Tuesday 27 January 2009

The Perfect Baked Alaska

I got the idea when Rakel was making a dessert last weekend, where she used the cake with some espresso ice cream and drizzeled some sherry on top. The cake and the ice cream whent really well together, so I got the idea to make it with baileys instead and do a pretty version of a baked alaska. This recipe should make about 6 baked alaskas and you could have some left over ice cream and cake, which you can just freeze until another time.
The cake
250g flaked almonds
5 egg whites
200g sugar

Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Butter the inside of a square oven-proof mould.
Whisk the eggs and sugar with an electric whisk until it forms soft peaks. Fold in the almonds and pour into the oven-proof mold. Bake for 30-40 minutes. When ready set aside to cool.

The Baileys Ice cream
500ml double cream
5 egg yolks
150g sugar
1 cup baileys liquor

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until fluffy. Whip the double cream until it firms soft peaks. Fold the baileys liquor into the egg mixture and then fold in the whipped cream. Pour into an ice cream-maker and let it work for 30 minutes. If you don´t have the ice cream maker you can just pour it into a plastic box, place it in the freezer and stir it with a fork every 2 hours 2 or 3 times.

Line the inside of the ramekins with clinge film and scoop the ice cream into the moulds, the ice cream needs to be soft. Cover with more clinge film and freeze until you need to serve.
The Meringue
3 egg whites
180g sugar
a few drops of lemon juice

Whisk the egg whites, sugar and lemon juice until it makes soft peaks.
To Assemble the Baked Alaska

Use a ring cutter or a large glass to cut 6 individual cakes. Then slice each in the middle in half and drizzle some Kahlúa liquor on each halve. Place one cake halve on the bottom. Remove the ice cream from the freezer and warm each ramekin with your hands to release the ice cream. Place the ice cream on top of the cake halve and top it with the other cake halve. Then spread each one with the white meringue with a small palate knife. Use a fork to make rough shapes in the meringue. Finish with the blowtorch to make the baked look. Cut in half to show off the inside

Friday 23 January 2009

Icelandic Cheesecake

I don´t know why I call it an Icelandic cheesecake....maybe becouse its my recipe and i´m from iceland. I should have added some icelandic brennivin or rotten shark essens to the cake but that would probably have rouined it. It´s a very smooth and simple cake and the cinnamon base goes really well with the fresh lemony and cheesy filling. You could try to add some hazelnuts to the base which would work really well too, or do a merangue topping with passionfruit, or, or, or....you think of something.

12 st digestive biscuits
100g butter, melted
11 tsp cinnamon
250g cream cheese
250g mascarpone cheese
1/2 dl caster sugar
1 tbsp vanilla sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp flour
zest and juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 180˚C.

Add the biscuits to a foodprosessor and blitz. Pour in the melted butter and cinnamon and blits again until a sandy texture.

Press the biscuit base down onto a pie dish with your hands. Bake the base in the oven for 10 – 12 minutes.

Beat together the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, sugar, vanilla sugar, zest and juice of the lemon in a bowl. Beat in the eggs. Then shift in the flower and mix well.

Pour into the pie dish and bake for 30 minutes on the lowest rack, so the top does not burn.
Shift some icing sugar on top and run a blowtorch over to make the crust

Saturday 17 January 2009

Leek and Lobster Terrine

I love to sit and watch the Michelin Star chefs at work on youtube. I was waching Marco Pierre White when he was just 28 or 29 years old and he made this lobster terrine and I just could not resist to try it my self. It did not look as good as Marco´s Terrine but I am pretty proud of myself. It has a fresh and clean leek and lobster taste which goes really well with the vinegrette. The secret is to pack the loaf tin well down to make neat slices when the terrine is turned out. When buying the leeks you should buy 3kg af leeks in the store becouse you throw away the trimmed ends and peel off the first layer.
  • 2kg leeks, washed, peeled and ends trimmed
  • 25g butter
  • 200g lobster
  • good squeeze of lemon juice
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp brandy
The Vinegrette, per slice
  • 1tbsp champagne vinigar
  • salt and pepper
  • 3-4tbsp oliveoil
  • squeeze of lemon juice
Wrap the insid of a 450g loaf tin with cling film. Poach the leeks in lightly salted boiling water for 10 - 15 minutes, until just tender. Drain and set aside until cooled.

Melt butter in a pan. Add the lobster tails, lemon juice, salt and pepper and brandy. Toss for 30seconds and take off the pan. Drain and set aside to cool.

Place leeks lengthwise in a single layer at the base of the loaf tin and season lightly with salt and pepper. Add another layer and season lightly again. Press down well with your fingers to ceep it well compacked. Place lobster in the centre and top up with remaining leeks. Press again well down with your fingers. Cover and place a weight on top and chill for 2 hours.
To make the vinegrette, just add all the ingrediants in a small bowl and whisk together

Turn over on to a cutting board and slice to serve. Serve with the vinegrette and some caviar on top

Sunday 11 January 2009

Chocolate Balls

This is a typical Swedish creation which really works well with a cup of coffee. You feel a bit better eating one of these instead of something like a cinnamon roll or a doughnut, becouse these a full of oatmeal which is probably one of the healthiest foods there is. I actually used to eat one of these 30 minutes before going to the gym and I was really exploding with energy. I wouldnt recommend doing that every day on top of everything else you stuff in you mouth, becouse then you would look like a typical American......and you wouldn´t whant that??!!
The Recipe.............
200g butter, room temperature
2dl sugar
6dl oatmeal
2 tsp vanilla sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder
4 tbsp espresso coffee, cooled
dessicated coconut for garnish

Put all the ingredients, leaving out the dessicated coconut in a bowl. Mix well together into a dough. Make small balls with your hands and roll in the dessicated coconut.
The chocolate balls are best served cold with a hot espresso coffee.

Monday 5 January 2009

Doughnut Bread with Strawberry Jam


Sometimes you just whant a soft and greasy doughnut with a tall glass of cold milk. Why not make one at home that tastes just as good or even better and takes no time at all to make. I saw Nigella make this once on her show........(who else would think of something like this) and I just could not resist trying this right away. I kid you not, it tastes just like a fresh baked doughnut with jelly in the middle. It is best to make this with some 24 hour old bread so it will soak the milk better, if the bread is too fresh, it will just brake into bits. I can´t say that I would make this every day, or even not once a month but once in a while as I said earlier, you just whant a doughnut!!


4 thick slices white bread, cut in halves
1 egg
2 tbsp full fat milk
2 tbsp vanilla extract
caster sugar to roll the bread in

Strawberry Jam
125g strawberries
4 tbsp icing sugar
squeeze of lemon juice

Whisk the egg, milk and vanilla together. Drench the white bread in the egg mixture and fry on a hot pan in some butter. Roll in sugar when done.

To make the strawberry jam, put the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a blender and pulse until jammy.