Layers of crisp brown sugar and almond meringue nestle between clouds of whipped honey cream, fresh dates and soft dried figs, as warm honey cascades down the sides of this beastly yet elegant mountain of texture, colour and soulful flavour. And it’s easy. I’m all for easy recipes lately. Life is flying by way too fast, but I’m still determined to bake wherever I can. So that means I’m turning to recipes that can be planned ahead, prepared in sections and offer a low flop-risk. So voila!
Spoiler alert: this here is a little cheat’s dessert. Prep is done in under an hour, no fancy qualifications required, looks pretty as a peach, and is so much fun to just absolutely demolish. Also it tastes pretty darn good. The slight tartness of the roasted rhubarb is offset by the honey mascarpone cream. Then there’s the slightly salty pistachios that flirt with the vibrant syrup drizzling down the sides. And did I mention that the crisp brown sugar meringue cradling the whole thing has a slightly caramelised flavour, and is so devilishly light and delicious? Who’s complaining?
If you like your cakes pretty, pink and delicious, then take a moment to imagine this; three layers of velvety coconut cake held together by fresh raspberry buttercream, wrapped in a whisper of white chocolate ganache, to which sweet little coconut flakes cling. Top the darling creation with delicate raspberry meringue kisses, and you have an irresistible collaboration of a few of my favourite things. Continue reading
Welcome to the recipe for one of my favourite desserts, ever. I pinky promise that it legitimately is super easy to make, and whilst you need to prepare it the day before serving (often a blessing in my opinion), the actual method is simple and quick. Your main weapon of choice must be a strong electric whisker, preferably one in a mix master, and armed with that you’re on your way to chewy, crispy, creamy, nutty goodness…with the added benefit of antioxidant-packed dark chocolate and blueberries? Any excuse to help yourself to a second slice, or a sixth. Actually, this torte is quite rich, so you should be feeling jovial and satisfied after one hefty helping!
After mastering the creation of a meringue kiss that tasted just like a Ferrero Rocher (see here), my next challenge was to devise a recipe for the Ferrero Rocher’s devilishly dainty little sister, the Raffaello. Fine almond meal is folded through these crisp, light meringues, before they are dipped in silky white chocolate and delicious dessicated coconut. As you bit into the kiss, the chocolate cracks away to reveal the airy, crunchy merinuge nestled inside. The whole blissful bite quickly dissolves on your tongue, leaving the texture of the coconut and almond to be discovered.
These chocolate hazelnut meringues are deceptively light. I fooled myself into thinking I’d be fine after eating about 15 over the course of one fateful hour as I dipped the crisp, nutty kisses into silky, melted chocolate, and later suffered the wrath of the subsequent sugar rush. But hey, they were pretty irresistible! They are relatively easy to whip up, and are a great dessert for feeding the masses on a small list of ingredients. I think they taste very much like Ferrero Rochers, so in my books they are pretty close to perfect. Continue reading
one perfect mess 