Chocolate and passion fruit tartlets

Dessert has become a regular thing in our household. Maybe it's got to do with winter setting in or me being inspired by Masterchef to create delicious things, but these days our fridge seems to be full of tarts (both sweet and savoury), creme brulees, cheesecakes, brownies and other goodies.

I was looking for inspiration for dessert recipes the other day and found it in the form of passionfruits. Passionfruit is usually pretty expensive at this time of year but for some reason my local supermarket was selling them for 29 cents each... so I brought 20! What is one to do with 20 passionfruits?

I remember a while back thinking I'd like to put a twist on the traditional lemon tart and use passionfruit juice instead, so that's what I did. I couldn't have been happier with the result. The filling was lusciously creamy and tangy. This will be a recipe I'll repeat the next time passionfruit is ridiculously cheap. The passionfruit juice can be substituted with anything acidic -- lemon, orange, lime or even grapefruit.

Chocolate and passionfruit tartlets (Recipe by Stef at Essential ingredients)

Serves 6

Ingredients

Passionfruit filling

3 eggs

1 egg yolk

150 gr caster sugar

150 ml cream

200 ml passion fruit juice (20 to 30 passionfruits)

Crust

220 gr plain flour (I use White Wings gluten free flour)

30 gr cocoa

100 gr icing sugar

100 gr unsalted butter

pinch salt

Step 1: Make the pastry

To make the pastry, place the flour, sugar, cocoa and butter in a food processer. Blend until the mixture looks like bread crumbs. Add the eggs and blend until combined.

Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured board (or a silicon mat) and bring together into a ball, kneading until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic and set to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Step 2: Make the tart cases

Grease six 12 cm-diameter loose-bottomed tart tins.

Remove the pastry from the fridge. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Make a disc from one of the pastry portions and place it on a lightly floured board. Roll the pastry so it is around 5cms wider than the tart tin and about 3mm thick. Fit the pastry to the tin, pushing in into the fluted edges and trimming off any excess pastry. Repeat this for the other tins. Put in the fridge for 20 minutes to prevent the dough from shrinking.

Wrap and leftover dough in cling film and store in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for up to a month.

Step 3: Cooking the tart cases

Preheat an oven to 170 C (150 C if you are using a fan forced oven). Place a piece of baking paper in the tart cases and fill with ceramic weight, beans or rice. Blind bake for 10 minutes.

Remove the cases from the oven and increase the temperature to 180 C (160 C if you are using a fan forced oven). Remove the baking paper and the weights. Place the cases back into the oven and cook for a further 4 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 140 C (120 C fan forced).

Step 4: Preparing the passionfruit juice

Cut each passionfruit in half and scoop out the pulp, trying not to loose too much juice. Place the pulp in a sieve over a bowl. When you’ve done this for half of the passionfruits use the back of a spoon the push out as much juice as possible from the pulp. Repeat this with the other half of the passionfruits. You can keep the passionfruit pulp and use it for another recipe.

Step 5: Making the passionfruit filling

To make the filling, lightly mix together the eggs, egg yolk and caster sugar in a bowl until sugar has dissolved. Stir in the cream and passionfruit juice. The mixture will thicken at this stage and some of the egg yolk may clump together. This is what is meant to happen. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug. Pour the filling into the tartlets shells and bake for 15-20 minutes or until just set. The tartlets are cooked when the filling still wobbles slightly in the centre. Leave to cool to room temperature.

Pumpkin, feta and sage risotto

Risotto on a cold Canberra evening always goes down a treat. This is one of the few risottos I make that doesn't change. I've made it so many times that it's pretty much part of my DNA. My boyfriend and I love this risotto. I hope you enjoy it too. If you don't want it to be a purely vegetarian affair, add 100 gr of prosciutto as well.

Pumpkin and feta risotto (Recipe by Stef @ Essential ingredients)

Serves 4 - 6

1 litre chicken stock

1 tbsp olive oil

30 gr butter

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 onion, finely diced

1 ½ c aborio rice

½ c dry white wine

1/3 cup grated parmesan

500 gr kent pumpkin, cubed

100 gr spinach

125 gr Danish feta, cubed

¼ c pinenuts, toasted

12 sage leaves

salt to taste

Step 1: Prepare the stock

Place the stock and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer.

Step 2: Prepare the risotto base

Place the oil in a large heavy based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and onions to the pan. Cook the onion until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the rice to the pot and stir to coat with the oil. Cook the, stirring, for a few minutes until the rice is opaque.

Step 3: Cooking the rice

Pour the wine in the sides of the pan, stirring until absorbed. Add 8 finely chopped sage leaves and stir to combine.

Add the stock to the rice, ½ cup at a time, stirring until absorbed. Continue to add the stock to the rice in ½ cup batches until the liquid is absorbed. Total cooking time should be about 35 minutes, or until the rice is just tender.

Step 4: Prepare the pinenuts and pumpkin (Note: be sure to keep an eye on your risotto stirring as needed if you’re going to do this step while the rice is cooking)

Preheat an oven to 180 C (160 C fan forced). Place the pinenuts on a tray and cook for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, take the skin off the pumpkin and cut into cubes. Place the pumpkin in a pot of boiling salted water and cook for 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain the pumpkin and refresh in a bowl of iced water. Mash 300 gr of the pumpkin and set aside.

In a separate saucepan heat 30 gr of butter with a little oil and 4 of the sage leaves. Place the remaining 200 gr of the cubed pumpkin in the saucepan and cook for a few minutes, until browned, on one side the turn and repeat. When the pumpkin is nicely browned, place it on a piece of absorbent kitchen paper and set aside.

Step 5: Finishing the risotto

Add the parmesan to the risotto and stir through. Then add the spinach and cook for a few minutes until wilted. Stir through the pumpkin puree, toasted pinenuts and cubed feta. Take the risotto off the heat and add the browned pumpkin. Gently stir to distribute the pumpkin through the risotto. Taste and season with salt and pepper as necessary.

Bloomin' brilliant chocolate brownies

I've had a lot of brownies in my time. My favourite type of brownie is chocolatey, dense and fudge-like in texture. I'm not after something light. For me, brownies are serious devil food :D!

I had some friends over last Sunday which was the prefect excuse to whip up these babies. But really, who needs an excuse?! This recipe come from Jamie Oliver.

While posting this I'm wishing we still had some brownies left in the fridge!

Bloomin' brilliant chocolate brownies (Recipe by Jamie Oliver)

Serves 20

50 g unsalted butter
200 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken up
150 g chopped nuts (I use macadamia nuts. Please note that the recipe only calls for 50 g but I love nuts!)
80 g cocoa powder, sifted
65 g plain flour, sifted (I use White Wing plain gluten free flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
360 g caster sugar
4 large free-range or organic eggs

Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Line a 25cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper. In a large bowl over some simmering water, melt the butter and the chocolate and mix until smooth.

Add the nuts, if you’re using them, and stir together. In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and sugar, then add this to the chocolate, cherry and nut mixture. Stir together well. Beat the eggs and mix in until you have a silky consistency.
Pour your brownie mix into the baking tray, and place in the oven for around 25 minutes.

You don’t want to overcook them so, unlike cakes, you don’t want a skewer to come out all clean. The brownies should be slightly springy on the outside but still gooey in the middle.

Allow to cool in the tray, then carefully transfer to a large chopping board and cut into chunky squares. These make a fantastic dessert served with a dollop of crème fraîche mixed with some orange zest.

Smoked chicken risotto

Risotto is one of those great meals that is versatile and yummy. I have a few risottos that I make that actually call for a set list of ingredients. However, most of my risottos are developed out of what ever is left in the fridge. That's how this risotto was born.

Risotto is also great for those among us that are gluten intolerant. It can also be as healthy or as naughty as you like. I'm sure to post many more risotto recipes.

Bon appetit!

Smoked chicken risotto (Recipe by Stef @ Essential ingredients)

Serves 4 - 6

1 litre chicken stock

½ c water

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 onion, finely diced

1 ½ c aborio rice

½ c dry white wine

3 rashers of bacon

1/3 cup grated parmesan

250 gr smoked chicken, sliced

200 gr mushrooms, sliced

½ c peas

¼ broccoli floret buds

100 gr spinach

2 tbsp whole grain mustard

2 tbsp sour cream

2 tbsp parsley, chopped

salt to taste

Step 1: Prepare the stock

Place the stock and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer.

Step 2: Prepare the risotto base

Place the oil in a large heavy based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic, chopped bacon and onions to the pan. Cook the onion until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the rice to the pot and stir to coat with the oil. Cook the, stirring, for a few minutes until the rice is opaque.

Step 3: Cook the rice

Pour the wine in the sides of the pan, stirring until absorbed. Add the stock to the rice, ½ cup at a time, stirring until absorbed. Continue to add the stock to the rice in ½ cup batches until the liquid is absorbed. Total cooking time should be about 35 minutes, or until the rice is just tender.

Once all the liquid has been absorbed, add the parmesan and mustard to the rice mixture, stir to combine.

Step 4: Finish the risotto

Add the sliced mushrooms, peas, broccoli, spinach and chicken to the risotto in separate batches, stirring after each addition. Take the risotto off the heat and stir in the sour cream and chopped parsley. Taste and season with salt and pepper as necessary.

Caramel apple cheesecake

Caramel apple cheesecake (Recipe by Stef @ Essential ingredients)

Serves 12

Crust

1 pkt rice cookies, crushed

115 gr butter, melted

1 tbsp icing sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon

Cheesecake filling

Apple filling

1 ½ tbsp butter

2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into small cubes

3 tbsp brown sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon

Cheesecake batter

600 gr cream cheese, at room temperature

4 eggs

125 gr brown sugar

2 tsp corn flour

Step 1: Prepare the biscuit base

Grease a 20 cm diameter spring form pan and line the base and sides with baking paper. Put the rice cookies in a food processor and blitz to a fine crumb. Add the melted butter, icing sugar and ground cinnamon. Blitz until the mixture comes together. Press the biscuits into the base of the tin and place in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling. Preheat your oven to 180 C (160 C if using fan forced).

Step 2: Prepare the apple filling

Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon and apples. Stir to combine. Cook the apples for about 3 minutes, or until tender. Set aside to cool.

Step 3: Prepare the cheesecake batter

Put a kettle full of water on to boil. In a clean food processor, blend the cream cheese, brown sugar and cornflour adding the eggs one at a time. Continue to blend until smooth.

Step 4: Assemble the cheesecake

Place the cooked apples on the biscuit base. Gently pour other cheesecake batter over the apples. Wrap the tin in a few layers of foil to prevent water seeping in from the water bath.

Step 5: Prepare the water bath

Place the tin in a deep baking dish and pour in the boiled water around the cheesecake so that it comes halfway up the sides of the cheesecake tin. Be careful not to splash the cheesecake.

Step 6: Baking and setting the cheesecake

Cook the cheesecake for about 45 to 55 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the outside is set and there is a slight wobble in the centre. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and return it to the oven. Turn the oven off. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 1 hour. Place the cheesecake on a wire rack and transfer to the fridge, covered in cling film when cool.

Strawberry hazelnut gateau

My mum has been making this cake for me for years. I've had it on many occasions - on birthdays, christmases and just because!

A few years ago I started cooking it myself. Mum traditionally uses 'pavlova magic' instead of egg whites. However, I prefer to use fresh ingredients where ever I can so I adapted this recipe to use egg whites instead.

Because strawberries are not always in season or are, at times, ridiculously over priced, I've also made this cake substituting strawberries for tinned black or sour cherries. Frozen raspberries would probably also work quite well. Something I think would be nice, but have yet to try, is to substitute the hazelnut meal with a mixture of macadamia and almond meal and to use tinned sliced mango instead of strawberries.

This cake always makes me think of home :).

Strawberry hazelnut gateau (Recipe adapted from my mum's recipe)

Serves 12

Ingredients

4 egg whites
275 gr caster sugar
1 cup (100g) hazelnut meal
1 tsp white vinegar
½ tsp vanilla extract
185 gr dark chocolate, melted
20 gr butter, melted
600 ml thickened cream, whipped
250 gr strawberries, sliced with a few reserved for garnishing

Step 1: Heating the oven and preparing the tins

Preheat oven 180 C (160C if you are using a fan forced oven). Grease 2 x 20 cm springform tins. Line the base and sides of the tins with baking paper. Grease the paper, sprinkle with cornflour and shake away the excess flour.

Step 2: Prepare the meringue

Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the caster sugar, beating after each addition until the sugar is dissolved. Fold in hazelnut meal, vinegar and vanilla extract.
Divide the meringue evenly between the two tins and bake for about 35 minutes or until the meringue is crisp. Release sides of tins and cool meringues on base of tins.

Step 3: Preparing the chocolate ganache

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir the chocolate with a metal spoon until it begins to melt. Add the butter to the bowl and continue to stir until all the ingredients are melted and combined. Remove from the bowl from the heat and set aside.

Step 4: Assembling the cake

Remove meringue layers from the bases of the spring form pans and peel off the baking paper. Place one of the meringue layers on plate, flat-side down. Spread it with half of the chocolate mixture and top with 1/2 of the cream and strawberries.

Spread flat side of second meringue layer with remaining chocolate mixture. Place the second meringue disk on top of strawberry layer, chocolate side down. Cover top and sides of cake with the remaining cream.

Step 5: Dress the cake

Decorate the top of the cake and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Lemon chicken

This dish has been a favourite in our house for a while. I developed it as a way of using some of the lemons my boyfriend's mum would bring us in the summer. It's a taste sensation of sweet and sour. The chicken is crispy and juicy and oh-so-delicious.

There's a lot of sauce in this dish.. mainly because I increased my original quantities by half... we love the sauce that much!

Lemon Chicken (Recipe by Stef @ Essential ingredients)

Serves 4

Serve with boiled rice and steamed greens.

Ingredients

Vegetable oil

600 gr chicken thigh meat

3 egg whites

1 ½ tbsp cornflour

½ tsp salt

8 spring onions

Lemon sauce

1 ½ tbsp cornflour

150 ml chicken stock

¾ c lemon juice (3­–4 lemons)

3 tbsp honey

2 ½ tbsp white sugar

Step 1: Prepare the lemon sauce

Mix the cornflour and 3 tbsp of the chicken stock in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add the remaining chicken stock, lemon juice, honey and white sugar. Stir to combine. Increase the heat to a medium-high heat and bring the sauce to the boil. When the sauce reaches boiling point, decrease the heat and simmer the sauce for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside until needed.

Step 2: Preparing the chicken

Pour the oil into a wok or saucepan until one-third full. Heat over medium-high heat until hot.

Slice the chicken into cubes. Whisk the cornflour, salt and egg whites together. Add the chicken to the egg white mixture and coat.

Step 3: Cook the chicken

Fry the chicken in the hot oil in small batches. Once the chicken is cooked, set aside on a paper towel to drain.

Step 4: Combine chicken and sauce

Drain the oil from the wok. Return all the chicken to the wok and heat through for 3 minutes. Add the lemon sauce and the sliced shallots to the chicken and toss to coat the chicken. Cook until the sauce becomes “sticky”, about 3 minutes.