Chocolate truffles ( about 16 pcs).

You'll need : 250 gr dark chocolate

180 ml whipping cream

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp brandy/rum( i used rum essence)

Different coatings . i used hundreds and thousands.

Method: Chop the chocolate and place in a stainless steel bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream and butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat and bring to boil. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until smooth, then add the rum or essence. Cover and place in a fridge until mixture is firm. I let it stand in the fridge over night.

Place your coatings for a truffles on a plate. Take out the mixture. With your hands shape the chocolate into round shaped balls and cover with coating. Put on a baking paper. When all the balls are made, put them in a fridge until firm.

Enjoy :)

Crunchy chocolate mousse

Easiest dessert ever :)

You'll need: 200 g milk chocolate

70 gr crunchy chocolate (´i used KitKat)

284 ml double cream

250 ml mascarpone

Method: Place 150 gr of the milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until melted. Remove from the heat.

Stir in the crunchy chocolate pieces.

Gently mix the cream and mascarpone. Stir the chocolate mix into the cream and mascarpone until just marbled.

Spoon into small glasses /cups and top with the rest of the chocolate , grated/shaved.

Enjoy :)

Custard fruit tarts.

Pastry : 450 gr butter

900 gr plain flour

handful of sugar

3 eggs

about 100 ml of milk

For the custard: 3 egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla essence

Topping: fruits / berries

Method: start with the pastry. In a big bowl mix flour, butter and sugar, until mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Best way to do it is by hands. In another bowl beat the eggs and add 1/3 of it to the pastry mix and also add some of the milk. Mix everything together, add rest of the eggs and some more milk. You may not need all of the milk at all, just use as much milk you need to bring the pastry together.Wrap pastry in cling film and place in a fridge for 30 minutes. Pastry needs time to rest so that it wouldn't crumble.

Meanwhile do the custard: Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and flour until mixture is thick and pale.

In a small saucepan heat up the milk to almost boiling point. Slowly add milk to egg mixture, add vanilla essence and return it to the saucepan. Cook over low heat 'til custard coats the back of the spoon.

Transfer custard into a bowl, cover with cling film and put in the fridge 'til needed.

Now back to pastry: roll it out on floured surface. Lightly brush pastry cases with melted butter and sprinkle some flour over the cases. Fold the rolled out thin pastry in the pastry case. brick the base with fork and cover with baking paper and baking beans.

Bake at 170 C for about 7 minutes, then remove the baking beans and bake further 10 minutes.

Let the pastry cool down.

Then just spoon/ pipe custard in the cases, arrange fruits and sprinkle with icing sugar .

Enjoy :)

Mini pizzas

For the dough: 200 gr plain flour

little bit of salt

dried yeast ( i used 8g sachet)

120 ml lukewarm water

1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

For the topping: tomato sauce

grated cheese

sliced tomato

chopped tomato

dried basil

sausages or ham

Method: Make a mound of flour and salt, with a well in the centre. Mix the yeast into the water and pour into the well. Add the oil and knead until dough is elastic ( might take about 10 minutes). Leave the dough rise for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Roll out the dough to 8 round shapes about 5 mm thick( it depends how do you like your pizza base). Spread some tomato sauce to each pizza base . Slice the sausages or ham. Arrange them on the pizza, use some diced tomatoes, sprinkle some cheese over and then some basil as well. Bake in the oven bout 15 minutes. I used some sliced tomatoes also.

I got 6 pizza bases from this quantity.

Enjoy :)

Calzone

For the dough: 200 gr plain flour

little bit of salt

1 sachet of yeast( i used 8g packet)

120 ml lukewarm water

1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

For the filling: sausages

grated cheese

little bit of sundriend tomato pestolittle bit of onion

tomato sauce or ketchup

Method: make a mound of flour and salt, with a well in the centre. Mix the yeast into the water and pour into the well. Add the oil and knead the dough until it is elastic. It might

take about 10 minutes. Leave the dough rise for 2 hours. Cover the bowl with cling film or a tea towel.

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Roll out the dough to create an oblong shape. about 3 mm thick and cut into 8 big squares or 4 small. Slice the sausages and mix with pesto and tomato sauce.Dice the onions and add to the mix. Put the mix on the side of the square and sprinkle with grated cheese. Fold the dough over and press the edges together and bake at the oven for about 12-15 minutes.

For vegetarian option : filling: grated cheese, roasted aubergine and courgette(finely sliced) , rocket and vegetarian sausages,and some pesto+ tomato sauce.

Enjoy :)

fresh fruit tart

You'll need: 4 egg yolks

50 gr caster sugar

2 tbsp cornflour

2 tbsp plain flour

1 tsp vanilla essence

100 ml cream300 ml milk

800 gr fruits/berries( i used kiwi,strawberry,raspberry and blackberry)

For the pastry: 185 gr plain flour

pinch of salt

115 gr butter, diced

1 egg yolk

2 tbsp chilled water

Method: To make the pastry ,sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl and rub in the butter.Keep rubbing til mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Mix in the egg

yolk and chilled water and mix to a firm dough.

Put the dough on to a lightly floured surface and knead for a few seconds. Wrap in a cling film and put in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes roll out the pastry and line a 25cm/9in round pan/quiche pan. wrap in a cling film and put back in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 200 ⁰C or Gas 6. Prick the base of the pastry ,line with foil and baking beans and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and beans and bake further 10 minutes. Leave to cool.

Take a bowl and in there beat the egg yolks,sugar,cornflour,flour and vanilla together. Bring the milk to the boil in a pan and slowly pour on to the egg mixture,whisking all the time.

Pour the custard into the cleaned pan and cook over a low heat til it has thickened. return to the clean mixing bowl,cover the bowl with cling film and put in the fridge to set. (I left it in the fridge for an hour).

Whip the cream til thick ,then fold it in the custard. Spoon the custard into the pastry case and spread it out evenly. .

Slice the fruits and arrange them however you like .

Enjoy :)

Prawn and broccoli noodles

This recipe is from Easy Food magazine (nov 2011).

You'll need: 200 gr noodles

200 gr broccoli,cut into small florets

6 tbsp soy sauce

1 garlic glove, finely chopped

1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped

juice of 2 limes

1 tsp olive oil

100 gr prawns, if frozen then thawed

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

2 spring onions,chopped

some seasoning

Method: Boil the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse well in a cold water. drain again and keep in a bowl.

Blanch the broccoli and cool down in a cold water.

In a bowl mix soy sauce, garlic,ginger, lime juice well.

Heat up the wok and add oil to the pan and sliced peppers and cook for a few minutes . Add the spring onions and prawns and cook for a further few minutes. Add the sauce,broccoli and noodles and toss everything together. Cook for a few minutes and serve.

Enjoy :)