Black Pepper Panna Cotta with Caramelized Peaches & Caramel Drizzle {product review}

After you read the title you may think I am crazy. Perhaps I am, but that is neither here nor there. 

A couple years ago I went to a taste event hosted by the Innocent Smoothie peoples and they served us pepper ice cream with canned peach slices and caramel sauce. 

It really didn't sound appealing to me, however I try everything once. It was good. It was unbelievably good. The combination just worked and I was thoroughly impressed.

I swore I would attempt it at home, but wasn't really sure a whole batch of pepper ice cream would go down well in my family where half of us are little people who only like strawberry ice cream. So, I hadn't recreated it at home.

Then when I had the opportunity to try Sainsbury’s Panna Cotta Mix, the whole pepper/peach/caramel combo just felt right. I did and I was not disappointed. It was very similar to the pepper ice cream that I was happy with it. The Sainsbury's mix had clear and easy instructions. It makes a simple and easy dessert!

I was also correct as in my girls took one taste and went blech. If you think you may be like my girls and think blech at the pepper in your panna cotta then just make it without and continue you on with the peaches!

Panna Cotta

1 box Sainsbury’s Panna Cotta dessert mix

            250ml milk

            250ml double cream

10g Black Pepper Corns

Follow the instructions on the box, but while you are heating and stirring the milk and double cream add the peppercorns. Once the mixture is ready sieve out the peppercorns and discard. Pour the panna cotta mix into desired moulds, bowls, or glasses as I used here. Chill for 4 hours or more.

Before serving make the …

Caramelized Peaches

2 fresh peaches, sliced

50g golden caster sugar

¼ tsp sea salt flakes

4 tablespoons caramel sauce

Combine the sugar and salt and coat the peach slices in the mixture. Fry on a dry skillet/frying pan until the sugar starts to turn amber, flipping the peaches through out.

Divide between each glass with the set panna cotta and drizzle the caramel sauce on top. Enjoy!

notes: In association with Sainsbury’s, all opinions are my own for further information please note my contact/policy page. Fresh peaches in this country are just not up to par with the peaches I had in the states growing up, so please use frozen or canned peaches if that suits. Just be sure to pat dry the canned peaches. 

Find out what else I tried at the innocent inspires event here! 
I have made panna cotta before here! 

Cranberries! Cranberries! Cranberries! {sauce, butter, sugared}

The only time I have used cranberries in my baking was for granola bars and I think once in cookies. They aren't a berry I tend to think of very much. I thought now, with Thanksgiving and then Christmas around the corner, it would be as good as time as any to change that.

Here are 3 ways I used fresh cranberries in preparation for my holiday dinners! 

Thanksgiving isn't Thanksgiving without a side of cranberry sauce. When I was young, the very look of the stuff put me off even wanting to try it. It was a weird red jelly like subsistence that came from a can. And even weirder people ate it with turkey. My younger self thought that very odd. Since I have started cooking my own Thanksgiving dinners I have understood better what the side dish could really add to a turkey dinner! Or to a turkey sandwich... umnum! 

I thought this Thanksgiving I would try making my own cranberry sauce from scratch. It is a very simple process and the cranberries themselves contain enough pectin to thicken without having to add any gelatin.

Cranberry Sauce

454g fresh cranberries

400g sugar

450ml water

Wash and rinse the cranberries removing any smooshie cranberries or stems.

Weigh out the sugar and add the water into a medium saucepan and heat on a low/medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves.

Add the cranberries. Turn up the heat slightly and watch as the cranberries start to burst! Once they are all burst and the sauce is slightly thickened, then take off the heat and chill for at least 3 hours. I jarred the sauce in 4 old jam jars. It makes quite a bit, but all the more to share with friends and family! Or just half the recipe!

Instead of offering a side of cranberry sauce with your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner why not offer a slice of cranberry butter! It works great on any dinner roll or spread on turkey! Or even better for those leftover turkey sandwiches! 

This cranberry butter makes a great gift too! If you don’t think you will need as much as this recipe please feel free to half it. It will keep in the fridge for a week and frozen for about 6 months as long as it’s properly wrapped and stored.

Cranberry Butter

250g unsalted butter

150g cranberry sauce

Beat the butter and cranberry sauce together for a few minutes until fully combined. It may look like it won’t come together, but keep beating it, it will come together!

Another way to use fresh cranberries is to make them all sugary! It works as a great way to top pies and cakes and other baked treats!! This is a little sticky and I used light corn syrup, which isn’t readily available in the UK. If you have a big Tescos near you that has a world food section, they sell it there. It’s where I found mine. You could try using golden syrup, but it has a yellowy tint, so not 100% sure how it would work?

Sugared Cranberries

cranberries

light corn syrup

sugar, granulated

The amount of each depends on how many you need or want for the baked treat you are making.

Lightly brush with a pastry brush a cranberry with the corn syrup and then immediately roll in the sugar. Set aside or unto your baked good!

Up next week Creamy Cranberry Pie! 

Chocolate = Happy & Coffee = Relief {a book review and mocha choca madeleines}

I cannot express enough how refreshing John Whaite's debut cookbook is! The book is full of original flavors and ideas. After a read through it’s apparent that the book is very aptly named, John Whaite Bakes: Recipes for Every Day and Every Mood, as there are plenty of recipes to either lift one out of a bad mood or relax after a hard day and so on…

My favorite time to bake is when the girls are in bed and the house is quiet. I do love baking with them too, but there is something about having the kitchen to myself and loosing myself to the process of baking. It’s during that time I know I will be reaching for this book for inspiration.

Just by the titles of the chapters you know this book is going to be full of emotionally charged bakes. Chapters include an Introduction; Baker’s Notes; All-Important Armoury; Simple Essentials; Seeking Sweet Solace; Calming a Bag of Nerves; The Mood for Food and Love; Edible Nirvana; Memoirs of a Baker; Simple Speedy Solutions; Deepest Darkest Desires; The Artist Within; and Happy Hour

So, the only question is where to start? Here is a list of recipes I can’t wait to try out. They are mostly sweet, but there are a nice amount of savory recipes too that aren't listed here.

Overnight Rustic Loaf

Midnight Blues Tart (picture above)

Plait of Worries Loaf

Apricot and White Chocolate Flapjacks

Coconut and Lemon Bakewell

Italian Feeding Frenzy Focaccia

Eastern Sweet Spring Rolls

Plum and Pinenut Loaf Cake

White Chocolate and Raspberry Melting Cake (picture)

Tropical Sponge Pudding

Lemon and Poppy Seed Scones

Strawberry and Custard Shortbreads

Bakewell Muffins

Sunflower Seed Soda Bread 

Mocha Choca Madeleines w/Chocolate Dipping Sauce (recipe below)

Individual Apple Strudels

Spiced Sticky Toffee Pudding

Cherry Brandy and Brazil Nut Brownies

& all 8 cocktails (think some of these will be tested in a few weeks on my birthday)

Madeleines have been showing up everywhere and have been on my list of stuff “I must bake one day” for ages. So, after purchasing another special tin, much to my husband’s dismay, I made John’s …

Mocha Choca Madeleines w/Chocolate Dipping Sauce

100g salted butter

2 large eggs

100g caster sugar

1 ½ tsp instant freeze-dried coffee or 1 ½ tsp coffee extract

85g plain flour

15g cocoa powder

Pre-heat the oven to 190C/Gas5 and prep your madeleine tin. Just like when making anything in a mould it needs to be greased, usually with butter or odorless oil, then lightly dust flour and tap out excess. Done.

Melt the butter either on the hob or in the microwave just be sure not to let it boil.

Whisk together the eggs, sugar, and coffee until light, fluffy, and tripled in size. This is very easily done in a freestanding mixer, but possible using a hand-held electric whisk. Will take about 15 minutes give or take a few.

Sift the flour and cocoa powder into the egg mixture and carefully pour in the butter. Gently and John means very gently fold in the additions until smooth and silky.

Using a teaspoon fill the madeleine tin, about 2 tsp per mould. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the madeleines are slightly brown around the edges, John also says to turn them out of the tin as soon as they are baked or they will stick. It was my first ever time making them so I took his advice and they came out no problem!

To make the sauce whisk together 2 tbsp golden syrup, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, and 1 tbsp water.

Then dip and enjoy!!

These can be made in a shallow bun tin if you don’t want to buy yet another baking tin. I love to have any excuse to buy another tin, but that's just me! Just use about 2 ½ tsp of the mixture in each cavity and bake for a minute or two longer.

I was very pleased with these!! It was my first time every baking and trying madeleines! These ones were perfect: not too chocolaty, but a perfect amount to satisfy a craving. Also, I think the addition of coffee takes it up a notch. I made my own coffee extract ages ago, but I have seen it in online and in stores that sell baking stuff. Or use instant freeze-dried coffee like John says too! :0)

Ever since John was announced as the winner of last years Great British Bake Off; he seems to be everywhere! I stalk follow him on twitter and I can’t help wonder when he finds time to sleep? I also wonder what he’ll do next? If this book is anything to go on, we can only expect great things from him!

notes: book gifted by publishers

Weird and Wonderful Pancake Toppings!! {Guest Post}

Pancake Day is a few short days away. It is one of those days that always seems to creep up on me. I see all the pancake ingredients and pans for sale by the end of January and tell myself not to forget. I usually end up forgetting. Last year I ended up buying a few pre-packaged pancakes from M & S!! Which is silly as I usually have all the pancake stuff in the cupboard! Sometimes it comes down to time. 

Other people I know are all over Pancake Day and prepped and ready to go days in advance! If you are one of these people and looking for something fun and new to add to your pancakes Holly Arnold, Editor of Good to Know Recipes has a few ideas on how to top your pancakes!!

Once you've topped your pancakes you can send a picture on over to goodtoknow recipes and enter to win a prize! Full details here! Enjoy! ~ Lisa

Weird and Wonderful Pancake Toppings

By Holly Arnold, Recipes Editor, www.goodtoknow.co.uk

Pancake Day is coming and it’s time to talk toppings. While traditional lemon and sugar is always a winner, the simplicity of pancakes lends them to many interesting topping combinations and I've found that some obscure mixtures really do work together.

You've probably all heard of baking ham in Coca-Cola, but a really delicious idea is to add a fizzy drink to your pancake batter. Cream soda, Fanta and Dr Pepper all work really well and they taste super delicious when you serve them with ice-cream for a double sugar hit.

If you don’t like things too sweet, how about introducing a touch of spice? Chilli and chocolate is a tried and tested combination, which also translates well to pancakes. Toss a little cocoa powder in the batter with some chopped chilli or chilli powder and see who can handle the heat!

My next suggestion may seem bananas but it really does work! The Americans love to combine bacon with maple syrup, but if you add slices of banana to that duo, it tastes even more sensational.

As well as getting creative with toppings, there’s plenty of scope to get creative with decoration as well. I made this burger pancake in an instant – sandwiching two chocolate chip cookies between the pancakes.

Before you can start on your crazy combos, make sure you have a good pancake recipe - the rest is then up to you. Happy flipping!

notes from me: If you are in need of a pancake recipe please follow the link above! And if you're interested my silly post on M & S pre-packaged pancakes! Thank you Holly for the lovely guest post!! Hope to have you again sometime!! 

update: picked myself up a copy of the current mag! Inside there is an article titled "Stacks of Pancakes"! Plus plenty of more fun and creative ways to spruce up your pancakes here!!! Also if you happen to be an iPhone/iPad user you can take cake recipes with you every where! Check out their goodtoknow Cake Corner app!!