Cheesecake

"Creamy, with a hint of an orange zest, simply delightful dessert. I like my cheesecake dusted with a powder sugar, but it is as good as with a dark-chocolate glaze!"

Serves 8-10

750g white cheese

1 cup caster sugar

8 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

zest of 1 orange

3 tablespoons potato or sweet corn starch (flour)

Method

Position the baking shelf in the middle of the oven. Grease the inside of the baking tray (26cm diameter) with butter (you can also use baking paper instead of the butter). Preheat the oven to 200C (conventional oven).

For the cheesecake mixture, beat the cheese, egg yolks, vanilla, flour and orange zest with a hand mixer until creamy.

In a separate large bowl whisk the egg whites with an electric beater. Gradually add sugar (a couple of tablespoons at a time) and whisk well between each spoon addition. Egg whites are ready when stiff and glossy     and stand up in peaks. Gently mix the whisked egg whites with the cheese mixture adding the egg whites gradually to the cheese. Spoon the mixture onto the baking tray and bake for about 45-50min. When ready, turn the temperature off and leave the cheesecake in the oven for about 30min (oven's door closed). Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it rest in a room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Rosemary crème brûlée

"A delicious classic french dessert with a hint of rosemary."  

Serves 4  

500ml double cream (36%-48%) 

100g caster sugar 

6 egg yolks

50g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod (sliced lengthways)
5 branches of fresh rosemary, chopped

Method:

Preheat the oven to 150C. Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar together in a bowl until pale and creamy. Set aside. Put the cream, vanilla and rosemary in a pan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and pour it over the egg mixture. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, then divide between 6 ramekins or other small dishes. Place the ramekins into a baking tray and pour in hot water up to the 1/2 of the ramekins height (bain-marie). Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in a room temperature.

Before serving, sprinkle with sugar over the crème brûlée and then caramelize with a blowtorch. Leave to cool until the sugar hardens. 

Brownie

"Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate....For the chocolate lovers there is nothing better than brownies. Try this recipe with nuts, sun-dried fruits or chocolate chips. This time I baked brownie in muffin forms - so there is no need to dividing it into portions."

Serves 20 (muffins)
200g dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
6 eggs
100g plain flour
300g caster sugar
200g butter
2 handfuls of nuts, sun-dried fruits, chocolate chips (optional)

Method
Preheat the oven to 175C. In a bowl, melt the chocolate and butter in bain-marie. In a large bowl whisk the eggs with sugar with an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Add the flour and chocolate-butter mixture and mix it all together using a spoon or a hand egg-whisker. Add nuts, fruits or chips and gently mix with a hand spatula.

Grease a baking tray (35cmx55cm) with butter and spoon the mixture over it. If you use muffin forms spoon the mixture up to the 2/3 of the forms height. Bake for approximately 40 minutes but check before turing the oven off with a wooden stick e.g. chopsticks if its dry inside (stab the top of the cake gently in the middle).