Tag Archives: gelatine

Here I Come!


I will definitely eat this, at its own home. Soon. Even if it’s going to be in my kitchen. I did this years ago, and I was a bit disappointed. The form collapsed but the taste was good, so it was ok in the end. I used the recipe from ‘The Practical Encyclopedia of East European Cooking’, 1999. Location: London.

What memories I’ve got from London! I can talk for days and not get tired. One of this memories is this cool dessert just perfect for these hot days. This dessert is very romantic for me, so I see it eaten with someone I love, or you love and love and love…

Bavarian Cream

Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 300 ml (1/2 pint, 1 1/4) cups single cream
  • 15 ml ( 1 tbsp) powdered gelatine
  • 45 ml (3 tbsp) milk
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 50 g (2 oz, 1/4) cup caster sugar
  • 300 ml (1/2 pint, 1 1/4) cups double cream
  • chocolate leaves and a sprinkling of cocoa powder, to decorate

Method:

  • Put the vanilla pod and single cream into a small pan. Slowly bring to the boil, then turn off the heat, cover and infuse for 30 minutes. Remove the pod – rinsed well and dried, it can be stored and used again.
  • Sprinkle the gelatine over the milk and leave to soften.
  • Lightly whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar together in a heatproof bowl.  Bring the single cream almost to the boil again, then whisk into the egg mixture.
  • Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and cook the custard, stirring, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat, add the soaked gelatine and stir until dissolved.
  • Strain the custard into a clean bowl. Cover with a piece of wet greaseproof paper, to prevent a skin forming and leave to cool.
  • Whip the double cream in a bowl until it just holds soft peaks, then fold it into the cooled custard.
  • Rinse individual moulds or a 1.2 litre (2 pint, 5) cup ring or fancy mould with water. Pour in the cream mixture and chill for at least 4 hours, or until set.
  • To unmould the Bavarian cream, dip the mould right up to the rim in very hot water for about 5 seconds. Place a serving plate on top, then quickly invert the mould and remove. Decorate with chocolate leaves and a sprinkling of cocoa powder.

Bon appetite!

Strawberries For You And For Me


Yes, this is a very tasty dessert for two. Or more. The moment I have made this recipe I fell in love with cheesecake. My favorite cheesecake is the strawberry one, but you can do it with other fruits like mangoes, bananas, kiwi or all at once. Be creative. I have to say one thing. There are a lot of utensils to wash after the fun in the kitchen, so just ask your significant one to do it for you. Joking. But a little help is always welcomed. Another thing I have discovered and liked was digestive biscuits, especially those with dark chocolate.

The recipe is taken from “Good Housekeeping, Cookery Book”, 1985.  You know what is my favorite part? Eating the cheesecake. 😉 So please, won’t you make it for me, once? Please! 🙂

Strawberry Cheesecake

Serves 8

Ingredients:

  • 75 g (3 oz) butter (don’t fool yourself with margarine)
  • 175 g (6o oz) chocolate digestive biscuits, finely crushed (try dark chocolate ones)
  • 50 g (2 oz) desiccated coconut (if you don’t like it, skip this one)
  • 250 g strawberries (or 2 medium mangoes, or 2 bananas or 5 kiwi fruit, etc)
  • 150 ml (1/4 pint) pure orange juice (you know you can make your own)
  • 30 ml (2 level tbsp) gelatine
  • 350 g (12 oz) full fat soft cheese (I use 2 Philadelphia cream cheese, plain)
  • 100 g (4 oz) caster sugar
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice
  • 300 ml (10 fl oz) double cream
  • 3 strawberries to decorate (or 3 kiwi fruit)

Method:

  • Lightly oil a 22 cm (8 1/2 inch) spring release cake tin. Base-line with greaseproof paper and grease the paper. If you ask me, I would choose a rather larger cake tin, let’s say about 25 cm, or an oval/ round Jena glassware. And no grease or greaseproof paper at all.
  • Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the biscuit crumbs and coconut. Press into the base of the prepared tin. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  • Wash the strawberries and mash them or use the blender for a short while. You don’t want strawberry juice. With mangoes you have to peel them cut the flesh from the flat oval stone, discard the stone and roughly chop or mash the flesh. With bananas or kiwi you can apply the same treatment.
  • Put the orange juice into a bowl and sprinkle in the gelatine and leave to soak for a few minutes. Place over a pan of simmering water and stir until dissolved. Leave to cool for 5 minutes.
  • Beat the cheese and sugar until smooth, then beat in the egg yolks and lemon juice. Stir in the strawberries and gelatine mixture. Lightly whip the cream and fold into the mixture. By now you have used a lot of utensils. Told you so! 😉 Oh, you can taste a bit.
  • Whisk the egg whites until stiff and carefully fold into the cheese mixture. Pour into the prepared tin  (this part is not for mature, busy, angry, over-worked adults: leave a little cream in the bowl and use your fingers to clean it or ask the children to do that and have some fun) and place in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours until firm. Or make the cheesecake in the evening and leave it over night in the refrigerator.
  • To serve, carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin. Decorate with strawberries (or kiwi fruit). Now you can enjoy yourselves. 🙂

Bon appetite!