Desserts inspired by the edges of the world

The pleasure of everyday life

According to B. Nicholson, the author of the culinary books, the food blogger and TV presenter, the desserts occupy a really special place in the kitchen and can crown an exclusive dinner or simply become a little pleasure of everyday life.

However, their surprise is best revealed when delicacies are used in moderation when they enjoy. The same goes for desserts – the most important thing is not to rush and enjoy the process.

« Hurrying for desserts, like any other dishes, is the biggest mistake. After all, cooking and cooking at home, we give our most precious assets – time. So it’s worth trying to bring joy, inspiration, pleasant moments. When it comes to desserts. Aesthetics and quality.

Do not believe in alternatives

Different desserts today are often aimed at making them « healthier ». For this purpose, various alternatives for traditional ingredients are sought – for example, sugar is replaced by various sweeteners. Still, Nicholson believes that the use of allegedly healthier ingredients often becomes an excuse not to restrain self and desserts to eat more and in larger quantities than might be needed.

« I do not really believe in alternatives to sugar – especially chemical. Even often offered to use stevia sugar, I think it responds to the final taste of the product and changes it for the better. Of course, try to reduce sugar in a variety of baked goods, to rely more on the natural sweetness of fruits or berries. It will be possible to enjoy without conscience, it is not worth it.

Dessert soul – butter

For example, Nicholson says he has not found proven alternatives to butter or cream used in many baked goods. According to the author of the recipes, these ingredients are the « soul » of many desserts, and for example, a true oily napoleon cake does not match any « healthy » variants.

« I really like butter and probably no one will change it in the kitchen. With butter, even one fruit can be made with a wonderful dessert. For example, my favorite – butter baked banana or apple. Margarine, various fat mixtures, vegan alternatives – nothing but butter. There is never a disappointing « manor » butter, which I always prefer, as is the « manor » cream, « says Nicholson.

However, according to the author of Beata Kitchen, the irreplacement of some ingredients does not mean that the production of desserts cannot be experimented with or interpreted classic baked goods. On the contrary, when writing his recipes, B. Nicholson says he is always looking for ways to apply dishes to Lithuanian tastes, even if the ideas themselves were inspired by kitchens of other countries.

Eclera with curd cream

Photo by Beata Nicholson Personal Archive

Dough:

100 g of butter,

220 ml of water,

a pinch of salt,

160 g of flour,

5 medium -sized eggs.

To the filling:

400 g 9 percent. fat curd,

400 g 35 percent. fatty cream,

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract,

90-100 g of powdered sugar,

1 lemon peel and juice,

A pinch of sugar for decoration of powder.

Pour water into the pot, add a pinch of salt and add butter sliced. We fold on medium heat and wait for it to boil. Then add the flour to the boiling water and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough is formed in a smooth ball. We reduce the heat to the lowest and stir in the saucepan constantly to evaporate as much moisture as possible. We transfer the dough to another bowl and leave to cool for a short time.

We beat the egg one egg and beat with an electric whisk until evenly mixed. This is how we pour all the eggs one by one. The dough should be shiny, even and raised with a spatula or spoon, to form, forming a V shape. We put the dough in a pastry bag. Heat the oven to 180 ° C. We cover the baking sheet with baking paper. We squeeze the dough hoods on it, leaving the two -fingers width gaps between them. The quantity of the specified quantity should leave 20-24 cakes. Bake for about 35-40 minutes, until they are beautifully swollen and golden. We make the cream. We crush the curd with 100 g of cream with an electric eraser or through a sieve. We finely grab one lemon zest, press two teaspoons of juice and mix. In another pan, we whip the remaining cream with sugar powder and vanilla until stiff. We carefully add the whipped cream to the curd to keep the cream as fluffy as possible. We place the prepared cream in a pastry bag. We cool the baked cakes and make a small hole at the bottom with a knife or wooden stick. We fill the cakes through the curd cream. The cakes will be great the next day – then they will be completely soft.

Kefir Panakota with strawberries and rhubarb

Photo by Beata Nicholson Personal Archive

For cream:

300 ml 2.5 percent. fat kefir,

200 ml 35 percent. fat whipped cream,

1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla sugar with vanilla,

45 ml of water,

7 g of gelatin,

80 g of sugar.

A layer of jam:

200 g of strawberries,

200 g of rhubarb,

20 g of sugar,

Optional cinnamon sticks.

In a saucepan, heat the cream with sugar and the pod with vanilla seeds or vanilla sugar. Stir and heat gently until the sugar is completely dissolved. We remove from the heat and leave to cool.

While the cream is cool, we add 45 ml of water to the bowl and evenly sprinkle with gelatin. We leave for a few minutes to swell the gelatin. We pour warm cream on the swollen gelatin and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Add the kefir to the cooled cream with gelatin. It is important that the cream is really cool – if it is warm, it will be difficult to mix the kefir. We pour the prepared cream into the jars and place it in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. or overnight. At this point, we peel and cut rhubarb and prepare the strawberries. We put everything in a pot with sugar and cinnamon rod and turn it for 10 to 15 minutes. The completely cooled jam can be stored in the refrigerator until the creamy cream has stiffen. Place a few teaspoons of jam on top before eating the cream, decorate with strawberries. Also suitable for fresh berries.

Almond cottage cheese cake with apples, plums and blueberries

Photo by Beata Nicholson Personal Archive

For a cake:

4 apples,

4 plums,

a pinch of cinnamon,

sugar to taste,

30 g butter.

For crumbs:

1 glass of almond flour,

100 g of butter,

4 tablespoons of sugar,

a pinch of salt,

1 tablespoon of corn flour (either ordinary wheat or gluten -free flour).

For curd mass:

800 g of curd,

350 g 30 percent. fat sour cream,

4 eggs,

2 tablespoons of sugar,

1 tablespoon of vanilla sugar,

1 tablespoon starch.

We cut the apples and plums into slices, sprinkle generously cinnamon, add a piece of butter. Bake in a hot oven at 180 ° C for about 30 minutes. Almond and corn flour, sugar, a pinch of salt and butter with our fingers to large crumbs. We place almost all the crumbs in a baking dish lined with paper. Add for about 10 minutes to bake next to the apples. We mix eggs, sour cream, sugar and a tablespoon of starch in a bowl. We pour the curd mass on the roasted crumbs, add the toasted apples and plums on top. Sprinkle with the remaining crumbs and, if desired, with almond slices. Bake in a preheated oven at 170 ° C for about 50 minutes. When the baked cake – while hot – is very soft and brittle, then hardens. In both cases, it will be perfect for a cup of warm tea or coffee.