Chocolate and Salted Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Since Christmas I've been leaving a little trail of nudges and hints leading towards my Birthday.  I've been both subtle and even a little obvious in my mission but it worked. When my months of hints were finally recognised I, at long last, found myself the owner of the amazing ice cream attachment for my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer.  I was half expecting the weather to be a little more cheerful in this, the month of May but sadly the rain has kept the sunshine away.  Despite it not really being quite the weather for ice cream I just couldn't wait to give my new toy a whirl.

Since Kris is the major sweet tooth in our home I let him pick the the flavour of the maiden batch, surprisingly he chose chocolate and salted peanut butter.  By the size of the bowl he devoured I can hand on heart say this this is a great recipe.  Much more chocolatey than store bought ice creams and when you hit a nugget of peanut butter you're in heaven!

Chocolate and Salted Peanut Butter Ice Cream

(adapted from Joy the Baker)

Ingredients:

300ml whole milk

200g sugar

75g cocoa powder

pinch of salt

3 Tablespoons corn flour

60ml double cream

150g plain chocolate chips

100g smooth salted peanut butter 

Method:

In a sauce pan over medium heat, stir together the whole milk, sugar, cocoa powder, corn flour and salt. Heat until the milk start to steam, but before it starts to boil.  Boil until thickened slightly. Remove from the heat.

In a small sauce pan, heat the double cream until boiling, remove from the heat and stir through the chocolate chips till melted and smooth.  Stir the cream and chocolate mixture into the cooling chocolate ice cream base. Place in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap or a lid, and put in the fridge until cool.

Once cool, follow the manufacturers instructions on the ice cream maker to churn ice cream. Once the mixture has chilled and thickened in the ice cream maker, slowly drizzle in half the peanut butter. Don’t over mix. You want a nice ribbon of peanut butter running through the ice cream.

Transfer the ice cream into a freezer safe container and fold in the remaining peanut butter. Cover and freeze until solid.

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Afternoon Tea @ Garden Kitchen

When Paula posted a review of new Newcastle eatery Garden Kitchen I felt I just had to pop down and try it for myself.  I'd wandered past a few times but never really gave it too much attention, I was too focused on pretty baking tins from Lakeland to slow my pace.  Then, last week, while at work in the studio a customer came down for a photo shoot with his family, that customer just happened to be the head chef at said restaurant.  We got to chatting about afternoon tea and he mentioned that Garden Kitchen do an interesting twist on the concept, an afternoon picnic.  Well, that was the last straw, I had to try it out for myself.

When our food came the delicious treats were presented on the most adorable little picnic table, so damned adorable I may have made a ever so tiny squeak of delight.  Upon our little bench was a selection of delicious sandwiches including egg mayo (which I usually despise but I gobbled the lot) and bacon, cheese and tomato.  As tasty as the sandwiches were it was the sweet treats really stole the show for me. A tiny peppermint crème brûlée served in an espresso cup, a Pimms jelly, salted caramel chocolate pot and a banana and passionfruit eton mess served in a jam jar.  The only downside to this wonderfully presented picnic was the restaurant had run out of sugar syrup for the home made lemonade so Kris and I settled for tea, but that's certainly no hardship for me.

If you ever find yourself in Newcastle and are suffering from what I like to call shopping fatigue I urge you to try out the Garden Kitchen.  Recharge those batteries in style.

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Salted Caramel Chocolate Tort

This is not a desert for the faint hearted, this is a tort for the major leagues!  This is an 'I just got dumped, where's the chocolate' tort, an 'I deserved that promotion more than her' kinda pie or, maybe even a 'I can't believe you made that!' ending to a dinner party.  This will inspire a chorus of oooohs and ahhs and will result in your friends begging you for the recipe. But you'll never tell, for then they'll see how unbelievably simple this tort is.  This one is between you and me, and nobody else!

When my lovely sister in law requested a cheesecake for her birthday celebrations I knew what she really had in mind. Something decedent, something rich and luxurious. A simple cheesecake just wasn't going to cut the mustard, enter salted caramel, the daddy of luxury deserts.

Now this is one rich s.o.b so cut it in slivers and don't say I didn't warn you.  And don't worry, I'll take the calorie content to the grave, brownies honor!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Tort

(adapted from BBC Good Food)

Ingredients:

200g digestive biscuits

100g melted salted butter

1 jar dulce de leche

1 tsp sea salt , plus extra to serve

300g quality plain chocolate (70% solids), broken into chunks

600ml tub double cream

25g icing sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

chocolate truffles to decorate

Method: 

Line the base and sides of a deep, round 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin with baking parchment. 

Crush the biscuits in a food processor or bowl with the end of a rolling pin. Stir into the melted butter, then evenly press into the bottom of the tin. Chill for 10 mins. 

Reserve 2 tbsp of the dulce de leche in a small bowl and add 2tbsp of the double cream, cover and place in the fridge until ready to decorate . Stir the sea salt into the remainder of the dulce de leche and spoon into the centre of the biscuit base. Gently spread so the base is evenly covered but a visible 1-2cm border of biscuit remains around the edge. Chill for 20 mins while you make the chocolate layer. 

Gently melt the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.  Once the chocolate has melted, turn off the heat but leave the bowl where it is, and gradually stir in the remaining cream until you have a smooth, shiny, thick chocolate sauce. Sift in the icing sugar and stir in with the vanilla extract. Lift off the heat and let the mixture cool for 10 mins. 

Ladle or pour the chocolate mixture around the edge of the torte first, so it fills the biscuit border, sealing the caramel in the centre. Then ladle or pour in the rest and gently shake to smooth the surface. Chill for at least 5 hrs or up to 24 hours until firm. 

Remove the torte from the tin, then carefully peel off the strip of paper and transfer to a serving plate. Dot the chocolates on top. Spoon the reserved dulce de leche mixture into a piping bag with a thin nozzel or freezer bag. Snip off the tiniest tip of the corner to make a very small opening, then squiggle lines of caramel over the top. Chill until ready to serve. Scatter with a pinch or two of sea salt before serving, then thinly slice.

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Wasabi & White Chocolate Cupcakes

Last week Kris and I visited a mini chilli and chocolate festival in the wonderful Grainger Market in Newcastle.  The festival was to publicise the annual Chilli Festival held at Seaton Delaval Hall which Pet Lamb are delighted to be a part of.  If the mini fest was anything to go by,the actual event will blow off your socks, in more ways than one!  After seeing the amazing variety of products available I started thinking about which flavours we could incorporate into our cupcakes to make them more suitable for such a spicy event.  We have quite a few surprises up our sleeves but one of my favorites is this, wasabi and white chocolate cupcake.  

For those of you unfamiliar with wasabi, it is an extremely hot condiment used in Japanese cuisine.  Also known as Japanese Horseradish it is most commonly used to add flavour to sushi.  I am a huge fan of wasabi so adding it to a cupcake was a match made in Katie heaven.  The heat is rather subtle giving the cupcake a distinct warmth in the aftertaste.  If you like it spicier, simply add more wasabi!

Wasabi & White Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:
175g unsalted butter
175g caster sugar
175g self raising flour
50g plain flour
3 large eggs
1tsp baking powder
1tbsp wasabi paste 
100g white chocolate chips
2tbsp milk

Frosting:
125g Butter
350g icing sugar
3tbsp milk
1tsp vanilla extract

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C - 160C fan and line a cupcake tray with 12 liners.
In a large bowl sift together the flours, and baking powder. Set aside.
Place the butter and sugar in an electric mixer and mix until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition.  Add the flour mixture in one go ensuring all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.  Stir through the milk and wasabi paste before adding the chocolate chips and mixing to combine.


Fill the cupcake liners to 2/3 full and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.


Allow to cool in the pan for five minutes before removing to finish cooling on a rack.

For the frosting place the soft butter and icing sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix on low to combine.  Still mixing slowly add the milk until you reach the desired consistency.  Pipe or swirl onto each cake and enjoy.

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Oatmeal and Raisin Cookies

Kris and I often share stern words while shopping, more often than not this bickering occurs within the confines of the biscuit isle.  Biscuits are where Kris and I differ, wildly.  He's a chocolate covered, caramel filled kinda guy where I'm more of a simple lady favouring fruit and nuts.  Kris always wins this fight and I walk away defeated with a packet of toffee pops in my basket.  I could buy them both, but that means I'll eat them both and that's just naughty!

Recently I imposed a biscuit buying ban on our household, favouring to make my own and freeze the dough in portioned out pieces.  This means I always have freshly baked cookies on hand and they always get to be my choice of flavour.  Until Kris learns to make cookies, that's how things are going to stay ;)

Oatmeal and raisin are my absolute favorite.  I was never, ever allowed them in the house due to Kris' dried fruit repulsion.  That was until I made these babies and forced him to try one.  Now, oatmeal and raisin cookies are a firm favorite.

Oatmeal and Raisin Cookies

(makes 30 cookies)

Ingredients:

120g unsalted butter, softened

250g light brown sugar

200g plain flour

2 large eggs

1/2tsp baking powder

1/2tsp baking soda

1tsp cinnamon

250g raisins

375g rolled oats

Method:

If baking straight away preheat the oven to 180C and line a cookie sheet with baking parchment.

In the bowl of an electric mixer cream together the butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together.  Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir to combine. Using a wooden spoon stir in the oats and raisins.

If you're like me, you can now roll the dough into walnut sized portions, place on a baking sheet and open freeze in your freezer till hard before transferring them into an airtight container or ziploc bag.   If choosing to bake right away chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes before rolling.  Place on the prepared baking sheet for 12 - 15 minutes depending on how gooey you like your cookies. If cooking from frozen add an extra five minutes to your cooking time.

Allow to cook on the cookie sheet for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to continue cooling or an eager mouth to be devoured instantly!

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