Moroccan Inspired Dates And Orange Cake

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Moroccan Inspired Dates And Orange Cake

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https://kitchenbaroness.wordpress.com/

This is a moist orangey cake that is studded with dates. It is a cake you want to eat when you are tired of another run of the mill cake. 

This Dates And Orange Cake is what I would term an honest cake. There is no cream, no frosting or any other embellishment. What you see is what you get and it is terribly good. The only exception I make when it so suits me is to dust some icing sugar.

I was given a lovely Le Creuset tagine one Christmas. There was a recipe for this cake in the little recipe booklet that came with it. I have adapted that recipe. After baking 5 cakes, I now have a lighter, higher rising and more moist cake that I prefer. 

What of the tagine? It is hibernating in the kitchen cupboard. At some point in time I will retry cooking my stews in the tagine. Not as easy as you might think. I do better with my pot over the stove. It is a beautiful looking tagine though.

This is a relatively fool proof cake to bake. As it tastes even better the next day, this is a good 'make it ahead' cake.

MOROCCAN INSPIRED DATES AND ORANGE CAKE        

Prep:	30 minutes
Cook:	45 minutes
Inactive:	2 hours to overnight
Level:	Moderately easy
Makes:	Serves approximately 10 to 12 persons.
Oven Temperature:	360F (180C)
Can recipe be doubled?	No
Make ahead?	Definitely. Keeps well refrigerated up to 5 days tightly wrapped. Let it come to room temperature before eating.

Ingredients

The cake batter

7.93 oz (225g) 1 cup unsalted butter

7.93 oz (225g) 1 cup caster sugar

3/4 cup lightly beaten eggs (about 3 large size)

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

2 Tablespoons orange zest

From approximately 2 large oranges, you will also need the juice of these oranges.

2 Tablespoons orange juice (strained of pulp and seeds)

Taken from the juice of the 2 large oranges referred to above. Set aside the rest of the strained juice as you will need it to make the orange syrup.

2 Tablespoons yogurt

Scroll down to 'Tips' for suggestions to use up any excess yogurt.

2 cups (9oz) (250g) all-purpose/plain flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Reduce to 1/2 teaspoon if you are using salted butter.

7oz (200g) dates (weight before being pitted)

1/2 Tablespoon all-purpose/plain flour for dusting dates

1/2 Tablespoons flaked almonds (optional)

The orange syrup

7 Tablespoons icing sugar*

7 Tablespoons orange juice (strained of pulp and seeds)*

* If you have less than 7 Tablespoons of orange juice (from the 2 oranges), don't worry. Use whatever amount of orange juice you have and add the equivalent of icing sugar to make the orange syrup. 

If you have more than 7 Tablespoons of orange juice, reserve the excess. You might need it to make more syrup should you want your cake more moist.

Method

The cake batter

Turn on the oven to 360F (180C) and adjust the oven rack to lower middle position.

Before starting, all your ingredients should be at room temperature. 

To bake this cake, I use my 10.5" (26.67cm) X 5" (12.7cm) X 5.5" (13.97cm) Pullman loaf pan (without the sliding lid). This is a larger size loaf pan. 

Butter, flour and line the loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside. Refer to the photograph below to see how I line my loaf pan.

If you are using a different sized baking loaf or a cake pan, do adjust the baking times accordingly. 

Dust the 1/2 Tablespoon flour over the pitted dates and toss to coat completely. Set aside.

Attach whisk attachment to the beater shaft of your mixer. 

With machine at medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until light and creamy. Stop machine, with a spatula, scrape bottom and sides of mixer bowl to ensure even mixing. Mix another 1 minute. At this point, your batter should leave a ribbon trail when you lift your whisk up. All this should take you about 2 to 3 minutes.

With machine at medium speed, add 1/4 cup of the eggs and beat 1 minute.  Stop the machine, lift whisk and scrape bottom and sides of bowl to quickly and evenly incorporate batter. Turn the machine back on to medium speed. Add the next 1/4 cup of eggs and repeat process. Do the same for the last 1/4 cup of eggs. 

After the final scraping of the bottom and sides of the mixer bowl, turn the machine back on to medium high speed and let it run for 1 additional minute to totally incorporate eggs.

With the machine running, add the yogurt, vanilla essence, orange zest, and 2 Tablespoons orange juice. Mix about 2 minutes. Stop machine, scrape and incorporate again.

Remove mixer bowl. 

With a long and wide metal spoon or spatula, fold in flour in 3 intervals. This usually takes me 1 minute. Flour has to be almost and not completely incorporated into batter before you add in the next batch of flour.

Incorporating flour the first time. Flour clearly visible on batter.

Incorporating flour the second time. A little less flour visible on batter.

Incorporating flour the third time. Almost no flour is visible on batter but there will be flour on the sides of the bowl.

Incorporate the flour on the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Just a few quick scrapes will do. Set aside.

Distribute 2/3 of the cake batter into the prepared loaf tin. Stud them with the dusted pitted dates.

Cover with the remaining 1/3 cake batter. Even out the top. If you want to add the flaked almonds, sprinkle the 1/2 Tablespoon of flaked almonds down the middle length of the cake. Do not be tempted to add more as it will weigh down the cake and the cake might cave in the middle.

Bake at 360F (180C) for 45 minutes.

To test if cake is done, insert a skewer. If it comes out clean, it is done. If not bake another 5 minutes and retest.

Remove to a cooling rack and let it cool before removing. 

The orange syrup

Mix the icing sugar with the orange juice and stir to dissolve.

Drizzling the orange syrup

Tear off an arm length worth of plastic wrap and set it on your work surface.

Use the overhang of the parchment paper to lift the cake out from the loaf pan and back on to the cooking rack.

Remove parchment paper and set the cake in the centre of the plastic wrap.

Drizzle some of the orange syrup over the entire top surface of the cake. Once the syrup has soaked in from the top, repeat the same process for the side lengths of the cake. 

Fold the plastic wrap over the cake and use more plastic wrap to secure it snugly.

Leave it to soak for 2 hours or overnight before slicing.

This cake taste best at room temperature.

Tips

• This is an excellent cake to make ahead.

After a few days of keeping, you might want to add a bit more orange syrup. It really depends on how moist you would like the cake. Reseal tightly with plastic wrap and I always keep mine refrigerated. 

• This cake went to a party

This is a fuss free way to take a cake to a party. 

You save on a cake box, a cake board, and instead of hunting for an appropriate serving plate at your guest's home, take your own there. As I wanted to dust the cake with icing sugar, I bagged my own and incorporate it in with the twine. 

At a busy party, save your host and yourself the hassle and bring everything you need to serve the cake.

• What to do with the excess yogurt?

- Hamburger Buns, Savoury Buns

Use it to make these sturdy and soft buns. Substitute the milk in that recipe with yogurt. The recipe is found in my Hamburger Buns, Savoury Buns post. It will have the same texture and will have an almost indiscernible tang from the yogurt. These buns go very well with anything sandwiched in between them.

-  Sweet Yogurt Drink, Sweet Lassi

A simple and wonderful way to use up yogurt. This Sweet Lassi is a thirst quencher that I sometimes order at Indian restaurants and especially when I am eating something particularly spicy! No real recipe needed here. Just a ratio.

2/3 yogurt to 1/3 iced water. 1 Tablespoon of sugar to every 1/3 cup of yogurt or just add sugar to taste.

I had 2/3 cup of yogurt left. So my recipe was:

2/3 cup yogurt
1/3 cup iced water
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence (that's my own addition - I like vanilla!)
Top up glass with 1/4 cup of ice cubes

Very refreshing and what a treat!
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                                                 

I call this Salmon On Rice. 

Not a very creative name I know but what it lacks in name, it more than makes up for in taste and visual prettiness. And because it is steamed with not a drop of oil, it is so healthy! A welcome change from all the heavy eating over the recent festive period.

Creme Anglaise, Custard Sauce, Vanilla Sauce

Hi! I'm now working from Wordpress. I've spent a great deal of time editing and reorganising this post on Wordpress and it is so much friendlier to read & follow my recipe from there. Click on this link to take you directly to the recipe:

Creme Anglaise, Custard Sauce, Vanilla Sauce

Link to my newest and old recipes, click:

https://kitchenbaroness.wordpress.com/

I could eat this sauce by the spoonfuls and I mean with a very big spoon! It is such a smooth tasting sauce, made from egg yolks, equal amounts of milk and cream and some sugar. 

Not only does it taste heavenly, you don't have to wait too long to eat it. In just 10 minutes, you can have a spoonful of this most delicious, creamy sauce in your mouth. 

This soft yellow sauce can be used over a range of desserts and fruits. It is so versatile. 

You might recall Creme Anglaise being served with Bread and Butter Pudding, Steamed Puddings, Poached Pears, Chocolate Molten Lava, etc. 

Years ago, I stepped into a hotel coffee house renown for its cakes. I ordered my then favourite dessert, a Mille Feuille also known as a Napoleon (think alternating layers of puff pastry and pastry cream). It arrived served on a delicate pool of what I now know as Creme Anglaise. 

I knew then that Mille Feuille would no longer be my favourite sweet when without realising it, I cleaned up all the Creme Anglaise without even touching the Mille Feuille. I would go back to the hotel just to have the Creme Anglaise, forget about the Napolean even though that was good too. 

Those repeated hotel visits happened before I taught myself to cook. I realised that with my fanatical fascination for seeking out and eating good things, it would make more sense, economical and otherwise to learn to cook.

I like this sauce so much, I only make it on the rare occasion. If I was not concerned about my waist line, sugar and cholesterol levels, I would be drinking this sauce from the bottle.

CREME ANGLAISE, CUSTARD SAUCE, VANILLA SAUCE 

Prep:	5 minutes
Cook:	5 minutes
Inactive:	-
Level:	Moderately easy
Makes:	2 cups of Creme Anglaise
Oven Temperature:	-
Can recipe be doubled?	Yes
Make ahead?	Up to 3 days. Keep covered and refrigerated.

Ingredients

5 egg yolks

1/3 cup sugar

200 ml whipping cream

200 ml whole milk (do not use skim or low fat milk)

1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

In a deep bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar to incorporate. No need to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.

In a non stick saucepan and over medium heat, warm up the whipping cream and milk until bubbles forms around the circumference. Watch the milk as it will boil over very quickly if you let it. Turn off the heat, transfer saucepan from the burner onto work surface.

Use a long ladle to spoon and add in the hot milk/cream into the egg yolk/sugar mixture whilst whisking all the time. You must whisk or you might end up cooking bits of your egg yolks. Repeat 3 more times or until you have added 1/3 of your milk/cream into the egg yolk/sugar mixture. 

Pour the mixture in the bowl, back into the saucepan and return it to the burner. Turn the heat back to medium and use a wooden spoon* to stir continuously.

Do not leave the stove and continue stirring, as the sauce will start to thicken very quickly, likely within a minute. 

Remember to reach all the bottom surface of the saucepan with the wooden spoon including the bottom circumference of the saucepan.

Within 3 to 5 minutes of stirring, you should have a very light, pourable sauce that has a slightly thicker viscosity than whipping cream. 

To check if the sauce is ready. Use your finger to trace a line on the back of the wooden spoon. It should leave a clear trail as pictured below. 

At any point, if you think your sauce is thickening too fast for you to manage, take it off the heat and continue stirring, then put it back on the heat until you reach the stage where you can leave a drawn line at the back of the spoon. 

There is a very narrow margin for error. Remember, it is better to under cook the sauce, so take it off the heat to be on the safe side. You can always put it back on the burner to cook further. Once you overcook the sauce and it starts to form little lumps, you will have to start all over again.

I myself take the saucepan off the heat two or three times, just to be sure I do not end up with scramble eggs.

Once the sauce is done, remove from the burner and continue stirring for 2 minutes to bring down the temperature and to make sure the bottom doesn't start to scramble.

Add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of Vanilla Extract. Stir it in. 

Strain the sauce into a container. Let the sauce cool a little. Either serve it warm or cold. Cover the surface of the sauce directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate if you are not using it anytime soon.

*If you choose to use a silicon spoon to stir, please be aware that when you trace a line on the back of that spoon, it might not leave that distinct a line for you to realise that the sauce is ready. Use the silicon spoon to stir but test with either a metal or wooden spoon to check if the sauce is done.

Tips


Creme Anglaise can be served with:

Almost any cake. Either leave a jar of it out for your diners to help themselves or pour it over, under or alongside the cake. I find the sauce especially good with

• Bread and Butter Pudding
• Chocolate Molten Lava Cake or any Chocolate Cake
• Sponge Cake
• Fruit Cake
• Spotted Dick (a traditional British steamed pudding that has dried fruit and uses suet - beef/mutton fat)
• Stewed Fruits
• Poached Pears  (I have a recipe for Coffee Poached Pears)
• Mille Feuille
• Apple Crumble

Almost any fruit. Here are some suggestions:

• Any berries
• Figs
• Peaches
• Nectarines
• Canned/bottled peaches, pears and nectarines, drained of syrup

Add brandy, liqueur or a flavouring of your choice to make this sauce the way you like it.  Add it after the sauce is cooked. I like the following flavourings:

• Brandy,
• Sweet sherry
• Limoncello
• Cointreau

What to do with the egg whites?

Pavlovas

Chocolate Pavlovas

Chocolate Eton Mess

Angel Food Cake

Egg white omelette, quick and easy.

WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                             

We are inching towards the last quarter of the year. Before you know it, there will be the perennial deluge of year end parties to attend and to throw! I love the year end festive period. It is my favourite time of the year.

In keeping with the festive and party spirit, I will begin posting a varied series of possible party food ideas that you could try out and then decide how to plan your party menu.

To start off, let me start with a menu that you might not be familiar with but is so suitable for convivial entertaining.

Not too long ago, I hosted a meze dinner inspired by the regional cuisines of North Africa, the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Dining meze style is always a fun option for entertaining. The dining is casual and relaxed. A good spread of often savoury dishes are laid out. Guests eat how much of whatever they want, when they want. The same goes with the wine. Diners should not be surprised that a main course might not be served. Why would you need one? There will be enough of a selection of meze to keep everyone happy, indulged and full.

For the host, most of the cooking can be done ahead which leaves you free to mingle, entertain and enjoy the evening with your guests. It liberates you from the kitchen stove and that is always a good thing.

So which recipe should I post first?

The Moroccan inspired wholemeal bread featured in the background of the photograph above or should I start with the savoury dishes pictured below? Why don't you decide.

Meze, A Selection Of Wonderful Little Bites

First row:

Zaalouk - Moroccan Roasted Eggplants and Tomatoes; Kabis - Lebanese Pickled Turnips and Beets; Moroccan inspired Radish, Bell Peppers and Mint Salad; Flash Fried Sweet Mini Bell Peppers.

Second row:

Greek inspired Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta; Hummus with Spiced Angus Beef Slices; 
Beef Kafta - Lebanese inspired Meatballs

Third row:

Labneh - Lebanese Drained Yogurt Drizzled With Extra Virgin Olive Oil And Clover Honey; Moroccan Inspired Roasted Green Bell Peppers With Tomatoes and Olives; Fresh Figs With Peppered Ricotta

Chocolate Pavlova, Gluten Free Dessert

 

Hi! I'm now working from Wordpress. I've spent a great deal of time editing and reorganising this post on Wordpress and it is so much friendlier to read & follow my recipe from there. Click on this link to take you directly to the recipe:

Chocolate Pavlova, Gluten Free Dessert

Link to my newest and old recipes, click:

https://kitchenbaroness.wordpress.com/

A Chocolate Pavlova looks impressive and should your guests love their sweets, you will be the toast of the party.

Yes, the meringue might collapse or crack on you on an unfortunate day but that can be covered up with whipped cream and fruit. It will still have that yummy chocolaty 'fudginess' and no one will be the wiser that it was not a good bake day. This recipe is adapted from Nigella Lawson - I think it's her best dessert recipe.  

Be forewarned, this is a sweet, sweet dessert.

CHOCOLATE PAVLOVA                                                              

Prep:	20 minutes
Cook:	60 to 75 minutes for four 6" (15 cm) meringues 75 to 90 minutes for one 9" (23 cm) meringue In areas of high humidity, it might take an additional 15 to 30 minutes for the meringue(s) to crisp up.
Inactive:	3 hours or until the meringue completely cools down
Level:	Moderately easy
Makes:	Four  6" (15 cm) pavlovas OR  one 9" (23 cm) pavlova
Oven Temperature:	360 F (180 C) and then reduce immediately to 300 F (150 C) once meringue is placed in oven
Can recipe be doubled?	No
Make ahead?	The meringue keeps well in an air tight container for up to 4 days without the whipped cream, fruits and any other toppings on it. The cream can be whipped, covered and kept refrigerated a few hours ahead

Ingredients

5 egg whites (3/4 cups)

There should be no trace of yolks in the egg whites. Even if there is a tiny trace, you must start over with fresh eggs as the egg whites will not whip up.

1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

This helps to stabilise and hold the structure of the whipped egg whites and prevents a pool of liquid egg white that might otherwise form at the bottom of the bowl of whipped egg whites. 

1 cup  and 2 Tablespoons (8 and 3/4 oz) (250 g) caster/super fine sugar

Do not cut down on the sugar. Do use caster or superfine sugar. Larger sugar crystals will not dissolve completely into the egg whites. If you do not want to buy caster or superfine sugar, pulverise the sugar you have into smaller crystals. 

1 teaspoon vinegar (any kind as long as it is not imitation vinegar) or lemon juice

Helps to stabilise the whipped egg whites.

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 and 1/2 oz (40 g) bittersweet chocolate

I use Valrhona -Guanaja 70% cocoa minimum. Cut into rough 1/2" (1.25 cm) chunks

2 cups whipping/thickened/double cream

Do not substitute with single/cooking/pouring cream as it does not contain enough of a fat content for it to whip up.  The cream should have at least a minimum fat content of 35%.

3 punnets of raspberries, each punnet weighs 6 oz (170 g)

Strawberry jam

Try making my easy recipe for Home Made Strawberry Jam

Update: I have since put up a separate post for this recipe, Homemade Strawberry Jam. It goes into a bit more detail, has more photographs to guide you and I have included other recipes where you can use the Homemade Strawberry Jam. Click here, Strawberry Jam Simplified.

Chocolate balls, bittersweet chocolate chips, or roughly cut bittersweet chocolate (optional)

I use Valrhona Crunchy Chocolate Pearls as I do not like cutting up chocolate and I like the crunch from Valrhona's Crunchy Chocolate Pearls.

Directions

Prepare your baking tray.  

Do take the size of your oven into account when deciding what size of a meringue to bake.

If you have a smaller sized oven, your only option might be to bake a 9" (23 cm) meringue. Whatever size you choose, you have to draw out a template for your meringue. This is simple enough.

Have a sheet of parchment paper that will fit onto your baking tray. For a 9" meringue, use a 9" dinner plate and with a pencil, trace a circle on the parchment paper. Remove the plate, turn over the parchment paper and use the unpenciled side to pile on the whipped egg whites.

Similarly, use a 6" (15 cm) plate to trace 4 circles on the parchment paper. You could also trace smaller circles but remember to leave a 1 and 1/2" to 2" (4 to 5 cm) space between circles as the egg whites will expand.

Turn the oven on to 360 F (180 C). Position the oven rack to lower middle.

Whipping the egg whites

Clean the mixing bowl and whisk with a wedge of lemon or a vinegar soaked kitchen paper towel. This removes any trace of grease that might prevent your egg whites from being whipped up properly.

Start whisking the egg whites until it is frothy.

Add the Cream of Tartar and continue whisking.

After 1 to 2  minutes, when the egg whites have reached stiff peaks and with the mixer running, gradually add 1 Tablespoon of sugar. I take 8 to 10 seconds to add every tablespoon of sugar. Let the mixer run for a full 10 seconds before adding the next tablespoon of sugar. You must add it 1 Tablespoon at a time to ensure that the egg whites can be whipped up into beautiful glossy stiff peaks. Do the same for the rest of the sugar. This process should take about 5 to 8 minutes.

As soon as the egg whites have been whipped to stiff glossy peaks, check that all the sugar has been incorporated by rubbing a little of the egg whites between two fingers. If you do not feel any grains of sugar, all is good. Refrain from over whipping as the meringue might weep or collapse in the oven from over whipping.

Fold in the vinegar and cocoa powder. Finally, quickly and gently fold in the 1 and 1/2 oz (40 g) of roughly chopped chocolates.

Bake

To prevent your parchment paper from shifting on the baking tray, dab tiny amounts of whipped egg whites on the baking tray. Stick the parchment paper on the tray.

Pile the whipped egg whites onto the pre-drawn circle(s). Remember penciled side faces down. With the help of 2 spoons, pile the sides at least 2" (5 cm) high and as straight as you can get it. Put the tray into the oven and turn down the temperature straight away to 300 F (150 C).

If you are baking a larger sized meringue, for instance, a 9" one, it needs to bake in the oven slightly longer, 75 to 90 minutes.

If you are baking smaller sized pavlovas, for instance, four of the 6" (15 cm) ones, it needs 60 to 75 minutes baking time.

If you stay in an area with high humidity, don't be surprised if it takes another 15 to 30 minutes, and sometimes even longer for the meringue to crisp up. 

Do not be tempted to open the oven door to check on the meringues before the allocated baking time (unless of course it smells like it is burning - unlikely). You risk the meringue collapsing if you open that oven door before the required baking time. Be patient. 

When the house starts to smell of slightly of chocolate meringues, you know it is about done. Open the oven door gently and even more gently prod the centre of the meringue with you finger. It should feel firm and crisp. It should have a feel of firm hollowness underneath the crisp. Turn off the oven if it has reached this stage. 

Use a wooden spoon or a rolled up tea towel to leave a 5 cm gap between the oven door and the oven. This allows the meringue to cool ever so slowly and decrease the chances of it collapsing as it cools.

If it still needs to continue baking, let it bake for another 10 minutes before checking on it. The idea is not to open the oven door more than is necessary.

What if it collapses or cracks? Don't fret. Just cover it up with whipped cream and fruit. It is going to collapse and break apart once you cut into it anyway. No use worrying over it. It will be yummy. 

If you are still nervous about serving anything less than a perfect pavlova, scroll down to 'Tips' and 'What's Coming Up Next?'. I have a dessert you can make from less than perfect chocolate meringue(s).

If you are not serving it straight away, leave it on the parchment paper and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Be careful as you transfer the meringue(s). It is fragile. 

When I bake more than one meringue, to separate them, I normally use a super sharp pen knife to cut the parchment paper between meringues before I store them in my containers. Using a pair of scissors will mostly likely wreak the meringues. 

You could choose to cut squares of parchment paper to fit the size of the meringues you will be baking.  Remember it still needs a 2"(5 cm) border. 

To serve

To remove the meringue from the parchment paper, I use a cake lifter to dislodge it. You could use a large cookie spatula or a flat utensil (long knife, bench scraper). You could also invert the meringue over your serving plate and peel off the parchment paper. That means you will be serving the meringue bottom side up. 

Whip the whipping cream until they have stiff peaks. Do not whip beyond that stage or the peaks will collapse as the cream starts turning into grainy butter. You will have to start all over again. Don't waste the over whipped cream though, use them in an omelette or in my recipe for Hamburger Buns, Savoury Buns, using it to replace the milk and butter called for in that recipe.

Lather cream onto meringue, drizzle my homemade strawberry jam, dot it with raspberries and throw over some chocolate. 

Enjoy the Chocolate Pavlova(s) immediately. They will not stay pretty looking for more than 10 minutes depending on how hot and humid a day it is!

Again, this is a really sweet dessert. Ration your sugar intake for the week!

Tips

Things to consider when deciding what size of a pavlova to make

I like to bake 4 smaller sized meringues (using the above recipe) instead of 1 larger one for the following reasons:

• From my experience, smaller sized meringues hold their shape better than larger ones. 
• Meringues are brittle and once you start cutting into it to share amongst your diners, it will start to look progressively messier. It doesn't help that the whipped cream and fruits on top of it will start to dislodge themselves as you continue to slice into it.
• Smaller sized pavlovas makes it easier for sharing. A couple could share one between themselves without the need for you to split it into two for them.
• Splitting a smaller sized pavlova is not only easier, it will look more presentable when served on a plate than the 1/6 slice cut from a 9" pavlova.
• If I am not making pavlovas for entertaining, I can choose to serve 4 smaller sized pavlovas over a few days, use the extra meringues to make another dessert called Eton Mess (think crushed meringue, whipped cream and strawberries) or I can give them away (just the meringues) to my friends.

What to do with all the egg yolks?

• Tiramisu.  I cannot bring myself to use raw eggs in my dessert as there is always the risk of salmonella poisoning. However, Tiramisu is just not Tiramisu without eggs. I came up with a recipe that is between a custard and a Sabayon so not only is the Tiramisu I serve very safe for eating, it still has a wonderful richness that can only come from eggs. Click on this link, to read more, Tiramisu With The Eggs But Without The Raw Eggs.

• Creme Anglaise, otherwise known as English Custard Sauce. This is a delicious sauce that can be used over so many desserts. It either complements the food it is served with or changes it altogether. For instance, Chocolate Cake is just chocolate cake when served as is. Serve it with this sauce and it is not just Chocolate Cake anymore. It becomes an even more decadent dessert and a very delicious one too. Creme Anglaise poured over raspberries becomes in an instant, dessert! How wonderfully easy.

WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                                              

A chocolate meringue based Eton Mess!

If you are apprehensive about serving a less than perfect Chocolate Pavlova to your guests, then make this dessert up with broken up chocolate meringue. It is just as good if not better and my friend in the fur coat agrees!