Chocolate Berry Pav

This recipe is to die for!!  The pav is lovely and crisp with a delicately chewy centre which I love and as an added bonus – it’s chocolate, something else I just can’t get enough of. 

You can do this dessert all year round and I have experimented with a variety of toppings.  In the summer I love to use fresh raspberries and/or blackberries and/or strawberries and in the winter I mix a drained tin of boysenberries in with the cream itself which provides a completely different twist.  For a berry overload use the boysenberry cream and then top with fresh berries.  I’ve even made miniature chocolate berry meringues to complete a finger food theme for my brother in laws party and I can tell you that they really went down a treat that night.  Whatever the combination, I just know that you’ll love this delicious dessert.

Meringue

6 egg whites

300g castor sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

75g finely chopped dark chocolate

1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

Topping

500ml cream

500g of fresh berries

50g grated chocolate

To make the meringue

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Beat egg whites until they form peaks and then gently add the sugar little by little until the egg whites are stiff.  Add the cocoa, chocolate & vinegar to the mixture and then gently fold until everything is nicely combined.  

Place mixture on a lined baking tray.  Put into the oven, then immediately turn the temperature to 150 °C. 

Bake for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until the crust is crisp and you can still feel softness in the centre.  Once cooked, turn off the heat and leave the pav to cool inside the oven with the door left slightly open which should take about 1 hour.

To make the topping:

Whip the cream until nice and soft and top the cooled pav with the cream.  Delicately toss the fresh berries all over the top of the cream until you’re happy with what it looks like.  Top with the grated chocolate and then serve.

Serves 8-10 people.

Summer Fruit Syrup

I have had a number of requests come through to me asking about the recipe for the fruit syrup that I use on my COCONUT PANNA COTTA so thought I would post it up for everyone.  It's pretty simple and very very tasty.

Ingredients
1/4 cup of orange juice
1/4 cup of lime juice
1/4 cup of maple syrup
2 stalks of lemongrass, thinly chopped
3 whole star anise

Method
Put everything into a pot and bring it to a boil over a medium heat, stirry to dissolve the syrup.  Simmer for 2 mintues then cool, cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

When you are ready to serve, strain the syrup, discarding the lemongrass.  Pour over your fruit and let it sit for at least 30 mintues to let the flavours mingle.

Alternatively you can poach your fruit in the syrup.  Just make sure to strain it properly before serving onto the panna cotta.

Happy living peeps!

Poached Feijoas

Last night my husband walked inside with a huge bucket of feijoas he had picked from our trees saying "what will we do with these?" I knew my family would want to have some but with Gig's friend over for dinner, I immediately decided to try this new recipe for dessert.  Simple decision turned into a challenge considering he told me after I started the dish he had never tried feijoas in his life.

The coconut sugar is what makes the syrup brown.  If you don't have any then simply use normal sugar, or for a healthier option use maple syrup or honey.  You won't need a lot if you are using a sweet wine.  If you don't have a sweet wine, or prefer not to use it, then just use water with your sugar, honey or maple syrup.  Whatever you do, don't leave out the bay leaves as this is what balances the whole dish.

I used my paleo version of my homemade GRANOLA but you can simply use toasted nuts.

This dish was a huge success with Gig and his friend demolishing it!!

Ingredients
16-20 feijoas peeled
1 1/2 cup of sweet wine
2 bay leaves
1 vanilla pod, split and scraped
Juice of one lemon
1/4 - 1/2 cup of coconut sugar (depending on your sweet tooth)


Method
Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for about 10 mintues.

Take the fruit out, then turn the heat up until the syrup reduces by half. 

Pour the juice over the fruit and serve with greek yohurt & toasted nuts.

Serves 4

Happy living peeps!

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Coconut Panna Cotta

I first made this recipe as a result of trying to find some "paleo" friendly desserts for my whanau.   It is very easy to make using only 5 ingredients and super healthy as it's dairy free, gluten free and only uses natural sugars from maple syrup.  If you prefer to use honey, then by all means go ahead but make sure to test for your level of sweetness you prefer.


To help cut through the richness of the coconut cream, I paired it with fruit poached in a fruit syrup made of orange juice, lime juice, maple syrup, lemongrass and star anise.   The recipe can be found HERE

I serve this in dishes as opposed to turning it out onto a plate.  I place the cold poached fruit straight on top of the panna cotta, then pour the cold fruit syrup on top.  Absolutely delicious!!!

Ingredients
500 mls of coconut cream
10 grames of powdered gelatin
1 teaspoon of vanilla or the seeds of a vanilla pod
5 tablespoons of maple syrup
1/4 cup of water

Method
Heat the coconut cream, vanilla and maple syrup until it's only just boiling, then turn off the heat and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the water and gelatin until it doesn't have any lumps.  Pour this into the coconut mix and stir until the gelatin is dissolved completely.

Pour into your serving dishes and refridgerate for at least four hours or overnight.

Makes 6-8 dependant on how hungry you are.

Happy living peeps!

Coconut Buns

A few years ago we were holidaying in Samoa with my sister and her family and they resort had a tray of freshly baked panipopo available on the breakfast buffet.  After the first morning of our arrival, the kitchen had to make an extra tray of panipopo's every morning, just for us :-)

These are commonly known as panipopo or coconut buns.  A sweet bun baked in a thick coconut sauce and is a indulgence that should be had as a reward or one off every now and again as opposed to every day, but be warned.  They are addictive!!

Allow at least 3 hours for this recipe as it can take up to 2 hours for the dough to rise dependant on the room temperature but the wait is well and truly worth it.

  

Ingredients - Buns
3 1/2 cups of flour
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of milk powder
2 1/4 teaspoon of active dry yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm water
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons of softened butter
1 1/4 teaspon salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla extra

Ingredients - Coconut Sauce
400 mls of coconut milk
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of arrowroot or cornflour
pinch of salt

Method
Place all the ingredients into your mixing bowl ensuring the yeast does not touch the salt.  Using the kneading blade, mix on low until combined, then knead on medium for 5 minutes until the dough "cleans the sides of the bowl", and forms a smooth, soft ball.  Alternatively you can mix and knead by hand.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with cling film. Place in a warm place so dough doubles in size.

Gently deflate the dough, and transfer to a lightly greased surface and divide into 12 - 15 pieces.  Shape each piece into a rough ball and place into a lightly greased tray ensuring the balls do not touch each other.  Cover again and leave to allow dough to double in size.

Place the ingredients into a saucepan and stir constantly over a medium heat until the sauce thickens slightly.  

Pour the sauce over the risen buns and bake in the 180°C oven for 20 to 25 mins until the buns are golden brown.

Serve warm from the pan making sure to scoop up the thick sauce with each bun you consume.

Enjoy!!

Flourless Chocolate Cake

I have this wonderful chocolate cake recipe that was handed down from generations that's moist and chocolatey but considering my husband is living the paelo lifestyle, and both my daughters have food allergies, I had to go out in search of a more healthier option for them to enjoy every now and again.

My initial thought was, no one does moist and chocolatey better than Nigella Lawson and what do you know.  I came across this recipe.  It's moist, chocolatey and gluten free!

Ingredients
2/3 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons of cocoa - sifted
1/2 cup of boiling water
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of almond flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch of salt
1 cup of caster sugar
3 large eggs

Method
Preheat the oven to 170°C and grease a 22 cm cake tin with a little olive oil.

Place the cocoa, vanilla and water into a jug and mix thoroughly into a paste.  Set aside to cool slightly.

Beat the sugar, oil and eggs until pale.  Add the cocoa mixture and until combined thoroughly, then add the flour and baking soda.  You'll need to scrape the sides to ensure everything is well incorporated.


Pour batter into the greased tin and back for 40-45 minutes or until cooked.


Let cool for about 10-15 mins before opting to eat warm.


Serve with berry coulis and natural yoghurt.


Enjoy!!


Happy learning peeps!

Fab-u-licious Feijoas

Feijoas have to be one of the best fruits available in New Zealand and from April to May we get a continuous supply of them.  In fact we have about 10 trees of different varieties all formed into a hedge around our garden shed.

To me feijoas send back wonderful childhood memories of sitting under neath my grandparents feijoa tree in Ngaruawahia with my cousins having to spoon all the flesh in a bowl.  It usually went half in the bowl and half in my mouth.  We would take the bowl inside and add sugar .. then eat it all ..and start all over again.

Later in life I purchased my grandparents property and continued reaping the rewards of their wonderful feijoa tree.  When my daughters were old enough, their daily job for the 3 weeks this tree fruited was to pick the fruit up.  We would get a supermarket bag everyday.  It was awesome for the first couple of weeks but in the end I would end up sending bags all over the neighbourhood.  Of course we couldn't eat a supermarket bag of feijoas each day so I would take all the flesh out just as I did as a child and freeze it down.

Every home I've lived in since purchasing my grandparents home has included a feijoa tree or four, although now I don't put sugar in with the feijoa flesh, I tend to use honey for a healthier version to sweetness.

Feijoa's freshly gathered.

Feijoa pulp ready to freeze

I find the best recipes for feijoas is anything that uses banana as the main flavour, such as banana cake or banana loaf, although my favourite has to be fresh from the fruit.

Happy living peeps!!