Meringues with poppy seeds syrup

For meringues:
4 egg whites
200g sugar

For syrup:
50g poppy seeds
150g sugar
100ml water

Preheat the oven to 150 C, 130 C fan, 300 F. Put the egg whites in a large bowl. Beat the egg whites until stiff with an electric mixer. Now add the sugar, a little at a time, whisking until the mixture is stiff and glossy. Using a little of the meringue mixture, stick baking parchment on to a clean baking sheet. When the timer goes off, switch the oven off and allow the meringues to cool down in there.

Now prepare your syrup.
Put water and sugar in a saucepan, stir until sugar is dissolved. Turn down the bottom after boiling syrup. Boil for 10 minutes. Add poppy seeds into the syrup. Remove syrup from heat, leave to cool.
When ready to serve carefully pour the syrup onto meringues.

Pumpkin Soup with toasted coconut and cinnamon

15oz can pumpkin
2 cups water
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
ground pepper
1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes

Cut the top off the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds and strings, peel the shell, and dice the flesh.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan, then gently cook chopped pumpkin for 3 mins. Add water and bring to a boil. Cover and boil the pumpkin for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Place coconut milk, honey, cinnamon, ground paper and soft pumpkin into a blender and process starting with low speed, gradually increasing to high speed. Blend well until reach and creamy.

Now just mix pumpkin soup with toasted coconut flakes and stir until combine. Pour into bowls and serve.
Enjoy the autumn!

Pecan & rum loaf cake with goat cheese frosting

For the cake:

½ stick unsalted butter (50g), softened
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
½ cup brawn sugar (optional)
4 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
2 tablespoons rum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the goat cheese frosting:

150 g soft goat cheese
1 cup whipped cream
2 tablespoons honey (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, chopped pecans, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add honey and beat well again.
With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients. Increase the speed to medium, add the rum, cream cheese, honey and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes.
Pour the batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan. Place a cake plate over the top of the pan and carefully flip it upside down. Cool cake completely.

To make goat cheese frosting:
Beat goat cheese, honey and whipped cream at medium speed with an electric mixer just until combine (about 30 seconds).
Put the cream on top of the cake and serve. Make sure that cream is sweet enough for you.
~bon appétit~

Warm coconut nutmeg pudding

Ingredients:

1 can full fat coconut milk
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon raw honey
1 teaspoon Malibu rum


In medium saucepan over medium heat, combine coconut milk, sugar(optional), cornstarch and vanilla extract, stirring to dissolve cornstarch. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick, about 3-5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the nutmeg, honey and Malibu rum.
This recipe made enough for two of the small dessert dishes. Serve warm and enjoy!

Bergamot bundt cake with whipped coconut cream and lime zest

For the cake:

1/2 package (100g) cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 stick (100g) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup milk
Essential oil of bergamot for food use: a few drops


For whipped coconut cream:
300 ml full fat coconut cream
1 cup whipped heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar

Also
lime zest

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, soda. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add few drops ssential oil of bergamot and beat well again.
With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients. Increase the speed to medium, add the milk and cream cheese and beat for 2 minutes.
Pour the batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 40 minutes. Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan. Place a cake plate over the top of the pan and carefully flip it upside down. Cool cake completely.

How to make whipped coconut cream.

To extract the thick coconut cream from the can, refrigerate the can at least for a few hours so the fat can fully separate from the liquid (you can use the liquid for smoothies).
In a mixing bowl combine sugar, whipped heavy cream and coconut cream and whisk it with an electric hand mixer for few minutes.
Put the cream on top of the cake and decorate with lime zest.

~bon appetite~

Donuts with dark chocolate & licorice glaze

For the donuts:

3 teaspoons instant yeast
2 cups whole milk, warmed
1/4 cup sugar
4 to 5 cups whole wheat flour
2 large eggs
100 g unsalted butter, melted


For the glaze:
200g dark chocolate
2 teaspoons instant licorice
1 tablespoon heavy cream


Also:
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons cocoa powder

How to make:

In a medium bowl, mix together a pinch of sugar and about 5 tablespoons of the warm milk and then add the yeast. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it has become bubbly. 

Put the flour into a large bowl. Add butter and the rest of the sugar, stirring until well-combined. Kneed everything with your hands until you get a smooth dough. Make a well in the centre. Add yeast mixture and eggs. Mix until well-combined. Drop mixture onto a floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm spot until it has doubled in size for about 45 minutes.
Remove the dough from the bowl and turn out onto a floured work surface. Kneed the dough again with your hands and then roll it out (about 4 cm thick). Cut 8cm circles with a biscuit cutter. Using a 4cm round cutter, cut out centre of each circle to form donuts.
Carefully put 2 to 3 donuts at a time in the hot grease (170°C are perfect) and cooking for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

For the dark chocolate licorice glaze:

Melt the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water. Add licorice powder and heavy cream and stir well until combine.

Once donuts are cool, dip them into the glaze to cover the tops. Allow glaze to dry and top with mix of cocoa powder and cinnamon (optional).

Hot chocolate with honey, cinnamon and whipped cream