Christmas Traditional English Trifle - Christmas Cake

 Recipe by Rosa Mayland, November 2011.

Ingredients For The "Cakes":
85g (3oz) Unsalted butter, at room temperature
85g (3oz) Castor sugar
2 Eggs (~ 63g)

1 Tsp Pure vanilla extract
125g (4.5oz) All-purpose flour
1 Tsp Baking powder
1/4 Fine sea salt
3 Tbs Whole milk 

Ingredients For The "Pastry Cream":
2 1/4 Cups (540ml) Whole milk
1/3 Tsp Fine sea salt
4 Tbs Cornstarch
1/2 Cup (110g) Castor sugar
2 Big eggs (~ 70g)
1 1/2 Tsp Pure vanilla extract

4 Tbs Unsalted butter, cut in small cubes
Ingredients For "Assembling The Trifle":
2 1/4 - 1/2 Cups (810 - 900g) Fruit compote (see comments)
2 Lemond (organic)
1 Tbs Light brown sugar
Red Port, to taste
1 Cup (250ml) Double cream (35%), whipped

1/2 Cup (90g) Matchstick almonds, toasted

 

 

Method For The "Cakes":
1. Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F), then grease two 3x6 inches rectangular cake tins and
line the bases with baking paper.
2. Mix together the sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale, light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture well between each addition and a tablespoon of the flour with the last egg to prevent the mixture from curdling and separating. Then, mix in the vanilla extract.
5. Incorporate the flour mixture by gently folding it in the egg mixture and add enough milk to obtain a batter that falls reluctantly from the spoon.
6. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins, level the top and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre of each cake comes out clean.
7. Let cool in the pan for ten minutes before turning out on to a wire rack and leaving to cool completely.
Method For The "Pastry Cream":
1. Put the milk and salt in a pan, bring to a light boil.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth, fluffy and light in color.
3. While constantly whisking, slowly pour the milk into the egg mixture.
4. Return the whole to the saucepan.
5. Over medium heat and while whisking non-stop, cook until you get a thick consistency (just bring to a slight boil).
6. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes and then incorporate the butter, a little at a time, until the pastry cream is smooth and shiny .
7. Cover the surface with clingplastic, directly touching the cream. Let cool completely before placing in the refrigerator.

source:
Rosa's Yummy Yums: DELUXE TRADITIONAL ENGLISH TRIFLE - TRIFLE ANGLAIS TRADITIONNEL

Cake with blueberries and old fashioned lemon cream

Cake with blueberries and old fashioned lemon cream - almost best cake from my future cookbook ♥

Tort cu afine si crema de lamaie facuta ca pe vremuri - aproape cel mai gustos desert din viitoarea mea carte de bucate

Italian Cream Puffs with Custard Filling - from Joanne

Italian Cream Puffs with Custard Filling (St. Joseph’s Day Pastries)

 

These Italian cream puffs with a rich custard filling are a classic Italian dessert. They are traditionally eaten on St. Joseph's Day, but I say indulge in them year-round!

Yield: 12 large or 24 small pastries

Ingredients

For the pastry

• 2¾ cups unbleached AP flour
• ⅛ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 2 cups water
• 9½ tbsp butter
• 6 large eggs

For the custard

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 cups whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp rum

Instructions

For the pastry

1. Preheat oven to 425. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda together and set aside.
2. In a heavy saucepan, heat the water. Add the butter. When melted, remove the pan from the stove and add the flour mixture all at once. Beat with a wooden spoon, then return the pan to medium-high heat, beating the mixture until it comes away from the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and add the eggs one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon or hand mixer in-between additions to mix well.
3. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch tip with the cream puff batter. Squeeze out 3-inch puffs, about ½ inch apart on a cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. When done, carefully slit the side of each cream puff with a knife to allow steam to escape and to prevent the puffs from becoming soggy inside. Transfer to cooling racks and let cool.

For the custard

1. In saucepan over moderate heat, combine sugar, flour and salt. Add milk gradually, cooking and stirring until mixture is thick and bubbly.
2. Lower heat, stirring for 2 minutes and remove from heat. In a small bowl, add cream mixture to eggs slowly. Return mixture back to pan. Bring to gently boil for 2 more minutes, adding butter, rum, and vanilla. Tranfer to a shallow bowl to cool, placing plastic wrap on the top of the custard to prevent a skin forming. Refrigerate.
3. Once custard has cooled completely, pipe into opened pastry shells until they are so full they might pop, top with a cherry, and dust with powdered sugar.

 

Romanian garlic sauce / Mujdei

This recipe was founded on http://www.romaniangarlic.com

Romanian garlic sauce

5 crushed garlic cloves,
2 olive oil tablespoons,
2 water tablespoons,
100 g of sour cream,
salt to taste.

The water and olive oil will be poured over the crushed garlic cloves and mixed
until they become a homogenous paste and after the sour cream and salt are added
and mixed together.

Mujdei( de usturoi )

5 catei de usturoi zdrobiti
2 linguri ulei de masline / floarea soarelui
2 linguri apa
5 linguri = 100 grame smantana
sare dupa gust

Se curata usturoiul si se zdrobeste. Se amesteca cu uleiul si apa si se zdrobeste
in continuare pana devine o pasta. Se adauga smantana si sare dupa gust si se amesteca.

Stuffed mushrooms with dates fruit / Curmale in ciuperci

"Brain Food" Mushrooms

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes


Ingredients (for 4 servings)
- 12 fresh large whole white mushrooms (700-800 gr/1.7-1.8 lbs )
- 24 dates (100-120 gr / 4 oz)
- 4 tablespoons margarine (vegetable, common)
- 1 teaspoon spice mix : turmeric, sage, basil, thyme, oregano, garlic, ginger, rosemary
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 bunch dill freshly dried dill or a spoon
- Salt and pepper


Preparation Method

1. Peel the mushrooms well and arrange in the pan; Besides them put the stems, cut in half lengthwise
2. In a saucepan melt margarine. When completely melted, add all the spices, chopped garlic and finely chopped dill
3. Remove the pits of dates and place 2 shredded dates in each mushroom
4. Pour 3-4 teaspoons of sauce in each mushroom. Drizzle with sauce the mushrooms stems too.
5. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven at 180 Celsius ( 350 Fahrenheit )

Serve hot or cold with any vegan sauce or with rice.

Enjoy your meal!


Curmale in ciuperci

Timp de pregatire: 15 minute
Timp de gatire: 25 minute
Cost aproximativ: 14 ron

Ingrediente ( pt 4 portii )
- 12 ciuperci Champignon proaspete ( 700-800 gr )
- 24 curmale ( 100-120 gr )
- 4 linguri margarina ( vegetala, obisnuita )
- 1 lingurita cu varf amestec de condimente Food Brain (turmeric, salvie, busuioc, cimbru, oregano, usturoi, ghimbir, rozmarin) :
http://www.pastaidevanilie.ro/dressing/496-food-brain.html
- 1 catel de usturoi
- 1 legatura marar prospat sau o lingura marar uscat
- sare, piper


Mod preparare

1. Ciupercile se curata bine si se aranjeaza in tava; langa ele se pun gramajoara si piciorusele, taiate in doua pe lung
2. Intr-o craticioara se topeste margarina. Cand s-a topit complet se adauga toate condimentele, usturoiul pisat si mararul tocat fin
3. Se scot samburii curmalelor si se pun maruntite cate 2 curmale in fiecare ciuperca
4. Se toarna 3-4 lingurite de sos in fiecare ciuperca. Se stropesc cu sos si piciorusele ciupercilor
5. Se coc 25 minute in cuptorul preincalzit, la 180 grade ( treapta 4 a aragazului )

Se servesc calde sau reci cu orice sos de post sau cu garnitura de orez.

Reteta este originala, gandita de mine pt. acest concurs si denumita dupa excelenta combinatie de condimente.

Sa aveti pofta !