August 19, 2010

Butterscotch Ice-cream


Butterscotch Icecream

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup nut flakes
2 1/4 cups full-cream milk
2 tbsp cornflour
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp GMS
1 tsp CMC
2 drops vanilla essence

Caramelise 1/2 cup of sugar in a heavy saucepan. Add the nut flakes and mix. Spread on a greased tray to set. Cool and crush into small crystals.

Dissolve the cornflour in 1/4 cup milk. Heat the remaining milk in a heavy saucepan. When it boils, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the cornflour paste and 1/2 cup sugar, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and cool. Add the GMS, CMC and vanilla. Whisk till smooth. Pour into an icecream tray. Freeze till set.

Remove the ice-cream from the tray into a large mixing bowl. Chrush lightly, and whisk the ice-cream mixture with a hand-blender or a fork till smooth.

Put the ice-cream mixture back into the icecream tray. Add half of the butterscotch crystals and mix lightly.

Re-freeze the ice-cream till set. Unmould, and top with the remaining butterscotch crystals, or with chocolate syrup and grated chocolate. Serve immediately.


April 21, 2010

Almond-Praline Mango-Cream Cake



For the sponge cake:

85 gms all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
115 gms castor sugar
3 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp hot water

Sift the flour and baking powder together.
Whisk the eggs and sugar till light and fluffy. Add the flour and gently fold in with a wooden spoon. Add the butter and hot water and stir just enough till well blended.
Pour into a greased and lined 8" sandwich tin. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 deg C till done.


For the mango cream:

Juice and mashed pulp of 2 large mangoes
300 gms fresh cream
3-4 tbsp sugar

Whisk the cream with the sugar till it forms peaks. Slowly fold in the mango pulp and juice. Refrigerate till needed.


For the almond praline:

1/2 cup chrushed almonds or almond flakes
1/2 cup sugar

Place the sugar in a dry and heavy saucepan. Melt the sugar over medium-low heat till it turns a deep golden yellow.
Remove from heat and carefully add the almonds. Stir a bit and immediately pour into a well-buttered dish. Smoothen the top with a buttered rolling pin or a flat spoon. Cool completely.
Remove the praline from the dish and chrush coarsely.


For assembling the cake:

1/2 cup water
6 tbsp cherry brandy
Small mango cubes
Cherries
Whipped cream

Cut the cake into 3 layers. Mix the water and cherry brandy and divide into 3 portions. Divide the mango cream into 3 portions. Reserve 2 tbps of the praline for decoration.
Sprinkle 1 portion of the cherry mixture over the first layer of cake. Spread 1 portion of the mango cream evenly over the cake.
Place the second layer of cake over this, sprinkle 1 portion of the cherry mixture, and spread 1 portion of the mango cream evenly over the cake. Sprinkle with the chrushed praline.
Place the third layer of cake over this. Sprinkle sprinkle 1 portion of the cherry mixture, and spread 1 portion of the mango cream evenly over the cake.
Decorate with piped cream, mango cubes, cherries and the reserved praline.