Pear & Chocolate Puff Pastry Parcel

This is one of my all time favourite desserts.  See the recipe for Chicken Puff Pastry Parcel for a savoury version of this recipe as well as step-by-step photo’s. 1 x 800 g tin pear halves, chopped5 ml cinnamon50 ml treacle or muscovado sugar100 g Lindt dark couverture chocolate500 g puff pastry, defrosted overnight1 large egg,Continue reading “Pear & Chocolate Puff Pastry Parcel”

Hot Cross Hybrid

This recipe is a cross (excuse the pun!) between a Hot Cross Bun and the popular French pastry, pain au chocolat, which is made with yeast-leavened dough and filled with chocolate.  “Pain au chocolat” literally means chocolate bread. Be sure to also try the traditional recipes for traditional Croissants and Hot Cross Buns.

Choc-chip Chocolate Cupcakes

These double chocolate cupcakes were requested by my daughter Mia for Valentines Day.  Thank goodness I baked and decorated them yesterday morning!  With the frequency of load shedding these days it would not have been possible to make them today! 125 ml sugar 2 large eggs 140 g/250 ml cake flour 60 ml cocoa powderContinue reading “Choc-chip Chocolate Cupcakes”

Authentic Panna Cotta

This classic Italian dessert Panna cotta is made of sweetened cream which is thickened with gelatin and usually moulded. The cream may be flavoured with vanilla, coffee, rum, etc. Although the name does not sound appetizing at all (it means ‘cooked cream’ in Italian), panna cotta is silky smooth with a melt-in-the-mouth texture and is as close to perfection asContinue reading “Authentic Panna Cotta”

Ceviche

Ceviche consists of slices or cubes of raw fish or shellfish marinated in citrus juice.  Seeing that Ceviche is not served raw like for instance tuna tartare, it makes for a great alternative for those who prefer not to eat raw fish.  Ceviche is great alternative for raw salmon, tuna, etc. when making poke bowls.