"Chef's Diary"

French Martini

Brigita — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 02:46:52 +0000

Place the vodka, raspberry liqueur, pineapple juice into a cocktail shaker with some ice and shake vigorously.
Strain the mixture into a Martini glass and serve.

Brigita — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 02:39:14 +0000

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease an 18cm/7in round cake tin, line the base with greaseproof paper and grease the paper.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture well between each one and adding a tablespoon of the flour with the last egg to prevent the mixture curdling.
Sift the flour and gently fold in, with enough milk to give a mixture that falls slowly from the spoon. Fold in the lemon zest.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and lightly level the top. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
To serve, decorate the cake with the candied peel.

Brigita — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:35:46 +0000

Ingredients:

2 - cups sugar
1 - cup butter or margarine
1/4 – cup grated lemon rind
2/3 – cup fresh lemon juice
4 - large eggs, lightly beaten

Procedure:

Step 1
- Combine first 4 ingredients in top of a double boiler; bring water to a boil. Reduce eat to low; cook until butter melts.

Step 2
- Stir about one-fourth of hot mixture into eggs; add to remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly.

Step 3
- Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens and coats a spoon (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat; cool.

Step 4
- Cover and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

Brigita — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 05:56:39 +0000

To garnish

Melt the butter in a pan and add the crushed digestive biscuits. Mix well until the biscuits have absorbed all the butter.
Remove from the heat and press into the bottom of a lined 18cm/7in springform tin. Place in the refrigerator and allow to set for one hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Lightly whip the cream cheese then beat in the Bailey’s and icing sugar. Fold in the whipped cream and grated chocolate. When smooth, spoon evenly onto the biscuits.
Refrigerate and allow to set for a further two hours. Once set, remove and decorate with whipped cream and cocoa powder dusted over the top. Serve.

Brigita — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 05:49:30 +0000

Sterilise the bottles for the liqueur: wash in very hot water or on the hot cycle of a dishwasher. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3. Place the bottles on a baking tray and dry in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Leave to cool.
Pour all the ingredients into a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds. Add extra Camp or chocolate to taste.
Pour into sterilised bottles and store in the fridge. (The liqueur will keep for up to two months.) Shake well before using.