Non bake chocolate hazelnut cheesecake

I made this cake for my lovely man b´day. I was in a hurry, had no time for shopping and just had to make something quick from the ingredients I was able to find at home.

Ingredients:

 

140g unsalted butter

300g digestive biscuits, broken up (I used the Walkers shortbread leftovers)

500g cream cheese, softened

85g icing sugar

300ml double cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

15 hazelnut chocolate (I´ve heard that Ferrero Rocher would be also good), 5 roughly chopped, remainder reserved, to decorate

4 tbsp hazelnut chocolate spreads (I used Nutella)

25g hazelnuts, roughly chopped

 

Preparation:

 

Make the cheesecake base: melt the butter in a small pan over a medium heat. Blitz the biscuits in a food processor to a fine crumb, add the melted butter and pulse until well combined. Tip into a 23cm springform cake tin and press down firmly into the base. Chill while you make the filling.

 

Beat the cream cheese and icing sugar in a bowl to soften. Whisk the cream and vanilla in a separate bowl until soft peaks form, then fold into the cream cheese. Stir through the chopped chocolates. Spoon over the biscuit base and smooth with a spatula. Cover with cling film and chill for at least 2 hrs.

 

Once it has set, place the chocolate hazelnut spread in a saucepan and melt over a low heat for 3-4 mins until runny. allow to cool slightly before spreading over the top of the cheesecake. Decorate with remaining chocolates (I had Lindt balls in my food cabinet) and some chopped hazelnuts. Chill until ready to serve.

Honey Roulade

Feeling like Marlenka and lazy to go and getting one?  Do not worry, here´s a very nice Honey roulade, that will definitely fulfill your craving for this Armenian cake.


Ingredients

for the cake:

1 egg
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites
100 g caster sugar
100 g runny honey
160 g plain flour
1 tsp sodium bicarbonate
small piece of butter

for the filling:

250 g unsalted butter
5 tbsp runny honey
2 tbsp rum
100 g ground nuts (I used almonds but walnuts would be good too)
leave a bit of nuts for sprinkling the top

Preparation method for roulade:
Heat the oven to 160/180C. Whisk 1 egg and 4 egg yolks together with the sugar and honey until soft and creamy. In a separate clean bowl, whisk  4 egg whites until stiff. Combine flour and sodium and gently stir into the egg yolks mixture, at the same time fold in the egg whites. 
Line the base of the pan with the baking paper and brush the paper with the melted butter.
Spread batter evenly in a pan and bake in middle of oven until set and firm to the touch, about 8-10 minutes.
When the cake is finished baking, carefully flip the cake over onto a clean kitchen towel. Carefully, pull the parchment paper off of the cake and starting at one end, roll the cake up as evenly as possible until the entire cake is a roll. With a large bread knife, trim the ends to make a neat edge.. Hint: This is where the wine comes in handy. You know just to calm the nerves a bit ;).

Preparation of filling:
Whisk the soft butter until moussy. Add the honey, rum and nuts. Leave part of the filling for spreading the top of the roulade.

When the cake is cold, gently unfold the tea towel. Spread the filling onto the roulade and roll the cake up again without the tea towel. Spread remaining filling all around the top and sides of roulade. Sprinkle with the ground nuts and let it cool in the fridge.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients:

• 4 unwaxed lemons zest and juice
• 200g/7oz unrefined caster sugar
• 100g/3½oz unsalted butter cut into cubes
• 3 free-range eggs, plus 1 free-range egg yolk

 

 

 

Method:

1. Put the lemon zest and juice, the sugar and the butter into a heatproof bowl. Sit the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl. Stir the mixture every now and again until all of the butter has melted.
2. Lightly whisk the eggs and egg yolk and stir them into the lemon mixture. Whisk until all of the ingredients are well combined, then leave to cook for 10-13 minutes, stirring every now and again, until the mixture is creamy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
3. Remove the lemon curd from the heat and set aside to cool, stirring occasionally as it cools. Once cooled, spoon the lemon curd into sterilized jars and seal. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.

Citrus Poppy Seed Cake

I invited my parent-in-law to be for a Sunday tea at 5 and what wold a tea time be without a proper cake. Here, the very fresh and light treat, easy to make.

 

Ingredients:
175g butter, softened
175g brown caster sugar
3 eggs-beaten
250g self-raising flour
50g poppy seeds
grated rind of 2 oranges
grated rind of 2 lemons
4 rounded tbsp natural yogurt

Topping:
250g mascarpone (or soft cheese for a light version)
grated rind and juice of 1 small orange
3 tbsp orange or lemon curd (I made the fresh lemon curd while the cake was in the oven - see my other recipe)
grated rind of 1 lemon

Method:
Preheat the oven to 150°C. Butter and line the base of a deep 20cm round cake tin. Using a wooden spoon, beat together the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, poppy seeds, citrus rinds and yogurt until smooth.

Spread the mixture in the tin and bake for 45-50 minutes until just firm. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool on a wire rack. Peel off the paper.

Meanwhile, mix mascarpone with enough orange juice to make a spreadable icing. Lightly swirl in the curd to give a marbled effect. Roughly spread over the top and sides of the cake, and scatter the grated citrus rind over the top to decorate.

Craving like something sweet?

Every working day I used to be starving on train, while having my breakfast (after commuting to the office for 2 hours). I usually bought some oat bars or biscuits from the shop but...after reading the list of ingredients I told myself "honestly? can you not make it better"? So I went shopping and here is the recipe for a healthy yummy snack. You can even use it as granola in your morning bowl of milk or yogurt or just carry it in your handbag and have always this "first aid" at hand.

Ingredients:
1 handful of walnuts
1 handful of hazelnuts
1 handful of cashew
1 handful of sunflower seeds
1 handful of sesame seeds
1 handful of goji
1 handful of chopped dried figs
1 handful of chopped dried prunes
1 handful of raisins
1 handful of oats (alternatively) 3-4 teaspoons of honey (I used my homemade elderflower one)


Method: Mix the nuts, seeds and fruit in a wok and heat for 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn the nuts. Transfer the mixture into the bowl, add honey and mix with the wooden spoon until combined. Place the mixture on a baking paper. Place another sheet of paper on top and make it flat with your hands or use the kitchen roller. Leave in the fridge for several hours. Then cut into squares or as you prefer. The good thing is that you can use whatever ingredients you have in your cupboard.

Brunch time

Avocado and soft-boiled egg on sunflower seeds toast, together with the steamed carrot, slightly coated in the salty butter...just the right colours, what do you think? Share your quick and easy brunch ideas...

These winter lazy days...

I love these days, when "nothing in on your plate", so you can list in the cookery books and prepare a nice sweet surprise for the beloved ones... What are yours lazy days ideas? Crafting? Baking? Cooking? Home-decorating?