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Desserts

Strawberries with Mint & Mango Cream

Posted by Paul Heathcote on May 26, 2008 2:48 PM

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HERE is a very simple recipe. As strawberries are now readily available, they go wonderfully well with mint and mango. Mangos are not difficult to prepare but the stone always seems slightly awkward as it is flat and tall and the fruit nearer to the stone is always more fibrous – use a large knife to scrape it down and remove as much of the pulp as you can.

I always find this much easier to do in a tray so that you can save all the wonderful juice. Make sure when picking mangos they feel relatively soft to the touch. A nice tip if you want to ripen them quicker, place in a plastic bag with a banana – they will both help to ripen each other.

Strawberries with Mint & Mango Cream

Posted by Paul Heathcote on May 26, 2008 2:48 PM

at230408golive-1.jpg

HERE is a very simple recipe. As strawberries are now readily available, they go wonderfully well with mint and mango. Mangos are not difficult to prepare but the stone always seems slightly awkward as it is flat and tall and the fruit nearer to the stone is always more fibrous – use a large knife to scrape it down and remove as much of the pulp as you can.

I always find this much easier to do in a tray so that you can save all the wonderful juice. Make sure when picking mangos they feel relatively soft to the touch. A nice tip if you want to ripen them quicker, place in a plastic bag with a banana – they will both help to ripen each other.

Chocolate Amarone Slice

Posted by Paul Heathcote on April 13, 2008 12:39 PM

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I HAVE named today’s dish chocolate amarone even though the recipe doesn’t have any great Italian wine as an ingredient, but does resemble the wonderful dark chocolaty colour that you expect from the wine.

We are going to put this dish on the new menu at the Olive Press but it is incredibly simple to make. To serve, remove from the fridge for five minutes, warm a large sharp knife under the hot water tap and slice through to give a perfectly smooth slab of indulgent chocolate. Serve with ice-cream or a good dollop of mascarpone cheese.

SIMPLE EASTER FUDGE CAKE WITH EASTER NESTS

Posted by Paul Heathcote on March 25, 2008 11:26 PM

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THIS coming week I will be filming on Market Kitchen for TV with my old friends Matthew Fort, and Tania Ramsay – Gordon’s wife. The programme runs from this coming Monday on UK Food at lunchtime and is repeated in the evening, featuring a full week of Easter influenced dishes. The chocolate fudge cake must be one of the simplest recipes I know but does involve the use of a food processor.

I have pitched in advance an idea from one of Tanya’s cake recipes that involves making nests from shredded wheat – great fun for the children to make and will really keep their interest as this cake is oh so chocolaty.

Quick fix Mascarpone and Tangerine Mousse with crushed Amaretti

Posted by Paul Heathcote on March 5, 2008 8:13 AM

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HERE’S a real quick recipe and is ideal at the moment as there are plenty of tangerines around.

Orange curd can be found in most delicatessens or farmers markets but if you are struggling, substitute with rindless marmalade although the recipe is never as good. Crushed amaretti biscuits give that wonderful crunchy texture to finish it off. The dish will look wonderfully elegant in a cocktail glass or a scooped glass bowl.

Lemon and Vanilla Creme Brulee

Posted by Paul Heathcote on March 5, 2008 8:07 AM

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CREME brulees are not particularly difficult to make but the two areas that seem to trouble most domestic and sometimes professional cooks are the potential splitting of the custard and finishing off that nice crispy caramel topping.

Here in this recipe I have added a few teaspoons of cornflour – this will help bind the eggs, cream and milk together and avoid curdling.

As for the caramel topping, it is essential that you make sure the brulee is well chilled before attempting the crisp coating as it will easily sink.

The difficulty that most domestic ovens have is that they are not hot enough – my tip is that you put the grill on full and make sure that the tray is at the very highest point to the heat – of course if you have a fancy little blow torch it will work much better – alternatively try using icing sugar instead of castor – the coating will be thinner, caramelises quicker and requires less intense heat.


Treacle pudding

Posted by Paul Heathcote on February 3, 2008 11:09 PM

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WHILST every newspaper and magazine seems to have a feature on diet food, I am happy to buck the trend. Here is a real comfort dish, ideal after a long walk on a crisp day – it is very simple to make and finishes off a good Sunday roast – forget the lettuce leaves and enjoy.

CHOCOLATE CRUNCH & CHESTNUT TORTE WITH SOUR CHERRIES

Posted by Paul Heathcote on January 14, 2008 12:44 AM

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THIS is a really simple recipe – it is as equally good as a dessert or posh snack, it doesn’t take much time to make and just needs a few hours to chill and set. 
It is a variation of a recipe I used to make many years ago at Sharrow Bay Hotel in the Lake District and can easily be modified by doubling up the recipe and allowing to set in a rectangular loaf tin.
A good tip to cutting this torte is to use a warm knife, simply run it under a hot tap or dip in a bowl of water, wipe dry and then cut, repeating each time before you cut the next portion.


Plums in red wine & basil with creamy rice pudding

Posted by Paul Heathcote on October 21, 2007 11:31 PM

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TEN years ago, when I was still cooking in the kitchen full-time, I had to try and recreate what I considered really poor English dishes – among them rice pudding which I have never been particularly fond of.

I think it must have been due to my school dinner memories which were not particularly good.

Rice pudding is a dish I now love and would choose to have. However, it needs to be made well.

This recipe is incredibly simple, but quite luxurious – I particularly like to serve it with seasonal fruit, and there is nothing more seasonal at this time of year than plums or damsons.

Take a reasonable bottle of wine and braise them, reduce down the liquid to make a wonderful alcoholic “plum jam”.

Easy Raspberry Ripple Ice-cream with Amaretti

Posted by Paul Heathcote on September 29, 2007 10:48 AM

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A FEW years ago, I saw the ultimate quick mix ice-cream. It involved a full jar of marmalade and a large carton of double cream which had been whipped until thick – mix the two ingredients together and freeze and, voila, marmalade ice-cream.

Today’s recipe is not quite as simple, but the principle is the same – a quick fix ice-cream, which I have just taken a couple of stages further.

You can use fresh or frozen raspberries and if you want to omit the amaretti biscuits, it is no big deal. However, I do like the texture that it adds.

Spanish Trifle

Posted by Paul Heathcote on August 29, 2007 2:50 PM

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I AM a big fan of the British sherry trifle, and it is often featured on my menu at Simply Heathcotes; likewise last month, I divulged our Italian trifle that we use at the Olive Press.

Today’s recipe is quite different, although they share the same custard recipe. But I am sure you will enjoy the variation. If you can’t find Licor 43, use Grand Marnier or Cointreau to moisten the sponge. The cubed jelly gives a real wow factor to the dessert.

A mere trifle?: Sherry Trifle

Posted by Paul Heathcote on July 13, 2007 10:41 PM

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I LOVE old-fashioned desserts – sherry trifle seems to have faded from grace in most restaurants, perhaps as it has been done so badly for too many years.

Few people know how to make a fresh English custard – I am afraid there is no packet powder in this one.

If you do not want to use raspberries, use some over-ripe strawberries which are plentiful or mix the two together. For a change you may want to add a few drops of elderflower cordial to the cream – it works surprisingly well.

A fruity delight

Posted by Paul Heathcote on June 18, 2007 3:19 PM

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Passion Fruit Creme Caramels with Raspberries (makes 6 ramekins)

Mix of flavours

Posted by Paul Heathcote on June 2, 2007 3:43 PM

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Salty chocolate, caramel and peanut tart

This page contains an archive of all entries posted to Paul Heathcote in the Desserts category. They are listed from oldest to newest.

Main courses is the next category.Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.