Category: Sweet treats

The Gourmet Gents Fragrant Rice Pudding

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34140953_2087316761512241_3919748434646532096_n33869793_2087316888178895_805624032371146752_n33987329_2087316578178926_6978421897142730752_n34054265_2087316748178909_417635490217328640_n34032598_2087316528178931_4263592701636640768_n34135761_2087316438178940_5651673445340020736_n34051861_2087316684845582_6275508232379170816_n33994865_2087316584845592_1810284369726668800_n33847423_2087316928178891_9115047103314264064_n33961321_2087316854845565_2194640705282899968_n33944102_2087317008178883_4932296767203966976_n33891713_2087317044845546_6760273743605399552_n33894491_2087317014845549_3393661292173590528_n33839830_2087317034845547_3772869525310013440_n33944210_2087316974845553_1533065791505694720_n34113009_2087316374845613_8913192651243651072_n33922671_2087316444845606_7806272187702181888_nIngredients:

  • 6 oz of pudding rice
  • 2 pints of milk
  • ½ pint of double cream
  • 2 oz of Golden Caster Sugar
  • 2 free range egg yolks
  • 1 oz of softened butter

Aromats:

  • 6 whole cloves
  • 1 whole nutmeg
  • 2 bay leaves
  • vanilla pod / bean extract
  1. To begin this English classic, weigh out all of the ingredients as stated above.
  2. In a small frying pan, on a gentle to low heat, gently toast your aromats, as this helps to release their natural oils and aroma, which will perfume your rice pudding.
  3. Next pre-grease a large oven-proof serving dish, ensure that you grease this thoroughly.
  4. Pre-heat your oven to 150 degrees.
  5. In a large saucepan, add your milk, along with the aromats, place onto a gentle heat and lightly infuse. Once brought up to a boil remove from the heat and cling film reserve to one side, for at least half an hour, as this enables the milk to infuse.
  6. Next in a large mixing bowl, add your free range egg yolks, along with the golden caster sugar, whisk until the mixture is pale and fluffy, then add your double cream. Reserve to one side until later.
  7. Once your milk has infused strain and add to your egg yolk mixture, then add your rice and allow to soak for 30 minutes.
  8. Once this has been achieved place into a pre-heated oven at 150 and cook for 2-2.30 hours. Until the mixture has gone a little firm with a good wobble.
  9. To serve you can either eat it straight away or reserve in the fridge until later.

To accompany this classic… Garden bay, lime and raspberry compote:

  • English Raspberry Punnets x2
  • One lime
  • 2 tablespoons of icing sugar
  • lime zest
  • 1 bay leaf
  1. To begin this compote weigh out of the ingredients as stated.
  2. In a medium saucepan, add your raspberries, icing sugar lime juice and zest and gently cook over a low heat just until the raspberries have began to burst.
  3. Whilst the compote is cooking boil a kettle, as you need to sterilise a jam jar into which you will decant the compote.
  4. At this point it is up to you can either keep your compote chunky, with the seeds or past it through a fine sieve.
  5. Serve along side the GG rice pudding hot or cold.

Enjoy, GG

 

White Wine poached Nectarines and Frangipane Tart with Clotted Cream & Stem Ginger Syrup

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Pastry:

11 oz. Plain Flour

2.5 oz. Caster Sugar

5.5 oz. Softened Cubed Butter

2 free range egg yolks

  1. Incorporate together using the rubbing technique until the dry ingredients resemble breadcrumbs, add the eggs yolks mix using a wooden spoon and allow to rest for 30 mins by wrapping it in cling film.
  2. Place into pre-greased flan dish, allow for the pastry to over hang as when pastry cooks it has a tendency to shrink back from the edges. Cook using greaseproof paper and baking beans, also ensure you  prick the pastry case, as this prevents it from rising during the cooking process.
  3. Cook at 180 for 15 minutes, you want the pastry to go a light golden brown, if needs be remove the baking beans and give it an extra 15 mins.
  4. Once this has been achieved allow to cool on a wire rack

Poaching Liquor:

2 star anise

½ lemon

5 cloves

250 ml cold water

250 ml white wine

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons of sugar

1 teaspoon of organic honey

  1. In a large saucepan add your sugar and water bring to the boil, making sure that all of the sugar has been dissolved.
  2. At this point add your white wine, organic honey, 2 bay leaves, 5 cloves and ½ lemon, allow to infuse before pouring over the fruit.
  3. Prepare the fruit using a sharp paring knife, run your knife around the outside of the nectarines, twist to release the stone.
  4. Place the nectarines face side down into the liquor and simmer for two –three minutes, remove them from the pan then place the poached nectarines onto a large baking tray.
  5. Lastly, pour the liquor over the nectarines as you want this liquid to coat the fruit giving it a beautiful shine.

Frangipane:

8 oz butter

1 vanilla pod

8 oz sugar

3 free range eggs

225 grams of ground almonds

  1. To begin weigh all of the ingredients out as sated above, make the frangipane in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Cream together the sugar and butter, add your vanilla paste (or pod seeds), then add one egg at a time followed by your ground almonds.
  3. Reserve in the fridge until later.
  4. To cook place into pre-cooked pastry tart case. You want to cook it until it turns slightly risen and golden brown.
  5. To finish add your fruit slices
  6. For the GG signature you can blowtorch each of the fruit segments, by simply dusting them with a little golden caster sugar, and torching them until golden.
  7. To serve slice a big piece of tart, place onto an artisan plate, finishing with a generous spoonful of Cornish clotted cream and fresh mint from the garden.

Enjoy,

GG

 

Shortbread with vanilla Chantilly cream, rhubarb and lemon compote

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My Citrus shortbread with Vanilla Chantilly cream , accompanied by candied julienne, half moons of Devonshire Rhubarb finished with rhubarb and lemon compote – The Devonshire Rhubarb was kindly given to me from our friends allotment, so here is a recipe to celebrate it!

The Shortbread:

  • Zest of one lemon
  • Zest of one large orange
  • 12 ounces of sieved plain flour
  • 4 ounces of caster sugar
  • 8 ounces of softened butter

Firstly weigh up all of the ingredients as outlined above:

  1. Into a large mixing bowl add your softened butter and flour using the rubbing technique incorporate the flour and butter together until you have to consistency of breadcrumbs.
  2. Next add your sugar along with the freshly zested orange and lemon, using a large wooden spoon stir to incorporate, to finish the dough of knead with your hands until it comes together and the leaves the bowl clean.
  3. Onto a floured surface, roll out your dough until it has reached the thickness of a pound coin, for my GG citrus shortbread I used the rim of a drinking glass as this gave me the perfect diameter for my shortbread, you can use any cutter of your preference.
  4. Place the cut shortbread discs onto a pre-lined large tray with baking parchment, ensure when you place your shortbread onto the tray leaving a little space between each .
  5. Bake in the oven for half an hour at 150 degrees, until lightly golden brown and crisp.

T.T. when you are cutting your shortbread discs, with some of the off cuts place these onto the tray as this gives you a good indicator as to when shortbread is cooked

Rhubarb compote:

  • 100 ml of cold tap water
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 4 sticks of Devonshire rhubarb – washed and sliced into half moons
  • 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar.
  1. Into a large saucepan place of your ingredients, place over a medium heat and allow to gently cook you want your compote to have texture and body so don’t boil the liquid just allow them to simmer lightly until the rhubarb has broken down slightly.
  2. Remove from the heat and decant into pre-washed jam jars.

Candied Rhubarb:

  • 100 ml of water
  • 2 teaspoons of sugar
  • 1 bay leave
  • five half moons of rhubarb
  • five juliennes of rhubarb
  1. Into a medium sauce pan add your sugar and water, you want to take this to the boiled sugar range, once at this point add your bay leave along with your rhubarb pieces using a wooden spoon coat the pieces evenly and then remove from the pan and place onto a lined tray.

Chantilly cream:

  • 150 ml of double cream
  • 2 heaped tablespoons of sieved icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean extract or a whole vanilla pod.
  1. Place all of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl, whisk until the cream can hold light peaks serve along side the other elements of the dish.

Assemble as you please, and enjoy!

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Orange and ginger Madeleines

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Put aside 15 minutes for making them, 30 minutes for resting the mixture and then 10 minutes for baking.

Ingredients:

  • 100 grams of unsalted butter – melted, cooled
  • 100 grams of golden caster sugar
  • 80 grams sieved self raising flour
  • 20 grams ground almonds
  • 2 free range medium eggs
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 orange zest
  • 1 tbsp orange juice
  • Maldon sea salt
  • Madeleine tin

Making:

  1. Grease the madeleine tin, sprinkle the tin with a little plain flour as this acts as an non- stick surface.
  2. In a separate bowl whisk the golden caster sugar and eggs until pale, fluffy and a little frothy.
  3. In a separate bowl combine the remaining ingredients fold the egg and sugar mixture into the dry ingredients to make a smooth batter.
  4. Leave the batter to rest for 30 minutes, pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees 180 degrees fan or gas mark 6.
  5. Spoon just short of a tablespoon of the mixture into each madeleine as they will rise.
  6. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until golden brown and if you can serve them with a black Americano.

Featured Recipe: Neptune winter stories Volume 6 Winter Series.

The Gents Take: Lemon and poppy seed madeleine’s to make these French Beauties, follow the recipe above but instead of using warming ginger and orange mix it up with the addition of 15 grams of poppy seeds, 1 lemon zest and juice. As this is one of the old classics to elevate these madeleine’s even further you could inject them with a concentrated lemon juice syrup. Which you can create by juicing a whole lemon along with one teaspoon of golden caster sugar reduce until you have a sticky sweet citrus syrup allow the madeleine’s to cool and gently inject them.

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Honey and Sesame Granola

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  • 125 grams Clear Honey
  • 2 tbsp. sesame oil
  • 1 tps Maldon sea salt
  • 350 grams jumbo rolled oats
  • 5 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
  • 100 grams of Brazil Nuts – roughly chopped
  • 50 grams poppy seeds
  • 50 grams toasted flaked almonds
  • 75 grams diced pitted dates – roughly chopped
  • 75 grams apricots – roughly chopped
  • 1 egg white

 

  1. To begin this healthy breakfast or mid morning snack to be enjoyed with natural yoghurt and artisan honey pre-heat your oven to 150 degrees and weigh and prepare all of the ingredients as stated above.
  2. Next gently heat your honey and sesame seed oil, pour into a large mixing bowl along with the oats, poppy seeds, brazil nuts, toasted flaked almonds, Maldon sea salt and sesame seeds.
  3. In a separate glass bowl using a balloon whisk, meringue your eggs whites until they achieve stiff peaks, add to your oats mixture.
  4. Place into a roasting tray, which has been lined with baking parchment, place into your oven for 45 minutes.
  5. After that time, give your granola a quick mix and at this point add your dried fruit, cook for another 15 minutes until the oats have gone a light golden brown.
  6. Turn down the oven and allow to cool, as you want your oats to cluster together, offering both texture and crunch.
  7. This is only one idea for a granola, add what you want and go freestyle!!!

Wednesday Granola

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  • 10 grams of grated nutmeg
  • 250 grams rolled porridge oats
  • ½ Maldon sea salt
  • 20 grams toasted sunflower seeds
  • 20 grams chopped almonds
  • 20 grams flax seeds
  • 20 grams poppy seeds
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon Runny Honey (extra for drizzling)
  • 10 grams crystalized ginger – roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp. of coconut oil
  • 10 gram sultana
  • 1 egg white
  1. To begin this healthy vitamin packed snack pre-heat your oven to 150 degrees and weigh and prepare all of the ingredients as stated above.
  2. Next gently heat your runny honey and organic coconut oil in a small saucepan, pour into a large mixing bowl along with the oats, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, Maldon sea salt, cinnamon and flax seed.

Fact: Flax seeds are packed full of important vitamins and minerals, which help the growth of healthy hair and nails, also flax seed is known to be an ancient grain which is linked with well being.

  1. In a separate glass bowl using a balloon whisk, meringue your eggs whites until they achieve stiff peaks, add to your oat mixture.
  2. Now place your mixture into a pre-lined roasting tray, which has been lined with baking parchment, place into your oven for 45 minutes.
  3. Once cooked give your granola a quick mix, at this point add your dried fruit, cook for further 15 minutes until the oats have gone a light golden brown.
  4. Turn down the oven and allow it to cool, as you want your oats to cluster together, offering both texture and crunch.
  5. You can mix this up your own way and explore with new flavour combinations!

Featuring local honey from The Beehouse Honey Company, sourced from Richmond’s Farmer’s Market, get in touch beehousehoney@gmail.com

The GG

Pumpkin Loaf

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  • 10 oz plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 tsp of chopped crystallised ginger
  • ½ tsp of table salt
  • ½ tsp of mixed spice
  • 6 oz of dark muscovodo sugar
  • 2 oz sultanas
  • 3 whole eggs beaten
  • 2 0z butter
  • 5 oz peeled and grated Pumpkin.
  1. To begin this Beautiful Pumpkin loaf weigh out each of the ingredients as outlined above and then pre-heat your oven to 190 degrees.
  2. Using a little extra butter first grease a medium loaf tin, then line the tin with baking parchment as this enables you to release the cake once it has been baked.
  3. Next in a medium mason and cash mixing bowl incorporate all of the dry ingredients by sieving them together, using a micro-pane grate in half a nutmeg and stir to incorporate.
  4. Now add your butter, make sure that all of the butter has been worked into the dry ingredients or otherwise once it has been baked you will get little grease spots of the unworked butter.
  5. Next add your dark brown sugar along with the dried sultanas and the grated pumpkin. By using pumpkin like you would with grated carrot it enables the loaf to remain lovely and moist.
  6. Once all of the ingredients have been mixed together crack three large eggs into a glass pyrex jug whisk using a fork and then add to your dry ingredients.
  7. Stir to incorporate all of the ingredients together make sure that you mix this thoroughly, as you don’t want any raw dry ingredients.
  8. Pour the mixture into your pre-lined loaf tin, and then place into the oven on a baking tray as this enables a level surface for your loaf to bake on.
  9. Bake for 1-1.5 hours or until the loaf is a beautiful golden brown, to test if the cake is cooked or not, using a wire probe, probe the cake if the probe comes out clean you are laughing.

Whilst the loaf bakes get cracking with these beautiful garnishes, which don’t only improve the image of the loaf but also offer new dimensions in both flavour and texture.

 

Pumpkin Praline:

  • 2 grams of Sea Salt
  • 50 grams of caster sugar
  • 50 grams of Toasted seeds
  • ½ tsp. smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • Touch of cold water.
  1. To begin the praline weigh all of the ingredients as outlined above.
  2. Next on an oven tray lay a piece of baking parchment, as this is where you will allow your praline to set.
  3. To start the praline in a small saucepan empty the sugar along with a touch of water, place the pan onto a medium heat and allow it to reach a light golden colour. BE CAREFUL NOT TO BURN IT.
  4. To toast your seeds in a small saucepan, warm on a medium heat once the pan is up to temperature add your seeds and roast until they reach the popping stage.
  5. At this point decant into a small bowl add your aromats and add to the caramelised sugar.
  6. Remove from the heat and decant onto the baking parchment.
  7. Allow to stand until it has set solid.
  8. Then you can go freestyle. Shard it, chop it, powder it.

Crystalized Sage Leaves:

  • 25 grams of sugar
  • Touch of cold water
  • Picked Sage Leaves
  1. To begin this garnish, weigh all of the ingredients as outlined above.
  2. Next on an oven tray, lay a piece of baking parchment down, as this is where you will allow your praline to set.
  3. To start this garnish in a small saucepan empty the sugar along with a touch of water, place the pan onto a medium heat and allow to colour until it reaches a light golden colour. BE CAREFUL NOT TO BURN IT.
  4. At this point add your picked sage leaves remove from the heat and then decant onto the lined tray using a pair of tweezers.
  5. Allow to cool and crystalize.

Remove your loaf from the oven once it is golden brown and cooked all the way through, to take this pumpkin loaf to the next level hit it with a little runny honey whilst it is still warm. Once completely cool add your garnish, and accompany with a classic crème Anglaise (follow the recipe below)

Crème Anglaise ( English Home Made Custard)

Ingredients:

  • 6 egg yolks
  • 4 tablespoons of caster sugar
  • 500 ml of cream
  • 250 ml of milk
  • 1 vanilla pod.
  1. To begin this recipe weigh out all of the ingredients as outlined above.
  2. To begin this crème pour both the cream and milk into a medium saucepan and place onto a medium heat to bring up to a simmer.
  3. Using a paring knife carefully split the vanilla pod, and scrape out the seeds, add these to the mixture along with the vanilla pod and allow to infuse.
  4. In a medium mason and cash mixing bowl separate four large eggs discard of their whites, then add four tablespoons of caster sugar to the egg yolks and whisk until the mixture has gone pale in colour.
  5. Once the milk and cream mixture is ready remove from the heat along with the vanilla pod.
  6. Now add this to your egg yolks and sugar, ensure that you do this in a steady stream and whisk constantly or otherwise you will just cook and scramble eggs.

Enjoy,  The Gent

Tiramisu: a little pick me up

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Ingredients:

  • 2 tsp. of good quality coco powder
  • 125 grams of 80% dark chocolate
  • 5 tsp. of golden caster sugar
  • Strong Filter Italian coffee
  • 75ml Masala
  • Mascarpone cheese 250 grams
  • Double Cream 568 ml
  • One packet of sponge Fingers

Method:

1. Firstly make a cafeteria of strong Italian coffee, once pressed poured some out into a deep bowl and allow to cool.

2. Next in a large metal bowl add the mascarpone cheese and double cream and whisk until it has reached a piping consistency, reserve in the fridge until it is required later on in the process.

3. To create the Tiramisu, first soak the sponge fingers in the strong Italian coffee, once soaked, add them to the bottom of your dish the size depending on the amount of people that you want to serve.

4. Add a large serving spoon of the double cream and mascarpone cheese mixture on top of the sponge fingers and spread out evenly using a spatula, to intensify the flavour further add a cap of masala to each of the layers along with a little more coffee and a light sprinkling of golden caster sugar. Once the surface is level repeat this process until all of the mixture and sponge fingers have been used up.

5. To garnish, sprinkle coco powder over the top of the tiramisu, along with a little more golden caster sugar and dark chocolate curls and gratings.

6. Create the curls using a large chefs knife, watching your fingers slice the knife up the chocolate at a slight angle therefore creating the curls.

And enjoy!