Molten Chocolate, Chestnut, & Dulce de Leche Mousse

Tags

brandy, chestnut puree, Chestnuts, Chocolate, Chocolate Sauce, Christmas, christmas chocolate, Dessert, Dulce de Leche, Ice Cream, melting chocolate, Merchant Gourmet, merchant gourmet chestnut puree, Merchant Gourmet Chestnuts, Merchant Gourmet Christmas, merchant gourmet dulce de leche, molten chocolate, sweet, Winter, winter recipe, winter warmer

 

Preparation time – 20 mins

Cooking time – 10 mins

Serves 6

Ingredients 

160g 70% chocolate
75g unsalted butter, diced
3 large eggs, separated
50g caster sugar

For the chestnut mixture

207g (half a tin) Merchant Gourmet Chestnut Puree
75ml double cream
25g unsweetened cocoa powder

For the moulds

40g unsalted butter
50g Demerara sugar
6 heaped tbsp Merchant Gourmet Dulce de Leche

To serve

6 balls vanilla ice cream
6 tbsp Brandy or rum

Optional for Christmas

Dried Cranberries
Zest of 1 orange removed with a zester
Four mint leaves finely sliced
Icing sugar for dusting

Method

Prep ahead

The mousse can be prepared at least a full day ahead then stored in the fridge. If you do this, add 2 minutes to the total cooking time as they’ll be a lot colder from the fridge.

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4/ Position.
2. Melt the chocolate and diced unsalted butter in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, or on low in the microwave. Stir from time to time.
3. While the chocolate melts, make the chestnut mixture. Get a small food processor. Add the chestnut puree and cocoa powder. Blend for about a minute until it is completely smooth. Add the cream and blend for 30 seconds or so until it is totally incorporated. Add the egg yolks. Pulse until they are combined.
4. Whisk the egg whites to firm peaks and slowly add the sugar, whisking the whites until they are firm and glossy.
5. Mix the beaten egg whites together with the chestnut mixture.
6. Add 1 third of this mixture to the chocolate. Stir in quickly so that it doesn’t set. Briskly fold in the remaining egg white mixture.
7. Line 6 ouef sur plat moulds first with soft butter then with Demerara sugar.
   Spoon 2 tbsp of dulce de leche into the centre of each. Distribute the chocolate mixture over the top. Flatten it slightly.
8. Bake for 7 minutes, the top and outsides should be just set and the centre soft and molten. It should wobble a little as you take it out.
9. Scoop the ice cream into the centres then spoon the brandy over the top (If you’re being festive, sprinkle the dried cranberries, orange zest and mint leaves over the top. Finish with a little dusting of icing sugar.)

Smart Restaurant Mother’s Day Marketing

Tags

Café Rouge, Cake Recipe, Carluccios, competition, customer engagement, customer retention, Dessert, free dessert, Gilgamesh, Gluten free, Hallmark, Italian cuisine, Italian dessert, Italian Mother’s Day dessert, Italian recipe, meal vouchers, Merchant Gourmet, Mother's Day, Mothers eat free, polenta, Polenta and Plum Syrup Cake, Special deals, UK Restaurants, Valentines Day, whole family occasion

According to Hallmark, 2014 marks the 100^th anniversary of Mother’s Day.  Beaten only by Valentine’s Day in popularity of eating out occasions, Mother’s Day is a whole family occasion.  This past weekend would have been one of the busiest days of the year for restaurants in the UK.  However, just because demand for restaurant tables is sky high, doesn’t mean that businesses can sit back and take their foot off the gas.  If anything this is the prime time to market your restaurant, engage with customers and ensure they keep coming back for more.

Here are a few deals I thought were spot on this weekend, and bound to get not only mothers but families returning:

•  Mothers eat free – Pan Asian restaurant Gilgamesh in Camden made the most of this kind of deal with a three course special that one mother per party could eat free!
•  Free bottle of wine for mothers – Café Rouge had a special set menu offering a free bottle of wine for Mum
•  Mother’s day competition – Italian restaurant Carluccios ran a great Mother’s Day competition on Facebook to draw in their clientèle
•  Free meal for mum on return – This isn’t a deal I have seen much of but I think is a great idea. Mother’s receive a voucher to eat for free on their next visit, not wanting to dine alone, it’s guaranteed to ensure return business when they bring fellow paying diners to return (as long as you provide an enjoyable experience in the first instance!)
•  Free dessert for Mother – occasion that’s all about treating Mum, giving away a free dessert fits in perfectly with the theme and is low cost for the restaurant

With my wife having just had a new born and our mothers being over in the UK to visit, this weekend was all about Mother’s Day. Personally I stayed at home and cooked up a special gluten free, Italian Mother’s Day dessert below, enjoy!

Polenta and Plum Syrup Cake

Serves: 8
Cooking time: 1 hour

• 125g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 220g caster sugar
• 250ml Greek yogurt
• 3 eggs, separated
• Juice and zest of 2 orange
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 125g plain flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 125g Merchant Gourmet Polenta
• 55g ground almonds
• 80ml milk
• Blanched halved almonds
• 200g soft dried plums/prunes, stones removed and halved
• 100g granulated sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) mark 4
2. Grease and line an 8½ inch cake tin with baking paper
3. Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and whisk with electric beaters. Beat in the yogurt, egg yolks, orange zest (reserve juice for syrup) and cinnamon to make a batter
4. Sift the flour with the baking powder and mix together in a bowl with the Merchant Gourmet Polenta and ground almonds. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix to combine. Add the milk
5. In another bowl whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks and fold into the batter. Pour into the lined cake tin. Decorate the top with the blanched almonds and halves of dried plums/prunes
6. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the cake is golden and a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin
7. To make the syrup, put the sugar, orange juice and 250ml water in a small pan. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, then bring up to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes
8. Pour the hot syrup over the cake and leave to cool

Mother’s Day Chocolate Toffee and Cinnamon Cake

Tags

Cake, Cake Recipe, Chocolate, cinnamon, Dessert, Dulce de Leche, Merchant Gourmet, Mother's Day Dessert, Mother's Day Recipe, Mothering Sunday, Mothers Day Chocolate Toffee and Cinnamon Cake, toffee

Serves:6
Cooking time: 30-60 minutes

Ingredients:

• ½ jar Merchant Gourmet Dulce de Leche
• 225g soft butter
• 225g golden caster sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 300g self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp milk

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 22.5x32cm rectangular baking tin with non-stick baking parchment paper
2. Put the butter, sugar and eggs into a large mixing bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder and ground cinnamon and beat the mixture for about a minute to combine, using an electric mixer. Add the vanilla and milk and beat again for a further minute
3. Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and level. Squeeze the chocolate toffee over the surface of the cake and using the back of a teaspoon, swirl the chocolate into the cake mixture
4. Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes until risen and test with a cocktail stick which should come out clean if the cake is cooked. Allow to cool before cutting into portions

 

Blackcurrant cheesecake

Tags

Blackcurrant cheesecake, buttery biscuit base, cheesecake recipe, Chefs Brigade, Dessert, digestive biscuits, gelatine, Merchant Gourmet, Merchant Gourmet puree

Prep time: 12 hours
Serves: 8

Base ingredients:

• 1 pack digestive biscuits
• 180g butter

Cream mixture ingredients:

• 1 pouch of Chefs Brigade® crème brûlée
• 150ml Merchant Gourmet blackcurrant puree
• 200g cream cheese
• 100ml milk

 

Topping ingredients:

• 1 leaf gelatine
• 100ml Merchant Gourmet blackcurrant puree
• 50ml warm water

Method:

1. Whizz the biscuits in a food processor to make fine crumbs. Mix with melted butter and then press into the base of the cake tin and smooth with a back of a spoon. Chill in the fridge
2. Mix the milk and cream cheese together in a pan and bring to boil
3. Remove from heat. Whisk in required Créme Brûlée mix until fully combined, then mix in 150ml blackcurrant purée and pour on top of the biscuit base
4. Put back in the fridge to chill for 2 hours
5. For the topping, melt the gelatine as per pack instructions, then over a warm pan add 100ml purée
6. Pour the melted topping over the cheesecake base then leave in the fridge to set over night
7. Top with blackberries

Chocolate Pancakes with Chestnut Cream and Chocolate Sauce

Tags

Chestnut Cream, Chestnuts, Chocolate Sauce, Dessert, Merchant Gourmet, Pancake Day, pancakes, whipping cream

Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• For the pancakes:
• 175g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 50g sugar
• 25g cocoa powder
• 1 egg
• 50g butter, melted
• 250ml milk
• Oil, for frying

For the chestnut cream:

• *200g Merchant Gourmet chestnuts
• 15g icing sugar
• 175ml whipping cream, whipped
• 1 vanilla pod

For the chocolate sauce:

• 150ml water
• 200g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids
• 25g sugar
• 25g butter
• Chocolate shavings, to decorate

Method:

1. To make the pancakes, mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and cocoa together in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, beat together the egg, melted butter and milk.
3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and beat until smooth.
4. Lightly oil a frying pan and place over a moderate heat. Spoon a ladleful of the batter into the pan. Cook for 1 minute on each side. Repeat, until all the mixture is used
5. To make the chestnut cream, put the chestnuts and sugar into a blender and whiz until smooth.
6. Cut the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds. Add to the chestnut mixture along with the cream and stir well.
7. For the chocolate sauce, bring the water, chocolate, and sugar to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter.
8. Serve the pancakes with the chestnut cream and chocolate sauce. Decorate with chocolate shavings.

Whiskey is for Eating!

Tags

Beard to Tail, Brewmeister, Burns night, Caramel and Whisky parfait, caterers, Cullen Skink, Dessert, Haggis, London restaurants, neeps, Number One Bar, Prawn Salad with Guacamole and Whiskey Sauce, Scottish beef wellington, Scottish cuisine, starter menu, tatties, Umami, Whiskey, whisky sauce, whisky-glazed ribs, White Horse Pub, Wimpol Street Conference Rooms

What a spectacular Burns night I had on Saturday. At the White Horse Pub in Parsons Green, I enjoyed a traditional bag piper, and five course meal, including Cullen Skink, Haggis pop and Highland beef Wellington, completed of course with the traditional haggis duxelles and neeps & tatties gratin. To ensure the clientele were suitably watered, each course was matched with a beer from Scottish brewers Brewmeister – Perffeto! (Or Bonnie as the Scots would say!)

However, for me the final dessert course exceeded the sublime – a Whisky chocolate pot with Heather honeycomb. If the beer matching wasn’t enough to give me a heavy head the next day, then the booze filled pudding was a guarantee.  What made it a stand out dessert for me was the key ingredient of whiskey. But chef’s using whiskey in food isn’t just a Burns special, recently we have seen more chefs taking this spirit out of the drinks cabinet and pouring it into the pan.

London restaurant Beard to Tail in Shoreditch does a succulent American whisky-glazed rib and London Bridge sports bar Number One Bar has a great Prawn Salad with Guacamole and Whiskey Sauce on its starter menu. Finally, the caterers at the Wimpol Street Conference Rooms serve a delicious  deconstructed Scottish beef wellington served with rosemary and garlic fondant warm asparagus and spinach salad, finished with a whisky sauce,  as well as a Caramel and Whisky parfait set in chocolate and nut sponge with bitter chocolate sauce as offering dessert. Whiskey is well and truly out of the cupboard!

Acting as an alcoholic equivalent of salt, whiskey brings out flavour  – the sea in seafood, smokiness of smoked food and in this instance, the sweetness in a dessert. Although it has been used in Scotland for pouring over haggis and in traditional oats recipes for centuries, it is now being used by chefs in complex dishes such as whiskey ginger marinades, sautéed vegetables and poached fish. The science behind this trend is down to the long maturation process that whiskey goes through in cask barrels over years. The barley malt, sweet and smokey flavours that develop from the aging process get concentrated during cooking through evaporation, leaving the infused oils and caramelised sugars form the spirit into the dish, resulting in  beautifully complex and layered flavours.

As a chef, I would always argue the mark up on cost through using whiskey, however, as a customer, if I saw whiskey as a named ingredient in a dish, I would expect something premium and experimental, worth the extra cost (whether I knew about whiskey’s magical umami qualities or not).

PASTIERA NAPOLETANA

Tags

Dessert, essence of orange blossom, grated zest, Italian, Wheatberries

ALESSANDRO’S FAMILY RECIPE FROM NAPLES

Ingredients:

• 500 g of flour 00
• 200 grams of butter
• 200 grams of sugar
• 2 eggs
• grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• 400 grams of cooked wheatberries
• 200 ml of milk
• 1 knob of butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• 500 g cheese
• 400 grams of sugar
• 5 egg whites + 3
• essence of orange blossom
• teaspoon of cinnamon powder
• candied orange and citron
• salt

 Method:

1. Prepare the sauce by boiling the milk with wheatberries, lemon, butter and sugar over a low heat for about twenty minutes, then cool.
2. For the pastry, mixed the eggs with the sugar and the lemon, then combine with the soft butter and add the flour.  Knead the dough and then roll to about  ½ cm thick.  Layer a spring-form pan lined with floured butter, setting aside the excess to make strips for the topping.
3. For the filling, sift the ricotta to make it creamy and then whisk the egg whites until stiff and add them to the mix. Work the ricotta and sugar until it becomes creamy, and one at a time add the egg yolks and the candied fruit, cinnamon and the essence of orange blossom.  At this point add the cream mix to the cooked wheatberries and beat together.
4. Pour the creamy wheatberry mix into the pan and cover with strips of pastry.
5. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes and then at 150 degrees Celsius for about two hours.

 To download the recipe card, click here.

Posted by Alessandro Cristiano Head of Food

Spiced Poached Pears and Chestnut Ice Cream

Tags

Chestnuts, Dessert, Ice Cream, Merchant Gourmet, Pears