frosting, cream the softened butter until fluffy

in a food processor, placed the choc chips & roasted hazelnut,

blitz until it becomes a think coarse paste

fold the thick choc hazelnut paste & gianduja into the creamed butter

cool in the fridge for about 5 minutes

spread the frosting on top of the cooled cakes

(make sure the cakes are cool enough or it will melt the frosting)

garnish with shaved gianduja if desired

serves 9

Triple Choc Gluten-free Cake

This is my first attempt in making a chocolate gluten-free cake. It was a success if I may say so myself. Can't even tell that it is gluten-free. It tastes so good, it can satisfy any chocolate craving.

The recipe was based from The Gluten-free Cupcakes cookbook by Elena Amsterdam (page 33).

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 large eggs

1/4 cup orange blossom honey

1/8 cup maple syrup

1/8 cup water

1/2 cup dark chocolate chip

1/4 cup milk chocolate chip

1/4 cup white chocolate chip

preheat the oven to 160deg celsius (for fan forced oven).

line muffin tray with paper liners.

sift all the dry ingredients except chic chips. combine sifted ingredients in a bowl.

in another bowl, combine all wet ingredients. mix with a hand mixer.

mix the wet & the dry ingredients until well combined.

fold in the choc chips.

scoop 1/4 cup of mixture in each muffin cup (makes 9).

bake for 25mins or until the skewer comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

cool in the muffin tray.

serve with a dallop of whipped cream and sprinkle of choc chips.

Bacon, Peas & Saffron Cream Pasta

Ingredients

200g fettucini or parpadelle, cooked & drained

125g Philedelphia Cream Cheese for Cooking

pinch saffron

pinch onion powder

pinch white pepper

1 tbsp garlic olive oil

pinch chili flakes

4 rashers bacon, cut in small strips

1 cup frozen peas

100ml chicken stock

pinch truffle salt or sea salt

1 cup of grated cheese (pecorino, parmesan & mozarrella cheese)

Method

cook the pasta until al dente. follow cooking instructions on the box/packet 

add the oil in a sauce pan

saute the bacon until crispy & golden in color

add the onion powder, chili flakes to the bacon

add the peas

mix in the saffron with the chicken stock and pour in the pan

let it simmer until the peas are cook

stir in the cream cheese and season with salt & pepper

stir until well combined

taste and adjust seasoning

place the cooked pasta in the sauce and toss together

while still over the heat, stir in the grated cheese

make sure the sauce & cheese is well combined with the pasta

serve while warm

Serves

serves 2 people (approximately)