Frosé Sorbet

I think I can say with certainty that everyone is bored of being stuck inside, within our own four walls, bored of our new normal. With the weather being rather glorious right now, but being unable to enjoy it at all, I have been thinking about the summer and the hope that lockdown conditions might be eased enough that we will be somehow able to enjoy it. Because that dream isn’t possible right now I want to get us out of our homes through food. To let you imagine, even if only for a short while, that we are somewhere warm, relaxing by a pool with a glass of something chilled as we relax doing nothing. The dessert that I think gets us there is a summer sorbet served with a glass of crisp cold rosé or even better, combined together to make a ‘frose’ sorbet, a frozen rosé sorbet. Frosé was the drink that seemed to be everywhere last year and I thought right now was the perfect time to turn that idea into a dessert. This sorbet version, a blend of strawberries, pears and rosé is a wonderful fruit filled version of Frosé thats easy to make and low on ingredients.

Its a real simple dessert needing only 4 ingredients with minimal effort and skill. You do need an ice cream machine but ill talk about how to make the sorbet without a machine in the recipe. For the wine I would suggest using a crisp dry rose, something that isn’t super sweet as we don’t want to make make an overly sweet dessert, sorbet is on the sweeter side to start with. For the fruit it is also worth trying to use ripe strawberries and pears. There is nothing worse than a bland hard strawberry or a rock solid pear that tastes of nothing. Adding sugar to either won’t magically improve them, although it will obviously up the sweetness level, so try and use fruit that already tastes great.

Frosé Sorbet
Serves 6

600g strawberries
600g pears (I like Williams or conference)
300ml dry rosé wine
200g caster sugar

Making sorbet means we need to make two elements, a sugar syrup and a fruit puree. To make the syrup place the wine and sugar into a saucepan and place over medium/high heat. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring to help dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved cook for a couple minutes more until the mixture has reduced to about 350ml’s worth of liquid. Traditionally a sugar syrup is made with equal parts sugar and water but I wanted to increase the amount of flavour in the syrup so by starting with a greater amount of wine we can cook it for longer, reducing the water content but concentrating the wine flavour. Pour the syrup into a jug and set aside for the moment.

For the puree, cut off the stems from the strawberries and cut into quarters. For the pears, cut off the top and bottom, cut into quarters and remove the core. Place the fruit into a food processer or blender and puree until smooth. Pour the puree through a fine mesh sieve to remove any pulp or seeds. The remaining puree should weigh about 500g.

Pour the syrup into the puree and stir together to combine. If you want to make the recipe without even following a recipe I have a cool trick for you, a way to learn if the concentration of sugar is correct. If the sorbet doesn’t have enough sugar it will freeze more like ice and will give more of a granita like finish. If the sugar level is too high it won’t freeze properly and you’ll end up with a slushie. When you get the sugar levels just right you’ll have a beautifully smooth but scoopable sorbet. To test pour the sorbet base into a jug and then get a spotlessly clean egg, yes an egg really, and gently place it into the jug. If the egg sinks there isn’t enough sugar, it it floats well above the surface there is too much. What you’re looking for is the egg to be floating just enough that a little bit of it pokes above the surface, you should see a roughly 2.5cm wide circle of the egg peaking through the surface of the sorbet. Knowing this you can make a sorbet from any fruits without ever using a recipe.

Place the sorbet base into the fridge to cool for at least 4 hours. Chilling it before it’s churned means it will churn faster creating a nicer texture.

When ready to churn use the manufacturers instructions to churn in an ice cream machine. When soft but holding its shape, looking a little like a thick slushie, turn off the machine and scrape into a freezable container (I like to use loaf pans), cover and freeze for at least 4 hours or until solid.

Homemade sorbets don’t last as long as ice cream so this needs to be consumed within a few days of making.

Making Sorbet Without An Ice Cream Machine

Make as above but when it comes to churning pour the chilled base into the loaf pan and place straight into the freezer. Every 30 minutes or so take the sorbet out of the freezer and use a fork to stir the sorbet, breaking up any big icy patches before returning to the freezer. Repeat this process until the sorbet is almost frozen then leave in the freezer until firm. The resulting sorbet won’t be as smooth as one made with a machine but it will still be a wonderful homemade dessert perfect for warm summer days.

Vanilla and Tonka Bean Ice Cream

Ice cream is one of those dishes that I turn to for comfort. Doesn’t matter the season, doesn’t matter the flavour, the process of making it and then the enjoyment from eating it, is a particularly comforting one. I don’t know how you’re all doing right now, I hope you’re staying safe and not going stir crazy stuck at home, but I’ve found myself in a weird place. Some days I’m fine, keeping busy with the few bits of work I've managed to save, and some days like today I wake up at 5.30 in the morning full of anxiety and stress. So I made ice cream. I know in some parts of the world eggs seem scare right now and if thats the case can I suggest this no churn ice cream instead, no eggs required. Scarcity was an issue here in London too, a couple weeks ago, but thankfully the panic buying and hoarding seems to have quieted down a little and all the ingredients needed have become plentiful again.

For the flavour, I wanted nostalgia and simplicity so I made a vanilla enriched base, using the vanilla beans because really what else am I saving them for. When I grabbed the vanilla from my newly organised baking cupboard (quarantine made me do it, or at least gave me a lack of excuses not to do it) I remembered I had a little jar of tonka beans, hidden and neglected in the back. Every time I use tonka I remember how much I love it but I rarely use it because it’s not widely available and I don’t like using lots of ingredients that are harder to track down so forgive my indulgence today you can leave it out if you prefer. Tonka has a unique flavour, a mash up of vanilla and spice. Its a strong flavour and needs to be used sparingly but it can really elevate a dish and make it wonderfully special. Paired with the vanilla of this dish it makes the ice cream a little more complex and rounds out the flavour, if you have some give it a try, if you don’t have some and self isolation’s got you bored maybe order some and have a play with a new ingredient.

Before we get to the recipe I wanted to talk about something a little more serious. I am a self employed food writer and unsurprisingly most of my work for the year basically vanished in a flash. I want to keep producing work for you guys, I want to give a place to come to for fun recipes you can make whilst we’re all stuck at home, and I want to produce content that you can escape with for a bit, but for that I need you’re help and support. I’ve decided to start a patreon and it will be an extension of the site. There is exclusive recipes, bonus episodes of my podcast, live hangouts and more as I think of it. I have kept the price really low and of course if you cant support I completely understand and don’t worry I’ll still be posting regular new recipes here and hanging out over on instagram. But, if you can support me, I would be forever grateful. The next recipe is online today and it is the cookies I used to turn this ice cream into an ice cream sandwich, it's a caramelised oatmeal and milk chocolate cookie, and its a bit special.

https://www.patreon.com/theboywhobakes 

Vanilla and Tonka Bean Ice Cream

300ml whole milk
450ml double cream
125g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod
1/2 tonka bean
6 large egg yolks
Pinch of salt

To make the ice cream in large saucepan place the milk, cream, half the sugar, the vanilla beans scraped from the pod (throw the pod in too), and grate in the tonka bean too. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat and pop the lid on the pan, setting aside for an hour so the vanilla and tonka can do their thing and infuse the dairy.

Once the hour is up place pan back on the heat and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile place the egg yolks, the salt and the remaining sugar into a large bowl and whisk together until the yolks are pale. Whilst continuing to whisk slowly pour in the milk mixture. This whisking helps prevent the eggs from scrambling and the slow pour helps gently increase the temperature of the eggs. Pour the custard back into the pan and over low heat, cook stirring constantly with a silicon spatula, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the custard reaches 75-80C and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour the custard into a bowl, through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps, and place the bowl into a large bowl filled with ice. Stir the custard for a few minutes until cooled to room temperature then press a sheet of clingfilm onto the surface of the custard, to prevent a skin for forming, and chill for at least four hours but preferably over night. This chilling does two things, it allows the flavours to enhance further plus cooling the custard down means when churning the ice cream is formed quicker which improves the texture.

When thoroughly chilled churn using an ice cream machine, referring to the manufacturers instructions. Scrape the finished ice cream into a sealable container and freeze until solid. Homemade ice cream is best within a couple weeks.

The recipe for the cookies in the pictures, a caramelised oatmeal and milk chocolate cookie, is online now on my patreon page.

Coffee Caramel Flan

I feel like throwing recipes out into the void of the internet is a bit strange right now, it feels at once both redundant and hopeful. Baking is my job, and that includes this site, so to stop working risks my livelihood and my future. Having already lost a significant portion of work I feel like I have to keep pushing, even if it feels a bit weird right now. Does that make sense? I’ve also tried to have a dialogue with you guys over on instagram to see what you’re thinking and what you need right now. Overwhelmingly you told me that you’re baking through your stress and that watching my regular stories on baking is a nice little escape, so I am going to continue posting new recipes and try and make this a happy place for you to come and lose yourself for a little bit. I will also try and develop recipes that are easy, use minimal ingredients and can be made without issue right now. One of the main things you wanted was a sourdough bake-a-long so thats going to start on Saturday morning. If you want to get prepared you can of course read the guides I already have on here, come Saturday the only thing you will need is a jar with a lid and a bag of bread flour. So come join me every morning on instagram for a little social baking.

Todays recipe was obviously developed before this virus became as big of a deal as it now is so if you cant get all of the ingredients right now maybe bookmark it and come back for something else another time.

Comfort is a word I throw around a lot. Baking seems to have comfort inherently built in for me, for you too I’d wager. It’s a treat, a thing for special occasions or even that thing we do to boost our spirits. Some recipes do seem to have an abundance of comfort and flan, creme caramel, purin or whatever you want to call this style of set custard seems to be at the height of comfort. I can’t quite place my finger on why though, maybe it’s because it’s familiar and something from childhood, maybe its because its custard and custard is just a mainstay of comforting desserts, maybe it’s the soft wobbly texture, who knows. Whatever the reason, it’s a dish that can warm the soul and right now that’s all that matters to me.

For my version I wanted to add a coffee element so there is one additional step compared to the classic recipe, the dairy is first steeped with freshly ground coffee. If you prefer to keep the custards more classic feel free to skip this step but I love the extra flavour it adds.

Coffee Caramel Flan
Makes 6

Caramel
150g caster sugar
25ml water 

Coffee Custard
550ml whole milk
175ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
30g freshly ground coffee
125g caster sugar
5 large eggs
1/4 tsp salt

For this recipe I used 6 round moulds, which are sold as small pie tins. It makes wide flat custards that are about 4 inches wide. You can also make these in classic dariole moulds or ramekins. If making them in dariole moulds (small pudding basins) you may get 1 or 2 extra flans. Spray each mould with a little spray oil or lightly grease with a little softened butter.

Place the sugar and water for the caramel into a small saucepan and place over medium heat and cook, swirling occasionally but definitely not stirring, until the sugar has dissolved, the mixture is bubbling and eventually turns to a rich golden brown. For this style of custard I like to take the custard to a pretty dark colour so it has that identifiable edge to it I expect from flan. Once at the desired colour add an extra tablespoon of hot water to thin the caramel a little (be careful, the water will make the caramel bubble violently). Divide the caramel evenly between the prepared moulds and set aside for the moment.

To make the flan we need to first infuse the coffee flavour into the dairy. Add the milk, cream, vanilla and half of the sugar into a medium sized saucepan and add the coffee. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and set aside for about 30 minutes to allow to infuse. 

Note: for the coffee you can use any form of real coffee, whether you grind it fresh or whether you have ready ground in your pantry. Ideally you want the coffee medium ground so it can be strained out but even if you use coffee finely ground for espresso (like I did with the version in the pictures) it’ll taste delicious you may just have a few smaller grains in the end product, which I actually don’t mind. If you only have instant you will be able to use it but it wont need infusing, just bring the dairy to a simmer and mix in coffee a lit bit at a time, adding enough until it tastes as  strong as you prefer.

Preheat the oven to 150ºC.

Bring the coffee mixture back to a simmer. Once at temperature pour the dairy through a fine mesh sieve to remove as much of the ground coffee as poissible. Place the eggs, salt and remaining sugar into a large bowl and whisk together just to combine. Your aim here is to combine everything without adding any air, bubbles are the enemy of a silky smooth custard. Pour the infused dairy into the eggs, as you stir constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling. 

Divide the custard evenly between the moulds. If there are bubbles on the surface of the custard you can help them disappear by lightly waving a kitchen blowtorch over the surface and you’ll see any visible bubbles pop. 

Cover each mould with a small piece of foil and place the custards into a large roasting tray (I use a 9x13 brownie tin) with a kitchen towel lining the base of the tin. Place the tin into the oven and carefully pour boiling water into the tin, adding enough to go about 1/2 way up the sides of the moulds. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes or until the custards are set around the outside with just a little wobble in the middle. Remove the tin from the oven and allow the custards to cool in the water for 30 minutes before removing and allowing to cool to room temperature. Once room temperature place the custards in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

To serve, dip each mould in hot water for 5-10 seconds to loosen. Use a very thin knife to loosen the sides of the custard from the moulds and then invert onto a plate to serve. 

Once made they can be kept in the fridge for a couple days before turning out of the moulds to serve. 

Banana Pancakes with Passion Fruit Butterscotch Sauce

This post is sponsored by Doves Farm Organic Flour

How can anyone dislike a holiday that is celebrated with the eating of pancakes? I for one can absolutely get behind this day. Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, the day goes by different names depending on where in the world you live but the one thing that stays the same is we all celebrate the day by eating fatty foods before the fasting of lent begins. Generally this means we enjoy sweeter treats, that might be King Cake, Semla, Malasadas or even…omelettes. Okay I’ll admit that last one doesn’t quite follow the pattern. Here in the UK we generally stick to the classic pancakes. Traditionally this would be in the form of crepes, thin French style pancakes, and quite often the filling would be incredibly simple and, at its most classic, the British version is served with lemon juice and sugar. Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with this classic dish, I love it, it’s nostalgic, it’s what I grew up with. But, when I am making the pancakes myself, I quite often turn to a more American style pancake, thick and fluffy, and topped with all manner of delicious things. For this year’s pancakes I stuck with my favourite fluffy pancakes but I made them with mashed bananas and Khorasan flour giving them a wonderful banana bread flavour and served them with one of my favourite things, a passion fruit spiked butterscotch sauce, a fabulous twist on the classic stack of pancakes. 

What is Khorasan Flour

These pancakes use Doves Farm Organic Stoneground KAMUT® Khorasan Wholemeal Flour to give a boost of flavour. Khorasan (KAMUT® is the registered brand name of the flour) is an ancient grain that is thought to be a distant relative of Durum Wheat (which is maybe why it’s very well suited to making pasta). The flavour is rich and creamy, almost buttery. Like spelt it can produce soft and tender bakes but when used as the sole flour can also make recipes a little crumbly. Khorasan is said to have been found in the tomb of an Egyptian pharaoh, giving it the nickname king tut’s grain, it was also said to have been carried on the ark by Noah, giving it a second nickname of the prophets wheat. Whilst these are likely nothing more than fancy storytelling I love a product with a good backstory and have you ever heard of another flour having nicknames? I certainly haven't. Whilst these stories link the flour to having a middle eastern origin these days the flour is only grown in US and Western Canada, cultivated since the 1970’s. The flour is also higher in protein, fibre and many minerals compared to modern wheat.

How to Bake with Khorasan 

I find that Khorasan is similar in application to Spelt, you can use a relatively high proportion of the flour without any negative issues. Using Khorasan for 50% of the flour called for in a given recipe works well without noticeable problems. Used in bread recipes it can make for tender but more dense loaves. Like with some of the other ancient grains I have been using recently, Khorasan is a little more absorbent than modern wheat flour so you may need to up the moisture content a little. When using a new grain for the first time it can be advisable to substitute the wheat flour with smaller percentages of the ancient grain, testing how it behaves in your recipe. I always suggest using 20% of the overall flour called for in a recipe as a good starting point. 

Doves Farm Organic Stoneground KAMUT® Khorasan Wholemeal Flour is available from Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose & Partners, and direct from Doves Farm

Khorasan Banana Pancakes with Passion Fruit Butterscotch Sauce
Makes 8-10 pancakes (serves 4)

Banana Pancakes
150g Doves Farm Organic Stoneground KAMUT® Khorasan Wholemeal Flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
125g bananas, (weighed without the peel)
2 large eggs
40g caster sugar
25g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
150ml whole milk

Passion Fruit Butterscotch Sauce
165g light brown sugar
165g unsalted butter
Pinch of salt
75ml double cream
50g passion fruit pulp

To make the butterscotch sauce, place the sugar and butter into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until the butter has melted and the two ingredients have combined into a caramel like sauce. Once bubbling cook for a couple minutes more before adding the salt and cream and cooking for a further 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Take of the heat and stir in the passion fruit pulp. Set aside to cool slightly before using. If you like, you can also add sliced banana to the sauce when adding the cream.

To make the pancake batter place the Doves Farm Wholemeal Khorasan Flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl and whisk together to combine. 

In a separate bowl mash the bananas with a fork until only small lumps remain. Add the eggs, sugar and butter and mix together until smooth. Add the milk and mix until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together briefly just until smooth and combined. 

To cook place a non-stick pan over a low/medium heat. Using piece of kitchen roll lightly coat the pan with a little oil. Add a spoonful of dough to the pan and spread into a thin disc. Cook until bubbles that hold their shape when they pop form around the edges of the pancake, flip and cook for about 30 seconds more. After the first pancake you shouldn’t need to grease the pan again. 

Serve warm with a large spoonful of the caramel