Fairy Cake Heaven

Daring Bakers Challenge 4 - Danish Braid

2008-06-29T09:47:00.013+01:00

This months Daring Bakers Challenge of a Danish Braid has been my favourite so far. I love love loved it!!!!! We made danish pastry which was something I had never done before and it was fantastically exciting to watch it take shape and then produce something as delicious as an apple strudel inspired danish braid. I also made fresh croissants which my husband was VERY excited about and croissants are one of my favourite foods all fresh and warm from the oven with a wonderful flakiness and the scent of cardamom and orange wafting through the house on the warm breeze (sounds all tropical doesn't it, not near it though just a day of no rain but no summer sunshine here in the Emerald Isle).

I made a couple of changes to the recipe to make it my own but not straying too far from the original so here they are:

I used 2 medium eggs and 1 egg yolk instead of 2 large eggs
I added a whole tsp of cardamom as I love it so much I just couldn't help myself
I had no vanilla pods so I just used the vanilla extract
I needed to add at least another 1/2 cup of flour as my dough was super sticky, this may have been due to the changing of the eggs but it all worked out fine in the end and the dough was a dream to work with
I added All Spice to my apple filling as opposed to cinnamon and vanilla, for those of you who don't have All Spice as I'm not sure it it's an Irish thing or an international/european thing it's a pre-blended mix of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves
I also added 125g sultanas to my apple mixture.
I used a sugar almond crunch on top of my braid as my husband thinks he "doesn't like" nuts but I use them all the time without telling him and he never leaves anything behind!!!

I made my braid with the aid of the wonderful photos from Comida De Mama and found them extremely helpful in pointing me in the right direction in terms of tucking in the end etc, the YouTube video that Kelly posted was also very helpful in terms of advice in keeping the dough rectangular etc.

The pastry was in a word - Divine, I love cardamom and it gave the dough (and the kitchen) the most amazing scent. I think my pastry cooked very well and was flaky and not too crispy and I could really see the layers which was pretty impressive (I thought anyway).

Thank you so much to Kelly and Ben for hosting this months challenge, it's been the most enjoyable and most challenging challenge for me so far and I loved every single second of this, I will definitely be making this again as it's such a versatile dough and I even have the leftovers defrosting down stairs at the moment for todays dessert.

Just to advise you, I have kitchen measuring cups and use them anytime the recipe says cups, apologies to anyone who doesn't have these to hand but as far as I know there's 8 ounces in 1 cup and I'd go with this, so after all that here's the recipe:

Danish Braid inspired by Sherry Yard's The Secrets of Baking

DANISH DOUGH:

Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough

Ingredients
For the dough (Detrempe)
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, chilled
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

DOUGH
Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well. Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Without a standing mixer: Combine yeast and milk in a bowl with a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice and mix well. Sift flour and salt on your working surface and make a fountain. Make sure that the “walls” of your fountain are thick and even. Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain. With your fingertips, mix the liquid and the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges. When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. You might need to add more flour if the dough is sticky.

BUTTER BLOCK
1. Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.
2. After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
4. Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

APPLE FILLING
Makes enough for two braids

Ingredients
4 Fuji or other apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Toss all ingredients except butter in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat until slightly nutty in color, about 6 - 8 minutes. Then add the apple mixture and sauté until apples are softened and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. If you’ve chosen Fujis, the apples will be caramelized, but have still retained their shape. Pour the cooked apples onto a baking sheet to cool completely before forming the braid. (If making ahead, cool to room temperature, seal, and refrigerate.) They will cool faster when spread in a thin layer over the surface of the sheet. After they have cooled, the filling can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Left over filling can be used as an ice cream topping, for muffins, cheesecake, or other pastries.

DANISH BRAID
Makes enough for 2 large braids

Ingredients
1 recipe Danish Dough (see below)
2 cups apple filling, jam, or preserves (see below)

For the egg wash: 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet.
2. Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.
3. Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.

Egg Wash
Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.

Proofing and Baking
1. Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid. Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.
2. Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

Also make sure you check out the other Daring Bakers challenges on the Daring Baker Blogroll here

*Update*: I also made my version of mille feuille using the very end of my pastry, filled with a lemon curd cream (using the recipe from here with the juice of 2 lemons and the zest of 1), sweetened with 1 tbsp honey and whipped and as many strawberries as I could fit in, in a word DIVINE!!!

Tastespotting is back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-06-28T13:33:00.000+01:00

One word

WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mini speckled chocolate cheesecakes

2008-06-22T14:40:00.008+01:00

After last weekend cheesecake sisaster I decided it was time to try again to assuage my cheesecake craving and get the creamy hit that I was looking for. I've wanted to make a chocolate cheesecake for a while and after searching the food blog search etc I settled on Nigella's chocolate cheesecake recipe from How to be a Domestic Goddess, but with a couple of changes.

This is a traditional cheesecake made with eggs and cream cheese and baked in a water bath, I decided to make individual cakes as this makes sure I'm not eating a mahoosive slice and saying it's just a slice (tee hee). I used crushed chocolate bits that I whizzed in the food processor as opposed to melting the chocolate and adding it to the mix to make a swirled cheesecake like the brownies I made before. I used ginger nuts for the base instead of digestives as I like the ginger flavour is brings to the cake.

I was delighted with the results, creamy and rich but with a bitter hit of chocolate and a lovely gingery flavour. I think my craving has been satisfied for now, moving onto something more exciting next which I've made already but will remain a secret until next weekend but just to tell you it was a dream to make and I love love love the new skill I've gotten though it too, dying to share with you all

Anyway, enough rambling here's the recipe:

125g biscuits crushed, ginger nuts or digestives work best
50g butter, melted.
500g creamcheese
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
150g sugar
175ml sour cream
1tsp lime juice
150 plain choclate, melted.

Heat the oven to Gas 4/180 and boil a kettle full of water.
Process the biscuits and mix with the butter, put this into the bottom of a 20 cm springform tin or 6 individual moulds if you have them, and chill this while you make the creamcheese mix.
Whisk the creamcheese until it's smoothe, add the sugar and then the eggs one by one whisking each one in well before you add the next.
Add the sour cream and lime juice.
Fold in the chocolate bits and pour the mix into your tin.
Put your springform tin into a large roasting tin and fill the roasting tin with water until it comes 2-3 cm's up the sides of the springform.
If using a 20cm tin bake for an hour, if using individual moulds approx 20 mins.
Sit on a rack to cool and dust with icing sugar when ready to serve.

This was gorgeous, creamy and chocolatey and bitter all at the same, definitely one to make again. Hope you enjoy it if you try it

A very disappointing honey cheesecake

2008-06-15T18:44:00.006+01:00

My name is Rachel and I am a honey addict!!! I love honey and would eat it on toast for 3 meals a day. It has a much rounder, smoother flavour than sugar and makes normal things like whipped cream just a touch more exotic. Because of this I have wanted to try the honey cheesecake from Bill Granger's Open Kitchen for as long as I have this book and as I've been thinking about cheesecake for weeks decided this weekend was the perfect time to try it. It's also been a while since I've featured a Bill recipe here. Alas, I was wrong!

This cake is made of ricotta and eggs, no creamcheese, no cream, no marcarpone. Now perhaps it was the quality of my ricotta which was some brand from Tesco and not the lovely ricotta from a deli that Bill always has on his programmes, perhaps not. The recipe was only slighty tinkered with which means I left out the marsala soaked raisins as bits in cheesecake upset me on a number of levels, perhaps not. Perhaps it's just the cake itself (which the husbag assures me it is ;-)), perhaps not.

The texture of the cake is slightly grainy, nearly like that of cottage cheese when you bite it - Not. Nice. At. All. Cheesecake should soft and smooth and almost mousse like in texture, and while this one manages to look delicious and soft and smooth, it's not!!! Boo to that I say!!!!

Here's the recipe should you want to try it, it does look pretty and I will definitely make honey flavour cheesecake again but not with ricotta!!!

60g sultanas (I didn't use these)
60ml marsala or cold weak tea (or these)
55g caster sugar
6 large eggs
finely grated zest of 1 orange
4 x 250g tubs of ricotta (or 1kg), mashed slightly and drained if it's got a lot of liquid in the tub as I did above.
90g honey

Preheat the oven to Gas 2/3, 160. Soak the sultanas if you're using them in the marsala/tea for 30 mins while the oven is heating.

Put the sugar and eggs in a mixer and beat for 5 mins until light and foamy. Drain the sultanas and fold through the egg mixture with teh zest, honey and ricotta.

Pour into a 9cm springform tin and bake for 80 mins or until golden. Allow to cool in the tin and serve with berries.

P.S check out the lovely sugar paste roses that my sister in law made for our wedding cake 2 years ago, still perfect and as hard as rocks. Thanks Jen!!! Rx

Tastespotting is no more.........

2008-06-14T10:38:00.001+01:00

what am I going to do in the evenings when himself is playing the PS3 and I have no archives to look at :-( boohoo

A bit of everything...........

2008-06-09T22:30:00.006+01:00

but mostly nothing!!!

This weekend and last weekend, save for having the family over I've made a good bit of stuff;

Choux pastry for HHDD#20, it was divine! I made eclairs and profiteroles and filled them with honey orange cream and topped with cardamom icing, the flavours were amazing and the husbag was putting whole profiteroles in his mouth. When I put the pics on the computer they were in a word........crap!!! To out it nicely, my normal turn of phrase would have been shite but seeing as I like to think my blog is international some of you might not know what shite is, said with an Irish accent of course so we'll stick with crap! No chance to take more pics as there was a choux massacre...............you can see the results above.

I also made chocolate tarts - chocolate pastry, lined with melted chocolate and filled with creme patisserie and topped with fresh cherries, blueberries and strawberries. Once again divine! I brought them to a friends house and never photographed them filled (these non-bloggers just don't understand this photographing food), the shells look nice though.

I also made fresh lemonade, the most divine refreshing and tangy lemonade courtesy of Laylita's Recipes and as always Tastespotting! I can not rave about this enough, we had lemon and lime on Sunday and orange and lemon on Monday as it was a bank holiday.

So. Good.

I changed the recipe slightly and used a whole litre of soda water, 1 lime, a lemon and a half and half a cup of sugar which is about 4ish ounces of sugar but you can use more to taste. I cannot stress though, that when you blend this you MUST strain it as there are loads of bits of the peel etc in it. I was very sceptical that this would be nice but it's WAY better than homemade lemonade with just the juice, much more flavour and tartness but still a lovely sweet balance. Check out the recipe over on Layla's blog on the link above, she also has Watermelon mimosa up at the moment which looks AMAZING!

I also made gorgeous Avoca salads, for those of you who have eaten there I made the broccoli, feta, cherry tomato and hazelnut salad and the balsamic potato salad - Divine!!! I will definitely be making these again soon as I've loads of lovely homemade fresh dressing leftover. YUM, expect salad recipes this weekend methinks.

Other than that I made beef skewers with peanut dipping sauce, sticky chicken wings, lovely mushrooms on toast, bellini's, Bill Grangers amazing scrambled eggs - you know the usual things people make at the weekend.

I'm hoping for something more productive this weekend with actual photos of finished dishes this time. I got creme brulee dishes today, that I've been waiting a couple of months for so maybe some lavender or rose creme brulee in the coming weeks, I am never going to get through my ever expanding list of things to make for the first time if I keep going!!!

On that note, I'm off to bed now, sogni d'oro (sweet dreams) rachx

Raspberry honey shortcakes

2008-06-02T16:44:00.006+01:00

I made these yesterday when some family were over for lunch, they were the perfect light ending to a lovely meal of salads and mushroom stuffed crespelle (read Italian pancakes) from the Ursula Ferrigno book I wrote about last week. They were divine I might add, no pics as people were here and do you know non-bloggers just don't understand the taking pics of food!!! I did manage to get some pics of the dessert as everyone was sitting outside drinking Bellinis (YUM)

This shortcake biscuits in this dessert are taken from the July issue of Delicious, the creamy aspect is marcapone mixed with fresh orange juice and honey and the strawberries are m&s's best. I also used a Merchant Gourmet dulche de leche sauce for these that I got in Avoca and is divine but if you wanted you could make this one as I have before

For the biscuits you'll need

115g butter
60g caster sugar
175g plain flour
2 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, add the flour and honey and mix until it forms a ball of dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 190/Gas 5. When the dough has chilled, roll it out on a well floured surface until it's about 5mm thick and cut into 18 7-inch cookies or whatever shapes you want. Bake for 8-10m mins until golden brown. Move to a rack and cool.

You'll want to assemble these when you're about to serve them, mix up the mascarpone, honey and juice of roughly half an orange in advance, it'll be like thickly whipped cream. Pipe onto the bicuits, top with strawberries/raspberries, then add another biscuit, pipe again and top with strawberries/raspberries and finally another biscuit. Serve with caramel sauce or whatever takes your fancy.

Daring Bakers Challenge 3 - Opéra Cake

2008-05-28T20:04:00.008+01:00

So here we are again, it's Daring Bakers time, and this month I really was daring. An opéra cake is something I would NEVER have made, in my wildest dreams no matter how much I would have wanted to and read the recipe. I can now make my own nut flours - I made pistachio for this. I can make a sugar syrup, which hile not the most technical of recipes is something I have never made before. I have finally found a butter cream that I like aswell.

I'm not going to post the full recipe as it's posted on plenty of other blogs and you can see it here on Ivonne's blog Cream Puffs in Venice but here's what I did that make my cake different:

I made pistachio flour - ground pistachios pulverised with a tsp flour for each 100g pistachios - smells AMAZING and everyone should try this!!!! I will definitel be making nut flour again.

I used rose flavouring for my buttercream so 3 tbsp rosewater in total but to be honest I could have used more, I also coloured my buttercream with some cochinelle colouring to make it the rose pink.

I made a cardamom sugar stock which is amazing, I still have some left and keep smelling it in it's little airtight container in the fridge. Smells like pure heaven for a cardamom addict like me!!!

Initially, I wasn't mad about the mousse/ganache or the glaze as I thought they over powered the cake slightly on the first day, the next day however, everything blended together perfectly and the flavours had time to develop. The joconde (read cake here gor those not intiated to the opéra cake layers) had a lovely firm texture which I really liked and the pistachio flavour was gorgeous, really fresh and with the cardamom and hints of rose made me think of exotic far off places!!!

Special thanks to Lis, Ivonne, Fran and Shea for hosting this months amazing challenge - Bring on the June challenge I'm ready!!!!!

Food Bites and other stuff

2008-05-26T21:52:00.000+01:00

No recipe post until later this week so I thought I'd tell you all about some food related its and pieces to keep you going until then. The picture above is one I took across Galway bay to the Aran Islands a few weeks ago when we were down there for the bank holiday weekend, this is one of the most beautiful views in the world to be and when we drive along the coast road from Ballyvaughan to Fanore it's like my heart has come home!!!!

Firstly I have to rave about a fantastic kitchen accessory site I came across last year, Kitchen Dresser, this is a fantastic site with lovely bits and pieces for the kitchen and I check it regularly to see if they have new stock.

I recently bought these lovely plates, bowls and a jug from them that you can see in the picture above that are so cute and pretty and have a lovely vintage look to them. I also have to compliment them on their outstanding customer service, when my order arrived a plate in the set of 4 I had bought was broken, I mailed them and received not 1 but 2 mails back telling me I would get a new plate and it arrived the very next day. I am seriously impressed with Kitchen Dresser and will definitely shop there again, the postage is only €8 to anywhere in Ireland aswell so no excuse to get some lovely bits for your kitchens laydees.

My second piece of "news" is that tonight I had this for my dinner, bruschetta ai funghi. Lorraine is always encouraging me to get back into mushrooms, I have a slight aversion to them due to a traumatic experience in Biology class when I was doing my leaving cert that involved an hour long video of the most terrifying mushrooms and toadstools actually detaching from the ground and moving!!!!!!! HORRENDOUS!!! This was a gorgeous recipe and I added a tsp of cream and some fresh thyme to it, I can't recommend it enough and actually mailed Lorraine to say how gorgeous this was.

Another food related piece of news that I am sure most of you know about was the release of Kieran and Seans fantastic Book of Sweet Things that came out at the beginning of May and a fantastic book it is too. I made rum and raisin ice cream, it being my favourite flavour, and it was SSSSSOOOOO good!! And Fairycakeheaven got a mention in the book which I am well chuffed about.

I have to tell about another book I got recently too - Ursula Ferriogno's Complete Italian Cookery Course, I got this for all of €6 in TK Maxx and it's one of the best purchases I have ever made there, I've used this loads and because of the wonderful pictures I have made a few risottos and have even graduated to making them with whatever I have and not just using the recipes which I am very proud of indeed. This is a must have book for anyone into Italian cooking and I even prefer it to Jamie's Italy and Giorgio Locatelli's Made in Italy: Food and Other Stories which have until now been my go to Italian books after Lorraine of course.

I am sure there are other things that I have meant to tell you over the last few weeks, I bought Carrageen moss at the weekend so I'll be making Carrageen Panna Cotta or Souffle over the next few weeks, the recipe will be from a book my grandmother owned and is a very treasured possession.

On a non food related bit, this is my favourite song at the moment, I am loving Duffy andI think her album is fantastic, she's very reminiscent of Dusty Springfield I think and very soulful without being depressing too. Let me know what you think.

Also, check out Desserts Magazine, an online magazine with great recipes and submissions from bloggers I read all the time, Helen's macaron tutorial is also invaluable for anyone who wants to make macarons for the firt time or who just needs a few tips in making them, I still haven't gotten around to making some but as this weekend coming is a bank holiday I'm hoping to give them a whirl so keep your fingers crossed for me.

And on that note I'll sign off for the night, I need my daily dose of scandal from Perez Hilton. Ciao laydees (and any gents but I don't think there are any apart from Niall) Rachx

SHF #43 - Citrus - Pomelo and Lime Curd with Orange Curd, Orange Mousse and Lemon Lavender Butterfly Tuiles

2008-05-18T12:42:00.008+01:00

All I have to say about this is YUM!!! There was no way I was passing up a chance to take on the citrus challenge of the year!!! Tartelette a.k.a Heléne is hosting this round of Sugar High Friday and it's a doosie, what could be better than citrus (apart from almond and cardamom) but really this is wonderful as I got a chance to really let my creative juices flow!

For my creation I took inspiration from various areas, my pomelo and lime curd is from the Elle's New England Kitchen who got it from the New York Times and I found it on Tastespotting, so a round about way of getting there, the mousse is from Bill Granger's book Bills Food but with the lemon mousse changed to orange, the orange curd is is made the same way as the pomelo and lime one and tuiles are a recipe I have printed out and have no notion where it's from but I've tinkered with it a bit and used Chocolate Gourmand's method. Phew, there a lot of people who are responsible for me putting this together and thanks to all of them for their continuing inspiration and endless knowledge.

So as this is shaping up to be a long post I'll try to cut the chat to a minimum, so here's the recipes

Pomelo and Lime Curd/Orange curd:

1 pomelo
1 lime
3 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
125g sugar
Pinch of salt
4 tbsp butter at room temp

I washed my pomelo and lime as I couldn't get organic non-waxed ones. Grate zest from the pomelo and the lime and set aside.
Squeeze juice from both fruit into a sieve set over a bowl.
In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, whole eggs, sugar and salt. Whisk in the strained juice.
Transfer to a saucepan over a low heat and stir continuously until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, approx. 10-15 mins.
Add the zest and transfer to a sterilised jar or bowl, cover and cool.
I transferred mine to martini glasses and the rest to a jar.

For the orange curd I used the juice of 3 oranges and the zest of 2.

Once the pomelo and lime curd was set, I followed the same method and spooned a layer of orange curd on top.

Orange Mousse:

zest of 3 oranges
60 ml orange juice
185g caster sugar
4 eggs seperated
150g butter, cut into shunks

Put the orange zest, juice, sugar and egg yolks in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and cook, stirring constantly, for approx. 10 mins until the mixture coats the back of a spoon (this is another curd method that I've used before but it takes way longer to thicken).
Whisk in small ammounts of butter until it is all incorporated.
Allow to cool.
Whisk the egg whites together in a mixer until stiff peaks form.
Fold half of the egg whites into the orange mixture with a metal spoon and then fold in the second half.
Spoon the mixture over the curds and refrigerate until firm.

For the tuiles:

40g butter
50g icing sugar
60g plain flour
zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp lavender syrup (I've been dying to use this since I bought it from Avoca, it's also available at www.foodhallonline.com)

Preheat the oven to Gas 6/200.
Place a flat tray in teh oven to heat with a non-stick sheet on it, I used a silicone baking sheet but I am sure well buttered parchment would do aswell as long as you butter again between batches or change the parchment for each set of new tuiles.

Cream the butter, sugar, flour, zest and lavender syrup together until it's light and fluffy. Add the flour slowly until just mixed in.
Heat a large serving spoon of the mixture in a bowl in the microwave for about 8 seconds so you achieve a pouring consistency.
Place a tablespoon of the dough on the heated baking sheet and spread out gently until the tuile looks quite thin.
Place in the oven and bake for 4-6 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cut into shaped or roll around the handle of a wooden spoon to make curls.

Feel free to cook your tuiles for longer but I like mine pale and chewy as opposed to darker and crispier. Serve with physallis and preferably after a bbq with friends!

This was a gorgeous recipe and one of the first I've used many inspirations and spent time on making notes etc. I really enjoyed making this as it's the first curd I've made that set up properly. You can't really see the layers in the photos but the mousse and orange curd were u gasp after the sweetness of the mousse and the first curd layer. I'm still eating the pomelo and lime curd on toast and trying to make it last as long as possible but the orange one is long gone as the husbag was eating spoons of it!!!!

I'm back with blueberries

2008-05-12T22:25:00.007+01:00

Hey all, am back from 2 weeks of being lazy and not doing very much cooking. Thanks so much for your concern in wondering had I fallen off the face of the earth, unfortunately not, but I was away last weekend in the lovely county of Clare hence the no posting but I didn't make am amazing fennel, parsnip and potato gratin that I will post about when I make it again but suffice to say it was divine and of my own creation aswell (go me).

There was a wonderful trip to the Milk Market in Limerick where I met the wonderful Maz from Style Treaty along with her boyfriend and parents and had a flying visit from Laura from EatDrinkLive and her gorgeous little girl. A foray into Cafe Noir which was lovely, fantastic coffee and fantastic cakes, what more could a girl and her wonderful cousin Cait want (Hi Cait and thanks to you for putting us up - Again!).

There were some lovely individual sponge cakes made with duck eggs I got in the market but these didn't get photographed either, very lazy of me I know but himself was eating them in 2 bites so I didn't have much chance!

So this is my return post, it's a kick back to a few months ago and the wholemeal pikelets which were lovely if I do say so myself. I bought some fresh blueberries in Tesco on Friday night reduced to a mere 93 cents a punnet so of course I couldn't help myself and bought 2 even though I should have gotten more and frozen them but my head wasn't working as efficently as it should have been after a week at work and I'll have to make so with what I got, both are now gone as I can't get enough of fresh blueberries at the moment - I think I'm addicted but am hoping over eating doesn't make any parts of my purple!!!

So picture this if you will it's Sunday morning, the sun is shining again but for how long so I decided a summery breakfast was in order and not having any buttermilk for buttermilk pancakes and not being in the mood to seperate eggs and whip egg whites I decided to make these as they are a very easy to make and the batter is quite thick but they're lovely and light when they're cooked.

I made a couple of changes and used a duck egg instead of my normal organic egg as I had 2 to use up, the last egg went into something else I'll post about soon, when I had the batter in the frying pan I popped a couple of blueberries on the top so when the pikelet was turned over they cooked into the batter and were divine, also I served these with a pomelo and lime curd (I finally made a curd that set up properly) I made on Saturday morning as pomelo's were reduced to an even more bargaintastic 35 cents in Tesco and the recipe for this will follow later on today as part of my entry for the Sugar High Friday blogging event.

So sit back, enjoy the sunshine, and have a leisurely breakfast, can't be wasting this sun now can we........................

Hay Hay it's Donna Day #19 - The Clafoutis Edition Event - Caramelised Apple Clafoutis at that!!!!

2008-04-27T20:04:00.007+01:00

So every time Hay Hay it's Donna Day is on I look at the event on Is My Blog Burning, think oooooo yes I'll definitely do that and then never get around to it!!! This month I was determined to do it cos I LOVE CLAFOUTIS!!!! or anything with a batter/cake like consistency, am easily pleased when it comes to desserts.

I have amalgamated 2 recipes, the batter mix from Donna Hay as posted on Bron Marshalls blog (and the lovely Bron is also this HHDD's host) with a couple of moderations and an idea from a Bill Granger recipe for a puffed apple pancake so this is a Caramelised Apple Clafoutis and let me tell you - 'tis divine!!!

So for the batter you'll need:

200ml milk (I used low fat but whatever milk you prefer)
100ml cream (this is to make up 300ml in total but Bron's original recipe used 300ml full fat milk)
4oz caster sugar (In the original recipe 4 tbsp sugar is kept back to sprinkle over the fruit before the batter is poured on but I just didn't use this as there's brown sugar on the apples)
1tsp vanilla extract
I used 1 large, 1 medium and an egg white I had left over from the Daring Bakers challenge but the original recipe uses 3 free range eggs
pinch of salt
8oz plain flour

Mix all the batter ingredients together using a whisk or in a mixer/processor. Heat the oven to 190/Gas 5.

For the caramelised apples you'll need:

50g butter
4 tart apples, (I used Braeburns but Granny Smith's would be lovely too) cored, peeled and cut into eights (or smaller if you apples are very big)
3tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp vanilla extract

Put whatever dish you're using in the oven to heat it.
Melt the butter in a pan and add the apples.
Cook on a medium heat for about 5 mins
Sprinkle over the sugar and add the lime juice and vanilla extract and cook until the sugar is melted and caramelised.
Take the dish out of the oven and put the apples and caramel in the bottom.
Pour over the batter and put the dish in the oven and cook for 35-40 mins until browned and puffed up.

Seriously this dessert has taken over from Bread and Butter pudding as my favourite dessert, it's cakey and battery and there's a lovely hint of lime off it along with the creaminess of the batter and the apples are lovely and tart. I served with unwhipped cream poured over in my new GIANT cups I got for my birthday from my wonderful auntie T!!! DIVINE!!!! We also had the wonderful cannelloni that Lorraine blogged about this week, twas also gorgeous and the husbag ate half a dish of it!!!!

Daring Bakers Challenge 2 - Cheesecake Lollipops

2008-04-27T10:32:00.005+01:00

So this is my second month as a Daring Baker, and to be honest I think it hasn't gotten off to a very good start!

I intended to make these cheesecake lollipops 2 weeks ago and it didn't happen due to being out on the lash for my birthday. I intended to make them last week and it didn't happen due to extreme illness in the form of a crazy virus!! So this weekend was my last chance - late in the day but thankfully the cheesecake was a breeze to make taking about 50 minutes to do it's thing in the oven and with my history in cheesecakes I wasn't overly positive when it went into the oven but came out very well and is definitely be a recipe I use again as I loved the texture of the finished cake. I'm so glad I didn't have the problems with it some other people did with the cheesecake not setting as this would have most likely ended with me not making a second one and completing the challenge.

After couple of hours in the fridge the cheesecake was ready to form into balls, overnight in the freezer and the balls were ready to cover with chocolate, this is the finished product and as I write this I am STILL singing the Chocolate Salty Balls song from South Park - classy wha??????

So this months challenge was picked by Deborah from Taste and Tell and Elle from Feeding My Enthusiasms and is from a book called from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor which I've never heard of before but if this recipe is anything to go by the recipes in it are yum and fun!

I haven't given the full recipe as it's on Taste and Tell but I couldn't recommend this enough and if you don't want to make the pops then just try the cake. I made half vanilla and then I added some lemon extract just to change it up, I think I preferred the lemon as it was fresher with the chocolate but the vanilla tasted like ice-cream which was good aswell and the husbag loved.

I've been tagged................

2008-04-19T19:00:00.004+01:00

By the lovely George from Culinary Travels of a Kitchen Goddess and Brenda from Tea and Wheaten Bread on the same round of tagging, George tagged Brenda and I and then Brenda tagged me aswell, mad isn't it!!!!

As both tags are the same, to describe myself in six words and then tag 6 other bloggers so here goes

Passionate
Fun
Talkative
Loyal
Protective
Shoe mad

Hope that will give you all an insight into my personality and the people I am tagging are

The Airy Fairy @ ~airy fairy cupcakes~
Lynnie @ Lyndar the Merciless
Katy @ Sugarlaws, one of the newer blogs that's going around the same length of time as myself, Katy makes gorgeous food and I'm still dying to make her Smoked Pheasant salad!
Victoria @ Ommnomnom, a new vegan Irish blog that has gorgeous recipes
Lisa @ Little Bits, Lisa was my Blogging by Mail match a month or so ago and she has the most lovely recipes on her blog.
and finally Maz @ Style Treaty for her endless inspiration and wonderful outlook!

And on another note, I don't think there'll be a food related post this weekend, I've got some crazy virus that's doing the rounds since Wednesday and it's taking me ages to shake it off so I doubt I'd have enough strength to stand in the kitchen to boil a kettle not to talk about make anything!! It's taken me half an hour to write this short post cos I keep having to stop aswell!!! Wish me better soon girleens............................

Oh and the pictures are of some lovely orchids I got for my birthday from my fantastic friend Jenny whose a florist! There is nothing like some flowers to make someone smile and these are absolutely gorgeous - Thanks Jen!!!!!

Oeufs en cocotte - Waiter there's something in my...................breakfast

2008-04-13T20:43:00.007+01:00

or baked eggs for those of us not sophisticated enough to be French!!! This is my entry for this months Waiter There's Something in my......................blogging event which is hosted by Johanna over on The Passionate Cook. I haven't entered this before but look at it every month and think I'll enter and then I don't and the deadline is passed so this month is it as I'd made these on Sunday. I admittedly had these for my tea but you can see why I didn't have breakfast below, these are my absolute favourite breakfast meal of all time!!!

I hadn't intended cooking anything today as my birthday party was last night, I wasn't overly hungover but had just decided there was nothing in particular I fancied making. But true to form I couldn't stay away from the oven for the day but did manage to make somthing simple and gorgeous!!!

These are lovely for breakfast, which is when I normally make them, or for a light Sunday tea when it's pushing 8 o'clock!

For 2 people you'll need:

4 large eggs (I used local organic ones but whatever you use yourself)
4 tbsp cream
salt
enough melted butter to coat the inside of 4 ramekins

I also decided to experiment and used in my eggs

1/4 tsp garam masala per ramekin
1 cherry tomato, chopped
1 spring onion, chopped
1/4 green chilli, finely chopped

Heat the oven to Gas 5/190.
Boil a kettle of water
Butter the inside of the ramekins with melted butter and add the tomato, spring onion, chilli and sprinkle with garam masala.
Crack an egg into each ramekin, sprinkle with salt and pour over a tablespoon of cream on each egg.
Place the ramekins into a deep tin/dish and pour the boiling water in around the ramekins so it comes half way up the sides.
Bake for 15 mins and eat alone or with some buttered crusty bread if you have it.

This recips is one I've used time and time again and the addition of the garam masala is amazing, I wish I had added the changes to my second egg. The husbag normally has cheddar grated into the bottom of his eggs. Just make sure you add whatever additions to the ramekins before the egg and cream as it can burn if it's on the top.

The Indian inspiration comes from Anjum Anand and the water bath idea is from Nigella's latest book Nigella Express as I had been making these before her book came out but never this way which seems to prevent the eggs getting that goldy brown crispy stuff on top of them which I really don't like.

Enjoy or to be all French about it Bon Appetit!!!

Oh and check out my new ramekins, they're from a range called Natural Elements and everything in the range is either lovely matt cream, the sage green you can see here or gorgeous dark matt wood, you can see some of it here on deCuisine.co.uk but I got mine in a shop in Navan called Sage & Stone that's just reopened after being refurbished and I'll be divorced if I buy anything else in there!!!

Finally..........................

2008-04-05T14:39:00.008+01:00

I found a madeleine tin in Dublin!!!! Kitchen Complements you are my saviour!!!!

I was in there to get some almond extract determined not to look at anything else other than that and as I was leaving after successfully avoiding all other tins, edible lustres and silicone rolling pins I happened to spy a madeleine tin out the corner of my eye!!! I was in shock as I been searching for a madeleine tin in vain for ages and was even trying to coerce my mother and sister into getting me one in New York next month (they weren't being coerced too easily though). But lo and behold there is was, as if a light was shining from on high and with that it was purchased (along with the almond extract and a palette nife but we won't talk about those)

So here it is, Saturday afternoon, the sun is shining, I'm after making the Daring Bakers cake again to bring to a friends house tonight (she's pregnant and I wouldn't like to say no as she might beat me or worse......................hi Sinead), the football is on the tv (go on the Pool) and I'm flicking through my Domestic Goddess book when suddenly I spy Nigella's rosebud madeleine recipe. So off I totter downstairs to make these with shouts from the husbag ringing in my ears at the ref, Arsenal players and whoever else should slight the godlike Liverpool players.

This recipe is so easy, these madeleines are so light and I would have eaten all 12 if I had no conscience, but unfortunately I do and it told me to only eat 3 (or 4), the rest are downstairs on a spotty plate calling me "Rachel, eat us, please, we're so pretty and light with hardly any calories!!!" The little feckers!!! Tee hee

So anyway here's what you need, if you can find a madeleine tin that is! I didn't make rosebud madeleines as rose isn't to everyone's taste so I made lemon madeleines with lemon zest and extract for extra lemony goodness!!!

50g butter
1 large egg
40g caster sugar
pinch of salt
45g plain flour
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp lemon extract
icing sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 220/Gas 7.
Melt the butter over a low heat and allow to cool. Put a tbsp of melted butter aside to grease your tin.
In an electric mixer beat the egg, sugar and salt together until thickened like mayonaise.
Sift the flour into the mix and fold in with a wooden spoon.
Add the lemon zest and extract and mix in.
Add the melted butter and mix in well.
Grease your tin with the melted butter you set aside at the beginning.
Spoon roughly a teaspoon of the mixture into each madeleine shape.
Bake for 5 mins but check after 3.
Sprinkle with icing sugar if you wish and eat them all!!!!

Vanilla, Honey and Saffron Pears with a Vanilla and Honey Mascarpone Cream

2008-03-31T22:01:00.011+01:00

My click entry - CLICK!!!!

These were our dessert on Sunday evening, I made Indian Spiced Lamb burgers with Herb yogurt which I'll write about later and they were the perfect light end to a lovely meal. They are also my first ever entry for Sugar High Friday that's being hosted in April by Amrita at La Petite Boulangette which is entitled “Asian Sweet Invasion”

This recipe is from a book called Best Ever Book of Wok and Stir-Fry Cooking and it cost me the grand total of €6.95 when I was in Waterford over the easter weekend. I got this book along with another one called Best Ever Indian Cookbook, I don't normally buy books like these but my aunt has the Indian one and being a very visual person I was pulled in my the fantastic pictures.
This was a last minute recipe aswell as I read about April's Sugar High Friday this morning and happened to have everything I needed in my press for once and they were asian influenced to go with the lamb burgers, maybe different parts of asia but asian none the less!!!

For 4 people you'll need:

5oz caster sugar
7tbsp honey
1 tsp finely grated lime zest
large pinch of saffron
1 vanilla pod
500ml water
4 large pears (comice or conference are best)

Put the caster sugar, honey, lime zest, saffron into a wok or large pot.
Cut open the vanilla pods and scrape out the seeds and add to the pot along with the emptied pods.
Pour the water and bring to the boil while you peel the pears.. When the syrup comes to the boil add the pears and gently turn them to coat all sides.
Cover the pot and allow to simmer gently for 12-15 mins turning the pears halfway through. Once the pears are done remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and increase the heat under the pot to high so the syrup comes to a boil.
Allow to reduce for 10 mins until thickened.

For the mascarpone cream:
125g mascarpone or half a tub
125ml cream or half a large carton
seeds from a vanilla pod
1 tbsp honey

Mix everything together well and serve.

I have to say this was one of the nicest dessert I've had in a long long long time!! It was light and the flavours worked so well together after me thinking it smelled a bit weird buring the cooking. We ate all 4 pears despite my good intentions of keeping 2. I also got to play with my new piping bag and in the top pic you can see my new pestle and mortar courtesy of a bargain in TK Maxx in Blanchardstown on Friday night, it's actually for my birthday in a couple of weeks but there's no sense wrapping it now I've seen it is there..............................................................

This is also my entry for April's Click (I hope it's ok to use 1 post to enter 2 events) and this months the theme is Au Naturel so I am entering this picture with the pestle and mortar and the pears as it stuck me as rather nice and as I'm learning more about my camera this is my current favourite shot.

Fingers crossed!!!!!

Daring Bakers Challenge - Dorie's Perfect Party Cake

2008-03-30T15:17:00.006+01:00

So this is my very first Daring Bakers Challenge, I was due to start last month but due to a combination of time and a cat who shall remain nameless I didn't manage to complete the chanllenge of Julia Child's French Bread. So here I am a virgin Daring Baker and this month it's all about cake, cake and more cake!!! If you asked the girl I sit near at work one thing about me she'd say "mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm caaaaaaaaaaake", this is a statement I come out with on a regular basis as Friday is treat day and I get myself some super fancy salad from Avoca on Suffolk Street and the most divine piece of bakewell to go with my afternoon tea, every Friday I say the same thing "mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm caaaaaaaaaaaaaaake". I am all about the cake baby!!!

I loved making this recipe, I did it on bank holiday Sunday, the day before Paddy's day and it was a lovely day of relaxation, the sun was shining and it wasn't freezing for once!!! Everything about this cake went well, the making, the baking and the creating. I'm not a big fan of butter cream but decided to stick with the original recipe this being my first challenge and meringue buttercream sounded lovely to me, I'm not normally a buttercream fan and still wasn't but I enjoyed this and even more on the second day as the lemon flavours had taken hold over night and cut through the buttery flavour. I still think if I'm making this again and I'll definitely make the cake part I would would fresh cream and fresh raspberries, but this is just a personal thing.

Here's the recipe with some amendments to allow for the conversion and any changes I made:

For the Cake
1lb 4oz flour (I used tesco organic plain white flour)
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
310ml cups whole milk or buttermilk (I used buttermilk)
4 large egg whites
3/4lb cups sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (I used 3 as I like a lot of lemon)
4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon pure lemon extract

For the Buttercream
8 oz sugar
4 large egg whites
3/4lb unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For Finishing
Raspberry jam warmed gently until spreadable

Getting Ready
Centre a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350/180/Gas 4. Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

To Make the Cake
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.
Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light.
Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed.
Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated.
Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients.
Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated.
Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean
Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unfold them and peel off the paper liners.
Invert and cool to room temperature, right side up (the cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months).

To Make the Buttercream
Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a plan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes.
The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream.
Remove the bowl from the heat.
Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes.
Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a 1/4lb at a time, beating until smooth.
Once all the butter is in, beat in the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes.
During this time the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again.
On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla.
You should have a shiny smooth, velvety, pristine white buttercream. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and set aside briefly.

To Assemble the Cake
Using a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half.
Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper.
Spread it with one third of the preserves.
Cover the jam evenly with about one quarter of the buttercream.
Top with another layer, spread with preserves and buttercream and then do the same with a third layer (you’ll have used all the jam and have buttercream leftover).
Place the last layer cut side down on top of the cake.
You can use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top if you want, I didn't as I am not a big fan of iced cakes but you'll have enough left to do this.

Serving
The cake is ready to serve as soon as it is assembled, but I think it’s best to let it sit and set for a couple of hours in a cool room – not the refrigerator. Whether you wait or slice and enjoy it immediately, the cake should be served at room temperature; it loses all its subtlety when it’s cold. Depending on your audience you can serve the cake with just about anything from milk to sweet or bubbly wine.

Storing
The cake is best the day it is made, but you can refrigerate it, well covered, for up to two days. Bring it to room temperature before serving. If you want to freeze the cake, slide it into the freezer to set, then wrap it really well – it will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer; defrost it, still wrapped overnight in the refrigerator.

Many thanks to Morven for picking this lovely cake and to the DB's for the challenge, roll on next month!!!

Cheesecake Topped Brownies

2008-03-24T14:33:00.005Z

So to carry on the lucious chocolate theme and also because I'm seriously back on the diet wagon and torturing myself with food I can't have I want to post these as I made them last weekend and they were amazing!!! I got this recipes AGES ago from La Tartine Gourmande who adapted the recipe and had in turn got it from Epicurious, I'd wanted to make these for ages but never got around to it and Paddy's weekend seemed like as good a time as any!

These are DIVINE!!!! I am in love with them and since they were all devoured I've been thinking about the lovely cheesecakey goodness on the lovely rich chocolate base. I wanted to eat them all myself but finally saw sense and only ate a few (read about 5 here). Also this recipe was in cup measurements, the original is here on Epicurious and another above on La Tartine Gourmande, I weighed everything but please remember it's approximate in case it doesn't work out
Here's what you'll need:

For the Brownie Batter:

3 oz 70% dark chocolate
100g flour, sifted
4oz butter, diced
165g caster sugar
2 large eggs
Pinch of salt

For the Cheesecake Batter:

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 large egg yolk
75g caster sugar
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350F/180C/Gas 4 and line an 8 inch square tun with buttered parchment.
Mix all the cheesecake ingredients together and set aside
Melt the chocolate and butter in a double-boiler. Let slightly cool.
Beat together the eggs and sugar with a pinch of salt until light and pale in color.
Add 2 tbsp chocolate first, then fold in the rest of the chocolate, keeping the mix as light as possible.
Sprinkle the flour on top, and fold in delicately.
Pour the chocolate mix into the pan.
Add the cheesecake batter on top and make a swirly design in it using a fork or knife.
Bake for 30 mins, at this point the brownies will be slightly gooey still. If you prefer them more cooked, increase the cooking time by 5 min or so.
Let these cool in the tin before cutting them, you should get about 16 out of this recipe

Enjoy!!!!