0 More Cheese I Says

Let's get one thing straight - baking cheesecakes is not as complicated as it looks. You really only need to bake a cheesecake once or twice and you realize how easy it actually is.

Ignore all the millions of complicated recipes you have seen – a good cheesecake pretty much consists of cheese, eggs, and sugar. Yes, you can add stabilizers and you can add flavoring (optional), but we'll get to that soon. This mixture rests on a base that is either a prepared and baked shortcut pastry or a good old a crumbed biscuit base. And that's all folks…

The only down side to a cheesecake (oh yes, there is one!) is that it lacks spontaneity. You cannot bake a batch and serve it up. Cheesecakes need to be thought of in advance, baked and chilled for eating half a day away…

So call me crazy, but after much cheesecake soul-searching in my life, I have gathered some helpful tips which I am happy to share…

I have also had the good fortune this year to meet and be guided by the much gifted Hans Bertele, a super talented German pastry chef (based in Israel) who has made a name for himself over the years with his amazing baked goods and very successful business. I (not so patiently) waited for the day I got to spend in his cheesecake workshop. Like a good student, I wrote out my list of questions and waited eagerly to collect the answers throughout the 7 hour session. Life's cheesecake mysteries were about to unfold before my very eyes….

Baking pan – I've mentioned this before. I really do not like springform pans. Unless the final product is spongey and rests on baking paper, I steer clear of these babies. If you are a serious baker, get yourself some basic cheap baking rings with flat bottoms. I know in the US you can buy proper cheesecake pans, but rings are the most commonly used baking tool in cake shops.
Hans says: Its true. Being a pastry chef and bakery owner, the place is full of rings. I mentioned to him about the pop-up cheesecake pans and he said that is also an option, although more expensive (and hence inaapropriate for a baking business).

Watery cheeses – Although Americans have taken ownership of the cheesecake, long before cream cheese was invented, the Europeans were mixing and baking cheesy bakes. I personally am not a huge fan of creamy and rich cheesecakes. Being greedy when it comes to food, I like to finish up what is placed before me (decoration and all), so cream cheese makes this task a challenge. So when I began to bake cheesecakes I tended to look in the direction of the European style cakes that were based from lower fat white cheeses. The downside to those is that being lower fat, these cheeses contain a high percentage of water. The high water content at times can destabilize the cakes and bring about the need for longer baking… this pretty much defeats the whole fluffy cheesecake aim.

So what does one do I hear you ask?

Like our forefathers, we take gauze fabric and sieve the cheese over a bowl for a few hours. Gauze fabric is cheap and accessible and is reusable. I also use it to make labane cheese balls (but that's another story). I read somewhere that you should try to get at least 5 Tbsp of fluids out of each 1kg of cheese.

Hans says: That was actually teh opening speech at his workshop, about how not knowing your cheese can really ruin your cheesecake. He said he highly recommends the use of creamcheeses as the contain a lower amount of water. If using a lower fat cheese he recommends draining in the fridge for at least 24 hrs. To make up for the lack of fat, when using drained cheeses, he adds a little melted butter at the end.

Eggs- A professional cake maker normally calculates everything in weight. There is no measurement in cups, units, spoons etc. So fact is, large egg=65g and medium egg=55-60g.
Most cake recipes will call for medium eggs by the way, even if they don't tell you that.

Hans says: Not surprisingly all is measured by weight, so no recipe was handed to me with an exact number of eggs.

Moisture – I was always told to keep a dish of water underneath my cheesecakes. This serves the purpose of keeping the moisture up in the oven so that the top of the cheesecake does not crack in the dry temperature. A good tip I once got was to have a tray ready in the oven while it is pre-heating. Once the cake goes in, throw a few ice cubes onto the tray to get some fresh steam circulating.

Hans says: Cracking is not due to dryness but due to the cake sticking to the sides of the pan and pulling at the center as the cake expands. Water and ice are unnecessary but if you want to keep the sides of your cake nice and pale, you can wrap the outside of the pan with some wet folded newspaper which keep he sides cooler in the heat of the oven.

Knowing when its done – Unlike regular cakes, cheesecakes are not "done" when they are baked. They pretty much need to have a little bit of color, a crust and be slightly wabbley when tapped (like Jello). The cake stabilizes once it is chilled. Try not to over-bake as this is the main reason for the cake sinking in after it chills. I have suffered much disappointment in the past over cake-sinkage.

Releasing the cheesecake from the pan - When the cake is chilled, you need to dip a sharp (preferably thin) knife in hot water, wipe it dry and run it around the inside edge of the pan. This releases the sides of the cheesecake from the ring.

So for my final words, I wish you luck. It can give one a great feeling of success to master this art (or is it just me???). Don't forget to let the cake chill for a few hours, or preferably overnight and decorate with anything that takes your fancy.

The following recipes have been tried and tested (and eaten) many times. Good luck!

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Rich and Creamy Cheesecake
Souce: Based on Orna and Ella's cheesecake recipe

Base - prebaked shortcrust pastry, well fitting thin layer of sponge cake or, if using a springform or disposable pan, mix 170g crushed biscuits mixed with 1/4 cup sugar and 100g melted butter. Tightly pack the bottom of the pan with the mixture.

 

750g drained lowfat cheese (or cream cheese)

180g sugar

1 tsp vanilla

6 medium eggs

 

Topping:

400ml sour cream

2 Tbsp sugar

20g vanilla sugar

 

Preheat oven to 150C.

Mix the cheese and sugar until creamy and well combined. Add eggs one at a time and finally add the vanilla. Pour over base and bake for 40-45 minutes until ready. remove from oven and chill to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 200C. You may get cracks in the center when the cake cools. Not to worry, all will be fixed shortly.

Mix topping mixture and spread evenly over cake. Bake a further 10 minutes.

Remove cake from oven, chill and refrogerate overnight.

 

Optional Fruit: 200g frozen berries or cherries mixed with a 1/2 Tbsp sugar. Place these in the microwave for a few seconds at a time (mix in between heating sessions). Continue until sugar has melted. When cake batetr is poured, add fruit to the top of the cake. Using a spoon you can drizzle some of the remaining juice over the cake. Not only does it add flavor, it also looks very impressive when slicing!

 

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European Style Cheesecake
Souce: Based on Hans Bertele from Gaya Bertele

Makes 1 24cm cheesecake.

750g drained cheese or cream cheese

200g eggwhite (about 6 medium eggs)

125 eggyolks (its ok to just use all of the yolks remaining from the whites)

40g + 150g sugar

50g cornflour mixed with 45g plain flour

Pinch of salt

Zest of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp Vanilla

Optional: If you are using low fat cheese, add 45 melted butter. If using cream cheese and mixture looks thick, add 50g milk.

 

Preheat oven to 220C.

Base - prebaked shortcrust pastry, well fitting thin layer of sponge cake or, if using a springform or disposable pan, mix 170g crushed biscuits mixed with 1/4 cup sugar and 100g melted butter. Tightly pack the bottom of the pan with the mixture.

Mix well the cheese (butter, if using), yolks, flavorings, salt and 40g sugar. Add sifted flour mixture. If mixture looks too thick (needs to be firm but still runny), add milk now.

Beat eggwhites and 150g sugar until firm but not too stiff (does not need to be like a meringue). Fold mixture into cheese mixture.

Pour batter over base and place in oven for approximately 7 minutes. The cake will rise up quite high. Reduce the oven to 160C and remove the cake from oven. Quickly run a thin small knife along the sides of the top of the pan to release the top crust and allow it to continue rising and falling without cracking the cake (This is THE baking secret btw). Return the cake to the oven ASAP. Continue baking for another 45 minutes approximately.

Remove from oven, chill to room temperature and refrigerate overnight.
Note: To maintain white sides to the cheesecake, read what I wrote before the recipes.

 

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Quick and Easy Balkan-style Polena Cheesecake
Source: My mum xoxo

You can also make a low-fat/diet version of this cake. It still comes out delicious. I see the sentimental tears in my sisters eyes as she reads the recipe, haha...

Makes: 1 large loaf pan or 2 disposable paper loaf pans.

 

3 eggs

1 cup sugar (can use 1 cup sugar substitute)

3 Tbsp canola oil

1/2kg dry cottage cheese or drained ricotta

3/4 cup polenta

Zest of 1/2 an orange or lemon

1/4 tsp salt

 

Preheat oven to 160C.

Beat eggs well until very pale and fluffy, add sugar and continue beating util mixed through. Add oil.

Add remaining ingredients in the order which they are listed.

Pour into pan (if using a metal pan, please butter before as this cake is low in fat).

Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until ready.

We used to eat this hot out of the oven as kids with a dollop of sour cream. Avoid this if you dont want a stomach ache and let it cool to room temperature.

 

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1 Cookie Week

My obsession had reached new heights 2 weeks ago. I decided to bake biscuits repeatedly until every recipe I had was perfected. Yes, these periods of madness are well known amongst my family and friends, although I have never heard a complaint...hmmmm...I wonder why?

The truth is that I had several opportunities to feed cookies to several crowds, meetings, afternoon tea parties and a few Thank You presents.

So now as I look at my cookie dough smudged, madly scribbled in, note book pasted scrap book (I have GOT to get this stuff organized!!!), I think back to an interesting workshop I once took as part in, focusing on Shortcut Pastry. One thing I learnt, and have not looked back since, is to throw away the mixer (not literally, just put it away when making Shortcut Pastry). Instead, bring in your food processor... The reason is pretty simple:

Shortcut pastry is a crumbly buttery mixture that is meant to leave a melt-in-the-mouth effect when you bite into it. To reach this dreamy effect 2 things must always be maintained:

1) Cold cold cold conditions & 2) Quick speedy work and back to cold cold cold conditions

What this means is that I recommend you prepare your ingredients in advance (like they do on TV) and place them in the fridge before you combine them as instructed in your recipe (yes, even the flour and sugar).

When you put together your pastry, do so speedily without too much fiddling and fussing- as with batter-based cakes, too much fiddling with release the gluten from the flour and will make the mixture "doughy" (breads and yeast bakes are over kneaded for this very reason).

What does all this have to do with cookies you ask?? Well pretty much most cookies are based on shortcut pastry. The ones that aren't are an easier challenge my friends! In the recipes you  will notice that I make note of the cookies that require shortcut pastry treatment.

So to make this pastry, follow these basic steps always:

1) Place dry ingredients in the food processor (flour and any nuts, sugars, vanilla powders etc).

2) Throw in the butter that has been cut into cubes (at least 6 cubes to 100g of butter).

3) Pulse the food processor until no butter is seen and the mixture resembles wet sand.

4) Add wet ingredients and continue pulsing until wet sticky crumbles form.

The dough at stage 4

5) Turn out the content of the food processor onto a lightly floured surface and quickly press togther the crumbs to form a smooth pastry.

6) Wrap well and rest/chill for a couple of hours.

7) Shape, fill or roll the pastry and re-chill before placing in the oven.

So now that formality is out of the way, I would like to share some success stories. I will begin with 4 Shortcut style cookies I made and 1 "other" (I just don't know what to call it I guess).

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Lemon Mint Slice
 
Source: Based on Oren Giron's Limonana Cookies

200g butter, cubed
250g sifted flour
100g almond meal
180g sugar
80g vanilla pudding mixture
1 Tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
zest from 1 lemon (and possibly juice if mixture is not moist enough)
1 egg yolk


For brushing and coating: 1 egg white + sugar

I need to mention that I have made these cookies MANY times and depending on the about of moisture in the air I judge how much of the lemon juice to add.


Following the shortcut pastry instruction, place all dry ingredients in a food processor and blend with butter until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Add egg yolk and a little of the lemon juice and continue blending (dont hesitate to shake the food processor a little while the blending process takes place. This helps everything bind quicker). Add more juice if required.


When mixture is combined and bound, separate into 2 tight balls and using a sushi rolling mat lined with cling wrap, make 2 logs. Wrap well and freeze for a couple of hours.


Preheat oven to 170C degrees.
Take out of the freeze and only defrost a little (this makes it easier to cut. Brush with egg white and roll in sugar. Using a sharp knife, cut into 0.5cm slices and carefully place on a paper lined oven tray.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Do not brown them or touch them when removing from the oven. While chilling they will harden to a handle-able form.



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Memsiers
This is not the actual name of the cookie. Its actually called a rolled cookie - a name which I HATE. In my favorite bakery down the road (Artizan Bread), they sell these beauties by the weight and they are to DIE for. There they are called Memsiers and I have fruitlessly tried to find out the meaning of this name. Until such time, I have adopted the name for these slices.

Based on the Rolled Cookie Dough recipe from the Israeli magazine La'Isha

Makes approximately 42-45 slices

200g butter
3 cups or 450g flour
5 Tbsp powdered sugar
10g baking powder
Contents of 1 vanilla bean
200g sour cream

Following the shortcut pastry instruction, place all dry ingredients in a food processor and blend with butter until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Add sour cream and continue blending (don't hesitate to shake the food processor a little while the blending process takes place. This helps everything bind quicker).
When mixture is combined and bound, separate into 3 balls. Wrap well and chill for a couple of hours.


Fillings

Optional easy filling tried and tested:

350g jar of Nutella
OR

Dulce de Leche
OR

340g jar of good raspberry jam, roughly chopped walnuts and dark large raisins (this is actually how the Memsiers are sold)
OR

Traditional Spiced Date Filling
250g deseeded chopped dates
1 Tbsp grated orange rind
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Place mixture in a pot and cook over medium heat. If over-heated you may need to add a little more water. Mix well continuously with a wooden spoon until the mixture has disintegrated and appears to be spreadable. Chill to room temperature.


To assemble and bake:
Preheat oven to 180C.
Roll out one ball or pastry on a floured surface to form a rectangular shape, wide side facing you. Spread with 1/3 of any of the above fillings. Roll tightly to a sausage and place on a paper -lined tray.
Repeat with remaining pastry.


Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. Remove and chill slightly. Slice the warm log to 1.5cm slices using a sharp serrated knife. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and chill completely.
Seperate slices and store in a jar for up to a week.

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Sesame Cookies

Recipe by Miki Shemo
Makes 54 20g cookies
240g butter
150g or 2/3 cup sugar
440g or 2 cups flour
100g raw sesame paste
1 egg
2-3 Tbsp wholemeal sesames (I think black ones would also look very nice)

Following the shortcut pastry instruction, place all dry ingredients in a food processor and blend with butter until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Add sesame paste and egg and continue blending (don't hesitate to shake the food processor a little while the blending process takes place. This helps everything bind quicker). Chill for a couple of hours.
Preheat oven to 180C.
Roll into round balls and slightly flatten on a paper-lined baking tray. You can place a walnut or pecan nut on top if you like. Bake for 14 minutes until lightly golden. Chill completely and serve with powdered sugar.



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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies (American Style)

I actually discovered this recipe ones when (I am ashamed to admit) I was left without enough butter in the fridge (gasp!) and had to add a little of my daughter's smooth peanut butter to the mixture. It has been in high demand in my husband's family every since.
Souce: My own recipe based on a million Choc Chip recipes I have read
Makes 30 X 25g biscuits
1 cup (140g) flour
¼ cup (23g) cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
Content of 1 vanilla bean
1oog unsalted butter
20g peanut butter
½ cup (85g) brown sugar
¼ cup (60g) white sugar
1 large egg
100g melted chocolate (preferably 70% cocoa solids), chilled
200g dark chocolate, chopped
Handful of unsalted toasted crushed peanuts (or to taste)

Blend all ingredients (except for egg and melted chocolate) in a food processor. When blended, add egg and chocolate blend until almost ready. Knead by hand and add the chopped dark chocolate and chopped roasted peanuts. Chill for a couple of hours.

Preheat oven to 180C.

Place ball shapes at least 15cm apart on paper lined tray and bake for about 15-20mins.



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Choc-Orange Snow Caps
Source: Based on a recipe I cut out of a magazine years ago

Makes 50-60 20g cookies
350g dark chocolate (preferably 70% cocoa solids)
50g butter
3 eggs
100g butter
Zest of 2 oranges
40ml Orange Liquor
100g sifted flour mixed with 1 tsp baking powder
120g almond meal
For rolling: Sugar and Powdered Sugar

Melt Chocolate and butter together in a Bain Marie and chill to room temperature.

Whist eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add chocolate mixture followed by remaining ingredients.
The mixture will be quite soft.

Chill covered for 4 hours or overnight (I left it in the fridge once for 24 hours and it was fine).

Preheat oven to 190C.

Using a teaspoon, scoop out small amounts and roll into truffle-sized balls (they puff up when baked). Roll first in sugar and then in powdered sugar.

Place 10 cm apart on a paper-lined tray and bake no more than 15 minutes. They will harden after baking, so leave them alone for a while when removing from the oven.



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8 Thai Food, I guess…

Nothing more to say about Thai food except that I LOVE it! Actually, there is plenty to say…
I remember once listening to Merrik and Rosso (a morning radio show) during the Sydney 2000 Olympics and hearing a tourist ring to ask about Australian cuisine. The question basically was “what is Australian food?”. Without hesitation, both hosts replied “Thai food, I guess”… I chuckled to myself in the car on the way to work and had to admit that they were perfectly right. With all the readily available Thai food restaurants, cafes and outlets, it is pretty much our national cuisine.
I like Thai food for many reasons, although I must admit that it doesn’t hurt that there are many low fat options. On my MANY and constant diets I often include Thai beef salad, Tom Yum Goung, Larb, etc etc to the weekly menu. My husband has inherited my love for this cuisine and we often enjoy one of its quick-to-prepare-meals.
Most of the foods I cook (Thai or otherwise) I learnt to make through cookbooks, internet searches, general common sense and the influence of some brilliant cooks I have met. Whenever I have the opportunity, I sign up for formal lessons covering a subject of interest. So on a recent trip to Chiang Mai, I had the good fortune to attend a workshop run by Sompon Nabnian – a known Thai celebrity chef. Needless to say I had a ball… It was an eye-opening experience to make food from ingredients I picked myself from the garden.
The most important lesson learnt is that curry is not such a big deal to make at home. You can store it in portions (in an ice cube maker, for example) and thaw it for immediate use. It tastes MUCH better than the off-the-shelf product and never leaves an aftertaste of preservatives. For small quantities made at home, use a mortar and pestle (although I must admit I have used my Magic Bullet for this more than once). If you have a mortar and pestle sitting on your kitchen bench, you will automatically impress any visitor to your kitchen!
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Red Curry Paste

Source: A Passion for Thai Cooking by Sompon and Elizabeth Nabnian

This makes 100-130g curry paste (about 4-5 Tbsp)

1tsp galangal, chopped

2tsp lemongrass chopped (only use white part)

1 tsp kafir lime peel, chopped

1 Tbsp coriander root, chopped

3 Tbsp shallots, chopped

3 Tbsp garlic, crushed

1 tsp shrimp paste (*see note at the end of the recipe)

10 small red chillies

Place all ingredients in your mortar and pestle and pound until you see a smooth paste. This should take about 5-10 minutes.

*Note: You can substitute 1 tsp shrimp paste for 1 tsp anchovy paste or 1 mashed anchovy fillet. Although note that anchovies are less pungent and flavourful.



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Thai Beef Salad (this is for you Deb B)

Source: My own – note there is NO oil in this recipe…

Serves 2 (in my home – perhaps 3 in other homes, haha)

For beef:

Marinate a 400g non-fatty steak (fillet or sirloin) or 2 smaller steaks in a paste made of 2 tsp red curry mixed with 2 tsp soy and 1 tsp chopped garlic. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

For salad

½ young cos lettuce, leaves torn

2 shallots chopped

1 red pepper, cut into thin strips

3 handful of cherry tomatoes

2 cucumbers sliced

½ cup chopped coriander

¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves

For dressing

1 1/2 tsp brown sugar

3 tsp fish sauce

2 tsp soy

1 tsp water

½ tsp salt

150ml lime juice

¼ large onion, finely grated

Mix dressing ingredients and blend well.

To make steak, preheat oven to 180C. Heat up a non-stick pan (make it SUPER hot). Brown steak on both sides, place in a baking dish and bake for 5-10 minutes (this is for medium done in our oven, so you’ll have to test this theory in your oven).

Assemble salad and mix with dressing. Cut thin strips of been and place on top of your salad.

My mouth is SERIOUSLY watering!



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Salmon with Chili and Basil Sauce

Source: A Passion for Thai Cooking by Sompon and Elizabeth Nabnian

In this recipe (and at the workshop) we prepare a whole fish that was deep fried to a crisp - then we poured the sauce on top and ate it. I have not repeated this again, but have used the sauce whenever I grill or fry a fish fillet. This is especially delicious on salmon.

Oven Roasted Salmon Fillet

Preheat oven to 180C. Pat dry your salmon fillet and lightly brush with olive oil over both sides. Generously sprinkle with coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper and place skin side down in a generous dish lined with baking paper. Bake covered for 10 minutes per 300g of fish or until done. To know if your fish is done, place a narrow knife or fork into the thickest part of the salmon until you reach the center of the flesh. Remove the knife and immediately place (carefully!) against your lower lip. If warm, then your fish is cooked!

Meanwhile, make the delicious sauce.

Chili Sauce

This quantity is for 300-400g of fish.

2 Tbsp canola oil

6 garlic cloves, crushed

1 onion, chopped

5 medium red chilies, finely chopped

1 large green chili, finely chopped

1 large red chili, seeds removed and thinly sliced lengthwise

1 Tbsp fish sauce (can substitute for soy and a squeeze of lime)

1 Tbsp soy sauce

60ml good chicken stock

¾ cup chopped sweet basil leaves

½ cup coriander leaves, chopped

In a wok, place the oil and fry the garlic onion and chillies until softened. Add liquids and cook for a further 5 minutes until almost at boiling point. Add basil and coriander, stir through and remove from heat immediately.

Pour the entire content of your wok over the fish and serve immediately.



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Larb Gai - Minced Chicken Salad

Source: A Passion for Thai Cooking by Sompon and Elizabeth Nabnian

This is suppose to serves 4 but I make more and it serves 2-3 of us (depending on if we eat rice)… so up to you

2 Tbsp canola oil

300g or 1 ½ cups minced chicken (I use 400g finely shredded chicken breast)

4 spring onions, finely sliced

2 slices galangal (or ginger), finely chopped

3Tbsp fish sauce

2Tbsp lime juice (I use 3 Tbsp)

1Tbsp chilli powder (you don’t have to use the really hot stuff. A nice hot paprika will do the trick)

1 ½ Tbsp glutinous rice flour (I use cornflour and it turns out just fine)

1 Tbsp chopped coriander (this is up to personal taste, I can go a bit crazy here)

1 Tbsp chopped mint

1 Tbsp chopped spring onion

Assorted fresh vegetables for garnish (I use thinly sliced Spanish onion, cucumber slices and deseeded plum tomatoes).

In a bowl mix chicken spring onions, galangal, fish sauce, lime juice, chili powder and rice flour.

Heat the oil in a wok and cook the chicken mixture for a few minutes until cooked through – do not overcook or it will dry.

Add remaining ingredients and serve immediately.

We like to eat this rolled in fresh crispy lettuce or endive leaves (when in season) and some sticky rice.

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0 Happy Birthday Nathy

I dedicate this segment to my favorite South American! You are gorgeous and I love you…
I jumped at the opportunity this weekend to make Nathy a birthday cake. Since it HAD to have Dulce de Leche and it’s about 5000 degrees outside, I decided to make a delicious, frozen mousse cake.
In my head, there are 2 types of mousse desserts -frozen (or semi-frozen parfaits) and gelatin based. Both of these types are excellent choices for desserts prepared in advanced (especially the frozen one!).
Here are some facts you need to know when choosing your mousse desserts.
Eggs- Many mousse recipes contain raw eggs. I have gotten into the habit of using these recipes less, but have to admit that they are the more delicious and fluffy ones. People tend to be justifiably frightened of catching Salmonella from raw eggs, although such cases have been rare. I have added at note at the end of this posting about how to handle raw eggs (and keep them raw) for mousses.
Gelatine- I think I was over 35 when I finally learnt how to use gelatin properly in cooking and baking. Since receiving simple instructions from a baker, I have never found a single lump of gelatin in any of my mousses. It’s simpler than it looks. Delia Smith gives a very detailed and easy to follow explanation: How to Melt Gelatine.
Equipment – My (baking) life has changed since discovering transparency strips. For any cold cake that I make, I line the sides of a ring with strips of transparency paper (I use a drop of oil to make them stick to the side of the pan), line the bottom with the chosen base and then pour in my mousse. After freezing or solidifying, when the pan is removed, the transparency paper can be easily peeled away. If you do not have access to a specialised baking store, you can go down to your local newsagent, buy a handful of transparency paper like the type we saw at school and uni and cut that into 2 lengthwise.
I have also learnt to use a baking ring instead of a spring-form pan. And note that the law of baking states that spring-form pans are for baking sponge cakes only!!! Cheesecakes, meringues and mousse cakes require another type of love. So when I use a baking ring, I place it directly on the dish the cake will be served on, I line the sides with my transparency strips and do my moussing…
So before I part with recipes, I need to state a common-sense point. Mousse cakes and desserts are soft, so obviously they need to always be supported by an edible base (cooked or raw). In the case of desserts, place in a dessert dish or a chocolate cup.
So for Nathy’s cake, I made a raw base topped with a tri-layered mousse sensation containing her 3 favorite flavors – dark chocolate, dulce del leche and white chocolate.
Whilst on the subject of mousse, I am including one of the desserts I made for my sister’s 30th cocktail party back in April: Chocolate-Strawberry Shots.
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Triple Layered Mousse Cake

Source: based on Kerin Goren’s Sweet Secrets

Makes a 22cm diameter cake

For Base

200g crushed walnuts

3 Tbsp sifted cocoa

100g icing sugar

100g melted butter

For Dark Chocolate Layer

400ml cream

200g dark chocolate

For Dark Dulce de Leche Layer

250ml cream

80g mascarpone

4 Tbsp Dulce de Leche

For White Chocolate Layer

400ml cream

200g white chocolate

Line a 22cm ring with transparency strips. Place the ring on the cake serving dish.

Mix the base ingredients and pat down tightly to line the bottom of the cake pan.

To make both chocolate mousse layers, for each mousse place the cream in a pot and heat until almost at boiling point. Remove from heat and break the chocolate into pieces and mix into the hot cream. In a few seconds the chocolates should have each melted in their cream. Chill in for a few hours.

Note, make the dulce de leche mousse just before layering it. To make it, whip the cream and mascarpone together until thickened. Add dulce de leche and mix until combined.

To layer the cake, place the chilled chocolate mixture in a mixing bowl and whip until thickened. Spread evenly on top of base and freeze for 45 minutes or until firm. Repeat this step with each mousse. Freeze.

If you want to decorate the cake, add decoration to the top layer before returning to the freezer.

To serve cake, remove from freezer and refrigerate 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

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Orly’s Chocolate-Strawberry Shots

Source: My own (for Orly xoxo)

Makes approximately 12-15 medium serves

2 punnets strawberries, puréed

1 Tbsp gelatin mixed with 4 Tbsp water

½ cup sugar

250ml Crème Fraiche

250ml cream, whipped

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp Crème de Cassis

12-15 single serving sized chocolate shells, or 40-50 shot size chocolate shells.

In a mixer, mix together strawberries, sugar, alcohol, vanilla and Crème Fraiche until combined. Add dissolved gelatin and fold in whipped cream.

Using a piping bag, fill the chocolate cups. Note that a piping bag is the most convenient tool for this job as you can pinch the pouring end to control the overflow of mousse coming out.

Refrigerate for 1 hour and decorate with cut strawberries or chocolate. Refrigerate a further few hours until firm.


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**Tips about eggs

Egg Yolks
In a saucepan, stir together the egg yolks and liquid from the recipe (at least 2 Tbsp liquid per yolk). Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the yolk mixture coats a metal spoon with a thin film, bubbles at the edges or reaches 65C. Immediately place the saucepan in ice water and stir until the yolk mixture is cool. Proceed with the recipe.
Egg Whites
In a saucepan, the top of a double boiler or a metal bowl placed over water in a saucepan, stir together the egg whites and sugar from the recipe (at least 2 Tbsp sugar per egg white), water (1 tsp per white) and cream of tartar (1/8 tsp per each 2 whites). Cook over low heat or simmering water, beating constantly with a portable mixer at low speed, until the whites reach 65C. Pour into a large bowl. Beat on high speed until the whites stand in soft peaks. Proceed with the recipe.

2 Festival of Cheese

A few weeks ago we celebrated Shavuot (something to do with the season of the grain harvest). Although we harvested no grain, we kept tradition by eating dairy-based dishes. We happily gathered friends and loved ones at our home... We filled up the kiddie pool, mowed the lawn, bought out the dairy section of the deli and began our eating fest.

Cheesecakes can often be found in my deep-freezer. I never make just one. I often will make 3 or 4 cakes, chill them in the fridge, wrap well and freeze for a rainy day (a sunny one will also do). So whenever we get an impromptu invitation to friends or guests give us short notice of arrival, guess what gets slipped out of the ice box?...

So, as cheesecake is a well known repertoire in our household, I decided this holiday to be a little different. So I made a cold caramel sour cream crumble, and yes, it was appreciated. Naturally, the festival of cheese cannot pass without my grandmother's rum raisin cheese blinches (cheese filled crepes). To balance out the sugar and accompany the cheeses, I threw in a salad (with cheese!) and some goat cheese paté layered on red pepper coulis.

Friends dropped by with some fresh bread, kids, and some good German beer, and so began our long day of festivities.

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Goat Cheese Paté with Red Pepper Coulis

Source: my own

For Paté

100g goat cheese Feta

100g goat cheese Camembert

50g butter, softened

50g spreadable goat cheese.

100g grated aged goats cheese (to taste)

For coating: finally chopped chives, whole toasted sesames (or black sesames), toasted crushed hazelnuts (or another type, if preferred)

For Coulis

3 red peppers

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

To make coulis, roast and peel the peppers and when chilled puree with remaining coulis ingredients. This will store for a few days in the fridge if well sealed.

To make pate balls, blend all ingredients in a food processor and place in the fridge to harden to a workable consistency. When hardened, roll into balls and immediately coat. Store in a container until serving.

To assemble, spoon coulis on the serving platter and place pate balls on top.


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Gorgonzola and Roasted Beet Salad

Source: my own

This is a very impressive summer salad, although it can easily be made into a Sunday winter brunch salad by changing the fruit.

For Salad

Serves 6

6 fistfuls of mixed lettuce and young salad greens

1 medium red onion, halved lengthwise and finely sliced lengthwise

2 large beets cut into 8 slices lengthwise

1 ½ cups crumbled gorgonzola

4 quartered fresh figs, 15 blackberries or 8 halved medium strawberries

A handful of halved sugared pecans

For dressing

Mix 3 tablespoons olive oil with 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar until blended

To prepare beets, toss in olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake in a moderate for about 45 minutes or until they are baked through.

To assemble salad, mix greens and onion and dress. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place in a serving dish and arrange remaining ingredients on top. Serve immediately.


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Cold Caramel Sour Cream Crumble

Source: Based on a cake by Dudu Outmezgine

Ingredients for a 26cm round cake or 3 medium loaf pans.

For cake base and crumble:

350g self raising flour

200g butter, softened

¾ cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla (or the content of 1 vanilla bean)

2 eggs

For Filling:

300g butter

2 eggs, separated

¾ cups powdered sugar

4 heaped tablespoons dulce de leche (see notes)

600g sour cream

Preheat oven to 180C. Using your fingers, crumble together all ingredients for cake base.

To make base, place ¾ of the dough mixture in the cake pan. Using your hand or the bottom of a mug, press the crumbles together until tightly packed on the floor of the pan.

Crumble the remaining dough loosely into a separate baking pan.

Place both pans in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden. Chill.

While chilling, prepare the filling (accidental poetry!):

Whip butter and ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy, add yolks and continue beating until uniform. Add dulce de leche and and sour cream and set aside when all is mixed through.

Whip up egg whites with remaining powdered sugar until stiff. Fold into cheese mixture.

To assemble, line the side of a pan with transparency paper (this is not a must, but will help with removing the side of the spring form pan. Pour cheese filling on top of the chilled base.

Take the remaining baked crumbled dough and sprinkle evenly on top of the cheese filling. Freeze.

Remove from freezer into fridge 2 hours before serving.
Note: Dulce de Leche is a term for caramel in Argentina. You can buy it in specialized food stores, or you can make it at home. See Make Dulce de Leche.


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