My mother taught me as a kid to make a wish when I ate my first strawberry of the season. They were still slightly expensive but I just couldn’t resist. Am I the only one with this odd family tradition or does it ring a bell?
By the way pictured above is the greatest feature of our new home: the granito kitchen floors. Love at first sight!
picture by elisabeth for aestheticshelter.com
When it comes to entertaining my best advice is know where to find the good stuff, and with good stuff I mean the real deal. Let’s face the facts Bree Van De Kamp is a fictional character, only few of us have the time or skills to whip up a three course dinner from scratch. So when in a rush, lazy or overwhelmed by festive frenzy make sure you know where to find those delicious time saving solutions. When it comes to dessert I have my favourite addresses but this time I was up for something different.
I never leave a grocery trip to the Saturday food market without the Wafeltjes van ons Bomma. If there is a cue in front of the van it’s because this is where the good stuff can be found. Just select whatever waffles you fancy and your order will be made right there on the spot. I always order the double chocolate ones with chunks of chocolate inside. Ever since the friendly vendor suggested to warm them for a couple of seconds in the microwave this is my favourite afternoon snack. Just add some vanilla ice-cream and you are in dessert heaven. Since some of you might be looking for a more festive holiday solution this time I added some crushed pistachio’s and served with Baileys.
Mouth-wathering yet?
all pictures by elisabeth for aestheticshelter.com
This quote by Ernestine Ulmer made me smile. It could be my life motto. I must admit I have a bad reputation amongst close friends for not wanting to share dessert when eating out. I don’t really understand the one plate multiple spoons concept. If I’m going to indulge in dessert I’ll have my own plate and my own spoon. I’ve never tried to make any myself though. Until recently I was too intimidated by the myth of the precision it requires. Luckily the worst fear lies in anticipation. When a lovely friend of mine made this cake a couple of weeks ago I just had to have the recipe. This is divine! DIVINE! It’s easy to make but it does require some patience. Then again, great things come to those who wait.
For the cake bottom (serve 4 to 6) you’ll need as pictured below:
300 gr almond paste grated (worse job ever)
2 eggs
2 tbsp of cocoa
For the white chocolate mousse you’ll need :
3 dl of whipping cream
200 gr of white chocolate
2 eggs (separate yolks from whites)
2 tbsp lemon liqueur, such as Cointreau (optional)
Preheat the oven to 175°. Grate the almond paste. If too soft, try freezing it in. Stir in the eggs and cocoa. Blend well until you get a nice even batter. Pour batter into a greased cake form with removable rim, about 20 cm in diameter. Bake in the bottom of the oven for about 20 minutes. Allow the cake bottom to cool and cut it away from the mould. Wash and dry the mould and place the bottom in it again. Since the greased form will make the cake bottom detach from the rim the true Bree Van De Kamps out there will like to actually use 2 molds. The first to bake the bottom the second slightly smaller to create the cake and poor in the mousse. Just carve away the cake excess. This way your cake will have 2 distinct layers on the outside an not, as during my first attempt, have the whole cake bottom covered in mousse.
Yes, I confirm, the batter is rather nice unbaked…
Whip the cream and set aside. Melt the chocolate over low heat in a water bath. Whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl until they become light yellow and a bit fluffy. Do the same for the egg whites until they are firm. Add the chocolate to the yolks while stirring vigorously. Make sure the chocolate cooled down completely and is still runny. Stir in liqueur and finally the whipped cream followed by the egg whites. Spread the mousse over the cake bottom. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 3 hours. Garnish the cake with the pulp of 3 to 5 passion fruits and this little gem is ready to serve.
Chocolate mouse can be rather heavy but here, since no extra sugar is added to the mousse and it’s combined with passion fruit, it has this really nice freshness to it. I suggest to serve it straight from the freezer after it has set for not more than 5 minutes. This way the mousse will still have the icecreamy texture which I personally adore. Be warned the cake will slightly lose it’s shape once it reaches room temperature but please don’t let that spoil the fun. This cake will make even the biggest dessert sceptic want to dig in. Yes, life is uncertain do eat dessert first.
Thank you Maja for the recipe!
all pictures by elisabeth for aestheticshelter.com
Ever since pumpkins are back in season I’ve been trying as much different recipes as possible. Moro’s fatayer is by far my favourite one. Fatayer are Middle Eastern stuffed pastry triangles. I made square shapes to avoid the triangles ’empty’ corners without filling of my first attempts but feel free to try it the traditional way. This dish is slightly time consuming to make. There are more fun things to do then cutting and peeling a pumpkin or making dough from scratch but trust me it is all worth it. The sweetness of the kabocha pumpkin combined with salty feta cheese wrapped in a light crispy pastry is a match made in heaven! Editing these pictures alone made me want to get right back in the kitchen.
Serves 4:
For the dough:
220 gr white bread flour (plus extra for dusting)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dried yeast
100 ml tepid water
2 tablespoons olive oil
For the filling
800gr pumpkin (i used the Japanese variety Kabocha), peeled, seeded and chopped into chunks
1/2 garlic glove crushed to a paste with salt
1 tablespoon of olive oil
80gr feta cheese crumbled and mixed with fresh oregano ( i used fresh basil)
1 tablespoon of lightly toasted pinenuts
sea salt and black pepper to season
Place the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Dissolve the yeast in the water and then pour the oil into the water. Pour the water into the flour a bit at a time while mixing (do use your hands, it’s messy but there just is no other way). When all the water is added, transfer to a floured surface and knead well. If the dough is still sticky add a little flour; if it’s still crumbly add a little water. Continue kneading until the dough is no longer tacky but soft (approximately 5 min).
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200 C. To start the filling toss the pumpkin in the garlic and olive oil and season. Place on a baking tray in the preheated oven for about 25 min or until soft. Remove and cool. Puree and taste for seasoning (and restrain yourself from eating the filling straight away…trust me this isn’t easy!)
To make the fatayer, divide the dough in four and roll into balls. On a generously floured surface, using a rolling pin, roll each ball to approximately 5mm thick , making sure the shape is a rough circle about 17 cm diameter. Put a tablespoon of the filling in the middle of each circle top with feta and oregano and pinenuts. Moisten the edges of the square with a little water, then lift the dough into the centre . With your fingers, gently squeeze the adjoining edges together until sealed. Trim the edges of the square of any excess with scissors . Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the dough starts to colour, but isn’t totally crisp.
Let me know how it works out for you!
all pictures by elisabeth for aestheticshelter.com
