Sugar et al, Author at Sugar et al

Chocolate Covered Lemon Meringue Truffles

6|10|2014

The best weekends for me are those that I wake up with more than one recipe in mind and run around my kitchen with chocolate on my clothes and fingers. Is there ever a thing called chocolate stain? Chocolate doesn’t stain. It’s too special. It glorifies, it dignifies..the Midas touch, perhaps?

I have had plenty of fun with chocolate recently and have come up with a few creations that make me love it all the more. This one has a double dose of chocolate. I have used white chocolate and crushed meringues (you know how much I love meringue) in the filling along with some lemon zest. To complement the sweetness and slight tangy citrus flavour, there is bittersweet dark chocolate. These truffle balls are big on flavour and texture. A complete blow-away treat that doesn’t need a lot of time or effort and they look so festive. You can use home-made meringues or store-bought. It would not really matter as you are crushing them anyway. However do make sure to crush them gently so you are left with big and small pieces. I was bit worried if they would turn out too sweet but the bittersweet dark chocolate took care of the required balance. Needless to say, using a good quality dark chocolate is important here.

I am already thinking of the holidays and cookie and truffle season. I guess, since chocolate overrides the seasons, why wait till the end of the year!
Our long weekend is still not over and I have another favourite ingredient to work with. Beetroot and chocolate!
Please excuse this short and impromptu appearance. Short and sweet! I was a bit too excited to share this treat with you.

Chocolate Covered lemon Meringue Truffles
Yields 12 medium-sized truffles

250 g white chocolate (roughly chopped)
1/3 cup thickened/heavy cream
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup meringue (home-made or store-bought), crushed
200 g good quality dark chocolate (Lindt 85% cocoa), roughly chopped
sugar flowers/sprinkles to decorate.

Place the white chocolate and cream in a medium heatproof bowl that is placed over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water over medium heat). Use a metal spoon to stir the mixture gently till the white chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth..

Carefully remove the bowl from the pan and stir in the lemon rind. Let the mixture cool down to luke warm before adding in the crushed meringue. (If the mixture starts to set before adding the meringue, put it back on the saucepan to warm up and loosen slightly). Stir to mix. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.

Line a tray with baking paper. Remove the lemon-meringue mixture from fridge and scoop out balls with the help of a teaspoon and then quickly and gently roll out between the palms of your hands. (You will need to do it swiftly as the warmth from your hands could melt the chocolate). Place the truffle balls on the baking paper. Refrigerate again for 30 minutes.

Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and leave aside to cool slightly. Dip the lemon-meringue truffle balls in dark chocolate (allowing the excess to drip off) and place them quickly back on the tray lined with baking paper. Place the sugar flowers or coat them again in sprinkles. Refrigerate till chocolate is set.

Prawn and Eggplant Hoisin Stir-Fry

3|10|2014

A quick stir-fry of prawns and eggplant with a delicious chinese hoisin sauce. Delicious with rice or noodles and perfect for busy weeknights.

My sister and me are soul mates. It would still remain an understatement if I said it over and over again, which i think I have, quite a few times in this blog. But we are polar opposites in terms of personality, habits, and preferences. We see things differently but we mostly agree on anything so as not to hurt the feelings of the other. I think that happens when you get to see your loved ones after long periods. When it comes to food, I am the more passionate cook, my sister is the smarter one. In the treasured times that we are together, I think of the most delicious things to cook and feed her. She on the other hand,would return with packets of instant noodles, soups, canned veggies, purees and such if she went grocery shopping. She would scan the entire store and nothing would escape her sharp eyesight if it defines ‘quick’ and ‘smart’ cooking.
‘Cooking is secondary, let’s chat’ she would insist.

In such scenarios when time is limited, great food matters and conversations with your loved ones are dearer, a fabulous stir-fry is the answer. It tastes a lot better and is fresher than the takeaway and is ready in moments. I have realized over the years that Asian sauces make this happen quite easily. They are easier to store as they don’t always need place in the refrigerator.

Hoisin is brilliant as it is quite thick. It coats itself nicely on meat and vegetables. You can throw in whatever vegetables you have at hand. Prawns can be easily replaced with chicken, fish or beef. I always have a pack of frozen, cleaned prawns in my freezer as it cooks the fastest and the prep time is zero. The flavours are authentic and vegetables are crunchy which is the true essence of Asian cooking. You can eat this stir-fry as a starter or serve with steamed Jasmine rice to make a meal.

Prawn and Eggplant Hoisin Stir-Fry (inspired by this recipe from Taste.com)
Serves 3-4

1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 Lebanese eggplants (ant kind of eggplant will do)
1 cup frozen prawns (peeled, deveined and cleaned)
2 garlic cloves. finely sliced
3 cm ginger, finely sliced (or grated if you don’t like pieces of ginger in your mouth)
1 bunch baby bok choy, leaves separated
10-12 snow peas, trimmed
1/2 cup Hoisin sauce
1 tbsp soya sauce
1/2 tsp palm sugar/brown sugar
salt for seasoning
red chillies, finely chopped, to serve
a handful chopped chives, to serve
a handful fresh coriander leaves, to serve

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large frypan over medium-high heat. Add eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until softened and lightly browned. Add prawns, garlic and ginger to wok. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until prawns have changed colour. Reduce heat to medium, then add bok choy, snow peas and cook, stirring, for a minute.
Add Hoisin, soya sauce, sugar, and salt and stir fry for 2 minutes or until the bok choy is just wilted and the mixture is coated with sauce. Garnish with red chillies, chopped chives and fresh coriander. Serve with steamed rice.

Parmesan and Blueberry Pound Cake with Lemon Icing

1|10|2014

For many years, on the last day of September I partied hard. I put on my brand new outfit, painted my lips, let my hair down and danced. Well actually, I did no such thing. Yes, I partied. With all my favourite people. I woke up to deep love, the sort of selfless affection that can come only from family. I got to hear familiar voices on the telephone that I wouldn’t normally hear all year round. I came back from work with flowers and presents that would fill up the entire backseat and boot of my car. I ate my favourite breakfasts, splurged on lunches and dinners were a thing to commemorate in the precious folders of my memory forever. I expected…and I received. Basically, I was spoilt.

In the last few years, since I became a mother, so much has changed. Yet a lot hasn’t. My birthday is still a day I start with the brightest of faces, the warmest of hugs, fewer phone calls but more heartfelt wishes. I eat what we all love as a family. My brand new outfit, matching shoes and lip colour have been replaced with comfortable wear that allow me to chase two little boys around the house. Instead of flowers, the backseat of my car is occupied by car seats where the two of my most precious beings sit, loudly singing ‘Happy Birthday’ for me in the cutest of voices. Thanks to technology, messages flow in from various different apps. I make sure I have checked all of them and replied. Some of them need an upgrade which I realise only at that instance. I still feel very celebrated, pretty overwhelmed and reflective in the last few hours of the day. But there is a difference. I don’t expect. I understand..appreciate and acknowledge. I feel gratitude more than ever, with each passing year. Quite a few times I tell my husband ‘I don’t believe it’s the same ‘me”. He nods understandingly.

There is no birthday without a cake. Though this really wasn’t the cake I ate (I mean, my birthday cake), I made it because I’ve been meaning to for a long time. This was my second attempt at making a parmesan cake. The first time, the flavour wasn’t strong enough and I baked it in a bundt cake pan. So I increased the parmesan, added blueberries, a lemon icing and honey drizzle this time. This is a fun cake. Quite easy to make but the flavours are a play on your senses…sweet…savoury…sweet…savoury..tart! Parmesan adds an extra something which is hard to describe. A hint of cheesy goodness and a slight acidity to the cake. If you are a fan of the sweet-savoury combination in food, this is a must-try. The lemon icing and honey drizzle balances out the acidity. You may want to cover the entire cake in icing if you don’t enjoy the saltiness in the cake. Overall, it is a delicious cake and best enjoyed warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice-cream on the side.

Parmesan and Blueberry Pound Cake with Lemon Icing
Serves 6-8

11/2 cups plain flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
75 g parmesan cheese, finely grated
180 g unsalted butter, room temperature, roughly chopped
3/4 cup castor sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I used a mix of both) Lemon Icing, to drizzle
Honey, to drizzle

Lemon Icing 1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted (another 1/4 cup if you want a thick icing)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Butter and line the base the of a 19 cm round cake pan with baking paper. In a medium bowl, place the flour, baking powder and parmesan cheese and mix gently together. In the bowl of your electric mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the butter till soft and fluffy. Add the sugar, little at a time till fully incorporated. Add the vanilla essence and eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and beat on medium speed till mixture is smooth and well blended. Gradually fold in the frozen blueberries with a wooden spoon. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with the back of the wooden spoon. Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove carefully from the oven. Stand in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once the cake has cooled down, drizzle or ice with lemon icing (recipe below). The icing thickens on cooling.

To make the Lemon Icing, place the ingredients together in a bowl and stir until combined.

Double Chocolate Sticky Date Pudding

27|09|2014

The only thing better than a sticky date pudding is a sticky date pudding with a double dose of chocolate. Spring is starting to set in and it’s filling my life with many new excitements. Spring for me, is the time to take a good look at life and remark ‘Yes, it’s time to detox..its time for change!’. Normally what people would do at the start of New Year. Somehow leaving winter behind gives me a burst of energy. I wake up with a list of things to do pretty much every morning. One of the resolutions I had made for this Spring was to improve my photography and pick up some new skills. I have been working hard in doing so. If you follow me on Instagram, you would know that I was very excited when I shared my first ever ‘pour shot’ recently. As a lover of all things sweet, nothing spells ‘food porn’ to me than a sauce dripping dessert. I chose the sticky date pudding with chocolate chips to be the subject of my pour. Again, raising the bar to my creativity is one more journey I have embarked on. I have to admit, I have always been a bit fearless in the kitchen. It is a very spontaneous thing for me. Rarely have I entered the kitchen with a fixed outcome in mind or followed a recipe to the T. This time around I have decided to fuel this passion and try my hand at as many things as possible. You may get to see a lot of pouring, drizzling, sprinkling and such on the blog in future.

The sticky date pudding is such a gorgeous thing to share with friends and family. Especially on a special get-together when comfort and pleasure over-rides any form of calorie induced guilt. I wanted to make the pudding a centrepiece. There is already a recipe for individual sticky date puddings in my blog archives which is quite luscious with a butterscotch sauce. But chocolate is different, it just works with everything. It gives an extra oomph to anything and everything. This version of the pudding has chocolate chips and toasted walnuts inside the batter, on top and dressed up in a rich, bittersweet chocolate sauce. Frankly, there is no major innovation in this, just that you want to convince yourself if you really want to play around with a dessert that is already so beautiful to taste and look at. Yes, you want to! Trust me, you will love to eat it and share it.

If this is the first time you are going to make a sticky date pudding, there is very little date-like taste in your mouth. I know quite a few people who don’t enjoy dates in desserts. This is far from being chewy or munchy and all the textures you associate with dates. The dates are broken down right at the start and what you get is actually a rich caramel like sauce that flavours the pudding. You can make this recipe in 8 individual cups instead of one large. As you can see, the pudding holds shape beautifully, almost like a cake. It is very gooey inside however and the centre might sink a tad bit. Which actually formed the base to catch my chocolate sauce during the shoot. I could not take pictures of the insides like I normally do as I was jumping with excitement when I blew up the image on my screen. I wish I could show you the number of images I had with sauce hanging in mid-air and of course the blurry ones. Kind of spooky!
We just had to celebrate and all we wanted was a mouthful of the Sticky date pudding.

Double Chocolate Sticky Date Pudding
Serves 8

180g dates, pitted and roughly chopped
1 1/4 cups (310ml) water
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3/4 cup (165g) firmly packed brown sugar
60g butter, softened chopped
2 eggs
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup toasted walnuts

For the dark chocolate sauce
100g dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup pouring/single cream
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (160 degrees C fan-forced). Lightly grease an 18 cm round cake pan and line base with baking paper.. Place dates and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil over a high heat. Remove from the heat. Add bicarbonate of soda, stir until dates start to break down, set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.
Place the chocolate chips, walnuts and flour together in a bowl. Beat butter and sugar in a bowl using a hand beater, gradually add eggs one at a time, beat until light and fluffy. Add date mixture, stir to combine. Carefully fold through the flour and chocolate chip mixture, pour into prepared cake pan.

Place cake in a baking tray, carefully pour water in tray until it comes up 1/3 of the sides of the pan. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until golden and skewer comes out clean. Leave in pan for 10 minutes. then carefully turn out pudding onto a serving plate or tray. Serve warm with Chocolate Sauce, extra chocolate chips and toasted walnuts.

Make the Dark Chocolate Sauce : Combine chocolate, cream and sugar in a saucepan over a low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool. To store, pour into a cup/jar, cover and store in the refrigerator till needed. Warm up before using.