Posted on by Myfrenchkitchen

Nectarines with a rosé wine syrup

There is no greater satisfaction than coming home from the market with a basket packed full of seasonal delights….like peaches of all sorts and nectarines, all at their peak right now. I hardly get time to do something with them, they disappear fresh into a mouth as soon as they hit the fruit bowl on the dresser. Yesterday I kept four aside with the intention of making this light and fresh dessert. I ended up eating them fresh myself. But I managed to get hold of four ones.

A recipe from  Cape Town food by Phillippa Cheifitz which I adapted a bit.

Nectarines with a rosé wine syrup

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  • 4 ripe nectarines: washed, unpeeled, halved and seeded
  • 1 cup of water
  • 2 cups of dry rosé wine
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1 vanilla pod, cut in half and seeds scraped
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • a handful of summer berries of your choice
  • mint leaves
  1. Bring the water, wine, sugar, vanilla pod and seeds and cinnamon stick to the boil in a large saucepan and simmer until the sugar has dissolved.
  2. Add the nectarines and immerse completely in the syrup, cut side down. Simmer gently for about 6 minutes, depending on the size of the nectarines. They should still have some firmness. Remove from the syrup.
  3. Reduce the wine syrup over high heat until slightly thickened.
  4. Pour over the nectarines and keep in cool place to infuse. If desired, it kan be refrigerated, until served. I prefer it room temperature.
  5. Serve 2 halves in a pretty bowl, drizzle some syrup over and decorate with some summerberries of your choice and a mint leaf.

                                                                   Serves 4

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 dsc_0030-1.jpgdsc_0030-1.jpgCommentaires

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–>OH MY GRACIOUS!!!! I AM SALIVATING ON MY KEYBOARD!!! GLORIOUS! SIMPLY ELEGANT!

Posté par lin, 24-07-2007 à 14:31

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–>Oh there are few things I love more than nectarines! They are so versatile and yet so fabulous eaten just as they are. I am trying to eat them as often as possibel while the season lasts. In fact, inspired by something I saw on your blog last week, I made nectarine quarters wrapped in Spanish ham and grilled as a starter this weekend – will let you know when I post about it 🙂

Posté par Jeanne, 24-07-2007 à 18:06

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–>Thanks Lin..oh dear, hope your keyboard’s OK, hie hie..
Jeanne, oh I will keep an eye out, it sounds great…glorious combination.
Ronell

Posted on by Myfrenchkitchen

Decadent chocolate cake

Baked for a friend’s brithday. He adores rich, heavy chocolate cakes. So I baked him one. The one day it was still under the cloche on the dresser, the next morning it was gone. We had eaten the birthday cake at midnight. So I had to bake another one.

Decadent chocolate cake

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  • 250 ml ( 1 cup)plain flour
  • 125 ml (1/2 cup) cacao powder
  • 62,5 ml (1/4 cup) jam of your choice ( I prefer apricot)
  • 250 ml (1 cup) castor sugar
  • 125 g (about 4 1/2oz ) butter
  • 4 large eggs, seperated
  • extra jam of your choice, heated for easier brushing
  • 125 g ( about 4 1/2 oz) dark chocolate
  • 125 ml (1/2 cup) thick cream
  • a knob of butter
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
  2. Line and a 20 cm round cake tin with baking powder and butter.
  3. Sift the cacao and flour together in a mixing bowl.
  4. Combine the sugar, jam and butter and melt over low heat(on the stove or in the microwave), stirring frequently, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
  5. Add the melted sugar mixture into the flour, add the eggs yolks and mix well.
  6. Beat the egg whites in a bowl until soft peaks form. Fold into the cake mixture.
  7. Pour into the prepared cake tin. Bake for 40 minutes or until a testing skewer pulls out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake. Leave to cool and turn out onto a wire rack.
  8. Ganache topping: Combine the chocolate and cream and heat over low heat (on tove or in the microwave, stirring often) until melted. Take off the heat and whisk in the knob of butter until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
  9. To assemble: Cut the cake horizontally into two or three layers using a long serrated knife, depending on your desire. Brush each layer with some heated jam of your choice, assemble and brush the top and sides with jam as well. While still on a wire rack, pour the ganache topping over the cake and smooth the top and sides with a spatula. Allow to set before decorating and transferring to a plate.
  10. Chocolate shavings: melt dark chocolate over low heat and pour onto a cool, flat surface. Place into the refigerator to become hard. Using a sharp knife scrape at an angle of about 45 degrees over the chocolate spread away from you. You can use an ice cream scoop for thicker and biffer curls. Refrigerate the shavings between baking paper until needed.
  11. Use for decoration on your chocolate cake and finish off with a touch of silver leaf or gold leaf.

a medium cake

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Commentaires

Yummy…

That cake looks so good right now… and I love the picture. It looks like those two angels are about to dive in and take a nice big bite!!!!

Posté par Marinell, 23-07-2007 à 15:14

–>Oh Ronell, what a heavenly picture of a chocolate cake that is! I am going to have to try that sometime. Btw, I have tagged you for a meme – details on my blog today. Pls don’t feel obliged though 🙂

Posté par Jeanne, 23-07-2007 à 19:25

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–>Thanks MArinell..yip, I never saw that and you’re right, they look like they’re just making up their mind!
Thanks Jeanne…also for the tag. Why not!? will have a look at your blog, thanks.
Ronell