I have never made nougat before, but I must say that if you ever try it, you will never go back to buy it again 🙂 …well, at least that’s how I feel.
The original Jamie Oliver recipe is quite different from what I have made, but then again that is the beauty of baking…no limitations on experimenting and discovering new combinations 🙂
Before you start, I have one advice…be ready to eat it all, because you will not be able to stop 🙂
I don’t make Pavlova very often…and I don’t know why, because it’s one of the easiest recipes out there and one of the best desserts you can have on a summer afternoon:)
Ingredients: 4 egg whites, 200 g caster sugar, pinch of salt, 400 g fresh strawberries, 2 nectarines, 1 banana, 100 ml cream, 3 tbp icing sugar or ready sweet whipped cream.
Method: Use a hand mixer to beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks, add the salt, then add the sugar slowly while the mixer is at full power for about 8 minutes until the meringue looks glossy.
Spread it in form of a circle creating a crater on the baking tray. I’ve used a baking tray with a silicon sheet. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour.
Once out of the oven, let it cool and make the cream by whipping up the double cream with the icing sugar. Spread the cream over the meringue, cut the fruits in small chunks and spread over the top.
To make the strawberry sauce, I’ve used 250 g of the strawberry and blitzed it until I’ve got a smooth fresh sauce, which I’ve served with every piece of Pavlova.
The best way to serve Pavlova is very cold…it’s absolutely deliciously refreshing:)
This week I want to share with you my love for chocolate…I am planning to tease you…caress you…and indulge you with my guilty pleasure!
Chocolate Swiss Roll
Ingredients: 75 g self raising flour, 50 g cocoa powder, 1tsp baking powder, 5 medium eggs, 100 g caster sugar, 2tsp vanilla sugar.
Filling: 200 g cream cheese, 200 ml double cream, sugar to sweeten, handful of strawberries.
Cover with chocolate ganache: 100 g melted dark chocolate, 100 ml double cream, 1tsp irish cream.
Method: Preheat oven.
Beat the eggs and caster sugar until thick; fold in the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder with a wooden spoon, do not mix it too much:) Bake for maximum 10 minutes. I had to take it out after 8 minutes.
Cool the sponge for 5 minutes, turn it out onto a piece of baking parchment and dust with caster sugar.
For the filling, use a hand mixer to beat the cheese cream and the double cream until it turns fluffy, add the sugar at the end. Spread it and add the strawberry.
Very gently fold the sponge into a roll. Don’t worry if it breaks slightly, the chocolate ganache will cover all the imperfections.
For the ganache, melt the chocolate adding the double cream slowly with the irish cream; use again a hand mixer to obtain a smooth and thick chocolate cream. Spread the ganache with a spatula , when finished dust with icing sugar and cocoa powder.
Serve as suggested or prepare a light strawberry sauce:)
