Pineapple flambĂ©ed with cointreau

I love to do this recipe with peaches in summer. But since we’re now at the end of summer, the peaces have finished and we opt for other fruit. Pineapple, with its slightly tangy taste is a good substitute for peaches. See this post for a grape version.

Recipe:

  1. 1 large pineapple
  2. juice of 1 lemon
  3. 1 vanilla pod
  4. 50 ml sugar
  5. 2 TBSP butter
  6. 50 ml Cointreau
  7. 200 ml greek yogurt
  8. 200 ml mascarpone
  • Add the sugar, butter and lemon juice to a saute pan.
  • Cut the pineapple into bitesize pieces.
  • Cut the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds.
  • Add the pineapple and vanilla seeds with the seed pod to the sugar mixture in the pan.
  • Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes until the pineapple starts getting tranlucent and the syrup gets thick.
  • Pour 50 ml of Cointreau over the pineapples and set alight to flambĂ©e the mixture.
  • When the flames have died down,remove the vanilla pod and leave the pineapples to cool down slightly.
  • Mix together the greek jogurt and mascarpone until smooth.
  • Serve the pineapple still warm with a dollop of jogurt and mascarpone.

Serves 6

Cut the pineapple into bite size pieces.

Pour some Cointreau or Armagnac over the hot pineapples.

Set alight to flame.

To set food alight, is something everybody always enjoy. With ooh and aahs, mesmerized by the flames licking the food, we stare at the show. It can of course be very dangerous and not at all should children be allowed to do it. For those inexperienced, don’t do it like you see chefs doing it on television with big drama and whooshing  flames up to the ceiling. With 50 ml of alcohol at 40 percent, you already get a spectacular flame. Don’t lean over the casserole you are about to flambĂ© and stand far enough away, but still close enough to have control on what you are doing. You can pour a little alcohol into  stainless steel soup ladle with long handle to heat up directly over a flame and light up, then pour the burning alcohol over the pan for effect. Or you can add the alcohol to the warm grapes and then set alight. In both cases, switch off all other gas flames on the stove, stay away from candles and any other flames. If you feel unsure, skip the flambĂ© step. just pour in the Cointreau alcohol over the grapes and let it cook for about 3-4 minutes for the alcohol to cook off. Enjoy and be safe above all else!

Orange flower cake and garden corners in December.

This is a very easy, very delicious, seasonal dessert.

  • 280 g ground almonds
  • 220 g sugar
  • 200 g soft butter
  • 100 g all purpose flour
  • 5 eggs
  • 2 oranges
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 tsp orange flower water
  • 2 tbsp honey
  1. Preheat the oven to 160degr C.
  2. Grease a pan of 35x24cm.
  3. Zest the one orange and lemon . Bueat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the zest.
  4. Add the eggs one by one alternating with the ground almonds.
  5. Add the flour.
  6. Pour the preparation into the greased pan and even out the top.
  7. Bake at 160 degr C for 30 minute or until a skewer comes out clean when piercing the cake.
  8. Prepare the syrup: Mix the juice of the two oranges, the lemon and two tsp of orange flower water and 2 tsp of honey unntil the sugar has completely dissolved. Baste the cake with the syrup until all the syrup is absorbed by the cake.
  9. Zest the an orange and sprinkle over the cake.
  10. Serve with some whipped cream on the side.

How time has flown by. We are at the end of 2019 with a few weeks left before we start the new year. My garden also realizes that we are in December.

A few chicks made their appearance late in the season and now they have to grow fast to outrun the cold coming.

Some garden lantens not yet packed away, a broken pot with water and a forgotten garden bistro chair.

An ever so proud rooster on the garden table.

Seedlings to be covered soon, a wire basket to be filled with butternut from the potager and a garden lamp.

In the potager, late tomatoes , butternuts and rhubarb await action.

The geese are ever present in every corner of the garden.

And the horses are amused by what’s happening around them.

Wood forthe fireplace on the chilly evenings.