Banana Custard & Cream Pudding POTs

Image Leave a comment 08/02/2021 the wee caledonian cook

In our house a Sunday is the only day we have a pudding after dinner and as we were having a filling stew today, I opted for something a little lighter. This was not only super tasty but really light and lower in calories as I used low fat versions. If you love banana’s and custard you will like this. It is also so quick to make, just 10 minutes to prepare with 30 minutes chilling time.

Serves 4

2 Bananas (keep a few slices to serve)

1 x 400g Tin of Low Fat Custard

1 x 150ml Double Light Cream

1 Tsp Vanilla Essence

2 Flake’s

Empty custard into a large mixing bowl and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Mash the bananas with a fork and add to the custard, crumble in 1 1/2 of flake and mix through to combine
Add 1 tsp vanilla essence to the cream and whisk up until thick, gently fold cream into the custard mix.
Spoon custard into serving dishes and top with a couple slices of banana and crumbled flake.
Serve immediately.

Note: If you have custard powder, put 2 tbsp of powder and 2 tbsp of caster sugar into a pan, add a little milk and stir to a paste, add the remaining milk (about 400ml) and bring to a gentle boil, stir continually until custard thickens. Remove from heat, place a piece of cling film over custard to prevent a skin forming and allow to cool then proceed as above.

Chocolate & Pistachio Tart

Image Leave a comment 25/11/2019 the wee caledonian cook

Oh Yum, I love Pistachios and had some in my cupboards to use up, so I though I would give this little delight a go and I wasn’t disappointed.

For the Crust

100g Plain flour

35g Cocoa Powder

70g Chopped Pistachio’s

1/4 tsp salt

70g unsalted butter, room temperature

35g Demerara Sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Pistachio Paste

65g Pistachio’s

35g Demerara Sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

For the Filling

150g Milk Chocolate

120ml Cream

50ml Milk

1 egg beaten

Pistachio’s chopped to garnish

Grease a 9″ Fluted Tart tin with removal bottom.
Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, chopped pistachios, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Beat butter on medium speed until fluffy. Add sugar, and beat until pale. Add vanilla, then flour mixture, beat until just combined and dough holds together when pressed between 2 fingers. Press dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 15 – 30 mins.
Roll out dough to an 11-inch round, 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Press dough into bottom and up sides of tart pan. Trim excess dough flush with edges of pan using a knife. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 150 deg C.
Bake until firm, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely.
Make the pistachio paste: Pulse pistachios, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor until mixture begins to clump together. Add oil, and pulse until smooth and paste like. Spread evenly into bottom of cooled tart shell, pressing firmly with back of a spoon until flat and smooth.
Make the filling: Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream and milk in a saucepan over medium heat until almost boiling, pour over chocolate. Let stand for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk until smooth. Let cool for 10 minutes. Stir in egg until combined. Pour in filling to tart shell. Bake until just set, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool. Garnish with finely chopped pistachios.

Pear, Hazelnut & Chocolate Crumble Cake

Image 4 Comments 02/11/2019 the wee caledonian cook

Oh yum……Pears are in season at the moment so I wanted to try a different dessert with them, this was so delicious and the texture was crunchy too.

Makes 8 servings (or 6 big ones…lol)

100g chopped hazelnuts

140g self raising flour

175g butter cut into small chunks

70g Caster sugar

80g dark brown sugar (10g from sprinkling)

2 large eggs

4 small pears – peeled, cored and diced

50g dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces

Preheat oven on convection bake to 160 deg and line and grease a springform cake tin
Add the flour & hazelnuts to a bowl and mix, add the butter and pulse until it forms bread like crumbs
Add the sugar, eggs and mix
Add in 3 of the pears and chocolate and mix lightly until combined, Spoon mix into the cake tin and smooth out.
Sprinkle the other pear pieces on top and press down lightly, sprinkle the remaining 10g brown sugar on top and bake for 50-60 minutes.
Cool in the tin then transfer to a wire rack.
Serve with some lovely whipped cream or ice cream.

Crunchie Biscuit Base Galaxy cake

Image Leave a comment 29/07/2019 the wee caledonian cook

I wasn’t really sure what to call this as it was a mishmash of 2 cakes….I was going to bake a chocolate tart and realised I didn’t have all the ingredients for the sweet pastry. So I decided to make a biscuit base instead. Then I discovered I didn’t have double/whipping cream but only single cream, so I therefore now had to bake. Despite all my misfortunes, this did actually turn out quite nice.

I was only making a small one for my other halves birthday, he loves chocolate…lol!

Makes a small portion for 1 or 2

For the filling:-

100g Milk Chocolate, minimum 35% cocoa

100ml single cream

50ml whole fat milk

1 egg

For the base:-

4 Digestive biscuits

1 Crunchie chocolate bar

1 tbsp butter – melted

For the toppings:-

small chunks of honeycomb to decorate

small edible spray glitter (optional), it was a birthday after all.

In a food processor put the digestives, crunchie bar and blitz until breadcrumbs, add in the melted butter and bring together.
Line a small springform tin with greaseproof paper. Empty the biscuit mixture into the tin and push/flatten down with your hands evenly. Refrigerate.
Empty the cream and milk into a pan and bring to the boil.
Place the chocolate into bowl in pieces.
Pour the hot cream and milk over the chocolate to melt, stir until blended. Set aside to cool.
Crack the egg into a dish and using a hand mixer, mix until fluffy.
Once chocolate has cooled, pour egg into bowl and mix through.
Remove biscuit base from fridge and pour in the chocolate mix.
Preheat your oven to 130 deg. Gently place the tin in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. You want it set but with a slight wobble. Remove and allow to cool.
Sprinkle some cocoa powder over top (optional) the sprinkle the honeycomb pieces on top. Serve.
This can be chilled and kept for later. Serve at room temperature.

Spinach, Asparagus & Tomato Tart

Image Leave a comment 09/07/2019 the wee caledonian cook

Another home comfort food dish, delicious for lunch or dinner, hot or cold.

Serves 4

Butter for greasing tin

1 Roll ready made shortcrust pastry

1 bunch of asparagus spears

250g Spinach leaves

3 large eggs

150ml double cream

1 garlic clove, crushed

10 small cherry tomatoes

handful fresh basil, chopped

40g grated cheddar cheese (or you could use parmesan)

Salt & pepper

Pre heat oven to 190 deg on convection bake setting.
Grease a 10-12 inch tart tin with the butter, roll out the pastry and line the tin, trimming of excess.
Cover the pastry with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for about 20 minutes until lightly browned. Remove and allow to cool slightly. Reduce oven to 180 deg.
Meanwhile, bend the asparagus spears until they snap and discard woody bases.
Bring a large pan of slightly salted water to the boil and blanch the asparagus for 1 minute, remove. Using the same water put the spinach in then remove immediately. Drain well and squeeze excess moisture out.
Mix the eggs, cream & garlic together in a bowl and season with salt & pepper.
Lay the spinach into the pastry case, then the asparagus and tomatoes cut side up, sprinkle with the basil. Pour the egg mixture into the case and sprinkle the grated cheese over evenly.
Transfer to the oven and bake for about 35 minutes, remove and leave to cool to room temperature, serve.

Victoria Sponge with a Maple Syrup and Honeyed Whiskey twist

Image Leave a comment 03/09/2017 the wee caledonian cook

I visited the Loch Lomond Food Festival recently and purchased this amazing flavour pot from SA Sauces , not sure what to do with it, I visited their website and found this amazing idea. It was absolutely delicious and an excellent twist to the traditional victoria sponge.

Makes 1 cake

200g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
200g caster sugar
4 medium eggs
200g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
about 6 tbsp raspberry jam
250ml double cream, whipped
icing sugar, for dusting
One pot of maple syrup and honeyed whiskey

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Grease and flour 2 x 20cm sandwich tins. Place the butter, sugar and half the pot of maple syrup and honeyed whiskey into a bowl and beat well to a creamy consistency. Slowly beat in the eggs, one by one, then fold in the flour and mix well.
Divide the mix between the cake tins, place into the oven and bake for about 20 mins until risen and golden brown. The cakes should spring back when gently pushed in the middle. When ready, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 mins in the tin, before turning out onto a wire rack and cooling completely.
Mix the reminder of the pot of maple syrup with the cream. Whisk until you get a matt finish.
Spread the jam (optional) onto one cake and top with the mixed cream. Sandwich the cakes together and dust with icing sugar.

Crisperplate Cheese & Bacon Quiche

Image Leave a comment 29/05/2017 the wee caledonian cook

I’m just loving my new oven from Hotpoint, it comes with a crisper plate which you preheat then cook directly on, great for crisping up food but also great for those crispy bottoms…..which means….no soggy bottoms!! lol!

I decided to try a quiche, normally you have to preheat your oven then blind bake your pastry, this little crisper plate eliminated all of that……..and in just 14 mins my quiche was baked to perfection with a crispy bottom. The plate is 12.5″ in diameter, so perfect family size too.

Makes 8 slices.

1 roll approx 250 g puff pastry

2-3 leeks – finely sliced

300 ml double cream

4 eggs

300 g grated Gouda cheese

8 slices of smoked bacon – chopped

Salt & pepper

1. Preheat your crisper plate (2mins) or your oven to 180 deg.

2. Fry the bacon on crisper plate for 3 mins (no oil required) OR in a fry pan with a little oil until browned.

3. Remove then lightly fry the leeks on the crisper plate with a knob of butter for 4 mins OR in a fry pan until browned slightly. Remove and put to side with bacon.

4. Beat together the cream and eggs then add in the cheese and mix

5. Lay the pastry over the crisper tray or basking dish if using the oven. (Blind bake pastry for about 10mins if using the oven)

6. Lay in the bacon and leeks evenly then pour in the cheese mixture evenly. Season with salt & pepper.

7. Trim off any ends for an even finish.

8. Cook on Dynamic Crisp setting for 14 mins. OR bake in oven for about 25-30 mins.

9. Serve….Yummy!

Banoffee Custard Tarts with Toffee Cream

Image 1 Comment 22/05/2016 the wee caledonian cook

This was a recipe I picked up from fellow blogger https://greencookingblog.wordpress.com/ , I just loved the sound of it as I love Banoffee…my ultimate fav! They turned out very tasty indeed, although I think I’ll get deeper trays the next time as I would have loved them to be bigger…lol! I wasn’t sure what to serve with it, I had some cream and toffee left so……yep…voila…toffee cream….and it just went so well.

Makes 12

250g granulated sugar
100g butter
200ml double cream
a pinch of salt
1 ripe banana
1 pack Shortcrust pastry (you can alternatively make your own)
3 egg yolks
300ml milk
1tsp nutmeg

In a medium saucepan, add 200g of the sugar and heat on a medium heat, stirring continuously…..please be patient as this can take about 10 mins but it will start to brown and dissolve. This was after 5 mins. This was after about 8 mins. Then 10 mins….
When all the sugar has dissolved to form a dark brown liquid, add the butter (cut into 5 chunks) and stir rapidly until mixed
Heat for a further 1 minute, and then slowly add 100ml of cream, stirring continuously
Bring the mix to the boil and then remove from the heat, adding the salt and stirring for a couple of minutes until cooler
Allow the caramel to stand for around 15 minutes before placing in the fridge to cool
Take the pastry and roll out so that it is around 1cm in thickness – cut out tart shapes and place these in a muffin tray.
Cover each pastry case with greaseproof paper and add baking beans, or alternatively prick with a fork
Bake the pastry blind for around 10 minutes at 200C/ 180C Fan
Remove the pastry cases from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Then remove the greaseproof paper
Cut the banana into small chunks and divide between the 12 pastry cases. Add 1tsp caramel on top of the banana
In a saucepan, heat the milk until it starts to boil. Whilst doing this, add the egg yolks and remaining 50g of sugar to a bowl and whisk until combined
Slowly add the boiling milk to the egg yolk and sugar, stirring with a whisk continuously
Divide the custard mix between the 12 pastry cases and then sprinkle some nutmeg over the top of each tart
Put in the oven for around 15 minutes – the custard should have browned on the top and started to set
With the left over cream (100ml and toffee (about 2 tbsp), whisk up in a bowl with 1 tsp of vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
Serve….oh so yummy!

Homemade Profiteroles

Image Leave a comment 26/03/2016 the wee caledonian cook

I was inspired to try Choux Pastry by a chef called Vivan in Italy, I was on a training course with Kitchen Aid and he demonstrated Choux Pastry in one of their ovens which was amazing. My boyfriend loves Profiteroles so I thought I’d spend an afternoon in the kitchen today as it was rainy outside. My results were pretty good, considering it was my first time but definitely room for improvement.!

Makes 8

FOR THE CHOUX PASTRY

200ml cold water

100g Butter

130g Plain Flour

4 eggs

1 tsp Sugar

FOR THE CREAM FILLING

100ml double cream

1 tsp vanilla essence

20 g icing sugar

FOR THE TOPPING

100g Milk or Dark Chocolate

Bring to the boil water and butter together. Remove from heat.
Add in the sugar and flour and beat until mixture comes away from the sides of the pot.
Once cool, slowly add in beaten eggs, little at a time. It may seem the egg isn’t going to combine with dough but it will. Keep beating in until all egg mixture has been integrated.
Put mixture into a piping bag. I found it difficult to add and hold at the same time, so I used a measure jug to hold the bag while I put mixture in. (remember to fold bottom up or it might come out end).
Slowly pipe onto a baking sheet on a baking tray.
Put into a preheat oven at 220 deg and bake for about 15 mins or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and pierce a tiny hole underside to let steam out and prevent them from sinking, let cool on a wire rack or in fridge.
Meanwhile to make the cream. Empty 100ml cream, 20g icing sugar and 1 tsp vanilla essence into a bowl and whisk until thick and stiff.
Once pastry is cooled, make a small hole on underside and pipe in the cream.
Melt some chocolate and then spread on top of profiteroles, refrigerate to harden.
Serve with some yummy warm melted chocolate.

Lemon Puffs

Image 4 Comments 26/03/2016 the wee caledonian cook

I had some puff pastry left in the fridge and some cream, so, yep you guessed it…..cream puffs! Add a hint of lemon for an Easter flavour and voila……..Lemon Puffs were born! So Tasty, so easy, so happy!

1/2 sheet of ready made Puff Pastry

100ml double cream

25g icing

1 tsp vanilla essence

Juice of 1 lemon and Zest

Preheat oven to 180 deg.
Roll out Puff pastry as thin as you can without breaking.
Using a knife cut into strip about 2 inch wide and the cut lengthways about 6 inch long. Place onto greaseproof paper on a baking tray. Sift some icing sugar over pastry and refrigerate for about 5 mins.
Remove from fridge and bake for 10 mins or until golden brown and puffed up.
Allow to cool.
Meanwhile, to make cream, pour cream into a bowl, add icing sugar, vanilla essence and lemon juice and zest whisk until stiff and glossy.
Using a spatula put cream into a piping bag and then pipe dollops onto half of the puff pastry and using the other puff pastries make a stack, sift some icing sugar over and finish of with remainder of cream. You can do any design you like.

Yummy!!

Scottish Cranachan Panna Cotta

Image 4 Comments 24/05/2015 the wee caledonian cook

Decided to try the famous Cranachan dessert but wanted to change it slightly, turned out amazingly good. My first time at trying a Panna Cotta too.

For Panna Cotta:-

10g toasted oats (lightly toast in dry pan)

50g caster sugar

150ml milk

80g mashed raspberries

2 tbsp honey

250ml double cream

20ml Whisky or whisky essence

3 gelatine leaves, soaked in water

1. Mix milk, raspberries and sugar bring to boil then add in oats, honey and whisky reduce heat slightly

2. Add in gelatine and stir through

3. Add in cream, mix through and set aside to cool for 5 mins.

4. Pour into greased ramekins and chill for at least 2 hours.

For the syrup:-

20ml water

5ml whisky

10g caster sugar

1. Put all ingredients into a pan and bring to boil, boil until syrup consistency (about 2-3 mins)

For the honey cream:-

50ml double cream

5g honey

5g toasted oats

1. Put all ingredients into a bowl and whisk until a stiff consistency (few mins)

To plate up: turn out the Panna Cotta onto a plate, drizzle the syrup over and scoop some of the honey cream to the side with a couple of raspberries.

Oh yum!

Seriously Scoffable Banoffee

Image Leave a comment 30/07/2014 the wee caledonian cook

My favourite dessert of them all, biscuit, banana, toffee and cream what’s not to like? Yummy!

Base:-

350g digestives biscuits – crushed/mashed

150g butter melted

Filling:-

1 pot 284ml double cream

3 bananas

Sauce:-

1 can of condensed milk (400g)

Topping:-

Shaved Chocolate or Toffee bits

1. To make the toffee sauce, remove the label of the condensed milk and immerse it in boiling water. Boil the tin for 2 – 3 hours. The longer you boil it, the darker and thicker the toffee will be. Make sure that the tin is FULLY immersed in water at all times, otherwise, the tin will explode.

2. For the base, crush the digestives and mix it with melted butter. Using a pestle or fork, press the digestives onto the pan/cake tin. Make sure that there are no holes. Chill. Meanwhile, whip the cream until it’s stiff.

3. Remove biscuit base from fridge, chop bananas into slices, put toffee onto biscuit base and spread evenly, place bananas on top of toffee then spread cream mixture and decorate with some toffee toppings or chocolate whichever is preferable.

Tip:

I suggest using a spring form or loose bottomed cake tin. If not, line your tin with either a cling film or parchment paper so it will be easier to lift the whole pie out without breaking it.

BALMORAL CHICKEN

Image Leave a comment 18/08/2013 the wee caledonian cook

I love this dish, another one of my favourites.

SCOTTISH BALMORAL CHICKEN

2 chicken Breasts

4 slices Smoked Back Bacon

100g Haggis

10g melted butter

Salt & Pepper

Slice chicken Breast along length to form an envelope
Roll haggis into sausage shape and insert into chicken, then fold over to make parcel
Wrap bacon around chicken and brush with melted butter, then season
Put into tin foil parcel and place in oven on Multilevel at 200 deg for 30 mins.

WHISKY SAUCE

100ml double Cream

250ml Chicken Stock

2 tbsp of Whisky

1 tbsp of dijon mustard

20g butter

Mix Whisky with Chicken Stock and bring to Boil until liquid is reduced by half
Add in Mustard and Cream stirring continually
Add in butter and stir until it thickens and serve.

ALTERNATIVE SAUCE

250ml Chicken Stock

100ml Single Cream

2 tbsp White Wine

1 tbsp honey